[Plot] [Open] Week 111: Cinder Mihi

[Apeiron]

Kincaid wondered for a moment if the universe, or the Viskar, were toying with him. Shop burning, cursed sword, poor spellslinging, a vorax to the face… and to wrap it all up, he didn’t get to show the demons how appreciative he was for their audience. None of this had turned out as enjoyable as he wanted.

Then again, he hadn’t expected the spider-demons. Or this new one.

Recovering from the near-collision with the vis-predator, the thief began weighing the devil from a distance. His rain was beginning to let up, and in a moment his spell would fizzle and fade. Still, there was enough time to….

To….

Grass green eyes fell on the knife in the devil’s hands.

Now what kind of knife is that? The thief wondered, his dull eyes regaining some of their usual liveliness, but only for a moment. It died again when the curse rolled over him again, and the screams sent a horrible shiver down his spine. Kincaid tried to shake it, but to little effect.

The boy was stammering, and if Kincaid were in his usual mood he’d have found the whole ordeal funny. After all, what threat was a demon to Kincaid? But he wasn’t in his usual mood. He could barely manage a grin.

It was weak, lacking in the bravado he so casually tossed around, but between the cautious gaze of Corvus, the anger of Dominic, and the fear of Cassius, it looked positively arrogant.

“A helping hand, eh?” His voice sounded flat, but he needed to talk. Needed to move. Needed to do something, anything, besides stand still and stay quiet. “If all you needed was a helping hand, all you had to do was ask! After all, Kincaid is a name well known for lending a hand…. Though, usually I’m paid if the jobs interesting enough.”

He paused and considered the devil for a moment, assuring the creature, “...You meet the criteria of ‘interesting.’” As if there were any doubt.

Looking down at the cursed blade in his hands, then back to the devil, Kincaid heaved a sigh and strode towards the creature, attempting to look unaffected by the curse as much as possible. For the most part he thought he was doing better than some. “Normally I’m not one to complain, Smokey,” he said as he approached, stopping just out of arm's reach. He lifted his sword hand out to the devil, offering up the cursed blade, “but I’m not a fan of the color.”

[2995]

 

[K3]

The heady sound of rain began to drown the fleeing crackle of burning fires, the choking magic of Slow driving the unsteady rhythm into the laicars' heads. Ever-above, the red-tainted night drew inward, painting the street in hell-blasted colors. Standing there, back to the toxic rain and the now-proclaimed Kincaid, the devil felt satisfaction. Another billowing chuckle welled up in it, cut short as the demonic entity crossed two easy steps between it and Dominic. Taking a long draught from its goblet, one of the devil's four hands suddenly shot forward, seizing Dominic by the jaw! The man, scarcely with the power to stand, couldn't help but stumble forward, but the fire in his eyes never dimmed. His body, no longer obeying the fury that drove it, felt heavy and overheated. Twisting the man's face from one side to another, the devil's smile never dimmed, but contained itself to the confines of its face. "Ah, so impolite, so brash, so vulgar!" Resting its knife-carrying hand against its hip, the devil patted Dominic's cheek, the patronizing gesture only serving to incense the man more. "I can't say I dislike that, though. Pride, my bloodied friend, goeth before the fall... but not for you, oh no. You'll die standing before you suffer an insult. "So tell me," The devil's grin became a touch manic as it talked over its shoulder at the others, "what kind of friend is such a man? Surely not one of yours, Cass. Surely not one of yours, Kincaid. So overbearing!" A long moment of tense silence descended, before a cackle arose from the devil, and it fixed a smug look on Dominic, "Perhaps it would be best if you had a nice rest before you dealt with things beyond your comprehension, mortal. Take it nice and easy." Punctuating his statement, he tapped one bony finger against the mafioso's forehead, pushing ever-so-slightly. The meagre strength Dominic had gathered fled him, and he collapsed once more. Observing him a moment, the devil turned on its heel in time to bring itself uncomfortably close to Kincaid, its shoulders shrugging comically high as it exclaimed, "Oops!" Another reedy cackle tore from its lips, and he seemed to steady himself against the thief offering up the ebony sword. Hidden from the man's view, the knife in its hand pulsed once with a familiar crimson, before the demon happily turned its focus to Kincaid. "Oh and just what do we have here? A worshipper, for little old me? Oh, you shouldn't have!" Having seemingly ignored everything the man had said, the delighted devil nonetheless plucked the sword from Kincaid's hands as though it were completely ordinary. Instantly, the screams fled the laicar's mind, a wonderful salve on his grating nerves and fraying composure. As though that were all the thief had to offer, the devil pointedly turned his back to the man as he faced Cass. "Cass! Cass, Cass, Cass, that's a good name you know. Castiel? Castor? Cashmere?" Snickering to himself, the devil's hands extended out to its side and away as it gave a comical bow with all four arms, spilling the thick red liquid in the goblet over, where it steamed into thick vapors upon hitting the ground. The knife in its hand remained, though it was no longer as carefully managed as before. "I," He began, head bowed just momentarily, "am Ego! Or, you may call me that if you so choose, it's one of my favorites!" Raising its head, but remaining hunched, the devil stalked forward a step, pleased when Cassius did not flinch away this time. Pulling one of its hands over, the stooped demon was face-to-face with the budding necromancer as he offered it to the man. "Now isn't that just a treat, a barrister mage raising the living!" Having a hearty chuckle with itself, the devil at last straightened, and perched all four arms against its hips, ignoring the still-spilling goblet that never quite seemed to run dry. "Now, ordinarily our business here would be concluded, but I’m afraid you've cost me some perfectly good thrall in the process. Which means that I am in the market for some new roommates! "Now, I'll give you a discount on account of the good behavior and the delightful show, but I am afraid that you four are just too good to pass up. What shall we say... four-hundred years? Three-fifty? I'm pushing for you guys, you know." The devil tutted and rattled off on its fingers, its grin once more pushing into the edges of the air around it and trailing off to smoke. [ 767 / 5542 ]​

 

[Abbey Rose]

Cassius’ forced smile dropped down almost in time with the demon’s widening grin. Thralldom, if his dad’s weekly rants were anything to go by, was always a bad idea. The lectures he attended reinforced that behavior, and he could see why. This guy could set whatever terms he wanted in this kind of negotiation.

“I, well, I mean,” he stammered, “I don’t think you would want a guy like me.” There was no false or genuine bravado in his voice. It was all fear now. “I’m so lazy I can barely show up to any of my classes. I wouldn’t really be that much use to someone, uh.... Someone like you.”

The mage took a breath to continue belittling himself, but stopped short. Should he really be selling himself short right now? He had things that he did want to get done while he was still alive. Dying would not let him do any of those things.

Weariness and exhaustion overtook him. His legs buckled and he slid down the wall until he was just sitting on the ground. It was a little hard to think straight, with the mix of rain and magic around them all. Multi-armed death towered over him, waiting for his answer. Cassius scrunched up his eyes, trying to give him one. Years of learning battled an animalistic self-preservation instinct.

Instinct, and maybe a hint of cowardice, won out.

“But if that’s what you want,” Cassius’ words were closer to a whisper than a sentence, “then fine.” He stared back up at the fiend, dead eyes matching the dull tone of his voice.. “My name is Cassius Aurel Colonnade, and I’ll be your man.”

He extended his own hand, offering it up to Ego. For all the exhaustion that plagued him, he could at least be proud of the fact that the hand did not shake in the air. In this, at least, he could look confident.

321/3421

 

[Shadowwind]

Catello trotted back to the hunter looking like a mess. His fur was matted in multiple places in a mix of the demon’s black ichor and the beast’s own blood. Despite this, Corvus was methodical in checking his companion’s face. Beneath a tangle of blood and fur, an emerald eye observed the man placidly content to submit to the exam. A weight had been lifted from the hunter only to be replaced by an intense exhaustion.

And so the hunter did what he could to drag himself atop the vorax. His hand shook as it gripped the creature’s blood soaked fur. Slowly, the pair lumbered closer to where the group had gathered. Corvus’ face was stone.

“There’s not much room to say no is there?” The hunter remarked mostly to himself. “I’m sure a fight with you would be entertaining for all the wrong reasons right now. I have no plans of dying so I’ll agree.”

Inside there was a twinge of something that might have been amusement if not for the danger of the situation. If nothing else the business proposal would be interesting.

“The name is Corvus.”

[191/2218]

 

[Nargles]

Dominic hit the ground with a thud. Ego’s light tap was enough to completely drain whatever little strength he had left. With another hefty struggle, the mobster slowly picked himself back up. Though he knew that at this point he was out of commission in a fight, the laicar wasn’t about to let the demon gloat. The other two members swearing fealty to the demon positively dumbfounded the hitman. He panted while standing, taking a moment to catch his breath before continuing. Interrupting the contract negotiations, Dominic shouted from behind the gathered group. “What the hell is wrong with the two of you?” He was shocked that the others were even considering the devil’s offer. He looked at Cassius, the sting of the wounds only slightly mitigated by the boy’s healing spell. “If you didn’t notice, the only reason this monster lost his thrall is because he sent them to kill us and I had to kill them!” “Yes.” Cassius said back to Dominic through gritted teeth, not daring to take his eyes off of Ego. “You killed them. You almost died doing it, but he made it look like child’s play.” He remained motionless, only changing the pitch of his voice to ensure that the gunman could hear him. “I want to live today, and I am not going to let you ruin that by starting a dick measuring contest on us.” His contempt was beginning to reach full blown ire. “And you!” he turned to Corvus, “How are you okay with this? If you haven’t noticed, your arm is maimed and we’ll need to fucking put down your dog because of this... thing!” Not willing to save anyone from his tirade, he changed targets to Kincaid. “And for the love of god, you better not do the same thing Kincaid. Your shop is now a smokehouse and if it wasn’t for me taking three to your zero, it probably would have ended up a whole lot worse” Grif: [75/3496]

 

[Apeiron]

Kincaid shrugged off Dominic’s anger. Mostly busy reveling in the fact that the curse was now removed. “I stayed because you’d arrived,” he remarked, the forced grin slowly spreading into his usual smile. “The moment you had your pistol we could have fled..., but that’s not exactly how you think. Not while there are demons terrorizing our beloved Terminus.”

The thief’s eyes were focused on the dagger as it sat in the devil’s hands, begging to be swiped, but Ego was too casual and Kinicaid’s instincts told him that if he tried to steal the dagger now it would cost him.

He had to wait. If he could get the devil closer... if he could get the creature to get even a little careless next to him... then the opportunity would present itself. But Kincaid would have to be careful. He knew little about demons and devils, save what he had heard in stories growing up. Right now, he had two options: make a deal, or die. At least that’s what he could gather from the archer and the mage.

Deal or die.

The thief’s smile spread across his face and almost touched from ear-to-ear as a thought occurred to him. “Might not be so bad,” he said suddenly, “after all, we could negotiate some of the terms.”

He paused here to consider, looking between Dominic and Ego as if deciding who he should listen to. “Mmm I’ve got no strong desire to die, but I’ve got rules of my own. One of them is to take no job without knowing what I’ll be doing first.” Folding his arms across his chest, Kincaid tilted his head and lowered his guard, his whole posture inviting the devil to give him that. One. Little. Push.

[3288]

 

[K3]

As the Serpens spell continued its downpour in the backdrop, the devil outright tittered at the squabbling group. The outstretched hands were considered for a moment, before Ego was all smoke – flowing past the pair and reforming behind them – and smiles. Leaning two gangly arms apiece across Corvus' and Cassius' shoulders, Ego's head tilted as he shot a wry look at the unconvinced pair. "Now, now, friends! This is no time for mutiny and mismanagement! You've won, my friends, the day is yours and the source of this little mess within your reach. All I'm asking... is that you give a poor sinner his dues." Ego's drawling tones became enticing, promise heavy in the devil's voice. One arm came up to grasp the back of Corvus' head, ruffling the boy's hair playfully before turning it to face Ego's own, his words admonishing now, "Now, I know what you've got rattling around in that skull of yours, my boy." Ego seemed to be on a roll with his parlor tricks now, the sublimation of his form flowing naturally as he reformed next to Cassius, two arms on each of the summoner-in-training's shoulders as another was outstretched, pointing off into the distance with a splayed palm. His words became conspiratorial, and overdramatic, "Ego, you handsome beast, the only reason we're in this predicament is because of you! Why, this is highway robbery of our very souls you're committing!" Turning a pitying look to Cassius, he nodded sympathetically, "It's true, it's true. Life is cruel and unfair, my friends, and I am quick to take advantage of such things. But!" More smoke and mirrors from the showman, and Ego now had his back to Kincaid once again, gesticulating wildly to all four of them with an arm each. "But! I could see something in each of you! There's something about mortals, y'know? Something that doesn't break, something that can't break. Oh sure, you'll get hurt and you'll die and you'll die for stupid reasons, of course." As if punctuating his statement, Ego cast his gaze almost playfully at the barely-standing Dominic. "But there's something about you, something I can't quite get a hold of, and that is what I live for! That's why I'm here!" Another fully-belly laugh seemed to bubble up from the devil, and he once more dissolved into the ether, the thick ropes of smoke creeping towards Kincaid before the demon had reformed all but hugging the cross-armed man. "You have rules, Kincaid. I can respect that, we all have rules of our own back home. You want to know the score, you need to know, because that's what you mortals do. You don't act, you think! You plan and you meddle and you scheme and for some reason it's not like what my buddies back home do." Ego had slung an arm across Kincaid's back, holding the knife loosely as the blank-eyed devil looked fondly at the thief, before turning his sights – and forcing Kincaid's head to look along with him – back to the rest of the group gathered. "Now, I don't want to do something I'll regret here, Kincaid. We're all the same in that regard, we all don't want do regret anything... but you're making it a sight hard. "These people, Kincaid, they're each going to be somebody; it doesn’t matter if I get involved. I'm simply... speeding up the process. Giving you each a little push. You want to know what this," Here, two of Ego's hands came up and air-quoted alongside the word, "'job', is?" A dark chuckle came from the devil as he prepared his punch-line, before a loud creaking and a startling crash interrupted him. Looking back over Kincaid's shoulder, and with all eyes turning to the source, they saw Semper Mihi begin to burn. Flames licked through broken windows and it was easy to tell that the fire had been raging inside for some time now. The crash could have only been one of the support beams failing as the inferno consumed Kincaid's home from the inside-out. "Hmm," Ego grunted, in a tone that was surprised enough that it couldn't be a part of any act, "I guess I must've knocked something over." [ 701 / 6243 ]​

 

[Abbey Rose]

For a moment, there was silence. The group was bathed in the light of the inferno as it consumed the building. Smoke and flecks of ash or cinder rose into the air. It was almost beautiful, in a way.

But that beauty, coupled with the words of their soon-to-be owner, taught Cassius the severity of the mistake he was in the process of making.

This devil is fucking crazy. While he knew it was something that you could say about almost every fiend, this Ego character was doing it in a way that defied even basic common sense. He was putting on a play, and was not even using them as actors in it. The laicar were just props for his stage.

Cassius remained silent, however. There was nothing the apprentice to could about it.He had made his bed, and trying to go back on your word with a devil was a clear-cut case of suicide, especially one as psychotic as this. The guy “accidentally” burned down an entire building. Who knows what he could do intentionally.

178/3674

 

[Shadowwind]

Any thoughts of subtle manipulation were quashed quickly. They were dealing with an unstable being at best, at worst he was a very dangerous patron. Yet Corvus attempted to reign in the growing disconcerting feeling welling up inside of him.

“You’re a showman than?” the hunter asked trying to keep the fear from sneaking its way into his voice. His decision to agree with the demon seemed more and more like the lesser of two evils. Not waiting for an answer from the demon Corvus instead turned his attention to the gunman, “If you haven’t noticed despite our best efforts there’s not much fight left in anyone. Dying is easy and I’d prefer to avoid it if possible.”

[118/2327]

 

[Nargles]

The group appeared to freeze as the shop burst into flames. Perhaps they were simply underestimating the powers of the foppish demon in front of them. Dominic continued to pant as the energy to stand was being drained out of him. At this point he just wanted to pass out and rest to recuperate his strength. That being said, there was no way he would get a restful sleep when demons were attacking. Still annoyed that the others were so trusting, he knew that as long as the demon continued to flex its muscles the weaker members of the group would continue to be entranced by the theatrics. However, it wasn’t the fatigue that was upsetting him the most, it was the knowledge that he had absolutely no idea on why there were so many demons, nor anyway to control the demons attacking the city. “So then, you in charge of this demon show?” Dominic mentioned from behind the group. The faint sounds of explosions and screeches of demons filling the air. “Having trouble keeping the rest of your thrall in line?” he asked with the slightest tinge of resentment in his voice. [3163]

 

[Apeiron]

Kincaid’s left hand came up and removed the devil’s arm from its perch. The flames had captured the thief’s attention, and the dagger had all but been forgotten -- a trivial item before the sudden realization at what exactly he was losing.

At first the thief had thought his anger was borne from the fact that the demons had been an obstacle in his way, forcing him to remain when he could have simply gathered up his essential equipment and fled. But now? Now he understood. His anger hadn’t been at the demons who harassed the small band of strangers.

“A life,” Kincaid muttered to himself. He had started to build a life he hadn’t even realized he wanted -- that he had convinced himself he didn’t need. A lifetime on the road, what would Terminus be but a weight if he had decided to remain? “That store had the worth of a life,” he said a bit louder.

Turning to face Ego, the thief spared a glance to Dominic, Kincaid prepared himself. If he did this, there was no turning back. The devil might ask him to do things that he wasn’t willing to do, and under normal circumstances he wouldn’t, but the devil owed him for destroying Semper Mihi. Whether Ego knew it or not, he was going to pay Kincaid back for every exa lost in that fire.

If it meant getting back what was his, and a little more, Kincaid could do anything.

“Forget what I said,” he said flippantly, smiling his thief’s smile, “it seems I’m in need of a job regardles. I’m in.”

[3555]

 

[K3]

More accusations rang in Ego's ears, like music, and his grin spread ever wider. Smoke simmered and popped from the quickly smoldering Semper Mihi, almost in time with small wisps that peeled from his form. Smoke and ash, soot and dust, it all returned to whence it came. It was impossible to tell exactly what was going on in the devil's mind, whatever centuries-spanning goals could've been marinating in his internment in Infernalis. Yet, as he turned eager, blank-white eyes to the gathered four, a sinking feeling came over each as three committed to what they were very certain was a bad decision. Roaming across the pale face of Cassius, and meeting the still-wary eyes of Corvus, Ego said nothing as Kincaid shoved his arm away, instead locking his gaze on the still-defiant Dominic. The question pulled at his lips, another biting laugh perched on them as he answered with a dismissive flick of his hand. "You flatter me, Pride. Oh, if only I had so many resources to manage, I should scarce see a reason to leave my abode! No, I'm afraid your intuition isn't as worthwhile as your instinct. This business," For the first time since he'd appeared to them, Ego's face smoothed into something resembling contempt, "is nothing of my design. So inefficient! So... boring!" With a huff, the devil smoothed his dirty suit and stepped towards Dominic again, stopping short and drawing himself to his full height. Standing head and shoulders over the mafioso, and without the pretense of dramatic comedy, the devil seemed more befitting of its title. From the endless smoke that he could produce, the goblet was once more conjured. Taking a deep drink of its spirits, one of Ego's four hands came up and splayed itself flat, displaying a contorting figure in pitch-black smoke. Eventually, it formed into a recognizable silhouette as the mortals gathered around, and Ego spat the next word venomously, "Janu. The abominable little cretins have opened another of their portals, spilling the infernal plane into this one. And in that state it shall remain, until the portal is closed – forcibly – and the insects responsible for its opening slain." With a sneer pulling at the corners of its mouth, Ego crushed the smoky silhouette in his fingers, watching the trailing vapors as they fled upwards into the night sky. Turning its gaze back to Dominic, his grin returned. His words had returned to their enticing, whimsical tone. "Of course, any attempt to close this portal will be hounded by scores of formerly-bound habitants all too eager to take their pound of flesh from the mortal realm. "That is, unless, their souls were spoken for." [ 445 / 6688 ]​

 

[Nargles]

Dominic couldn’t fathom how someone could manage to rip a hole to Infernails, or for that matter why they did such. Though topics such as magic and demons were never his strong suit, as he only possessed an elementary knowledge of the topic. The more pressing concern was the swarm of demons hounding the entire world. His interests were far from altruistic. In most other cases, if he had been given a heads up, the hitman would have reveled in the idea of mass panic. It was moments like this and those with the ANO that made the arms market flourish. However, in both classes, a lack of foreknowledge that such events were going to occur left his family ill-equipped to profit. Therefore, the longer such a disaster continued, the more likely the spoils would be amassed in groups that were far more prepared. There were interesting benefits from entering partnership with a demon capable of controlling a thrall, particularity from a monetary standpoint. However, Dominic was still apprehensive from fully jumping on board. He needed some leverage. He looked towards the group, taking a mental note of their skills and proficiencies. For his part, Dominic was rubbish at magic and would not be suitable. Corvus showed no great talent for what he needed, and he didn’t believe Kincaid had the temperament necessary for his plan. Which left one option. “On one condition Ego,” he started before turning to face Cassius. “You’re pretty good with spells kid so this shouldn’t be far too difficult for you. And from the looks at it, you owe me for taking down any of the three demons that could have easily killed you.” He pointed towards Ego. “Make a contract with him. Not a thrall contract, but the one that lets you summon him at will.” Dominic turned back to look at Ego, attempting however he could to match the demon’s bravado, regardless of his injured state. “You two seem to get along so well already. If you make the deal, I’ll join.” [3502]

 

[Shadowwind]

“Four thralls is a blessing for you huh?” the hunter said plainly. “How fortunate that we have you to look out for us. I’ll go along with this but that doesn’t mean it adds up. Why are you so quick to tell us how to stop this? I’d think the chaos is like dessert time for your kind.

“The kid is smart enough with spells, shouldn’t be to bad. Plus you get to keep a close eye on the goods. Seems like a win-win for you.” The beast he was atop rumbled a huff as the hunter desperately wished this talk went quicker so he could attend to his companion’s wounds.

[112/2449]

 

[Abbey Rose]

“You guys really do not have any idea how this summoning magic actually works, do you?” Cassius looked at the duo, eyes wide. They could not possibly understand what they were saying, or they would not be saying it.

“Do you two even know what a summoning ritual that gives me that kind of control requires?” He slumped back, resting his head against the drenched wall as his arm fell back down to his side. His eyes scrunched together. He could elaborate, but chose not to. It had been a long day, and he did not have time to lecture two crazies on the finer points of demonic rituals.

“I mean as far as I remember you just like give them some carrots or something until they like you enough to team up,” the hunter said slightly perplexed. “That’s how it worked with this guy,” Corvus continued patting the vorax on the back. “I can’t imagine it’s that much more complicated.”

"It is a lot more complicated. By a fairly wide margin. You basically said 'Oh gee, Mr. Ego, I'll be your trooper if you let this asshole be your boss.'" These two were going to get Cassius killed today. He knew it.

Graf: 150/3834
Tyler: 52/2482

 

[Apeiron]

“Daemonium and Mansuetis are about as different as a city is to a forest,” Kincaid piped in. He turned away from the burning image of his store, and back to the group who looked at him as if the thief had just sprouted two heads. “What? I’m allowed to know some things, aren’t I?”

Shrugging off their looks, Kincaid went on, saying, “Regardless of what that sort of contract might entail, my boy, we need a way of contacting Smokey here. Just waiting for him to contact us about whatever he wants isn’t acceptable.” He stopped long enough to let a crooked smile crawl across his face, “Besides, if you do make a contract with him just think about how much more valuable you’ll be to us -- aside from the life-debt you owe Dominic, and the exa you now owe me.”

Before Cassius could argue, Kincaid held up a finger to stall the mage, “That was my terra regia you used, and I’m particular about knowing how much of I have, and of what quality. The buf-hide bag was for bigatium, specifically, and since I’ve lost the other half of my stock-pile, the least you can do is pay two units worth of pulveris. Fair, no?€

[3761]

 

[K3]

As the Serpens spell called by Kincaid finally petered out, the symphony of rain and fire finally reached its crescendo, an ear-splitting crash sundering the air as Semper Mihi crumbled under the weight of its own blaze. Back to the firelight, steeped in the tainted crimson skies, standing well above even the tallest of their number, Ego struck an imposing figure. Stepping forward, the devil's delighted smile curled impossibly far back, stretching out his cheeks as he cut into the brewing fight, "Come, friends, let there be debts on other accounts – you've all a bargain to make, and the price is named." As he spoke, a raspy growl snuck into the devil's speech, and a chill ran down the spines of the four as their attention was forcibly grabbed. Power seemed to exude from Ego, his form becoming hazy and murky as smoke began to leak and overflow from his form. Soon, great stacks of vapor were roiling from him, arms slowly losing shape save for a single one. Long claws extended from the once-dirty fingers, until the hand itself lost shape to the smoke. A moment later, the four came to the nightmarish realization that they bore witness to Ego's true form. Two wide, blank eyes stared hungrily at the quartet, the rest of its form a seeping mass of pitch-black smoke. Deep, powerful tones echoed around the street, as the demon swelled to unprecedented heights. A moment later, the beast stooped low over all four, its hunched form easily rivalling Semper Mihi. A single hand extended from the writhing smoke, that same goblet perched on two claws the size of lances, until they neared the four – as easily capable of offering the goblet as they were spearing them through – and finally stilled, smoke spilling from the limb they sprouted from. A single word reverberated, so loud and commanding that the gathered laicar could not comprehend if they had heard it, or if the word had materialized from their minds. "Drink."​ [ 332 / 7020 ]​

 

[Nargles]

Though he refused to admit it, an odd sense of relief overcame Dominic as the demon revealed its awe inspiring form. As much as the mobster loathed to admit weakness, it did not change the fact that he would have unable to even remotely challenge Ego. His mouth opened dumbstruck in surprise as the demon swelled to the size of the now ruined building. The relief was fleeting, instead replaced by a mix of anxiety and an unsettling fear. Though the demon spoke like a man, albeit an animated one, Dominic had the unsettling feeling that it was simply a façade to hide his true nature. As the gargantuan claws approached, the hitman instinctively tightened his grasp around the Carnifex. It was an involuntary move born of disdain and apprehension. Pride, as the demon had so poignantly pointed out, was a virtue that he kept close to his heart. To bind himself to another, and a demon no less, seemed fundamentally wrong. Though at this moment he certainly did not have any other choices. Dominic was the first to approach to goblet. He could see the varying levels of trepidation and hesitation in the others. The muscular laicar reached forward, grabbing the goblet with his left. The Carnifex was still held in his right, just in case this was simply an elaborate use. The goblet was surprisingly cool to the touch. A buzzing sensation covered his hands almost immediately, though Dominic simply ignored it. The liquid within the goblet had the consistency of sludge. It appeared as blackened pitch, occasionally bubbling out to emit a thick plume of smoke out. The stench was nauseating which made Dominic dread the taste. Raising the goblet to his mouth, he took a small sip of the liquid. The effects were instantaneous upon ingestion. The taste was a rotted mess of flavors. It was impossible to pin down any one flavor, but the combined sensation struck at his core. The quickly returned the goblet, as the effects wreaked havoc through his body. He collapsed to his hands and knees, moments away from vomiting. The mix of his injuries and this liquid were no doubt ruining his body. His body saw it at a poison and was desperately attempting to purge it. He violently coughed, unable to even speak or comment on the liquid. At this moment all he could do is recover while the others drank their share. [3906]

 

[Shadowwind]

Serpens have mercy, the thought ran automatically through the hunter’s mind. For the first time in a very long while the laicar felt something akin to awe. He had hunted monsters before, but always on his terms. It had been years since something like this had caught him by surprise.

Drink. Was the noise inside his head or out? The dull roar had caused him to fall into a stupor unable to move. Even his thoughts seemed sluggish.

He saw the gunner approach and drink his share. Only with that reassurance did the hunter approach his own goblet. He lingered a moment of the vorax’s back seeking some small amount of reassurance. When Corvus finally dismounted the beast uncharacteristically nuzzled him as he walked by.

Corvus placed a hand on Catello’s blood slicked fur before leaning in to mutter something, “Sins can be forgiven, the dead are just gone. Will you still be with me?” The creature raised its head into the hunter’s touch which was all the answer he needed. As the hunter neared the goblet his stomach knotted. It seemed to revile the very air around the cup. The hunter thought nothing of the sign given the gunner’s reaction. It was only after taking his swig did Corvus realize the grave mistake he had made.

In Paludis the hunter had eaten sun warmed meat which never knew even the concept of salt or cold storage. The horrors of that sickness could not begin to compare to what the laicar had done to himself. His palate was coated in the gunk of that single swallow which filled his nose and tastebuds with smoke and sulfur. Somehow through sheer stubborn force of will the hunter managed to get the substance down. And then the pain began.

His stomach knotted into an iron vice, and soon his body retched in rebellion against the sip. He could do nothing but slump to the floor. The sickness came. After the first round of vomiting was completed, the hunter thought himself done. He was naive. His body wrecked bringing with it more tar, then bright orange bile, finally the only thing he was spitting into the ground were single specs of the substance in the chalice. The process felt like an eternity but lasted no more than a minute. It only finished when every drop that entered Corvus had been expelled.

Exhausted mentally and physically, the hunter was able to spit out a single phrase, “What...was that?”

[418/2867]

 

[Apeiron]

“Well now, that just doesn’t look fun.” Kincaid glanced down at Cass. Over the course of Ego’s transformation, the thief had seen fit to place himself as far back as physically possible, only to wind up with his back against the wall next to Cassius.

He watched as both Dominic and Corvus drank, wretched, and eventually fell to the ground. Hesitation took him for the briefest of moments as his eyes went from the demon’s form to the goblet, then to the two compatriots.

There was no backing down now, even if the thief really wanted to. But the demon could do things that Kincaid couldn’t, and he had things that Kincaid wanted. Maybe by making this pact, Kincaid could take one step closer to fulfilling his own dream.

Kincaid stepped forward and swiped his goblet up, the cup’s contents practically buzzing like a swarm of flies with what must have been powerful magic to bind them. As he lifted the cup up to his lips, the smell hit him and churned his stomach before he even managed to take so much as a sip. It sent a disgusted shiver down his spine, and he had to fight the compulsion to throw up.

He really wasn’t looking forward to what came next.

Inhaling deeply, the thief tried again, this time being quick enough to beat the smell and managed to get the ichor to his lips. The revolting taste slammed into him instantly.


If someone had melted auritium lateris and poured it down his throat, they would have been doing Kincaid a favor. For how little he took, Kincaid could taste smoke as if he had stood in the burning center of Semper Mihi and took in a lung-full of black cloud. The actual liquid -- if it could be called that -- took forever to pass down his throat.

Each moment that past was agonizing as Kincaid collapsed and convulsed on the ground. His lack of fortitude once again made apparent until the ordeal ended with Kincaid wretching.

[4098]