Post by ShadaAntoinette on May 25, 2010 0:21:45 GMT -5
When the girls woke up, Tara and Josephine were standing over them, each holding a jewel colored dress for them.
"You." Tara pointed at Rani. "Come with me." That meant Josephine was to help Shada with whatever they were supposed to do. Rani followed Tara out of the room, and left the other two women alone.
"Lief wants you to wear this." She held up the dress she held over her arm. It was ruby colored, which was pretty, but there was almost nothing to it. She eyed it with a bit of distaste.
"This?"
"Lief requests you wear this. Would you ignore his request?" The woman sounded insulted that she would balk at the idea.
"I'll wear it. I won't like it, but I will wear it." Josephine broke into a smile and began to help her.
It seemed like Josephine had a bit too much fun helping her dress, but Shada was determined to beat this challenge Lief Zombardi would throw at them. There was no way that she would lose this, and as a result, have to leave. That just wasn't going to happen. She bit her lip and let the woman finish with her and when they were finished, they joined Tara and Rani before heading down the stairs, where Lief awaited them.
"You two look beautiful." He said, when they joined him and the rest of his women. He rose from his chair, circling them again, like he had before. Both girls smiled at him. "Are you ready? All of the preparations have been made for your initiation."
"They are ready, Master." Josephine and Tara said in unison. Lief grinned and clapped his hands.
"To the maze!" He pumped his fist into the air and disappeared in thin air. One by one the other women did as well, until all of them were outside, including Shada and Rani, who were brought by the women who had waited on them. The movement was so quick, Shada felt nauseous. In front of them stood a maze with sixteen foot walls.
"In the middle of this maze is a jewel called a soul stone. It's used by the Sorceri to capture the souls of their victims. You must fight, gamble and riddle your way through it to get to the stone. The first one to capture it is the winner!" He told them, a bit of excitement in his voice.
Shada didn't like the way he was looking at Miranda, but ignored him and moved to the other entrance and waited.
"See you at the center of the Maze!" The he and all of his women disappeared again. Rani stood a few yards from her, in an emerald green dress similar to her own.
"Good Luck, Shada!" She called.
"You too!" Shada replied. Both had chosen weapons from Lief's armory, per request from Tara and Josephine, and now that they knew what they had to do, it had made a little bit more sense.
"Go!" Lief's voice boomed. Like rockets, both girls took off, at dead sprints, into the maze.
Shada turned the first corner and came to a junction in which there where two paths. She stopped for a moment and chose the left one. Immediately coming to the end of the path, a woman was standing there, a if she had been waiting for her.
"Welcome, Princess. I am your first test. Defeat me and I will let you pass." This woman's Bladic accent was light, as if she was from the north.
"First test? Aye, I guess I will just have to defeat you then." She gripped the hilt of her sword in one hand and rolled her shoulders and neck. "Let's go!"
"I shan't go easy on you!" The woman rushed at her, daggers drawn. The sound of steel clashing was ringing in her ears, but she wasn't deterred. She had to do this, had to beat this.... She looked for an opening in the woman's attacks, blocking her daggers with the blade of her sword. She just needed..... an...opening. Somewhere... anywhere. She continued to block the woman, until she found it. And a bit later, after sustaining dagger cuts to her arms, legs and chest, she finally found it. Every few steps, the woman would swing her blades in opposite directions, effectively yet briefly leaving herself exposed. She had almost missed it. Feinting left, she waited for the perfect moment and knocked the blades wide and aimed her sword at the woman's throat, pressing hard enough to puncture the skin.
The woman smiled at her, admitting defeat.
"Well played, Princess. You have passed." She lifted her daggers and handed them to her. "Take these as a prize, I have no need of them anymore." With one last smile, the woman disappeared, opening the path for her to continue.
Shada stood there for a second before continuing on, surprised that she had won at all. What else did Lief have planned?
The next test she came upon was a riddle, which left the poor creature wondering how she could have figured out the riddle so quickly. She merely shrugged and moved on, ready to take on the next test.
Finally, after completing six tests, she burst into a clearing in the center of the maze. The jewel sat upon a pedestal, glittering in the moonlight. She had....won. Well, at least she thought she had. A woman was standing there waiting for her.
"Well, well, Princess. You were the first to make it to the jewel. Congrats. Now all you have to do is beat me, and you have won." Shada eyed the woman, who eyed her right back. The woman was covered in tattoos and piercings; she wore a tiny top, and an even tinier skirt with fishnet stockings that came to her mid thigh. Her boots were thick soled so she towered over Shada, but the thing she noticed most was her face. Eyes that changed colors; long fiery red hair and white wolf ears. This woman looked Lykae but couldn't have been if she were here. The Vampiir and the Lykae were bitter enemies.
"Who are you?" Shada asked, eyes turning completely black. The woman's did likewise but she smiled.
"I'm you. I'm the you you are supposed to become." Shada didn't understand, which was just fine for her 'future' self, who took that time to attack, sending her crashing back over the hedges, breaking them in her wake.
Quickly with daggers raised, Shada got up. The wolf woman merely laughed and spoke her spell, which sent the daggers flying out of her hands and into the air, only to rest on the other side of the jewel, to the woman's left. Grimacing, Shada ran at her, pummeling the woman with fists in a flurry of blows. The woman laughed again.
"You have yet to unlock your powers, I see. Well, maybe I should help it along!" The Lykae-esque woman punched her, making her stagger back and fall. "You need to focus, girl. If you don't unlock your powers, I will kill you, and then I will cease to exist."
"I don't know what the Hell you are talking about!!"
"Yes, you do, you just don't know it yet."
"Let me have control, Nightshade. I will help you beat her...I mean you." There was that unnatural voice in her head again! She didn't know what to do, but she gave in to the voice and something seemed to awaken inside her. Pain, like fire erupted from her forehead as wicked horns burst forth. When the big wings stretched from her back, she fell to her knees and shrieked; the nearby bushes exploded in a brilliant display. She was changing, becoming something demonic and she didn't know why. Then suddenly, she got to her feet... no wait... she wasn't in control of her body anymore. Someone else was making her stand!
"Angheliiratiaa! Long time no see!" The woman exclaimed, tail wagging.
"Well, now aren't we all grown up! So tell me, where am I in your body, oh grown-up Shada?"
"You gained your own body. That is what you have to look forward to." Her face stretched into a smile, without command. Just what the Hell was going on?
"Oh, forgive me, Sister. I am Liir, the one who was born inside you. Your guardian spirit, I suppose you could say. Just sit back and watch me work!" Liir jumped Shada's future self, landing solidly on her chest and effectively knocking the wind out of her. Then the demon, or whatever she was began to rip her with her claws. The Lykae woman ripped a gaping hole in her side; the blood rushed over her, staining her fur crimson. Liir laughed loudly, as if she was enjoying herself.
"Liir... the jewel. We have to get the jewel." Shada told her.
"I'll get it in a minute." Liir snapped. The other woman was up, having moved when Liir was momentarily distracted She shot some Magick, which was quickly dispelled by Liir, who used some of her own, sealing the woman's mind with her demonic Magick.
Falling to her knees, the woman began to scream and claw at her eyes, saying a name over and over. Only Liir knew what that meant, and she wasn't going to say anything.
Her body transformed again, leaving it's previous state and becoming what it had been, with Shada in control. Liir had done her duty, and was now retreating. With one hand over her bleeding side, the other reached for the soul stone.
Just as she picked it up, Miranda came into the clearing.
"Noooo!" She screamed, falling to her knees. She had lost, and Shada had won.
"You." Tara pointed at Rani. "Come with me." That meant Josephine was to help Shada with whatever they were supposed to do. Rani followed Tara out of the room, and left the other two women alone.
"Lief wants you to wear this." She held up the dress she held over her arm. It was ruby colored, which was pretty, but there was almost nothing to it. She eyed it with a bit of distaste.
"This?"
"Lief requests you wear this. Would you ignore his request?" The woman sounded insulted that she would balk at the idea.
"I'll wear it. I won't like it, but I will wear it." Josephine broke into a smile and began to help her.
It seemed like Josephine had a bit too much fun helping her dress, but Shada was determined to beat this challenge Lief Zombardi would throw at them. There was no way that she would lose this, and as a result, have to leave. That just wasn't going to happen. She bit her lip and let the woman finish with her and when they were finished, they joined Tara and Rani before heading down the stairs, where Lief awaited them.
"You two look beautiful." He said, when they joined him and the rest of his women. He rose from his chair, circling them again, like he had before. Both girls smiled at him. "Are you ready? All of the preparations have been made for your initiation."
"They are ready, Master." Josephine and Tara said in unison. Lief grinned and clapped his hands.
"To the maze!" He pumped his fist into the air and disappeared in thin air. One by one the other women did as well, until all of them were outside, including Shada and Rani, who were brought by the women who had waited on them. The movement was so quick, Shada felt nauseous. In front of them stood a maze with sixteen foot walls.
"In the middle of this maze is a jewel called a soul stone. It's used by the Sorceri to capture the souls of their victims. You must fight, gamble and riddle your way through it to get to the stone. The first one to capture it is the winner!" He told them, a bit of excitement in his voice.
Shada didn't like the way he was looking at Miranda, but ignored him and moved to the other entrance and waited.
"See you at the center of the Maze!" The he and all of his women disappeared again. Rani stood a few yards from her, in an emerald green dress similar to her own.
"Good Luck, Shada!" She called.
"You too!" Shada replied. Both had chosen weapons from Lief's armory, per request from Tara and Josephine, and now that they knew what they had to do, it had made a little bit more sense.
"Go!" Lief's voice boomed. Like rockets, both girls took off, at dead sprints, into the maze.
Shada turned the first corner and came to a junction in which there where two paths. She stopped for a moment and chose the left one. Immediately coming to the end of the path, a woman was standing there, a if she had been waiting for her.
"Welcome, Princess. I am your first test. Defeat me and I will let you pass." This woman's Bladic accent was light, as if she was from the north.
"First test? Aye, I guess I will just have to defeat you then." She gripped the hilt of her sword in one hand and rolled her shoulders and neck. "Let's go!"
"I shan't go easy on you!" The woman rushed at her, daggers drawn. The sound of steel clashing was ringing in her ears, but she wasn't deterred. She had to do this, had to beat this.... She looked for an opening in the woman's attacks, blocking her daggers with the blade of her sword. She just needed..... an...opening. Somewhere... anywhere. She continued to block the woman, until she found it. And a bit later, after sustaining dagger cuts to her arms, legs and chest, she finally found it. Every few steps, the woman would swing her blades in opposite directions, effectively yet briefly leaving herself exposed. She had almost missed it. Feinting left, she waited for the perfect moment and knocked the blades wide and aimed her sword at the woman's throat, pressing hard enough to puncture the skin.
The woman smiled at her, admitting defeat.
"Well played, Princess. You have passed." She lifted her daggers and handed them to her. "Take these as a prize, I have no need of them anymore." With one last smile, the woman disappeared, opening the path for her to continue.
Shada stood there for a second before continuing on, surprised that she had won at all. What else did Lief have planned?
The next test she came upon was a riddle, which left the poor creature wondering how she could have figured out the riddle so quickly. She merely shrugged and moved on, ready to take on the next test.
Finally, after completing six tests, she burst into a clearing in the center of the maze. The jewel sat upon a pedestal, glittering in the moonlight. She had....won. Well, at least she thought she had. A woman was standing there waiting for her.
"Well, well, Princess. You were the first to make it to the jewel. Congrats. Now all you have to do is beat me, and you have won." Shada eyed the woman, who eyed her right back. The woman was covered in tattoos and piercings; she wore a tiny top, and an even tinier skirt with fishnet stockings that came to her mid thigh. Her boots were thick soled so she towered over Shada, but the thing she noticed most was her face. Eyes that changed colors; long fiery red hair and white wolf ears. This woman looked Lykae but couldn't have been if she were here. The Vampiir and the Lykae were bitter enemies.
"Who are you?" Shada asked, eyes turning completely black. The woman's did likewise but she smiled.
"I'm you. I'm the you you are supposed to become." Shada didn't understand, which was just fine for her 'future' self, who took that time to attack, sending her crashing back over the hedges, breaking them in her wake.
Quickly with daggers raised, Shada got up. The wolf woman merely laughed and spoke her spell, which sent the daggers flying out of her hands and into the air, only to rest on the other side of the jewel, to the woman's left. Grimacing, Shada ran at her, pummeling the woman with fists in a flurry of blows. The woman laughed again.
"You have yet to unlock your powers, I see. Well, maybe I should help it along!" The Lykae-esque woman punched her, making her stagger back and fall. "You need to focus, girl. If you don't unlock your powers, I will kill you, and then I will cease to exist."
"I don't know what the Hell you are talking about!!"
"Yes, you do, you just don't know it yet."
"Let me have control, Nightshade. I will help you beat her...I mean you." There was that unnatural voice in her head again! She didn't know what to do, but she gave in to the voice and something seemed to awaken inside her. Pain, like fire erupted from her forehead as wicked horns burst forth. When the big wings stretched from her back, she fell to her knees and shrieked; the nearby bushes exploded in a brilliant display. She was changing, becoming something demonic and she didn't know why. Then suddenly, she got to her feet... no wait... she wasn't in control of her body anymore. Someone else was making her stand!
"Angheliiratiaa! Long time no see!" The woman exclaimed, tail wagging.
"Well, now aren't we all grown up! So tell me, where am I in your body, oh grown-up Shada?"
"You gained your own body. That is what you have to look forward to." Her face stretched into a smile, without command. Just what the Hell was going on?
"Oh, forgive me, Sister. I am Liir, the one who was born inside you. Your guardian spirit, I suppose you could say. Just sit back and watch me work!" Liir jumped Shada's future self, landing solidly on her chest and effectively knocking the wind out of her. Then the demon, or whatever she was began to rip her with her claws. The Lykae woman ripped a gaping hole in her side; the blood rushed over her, staining her fur crimson. Liir laughed loudly, as if she was enjoying herself.
"Liir... the jewel. We have to get the jewel." Shada told her.
"I'll get it in a minute." Liir snapped. The other woman was up, having moved when Liir was momentarily distracted She shot some Magick, which was quickly dispelled by Liir, who used some of her own, sealing the woman's mind with her demonic Magick.
Falling to her knees, the woman began to scream and claw at her eyes, saying a name over and over. Only Liir knew what that meant, and she wasn't going to say anything.
Her body transformed again, leaving it's previous state and becoming what it had been, with Shada in control. Liir had done her duty, and was now retreating. With one hand over her bleeding side, the other reached for the soul stone.
Just as she picked it up, Miranda came into the clearing.
"Noooo!" She screamed, falling to her knees. She had lost, and Shada had won.
