Devices & Desires

Life is cruel, and it had been especially cruel to the Hunter, Marquis Quintilius le Dolmance, Exarch of Her Majesties Imperial Arms; at least that was how he viewed the world. The world as fucked him and now he did everything in his power to fuck it right back in it's puckered little ass.

Sadly such ploys on his part had the misfortune history of just putting him deeper into servitude and weakness; two states which the man simply deplored.

But that had never prevented him from pursuing his overly ambitious desires. Which explained why he was out of his element of courtly intrigues and was roughing it with farmers and scoundrels in some backwoods inn. Why he was here?

Simple, there was a rumour. A rumour that had come to his attention by means of his many scouts and informants; to be a human in the court of the Unseelie required paranoia in excess of all others. The Hunter loved power; but felt extreme pleasure in the pursuit of power; which was why he was willing to bloody his own hands in this quest.

The rumour itself was one of power, a relic which could be utilised and make its wielder powerful. This man was arrogant enough to deem himself worthy of its strength. He thought that it would give him temporal powers enough to force the Queen he had set on the throne to bend her knee to him, and perhaps enough for him to break free from his Master.

His life was a series of quests, each one littered with pain and blood paid for by himself and others. They had left long emotional scars upon his mind and had focused him into a hate filled individual that wished to subjugate reality to his will.

Such a simple desire sprang from a complex history that had him waiting for one individual. She had been spotted travelling the road and it was expected that she would seek shelter in this inn. Fortune favoured the Marquis as his target was also Fey in nature. That cursed breed which he despised and hunted. She would be his.

Perhaps she even knew of him, feared him, hated him. It made him smile as he drank second rate grog.

Dy'Ivial was the Queen of the Unseelie Court. She was traveling to see the fae she had left in control of the Moon Fae. She walked into the tavern the hood of her black cloak pulled up. She spoke quickly to the man at the desk and then she turned away. Her eyes scanned over the room and she turned away. She brought some first rate grog and went to sit in a dark corner. She slid the hood back on her cloak reavealing her long ruby red hair. She looked around her green eyes roving over the crowded room.

She had an inane feeling that something was going to happen. She was looking for any signs of trouble but she could find any. She subcociously set a pentragram around her table. Trouble would present itself soon enough.

((Yeah, I know I didn't mention this in the title; but this rp is just for myself and Kikora. This isn't group or open role playing.

If you are interested in a rp though perhaps we can work something out between the three of us.))

Kaura traveled through the small town, her chin held high as she ignored the curious gazes of those who stared at her. She had her white hat pulled low to hide the arched tips of her ears, and the slight angle of her brows. A poor disguise of her less human features, but protection made her feel safer than if she should try to wander without hiding herself.

Elves did not stray from their borders often, avoiding contact with humans and any other race of the outside world. Recently they have become all the more reclusive, turning down audiences with human nobles, and shutting borders and trades altogether. It was a stunning move that had startled many human leaders, but an necessary one. Kaura's race was on the verge of collapse, growing weaker with each passing decade. They aged quicker, died faster, their magic drained to the point that the one powerful race was held together by illusions and lies.

According to legend, the Gods had gifted Elves with a great source of power, a mighty artifact containing the purest form of magic known to the world. A once normal race on the planet was given the task of protecting the artifact, but as news spread of its power, many other races grew jelous, and sought to claim it. A great war broke out across the mighty kingdoms, and in the turmoil, the artifact was lost.

Thousands of years passed, and the effects of the magic started to fade from the children of Elves. Kaura herself is exceptionally weak, and aging rapidly for her species. Only twenty five years old, but with the tall and athletic build of a grown woman, not the child Elders tell her she should be. And not the mind of one either, as anyone who spoke with her is quick to find out.

So, she set out, spending years of her shortened life researching the source, until she was sure she found it's location. She presented her findings to the elders, and plead for the sake of her people, only to be refused out of fear. She refused to let it end there, and so she set out on her own to find the source.

She naively believed she could leave and hire a human mage to help her reach the source, only to find humans equally fearful to accompany her on her mission.

Weeks had passed, until her once fine dress was stained from travel, the humidity damaging the delicate material. It seemed she would pass through another small town, full of humans too cowardly to assist her. It was a pity to her to come so far and achieve nothing, but the sun was fading fast, and she needed her rest. Staying out all night would not help her people. So she entered the small human inn, weaving her way through the small crowd of humans to make her way to the desk and find a room for the night.

Time had past, Kaura has found her room and made it her sanctuary for the night. The Hunter could almost taste his prey; but still he waited. The inn slowly emptied, leaving the drunks and those too indisposed to litter the tables and chairs. So many crude statues that wobbled and swayed in mockery of the vitality of life.

Removing himself from his seat the Marquis was flanked by twin shadows. Their moves echoes his; but where as the leader went with a slow and rhythmic three motion step they moved silently upon the wood floor in spite of their large size. With each tap of his cane the Hunter came closer to his prey; but there was one task that needed doing prior to his springing of the trap.

As he past by the owner, who was red eyed and on the verge of collapse for each day was the same of early rising and late nights, he dropped a large purse of local currency and made a whispering motion. He has purchased silence and absolution above the law.

Rising a stair case the Hunter could smell the stench of the Elf; it mattered not the breed of beast, he could always track those infernal devils. The trail led him to a door and with a few soft cants he had surrounded the area with a queer silence. Stepping back his shadows flickered in a light at the end of the hall. Beams of light showed them for the monstrously armoured beasts they were; but whether there was life within those suits was a mystery only the Marquis knew.

His Grigori, always faithful.

With the strangeness of an altered world the door noiselessly broke upon an onslaught of axes and the hulking forms rushed inside to leave the Hunter to slowly make his way inside.

Entering he would find Kaura gripped tightly by armoured hands and he would smile. Any words she uttered would be soundless, she would wait upon him. His voice would undo the spell.

"Hello, Fae."

The words would echo as though from a great distance. Still a spell was cast that muffled noises, screaming would do Kaura no good.

Kaura had wasted no time in leaving for her room, placing a small pouch of money on the front desk before heading back to rest for the evening. It was a humble place to stay the night, a small bed next to a nightstand that she set her bag of provisions on. It took her a few minutes to set her bow for the night, cleaning and unstrung it carefully to keep it in good condition. She cleaned and sharpened the rest of her weapons before preparing for the evening herself.

It took her a few moments to loosen the intricate braids from her hair, letting the soft brown locks cascade freely as she brushed out the knots that built during the day. A single lock of white hair that sprouted at the top of her forehead, looking slightly out of place against her young features. She tied it back with a length of light blue cord before scrubbing her teeth, changing into a light blue satin nightgown, and climbing into the small bed.

Barely an hour had passed, and Kaura was soundly sleeping then she was roused by a disturbance. It wasn't a noise as much as a shifting, a movement of shadows that made no sound at all. It made her snap awake, sitting up as hands grabbed at her, tugging and pulling. Her mouth flew open to scream, but no sound emerged. Only a dreadful silence filled the room as she struggled, her heel painfully catching and overturning the desk.

It took only moments for the monstrous beasts to heave her out off the ground, held tightly between the creatures. Their master revealed himself soon after, smiling wickedly as he viewed her, before speaking. Kaura blinked once, surprised, and very confused. Here the man was right before her, but his voice was muffled, echoing slightly in the confines of the room. And more disturbing, he knew her race, without having to flicker his eyes up to the now revealed points of her ears, Which meant he knew of her before he attacked, likely hunting her because of her species for whatever twisted reason, she thought in a state of near panic.

"Release me!" She yelled in the strangely muted voice, not caring for the man's pleasantries. For a moment a light glowed behind her eyes as she took hold of her magic, drawing it in. She was not a strong magic user, at least until she reached her source, but she was far from defenseless. Without another warning, she cast her spell, letting her power course through her, surrounding and pushing out from her body with the force of burning light that she hoped would force the monsters to release her, and blind their master long enough for her to dart past. If she could get moving her chances of escape were good, few creatures were as as quick footed as her race.

"Release you?"

The Marquis' words rolled from his tongue like an insult. Light burst from the Fae's supple form and the Hunter refused to squint, his pupils shrinking to pin pricks as he stared straight on into the glow.

There'd be a large shadow imprinted upon the wall in the hall as the light flooded the room and expanded through the openings. The Grigori retained their grips, preternatural eyes unaffected by the brilliance of the display. Their grips tightened and the light resided.

"I think not."

There was a disharmony in his words though as something uttered at the back of his throat contorted his voice to the point of where only a keen ear could discern a meaning. Phantoms of chain and stone materialised from thin air and banded themselves across floor, wall and ceiling.

The Hunter was closing the trap.

With a subtle motion the Grigori loosed their hold and Kaura was free; but the Hunter was in motion. He lunged forward the short distance to drive the point of his cane into her sternum and knock her out. It would be his moment and a surprise unto the Fae as he moved with a speed quicker then that which a human should be gifted with; but the Exarch as a general and leader of men had gifts of inhuman origin.

Her spell did nothing, neither the heat nor the light seemed to affect her attackers. If anything the grips of the monsters only tightened painfully, and Kaura winced slightly, panic evident on her face as the man spoke once more, mocking her plea for freedom.

Her breath caught in her throat when she realized simple spells would not work against the hunter and his creatures. As long as they kept hold of her there was no escape, and Kaura had to fight the nauseating rush of panic as her mind played out exactly what these horrid beings could want with her.

But, they didn't keep hold of her. It took Kaura a moment to realize that the beasts had released her, moving aside as their master darted forward with speeds that would do any Elf proud. And Kaura herself was fast, even for her race. She spun to evade the worst part of his blow, darting backwards. His cane still managed to catch her below her ribs, but it was a passing blow, painful, but now enough to slow her steps much.

As she fled away from the blow, she snatched her short sword from where it rested on the wall, and rushed towards the door, desperate for escape.

He struck, the cane had been poised in his right hand with the lunge. The attack had carried him across the room and she had managed to dodge it, she wasn't a weak Fae. But still he struck her beneath the ribs which would cause some damage and whittle away at her stamina. War was a game of set pieces which could be moved about as needed; but there was a randomness to it that no game ever managed to capture.

Which is why no war game was ever as much fun as war.

Kaura moved to his right, going for her weapons which his Grigori had not seen fit to capture. There would be a word spoken to them for this glaring mistake. It was time for a follow through strike, and it came from the back hand of the Marquis red right hand.

Marble struck at flesh.

Even if she managed to dodge he would be turning to regard her and attack once more. The Grigori fell back to let their leader play at his game. The chains and stones had materialised fully and had enclosed the occupants in the trap.

If Kaura wanted release she would need to kill the Hunter and defeat his Grigori, or submit.

Kaura managed to close her grip on her short sword before spinning back again, with barely enough time to see the hunters hand flying towards her, much less evade. The stone appendage struck her with full force. Kaura stumbled backward, eyes wide as blood fell from the corner of her lip, her cheek already darkening from a deep bruise. She worked her jaw for a moment, wincing slightly, but relieved when she didn't seem to feel anything broken.

The monsters moved back, but their Master advanced all the same, looking as though he were enjoying this all too much. With a sick feeling of horror Kaura finally viewed her surroundings, seeing the tall stone walls, and the heavy chains that ran along them. "What is this...?" She whispered tightly, an obvious note of pain in her voice. She didn't know this kind of magic, the spells this man used to bring her into this trap, or why if he was a magic user himself he would want to capture a weak creature like herself.

Questions aside, she raised her sword in front of her in defense, her eyes hardening on Marquis. She ignored the horrible pain in her cheek, but could not hide her panting, the tightness in her chest from were his first blow had knocked the wind from her. "What do you want from me?" She demanded, taking another cautious step backwards.

This was the difference between a war game and reality, she told herself grimly... Reality had no rules, no protection, no equality. She was in an unfamiliar environment fighting several powerful creatures, with little magic to aid her, and an opponent that possessed her speed.

Games were more fair.

He had to bite his tongue, less he be baited by rushed words to reveal his intent. It was better to have her in the dark for the moment as he cornered her. Better to negotiate from a position of strength then one of weakness; the possibility of entering into an agreement on an equal footing had never even set foot into the mind of the Marquis.

Instead he sought to throw her off as she reeled back from his blow and readied her blade before her. He could see so many lines of attack around her defence; surprise had put her on a weak footing and the Hunter pressed his advantage. Moving in closer his lips moved and words spilled forth and grew into a shout.

"I am the Hunter, Marquis Quintilius le Dolmance, Exarch of Her Majesties Imperial Arms; and you shall submit!"

Once more he went in for a blow, there was little room left to retreat to. Kaura would push herself into a corner unless she took hold of her fate and pressed in against the trap. There was no hope for victory as the Exarch whipped the cane around to strike Kaura's hand that gripped her weapon.

To disarm was his first step, then he could break her at leisure.

Kaura's only hope was to force a stalemate.

He didn't falter, didn't pause in his advance, the expression in his face showing that he had no doubt in his mind who the victor of this battle would be, no matter how Kaura might try to resist him.

He began to yell, his name and title echoing through the room. "I shall not submit!" Kaura shouted right back as he bolted forward. His cane lashed out at her, and she pulled her hands back to avoid the worst of his blow, but still her only weapon was knocked out of her hand, sent flying across the room.

"I am Kaura Vertae!" She growled, unsure exactly why she named herself, and lunged forward. She was never one to give up and surrender, to allow fate to dictate her path in life. No, that was why she was here to begin with, she refused to submit to the horrors of the world.

She spun as she moved, pivoting on her heel while Marquis drew back after his attack. With all the speed and strength she could muster, the small Elf sent a spinning kick flying towards the Hunter's head.

Her strategy was fairly wise. She had to hope for a debilitating strike, which meant something important. Very little out there was more important then the head. Though why she didn't go for the lower head was something to be considered by clearer heads at a later time. There was one glaring flaw in it though.

The Hunter never drew back from the attack. He pressed forward and closed the distance. Kaura telegraphed her attack grandly and defensively the man brought up his right arm to defend. He would take the blow upon his arm and Kaura would be off balance from the high kick.

A perfect opportunity to strike.

With one more step Quin was right inside her guard, her leg would just be doing whatever it was the Fae thought she'd do after the kick and reached out with his left hand to grab her by the scrawny little neck all of her cursed breed seemed to be gifted with.

"Mine."

Her kick was flawless, balenced perfectly on the balls of her feet as she spun, but her assumption of his next move was utterly wrong. Instead of drawing back after his attack, he kept moving forward. His arm halted her kick, and even with her exceptional balence she found herself faltering slightly, trying to find her footing.

She tried to draw back, drpping her weight onto her entire foot as she quickly began to pull her leg back... But it was all too late. In the instant that she was off guard the hunter had closed what little distance remained between them. His left hand shot out for her throat, and he closed his fingers around it tightly, half choking her as he halted any attack.

Before her foot even touched the ground again she was beaten. Kaura did not give in to fate, but she was no fool either. The hunter could easily end her life if he wanted now, and she was utterly powerless to stop him. But all the same, "I belong to no one." She told him softly as she straightened to full height, which was still didn't quite reach his chin, "Not even you. What do you want of me? I have no money, no pull. If you wish to use me to gain pull with the Elves I must inform you that my life holds little value to them, and I refuse to serve you. You have wasted your attack, hunter. Now release me at once." It took every bit of her will to keep the fear from her voice, even if it did falter slightly as she spoke.

"I have power."

He slammed her against the wall, anything to keep the Fae off balance as he savoured the taste of victory. A grin played across his face as his lips curled to form more words.

"But I require more, and there's a rumour."

A rumour indeed, a rumour of power, of strength, of something more; and the Hunter was ever a seeker of power. Anything to escape his shackled and be his own master. That was his ultimate goal, to master himself and the world around him.

"Yes, a rumour. A rumour that you know something of a relic. A relic of power."

And so the root of the reason was revealed. The Marquis loosen his grip somewhat about her throat so as not to choke her; but retained enough pressure to subdue her if need be.

"If you would be civil, I would like to help you in your quest."

An odd request, an odd statement; hadn't the Hunter been the one to provoke the conflict? Hadn't he been the one to feed the fires of hate and distrust? Why should he expect equitable treatment after his action?

Because he was who he was.

He grinned, and pushed Kaura back, slamming her roughly against a wall in a completely unnecessary move of dominance. He was enjoying his victory, making Kaura feel all the more helpless by causing her to stumble, and struggle to keep her footing as he finally gave his reasons for attack.

Honest surprise played over Kaura's inhuman features, her eyes widening as she stares at the hunter. Did he honestly wish to help her find the source, and if so, did he plan to allow her to use it to aid her people, or simply steal it for himself?

"I do know of a source of great power..." Kaura said slowly, carefully as she examined the hunter's face. Could she refuse his aid? Would he simply release her if she rdenied him...?

No, after so much effort to subdue her he would not simply allow her to leave. This was never an option for her, it was agree to aid him, or be forced to. But, as long as he was pretending to be civil, perhaps she could still have this work for her. "And I seek someone who can safely help me reach it." She continued at last. "But I do not take well to being threatened. If you wish to have my knowledge then release me at once, Hunter. Allow me my weapons, and remove your traps, then we may talk civilly."

He barked in laughter, right in her face as Kaura denied the truth. Lies were easy to detect if you had spent your life untangling them; but then truth was a cheap whore easily bought and easily tarnished. His grip loosen as she continued to speak and a please looked took his face.

Sharp grey eyes regarded her for the first time. Despite her words he would never think of the Fae as an equal, only something to be tolerated and then destroyed as its use came to an end.

"Have them."

His voice was calm and flat, betraying little in the way of emotion as he took a step back from her. The Hunter spat out words which raged against the sanity of minds and the room returned to normal. Even the infernal guards which had stood passive seemed to vanish as something invisible swallowed them up.

The Grigori had other tasks to perform as this one was at an end.

"Pick them up, I fear not. I will see you to the Source."

Kaura could have growled when the man laughed at her, mocking her attempt to be reasonable. Anger flashed behind her eyes before she could suppress it completely. But he did release it, and step away. His eyes regarded her with a cruel look, and her skin crawled at the contempt that his gaze held, and when he turned away he spoke to her flatly, allowing her her weapons without a trace of emotion.

Somehow that made his hatred all the more obvious, and while his guards vanished into nothingness she couldn't help but to think he was still ready to attack at any time.

"Why ally yourself with me?" She asked as she picked up her sword, and moved to grab her discarded sheath. "Do not mistake Elf with ignorant to emotion. You hold hatred for me. Why?" She turned to him once her sword was in place, her eyes hard on him, "How can I trust you to protect me on this quest when I see nothing but animosity in your eyes?"

The words he could say, the words he wished to say. They could have just poured from his lips; but he bit his tongue. The moment was not ripe for what he truly thought of the Fae. Though the Hunter would not be above such a petty emotion as feeling slighted that an Elf would not know who he is. It was probably her arrogance which restrained her from admittance of such a base fact.

"Simple, because it is expedient."

At no point did the Marquis try to explain his hatred of the Fae breed. If she wanted that story she would find it tragic in origin and bloody in history, with more then a few contradictions.

"And it will be easier if you're alive for it. I know how to restrain myself. I swim with sharks."

The Hunter was flippant with his vague reference to the racial hatreds of the Fae and how he as a human, though more then human, had to constantly fight to thrive in such a hostile environment.

Kaura simply shook his head at his “Explanation”, cocking an eyebrow at him for a moment. It was obvious he held a grudge against her, and the most likely reason was her species. It was an aggravating constant she found since leaving her village, humans who held hatred her species, and did not take the time to judge each of them separately.

She sighed slightly to it, after all there was no point in arguing for her own honor, and tucked her knifes into her nightgown before turning to the hunter.

“And when we reach the source?” She asked, her eyes narrowing slightly. “I have many people to save, how can I trust you to not betray me when my service is no longer needed?”

She turned to face him completely, her eyes locking onto his. “And what do you plan to use with this power? The Source is a holy power, and it has a weighted responsibility. I will not allow you to taint it further, if that is your intention, hunter.”

Sometimes the Hunter was obtuse, hiding his meaning within subtle words and little actions. Other times he was blunt and forth right. Simple brutal honesty was the current phase of his game. With a smile which showed that he enjoyed any hint of a challenge he leaned forward and balanced himself with his cane before him.

"When we get there you can try to kill me if you wish; but I have a god to kill."

Deicide, that was the Hunters ultimate goal. His final destination and desire was to free himself from a slaver, even as he enslaved others. Power was to be his to wield and he could not stand to have any above him.

The hunter leaned forward, smirking at her as he set his body weight onto his cane. If she had to guess at his expression she’d say he was cocky, enjoying their exchange, but fully assured that when the time came he would succeed in his goals.

And when he voiced his intentions, Kaura’s eyes widened considerably, and she stepped forward, eyes narrowing as she glared at the hunter, her hand closing on the hilt of her sword again.

“What god do you mean to slay?” She growled lowly, “Answer me, and be clear, or I will not lead you to the source, and I am the only of my people who knows its location.”

The god knew his intention. It always knew, and it liked to watch its slave dance and try to free itself. The game they played was a favoured past time that had played out for centuries. The Marquis each time trying to grow beyond the god and each time falling deeper into its thrall.

It burned a passion inside his breast fiercer then any hatred he possessed for the Fae.

"Nyarlathotep. I seek to destroy and blight out the existence of the Crawling Chaos, the Herald of the Outer Gods."

His voice was stone cold as the words dribbled from his tongue. There was power in those words, power to ruin lives and send minds shivering into the furthest corners of insanity. Even the room grew cold with them.

"Once I have done that my life will be complete."

Kaura arched a brow at the named god, and withdrew her hand from her blade, taking a cautious step backwards. “What reason do you have for wishing to kill that god?” She asked at last, her eyes never leaving his face. “Understand our power comes from an inner God, it might be able o gift you with great ability, but to slay another god… I cannot say for sure you will be capable of such an action.”

She let that warning hang in the air before launching back into her initial concern. “How do I know that when we reach the source you will not slay me?” She asked again, “I am an honorable woman, and hold no malice for you hunter, but I can see the loathing in your eyes each time you view me. Do you except me to believe you will not simply kill me and leave my race to die?”

"My matters with the god are personal, you need not concern yourself with them. Just know that Nyarlathotep is an evil god that plays with the souls of the living and delights in the tormenting of them."

He didn't concern himself with her words of failure, there was no room in his mind for doubt. To even except the possibility of failure was to invite it into his life, the Marquis would not have that. Too much of his pride road with him for this last great gamble.

"You have only my word. My word is my pride, to fail in its keeping is to wound myself. I would not besmirch it, especially not to a Fae."

The words had started off proud and noble; but his last comment dripped with disdain. Still though his words were true, he held his word in high regard and would do whatever it took to fulfil them; and when it came to the Fae he strove in all regards to prove himself superior to the haughty breed.