Naboundd

[SINIB]

Eruraviel

The elf turned to the newcomer with a frown, staring at the man standing before her, taking a quick glimpse of his power. Her ears trembled as she stared at him, silently listening to the loud music accompanying him, finally raising her hand dramatically and snapping her fingers. Music of her own from behind her shoulders blared behind her. She didn't understand what was happening, but she could tell it was a fight for dominance, one on which she was not willing to be outdone.

"You're cute, I'll give you that. And you're a powerful mage, in your own rite too." The elf clapped lazily at him, never taking her eyes off him for a moment, and giving ZEKE a mental order to help protect her, no matter what, knowing how futile this would be if truly took action against her. "Bravo. You've met a real mage today for your first time, so I'll give you a pass for being so rude to me." Her gems shined brightly, fully ready for a fight against William. "Why don't you start by explaining to me how exactly he's yours."

[Kotomine_Rin]

Zeke

CHAPTER ONE - EPHEMERAL DREAM - END

56 Hours until the shatterpoint

INTERMISSION

11:15 AM

Huh?

He jolted like if he was hit by a spark the moment he heard that name, and turned back to look at the hooded man. No way... If he'd assume that was the source of the ominous feeling, his wide eyes and  expression only confirmed it.

This cannot be!

"WAIT WHAT!? IMPOSSIBLE! YOU... YOU SHOULD BE DEAD!" He looked like he had just been hit by a crash of static noise. Even Eru could see all his thooughts were jumbling like noise, static... panic. But even that was nothing compared to his incredulous shout. "What the hell... you shouldn't even be here! You shouldn't exist in this world! His notes said you-"

For some reason, Zeke seemed to have completely lost all pretenses of a poker face. He sweated all over, and that sweat even flew upwards, and his trembling old frame floated behind Eruaviel. Is this some kid of illusion? No, even that elf wouldn't be able to make something that convincing. That palpable darkness, that chaotic spirit, that sword... Could he have survived as an uncertain existence like mine? No, this is reality.

This could only mean one thing: The paradox was correcting itself.

His voice grew calmer. Almost chillingly... but his dark eyes were surprised as ever. "You planned it. All of it. Damn bastard, I can't even believe it. The actual architect... the Dark Emperor... was you?" He sounded like even he couldn't believe it.

He began to harden his back, growing crystal scales and horns accross his spine.

[Bern]

The Great Darkness Beyond

"The notes were wrong clearly, my I wonder what could have been behind that mess. I'm sorry to say... But you've been mislead by a deviant trickster ohohoho..."

He spun around with arms wide, swaying from left to right before ending up right in front of the pair. Even though the faint glow of the burning embers that remained from the battle earlier hit him at different angles. Even as the very sunlight cast a judging ray upon, even through all of that, under his hood the darkness reigned supreme.

"The Architect was not me. I am the one behind, the shadow that lingers at the edge of darkness. I am the will that turns the wheel. Fully transient yet ever present. Then, now and eventually. I was here long before you were but a dream. A dream We nourished, all along.... All along. And you are worthless, as long as the failed simulacrum persists then his failure will remain eternal and recursive."

He suddenly bowed deeply to Elf, as if he was showing the respect worthy of a ruler. "My apologies. It is most embarrassing that I can't share with you my name at this hour, but If did I would very unfortunately have to kill you. So just call me William." His eyes sharpened as he took in her handiwork. Even though you couldn't see his eyes, you could definitely tell they sharpened in that moment.

"If you let him go and bring Her back, I'll let you in on a few secrets about this place." A large glowing blue crystal floated out of pocket on top of a black cloud and landed on his hand, he then held it out for the Elf to see.

[SINIB]

Erururururururu

The young elven woman's raised her eyebrow at his bravado, but quickly focused her eyes on the gem. One, it was an extremely high quality recepticle, even comperable to her own, but more interestingly, it was full.

And the young woman hidden inside it was interesting, far more tantalizing than digging through a failure of an experiment to see how it works. No, this was a work of beauty of the sort she'd spent the last two hundred years chasing after. She raised her eyebrow, and then...

... she smiled, chuckling at him. Her ears pointed straight out, entirely still, except for the slight tremble in the pointed tip. "Well well well." She clapped. "Why don't we recuse ourselves to my parlor. Chatting would be nice, I think."

[Kotomine_Rin]

Zeke

Zeke just stared at the dark mage in disbelief. At least, it had to be disbelief, how else would you explain his reflection on his vessel's widened eyes? At least... until he pulled out that thing.

What?

"Wah! Where did you get something like that! Lemme seee...!" He circled around the gem with an interested look. The mask of shock and surprise broke as a small smile took its place, along with another mask that was even harder to pinpoint. So he laughed genuinely. Its as if that man had told him a funny joke, or more like he realized he had gotten pranked and couldn't help but find it kind of funny. "Fuhahahah! I see, I see! I think I get it now. Thanks..."

He moved to snatch it immediately.

Or... tried. His eyes widened, he struggled with a gritted rictus. However, he couldn't so much as move. His hand reached out for it, but couldn't inch forward a single step, like if he was encased in diamond. His body trembled trying to get it, but ultimately stopped entirely, and he turned his glance to Eru with a sly grin, even though his body was sweating all over from the futile strain. "You're a real ass." He didn't say it maliciously, more in a friendly oh dang it, you're really going to stop me? I called first dibs man. Fine, fine, if you're so desperate, I'll letcha have it.

Yeah, that sort of thing.

[Bern]

William

"Ohoho... It appears this has caught the attention of the disposable garbage. " He sidestepped the elf and dangled the blueish crystal in front of Zeke's face.

"Very well Elf, I will follow if isn't too far. Be aware my travels have already brought me far and wide, I have not known rest in an age." He snapped around and pocketed the crystal.

"Is this wretch necessary? I grow tired of the foul smell, surely it must harrow the pristine senses of an Elf even more so."

[SINIB]

Eruraviel

The elf snapped her fingers, glaring at her mind controlled slave. "You will cease your impudent actions at once." She turned her attention back to William, and did a curtsy. With a clap, she exploded into a pink puff of smoke, wearing something completely different after it dissipated a moment later. Her ears waggled, and she did a curtsy to William, offering him her hand. "It would be a bit of a walk, if we were traveling there by foot. I'll handle the rest for you."

[Aiden]

Serana

And then, a dark presence lurking deep within the mind of Zeke at last sent shocks of cutting chill through the mind of its servant which threatened to completely shatter the wretched enchantment ensnaring his equally wretched mind. 'I see even in success you find ways to create problems.'

Zeke began to feel his limbs move on their own, a foreign yet all too familiar will slithering through the unnatural substance approximating his flesh, and then he grabbed hold of his own arm with such force that his fingers began to dig down into the bone. A fearsome golden glow overtook his eyes. "Now how shall I reprimand you for falling for this devil's snare? Most concerning..."

The voice coming from Zeke's body was most certainly not his, and not masculine in the slightest. No, it was the elegant and feminine tone of proper elvish nobility.

[Kotomine_Rin]

Zeke

Exekiel was bound. He was trapped. Completely and utterly. And yet, suddenly-

You...what the...! You fool! Focus on the dream ahead! Worrying about me like that... My cute dummy...

His black eye widened. No... another golden eye, with a strange alien pattern that bounced back and forth in panic. His body tensed, his face contorted, and even his fangs showed in outrage, while his body started to groan and sweat like an empty husk. He tried to roar out, but his throat was stuck.

...Aw, so you do care. That's so sweet my heart's all clogged up bosslady.

It wasn't the fact she reprimanded him that bothered him. No. It was a simple fact. Something he just couldn't understand. This wasn't part of her plan.

[SINIB]

Eruraviel

The elf's ears twitched with barely contained delight. She smirked, staring at Zeke as if he were an equal now. No, as if he was another person entirely.

"My, it certainly took you a while to show yourself." She responded to the newcomer with avid interest. "I was wonderinf if you'd just let me keep using him for the rest of time, hohoho~"

[Aiden]

Serana

'Spare me your concerns, You. You have fulfilled your purpose, and I shall address the fallout of your successes myself.

Unseen by the ones who had bedeviled her dramatic servant, another more mercenary and yet also more stable member of her assembly of atrocities would be ready to address this one's retreat soon enough. "I had considered watching you for longer, and yet I felt strangely drawn to this moment. I must insist that you release this one."

Eruraviel's sharp ears picked up on a bird alighting upon a nearby ledge, its eyes as golden as the light that now began to flicker out from Zeke's own to return his cognizance back to him. "Would you kindly, then?"

Effortlessly, the same voice from before poured forth from the feathery abomination against nature.

[SINIB]

Eruraviel

The elf's ears twitched to the source of the sound, listening to the subtle whispers of the plants and trees nearby. She waved her hand in the air, shooing Zeke away, releasing the enchantment, and giving Ezekiel back his wits. "Sure. I was done with him for now anyway." She replied, turning to stare at the bird. "He can sit there, and be a good boy like the dog that he is." Her head gently throbbed as she slowly processed the glut of information that she'd extracted from him, turning to face William again, winking at the cloaked figure and offering him her hand before blinking. "Mysterious sort, he is." She muttered, turning back to the raven.

[Bern]

Man of Mysteries

"About time Princess, the prattle of the marionette master grows ever more wearisome by the moment. But do you aim to open a rift in space-time? That is truly dangerous venture for the uninitiated." His voice was as steady as ever, like aged wood yet there was a youthful quality to it, as if the sound that left his was nothing but showmanship. Could that truly be it? Why would you even think he had lips when the hood seemingly contained an endless void, yet his face was undeniably humanoid easy to see, yet impossible to get any detail from. A fleeting moment forever crystallized on the far shores.

[Kotomine_Rin]

Zeke

The void-bound vessel flinched and threw its head back, while his eyes suddenly gleamed and widened with clarity. He just stood there, frozen in shock and disbelief, only to quake. For just a moment, his dark aura flared with a fanged snarl, and the black beast roared.

"Kuhahahahah! You... Yoooou.... NAUGHT SHALL REMAIN, I SHALL CHOKE YOU WITH YOUR ORGANS AND DISPLAY YOUR BURNT REMANTS TO YOUR DESCENDANTS, KNIFE-EAR MEA-!!"

His scream of rage and indignation sent streams of violent heat slamming down on whatever was left of the scalded hilltop. They just ran past the crow and the elf, without so much as hitting either. This incandescence was only second to the outrage, the unfairness, the nerve that mage had. It was... it was...

[Bern]

Angery Mystery Man

Knife ears.....

"That's disgustingly racist."

What happened next was to hard to fathom for the disturbingly racist wannabe lich. One thing was certain though. He just parted the clouds.

That was the only certainty, that and the faint recollection of his face being sucked into a massive fist wreathed in both shadows and light.