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Post by Miss Jack on Jul 26, 2008 18:26:34 GMT -5
"Mmm...."
Not compliant enough for Iker? A unique, and relatively strong body, then. Silence hung in the air for a few moments while she thought, her face expressionless. Then, she smiled.
"Perhaps. If only Oron were still around, he knows the old legends better than I. Nevertheless, I believe what you request is possible. That being said, my services are not free."
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Post by Jules on Jul 26, 2008 18:42:21 GMT -5
"Right well, what would you like?"
Zizzy didn't care to know who Oron was. Somehow she thought he was probably not the nicest person who'd ever existed. She was most nervous about this part. Having Armand seperate from Iker would make life so much easier, but there was a limit to how far she was willing to go. She wouldn't let anyone she knew get hurt.
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Post by Miss Jack on Jul 26, 2008 18:47:08 GMT -5
Hina closed her eyes. "I want out." Her voice, for the first time, sounded weaker, desperate.
Tread carefully, my pet.
Alexander shot Zizzy a warning look. "No," he told her softly.
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Post by Jules on Jul 26, 2008 19:26:28 GMT -5
If even Iker was warning her against this, then it was something that probably should never happen. But how could Hina settle for anything else? Zizzy's mind raced. Perhaps...perhaps they could dupe her.
"I can't do that. But, once Iker is free, he says he'd be pleased to do just that for you. He knows how."
Of course Iker had said no such thing and she doubted he'd abide having a rival for evilness around, but Hina didn't know that.
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Post by Miss Jack on Jul 27, 2008 19:29:16 GMT -5
Iker did the metaphysical equivalent of a grimace and Hina gave a flippant snort.
"No, he doesn't," she said. "But either way, I do know how. I assume that's why you brought Alexander along? It's his blood I need."
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Post by Jules on Jul 27, 2008 19:36:01 GMT -5
How far? It was that question that loomed foremost in her mind, but perhaps Iker would have something of value to say. She just had to keep Hina talking.
"Why his blood?"
She then thought quickly at Iker, not so that Alexander wouldn't be able to hear, but that so Hina couldn't.
I'm not letting her out so if you want your freedom you better come up with something and quick, or else we'll just have to chalk it up to impossible and go.
Zizzy didn't know, if Alexander wasn't so obviously going to protest, that she wouldn't agree. Which worried her. Surely she shouldn't be so ready to free so much evil just for one person?
"How much?" She wasn't really considering it, not really. She just wanted to keep Hina occupied until she could come up with something to get what she wanted out of this.
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Post by Miss Jack on Jul 27, 2008 19:50:18 GMT -5
"Because," Hina said, as if it should be obvious, "he's an Ira. Jack designed this... prison so that his blood was the only key." Her sunset pink eyes stared at Alexander with the hungry, pained look of a starved child. "I only need a little. Just a few drops."
Alexander crossed his arms and gave Zizzy a flat look. "Maybe Iker promised not to hurt us, but if we let her out, we're dead." Hina glowered, the sides of the cave directly connected to her crystal enclosement cracking slightly.
"The Mask of Death awoke the Night Terror, maybe it could help us get it out," he suggested.
The Mask of Death lives? Iker hissed. This changed things, but only slightly.
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Post by Jules on Jul 27, 2008 19:56:33 GMT -5
Zizzy felt desperate, to get this done with as few people as possible getting hurt. She would not let Hina out, that was that, and if it meant they'd have to find another way then so be it. But with doors closing so fast she didn't know what to do.
Hina obviously wouldn't relinquish her idea of being freed. "Shouldn't you be willing to help family? Have you got no heart at all?" Her cheeks glowed, the lightning skittered across her shape. Zizzy hadn't exactly meant to spit that out, but she was, after all, feeling desperate.
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Post by Miss Jack on Jul 27, 2008 20:03:13 GMT -5
Hina's eyes widened a fraction of an inch, and a beat of heavy silence passed, until she regained herself and a cold smile forced action upon her lips.
"Am I helping family?" she asked quietly, sweetly. Her eyes flicked once again to Alexander. "You're not here as the key at all. You're here out of loyalty."
Iker hummed with anticipation, but didn't say anything.
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Post by Jules on Jul 27, 2008 20:07:07 GMT -5
While she'd put her foot in her mouth this far, might as well shove all the way down. Maybe she'd choke.
"Armand is the host." If Hina had known Alexander's name then surely she knew who Armand was. She doubted there was any better side to appeal to in this woman, but she tried anyways. "Please, Hina. Please."
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Post by Miss Jack on Jul 27, 2008 20:25:43 GMT -5
Hina threw her head back and laughed. This time the bell sounded as if there were a crack in it. "Armand, Armand. Ever the black sheep of the family," she mused. "You say that the Mask of Death triggered Iker's powers in Armand? The Mask purifies Nightmare aura and destroys any other properties blocking its path. Jack used it to diminish his Dream side. When I stole the Mask, I copied it, essentially, only to do the opposite. I could tell you where to find the device, but..."
She closed her eyes for an entire minute and then said, "I want to talk to him."
"No," Alexander protested without thinking.
Her eyes snapped open, flashing dangerously, but Iker intervened before either could say anything further. He had been hoping to wait until later to reveal his power over Zizzy's body, but he needed to say something.
"Your device destroys Nightmare aura," he growled in Zizzy's voice, stalking closer to the crystal. "And it will target the strongest, separate source of that aura. It would kill me."
"Iker, have you been here all along? It's impolite to eavesdrop."
"I know what you want, you insufferable witch, and he won't give it to you. You don't know him like I do, you underestimate his strength."
"And as always, your arrogance leads you to assume you know what I'm thinking, but I assure you Iker, that you do not."
"Do not trifle with me." Thunder and lightning clashed through the cave.
"I had not intention of killing you, Iker, but perhaps now I'll change my mind. Go get Armand."
Iker let Zizzy regain control, the action as good as a refusal.
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Post by Jules on Jul 27, 2008 20:34:38 GMT -5
It happened so suddenly, was over so quickly, that she was down on her knees without really being able to say how it happened. The sudden change in perspective had her head spinning.
"Whoa." She looked up at Hina from her position on the floor. "You want us to trek all the way back to Chimera just so you can look at the twin of the boy who's right there?" She huffed, feeling cornered by the impossible difficulty of this all.
"Where can we find this thing?"
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Post by Miss Jack on Jul 27, 2008 23:47:43 GMT -5
"I don't want him so I can look at him," she said icily, with a bit of impatience, and with it that animalistic madness crept into the lines of her face. She glowered at Zizzy. "Tell Iker to bring Armand, and we'll talk."
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Post by Jules on Jul 27, 2008 23:56:44 GMT -5
Zizzy felt like flopping on the floor for many reasons. First of all, Iker apparently had complete and total control of her whenever he felt like it. Which was frightening. Besides that, the long hike ahead of them was daunting and she didn't think Armand would stay asleep that long, nor start to wonder what was going on.
Although it apparently didn't matter since they were being told to bring him here. She didn't want to face her doom this early. She was hoping it'd all be done with before Armand even had to know. Zizzy sighed.
"He's going to hate me. Iker, is there any kind of shortcut you know about, anything?"
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Post by Miss Jack on Jul 28, 2008 23:02:51 GMT -5
Iker hissed, seethed, roiled with anger. He refused to give in to Hina's whims, but they would accomplish nothing if they did not have Armand. He escaped Zizzy's mind like a blaze of destructive fire and entered into the familiar realm of his host.
Armand was awake, but not particularly worried about Zizzy yet. Iker hit him full throttle, breaching Armand's unprepared mind like a wrecking ball; there was no image violent enough to encapsulate the force in which Iker fought for control. It threw Armand to his knees.
But it wasn't enough.
Armand's thoughts raged; Iker like a thick haze in his mind that he couldn't think through, couldn't get around. This was worse than the day he had finally lost control in the Eye of the World mountains.
You listen to me, Iker said, and it was the first time Armand had heard his voice so clearly. Before it had always been a thought, a suggestion, that was as easily him as the demon inside him. But this was distinct, as cold as winter, and angry.
Zizzy is at the Eye of the World Mountains.
What?!
I can get us there, quickly, but you will have to give me control.
No. Never.
Don't be a fool!
You wouldn't help me. He gave a soft cry of pain. He could barely breathe. Something unwanted crowded his body; white, hot arrows of revulsion burned through his insides, pushing out, trying to fight the invasion.
I cannot kill you. I would have already if it were in my power. I'm using you now as a tool, now give me control. He filled Armand's head with terrible images of Zizzy being tortured and hurt, her cry of pain. It was too much. Armand caved and Iker filled him entirely.
He stood in Armand's body and gave a tiny sigh of regret. Such a strong host; what he could do with such an instrument!
But he let it go for now and shifted into Zizzy's body. He loaded himself up with a few of Armand's preferred weapons. He gathered himself and then bolted toward the Eye of the World mountains in a streak of lightning. He liked Zizzy's body too, and her unique powers. Of course, she hadn't learned how to harness her abilities as well as he could; they were only truly masterful in his hands.
They landed in the cave in a streak of light. Armand straightened from a crouched position, his eyes alight with Iker's influence, the curved smirk entirely foreign on his face. He bowed. "As promised."
And then Armand stumbled, almost collapsing, but his hand found the support of a cave wall and he stabilized himself. His eyes found Zizzy first and they blazed to life, burning with fury. "You promised me," he said.
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