((OOC: This will most likely be my first real contribution to the forums of TO :o.. wish me luck!
Anywho, as the title states, this is only an introduction. If the idea is liked by the majority, I'll make it into a full on story ^^d ))
Chapter 0 - Discorded Harmony
"Humans relate nature to life, but the only constant in nature, is death.."
"The day was calm. You wouldn't have expected it to hold the sorrow and fear that it did if you had been involved in it directly.. oh no.. the first to notice the changes were those who live only to observe. These passive observers grow tired of simply fighting to exist, and choose simply to watch the future of Caballa unfold. Yet even they who knew exactly what was going to happed, did not have the power to prevent it.. and by the time it had reached the line of sight of Caballa's dutiful overseers, it had already escalated into something that even they could not withstand.
At the time when this problem was in it's earliest stages - approximately five weeks prior to the day people now refer to as 'the day of darkness' - I was calmly awaiting a letter from my beloved. I had decided to look out from my balcony over the expansive garden below the masion which I inhabited. That was when I first noticed it. There was a wisp of thin, purple smoke hovering near to a hundred feet above the rose garden. It wavered - like a flame does when one blows it - in the breeze that blew through the garden.. then I realized that there was no breeze, or in fact, any wind of any sort. Then the flame seemed to vanish, and a small crack appeared in the sky above the rose garden. A tiny fragment of the sky fell to the floor, shattering on the gravel of th rose garden. As I watched the crack, my sense of sound seemed to vanish. I could hear my heart beating more than I could hear the sounds of the Caballan ev'ning. Then I heard a voice, a voice that chilled me to the bone. It sounded like a moaned attempt at a scream, and it filled my ears, drowning out even the heart-beat that swelled in my ears. Unsure of my disposition, I turned to see if anything was behind me, yet though I had sensed something.. not a soul was there. I turned back to look at the crack in the sky, and to my surprise, it was as if there had never been such a thing as that.
If only I had taken that event to heart, this problem could have been avoided, yet because of my lack of ability, the only choice I had was to assume that it was merely a hallucination at the time of it's happenning. If only I had killed that child when the chance arose, then maybe this nightmare could have been prevented.. no... 'that' would have simply found a new host. Aeolus was nought but a tool. A tool to be used by that hideous creature for the sole sake of spreading chaos throughout this paradise.. and yet, one question still remains unanswered. What of the origins of that being? I know not.. yet I am keen to find out. Once again, observance is my only choice, and that role will surely end soon, along with my life. Maybe the Caballan residents I have been discoursing with will be the ones to uncover the truth behind this chaos? either way, I leave it to them to find out.."
~Extract from the journal of Count Blood. Found shortly after his death. The causes of death were unknown~
((OOC: I was having trouble thinking of an opening, so I hope this is good enough. Please give your feedback! Also, the reason as to why everything is so vague is to instil curiosity into the reader))
Trickster Profile
Name: Weissreiter
Lv: 42
Class : dragon
Server: Fantasia
((OOC: Seeing as I have a constant need to occupy myself with something - or procrastinate >.>' - I decided to extend the introduction to the 1st chapter for the sake of providing myself with something to concentrate on ._.'.. I hope you all enjoy this next section. Also, note that this section is continuing on directly from the evening mentioned in Count Blood's journal, so as to provide interesting filler material on what actually happened prior to the Count's death))
Chapter 1: The shrouded truth
"The truth will always remain hidden behind a mask. Were one to remove the facades of society, the world would become a very gruesome place indeed.."
A group of warriors sat at the entrance to the Rose garden, talking about an event they had witnessed the previous evening, along with the fact that not one of the higher ups were keen to talk about it, and would have preferred to keep it as an unexplained, one-off phenomena. However, this group of warriors was completely different to the rest of the Caballan population, and were not going to buy into the cover up by Megalo Corp. The group consisted of a Dragon - Lyr -, a Fox - Mireille -, a Raccoon - Trek -, and a Bunny - Ethel -. After about three minutes of debating, Ethel suddenly sprang up, a grin spread across her face,"So you guys feel that we should wait it out for now? Pfth. I say we knock 'em around a bit! We can take 'em, right?" Lyr sighed,"I do agree that Megalo generally needs some sense knocked into it, but without the aid of the GMs, we'd be fighting a losing battle. I believe that you, Trek, had something to say on that matter?" Trek looked up at the sky, replying to Lyr with a half-hearted manner,"the only way we could get the GMs to recognise the seriousness of this 'one-off' event is to make them experience what we did last night. After all, I'm sure you all remember how much of a struggle it was to defeat that creature..."
Ethel's enthusiasm suddenly died down, turning into something resembling nervousness. She slunk to the floor. Trek sighed,"I see it left quite a scar on your reputation, Ethel, and I'm sure that megalo has creatures just like that one - in terms of strength, not abnormality - lurking within it's halls.." Mireille then sat up,"We could always try the sneaky approach. Megalo can't hit us if they don't know we're there, right?" Lyr looked up at the sky,"and what is the probability that they are watching us right now? I'm sure if we all knew that, we'd understand just how hopeless this idea is without the aid of the GMs.." The rest of the group looked dissappointedly at the ground,"...but that thing.. I'm sure that more than one of it has shown up on this island.. and not even spicy was as hard to kill as that..." At this point, Lyr looked up at the balcony, remembering a familiar face from the night before,"there was one other person besides us four who saw what happened last night... I think we should go and see him, and in particular, ask about what he knows. I'm positive that his input will be beneficial to us in some way..." Mireille shuddered slightly, instantly realising who Lyr was talking about. She kept it to herself, but by the time that Lyr had stood up, and started walking towards the north east end of the rose garden, it was apparent to the entire group exactly who he had on his mind.
Upon reaching the door to the mansion at the north east end of the rose garden, a butler appeared before the group. The group readied themselves for a battle, but the butler remained calm, and bowed at the four, who took the message, and lowered their wepons. The butler looked up,"The master has instructed that I escort you four to his quarters. As a precautionary measure, he has also told me to seal the rose garden off from the inside. You, and another special guest, are currently the only people in this garden as of five minutes ago.." Lyr seemed startled. Ethel appeared to be agitated by something, yet kept herself composed all the same. The butler continued,"Now if you would please follow me, I will take you to the place designated by the master.." The group nodded at each other, then followed the butler into a small door at the side of the mansion.
They travelled for what seemed like 12 minutes, before arriving in a large, study like area. As they entered the room, the butler nodded at them, then vanished into the shadows. A familiar figure stood at the window, peering out at the oceanwith a air of dignity. The sunlight did not enter the room, and though it was broad daylight outside, the only light source in the study was a small, flickering candle on a nearby desk. The figure calmly sipped red fluid from a wine glass, then lifted up his free hand, beckoning the group of warriors to sit down. As they moved to sit down, they noticed that one of the seats was occupied by a figure who seemed, completely different to them..
He wore no accessories related to any animal of any sort, his outfit was composed of an oddly designed jacket, with two buttons positioned below the neck, which was a sort of turtle neck. there were armored pads on the jacket's shoulders, and the sleeves were rimmed with wollen lining, like the type on the sleeves of bomber jackets. this same lining was used on the rim of the jacket's base. Beneath the jacket was a pitch dark vest, and a belt, attached to which was a sheet of material which covered half of his left leg. he also wore a second belt, a pair of what seemed to be suit trousers, and a pair of steel-toe-capped boots. His face was calm, with two thin, purple colored eyes, half open, as if he was patiently waiting for the discussion to start. His hair was a light silver, with a dark gray patch positioned just above the visible left side of his face. It was medium length, and relatively straight. Lyr took a seat next to him, and tried to remain quiet, so as not to disturb this person's concentration.
Once the group was seated, the figure at the window turned to face them, revealing himself to be exactly who Mireille had expected. Lyr spoke up,"Good Day, noble Count. Our group has come to ask you about what happened last night, seeing as you were present at the time of the event's commencement..."
((OOC: just in case you were wondering, I do have the persons' appearance in image format, and it can be viewed here))
((OOC: I have decided to write another chapter, making this the third chapter in 2 days o_0'... maybe I should take it a bit easier... also, I was wondering if anyone likes it as a fanfic. If you do, feel free to speak up!))
Chapter 2: those who observe...
"the observers can see all, but not act against the injustices they view. Those who act cannot see, and as a result, act too late to achieve any good.."
The Count calmly turned to face Lyr, showing an expression of calm acceptance to be on his face. His complexion was fair, and he showed no signs of content, or discontent at the group's arrival. He answered Lyr's question the second he had finished it,"If I had not known you were coming, I would not have organized this meeting." The group remained silent,"usually, my mansion is filled with your ilk. They cause distrupstances, attempt to steal family heirlooms, turn this mansion upside down to achieve their goals, hence I have to conceal myself here.." Ethel spoke up,"wait.. you mean.. you've always resided in this study? But then.. what are.." The Count sighed,"Mere illusions. One who wishes only to observe, would not take pleasure in combat with others. Besides, if I did, I would be stooping to their level, and hence become barbaric..." Ethel was lost for words. She was not expecting this situation at all. Trek calmly addressed the group,"it makes sense, if you think about it.. after all, how is it that the Count can die and Reawaken so quickly? Surely at least one of the final blows dealt by our 'ilk' would be permanently fatal even to someone of his stature.." The Count nodded in regard to Trek's statement,"Indeed.. and to keep the masses from searching furher into this place, I create false rarities to satisfy their greed.." He seemed slightly off,"It amazes me how thoughtless some humans can be.. you five are the only humans I've ever come into contact with - during my time as a vampire - who have been willing to discuss events with me, rather than point a sword at my throat.." He chuckled slightly, then sat down in the armchair positioned behind the desk,"So tell me, young magus... what of the events that you experienced last night? I gather that they differ from mine almost entirely..." Lyr was puzzled as to how the Count could be so sure, but shrugged it off, and began to recount upon the previous evening's events;
"It was around nine o'clock at night.. I seem to remember. Trek, Mireille, Ethel and Myself were on our usual excursion through the rose garden, when a crack suddenly appeared in the sky close to a hundred feet above our heads. A fragment of the sky then fell to the ground, along with a large drop of black fluid. The earth seemed to die around where the fluid impacted it, and the stone beneath it slowly began to erode. I thin ten seconds passed after that, and then the puddle lurched up, transforming into a strange, cat like creature. It had two, looming red eyes, large fanged teeth, and seemed to pulsate with dark energy. It was too fast for us to rush it as a group, so we had to resort to distracting it, then jumping on it while it was unaware.. but even then, while we managed to beat it, it still found ways of attacking us even though it was preoccupied.. it was almost as if it's body was formed of millions of writhing spears of shadow..."
At that point, the person seated next to Lyr suddenly jolted upwards, startling the entire group - save for the Count, who seemed to have been expecting his sudden burst of activity - He looked up at Lyr,"haah? Who are you guys, and why are you here? Don't tell me.... you fought one of those shadowy beasts too, right?" The Count suddenly realized something had been left unsaid, and quickly seeked to ammend the situation,"I am terribly sorry, but it appears as though something small had slipped my mind. This is Aeolus. Judging by what you just described to me, he has had almost exactly the same experience that you ave had, except for one subtle difference.. Aeolus, feel free to show them.." Aeolus seemed startled,"What? R-right now? But..." The Count ushered him to do so, as if he was not going to take no for an answer. Aeolus sighed,"fine, have it your way.." He took off his jacket and his vest, revealling a scar on his chest, along with a tattoo. The scar pulsated with the same energy that the shadowy beasts did. The Count beckoned him to put his jacket back on once he had shown the group the marking on ihs body,"Aeolus suffered a near fatal attack from a shadowy lifeform similar to the one you encountered, and the mark it left is one I have never seen before. The reason I have called him here, aside from enhancing my suspicions about the truth, is to allow me to try and find the origin of that mark."
Lyr looked from Aeolus to the Count, then was hit by a realization,"Ah, you never told us exactly what happened to you! Surely this event wouldn't have attracted your attention to us unless you had some kind of experience related to it.." The Count nodded,"Indeed.. very well then..." He pulled his sleeve down, revealing the same tattoo that was on Aeolus' body to be dotted up and down his arm in random places. some of the markings were bigger than others, and they all seemed to emit the same ominous aura,"I have no idea how these tattooes made their way onto my arm. Aeolus believes that in order for one of these to form, it is necessary for one of the beasts you encountered to deal a near fatal strike to their target... however, I believe that the tattoo is 'awoken' by some form of trigger, be it a specific sound, or even a vision. However, that is mere speculation, and until more of Caballa's residents contract this 'viral tattoo', we may never know what causes it to surface.." Mireille took the chance to get involved in the conversation, seeing that now was a good a time as any,"So, you would like us to aid you in finding out the origins of this marking?" The Count nodded,"Indeed. That is the prime reason why I have asked you all to gather here." Mireille interveened,"But what about guarded information? Surely most of it would be stored inside Megalo's HQ itself!" The Count beckoned her to calm down, replying in a soft voice,"If you need some form of aid, I will be perfectly willing to supply it..." Lyr stood up,"Well then, I'm guessing that brings this talk to a close?" The Count stood up,"That it does... I will have Leonard escort you back to the rose garden.. oh, and if you catch sight of anything extraordinary.. be it a company event, or even a new creation by Megalo corp... please inform me right away.."
((OOC: Long winded discussion :S. Some of the parts may not make that much sense, but please bear with me. I'll have the next part up by tomorrow.. hopefully >.>;.. oh well, until then, happy reading ^^d))
The fanfic has no hits yet... maybe I should stop writing until someone responds. I still don't know if it's liked or not :S...
I'm gonna start writing up the 3rd chapter now. If only there was some way you could tell how many people simply view the fanfic, rather than posted in response to it =.='...
Still reading. It's pretty long. Took me some time to understand it though :X Keep going. You'll attract more people here.Just that our forums have been dead a long time. Only some people still come on often.Example, me.
in progess (:
I've only just noticed how dead they actually are. Usually, a forum of this calliber would attract around 50 active people on a daily basis :x..
I rushed quite a few parts, so there are bits that don't make that much sense at all due to the fact that they haven't been well explained. I think it's because I wrote those sections at around 3am D:
It's pretty neat though ;)Keep going.
Thank you kindly. I should have another text hammer done by this evening ^^'...
((OOC: I can't think of anything to write for chapter 3. At all. Writer's block is a curse, I tell you, a curse D;.. I'll try and overcome this block ASAP, so that you can all have a 3rd chapter to read by the end of the week =_='...))