Quest The Beginning of the End of Everything (Evalin)

[Traverse]

The Beginning of the End of Everything
88th of Summer, 514 A.V.

There was nothing more glorious than a damp dark morning at the hills of the cloud forests. Every sounds was muffled as if under a blanket, and though everyone else's senses were dulled, its were not. Foliage shifted, yet there was not a trace, a sound, even a whisper of the entity's movement through the jungle as it raced from up on high, sailing over logs, bouncing off the bark of trees, practically flying without the use of wings.

It was highly aware of the utter silence that came with its presence. The jungle knew better than to challenge its power, its ferocity. It could smell the heard of Nandhai, cowering under the trees. It could hear the jaguar mother scooting her cubs deeper into a dark crevice. It was easy to feed off the fear of animal's, however. Though stupid, they had keen senses where its kind were concerned, they knew the wrongness of it, and were quick, too quick, to succumb to this fear and revulsion. No, it was looking for much tougher prey that would make the feeding all the more sweet, and after seasons of waiting, watching, it was finally time for it to meet her. Yes it was certain that she had a very distinct gender as a she, one which it did not completely understand the importance of.

The leagues passed by in instants, not even requiring the alternate form of travel it had access to. Besides, it enjoyed this way much better, so adapt as it was at traversing the jungle as easily as a human might walk down a cobblestone pathway. Those that saw the jungle as an obstacle to be cut down, or some insurmountable challenge, they were fools, and easy prey for it. It remained to be seen if she would be easy prey as well.

Where Evalin was, she would suddenly be aware of a stark, and deafening silence. Level by levels the noises of the jungle petered out one by one. First the monkeys, then the birds, then the frogs, then the insects. It would be fairly refreshing if Evalin hadn't gotten a bit used to the constant noise, dimmed somewhat by her own unnatural presence. This, however, was a whole new level of silence, and all that broke it was the steady dripping of water from bromeliads nestled high in the canopy, and the light breeze shifting branches into each other. There was no sound, voice, or noises to indicate any company, but something had to have caused all this silence. And whatever it was had found her.
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[Evalin]

"Quickly now... Quickly. The time is coming, and we must be off if we are to make our next appointed destination."

"Worry not, for the time is well in hand. Have we much time yet."

Evalin removed her robes, carefully undoing the ties and folding the cloth neatly, setting it on top of the other articles of clothing stored within the chest. As a departing present the little Mistress had given to this Immortal a new set of clothing of various sizes, for whatever form she might happen to take. They were of good taste and style, and when the nuit's eyes fell upon them there was a flicker of pleasure in her cold heart for she had found something new in this world with which to occupy her wandering thoughts. At times it was enjoyable to think only of the feel of cloth against her skin, of how her appearance struck fear, or envy, in the hearts of the mortals.

"Such thoughts are so very feminine for my Master. Perhaps a bit of her time spent in the caves has sunk too deep." The Familiar floated over the nuit's shoulder, but Evalin waved him off, "Well once I was but a woman, so it holds that just a small bit of that should still remain in this old soul."

Smiling Evalin stood, stripped of her clothing and closed the chest, fixing the latch with careful fingers lingering upon it longer than necessary, "Allow me this one bit of amusement. All need their vices with which to pass the centuries."

If a faceless orbs could roll its eyes then Evalin was certain Tsenrika might have, such was the tone that crossed their bond. Still Evalin minded it not. He was, after all, a lesser creature who could not understand the wants and desires of his Master... Not really.

Closing her eyes Evalin began to prepare her form, to wear the face of the Goddess which she would present to the little Myrians in their home. A tingle of excitement raced through her body as she lit the fire of her soul with the burning power of her magic. Silver hands of mental energy pressed upon her djed, twisting and binding the flesh to take new form. Chimes passed, such chimes that at one time had been agony as her body rebelled against the changes, yet now it felt... easier. Her djed almost readily shifted now, and once changed it was not quite so difficult to maintain it. The cost, however, was that it did not really remember its true form. Evalin had come to realize this was the price of this magic. To master it was to lose your identity...

Opening her eyes Evalin extended the wings as they completed their formation, extending them out as she raised her hand to touch the black leathery membranes. Her smile broadened, her teeth beginning to file to points, "It is time. Then let us be..." She paused, tilting her head as the smile began to slip.

"Listen..." Evalin moved outside the cave, her wings folding close to her body as she looked about the outside world. Tsenrika came to her side, floating over her shoulder, "I hear nothing..."

"Yes... That is what troubles me so." Red eyes shifted, a thrill scorching through her body that sent a chill up her spine. It was familiar yet so different... "Tsenrika, Dak Dalla Na."

"As you wish."

The orb flew over Evalin's head, growing larger in size as Evalin clapped her hands together, res spilling from her pores as she opened her wings half way. The air shimmered like heat waves as Evalin closed her eyes. Opening herself to the bond Evalin let herself see through the eyes of the Irylid, and suddenly the whole of the world came into focus. She would not be surprised, for she could see all that was reflected in Tsenrika's surface.

"Come out then..." Evalin whispered, "Show yourself, or I will come and find you."

There was a twinge of something off to the edge of her consciousness, but the nuit could not recognize it. It was so far from her now that for the Immortal she could not even imagine what it truly was. A dark taste of fear that was not fear. Surely a Goddess to be could fear nothing found in this world... Surely not.
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[Traverse]

It slid its tongue out and tasted the air, eyes observing the blue entity that was the woman's familiar. She was trying to find it, to seek out what rival power she might have in this jungle. It was so comical it could almost laugh. Didn't she see that if it had wanted her to see it, it could have done so a million times before this day, and that the only reason she knew it was there, was because it wanted its presence known? But laughter would give the game away, revealing itself doubly so.

Her shifting was admirable, and the power that leaked from her pores even more so. That is why she had had no need of its help until this point, and even know it pondered that she still might not need it. But it could be lent regardless, for what she was doing was simply too wonderful, too exhileratingly refreshing to ignore.

Evalin's query was met with utter silence, that same complete lack of sound whose presence grew more unnerving by the chime. And for a woman who favored herself a Goddess, quite rude as well.

What should it do? What was the best way to taunt her? After all this watching, surely it should know...she loved to speak, her rhetoric was profound, her hunger was focused on the females she was so obsessed with. Finding the perfect strangely young forms to house her body in. How long ago had it been that it had needed to search for a host? So long...utterly long. What a waste of time and resources.

Evalin could detect a blur of movement, so fast she couldn't form neither a color nor a shape to identify the being that was moving behind the foliage. It lunged around the canopy, at moments being silent enough that she couldn't quite fathom where it had gone. No attack was made, it would move closer to her, but then again away. And then, once more, there was silence. If it was moving there was no trace of it in the foliage. Evalin could pinpoint where she had seen it last move, nearly straight ahead of her 50 feet or so above the ground, but whether or not it was still there...
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[Evalin]

There, was that what it seemed to be?

Tsenrika stirred against Evalin's mind, A blur, a streak, a mystery... Is this what my Master means?"

Evalin growled under her breath, A ficker, a moment of change yes indeed it was. The stillness is not absolute, the silence is not all silence... We are not alone."

But what could be done? It was fast, faster than even Evalin could see or Tsenrika could track. It felt so... So... Be damned it all it felt amused, like a feline toying with its rodent prey. And now it held within its clutches the Immortal. Did it know? Surely not. Surely not or it would know that it should not be as it was. It should not toy with fire, with pain, with rage and eternity. It should not be so foolish to think that IT was the hunter. No... No it would not hold sway upon this situation. Evalin refused. She refused.

No, it is not wise.

Be silent. Evailn said, reaching up to touch the Familiar's smooth surface, Come to me, and let us show this creature whom it dares to stalk.

... As my Master commands.

Evalin growled once more, opening her eyes as she pulled upon their bond, tugging the Familiar closer to her, joining them, letting them become one. The Familiar's surface shimmered, and then began to flow over Evalin's extended fingers. Coursing over flesh, filling her completely, Familiar and master became one and in a tick The Immortal Witch stood with flesh that reflected the world, crystals of ice hanging in air about her and the 3 orbs floating around as an extension of herself. Evalin turned her head in the direction she thought she saw the blur before, and smiled slowly, "Hide you then... I shall simply remove all there is to hide within."

Res pored out of her in copious amounts, flooding into the ground as she raised a hand high over her head. The res spread out, father and farther in a circle, beneath the trees and brush, "Run if you wish, but do so quickly. For I will find you." Evalin slammed her hand on the ground, a ripple passing through the earth as she sent her will out. Cracks appeared in the very earth, growing larger and larger as trees groaned as roots were ripped from their mooring. A shudder of the world as dirt and mud and stone shifted by the power of one with the strength of two master reimancers. Trees began to tilt, falling upon brush in a crash that shook the earth once more, but still Evalin wasn't done. As the destruction continued Evailn stood, clapping her hands together and forcing more res to swirl around her, a ring of fire lighting as she extended her hands. She grinned, oh what fun it was, this power... This terrible, awful power which surely would kill her one day... but not this day.

Flames arched from her, a great wall that swelled with the force of the wind behind it, scorching earth and bark and leaf black where it struck, and then in that moment only a few ticks in size, death and emptiness were created where once there was lush jungle and life. A clearing created by fire and quake, to destroy all cover, at least in a short space around the Released Familiar mage. And Evalin stood at its center, hands still raised at her sides, wings out as she looked around, waiting for whomever traversed this land to appear.
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[Traverse]

Now it simply couldn't help it. She was a powerful being that was true, not something weak and pitiful, not like all of those beings that fell victim to the fear it commanded, prey barely more competent than agouti or parrots, but oh how she raged and grew impatient as a child would. How unbefitting a creature who could live forever it was, especially as a being who was so much older. It couldn't remember the last time it had had so much fun. And so it laughed, and neither Tsenrika or Evlain, or the being that represented the joining of the both of them could hear it because of the destruction they were causing utterly to the radius around them.

It leapt from tree to tree as they fell, and when the lightning and fire arced outward toward the toppling trees it shifted. If only Evalin could see it she would have been impressed, as only she could be. When she formed wings it took effort and time, when it shifted it seemed to bend and fold as easily as one might stretch the limbs that they had born with. Its form shrunk to the size of a flying squirrel, clinging to one tree until the last moment, then lunging onto another. When the heat threatened to singe its fur it shrank more, to the size of a gnat that sat ensconced in the bark of a fallen tree watching the goings on with wonder, transforming into a tree frog to get a better view of the beautiful destruction she was wreaking upon the world. It crashed and burned, fell and crackled. Bolts of lightning shot into the air which crackled with the energy she held at her fingertips.

Yes, this was just a precursor of what was to come, and it would be delighted to watch it all happen. First, however, it would wait until she had cooled down a bit.
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[Evalin]

Enough... The cold chill of the Familiar's voice rang in Evalin's mind, stilling her motions as she lowered her arms, This drains us too much, too fast. Release this form and let us divide, before we fall to overgiving and are useless to pursue our plans further.

The silence was unchanged. They could see nothing, hear nothing of what may, or may not, be there. Wings folding back into place Evalin raised her shimmering hand before her eyes, bending fingers slowly as she looked about in all directions at once. Whatever it was, whatever it might have been, if it were not dead then it could choose when and how it was seen... and if it were dead then it was not worth the effort to maintain this form. In either case Evalin realized with certainty that the Familiar was correct, and she closed her eyes. Her form rippled as the reflective surface swirled over her, retracting to fill her palm, resolving back into the form of the smooth, reflective orb of the Irylid, As you say my dear Tsenrika...

They had held that form for just a short time, but already she felt as if she had been casting for hours. Her limbs felt sluggish in their response to her mental commands, but she was not so weary that she could not function. Drained, was the word. She had drained the reserves she would have preferred to have. This could complicate things... but never could she show weakness.

Straightening her back Evalin rolled her shoulders and looked about her, setting her hands on her hips while a blank expression affixed her features. Tsenrika floated to the nuit's side, revolving slowly around her as the Witch up on the display that such acts of power cost nothing to her. A goddess would not falter from just this minuscule display, and so neither could Evalin. She was an Immortal, she the Sorceress of Flame and Shadow. She was the Goddess of Vengence. She had not the time to trifle with things such as this.

"Be you a figment of mine imagination or not, I care not to waste this precious time upon you any longer. If you be dead, then you are of no use to me. Be you alive, then you are to cowardly to come forward, and again you are of no use to me. The time of judgement has come, and I must not be late." She looked around one last time, red eyes searching before she spread her wings wide, looking up to prepare to take off into the sky.
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[Traverse]

It waited until she turned to leave, with her flippant insulting statemetn, holding herself as if that display had not taken an ounce of her power. Yes it was why this would all be so grand, why it all would fall into place so nicely, why it was so important for her to be the herald of it all.

It shifted to full size, perched serenely upon the tree it had been nestled in as a frog. When it spoke its voice sounded thick, sluggish, its tone a deep monstrous baritone, words melding into each other as they came from a mouth that was clearly not fashioned for...speech. That being said its words were strangely eloquent betraying the intelligence behind them. "Once upon a time, when I had a different body, it would have grew angry at your claim that I am a coward, Evalin, or should I call you Katherine...or perhaps even still...Goddessss? That iss what you ssee yoursself ass, no?"

When Evalin turned to face the creature, the creature sitting in her swathe of destruction like a cat upon the edge of chair after waking up from a relaxing nap, she was met with a horrifying visage. It looked to be constructed purely from musculature save for the bone that covered its back and head. Each of its four limbs ended in sharp serrated claws that looked able to slice a full grown Dhani clean in half, its mouth filled with enough teeth to make a shark jealous. The holes in its skull were filled with an eerie blue light that peered directly into Evalin's soul as its massive tongue lay to the side of its form, explaining the strange lisp in its speech, and a corded bone studded tail swished lazily from side to side as it eyed Evalin and her Familiar, and for a moment it seemed that even the wind stopped to create a silence utterly absolute for the horror that had sought out the company of the undead sorceress.

Maw :

"You ssee yoursself as ssome great entity, and ass one who hass watched you, that I cannot deny, but remember Evalin, you are sstill but a child in the land of the immortal, and you besst remember that, for my companionsss will not be sso kind ass I with you." It's mouth opened wide in a skeletal grin.

It loped off the tree, padding quietly on all four legs to approach Evalin before sitting down again. "Mannerss, mannersss, I know of you from watching you for ssome time, but you do not know of me. You can call me Maw, a name given to me by the Myrianss and Dhani both, and it isss clear we share a common interessst you and I-" Its voice broke off with a hacking cough. "Forgive me, I don't ssspeak often enough to keep my mouth in working order." Giving another ear splitting smile it tilted its head up towards the canopy, listening, waiting to see how the woman would respond to this new found knowledge it had bestowed upon her. After all this time simply watching, it was quite the relief for Maw to interact with the object that would lead to the great purge of the jungle he had always sought.
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[Evalin]

Evalin felt him before she saw him, even as the Familiar caught its shape in his surface. It came as a chill up her spine, and then a presser over her body as she came to a sudden halt. That presence, so large, so demanding, so utterly in control it was. A darkness greater than her own, such that she felt like an ant upon the tree looking up at the great expanse of foliage above. Her wings folded slowly as he spoke, his voice shaking Evalin's very core. The authority and power there was absolute, and she knew it could not be ignored.

Turning sideways Evalin found her eyes staring upon a creature right from the nightmares of the mortals in this jungle. A beast, a monster by even her standards that spoke with a guttural twang but the intelligence behind its presence leaving no room at all for the Immortal to believe it could be anything so simple.

Perhaps we should...

Silence. Evalin hissed in her mind, cutting off the suggestion to flee she knew was coming. She would not escape even if she tried. She was bound to this creature, and at a word she would do whatever it said. So quickly it had happened, in a span of ticks a would be Goddess was laid naked and defenseless before one of so Desolate origins.

What was she to do? This Maw, as he was, was without any doubts her superior, the first she had ever met besides the God that cried tears of blood. He could make her do anything, but he had chosen simply to berate her like she were a child. It almost brought a moment of shame to the nuit's icy soul, were she not to proud to acknowledge such things as this. No... Despite his obvious power and authority Evalin could not let it show, that creeping darkness in her soul that could surely not be fear... She was not afraid, she was not afraid...

Evalin smiled as well, a smaller smile as she turned to completely face Maw, putting one hand on her hip as she did so, "Goddess... Perhaps some day, but as of yet it is just a part that I play to further my own ends... and the ends of he who we both server." Tsenrika came to float over Evalin's left shoulder, and she looked into his smooth surface as she gently brushed one clawed finger over her own reflection, anything to avoid looking at the Desolate One, "Forgive me my arrogance. It is rare that I come to meet one such as you whom I might truly acknowledge as a greater individual than myself... For the mortals, however, appearances must be kept. To falter would be to cast all I have done to the wind, and so I give them the all powerful presence they truly see me to be."

She glanced at Maw, searching his unreadable features. Could he tell what she truly felt? Did he know that she felt so exposed, powerless? No, he wouldn't... He couldn't. She would hide behind that mask of power and confidence, and let her acts be a shield from scrutiny just as she had done for the Mistress. Show them what they want to see, and they will not see what lies underneath. This was her hope at least.

"I have heard of you, whispers and nothing more. I thought you only a rumor, but then it is obvious you are not." Folding her arms over her chest Evalin wrapped her wings about her, now examining Maw up and down, but this time in curiosity. Despite the feeling of powerlessness Evalin could not help but admire what she saw before her. His absolute confidence drew Evalin immediately, more so than any other aspect. Fear, perhaps, she should feel, and maybe she did, but there ever more was a feeling she would never allow herself to admit. Admiration. Here was a being with power and knew it, who could toy even with the Immortal Witch, and he did so it seemed without even thinking. He was... He was...

Blinking Evalin brought her eyes back up to Maw's, or at least those glowing points of blue which may or may not have been eyes, "I did not realize there were so many of the Returned in the jungle. Had I known I would have come to speak and request aid for my... endeavors. But please forgive me of my manners, what brings you to me now? It seems you know much of me, but I know so little of you. It makes one curious as to your intentions." She smiled again, a small smile as she searched Maw for his response.
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[Traverse]

There were no pupils, nor brows, nor flesh of any similar kind to discern the monster's emotions. It simply stared at her as she spoke. Perhaps it knew everything about her, every tidbit and detail, or perhaps it knew absolutely nothing, it mattered not, and it did not seem as if Maw cared too much for Evalin's front. He paced languidly back and forth before her, circling around and examining her destruction for a moment.

"Ssso polite now. You will need ssuch mannersss in the dayss to come. Igniting the flamess of war will be the eassy part for you."

There was silence, silence where Maw refused to acknowledge Evalin's piteous excuses. Her rhetoric was admirable, but the immortal had not a care for her trifling words meant to appease him, if he wasn't appeased she would surely know, and that...that would not have been a sight she would want to see.

"There are not ssso many of usss ass it would sseem, but your endeavorsss have drawn thosse from nearby regionss. In the wake of what you will do there will be many an opportunity to feed off of the fear, hate, and bloodshed of othersss, not to mention the chance for our lord to pick up a few new memberss into hisss fold." He became stationary again rolling strangely crimson shoulders.

"My intentionss are quite ssimple. I only wish to aid you in what waysss I can insstigate your war. My shapeshifting capabilitiess and power to turn into a gaseousss form will be of usse to you no doubt, and I would hope that my leaving you your independence would mark me asss an ally and not a rival to your cause." He cocked his head to the side curiously, not one to mince words, despite the eloquent nature of his speech.

[Evalin]

"An ally?" the words of disbelief and suspicion slipped out before Evalin could catch them, and she frowned, looking to the side as her brows knitted together.

He says he wishes to aid me... but for what purpose? Simply could he await for my actions to be completed before coming to collect his desired cravings could he not?

Tsenrika floated around to Evailn's other side, his thoughts coming after a few ticks of consideration, It could be that he would wish to claim what is to transpire as his own, to take from under my Master all she has accomplished.

Indeed... She glanced at Maw and away again, But what else might we do? He can do whatever he wishes to me...

... Then cunning must be employed. His orders may be absolute, but perhaps his foresight is not.

It was barely a chime before Evailn finally shifted, spreading her wings once more and shifting her feat. Her eyes were brought back to Maw and she said slowly, "I cannot argue your words, and even if I should know you and I both that what I might think or wish is really of little consequence. As I would be foolish to refuse I graciously accept your aid." Evalin reached up to cup her hand under Tsenrika who shimmered and shifted, becoming a pendent of ice which the nuit quickly hung around her neck, never taking her eyes off of Maw, "Consider it my honor to have you assist in the final stages of what is to come. Let us be off, we shall discuss the details of the Judgment when we are closer."

Evalin smiled again, her wings flapping once, twice, three times so that her feet lifted off the ground and she hovered several feet from the earth, "Let us fuel the fires of hatred, and together bring blood and war upon this land as it has not seen in centuries.".