Weird. [Panna Please]

[Annerito Uwak]

So close! The urge to kill had overridden most other forms of logical thought and expression. He was infuriated that the girl yet lived. How dare she survive his barrage! Why couldn't she simply go into the night with a final scream and allow Uwak to get a bit of rest. Every breath she breathed only perpetuated the anger and fueled it. Somewhere in the back of his mind that tiny voice of reason cried out, trying to bring itself to the forefront but it was drowned out by the sweet whisperers and voices that had crawled into Annerito's head. They whispered nothings of power into his mind, continuing to add fuel to the already raging fire. Res continued to pour out from the fingertips of both hands. The gaseous substance began to take a solid and hard shape just inches from his right hand and with the other hand flame and sparks began to form. While Annerito was a murderous and psychotic maniac he wasn't stupid. Crush then burn. Crush and burn. It was a simple plan. It was a crude plan. It was a good plan. It would work. But if it didn't he would burn down this whole forest and everything in it until he was satisfied that the konti was nothing but ashes floating in the autumn breeze. Both projectiles had grown to what Annerito felt was a decent size. The moment of truth was impending. The whisperers began to grow into a dull roar, egging him on. Something caught his attention. A light. It was a quick and sudden flash but very noticeable in the blackness of the night.What now?! After all that had happened this night was something else going to try and kill him? Did some god hold some sort of grudge against him? Actually, that was possible now that he thought about it. He isn't exactly the most likable fellows. In fact he was one of those people you would simply love to hate. Yes, that was a tidy summary of his role. The person you'd love to hate. Annerito liked the ring of it. He turned around as quick as he could manage while keeping his concentration and hurled the fireball at the thing that had materialized behind him. He didn't care what it wanted. He didn't even care if it wanted to help him. It had caught him at a bad time. A very bad time. Just for good measure he threw the chunk of earth at the thing as well. Hopefully it was dead. He whirled around and looked at the still living girl. His rage was still there but it was at a semi-controllable level. He scanned the ground, looking for his mask. After he found that he would decide what to do with her. He'd probably kill her. She truly wasn't worth the trouble.

[Panna Cotta]

Annerito Uwak mindlessly poured out his res, creating two orbs of his favored elements, fire and earth. The flame burst and he did not notice that his hand was now being licked by the flames. His pulse ran, his heart beating madly.

Bigger flames, bigger flames.

He was listening to his primal anger, and he gave into the feeling. Hate was in his djed, reverberating the angry whispers that serenaded his mind. Uwak laughed in elation. The sensation of Reimancy appealed to his emotions, If you hate them enough you must give it your all!

As Uwak held out both murderous globes, his rage caught onto something. At the sign of the impending threat from the ghost of the Witch, he broke out into a cry!

I will give you all of me! With my anger I shall crush you, with my hate I shall burn you!

Materializing before him was the Konti he had seen earlier, but he was far too angry to recognize the similarity between Roziella and the witch. It was Roziella's mother, prepared to kill her only daughter, prepared to kill Annerito Uwak. The ghost, suffering from the flames, blinked in front of him. "You cannot put my soul to rest," she said. The image shuddered, blurred as he threw the ball of earth at this despicable ghost who had the intention to kill him! It hit the surreal being square in the chest, sending it to fly backwards.

Blink. The Witch was once again in front of him.

The ghost reached out to him, both her hands clutching his badly charred face. Annerito Uwak was suddenly jolted and released from his whispers. And his body knew not the enveloping cold that webbed his body. The Witch's touch froze him. For a moment the voices were muted. He cried, but he was lost in his rage that he was no longer able to hear himself. "Kill Roziella." Uwak threw the ball of earth against the ghost hitting it on its face.

The ghost's anguish cry resounded along with the Konti's mad laugh. "The Witch is dead!" Stirred from the contact, Annerito Uwak heard the echoes of his hate and anger coming back. Kill Roziella. She had disturbed his rest. Kill Roziella. She had removed his mask. Kill Roziella. She had attempted to take advantage of his mortal desires. Kill Roziella. Perhaps the witch was right, after all. He would have to abide by her advice.

With my anger I shall crush you, with my hate I shall burn you.

Turning back to Roziella, he found that the Konti had summoned greater balls of ice. The young Konti, guided by her own whispers, took advantage of the time Uwak had looked away. Roziella might be younger than him - a child, if not a baby by Konti standards - but she was stronger, madder, crazier.

[Annerito Uwak]

Uwak had grown incredibly tired of this struggle and felt his rage melt into annoyance as he starred at the battle ready brat.This had grown into such a tedious and pointless conflict. He continued stare at her for a briefest of moments. Would she attack the moment he turned his back? Probably. Did he care? Not in the slightest. The konti's insanity was distant from his own. He still had the ability to reason if he truly wished too...this girl was lost in the abyss that was her corrupted mind. It couldn't hurt to try and use logic though despite how much he disliked it himself. What did he have to lose? His life? A trivial thing, but something he wasn't finished with just yet. He still had things he wanted to do. People to burn. Memories to purify. "Child, our battle is over. Your witch is dead. You are safe. Once I take my mask I will go and leave you to your own devices...unless you'd like to see Ravok." The thought of monetary gain still lingered in the back of his mind. A proper magic lab would be nice. Konti slaves were worth thousands. But breaking her would be difficult if not impossible. Yes, it would be best to just wash his hands of her now, one way or another. As the silence continued he noticed things were unusually quiet. The whispers had disappeared! It was odd. It usually took days if not weeks for the accursed things to fade from his mind. This was surely a gift...or a warning. Maybe this was the ghosts way of saying that she had given him one final chance. Or it was a trick! No, he would not be fooled a second time. The whispers absence was probably a momentary relief only meant to sway him. He took a small step forward to test the waters of this girls wrath. "I mean you no harm..." He never thought he'd be saying that. Oh what a surprising night this had been. Hopefully a pleasant or non life threatening surprise would come along and greet him.

[Panna Cotta]

"Lies!" Roziella cried. "You lie to me, human. I hate you, I hate you!" She threw the balls of ice against Uwak, all of them landing around him, none hurting him. The young Konti ran away, crying.

Once more, the echoing loneliness resounded in the air. The whispers were murmurs now, but Uwak was left to contemplate what had just transpired. He mostly acted on impulse, fueled by a rage entrenched within his heart. Looking back, it was he who was wronged, he who was delivering redemption.

He had just killed a ghost, and now the Konti who was involved in the duel was now gone. He may have killed the Witch tormenting Roziella, but he had shown her no kindness, so to speak. Young and crazed as she was, she was Konti, and she bore the gift of Avalis. Uwak may not have known, but Roziella knew when someone was lying. And boy, was he such a liar. The Konti was able to read strands of greed, of Uwak's ill-intent to bring her to Ravok to be sold as a slave.

The lonely cries told Uwak that she was not far away.

[Annerito Uwak]

What an unexpected turn of events. He was alone in the forest and the immediate threat was lifted. Oh what a joyous moment. But despite his renewed sense of peace Annerito felt that was something was off besides the fact that he still hadn't recovered his mask. He scanned the ground for a brief moment, cursing the darkness of the moonless night. He continued to fumble in the darkness, groping the forest floor until he felt the cold bone like smoothness of his mask. He examined it closely, checking for cracks or any other marks of imperfection that would mar its unsettling qualities. Thankfully all that was on it was a copious amount of dirt that could easily be washed away. Even though that he had found his mask that odd feeling continued to linger about. What could he be possibly feeling? Empathy? Guilt? Impossible! These emotions had died within him long ago. Or had they? His eyes darted back and forth quickly as he donated more power to contemplating such a problem. He let out a sigh. It was probably just the stress of tonight's events manifesting in a very odd and potentially worrying manner. "Impossible...I don't..."He trailed off as he continued to mumble to himself under his breath while he paced back and forth. Was he the one who was in the wrong? All he had done is merely defend himself from two incredibly annoying Konti. He admits that he wasn't entirely fair...or even moderately accommodating towards the crazed child but thats how life worked. He could only think of one good outcome of this night and it was the fact that he got set something on fire. But he could have done that anywhere. His thread began to throb. A headache. It wasn't like it was entirely unexpected. Still troublesome. As he was still wrestling with his feelings the cries of a child broke his train of thought. He had never been moved by the cries of anyone, much less by a weeping child. But something stirred in him. This angered him. But his fury was not directed at the child but at himself for allowing himself to care. But maybe he felt some kinship with the child. She was just as crazy and unstable as he was. Maybe more so. He had made his decision. "Child!" He shouted off into the forest as he ventured towards the sound of the cries. "I will offer you my guidance one more time. I can offer you shelter in Ravok. This is your last chance to find safety outside of this forest." This time his words were genuine and filled with a tinge of guilt and a bit of care. More than he had shown in a long time.

[Panna Cotta]

And he was back to square 1. Once more finding the weeping sobs of the girl. What led him to her? It was attraction. He was magnetized by her personality. There were still dying murmurs in his head: Kill her. Perhaps, Roziella can hear them, too.

Back into the moonlit forest he went, retracing his steps, finding Roziella exactly in the same place where she was when he first met her. The young Konti, too young to be alone in the world, wailed and wept for heartaches no child should have ever suffered. Her parents loving and unloving her. Her parents, dead. She was an orphan, without any friend. She was just a baby! A very crazy baby, but then again, if you've gone through what she did, who could blame her?

"Yes, indeed, who can blame her?" Beside Roziella, leaning with his back to the tree, hand softly patting the Konti's head, was a young boy, younger than her. He was, in many ways, her contrast. He looked well-to-do, nay, rich, for one. He wore black, she wore white. He carried the kind of composure one could only find in adults. She was childlike in manner and attitude. His face was sullen and his eyes black, deep, with a barely noticeable gleam of red. Her face was lonely, and her eyes a lovely shade of violet. He looked at Uwak, eyes accusing, as if the human was responsible for Roziella's misery. Was he a playmate? Unlikely. Too many children lost in the woods these days.

"You saved her from the ghost of her past." He said it in a flat tone, making it sound like Uwak did something terrible. "But you have hurt her." He shook his head and looked down at Roziella lovingly like a doting sibling.

"She is in great pain. She feels your anger. Don't you, Roziella?" He asked.

"Roziella was a bad, bad girl. And must be punished!" She cried, burying her head into his leg, clutching his coat.

Uldr scowled and slapped Roziella's cheeks so strong, the Konti flipped to the side. Despite this, she looked actually pleased! She stopped sobbing and purred by Uldr's feet. "Tell me what happened. And tell me all about you."

[Annerito Uwak]

Ah, the homicidal whispers. Most of the time Uwak would have welcomed them but he was a bit busy at the moment and they only proved to agitate him further. He ventured back out into the forest, wondering if he should give the konti another chance or give her another chance while silently storing Res. He opted with just simply giving her another chance without the deceit involved. It was best to go in with clear and open intentions if he was truly insistent on helping her. Was he even truly insistent on helping her? It was a good question. He was mainly feeling guilt and a smidgen of kinship. He didn't even like most of his kin. In fact, burning down their homes was on his to do list. He brushed the thoughts from his mind and focused on the task at hand. After a few more minutes of wandering in the forest he came upon the konti and her...friend? Another child? Seriously? His headache worsened at the mere site of him. This child unnerved him. There was a strange and menacing quality that hovered about him. He took a few small steps backwards, getting some distance between himself and the unnerving child."Me...?"He said slowly. The way the boy talked added to that unnerving quality that lingered about him. Despite his impish voice there was an coldness that lingered in his voice. "What happened?"He had regained his composure and spoke with more confidence. "It seems you already know what happened. But I shall indulge your wish anyway. Your...friend followed me back to camp and then she and her ghostly tormenter decided to play tug of war with my mind and emotions. I'm still a bit sore about that mind you."[/color] He spoke quickly and without rest occasionally glancing at the Konti. "I was tempted to crush both of them but I decided to go for the ghost. Being possessed wouldn't have been all that enjoyable. Then she," He gestured towards the konti,"ran off into the woods after I offered to take her to Ravok and here we are." He paused before continuing on to make a small breath and contemplate what he would say about himself."As to who I am...I am a homicidal pyromaniach who enjoys making people suffer. I've been meaning to take torture up as a hobby but I've never gotten around to it. Oh, how rude. I forgot to tell you my name. Annerito Uwak. Now, who are you?"

[Panna Cotta]

"Oh, what a feisty little soul." The young boy moved forward and, with a graceful wave of his hand, shooed Roziella away. "But you are not telling me the whole story."

"Maybe it would make you feel less haughty if you know who I am." The child-god breathed deeply and sighed, "My name is Uldr and I am Roziella's playmate." A smile lined his lips, "Many profess their devotion to me as the god of undeath." He splayed his hands, a deranged child presenting himself to the mad pyromaniac. "I am here, like I said, because you have intentionally harmed my follower. I have sworn to protect her from anybody who would wish her death. What I have witnessed and what you consider an explanation that would suffice does not please me, mortal." The boy, childish yet mature, rolled his hand and Annerito Uwak found himself pinned to the ground. "Your patronizing tone," he shook his head, "is rather rude." His voice, though unholy, was small and impish; he was - in appearances - only a child, afterall. "It is not the proper manner to conduct yourself in front of a child nor a god."

Uldr's shiny shoes crunched the wildland's dry leaves and twigs as he moved towards Annerito. Roziella crawled beside him slowly. "Bad, bad man." She pointed at Uwak.

"I would send you to Lhex right now if it were not for the fact that you have, at the very least, unburdened my young disciple from the ghost of her wretched mother." His young voice carried creepiness that iced the human's bones, "So I would at least offer you reprieve. Does the prospect of living longer please you?" He stopped in front of Annerito's blackened face and touched it with a small hand. "An oath from you, to serve as my disciple."

Roziella appeared beside Uldr, eyes bearing wizened maturity. "Bad, bad man deserves to be punished."

[Annerito Uwak]

Crap, crap crap. That was it. After tonight he'd be staying in Ravok, assuming he lived that is. Why didn't he smell the meddling of a god in this earlier? It was all far to strange to simply another random and odd event that had decided to waltz into his life and curse his already wretched existence. Why couldn't it have been the god of something else? God of pyromaniacs perhaps? Was there even such a god? If so they would have gotten along just wonderfully.

He would have to look into that later. Providing that he,again, survived his encounter with the god of the undead. "I know this is going to bite me in the as-...buttocks later..." He didn't feel the word ass was appropriate in the presence of a god and child. Hopefully Uldr wouldn't feel like he was patronizing him. Only trying to play his little game properly. "But I swear to serve you." An overwhelming feeling of dread had rushed over him. It was probably the feeling of his soul leaving him. Oh what joy.

Maybe it wasn't all bad. He was rather aimless. Cause a bit of strife there. Pick a fight here. Set a few things on fire. That was all he really did most of the time these days. It would be good to have a goal. "Uhm...don't mean to sound...well...ignorant but what exactly is it that you would have me do? Any particular in mind? Does it involve setting things on fire? I am good at that." The last part was a joke. Probably not a very good one. He had a feeling Uldr would grow tired of him very quickly if he kept it up. "Also...what was that about living longer?

[Panna Cotta]

"Swear to serve me? That is a rather strong declaration of willingness," Despite the mocking tone, Uldr smiled. Drops of crimson blood rode down his cheeks, and his impish voice melded together with a roaring growling voice, "Annerito Uwak, I release you from your pathetic human life. Come undone."

The man was assaulted by a blinding flash of ruby light, hot and fiery as the flames of many years ago. But, this was different. The explosion was astounding. It started with cracks and blisters upon his skin, until he curled down in tremendous pain. The way his tissues boiled beneath his skin, enlarging and reducing themselves as if there was some wicked power crawling under his skin, and how his flesh tore itself apart send Uwak coiling upon himself. His bones were distorted and broken, his eyes rolled up and he gnashed his own tongue. Uwak lifted off the ground, pulled by an unseen force that threatened to crush him with its might. He was deaf to his own cries for help, his shouts of anguish, his screams of anger, hate and despair. Slowly, his skin unwound itself from his muscles, strands of flesh floating around him. His muscle tissues continued to boil and pulse until they erupted, spraying blood droplets in the shining red light. His organs dissolved one by one, his bones broke into thousands of shards and splinters. Annerito Uwak was no more.

Roziella's laugh - the rhythm and music of his transformation - irritated and comforted him. Her last words, full of resentment and spite, "Annerito Uwak is a bad, bad man."

In a big temporal vortex the pieces of what Annerito Uwak was started to piece themselves together, dust particles of a human that once was. The pain was just as severe, no, unbearable unlike any torture he had ever experienced. Slowly he was rebuilt from the ashes, reborn anew. With one great gravitational pull, Annerito Uwak was a new man. There was nothing new to his body, nothing at all. Except perhaps the black ring that was visible on the left side of his neck. Uwak knew, off the top of his head, that Roziella was also marked by Uldr. Twice marked by Uldr. A seemingly innocent child? It cannot be! Or not. Perhaps age does not matter when it comes to serving the god of undeath. "As punishment for the atrocities you have committed, I assign you to be the guardian of Roziella, until the time her Call is fulfilled, or you gain marks more than her. You will find yourself... amenable to her every desire." Uldr smiled eeriely as he wiped off the red tears from his face. "And I mean everything." Images of Roziella offering herself to be taken by Annerito Uwak flashed in the man's mind. Uldr declared, "Until you have gained favor, you will be nothing but Randjaki, a chained one. You are still mortal, but you will find that you will no longer need the trivialities the living concern themselves with." As he pocketed the blood-stained handkerchief, Uldr said, "You will protect Roziella with your life."

His voice downsized to his regular tone, "Annerito Uwak, and though you might feel nothing has changed, you will discover that I have given you a new mask." Uldr giggled, child-like and naughty, "Your old one is ugly. The mask I have provided you is much more useful." The same boiling feeling under his skin returned, but this time it was only on his face. Annerito Uwak will realize, if he touched his face, that it was restored. "You only need to press your mark and invoke or revoke the power, I understand that your ugly face might hold sentimental value. Use this mask as you wish. It will provide you better opportunities."

Annerito could feel a familiar feeling boiling up inside him, "You now possess my Hate." Uldr wickedly replied, "It is the same emotion you have nursed throughout all these years, only now you can actually use it to serve me. You will be an expedient addition to the list of my servants. Please me and you will gain much more than the removal of your mortality. Recruit the hated, the desolate, the desperate. I could care less if you cause them despair, as long as you bring them to me. We will do them great justice by giving them reason to Hate." It was a most dreadful feeling, but Annerito Uwak could almost appreciate the maniacal look on the child's face. He was now bound to serve the god of undeath, with a Konti child in tow. "Recruit enough, and you will be liberated from the humble task of looking after dear Roziella. Spread my influence and you will be granted powers beyond your wildest dreams. You may even be granted your own repertoire of disciples." The glint of red in Uldr's two round black eyes shimmered. "Any last words before we part?"