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~^~~^~ Black Winds ~^~~^~

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Parakarry267

Parakarry267

Posts: 9,830 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
|~+~|~~+~~===+===~++++| Epilogue |++++~===+===~~+~~|~+~|
"Where am I?"
"There's a better question than that. Who are you?"
"Who am I?"
"Yes. Tell me who you are."
"I'm... I... I... I don't know. I'm sorry. But, where am I? Who are you? What is this place?"
"This place? This place is a dream, good friend. You are only dreaming."
"But, why can't I see you? Why can't I see anything?"
"Your eyes have not yet been opened to the truth. This dream will last forever, unless you let me take you out of it."
"Forever? How did I get here? Why is it bad for me to stay here forever?"
"Good friend, you ask more than enough questions. You have been asleep for a long time, and no one but I can wake you from your sleep. As for your questions, they will all be answered as soon as you wake up. For your eyes are not open to the truth, and I can open them for you so that you may understand."
"Well... I would like to know. But... one last question. Who *are* you?"
"I? Who am I? Good friend, I am your savior. Take my hand, even though you cannot feel it. You shall be revealed to all the truth, and then all your questions will be answered."
It still confused me, but I felt myself being drawn closer to the voice. I wanted to know what was going on, why I was here, how I got here, and who I was. Before I knew it, I felt a strange understanding come upon me, something that was overwhelmingly fresh and new. I had never felt anything like this before, and now a strange thing appeared. I think it was a color, a brownish-white color that I sensed.
No, I *saw* that color. That sense was called sight. And as more things began to surface, I felt the understanding completely take over me, and then the voice said:
"Your eyes have been opened again after your long sleep, Scarlet. Now, all your questions will be answered."
Scarlet?
Was that who I was?
Was that... my name?

24-Nov-2007 22:43:15 - Last edited on 27-Nov-2007 05:49:05 by Parakarry267

Parakarry267

Parakarry267

Posts: 9,830 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
~^~~^~ The Hidden Scenes: Chapter 3.5 ~^~~^~
If you ever wondered what happened between the time that Sonia was taken by the tornado and the time that she woke up in the Black Arms' hideout, here's a peek into exactly what happened through Levantris's eyes.
==============================================================
The storm had ended, so we emerged from our hiding places in the lower levels of the hideout. For them, it was just an excuse to talk about whatever they talked about; I, on the other hand, was waiting for the storm to subside. The most elite of us would sneak out in normal clothing to see what we could loot. The crew included myself, Katrine, Jeremy, Francis, and Burner.
We had already planned it by the time the tornado touched the ground; we all would spread out to the various parts of town and take what we would. Katrine chose the hardest part of Varrock, the castle. I don't remember what the others picked, but I could remember Katrine telling me something about scattered treasures and the logic in being fewer in numbers. That Katrine was always a talker, and an especially loud one, at that. One might think that being a talker is a rare trait for a thief to have, but then again, one hasn't seen the inner workings of our hideout...
Katrine looked through the viewer in our door and then beckoned for us to come. I was dressed in a ruffled, torn, slightly bloodied old brown t-shirt with black pants that had withstood an equal amount of abuse. I also took a black hooded cape with me to cover my face.
She opened the door ever so slightly, and then squeezed through, leaving the rest of us to go out. The others subsequently followed, and I was the last to go.
The sunlight always follows the storm; it seems ironic, considering all the destruction that had just taken place and all the sorrow the people must be feeling. The light highlighted my poor outfit as I carried around my backpack, looking for anything of interest.

24-Nov-2007 22:43:34 - Last edited on 01-Jul-2008 08:20:54 by Parakarry267

Parakarry267

Parakarry267

Posts: 9,830 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
There wasn't much; the tornado had really done a number on Varrock. Splinters of wood were *everywhere;* they seemed to turn the gray road into a puzzle composed of thousands of little brown-and-white pieces. Bodies also littered the streets in various places, a few even on top of what remained of the buildings in southwestern Varrock.
I looked down the southern street and it seemed that most of the treasure had already been collected. I could tell where our kind had been, meticulously and inconspicuously sifting through the debris for things of value. I looked up the northern street and saw the common people began to gather in the square, where the fountain had been unscathed by the storm. No luck there.
I turned towards the run-down side of town, where the pieces of rubble had actually withstood the wind's fury. It was interesting. It was like they had been through it so many times they just didn't care anymore.
By mere chance, a decent amount of things had landed in this rathole; a broken mithril sword, some Runes, and even a cut ruby were all in plain sight. I turned and rounded one of the half-constructed brown brick houses that made up the southwestern ghetto, and then I saw one of the most curious things I had ever seen in Varrock.
A woman, presumably in her mid-twenties, with brown hair and a slender figure, was bent in an upside-down 'V' shape with a gigantic wooden splinter through her stomach, leaking blood down to the ground and staining the wood. It was very interesting, because the chances of something like that happening are *very* slim.
Then, as I was about to pass her to find something else to loot, my left hand began to burn like fire. I shook it and then I uncovered it, revealing my crescent tattoo. The mark was on fire, radiating with a dark aura that gave me pain.
Pain?
It was insane, because pain was something I hadn't experienced in years. The burning, the intense, searing heat that was biting at my hand... it could only mean one thing.

24-Nov-2007 22:43:41 - Last edited on 01-Jul-2008 07:13:56 by Parakarry267

Parakarry267

Parakarry267

Posts: 9,830 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
The Hier was calling. It wanted something... and it wanted it right now.
The fire escalated in my hand, and suddenly the Auratus exploded from the crescent, engulfing the woman and I in its mystical clutches.
I saw her, and my jaw dropped. It didn't take one second for my mind to register that she was what we needed.
The woman before me was fairly normal without the Auratin light. She was no different from any other woman. But under the dark Auratin light, she turned into a creature with magnificent, fiery wings. Feathers of flame covered her legs, and they radiated with the most intense orange color that I had ever seen.
Her head hadn't changed much; it hadn't sprouted a beak like we thought it might have. In fact, her head was the most human thing on her -- she was a lot thinner at the pelvis than she had been before, and her hands and feet had been transformed into wing-like structures that were strong enough for her to stand on.
With her hair of flame, and those wings that gave off such colorful firelight, she could only be one thing.
She was a Phoenix Siren.
And I was the only one who could save her from death.
The word 'death' jumpstarted me; I immediately rushed up to her and proceeded to lift her from the splinter that was killing her physical form. If her body died, that meant her soul would have escaped to the Other World, and our chance at having her for our own would have lost forever.
As I grasped her thin waist, I jerked back, my hands on fire. I blew them out, and then healed the damage quickly. How else was I supposed to get her off that wooden beam? She couldn't be touched, and I didn't possess the power of telekinesis like some other fortunate friends of mine.
I gasped as the fire from her form caught the splinter on fire; it immediately burned up the whole wooden beam, turning into ashes by the time I blinked again. I could see a crimson, blood-like substance oozing out of her huge flesh wound, and I immediately faded the Auratus.

24-Nov-2007 22:43:47 - Last edited on 01-Jul-2008 08:13:35 by Parakarry267

Parakarry267

Parakarry267

Posts: 9,830 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
The black light receded into my crescent, and I immediately grabbed the woman and rushed her back to the hideout. I wasn't thinking about what I was going to do when someone saw me rushing through the place with a random body, but no one was going to question me, anyways. They wouldn't dare.
I opened the huge metal door and dragged her inside, and then I carried her through the hallways, down to the small spare room we used to use for performing surgery on the injured gang members. Needless to say, the room wasn't used for very long -- not after the futile cases we had brought in to try to save. Yes, the other members saw me running through with some strange, dying person, but as I said before, it wasn't their place to question why I was doing this.
When I reached the old room, I immediately slammed the door. I had to be quick, or else she wouldn't make it. Oh, I hoped that I'd be able to do this... the Hier might blame me for letting a Phoenix Siren die off!
I activated the Auratus, and I saw her fiery, glowing form once more. Even near the point of death, the light her flames gave off was still incredible; I would have to make time to imagine how powerful they were when she was well later.
The only way I could save her would be by a transfusion. Some part of my internal energy would have to be cut out of me and placed into her wound, which would seal it and cure her.
I felt like a novice. Even after two decades, I wasn't prepared for this -- none of us, not even the Hier, it seemed, knew that Phoenix Sirens even *existed,* much less how to cure them if we ever met a dying one! A transfusion seemed like the only possible way...
I took out my precious Ryite Sword, and transformed it into a dagger. Quickly, I stabbed it into my left hand, where the crescent had turned white. I cut off the crescent, which converted it into pure energy. I took the gray, shining ball and thrust it into her wound, which turned her whole body the same gray color for a few seconds.

24-Nov-2007 22:43:52 - Last edited on 01-Jul-2008 07:47:37 by Parakarry267

Parakarry267

Parakarry267

Posts: 9,830 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
When the gray light faded, the light from her body was much, much brighter... it was like looking towards the sun, except I could actually *stare* at it. The color, the *color* of her flames was so vibrant and varied; it changed from white to orange to yellow to red constantly, like mixing liquids.
She was magnificent. The Hier would most definitely be pleased, as would the rest of the Nortirpleans. There was just one problem...
She was still human.
For a while, I couldn't bring myself to fade the Auratus. I was the first out of all of us to gaze upon a living, breathing Phoenix Siren -- and I was relishing every second of it. In silence, I stared at every little direction the flames took, every little bending and flowing. Truly, it was something to behold.
It was only after someone knocked on the door that I thought of fading the Auratus. The only person who would ever bug me at such a time... Katrine.
"Levantris! A group of 3s and 4s want to know what's up with the Jipalar Deal. I'm too busy teaching the new recruits the basics, and the others are all running meetings of their own right now. Get their facts straight, would you?" She yelled from outside the door. Like anyone else, she didn't ask what I was doing in there. We always stayed out of each other's personal business, and I couldn't have been more grateful for that aspect of our relationship right now.
I didn't respond. First of all, I had to fade the Auratus. The black light retracted into my crescent, which had already healed in the time that had passed.
Done.
Next, I had to calm my emotions. This was usually easy, but after what I just went through, it was very, very difficult.
"I can hear you're busy. I'm going!" Katrine yelled again, and then she marched off impatiently to teach the recruits. I went through the usual mental rituals; I told myself that emotions were unnecessary, that they didn't matter. Feeling was weakness, and weakness was rooted in emotion.

24-Nov-2007 22:43:58 - Last edited on 01-Jul-2008 08:16:57 by Parakarry267

Parakarry267

Parakarry267

Posts: 9,830 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
There was hardly any reason for me to care; if I cared, then others could get into me and destroy me from the inside. There is no reason for me to care. There has been no reason for me to care. Others could care less, and I could care less about others.
Still not easy. Ugh...
If someone came to me with a problem, I would tell them to do it themselves. If someone reasoned that I was weak inside, I would only tell them that I simply don't want to help; weakness does not exist within me. Only strength, only detachment and obedience. Like stone, like ice.
Just a little more.
I can only be strong if I let things go. By letting go, I am not tied down to anything that might take me down. I will be *free.*
Yes... it was finally working. I could feel the splendor disappear, released by the cold numbness that I had grown so accustomed too.
I looked towards the woman. She was as normal as ever; even her clothing had somehow been restored. I shrugged, and waited for her to wake up. One minute passed. Then two. Then three.
After five, I found that I couldn't wait much longer. Suddenly, she began to toss and turn in her slumber, mumbling about the gods and the possibility that she was in a world of nothingness.
Now I knew I could wake her up.
"Wake up. It's time to go." I said, loud and clear. She moaned, and then I shouted,
"Wake up, already! Are you dead, woman?" She moaned, and then she opened her eyes. She looked at me, and I looked straight back at her.
It was the first time I could see her eyes; on the outside, they looked normal, but deep within, I could see the faint trace, the aura of the Phoenix Siren within her.
Good. It meant I wouldn't have to throw her out.
=============================================================
~ Written on July 1, 2008 by Parakarry267

24-Nov-2007 22:44:04 - Last edited on 01-Jul-2008 08:11:49 by Parakarry267

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