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Post by Admin on Aug 4, 2021 19:29:27 GMT
Life was hard in the Covent Dionisia quickly learned. In those early days, she was lumped in with all the other novitiates and given the institution's menial jobs: cooking, cleaning, mending, attending to the Mother Superior and her flock of priestesses.
As the years passed and she proved herself stronger and tougher than the other girls, her tasks were much the same, only more demanding: washing the sacred chambers with acidic demon blood, forming demonic ichors into the soul candles for the sacred grotto, working in the rendering caves where penitent demons volunteered to be flayed and their fluids collected by the Order of the Cleansing Hand. Many days were spent scrubbing the floors while bathed in the light that filtered through the giant stained glass image of Cruel Prince Julian of Amber riding through the hosts of demons, laying about with his greatsword, bringing salvation to the fallen creatures of the Abyss.
There was the interlude where she was taken away from the Convent and trained by Suhuey, but now she was back in the familiar confines of the great building, her talents wasted while she set upon the endless list of monotonous tasks.
The nights were different. During those brief hours Dio was allowed to sleep; her dreams were invaded by visions of demons, war, strange machines of otherworldly elegance, death, and at the end of a golden road, the radiance of Amber on Kolvir, and she sees herself walking among its silent silver streets.
The only sound in the dreams is one unknown voice demanding an answer to the question: "Will you kill?"
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Post by Dionisia on Aug 5, 2021 4:28:40 GMT
The monotonous days were fuel for her mind to wander back to the dreams. Would she answer the question. Then one night she decides, she has done all that is requested and required of her. A life of servitude to the convent. A short moment of dutiful teachings. Then yes why would she not, the following dream she has again she will this time answer. "Yes i will, i will do what is required of me."
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Post by Admin on Aug 5, 2021 16:07:25 GMT
"Excellent. Excellent." the voice chants, and Dio begins to feel herself falling out of the real world and into the dream, floating through the nightmare, arms and legs bound by ropes being pulled by one hundred flayed demons.
Two hands clamp around her legs, halting her progress through the dream.
"No, don't take her! Daughter, return to us. You are safe in the convent. We need you here!"
Dio sees the stretched-out form of the Mother Superior; her arms lengthened to mile-long noodles.
"Ignore her; her safety is your imprisonment," the voice-in-the-dark says.
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Post by Dionisia on Aug 5, 2021 16:26:33 GMT
Dio stunned what is going on in her dream it being so vivid. She curses the ropes binding her staring at the demons then her eyes flow over to the mother superior she yells out. "Mother!"
Knowing it is of no use and the pulling continuing Dionisia yells to the voice in the dark. "Who are you? Reveal yourself!"
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Post by Admin on Aug 5, 2021 16:47:20 GMT
"In time, child. In time. All will be revealed at the proper time. Now remove that foolish woman's hold on you."
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Post by Dionisia on Aug 5, 2021 16:56:34 GMT
Dionisia gives it a mere second thought. Reaching her mind out she calls for the logrus. Forcing with her will the grasp of mother superior from her. If she does not let go she readies to speak the last words of a spell.
Dionisia yells "Let me fullfill my duties!"
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Post by Admin on Aug 5, 2021 17:43:59 GMT
Dio's strength in the Logrus is much greater than the Mother Superior's
"Child, Nooooooo-" the woman screams as her grip is broken and she is lost in the dream.
"Do you see, Dionisia? You were always stronger than the fools who kept you trapped, always had the power to take what's yours by right of blood. And now your long-delayed destiny can be fulfilled."
The colours and shades of dream continue to fly past, each containing scenes of nightmares. The edges of her imagination fray, letting in warm blue light, demons and skeletons, crashes and oozing muds dissolve in more of the blue and brown.
Her eyes open in the strangest dream of all: a world where the laws of reality are bent beyond her knowledge. A place where the birds only fly in the sky above, a place where rocks do not crash upon the waves, a place where the seas sulk ashamed under the bright skies, a place containing a mere three dimensions, not the more proper two or seven.
Dio awakens on flat rocky ground (suspiciously under the blue sky) at the centre of a ring of stones. Smaller lines of pebbles crisscross the circle's interior (suspiciously laying still on the ground as if some force compels them to remain in a fixed spot). Beyond the circle are six people who have chosen to wear their human forms—five at the pentagram's points, the other stands to the side. All wear some style of uniform unknown to her.
Seagulls chatter and unnaturally fly above them all in the sky. The waves make an unnatural sound as they crash onto the rocky shore.
"We have success!" says one of the people.
"The summoning worked!"
"Praise to the Hidden One!" says another.
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Post by Dionisia on Aug 5, 2021 17:57:33 GMT
Letting the mind-boggling trip come over her as she passes the nightmares and visions. She is most amazed by the place where she ends up.
Within the circle she stands up readying herself to fight she calls forth the logrus once more.
Knowing circles static as these could mean entrapment in power Dionisia moves fast to one of the lines wnating to step out of it to face the people.
"Who did this? Who called me? Show yourself."
Dionisia makes sure she is in a position she can all of them or if not possible most of them.
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Post by Admin on Aug 5, 2021 18:52:36 GMT
"Fear not. You have been freed from your confinement," says one.
"Fear not. We are your friends and have long hoped you would return to us," says another.
"Fear not. The Hidden One has made you whole," says a third.
"Fear not. Step out of the circle and come to the table,"
"Hunger not. We have food and drink to restore you after your ordeal in the convent,"
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Post by Dionisia on Aug 5, 2021 19:02:58 GMT
"Do not mistake my questions for fear."
Dionisia stands tall and strong watching the people. With slow deliberate movements she moves to outside the circle. Though the place they are in she does not trust at all.
She moves to the table to watch what they have to offer. While she walks she tries to sense if she feels the logrus around or another sense of sorcery. They must have summoned her with some power.
When she sensed around her she lowers the logrus.
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Post by Admin on Aug 6, 2021 6:44:41 GMT
There is a power in the ring of stones but it is fading now that the summoning is complete. The food is unfamiliar but does smell delicious.
The sixth person, a man who was standing to the side, away from the circle says:
"Our new friend is wise to not be a'feared. Why would she expect death here when the same powers that lifted her up could just have easily smashed her down? She agreed to kill and the Hidden One took her up on the offer.
"Eat and drink, Dionisia, we soon need to leave this barren shore and travel to our destiny."
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Post by Dionisia on Aug 6, 2021 7:00:57 GMT
Dionisia looks over the sixth person.
"Even within the face of death, do not feel fear. If it is a death within the duty of ones life. Never feel the weakness of fear. That means your faith falters. Then your death is meaningless."
With a confident look she moves over to the food and decides to eat. If alot of her is expected soon. Then she better regains her strength.
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Post by Admin on Aug 6, 2021 19:38:37 GMT
They watch her eat. It is pleasant to have proper food in abundance rather than the two meagre bowls of gruel that are served every day in the convent. When she finishes, the leader lets the others eat.
"It is well that you speak of duty. Duty to one's self, to their House and family, to the Courts of Chaos. Such duty will be required in the coming days. You have been brought here to save our people and the Courts from a great threat.
"An apostate has arisen, assembled a cult of demons and come to this foul land to continue her ascent to power. We are here to stop her. This is what she has discovered so far."
He incants a spell of some sort and a glowing sigyl appears in the air.
"It's a link, an arrow pointing to another place in this forsaken shadow. We must stop her before she reaches her goal. Adding to our difficulties are upstart Pattern-fools who want the thing for themselves.
"Here is what the locals to this place call a gun. It is for distance fighting. What weapon do you prefer for close fighting?"
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Post by Dionisia on Aug 6, 2021 21:13:12 GMT
Dionisia watches over the gun with a raised eyebrow kind of look. Her focus then goes to the sigyl watching it carefully. A slight nod of understanding.
"This apostate needs to die then yes? for the good of the Courts? My preferred weapons are shorter blades. Up close and personal."
A moment silence she considers her words carefully then looking up she asks
"I will do my duty, of course. But it seems, strange that for such a thing someone like me is pulled form the convent. I am not knowledgeable in politics and what is going on. Or is that exactly why i am here? A devoted follower who knows little enough to be safe for such a mission? in case things go wrong."
Dionisia stands straight no emotion shown on her face. "It is at least a reasoning i would take. Use the cannon fodder first. So what do i need to know for this? Where is this person and what is my main objective?"
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Post by Admin on Aug 7, 2021 23:36:36 GMT
"Short blades. It will be done," the man says and points to one of the others who then begins going through mystic motions.
"You will be with us. Seven is the number gleaned from the tarots so seven we shall be. Out job is to kill Lady Vada and her followers. If scum from Amber are encountered on the way we shall cleans this world of them too."
He makes a fist and from behind some rocks unfurl and rise three floating carpets. Finally Dio sees something that makes sense in this odd shadow.
"Fitting steeds for our mission. Demons to match those of Vada herself."
The spellcasting member of the crew hands Dio a pair of wickedly honed long knives with belts and scabbards.
Rising on the carpet shaped demons, Dionisia sees beyond the small plateau they were on to a great body of water and a city huddled on its shores. Giant grey ships anchor in the harbor. The city looks to have recently been the site of a great battle.
"The city of Kasaba. We had hoped to catch Vada here when she was at her weakest. Now we must hope to intercept her in a place called Cairo," the man says.
She can see the people she is with are wearing the same uniforms as the soldiers below.
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