Home Is Where The Heart Is...

[xxdestinyfearxx]

Destiny was pulled into his arms, and carried to shore, it was a bit different, but she loved the way he missed her. Coming to the ground she sat, the skirts and her whole form seemed to lose the wetness that beaded across her. It was as if she never was in the water at all.

The sky had darkened, the moons faded...it was like a dream. Ever changing, and making no real sense of why. Jade hues crossed over the fire towards Ashram, a michievious grin casting over her lips. What was she up to? It would be known shortly. Pushing her hands into the dirt she stood, her clothing changing from virginal silk to the exotic wear of a gypsie.

All her whole plan was to get Ash up to dance, but instead she found herself in an attire that better suited this world.

Bare feet moved her around the fire, the glows licking at her flesh, carressing the curves of her body. Coming to stand in front of Ash, the cascade of fabrics that made up that skirt brushed just above her ankles, a chiming anklet ringign with each move of her form. With an innocent smile, she bend at the hips, her hands reaching for Ash's. Slender digits curled around his wrists, her trying to pull him up. "Let us dance..." What an odd request from her, but why would Ash decline, it was only his wife, and she has seen him do some weird things before.

Once upon his feet, she circled behind him, her arms slowly rising above her head only to come around him. closed fingers touch, only to slowly move apart. Trialing in her fingers was a length of near transparent fabric. Pulling it against his chest, she hummed to herself and sash-shade around him.

His wife was enjoying the changes of this world too much, she was living in it like she wasn't just recently broughten here, but was an animate of it the whole time. Not once did she seem to ask about her disappearing summons, or question about the demon.

[Lord Ashram]

A few moments later the sound of drums thundered in the air but were nowhere in sight. It was a slow and steady beat for the time being and Ashram stepped forth from the flames. Once the flames no longer enveloped his body, it could be seen that he was only in his simple black cotton pants. His lean muscular body was decorated with red dye though he preferred the blood of the wounded. He made do with the dye since he hadn't achieved any great victory in battle. There was a fierce look in his eyes and his long jet black hair roughed up a bit giving him a wild, untamed look. The drums ceased and silence filled the warm air.

With a devilish grin and the first solid beat of a drum he began his own dance, one not seen in what had been twenty plus years. His feet sifted through and kicked up sand, his arms moving enough to keep his balance as he twisted his body while changing directions at what looked like random times. He moved with swift grace around her and when he came to be infront of her after his intense two minutes of dancing, he stopped as did the drums. His hair was matted to his broad shoulders and strong back, sweat glistened on his defined form in the fire light. "I'm ready.."

He took hold of her wrist not allowing time for a response and the drums started again, he had warmed up and now he would dance with her. He led her in his dance for now and if she was paying enough attention, after a while she would see... or rather feel a pattern to the chaotic looking dance. He didn't think he would have this much fun doing a dance that really isn't meant to be done sober. Somehow he let himself go and here he was showing her another level of his strangeness. All of this boiled down to a past he kept to himself.

[xxdestinyfearxx]

As he began his own dance, Destiny sat in wonder, she knew he had to learn it from sosmewhere, but she knew he wouldn't tell her till the time was right. With a coo passing her lips, she spun in her place, arms outstretched to the sy, till Ashram came before her, his form towering over her, his eyes engulfing her in the unknown wildness. It wasn't till he spoke did she move. She was rather enchanced with the power that stood before her.

With a nod, she allowed him to lead, her attempting to follow the odd movements of this interupt dance, her whole body set in motion. Oh the love of this place. After long moments, she joined him in the dance with her own twists added to it.

Her laughter sang through the air, inticed the fire, her body seemed to glow by the raging flames, her dance making it follow in movements.

It wasn't till she spun, her coming into Ashram's form, did she stare up at the face of the man that was forced to hold her. A smile etched her lips, while fingertips went to touch his hair. It seemed that she was goign to pull him into another romantic setting before she slipped from his embrace, her bare feet pattered through the sand. Glancing back with an innocent giggle she tossed back sand, it coming to spray across his stomach.

[Lord Ashram]

It gave him the best feeling to know his wife was enjoying herself. When she spun into him he took hold of her. He smiled upon seeing her smile and leaned in to kiss her... Then she was gone, off and dancing again. He smirked and watched as the sand was kicked up across his body. Just as he started to dance after her, reality struck him, his past caught up on him when the memories of the time he learned this dance crossed his mind. With that there was an accidental change in the realms.

In an instant everything changed, no longer was his wife dancing around a raging bond fire. She would find herself dancing around a burning wooden statue in the presense of a large group of goblins and orcs that were ransacking a sea side village. The sky was filled with thick black smoke and if it wasn't smoke it was dark grey clouds. The whole village was burning and the screams of the few remaining human inhabitants of the sea port echoed into the night. Ashram and his wife went unnoticed.

Ashram recognized this place all too well and was unmoved by it all. While watching the events for the second time in his life his armor materialized encasing his body. He didn't realize it at the time but a boy about the age of nine stood to his left. The boy had short black hair, gray eyes and was dressed in torn, dirty clothing.. much like what the goblins and orcs were running around in. In the boy's right hand was bloodied stick that had a fine carved point on it. The boy, just like Ashram, was not moved by the events.

The fiery demon appeared in the hills west of the sea port, its burning green eyes looking down upon the buring village. Ashram could feel its hateful gaze, he knew it was watching. With the appearance of the demon it would feel as if Ashram were in two places at once, both shared the same presence. Again the demon's presense agitated Ashram and that voice rang in his head. Pulling his sword free of its black and gold metallic sheathe, he began to run through the burning village to the west after only moments of being in this new place.

[xxdestinyfearxx]

Destiny was laughing, but it soon came to an end as her bare foot hit into a blood puddle, Her jade hues widen, her body stepping back only to knock into a orc and be shoved to the side. She crumbled to the ground from the unexpectant hit, only to stare up into the face of the child. As he said nothing, she simply pushed herself up to bare feet, the multiple fabriced skirt faded placing her back into that white gown, it it was not the same. It was torn, blood stained...but she didn't understand.

Slowly her hand rose to her cross that rested about her throat. Selnder digits curled about it, only to pulled away with crimson running down her palms. She stood in shock, her looking down to the child then back up at Ashram's stadning form. She knew what she had to do! She brought blood stained ifngers into a prayer, her mummering words, only for her body to be etched with markings of ruins, her ace, arms and everything slowly being covered. As the glowing black ruins designed down her right arm, she reached out, palm down. " I call upon thee Seragato, Allow my pain be your pain." She spoke the words, and flipped her palm towards the sky... but somethign was wrong. Usually the ruin on her palm opened into an eye, giving her the ability to summon, but for some reason, her armor, nor magic, nor her guardian were here to help her.

As the ruins faded, she saw Ash draw blade and run off, her running a few steps foth towards him, only to stop. He was goign to leave her here? Turning again, she spyed the child once more, her coming to follow his cold emotionless gaze...to where?

[Lord Ashram]

As she followed the gaze of the boy, she would find herself looking into the darkness between two burning buildings. Despite fire being on either side the alley nothing was visible in between. There was a quiet whisper in her ear, “Goodbye..” It was the boy’s voice and it had been said with a small grin. That is when the darkness slowly crept towards her, everything vanishing from sight. Unlike the other times the realms changed, time seemed to drag on.

Having the feeling she were waking up, the world started to come into focus starting out rather blurry at first. As soon as things cleared up and the cool air of the fields of Goldenmyst settled on her, she could tell where she was. Ash was nowhere in sight.

The only unusual sight was a six foot tall, three inch wide strip of purple fire a few yards in front of her. It was the passage back to the shadow realms and was open for anyone to pass through it, either willingly or by accident. Every minute it got smaller and within an hour it would be gone

[xxdestinyfearxx]

Spit from the world of darkness, she laid on the grasses of Goldenmyst, the rain falling across her face. It was moments before she woke, the boy's voice ringing in her ear. "Goodbye...?" She mummered to herself, her coming to sit up, her head having the morning heaviness.

Jae shards looked around her, her spying on the castle of Goldenmyst. Was she back? Obviously it was so... but... Panic flashed before her eyes, her looking for Ashram, where was he? He wasn't here with her?

Hands dug into the softened earth, her pushing herself to stand, well, if he wasn't back with her, she guessed she would have to go find him again. Her mind was set, she had to head back into the Shadow Realm and retrieve her husband. Also she noted to herself..." If I see that boy, bring a sock to put in his mouth." She smirked, as Seragato showed up on her shoulder, his Large black eyes reflecting her image. "Seragato! This time don't leave me, We will need eachother!" She touched the tip of his nose, before his transparent form slid down her body, and wrapping around it, leaving her in her armor of a grand paladin.

Now it was time to play. She didn't draw sword, but formed the essessence of Holy Flare in her gaunlet covered hand, as her body stepped into the Shadow Realm.

[Lord Ashram]

Immediately when she stepped through she stepped into a blizzard where the teperatures were well below zero. The harsh winds carried in it the ringing sound of colliding steel as it howled down the mountains.

Ash was up the mountain about five hundred feet up fighting with the demon in a equally matched battle. A few moments would pass then the blizzard would cease upon one of Ash's strikes where he stuck the demon in the side. The ground shook and collasped underneath the two and they started down the mountain in a tumble.

Rolling down the mountain a small avalanche had started behind them. The demon and Ash would pass by her nearly taking her out in the process and at that time she may find herself swept up in the avalanche.

Down the mountain a good ways they went until slamming into a large boulder where they disappeared in a snow drift and the growing avalanche passed over them. All was silent, the winds even stopped at that time.

[xxdestinyfearxx]

Stepping into the portal lead her again to another world, but it wasn't the burning town with the child; instead she felt hell's icy touch slap against her cheeks and face. Her lips quivered, her eyelashes collecting the flakes of ice and snow.

Step by step her feet sunk deep into the snow, her having to hold balance so to make sure not to bury herself in an icy tomb. But then... the blizzard ceased to exsist, as if it never was there in the first place. She inhaled the dry cold air, her lungs stinging at the altitude and the frozen temperatures.

Suddenly a rumble rang under her feet, making her eyes widen and her gaze to lift only to spot Ashram and the demon he has an erge to kill heading her way. Reaching out she called out to Ashram her reaching out her hand so to stop him, but once fingertips grazed and he kept going she acalled out his name, only to be silenced by the harsh impact of snow. She felt herself be trampled, her whole body engulfed...but soon there was silence...the pain itched at her body, ached where she suspected broken bones, but somehow she was alive.

She knew her breath being warm melted the snow before her face, allowing her to open her eyes and glance around at her white prison. "Ashram!" Her voice echoed back to herself in the small area, her praying to herself in silence that he wasnt dead. But she couldn't cry over this, or even assume, she needed to get out of here...She was alive and she didnt need to be perserved under the snow.

[Lord Ashram]

His body ached all over from the impact with the boulder. His eyes slowly opened to see he was in a cave. The enterance was burried by packed snow. Eyes drifted around looking for the demon and his sword, both were not in sight. He forced himself to sit up upon registering his wife's presence in the area again. It wasn't until he looked to his left did he see his sword embedded in the snow showing only a few inches of its point. If it weren't for his ability to see in the dark so well he would have never found it. Again he looked for and tried to pick up the presence of the demon and came up with nothing. Moving over towards the sword he started to dig it out.

"Velhern..." He murmured as soon as he caught a glimpse of the three foot long bone horns on each side of him before getting smashed between the creatures head and the wall of snow which didn't give way all that much. He felt fortunate he was wearing his armor despite finding it hard to breathe after the second crushing impact he had in such a short period. It wasn't until the twenty-five foot long skeletal serpant backed away that Ash could again breathe and at that time when he began to fall back a little he could see the hilt of the sword and the bloody snow. The rest of the sword had pierced through his armor through his right shoulder.

Before Velhern could attack again Ash released a wave of dark chaos energy which melted all the snow in the area causing instant flooding which would wash everything away. It was also at that time the realms chaged for himself and for his wife. They were once more by that fire near the lake in his sanctuary. He pulled the sword out of his shoulder dropping it before letting himself fall back on the sandy beach. Without the demon he was unable to push himself any further after such a beating. Though feeling horrible at the moment he looked over at his wife and smiled faintly. "Good to see you made it.."