Fate's Repose

After the nations of Cruor and Atrum came into contact and sensed some form of comradery with each other, they decided to collaborate to send a joint search team to an area between the nations that research had shown might contain some type of energy source. They suspected that they would find something in the area as the search team's efforts and senses were focused towards a cave in an uninhabited mountainous area spiked with tall, sharp, sloping peaks and cliffs, but they had no idea what they would find slumbering within...

An special force team was sent to the island northeast of Cruor Luna, outside a cave that lead into a labyrinth of tunnels stood the team composed of Blood Guard soldiers Lead by Israk, Arkel, Arasa, and Shanoa, each with their group of underlings. Israk was at the entrance of the cave pacing back and forth while waiting for the Atrum search team, Arasa sat on the ground and waited patiently, Shanoa stood and practiced small blood spells at the tips of her fingers, and Arkel leaned back against the entrance of the cave with his head down and his eyes closed.

Nicta Shade-Fang, Aleax Dusk-Voyager, Anorata Warp-Snake and Scaos Frost-Master met them there, each with a detachment of elite night walkers with them. They were all high ranking umbra guard and two of them are apprenticed to the most powerful summoner in Atrum Veneficus, Arkenfel though they are quite a bit more sane. Nicta was the leader of the Umbra Guard so he walked forward and extended a hand to greet his allies. "Sorry to have kept you waiting. Preparing our larger more powerful construct spells took longer than expected."

Israk reached out and shook his hand then motioned for his men to stop being so informal before their allies.
"Never mind that, have you the coordinates of where the energy was pulsing from within these caves?"

Shanoa straightened up and stood at a tension, Arkel remained leaned back against the cavern wall with hi head down, Arasa motioned her troops to follow and began the point scouting for the mission.

Nicta nodded and pointed at Aleax and said "He does. Aleax, lead on." Aleax would nod and begin to lead them down what would be the easiest path.

The nearest path twisted and wound down into the depths of the cavern. It seemed larger than normal, as if something had hollowed it out, and the cavern walls were old and riddled with jagged splits and cracks from age. Soon after they entered, the only hint of light left would be a shattered ray of sunlight peeking through the cavern entrance down the corridor as it snaked around another corner and led further into the darkness.

The magis were fine in the dim light, as thier eyes all began to glow a dim purple and the pupils become more like those of nocturnal reptiles. Nicta looked around "Larger pass than we expected. the energy may have worn it down over years, if so, this is an old thing we are disturbing. Best be careful."

There was no unsettling from the surroundings, these caverns resembled those of Cruor. The darkness did not bother then in the least, darkness accompanied their magi blood flawlessly. Arkel looked around quietly as the moved on, continuously looking for hindrances and obstacles, he knew there was something hidden within the shadows.

"Keep yourselves aware of your surrounding."

Israk calmly spoke.
"Agreed, there is something about in these caves, lurking, waiting for a chance to attack. Keep aware of yourselves and others, do not wonder away from the group or your death may be certain." Israk seemed to lead the group yet Arkel did not seem to adhere to his command, he turned quietly into a tunnel without being noticed, away from the group he continued toward something unknown.

Anorata noticed how he split from the group but as she was going to split Aleax grabbed her arm "Do not deviate from the mission. We have been given orders, we will follow them to the letter. Understood?" He looked at her with intense, cold, calculating eyes that held no emotion and she just nodded and followed along side him.

Nicta stayed back with Israk and he asked "What dwells in these caves, and how will we know when it finds us?"

Israk stayed silent a moment before answering.

"In Cruorian caverns, there are large beasts that dwell within the darkness and silence. I suggest that the noise and magik use is kept down for now, otherwise you may awaken them. Aesue beasts are not things we want to deal with in numbers, one infantile beast can kill the best of soldiers if caught off guard. However, their size gives them away, they are the largest known beasts in these parts." In the distance one might see glowing red eyes.

Nicta nodded "Well then,better make sure we're ready then" he then made sure his men were on guard, they all say the red eyes and each one was ready to kill when they needed too.

As they came closer they saw human remains on the ground and a fox like creature with horns lying beside them. It's fur was black and it's eyes shown a bloody red, its small figure curled beside the bones of its prior master. It's body was frail and withered, malnourished and sickly.

"Stay your weapons, it's an Anima it means us no harm. Why is an Anima in a place like this, Cruorians has never been in these caves until this day."

They did as they were told and aleax asked the cruorian "What is an Anima? A beast of burden like our Drakes?" He didnt seem at all put off by the beast.

"Animas are more like war dogs, the bonds between them and their masters are unbreakable. They would follow their master's into the during pits of condemnation and back. This one shows its loyalty by staying beside it's dead master, its nearly dead though," he paused, still wondering why there was one of his kin in these parts. "They can also bond with the very soul of their master's and by doing so the magik of their master is enhanced."

The black figure growled quietly at these untrusted people. One might notice its fur was dampened and it shivered violently. It's death was sealed without its master and its loyalty would not allow it to leave his side without permission.

They looked at the creature with remorse except for aleax who walked forward a small amount "Is there anything w can do to save it?" he asked emotionless as usual.

"It's loyal to it's master, I don't think it will leave here willingly unless it is given permission...which cannot happen now," Israk looked saddened but he knew there was very little they could do for it now. "Its only a matter of time now. If you would like to make is comfortable I will not stop you."

The beast was shivering violently and was very damp from the condensation within this area of the caves. Further on they may realize the heat that followed this but where they were was deathly cold. It's ears were laid back and they might notice that unlike dogs, it had small horned coming from above its ears. Israk did not tell them that when the magik between those horns is extinguished the animal would perish within a very short time. This one had only a very small black aura left, it was already condemned in Israk's mind so he refused himself the effort in helping it.

Aleax walked forward a black fire in his hands that others would think would be an attack but it was actually a very advanced healing spell, he chanted in a demonic language words that would usually calm creatures of demonic or summoned natures. He would try and get close enough to it to touch the flame to the center of the anima's forehead, in this case the horn.

Israk was stunned at first, not realizing that it was a healing spell.

"What in condemnation!?!?! Did you not want to help it???" only after saying this did he realize that he was indeed helping it. The animal looked wearily at the man approaching it, it had little strength to defend itself and had accepted that it would perish here. It made no moves to harm him and stayed still, only an attack on the skeletal remains of its master would provoke it to action.

Aleax knelt in front of it and placed his hand in between the two horns and the black fire slowly went into the beast as aleax chanted more, actually using his own energy to recharge so to speak the anima's health and energy from their poor state. He looked at it then at them "It should be be better now"

Israk stood for a moment then continued on.

"Lets get moving, staying in one place is not a good idea." He and his troops began down the corridors of halls and tunnels. The dampened cold would stay furthermore as they went deeper unlike Cruorian caves.

The atrumites moved on, pretty much forgetting about the anima. They followed their allies deeper into the dank dark caves in search of whatever strange source of power is down here.

When the magik spell was activated, something in the caverns began emanating uneasy vibes...as if something was disturbed. The more proficient magik users of the group might feel this just slightly if they were paying attention, and they could try tapping into it to try and sense the source of the disturbance. It was as if something knew they were there now.

Of course, it had known all along...

Israk stopped dead where he stood. The change in atmosphere chill him to the bones, he knew there was something here something that should not be disturbed.

"Something....isn't right. It's like someone is leading us into a trap...do you feel that?"


Arkel had made it deep within the labyrinth already in search of something few others knew existed. The key to Cruor's survival was within these halls hidden. Only one man had entered these parts of the caves and emerged alive since the eradication of Xellos Project which had taken place in the areas where Arkel now roamed. Orphan had been the one to destroy the facilities here.

He felt the atmosphere change but was not phased. As the place of his birth Arkel knew this feeling, now he returned to the hell that was his upbringing to find the key within the sacrifice that took place here. This area looked much difference from that of the rest of the cavern, rooms were etched out in the walls with stone doors that were nearly immoveable. Dried blood coated the walls of each room, inside was a stone block that resembled a bed, a bucket, and chains attached to the walls.

All of the umbra guard stop and then shake it of and continue forward "We have our order, whether or not what is done here wants us to find it, we have been ordered to so" Nicta said as He and other Umbra guard moved forward. Aleax looked around "I feel as if it knows we were here, it knew when we arrived..." he tried to tap into it with his immense power.

Even for a powerful mage, it would be difficult to begin to verify or trace the source of the energy, letalone tap into it. It was as if very powerful streams of energy were coursing through the area, but they were only noticeable for those who were looking, and for those who had the capacity to sense them. The energy seemed neither positive nor negative, but it seemed unstable, as if there were light ripples jetting through the power itself.