The Shattered Ones

The Dragon's Head Tavern and Inn, Vorland, 1439 ATC

Each wingbeat powered her forwards, air whipping her ebony hair around her face and tearing at her clothes. In the air, she was queen, a bird of prey, an angel of death. She scanned the sea of white and bits of green below her, looking for a place to land. Occasionally, clearings in the trees revealed small villages or singular farms, but none interested her enough. Finally, she spotted a well used road, and a small ways into the forest by it, what appeared to be a tavern or inn.

Perfect, she thought, entertaining the idea of a warm bed. Above, the dark figure circled the tavern like a vulture. She pulled her wings in close and her circling became a downwards spiral to the open courtyard. As she neared the ground, she flared her wings and backpedaled hard, spraying dust into the air and landing heavily upon the ground. As Desdara folded her wings neatly along her back, she approached the taverns doors, dusting off her clothes, which were nothing extraordinary, merely a long, black coat and leathers underneath.

Her four arms and shoulders were armoured, with gauntlets on her forearms. A wide, leather collar curled around her neck, ringed with iron spikes, and with an iron ring in the front, as if for a chain to bind her. Leapt and danced towards her as she passed them, some clinging to her pale flesh and clothes. She had an eerie beauty about her; her long, slender elven ears, the curve of her hips beneath her coat, the way she moved, lithe and graceful like a feline. She had air about her that spoke cruelty, as well. She carried few weapons, one was a blackwood bow and a quiver filled with arrows, another was the katana at her hip, with a gold serpent coiled around the scabbard. It reeked of decay and poison. Even the shallowest cut from this blade would result in necrosis and the petrification of one's flesh, blackening and charring the area around the wound. The Serpent's Venom, she called the effect, as the creature that writhed and lay coiled within the sword itself had much the same venom in its fangs. Curved, black claws protruded from each finger, serving as weapons themselves. Now, Desdara pushed open the tavern door silently. Her eyes swept the room around her, glowing faintly behind thick lashes.

Death. That was one felt, saw, smelled, experienced, when they looked into the eyes of her. Eyes narrowed slightly, she padded up the steps to what she assumed was the bar. Shadows came to life in her presence. One would see movement in the corners of their eyes, but turn to look and find nothing. Once settled in a stool, she withdraws several coins from a pouch hidden within her coat and places them on the counter in front of her, her eyes scanning the shelves behind the bar.

"Wine, perhaps.." She mumbled to herself absently, her claws tapping out a rhythm on the wood counter.

''Well hello beautiful...'' A man's head popped out from behind the bar, and that was all the woman could see. The man was in his mid thirties with messy black hair, and a short beard that showed signs of being recently singed. He had fair skin, and eyes that appeared to be plucked from the skull of a snake. Overall he was quite handsome.
''What'll it be? Wow.. thats a deadly beauty right there, beautiful but could easily kill me with just one swing... Void, probibly even one TAP." He said with a chuckle.

"Right?" Many of the few patrons actually in the tavern today cleared out, now preferring to just walk to the town of Aline and drink at the tavern there.

Desdara's eyes flicked to the man that pooped up before her, and she raised an eyebrow. A smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

"Ah. Wine, if you will." Her voice was like silk, alluring and smooth. A black forked tongue flicked out from between her lips as she slid a few coins over to the man.

She faced the bartender, smiling sweetly. "Oh, yes. I could easily kill you with a single tap. Would you like a demonstration?" She grinned, three rows of shark-like teeth peeking out from behind her blood-stained lips. Her eyes net his, and he looked over his handsome human features, and then his inhuman eyes again.

"What do we have here?" She leaned back against the bar, arms crossed beneath her breasts as she reaches her claws out to him.

''Oh wow...'' Deadly beauty was right. He took his time to examine her body closely despite her shark-like teeth and eyes like coal, leaning back a bit and stepping back. Venser stood up and grabbed the finest bottle of wine they had on the shelf and poured the woman a glass, setting it down on the bar before her.

''It's on me. Miss...'' Hopefully this demoness wasn't in a killing mood.

She gave the bartender a smile, wrapping her slender fingers around the chalice of wine and raising it to her lips. Her ears picked up a nearby band of soldiers who were speaking about an atrocity they had committed on their way to the tavern.

"You are too kind. My name is Desdara." Sipping her wine, she returns her eyes the soldier, her attention flicking between him and the soldiers.

"You.. Cut him into tiny pieces? Dismembered him? For what?"

The four armed demoness was beginning to get angry now. She knew what those chains felt like, how heavy they weighed on your spirit. Absentmindedly, her fingers went to the collar around her neck. Her eyes remained on the male now, and she walked towards him, ignoring the soldiers. Kneeling in front of him, she studied him. His head followed her movements, as if he could see her. From what the soldiers had said, should didn't doubt that he could.

"My name is Desdara. What do I call you?" The four armed demoness asked softly, glaring daggers at any of the soldiers if they moved towards her. Human men were powerless against those eyes of hers. If they stared too long, they may experience their own deaths.

''Desdara... Lovely name...'' Ven said watching her closely, despite the situation at hand, he blinked a few times and let out a sigh.

"Oh fuck..."

She was in the killing mood.

Desdara rose swiftly, her action decided. Before she was even fully standing her sword was in her hand. The bronze serpent on the hilt shined in the dim tavern light, and seemed to come alive in her hands. With a snarl, she leapt to strike at the soldiers holding his chains. She would not tolerate this, the binding of another, the torturing of another. Chained up like a beast. He will be free, and these soldiers hearts would be her feast. Her blade sunk to the hilt through the chest of the first soldier, and as blood spurted onto her hand, the Other inside her rose up, its voice a melody inside her head. Flesh so fine, so fine to tear, to tear the skin… It fueled her rage as she leapt onto the second soldier.

All while Venser jus fed stood behind the bar, stoic and biting his lip.

She was almost disappointed by the lack of effort on the soldiers part. She enjoyed the hunt, the chase. Already on the third chain-holder, she ripped through the armor on his shoulder, baring his neck. She sank her teeth into flesh, and tore out his throat. Blood dripping down her chin, her eyes found a soldier fleeing, and grinned. Desdara waved her hand in front of her, and shadows cast by nearby tables and chairs came to life, and like beasts the descended upon the fleeing man. Their touch was so cold it split the flesh, and within moments the soldier was nothing but a pile of armor and shredded clothes. Now, Desdara turned to the final soldier, murder in her eyes. Instead of killing him, she raised her blade to Ketsue, slicing through his bonds and stepping back. The blindfolded male had a clear shot at the man who had casued him so much pain, and if he wished it, the kill was his. Casually, she wiped the blood from her blade with a cloth and picked up her glass of wine, taking a few sips before winking at the bartender, blood dripping from her lips.

The head bartender merely watched with wide eyes and a tankard of mulled wine in one hand at the carnage that ensued.

''Oh wow... Uhhhh...'' He just smilled at winked back at the gorgeous woman despite all that, sweat appearing on his brow once she finished off the Vorlandian soldiers. Venser coughed a few times.

''Uhhh... Cheers.'' Venser said raising his glass to hers, swearing under his breath. The shadow tendrils manifested themselves into shadow versions of himself and began cleaning the mess up. He would have to dispose of everything but perhaps their swords and armor could make him a profit. And he would be sure to donate the coin from it.

She smiled, pleased with her handywork. The four armed demoness finished off her wine, setting it on the counter. By now, she had cleaned her face of blood. Turning back to the bartender, she slides him her glass. "A re-fill, please.

Desdara extended her hand to him, producing a gold mark coin. "For any damage, and any other expenses. Will this cover rooms as well?" She raises an eyebrow inquiringly

Silver being standard currency in this land, it wasn't. But Venser decided to be nice and take it. He looked over to the shadow tendrls cleaning the floors with mops and sponges and then to the two. ''Of course.'' He smiled at her and refilled her glass, taking the gold coin and slipping it into one of the pouches on his belt. ''So what brings you here Desdara? Fate, maybe?''

She nodded, sipping her wine slowly. At his inquiries, she looks up.

"Fate? No, I do not believe in the Wyrd. I am on a personal quest to find.. Items of interest, to me at least." Desdara took a sip of the wine before continuing, combing back a few stray locks of her ebony hair. "I thought one to be nearby, of at least it had come through the area. I've had no luck so far." She chuckled, her claws tapping out a rhythm on the countertop. "I'm glad I stopped here."

''And what might these items of interests be?'' Venser asked raising a brow, looking her over again before taking a sip of his wine. ''If you'd like I can help you. I do need a bit of exercise, stretch the limbs out today and its kinda... Dead, in here.'' He shook his head.

''Not like working here is a bad thing, Desdara. I get to socialize with lovely ladies like yourself. Huge plus.''

The four armed demoness laughed, her slender ears flickering with amusement.

"Well, you're the only one who would consider me a lovely lady. As for the items I hunt, they're artifacts." She paused, thinking. "Well, more like pieces of a single artifact. Though, each one has its own power." Her expression darkened slightly, and her grip on the glass tightened.

"It's hard to explain exactly what it does, but think of it as a skeleton key. Instead of doors, it unlocks parts of your 'energy', so to speak. For example, if you are physically unable to wield a certain type of magic, the key can "unlock" it for you. It also has the power to separate combined souls, which is the reason I seek it. For that, I only need a few of the pieces, but they are scattered and not many people know what it is that they possess, so it's hard to find a trail."

''Even more interesting!'' The handsome bartender chuckled and took another swig of his wine, eventually downing the whole glass. ''I can only use a few spells. Compared to many other people who come into this tavern, the people in this land, I am quite limited in magic use.'' He cleared his throat and leaned forward. ''I wuld be more than happy to asist you in finding these pieces. And... Well'' He paused and smiled more, ''Always a first time for everything. You're one beautiful demoness.''.

Desdara almost choked on her wine. "I am more than a mere demoness, messere." Laughing, she regarded him with interest. "You would not be able to reach the places I must go to, to find these items. They range from a conversation piece in a wealthy merchants home, to a lost treasure at the bottom of a Kundalandian ruin." Desdara chuckled, resting her elbows on the counter.-

''Really? I mean-'' He stopped talking and gestured to her horns, her wings, her four armed form form which screamed demoness. Or at least inhuman. Venser nodded his head as she spoke.

''Easy. I used to be a merc. Breaking into a rich merchant's home and stealing some priceless artifact? So, sure. I wouldn't mind making a little coin. I do have a lot of kids to feed."

Desdara grinned at his mention of her appearance. "Would you believe me if I told you I was supposed to be a breeder in Coldwrought?" Suddenly, she froze, her eyes glazing over. Mentally, she was no longer present, but soaring over the forest heading towards the mountain. The raven she was possessing cried out, and it focused in on a lone man, a cloth bundle in his arms, running for his life. The raven could smell his fear. It couldn't see who, or what, the man was running from, though. The ravens mind began to wander. A flying insect buzzed past it, and Desdara lost connection, as the bird was focued on its prey now. She shook her wings out and refolded them, before turning her attention back to the bartender. "You might be able to help after all." She grinned.

''Yes, I know a broodmother. Her name is Galaxteah not sure if you know her... Uh, Desdara?'' The handsome bearded man simply stood in place and waited for a good minute.

''Desdara?''

He snapped his fingers a few times before she came back to reality.

"The disk. One is nearby."

'''Lovely.'' He said with an exicted grin. ''Shall we get going?''

She was on her feet and heading out the door before he had finished speaking. Standing in the courtyard, she flared her wings, shaking them out and rolling her shoulders. She merged souls with another in a forbidden and powerful ritual, therefor tainting herself according to the Elders of Coldwrought. Though, she had only grown more powerful.

"Now, first of all, don't touch the artifact directly. Some of them are like poison, some will make you hallucinate, some will turn whatever touches it into stond, et cetera." Desdara scowled, remembering the first one she found. It had left her paralyzed for almost three days. Turning in a circle, she scanned the horizon over the trees. Seeing the mountains and the volcano in the distance, she nodded to herself.

"He's in that direction, I believe." Turning to face the bartender, she smiles to herself. "I get ahead of myself, I've not asked your name yet. What do I call you?"

''Shall we-'' She already took off. ''Oh fuck me!'' He leaped over the bar and jumped over the railing, disappearing in a puff of thick red smoke and reappeared on the bottom floor, running out the door to meet up with the seraphim. She listened to her and nodded his head.

''Forest? Lake? Mountains? Close?'' He asked looking to her with his snake like eyes. ''It's Venser. My name is Venser.'' On his belt he carried no weapons other than a sword with no blade, and several vials of different liquids, some of them circular in shape.

"Our quarry is moving fast. Unless you can run as fast as I can fly…" She chuckled, thinking about carrying him. No, that will make them slower. After a moment, she looked around. A massive oak towered nearby, its shadow just as massive. Casually she walks over, and kneels by the edge of the shadow. Reaching down, she seemingly grips the edge. When she stands, the shadow is dragged behind her like a cloud on a leash, and she sets about mumbling to herself and shaping it. Sweat beaded on her forehead when she finally stepped away from the relatively horse shaped cloud of inky blackness. Satisfied, she presses her palm against it.

"Fieri, Mandarb!" The shadow burst, and an ink black stallion reared and screamed, his eyes like coals, and his coat sleek like oil. The massive warhorse towered over Desdara, and she smiled, gripping the reins and walking over towards venser.

"I hope you can ride. He's a handful." She chuckled as the beast danced anxiously behind her, his back bare except for a thick blanket. She handed the reins to Venser and walked away, so she had space to take flight.

"Mount up!"

''If I can ride a giraffe than surely a horse can't be that much harder...'' He said, his voice trailling off at how amazed the entire display was. Shadow magic... Much like the tendrils that could turn into silhouette replicas of himself. A being such as Desdara grabbing a shadow... Seeing it he could barely comprehend it. But after serving all kinds of magical beings from every walks of life in his tavern, he had seen a lot. He climbed up the horse and grabbed the reigns.

''Let's go.''

Venser sucked in his breath.

In truth he barely knew how to ride anything.

Desdara grinned as Mandarb danced underneath Venser. Raising her wings high, she leapt into the air, downstroking hard to gain altitude. Vensers mount didn't wait for a command, but leapt after Desdara as soon her feet were off the ground.

"Aaah!"

Desdara turned towards the mountains, and flew hard. Through he trees below, she could see Mandarb easily keeping up with her, darting between trees and leaping fallen logs. As they drew closer, she felt it now. It was like a speck of static in the distance, and she could feel it buzzing. Movement in the trees ahead caught her eye, and she dropped lower towards the leafy canopy. A lone man scrambled through the frozen forest, a silver disk clutched to his chest. She groaned.

"Of course it has to be silver." The man looked up and did a double take as Desdara burst through the trees above him. He screamed like a madman and took off again. Looking back, she perched lightly on a high branch as she waited on Mandarb and Venser to catch up to her. The trees were getting too thick for her to see through them from the air, so she would fly between the trees instead.

''Whoa! Ah shit!'' Venser gripped the reigns as Mandarb galloped through the woods as fast as he could, Venser felt like he was bobbing up and down on a cloud, honestly. He whipped the reigns to make him speed up.

''Whooo!'' He wrapped his legs around the horse as best he could and then let go, swiging his arms up into the air above him.

''Whoooo!'' As they passed Desdara in a tree he called, ''What are we looking for?!'' His question however was answered by the screaming of a man desperetely trying to get away from the two.

Desdara leapt after Venser as he sped past, dropping low to fly beside him.

"A man, he has a silver disk. That's what we're after. Remember, don't touch it."

With that, she drifted away from him, flying sideways between trees. Ahead, a rocky cliff rose up, and she slowed, dropping to the ground ans skidding to a stopp, kicking up rocks and dirt. Scowling, she peered into the pitch-black cave in front of her.

"Damn it all! Of course he has to go in there... I sense... Shattered Ones." she was muttering this as Mandarb skidded to a halt beside her barely even breathing hard.

''He went in here then?'' Venser asked as the horse skidded to a stop. He hopped down and cracked his neck, his mark flashed greneish white and his irises widened. Everything before him was coated in a blue aura. All nearby lifeforms produced a yellow aura. While objects say, the items on his belt were coated in a green aura. ''Um, what exactly is an Shattered? Is it some sort animal or another kind of demon?"

Without hesitating he stepped into the cave. ''I'm sure we can handle it!''

Desdara hissed under her breath and trotted to catch up to him. "They are creatures that resemble humans in shape, but are almost entirely covered in porcelain, and have grey skin or metal showing. Their main defense is that they instill fear so wholly into ones mind, they cannot move, or speak, or fight, and then they charge and then tear tear it ribbons."

She sighed, drawing her serpents blade and kissing the large onyx in its pommel.

"Croix, I'm going to need a little help with this one." She murmured against the onyx, before letting the blade hang at her side. Looking sideways at Venser, she smiled.

"Can you see well in the dark? If not I can produce some light for you." Ahead, a piercing screech made goosbumps rise on her arms. It was a human scream, but still. That meant the man with the artifact had made it far into the Lair of The Shattered Ones, and probably just encountered one. Sighing again, she keeps walking forwards warily, hoping they would find the corpse of the man with the disk still in his possession, and they could be on their merry way without fighting one of the creatures.

''Sounds familiar.'' Venser said under his breath. He removed his folding sword from his belt, sticking his thumb underneath a part at the end, and twirled it around. A blade extended from it, partially serrated.

''Not my first rodeo when it comes to adventuring.'' When he said that he heard the scream, and far ahead of him Venser saw the yellow auras of several creatures, one of which was missing a leg and seemed to float, that shuffled about. He raised his sword in his right hand, and then raised his left hand. The mark on the back of it glowed greenish white in the dark and emitted steam as he de-activated his dark vision, slicing his palm with his blade and allowing unstable, magical green lightning to coat the blade.

"Blood magic... Impressive." The four armed demoness nodded, lowering herself slightly to the ground and creeping forwards. They rounded a corner and she froze. Four Shattered Ones. Grimacing, she twisted her fingers out in front of her, in a snake-like motion.

The darkness that filled the room seemed to shift and roll like ocean waves. The all leapt up, looking for the source of the disturbance.

"Close your eyes." She murmured to Venser, before standing and crying out.

"Lumen!"

The chamber erupted in blinding light, and the Shattered Ones screeched, flailing their arms and running from the light, pieces if shipped porcelain falling off them as they ran fast.

Once the light had ceased Venser twisted his lightning blade and ran after them screaming.

One dropped something as it fled, and she used the edge of her cloak to pick it up. The silver was burning her hand through the fabric, but she didnt notice.

Desdara reached out and all but threw Venser over her shoulder as she dragged him out of the cave, four howling Shattered Ones closed behind them.

"Hey I got this!" The handsome bearded man protested, trying to look up and throwing out his left hand, a magical green lightning bolt erupting at his fingers and at the porcelain covered beings that were in pursuit.

Luckily it was daylight, and once Desdara breached the entrance and stumbled into the sublight, the cries of the Shattered Ones died away. She dropped the disk along with the man with a hiss, holding her burned hand against her chest.

"Oof!" Venser hit cold ground with a thud and blinked a few times at the sunlight reflecting off of the snow and stood up.

"Well, quick and simple... That was good, I guess." He said glancing down at the disk in the snow and reaching for it.

Desdara stared at the silver disk for a moment, scowling. Looking down at her hand, she grimaces, the flesh charred and peeling.

"Of course it has to be silver... I got it, Ven." The four armed demoness grumbled, pulling out a thick, heavily oiled leather pouch. Ever so carefully, she scooped up the disk and fold it into the leather pouch. Mandarb still stood exactly where Venser had left him.

"That could have been a lot worse than it was. They aren't even supposed to be out this far..." Desdara trailed off, looking at Venser. "Maybe I'll hire you on to rob a merchants house for me sometime. You're fearless, I'll give you that." She grinned at him, showing several sharp terrifying teeth.

Venser just laughed and shrugged his shoulders, squinting a bit and looking up from the ground.

''We had fun. Didn't we?''

Desdara grinned even more. "If that's your version of fun, we'll get along nicely." She hung the leather pouch from her belt. "We better head back, its getting late. When that sun goes down, we'll have the Shattered Ones on our asses."

Venser stood up and shook his head head, everything was too bright.

''Mhm...'' He leaned up against the horse for support. We can ride back on your horse there. Talk. Get to know each other more.''

Venser said looking up to Desdara, meeting his gaze with hers. ''I suppose if good coin is involved, I do have kids to feed. So, we can be companions.''

The four armed demoness laughed, climbing up onto the massive stallion. She extended a hand to pull venser up in front of her.

"Come on then, companion of mine." She grinned, scooting back onto Mandarbs rump so he could climb up.

The handsome bearded man climbed on top of the horse with her and wrapped his arms around her, placing his hands on her chest, which much like his broodmother demoness friend, Galaxteah, Desdara had four breasts as well, just like her. After a few long moments he took his hands off and just wrapped them around her waist.

''Right... Let's go home, companion.''