Memories Lost

[psychotic__Gal]

"Um... Black," Daph said, curiously tilting her head, "Are you okay? I mean, you're not looking so well... or something..."  

[GamingLord]

Coatli: "Go on, my dear. Begin the first ritual cut. We shouldn't make our glorious Lord Jiluzix wait for his blushing bride!"

*Slowly, almost hesitantly, Milaku took the weapon from Coatli. She inhaled deeply, slowing raising the blade to her closed eye. She couldn't bear to see the knife actually dig into her skull... Just before she could thrust the rusty knife in, a good section of the room blew apart. One of the side walls was reduced to debris, and as the smoke cleared, a fiery portal was revealed. A single, very imitating figure hovered in it's opening...*

*It was Hi...*

Hi: "Niearcim dogs... You and your fat slug of a 'god' have stolen from Hell for long enough. I come to take back that which is mine!"

*Armies of demons began to pour through, as the satan unleashed his own attacks. Chaos quickly ensued, as Coatli commanded the mages to defend the holy citadel against the taint of evil. Milaku dropped her blade, and disappeared into the masses... Eztli and Inazuma seemed to have the same inital reactions to Hi. A combination of "Oh s**t!", and "Not this idiot again...". Admist the riot that broke out, GL was knocked to the ground, his disguise flying off his face. Several mages took notice.*

Mage: "Intruders! SPIES! Stop them!"

Coatli: "NO! Repel the devil first! Stem his hoardes, and banish him back to Hell!"

*A few mages weren't listening though, and began to chase after the group. Demons from both Hi and the Niearcim were being summoned, and savage battles were breaking out all over the place. Almost too late, GL saw a spear flying towards his chest, as claws gripped his shoulders. He winced, bracing himself for death, until a thrown dagger deflected the projectil. The owner of the claws spoke.*

Mage: "Mother Milaku! What have you done!? Are you mad!? He is..."

*Milaku stopped the mage short with another blade embedded deep into his skull, and grabbed GL away from his clutches. Seeing the reaper's friends, she called out to them*

Milaku: "C'mon! I'll get you the hell out of here! Hurry!"

*Coming up against the metal door the group had entered from, Milaku summoned a massive claw of demonic bone and flesh out of the floor. The appendage stretched dramatically, before forming a fist and slamming against the door. It immediately gave, slamming against the wall in the hallway, as the summoned creature melted back into the ground.*  

[psychotic__Gal]

Daph's face softened, "I'm sure it will be okay." She said, smiling gently, "Rosemary and the others are all strong, I think. At least stronger than I would've been. They will be okay." But now, that Daph saw Black's fear, she feared for them herself though she didn't let it consume her. She had to remind herself to keep on a happy face.  

[GamingLord]

Coatli: "...YOU!"

*Coatli took a massive leap over the crowds, and landed right in front of Rosemary, blocking her from the rest. A hand quickly tore off the disguise covering her face.*

Coatli: "Never thought that you would willingly enter our precious realm, Rosemary Mori... Are you certain you want to leave so soon?"

*Walls of undead flesh and bone came up behind Coatli, as the mages began to surround the vampire/angel.*

GL: "ROSEMARY! We have to go back for her!"

*The reaper tried to run to Rosemary's aid, but was yanked back by his hood. Milaku threw him forward, forcing him to run.*

Milaku: "I'm sorry, but your friend is gone! Keep moving!"  

[GamingLord]

*Xylanthos scooped up Black in his arms, and gave her a comforting hug. Tiamos had returned with the drinks and snacks at this time, and heard the entire conversation. She took a seat next to her husband and began to gently scritch Black's ears.*

Xylanthos: "They will return, that much I am sure of. Their souls are far too strong for that demon to keep them from you."

Tiamos: "Jacob is also the most informed about the Niearcim, and is their guide. He'll keep them safe, Black. Knowing him, he quite possibly made a very serious vow to do so... Daphne, if you need actual sustenance, or a room, let us know. We'll make accomendations here for you."

- - - - -

*Elsewhere in Limbo, unknown to those in the Soul Guiders' home, a special broadcast was making it's way through the realm's communications systems.*

*GL's father, Alzamus Lazeranos, was at a podium. Several soldiers stood by him, acting as a guard. Behind him in chairs were several other members of Limbo's High Council. They were holding a press conference. Information that he had willingly let his son, three angels, and two citizens of Gaia-Earth go into Ni'Jitogrimiz with the help of the hermit mage Jacob had gotten out. Questions were being asked, and answers demanded.*

"Lazeranos, that is a RESTRICTED realm! How could you do nothing while your own son and several of his friends travelled there?"

"Mr. Lazeranos, aren't you concerned that the mage's spellwork could have been faulty? Isn't it a possibility that the Niearcim mages would have a way back into Gaia-Earth, and then into Limbo?"

"Isn't there some concern, that due to your son's demonic nature, he could be turned towards the Niearcim order?"

*The queries were pouring forth like water from a broken dam, and he did his best to calmly answer them all. Especially the ones that touched a nerve.*  

[GamingLord]

Coatli: "After the others. We'll handle this one."

*The second the words left his mouth, a number of mages rushed past him, the flesh wall making small openings to let them through. Before Rosemary could intervene, Coatli slashed at her with his blade. Three other mages stayed with him, while the majority either chased the now seemingly traitorous Milaku, or did battle with Hi and his hellish demons.*

*Coatli gave a sickening grin, as he attempted to weaken the vampire with his attacks.*

Coatli: We'll hunt them down, Rosemary. Your friends will have the honor and privilage of either being slave laborers, or working their way to redemption on the wall of sinners!

- - - - -

Milaku: "Through here, quickly!"

*Milaku quickly lead everyone down a hallway, and into a room. Acting quickly, she slammed the door and bolted it. She didn't say anything to anyone as she made a portal that would lead outside of the citadel.*

Milaku: "However you came here, you must leave! I can only get you outside of the city limits, where those aliens are still waging war. It is still safer there, than inside this structure!"

GL: "We can't! We have to get Rosemary back! And Jacob! He's the only way we can leave, he got us here!"

Thas: "Galantros is right. The necromancer was our only way out..."

*Milaku swore quietly as she listened for any guards outside the door. They couldn't stay here for too long, so she began to alter the portal to take them elsewhere.*

Milaku: "Why are you even here in the first place!? This realm is a literal Hell!"

*GL just stared at her for a moment, before looking away in guilt. Was this a trick still!? Or... did he really have to kill someone who was trying to save them!? What was going on!? He didn't answer her question. Somehow he thought that saying, "Oh, we simply came her so I could stab this strange demon-flesh blade into you. Then you'd die, I'd lose my curse, and everything would be fine!" would be proper...*  

[psychotic__Gal]

Daphne set her eyes upon Tiamos before replying shortly after, "Thank you for your hospitality." She studied the ground before adding, "I really have no wish in returning to the house," ThoR was what she meant, "So, if it wouldn't be too much of a problem... I think I will take you up on the room. The Blood, however, can wait." She looked sheepish, "Actually, I drank it just yesterday..." She cleared her throat before continuing, "Thank you very much."  

[GamingLord]

Coatli: "Quickly... take her to the holding cells near the breeding mother grounds. That should be the perfect place for her. The rest of you, help the others against the devil! Repel him, do not let him further inside our holy citadel! We will deal with the lesser intruders later. Fight for our holy Lord Jiluzix! I have important matters to tend to, but I will rejoin the battle when I can!"

*With that said, Coatli followed the demons that were carrying the now incapacitated Rosemary...*

*Rosemary awoke some time later... how long had it been? It was hard to tell. Her vision was horrendously blurry, and her body ached from the inside out. Trying to move, she found she was bound. Wrists, ankles, legs, arms, hands... tied down in a very secure manner with some sort of organic tissue. Tubes had also been inserted into her neck and arms... A dark green sludge kept pouring into her body. They were keeping her poisoned, weakened. Whenever her body managed to adjust to whatever was being fed into her, the formula for the toxins would automatically shift.*

*She could hear screaming... lots of screaming, so many voices it was hard to filter out. As her vision cleared, she saw she was inside some sort of strange glass tube. Bands of metal wrapped around it, and it seemed to be fixed to the floor and ceiling by more organic growth. She could see such similar prisons out of her peripheral vision. One held a human who looked like she hadn't been fed in years... literally skin and bones, but she still breathed... her eyes grotesquely bulging out of her skull shaped features. She was sewn up in a manner places. The other... well, she didn't know what it was. A shifting mass of flesh, and various organs. Several of the eyes in the mess seemed to stare at her.*

*The most terrifying sight was what laid ahead. Women, of various species... chained up to the walls. In the middle of the hall were many tables filled with rather filthly looking instruments. Surprisingly, there were even a few males. Mages and demons patrolled everywhere... they checked pulses of the prisoners, prodded them with tools, or performed various "surgical" operations. All while their victims were wide awake, and screaming.*

Mage: "Here! This one, she's birthing! Cut her open!"

*A species of female that looked startling similar to Gerix, but thinner... paler in color. Tendrils of bone and flesh snaked into her body through her sides and back. She had strange sacs of growth bulging out, and her stomach was almost comically enlarged. A mage took a wicked looking blade, and slowly cut upwards, working his way from below her navel on up to the rib cage. Her blood spilled in what seemed like buckets to the ground, as the mage reached in... he was struggling with something, trying to pull something out... bits of her innards were shifted, hanging out of her twitching form as she howled in agony.*

Woman: "MY BABY! GIVE ME MY CHILD! NO!"

*The creature the mage took out was no infant... it's features far too twisted and grotesque, even more so than most demons Rosemary had encountered. The mage held the twitching abomination up to the light with pride, the demon screeching pitfully as it swung bladed limbs and claws blindly. Finally, he handed the thing to a passing demon, and it was taken away. The woman still screamed for her "child".*

Mage: "Sshh.. Jiluzix gives, and takes away. Don't worry, you will be blessed with another."

Woman: "Will I... Will I get to keep this one? My little child? You took so many from me..."

Mage: "We'll see. Jiluzix provides for all. Now, hold still..."

*The mage doctor then held up a twitching slug of some sort... It looked familar to Rosemary, the same one that carried Jiluzix's message to her.. but different. More teeth, more eyes. It chittered as he placed it against her belly.*

Woman: "NO! Not again! PLEASE! TAKE IT OUT! NOOO!"

*The mage did no such thing. He pushed the creature insider her large wound, watching as it thrashed violently, crawling inside of her... nesting. Sloppily, he scooped up her spilt entrails, smushed them back inside her cavity, and sewed her up. She would have died from such trauma normally, but the sac growths on her side began to pulse, draining... filling her with something. Quite possibly keeping her alive for this most unholy torment.*

*Rosemary knew then... What the Niearcim do here, to these people. What that horrid being screamed about in the maze of twisted flesh and trapped souls... Breeding Mothers. These were the breeding mothers...*