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Posted: Sun Jun 30, 2013 6:50 pm
The clouds hung thick and heavy in the air like an oppressive blanket across the sky, their leavings a thick coat of moisture that clung to every leaf, twig, and blade of grass. The atmosphere was dark, though it was only midday and it threatened to rain at any moment, though for now it seemed the storm's rage had played out.
Taper stood out against the grey backdrop of the wooded clearing, her pure white coat and red hair glistening from the fresh rain. She cursed under her breath at the weather, but still refused to take shelter. She was waiting for Miseria to return from her meeting. She'd insisted on going alone, the stubborn fool. The misfit growled, her eyes scanning the direction Miseria had departed in. It was taking too long. Taper again cursed herself for not following the zamphir to her meeting. There was something about the way Miseria talked about Vampirella that just set the misfit on edge. But she had given her word that she would wait for Miseria to return, and so she waited. And is still waiting.
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Posted: Sun Jun 30, 2013 7:04 pm
Miseria crept through damp forest silently. She emotions running high, fueling a deep blood thirst. It unnerved her how Vampirella had spoken with her. Her Goddess had never been known for her mercy. Miseria had betrayed her temple, left her favor and shown weakness and fallen in love. Her status with her beloved Goddess would be gone. And the softness in Vampirella's tone.. So strange. She returned a different route than when she left to ensure she was not followed back. She saw Taper in the dim light, she was stunning. Her hair wet from the night rains running down her back like crimson blood. Miseria smiled as she stepped from the shadows and encircling her love in her arms. "Good evening. " She spoke softly, her voice deep and velvety.
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Posted: Sun Jun 30, 2013 7:09 pm
Taper jumped at the touch of Miseria, but was only momentarily stunned before she recognized the one encircling her. She swore under her breath, more relieved that her mate had returned unharmed than really irritated at being crept up on. Still, she silently berated herself at not hearing her mate's approached, regardless how skilled Miseria was at stealth. Taper felt her warrior's senses should have alerted her sooner! "What took so long?" She turned in Miseria's grasp and hugged her mate closely for a moment before pushing her to arms' length and looking her up and down, ensuring she was unharmed. There was still a troubled look in the zamphir's eyes. "Well what did she say?"
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Posted: Sun Jun 30, 2013 7:19 pm
She smiled as she took the smaller warrior in her arms, she loved being able to sneak up on her mate. She rested her cheek against Taper's head, her voice soft as she spoke. "She said much. Our meeting was not.. as I expected." Her eyes were distant lost in thought.
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Posted: Sun Jun 30, 2013 7:30 pm
Taper pulled away from her mate fully, a frown on her face. "Not as you expected? Well what did you expect from her? And what difference does it make what this Vampirella thinks anyway?" The warrior folded her arms and and took a few steps back, staring hard at Miseria. "What is all this for? What does it matter if you no longer serve the zamphir goddess? Isn't our life good as it is? Isn't this enough?" Her red eyes bored into her mate, seeking answers. There was a part of Miseria that didn't belong to the misfit, and she was painfully aware of it. Miseria was far away from her, and Taper wanted desperately for her mate to come back to her.
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Posted: Sun Jun 30, 2013 8:11 pm
Miseria's eyes sparkled with unshed tears at the hurt and anger in her mates eyes. Her heart ached, she lacked the words to explain to her love how it felt to serve the Goddess. "My love, please understand. All of these things you are asking me, "Are you enough," "Is our life together enough." They are all things I once asked my self. I wandered for a long time, searching, wondering why the life I created for my self, as a favored warrior of the Goddess, praised for my skill in battle, why was this life not enough? Why was satisfaction of battle no longer enough to satisfy my soul. I wandered, killed time and time again, still feeling empty..."
She took Taper in her arms gently, placing a kiss on her mates forehead, holding her close so she would not see the tears falling from her eyes.
"My life was devoted to the Goddess, Vesira . I knew nothing else, she was my world, protecting my race, doing battle against our foes. That was what I lived for, blood and battle."
Her voice grew softer as she spoke, trying to hide her despair
"I left the temple, ashamed that this life was no longer enough for me. I knew not what I longed for. When I found you, I knew, it was love, and a family that I was longing for so badly. You my love have changed my life.. for the better."
She tightened her grip on her mate, longing never to let go.
"I expected Vampirella to show disdain, to mock me for leaving the temple. My once rival, my absence was her opportunity to take the favor we had so long battled for. Instead she did none of these, she simply said to go to our Goddess, to seek the redemption I so sorely crave. I want to make it right with her. I want her to accept you. I love you Taper, I will not live as though I am ashamed of that. I am not."
She stepped back, still gripping Taper's arms, tears drying on the zamphir's face, a fierceness had settled in her eyes.
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Posted: Tue Jul 02, 2013 3:21 pm
The misfit shook her head. "And what if this Vampirella is just trying to lour you into the Goddess' temple so she'll kill you? To further her own ends with this goddess?" She pulled back from Miseria and began pacing with worry. There was too much the warrior did not know, and that made her uncomfortable. She'd never been one to worship any being, but she still had a healthy respect and fear of the deities. Walking into any temple was scary enough, but the idea of walking into one where they may not even be welcome... She shook her head again, trying to clear the fear from her mind. She looked back at Miseria and saw the determination and pleading in her eyes and knew that not only could she NOT refuse her mate's desires, but that Miseria would pursue this course with or without her. She sighed heavily, trying to prepare herself for what was to come. "What sort of goddess is this Vesira?"
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Posted: Tue Jul 02, 2013 3:39 pm
"Vampirella is of no concern. If she meant to kill me she would not have met with me to speak. We Zamphir are too proud in battle to lure our pray into a trap. Vampirella would be committing suicide were she to lure a follower of the Goddess into her own temple to kill her. Vesira would not have it."
She looked into the eyes of her mate, seeing the worry, her fear shimmering in her eyes.She paced quietly, glancing occasionally up to the spot in the trees where she knew her faithful companion Cantare was keeping watch.
"Vesira is a Goddess of great power. She is unmatched in battle, not only in her strength and cunning, but in strategy. She plans, she watches. Her mind has already thought of every possible outcome and planned accordingly so that the odds are always on her side. Her followers are her children, and she values loyalty above all else. But never mistake her love for her followers for weakness. She drives us to work hard, to be better than we were last. She will both tell you well done, but never let you forget that there is always someone out there better than you are, waiting to defeat you if you do not work to improve."
Her eyes shimmered as she walked, her feet making no sound on the ground.
"I knew the Goddess intimately as any but her mate. She showed me kindness when I did not deserve it.. I was the only one to whom she was kind without first earning it. I owe her my very life."
She paused looking into her mates eyes as her voice trailed off.
"I know you have many questions. Tonight, ask and I shall answer."
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Posted: Tue Jul 02, 2013 3:45 pm
Taper sighed, feeling her unease sink into the pit of her stomach like lead. She knew they would have to press on though. This was going to happen, and there was no stopping. So she resolved to move forward. "So what is the plan here? Are we just going to walk up to the goddess and proclaim our love for her or something?" She rose an eyebrow, crossing her arms over her chest. She had no intention of proclaiming her love for anyone she'd only just met. "Is it that easy? Or worse, what hoops will we have to jump through?" She wanted to make a plan and be prepared for what awaited them.
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Posted: Tue Jul 02, 2013 3:57 pm
Miseria sighed. the first tear to fall from her eyes in years slid slowly down her cheek.
"Taper my love I'm sorry. I do not know. Vesira is not one for whom you can plan. We cannot be so naive to think a simply appology will suffice. She will not be pleased with me. Of this I am certain. I suspect She will test me, to see if I am worthy to worship Her. I suspect She will test you as well, to see if you are a fit mate for a Zamphir. But this is not something I can plan for my love. All of the years that I was in her temple, none has ever strayed so long or so far as I."
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Posted: Thu Jul 04, 2013 6:41 am
The misfit cursed under her breath, uncomfortable with the idea of having to "prove" yourself worthy of serving anyone, even if it WAS a goddess. She liked the thought of having to prove her love to her mate even less. But this was a journey Miseria needed to go on, that much was clear to Taper. She sighed heavily. "You know that I will go with you anywhere, my love. Even into the claws of an angry goddess." She furrowed her brow, already worrying over the task ahead. She felt knots in the pit of her stomach. This was not going to be pleasant, she knew. She took Miseria by the hand. "I know this is important to you. I've voiced my concerns. So now, for better or worse, let's go confront this goddess."
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Posted: Thu Jul 04, 2013 1:46 pm
Miseria looked into the eyes of her mate, such ferocity. She took Taper by the hand and turned to face the direction of the temple. She knew not far they would find the black marble walls, covered in their beautiful ivy. She knelt down and reached into her boot pocket, feeling the necklace of rubies and vampire fangs she had fashioned from each vampire her and Taper had killed together. There were nearly twenty pairs of fangs along the beautiful silver chain. She knew it would not be enough but it was a start.
She turned back to her mate, and laid a gentle kiss upon her cheek.
"Thank you my love. This means more to me than you yet know."
Cantare fluttered over to them, chirping that the Goddess was aware of their impending arrival. She smiled, her wicked smile like the day she first entered Visera's temple.With Taper's hand in her's she began to run, knowing her mate would have no trouble keeping up as the forest raced by and the marble walls grew larger, looming a head.
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Posted: Thu Jul 04, 2013 1:56 pm
Taper let her mate run ahead of her slightly, watching her go. She was so determined. With a final shrug and sigh Taper took off after her, each foot step accompanied by her mounting sense of dread. The black walls of the temple loomed above them, growling larger with each breath, oppressive and ominous. She could already feel the eyes of the goddess upon them and it burned into her soul the deepest sense of foreboding she had ever felt. She was breathless as they approached and slowed, hesitating outside. "It's far too late to turn back now," she muttered, half to herself. "Let's see if the goddess is home." She managed a halfhearted grin at Miseria and pushed forward through her think sense of doom.
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Posted: Thu Jul 04, 2013 2:03 pm
Miseria smiled her wicked smile, eyes sparkling. With her mate beside her there was nothing she could not do. They bounded up the marble steps, her boots barely making a sound. She spoke softly to her mate, "My Goddess is always home."
They entered the heavy wooden doors and she instantly knelt down at the altar. She spoke softly, not even out of breath.
"Goddess please forgive me for my absence. I have returned to earn your favor once again. I bring you an offering, from both my self and my mate. Please accept this as our request to enter your favor."
With that she placed the necklace on the altar, draped across the dagger she left here so many years ago. She then knelt back down to await the return of her goddess.
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