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Post by DanteMGalileo on Feb 12, 2019 18:23:35 GMT -5
There was something about the forest that made him relax. Maybe it was the lack of annoying people? Maybe it was his natural affinity towards the grim? Or maybe it was the security in being the only sapient being in this stretch. After having directed the black dragon towards the blue dragon man, Liderc focused on healing the injuries he had sustained against the beast with a human skin. That, and wait for Mic to get back with the Goetia.
"... A pity these are rare outside Area C." Nobody to bother him. He felt his gashes healing, although frowning at his scratched armour. "At least I didn't break my wings on something embarrassing. Oh, that would have been a campaign-ender..."
If he had to guess, it was roughly half past the light cycle. What a miracle to be on a planet whose sun wasn't dying or unpredictable. The sounds of conflict from miles away didn't bother him, nor did the muffled yelling; he assumed the black dragon had at least crippled his enemies. He checked something under his wrist, removing the black material to reveal the pale green skin beneath. Hmm, had it gotten more noticeable since he checked? Or was it his imagination? Either way, Liderc made a note to invest in some better armour for the time being. Maybe he'd ask-
Liderc frowned, looking around for the source of that noise. "By Faravahar above... for a bird renowned for being so silent, you're certainly not."
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Feb 12, 2019 18:42:44 GMT -5
"MY KERUV...!!!"
The pine trees shook wildly as something flew between them. Branches audibly snapped upon collision, each one generating yelp after yelp with the occasional startled swear. Eventually Mic plummeted ungracefully to the forest floor, landing head-first and doing a few accidental somersaults until he managed to spring to his feet, keeping the thick tome in his arms pressed firmly against his chest.
"LID'R-! COM-! KERUV-!" The little yellow angel was breathless, gasping for air and subsequently choking on his own words. He dizzily stumbled over to Liderc, hair a mess, eyes the size of his fists, sentences nigh incoherent. "SIR...! TH-THERE WUH DRAGON...! ATTAHH CITY...! KEL N' PAUL TRY UH FIGH...! Book, I got book, heheh... B-BUT DRAG...! AND PAUL...! AND THE THING...! AND DEEM GIRL NOT-!"
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Post by DanteMGalileo on Feb 12, 2019 19:16:01 GMT -5
"Mic."
Liderc placed a hand on the little angel's shoulder. Always so excitable. How annoying! And enviable. "Deep breaths. Get some breath in your air filters. Okay? Calm down." Allowing Mic to catch his breath, the green angel continued. "I don't know who this Kel person is, but is the Paul dragon-human alive or dead? And about the dragon, was it black, massive, and ugly? If so, he is an ally of convenience".
He noted the thick tome in Mic's hands. He gave a smirk, an approximation of a smile. "I see you have retrieved the Goetia de Tannin. Well done. How long did it take you to get past security? Or did the guards just let you through? Well, hand it to me, and I shall give you a history lesson."
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Feb 12, 2019 19:31:00 GMT -5
"OH...! Um..." Mic's face turned neon yellow as he absorbed this information. So much of it had been unloaded on him all at once that he wasn't sure which question to answer first. Moreover, he was just taken aback by the fact that this dragon that had just rampaged through the city was on their side. He wasn't sure how to feel about that. Part of him felt like he should've found it cool, but he simply didn't. If anything, he felt uncomfortable with how extreme and potentially unpredictable this kind of alliance could be.
After taking a deep, shuddering breath and shaking his already messy hair loose, Mic handed Liderc the book he had been carrying. "Yep, got it! Th-The guards just kinda let me have it after I asked them enough times. I honestly can't tell if it was a show of generosity or if they just did it to get rid of me, but, uhh..."
He then averted his gaze and twiddled his thumbs. "I have... reason to believe Paul is still alive. And... Kelsey, for that matter. Y-Y'know, the demon girl. Probably directly responsible for the former being alive. BUT THAT FIGHT, HOLY FARAVAHAR... I-I MEAN, DO YOU REALLY THINK TRUSTING THIS DRAGON IS THE BEST IDEA??"
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Post by DanteMGalileo on Feb 12, 2019 20:11:03 GMT -5
"Hang on. Did you say that the demon girl is alive?" Liderc sighed, bringing one hand to his face to cushion the incoming headache. "Of course she's alive. Things can never be easy. Mic, remind me to deliver a very angry lecture into whoever designed those particular DNA Cannons." He noted Mic's discomfort with the black dragon being their ally. "Look. We've made some allies we've found distasteful in the past. I still say we should have eradicated the Veri'teths on sight. This dragon is just the latest in a series of strange nestfellows. Even then, I'd rather have big and ugly on our side..."
And now, the Goetia... Oh, the Goetia.
"As fledglings, we're all told the story of Nachtkrapp Tannin, the sorcerer." Liderc lit a green fire under his face, his pale face ghostlike. "Even if you go digging, there's not much to find on him. Surely, you've questioned why he was omitted from our history so much. However, in the confines of the royal libary, you can find him. ... Tannin created a book of curses. More specifically, this book." He waved the Goetia for emphasis. "The Goetia contains the essence of an ancient entity. Saint-Serapis Faravahar feared that these curses would be turned against him, so he had Tannin executed. However, he kept the book around, in case he- we- needed its knowledge."
He flipped open to a page in the book and showed it to Mic. Amongst the colourful text were gruesome depictions of what appeared to be the sacrifice of living creatures, and the faint odor of dried blood. "The time is now. See this ritual? With it, we can ensure victory for us..."
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Feb 12, 2019 20:47:22 GMT -5
"U-Uh-huh, okay..." Mic mumbled in defeat, unable to come up with any arguments against Liderc's methods regarding the dragon. Didn't mean he approved of it.
He sat down on the ground and curled up with his arms resting on his knees, staring innocently at the page Liderc had opened the book to, nodding along throughout most of the lecture. None of it was new information to him, but it wasn't like he had anything else to add. In the end, though, he had to grit his teeth and suck in an awkward gasp of air as he looked over the details of the ritual. Mic knew full well that it wouldn't have been the first time they'd had to take drastic measures of this nature, but still, something about this didn't sit right.
"I... can... see how this would be advantageous..." He anxiously tugged at his coat collar. "But if this is your intent, wouldn't the dragon be kinda... overkill?"
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Post by DanteMGalileo on Feb 12, 2019 21:14:49 GMT -5
"Hmm... Perhaps." Liderc closed the book, smirking. "But when in doubt, overkill is better than leaving your enemies alive. Besides, if this dragon can cause enough of a distraction, I could... Oh, damn. I'm doing the monologue thing again." Making a 'tsk' sound, Liderc pointed to his own head, rolling a finger around his earhole. Flipping the Goetia back to the front, the green angel pointed to a section on the back cover. The odor of dried blood grew stronger still. "You can smell it, right? Well, to activate the Goetia, you need to sign it in your own blood. What a way to weed out those who wouldn't have the guts to use it." Removing his gauntlet and glove, Liderc peeled back the sleeve, revealing the pale grey-green flesh. He opened his mouth, revealing sharp teeth... In an instant, Liderc's teeth sank into his skin. Green, almost jade blood gushed from the wound. And just as fast, the biting stopped. He reached back, pulling a feather from his wing. Dipping the tip of the feather into the wound, he winced, but managed to move his shaking hand over to the back cover... 
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Feb 12, 2019 21:32:26 GMT -5
Mic grimaced in discomfort, leaning back slightly as he watched Liderc sign his name into the book in very much the most foreboding way possible. Ever since retrieving the Goetia, there had been that niggling worry that whatever they needed it for would be geared towards the extreme. Now that worry had been amplified into an intense fear. Why did he agree to this again?
Oh, right, because Liderc complimented him on semi-accidentally saving his life. Doggoned doofers, was he really that easy to sway?
Well, whatever the case, Mic warily averted his gaze and rubbed the back of his head, doing his best not to get too anxious. If this was what it took to ensure victory for the army against the odds, he supposed he would have to roll with it.
"So... then... now that this is set in motion, what would you have me do, sir?"
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Post by DanteMGalileo on Feb 12, 2019 21:49:46 GMT -5
"Ha... that was... intense..." Liderc spat off to the side, spitting out a mixture of blood and saliva. Looking at his bleeding wrist, he murmured something and brought his free hand to it, covered in a soft, cobalt light. Upon contact, the bite wound began sealing itself over. Satisfied, Liderc pulled his sleeve back over.
"Your next assignment is to find a way to bring me the dragon man. Or at least, leave him open so I can grab him. You saw the ritual, yes?" Liderc's eyes seemed a bit duller, the ghost of a blood vessel visible on his neck. "I have an idea. Remove all insignias marking you as part of Paradiso. Pretend you were kicked out... for what, I don't know. Just keep your lies consistent for this." Flipping over to a page in the book, Liderc hummed. Sickly green sparks traveled up his free hand. He placed the sparking hand on Mic's chest...
“I voss ynam dui kezemi vasaylr!”
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Feb 12, 2019 22:18:13 GMT -5
"I, um... Pardon? ACK-!"
Mic jumped in his seat a bit, startled by Liderc's sudden spell. In his confusion, he flopped onto his back, remaining sprawled out in a dazed, rigid posture for a good moment or two. Considering how on edge he already was, he was a bit nervous to discover what just happened.
When he eventually sat back up and looked down at himself, Mic discovered that his skin had turned a pale, tea green. That first revelation made him lock up again for a couple of seconds until he tensely grabbed a lock of his hair, yanking it into view and finding that it too had changed to a dark cobalt. Then he looked over his shoulder to see that his wings had turned a dark olive with the occasional black speckle. Knowingly, he removed his glasses and squinted until he could see his faint reflection in the lenses, and sure enough, his ruby eyes were now bright orange and there were darker green tear marks running down the bridge of his nose from the inner corners of his eyes.
"Uh... WOW..." So much about this scenario had left him stymied. After putting his glasses back on, Mic nervously looked back up at Liderc. "I... suppose that's one way to go about that. Um... Well, stylistically, I can understand the decisions made here –I mean, being honest, I am a little on the short side to pass as a Ferro– but... is the intent here to... gain Paul's trust? D-Do I really need...?"
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Post by DanteMGalileo on Feb 12, 2019 22:34:04 GMT -5
"Yes."
Liderc raised a palm, cutting off the little angel mid-question. Okay, that spell did more than he expected. Mic's colours were pretty different now at least. "They already saw you, so I'm taking this precaution. Yes, you need to gain Paul's trust. Don't let yourself get too close, Mic." The taller angel's eyes returned to normal, and his tone softened.
"Look... getting too close to others can only cause you pain. I would know this firsthand." Liderc diverted his gaze. "Just... just get close enough to get them to trust you, but far enough to not get attached." He placed a slightly shaky hand on Mic's shoulder.
"You'll understand this better once you've seen a few millennia. Getting too close only invites sorrow." Beat. "Also, if you say I got sappy to anyone, I will smack you until you start bleeding."
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Feb 13, 2019 11:06:38 GMT -5
"Um..." Several counter-arguments crossed Mic's mind, most of them fueled by something relayed to him during his direct conversation with Paul or the discussion he had overheard between Paul, Kelsey and her angel familiar, but he quickly dropped them all. Liderc had a point. Paul and the humans did see him briefly during the first invasion, so a disguise wasn't a bad idea. Besides, he doubted he could convincingly keep up the ruse as Kenny, even with the boy's consent. "O-Okay..."
He warily looked down at his tea green hands again, then he looked back up at Liderc when he felt the commander's hand on his shoulder. There were so many questions raised that Mic almost didn't have the heart or the capacity to go over them all. How easily could he integrate himself into the humans' circle? How was he supposed to convince them? How close was too close? If he was being completely honest with himself, from what he had seen so far, he was starting to like Paul. Perhaps more so out of curiosity, but still. Was it even possible for that feeling to be mutual for the sake of this mission?
Was this... really the best use for him? Mic knew where his heart was. If this was what needed to be done to help his people, then he saw no choice but to concede. And yet... he couldn't shake this strange feeling inside. This feeling that he wasn't used to and shook him to his core. This feeling that this job as saboteur was not for him. This feeling that he wasn't doing the right thing. This feeling that... he didn't want to do this.
But... for duty's sake, he swallowed his fear and his pride and nodded back to Liderc. "Y-Yes. Understood, sir. You can count on me."
The fact that Mic was talking at an appropriate volume spoke wonders.
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Post by DanteMGalileo on Feb 13, 2019 11:22:30 GMT -5
"I hope my trust in you isn't misplaced." While Liderc's tone was level, the threat for failure was clear. "I'll leave your pseudonym, reason for expulsion, and the rest up to you. Do not let me down." Sitting back down, the taller angel began to read for the Goetia, occasionally muttering to himself. "Hmm... that could be useful... ugh, now that's just gruesome, who needs to do that? ... I know how to get her off me, yes..."
Looking back up, Liderc raised an eyebrow. "Oh, feel free to tell them of my newfound powers. But don't tell them just what they're in for... I'm certain the parasite already knows..."
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Post by ParamountKeymaster on Feb 13, 2019 11:55:49 GMT -5
"Mm-hmm..." Mic nodded again and stood up on weak legs. He found himself staring at Liderc for a moment, nervous and hesitant to take his cue to leave quite yet, as if subconsciously trying to put this mission off a little while longer. Eventually, though, he turned and started to slowly walk away.
"Alright... I-If you say so, sir. It... may take me a while to come up with a complete story, but- UHH, AHH, DUH, BUH, WUH...!"
Mic froze as he watched an enormous black shape swoop by overhead, covering the woods in a dense shadow, stirring up the trees like a twister. The shape passed them by fairly quickly, only to circle back around and descend upon them. The forest floor shuddered from the tremendous impact, tree trunks snapping and collapsing. The air was quickly filled with the pungent odor of death and decay, as well as a sharp, burnt smell, which combined were enough to make the eyes water. The smaller angel was scared to look over his shoulder, but even he knew it was only a matter of time before curiosity got the better of him.
"Well, hello again, little prince..."
"Meep...!" When Mic finally caved, he turned around to find himself standing an uncomfortable seven feet away from the head of a familiar black dragon. Though the beast's attention was squarely on Liderc, Mic couldn't help but feel trapped in his presence all the same.
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Post by DanteMGalileo on Feb 13, 2019 12:05:52 GMT -5
"Well, that's an entrance."
Slowly standing up, Liderc walked over to the black dragon, placing himself between Vutezoth and Mic. The Goetia was open, but down by his side. Might as well take some precautions. He inhaled, looking up at the black dragon.
"Was he indeed he one you sought?" No need to try and provoke big and ugly any further, right?
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