Cavern of the Oracle

[Axel Kaen Ryukai]

§ Axel Ryukai §

Until my last breath...

The darkness seemed to shift where Byakuren's eyes rested as a man of six feet rose from the shadows, his bright red hair appearing crimson in the dim lighting. Eyes of a red truer than even those possessed by the mighty dragon gazed out at the woman who stood but a few feet from his person. So, she too could sense the power that boiled within him. At the rate thing were progressing, he would but only a matter of minutes before leaving became absolutely necessary. Not only for his sake, but for that of all others within the cavern. He bowed his head slightly to the Oracle in respect, for he was a visitor in her home, and an uninvited one at that. To make matters worse, he had sneaked inside without making his presence known.

"Forgive me, I do not mean to intrude."
The man's voice was cool and gracious, his tone polite. He stepped from the darkness of the cavern and made his appearance known. His clothes were still torn and ragged, singed and burned, yet somehow looked well kept and clean. His shirt was a dark shade of black, as were his pants, and red tendrils of color snaked their way through portions of his shirt.

...I'll stand by you.
~Axel Ryukai
-Envoy of Chaos

 

[ezzelinn]

Dewvraenne's eyes widened in surprise as she felt herself being moved, lifted into air, and locked against the wall by the dragon's muscular tail. She watched his rage burst, flames engulfing the formerly cute dragon, the cuddly little pet transforming into a formidable beast in a moment. Vraenne laughed. Yes, she laughed. The sight of the two men attacking, evading, running - basically performing a series of neck-breaking stunts, and the dragon's flaming rage following them like a shadow... To her, it didn't occur it could have been lethal to both of them. To her, it was simply funny, and she laughed merrily, although it was still her signature menacing laughter - she knew no different. "Your dragon sure is something," she said lightly to Byakuren as she walked past her, lightly as if she hoovered to the cave entrance. Dewvraenne leaned her head to the right, watching the oracle and the dragon at the cave entrance. There was a curious bond between them, something she could not get a grip of, something she couldn't understand at the moment, but it reminded her of something... something long ago... She shook her head as if coming back from a trance, and looked at the other woman that had been slammed to the wall behind the raging dragon. "You're watching them too, aren't you? Observing. It's fun, isn't it? How people act..." The sentences she made were fractured and vague. She was never good at chatting, at least she wasn't exactly used to it.  

[Doctor Corn]

"Man that was close" gasped Alex as fluffy finally calmed down. Fluffy brought him back his hammer, and he released the magic which shrunk it back to normal size. "Sorry about hitting you. I just wanted to help protect the others. Thanks for calming down." Alex said, placing his hand on the dragon's head and scratching him like a dog. He then turned to Tatsuya, he said, "By the way, my name is Alexander Grayback. But you can call me Alex. Returning to the wall, he once again sat down. Then Alex drifted into a deep and much earned slumber.  

[Yokai Manekineko]

“How refreshing,” Byakuren began, holding out her only hand as if to draw the darkly lit man in after her. “Axel Ryukai, I find your demeanor upon intruding on my peace and home to be a wonderful change of pace.” Although her voice was even and without discernable inflection, Byakuren was readily reading Axel. To her, he was a curiosity, a feat that was difficult to accomplish. Deep with in him, she felt a beast trying to claw its way out, a beast created by one of two conflicting forces, chaos. “Come here.” She commanded, expecting a prompt response she bounced her hand slightly, indicating that he should put his hand in hers.  

[Axel Kaen Ryukai]

§ Axel Ryukai §

Until my last breath...

Eyes narrowed slightly in curiosity and intrigue under heavy brows. It did not truly surprise him that the oracle had known his name, in fact he half expected it, and shouldn't he? She was the famed Oracle after all. Inside he could feel it, the vast energy that grew within him, the ferocity of that which dwelled within. He stepped closer, his eyes drifting down to Byakuren's outstretched hand. He gingerly reached out his hand, setting it delicately down into Byakuren's. With a gentle tone, he asked softly,

"You can feel it, can you not? That which dwells within me...."

...I'll stand by you.
~Axel Ryukai
-Envoy of Chaos

 

[Yokai Manekineko]

Byakuren’s pale fingers wrapped as well as they could around Axel’s much larger hand, the touch allowing her both to feel the texture of his offered palm and the pulsating energies twisting within him. Stepping forward, she closed the foot or so of distance between them and lifted their joined hands to press the back of his hand to her cheek. With her eyes closed, Byakuren descended into her consciousness to alight on the razors edge of sanity and insanity. Here she centered herself, drew upon the ancient metaphysical knowledge of what it was to be Oracle and inwardly turned to face the pressing force of the beast caged within Axel’s soul. It stared back, that she was sure of and as always she smirked. Although the beast was formidable, he would be able to survive it and the path it would push him to follow. Opening her eyes in the real world, that smirk from her mind became a soft smile as she briefly nuzzled the back of his hand. She couldn’t help it, she loved to touch and being touch but allowed his hand to slip from hers as she took a slow step back. “…do not let it overwhelm you, let yourself remain untainted by its mind or urges.” That was all the warning she would give him. He had at the very least a semblance of control he could exert over the chaotic force.  

[Awesome Sensei]

Fluffy retreated further into the cave. While a gigantic beast, it was very playful as it had been pet on the head multiple times. It was ecstasy to the majestic beast, as it retreated further to the cave, it looked onward with happiness. it stared over to axel, the chaos was a powerful gift, yet Fluffy was not interested. For now it was trying to deal with all the people, protecting the oracle was something that Fluffy wished to accomplish, and by the end of this, if they got there wishes, she would be alone again. Fluffy sulked around in the corner, hoping to be approached by a loving hand, hopefully a woman, cause he loved the ladies. For fluffy was a ladies man. The dragon watched as Alex fell to the ground, as well as Tatsuya's amazing grace as he rested. The dragon wished that there wishes were granted, but power would not be easy to achieve, everyone wants there wish granted. It was not much for her to do, although she was just a knowledgeable person, how they expected her to fix their lives, was plain stupidity. Fluffy nodded in agreement with himself, deep in thought, and looking slightly demented.  

[Axel Kaen Ryukai]

§ Axel Ryukai §

Until my last breath...

Axel looked up at the oracle, his fingers trailing down the soft skin of her cheek. Her words trailed through his mind as they passed from her lips in one ear and out the other. He knew her words were words of caution, but doing what she asked would be easier said than done. The fact that she had nuzzled his hand mattered little to him, for why should it come as a surprise that one who lived alone, secluded within a mountain cavern, would wish to take advantage of every opportunity to touch and feel the touch of another human being whenever possible? Thus he allowed her to indulge in this small luxury.

Axel slowly closed his eyes, the world around him turning dark as the realm within came to light. A chaotic hell of a place, simple standing within this inner realm drained all the warmth from his body and chilled him down to the very marrow in bones. The sky was alight with a black hole nearly swallowing the horizon, the sight of it seemed to nearly crack the very sky, dusk red as it was, like a sunset without the sun, just lingering below the horizon forever suspended. The slight twinkles of dying stars of all colors glimmered weakly in the wake of the deadly hole, greedily and forever sucking in anything in its path, never growing large and never weakening nor strengthening. The sky was swarming with monstrous thunder clouds, tearing the very fabric of the sky apart with blinding blue lightning and roaring ear-splitting thunder. Wind shrieked over the hostile dead land, a voice composed of an orchestra of billions of lost souls, wanting redemption, peace, anything other than dwelling in a chaotic world they were in. Trees long dead stood sparsely in the god-forsaken place that was the realm of Chaos, not a single one more than but a young sapling or tree of fifteen feet, constantly being lit aflame by the never ceasing lightning that raged from the sky. Axel stood undaunted by the unforgiving cruelty of Chaos's domain, though a cold shiver ran through his spin as it always had when he ventured there. Looking to the center of this great enclosure Axel saw what he was looking for....

Right in the middle of that single area was a prison. It, however, was not made of strong steel, no, that’d be too easy to break free from. It was thorns, living thorns that could contain the demon’s billowing fury. Easily could they strip flesh from skin, tear muscle straight to the bone. Each individual thorn was three inches long with four inches across. The vines that held them formed a strong cage prison, thorns facing outwards and inwards, as well as a few side to side. And within resided the mighty beast, wickedly sharp vines attached to powerful vines held tight to his limbs and tattered wings. Blood soaked the ground from the many times the thorns had pierced the flesh of the ferocious creature they held captive. Axel strode up to the prison, each step sending a icy stab of pain along his legs, and gazed up at that which was known only as Chaos. Those blazing sulfuric eyes were closed, almost as if the beast were in slumber, but Axel knew better. Then suddenly, with a roar that would frighten even the most staunch and blood-thirsty of creatures, those demonic eyes that seemed to burn through the flesh to stare into the abyss of your soul and rot it til naught was left opened and gazed, no, glared down at the young man who contained his fury.


And it was then that Axel's eyes snapped open, thrusted from that horrid realm within him by the massive power of the demon. He clutched his head as if in pain as the aura of chaos poured from his body and Chaos's ferocious roar echoed in his head til it resounded out into the physical world, the horrible sound resounding off of the walls within the cavern. Axel slowly rose and lifted his gaze to Byakuren, his eyes slitted marginally and bowed his head slightly. The aura slowly dissipated partly as he suppressed the chaos building within his body.

"Thanks you, for your words and kindness. I cannot stay much longer, and I apologize for the sudden outburst."

Something about Byakuren roused Chaos and caused him to react in a manner most strange. Axel knew Chaos harbored a strong disliking towards him, or more specifically his confinement inside him, but as time had passed his great anger and hatred towards Axel had simmered down and he had become tolerable. But only just. But for some reason, after seeing Byakuren, Axel's appearance before Chaos seemed to enrage him....

...I'll stand by you.
~Axel Ryukai
-Envoy of Chaos

 

[Drivenspirit]

"What!" Leto exclaimed as she ws pushed against the wall. Fluffy had gone from friendly to ferocious, filling the cavern with flames, yet somehow, the women were safe behind him. She sighed. Itazuki had obviously angered him. She observed the fight between the men and the dragon, when Fluffy suddenly calmed down. "Amazing". The other woman spoke after the whole event. "You're watching them too, aren't you? Observing. It's fun, isn't it? How people act..." Leto smirked at the remark. "Yes, yes I am."  

[ezzelinn]

Yes, yes I am?! That's all she's gonna say?! No way.. "Then you probably know what's going on, don't you? Like why we're all here, for example?" Dewvraenne's curiosity was reaching its peak now, with all the strange little events unfolding, everyone seeking out the mysterious woman, and that very woman answering questions ambiguously in her mesmerising esotherical voice... Not that she really cared, but she needed to know what was it all about.  

[Drivenspirit]

[[Ezzelinn, have you got Leto mixed up with Byakuren? I thought Dewvraenne was asking Leto OTL. Were you asking the Oracle?]]  

[garion3211]

All these people came for answers to their questions, yet none questioned why she could answer them. This was all unnatural, and Garion's stomach sunk as their secrets were layed bare before them all. Fortunately she did not seem to say anything unless prompted to, but he just wanted it all to stop. Unfortunately, he did not think it would stop for quite some time. Even the fighting with that pet of hers did not quench the thirst of her company.

'How long must I stay? I feel I should be here now, the earth tells me to...' he thought. This place was slowly changing people. Most of them would think it was due to the answers the Oracle was giving, but Garion knew it wasn't the answers. It was her. However, once more he found himself hopeless, he knew that any action he took against her would get him killed.  

[ezzelinn]

Drivenspirit

[[Ezzelinn, have you got Leto mixed up with Byakuren? I thought Dewvraenne was asking Leto OTL. Were you asking the Oracle?]]

[Nope, I haven't got anyone mixed up, and yes I was asking Leto and I am still. smile ]  

[Drivenspirit]

[[OH I get it now XD. Haha, my mistake]]

Leto glanced back at the other woman, and began to answer her question. "We're all here for personal reasons, mostly answers to our problems. Meeting Byakuren would be a rare chance you know."  

[Doctor Corn]

Waking up about fifteen minutes later, Alex sat up with a groan. That battle with Fluffy had taken a lot out of him, but at least he had calmed down for now. Looking around, he noticed thet most of the people were still around, and that Tatsuya was still passed out. I guess not much time has passed he thought as he stood up and streched deeply, releasing the tension from his aching muscles. Walking over to Fluffy, he said "That was one heck of a fight. We will definitely do that again. But next time, lets make sure nobody else is around to get hurt". Once again scratching Fluffy under the chin, Alex felt an old and strong power emanating from the great dragon. Try as he might, Alex couldn't help but shake the feeling that Fluffy was more than he seemed to be. Still scratching Fluffy, Alex turned his attention back to where the others were talking to the Oracle. He couldn't help but notice a man that seemed utterly disgusted with the Oracle. Hmmm.... maybe I should keep and eye on that one Alex thought, still scratching Fluffy.