A Wonderful End to the Day }{ [Ask Krae]

[Lujayn]

Krae glowered sullenly from behind thick metal bars, at the grimy stone wall across from the tiny cell. She had been caught while on the job, and now she was here, and she couldn't get out, because her power was, once more, at its limit (proven by the fact her hair was almost completely red, with only a single swath remaining black). As much as she loved being a crow, it was a little difficult to escape from buildings as one, seeing as how they had no thumbs- or any fingers, for that matter.

Not only was she now weaponless, but what little armour she did have had been taken, as well, and she was feeling rather vulnerable, which merely increased her sour temper. Kæs, if he was watching, would probably be laughing at her predicament. Especially at how she got into it- because she had been distracted by a cake, of all things. Not just a cake- a sparkly one. While the screaming instincts of "GET THE SPARKLY THING!" were not as strong as they once were, when they were coupled by her unwholesome addiction to sweets, any intelligence she may have had seemed to just fly out the window.

With a garbled shout of rage, she kicked the small bench that was kept at the back of the cell. It didn't accomplish anything, really, except for hurting her foot.

She was about to aim another kick at the poor excuse for furniture- for no other reason than to see if it would break- when she heard the door to the dungeon, at the farther end of the hall, open. Instinctively she crouched in the darkness, although there wasn't much of a point in the tiny cell. There sounded to be a bit of a commotion going on, between the guard and the (presumed) prisoner, which got louder as they got closer to her particular cell.

Oh, hell, she thought moodily, I get a loud, obnoxious one in my cell, don't I?I seem to have this unwholesome addiction to commas... -

[Silvarn]

"Do you know who I am?" the chalky-skinned man snarled at his captor.

"Sure, you're just some hooligan who needs a couple days in the pen to cool off and behave like a civilized human being." the jailer jibbed.

"Just you wait until I'm out of here. You're lucky I'm being cooperative." the pale man further ranted.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that. Insulting an officer has a penalty of a week. I'll assume you didn't mean to say that."

"Oh, but I did, pig!"

The jailer bodily threw the slimmer, paler prisoner into a cell, slamming the iron door behind him. "See that you rot here, then." the jailer spat with venom, then stormed off.

Edward sighed.

He had not meant to lose his temper. He was still getting used to his new identity as a herald for some dark, infernal deity. He could have easily dismembered the oaf of a jailer, but his master had forbade him from spilling any blood in this city.

He was at least thankful Cakoph knew what to do in his absence. Although, he and Cakoph were not on particularly good terms at the moment. But then, what else was new?

Edward sidled up to the bars, gripping them lightly and resting his face in the gap between them. At this vantage point, he saw a fellow prisoner across the corridor. He flashed a rogue smile at them, asking, "Did you enjoy the show?" with an impish wink.

[Lujayn]

Krae had been ready to jump from the cell the moment it had been opened, but had sadly not been given the opportunity, seeing as how the jailer had chosen the cell across, not her own. She didn't relax once the jailer had gone, eyeing this newcomer with cold suspicion and distrust. He didn't seem particularly healthy, if his pallor was anything to go by, but looks could be deceiving- after all, no one could guess she'd been a crow once, could they?

When the newcomer spoke, she instinctively moved her hand to where her dagger had been- and then cursed quietly when she remembered she had been disarmed. This was going to take some getting used to.

"The show might have been better with different actors," she said dryly, resuming her calculating inspection. There seemed something a bit... off, with this one. She could hardly be certain, of course, but an animal's instinct was usually very accurate. "Your improvisation has landed you in a bit more trouble than you would have been in originally," she continued, "Perhaps you could learn more by adhering to the old adage, 'silence is golden', hmm?"

[Silvarn]

Edward threw back his head and laughed with his whole body, a strange laugh -- part merriment, part feral.

"No...no, no." Edward chuckled as he came down from his high, "Be silent is the last thing I'm going to do." He leaned through the bars, resting his elbows on the thin shelf on the interior of the cell. "My...employer wants me to be loud." he added with a smirk dripping with arrogance. "So, what are you in here f--"

"You're Den, aren't you?" a waif interrupted excitedly, pushing as close as he could to Edward through the adjacent cell, "I can't believe they would have the nerve to arrest you! I can't believe you would let them catch you!"

Edward's face went livid in an instant, and he rounded on his intended admirer, emitting a noise liken to a bark. The overwhelming sound reverberated painfully in the close quarters of the jail, the force of which slammed the waif into the bars on the opposite side of his cell. He slid to the floor, twitching a bit.

"Fanboys..." Edward growled, "The most annoying creatures in the world."

[Lujayn]

Krae had been about to tell him what he could do with his curiosity, and how far, before the slight fellow in another cell had cut in. The man's response to him, however, surprised her- and jarred her teeth. She ignored the slightly twitching body of the other fellow, and fixated her red, piercing eyes on the man, narrowed in suspicion.

"What," she asked tersely, "In the seven levels of Hell was that?" She gestured with her arm towards the fallen man. "And don't give me some bull answer."

[Silvarn]

Edward grinning devilishly, ironically characteristic, almost as if to say to his fellow inmate, Wouldn't you like to know?"

He was about to fire off a cheeking comment liken to his expression, but felt his tongue held by an unseen hand of adamant. He tensed visibly, his eyes flashing for a moment with the panic of a cornered beast. The hand led him by the tongue still within his mouth to turn to face the wall of his cell, then released him.

Not a moment later, a crudely-cut square of the wall caved inward, letting the harsh daylight pour in. Silhouetted against the sun stood Edward's closest "companions," the closest of which stepped forward and presented Edward with his personal blade, Lucid Edge.

Edward took it from him, nodding in thanks. "I'll be outside in a moment. There's something I need to take care of, first." He then proceeded to slash the bars of cell away and strode down the corridor, vanishing from sight as he rounded a corner. A few moments passed in silence, until a voice cried "Oh, gods! No! Nooo --" Then another, rougher voice drowned his out, causing the walls of the prison to vibrate. In a minute or two, Edward returned, his clothes spattered in a light dusting of blood. In one hand, Lucid Edge gleamed with pristine elegance, while in his other --

"Here, something to remember me by," Edward mocked as he tossed the jailer's head at the woman's cell, his eyes black with wickedness. He let the moment sink in for a moment, then turned to leave the prison for good. Or, rather, for evil.

[Lujayn]

Krae had been reading to find something to hurl at the infuriating man's head, until the wall had caved in and some strange person had given the man a sword. She stared in stunned silence as he slashed the bars of his cell away, then stalked off. When she heard the screams, she recongnized who they came from, and smiled slightly at his obvious torment- although the strange voice that caused the prison to tremor frightened her, somewhat.

She glanced at the bloodied head with detachment. Amazing how much blood could come from a head. She was, definitely, much more curious about this strange man, and a crow's curiosity was a powerful thing. "I'd remember you a lot more," she called dryly after his retreating back, "If you'd let me out of this cell."

She didn't really expect him to, and she did have one method to get out, as displeasing as it would be. But, as her master said, one should always reach for any opportunity, for it might yield results. She just hoped he didn't decide to lop of her head for sport.

[Silvarn]

He froze as she called after him. He turned menacingly, then strode at her cell. In one fluid motion, he slashed away the bars penning her in, slid inside her cell, brought their bodies an inch from each other's, and placed his blade at her throat.

"Is that so?" he asked, in barely a whisper. Just as suddenly as he had approached her, he left her, sheathing Lucid Edge with an unnecessary slam. He brushed past his comrades imperially, their eyes reflecting both fear and admiration, ready to fall to their knees before him if he gave the word.

He stood upon the rubble of his companions' entrance, one hand placed on the stone wall outside. He turned and glared playfully at the woman, "Coming?"

[Lujayn]

She had a sense of "calm before the storm", just before he slashed away the bars of her cell. She jerked back in reaction, and then found herself very close to being decapitated by his menacing sword. She felt a slight tremor of an old emotion: fear. She hadn't felt it since her days as a crow, and it was powerful here. She was at the limits of her power, and this man could easily dispatch her.

She was staring at him as if he'd grown a second head as he walked away, then pulled herself together as he spoke. She shouldn't be showing so much emotion- it was unbecoming, and it irritated her.

And, as per usual, irritation made her a little less than bright. She gave him a cool look, and strode past the strange people that were with him, giving them only a single disdainful glance. Pathetic. She walked past the man, as well, purposefully bumping him with her shoulder. "No need to try and intimidate me, it won't work," she said brazenly, even though she was certain he saw her fear earlier.

She never claimed to be bright, after all. She was smart enough to keep her senses on alert, just in case he really tried to kill her this time- and, by god, her attitude at the moment really was warrenting it.

[Silvarn]

Whereas most men would be appalled by this woman's conduct and lack of social grace, Edward's men were intrigued by it -- in fact, they preferred women with a little spice to them.

"Mmm...I like her." Cakoph, Edward's right-hand-man blantantly mused, "Can we keep her?"

"Not for what you're thinking." Edward retaliated, emerging into the sunlight himself.

"We should get out of here." one of the group members suggested, "People will have heard that."

Edward sidled up to the woman, a mischievous glint in his dark eyes. "I have to disappear for a bit, but --" he smirked, "There's a performance I'm in later tonight. You should come. You'll enjoy it." he brought his mouth close to her ear and whispered, "I guarantee."

He waited for a moment, then abruptly pulled away from her. he signaled to his group and the six strode away, careful not to attract the attention of any more law-enforcement.

"We're not putting on a performance tonight." Cakoph muttered as he walked alongside Edward.

"Well, there will be one -- one way or another." Edward corrected with a knowing look.

"Has he commanded?" Cakoph asked with eagerness, attracting the attention of his fellow group.

"Not exactly." Edward answered cryptically, "Not a direct command, more like a gut feeling. There should be a large clearing in the forest to the west of here. I think we should hold a Solstice."

The group lit up darkly, the malicious glee evident in their expressions.

Edward smiled with them.

[Lujayn]

Krae directed a flat, unamused look towards the man as he spoke, and this was turned to Edward as he spoke to her. As he whispered in her ear, she visibly drew back, disliking the proximity. He moved in time to avoid getting a swift kick to the rear, and she wasn't sure enough of her power to pursue anything else. She didn't know these people well, and the air fairly shrieked of something supernatural.

She watched as they walked away, eyes narrowed in thought. She was curious, about what these men were speaking of in hushed tones. Her master had said to gather information of the Human plane to pass along to the Underworld. On the other hand, she was severely close to her limit, and it took a while to regain her power, and her crow form wasn't any better than that of a normal crow. She wasn't certain her Master would take the time to resurrect her if she got herself killed.

"What the Hell," she murmured to herself, "I'm already living far longer than I should have. How's the saying... curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction revived it? Maybe that will hold true here."

She waited until they had gone out of sight, and then began to tail them, using her knowledge as a former animal to remain silent and unseen- or, rather, she hoped to remain.

[Silvarn]

The group settled into the forest clearing, setting up their equipment. Edward watched them with arms folded, a look of impatience obvious on his features. Cakoph ordered the group around with a wicked-looking metal lute gripped in his hand, while the other three scrambled to set up the percussion instruments, which consisted of a cluster of timpani, a few animal-hide drums, and a collection of bells. The final member of the quintet sat apart, making love to his violin.

Once the group was ready, Edward nodded at them. They readied themselves for the immanent blast. Edward threw back his head and roared musically at them, the trees behind them shaking with his might. The band joined in his sonic shout, adding their tones together into a chord of dissonance. After a prelude that rocked the clearing, Edward launched into his song.

He sang a song of myths, a prophecy in which a witch of great evil would conquer and rule Valear, and her rule would be enforced by her familiar, who, in reality, actually dominated her. Her city came crashing down in a shower of gold, jewels, blood, and judgment. The song's intensity dropped, yet the sense of the impending explosion, the calm before the storm, was almost too much to bear. Edward and his followers rode this storm, escalating its ferocity. When they reached the final chorus, Edward sang with seven different voices, black flames radiating from his eyes, mouth, and hands. The song ended on final, blasting chord, shearing the nearest trees of their needles.

"That will do. I need to calm down before tonight. Get some revelers." Edward commanded in his seven voices. then vanished into the dark growth of the forest.

The group made their way back to town to attract some fools to their party, nonplussed by Edward's behavior -- it was nothing new.

[Lujayn]

Krae continued to follow them until they reached their destination, then climbed into a dense tree nearby, one of the few deciduous ones in the area, peering through a slight break in the foliage to watch them. It wasn't very entertaining, at first, and she began to wonder why she even bothered, since nothing interesting was happening at all.

And then the bastard roared, shaking the trees nearby, including hers, and she had to dig her nails deeply into the bark to stop herself from falling, and she saw stars in her vision as her brain protested the overload of sound.

Afterwords, however, as he began singing a tale, she found herself leaning forward slightly so she could better hear, entranced by this story he was telling. She was normally not one to be interested in such things- what was a story to a crow?- but she found herself quite intrigued by this.

And as such, she wasn't quite paying attention to what was going on around her, including the impending "doom", as it were, and was thus caught off-guard by the climax of the song.

Instinctively she jerked back- which was a foolish thing, considering she was in a tree- and ended up falling hard onto the ground below. Luckily, the loud thud was covered by the music, and she was far away enough to escape notice as long as they weren't looking her direction too closely.

They might have heard her long cacophony of curses, however.

[Silvarn]

Edward caressed the trees as he passed them, leaving scorch-makes where his hands met bark. He breathed deeply, and with each exhalation, the flames died a little. A minute into the forest, Edward nearly stumbled over a familiar figure.

"So, you followed me?" Edward asked the woman he had met earlier today in the prison in only five voices. "Tell me why, little crow."

Then, one of the voice wrenched itself from his throat in a spray of black ichor, materializing two yards away from the two. "The master does not want you associating with her." it relayed in a dread, bell-like voice, "He says she is working with a competitor."

"Does he want me to kill her?" four voices asked the demon.

"No --" it answered, "That depends on how the negotiations go. Until then keep her close by." the demon grinned wickedly at the woman. It then lunged at Edward, gripping his face and stuffing itself down his throat. When it returned to its previous location, Edward wretched, coughed, then spat up dark blood.

"Since we are going to be together for a while," he began in three voices, "I'd like to know who I'm holding captive."

[Lujayn]

Krae gave him a flat, unfriendly stare- it seemed to be her default expression- and then started when the little demon spurted from his throat. Then she rose an eyebrow as it spoke. Competitor? Since when could her master ever be considered a competitor? He was an idiot. Then again, he was a devil, and he could have been acting. She'd only been with him for about two years, so it wasn't as if she got to know him very well. And he hadn't talked to her since he kicked her out of the underworld.

She watched the little demon stuff itself back into the man, then rose her eyebrow as he spoke. She didn't answer right away, standing and then dusting herself off. "I thought I sensed something otherworldly about you. It would appear my senses have not been dulled in this body, after all." She was talking more to herself than to him, so she moved on.

"As to who I am... well, you've appeared to have gleaned a part of it, if that "little crow" earlier is anything to go by," she gave him a look, "Although I take offence to that "little", I was a decent sized crow, thank-you very much. Since I doubt you'd like to just go about calling me "little crow", you may call me Krae."

It was a strange pronunciation, sounding a lot like a crow's call than an actual name. It was, in fact, her name in crow, which meant something untranslatable. "Since I doubt you can pronounce that, you may say it as "kray"."

She flipped some hair out of her face, noting with some pleasure that some of it had returned to its former black colour. Her power was coming back, albeit slowly.