A man and his dark tome (Open)

[Selkiris]

Selkiris sighed and opened up his tome, laying on a nearby willow tree. So many stories, such little time. Selkiris chuckled and started to read where he left off. And thus as The Great One fell, he rose. He devoured The Great One and took his throne, becoming the Lord of the Shadows. Darkness bowed down to him, and gave him his title, The Ancient One, for he was destined to rule the darkness for the rest of time itself. Then they came. The shadows fought to protect their ruler but ultimately failed and The Ancient One's rule came to an end. Even so, the shadows still praised his name and spoke tales of his return to rule them once more. For you cant stop the darkness, you can only delay it. 


Selkiris quickly shut the tome as he heard the crunching of twigs. Someone was here. Selkiris got up and looked around for the cause of the noise. "Who is there?" Selkiris asked. His tone was completely uncaring. Selkiris quickly covered the seal on his left hand in case the cause of the noise was a person. It would be best not to raise suspicion, the people of Nova aren't very fond of me already. 

[Roxanne]

The sound of the snapping twig carried across the open grass causing more creatures than just the hooded man to look up in alarm. At the far edge of the meadow, the undergrowth shook and rustled for a moment before a stag appeared, jumping over the last of the bushes. The buck was obviously in the prime of its youth and sported a decent rack. His muscles bunched under the tawny coat as he prepared to sprint across the open area, stopping in his tracks when he noticed the robed man.

Before the stag had time to react to this new threat, the one chasing him finally caught up. A glint of silver shot out from the trees, the expertly thrown knife lodging into the animal's throat. Blood spurted and poured from the wound and the deer dropped to the ground. A figure jumped down from one of the higher tree branches, large black and leathery looking wings opened slightly to reduce the fall. The woman made her way across the short distance to her kill, hair as red as the blood blowing lightly in the wind. She crouched in the grass to remove the knife which she wiped clean on the delicate greenery before stuffing back into her boot.

Satisfied with her handiwork, Roxanne finally looked up at the robed man with the strange book. Her lavender eyes searched the depths of the hood, barely making out a face in the blackness. She sniffed the air lightly, curious. She could tell by the smell that the person was a human male, but that didn't mean he couldn't still be dangerous. One hand drifted to rest on the hilt of her katana, her long, black tail twitching slowly in the grass like a cat's. "Who are you and what're you doing out here?" the half demon demanded, her fangs giving a slight lips to her beautiful, husky tone.

[Selkiris]

Selkiris showed no emotion to the woman that just appeared. Who am I? I should be the one asking that question Selkiris chuckled and spoke up, his voice monotone and uncaring Interesting...........you may call me Selkiris or Prophet, the people of Nova seem very fond of the latter so which ever one you desire. As for why I'm here. Im simply enjoying a book." Selkiris put the book inside his robes and out of side, trying to keep his left hand concealed. "Now I turn the question to you, most likely you came here for the game" Selkiris pointed to the now dead deer "But I do not know your name. Would you be kind enough to grace me with it?" Selkiris studied the woman carefully , obviously she wasn't human but what ever she was, Selkiris wasn't familiar with it. "Sorry for being rude but I must ask, what exactly are you? You certainly aren't human."

[Roxanne]

Roxanne studied the strange man, her eyes wary. His voice was so flat and devoid of emotion that it surprised her. The only people that she'd ever heard sound like that had seen Death coming and gave up hope. "Selkiris," she said, repeating the name he had given her. "Why do people call you Prophet? and what do you find interesting?" she questioned, curious.

She watched him tuck the book back into his robes, not caring enough to ask. She wasn't a reader, after all. The half demon nodded when Selkiris mentioned her coming here for the deer. She had been tracking it for over an hour. His question wasn't surprising and an amused look settled on her face, though her eyes were still cautious. "I go by Roxanne and no, I'm not human. At least not entirely. I'm a half demon," she explained, letting that sink in.

[Selkiris]

Selkiris actually laughed when she asked why people called him prophet. "Well my full title is the Mad Prophet but people just call me the Prophet. I proclaim what these people of Teair call gods to be false and to trust in the Ancient One. Though you most likely haven't heard of him. I personally think of myself more of a doomsayer or......hand of the Ancient One that a prophet, for a prophet brings the word of the gods, and I bring no word from gods." Selkiris sighed and stared at the girl again. "Roxanne.....a half demon? Hm. Interesting. I mean I have certainly heard and seen stranger but it is surely on the list."Selkiris put his left hand down only to raise it up quickly and shaked it vigorously "Ah! stupid ants."It was strange to hear that in Selkiris's monotone voice, but what was even stranger was the pitch black symbol carved into his hand. It looked like some kind of abomination on a throne of shadows. Below it was a line of text written in an alien language. The entire carving shone an impossible black light as Selkiris shook his hand.

[Roxanne]

Roxanne listened as Selkiris explained, her head tilted slightly to one side in a look of curiosity. She still couldn't get over the flatness of his tone. "Teair's gods false?" she questioned, confused. She'd met a few of them personally and knew their power well. Her ex had been taught a lesson by Mylee himself. The furious god had killed the demon by drowning him and then bringing him to life repeatedly. "What do you mean by that? In what way?" she asked, frowning a little.

He was right that she'd never heard of this 'Ancient One' either but that wasn't to say that perhaps it was real. The half demon had seen a lot of strange things in her time. "Who is the Ancient One?" she asked, not bothering to specify what information she was looking for. Anything he was willing to give her would be more than she knew.

As he commented on her species, Roxanne grinned, unintentionally flashing her fangs. "It's an interesting thing to be. There's a few downsides to be sure but it's not without its perks. I don't always look like this and can pass for human easily enough. You just caught me in the middle of a hunt," she said, laughing a bit.

She was still watching Selkiris closely despite seeming to have relaxed a bit. So when he put his hand down and exclaiming about ants, she rose an eyebrow at him. The curiously flat tone of his voice was out of place with how one would normally sound after sticking their hand in an ant bed. They were nasty little things. Roxanne's attention shifted automatically to the hand in question though and her eyes took on a curious look as she spied the glowing symbol on his hand. Her eyesight was quite good as a half demon, so it was easy to read the text from where she was, not that it made any sense. She memorized it quickly, for later, creating a sketch of the strange tattoo in her mind. "What's that?" she asked, her tone casually curious.

[Selkiris]

Selkiris sighed, "The term god is a fickle one. The term is normally "All powerful and unkillable" Which no one truly is. A god has a limit to their power in some way, its just how it works. And if they have a limit who says an average man can't get their tier of power with enough practice and perhaps luck. And nothing is unkillable, you just need the right weapon for the job." Selkiris laughed at that last bit.

When Roxanne asked who the Ancient One was Selkiris was quiet. How did he start? "The Ancient One is.....an abomination of sorts. He is a being that I personally believe may be as old as the gods themselves and perhaps might have the same font of power. But Im not sure. For the knowledge he bestows is never solid and the language is one long forgotten to this world. But there is one thing certain. He was once a king, a ruler. The lord of shadows and all darkness bowed down to him. Before he was dethroned by...something." Selkiris trailed off after that..thinking hard about something.

As the furious shaking stopped, the glowing stopped and the symbol was silent and pitch black. "Hm? Oh this.......this is one of the gifts the ancient one bestowed apon me. Proof my life is his and I am his servant." Selkiris stared at the symbol and translated the words in his head. You can't stop the darkness, only delay it. A saying he has read again and again. It had to be more important than it seemed.

[Roxanne]

Roxanne considered Selkiris's answer, a thoughtful look on her face. She supposed that was true enough, at least as far as technical terminology was going. She wasn't so sure that at least some of the pantheon didn't still count as gods. But that was neither here nor there, really. As for a limit on power, she had yet to see anything out of the scope of possibility and knew well that the only limit the gods kept was that they weren't to interfere with mortal lives. That wasn't really a limit so much as it was a rule. Which was entirely different. Did she believe an average human could attain that kind of power? Not really. Mere humans weren't capable of handling that much. However, she wasn't going to argue these points with this stranger.

"I suppose that is a good point, and true enough, as far as terminology goes at the very least. As for the rest, I cannot say," she finally answered, pulling a slightly confused and frustrated look on her face. Seeing as how Selkiris didn't seem to be that threatening, Roxanne allowed herself to relax a bit. She settled herself into a comfortable crouch, her wings held slightly off the ground. It wouldn't look that comfortable but she could hold it for a couple of hours at least.

All the while, she listened as Selkiris explained about the 'Ancient One.' She had certainly never heard of him or anything like him. "This is all new to me, you're right. I've been around quite a while and never heard of him. How did you come to hear of him?" She asked, curiously.

Roxanne eyed the symbol again as the man explained it. "A gift? What kind of gift is such servitude?" she asked, frowning slightly. The half demon lived her life free from any such ties for a reason. Freedom was a beautiful thing and being a bounty hunter gave her that perk. Her only 'servitude' was to Aria really. Was that similar to this? She didn't think so but she couldn't be sure.

[Selkiris]

Selkiris dug through a small bag he came with and started to eat some bread he had pulled out of it. It was always a good idea to have some spare food. "...Well I didn't really hear of him......or find him. It was more he found me, and then some many things happened at once I couldn't fully understand it. I came a across a book....a tome of his history and a place I like to call the realm of shadow. I read a passage from the book and I think I accidentally made a pact with him. Still not quite sure." Selkiris sighed and looked at the seal on his hand.....it seemed like it was just yesterday, and Selkiris still couldn't find the passage he read from before making the pact so he had no idea what he said. It was annoying at best. "Would you like some bread? I haven't had much and I don't think I will eat it all myself" Selkiris gestured to the bag that sat next to him.

"Never suspect one thing is bad or good just because it sounds and looks that way. There is always something hidden in the words or looks to either confirm or falsify what you believe. It is a simple trade really. I give him my life and word to serve and he grants me power and gifts I could never achieve without help. An added bonus is the dear friendssome of these powers give me." Selkiris waved his left hand and the seal glowed once more, this time a small pitch black hole appearing a few feet to the right of him. Out of the hole a creature about the size of a wolf crawled out. It was pitch black and almost looked human, if it were not for the two inch long claws and foot long spines on it's back. The black hole disappeared and the creature walked over to Selkiris, sitting down and staring at the strange woman before it. Selkiris grinned "Such wonderful creatures, and very obedient as well. These creature would die for me if I truly commanded it."

[Roxanne]

The half demon wondered for a moment, as Selkiris pulled out some bread, if she had interrupted a private picnic. Here was this strange man, completely robed despite the warm day, lounging in the grass, reading and he brought food. It was so odd, even for Nova, that she almost laughed. Instead, she focused on the answer that Selkiris was providing. At least he seemed friendly enough.

"I've never heard of anything like that. Usually beings like that at least offer a choice. This sounds more like you got trapped and now have no choice at all," she commented, frowning a little. Roxanne wasn't sure she liked the sound of this 'Ancient One' very much. More than likely she'd need to pay Aria a visit soon to discuss this newly obtained information.
She shook her head at the offer of the bread, smiling. "No, thank you. I ate before I began my hunt," she answered politely.

As the conversation continued, she found herself getting used to the man's strangely flat tone. His words came across as mere statements of fact rather than the argument most people would have turned it into, making the discussion quite pleasant. She nodded in agreement when he spoke of things being hidden in words and nothing ever appearing to be what it seemed. These were concepts she understood. When Selkiris started mentioning the trade he had with 'Ancient One' and got to the part about his powers granting him friends, a feeling unease settled into her center.

The half demon stood slowly, wary again, as Selkiris waved his hand. She watched the seal on his hand glow, clearly that was the source, and a small black hole appeared. She wasn't sure what the creature was that came out of it, having never seen anything like it in all her travels. It looked almost as if it were made of shadow but was much more substantial. She didn't like his following sentence about the creatures either, as it sounded as if he could summon many more. How many at any one time, she wondered? She found his grin strangely unsettling with his flat tone. "What is it? What does it do?" Roxanne asked, forcing her tone to remain light and curious.

[Selkiris]

"Yes normally the choice is to summon it or not to summon it. I didn't know what the words meant so the choice was much harder to see." Selkiris continued to eat the bread he had brought with him. This woman was actually...semi pleasant to be around at the most. She wasn't going to beat him up just because of what he said at least. Still never get to attached Selkiris. You never know when someone may stab you in the back." He sighed as he finished his bread and put his bag away.

The creature sat there, unnerved by the woman and staring at her as if it was waiting for a word, any semblance of a command. Which in truth it actually was. "They do what ever they can. As long as the command is simple and within their power of course. They are sort of like dogs. And in truth I am not exactly sure what they are. I have merely given them the term "Shadow beasts" as a temporary name due to their beast like behavior. Sometimes I just decided to study the ones I summon, and they act as if they are a low level predator in a much bigger food chain."

[Roxanne]

Roxanne considered his statement for a moment. "I suppose that's true enough and a good point," she conceded, chuckling wryly. It was pretty hard to know what you were getting yourself into if you couldn't understand the fine print. "It doesn't seem to be such a negative arrangement, at least?" she asked, curiously. With power like that, she wondered if there were any drawbacks.

She continued to stare at the strange creature as it sat there staring at her. She thought it looked just as uncomfortable with the situation as she was which would have been amusing if it wasn't so strange. Selkiris's explanation made a lot of sense and she relaxed a little again. Simple creatures were easy to handle, predictable in their movements. "They sound pretty useful, even if the command has to be simple. They don't seem like they'd make great company and I'd say 'shadow beasts' is rather appropriate, from the looks of them," she said, chuckling a bit.

Roxanne looked at Selkiris thoughtfully for a moment, wondering what he looked like under that heavy robe mostly and if he had been anything before he met this 'ancient one'. At least one of those things could be voiced now. "Have you always served the 'Ancient One'?" she asked curiously.

[Selkiris]

Selkriis smiled "Well these creatures can be more friendly than you think, and even when they aren't it is still better company than being alone." Selkiris put a hand on the beast's back and rubbed it, his hand running up and down the spines that protruded. The creature loosened up a bit and emitted a sound that almost sounded like a gurgle. It's body showed that it was enjoying it how ever as the beast nuzzled up to Selkiris. Selkiris actually thought they were cute.....in a strange.....ugly kind of way. They at least acted cute. When Roxanne asked him if he had always severed the Ancient One he paused. No I...was just recently bonded to him. The gods lost my trust long ago so I had no reason not to refuse his offer when he gave it to me."

[Roxanne]

Roxanne looked at Selkiris thoughtfully for a moment as he spoke before looking again at the strange creature. "At least they have a positive attribute though I feel as if I cannot comment much knowing so little about them. However, if they serve you well and you consider them good company, then that is all that matters," she replied finally, smiling. She watched as he petted the creature, an amused look on her face at its reaction.

His answer to her question was interesting and stirred her curiosity. "What were you before you bonded with him? What happened to you to cause you to lose trust in the gods?" she asked. She found herself wanting to understand this seemingly bizarre situation and the person at its center, to hear his story. The feeling made her smile sadly. She knew another someone who would relate to this feeling as well and could admit to herself that it was perhaps because of him that she cared at all, but Rivers was gone and so the only other person who would learn of this was likely to be her boss.

[Selkiris]

Selkiris paused when she asked what had made him lose trust he paused for a long moment...."I....was no one. I had lost everything. I prayed to those damn gods to save one thing. One thing that truly mattered to me but no. Now she is gone too. But the Ancient One.....he truly gives....the darkness doesn't turn its back on its followers. Unlike those gods. And with the Ancient One with me I will find her......I will find my sister." Selkiris muttered that last part as he was lost in the moment. Remembering everying that had happened to him.