|
|
Post by Ro on Dec 30, 2009 21:48:23 GMT -6
"I have a job tonight," she'd said, her flushing ever so slightly. "Some old guy hired me to raid the castle looking for some old magic tome. But I was wondering if maybe after...?"
"Summon him little girl," the wizard's harsh voice commanded, grabbing her hard by the face. There was sure to be bruises later if she managed to get out of this alive, and no doubt Morpheus would be pretty pissed about them. The djinn had this thing about her not calling him when she really needed him.
She spat in the bastard's face. "I' don't know what you're talking about!"
At his expectant look, the pink turned into a faint red, and her ears felt warmer. Hell, she propositioned men for sex all the time, so why couldn't she ask one out on what was supposed to be a real date? Well, because it would be her first, she supposed; normal women were courted and married by the time they were her age, but the life of a thief didn't leave much room for that when anyone could be a bounty hunter.
"I was wondering if you'd want to meet with me afterwords so we could go stargazing or something," she finished lamely.
She grunted when a fist connected with her stomach, knocking the wind out of her. "Bullshit. His essence is all over you! You're obviously the one who thwarted my summoning, so bring him here and hand him over!" he all but bellowed.
It wasn't looking to good and Ro knew that she would have to summon Morpheus no matter what she wanted. She obviously couldn't escape and the wizard would keep her here until he either noticed her absence or heard her screams. Unless she died, but that would be detrimental to the whole 'I'm your master' thing since as long as she was alive, he was safe from being summoned again.
"No," she hissed through gritted teeth.
She'd been bouncing down the street and through the allies, a spring in her step as she headed towards the castle for her job. Things had been....awkward since the wonderful night of sex, but almost pleasantly so. Ro didn't feel the need to claw the smug off his face anymore and rather enjoyed the cockiness that accompanied it. Even the littlest and most innocent touches made her giddy and she often caught herself daydreaming.
If she didn't know any better, she might think herself in love.
The thought was a strange one, seeing as their coupling had been the result of a terrible argument, but she supposed it was make-up sex at it's best. That, and the fact that he'd yelled at her for getting hurt showed just how much he REALLY cared...
"SUMMON HIM!" the wizard cried, smack her across the face again. This time one of his rings cut her across the cheek at the same time her teeth sliced the inside. She tasted blood.
Ro spat it at his feet, watching in faint amusement as it sizzled and dried. Huh, so that's what real magic could do?
Icy blue eyes met his defiantly as she made her decision, hoping to god he turned the bastard inside out when he got here. "You want me to summon him?"
He'd caught her as she was sneaking through the library, muttering about there needing to be some sort of system to keep it organized. It was just an hour till midnight and she wanted to get the book and get out of there before the sky opened up and doused her with it's gifts. Her fingers had just grazed the spine when he'd grabbed around the middle and transported them someplace more private. Once the world had stopped spinning, she found herself bound to a tree.
"Fine," she acquiesced, delighting in the expectant glee that overcame his face. It wouldn't be like that for very long. "MORPHEUS!"
Somewhere, a clock struck midnight.
|
|
|
|
Post by Morpheus on Dec 30, 2009 22:19:52 GMT -6
The djinn was far beyond enraged and it showed, the temperature of the room dropping down to freezing temperatures as he enacted a circle of protection around Ro, forcing the wizard back. The ancient djinn was deadly at best and at the moment he was downright murderous.
Two forms appeared, the Crow and the djinn, his human form replaced by the more djinn-esque form reigning. Crow cocked his head to the side and gave Ro a toothy grin, but his entire posture screamed how worried he was about the djinn. "Do not move," the bird told her.
"The circle protects you from all the magic that is going to occur and you will need it, so shut up and just stay out of it," the bird said, his voice raspy as he cocked his head again and watched what was going on.
Morpheus meanwhile was rather pissed and had colors splayed everywhere, the ice forming. He was powerful, no doubt about it and his voice sounded like broken glass, the tone and power cutting the room about them, inflicting damage on everything. He growled out curses in a language so ancient that no one would know how to read or speak.
There was magic in the air, thick and cloying like a heavy perfume that reeked of death and decay. He let loose a barrage of preemptive spells, just to test the wizard's power before the real fight began. |
|
|
|
Post by Ro on Dec 30, 2009 22:38:23 GMT -6
The circle didn't last long and Ro's lips were sealed shut by a powerful silencing spell the moment she opened them to yell for the jinn to help her. There was a barrier around them, which she was only aware of because Morpheus' spells clashed against it before bouncing off harmlessly. The man grinned maliciously at him before putting a knife to her throat.
"Seems this one's rather important to you," he commented casually, as if he hadn't just been screaming his head off at the blonde. She rolled her eyes at him, using them to tell him his bad guy theatrics were nothing too impressive. "It would certainly explain why every pore exudes your essence. Was she a good romp?"
Despite the knife, Ro managed to kick the bastard in the shin as she glared murder at him. He yowled in pain, but the knife remained and even dug a little deeper until a thin line of blood was drawn. It was a warning, she realized; he could hold Morpheus off for now, but eventually he would tire and as long as he had her, he was safe. This one was smart.
One wrong move and he would cut her jugular.
|
|
|
|
Post by Morpheus on Dec 30, 2009 23:04:20 GMT -6
Morpheus was livid and it showed before he reigned in his emotions, the cold calculations taking over as he seemed to hover in the air. "What do you want, Abbacus?" he asked, deliberately using the wizard's true name.
He glowered, his eyes burning like coals from the demon plane as his power rank of death and the sweet stench of rotting corpses. The djinn was enraged but the cold calculations were turning. It was why the djinn were so dangerous to deal with. One did not know what they were thinking or their plans, much less their desires. |
|
|
|
Post by Ro on Jan 4, 2010 1:43:56 GMT -6
The wizard scowled at him, the tiny wrinkles on his face much more prominent now, giving away the age he had been upon reaching immortality. "You know what I want Jarlaxle," he replied smoothly, using the djinn's alias as if to mock him. It had struck him as ironic that he had chosen that particular name to use as a front when anyone who was old enough to remember knew that Morpheus detested his kind almost as much as he took pleasure in tormenting humans that were unlucky enough to discover his name. "Convince the girl to free you and become my slave and she can live. I've been unsucessful so far, as you can see..."
He demonstrated some of what he had done before the djinn's arrival by muttering a spell under his breath, summoning another silver dagger and promptly burying in her shoulder. Ro did all she could to keep from screaming, but in the end it was a pained whimper that fell from her lips; goddamnit, he hadn't done that at all! The worst that he had done was slice her up a bit!
But Morpheus didn't know that, seeing as there was blood basically everywhere, and the spell that had been cast on her kept her from actually speaking.
|
|
|
|
Post by Morpheus on Jan 4, 2010 14:22:21 GMT -6
A sneer made it's way across the djinn's face, eyes burning red as anger came to the forefront. Morpheus was livid, beyond all knowledge of any other race, murderous intent clear in the fluctuation of power. It was never a good idea to piss of any djinn, especially the ones that had created everything that you knew.
What one gives, one doth taketh away.
And that was what Morpheus planned to do.
The grin grew into a Cheshire Cat one, stretching and distorting, growing terrifying as the room seemed to spin around them. When he wanted to, he could easily transport them to the djinn's plane where the wizard would be torn apart quickly, but first he had to ensure Ro's safety.
That was where Crow came in. Not much was known about the bird, except he was fiercely loyal to Morpheus and only Morpheus knew exactly what Crow was, a specialized companion djinn. Crow was older than Morpheus by a few thousand years, and his power rivaled that of Morpheus'.
Crow cocked his head to the side, silently communicating with Morpheus as they both ignored the wizard's taunts. It was something for Morpheus to ignore what the wizard had done to Ro, but he managed, if only to have the grin grow to a murderous one that promised pain and death.
It was a split second before there was a strong magic flowing through the room and Crow stretched his wings, letting out a toothy grin and a loud 'caw' that split the wizard and negated the spells. Crow's main magic lay in cancelling out wizard's spells when the moment was right.
He forced Ro away from the wizard and shoved the wizard towards the djinn, who merely grinned that murderous grin of his before he wrapped his arms around the wizard, holding him in an iron grip. Because Morph was still indebted to Ro, it didn't matter if the wizard knew his true name, it would have none of the same effect. And Morpheus knew the wizard's real name.
Oh he knew a lot about this wizard. "What one doth giveth, one taketh away, Zephyon," he whispered into the wizard's ear, using his real name. |
|
|
|
Post by Ro on Jan 4, 2010 14:38:46 GMT -6
Ro knew that Abccus was going to die the second she caught the gleam in Crow's beady eyes, her own widening in fear though the bastard deserved it. Her eyes screwed shut just as the first wave of magic hit them, making her sick to her stomach as her senses were assaulted by magic even more ancient then her djinn's, so it was with some relief that she found her mouth unsealed so that she could vomit when flung to the side and to safety. Had that been Crow? She'd always wondered what laid behind that feathered exterior of his...
The thief watched in abstract horror as Morpheus' expression darkened into a vicious grin, almost feeling sorry for whatever fate awaited him. He should have known never to piss off someone like him, regardless of his desires; there were plenty of other djinn out there, so why the hell had he been so hell bent on this one?
Abaccus asked himself that same question as a trill of fear shot up his spine as Morpheus whispered into his ear his fate.
|
|
|
|
Post by Morpheus on Jan 4, 2010 14:47:03 GMT -6
The wizard was no match for the pair, despite all the magic he had studied in the world, all his tricks. The arms wrapped around him were like iron bands, holding him in place securely before a rapid shift left the two of them go. It was only seconds that Morpheus was gone, but it seemed like eternity for the wizard who was slowly torn apart on the djinn plane.
There was nothing that djinn hated more than wizards.
Morpheus returned back, his body back the normal one that Ro was used to seeing, the shell of Jarlaxle. He crouched down in front of her, eyes still glowing with that faint tinge of red, like embers of a fire as he brushed gentle fingers across her face, eyes following the path of his fingertips as his hands moved over her body, healing wounds.
He never spoke audibly, but he gave Ro comforting images and feelings, more like thoughts being transferred into her mind to help her relax as he sorted out the truth, shifting through her mind, ignoring all permissions and politeness.
Crow had come back to his normal state, hopping up and resting on Morpheus' shoulder, watching the human before he spoke. "You are safe now, Ro. And so is Morpheus, considering there is no one else to fight." |
|
|
|
Post by Ro on Jan 4, 2010 15:03:05 GMT -6
She nodded numbly, eyes haunted as the terrified scream the wizard had let out before being transported who-knew-where replayed over and over in her head. It had been a while since she had seen the djinn look so terrifying, and she almost flinched away from his touch before thinking better of it; Morpheus wouldn't be pleased if she showed him how scared she was of his power (even though she knew he would never willingly hurt her). "Thank you," she whispered, and she couldn't remember the last time those two words had been more heart felt. It seemed he was always saving her from some awful blunder, and this was just the first time she'd voiced her gratitude. "For everything," she clarified after some thought.
Her hand stopped his as it hovered close to the dagger portruding from her shoulder and she reached up to pull it out herself. The pained hiss that escaped her lips let him know just how much it stung, and the fresh blood pouring from the wound didn't help none. It would scare, unfortunately, even with his help since the blade had been enchanted.
A small reminder of what could happen when she crossed the wrong wizard with the wrong djinn.
|
|
|
|
Post by Morpheus on Jan 4, 2010 15:08:33 GMT -6
Morph nodded, he could see and sense the fear she had, it was inane in all creatures. Everyone and everything feared djinn, even when they had no reason to do so, such as now. He withdrew his hand and nodded, still silent before standing and taking a few steps back, the thief completely healed.
Crow seemed to sense something else before hopping down and perching on Ro's lap, cocking his head as he looked at her. He nudged her hand with his head, seeming to give comfort to the girl as Morpheus turned to take in the surroundings, striding over to a bookcase on the opposite side of the room, beginning to leaf through the various texts there, able to read them all.
And destroy them all, he thought as fire leapt from his fingertips to begin to destroy the books and only the books. He would keep it secret to himself, and Crow since Crow was a part of him, that it did hurt him when she was scared of him, even when she tried not to show it. That would remain, it would always remain, which is why djinn rarely, if ever took human lovers or became attached. |
|
|
|
Post by Ro on Jan 4, 2010 15:17:32 GMT -6
The emotional distance seemed much more vast then the physical, and he was only across the room. But as the books caught on fire and the room filled with smoke thick with the smell of dying magic, she wondered what she could do to fix it. It's because you're afraid, her mind whispered , that he feels so far away.
Biting her lip while her fingers ran themselves over Crow's feathers idly, she wondered what she might be able to do to show that even though she was afraid, she trusted him with her life. After all, if she hadn't, she wouldn't be anywhere near him even now. "Morpheus?" she asked, the name even now feeling like a forbidden secret between the two of them.
|
|
|
|
Post by Morpheus on Jan 4, 2010 15:23:32 GMT -6
Morpheus turned, the flames in his hand dying down instantly as he regarded her, one eyebrow arched as his head tilted to the side, dark hair sliding over his shoulders. "Yes?" he asked, his voice rumbling through the chest as dark eyes watched her, his entire body neutral is if waiting for a strike.
He blinked once, seeming almost as if a normal person, except he hovered a scant few inches off the ground, barefeet like always, as his shirt gaped open. Everything about him was still, as if the breath before the storm. Crow watched him, worry evident in his entire body. Even though the bird was a djinn as well and older than Morpheus, the more adept djinn was far more powerful than the companion djinn.
|
|
|
|
Post by Ro on Jan 4, 2010 15:31:36 GMT -6
Still knawing on her lip, the blonde stumbled to her feet and went to him, setting Crow to the side so that he didn't tumble off her lap. Not like he would, but just to be safe. The air around them was thick with heavey silence, electrofied as even she held her breath in anticipation, although Ro was the one everyone was waiting for to speak. She stood before him, looking up into his dark eyes that were much higher then usual because he insisted on hovering. Always showing off, she thought in mild amusement.
She reached for his hand since his cheek was so far away, kissing the palm before nuzzling it with her cheek. "Thank you," she said again, blue eyes expectant as she smiled tenderly at him.
|
|
|
|
Post by Morpheus on Jan 4, 2010 15:43:14 GMT -6
Morpheus watched her, dark eyes just waiting as she reached out to him. Her actions were entirely unexpected and it showed in the brief moment of surprise that flickered across his features before his feet touched the floor again, silent as everything.
His hand moved slightly so he was cradling her face as dark eyes filled with an emotion that was unreadable to most, watching her as an almost imperceptible smile quirked his lips upwards, seeming to relax against her and a bit off edge now that she seemed to show that she cared despite the inane fear all creatures possessed.
|
|
|
|
Post by Ro on Jan 4, 2010 15:52:38 GMT -6
"You're supposed to say 'you're welcome' when someone thanks you, you know," she teased, taking a step closer to him. Her eyes told him that it was okay for him to hold her, that she had gotten over the temporary fear that had filled her eyes before and was fine for now. They also said that while she would always be afraid of him (an understandable reaction all things considered), she would always care. "You don't have to be so on edge with me Morpheus. Sometimes I wish you didn't always have my best interests at heart and would just say what you want to say and do what you want to do."
|
|
|
|
Post by Morpheus on Jan 4, 2010 15:57:08 GMT -6
Morpheus gave her a soft smile as his arms slid around her, holding her to him firmly yet gently, in a tender embrace that spoke volumes of just how much he cared for the human thief. He ran fingers through her hair, watching her with dark eyes that glowed with just a hint of red, not making him look demonic, but rather endearing, all things considered.
He leaned down and brushed his lips over her forehead before shrugging in response to her last statement. "As I'm sure you know by now, it is part of my being, who I am and what I am."
|
|
|
|
Post by Ro on Jan 4, 2010 16:05:44 GMT -6
"Maybe I ought to fix that, then," she said with a certain gleam in her eye. Frankly it was tiring tiptoeing around her words all the time, and Ro had actually been considering it for a while now-setting him free that is. The only real reason she hadn't was because she was afraid might happen if she did (would he leave and never look back? Would he decide he was better off with her dead?), but there were also a few minor ones as well. Like the fact that the only reason he was bound to her because she had ordered him to find her parents and because she didn't know if she and the now dead wizard were the only ones who knew his true name.
The former had had her burning with curiousity for a while, but she'd been rather...distracted as of late with the sudden change in their relationship. That aside, she wondered if he would really want her to free him now that the only threat to his well-being was her, and she couldn't do much anyways.
|
|
|
|
Post by Morpheus on Jan 4, 2010 16:08:49 GMT -6
He watched her, prying into her thoughts subtly, not as if it was hard to read at all to begin with, but knowing exactly what she was thinking was a different story. "Do as you wish then," he said, watching her as his thumb stroked her cheek and he leaned down to brush his lips across hers, almost as if a whisper.
He had long since completed her request, and yes her parents were quite dead, and he knew it. He lifted his head slightly before kissing her again, more firmly and with that kiss, transferred the knowledge he had gathered to her.
|
|
|
|
Post by Ro on Jan 4, 2010 16:29:19 GMT -6
The images that flowed through her mind brought tears to her eyes as she saw what her parents looked like for the first time, felt their ghostly touches with every memory that was pumped into her, and knew that they had indeed loved her enough to die for her. Whoever they had been, they hadn't abandonned her because they'd wanted to, so it was with mild surprise that she saw that the ringleader of the circus who'd picked her up was actually her uncle. Go figure that one.
Tears finally making their way down her cheeks, Ro broke the kiss so that she could embrace him tightly and cried. She'd gone her whole life hating these invisible ghosts that haunted her every action, and only to find out that the hate was unfounded made her all the more relieved. When had she begun to hope otherwise?
|
|
|
|
Post by Morpheus on Jan 4, 2010 20:22:20 GMT -6
Morpheus was silent, just holding her to him, cradling her against his chest. His body was warm, comforting as he held her, letting her sob against him. There was a faint 'pop' in the background, a feeling of exhaling and he was freed from her control. It was an immediate relief that he was not bound to her again and the overwhelming desire to strike his name from her memories hit him, but he also decided to leave it alone.
He could at least trust her not to abuse his name, seeing as she had not done so yet, instead steadfastly refusing to actually ask for help. He smiled lightly at the thought, fingers gently tilting her head up as a chaste kiss was placed on her lips.
|
|
