Heart of Darkness [OPEN]

[Carallian Incionte Ve Undomiel]

Overhead the sky lay leaden and gray, blocking out the warming light of the sun and insuring that the day was one which would remain cold and dreary until night finally fell and all that was left was the chill. As if this were not enough to make it an entirely unwholesome day, there was a thick mist that was beginning to settle over the land, blown up from the beach by an easterly wind that seemed to be almost alive in its efforts to nip at exposed skin. It was clear to all that this was a day to be spent, not outdoors, but safely sequestered inside amongst ones trappings and, hopefully, good company. The fact that the entire area surrounding the Palace was completely devoid of anyone other than those who had absolutely no choice lay testament to this fact. Yet in all the drab world, there was one splash of color to be found. Calmly, deliberately, purposefully, there strode a figure clad in blood toward the Palace of the Boogies.

Without pausing a moment to gaze up at the imposing spectacle arrayed before her, Carallian resolutely made her way up the path that led to the front entrance of the Palace. It made no difference to her the size of the structure or its intimidating appearance, she had seen and witnessed things far more grand, and far more terrible. Besides, she was not here on some sort of paltry sight seeing trip; it was only under direct orders from the highest stations of Wonderland that she had come to be here. She was here to do her duty, nothing more and nothing less, and when it was done she would be returning to receive her next charge. It didn't matter how long it took, time was irrelevant when you had an eternity. Nor did it matter to her how many had to die in order for her duty to be fulfilled, had they been worthy of the life they were allowed to have then they would have earned it and there would have been no cause for her to be sent. Thus, they obviously deserved anything that she chose to bestow upon them.

Reaching the main entrance she easily pushed the massive doors open with well less than a conscious effort on her part. Stepping into the cavernous entryway she took note of the shameless ostentation that made up the interior of the building. It was plain to see that the boogies here were more than comfortable with their lifestyle, something that did not ease her view of them in the least. She had never seen any need for the lavish lifestyles of others, her eyes only seeing waste and slothfulness that could easily be cured were she allowed to use her Ceiles as she desired. Unfortunately however, the council saw it as an easily achieved means of control, dulling the minds of the masses into complacency so that only a mere were left who would even be able to think clearly enough to oppose them, let alone succeed in causing a stir. It was for these few that she and her like were kept handy.

Scanning the few people before her and those traveling up and down corridors to either side and before her, she saw none of the names or faces that she had been supplied. For the most part all she saw were humans, they not any that she had been sent for either. Being as the members and leaders of the so called rebellion that had been allowed by the imbeciles governing this region, she had been ordered to use her own discretion when it came to weeding out the belligerent children. The majority of those before her however, were not what she herself would define as rebels. To her well trained eye there were only a few that were not broken in body, and fewer still that still maintained a spirit. These small few were nothing more than toddlers in her eyes, children that had only recently been captured and had yet to come to realize the full severity of their situation.

As she stood examining her charge for the time being, an older child just happened to pass close to her as they hurried in out of the dark and unfriendly day. Like a viper striking its unwitting prey her arm whipped out, grabbing them by the collar and lifting them from the floor. At first they struggled a bit, up until she turned them to face her at which point their face abruptly paled. Pale pink eyes scanned them up and down, taking in their ragged clothing and wraithlike appearance, deliberately ignoring the package they were holding. It was obvious to her that their master was one who was too ignorant to keep their slave in the proper condition.

Dropping the child to the floor she held them in her gaze, the frightened human paralyzed from her mere stare. One long finger extended, coming up beneath their chin and slowly raising their face until they looked directly into her eyes. "You will find the person or persons in governance here and bring them to me." Almost at once the child's mouth opened to protest, but she cut them off immediately. "I do not care what it is that your master has assigned you, my orders are from this day forward absolute. You will find who I have told you to find. You will do so at once. You will not do anything first, not for any reason whatsoever it may be. If you do so I will know and you will pay dearly. If you chance upon your master and it is they who waylays you, you shall both be held responsible. Now go. I will remain here and await their arrival and your return." Without question this time the child nodded and turned quickly to be off at the task they had been assigned. "And child." Hesitantly they turned back, unsure if this was some trick to ensnare them into a punishment yet too afraid to ignore her. "I had better not be kept waiting long." It was her gaze more than anything that spoke to the child of what would occur should she be kept waiting. Without another word spoken they turned chalk white and rushed off, her pink eyes following them all the way, knowing their future as surely as had she been a prophet. The child would soon be dead.

[Corvus "Raven" Hunter]

"Ah, be careful there, she does tend to bite..."

Corvus chuckled to himself as he walked down the hallway of the palace, steadily growing black hair tied back at the nape of his neck and standard black jacket trailing behind him. In his arms was his familiar, the Venus-flytrap named Aphrodite, and to his side was a little human girl, with wide eyes and a love of flowers, far as he could tell. She'd spotted him as he'd chatted with Aphrodite about the up and coming move to the Takanami estate...something they were both looking forward to. Aphrodite thought it would be a "welcome change of pace from this dump of a palace".

Cor wondered how many days it would take before Jouhnin tossed her into the frost.

Anyhow, now the little plant-loving girl wouldn't stop asking questions, such as what Aphrodite ate, if she was a spring or summer flower, and how she could talk. Aphrodite loved the attention and soaked it up like sunlight. Her owner, on the other hand, was getting a bit worn out from all the explaining. "Yes, yes, she eats humans," he answered the last question with a soft sigh, "But only if they get to close." Taking his word for it the girl pulled her hands back to her sides. Aphrodite hissed.

"Come on now, I was looking forward to a snack."

...make that minutes.

Passing by another slave that looked like he was about to keel over in fright, the girl blinked and turned to watch him go. Corvus paused with her, a little confusion in his red eyes, before the girl looked back at him and bowed gently and went after the other slave. Cor blinked a couple times and shrugged it off, taking another couple steps into the main entrance way...

..............

OH FUCK!!!!!

Immediately the red-eyed man jumped away from the entrance to the entryway, eyes wide with shock and fear, feeling his hands beginning to shake. It couldn't be her. No. Just no...no, fucking no, NO way, NO!! GOD DAMMIT!! FUCK!!!!

Wh-What...what is she...doing here?!?!

Oh fuck, God, please don't let her have seen me!! No, no, NO!!!

Aphrodite swayed to and fro, her eternal smirk seeming to twitch even stronger for a second. So that woman had decided to enter the palace? For what reason had she come? And did it have anything to do with him? In any way at all...perhaps even something to do with the murder so long ago...?

Either way, Corvus was not happy to see his old employer.

[Carallian Incionte Ve Undomiel]

Her eyes didn't follow the boy as he fled to make his way toward the task to which he had been set. There was no need whatsoever for her to watch him, not even for his first unsteady steps. She knew he would do as she was told, the child was clearly no hero of any sort. The fear that was rolling off of him in waves was so thick that she could taste the scent of it, the tart treat lying thick and heavy on her tongue. No, the boy would not even think to disobey her, even if obeying her meant traveling to the very center of the world and back. He would not disobey her because he knew irrefutably that to do so meant his own death. That, in and of itself was a question of vast significance, what could he possibly have to live for in this world that would make him cling so desperately to his farce of a life? It was a matter that a scholar would have pursued for centuries to come. Cara barely gave it a moment's thought.

Instead of keeping watch over her departing messenger like some sort of bird of prey, she instead turned her gaze back to the masses passing to and fro about her. From one hall or another passed children on certain errands that they had been assigned, all of them different and yet the same. The smaller humans smiled and whistled or sang as they went about duties that, to them, must seem some sort of game. Many of the older ones simply stumbled along blindly, the blank pits that once were their eyes giving profound testament to how utterly their very souls had been crushed beneath the macabre weight that was Wonderland.

It was then that a flash of movement caught her glance. It was no more than a snippet of vision, but in that small moment in time she gleaned all that she needed. A humorless smile crept onto her face as the memories fell into place, memories of millenia ago when she had taught the man the meaning of pain, the meaning of despair. Simply judging from his quick retreat she could surmise that he was not pleased to see her once more, something that she was not surprised at all to uncover. But given the circumstances, she was pleased to find a subordinate in this dismal place, albeit an incompetent one.

Glancing about the entryway once more, she spotted what she required off to the side, conveniently on the same wall that contained the passageway down which he hid. Easily striding over to it she placed her hand to the stone, carefully inspecting the section that was different, though only slightly, from that around it. Moments later and she had found the catch, the section of stone sliding back soundlessly and permitting her entrance. Once inside the tunnels it was a simple matter to find another portal that led her to where she desired. Tripping the switch the wall opened once more, the woman garbed in blood stepping into the corridor behind her prey.

As silent as an owl swooping down upon a mouse and just as certain, she moved forward until she was directly behind the man, the Hunter. One long, snow white finger came up, gently caressing the man's jaw in what any passersby might consider a lover's touch, but which she knew would sink the fear to his very soul. Ever so slightly she leaned in, her pale lips less than an inch from his ear as she spoke. "Are you not pleased to see me, my pet~?"

[Corvus "Raven" Hunter]

For a few minutes, what felt like hours, the young man stayed pressed so tight against the wall passerby’s could mistake him for part of the wall-paper. The only thing going through his mind were a few reruns of ‘why now?’ and ‘how come?’ along with a ever charming stream of obscenities. This couldn’t be happening. Eleven years ago, Corvus had come to the palace to escape his old life, his old job, and his old boss…mostly his old boss. And after eleven years of interruption-less hiding things were finally at a pace he was fine with. He had Jouhnin as his own, Kristopher and him were on okay terms…

So fate had just decided to fuck with him and send her now.

Aphrodite seemed quite calm about this whole situation. It was her owner that had the problem, not her, right? Carallian had no qualms with a sharp-tongued flower, now did she? For a second Cor pondered the idea of chopping the mad-woman up and feeding her to Aphrodite. The idea was tossed aside when he assumed the pure amount of hate in that woman would kill his poor familiar instantaneously. As he thought about this, he failed to notice as said woman Boogie as she moved and entered one of the passageways that the fool he was should have realized he was standing right in front off.

By the time he did chance another glance at her, it was too late to run.

Her hand was already there, where he could barely see it from the corner of his eye, that pale as death finger brushing against him. The younger male froze, much like an unfortunate soul caught in the eye of Medusa. Though they had the luck of dying the instant they saw her. Corvus was not as lucky. Aphrodite’s smirk twitched again as the ex-hunter shuddered at her lips at his ear. Cold as they were one would think he’d enjoy it, seeing as there was another rather cold Boogie he loved very much. Jouhnin was nothing like Carallian though. He was the chill of fresh snow.

She was the bite of hell frozen over.

Corvus couldn't even return her words, he was bitten so badly.

[Carallian Incionte Ve Undomiel]

It was quite simply impossible for her to hold back the cruel smirk that flashed onto her face at his reaction, or rather lack thereof. She supposed that she ought to feel some sort o f pride from the fact that he remembered precisely the fear that had gripped him every waking moment when he was in her charge. Pride was something that was for other, lesser, boogies however; her duty was her duty and nothing more, there was no need nor cause nor desire to take pride in it. Instead she simply relished in the waves of panic rolling over him, the despair that gripped his soul, the icy chill that rent at his heart and crushed it in its frozen claws. It was delectable.

Though she pulled back away from him the finger remained in place, slowly tracing its way from his jaw to his hear, and then down the side of his neck. With a smile that could freeze molten lead she slowly circled him, her boots clicking menacingly against the smooth marble that comprised the floor. As she walked her finger never left contact with his skin, though it did keep pace with her, circling around his neck as she circled him like a carnivore circling its meal. Still he did not move. Whether it was because he remembered his training too well to do something foolish, or because he was simply so terrified that he couldn't even if he'd wanted to she neither knew nor cared. It was not, however, what she wanted from him.

With a final click, like the cocking of a rifle, she came to a stop directly in front of him. The finger that had been circling his neck slowly slid up, the nail lightly grazing his jugular. and came to rest directly under his chin; or, more precisely. pressing up against it. In all actuality it was a rather ironic gesture, considering that he was in fact several inches taller than she was. But she knew that he was well aware of the meaning behind it; like all of her pets he knew it was meant to remind him of who was the master, and who was nothing more than the pitiful little charge she had been entrusted with.

The smile on her face disappeared as she stared into the eyes of the man before her, her cold pink eyes locked onto his of a darker shade. When she spoke there was no humor in her voice, no leeway or wiggle room for the man, it was the same icy, no nonsense tone that so many had come to fear. "You will tell me, pet, precisely what has happened since you left my care, in detail. And when you have done that, I would like to be informed of this..." she had to make an effort not to scoff " 'Palace'. All of its inner workings, its governance and ruling, and how exactly you allowed a ragtag group of little children to cause such a stir...." Obviously she was not pleased, and whoever coined the phrase 'Hell hath no fury', was indeed speaking of Carallian.