Private Tales The Things Nightmares Wished They Were

[Arkhivom]

What a waste.​

Such were his thoughts as he finished one of the last of the feral beasts, crushing its skull in the grasp of merely one of his gargantuan hands. There was fury in his grip, but not toward his now wayward creations. It was toward that winged burning thing. He was filled with rage with every thought and memory of it, fighting with him on equal footing, staying even the height of his furious attack. Even subduing him, albeit momentarily, but it had been enough to slip from his grasp and flood him with the onslaught of his feral monsters. And with each one he slew he imagined it to be one of those three, those three defiant obstacles that he would soon ensure had met their end.

But such, would not come this day it seemed.

Another monster was crushed, this one under his foot. And with its death he roared out, angrily, and in finality, as it was that the last of his monsters around him had been vanquished. And though he wanted to pursue his true enemies, he was not so foolish as to believe they would be tracked by now. He knew where it was they'd gone, to the portal stone, and subsequently somewhere both unknown and likely secure for them. Even if they could follow, it was likely unwise to. So instead, there were many other things that they needed to tend to, and if those things proceeded as he foresaw, then those he sought would soon come to him. Besides, for the moment, he needed to find Lina...

---

Lina ​

 

[Lina]

Death? How dare such a thing think for a moment that it had Her. Death was for mortals, for animals and insects. Death was for any who dared stand in their way. It was not for her.. But it certainly hurt.

In her unconsciousness, bright light flashed across her mind again and again. She felt her heart stop.......................And then stumble back into a slow rhythm. Flames encircled her where she lay upon the burned and broken ground, protecting her from scavengers whilst she could do nothing to defend herself.

How had this happened?

Get up, Lina...

"Arkhiv....... Ark...." she breathed, her brow furrowing as she attempted to force her eyes to open. She had nothing left but pain - and this was not the enjoyable sort. The light had burned through her body and mind, and her rage sparked and ignited as she replayed those final moments. Rage. Sheer, violent rage engulfed her, but it gave her only the power to call his name louder and the will to go on.

Where they dead? Was He?

"Arkhivom!" the demon screamed out, and the ground under her shuddered..

 

[Arkhivom]

Before he heard her voice, her thoughts found him. She sought him, she feared - she was wounded. And though there was fire in him, hatred burned in him for those that would dare to do this to that which he held most dear, there was only a quiet contentment that washed over him.

This deepened with the sound of her voice, desperate as it was. She was alive.

And there, where the very ground beneath her trembled, he found her, and he drew near. As he approached, the thundering of his footsteps subsided and quieted. His talons and claws drew back, and his mandibles formed themselves into a neatly tethered jaw. He knelt, and his eyes faded from their crimson red and changed into a magnificent, almost radiant amber.

A softened hand crept across her cheek, and the other drew down behind her back and lifted her from where she lay.

"My Lina," he said with a voice now calming and smooth in place of its usual rumbling depth, "I am here."

---

Lina ​

 

[Lina]

He was alive.​

She waited, drawing the fire over her like a blanket meant to comfort as she lay in the dirt. Fiery tongues bathed her, scorching the blood and earth on her skin and turning it to ash. It's nurturing warmth soaked into her flesh and she fed from it, taking what little sustenance it offered until it diminished entirely, and then he was there..

Her body felt weightless as he lifted her so effortlessly into his arms and she curled into him, her hand sailing up over his skin until it settled and splayed on his cheek and stroked attentively. "Arkhivom.." she whispered.

"They did not play nice..." she sang quietly, her skin heating to the point of scalding as her body shook with rage.. "We will hunt them, My sweet Arkhivom.. And their deaths will not be quick. I will feast for daaayys."

"On fear... "

"On pain..."

"On flesh.."

"I am..." she sighed sleepily.. "Soooo very hungry, my love."

 

[Arkhivom]

"No," he replied with a soft smile, "they did not play nice."

And as he held her there in the midst of the burning lands he listened to her song of vengeance and her merciless joy in it. He felt her body burn as the fires of her beautiful fury grew within her as she told of their long and terrible ends. And he would see it done for her, deliver them into her cruel embrace with his very hands.

He took her in his arms and stood to his feet, and started on his way from there. Though the land had become broken, with his magics he pulled the shifted and uneven land together under his feet to give him passage, then allowed it to fall away once again behind him until he'd come to where the ground was untouched. And like their foes, he moved to the portal stone that he was certain they had used to escape. He had no way to know where to follow, not even so much as a feeling - it was clear it was not meant to be. Not now.

He placed his hand upon the portal stone, and they were gone.

---

Falwood

---

When they appeared at the Falwood stone, it was unfortunate that there were no travelers nearby for them to prey upon. But that was unlikely to last long. With Vel Anir not far to the north, and Fal'Addas relatively equidistant to the south, they were bound to encounter some amusement along their journey directly east, to Sharyrdaes located on nearly the other side of the forest.

Only a short while after departing from the stone, they encountered some wildlife which he quickly slew with hardly more than a thought, and decided to make camp there where they beasts lay. He made as comfortable a place as he could for his Lina before he went about making for them a fire. His telekinesis served to bring everything he needed to him, and then with the snap of his finger a black flame erupted, turning quickly into a natural orange and yellow flame.

As for their meal... he preferred his uncooked no matter what shape he took. He sat beside her, and stretched his hand out toward one of the antlered beasts and it began to slide across the ground toward them.

---

Lina ​

 

[Lina]

Had a stranger come across them on their path, the tender scene of the beautiful elven male carrying the sleeping silver woman likely would not have been looked upon with fear. And how wrong they would have been to make that mistake.

She could rely on her Arkhivom to take care of her whilst at her most vulnerable, just as she could rely on him in all things. She had felt his pain just as she had felt her own, and in her dreams she bathed in the blood of those who had caused it.

The true scent of blood tickled at her senses and her black eyes snapped open. Animals were never her first choice, but right now she was so hungry it mattered little. She set her gaze on the carcass as he dragged it toward them and sharp claws extended from the tips of her fingers to bury deep into the flesh of it's neck where they curled and sliced free a handful of raw flesh dripping with crimson, still delightfully warm.

Lina cared little for table manners. Blood spilled down her chin and chest and smeared her face as she ate far more than a being of her current size should have been able to. The hunger was that of the demon that she was. Blood quenched her thirst and flesh sated her appetite for now. It would give her the strength she needed to walk on her own tomorrow, should she feel like it. It would give her the strength to hunt more.

The demoness curled herself into the side of her companion and dug her bloody claws into his skin, a little taste of sweet pain for dessert. He was always so good to her.

"Sssooo sweet." she smiled a crimson, Cheshire smile and nuzzled with a feline purr of affection.

 

[Arkhivom]

He hummed as her claws pressed firmly against his new flesh, and he leaned into her as she drew close to him. It had been over a century since his return to this realm and he'd not recovered so much power as to assume his former shape until now, and he found the experience... humbling. His true form was far more robust with armour for skin and weapons for hands. Now he was much softer to the touch, surrendering far more under her sharpened grasp, enjoying the warmth of the sweet pain she gave him.

But while he appeared far more of this world now, her form retained the truth in her ethereal beauty, as it always had.

He brought his hand up to her cheek, saying, "do you remember what it was like, my Lina? When the world was new and our love was young?"

His eyes turned up to the night sky, and there he beheld the moons hung high in the sky, lit brightly side by side, "Lessat was far more beautiful then."

---

Lina ​

 

[Lina]

"I remember, My Arkhivom.. Oohhh yes, oohhh yes, ohhh yes yes yesss." she sang in a haunting little whisper as her claws drummed and scraped against his chest, her bloody lips curled in a pensive smile which turned so suddenly violent.

She followed his gaze to moons for a moment before turning to lick his cheek. "Everything was ours. Everything will be again, My Love. They will soon learn their consequences of keeping us apart before, and they shall never do so again.." she promised, her voice sickly sweet.

"I will turn this world to ashes, and it shall be new again. Just for us."

 

[Arkhivom]

It was moments like these that made him remember, sitting here quietly like this with nothing but one another. His eyes remained fixed on the lesser lights above all while his darling sang that sweet, melancholy melody of ash and death and beauty. And for the first time in an age, he sighed.

His head rolled down and with a firm hand brought up to grasp her chin, he pressed against her with a forceful and demanding kiss, greedily stealing away the blood that had painted her lips before withdrawing with a heavy, ravenous breath. And still he held her chin in his hand, and moved it one way just so, leaning forward and saying with a voice more akin to a body unlike the one he wore now, "I will make you the queen of all, and nothing will stand before you."

And that too, was as it had always been.

He worshipped her, in his own, terrifying way.

---

Lina
​

---

***
He came to a great cliff, and stretching out for as far as he could see was the great forest of Arethil. Her woodland music was as quiet and cunning as ever. But still, there was a vibrancy carried in the wind, one which he loved. It reminded him of her, with its cool yet warming touch gently brushing past, but in truth he could see and feel pieces of her everywhere he looked if he wanted. But tonight he was hardly content with his distant admirations. It had been far too long since he'd laid his eyes upon her, and tonight, he wished to see her.

He'd heard of a marvelous beauty, wandering the Falwood. He only hoped he could catch her...

He darted down the step cliffside with little effort, and moved quickly on deeper into the forest.
***​