Opening the Second Seal

OOC stuff:

The last few days had been ... rather turbulent to say the least. The high seas were in turmoil, the waves reaching higher, and in their midst, the large steel warship was rocking up and down as it broke through the ever so rising waters. Johann was quietly sitting at the makeshift desk in the officer's cabin, staring down at the stack of books, papers and other bits and pieces of literature before him, kept company only by his friend and, much to Johann's own displeasure, self proclaimed servant. He feared Artorias would never stop calling him "my lord", but no matter how many times he told him he was no lord, the falcon wouldn't listen. He had his own sense of honour which, sadly, included speaking to the other what he would call respect. Johann stopped paying too much attention to this fact, anything else would only give him a headache.

The falcon sat on a small leather couch, holding in one hand a small book, the silence in the room almost tangible, only interrupted by the occasional turning of pages and shuffling of paper. It had been a couple months now since Johann had returned from his old home, Amber Island, with the two items the bandits had taken from his family's possession, the two things Johann didn't even know existed, the strange, runed Rapier and the strangely glowing amber amulett. Naturally, he had an eye on them, and even tried tinkering with them a bit in an attempt to unveil more if their history, and in a bright flash of light, the amulett had spawned a man. A man who called himself Artorias ... von Weiss. Needless to say, Johann was more than confused and overwhelmed with this sudden appearance, but the Falcon explained everything. That he had been a friend and advisor to Johann's family for generations, that he was invited into the family by his ancestors, that he had been sealed in the amulett when the family line almost went extinct and moved to the location that Johann had called his home for the early years of his life, and so much more. The Vice President of the West Fiore Trading Company was more than amazed with this magical beast, and promptly worked to have him join the organisation he called his home now, The West Fiore and Tolgalen. The Knight had promptly accepted, and, after a thorough examination where Johann learned of Artorias' Storm Magic first hand, he joined their ranks, serving the Vice President of the West Fiore Trading Company and Keeper of Onyx Moon as a companion, advisor and friend ever since.

It was also through Artorias that Johann had unlocked more and more knowledge about his family's history and their peculiar affinity with runic magic, even crafting his own runes and inscribing them into his body, bringing him to where he was now. Additionally, Johann had filled him in on the 200 years he was locked away, from the general course of history and magic up until the point where he had left Amber Island for the second time. Artorias, though trying his best to appear passive to the news that Johann was the only surviving member of the family, but the news hit him hard, and the Vice President couldn't help but notice. It was understandable, the family that had lifted him up, that had taken them under their wing, given him purpose, were gone, brought down by the senseless greed of men. But this fateful meeting was a true blessing to both of them, Johann, who was now able to share his grief, his anger with someone who understood, and Artorias, who had been released and granted purpose anew. Thus they had focussed resources and effort into acquiring more information about the group Johann had dealt with before: Blood Seal.

After weeks of trying to gather information, inquiring with civilians and contacts of the Company alike, after tedious search of any kind of news they had finally caught something. Nothing more than a small hint, a rumor, a whisper in the wind, but it was more enough for them to act. Johann had taken a leave from his Company duties for a short while and mobilized a Battleship immediately, leaving the harbour just hours later. Their destination was Sakuramori.

Johann had heard from some sources that an unnamed bandit guild had made the mountains around the city their own, robbing travelers and plundering villages to accumulate gold. Apparently, according to a man who claimed to have been robbed by them they were looking for something, and according to another woman she heard some sketchy figures asking around town for an antique temple, bearing a symbol comprised of a black circle and a red cross within. The Blood Seal.

Both Johann and Artorias tried to prepare as best as they could, Johann tinkering with new runes and trying to transcribe them into unleashing their magical properties, on the long journey to Sakuramori he would have more than enough time, managing to not only enchant the equipment of his companion, but also smith a rune that would protect himself from danger and harm as well as enhance his physical endurance. Quite happy with the result, they both had gone to rest, trying to at least get a few hours of sleep to be in top form for the inevitable.

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Word Count: 898
Word Count Total: 898 / 2.500

"Do you think we'll reach the spot today, my friend ?" The Vice President asked his companion as they made their way through the pink, blooming forest step by step. They had passed through Sakuramori without trouble, not before picking up a few supplies and asking locals about the bandit threat, though, and all of them would tell the same story. The story of intimidating criminals who had, for some unknown reason, made camp in the mountains around the city, and the story of travellers who came through, barely making it to town with nothing left but the clothes they had on their bodies, all belongings taken by a group who came from the darkness of the forest and disappeared back into it when they were done. "I don't know, my lord, but it might be best to set up camp here and-"

Both men stopped where they stood, both had heard them approach, both had picked up their scent. "We'll continue as if we didn't know, Artorias", Johann spoke to the other directly with a lowered voice who promptly answered in the same fashion "Understood" before they both continued walking through the woods at moderate pace, the now dominating silence only broken by the sounds of the forest and the occasional rattling of a bush or a sudden shift up in the trees. Johann closed his eyes, seeing their forms clearly in his head. There was a group of 5 to both sides, trying to outflank the two men and get ahead of them. Johann and Artorias would let them try whatever they had planned, they would make for both, an excellent source of information and a great warm up.

Sure enough, barely a few minutes had passed before 6 of the 10 figures stepped from the shadows of the bushes and trees on both waysides, all of them dressed like a ragtag band of outlaws, pieces of clothing that didn't match the other one, faces covered in makeshift bandanas or other pieces of cloth, and all of them carrying some sort of melee weapon while the ones that stayed behind were equipped with bows, one of them even daring to aim a pistol at them. Lowly thugs, all of them, their tactics clear as day. They would swiftly be dealt with, and the Vice President couldn't help but be amused at this crude and arrogant display of perceived power and superiority. One of the 6 stepped forward. "Their leader, perhaps ?", it didn't matter too much. Soon enough all of them would snuff it in a pool of their own blood, anyway. Johann and Artorias hadn't come to leave anyone alive. There would be no mercy, and no survivors.

"Okay, old man, here's the deal" the one who had come forward started speaking "you hand over everything you have ... " he broke into a malicious laughter, the ones behind him doing the same " ... and we might let you live". Looking very out of place in this situation, a wide grin started raising up the corners of Johann's mouth as the sheer arrogance of these petty criminals lit up inside him a blazing flame of anger, the familiar black colour creeping across his left eye as it turned dark, the red glowing pupil in its middle. "Counterproposal:" Johann's hand drew the rapier at his side in an instant, moving so fast he had his doubts that any of them could've even followed his movements "You filthy scum tell me EVERYTHING about your boss, why you are here, and what you are looking for ..." Johann now imitating the tone of their leader, whose expression had changed with the banal insult from amused to irate "... and I might let you live".

The leaders fists starting clutching the brass knuckles he held, and with heavy steps he made his way over to Johann who remained where he stood "What was that, I think I must've misheard, old man" he lifted up his right arm "because you're not in a position to make DEMANDS" before throwing a punch at the Vice President with full force, arguably one of the most stupid things he could've done. Both speed and power of the attack were laughable, and Johann simply caught the man's fist with his left hand before suddenly twisting it, the entire lover arm of the man being turned 180 degrees, the bones breaking with a loud and resounding crack. Much to Johann's amusement the group behind collective took a step back as their leader erupted into screams of horrible pain, "MY ARM! MY ARM!". The idiot should've thought about that sooner, now, they would pay the price.

Arrows came flying from the shadows of the wayside bushes at both Johann and Artorias, the Falcon now had drawn his sword, too, both simply knocking the projectiles away, hitting the ground with a metallic clunk before coming to a stop. Both men gave each other a nod before Artorias disappeared in the bushes, the dark of the forest lit up by a burst of yellow light a second later as the sound of bristling electricity filled the air. He would deal with the rangers, the firing of a gun ringing out in a bit of distance, while Johann would take down the rest over here. Bursting forward, almost blinking through the space between them he appeared before one of the thugs with such incredible speed the man didn't even get the chance to fight back, or even react for that matter. Johann's rapier dug through his body, blood splattering all around, instantly collapsing to the ground as he moved on to the next one across. The small group started picking up on what was going on shuffled around in their panic, but Johann was already at the next one, a woman, grabbing her by the throat and holding her up. She struggled to breathe, a gurgling noise all that came from her before the VP slammed her into the ground as hard as he could, rupturing the grassy dirt beneath as once more, with a loud crack, bones were breaking. One of them tried to stop Johann, swinging his sword at his back and indeed, striking it, but with seemingly little effect. The blade had cut about an inch deep before it was stopped by the unnaturally resistant, runed skin of Johann before pulling back in horror, the small, bloody wound closing instantly. A sinister grin decorating his visage, Johann turned to face the grunt before, barely appearing to move at all, with extreme speed and precision, removing his head from his shoulders. An expression of surprise and shock still visible on his face, with an audible thump the man's head tumbled on the ground. The last 30 seconds of his life he would spend desperately trying to breathe, fighting to get even the slightest bit of air, but he wouldn't be able to. There would be no lungs to support his attempts, and his throat would fill with blood as his surroundings slowly went black.

There was only one of them still standing, and with an expression of pure fear, the last man turned around, dropping the two daggers he had been clutching in his fist before sprinting off at full speed, running for his life. "They always run" the amused Johann whispered to himself before he, too, sprinted forward, the last of the grunts staring down at his chest in disbelief as Johann's rapier emerged from it, tears rolling down his face before the VP pulled the blade back, the last one of them falling, now laying motionless.

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Word Count: 1.270
Word Count Total: 2.168 / 2.500

Calmly and filled with a sense of satisfaction Johann made his way back to the still whimpering "leader" of that little gang, he had left him alive. He still needed him ... for a short while. Artorias now returned from the dark of the shadows as well, giving his master a short nod. All but this one were dealt with, and Johann pointed the tip of his blade at the man crawling in the dirt. "And just like that you're not so tough anymore. Now, once again, I will ask you to give me everything you know. Let's start with an easy question, you're a member of Blood Seal, yes ?", the other, tears in his eyes and wincing in pain simply gave a hasty nod "Good, good, that wasn't that difficult now, was it ?"

"Next up, your Boss, who is it ?", the man on the ground hesitated, but did answer after a few seconds "H-his name is Bronnam". Johann had never heard of the man, but gave him a nod anyway. "Now, finally then, why are you roaming the mountains of Sakuramori and what are you looking for ?" the other trying to avert Johann's piercing gaze "I- I don't know", the tip of Johann's rapier immediately getting closer to the man's throat "F-F-FINE ... fine ... please, don't kill me", the Keeper of Onyx Moon doing nothing, waiting for the other to continue "I- I don't know much, just that Bronnam was looking for a ... temple of sorts, found it in a nearby valley. He is searching for something, but I- I swear I don't know what. He paid handsomely and let us rob the folk around here so we're more than happy. Please, let me go", Johann happily obliging, his rapier sinking into the man's throat before, with a short struggle and a bone chilling gurgle of blood, the life left his body.

Finally Johann had a hint, finally he would find answers, finally he would get revenge. Finally, he would be able to eradicate the murderers of his friends, his family, his home, his life. "Artorias, you have to get back into the amulett in case things go wrong. One of us has to survive" Johann called out to his comrade as he stared into the distance, the black runes that covered half his body digging their way across his flesh, burning themselves over his skin, slowly creeping up the side of his face before reaching his other eye, this one, too, slowly changing from it's regular colour to a dark and endless black, a crimson red pupil shining within. "Understood"

Finding the temple had not been a problem, he simply had to follow the tracks of those he had slaughtered, Johann's blood boiling more and more with each step he took, with each second that passed, and the closer he got, the more it intensified the burning feeling in his chest before finally, before him he found etched into the side of the mountain, a set of enormous, massive stone double doors.

Some music to match the mood:

For but a few second he stared at the large, possibly age old hundreds of tons heavy construction before him, and sheathed the rapier, streaks and strings of black air and wind rising up from his form as his distorted face formed a broad, grim smile. It was only this set of doors that separated him from spilling the blood of those that had ruined his life, that had taken everything precious from him and kicked him into the dirt. The rage he felt hurt his chest and throat, a burning sensation rising up inside. Without thinking he acted, the surge of emotion filling his entire body momentarily as the air around him boomed with magical energy, and, in a single sweep from his right hand an extreme wave of pressure burst forth from him, slamming into the door, the ground below quaking from the enormous force of the attack. The doors were pretty much disintegrated instantly, reduced to rubble and dust that rose up from the collapsed pile of stone, filling the air all around. It didn't hinder Johann. He simply stepped over the pieces of rubble all around, seemingly paying no mind to his surroundings at all, his eyes fixed on the insides of the temple that was generously lit by lamps, torches and others, a group of about 20 very confused and surprised individuals scrambling to orientate themselves as the dust slowly settled. When it did, a man started shouting commands, the group following his word with precision and skill. There were no ordinary thugs, these were soldiers who were drilled and followed orders in the brink of an eye and without second thought. As Johann stepped out of the lingering cloud of dust the Blood Seal members had already formed two ranks, all of them shouldering a rifle with one of them behind the ranks, holding a sword up in the air.

As far as the Vice President was concerned, they were nothing but a temporary obstacle to be overcome. "You're in my way, Vermin" from his mouth echoing a booming voice alongside his own, and with the same sweep from before, a wave of pressure wiped the group from the face of the planet, their forms disintegrating as the contents of their bodies covered the walls all around in a dark red colour. "Pathetic".

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Word Count: 907
Word Count Total: 3.075 / 2.500

Quickly, more and more people came from all corners of the great hall of the temple Johann had found himself in, alerted by the screams, the noise, the shaking of the earth. Without much delay, a second group started forming up , double the size of the last one, again forming ranks, frightened faces staring down the barrels of their rifles at the Vice President who, at this point, was partially surrounded by dark, swirling wind all around his torso. A sharp voice rang out over all other noises, rough, yet resounding with the same fear the others felt. A feeling that nourished Johann. "All ranks. FIRE!"

The air cracked with the storm of smoke and bullets unleashed, but Johann made no effort to dodge or even move out of the way, his body pierced by a couple dozen projectiles just the blink of an eye later, and he dropped on one knee, his gaze still fixed forward, blood splattering from his mouth. Johann could feel his consciousness slip from his grasp, but something stopped him, as if someone had suddenly blocked a door. Inside his mind he could hear it clearly, an echoing voice calling out his name. He answered and was faced with a question "Johann ... you need me ... just like I need you. I am a part of you, you know ... You need the power to destroy. Do you want the power to punish those who made you suffer so dearly ? The power to slaughter them, wipe them off the face of this planet, to spill their blood and end their meager little lives? ", like in trance, the Vice President didn't even hesitate or think twice "Then let ME take full control and I will show you TRUE. POWER. ... you need only say but. one. woooord." , the only thing he could think about coming from his mouth, simply, and with an almost croaky, shaking voice "Yes"

A shock went through Johann's body as the black energy around him erupted, sending through the air ripples of magical energy, soaring stormwind covering his arms and rising to his head where it formed two large, antler like horns, his eyes changing colour from their original crimson red to a deep, amaranth purple, the wounds all over his body closing back up instantly.

The black air started swirling around him, engulfing his form entirely, encasing him in an orb of black wind that crystallized a moment later. The first rank had reloaded their weapons, and once again with a loud cracking, the projectiles ripped through the air, but this time simply bouncing off the crystallized sphere, ricocheting off into the stone of the walls around. The crystal though started to crack seconds later before an explosion burst it, scattering shards and shrapnel across the entirety of the hall. Before Johann, or whatever was still left of him in this state, lay the motionless remains of those that had attacked him, now themselves riddled with wounds, and he , with unmoving grin, frolicked at the massacre he had made. There were no survivors.

Still, his will remained, he had surrendered himself, but he hadn't forgotten why he was here, another set of doors at the end of this hall were his destination, although wooden and smaller this time. He blasted them out of their fixings with a single sweep of a hand, and with trembling hatred laid eyes on someone he hadn't expected to ever see again. From his chair at the side of the office rose up a bald man, probably in his early 50s, thick beard covering the mouth and chin, but a single scar running across his face from brow to brow. A face Johann would never forget. His form started to erupt, the soaring stormwind around him exploding with magical energy. Literally. From the red runes that still covered his body and retained their glow, although it had changed from red to the same demonic purple, sprang forth blue flame that mixed with the wind around him. The man who had given the order, who had his friends and family murdered, was before him. "What the actual-" he raised a hand holding a pistol, but didn't manage to pull the trigger.

The arm still firmly grasping the weapon was sent flying by a strike the entity's demonic claws, and a sharp scream of pain filled the room, echoing through the hall behind. He would take his sweet time giving back what the man had done to him all those years ago. The old man fell back, stumbling over his chair, bleeding profusely from his torn shoulder where an arm had once been. Picking him up at his throat with one claw, he pressed the other, burning one into the wound, through the horrifying screams of pain echoing his own, mocking, sinister voice "HELLO, MY FRIEND !", his mouth open, forming a broad, toothy grin "DO YOU REMEMBER ME ? BECAUSE I" he drove a clawed hand through the man's shoulder, blood gushing from the wound, "REMEMBER", he pulled the claw back out and went for a second strike, this time right in the man's gut "YOUUU", blood now also dripping from the corner of the man's mouth.

From Johann, a shockwave of flame burst outward, slowly engulfing the man from his feet, slowly rising up as the screams of pain began getting worse and worse, distorting more and more as the man lost his voice, with his last few breaths screaming out words that echoed with determination "I REMEMBER YOU, BOY. YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHY, DO YOU ? BUT YOU WILL FIND OUT SOON ENOUGH", but also fear "This ... is ... not ... the end ... THE BOSS ... WILL FIND YOU !", a pair of purple, demonic eyes staring into the man's crazed ones while the entity was still holding him up. "AND NOW, THE GRAND FINALE" Johann's last words trembling, two voices coming from his mouth "BURN. FOR. YOUR. SINS". Slowly, and under excruciating pain, the other was burned alive before finally, after a short, painful while, his body fell limp, and Johann simply tossed him aside before falling to his knees. It was done. He had done it. He had gotten what he so desperately, from the depths of his heart and soul, had desired. But he could feel it. This was not the end. There was much more to come. And with that, the world around Johann went black as he collapsed forward.

Artorias, who had witnessed all of this, lost no time, amazed at the sudden display of immense power, but in great sorrow, bursting out from the amber amulet in a flash of light. He had to get Johann back to the Company. Somehow.

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Word Count: 1.132
Word Count Total: 4.207 / 2.500