Within the Primordial [Job, Solo]

With a deep sign, and a heavy breath the man started walking once more. His heavy sleeveless coat billowed behind him, his scarf blew in the wind. The man was dressed completely in black, excluding the pure white bandages which wrapped around both arms covering from his hands to his mid bicep. Upon a closer inspection one would notice along his right arm, disappearing both under his jacket, and through his bandages was an intricate tribal tattoo resembling thorns, at the center of which was a peculiar purple mark. That which flagged him as a wizard, a magic user belonging to the Fairy Tail Guild.

Along his shoulder sat a black raven, slightly nesting as if exhausted. Markus, looking at his companion, couldn’t agree more.

The chaos mage once more found himself looking across a barren landscape of black mountains, brown grass, and twisted trees. The wind felt wrong, not like a whisper, or calming breeze, but instead a howl, a cry, a warning. The clouds were dark, not with rain or storm, but with magic an evil and twisted thing. The entire landscape bled this dark magic, this evil feeling, this desolate warning.

Though it was daytime, the sun held no warmth, the light gave no solis. In this place, not even the divine could provide aid. He knew, were he to be close to the coast which boarded the entire country, he would see no lapping currents, no gentle waves. Even the water in this place threatened to kill, to suffocate, to destroy.

Markus had felt the calling a few times now, 3 before this instant to be exact. Each time, he learned more about the creature he had sworn to. Each time he learned a little more about what it meant to be Chaos’ Progeny. Each time, he found himself within the land of Sin.

Markus regretted nothing, and once more walked forward. Finding himself again at a dark circle of stone. The center of which seemed to be a well to which he could see no bottom.

He could feel the raven, or more, the fairy, at his shoulder suppress a shiver. Markus had come to like the creature, even if she did get on his nerves. She had an insight that he had found most useful, and she usually knew more than she said.

“Chaos Born, this place… it feels wrong.”, The raven spoke, a vexingly sweet feminine voice seemed almost… wrong, coming from such a creature. “Where are we?”

Markus looked down and gave a slight grin. “This is home of the Primordial Chaos.” He said softly, never having said the words out loud. “I warned you what it meant to be my companion.” He added before turning away and looking towards the ring of black stones.

“I am here, I felt you call. Show yourself!” Markus yelled the last words, which seemed to echo in the land around them, and down the well. Markus could feel no wind, yet as he watched, the trees started to sway.

“Weeelcomeee, my Progenyyy.” The voice was as always, maddening. The creature was unseen, and its words were unheard. Instead, they were whispers, hundreds and thousands of whispers which when combined made a concafinous roar within his head.

“You haveeee done weeeeeell, do you eeenjoyy my giftsss?” The whispers once more asked within Markus’ head. The chaos mage knew there was no reason to answer, and as such he stayed quite, waiting for Chaos to speak once more.

The whispers did not make him wait long. “Gooood, I can seeee all you have doneeee”, Markus had learned to feel when Chaos enters his mind, and knew the being was examining his memories.

“Comeee to meee, my Progeeeny.” The whispers spoke. Markus could feel a pull, and his body twitched, and not of his own accord. He knew, dark energy would be dancing in his eyes, which drifted of their own accord to the well.

Watching his shadow move, the chaos mage saw Hela, his wolf companion in the form of a shadow, come forth and look at him, challenge him, before jumping into the well.

Pausing at the edge, Markus though back to when he was last here. Some time ago, when he was first gifted with the Fallen Angel Lacrima he had fought his own doubleganger at this very spot. That battle had opened the well, and reveled to Markus, for the first time, the shadow of Chaos.

Taking a deep breath, Markus stepped forward and into the abyss.

Notes:
Word Count : 754 | Total : 754 | Target : 3,500
Job, Approval

Darkness, cold utter darkness. Gravity, oppressive downwards force. No Wind. Markus lost track of everything as he fell, for how long he was never able to say. Suddenly however, everything changed. As if stepping out of a waterfall, the chaos mage found himself on his feet. The terrain around him had changed, become… alien.

Glancing around, it was almost as if Markus was in a cavern only he knew he was no longer in earthland. Looking about Markus saw nothing but strange grey rock, cold and lifeless, without any color. Markus knew, if it was not for his gifts he would see nothing but darkness, shadows. The feeling, the look, was oppressive.

As he studied his surroundings, Markus seemed to have been transported in a somewhat circular room. At least 7 tunnels sprawled out of the area, some looking to head up,  others down, and still others strait out. Markus had no idea how to determine where to go, no indicators. As far as the mage could tell, other than which way the tunnels went there was no signs.

Markus then thought about his companions, glancing about he knew instantly he was alone. Hela, whose presence he has been able to sense ever since meeting years ago, was nowhere to be found. And Arinia, the Fairy Raven who he had gotten close to since his job with Nessa, the starlight maiden, was gone as well. Markus found himself worrying about them, something he has never done before, at least not consciously.

“Well, I am here?” Markus said out loud. Suddenly, Markus found himself clutching at his ears. His voice had echoed and multiplied hundreds of times over, causing Markus to have an instant headache. Closing his eyes, the Chaos Mage waited for the echo to die. As it died down, Markus let go of his eyes, and looked about.

Nothing had changed.

Markus had to hold back a sign, worried that the slightest noise would set off a chain reaction. Standing absolutely still, he thought, planned, and decided. He knew this was a test, but what sort of test? Was he to find his way out, find Chaos? How long would this take…

Taking a deep breath, Markus allowed the shadows to meld into his body, hiding him within their depts. When his eyes opened again he knew he was one with the shadow. He took a step, and watched as his foot hit the ground, letting out his breath as it made no sounds. Markus was happy to learn that his abilities still worked in such a place.

Taking another step, Markus started to slowly make his way forward. He knew however that he was impeded, slowed, and weakened while moving in such a way. Soon he found that this maze was much larger than he first expected, and multi dimensional, using all axis.

Each time Markus decided which way to turn he would, as carefully as possible, use his magic to make an arrow in the stone. Slowly, warily, with every attention to detail, the chaos mage made his way through the maze, knowing that each sound he made caused a cacophony of destructive sound.

After so much time, and so many backtrack looking up Markus finally saw a break in the darkness, a light, red and unnatural, in the path in front of him.

Notes:
Word Count : 558| Total : 1,312| Target : 3,500
Job, Approval

As Markus walked into the light, he found himself blinking. Although Markus was a creature of darkness, and his eyes could see fine within voids, adjusting to such sudden change was still an issue. Besides, now the chaos mage had to get his new bearings and try and make sense just what he was looking at.

As the rock and caves gave way, Markus now found himself looking at a luminous underground grotto. He could still see the ceiling above, yet he saw… trees, plants, grass. It was vexing to his logical mind how such a place can exist. Glancing about, Markus took a step forward. His feet now being cushioned by the soft floor did not send out an echo. Walking forward, Markus glanced side to side his hands up and ready.

The trees around him were small compared to places such as the Lycan Woods, or other ancient forests he had been within, yet he could tell these trees were old. They grew till their tips touched the rock roof above, and he could see sporadic breaks in the ground as their roots barrowed back up through the solid surface. Every time he took a step, the soft floor below him would glow, as if reacting to the pressure. Every leaf he touched did the same glowing softly at his touch, or the brush of his clothes.

Markus could sense magic in the air, everywhere, and nowhere all at once. It was sending his natural magical sense through a loop, forcing Markus to rely solely on his five normal senses. Something Markus had not done sense being gifted his magical abilities, he prided being able to sense magic, and previously would always use that ability.

Suddenly, and without warning Markus found himself pulled from his feet, a sharp pain at his side. Before he could react, he was moving, being dragged through the brush, the trees, the grotto. His vision blurred, and he saw stars as suddenly his head was bashed into a rocky outcropping, a place one of the roots had surfaced. Whatever creature was pulling him did not even slow down.

After what felt like minutes, but was probably only a few seconds, Markus came to a stop. Whatever was pulling him had arrived at is destination. The only thing Markus saw was a voracious maw filled with sharped teeth, and a long-scaled body that was suddenly wrapping itself around the mage cutting off his oxygen.

Grasping for whatever magic he could Markus was finally able to get his bearing enough to touch his magical abilities. Suddenly hundreds of blades of dark energy engulfed Markus and the creature, spinning faster and faster the shadows themselves swirled in a cyclone of dark destruction. The creature let go, hurt but not killed it retreated into the shadows, its eyes glowing in the darkness.

Markus, catching his breath stood and looked at the creature, preparing for battle. His hands cracking with dark magic, and his eyes glowing with chaotic forces Markus snarled as two more creatures, equally as large as the first, showed themselves hissing in the darkness.

Notes:

Taking a deep breath Markus steeled himself for what was to come. He knew these creatures were fast and could still feel his side bleeding meaning they were also strong. This he knew would be a tough fight, and for the first time in… well years, he was completely alone for it. Hela was still nowhere to be found.

Markus’ eyes flashed with chaotic energy and magic flooded into his system. Suddenly, the chaos mage smiled as Chaos touched the edges of his mind. ‘gooooood. Killll. Suriveeeee. Thriveeee.’ Markus could hear the voice in his head, a whisper, a breath on the wind. He knew he was closer to Chaos than he had ever been before, he could feel the lacrima within his body shift, as if awakening.

Suddenly a flash of pure dark energy engulfed the chaos mage. As the energy dissipated, the mage had changed. His clothes seemed darker, his hair richer, and suddenly two large raven like wings sprout from his back. With a heavy thrust the mage found himself 20 feet above the ground, he was laughing.

Looking at his hands the mage started to realize just what sort of power Chaos had gifted him with, and he loved it. Turning his right hand away from it he pointed it at one of the creatures. From his vantage point he could see that they were snakes, at least 50 feet in length, and multiple feet in diameter they were larger than any snake he had seen, yet alone heard of, but their shape could not be misconstrued for something else.

The creature he pointed at hissed and attempted to lunge. With a flash of chaotic dark energy, a beam of pure black light, a void within the world, shot from Markus’ palm, skewering the creature killing it instantly. Markus closed his eyes, feeling the power surge through his system. He hadn’t moved sense taking to the sky, and in his elation did not notice as another of the snakes attacked.

Just as the fangs pierced his cloak, Markus’ eyes opened flashing with dark energy. “How. Dare. You.” His gaze was dark, foreboding. Just as the fangs pierced his skin, drawing just a drop of blood, another flash of energy sparked from Markus’ body. Against his own will the chaotic nature of his being strikes back at the creature. Markus watched as the creature writhed in pain, and with a flash of energy Markus ended its suffering.

Turning to the final creature Markus finally allowed himself to land. His gaze was calm, collected, apathetic. He was started to gain control over this… chaos. As the creature stalked around him, Markus waited. Once more allowing himself to be attacked.

He could feel the creature as it surrounded him, wrapping around his body, surrounding him, attempting to squeeze the life from him. Markus signed, and his foot hit the ground.

With a crack the stone beneath him crumbled as an invisible wave of chaotic power surged forth from his body. The creature around him denigrated under the power leaving nothing in Markus’ way.

Looking about, Markus watched the carnage, the death. The chaos faded from his mind, his eyes once more became clear. The wings vanished. With a deep breath Markus realized how tired he was, and how hungry. He had lost track of time in the maze, there was no light, no indication for his clock to use.

Signing, Markus went about skinning the creatures he had just defeated. Had he known this would happen, he would have brought more rations.

<[===================_] 750\800 HP>   |   <MP 450/500 [==================__]>
Melee Damage : 50 | Speed : 106 Mph | MP Recovery 5%
Physical Resistance : +000% | Magical Resistance : +020%
Strength : +025% | Speed : +165% | Spell Damage : +255%
Health : +100% | Magic Power : +025%
Cost Reduction : -025%
Fallen God Slayer

Hela : Unknown
<[========================================] 400/400 HP>

For Markus time passed at a measured pace. He slept when he was tired, and ate when he was hungry. Luckily for the chaos mage, there seemed to be no shortage of monster, creature, or beasts who wanted to kill him. As such, it was never too hard to find a meal. However, his situation was getting dire, and his stamina was running low. He was not used to so many days of stress, so little sleep, and so much darkness.

Markus had been traveling through the caverns he had found himself in for at least 4 days, at least that is what he assumed seeing as he had to stop to sleep three times already. It was at times like this he really wished he had a better aptitude for technology or had decided to get one of those iLacs everyone keeps talking about. At least then he would have some way to measure time.

Taking a breath, he found himself in another tunnel, this one smaller than some of the others he had passed though. He had just finished reverting his steps, and backtracking on his path for the hundredth time. So far, he had gotten nowhere.

---

Markus knew he was running out of options, he had yet to get a full night’s rest or a good meal. Every Waking moment he worried he would find something else to attack him, some other monstrosity within this land. Though, that was not the worst of his plight.

Every time the chaos mage closed his eyes to sleep, it started. Dreams, or visions. He could not determine which. They always started the same, first there was nothing. Blackness, Void, Chaos. Then, there was light, painful, excruciating, bright. All too suddenly things changed, as the ‘gods’ created the world, and the ‘demons’ destroyed those creations. Markus watched, passively from the darkness, his home as the primordial Chaos. However, it would never last. The war would rage for ages, uncounted years as Demons and Gods fought, occasionally aided by another creature, sometimes humans, sometimes dragons. The dreams always ended the same, some battle would come and the world would crash around him. Blackness, Void, Chaos, once more consumed his being.

---

Markus had started to measure the time by the length of his beard, and the growth of his hair. He hated the beard, always had, and he knew he always would. But it was useful currently, even just as something more for him to complain about.

Markus was coming to realize, he hated being alone, he hated the solitude of his mind, of this retched land. He knew he was losing it, losing his edge, his mind. He could feel the oppressive force of chaos, the overpowering drive of darkness. Markus wondered if this was how the Primordial felt, being trapped within the darkness at the time of creation.

Markus walked on, his breath ragged, his body sore. Slowly, as he walked, he had become aware of something… strange. Much like the pull he felt from Chaos, only much, much weaker. Markus followed it, and found himself on a perfectly strait cavern which sloped up.

<[===============_____] 590\800 HP>   |   <MP 350/500 [==============______]>
Melee Damage : 50 | Speed : 106 Mph | MP Recovery 5%
Physical Resistance : +000% | Magical Resistance : +020%
Strength : +025% | Speed : +165% | Spell Damage : +255%
Health : +100% | Magic Power : +025%
Cost Reduction : -025%
Fallen God Slayer

Hela : Unknown
<[========================================] 400/400 HP>

As Markus stepped finally from the cavern there was no light, no warmth, no day. Yet, the chaos mage knew he was outside, for he could see the sky. A sky likes which he had never seen before. Iridescent colors dotted the air above him in a kaleidoscope of blues, purples, greys, and blacks. He realized only now that he was no longer in the realm he once knew, he was somewhere else entirely.

Glancing about, the more he saw the harder it was to make sense of what he was looking upon. He saw rivers of water streaming through the air above him as in following an invisible current, he saw mountains, hills, valleys, all of which spanned as far as he could see, floating of their own violation. Stepping to the edge and looking down he realized the sky above, and the void below were one in the same.

Stronger than ever before he felt a pull, a calling, a whisper. ‘Comeee to meeee my proteeegeeeee’. Markus heard the voices, all of them speak to him. Chaos was whispering in his mind, every moment of his life, every moment in time a different voice, that was the cacophony Markus had always heard. A creature speaking through the ages.

Closing his eyes, Markus though back to the grace of the god whose lacrima he now had within him. When his eyes opened once more Markus again had donned his wings. Without hesitation he flew towards the pull, towards the whisper. Markus enjoyed the flight, he had never done such a thing. Even when he first used this power, he was within the caverns and he hadn’t realized just what flying could mean.

As he flew his ran his hands through the cool water of the floating river, and zig zagged between the flying rocks and colossal mountains. Markus realized only now, that this was a realm of Chaos’ own creation. There was no ‘laws’ no order put down at the time of creation. Direction irrelevant, space useless, and time nonexistent.

Suddenly, as Markus rounded the next bend he stopped, flying in the nothingness that was Voids domain he stopped. In front of him was a miraculous sight. Made of black colorless stone stood a palace, a castle, innumerable stories tall with windows of amethyst and towers of onyx it stood in magnificent beauty.

Shortly, Markus found himself within the castle in its center, the throne room. In front of him, on a throne made of a void material sat a shadow. Markus thought it could be a woman, but the shape made it hard to tell. Suddenly, it spoke.

Markus knew he would never forget what it said, and as he listened, he stood aghast. Unlike before there were no whispers, no cacophony of voices. It was just one, pleasing, intoxicating, chaotic.

The being started with a recounting of Markus’ life, of his struggles, and of his fears. Markus could barely listen as it spoke of the death of his brother, the first time Markus only 10 years of age, saw someone die. The day Markus almost burned to death. Then it moved on, to the fear Markus felt when standing in front of his father, the shame when looking upon his mother, and finally ending in when Markus first heard the voice of Chaos in his mind, with perfect detail the being spoke of Markus running from home, and somehow finding his way to Sin.

Markus had been the youngest Prodigy of Chaos, and at that he felt pride. However, he was told he was weak, unwilling, and he fought who he was. At that Markus felt shame. Finally, after recounting the rest of his life, including his night with Nessa, the day before Markus came on his journey here, did it stop.

Markus looked about, and realized he was no longer alone with the creature. Around him stood men, woman, children, and elders. They all looked to him, some where crying, others looked angry.

“These, like you, are my children.”, Chaos spoke. “They each have perished under my service, and each have been rewarded with a piece of my domain.” The form opened its arms wide, and its unassuming shadowlike visage changed, warping to that of a female whos features were very much familiar to the chaos mage, Markus blushed without realizing and looked away. “So… This is the form you find most pleasing? Or… perhaps that whom you fear… Maybe even both.” The Primordial seemed to be contemplating as it walked. “It seems you are starting to admit who you are to yourself.”

Walking behind Markus the Primordial spoke again. “What you see around you is the whim of my Progenies. Each of them makes that which they love, miss, or desire. Here, the laws created by order, by creation, are irrelevant.” It spoke the words with conviction, and venom, as if remembering an unpleasant memory. Turning back towards Markus she/it spoke again.

“It is time for me to see if you can best yourself. For as you are now, you are useless to me. Begone from my sight, and if you survive your ordeal, know I will be waiting.” With a wave of its hand the Primordial dismissed Markus, and he found himself falling.

<[===========_________] 430\800 HP>   |   <MP 250/500 [==========__________]>
Melee Damage : 50 | Speed : 106 Mph | MP Recovery 5%
Physical Resistance : +000% | Magical Resistance : +020%
Strength : +025% | Speed : +165% | Spell Damage : +255%
Health : +100% | Magic Power : +025%
Cost Reduction : -025%
Fallen God Slayer

Hela : Unknown
<[========================================] 400/400 HP>