"Pandora… Pandora…"
The voice called her out, in the middle of the night, so loudly that it woke her from her peaceful slumber. Her eyes tried to scan the room enveloped in darkness and shades, there where the light managed to sneak through the curtains. Aside from Rhadamanthys beside her, nobody was present in the room. As her eyes dwindled upon the resting figure of her husband she sat up, smiling gently at how calm and peaceful his sleep was. Pandora could still remember the first time this had happened; how scared she'd been by it as the voices kept calling out to her. How Rhadamanthys had comforted her, reassuring her that it was nothing to be scared of. He'd even helped her find out where the voices came from, joining her in her search. Quite the feat if you think about it, because Rhadamanthys couldn't hear those voices at all, still he had found its source. A well-kept secret among the guild; the true reason Vector Cross existed. Quite ironically called Pandora's Box, in fact the box of legends itself, filled with the greatest evils of the old world sealed within it. In the wrong hands these sealed evils could be released anew and grant their holder immense powers as long as it meant the utter destruction of this world. In the right hands the Box would remain sealed. And those right hands were of its keeper, one every cycle to guard the seals upon it, but burdened by it because the evil within would never leave its guardian alone. For that torment however, the voices would sometimes call out to their keeper for a conversation of wits, and to warn them if the Box was in danger. After all, destroying the Box would mean destroying the evils within for good, allowing for an imbalance so great that it would offset the entire world.
This night was the first one in months since the Box had called for Pandora, which in itself was a strange thing to happen. Most of the time it would call out at least once a month, so its continued silence had been an omen to the keeper, who now waited for her name to be spoken again.
"Pandora."
And the dreading silence returned. She hadn't dreamt it. It was calling for her. Without hesitation Pandora flung her legs across the edge of the bed, grabbing the nearest night robe available to cover her otherwise bare body as she went. A moment of wondering as she gazed upon her husband's sleeping silhouette, but the redhead did nothing more than shake her head, leaving the man to sleep. This time she'd be going in alone. The halls of the otherwise lively guild were empty; darker than usual as she passed through them. She would've wondered why no-one was around at this hour-- no matter the time of day, there was always someone walking around Vector Cross, that's how big their memberbase was. In effect, the size of the guikd and its populace, which contained more than just affiliated mages, but also civilians and merchants, was akin to a self-sufficient city. If a war were to errupt, Vector Cross would never be without resources, nor needing to depend on the outside world if it came to it. One of the things she'd learnt from the Dagger family; only depend on yourself. She'd taken it to heart.
Soon enough the buildings made way for the courtyard, and the courtyard in time too would make way for forests and fields as Pandora made her way down a withered path. It laid to a shrine, a miniature mausoleum with a dome and a single, large decorated door. Columns had been built into the walls, giving it a more ancient vibe, even though she'd let the shrine been built not too long ago. Extending her hand, the Dagger touched the door's surface, feeling how the many seals revealed themselves before her. Somewhere still at full force, while others had dwindled into decay, weakened by the continued attempts of whatever was inside to break free. Another sign that the spirits had been calling. With a swipe of her hands the barriers came undone, and the seals slowly turned and twisted to allow her entry. Within was nothing more than a pedestal of the purest marble, and upon it a small, ebony box with silver ornaments. Upon it, a seal that was never meant to be broken under any circumstances. Another flick of her hand, and the doors behind her closed shut, covering her in darkness.
The voices started speaking. All at once, overwhelming her with their presence and sound, until two deeper ones bellowed across the room. Silence fell anew. An unnatural breeze blew past her, colder than ice, covering her skin with goosebumps. Then, a torch lit up, and with the breeze the next one lit, until all torches in their moulds were ablaze with dancing flames, casting vivid shadows upon the walls of the round mausoleum. Pandora crossed her arms as one of the two deep voices spoke again, his silhouette outstretched within the shadows before her, even though she was the only one there. Thanatos chuckled.
"Brave as ever, my dear Pandora."
"I'm not yours, and you know it." she retorted sharply, ignoring the shadows as she stepped up to the pedestal to check on the Box itself. It was humming with power; she could sense it as she drew near, and feel it in her fingers and palms, stinging like small electric shocks that ran through her skin the moment she touched it. Yet, the Box was still very much sealed; the runes in tact and not a single part left to appear broken. Running her fingers across the lid, she remained silent, then looked up to see another figure having joined Thanatos in the shadows. Her expression grew grim. Both being here never bode well.
"What is it that you want from me, Hypnos, Thanatos? Why call me this time? Nothing seems to be out of place."
"Because nothing is. Yet." The two replied in perfect unison.
"But it will be soon. We wish to warn you, because we fear the Box' destruction if we do not." Thanatos spoke, his visage shrouded in mystery and darkness.
"He's speaking truth, Pandora-"
"For once." Pandora scoffed, interrupting Hypnos. The Higher Evil shook his head, too shrouded and unrecognisable, but gestured at her.
"You know it's true. The Box wouldn't be acting like this, especially with the seal still unbroken."
Pandora shook her head. It was true that they wouldn't usually be able to do this; manifest before her even if they were but shadows and pressure within a room. It was still more than the Box would allow as long as the seal was untouched, and it was in fact, as such. Untouched. Not even weakened the slightest bit. So why. Why were they here? Like this? Was something truly impending upon her? But what? How?
"It's about time you wake up and see the danger." Their voices spoke in unison again, before their shadows faded, a last message was given.
"They know."
"Pandora." Her name echoed through the darkness of the room, blinked at the familiarity of the unity of both her parents' voices. And as she turned, she looked at them. Marguerite. Lucarius. Right in front of her. Her father's emotionless expression, perhaps stoic at best, but condescending were his eyes, whereas her mother's were cold, almost void. Mayhaps she could've seen a glimpse of sadness within them, but she didn't know well. The darkness cast its shadows too well across their faces as she tried to focus. They did not speak; a well-taught rule that they would not speak unless spoken to. Whereas she couldn't care less when faced with anyone higher than her in rank, much to the annoyance of many a magistrate from Bellum, somehow, in the sight of her parents before her, she adhered. They continued to stare at one another in a long silence, until their voices and faces alike... changed. Worry. The hint of a smile that steadily grew wider, and suddenly they reached out. Her mother hugged her tightly, holding her as if she'd never let go again, while her father's hand rested on her shoulder, squeezing it lovingly as she looked up at him.
"This is a dream." Pandora mumbled to herself, steadily realising what exactly was going on with her. These faces, these people. Her parents. They'd never be here. They'd never treat her that kindly. She, who could've been a promising prodigy had she only been born a son. With a huff the Dagger tore herself away from her parents, almost rudely shoving them with her shoulder to form some distance between them. Suspicion pinched her brow as she looked at them. And they looked back at her, as if she'd hurt them.
"Pandora..." Marguerite pleaded, reaching out to cup her cheek. Instinctively Pandora swatted the hand away from her, so it could never reach her. A step closer.
"Wake up." Her mother's voice urged her.
Pandora glared at her mother, though it was merely to hide her confusion at their behaviour. At the meaning behind their appearance here, in this dreamworld.
Lucarius' voice bellowed when she didn't react. "NOW!!!!"
Her eyes snapped open.
And in that moment, the room exploded.
1564/1500
The voice called her out, in the middle of the night, so loudly that it woke her from her peaceful slumber. Her eyes tried to scan the room enveloped in darkness and shades, there where the light managed to sneak through the curtains. Aside from Rhadamanthys beside her, nobody was present in the room. As her eyes dwindled upon the resting figure of her husband she sat up, smiling gently at how calm and peaceful his sleep was. Pandora could still remember the first time this had happened; how scared she'd been by it as the voices kept calling out to her. How Rhadamanthys had comforted her, reassuring her that it was nothing to be scared of. He'd even helped her find out where the voices came from, joining her in her search. Quite the feat if you think about it, because Rhadamanthys couldn't hear those voices at all, still he had found its source. A well-kept secret among the guild; the true reason Vector Cross existed. Quite ironically called Pandora's Box, in fact the box of legends itself, filled with the greatest evils of the old world sealed within it. In the wrong hands these sealed evils could be released anew and grant their holder immense powers as long as it meant the utter destruction of this world. In the right hands the Box would remain sealed. And those right hands were of its keeper, one every cycle to guard the seals upon it, but burdened by it because the evil within would never leave its guardian alone. For that torment however, the voices would sometimes call out to their keeper for a conversation of wits, and to warn them if the Box was in danger. After all, destroying the Box would mean destroying the evils within for good, allowing for an imbalance so great that it would offset the entire world.
This night was the first one in months since the Box had called for Pandora, which in itself was a strange thing to happen. Most of the time it would call out at least once a month, so its continued silence had been an omen to the keeper, who now waited for her name to be spoken again.
"Pandora."
And the dreading silence returned. She hadn't dreamt it. It was calling for her. Without hesitation Pandora flung her legs across the edge of the bed, grabbing the nearest night robe available to cover her otherwise bare body as she went. A moment of wondering as she gazed upon her husband's sleeping silhouette, but the redhead did nothing more than shake her head, leaving the man to sleep. This time she'd be going in alone. The halls of the otherwise lively guild were empty; darker than usual as she passed through them. She would've wondered why no-one was around at this hour-- no matter the time of day, there was always someone walking around Vector Cross, that's how big their memberbase was. In effect, the size of the guikd and its populace, which contained more than just affiliated mages, but also civilians and merchants, was akin to a self-sufficient city. If a war were to errupt, Vector Cross would never be without resources, nor needing to depend on the outside world if it came to it. One of the things she'd learnt from the Dagger family; only depend on yourself. She'd taken it to heart.
Soon enough the buildings made way for the courtyard, and the courtyard in time too would make way for forests and fields as Pandora made her way down a withered path. It laid to a shrine, a miniature mausoleum with a dome and a single, large decorated door. Columns had been built into the walls, giving it a more ancient vibe, even though she'd let the shrine been built not too long ago. Extending her hand, the Dagger touched the door's surface, feeling how the many seals revealed themselves before her. Somewhere still at full force, while others had dwindled into decay, weakened by the continued attempts of whatever was inside to break free. Another sign that the spirits had been calling. With a swipe of her hands the barriers came undone, and the seals slowly turned and twisted to allow her entry. Within was nothing more than a pedestal of the purest marble, and upon it a small, ebony box with silver ornaments. Upon it, a seal that was never meant to be broken under any circumstances. Another flick of her hand, and the doors behind her closed shut, covering her in darkness.
The voices started speaking. All at once, overwhelming her with their presence and sound, until two deeper ones bellowed across the room. Silence fell anew. An unnatural breeze blew past her, colder than ice, covering her skin with goosebumps. Then, a torch lit up, and with the breeze the next one lit, until all torches in their moulds were ablaze with dancing flames, casting vivid shadows upon the walls of the round mausoleum. Pandora crossed her arms as one of the two deep voices spoke again, his silhouette outstretched within the shadows before her, even though she was the only one there. Thanatos chuckled.
"Brave as ever, my dear Pandora."
"I'm not yours, and you know it." she retorted sharply, ignoring the shadows as she stepped up to the pedestal to check on the Box itself. It was humming with power; she could sense it as she drew near, and feel it in her fingers and palms, stinging like small electric shocks that ran through her skin the moment she touched it. Yet, the Box was still very much sealed; the runes in tact and not a single part left to appear broken. Running her fingers across the lid, she remained silent, then looked up to see another figure having joined Thanatos in the shadows. Her expression grew grim. Both being here never bode well.
"What is it that you want from me, Hypnos, Thanatos? Why call me this time? Nothing seems to be out of place."
"Because nothing is. Yet." The two replied in perfect unison.
"But it will be soon. We wish to warn you, because we fear the Box' destruction if we do not." Thanatos spoke, his visage shrouded in mystery and darkness.
"He's speaking truth, Pandora-"
"For once." Pandora scoffed, interrupting Hypnos. The Higher Evil shook his head, too shrouded and unrecognisable, but gestured at her.
"You know it's true. The Box wouldn't be acting like this, especially with the seal still unbroken."
Pandora shook her head. It was true that they wouldn't usually be able to do this; manifest before her even if they were but shadows and pressure within a room. It was still more than the Box would allow as long as the seal was untouched, and it was in fact, as such. Untouched. Not even weakened the slightest bit. So why. Why were they here? Like this? Was something truly impending upon her? But what? How?
"It's about time you wake up and see the danger." Their voices spoke in unison again, before their shadows faded, a last message was given.
"They know."
"Pandora." Her name echoed through the darkness of the room, blinked at the familiarity of the unity of both her parents' voices. And as she turned, she looked at them. Marguerite. Lucarius. Right in front of her. Her father's emotionless expression, perhaps stoic at best, but condescending were his eyes, whereas her mother's were cold, almost void. Mayhaps she could've seen a glimpse of sadness within them, but she didn't know well. The darkness cast its shadows too well across their faces as she tried to focus. They did not speak; a well-taught rule that they would not speak unless spoken to. Whereas she couldn't care less when faced with anyone higher than her in rank, much to the annoyance of many a magistrate from Bellum, somehow, in the sight of her parents before her, she adhered. They continued to stare at one another in a long silence, until their voices and faces alike... changed. Worry. The hint of a smile that steadily grew wider, and suddenly they reached out. Her mother hugged her tightly, holding her as if she'd never let go again, while her father's hand rested on her shoulder, squeezing it lovingly as she looked up at him.
"This is a dream." Pandora mumbled to herself, steadily realising what exactly was going on with her. These faces, these people. Her parents. They'd never be here. They'd never treat her that kindly. She, who could've been a promising prodigy had she only been born a son. With a huff the Dagger tore herself away from her parents, almost rudely shoving them with her shoulder to form some distance between them. Suspicion pinched her brow as she looked at them. And they looked back at her, as if she'd hurt them.
"Pandora..." Marguerite pleaded, reaching out to cup her cheek. Instinctively Pandora swatted the hand away from her, so it could never reach her. A step closer.
"Wake up." Her mother's voice urged her.
Pandora glared at her mother, though it was merely to hide her confusion at their behaviour. At the meaning behind their appearance here, in this dreamworld.
Lucarius' voice bellowed when she didn't react. "NOW!!!!"
Her eyes snapped open.
And in that moment, the room exploded.
1564/1500
