Orion in the Ghost Shipyard

[Ladd Russo of the Russo Family]

(I know it wasn't deliberate. ^^ That's why I'm here to teach. As for a the school, ask me anything about it. There's a lot that we know, but there's a lot left open to the imagination too. And just a little thing: when you're not talking as your character, put it in parenthesis or something like it so that people don't get confused.)

The ghost bowed low to them, his smile tentative. "A paladin..." he said softly, some wonder coming into his voice. "When I was of the living, I was a dark knight. I had no courage for the work that you embrace, noble sir. I could not climb toward heaven's light, and so I dug down, fleeing from it." Some pain entered his voice. "It is not an easy thing, for a demon to be a holy knight. And it please you, take care not to fall. You give me hope."

The ghost turned to leave, but an odd shiver ran through him, as if he was fighting some hidden terror. Grimacing, he turned back. "Holy knight, may I ask a favor of you? The place that I return to holds harsh practice, and it would go badly for me to return uninjured... especially when Rahel will report of what he calls 'insolence'..." his voice trailed off bitterly. "I beg of you, could you harm me in some way, that I will look guilty of fear instead of mercy?"

(Now's your chance to attack someone. Even though he has invited you, it's best to play it safe and attack him as you would any other character.)

Ixchelle heard footsteps in the sand, her hearing inhumanly sharp from years of having neither her sight nor her voice to distract her. Someone was coming from the far shore. Could it be Orion's mysterious teacher?

[pern]

Orion grimaced at the ghost and said bitterly, "I don't help your kind lightly. If I fight you, I fight to kill. Not that you have to worry, being already dead as you are, fiend." Orion didn't take his eyes off the ghost, but his large, pointed deer ears twitched as he too heard the sound of footsteps. Suddenly, he didn't know which direction to guard, his front or his back. He compensated by climbing atop a large rock and brandishing his swords. He both hoped the ghost would rise to the challenge and that it wouldn't, for he did not know this newcomer or if he could handle both the ghost and the mystery person.

[Ladd Russo of the Russo Family]

The ghost shook his head softly, an odd smile on his face. "You are too young to realize the worry of the dead. Someone very dear to me would be sentenced to eternal torment, if I were to leave her now. Farewell, Sir Knight. Despite the hardship, it has been a pleasure meeting you," he said honestly. The ghost bowed low,removing his hat for a moment, and then turned. It did not take long for the fog to swallow him.

"You're a bit tight-strung, aren't you?" commented the new stranger, finally coming into view. It was a colossal person, over seven feet tall and generously muscled, his chest bare in the dim light. A long, pale strap of leather went over his shoulder, contrasting against his darker skin. His only piece of real clothing was a length of that same pale leather from waist to calf. It was sewn together with dark, wiry-looking thread in odd places, making a full skirt. (Or kilt? Man-skirt.) Held up by a belt of darker leather, the whole piece had a vaguely unhealthy look. Whatever that leather had once belonged to, the pallid color combined with the uneven stitching made it look like something cut from a wounded corpse.

His boots, at least, seemed fairly normal.

The stranger's hair was short-cut and white, and his eyebrows were furrowed darkly. Two protrusions of bone stood from his forehead, small horns, but he didn't look at all like a deer. "Do you always go picking fights when you're supposed to protect someone, or do you just save it for special occasions?" he asked gruffly, not in much of a good mood. "Get off the rock, kid. Nothing is going to hurt you on this side of a lake, unless you've pissed off an entire army."

He reached down into the boat and retrieved Ixchelle, shifting her over to the bend in his arm. She sat there comfortably, not at all alarmed.

[pern]

Orion couldn't help giving the strange man sidelong looks of suspicion. He had no reason to fear him. After all, he was now "safely" on the Twilight Moon Academy island. He felt he was in no danger, so he relaxed after a minute.

"My name is Orion," he said, lowering his weapons, "but you probably already knew that. I don't trust many people, and have been ambushed enough to learn to be cautious when there is a shadow approaching me. I apologize for overreacting. This darkness...feels unnatural to me. I prefer moonlit skies to the dreary fog of this place."

For once, the voices in Orion's head said nothing. Orion knew this meant he was doing what they wanted him to, and he wasn't sure he liked that thought.

[Ladd Russo of the Russo Family]

The man huffed wryly, shrugging his broad shoulders. The small smile on his face said that Orion was forgiven; he wasn't one to hold a grudge.

"You're in for a whole load of unnatural, but most of it isn't as bad as this place," he said in a reassuring fashion. "My name's Gerard. Nice to meet you, Orion."

Ixchelle touched his shoulder gently to get his attention, and then proceeded to talk to him. There was no sound, of course, but she was moving her lips. He watched her attentively, nodding there and then.

"No, he's some kind of little deer-person," he corrected her. She laughed soundlessly and folded her arms, obviously thinking he could have phrased that better. When she was done, he walked over and pat Orion on the shoulder, grin wide.

"Hey there, it sounds like you did a good job. This is Ixchelle, by the way, my wife. She says you're a good-hearted young man. It's good to hear." Apparently getting on Ixchelle's good side was all that Gerard needed as far as judge of character.

"So what do you want to talk about first, your classes or your demon issue?"

[pern]

Orion drew back in cold shock, but his surprise was worsened by the screaming in his head of KILL HIM! KILL HIM! Orion clutched his pounding head in pain.

"Shut UP!!!" he roared with all his might. The voices ceased, and he was back in control. Taking his hands off his aching head, Orion turned his eyes back to Gerard and Ixchelle. He could not see well at all. The demons had been silenced but they still pounded at his head. "Please," he said to Gerard. "I don't know how you knew, but don't tell anyone. You have no idea how hard it is to be accepted when people know you're possessed."

Orion heard no response so he spoke again. "My condition..." he said laboriously, "is brought on by this evil stone." He pushed the collar of his shirt down, revealing a ruby-colored stone embedded in-between his ribcage. "I am not proud of it, but if you push me out of your school, I will understand. All I want is the possibility of learning how to rid myself of it."

[Ladd Russo of the Russo Family]

Gerard grimaced, regarding Orion with pity. "You're right, I don't have any idea of that. Don't worry, kid, I won't tell anyone, but you might be surprised. A lot of people here have been outcast, and they tend to be simpathetic. Hell, don't talk like that. There's no way we'd throw you out. I've seen a lot worse."

Still sitting in his arm, Ixchelle nodded solemnly. She clasped her hands in a prayerful fashion and raised her head to face Gerard. He nodded, understanding.

"And you're a paladin, so you do have a chance with what you said. As for how we knew... Ixchelle and I aren't paladins, and we aren't possessed. We're just demons." Ixchelle felt that Orion would not accept the information easily, but she did approve of Gerard telling him. Letting someone assume a lie was not right.

[pern]

Orion's eyes grew wide. Demons!? he thought. How could this be!?

I knew I liked them for some reason! one of the voices cackled, but another seemed to disagree.

Something is wrong. We should have sensed this. They can't be demons...or maybe just not our kind. I think you can still trust them, Orion.

There was no way Orion was about to trust people who openly admitted to being demons. Every rational thought had left his mind. What if they were renegades, leaving their evil ways? What if demon did not mean the same thing in their world? What if they were just testing him, to see how he would react? Or to instigate a fight? Orion didn't even think of these possibilities. He couldn't think at all. The voices in his head were in disarray, giving him hundreds of different commands, but he didn't hear any of them. His survival instinct took over, and he did the only thing he could think of.

He took off sprinting across the island. He ran away.

Maybe there is no place for me after all... was the first real thought in his head. A tear wet his facial fur and made the night feel all the more cold.

[Ladd Russo of the Russo Family]

A gigantic axe tore through the reality five yards ahead of Orion, and Gerard (an oddly undemonic name) stepped out of it, his face somewhere between exasperation and concern. Ixchelle put a quick hand to his face so that she knew which direction he was looking, or in other words where Orion was after the momentary disorientation. He dropped the axe onto a sling strapped to his back, trying to handle this situation gently. Despite its size, the weapon was a strangely delicate piece, created from slender curves of wire with a glassy substance in between. It was double bitted, but both blades nearly met at the top, coming out slender and scythe-like at the ends.

"Orion. No one is going to hurt you, here. We were assigned as your teachers to help you overcome this, because we have experience with it. But you'll need to give some trust," Gerard said, firmly but not unkindly. Ixchelle simply watched from his arm, unable to call out calming words or even look her student in the eye. How scared he must be...

[pern]

Orion's thoughts went almost blank. Who were these people? He considered the possibility they were renegade demons...or possibly just different demons from the ones in his own world. He didn't get to think for long.

Just as Orion opened his mouth to ask a question, a blazing fire burned from the gem embedded in his chest. He stepped back, clutched his heart and barked in pain. The Heart of Gomorrah, as it was called by his people, was flaring up. The demons withing were acting upon him.

Before Orion even knew what was going on, the evil spirits buried his consciousness and control into the recesses of his mind, and overtook his thoughts. They all spoke at once in his mind, but their voice came out as one through his inhuman mouth. "THIS CREATURE IS OURS!" he boomed, deeper and louder than his normal voice. Though a troubled person, Orion was never very harsh. His own voice sounded foreign, as did his manner, when the spirits attempted to force him into being as menacing and volatile as he now appeared. A howling wind picked up, and blew harder as he continued "WE HAVE BEEN GRANTED PERMISSION FROM OUR OVERLORD, A VESSEL OF THE DARK GOD! HOW DARE YOU TRESPASS ON OUR DOMAIN!" The deerboy quieted for a moment, and the winds died down. His eyes were deep red, and a demonic glow emanated from them. He finalized to the other demons standing before him, "Lady Gomorrah wishes for this soul to wander his life, rejected by all whose friendship he may seek. This we will accomplish. You will leave him to walk away..." the red glow in his eyes dimmed to nothing, and all that was left was quiet.

A second passed, then as suddenly as before, Orion's possession became violent, forcing his body into a battle stance, weapons drawn. Fire raged on the blade of Verity, and lightning crackled and zapped on Valeska. The winds around him roared with rage. Orion bellowed one last word and let it hang in the storm about him, with a deafening cry he yelled: "UNDERSTAND!?"

[Ladd Russo of the Russo Family]

(Wowwww this turned out long. xD Sorry about that, and sorry again for some of the insults Gerard will throw here. He's a bit rough around the edges. I read the Homeland book by the way. It was great. ^_^)


The whole challenge played out before Gerard's calm eyes. Eyes were the windows to the soul, and slowly anger kindled inside them. He smiled, but it was a twisted smile, locked onto his face by a rising will. Ixchelle bit her lip, this conflict defined by Orion's voice and the steely rub of his swords leaving their sheathes. She bit her lip, feeling the change in her husband as well. He became a bit fiery, when angry.

"That's great to hear, understand perfectly," he said, deeply sarcastic. "But I have been granted permission from her ***hole to be his teacher. Of course, it's hard to hear commands from such a festering place. Besides the folds of abhorrent fat that bedeck your lady like a some writhing ,parasitic tent, the broom handle is shoved much too far to expect coherency. Up her ***, that is." Gerard was threateningly jovial, insulting the rival demons even in his demeanor.

"You said that Gomorrah is her name? I must say that is appropriate, because few other syllables could so effectively conjure the image of a sexually transmitted disease. Does she have any sisters? Chlamydia perhaps, or dear little Herpes? All of her lovers must feel the telltale itch of their union with her, if in all the hells she could find some creature that would not take its own life rather than come within a foot of hers. I pity your mistress, so hideously vomitous in appearance and barren at heart that she licks the ground where orcs and maggots have dallied, trying to imagine a life half as fulfilling."


Ixchelle covered her mouth that was fighting not to smile, despite the gravity of the situation. Her husband had always been a very loud man, and he rarely hesitated to voice his opinions. However, Gerard's attitude had changed, the playfulness dropping away into something much darker. It was not hard to resist a smile now, and she felt a powerful energy start to lash around them, invisible to the eye.

"But I warn you, demons, if you deserve such a name, do not make me remember who I am. For there are those who still call me Azazel. The Lord of War, the Bringer of Deception, these are the names that were showered upon me, and not without reason! Enough heads have flown from my axe that, were they living, could populate a nation. And there were more nations that hung upon my words, that learned the art of steel from me. And while they learned to protect their bodies with my armor, I taught their women how to break their minds. Hell was hard pressed to contain me! The agony that I wrought upon men and demons alike, all that would face me and all that would run from my sight!"

The area around Gerard had become very still. Even the blades of dewed grass refused to move in the breeze, as if time had stopped its course. A red light shown around him, not from the clouded skies, but from some stained glow of the ground itself. He spoke loudly, but compared to his earlier insults he was quiet, deathly calm.

"Do not make me remember who I am," he repeated. "Demonlings, from whatever of the hells you hail from, I claim the domain that you have been granted, on no authority but my own. Do as you will, but be cautious in your control of this boy. For even as Azazel, I have always been filled with a twisted mercy. The moment that I decide that Orion's life is no longer worth living, that it is too much of a torment for his soul to handle... If he remains utterly without companions, if your influence pains him beyond the point of even a touch of life's joy, I will decide that he should no longer endure the pain."

Murder shone in Gerard's eyes, because even now he was not quite Azazel. Ixchelle knew how hard he had fought to leave that identity behind, and he would not have been able to alone. Hell was not simply a place; Hell was also a state of mind, one addictive as any mortal drug and immeasurably more deadly.

"Demons, he would perish before the light of my axe reached his eye, but every one of you would live on. I will make sure of it. You would live every hour of the next one hundred years in exquisite torment. At least the knowledge that you had failed your lady will echo on to comfort you in those dark times, when you beg for the silence of death. That is what I understand."

He spread his arms, Ixchelle on his left with a sorrowful face, his axe on his right with a face keen for blood. Gerard waited, eyes upon his student.

"Live on, demons. Surely a partial failure is more acceptable than an utter one. Let even the chance of success be your mercy angel. He will not be at this school for the rest of his days."

[pern]

Orion felt the tension in the spirits controlling his body. With a sudden thrust of frustration, he landed on the ground, face first, moaning in pain.

"You have not heard the last of us!" A voice said that was completely different from Orion. His eyes flashed red one last time, and then subsided to their natural black.

You may feel a sting, one of the voices snickered. Instantly, Orion felt a twinge somewhere in his mind where something felt as though it were pinched off. He knew the demons were being more violent than was necessary. Finally, with a final pulse of pain, he felt suddenly lighter, a spiritual burden seemingly lifted off his shoulders. The relief was small, but it felt like a breath of fresh air to Orion. We will see what the Master has to say about this small roadblock. Perhaps something even more useful will come out of your existence, Orion. These otherworldly demons might make the perfect allies to Dormod! The Master may even consider forgetting your pathetic race for the time being...

Orion, only thinking of how he longed for his barely remembered family to be safe, as always, only thinking about others, didn't realize the implications of the demon empire growing stronger, and said softly, in his mind, What do you want me to do?

Strange as it may sound, we want you to join this school now. Learn all you can about this new race of demons. They may be representatives of the rest of their race, but let's hope they are pathetic examples.

Orion nodded. Join or no join, he would be doing what the demons wanted. He then looked at Gerard and Ixchelle, and for once had to agree with the demons. He hoped above anything he had ever hoped before that these people were bad representatives of their race. That somehow, if even possible for demons, that they might, as a very tiny percentage of individuals, be the ones that were not as evil as their brethren.

He hoped this because he had no choice, but he was also tired of running. If he was cursed to run into evil at every turn, he would at least this time face it. He looked to his new friends.

"When can I start classes?" he asked sheepishly as he resheathed his swords gingerly. "I've decided to stay here."

[Ladd Russo of the Russo Family]

Gerard thumped up to Orion, the certain potential of evil breaking off the moment he started toward the boy. He now seemed quite normal, or as normal as a huge shirtless person in a skin skirt with small horns on his head could be.

"Really?" he asked, both incredulous and impressed. "You're brave. After that ordeal I think I'd be running for the hills." He shrugged, making a face. "Orion, I don't know how much of that you were conscious of, but I will tell you that I'm not proud of what I did... or what I was. Ixchelle and I spent centuries trying to undermine the system we once served.

"But we were betrayed, and we paid the price for it. Ixchelle was the first one to be discovered, and as punishment the Prince Ga'ap tore out her tongue and eyes. After that, he started to rip away her nerves, intending to leave her as a prisoner in her own numb flesh. I found her before he had gotten past her waist, but..." His eyes trailed down to Ixchelle's useless legs, and he clenched his teeth. Ixchelle herself was still during his explanation, unreadable. Compared to how most would act when recounting something so emotional, they seemed almost stoic about it, refusing to feel.

He touched the deep scar on his chest, one that had a match on his back, as if something very large had gone through him. "After that night, there was no use to staying in Hell. We both would have died. But please understand that we are not like the demons in your head, Orion."

[pern]

(WOO! That sure was long! Sorry about that! It actually has three different sections. I hope that's okay, but trial and error! )

Orion grimaced at the story he was being told. The demons of this world seemed little different in behavior from the ones of his world. Perhaps they are right, he thought. This world's demons are just the type our world's would enjoy the company of. Orion thought for a moment that their alliance must not be a good thing, but because he could do nothing about it, he refused to think about it. Then he realized it was his turn to explain a few things to Gerard and Ixchelle.

"In my world, the battle for free will is all the harder. There are spirits everywhere that try to control us. My race came to know the dryads as our protectors and our masters. The dryads were kindred spirits that guided us and helped us, but it was still control for they always saw the need to lay down law after law. I felt as though our people were nothing more than intelligent animals, not allowed to integrate with the outside world. Only our creator, Omicron, believed we should be given complete free will. He created us to be a sort of lesson to our warring neighbors, the elves and the lizardmen, that all could live together in peace. The idea was that the other races hated each other because of a bad start in their first meeting, but if we Cervidans got off to a good start with either one of them, we would prove they could be friends as well. We could teach them their prejudices were unfounded. I was the first natural-born Cervidan...which was why Gomorrah decided I was to be her target. She wanted to corrupt us, to keep us from ending rascism in the forest. She feared a unification of Sylvania above all else, for it would be that much more difficult for her master to conquer, so she planted a seed of evil in me which she hoped would infect my entire race. Unfortunately, the spirits of the dryads banished me, fearing my influence on their utopia. I was brought to the human lands, where I met a different race of spirits: the angels. The humans, though not perfect, were generally happy, for their guardians were there solely as advisers, small voices making suggestions. In fact, many people never saw an angel in their life! The angels were more of their servants than their masters, wanting the humans to make their own choices. That was why I decided to become a paladin. I believed in the angels and their methods more than the dryads'. And then there were the demons..." Orion stopped as though remembering something from long ago.

"There is one major difference between angels and demons, Orion," Brother Lentin said to his pupil. "Angels are good, beings of light, and demons are the opposite."

"But why should one be chosen over the other?" Orion asked. Brother Lentin laughed at the silly question.

"Because we are good people, Orion. We are children of the light. Darkness is evil."

"But why? What is so bad about being evil? Why don't we choose darkness instead of light?"

Brother Lentin became suddenly angry, yelled at the fawn and drove him to his room, ordering him to read the Holy Scripture for the rest of the day, and to fast until the next.

"Orion," Brother Lentin said so many years later, "do you remember when you asked me why it was we should follow the light instead of the darkness?"

"Yes, Brother," Orion responded. It was almost time for him to leave for the new world to find the school that had actually accepted him. "It was a silly question. I was young and didn't know any better."

"You were not the naive one, Orion. That was me. It is right to question why you believe in what you do. The Most High wants us to trust him, and to follow him, but not blindly. So I must ask you, Orion, do you know why you follow him?"

Orion blinked. "Because he was the only one that took me in when everyone else rejected me." He said it so matter-of-factly, Brother Lentin almost dismissed it, but he caught himself.

"That is not a good basis of faith, my son," he said. It was the first time he had referred to Orion as his child, and it made him almost tear up. "Someday you will learn for yourself the answer to my question, but I must say I am still learning myself. Go on to your school."

It was that day that Orion became most firm in his beliefs and trust of the angels. He realized Brother Lentin had been wrong. There was another major difference between angels and demons. Demons manipulated. He knew that from experience. Angels did not. Demons trapped you. Angels built a wall with holes in it, giving a choice: stay or go your own way. Orion, without even knowing it, had left more than not, but the great thing about angels was that they let you back in if you just asked. Demons, on the other hand, would just kill you if you somehow managed to escape, for you really meant nothing to them. Orion wanted to be part of the world the angels presented: the one of free will and caring for others.

(Sorry for the preaching, but hey, my guy's a paladin for heaven's sake! This next part I'm not sure about, but I thought I'd try it. I wasn't even sure about the flashback, but u tell me if it's acceptable roleplaying to skip somewhere else for a few paragraphs, and, of course, I will go back to Orion after this)

* * * * * * *

Xybroque was ecstatic about seeing his home again for the first time since he had been sent to work with Lady Gomorrah. Nothing like the good old barren wastes of the fiery Dormod, the demon lands. He floated in his spiritual form through the portal that would take him back to Ya'orn. Once on the other side, he suddenly lost his powers and plummetted to the ground, taking physical form. His coppery skin shone in the moonlight, amplified by his glowing red eyes. His spine was littered with spikes that curved wickedly, and his tail was edged sharper than a sword. The demon had six limbs, and could crawl quickly on all of them, or stand normally on his hind ones. But he traveled most quickly as nothing more than a wisp of spritual essence! It drove the hideous creature mad that he could not change. Clutching at his memory, he tried to remember why exactly this was happening to him. He could not even put a glamour spell on himself as a disguise! Then he remembered.

Gomorrah!

The witch must have bound them to the stone...now that he was back in Ya'orn, the effects of her curse were starting to manifest. Apparently she was trying to keep them on their jobs by killing them if they left it behind. She obviously didn't expect them to travel to another world! The demon picked himself up. It was clear to him now that his only chance of survival was to reach Dormod and talk to the Dark God. He would lift the curse, and listen to what his servant had to say. The creature scrambled to his feet, remembered he was in Academia, and immediately worked his way to the grand capitol to find a demonologist who might help him. Already he was starting to feel drained and a burning sensation covered his metallic skin. He was starting to feel slightly hostile toward Gomorrah...

* * * * * * *

[Ladd Russo of the Russo Family]

(Flashbacks are fine, we get 'em all the time. ^_^ And switching over to something else relevant is also good. I am particularly guilty of that one, but few of us haven't done it. In some of our out-of-school roleplays we do as many as three different places/people at once in our posts.

And don't worry about preachy here. I have a paladin too. XD

If you want to contact any of my demons, just let me know. I have quite a few that aren't interested in 'redemption'.)


"Angels and demons," Gerard grunted in disgust, shaking his head. "Well, Rlel always said that everything was about control. I think more along the line of freedoms, but..." The large man shrugged and started leading Orion up the path to the school. "Philosophy annoys me. It only takes an essay to depart from reality."

Ixchelle twisted around in his arm so that her face was in front of his, mouthing 'Classes' with a pointed amusement. A bit of anxiety showed by an unsure twitch of her smile; she was still somewhat shaken by Gerard's earlier performance.

"You're right, classes," he agreed, realizing he was getting off topic. "Alright, 'Rion, prepare to absorb this. Your first classes of a school day are Magic, Weaponry, Beastry, and Master. Pretty strait forward, except for Master. We're your Master Teachers, and that's a class you have with just us, some mano a mano testing of what you've learned.

"After that you have a break period, and then some choices. Sixth period can be Music, Potionry, or History. The History teacher is insane, don't know about the rest of them. (The history teacher is my character. XD) The you have either Holy, Flare, or Summoning. Being a paladin, I'm guessing you're going Holy, unless you feel you need more dark magic on your skill list. Eighth period is Dragoon, Samurai, or Thievery. Dragoon involves dragons; Samurai is some sort of raw physical training. Finally you have the choice of either Survival or Puppetmaster."

Gerard let out a long breath. "That was a speech. Questions, 'Rion?"