Clouded Sentiment (Closed)

[Kalicity]

As Gabriela drifted to sleep, she wouldn’t see much of anything. There was darkness, the sunless gloom cast a shady haze over her mind and her thoughts. This dream would be recognizable in a sense, as if she had been there before in some other time, some other world, some other region. She would even be able to smell the scent of familiarity, the same essence that was carried by those of her bloodline and of their breed. Having never truly been able to embrace the smell of flowers, having never been able to embrace humanity, Kalicity had left these living testaments in the minds of her children.

Of course, they never truly were aware of their existence due to her always being around to fulfill their desires and wants. However, now that the Dark Goddess had passed, now was the time that their potent blood pulled them into different directions, igniting these thoughts and memories and bringing them into acute awareness. There was too much that was left unsaid between Kalicity and Gabriela, and with this, her most adored daughter would be given closure she was constantly asking for, in the most intricate and delicate way possible.

There was a hallway, the cobblestones were milked of their musk. It was dry here, as if it had just been built. The fires from the torches danced on the walls, and even though there was darkness at the end of the hallway, it would not leave Gabriela frightened. She had been through these walls many times. This humble abode was only known as Kalicity’s temple, designed and built by her own two hands. If Gabriela chose to continue down to corridor, off to the right there would be open door that lead to her study. Books upon books, piled and soared to new heights and if she looked forward, her dark mother would be sitting upon a large throne in front of the fire.

However, the Dark Goddess wouldn’t be as Gabriela had last saw her. Instead, she would portray the image of how she was when they had first met. Incredibly young and youthful, almost the same age as Gabriela was now. It was the day that Kalicity had truly fell in love with the woman she was supposed to kill, and for once, found strength in her mercy when she left the little one live. Long ebony hair poured over his body and deep, frosted hues merely took a glance over her shoulder. She would still hold the original tattoo’s she gained from the Darkbane, her adorned figure wrapped in leather and chains. Both A Venom’s Kiss and DeathStrike was laying at the ground at her side.. She had plans for those here in the near future of this dream. She didn’t get up, she didn’t really move. She wasn’t quite sure what to expect, whether her dearest child would run away screaming obscenities, or find her grace and approach her Dark mother for what may seem, for the very last time.

“Gabriela, please come sit with me.” Her words commanded allegiance, it was not a request. This was no ordinary meeting between a mother and daughter. There was humbleness about the Dark Goddess that was not there before. There was purity that few had ever seen, a true desire and love that she was never able to give to any or all of her offspring. She willed the want to be kind and Gabriela would be able to feel it in her heart. The hearth of the fire was warm and comforting, and she motioned towards the chair sitting across from her.

[.Irénè Gabriela DuGrace.]

-Immediately, she was aware that this was a dream.

There was something about it, perhaps it was the fuzziness to her consciousness—or the fact that she couldn’t quite make out her location in relation to the rest of her family. For the DuGrace blood served as a beacon of incredible brightness in the darkness that was this vast world. But here, there was no light and there was no darkness, just the strange fogginess of a place somewhat familiar but for the most part greatly estranged.

Solid golden eyes glanced downward, for a moment recognizing the outfit she had worn in her younger days—a simple gown of white and a heavy cloak that tied at her throat with matching black ribbons. Within her cloak she felt the comforting weight of daggers, her weapon of choice, long ago. But those were her wild days, when her preference for confrontation was close, very close. It nearly caused her to smile to picture herself, in her mind’s eye, as that rebellious runaway youth. She had left her responsibilities, refusing to become a political puppet to either of her parents. Never again had she seen them, and somehow, she made her way through a strange new world where neither her name nor her blood held much prestige or notoriety.

However, her golden eyes did not seek out to examine her apparel, it was instead her right hand that Gabriela was intent on investigative. Ever so slowly she opened her hand and turned her palm upwards revealing what she had already known would be there—a scar, a straight white line about two inches long, right in the center of her palm. Of course, in reality, she had no such scar other than the emotional memory of how Kalicity had introduced herself. They had fought, but it had hardly been a challenge for the Dark Goddess—Gabriela’s youth and inexperience quickly proved to be her downfall. Within moments of the fight breaking she was flat on her back, with a dagger shoved through her right hand, effectively pinning her to the ground. And where death should have followed, it was instead the unexpected expression of approval upon Kalicity’s face.

Never in her life had Gabriela, up until that point, felt any sort of desire to please a parental figure. Yet it was more than Kalicity’s mercy that had won her Gabriela’s loyalty. Kalicity had been the first to comment on her potential, both as a warrior and an equal.

Yes—the scar was apparent upon her perfect white flesh. This was a dream.

Turning on her heel she heard the click of her boots as she walked down the hall. This place was faintly familiar, in reality she had only seen this place once, and long ago when Kalicity had still been welcome in the ranks of the DarkBane. That entire experience had planted the seeds of doubt within Gabriela. From that moment on, after seeing how Kalicity bent a knee to those loathsome creatures, Gabriela had distanced herself from the Dark Goddess. And it was that same distance that now caused her so much pain—her irrational refusal to allow Kalicity back into her life, as they had once been, as friends.

She came upon the Dark Goddess—but there was nothing left of that morbid and awful creature. A smile quickened upon her face, touching the corners of her supple lips, as she saw the youthful face. Yes, this was the Kalicity that Gabriela had sworn allegiance to, a fresh-faced, hopeful, and ambitious creature of neither good nor evil. Back then, Gabriela had believed that Kalicity bowed only to life and to the desires of that life, not to the perverse pleasures of monsters. And before she even spoke, Gabriela was struck with the epiphany that she had been waiting for, to live life for the sake of life itself. Before she even spoke, she knew what was to come, and she accepted it whole heartedly.

“You’re not real,” she said, but the smile never faded, “how much of this comes from my own imagination? How much of you,” a hand extended, the same hand that proudly wore the white scar. Cool fingertips brushed the Dark Goddess’s cheek, “—is really you?”

[Kalicity]

Gabriela’s warm welcome seemed to sooth the old heart of the heinous legend. Her orbs, kissed the moon lit up as she came closer and lightly caressed her cheek. The sound of her daughter’s voice made her swoon. She had been waiting for this meeting to come so long, it seemed like it look a few millennia to come, yet now that it was here, it couldn’t be anything better.

At Gabriela’s questions, she slightly leaned into her delicate fingertips, only to notice the scar that embellished her hand. “Ah, a scar that I never had the chance to lay eye on. It’s funny how these dreams work, ensnaring memories of the past that pop up at any given time.” She too, offered a generous smile. It was a smile that was rarely perceived by any close to her, except for when she had made a kill and her received reinforcements from her comrades, or maybe when Alukai was first born. Those smiles appeared to come once in a lifetime. Back then it was hard to show such emotion, especially when her devotion was so tainted.

She then stood, her grace and strength well within reach. Pivoting off the heel of her boot, she now faced Gabriela, their bodies mere inches from one another. Still the Dark Goddess stood over her offspring, but this was no longer about who was stronger than who, this was not about power. Not anymore. This was about a love that was supposed to be cherished but never had the chance. A family that was born, but never nurtured. Still those icy globes gazed into her starlets sun kissed gaze, and they smiled together for the first time in a very long time. Perhaps the first time ever, but she could not recall.

“You’re imagination is nowhere present in this dream, Gabriela. It is all me.” She paused, “When I had embraced you and your siblings, my blood alone has left traces of me within you; thoughts, memories and basically my living will. It built up for years and years, slowly collecting data from me and my life. I live within each of you now and through you, I will live on, even if you cannot physically see me.

It is here and now that I brought you to this place in your mind that you didn’t know about. My recent death has brought this forward, a necessary meeting between you and I. There is much I need to address, between you, me and our family. I’m sure there are some questions you would like to ask me too. I am here to answer them, to be the mother you once knew so very long ago. I am no longer contaminated by the hatred and devastation that plagued my existence.”

Behind her, she could still hear the wood crackling as the flames continuously devoured it.

[.Irénè Gabriela DuGrace.]

-Perhaps it was the very nature of this being a dream that leant to Gabriela a sense of intoxication. It was akin to the sensation she often felt when drinking the mortal vita of heavily drunk individuals, when the sweet wine transferred into their own blood and later into her own. That was a pleasant thought, for as always, Gabriela had been ignoring her more primal urges. The hunger, the beast, it went without feeding for far too long and yet she always managed to control herself. It was in many ways a dangerous game she played, to see how long she could go, before breaking. As of yet, she had not claimed a life to her hunger—but for one who sought to justify the divinity of every single life, her game seemed particularly treacherous. A thought crossed into her mind regarding the need to find a source of blood once she woke up—a few blood dolls to avoid the nightly unnecessary seduction of new lovers. Once, not so long ago, she had a fleet of strong young men, beautiful creatures, all but ready to bend a knee and offer their lushes throat to her hungry lips.

Slowly she returned to the present moment, still somewhat dizzy from the fuzzy sensation that this strange realm was causing upon her still living mind. Although this was a dream, Kalicity’s words also reassured the fact that this was more than merely a space within her own consciousness. Certainly this was another realm entirely, one so completely apart from the physical, that the only time members of each respected realm could meet was in the abstract reality of this dream world. This gave her some hope that perhaps Kalicity remained vital—at least in some sense, if only as a memory.

“It is a tragedy that it took death to bring us together once again,” Gabriela stated this coolly, while offering the sort of smile that did not completely reject responsibility. After all, she had pushed while Kalicity had slipped away—they were both responsible, as far as she was concerned, with the turn out of this entire drama. But there was little need to linger on such things, she realized that now.

Kalicity’s assumption was correct, Gabriela had questions, but most of them were about the Dark Goddess’ mental state before and during her death. Gabriela yearned to know that she had felt content with her decision and that now that she was gone there were no regrets. She also wanted to know who had killed the woman she knew as mother—who had the gall to actually run the dark goddess through with a sword. These dark thoughts visibly upset Gabriela, causing her delicate features to shift into tension. However, she would not ask them as of yet—better to learn why Kalicity had been awoken in her body, better to learn why the Dark Goddess revealed herself now—and not earlier.

Gabriela relaxed, she allowed the morbid thoughts to slip away from her like droplets of water, and settled instead to focus on this precious moment. She glanced beyond the Dark Goddess and peered at her strange surroundings. “I would like to bring this place back, to build it, for our family—we miss you Kalicity.” A hand extended and rested gently upon the woman’s shoulder, her cool touch offered a gentle but firm squeeze. “You left us nothing—grant me this, as the only bloodright that I require. Grant me the right to build you a proper tomb, a temple where we can gather to remember you, to ask for guidance. And give me something, an artifact, so that we can have remembrance of you in the physical world that you have abandoned.”-

[Kalicity]

She waited patiently as she observed her daughter passing in and out of consciousness. She could always tell when her mind was wandering, and was always eager to snag her attention. However, their time was not limited as the night was only beginning. The hour of the sun would not be upon them for some time, so there was no need to rush. Then, Gabriela’s beautiful gaze was upon her again.

“Gabriela, my death was far from a tragedy. I know it is not what you would like to hear, but it was a necessary step to the excelleration of our existence. My time in this life is now over, Gabriela. Now it is your time to rise.” She spoke boldly and with pure confidence. She knew that deep down that her family would miss her, that they wouldn’t understand why she needed to walk hilt deep into a blade held by her own Lord in order to find closure. Yet there were many things that had happened in her life that they didn’t understand. The death of Malaysia, betraying her own offspring, devoting herself to a lifetime of servitude to the one thing that truly destroyed her in the end.

She had no explanation for all of these things, they just..were.

Listening to her daughter speak, at any other time she would have been angered by her claiming she left her children with nothing. What happened to all of her teachings? Was that not a gift all on its own? However, this was not a time to be filled with resentment and wrath. She calmly replied, “Gabriela, you do not need my permission to build me a tomb. You do not need my permission, to rebuild my temple. I’m sure that you will finish it with your own personal touch as I would want this temple to be your own as well as our family.” She paused momentarily, “You have many artifacts already from me. Chaos and Cody are at your disposal, they both need knew riders unless they have already picked one already. They are to be passed down to one of my children. Cryptic is also one that would need a new mistress, you have never met her. She is a wolf I claimed as a young vampire, given immortal life with a venomous sting to her attitude. I’m sure she would gladly protect you.

“As for my more physical artifacts, Malaysia has Shadowspire and Talon. A Venom’s Kiss and DeathStrike, I have yet to return to anyone.” Looking down and past her shoulder, she took a glimpse towards the two weapons that lay on the ground. Their lethal beauty dancing in the fire’s light, her two most favored weapons. “The shadows harness them as we speak.”Her eyes darkened, “If I give them to you, you must not use them. Unlike everything else that I have passed down to you children, they only answer to me..and they died with me.”

[.Irénè Gabriela DuGrace.]

-It was a good thing that Kalicity did not voice her thoughts—for Gabriela was not attempting to be offensive. Her words would have to be taken with a grain of salt by the Dark Goddess, for they were the words of a child who felt scorned and abandoned. She was right to think that Gabriela would never understand, to Gabriela there was nothing more precious than life, and now that she was herself a mother that feeling was more so ingrained within her very being than ever. But they were different, and even Gabriela could appreciate that now; she really didn’t have a choice.

Upon the mention of all of her creatures, Gabriela seemed to perk up a bit. “You know they are all welcome, they are as much a part of our family as—as any of my children, or yours.” Gabriela only had one real child, and that was Lucis, but she had come to the point of accepting both Raspberry as well as Doll as her own flesh and blood. This thought caused a bit of anxiety in her, but along with that fear there was a sort of exhilarating sense of destiny. Something great was about to happen—something truly amazing. Kalicity herself echoed Gabriela’s thoughts when she said those wondrous words, “My time in this life is now over, Gabriela. Now it is your time to rise.”

Gabriela turned away, the energy around her elegant figure was swirling madly now. Both her hands came together, joining gently just below her belly. She paused there, thinking, all the while her energy buzzed about her in humming waves of something akin to music. Deep in her being there had always been a desire to rule—but she was different than her blood kin. Not so much in the sense that she despised unnecessary violence, or that she had actually belonged to a governing family long ago. Her ultimate desire for the world was so much more evil than anyone could have actually guessed. Her stomach churned at the mere thought of the world she had once imagined—utterly and beautifully black.

A hand rose, she touched her forehead for a moment. These thoughts were encompassing her, threatening to swallow her completely. Lucky for her she found herself in the safety of this strange place—this creation that belonged to Kalicity. For should she have found herself in the world she knew, Darkness would be near, sensing the weakness in her disposition. She had fought for too long to control the urge to bring the world to its knees, to birth in utter darkness into this realm.

“I cannot trust myself to rise,” she said this with a pleading voice, turning back to Kalicity. “I—I am no better than Angelus. He wanted to burn the world to ash, and I want to paint it all black.” This had been long before Lucis was born, long before she felt herself so very attached to Malaysia and now Morce. Her heart thundered in her ears as she thought of this—of what it would mean to rule now that she was so very much controlled by the love she bore her family. In the end what would overcome her? Love or the very nature of her existence—her affiliation to the abyss?-

[Kalicity]

Satisfaction is what swept over the diligent Dark Goddess. A piercing stare lightly shifted, acknowledging the sudden vibe that radiated off of Gabriela. It took her moment to figure out what she wanted to do, to step forward and kindly embrace her beloved daughter, or step away and go sit back down.. until Gabriela was ready to continue this conversation.

She did neither.

She simply stood a statue, quietly observing all that was her latest female offspring. She could feel the doubt wallowing in the pit of Gabriela’s stomach, the hesitation in stepping up onto the mantle and taking the Dark Mother’s place. It was a place of darkness and cruelty, of forever injustice. At least to those looking in, on the inside the children that enveloped in the idea and shadow of Kalicity, would be looking to her for guidance. For deep down, the Dark Goddess knew it was Gabriela they had all looked to. That somehow they all knew that she was the one to wear the crown, the one who would wield the will of the God’s.

Even as Gabriela’s wondrous hues met hers for the third time, the Dark Goddess never faltered. She didn’t blink, her gaze never strayed. “Say what you must Gabriela, but you know in your heart this is where you belong. I empower you to be the next monarch in my line, in this line, our family. Be the leader I never was, unite them under one banner.” Her voice once again demanded the attention of the wayward kindred, and she only expected Gabriela to be swarmed with emotion and uncontrollable surprise. This was a huge honor Kalicity was bestowing upon her. Yet once Gabriela would look into those eyes, she would see nothing but seriousness in the depths of those icy cavities.

He wanted to burn the world to ash, and I want to paint it all black..

“Spoke from my own heart. Do you not think that I wanted this world to burn, Gabriela? Look who you are talking to. I was so consumed with destruction and annihilating all in my wake. I did not care who I hurt or who fell at the edge of my sword, whether it be infants or mothers, children of families. I killed in the name of the family that I never had, in the name of a family that I devoted myself to more than my own children. I even killed my own daughter, for sick and sadistic pleasure..to see if my lineage was strong enough. You cannot deter me by saying you are no better than anyone else. You are far more capable of commanding this family than you give yourself credit for, and you know it. Step up, Gabriela. It is your time, it is our time to rule.”

[.Irénè Gabriela DuGrace.]

-They were never the sort to show affection, other than lusty desires, in a physical sense. Never in her life could she recall a sweet moment that consisted of an embrace or of something as simple and satisfying as a hand upon the shoulder and the gentle squeeze of beloved observation. No, they were not those sorts, and she for one would not have it any other way. She knew the flesh of her siblings, and even that of the Dark Goddess (when she had lived), had been a thing of utter wonder. To touch their skin was to travel through unimaginable experiences—and something of that caliber could not be taken lightly. Yet still she missed it, the idea of it, of having that glorious goddess laid her blood drench hands upon her ever so delicately—to show the placidness that even vicious mad beasts could possess.

“You misunderstand me,” Gabriela answered, shifting her weight so that she floated atop the balls of her feet to one of the open chairs. These were elegant things, made of wood and rich brown leather, fitting for a place of stone and blood. Here her weight settled, and quite sudden, she found herself dressed in completely different attire. Once more she sported the tightly fitted ridding breeches, the tucked in black blouse with puffed sleeves and a very familiar heavy golden chain hidden underneath. This was a dream, so she was not alarmed by the sudden shift from the remains of one memory to another.

Icy fingers reached up, and she felt the movement of her wrist slightly constrained by the thick leather gauntlets that wrapped around them. Lovingly she found the outline of the coin-sized ruby under her blouse—a stone that radiated warmth against her bare flesh, between her slowly rising and falling breasts. This was all that was left of Angelus—this and of course, Lucis.

“Your brood,” she began, eyes cast downward, but not in a submissive pose. Instead, she seemed thoughtful now as she picked her words and attempted to articulate the secrets that had festered in her heart for far too long. “Your—blood,” she corrected herself, “much like his, though you will deny any sort of parallel between the two of you,” Gabriela smiled and shifted those golden eyes back to Kalicity’s own moonlight gaze. “You and him, you wanted to burn everything, and watch the embers of this dying world. There was such a coldness in your souls and perhaps that was the only fire that either of you could ever achieve true warmth.” She gave a disconcerted shrug, “that is not the point. And I am not condemning you or him for your desires. But they are not mine. Your children, they are your brood and more your blood than I will ever be—they will crave the same thing you wanted.” It was a roundabout way of getting to her point, but in the poetic sphere of Gabriela’s reality, a completely necessary expense in time.

The same hand that was busily toying with the ruby under her shirt suddenly stopped. Her fingers spread over her chest and rested there in a posture of honesty. Her other hand extended and opened slightly in the classical pose of supplication, “I need you to understand—I am not like you. I was never like you. I do not want to torture, and I do not want the world to burn. However,” that open hand closed into a tight fist, “if I should bring about the end of this world—it will be in a glorious fall of night and blackness. There will be no time to mourn—there will be no more pain or suffering.”

Her gaze dropped once more and it was clear that she was within the realm of her own mind now, “I would end the world with a quick blow and like a candle it will flicker madly and then go out—and there will simply be nothing more.” Those golden eyes pleaded now, they appeared so sad as they sought out Kalicity’s gaze, “and I am conflicted—now that I have a child, and the family that you bestowed upon me, I am so conflicted.”-

[Kalicity]

Seconds passed, and she had solemnly noticed the sudden infliction that accompanied her dearest daughter. The darkness seemed to sing their humble song, and as Gabriela thought of the days of old where the infamous Dark Goddess seemed to be always painted in blood and gold, something within the room shifted and changed.

“You misunderstand me..”

The words echoed like a prized gem. The delicacy of the situation was growing, and as Gabriela had turned her back on her to move to the chairs, the Dark Goddess simple looked down. She no longer held her previous appearance. The attire had changed. Holding out her hands, her loving gauntlets that she had used and designed with such pride, adorned her lithe fingertips. Her arms and body were smeared with crimson and the rickety essence of death calmly stirred and silver hues lingered back to the fire. Her tattoo’s had changed, they were drawn so diligently along her arms, her back and face. Her deep, dark hair was still swept away from her visage and a coy smirk formed once again upon her crimson lips.

She soon chose to join her young princess by sitting in the other chair. It was a slant, so that she may be able to look Gabriela directly in the eye without any struggle. Her metal claws seemed to cling to the edge of the arm rest, her steel gray stare met her daughter’s golden loom.

“You see Gabriela, that is where you are wrong.” She sat back against the comfortable cushion, “They are every bit of delicacy and purity that I never was. “ She paused a moment, taking her eyes and pointing them to the fire. She seemed to be lost in thought, her words slipping past her lips like she was in a haze. “My children are everything that I wasn’t. You might think that they want everything that I desired, but they don’t. I am pleased to say that they have witnessed and analyzed the error of my ways. They actually are able to live their lives as they were meant to be lived! Sure, I taught the majority of them how to wield a sword, how to take life without mercy. I taught them that..

But they made their own choices, Gabriela.” She averted her eyes back to her daughter, “They decided to live a life that didn’t revolve around senseless murder and desecration. I would never want that for you, or Malaysia, or MorceLa’Kai, Alukai or even Shaitari.. I would never want for any of you, the life that I had. Each and every one of you deserve so much better than that..and I am so happy to say, none of my children have followed in my footsteps.”

She was serious when speaking these words, there was no doubt in her visage. Then when Gabriela shared her dream as to how the world would end, she simply nodded. She knew that there were individuals in this realm who had to power to take out the world, with their mind. When she was alive, she was one of those individuals. However, she never did it. She chose to savor each life that she took, each last breath that she swallowed. There were so many imperfect perfections to this life, it is how life was meant to be.

“Conflicted? Why? Share with me your thoughts Gabriela. Let’s have a mother daughter talk, you and I. Let’s share a moment that we rarely ever got to indulge in.”

[.Irénè Gabriela DuGrace.]

-Who could have ever imagined this scene? Gabriela had fantasized about it, moments of peaceful contemplation spent here in the company of someone who was not only older but wiser. There was a painful tug toward reality—the very simple realization that this was a dream, and that it would never and had never happened in reality. Yet, there was no point in reverting back to that sad reality, or rather; there was no point in morning over something that could never be changed. And so her golden eyes studied the serene features of the Dark Goddess and attempted to conceive some sort of answer to all the questions that were stirring in her heart and mind.

There was a moment of frustration, like the sudden instinct toward violence when one is faced with no means by which to clarify internal sentiments. Kalicity had misunderstood, again, but rather than blame the Dark Goddess, Gabriela merely lowered her head and contemplated her lack of ability to properly articulate her true sentiments. Both her hands lowered and rested upon her lap—she became very passive now, eyes half open as she took her time to think of what and how to say it.

“Sometimes,” she finally began, “sometimes I was born to end it all.” Gabriela was of course nearing a certain truth that Darkness had never fully explained. Gabriela had never been meant to be Gabriela—she had been chosen in the womb, a mere means to an end, a “moral” body that Darkness could inhabit. But things had not turned out that way—there had been a change in plans. That, however, left Gabriela imbued with so much of Darkness that it was hard to separate his desires from her own. But sometimes—sometimes she understood why he wanted silence, and why he saw this world and felt neither disgust nor joy. He saw only a strange attempt at order that he did not approve of—he preferred the lovely nothingness of the abyss.

“There’s so much that cannot be controlled, so much that—hurts,” this last word caused Gabriela to pause again. It caused her to bite her lip while she tried to think of way to say this without sounding completely mad. “I think of children—of family, my own as well as the eternal number of those who have come before and who will come after, and I,” she clenched her teeth. Tiny elegant fangs were visible with the threat of piercing the top of that lush bottom lip. “And I don’t care for it. I think of Lucis and Malaysia—of Morce, and none of it matters, sometimes the desire for Darkness is just so irresistible. It’s why I distanced myself from everyone, why I chose to enter the torpor once Lucis was born. How could I be a worthy mother when I often fantasized about throwing him, weeping and trembling, into the abyss? How could I head a family now? What example could I possibly be to them? IF I cannot change the world for the better, I want to end it completely.”

Now her golden eyes turned up to meet the moonlight gaze. But those eyes were swimming in the darkest crimson blood imaginable, it was a horrid sight.-

[Kalicity]

Paying heed to her daughters body movements, the nervousness in her hands, the tremble in her lips; it all seemed so surreal. Within this dream, there appeared to be in dire need of something that could not be conjured up. Perhaps this was not the way Kalicity envisioned it would go. She would have thought Gabriela would be proud to take her pedestal, to take the crown and lead this family into a stronger, more detailed unit. Of course there was to be confusion and disdain, some sort of road block that stood in the way. That was expected.. but not this.

Moonlit hues soon met a beautifully morbid stare, the orbs of her daughter’s that ran river red, caught her immediately attention. There was no alarm in Kalicity’s stare, nor panic or disturbance. Instead, there was a soft ache in her chest. Why did this fantasy have to come forth now, after she was dead? It was as if Gabriela had picked up where she left off so many years ago! It took a moment for her slithering forked tongue to pass over her sharp elongated fangs; it rolled fiercely across their sharp points before slithering back into its cave.

“I hate to say this Gabriela, but I do not understand what you are saying. Please elaborate for me. You know how I feel about this, I have already described to you how I felt before. I do not find what you say as disconcerting. It does not unsettle my nerves; to me what you say is completely natural. Please tell me I did not rub off on you. The way I treated you and your siblings..What you say about Lucis, I did to Morce. He didn’t have a way to scream though.. he didn’t have a choice..”

The idea that her children would become like her, in the way that she had treated her children so poorly, was a looming nightmare. The room around them darkened, the flames of the fire start to weaken as the shadows began to sink in. The air began to present a morning’s winter chill, and after a few moments, they would begin to see their breath lingering on the air. Kalicity looked down, her voice at a whisper..

“This is not how I wanted this to go..”

[.Irénè Gabriela DuGrace.]

-Frustration rippled past her aura, a wavy sort of energy that quickly smoothed over, leaving behind a serene expression. While her brow had trembled with tension only moments ago, she now seemed to have reached peace. There was a very profound reason for her sudden change in demeanor. Moments ago she had felt nothing but anger—Kalicity didn’t understand, and she never would. But her anger would never be unfairly cast upon someone innocent, and Kalicity’s inability to understand was not a fault or sin. And besides, that gentle voice, that call from beyond this dream had calmed her greatly.

Para toda la eternidad, para ti, mi amor es verdadero.

It was her language, such a familiar and wonderful sound. And it was spoken in such a way that left little doubt that the speaker had a natural tongue, and not a forced accent. The sound of her native tongue touched her far more than the poetic words—and even caused the tense situation to suddenly wane. Instead that glorious beauty was left with a smile upon her face, a small and private affair that spoke to her own moment of joy. Part of her, a selfish part, hoped that Kalicity had not heard her own sons whisper. Part of her wanted them all to evolve now—to move away from a connection so deep that nothing was secret or sacred. There was a bond forming, a strange and beautiful thing, between her and Morce—and she wanted to keep it private for as long as possible.

Eventually her golden eyes returned to Kalicity. The blood was gone as if it had never touched the corner of her eyes or the flesh of her cheeks. “No, you did not rub off on me,” she answered finally, shrugging her shoulders lightly. “Well, the awful parts of you didn’t.” With that she smiled, and settled her hands upon her lap. “You did however leave me with this frustrating sense of loyalty—before you came into my life, the only family I had consisted of two parents who used me as an excuse to wage war against each other. Did I ever tell you about them?” Gabriela tilted her head to the side, and a few strands of hair fell over her shoulder, caressing her naked throat. This felt more natural now—the darkness was behind her, and it felt quite unnecessary to remember her more terrible urges. This was a dream—a place of utter impossibilities, why tarnish it with thoughts of what might be.

Gabriela suddenly had a thought—a curiosity.

She pushed herself out of the elegant chair and walked right past Kalicity to the wide open doors framed by a marvelous stone archway. Beyond this threshold was a massive and quite frankly impressive balcony. It over looked darkness—darkness so deep that even her eyes could not pierce it. A hand rose, conscientious fingers reached up, and like strumming the strings of a harp she pulled away the darkness in strings. A bright white light came—it shone through like beams coming through dirty windows and then it spread and engulfed what was left of the darkness. It was a wondrous sight to see the sky eaten away, the shadows burned away, and in its wake the radiant light of day. Her golden eyes pinched shut, and that same hand that pushed the darkness away now covered her gaze trying to shield it. Yet she did not feel the horrible pain of fire—she did not feel herself burn.

“Ah…” she sighed softly, “The sun…”

[Kalicity]

It is amazing what the slightest touch could do. Its ability to change the moment was definitely empowering to those that it affected. Kalicity had immediately acknowledged the sudden modification that caused her daughter’s demeanor to change, yet the reason behind it was certainly unknown. Due to the advanced connection and growing relationship between Morce and Gabriela, when Morce had spoken those genuine words in such a latin tongue, he only meant it to be heard by the one who was meant to receive it. It was a magic that Kalicity could not overcome, not in this reality. Not in this dream. So there for, the Dark Goddess was left to wonder what exactly had happened for her to suddenly drop her disdain.

“No, you never told me about them. Perhaps sometime in the past, but my memory does not serve me correctly. Would you care to share your story, or save it for another time?” Leaning back into her chair, sinking into the lush cushion she then rose her right hand and thoroughly observed the dried blood that decorated her flesh. Her sparkling irises glistened, the fire dancing in her cerulean stare. Even as Gabriela slowly admired the adjacent sun through the pane-glass window, she offered a sleek smile.

“The sun, it is a rare treat that our kind rarely gets to gaze upon. We are slaves to the moon and the stars. However, one day you will be old enough and strong enough to withstand its burning rays. When you become an elder, you will be able to walk into its purity and see the world in the different light. With your love for the earth I am sure you will appreciate it much more than I did.” Pressing her fingertips together, she rubbed the crimson liquid, its solid form becoming soft and smooth again. She then placed her lithe digits to her lips, and slid it into her mouth. The blood was tainted and sweet, but it had a pinch of spicy seasoning to it. It was from a memory, when she was at the Tournament of Legends right before the second bout.

Gabriela had stood before her and told her, "I'd be honored if you did it." It didn't take long for Kalicity to take a taste her daughter's, elongated fangs piercing her beautiful neck. Momentarily feast upon her own offspring, swallowing her life essence with increasing vigor.

It was Gabriela's blood that graced her lips as she sat in this chair.. but did Gabriela know that? The Dark Goddess closed her eyes almost passionately as she savored the taste, it was almost sickening the way she did it. Her eyes opening, fading back into their silvery shade.

"Yes.. the sun is a beautiful thing.."

[.Irénè Gabriela DuGrace.]

-Sun kissed eyes settled on the sudden world that appeared before her. Now that the bright light of day broke the surface of everything she could see, with clearer eyes, where this temple was located. Beyond there was a vast wilderness with very few patches of green visible in the distance. Mostly the landscape was dominated by beautiful mountain-sized dunes of golden sand. Breathing in softly and trembling visibly, Gabriela recalled her home—from a very distant past. They were in the desert, where the days were hot and the night’s icy-cold—where the days were bright with blinding sun and the nights were unbearably dark. Yes, the desert, her one and only home. Already the wheels were setting to motion within her mind—a desire to reunite her family, but more than that, to give them something they had been denied for far too long. She had only to think on them, Malaysia, Morce, Lucis, and even Alukai, they were creatures of such incredible beauty and power. For too long they had been blown like grains of sand across this entire strange world.

Her hands were fists; pinching the stone rail of the balcony with such force that cracks began to appear. Curiosity filled her eyes as she studied the lines upon the marble—how easy things of beauty could be destroyed. How easily stone could be ground up into nothing but fine dust. This was an appropriate metaphor for her own family—for what were they really when they were separated? They had no history! Malaysia was gone; roaming the world on her own and Lucis…She hadn’t laid eyes upon her own son since he was a small infant. She had denied them all a history—and therefore, a future.

“I will never see the sun,” she stated coldly. However, there was a hint of acceptance in her voice. She did not long to see the sun, it was not something that called to her anymore—she had to accept herself now, if ever she was to accept her family, if ever she expected them to accept her. Nodding her head gently she continued, “My mother and father were Vampyre—and my grandparents before them. When I was born, they thought me the last of our kind.” She shrugged her small shoulders and glanced at Kalicity, knowing full well that Kalicity had been born in a different time—perhaps vampyre were not so rare in her time, perhaps she had even grown up in a culture that saw the vampyre as a normal creature, not a monstrous one. “I was quite a rarity, you see, a born vampyre and one of royal blood—both sides of the family were well pleased. My parent’s marriage was not,” she smiled, “an affair borne of love but rather of duty. Sadly, the two families could not get past their differences—Mother and Father put me in a difficult situation. I had to pick one linage to represent; I could not be a blend of them both.”

Ever so gently she leaned against the rail and crossed her arms under her soft breasts. Her breathing was easy and level as she continued to speak. “I wonder if you didn’t know them—surely you must have known my ancestors, you must have lived when we were glorious. They put too much upon my shoulders, expecting me to somehow return our dwindling family to greatness. I finally gave it all up and abandoned them all—that’s when you and I met.”

Gabriela laughed softly and held out her hand looking at the light white scar in the middle of her palm. “I knew nothing of the world. I walked about with a sense of honor that I neither understood nor could have hoped to represent properly. What did I know of honor? I had just abandoned my family!” Again Gabriela shook her head and allowed the thought to merely drop away while her eyes returned to the peaceful sight of the desert.

“Darkness knew me—even before I was born. He made sure I could never be in the sun. I use to hate him for it. I can’t hate him anymore. He’s so much like a child, do you know? He’s not like us—he doesn’t understand, feelings, he lives on impulse. He’s a magnificent force, for really, I could not describe him as anything else but a force of nature itself.”

After a pause, after studying the way the breeze blew the top layer of sand down to smaller hills at the bottom of the dunes, she finally sighed and pushed herself off the rail. “Will they follow me Kalicity? They are your children, your blood, and so you know them better than anyone. Will they follow me—even if I do not offer them the same glorious bloodshed that you once did?”-

[Kalicity]

In the midst of her morbid fixation, having appeared to be in some sort of trance, her grisly thoughts were broken. Her eyelids, that were literally slouching over her eyes lifted, her moonlit hues fluttered to life and she quickly shifted in her seat. Her gaze flew to her daughter, listening quite intently as her daughter spoke her humble words. Kalicity pictured in her mind the story she told, it was vivid with her imagination.

An affair born of love but rather of duty..

Words that spoke directly to her once again. That was her life, she had loved all that she had done in her long life. Even through all the turmoil, destruction and betrayal, there was never a moment that she didn’t love her prospective duty. Her jaw broke and came ajar, her thick and lengthy fangs faded with crimson, a small puddle of Gabriela’s blood that was settled at the cup of her lower lip, dribbled down her chin like a cherry stream.

“I am sorry that you’re family put you through that, Gabriela. Never have I wanted you to choose a side, merely be yourself. Whether I knew your ancestors is of no importance to me, I probably would have slaughtered them by the sound of their attitudes alone. I am merely grateful that I got to meet the acquaintance of their daughter. A woman that I felt worthy enough to call my own, even when I shoved a sword through her hand.”

She then rose from her spot, her macabre figure gracefully floating through the darkness. Her movement was stellar, and within seconds she made it to her daughter’s side. She made no movement to touch her, or allow her bloody fingertips to caress Gabriela’s soft skin. She offered a genuine smile, her morose profile turning to look her daughter in the eye. “You are honorable as they come.” She paused, “And when it comes to my children, they are as much my children as they are your siblings. I did not teach them the ways of my world, Gabriela. All of them know how live without bloodshed. All of them know that they have a choice to take lives.” She then looked away, gazing out to the sun. Admiring its beauty and the array of colors it unleashed onto the world.

“Malaysia was a NightReaver and a Darkbane at one time, as was Shaitari. Alukai was sired by Colvin, who without him, Pandora, the Queen of Darkbane wouldn’t of existed.. at least, to my knowledge. I could be wrong. MorceLa’Kai is a pureblood like you, his father was not as ruthless as other’s made him out to be. However compared to me in those days, it was hard to compare anybodies ruthlessness to mine.” Looking back to her, “You do not need to fear that they will not follow you. Malaysia and MorceLa’Kai love you, they will follow you to the ends of the earth. Shaitari has respect for you, but she is hard to come by these days so please do not take offense as she’s always been that way. Alukai, he is a child all on his own. He is still trying to find solid ground. His loyalty to his family however, is just as strong as mine was. He is a playful wind.. he just needs to know where he can settle. He is the strongest child out of my brood..and yet I worry for him, for his safety.”

Her thoughts lingered on the Darkbane, on Malice. She had heard at one point on her travels that Colvin was still considered a traitor. If Malice were to stumble across Alukai, there would be no telling what would happen..and with Alukai being so young and inexperienced, there was no telling if he would even stand a chance to defend himself. The concern on her face was obvious, “I cannot ask you to keep him safe, Gabriela. I just hope Colvin will be able to do that, now that I am gone.”