Smoke. Swirling billowing smoke. Black and oily and stinking of the foul odor of charred flesh and hair. Memories whirled through the shrouded darkness. Scenes of life as the twin souls joined by bonds beyond their understanding meshed them into one. Scenes of a family. Children. A farm. Laughing. Blood. Slight throat.
The smoke whirled, shifted. A bridge. A couple holding a gun blade and looking into black eyes. They pulled the trigger together. The bullet tore into the brain. Smoke twirled and parted. More memories. The two souls fought to remain seperate but were becoming one. Which of them had had the family in life? Which had been shot? Did it matter anymore? They were Atrium Crow and they were one.
And then there was the tearing. The rending. Both souls ripped apart. The magic painful. And then a new soul joined one of the old. A new. The two souls meshed in moments. Joined more intimately than the first set. The gunblade on the bridge fired, tearing a hole. Smoke filled the brain and memories of another life. Of sensuality, cruelty and pious religious fury mixed with self hatred. The bindings sealed the two souls together and Atrium Crow screamed as eyes opened.
The Crow looked around. Atrium lay upon a raised platform. The platform was made of onxy and covered in golden paint that formed the shape of runes. Five black robed figures stood around. The tallest of these removed his hood, revealing himself the be The Voice of Nald'thal.
"Praise the True God, Atrium. He has permitted you to serve still."
Atrium bowed but felt off. Something was wrong. The body that was called Atrium Crow was different. And part of the Crow's mind was no longer the same. Sudden memories came back and Atrium lifted their head.
"This Crow. . ." Atrium went still. The voice that spoke was not the one Atrium had been accustomed to. It was. . .Â
"The body you had possesed was damaged beyond repair. A new vessel was needed. Alas, your binding was broken out of necessity. You will find your new body was not willing to part with its soul so we had to reconfigure you with another soul. Â The body you inhabit was fresh. One of our most devout acolysts. You may even have feeling in it this time."
"This one is blessed to serve still." Atrium replied, the voice they spoke with still alien to the Crow.
"And serve you shall Atrium." The Voice replied kindly as he pulled out a pipe and used a speck of magical.fire to ignite it. The sweet smell of tabacco filled the air as the Voice waved a hand and the other robed figures began to dispearse.
"We have Much to do and so very little time. My house is burned, several targets live and are learning of us, and we have but a page out of an entire book we need to reawaken our true god."
The Voice blew a smoke ring.
"Nald'thal wishes you to find and abduct five women to make souls stones."
"Virgin women?" Atrium asked coyly, almost seductively. Where had that tone come from? Atrium was associating to much with those lusty Crows Atrium so despised.
The Voice raised an eyebrow as he examined the nude form of the Crow before.
"No. And before I begin a rant about how stupid that stereotype is, I simply need women for they are the giver of life and birth. They contain special aetherflows for this maricale of Nald'thal. We need soul stones infused with this gift.
"Do you have five females in mind?" Atrium asked, looking down to examine the body giving the twin souls for the first timr. Atrium went still and then jerked the head up.
"I do, Atrium." The Voice explained calmly. "Dress yourself and once you have, we shall speak further."
The smoke whirled, shifted. A bridge. A couple holding a gun blade and looking into black eyes. They pulled the trigger together. The bullet tore into the brain. Smoke twirled and parted. More memories. The two souls fought to remain seperate but were becoming one. Which of them had had the family in life? Which had been shot? Did it matter anymore? They were Atrium Crow and they were one.
And then there was the tearing. The rending. Both souls ripped apart. The magic painful. And then a new soul joined one of the old. A new. The two souls meshed in moments. Joined more intimately than the first set. The gunblade on the bridge fired, tearing a hole. Smoke filled the brain and memories of another life. Of sensuality, cruelty and pious religious fury mixed with self hatred. The bindings sealed the two souls together and Atrium Crow screamed as eyes opened.
The Crow looked around. Atrium lay upon a raised platform. The platform was made of onxy and covered in golden paint that formed the shape of runes. Five black robed figures stood around. The tallest of these removed his hood, revealing himself the be The Voice of Nald'thal.
"Praise the True God, Atrium. He has permitted you to serve still."
Atrium bowed but felt off. Something was wrong. The body that was called Atrium Crow was different. And part of the Crow's mind was no longer the same. Sudden memories came back and Atrium lifted their head.
"This Crow. . ." Atrium went still. The voice that spoke was not the one Atrium had been accustomed to. It was. . .Â
"The body you had possesed was damaged beyond repair. A new vessel was needed. Alas, your binding was broken out of necessity. You will find your new body was not willing to part with its soul so we had to reconfigure you with another soul. Â The body you inhabit was fresh. One of our most devout acolysts. You may even have feeling in it this time."
"This one is blessed to serve still." Atrium replied, the voice they spoke with still alien to the Crow.
"And serve you shall Atrium." The Voice replied kindly as he pulled out a pipe and used a speck of magical.fire to ignite it. The sweet smell of tabacco filled the air as the Voice waved a hand and the other robed figures began to dispearse.
"We have Much to do and so very little time. My house is burned, several targets live and are learning of us, and we have but a page out of an entire book we need to reawaken our true god."
The Voice blew a smoke ring.
"Nald'thal wishes you to find and abduct five women to make souls stones."
"Virgin women?" Atrium asked coyly, almost seductively. Where had that tone come from? Atrium was associating to much with those lusty Crows Atrium so despised.
The Voice raised an eyebrow as he examined the nude form of the Crow before.
"No. And before I begin a rant about how stupid that stereotype is, I simply need women for they are the giver of life and birth. They contain special aetherflows for this maricale of Nald'thal. We need soul stones infused with this gift.
"Do you have five females in mind?" Atrium asked, looking down to examine the body giving the twin souls for the first timr. Atrium went still and then jerked the head up.
"I do, Atrium." The Voice explained calmly. "Dress yourself and once you have, we shall speak further."