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Post by lighthawk on Oct 23, 2007 16:43:45 GMT -5
The storm was reaching a climax as the aging aircraft crept along towards it's destination, the dull roar of the engines drowned out by regular rumbles of thunder. It was cold inside the belly of the plane, and wet. It was a cargo craft, not a passenger liner, and there was little consent made for comfort. The empty crates and boxes that filled most of the hold slid and rocked, the frayed straps that barely held them creaking each time the plane dipped or rose suddenly as the wind buffeted it.
Baalah glanced around briefly in the dim light cast by a single, grime covered bulb set near the side door. Dark shadows hide a great deal of the interior of the aircraft, but it was enough for her to see by, if just barely. A handful of miserable looking men sat near the front of the plane, just by the door leading into the cockpit. She dismissed them, they were of no concern to her. Even with the collar around her neck to prevent her from harming them, they weren't a threat to her in the least. They were just soldiers, humans who though they were warriors because they could aim a gun.
Scattered around the hold, finding a place to stand or sit or lay where they could as she was forced to do, were the others of her race. As different from each other as they were from the humans, Balaah spared the other demons only a moment's consideration. They at least could claim to be real warriors, and while she didn't consider any of them to be her equal, they were dangerous enough to take seriously. Like her, they were collared, and the cursed devices kept them in check, kept them from slaying the weakling creatures that had enslaved them all and escaping.
Balaah's eyes finally came to rest on a lone figure sitting with his back against the door to the cockpit, seemingly unconcerned that his life depended on the flimsy metal shell around them all that could, at any moment, be struck down by the fury of the storm. He was by far the most dangerous person there. Not by any merits of his own, he was only human, but because he had been keyed in as a controller for each of the collared demons. They were all at his mercy, at his command, they would all rip their own throats out, with as much hope of resisting as a bug trying to stop a shoe from crushing it.
Controller Smith looked up as Balaah's eyes fell on him. He always knew it when one of them had their thoughts on him, and she often had the feeling it wasn't just because of the collars. Something in those deep blue eyes of his set him apart from the other humans she had met. He didn't really look all that different from the rest of his race, a tall man with dark brown hair and a constant growth of stubble across his aging face, he was lanky and frail looking. But under that, he was hard as iron, and just as cold. If he had been born a demon, Balaah was certain he would have gone on to become a lord.
The aircraft's intercom crackled, and the pilot's voice grated out of the speaker, " We will be over the drop zone in five minutes." The words brought a tight smile to Smith's face, and he blew out a stream of smoke from the ignited roll of paper between his lips. Balaah often wondered about the odd addiction, humans did some weird things, but smoking was something she just couldn't wrap her brain around.
" Alright, all freaks on their feet," Smith ordered, though he didn't make it a command, didn't use the power of the collars...yet. He did that often, giving them orders they could choose to ignore, if they dared to. He would get his way in the end, would use the collars to force obedience, but he seemed to get some sort of pleasure out of playing with them, seeing who would obey, and who would have to be forced.
Balaah crossed her arms, and leaned back insolently against the crate behind her.
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Post by Roara on Oct 23, 2007 20:05:40 GMT -5
In the midst of the terrible storm, a man with large black wings folded above his body as protection from the rain, was standing on top of hill. Every few seconds he would put a sniper rifle round above the chamber where it was entered, then with a gentle push hear the click of it being firm in place muffled by the storm.
"Amyee, I will get you out of there." He said angrily. His soul mate who he shared a curse with was going to be in the area around that hill sometime soon, and he was there to free her.
***
On the plane, Amyee was sitting, and staring blankly at the one who controlled her. She felt the pain of absolutely no will and the tight collar around her neck. When the master said to rise, she refused to at first. But, then, as if a whisper in the distance, she heard the sound of Evaan's voice. She stood, shook her wings a little, put her scythe in her hands, and felt motivated.
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Post by Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed on Oct 23, 2007 20:37:24 GMT -5
Yarahlzaak decended to his feet from levitation. He took his controller's orders very literally, to the point that he would, on occasion have to think before speaking. None of the beings in that aircraft could possibly understand the brilliance that was standing with them. Yarahlzaak was a work of art in his opinion; the most talented psychic many human and demonfolk had seen. These fools were lucky to glance upon him at best. One of the females traveling with them instilled curiosity in him. He felt the thoughts of not one, but two individuals. He considered tracing it, but found that the source of second thought was too far away. It then occured to him that he was working with females. Did they think of him as on par with these inferior childbearers? But then, what would humans know, eh? Humans were not much short of vermin in his eye, incapable of anything extraordinary. It was a wonder they were still alive. A disgusted look grew upon his face as he readied to listen to his mission objectives. He was rapidly growing impatient.
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Post by lighthawk on Oct 23, 2007 22:53:01 GMT -5
(I'm surprised the plane could get off the ground with all the ego it's carrying)
Controller Smith took a second to regard the creature's standing before him, made a show of noticing Baalah still seated, as if he hadn't been watching her the whole time. He scowled angrily, but there was a gleam of amusement in his blue eyes. " I said on your feet you abortion of nature!" He barked, and the collar around Baalah's neck glowed brightly. She felt the strength go out of her limbs as Smith marched over and seized one of her horns, yanking her to her feet. He hauled her into line with the others and gave her a firm smack on the side of the head. It didn't hurt of course, he was only human and lacked the strength to hurt her even if he had punched her right in the face. It was a blow to her pride though, as much as the indignity of being steered by her horns had been. Balaah's face darkened in anger and shame. A child being dragged by her mother had more ability to fight back then she had against him, so long as the thrice d**ned collar was on her neck. Smith looked over the other demons with obvious contempt. " Looking at you ass ugly monsters always makes me question the good lord's existence," he remarked. " Surely no kind and loving God would have made beasts like you." He stood before Amyee. " What say you freak? You believe in God?" He turned to Yarahlzaak. " How about you? You worship anything other than yourself you d**n heathen bastard? You are far too full of yourself for my taste."
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Post by Roara on Oct 24, 2007 0:39:55 GMT -5
"I worship only Artemis, the huntress god of the Greeks." Amyee replied, hastily, offended by being called godless.
"And if you are wondering who is ugly, you should look into the relfection of my scythe blade shall we ever have these d**ned collars removed!"
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Post by Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed on Oct 24, 2007 5:11:30 GMT -5
"Kuhahahahhaaah!" Yarahlzaak chuckled. "Why would I waste my time worshipping anything lesser?" he said, tilting his head back and to the side to appear to look at the man addressing him. "I DO suppose you have to have a taste for art...even masterpieces like me." he then rolls his head around once and straightens it again. Typically insults to his pride would bother him, but he knew that this human was so far below him in power that his words were empty air.
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Post by lighthawk on Oct 24, 2007 8:51:26 GMT -5
" I doubt you'd know real art from a hole in the ground," Smith told Yarahlzaak. " Then again, you do have a chance to become one of those." He tossed a parachute to the demon with a nasty smile. " Maybe you'll be lucky and God will forgive your unholy existence long enough to guide you to ground. I wouldn't rely on that though if I were you." He turned back to Amyee. " We're a chute short, which either means someone miscounted, knew you had wings, or one of you freaks was meant to fall to your death. Maybe I should just hold onto this one?" He faced Amyee, but his eyes turned to regard Balaah. " I'll think on it. In the mean time, your mission, should you live long enough to attempt it, is a real simple smash and kill operation. We have reason to believe that Asaarl may be setting up multiple dimensional gateways in various locations. For what purpose, only that son-of-b**** knows, but it can't be allowed. You're going to drop in, and those of you who survive that far are then going to go hunting. You'll be looking for a big old house, it'll be the only structure around for several miles, so even sh** for brains here," he waved at Yarahlzaak. " should be able to find it. " Every demon's collar glowed as Smith then gave the official orders, making sure they would be followed. " You are to locate and secure any gateway tech, or destroy it if it can not be salvaged. You will capture or kill any demonic presence. If there is any human involvement, you will take prisoners..." he stressed the S on the last word, glaring at them darkly. " You bring me back one half alive corpse again, and I will bury you all for a month at the bottom of a lake."
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Post by Roara on Oct 24, 2007 9:26:58 GMT -5
Amyee was taken back by the presence of the command to kill any other demon existence in the area.
run, run or hide in the clouds
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Post by Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed on Oct 24, 2007 15:53:27 GMT -5
Yarahlzaak couldn't help but grin when the controller mentioned the half alive corpse. He remembered all too well when Smith forgot to state the condition he wanted his prisoners and Yarahlzaak broke each of the fool's bones with his telekinesis.
He gave a small snort to show him he heard the insult to his intelligence and began reading everyone's surface thoughts out of boredom.
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Post by lighthawk on Oct 24, 2007 15:57:26 GMT -5
Smith dropped his cigarette and stomped it out. " You think you can handle that?" he asked with a puff of smoke. " Better hope you can, or hope this mission kills you before I see your freakish faces again." He gestured to one of the soldiers, and the man got up. He hooked himself to a restraint, and then unlocked and opened the side door of the plane. Instantly the interior of the aircraft was filled with roaring wind and rain. " You're up first missy," Smith told Baalah. " Since I don't have time to confirm whether or not one of you is suppose to have this," he waved the last parachute. " I'm going to put it in the good lord's hands. Go get it, if you're meant to have it." And he turned and tossed the chute out the open door. " Motherf**ker!" Baalah cursed and ran forward. She knew she was going to have to jump without a chute, it was merely a question of doing it herself or waiting for Smith to make her. At least if she made the choice herself, she might be able to catch the parachute in time to put it on. " Next!" Smith shouted as soon as Baalah dove out the door into the wet, windy blackness.
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Post by Rosy on Oct 24, 2007 16:29:51 GMT -5
Nadia stood in the corner of the room, biding her time. She knew that eventually, Smith would get to her and force her out of the plane and she was in no hurry to get there. With an uninterested sigh, she scratched a deep line into the side of the plane, making a loud scratching noise that hurt her sensitive ears.
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Post by lighthawk on Oct 24, 2007 16:44:19 GMT -5
" Stop that!" The collar around Nadia's neck glowed like steel fresh from the furnace and her hand jerked to her side of it's own accord. Smith's face was twisted in anger. " You dumb ass, long eared, god forsaken, hell abandoned, worthless, souless, rotting piece of other worldly trash! You think this plane is here for you to scratch up!? Ain't it bad enough that you foul it up with your very presence? You better get yourself killed out there, cause when I get my hands back on you, I will make you regret not being stillborn. Get your ass off my plane!" The collar glowed again, and Nadia's feet marched her out the side door.
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Post by Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed on Oct 24, 2007 18:07:26 GMT -5
Yarahlzaak lifted his feet up into the air and floated out of the plane like a feather. He then continued his descent musingly watching his allies follow suit. He thought it would be rather amusing if one of them became a mess on the ground below...but odds are he'd get blamed for it somehow. Once he could feel the ground coming up, he yanked on the cord to release his chute.
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Post by Roara on Oct 24, 2007 20:10:09 GMT -5
Amyee gave a sigh of pitty, knowing that Mr. a**hole here thought she would fall to her death when she had wings. She stepped out of the plane, and free fell for a couple of seconds, before letting her massive black wings burst out of her back, then she soared to the ground.
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Post by Rosy on Oct 24, 2007 21:09:18 GMT -5
There were few things Nadia hated with a passion. One was being told what to do. Another was falling. Unfortunately, she didn't have a parachute or wings. But what she did have was her huge ears. She managed to flip herself head down in mid air and quickly rotated her body, clamping her arms and legs close to her body. As predicted her ears flipped out like blades on a helicopter, slowing her decent.
She saw the ground quickly approaching and aimed herself towards what appeared to be a river. Seconds before impact, she swung herself right side up, splashing across the water like a skipping stone.
When she lost her momentum, she sunk into the water. She bobbed to the surface, glowering.
"I hate getting wet," she growled to herself, swimming towards the shore.
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