[Nexus] Outside XXIX

[Chezmarine]

[Somewhere]

"If you have a way to provide for your needs without one... " Wes answers with a shrug.

"I need one so I can buy food, clothes, ammunition for this..." she pats her weapon, "...and shelter is a big concern. Speaking of all this, maybe we should head in to the city and start looking at openings available. I have to find something for myself... since it seems that I will be staying here."

"Well then, i'm not sure what you're waiting for. Lead on!" Astrek says.

[RandomPoster]

[Dipple Hamlet]

Dipple's Hamlet

If the Cylon looks, it will note that Dam'Bul's hair just faded to a dusty blond, and his eyes also reverted to more human ones, with greenish-blue irises. Finally, it should notice that the grip is significantly weaker, and then it should notice the rings of chainmail, gobbets of flesh, shards of bone and droplets of blood spattering from Dam'Bul's chest as a red-skinned clawed hand erupts from his chest. It is joined by another shortly afterwards, and the hands then push outwards, causing more damage to the dead host's chest cavity. It doesn't take long for Dam'Bul to push his way out through the portal it conjured within the man's chest and into the light of the universe. It's taller than the human was, just over six feet tall. Its skin is red, smooth, and hairless; the body is sexless, and apart from a gash for a mouth and two eyes the body has no other holes. The claws aren't true claws; rather, the fingers end in razor-sharp spikes. Although the Cylon may have difficulty determining this; Dam'Bul's true form projects an aura that causes static on most non-organic viewing equipment, although if it is advanced enough the Cylon may not have this problem.

Dam'Bul's first action in this world is to try and grab the Cylon by the throat and lift him- he's even stronger in this form than he is when he's in a host. "I need a new host now. That wasn't a very nice thing you did." The reason why Dam'Bul needs a new host is quite clear, to those that can see it- he's giving off a very small amount of smoke as his body tries to return to the Abyss whilst his mind wishes him to stay here.

Nephrim ceases fire and stops the villagers a distance away; she wants to see how this turns out. However, the villagers are ordered to put on some leather armour and grab shields; Nephrim herself puts on a leather helmet and breatplate.

Unfortunately, the Cylon is not advanced enough to ignore the effects of the static-inducing aura. It can see Dam'Bul's true form briefly every couple of seconds, but its taking a while for its servos to respond. And suddenly its lifted up by the large creature!

It sits there, trying to thing of a snappy one liner (thats what the humans do in this situation, right?), but gives up, as it isn't exactly as creative as humans are. Instead the arm-knife will be revealed in silence, and the Centurion tries to stab Dam'Bul's face. Though whether it will even hit Dam'Bul (even at such short a distance) is not certain, as the Centurion is having a lot of problems viewing things clearly right now.

[happyturtle]

ThunderBattledome

Darcy has been here all along, of course, in her shapeshifted disguise. Some of Ilpholin's fans have been rooting for her because they're bound to her by ties of lust and demonic magic. Darcy is simply Ilpholin's friend. As her friend, she's been more than a little troubled by the changes she'd seen. If she knew that Ilpholin had become one of the same type of demon that had tortured her, she'd be terrified.

She doesn't know that. But she does know that Ilpholin is gravely injured, and possibly dead, though she doesn't see the bullet hit her brain.

Then...

*BOOM*

Magtok's sonic boom.

And...

*KABOOM*

The generator explodes.

To Darcy, it looks like the dome is full of lightning, then fire as the webbing goes up, then smoke.

The dome is full of smoke, and nothing can be seen.

Nothing can be seen.

She's dead. Darcy thought. Probably they were all dead, but Darcy doesn't care about the leadership dispute or the fate of Gordon or Prometheus.

Right now, Darcy Brightember is mourning her friend.

[Hattish Thing]

Dome of Supposed Death

Javert floats impatiently and waits for the smoke to clear. He can't see and a lot rely's on the winning side.

[Earl of Purple]

Dipple's Hamlet

Dam'Bul wasn't expecting to be stabbed in the face by a robot. So doesn't do anything to avoid the blades and gets stabbed in the face by a robot. He screeches with pain and drops the Cylon and recoils, smoke and ichor pouring from the facial injuries. The ichor is not long for this world, however; without Dam'Bul's willpower behind it, it soon dissolves into mist and is absorbed back to the Abyss. Anyway, Dam'Bul is temporarily distracted and unable to defend himself properly.

The villagers stay where they are, but Nephrim takes out an automatic pistol and fires a short burst of six shots at the Cylon. She's quite a good shot, although she's aiming for legs and arms rather than a kill-shot. She wants Dam'Bul to rip the Cylon apart.

[RandomPoster]

[Dipple's Hamlet]

All six shots hit the Centurion; two bounce harmlessly off of the chrome armor (it leaves a few nasty dents, though). Another one gets lodged right between where the elbow meets the forearm plating, and the last three hit the forearm itself; breaking through the armor, they mess up the moving servos and render the arm useless. It looks like the sword-arm is now useless...

Thinking as quickly as it can, it will attempt to grab the demon's face, crush it, and forcibly position him between itself and Nephrim. Of course, several things could go wrong with this plan, especially with the fact that the Centurion can only see clearly for brief flashes of time.

((Also, Dam'Bul may be too heavy for the Centurion to move, especially if his flesh has the same density as the SRD Balor ))

[Earl of Purple]

Dipple's Hamlet

Dam'Bul is grabbed by the face and his skull is squeezed! Not crushed, though; that would banish him real quick. He's not as dense as a balor, and I mean that in every possible meaning of the phrase (although hanging around Nephrim damages the intellect- just look at the villagers!).

Nephrim doesn't shoot again; she's changing the magazine. She carries enough pistols to merely not bother, through this one aside and use another, but Dam'Bul's in the way. "OK, everybody. Circle round, make sure there's no escape for this uppity techno-golem. Don't attack, not yet."

Dam'Bul's response is to bring his hands up and try to grab the Cylon's metallic head with his right and and the Cylon's chrome shoulder with the left, before trying to rip the robot rebel's head off. He has no idea if it will work, but it should at least leave the Cylon blind, right?

[LadyOfWar]

"Well then, i'm not sure what you're waiting for. Lead on!" Astrek says.

Ashtrek's enthusiasm makes Wes smile widely. "I think we're going to get along fine." she announces, as she heads off toward Inside.

Her stride is long and smooth, the gait of a person used to walking many miles in a day.

((Changing threads to Inside. Feel free to post there first.))

[RandomPoster]

[Dipple's Hamlet]

The Centurion is no match for demon-strength. As Dam'Bul tries to tear the Cylon's head off, The internal coolant systems in the neck area begin to break, causing oil and coolant liquid to spray all over itself and the surrounding area. Power is shunted away from the head, and the usually glowing red photoreceptor is shut down. Arms and legs begin to flail in jerking motions.

Emergency power is rerouted to the silicon wafers in order to keep the Centurion's mind "alive."

[kitcatk8]

(Mountainside, continued from DFI)

The demon had pocketed the ring until he reached the bottom of the mountain range Nixa had pointed towards. He was putting a lot of trust into that (damned fine) part-Drow. But then, he had a feeling. Something he couldn't explain. Something from his gut which was leading down this path. Though he'd warned her against treachery, even as he spoke the threat, he knew it was not her intention to betray him. How he knew it was an entirely different matter he didn't feel comfortable pondering.

No one was around, which was probably for the best. He wasn't entirely sure what to expect once he found Draaxar.

Pulling the ring out of his slacks pocket, he held it up once more, and muttered to it quietly as he studied it for the second time that evening. "Alright. Ready when you are."

[Hattish Thing]

Kicked out:

Marciano and Grantair wander around aimlessly. The pair of thugs look bored.

[orb_of_blood]

Mountainside

(Mountainside, continued from DFI)

The demon had pocketed the ring until he reached the bottom of the mountain range Nixa had pointed towards. He was putting a lot of trust into that (damned fine) part-Drow. But then, he had a feeling. Something he couldn't explain. Something from his gut which was leading down this path. Though he'd warned her against treachery, even as he spoke the threat, he knew it was not her intention to betray him. How he knew it was an entirely different matter he didn't feel comfortable pondering.

No one was around, which was probably for the best. He wasn't entirely sure what to expect once he found Draaxar.

Pulling the ring out of his slacks pocket, he held it up once more, and muttered to it quietly as he studied it for the second time that evening. "Alright. Ready when you are."

The ring has a shiny white crystal inset into the gold, and around the band are magical inscriptions. The artifact was designed specifically for Nixa's use.

Well, luckily for him, Nixa's claws aren't suited for ring wearing, so a desire to find the dragon is all the artifact needs to work. And it begins to wake now.

The first thing that happens is it begins sucking heat from everything around it, including Saer. This again is a charm placed on it by Draaxar to ensure that only Nixa could use it, as it functions on large amounts of body heat. But, seeing as he's a demon, he probably has more than enough heat to power the ring. Still, it may feel a little draining and somewhat colder.

Then the ring begins to glow, and after a few minutes a red tongue of flame licks across the crystal, leaping out every few moments in the direction of Draaxar. Specifically: Up and left.

High above him, past the snow level, partially hidden by ice and rock, is a very large cave. Concealed inside is Draaxar, waiting for his visitor while dozing lightly with his head on his paws.

[kitcatk8]

(Mountainside)

The moment Saer felt the pull against his very core, the demon snarled and instinctively tugged back, holding a metaphysical tether to the spell trying to drain him. Intense rage and a sense of betrayal flared through him before he realized, so long as he held, the ring wasn't doing irreparable harm.

Well. It would have been nice if she'd told him about that.

A growl still holding steady in his throat, his teeth still bared, he gradually let up on his control of his own heat so the ring could use it. It wasn't like a cold spell. It was more one of draining. It wasn't pleasant, but it wasn't painful. He wasn't used to something stealing his heat. He was used to being the thief.

His lips slowly closed over his teeth as he became more familiar with the sensation and noted the way tongues of flame leapt from it in the direction he presumed he needed to go.

Flying would have been easier, but the shift would also have drained him further. Not to mention the unpleasant side-effects his full Daemoenic form brought nowadays. He climbed the mountain as he was. He was certainly fit enough to do so.

At last he found himself outside a cave which the ring flickered towards. The demon growled and muttered ironically to himself as he pocketed the ring. "Of course it's a cave. It's always a damned cave."

The moment he put the ring away, he felt better. He shook out his limbs, turned his head lengthily to one side until he heard a satisfying *pop* in his neck, then walked to the gaping entrance.

[orb_of_blood]

[Mountainside - Dragon Cave]

Well, Saer couldn't have been expecting the fire dragon to be sitting out in the open where the snow would sting his scales! The cave burns with the heat generated from the fire dragon, heat which Draaxar felt cozy and safe in, despite the snow and hail just a few feet away.

When Saer enters the cave he could probably see two things. One is Draaxar, a huge mound of bright red scales glowing in the dark, resting with his massive horned head on his paws. The dragon's eyes are closed, he's dozing.

The second reason for cave choice is sitting in the corner, tucked into a little bright pink ball. It's a young woman with black hair, wearing a horrible pink dress which is ripped, torn and burnt. The exposed skin under said tears is bright red and inflamed from burns, and even black in some areas.

When Saer enters she gives a small shriek and curls up further, but once it's clear he's not a dragon, and appears to be human in fact, she uncurls and goes shooting over to him, clutching at his clothes and stumbling over herself. Please! Help me! We have to run before he wakes! Take me with you, please! He's going to eat me!

A small puff of smoke from Draaxar suggests if Saer's clever enough that he's not actually asleep, but rather listening, snorting back laughter, and waiting to see what the demon will do.

[kitcatk8]

[Mountainside - Dragon Cave]

As the girl scrambled over to him, Saer’s attention was taken away from the dragon, albeit for a brief moment. His hands darted out and snatched her wrists before she could get her dirtied skin all over his white shirt. Hells, what a disaster that would be. A quiet growl -decidedly not human- floated on his lips as he darted those crystalline blue eyes towards Draaxar. He smirked and turned his attention back towards the girl, and his voice was a deceptively calming purr. “First off, Sweetheart, if he wasn’t awake already, your screeching would have woken him, or any dragon within a few miles for that matter. Secondly,” Saer used his grip on her wrists to twirl her harshly around and put her in a pin, then walked forward, forcing her to follow suit or fall over. He held both her wrists at her lower back with one strong hand. The other he kept free...just in case. As he finished his sentence, he no longer addressed the girl, but raised his voice to the gargantuan red beast he’d come to speak with. “...I think this belongs to you.” He gave the girl a push forward, releasing her wrists. She’d either have to catch her balance and take a few extra steps towards Draaxar to do so, or fall to her knees to keep from going too close.

[orb_of_blood]

[Mountainside - Dragon's Cave]

((... Okay, maybe I ought to mention just about now what 'godmoding' is. I don't know if you've come across that before, so I'll just say it quickly. If your character does anything that directly affects another character, then they have to only 'attempt' it, giving the other person a chance to do something.
i.e. It should be somewhere along the lines of: he attempts to catch her by the wrists; attempts to use that grip to twist her around, etc.

However, that said, she's a pretty weak girl who probably wouldn't have put up a defense anyways, so I'll let this happen as it most likely would have either way. However for future reference, please don't godmode my characters. ))

She doesn't want to go stepping back into the dragon, so instead stumbles. But before she can fall Draaxar's spiked tail whips out to quickly catch her. She screams as the scales burn her, tightening and lifting her off the ground. She continues to scream as he pulls her back and away from Saer, at least until the tip of his tail covers her mouth, at which point she convulses and writhes, trying to escape before she's burnt to a crisp by his heat.

Draaxar puts his giant nose right up against Saer, almost touching him. The dragon's bright red eyes, so much like Nixa's, examine the demon, unblinking. And he hasn't even risen yet from the lying down sleeping pose he was in before. He waits for Saer to speak, holding the young lady high off the ground, and having all the time in the world to wait for the demon to explain his reasons for coming.

[kitcatk8]

[Mountainside - Dragon's Cave]

((... Okay, maybe I ought to mention just about now what 'godmoding' is. I don't know if you've come across that before, so I'll just say it quickly. If your character does anything that directly affects another character, then they have to only 'attempt' it, giving the other person a chance to do something.
i.e. It should be somewhere along the lines of: he attempts to catch her by the wrists; attempts to use that grip to twist her around, etc.

However, that said, she's a pretty weak girl who probably wouldn't have put up a defense anyways, so I'll let this happen as it most likely would have either way. However for future reference, please don't godmode my characters. ))

She doesn't want to go stepping back into the dragon, so instead stumbles. But before she can fall Draaxar's spiked tail whips out to quickly catch her. She screams as the scales burn her, tightening and lifting her off the ground. She continues to scream as he pulls her back and away from Saer, at least until the tip of his tail covers her mouth, at which point she convulses and writhes, trying to escape before she's burnt to a crisp by his heat.

Draaxar puts his giant nose right up against Saer, almost touching him. The dragon's bright red eyes, so much like Nixa's, examine the demon, unblinking. And he hasn't even risen yet from the lying down sleeping pose he was in before. He waits for Saer to speak, holding the young lady high off the ground, and having all the time in the world to wait for the demon to explain his reasons for coming.

((No moding intended -I hate it too. Figured since she was a minor/nameless character it would be ok.))

[Mountainside - Dragon Cave]

Saer gave a low whistle as Draaxar pulled up so close to him, though there was no fear in his expression. He crossed his arms and leaned back a bit, but didn’t take a step back as he looked up at the dragon’s eyes. “Big one, aren’t you?” His arms, he kept crossed to keep from reaching out and touching that lovely heat emanating from the dragon’s hide. The sensation was healing, wonderful. Almost like being back in the Hells. Though nothing could quite compare with that.

The demon tipped his head gently to the side as he examined those red eyes, along the curve of the horns, the gaping maw. “I’m here on Nixa’s behalf.”

[orb_of_blood]

Mountainside - Dragon Cave
((Eh, it's alright.))

Yes I know. She's already told me to expect company. Draaxar pulls back and away. He slowly rises to his feet, looming over him. He doesn't mind Saer's comment, for it's true. The older he grows the larger he grows, and he's still got many years left, hopefully. Dragon immortality. Gotta love it.

He stretches in a very cat-like manner, arcing his back and reaching his claws forward until they're just before Saer. It gives a magnificent view of him. Draaxar is most definitely built for speed more than anything else, even power. His legs are well muscled for jumping and springing, but he's quite thin and stream-lined despite his size. His tail is even longer than his body, curling around the young woman several times and even then having meters left over to lie on the floor (i.e. the description is meant to show that he isn't the typical DND red dragon).

But she didn't tell me to expect an insolent demon with anger management issues. Again he lies down, as the cave is smaller than his last one and isn't quite big enough for him to stand in. He places his head back on his paws, and it looks as though he'd never moved in the first place, except that those eyes, so calculating and cold despite the fires, are latched onto Saer. You stride in as though you own my cave and have the audacity to attack my guest!

The guest, in question, is still slowly being killed by Draaxar's scales. But then he drops her from his grasp and she slips to the floor, gasping for air. She drags herself over to a small puddle of water on the floor and splashes it over her burns. Draaxar gives her an almost caring gaze before his eyes flick back to the demon.

[kitcatk8]

[Mountainside - Dragon Cave]

Insolent...? Alright. That was true.

Anger management issues? ...Yeah. True as well.

Saer had never pretended to be something he wasn't.

The demon shrugged a bit with that same arrogant smirk. "Not my fault she doesn't keep you well-informed. As for attacking your dinn--I'm sorry, 'guest'." He waved a hand as if it meant nothing. "I avoid getting wrinkles and dried-blood fingerprints on my good shirts when I can. Actually, I could say she attacked me first, if we want to get into semantics. Although, that's not why I'm here."

Reaching into his pocket, he took out the ring. "She gave me this in order to find you. I don't know what else she told you, but it seems she left out quite a bit. So allow me to fill you in." He rolled the ring between two fingers before tucking it back into his pocket. "In a sentence, I'd like to exchange her ownership from you, to me, which would include relinquishing rights to her soul."

[orb_of_blood]

Mountainside - Dragon Cave

Hmm, Vivilandra hadn't mentioned anything about that. She'd merely told him to expect a visitor and then hesitated when he'd asked if she was delivering him a second dinner course. Well, I suppose my answer is two-fold.

First, what's stopping me from just eating you? Aside from the fact that the flesh of a demon wasn't nearly as succulent as that of a human.

Second, if you think I'd just give up Vivilandra's soul, then you're wrong. Offer me something in exchange.

When the girl tries to rise and stumbles a little, and Draaxar's tail flicks out once more to keep her from falling and hurting herself, it probably ought to become clear that he is, in his own less-than-perfect way, trying to take care of her. It was certainly killing the girl, but the way he's keeping her 'safe', insisting she's not a prisoner but a guest and also providing scalding hot 'support' shows that he's at least not purposely malevolent towards his company.

[kitcatk8]

[Mountainside - Dragon Cave]

"Answer the first, absolutely nothing other than curiosity at this point it seems. You would know better than I." Saer leaned against one of those ridiculously large stalagmites caves like this tended to harbor. "However, if you did decide to go through with it, I can promise it wouldn't be a pleasant experience for either one of us. Furthermore, I guarantee I'd live through it, so the whole process is pretty pointless. Answer the second," Saer held open his arms, "I cannot possibly presume to know what is worth Nixa's soul to you. Tell me your currency, what it is you desire, and I shall let you know if I have it to strike the bargain."

[orb_of_blood]

[Mountainside - dragon cave]

Heh, amusing first answer. Draaxar probably wouldn't have eaten him anyways though. Hmm... What was Vivilandra's soul worth? Not very much as he was going to release it soon anyways, but now that he knows he's giving it to someone who may permanently keep it, he doesn't feel inclined to do so. He gives the human another soft gaze.

First, I need a new apprentice. Second, well, he's not sure Saer won't hurt her. This was more important to him than Saer probably realizes. Draaxar is not an evil dragon, just incredibly misunderstood. His apprentices lead fairly interesting, safe lives and learn incredible wonders from him that they couldn't learn anywhere else. His 'guests' were taken for company for him and then eaten only after they'd died. He may enjoy the taste more than he'd like, but he never purposely meant to kill them.

Draaxar's more of a gentle soul than anything else. After a few moments he speaks again. Second, you will tell me exactly what you plan to do with her before I decide.

[kitcatk8]

(Mountainside -Dragon Cave)

Saer nodded thoughtfully. Both reasonable requests. "I'll answer your second request first, if I may." The demon waited to see if Draaxar would assent before continuing. "She'll live with me, owned by me. She'll learn from me and be a working part of my household. She'll be punished for insubordination, but not irreparably harmed, let alone killed. As for your first request..." The demon shifted his stance to something more comfortable. "I will need time to provide you with what you require. I would ask that you release her to me today with understanding that if I do not provide another apprentice in a given time period, she would be forfeit to me."

[Earl of Purple]

Dipple's Hamlet

When the light goes out, Dam'Bul assumes the metallic mechanical menace is deceased, and tosses the Cylon aside roughly. "Blasted thing. What should we do with it? Leave it to rust, or take it the Abyss and see if Pazuzu's technicians can reconstruct it? Though hopefully without free will."

"Leave it. Techno-golems aren't Pazuzu's divine territory, and attempting to copy it might upset old gearhead and Pazuzu doesn't want to risk open warfare at the moment." Nephrim's scornful, and ignores the Cylon. "Back to work, everybody! Keep the spears close, though; it might have been a scout. Not you, though. You, follow me." Nephrim turns and walks back to the hut, followed by a young man in his prime with a vacant expression.

[orb_of_blood]

Mountainside

(Mountainside -Dragon Cave)

Saer nodded thoughtfully. Both reasonable requests. "I'll answer your second request first, if I may." The demon waited to see if Draaxar would assent before continuing. "She'll live with me, owned by me. She'll learn from me and be a working part of my household. She'll be punished for insubordination, but not irreparably harmed, let alone killed. As for your first request..." The demon shifted his stance to something more comfortable. "I will need time to provide you with what you require. I would ask that you release her to me today with understanding that if I do not provide another apprentice in a given time period, she would be forfeit to me."

Draaxar sighs. It sounds harmless enough. Another teacher. But he still didn't like the demon very much, not after the wrongful treatment of his guest. Of course, he'd accidentally caused Vivilandra's scars... Then bring me a new apprentice within a month, promise by blood spell that no harm shall come to her, and fetch me a new guest. i think my guest is... ill. As for the blood spell, well, that should make things interesting...

Draaxar was looking forward to relinquishing hold of her soul despite his concerns, however. He hated holding them, because he was always painfully aware that if he died, it would mean the death of his apprentice too. In fact, he's aware that this is exactly the sort of problem that that was supposed to avoid!

[kitcatk8]

(Mountainside - Dragon Cave)

Wasn't it the first rule of bargaining, to ask for more than you knew you were going to get? Well, the dragon was certainly not disappointing in that arena. "Show me how to promise by blood spell, I shall promise no irreparable harm to Nixa by my hand, and a new apprentice within the month in exchange for her freedom and return of her soul. That is all."

[orb_of_blood]

[Mountainside - Dragon cave]

(Mountainside - Dragon Cave)

Wasn't it the first rule of bargaining, to ask for more than you knew you were going to get? Well, the dragon was certainly not disappointing in that arena. "Show me how to promise by blood spell, I shall promise no irreparable harm to Nixa by my hand, and a new apprentice within the month in exchange for her freedom and return of her soul. That is all."

Draaxar shakes his head, amused. No, no, not good enough. I'm offering the soul of another creature. No irreperable harm, from anything. He knew he was pushing this just so that the demon will question whether Vivilandra's worth it, and may perhaps leave the deal alone. Not only that, but if he did question it, the dragon would know he wasn't serious about keeping Vivilandra safe. Still, he's dropped his new guest from the end. Picking them out himself was the best part anyhow.

[kitcatk8]

[Mountainside - Dragon cave]



Draaxar shakes his head, amused. No, no, not good enough. I'm offering the soul of another creature. No irreperable harm, from anything. He knew he was pushing this just so that the demon will question whether Vivilandra's worth it, and may perhaps leave the deal alone. Not only that, but if he did question it, the dragon would know he wasn't serious about keeping Vivilandra safe. Still, he's dropped his new guest from the end. Picking them out himself was the best part anyhow.

[Mountainside - Dragon Cave]

The demon crossed his arms and moved his lips to the side in a thoughtful expression. It wasn't a question as to whether or not Nixa was worth this trouble. As yet, this exchange of words hadn't been too much of a challenge, but he was smarter than to get roped into an impossible agreement. He took in a deep breath, let it out through his nose slowly, and rephrased. "I will promise no irreparable harm to Nixa from anything that is within my power to prevent. If this criteria is violated, she goes back under your ownership. That is my final offer regarding these terms."

[orb_of_blood]

[Mountainside - dragon's cave]

Well at least the demon was somewhat intelligent. Always a good sign. Draaxar nods. Fair enough. But then there's the blood spell. And that sometimes got a bit messy when people promised into it without realizing what it meant. Make the promise then, nice and loud, and offer me your arm.

Really, Saer ought to have realized that the blood spell involved giving blood to the creature casting the spell. Simple. The blood binds the person to the deal, causing intense pain and eventual death if the spell's deal is broken.

Wait! Calls the girl one last time. Please! Throw me into the deal! Let me go! Please mister, take me too! The girl is sobbing, begging.

[kitcatk8]

[Mountainside - Dragon Cave]

Saer nodded and looked as though he was offering up his arm when he made it into a single, pointed finger. "One thing more. Well, actually two."

Truly, the bargain was not a difficult one to strike as it was how he treated all his girls anyway. But..."If she goes back under your ownership, for any reason, be it violation of this agreement or otherwise, she maintains her soul." He paused and considered. "...Also, I'd appreciate your word that this blood promise business will only link me to you in this oath and in no other way. I don't have a soul to steal, but I wouldn't trust you with one of my toenails." He gave a small bow with his head. "No offense meant."

Really, Nixa's soul shouldn't have mattered that much to him, except that he'd seen what happened to them on his own homeland when they were promised away. "Are we agreed?"

Still, why should he care whether she owned it or not?

Well...he'd ponder that later. It made him uncomfortable to consider it with any depth in the moment.

((Sleepy times. Nunite!))