Aether - Castle Vaash

Siah steppd out of the portal into Aether with the Celestial on his shoulder. She was not conscious and he was weak from battle himself. Although he took the powerful blows from Keena's altered magick, it did still tire him out even if not harm him.

A group of golems approached and took Keena from Siah. They carried her into the castle and began to make preparations...

Siah trapped Keena in a powerful magick resistant dungeon deep in the bowls of the castle. "She will recognise her prison when she awakes." he mused. Dozens of golems patrolled the labyrinth, now since rebuilt since the Celestial's last time here. Siah watched, a mana crystal in his hand replenishing his power. Keena hung suspended in the air with chains glowing a dull red and amber, as they leeched away at Keena's magick.

"Wake up Keena. Wake up and see the truth." Siah's words were soft and not at all threatening. He sounded like he wanted to help Keena, like he wanted to rescue her.

Keena heard Siah's voice as she slowing came to. She felt too weak and groggy to comprehend what was going on. That is until her eyes focused and she recognized the room she was in. Panic filled her instantly and she fought at the bonds that held her.

"P-please let me go!" She pleaded to Siah.

Siah circled the entrapped Celestial. "So eager? I haven't even told you what you're here for."

He laughed and drew his blade, the mana crystal in his other hand was almost depleted.

Keena could not remember how she had come to be here in this place again, or with Siah or why she wanted to be near Siah for his protection. Siah, protect me? What is wrong with me?!

"What does it matter why you have brought me here? In the end will only mean my destruction."

Siah rammed his sword into the wall ... it stuck fast.

"You're so quick to judge! Just like all you being of light and holiness, so eager to assume the worst." Siah looked saddened by the Celestial's words. He bowed his head and mumbled arcane words...

There were footsteps heard coming down the hallway. Siah smiled and looked at Keena from beneath his helm.

"With your kind there is never any peace, you hunt my kind and slay us so that you may control all the realms and turn them into horrible places such as this. Never has your kind showed us different, can you blame us for always assuming so?" She asked, then footsteps caught her attention and her head snapped up. "Now what?"

Siah was going to enjoy this! His smile from beneath his helm apparent. "No. You suppose we hunt Celestials for glory? You think we love war for war's sake?" Siah's shoulders drooped.

A succubus entered the room, her body covered in robes hiding everthying. She moved to a corner and sat down on the floor looking at nothing in particular. "How do you intend to spend your eternal life? Pining after Zalon? Wondering where the great lord is and what he's up to?" Siah's questions were pointed.

Keena raised one brow. "I will spend my eternal life with him, not pining after him. Zain leaves for the better of Haven, as I do my own tasks for the better of Haven. We knew that when we joined as one. Nothing you can say will change my mind Siah."

But even as she said this, she felt doubt. For the first time in her life she doubted Zain's ability to be there with her. She shook herself mentally but continued to just stare at Siah.

Siah shrugged his shoulders, his armour heaved on his bulk. "Then you will live forever? Worshipping Zalon?"

The succubus rose and approached Keena. She withdrew one of her hands from her robe and in it was a small black gem. Siah chuckled, the succubus smiled.

"Who is with you now Celestial?" The demon asked, his eyes not leaving her.

Keena watched the Succubus and then turned back to Siah. Obviously she was alone and so she stated such. "I am alone, any one can see that."

Siah's smile disappeared. The succubus looked at him for permission to proceed.

"I am here, Celestial. I am here right now! I control your fate and what path it follows." He grabbed the gem from the succubus' hand and motioned her out of the room with his hand. "Not now," he told the succubus."soon."

Siah turned to Keena. "Do you wish to die? Would you have your life end now?" Siah placed a hand on Keena's shoulder burning it with his heated gaunlet.

Keena looked at him again, but this time that other part of her, one that had been whispering to her all along spoke. "Yes, you are here with me. You have always been there in the shadows while Zain has been gone." Her head fell as the pain and sorrow of this filled her.

"No," She finally said. "I do not wish this life to end no matter how insignificant it may seem right now."

Then Siah moved with speed. He raised his arms and grabbed the Celestial with his levitation and she hovered in the air still chained and bound. A darkness entered the room and Siah's eyes became blacker than the night.

"You feel this power?" He pulled more of the energy into the room. "Do you feel this?"
His words were harsh and the Celestial was being engulfed in waves of darkness. Keena's magick was being drained by the chains holding her, but the immense power seemed to crush the rock of the dungeon around her. It was oppressing and seemed limitless.

Keena's voice was strained as she answered. "Y-yes I can feel it....w-what is your point?"

She felt as if she was being crushed and strangled from the darkness engulfing her. She realized now that the chains were draining her magic and some how it seemed as if the darkness was replacing it.

Siah looked intently at Keena. He could see the internal struggle so evident on her face. "Lets begin."

Siah waved his hand in front of him in a quick sideways motion. Three small cuts appeared on the Celestial's arm. An immense darkness flooded Keena, making her feel so powerful. The energies entered the cuts and fed off of her anger. "You need me. You need to take control and I can give you that control. I can make sure that you live forever as you want to." Siah whispered. "Its all about control."

Siah waved his other hand in front of him and three more cuts appeared on Keena's other arm, darkness worked its way into her. "This power is yours to control. Its yours to use and work as you se fit, once I remove your chains that is." Siah moved in.

Keena felt the darkness enter her, at first it had burned and warred with the purity of her celestial soul, but now as he cut her arm the pain became pleasure and the darkness began to seduce her soul. She closed her eyes in a sort of bliss as she listened to Siah's voice, once she would have loathed his voice or his nearness, now she wanted them.

Her body began to heal as the darkness took control and her anger rised with its power. How dare Zain leave her always, to protect him from enemies old and new constantly seeking him. It was his fault she had been hurt by Siah in the first place, his fault that Siah had captured her and brought her back to this place...

She felt the power complete her and she let out her breath in a rush of ecstasy before her eyes opened up. Gone were her purple-blue eyes that had clamed many, what replaced them were the amber eyes of the wolf that showed her anger, because she now was consumed with her anger and the darkness.

Keena's eyes locked onto Siah's and when she spoke she voice was colder and filled with more power then before. "Release me."

The half-demon approached Keena, he ripped the chains from the ceiling. He held them fast as they drained her magick and power from her. Siah left the room and pulled Keena in tow. The succubus outside stared in disbelief, Siah had turned the Celestial in moments? She thought that this would take days. Her master was powerful indeed!

Siah tugged on the chains and led Keena down tha dank labyrinth the succubus and her dark gem slinked into the shadows.

A light appeared at what could be the end of the tunnel network. Siah's pace hastened. He was emitting dark energy as his excitement grew. "She must know her potential! But she must know defeat too. This will be the time of her life...!" The smell of dried blood permiated the air.

Keena did not like being towed along, she wanted to rip Siah's throat out with her claws. Claws? A part of her mind whispered.

Keena looked down and saw that indeed instead of long femanine nails she now had sharp claws. The wolfen part of her blood was coming out. Every Celestial was created from something else, some trees and flowers and others animals. Keena had been born of wolf's blood.

She ran her tongue over her teeth curious to see, and her canines were indeed sharp and long. So, I have reverted back to a more animalistic form. All because of the his dark magic, how interesting.

It was then that her thoughts were interupted by the smell of dried blood, tons of it from the strength of it. She raised a brow at Siah, so he intended to fight her. A cold smirk covered her lips, this would prove to be fun.

Siah walked into the arena without his sword. The sand was greatly disturbed and small rocks lay strewn about the pit. Siah put his full weight behind the chains and flung Keena into the centre of the arena.

He moved away from the cullis as it slammed shut behind him. He was now sealed in the pit with the Celestial. "Hold up your arms, Celestial!" He commanded her. A fireball formed in his right hand.

Keena had easily twisted her body in mid-air when Siah had thrown her and landed on her feet. She rose to her full height and raised a brow at him, but she was curious to see what he would do so she raised her arms.

"What now Siah?" She demanded.

Siah launched the ball of flame at Keena it hurtled straight to the chains holding her restrained. Siah's stance took the form of a hardened warrior preparing for battle.

"Now... kill me!" The demon screamed! "Tear my life from me!" Siah's voice reached a deep, growling pitch. Fire encased his hands at his sides.

At the release of the chains it was if he unleashed a savage beast. Keena bared her fangs and cracked her fingers as her claws grew two inches long. The aura that glowed from her was no longer silver, but red as blood.

She charged Siah with the speed of light before sending a large blast of energy at him. As it was about to hit him she leapt from it and brought her claws down across the chest of his armor. Normally it would not have done a thing, but now it cut through the metal after this she spun and kicked him in the stomach before leaping away with the agility of a cat.

Siah felt the burn as his armour gave to her claws. The blast of energy froze and held in the air. Siah staggered back from the kick and a soft laugh eminated from him.

With a fast leap he sprang at Keena swinging at her with two powerful fists of flames. He was in his element now! So ready for a toe-to-toe melee. He moved around Keena as if there was no armour on him at all.

Keena was sent staggering back as one of his fists connected with her shoulder. She caught herself from falling all the way down by back flipping and landing in a knelt position before jumping back up and circling him.

She felt the cold calculating smile form on her lips again. This was indeed fun, playing cat and mouse, but Siah was underestimating her. She was no longer a holy being, but the darkness had not taken over her powers fully, it had bonded with them instead only making her stronger. She had never felt so powerful or incontrol and she would die before going back to being weak.

Keena charged him again, her claws going through the knee of his armor as she ran past before turning quickly and slicing the back of his armor. Sending a blast of powerful demonic energy through her claws and into his body.