[IC] Devouring Light

[Owlriel]

Asran motioned a hand to all the surrounding people dancing around the performers. Doing their best to mimic the dances the performers did to the beat of their musical counterpart.
“Go ahead, and dance. If you feel the urge to dance then do so. For Gluttony is fulfilling what you desire most. No matter the consequences.”

[Arreyis]

Ayrie smiled and stood, making her way to a small group of dancers who were teaching each other the steps and laughing. She joined them, watching what they did intently occasionally looking back to the mayor with a smile.

'This is a lot of fun. We would never have done this at the monastery.' She thought, moving her body to the beat as she began to master the steps.

The church was against such displays in worship, and as a result the monastery had never seen dancers in her twenty two years there. The elders would have absolutely had a coniption fit if they saw what Ayrie was doing, especially if they had seen the look on her face as she glanced now and then at the mayor.

[Owlriel]

Asran smiled back at Ayrie as he watched her dance. Nadia leaned in nudging him the side getting his attention. She was leaned low looking up at him with a deeply mischievous expression. “You totally a crush on her,” she said softly. Making Asran go rigid as his cheeks blushed. “What the hell are you talking about,” he asked almost stammering. As he stared down at her with trying to hide his embarrassment. Nadia snickered as was enjoying seeing her lord at such a loss. His embarrassment faded, and he looked at her with an even stare. “Don’t try to deny you’ve some sort of affection towards her. I see the way you to react to one another. It’s truly adorable, but don’t worry. The others are a bit too dense to tell. I won’t tell them either, that is if you give my school magical uniforms. Like Sigres’ school has, and it has to come straight from you. Not some other tailor. I wanna hold it over his smug head.”
Asran looked very displeased, “Here I thought I was the demon. You sure you’re not part devil?” Which made Nadia smile, and giggle at her lord. “Oh, but you love it.” Asran smiled chuckling low under his breath. Then turned back to watching Ayrie. “I suppose you may be right. On some things,” he said.

[Arreyis]

Ayrie spun one last time as the music came to an end and walked back to the table laughing.

"That is so much fun!" She said, reaching down and taking a drink of her wine. She looked over at the mayor as another song began. "You should come with me the next time. Loosen up a little."

Ayrie giggled and set her glass back down, not quite ready to sit yet. Her feet were tapping to the beat of the music. She shook her braid from her shoulder and looked around at all the happy people, feeling like a child loosed on a brand new world.

[Owlriel]

Asran shrugged, and stood up loosening his shirt collar a bit. “I suppose I could show you how it’s done,” he said with a smirk. Every high priest looked at their lord in shock. Making Asran just stare at them all with an exasperated expression. It surely couldn’t be that much of a surprise!

He walked around the table, and headed down the steps to the dancing people. Standing there for a moment he observed the dance, and music. Then in a fluid motion joined in the dance acing every step. But, his face remained stony. Making him almost look like a little clockwork figure dancing about.

[Arreyis]

Ayrie laughed with surprise when he stepped onto the dance floor and started dancing as if he'd been doing it forever. His face was smooth as he danced, never changing expression, but she smiled anyway. She had certainly not expected him to just get up and go dance!

"That's not something he would normally do." Markus said, his voice monotone but loud enough she could hear.

"Well, I didn't think he would, that's for sure. He is very generous but he is wound tighter than anyone I've ever met." She answered, patting him on the shoulder. If he was controlling an illusion of the Lord Gluttony, he would have a massive headache in the morning. "Though, are you certain that my sheilds will keep me from shocking every dark magic thing I touch now? I wouldn't want to bump him in the next dance and send sista flying everywhere."

"They'll hold as long as you maintain them. You need not worry about that anymore." Though Markus wasn't sure he wanted her touching his Lord in any way.

Ayrie watched to the end of the dance and clapped loudly when it was over, smiling delightedly.

[Owlriel]

Asran sighed out he was more tired than he initially thought. He yawned tiredly then felt fangs in his mouth. He clasped a hand over his mouth, and blew past people including his own priests as he fled inside the temple. His hair growing longer going from a typically short head of hair to something that was shoulder length by the time he entered the temple. It was getting longer too his eyes even started glowing. “Shit, shit, SHIT,” he muttered quickly. He grimaced in pain holding his shoulder his shirt darkening underneath.

“Looks like he pushed himself too hard tonight... stupid demon,” Nadia said low under her breath. Then drank some wine from her glass, gulping some of it down. The illusion of Asran’s demon form faltered a second as Markus looked insanely worried. As did every priest there, but none of them moved. They couldn’t, or more they were ordered not to go after him.

[Arreyis]

Ayrie watched in confusion as the mayor ran past, his hand over his mouth and his hair appearing to lengthen. "What...?" Ayrie couldn't finish her question as she noticed the illusion Markus was casting falter for a split second. Thinking quickly, she darted around those nearest her and made to follow him inside.

Two priests tried to stop her, but she was younger and faster and ducked as they reached out. She waa determined to get to the bottom of this. As she entered the temple she looked wildly around for the mayor, unable to see him at first.

"Mayor?" She called, spotting him across the room from her, clutching his shoulder which looked to be bleeding. "Please...just... Let me help."

She grabbed a towel from a countertop and slowly moved towards him. "Markus helped me fix the sparking... I can't hurt you unless I want to and I don't want to..."

'This is absurd. You're talking to him as if he's some kind of spooked animal.' Ayrie couldn't help but chide herself.

[Owlriel]

Asran’s hair had lengthened down to his waist flowing around in like a silk curtain. His eyes staring up at her the sclera was black rather than white. “What are you doing here? It’s not-* GAH!” he pulled into himself, Reeling in pain. As a faint yellow glow came from under his shirt. He trembled with pain as each breath was a struggle.

“I... struggle with a curse... makes me go crazy... hurts fighting it... It hurts constantly, but exhaustion makes it worse,” he said before stopping. to try catching his breath. “I think... I think I, managed to stop... The go crazy part for now. But, my body... won’t move,” He grit his teeth showing impressive fangs as a massive pang on pain ripped through him.

He looked away from Ayrie, and removed his hand to point to a line of clay jugs with corks. They had inscriptions all over them. “Use that... The liquid inside will erode... the markings, weakening the curse... will hurt like a bitch though... So there will be unmanly screaming involved,” he said then smiled at Ayrie. Trying to lighten the mood at least a little. Even though every tiny bit of movement hurt a great deal. He knew that this current pain was nothing, compared to what the elixir would cause. As it wasn’t just his body that would hurt, it would be his soul as well.

[Arreyis]

'This is not my idea of alone time.' Ayrie thought as she looked at him and back at the marked bottles. "Are you sure there's not something else that can be done?"

She was highly averse to the idea of hurting him more than he was already, but she walked to the bottles and grabbed one. She found a bottle opener and walked back to him, screwing it in as she went.

"Just tell me what you need."

[Owlriel]

“I need... to get my shirt... off,” Asran said. He grimaced his breath catching as he moved to remove his shirt. He soon let out a scream of pain as he couldn’t do it. He didn’t have the strength to get the damnable thing off. “help,” he said with a questioning voice. He needed the shirt off because the elixir wouldn’t work nearly as well with it on.

[Arreyis]

Ayrie watched him struggle and knealed down next to him. "Here, let me."

She quickly undid the buttons, trying not to stare as the shirt gave way to his bare skin. She carefully removed the shirt from his shoulders, creful not to touch the runes im case it hurt him further.

[Owlriel]

What Ayrie saw was a well toned body. Littered with runes that faintly glowed yellow. Even to her limited training the magic felt somewhat familiar. As it was the same type she used. “Thanks, pour the elixir... Slowly on my body... Don’t stop, till you see them stop glowing. No matter, how much... I might scream. As Trust me... I’m gonna,” he said then smirked. He then coughed painfully.

[Arreyis]

Ayrie sensed he wasn't exaggerating, she could tell he was in an excruciating amount of pain. She pulled the cork from the bottle and held it over his chest, watching the liquid slowly pour over him the runes glowing through it. She felt the power of the liquid, knowing it was infused with light magic didn't make her feel any better.

She heard his screams almost before he made a sound, and all she could think was 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry...' as she continued to pour the bottle out over him.

[Owlriel]

Asran’s eyes lit up a bright blue as he screamed in agony. The elixir felt like ice was forming as it went over, and through him. Strangling his soul in its icy grip, it felt like he couldn’t breath. But, he had to power through the pain, and clutch onto an imaginary fraying rope that was his sanity. He rolled to his side his hands clutching at the ground. Fingers growing claws that scratched small grooves into the marble floor. He screaming turning more demonic as the pain continued. Steam began to lift off the runes on his body some of them began to erode. But, the glow didn’t fade yet.

The runes on his body finally stopped glowing. But at the same time he cried out, “Damn you... Astoria!” Then collapsed fully blacking out. Several imps approached Asran looking at him with worry. They looked to Ayrie, and hissed angrily at her. Baring fangs at her, but didn’t move to attack her. They turned back to their master, and talked to one another speaking infernal. Then called out to the darkness, a large demon walked out. It had cloven hooves, and a long tail with a diamond shaped tip. It had the head of a goat. It was dragging an unconscious human slave by the face behind it. A wraith like creature was behind the large demon. The demons looked at Ayrie expecting her to leave.

[Arreyis]

The way he acted frightened Ayrie, but she continued to pour the elixir until the bottle was empty. When he passed out and the imps moved in she glared back at them, not caring whether they liked her or not. She had only done what he had asked of her. When the demon walked out of the darkness with the slave and wraith she shuddered, but stood and backed away.

"I did what he asked...nothing more." She said, glaring at them defiantly, daring them to suggest she had done wrong. She wanted to make sure he was okay before she left, so instead of going back out to the festival she waited just inside the door. She watched intently as they surrounded him, knowing the human was going to be another sacrifice.

[Owlriel]

The large demon set the slave on the ground. Then moved to block the rooms entrance with its body. To stop Ayrie from possibly interfering. The imps surrounded the slave, and their master. The wraith flew over to Asran, and with an immense effort possessed his body. In order to feed its master, and even sacrificed its own life to feed its masters soul. To strengthen him so he could protect them like he did everyone else of this city.

The large demon looked down at Ayrie. Snorting at her slightly, and turned to leave along with most of the imps. Though one stayed behind to tend to Asran’s recovering body.

[Arreyis]

When the demon got close to her to block her way Ayrie tensed, but she knew they were only there to help and protect him. When the wraith possessed him she suddenly knew the demon had blocked her to prevent her from stopping anything. It made her skin crawl and she fought the urge to cry out. She watched as they left him with the single imp, knowing she would stay to help him even after all she had seen.

'Him. The mayor. Gluttony. Good gods girl what have you gotten into?' She didn't even have a personal name to call him by yet she felt as though she were attached to him in ways that went deeper than acquaintance. She cautiously approached him, careful not to disturb the imp that was taking care of him.

"He will be okay?" She asked quietly, unsure the imp would even answer. He looked like the one that had pushed her into the restarant earlier that day, but without the sunglasses she couldn't be sure.

[Owlriel]

The imp looked up at Ayrie, and then nodded. It looked into Ayrie’s eyes it seemed to see the thing that Asran saw. “Can you go down this hall to the kitchens. Grab a towel, and a pot of cool water. It’ll help his fever go down. That elixir can be nasty business on his body,” it said in a slightly scratchy voice.

[Arreyis]

Ayrie's spirit lifted slightly when he nodded, and when he asked her to retrieve a towel and water she nodded back. "Whatever you need."

She followed the hallway and found the kitchen. It took a few moments to locate a pot that was large enough but not too heavy for her, and when she did she set it in the sink and let it fill while she located a few towels. When it was full and she had a handful of clean towels she took it and headed back to the mayor and the imp. She set it down on the floor and wet one of the towels, handing another to the imp.

"I'll help." She said, setting the towel in her hand against his temple. Now that he was unconcious she took the time to look at him without being embarrassed, appreciating his form. The scars and faded runes marked an impressive physique.

'Now that I know who he really is, I wonder if he will stop being so guarded against me.' She thought, then instantly remembered the priests that would be arriving any day. 'That's going to be tough. I'll have to be careful they don't discover how close I've become to him, or that I witnessed what he did without stopping him.'