The first signs of Sadism

He buggers off with one last little psuedo-compliment awkwardly left to linger in her head. Would it kill him to use her name? She has one of those. It's not even a bad one. Little intensity lopped on top of her gesture trying to fight away a headache, circles pressed into the side of her skulls like there's something fighting to come out.

She doesn't have the patience for this. Wandering into a center of known depravity was totally amicable by comparison. With her usual stuff she leaves the yard, leaves the immediate vicinity, and treks quicky through a small stretch of unpathed sparse woodland between outskirts housing, because the people who plotted out Danarium long ago sure did let people build their houses weirdly. But, disgressing.

It's to be an unassumign trek. She'll probably swing wide of anything foreboding, linger in the marketplace east of the real action, of any people of a fame that she might note their face, recognize them by firsthand diescription of another's make. 'Cuz she keeps track of stuff like that. But she doesn't get that far, before she stops. Stops awkwardly, at that, and the energy aura that'd been passively about her dies off before she continues again, hands slipped into her pocket, her brow given to a slight, unconscious furrow..

Just. Casually lingering about, almost entirely shrouded individuals weren't too uncommon around Loranthis anymore, so she has no need to feel nervous, right? She'll just. Yeah. She'll pass by, offer a little nod in greeting, and just keep going. It's no reason to act uncomfortable, no reason to turn around or anything. In fact, the opposite! She'll carry herself strongly, proudly. She'll offer them a cheeky little smirk, pause, make sure there's no show of fear or anything, even give a moment, if the weirdo wants it for some reason!...

Totally won't come across as an ass, that way.
(Kyuri)

With his new prize clutched in his hand, Gorandis was enjoying the woodlands for once. Not for their beauty or their serenity or anything like that. no, he just needed time away from the idiots before things got out of hand. Slow and steady after all... The black crystal shimmered in the daylight as he rubbed his thumb across its jagged length.

Two down... But how many more to go. The crystal gently leaked depravity, almost enough to match the man's own. "Not long now..." His voice came out in a hushed whisper. But he soon gathered himself. He was being approached by someone. Some... child. And then she smirked at him. She gave him that look of condescending familiarity.

His hand gripped the crystal tighter. "You." The words rolled out like damp thunder as he pushed himself away from the tree. "What gives you the right to look at me like that? What makes you think you can act that way towards me?" As he approached he began to spark sharply, red crimson striking around, shattering a huge chunk of the tree he was against and charring its length.

"Answer. Quickly!"
(Gorandis)

I-it wasn't meant at all to be condescending! That's just, in some part her incredulous lack of social grace at work, there. Now, she's suddenly caught on the defensive, leaning back, stepping back awkwardly. And, 'course he's going to immediately spark with a sort of clearly unrestrained sort of energy that shows no shyness in further enhancing that sort of aggression that she really should not be surprised of.

She's not sure why she spits her words out so quickly, without thinking, without relying on her relatively quick wit, her analytical mind to make better a way to step carefully around this situation. She says something stupid, instead. She panics, a little. And it's rightly awful, compared to just being apologetic and respectful like she might wish her tongue would've been.

".... Uh. I. I don't even. Know who you are, guy... how'm I supposed to react to somebody skulking the woods, anyway?"

She's not even done with her words before she regrets them, but her ebbed away patience gives away to a bite in her responce, a disrespectfulness in her voice akin to the incidental air about her thoughtless expression meant to seem.... friendly?

Yeah. She's not sure why she did anything at all except act like a ghost actually. She's too much bothered right now to be conversing with people who migh react as anything approaching volatile. Her luck, though.
(Kyuri)

"You avoid them." He closed the distance and gripped his hand around her right shoulder. Gripping harshly but not painfully he leant in, whispering quietly. "You avoid them in the hope that they are not someone like me." His spare hand came up, still gripping the crystal. The deep ebony seemed to reflect the light oddly, giving it a slight purple sheen.

"Do you understand what this is? This is the last person that bothered me. His spirit forced into physical form. And now he is mine. Do you understand? He annoyed me and so I destroyed him and left him as nothing more than an ornament." He Stood back up, a grimace bordering on a scowl present on his face. The only thing visible beneath his hood.

"I am not the kind of man you smile at, no, the one you smirk at. I am not the kind of man you look down and if you do harass me. You do NOT--" His hand pressed down and the red sparks came with it, charring the surface of her shoulder. "ignore me or see me as some commoner. Do I make myself perfectly clear? Do you understand me?"

The pain would lessen but it would not disappear. Of course she was more than capable of trying to fight back if she so wished. "Or do you wish to join the others?" He shifted his cape aside to reveal a second crystal, similar to the first except that this one was a deep purple.
(Gorandis)

She can't jerk back. She tries, but whatever strength she fancies herself having for her relative weakness even then does not come to her call. She so uncomfortable, but the sensation is unfamiliar. It's a touch of fear, but fear isn't a well-encompassing word.

Dread.

It comes to her as he speaks, as his tone becomes more and more apprent. As his threats materialize into terrible things, things that she cna understand the nature of even without previous exposure to anything like that. The air about him completely lends warrant to what he says. A darkness, a macabre nature restrained behind a mask of some sort? Her analysis isn't exactly in the best set-up scenario to get a real read on this already intimidatingly enigmatic man.

Crystalizing the very sprit essence. Likely some deep, key to the soul itself, she imagines. That's a terrifying sort of unknown, to tamper with the soul itself, the source of an actual life. Her expression is of terror. Wide eyes, a paled face, as she grits pain sudden to her, pain that finally breaks her forceful neutrality, as he scars her flesh near-effortlessly, probably both of whatever power he held and whatever physical weakness she bore coming together to an unpleasant effect. She snaps her hands up, clutches them to the top of his, not forcefully but with a shaky squeeze, an effort that's clearly restrained on some part in prying him away.

" Igetitjust! Just let go of me!" She makes no qualms to raising her voice loud enough for it to echo faintly, in wincing and gritting the words through her teeth. Her eyes won't meet him. They just look to the narrow excuse for a path, towards the city. Away from this. Away from him.
(Kyuri)

"You wish to run?" His eyes follow hers as he turns to look over his shoulder at her only real escape route. "You can try." He draws his hand back slowly, the crimson lightning warping with it into a thick red chain. He turns, facing what was left of the tree and extends his hand towards it. A bolt lances through what was there, sending the chain along it and keeping the binding taut.

The other end was squarely within Kyuri's shoulder and they would find themselves flung to the ground as the momentum took hold. "Remove your bonds and simply flee. That is all you need to do." He began to pace a few steps back, giving her a decently wide berth. "But know, that if you do try to leave. You best have the strength to do so."

"Or else you will find me far less pleasant than I already am." His hand came to rest on the chain, letting a few links spark through his fingers. "Have you ever faced true terror?" The question came from nowhere and was asked in a mundane tone. "Have you ever been so abjectly fearful that you didn't know what you could ever hope to do against it?"

"Tell me. What's it like?"
(Gorandis)

She's not being shy about her attempts, but the fact that he takes notice and mentions as much bores terribly, and she knows it immediately as her eyes snap to the shadow beneath his cowl, to where she might imagine his are, and they tell as much in that abject terror slowly welling more and more into reality.

It solidifies, the magics around her, in a way she might appreciate if it weren't actively binding her. She's ripped forward at a simple gesture from the man, and lands so sharply that she doesn't even have time for her haqnds to catch her. The way it rips at her flesh makes her think it was ripped free, but no. It's still there, as she labors herself up to a sit, to barely manage to prop herself up, to face him again. He goes on. Adds to the fright of the moment further. Addresses her as little more than a plaything.

Her hands shakily come up and around the chain, to the links, the two or three before where it was stuck terribly into her flesh, but they don't pull. Her grip is lax, effortless but for the slight twitch it takes to lay her fingers upon it. Her eyes lower to the ground. Defeat. That's what she needs to see this as, doesn't she? He didn't want to be disrespected, challenged, approached at all. And he was teaching her a lesson, or perhaps just exuding a pent up or typical cruelty of his.

She needed. To approach this carefully, then. She had to let her defensive aggression dissipate, resign herself. Calm down.

"No. I haven't... faced anything like this. And, it's bleak. It's terrifying." She hisses, a hush to her, now. A lack of liveliness, of rebel for this moment. An utter truth to what's so simply spoken. She swallows, nervously, dares to continue, to ask something that comes to her mind as she thinks of her position, of this scenario. A stupid impulse it might be, but maybe something worth asking. Her macabre curiosity can show itself, as she looks up to this hidden figure.

"...C-can I ask you, what it's like on the other side? On the side, that has the kind of strength that inspires this fear?"

For punishment, for threat of even the makeup of her soul itself being stolen for the mere concept of speaking back, speaking anything but apology and reverence to the man who could probably snuff her life out and never here a word of his actions towards a complete nobody.

She wanted to know what it was like, a casual strength, the ability to do whatever you so desire. A presence that commanded respect, or punished those who didn't deliver.

Kyuri envies him, even as she hangs in the balance of her own words.
(Kyuri)

"You want to know what it's like when you have this much power? When you can so casually destroy people like this? It is maddening." He grabs the chain tighter and pulls, dragging her up to her feet. "To do all this and then have people disrespect me. To ignore me. Everyone... even that bitch of a Queen." his hand grips harder and another wave of energy is sent through in response.

"But she knows now. And now you know too. You know to never show me that kind of slight again." The chain goes slack before dissipating in a wild crack. The end in her shoulder whips out, lacerating and burning both. The wound was not a clean one and what little flesh that survived the charring instead bled heavily in the open air.

"I could end you. I could utterly destroy you and turn you into nothing more than an object. Nothing of you will remain. And it would only take me a few moments to do so..." His hand had been edging towards her neck but stops just shy and lightly grabs her chin, lifting her head up towards his. "But you would be even less useful to me than you are now."

"What is your name, girl. Let me know the name of the one who chose to look down on me."
(Gorandis)

Maddening.

A word that likely carries a kind of meaning behind it that she couldn't begin to ask him to explain. Not now, not likely ever, from anybody likeminded and likestrengthed. Who knows what he's sacrificed, who he's sacrificed to become this. Yet she envies it still, this terrible thing. This terrible man. She can't even tell herself why she does, either.

She's pulled to her feet, painfully, hands still on the chain. A sharp pain, a throaty whine, a painful wince, a tremble that shakes her body to the punishment still being given. But still she listens, she does not plan to show another form of disrespect otuside of that latent curiosity. The rip of the chain forcefully from her, likely harsher than she herself would've even done, brings not a sharp cry like her body wants to, but gruff, pained grunts. Knees bukcle and fold, and she falls to them, both hands quickly clutching at the gape of her flesh now, the arm of the inflicted shoulder more held by the other than holding itself.

Kyuri has rarely felt pain in her life, more than little bumps or scrapes or a bruise here and there. This is by far the worst thing, the worst moment she's experienced in her still-young life. But it scars physically, yet the fear of her eyes seems fading, seems a memory but to the moment still in progress, still recorded to her mind. If he's going to kill her, then he's already decided, and this is all bravado for the punishment. If he's not, he'll have to let her free, sooner or later, won't he? She is not "useful". She's weak. Frail. Has only bursts of worthwhile strength in even a utility aspect, likely equal to a season magi who puts no effort into their physicality, as she imagines it. Slight to an underestimation of herself, but she doesn't think as much.

She can scarcely get to her feet again before she notices the hand, it's actions more than the feeling itself as all else but pain was an afterthought to her body. He forces her to look at him, and she does not snap away, does not scowl. Does not smile. She does nothing but meet him, but answer his question, with the stains of tears along her cheeks and more welled but still at the edges of her eyes.

"... Kyuri Beralt, sir." That last word leaves a bitter taste in her mouth, she wants to throw it up rather than speak it. She doesn't want to respect him, but at this point, she has to. This cruelty is, awkwardly admirable in efficiency of getting a point across. It was a point she wasn't soon to forget.
(Kyuri)

"Kyuri..." he rolls the word over on his tongue. "Well, I think you've learned your lesson haven't you?" His hand drops away from her chin and gently reaches down to her elbow. His hand softly grasps it and he begins to pull her, leading her away. "Come on Kyuri. We need to make sure you get out of here safely, yes? After all, we don't want you hurt."

His tone was disgustingly sarcastic as he unceremoniously dragged her towards the start of the path. He swung his arm around, practically throwing her down the entrance. He holds his arm up before him and the air creaks and solidifies. A shape flops down wetly, splatting against his hand. Great leathery wings fall past and shake off some vile excretion onto the grass below.

Grass which begins to sizzle and burn.

The creature as it most likely was turned to look around with an eyeless face. Nothing but a great circular maw lined with teeth. It 'looks' straight at Kyuri and chitters angrily. "Now then. I think it's best you went on your way little miss. Before something terrible really does happen to you." The creature sits up on his arm. Four pseudo limbs supporting a fat, putrid body.

The creature begins to flap meaning fully in her direction. "Unless you want to meet some demons first hand that is."
(Gorandis)

God/s(or lack thereof, fuck you guys anyway). She's quiet, quiet and attentive and expressing little to nothing more but to merely exist for the moment, to begrudgingly listen. It's all a show, she keeps telling herself. She'll go free, soon as he decides it. There is no use he can provide her. So any minute, now, any minute, now.

Maybe some part of her is a little disappointed that she isn't strong enough to be of use. But that's her fault, and nobody else's. And that's also a fucked up thought to have on any level, Kyuri. Even if she was of use, after this, she'd rather just stagger away with a lack of pride or grace than bow her head again, just on self-preservative instinct.

Why he has to mock her and drag her along just a little bit longer, though. She doesn't know.

'Course, this has to get a little creepier, before she's finally free to fuck off, right? That it does, and does very well, yes, a little creature materialized of nothing and barking with its teeth and little more, a vibration of chomps from the disgusting thing that have her nose crinkling enough just to break the neutrality of her expression.

She doesn't say a word more to him. The moment he stops talking, she gives little more than a nod, and she tries to leave, quickly as a brisk walk can carry her. She won't turn around to him again 'lest he speak, and she has no direction but "far away". Probably a loop south at this point, all the way to the praries, back around and through Wychwoof just to come home. Hours on foot in laborous pain, just to avoid anything near this stretch of land, just to come back to within half a mile of this very spot from the opposite direction.

That's the kind of fear he'd left in her.
(Kyuri)

The nod was received but he wouldn't be letting her leave quite so peacefully. He waves his arm in her direction and the creature ungracefully takes flight. Flapping heavily to keep its disgusting body airborne. But now it was free and it wanted to chase, it wanted to feed and it wanted Kyuri's already spilled blood. The creature let out a shriek as it dove forwards.

But, before it could reach her a sharp crack split the sky and a single crimson bolt struck down the creature in an instant. One hit, instant death. THe creature's sizzling corpse began to bubble and bloat before its corrosive innards spilled out with the smell of burnt sulphur. "Be careful of what you find out here. And mind your manners."

It was a silly show of strength, really. but he usually found it effective. To show them something so physically brutal and then to strike it down with barely a thought nor care. He wanted her to remember this. He wanted her to remember him. But he would not give her his name. No, he didn't want too much trouble yet But she had learned and, hopefully, she would teach others.

"Now run along."
(Gorandis)

The shriek would've definitely grabbed her attention, gone so far as to defensively flair her aura as she spun on a feel and witnessed the thing barreling at her. It would summon up her aura, a vibrant thing that she'd silenced when she first saw the man, hoped that the lack thereof would show a lack of aggression on her part. But this thing? She prepares to reel back, and strike it away with everything she has, and run.

Only for that, not to be necessary, ultimately. He evicerates the thing, with such a speed and grace that it doesn't even give off a dying screech, any sort of seal of it's own fate but the gunk and heap of "flesh" that remained after this single instance, melding into one. Her other arm still clutches the bloody, charred flesh of her shoulder.

Can't figure why he's still lording his superiority, at this point. She's going to nix the saving of any remaining face, now, and run away. Run the entire outskirts of Loranthis, the northern praries, and Wychwood, just to feel like she can make it home safely, and then promptly collapse. Hell, even if he were to call to her at this point, she was going to keep running. Silence or show of her still-existant willingness to fight back be damned, she just wants away. And hey, he totally told her to run along, now. She's just doing what he said.

She could worry about identity, and meaning, and ponder if there was any right way for this to have gone later.
(Kyuri)