dev 12 - implanting the core

"When you were unconscious, I took a peek into your pockets...You've got some interesting things in there." She says while beginning to lean back upon the cushion, her smile widening into a Cheshire grin. I suppose that I shouldn't have taken it upon myself to...Inspect your person, but then again...You were a prisoner and well, you could've lost much more than what you did." Is she justifying herself? Perhaps. Perhaps not. But toying with him in this manner beats being 'badgered' by Valerey. Nevertheless....What would soon be placed upon the table were stones.

"You've got something similar to these...Don't you?" She places the two, vermillion rocks upon the table. They seem charged with impossible mana...A forever burning pyre, intensely warm to the touch. Attuned to forever burning flames...

 Everything here is what she had needed.
 Everything here is what she had deserved.

"So...Now that I've shown you mine. Let's see what we can do about yours." She allows him to inspect the one, if he had wanted. After all...It was going to take a lot of preparation for her to do the ritual she desired.
(Ashalle)

Ashalle drops Blaze Stone x1.

"I figured that I'd be frisked. I would be surprised if I wasn't."

All that he offers in return is a mere shrug. He didn't seem to mind, honestly... now that he remembers, he could've easily died back then, and multiple times over too. If it wasn't for the fact that he was spared, then this journey would be no more - and nothing else would matter anymore at all.

"But yes. I do have few. The first is Gem of Storms, which I believe was acquired on one of the hunts for the Lightning Dragon. To be precise, we were killing the infestation that was plaguing the Dragon, and ah-"

"- the second one was taken from a powerful, Spires-charged Demon that had this lightning stone as its core."

Eventually, both are placed on the table. One of them is yellow, beaming with various storms within, if one were to peek. And the other? It buzzes with refined fire, which is lightning, hot to the touch on its own andyet energetic in myriad other ways.

"I used them to attune myself to the storms - and actually, I succeeded in doing so. Now, I can make the skies weep. In fact..."

He considers display- and within a moment, arcs of lightning stretch all around him, in a sort of 'cage'. It seems to threaten to burn everything around them, but... Keitaro keeps it under terrifyingly accurate control, only allowing arcs of lightning to extend against the stone and dissipate into nothing.

Outside, this would be a lot wilder.

"That's what stones allowed me to do, but I also wanted to master the lightning altogether."

"Maybe even make a better weapon."
(Keitaro)

Ashalle picks up Blaze Stone.


There were many things that Laemor possessed that made him a worthy partner. Most people do not understand - but the things that he had left her within his death were beyond what any man could possibly give her. In retort, what is found is nothing more than a gentle smile amidst her silent depressions. She didn't need to think about it...Not when she was going to use his gifts for the right thing. After all, if the angels were refusing to make her whole again...Then what else is possibly needed? What else could be wanted?

"Interesting...Although, my question to you is whether or not you feel as if you're powerful enough to contain the core of that dragon in your body?" She says while moving to a slow stand. Once there, she possessions herself behind Keitaro before reaching into her pocket. She withdraws a key piece...An experiment of some sort that might possibly give him everything that he desired.

"Why channel through a stone what you can do through your own body. Dependency is lovely...But this...? This will help you master it through your own might." She places it upon the table, allowing him to examine it's features.

"Allow me to work on you. And I'll let you do the same for me." The only difference is that hers would cause more pain. Perhaps...Because she is not attuned to fire. But it matters little when in preparation...

 If she must burn for eternity, then it would be better to do so...And have the world at her feet than to havenothing at all again.
(Ashalle)

Ashalle drops Runic Gold x1.

Ashalle picks up Runic Gold.

To think that he would be employing similar mastery.

Then again, from what he remembers, Isaac had something similar for his own purposes... one of the blood stones embedded in his chest, all to make sure that he can draw upon its power better and could actually filter the mix of angelic magic and that of fire. It's a curious approach, but one that he considered carefully, because so many things could go wrong.

"I don't think there's anybody but me who could handle it." A bold statement, but he believed in it. After all, the Shenlong was focused on lightning entirely, and where others could not handle something like that, he was a perfect candidate.

In many ways, he was the embodiment of lightning in his own right.

"What would it be, then? A surgery? Something to implant the stone within my body? Or even both the core of a Demon and this Gem of Storms?"

"I ask because I might use another for weapon instead."

Still, he briefly glances to the stone placed on the table. It's curious to see what exactly the Pride possessed within her storages, and what she could possibly have. Perhaps, she kept this hidden away for the time like this?

"In either case... even if I already can make the skies themselves weep, I don't feel like it's enough."

"I'm ready for whatever it takes to tame the thunder for myself."

Many saw this as deadly determination. Many were ready to blame Keitaro for treachery, to see him as an enemy.

Him? He only saw this as something necessary.
(Keitaro)

She had been ruined by the world - twice over. The death of two people that she had loved - all succumbing to cowards who are incapable of fighting for themselves. She finds it rather ironic though, especially now. How there seemed to be a bond between Cruxati and Levengarde and yet...None of Cruxati's men ever decided to step foot into the war. Perhaps, it's because they're frightened. Or maybe, it's because they knew that she would be seeking them. In many cases, it brings about a subtle hunger...An instinctual moment, in which, she chooses to cause destruction. And while one could go all out and implant both...The core of a demon and the gem of the storms into his body...

 She opted to simply do one.

"Neither." She says softly, her smile beginning to widen considerably. "We'll be taking the power from the core of the demon...And we'll be using that very power to go through your mana circuits through runes. Essentially, it'll become a part of you." Her fingertips would drift towards the bottom of Keitaro's shirt.

"That is...Unless you decide to choose the power over the storm first. Either way, I suggest you choose one or the other.." But for now, she'd prefer to make use of what she has and experiment.

 What harm could this do?
(Ashalle)

He had to decide quickly.

Or at least, he felt that way. Beating around the bush with this decision would not bring him any good... and while he could already call upon the storms, his raw power of lightning wasn't as good. But the Demons specialize in having that raw strength, don't they? Then it should be easy for him to pick.

"We'll stick with the core of the Demon."

"I feel like I'd rather use the Gem of Storms for my weapon instead, when the time comes to forge one."

For now, he would remain. Even as her fingertips drift to the bottom of his shirt, he figures that she needs to properly see his own body, so that she could embed it amidst his circuitry. Something was telling him that this would also be a painful process, but you can't really go anywhere far without any pain, can you?

"If something is needed from me, then let me know."

After all, maybe he would need to make an effort of his own too.
(Keitaro)

"You understand the danger that you're in, right?" Her voice is low - her smile widening considerably. Although, she tells him that there is risk...She imagines that he already went over all possibly scenarios. Of him becoming entranced with the power of the demon...The potential of it overthrowing his mind...And ultimately, using him as nothing more than a mere vessel. Either way, the woman would soon bring a single hand towards the core..

"...There's nothing needed of you. However, do know that it's going to be only slightly painful for you. The real pain will come when you begin to use your magic." It'll be a slow rise, from what she imagines. For as long as his mana circuits remain somewhat dormant...The merge won't fully happen.Not until he fights more. Not until he pushes himself further into that decadence..

 Nevertheless, this was the beginning.

"All I need for you to do...For me. Is bleed a little." Within the moment, her hand would carefully drift towards the core of the dragon...And then towards the runic gold.

 The process is much akin to that of tyrium...Sapping the life from the core itself, only for it to be absorbed within the set of runic gold chunks, inundated by dust from the stars themselves. "And breath." Perhaps, it is good that he wouldn't be able to see her expressions...For they are smile amongst moments such as these. Where a dagger would be pulled from her waist...And where the carving would begin.

 Slow, careful..

"For every gift, there is a curse." She starts off silently, whimsically drawing the first rune upon his flesh...

Gebo.

"And through the journey, you'll find not only these blessings and curses, but you'll find yourself. The true destination."

Raidho.

 She is inflicted with a steady hand - easing, splitting the flesh as blood coats her very fingertips. However, still. "And once there, you will truly appreciate what you are. Not just a dragon, not just any being...But a man."

Mannaz.

 Slow work...Leaving his back bloodied and scarred. However, she would soon go over her work with a single finger. It dabs carefully into the pot of runic gold - the dust of the stars caught upon her finger...Tinged with holy magic and pride as she traces the newfound wounds, healing them, while enchanting them with the power of the demon's core, her voice rising once more.

"Once you've gotten what you've wanted, then what, Keitaro? What will you do?"
(Ashalle)

"You don't have to tell me about it. I'm in danger every single time I just walk out of Briar." To think that he would end up like this... if you'd ask him several years ago about that? He would never believe it. Even now, it all seems like a tale that should have never happened, but when did it all go wrong?

Was it just the captivity? No. All she did was bring out those qualities... but it was already there, already hidden within.

"I don't imagine that this procedure would be possible without any pain whatsoever, so let's do it." Bold as always. Maybe to some extent, this pursue of power and greatness has become an obsession to him, one that just cannot be sated no matter how much he tries. But... there are also other things in his mind, the things that he had long confessed to Pride the other day.

"Mmph…"

The tiniest of inhales was drawn in response to the pain he begins to experience with carvings made. His form stays still, unmoving and enduring- atop of many other scars that he already obtained, the scars that littered his body in myriad ways and appearances, now would have an addition made out of carvings that Ashalle inflicts upon him. It's slow and careful, but it's painful in its own right.

"It doesn't matter to me what I have to endure, so long as my journey doesn't end."

In a sense, the death was the ultimate punishment to him. Of course, there were fates even worse than that... but to rob the man of everything he had and everything he could ever have was the cruel fate in Shenlong's eyes. After all, there's hardly any recovery beyond that point, if any at all.

"Being just a man feels too little. I want to be even more."

Could someone who just cannot be ignored at all be called a mere man? He thinks not. And that's precisely what Shenlong intended to become - something that cannot be ignored or overlooked by others. And yet...

"While I intend to bring Dusk to ruin..."

"I feel like that's not enough either. That city must burn, but I'm thinking of what else to do with my life."

"Just not sure what for now."
(Keitaro)