Re: The Grand Battle II! [Round 3: Escheresque!]
01-21-2010, 07:11 PM
Originally posted on MSPA by bobthepen.
“Where did you go? I can't go on without you. It's too much, too much.â€
The soft reverberations emanating from the Karmist's lips intrigued the Faceless. A few meters from the hovering Vyrm'n, Samuel's gaze was turned down, his brow slightly creased. His hands were quivering and eyes welling up. Vyrm'n lacked the capacity to appreciate subtleties in expression, but the song of the Karmist sung openly of one weak, distressed, and …
PITIFUL.
Vyrm'n pitied Samuel. Despite all his arrogance and scheming, when exposed to the tiniest fragment of the terror which Vyrm'n housed in itself, he was reduced to this quivering mess. Even Cabaret had fared better against the void. The Magician had fought, clawed, and struggled to defeat the onslaught of the unleashed blackness; Samuel merely broke down.
WAKE HIM.
The voice interrupted the Faceless' thoughts once more. It shouted, loud and distinct, yet Vyrm'n could not pinpoint the origin, or the exact message. When it spoke, it commanded attention, yet when it ceased, it was if it never existed. That latter property disturbed Vyrm'n. The Faceless was and had always been bombarded by the cacophony of the universe. Every entity that existed left behind some trace melody. It was only a matter of sifting through the innumerable soundings and identifying the song of interest. Vyrm'n had honed that skill masterfully, to the point that, with focus, nothing was beyond its perception.
In the midst of Vyrm'n's ruminating, a dark tendril unconsciously extended from the Faceless' body, carefully reaching towards the whispering Karmist.
“Nothing is beyond perception.†The Faceless had, at a few points, difficulty in locating individuals. Cabaret managed to hide amid the clamor of the amusement park, and the twisted, reality defying corridors of the present world had obfuscated the location of Maxwell. Vyrm'n paused. Maxwell. It had intended to search for Maxwell earlier. Why did it stop? True, the anomaly of the voice had captured the Faceless' concentration, but concern for Maxwell would have outweighed any curiosity, especially after so difficult a confrontation. Vyrm'n began listening for Maxwell once again, all the while, the black outstretched thread continued gradually reaching out to the Karmist.
Perspective is the key here.
The words shot out to Vyrm'n. She…It had heard them. The words were not merely interpreted from the song of the disturbed matter, vibrating in accordance with the sound produced. This was an actual sensation. In that instant Vyrm'n had sensed not only Maxwell's quiet uttering, but all the sounds surrounding him, the rasp of his breath, the beat of his heart, and the rush of water.
He's at the waterfall.
The revelation broke whatever hold had prevented Vyrm'n from leaving, and the Faceless streaked through the sky towards the open portal. The wayward tendril was jerked away from its target, passing a few centimeters from the Karmist's face as it flew by.
---
The glazed eyes of the Karmist turned upward towards the portal above. The heavy head flopped backwards as the wisp of wind from the fleeing thread brushed against parting lips.
“Oh. There you are.â€
“Where did you go? I can't go on without you. It's too much, too much.â€
The soft reverberations emanating from the Karmist's lips intrigued the Faceless. A few meters from the hovering Vyrm'n, Samuel's gaze was turned down, his brow slightly creased. His hands were quivering and eyes welling up. Vyrm'n lacked the capacity to appreciate subtleties in expression, but the song of the Karmist sung openly of one weak, distressed, and …
PITIFUL.
Vyrm'n pitied Samuel. Despite all his arrogance and scheming, when exposed to the tiniest fragment of the terror which Vyrm'n housed in itself, he was reduced to this quivering mess. Even Cabaret had fared better against the void. The Magician had fought, clawed, and struggled to defeat the onslaught of the unleashed blackness; Samuel merely broke down.
WAKE HIM.
The voice interrupted the Faceless' thoughts once more. It shouted, loud and distinct, yet Vyrm'n could not pinpoint the origin, or the exact message. When it spoke, it commanded attention, yet when it ceased, it was if it never existed. That latter property disturbed Vyrm'n. The Faceless was and had always been bombarded by the cacophony of the universe. Every entity that existed left behind some trace melody. It was only a matter of sifting through the innumerable soundings and identifying the song of interest. Vyrm'n had honed that skill masterfully, to the point that, with focus, nothing was beyond its perception.
In the midst of Vyrm'n's ruminating, a dark tendril unconsciously extended from the Faceless' body, carefully reaching towards the whispering Karmist.
“Nothing is beyond perception.†The Faceless had, at a few points, difficulty in locating individuals. Cabaret managed to hide amid the clamor of the amusement park, and the twisted, reality defying corridors of the present world had obfuscated the location of Maxwell. Vyrm'n paused. Maxwell. It had intended to search for Maxwell earlier. Why did it stop? True, the anomaly of the voice had captured the Faceless' concentration, but concern for Maxwell would have outweighed any curiosity, especially after so difficult a confrontation. Vyrm'n began listening for Maxwell once again, all the while, the black outstretched thread continued gradually reaching out to the Karmist.
Perspective is the key here.
The words shot out to Vyrm'n. She…It had heard them. The words were not merely interpreted from the song of the disturbed matter, vibrating in accordance with the sound produced. This was an actual sensation. In that instant Vyrm'n had sensed not only Maxwell's quiet uttering, but all the sounds surrounding him, the rasp of his breath, the beat of his heart, and the rush of water.
He's at the waterfall.
The revelation broke whatever hold had prevented Vyrm'n from leaving, and the Faceless streaked through the sky towards the open portal. The wayward tendril was jerked away from its target, passing a few centimeters from the Karmist's face as it flew by.
---
The glazed eyes of the Karmist turned upward towards the portal above. The heavy head flopped backwards as the wisp of wind from the fleeing thread brushed against parting lips.
“Oh. There you are.â€