In the Shadows [Open to all who'll be corrupted.]

[Claw]

[One year since the events in the Yamani Islands.]

The marketplace in Corus usually bubbled with activity, day and night. Today was no different. Even with the sun sinking below the horizon it bubbled with life, but there was a slight subdued quality to it. It was as if the people could sense the strange disturbance who was in the crowds with him, who had sent out a series of letters to certain people. It was almost as if the marketplace itself was alive, and knew who stood in the bustling crowds, so different to the other passers by.

A person who hadn't been seen in Corus for nearly a year.

He stood amongst the crowds, with the people bustling around him. A long robe hung around his body, hiding his body and making him seem like one of the many other people wearing cloaks to keep out the cold. Nobody noticed the cold steel gauntlets that enclosed his hands, or the steel mask that obscured all his features except for his eyes. The eyes which instead of their usual amber colour, burned like golden flames.

As the tides of people flowed around him, although the people had not noticed his differences, they could innately sense something about him. As it was, they gave him a wide berth. And although none of them could put a finger on it, everybody felt they knew him in some way. It could've been his posture, they confident way he stood. It could've been the cloak, which seemed to make him seem like everybody else.

Or it coudlv'e been the magic that was unconsciously seeping into the surroundings. If a truely powerful mage took the time and effort to scan the area, he would see the tint of gold everywhere in the marketplace. The person in the cloak, however, had no idea that his magic was seeping into the area. He'd lost control of it five months back, and was used to how it acted of its own accord.

It helped him, so he didn't mind. It let him focus on his other talents, without having to wield his power so intensively as he used to.

But nonetheless, he waited for his one time friends to arrive.

And although he had changed, they would still know who he was when he spoke.

[Riana]

The day was brisk--much like all the days of early spring, with constant sun and a light breeze that signaled the onslaught of warmer weather. The marketplace was bustling with activity, as usual, but today there was a presence of something...different. People seemed a bit more wary than they normally were, yet no one could quite place the feeling of something bad.

With the sun dipping down further into the evening sky, Riana quickened her pace down the cobblestone street. She needed to return to the Rider barracks before nightfall, as there were lessons she needed to attend. She made her best attempt to weave and dodge around people in the way, trying desperately to save every second of time that was possible.

It was times like this when Riana moved her eyes fervently, scanning the road and trying to seek out her path between the groups of people milling about. This time was no different. Deep sapphire eyes flicked to and fro, up and down, and everywhere in-between; all in the attempt to find a way out of the market.

She saw something, however, that made her come to an abrupt halt. A man, cloaked and standing in the crowds, seemed to grab hold of her gaze, and she could not look away. She found that she could not move, even with the strongest commands of her mind. It took all her willpower to merely look away, yet her feet seemed frozen to the ground. Merciful Mother, what's happening? she thought desperately.

[Claw]

The market slowly began to die down, against the occupants wills. People realised they had places to be, people to meet. They began to stream out, apart from the people he needed here. All the while the lone figure stood silently, surveying the area behind that cold metal mask. It amused him, to see how pitiful and unimportant their lives were.

They all thought that life revolved around them, at that they could make a difference. And in some situations they could. But many of the civilians walking through the streets with urges to leave the marketplace would become spectators in the fighting that would emerge in a few weeks time. In fact, hundreds of people suddenly felt they had to leave. Others, the people whom he was expecting, would suddenly realise they had to be in the marketplace.

Within minutes the marketplace was empty, safe for two people standing alone amongst abandoned stores. The others would arrive soon. Currently with his back facing the person, be began to turn slowly, head moving in time with his body. With it came a wave of foreboding to anyone in the immediate vicinity. And there was only one person close enough to feel it.

He began to walk towards her, his magic manifesting around him, gold tendrils emanating from his skin to create coiling patterns that seemed to have a life of their own. With this sudden burst of gold illuminating the marketplace, it was impossible to tell who the person was, their body a silhouette against the dancing golden lights.

He pased in front of her, eyes dancing with the golden fire that now burnt around him the only part of his face visible. When he spoke, his voice was unfortunately recognisable.

"Hello Riana."

[Riana]

Riana was now able to move her eyes, though with an exhausting amount of effort and thought. She gazed coldly at the cloaked man, wondering to herself why he had such control over her. Magic, of course. There was no other explanation, and she scolded herself for not thinking of it sooner. Soon, she saw that under his cloak, golden lines were forming on his skin. A wicked sensation hit her, and she now saw the man glowing with golden light.

A wave of panic washed over her. She could now feel the magic emanating from him, and was wholly sure that his plans were not those that had a happy ending. His magic seemed to seep into her own veins, filling her with a feeling of malevolence like she had never known before. As the magic took stronger hold of her, she felt a deep throbbing in her head. With many attempts she tried to look away--to run away, but no amount of strength and willpower allowed her to even lift a finger.

"Hello Riana."

Though she could not move, Riana's thinking had not been impaired. Her mind raced to put a face, a name, anything to the voice she'd just heard. It was strangely familiar, like something from a dream, but she couldn't be more certain that she'd heard it before in her life. She struggled to meet his face, hoping it would hold a clue to his identity. the flame of her hopes was quickly extinguished. There was nothing revealed in his face or in his shining eyes of gold.

A curious thought occurred to her. Can I still speak?. She gave it a try, and, to her surprise, words escaped her lips without any resistance.

"Who are you?" she asked.

[Claw]

The figure, as entrancing as he was, clearly knew who the person in front of him was. And as the person, now just a silhouette against the writhing pattern of tentacles, was clearly not bequeathing any gifts that could possibly bring good news, it was hard to imagine why anybody would know who he was. But Riana wasn't the only person who had been present when the knight had turned, disappearing into the sky on that fateful night...

Claws face contorted further, and another plan of action appeared in his destructive mind. A smile flitted across his face, and he darted forwards, his speed aided by a mix of magic, and his hand shot out and grabbed Fhire, before he flipped back to his other place. He carried her over both arms, but the seemingly gentle way he held her decieved how twisted his plan was.

"Simple. You move, or Sapphire here dies. All I have to is clap my hands."

He laid a quick spell over her which kept her unconcious, and he smiled. He had the situation under control now.

"So. You go too near me and 'snap'. Maybe it'll be a broken back, or neck. Whatever, it is, it'll be painful. I could break her limbs one by one. Whats your choice?"

His voice sounded cold and empty, and a smile flicked over Claws face and stayed there. He looked down at Sapphire, then back at the group. Only a slight flicker of Claws mind could sense what he was doing, but was overpowered by the storming emotions.

"Now, move."

"Maybe you don't remember me, Riana. Let me jolt your memory... what would the Yamani Islands mean? It was only a year back."

His voice sounding comforting and calm, but had definite undercurrents of malovelence. Although he had once been a reasonable man, maybe a tad of a bezerker, he had never before acted in the way he did now. In fact, it was worse than his twin brother, who lay imprisoned in a cold seal, his magic permanently drained by Claw.

Oh, it was going to be one hell of a year.

[Riana]

"Maybe you don't remember me, Riana. Let me jolt your memory... what would the Yamani Islands mean? It was only a year back."

In the back of Riana's mind, a memory stirred. She remembered the delegation sent to the Yamani Islands, and how everything went awry when Claw of Meron's power overtook him. He kidnapped Sapphire of Belisare (sp?) and was now purely evil; or, at least, that's what the city gossip was. She stared at him, trying to untangle his motive for stopping her when she was merely an innocent bystander.

"Yes, of course I've heard of what happened," she said. If she could have spat on the ground, she would have done so. But the hold his magic kept on her was still restricting her movements. At least I still have the freedom of my mind, she thought sardonically.

"What is it that you want with me?" Her blue eyes stared directly into the gold light that embodied him. Though she was afraid that he kill her, she must appear strong and unwavering. Any sign of weakness might let him take advantage of her; it was something she'd worked hard to get rid of in her countless weeks of Rider training.

She must not be afraid.

[Claw]

As Claws mind reached back to those days, his fist unconsciously clenching beneath the robes. He breathing grew heavier, and the magic snapped back inside him almost instantly, the entire area being plunged into darkness. It would play havoc with night vision, and the force of it returning into his body sent his cloak bursting into flames. Underneath was not a nice sight at all. His left arm was covered in a strange black and highly resilient material, which seemed to twist and turn, colours shining from it.

In fact, it was very similar to a chaos vent, entrancing and dancing, but not leading into the realms of chaos as they should. It changed the thoughts, poisoning minds until they saw Claws story. In fact, the rest of his armour wasn't that much better. Steel covered his body in curious shapes, patterns carved into the armour. From his right vines and plants seemed to be embodied in the metal, creating beautiful curling patterns with blooming flowers, all embedded in the cold surface. And on his actual arm were thorns.

His entire armour looked as though plants had grown around him, and been transformed into metal. The mask had a rune carved into the forehead, glowing a turqoise blue. His hair whipped out behind him, with the same long hair he had always had, dark as it was. The left armour seemed to have shaped itself to suit the armour, and the only way of recognising it for what it was was that it was black.

However, that wouldn't last long.

As the terrible memories of the day returned, he began to shake, and the golden fire began to come back into view, permeating the armour and changing it slowly until it was all black with that strange oily sheen of the rainbow colours. The glow sank back into him and was gone, and he drew his sword and walked towards her, each footstep cracking the ground beneath his feet.

"Yes, of course I've heard of what happened,"

He smiled bitterly beneath his mask.

"But do you actually know what happened? I think not. You will have heard only the story from their point of view, the ones who killed the Emperor. But you shoudl know mine as well."

"What is it that you want with me?"

"Oh, only you to join me. I need all the help i can get. And I don't intend to force you. I shall just show you what really happened."

A tendril of gold lashed out, slowling as it touched her temple, and filling her mind with Claw's story.

[Riana]

[[Ack, sorry for being gone =\]]

"But do you actually know what happened? I think not. You will have heard only the story from their point of view, the ones who killed the Emperor. But you should know mine as well."

Riana's eyes kept their hold on the sorcerer as his magic continued to keep it's own grip on her body. And join him? I think not! I'm a Rider through and through, I would never betray my friends and the king for a cause so evil. Then again, there is always that chance that he could take over my mind with magic and make me do things that I wouldn't normally...make me a minion bent to his will.

No, she thought. It will not happen. The thought crossed her mind just as a tendril of his golden magic reached out from his body. A flash of panic came across her when she saw it reaching out for her. No! As it drew closer, her sight was steadily filled with a blinding golden light until the tendril touched her. When the wisp of magic came into contact with her forehead, a vision unfolded before her eyes. She couldn't fight what was to come next.

She was in the Yamani Isles with Claw and the rest of the peace delegation. At first she was a ghost among them, unable to be seen, heard, or felt. But then she saw Claw. She felt Claw's feelings fill her body; she heard his thoughts in her own mind. Soon she was beginning to see things the way he did on that fateful day, and unfortunately she began to sympathize with him. His plans are great, she thought to herself. I must help him to succeed.

Gold light flashed once in her eyes, and they returned to their normal sapphire hue.

The transformation was complete.

[Claw]

[Closed. And no worries, we all have to take breaks =)]