View source for 2009-03-31 (PreU) A meeting and a test.

{{Logsummary|
Title=A meeting and a test.
|Summary= A new person finds himself in Hell, by chance.
|Who=[[Alessa]], [[Mazurek]], [[The_Inquisitor]], [[Valtiel]]
|Date=March 31st, 2009
|Where=Hell
|Log=

Dis Outer Walls - Cerebus Gate

The Cerebus Gate, Entranceway to Dis and a Gatehouse forged the size of a mortal stadium turned on it's edge into an equally massive wall formed from what can only be described as mix of molten rock and onyx forged into a black and jagged yet strangely facinating substance. If it wasn't constantly splattered with blood or bodies with screams from within it might actually be considered asthetically pleasing. However, the True Hells are only asthetically pleasing for those who dwell here- masses upon masses of which you are now a part of. 

The Gatehouse has gates constantly left open, one of which is broken in half right down to the center from some massive weapon. What creature could do that to such thick practically stone-formed gates as thick as a house? Completely unseen, though there are outlines of another second gate (Falling down gratings) probably equally as hellish that can come down in the event of conflict. Which is constantly in the True Hells. 

Demons almost the size of the gates and small creatures winged with glowing eyes, to Liche lords and magnificent creatures with pale skin pass through this gate. The occasional Succubus with slaves passes with a small crowd, or a demon lord (And everyone clears the path). It's ripe for activity, kept free of carts or stalls for pain of torture. In fact, some denizens look like they'd torture you for kicks without a reason. That's the place you're about to enter- Dis, the one of most populated and diabolical cities in all the True Hells.
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The usual activity at these gates is going as it has always been for these countless days. Then again, it doesn't take long for something to disrupt that, for an unexplained wind starts to blow through the plains, picking up loose sediment.

In the depths of Hell, one of the Hell Council has little to fear. Regardless of that, The Goddess Alessa strolls through the street, seated upon her fluid ball of barbed wire. Dressed in a charred blue Jumper, her Mary Jane shoes dusty and dull, the Goddess frowns upon the things here. Her loyal subject follows behind, the Great Knife making a loud disturbing noise as it goes.

The swirling sediments continue as the wind picks up. The denizens might even be a bit wary of something as the dust and things begin to rise into the air and collect into a ball several feet in the air. At about that time static electricity begins to play about the area in the form of blue lightning.

Alessa crosses her arms and watches the Air move. That's different. It's usually only out on the Great Plains that such wind comes around. Something is coming, Alessa can feel it in the air. She taps her foot impatiently, Valtiel shuffling to a halt beside his Mistress.

What eventually comes is a glowing white dot in the center of the swirling mass of debris. It gradually grows larger until it gives the impression of an eye that the loose debris makes the iris. Five minutes after the spot of light appeared, something is ejected from its interior that crashes to the ground and tumbles. Before it even comes to rest the phenomenon winks out of existence and everything settles back to the ground. It seemed to have been an unauthorized portal of some sort.

Alessa arches an eyebrow at the portal. There's no way that that should have been possible, not in Hell. But, Alessa can't wish away something. Her ball flows over to whatever popped out. Valtile hands her a stick, and she pokes at it, curious.

The thing that had popped out and is now on the ground...groans when it is poked. What it is is apparently humanoid in nature, but with all the dust settling over it it is a little difficult to make out. The scent of blood is quite evident, however.

Valtiel straitens from his hunch, the Great Knife no longer dragging, but being held properly as the smell of blood reaches him. Alessa takes note and raises her hand. "Relax, it's no threat." Her voice fits her frame, that of an 8 year old girl. She pokes it a bit more, hoping to make it move and get a better look. 

Poking at the thing a bit more makes the thing shift. An humanoid lizard is revealed, but it is by no means aware of its surroundings due to it being unconscious. Even with the dust covering the body it is easy to see the unusual traits along with the numerous bleeding injuries. Oddly enough, this one is apparently still amongst the living.

Alessa hrmms. "You're not supposed to be down here. You should be topside." She taps a finger on her chin as the stick is disregarded, and she settles back into her seat. Seeing a form like that isn't stunning to Alessa, but she's also been around fro eons upon eons. "What should I do with you?"

While the female might be speaking to herself or her servant, it seems to have an effect on the lizard. Another groan comes from it just before the eyes start to open. The injuries on this one would have quite a few mortals squealing from the pain, but the only sign of discomfort from this one is the crinkling of the brow and the slight gasp to the breathing every few moments. The head rises soon afterward to look around groggily.

Alessa grins impishly. Oh she does love a fighter. She leans back as she watches the being try and grab it's bearings, Valtiel at her side tense and ready at a seconds notice to defend his God. Alessa opts to not say anything, but wait until the beast is on it's feet, or at least awake before she starts nosing around for answers.

The lizard's gaze passes over the two that are close by a few times, only to finally settle directly upon them. A bit of confusion registers on this one's face and it makes an attempt to speak only to end up shaking with a round of coughing that sends a bit of wheezing in with the pained gasps.

Alessa continues to wait, her small arms crossed above her chest, dark blue gaze not wavering from the beast. "Welcome to Hell."

It spends several seconds trying to catch its breath. When it finally does, the four-armed lizard finally manages to speak in a hoarse whisper, "Literally...or metaphorically?"

Alessa smirks. "Literally. How'd you manage to get down here?" Her tone is exactly what it should be, haughty, and demanding. She is a goddess after all.

Whether the lizard is affected by the tone is difficult to ascertain, even though it chuckles. It shifts once more to start to rise, but only manages to get to all sixes before being forced to pause from another round of pain. More injuries are evident on the back, these looking quite a lot like whip-lashings compared to the clean cuts along the front, "Mmmh. Same...as everywhere else. A curse from a former master that has me traveling when least expected."

Any normal person would rush to his side, and try and help his wounds. This is Hell, and there are a few that take sadistic pleasure in watching people suffer. Alessa is one of these. She's dealt with her past, but remains vengeful and will almost automatically assume that anyone in pain has earned the right to deal with it. "Regardless, you seem alive. If so, you should be with the Twisted people, and not here." Her smirk grows slightly. "To bad your portal spat you out here."

While the pain is great it isn't going to stop the lizard from doing what he needs to do. After another few seconds in which is spent listening to the female the warrior lizard finally rises to his feet...which has him towering over the female at a decent height of eight feet. If the physique wasn't obvious on the ground, it becomes quite so now. He looks to her, huffing from flared nostrils, "I am still amongst the living, and will remain so until I am able to live out my life and die of old age. Such is the curse placed upon me. Any other means of death brought about will only have me coming back in a few days with my body reverting to the age it was when the spell was placed upon me."

Alessa is not phased by his height and she merely tilts her head at him, a blank look on her face. "Oh I never said we'll kill you.. Well, we might, but then you'll come back and we could start all over again, can't we?" She almost sounds gleefully happy. "Fighters always die young. Lucky for you you won't miss out on much, eh?" She laughs, high and sweet, the sound unfitting for one such as her.

Mazurek shrugs, "Death will always be a part of the cycle. It cannot be avoided. I have been eaten, sacrificed, tortured to death, even had my very soul tortured. Among many other fates. Always I come back, but not always to the same place. Are you to be my mistress?"

Alessa smiles sweetly. "Are you so eager to be a slave, Warrior? So eager to take the Yoke of a Master? Have you no back bone, Warrior?" She's baiting him.

Mazurek smiles down to her in return, "I have one when the situation calls for it. However, that very same master placed a geis upon me that forces me to seek out a new owner whenever I am unclaimed. If I do not then I will be whisked off to a new place within a few days and have the cycle begin anew. Does that make sense?"
Mazurek adds fairly swiftly, "The ownership need not be a harsh one. It can be as rudimentary as a bodyguard for the geis to be satisfied, I've found."

The barbed wire ball elevates the Goddess to eye level with the Lizard, it having been offended that a newcomer would look down upon her. She pauses to think a moment. "Well, then, I'll claim ownership if for nothing else then to satisfy the Geis. BUT! You will go and prove your worth before you come to be anything higher then what you are here." She looks at him, awaiting his response.

The ball is given a rather inquisitive look when it rises, but the reptile does not do anything other than that with it. When the goddess speaks next his attention fixes upon her once again, "I do not seek to gain status, only to serve. I will bite the bait, however. What must I do to prove such?" He seems to be weathering his injuries well, for even though they continue to sting, he has lost the pained look to the eyes.

Alessa says, "I have no use for more subservients with no fire." She glares at him, moderately disgusted. Beings with no kind of pride bore her, and those that bore her tend to vanish from exsitance. "Use your mind, figure out something. Hell is a big place, and you'll find fight upon fight here. I'll not think for you." Her sweet tone has been replaced by one of scorn and distaste.

Mazurek inclines his head slightly, "It does not matter where I go, I will always find fight after fight before too long. If you do not like how I sound now, it is merely from a lack of knowing what to expect. Let them come for me. If I can defeat them I will do so, even if I am as injured as I am now."

Alessa raises an eyebrow. "Are you -asking- for a fight? If so, I can readily supply a willing soul."

Mazurek nods, "I am willing to go at it with another now, yes."

Alessa tilts her head. "Who am I to deny." She doesn't move, but one of the Pyramid Heads appear behind her. They stand at 8 feet, scrawny and wirey, the 6 foot long Great Knife behind them, drug along the ground. Wearing only an apron made out of skin, and the elongated Pyramid mask that consumes their face, to most they are an imposing sight. This one, whom we shall call PH, steps in front of his Mistress. The world shudders around the group and the view of the City fades. They've appeared in the Great Plains, on top of a giant stone cylinder. It sizes about 100 yards across, and Alessa figures that should be more then enough room for a fight to occur on. PH steps towards the middle, his hunched back twitching as he drags the GKnife with him. His posture speaks of weakness, but Alessa seems more then confident in one of her lackys. If PH dies, she can always go and make 10 more. It's no loss.

The appearance of one of the denizens of the realm has the iguana stepping back a little to give some more room. The sight of the wiry appearance has one eyeridge rising slightly but nothing is said or done just yet. Then comes the shuddering of the world, which has the confused lizard looking about quickly, even dropping to one knee as if expecting a quake. Instead of what is expected, the location itself seems to have changed. Looking about briefly he surveys the scenery even as his opponent is moving to the center. Before too long he rises again and heads toward the center as well. He studies his opponent's movements even before the battle has even officially begun, falling into a ready crouch after arriving. He doesn't make the first move...

The PH calmly waits, and looks comfortable to sit there for quite a while. He doesn't twtich, he doesn't shift. Alessa smiles. "Attack, Warrior, or else we'll be here for a long time." She leans back, Valtiel handing up some candy for the Goddess to snack on.

Mazurek nods slightly, having picked that up after a few moments. After a single, deep breath is given he opens up the battle by sending his tail in for an overhead slap, pulling it back just as quickly.

The PH cracks his neck, the tail smacking his headpiece and barely denting it. PH starts to change, his wirey form bulking up. Seeming to grow, he's now got muscles on par with someone like Goku. Striding forward, the GK level in the air behind him, he wields it with no problem. PH swings it horizontally towards Maz, shifting and thrusting forwards, arching the shot vertically, stepping forwards all the time.

Mazurek did what he wanted to accomplish with that tail strike. He got the other to move so he could study him..it..further. The weapon's positioning is not lost to the lizard at all, and when it is swung around he goes into action quickly. Hopping to the side that the weapon is coming from, he tries to connect to the back with a swift kick.

The kick connects, and the PH stumbles a step forward, the GK spinning in his hand as it flashes around to try and slice through Maz.

Mazurek hops backward after the kick connects, not taking a chance with that deadly-looking blade. When it swishes by he moves right back in for a quartet of quik punches, three to the chest and one right to the face. The tail makes an attempt at coiling around the wrist of the weapon, trying to keep it from being used immediately.

Grunting at the chest punches, PH lashes his GK out, only for his wrist to be caught in Maz's tail. Alessa muses if the punch to the head hurt for Maz, as the mask is full rusted steel. While one will not question the strength of a tail that size, it does stop the GK from being swung. Rudimentary movements aren't held back through, and the PH lunges forward, using the tip of the Knife to attempt to nick, or slice whatever potion of the tail it can reach.

Mazurek does not show any outward signs of discomfort from the contact with the mask even though it would be impossible for him not to hit a sharp spot. In fact, even as the knife is being used to try and slice that portion of his tail off he is reaching out with that hand to keep it from doing more damage. An elbow is then jabbed out at the throat, or what can pass for the throat, in the meantime, along with a cheap-shot to the gut. His tail had been nicked and joins his upper body in showing open wounds.

Seeing how as PH doesn't breathe, the shot to the throat only hurts him, but doe not stop him. PH's hand is thrust towards the ground, hopefully taking the hand and tail with it. A large fist hurtles towards Maz's neck.

Well, someone was watching this fight from his spire overlooking the gates. And this someone has decided to get a view of things himself. The Inquisitor steps through the crowds of hellish things probably no doubt watching the brawl. The crowds simply part before him, and keep a good distance even as he decides he's in a good place to watch.

Granted a few people have managed to find their way atop this cylinder of stone in the middle of the Great Plains, and Alessa is pleasantly surprised to see the Inquisitor up here.

Even if PH doesn't need to breathe, the iguana does. Maz apparently did not anticipate the maneuver, for he drops down right into the path of that fist. His vision explodes a bit and he ends up crashing to the ground when it connects, his tail releasing the wrist while he works to roll away. Even while he is moving he is coughing, one hand going up to where he had been slugged. That might leave him open.

The PH moves with alarming speed as his weapon is released. He fluidly moves on with a spin, allowing the GK momentum as he moves forward and drives the knife down towards Maz. Alessa claps and giggles, Valtiel giving off the impression of not really caring either way.

The_Inquisitor crosses his arms, just watching with the same impassive look he gives everything. His eyes do drift up towards Alessa for just a moment, offering a slight incline of his head before returning his gaze to the fight.

Mazurek has only one hand occupied with the grasping of the throat, which leaves the other three open. Even so, he doesn't reach up to try to block the weapon's passage, choosing instead to immediately go into another roll, this time to the side. Should that be enough to dodge that blade he works to get to his feet, still coughing a little. He doesn't seem to be aware of the presence of others right now, and the inquisitor would notice a multitude of injuries that would likely cripple others both front and back.

Alessa grins at the Inquisitor and looks back to the fight. PH's Great Knife lodges momentarily into the ground. His muscles tense as he yanks it from the ground. Long stalking strides carry his bulk towards Maz, lashing out with a hand in attempts to grab hold of Maz's throat. If he manages that, well, we'll see what Alessa allows.

The_Inquisitor seems to be at least moderately amused by the fight, how do you know? Because he's sticking around. He seems interested in the Pyramid Head, but most of his attention is on the lizard.

Mazurek is off-balance when he rises to his feet, so he cannot properly dodge this time around. His tail is being used as a third leg when he rises, making him easy prey for PH to grab a hold of his throat. The lizard's eyes widen immediately, two hands rising to grasp that arm to try yanking it away while the other two remain at his sides. Depending on the force of the grip, he isn't likely able to breathe.

The grip is strong, and as PH squeezes, Alessa stands up, projecting her voice across the makeshift arena. "ENOUGH!" A brilliant smile graces her usually dark face and her ball carries her towards the middle. PH drops Maz and transforms back down into his usual wirey weak looking form, the GK -THUNKS- as the tip buries itself in the ground. Alessa grins down at Maz.

The_Inquisitor offers a golf clap, but it's more the sound of metal banging on metal. He stays where he is though, simply watching those two through the mask. The pyramid head is pretty much completely ignores.

The squeezing of the hand cuts the lizard's air off and has him closing his eyes with a grimace. He continues to fight despite this, even though it is only to continue pushing against the arm. He barely registers the shout when he is suddenly released, collapsing to the ground on all sixes once again. With wide eyes one hand rises to his throat and he gasps for much needed air. The look is similar to Lando's look after Chewbacca releases him, only he isn't kneeling.

Alessa pats Maz on the head and steps back. "Well, at least you can get better." She settles into her seat, and leans back. "What would you do, Warrior? Stay and serve and learn nothing new? Or, go out and get stronger and earn a position in my Guard?"

The_Inquisitor crosses his arms over his chest, regarding the two with that same impassive stare. If no one speaks to him he continues to do just that.

Alessa eyes the Inquisitor. "Good then. Inquisitor, do you have any plans?" Or, how full is your time right now?

Mazurek rises to his feet while he looks off in the direction Alessa is looking, only to tilt his head at what he sees, eyes wandering over the armor.

The_Inquisitor steps forward towards Alessa, bowing his head slightly. "Not to occupied, other than my trips top side. If you wish me to train this one.." He looks over Mazurek again, studying him. "I'm sure he has potential. Send him to my spire for training, I might be able to teach him a few things."

Alessa nods towards the inquisitor. "Very well, I'll send him over there in a day or two." She turns towards Maz. "You'll find places to sleep and eat around Hell, and you will regain your strength. In a days time you'll report to me, and I shall leave you with the Inquisitor. Only when you can beat my Pyramid Head without trouble will you be allowed to join my guard. I will not take those easily beaten." She's not implying that he was easily beaten this time, but she does wish to see him better then he is now.

The_Inquisitor bows his head again. "As you say." He eyes Mazurek again, it's cold and hard, and impossible to read his face through the mask he wears. "I will be resting at my spire if you need me. By your leave." He turns and as he turns just seems to vanish.

Mazurek nods, "As you command mistress." He punches his chest right over one of the injuries and bows, not even flinching, "Will there be a problem with securing vegetables for me to consume? Like my animal cousins I cannot consume animal matter."

Alessa says, "This is Hell, my child, and we must hold up to our reputation of some cultures." They fade from the 'arena' and back to the street. She extends her hands out to the City. "You will find anything you desire to consume here."

Mazurek closes his eyes when the fading effect takes place, his tail immediately dropping to the ground again. Seems he might have to overcome that effect, too. When everything is back to 'normal' again he opens his eyes again, "Alright. If it matters any, I am called Mazurek, monk of the Crimson Talons monastery...if it even still exists after all this time."

Alessa nods and turns away to continue her stroll among the streets. "Remember Mazurek, a days time to rest and heal. Do not make me go looking for you." Valtiel turns and follows his Mistress back.

Mazurek nods, actually turning to follow her if she is heading into the city itself, "Where will I be meeting you after the day has passed?"

Alessa laughs. "Find me, if you want to serve so badly." She is headed to the heart of the city, as she likes to see how things are going.

Mazurek chuckles, "Alright." He then breaks off from her to go explore the place, find what he needs, and recover however he can.
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