| Bad Religion | ||
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| Summary: A girl persecuted for witchcraft arrives in Twisted. There, she meets someone who places her upon a new path.   |
Out in patrol, there is never an idle moment for the Director of TASK. Far from being the type of leader that sits behind a desk and barks orders all day long, Huitzilopotchli, better known as Kotal Kahn here in Twisted, relishes in the hands on approach to his job. With dark shadowy creatures ever prowling the streets of his city, and with the emergence of Neo Edo, Kotal Kahn has redoubled his efforts in keeping the streets safe, to the point where he is now even patrolling at night, a time of the day where he is usually diminished due to his reliance on the sun. A night like any other one would think as Kotal Kahn walks through the forest surrounding the park, but he knows better than to lower his guard in a city like Twisted, where literally anything is possible, and where nothing is ever what it appears. He was ready for anything as usual, demons, aliens, warriors from other dimensions, but it seems that even after living so long in this chaotic city, it could still throw things that surprised the old warrior god. “Who goes there?” Kotal Khan feels a chi signature nearby, the sound of trembling feet treading the ground, ragged breath, fast heart beats. A scared child perhaps? Curious, and something he needed to investigate. Thus the Aztec advanced towards Silencia's location, his hand gripping the handle of his giant macuahuitl sword. The night felt strangely calm to Silencia. It felt like it was just moments ago that she heard the shouting men chasing her. Now there was nothing. It unnerved her, but at the same time, she was hopeful. She preferred the calmth, of course. Just as her heartbeat started to slow down from the panic, she heard a strong voice booming through the trees. At least, it felt booming to her. She gasped and followed her first instinct, hiding behind a tree. The nature around her reacted to her again, a bit stronger than before. Bushes shriveled, dropping their leaves, flowers closed their petals as if they were hiding and other plants seemed to droop and wither around her. She noticed nothing, all her attention was focused on the part of the woods she heard the voice come from. She did not answer, afraid and unsure of what to expect. The girl was hardly able to keep herself up on her feet at the moment, let alone defend herself. She saw movement and had to use all of her will to keep herself from making a sound. She was fairly well-hidden, the tree she clings onto was large enough to shield her. As soon as she noticed the figure approaching she turned and pressed her back against the tree, hoping, praying that she would not be noticed. The voice was indeed booming. Powerful, commanding, unnaturally so at that. It was as if the very earth shook with the words it spoke, and the surrounding trees quivered as the figure advanced. Less so than advancing steps, it sounded like drums of war approaching, or muffled cannons being fired in the distance, a being made entirely of war approached, and it looked like even nature itself was afraid of his presence. As Kotal Kahn pushed some bushes out of the way and finally came into view of the clearing, from the brief glimpse Silencia would get from him, she'd realize he's no human. Tall, almost to the seven feet mark, the man that just appeared had skin the color of bring turquoise gem stone, with golden glowing lines running across his bare skin. He wore little other than sandals, a thick loincloth, and a fierce looking eagle shaped helmet, leaving most of his muscled body bare. Far from being simple dumb muscle, the warrior showed keen insight when he noticed the vegetation withering in one particular area. His senses focused and he could feel a panicking life signature hiding behind a stout tree. “I can sense your spirit, mortal.” The man said in that same booming voice, like a general addressing his army. “There is no use hiding from me. Come out and face me.” As the steps grew closer, Silencia’s heartbeat grew more and more erratic. She clasped her hand over her lips to keep herself from making a sound, but when the booming voice adressed her directly she could not help but release a startled yelp. He knew she was there. The glimpse she caught of him had been scary enough, but now he was just a couple of feet away and she was in no condition to run. Her legs trembled as she quietly obeyed the commanding man. She slipped out from behind the tree, still holding on to it, needing to rely on the stability of the tree to keep her upright. Her legs were throbbing, many little wounds covered the pale limbs, her feet bare. Her long black hair was a mess, her simple white dress was tattered and she felt like she could collapse if she let go of the tree. She looked like a sad little doll, thrown away by it’s owner. Violet eyes widened noticeably when they landed upon the figure in front of her. This man did not belong to her pursuers, that was a clear fact. This realization did not help her nerves one bit though, the man’s demeanor was enough to frighten the girl, let alone his monumental build. She swallowed hard before speaking, her voice trembling and weak before the powerful male. “P…please don’t hurt me…” She did not feel like the man had any intentions to hurt, but she was scared and alone and did not trust her instincts enough to follow them.
When the large man raised his hand, Silencia let out a frightened squeak and lifted both her arms to shield herself. That made her lose her balance and she almost dropped to her knees, catching herself just before she fell. She blinked when she noticed that strange light and her shivering stopped. She hadn’t noticed that she was shivering. Her legs stopped aching and she felt lighter. For a moment, she was in awe as she glanced at her limbs, amazed at the healing properties of that light. The light disappeared faster than she expected, leaving her confused and amazed. Her violet eyes returned to the giant and he seemed a bit less threatening than before. “D..did you do that?” The plants around her seemed to slowly, very slowly, gain life as the panic in the girl died down. She was in no immediate danger. His questions made her remember her pursuers and she glanced at the direction from which she had come, just in case. No sounds. She turned back to the giant and bowed her head slightly in greeting. “My name is Silencia and I was running away from danger, but it seems my pursuers finally gave up.” She felt like she shouldn’t lie, he seemed extremely perceptive and she feared that lying would only anger the giant. Suddenly it dawned on her. She was all alone. The realisation made her grasp her necklace in habit as she bit her lower lip. She had no place to return to. She peeked up at the man and glanced around, his words of the dangers in the woods ringing in her ears. “I…I seem to have lost my way while running… Could you please help me?” She twirled her necklace nervously. The man had no reason to help her and she had nothing to offer. “I..I wont expect you to help me for free… a..as soon as I find work, I’ll repay you, so please, could you lead me to the nearest town?” She felt like she was rambling, stumbling over her words to try and convince the man to help her. Kotal nodded in response to her question if he had healed her. “Such is my power.” He explained as even though he's quite well known in Twisted for being the Director of security and such, very few people realize what is the extent of his abilities, let alone that he is in reality Huitzilopotchli. Although accustomed to Twisted citizens still acting as if they are unsure of his intentions, something about this girl felt even more strange than simple bad public relations. The Aztec warrior was aware of the flora around her withering when she was scared and becoming replenished when she was healed, as if the plants were a mirror to the girl's soul. It intrigued the turquoise giant, even in a place like this where any citizen could have super-natural powers. But it went even beyond that, however, this girl claimed that she was being pursued, and yet Kotal could find no sign of any pursuers. Even pushing his senses further away into the city, the warrior god could sense no signs of chi signatures that were hostiles. Nothing but squirrels, birds and worms out here, there was no one but them, and yet this girl looked as if she had been running for miles, bare foot no less. It wasn't until she asked for help that Kotal understood something was truly wrong, particularly when she promised that she'll pay him back when she found work. Pay him back? Him? A police officer? The warrior even checked his belt to make sure his TASK insignia was still there. Sure enough, there was an emblem there that marked him as a protector of this city. Kotal had heard of sheltered people before but not recognizing a member of TASK when she saw one was almost ridiculous. And what was all this about a 'nearest town'? There was only one city in this forsaken realm. That is when it hit him. This girl, she must have just now converged. “Silencia.” The warrior spoke the girl's name as if to lay claim to her, calling her to attention. “Do you not know you are in Twisted city?” Her answer would tell Kotal all he needs to know. The man seemed confused, this made Silencia frown slightly in contemplation. There was a lot about this man that she did not understand and at first it frightened her. Now, she wasn’t sure what to think about this strange figure. She had never seen a man like this, his stature alone was something straight out of a tale, let alone the strange color of his skin. She was quickly pulled from her thoughts as the man called her name, the girl straightening slightly. His question made her brow furrow even more. “Twisted city? That is a rather ominous name for a town, isn’t it?” She shook her head slowly “As I said, I lost my way while running, I hail from Arendylle, I was chased out by witch hunters…” Her expression was sad before her eyes widened and she put up her hands, trying to explain quickly. “B..but I’m not a witch! Th..they thought I was, but I swear I’m not!” She had seen the disgust in the villagers eyes, felt the smothering weight of their collective hatred and even though the man before her was nothing like the townspeople that meant to kill her, she was not ready to take any chances. Just as he suspected, this girl had truly just converged. The giant's eyes glowed with a faint light as he finally seemed to understand and he gave a solemn nod. “I see.” He said at first, taking a moment to formulate his answer. It's always hard to tell people where they are and despite having done it countless of times, even Kotal can't quite get the hang of being the welcoming committee for this twisted dimension. “It is indeed.” The man agreed first. “Rest assured, I didn't pick the name.” A little joke to first break the ice perhaps? But, on to he business that is the matter at hand. Kotal goes straight to the point. “You are no longer home, and I do not mean simply Arendylle. You now reside in a dimension called Twisted, a place that brings people from all over the collective universes and forces them to live together in this glorious hobble. This place is as much our home as it is our prison, and there is no way of escape.” Fortunately for Silencia, those are the bad news. “My name is Huitzilopotchli, though here I go by Kotal Kahn. I am the leader of Twisted's defense forces known as TASK. It is our duty to defend Twisted from any force that would threaten it. You need not fear from me.” Being a new citizen of Twisted, Silencia now falls upon Kotal's jurisdiction by default. When she explains herself and why she was being pursued, Kotal simply shakes his head. “It wouldn't matter if you were really a witch. This is a place free of prejudice and judgment. As long as your actions do not hurt anyone, you are free to do as you wish and live as you want. Such is the freedom of our home.” The warrior tilts his head slightly to the side and regards the girl closely, namely to the plants behind her. “I see that you indeed have magic about you, girl. There is no need for you to hide it. The super natural is quite common here and what may be fantasy to countless many is our reality.” He straightens up, the tattoo like lines running across his body shinning brightly as do his eyes. “You may not realize it, but you are speaking to a god.” The man never stopped intriguing her. His eyes were glowing! A soft smile danced over her lips at his little joke. When he explained where she was, she could only blink, frozen from shock. Again she frowned, trying to process this information. If someone had told her a couple of days ago of a place like this, she would have thought that person to be insane, but the absurdity of the situation she was in, along with the man’s strange appearance and powers made her more accepting of the information provided to her. She wasn’t sure how she felt about this. A part of her didn’t want to believe the man and another part was just relieved she wouldn’t need to fear the witchhunters. She felt like a stone lodged itself in her throat. She would never see the children of her orphanage again. There was no escape. When the man introduced himself, she was dragged from her musings. She focused on her breathing to calm herself down, almost failing to hear the man’s name. As he explained his standing, she breathed a soft sigh of relief, remembering her manners. “Then… how should I address you?” All this new information, most of which lied beyond her imagination, was confusing her, so she clung to what she did understand. This man was going to help her, her pursuers were gone. She would deal with the implications later. When the man commented on her magical abilities, she straightened slightly. He really was as perceptive as she had thought. She had no reason to question his statement about the supernatural, magic being real was the least confusing part of this situation. “My magic is nothing like a witches magic though… just little tricks.” To demonstrate she cupped her hands together, holding them up for the large man to see. The little purple stone on her necklace gave off the faintest of lights right before she parted her hands, a small flock of butterflies fluttering out. She had not expected the man’s tattoo’s to light up so this time, she could not contain her surprise. “You’re shining!” The butterflies fluttered away because of her outburst, which made her blush slightly in embarrassment. His last comment made her tilt her head, much like the man had did before as he noticed her magic. “I did not know that gods walked among men…” Again she could not question his statement, because it actually wasn’t the strangest thing that had happened to her in these last hours. A little too late did she realize the meaning of the comment. “Ohh! I..I’m sorry if I have treated you in a rude manner!” And this was only the beginning of it. Silencia couldn't know at this time, but Kotal Kahn was perhaps one of the least strange citizens of Twisted. Even the mighty god of war couldn't help but smirk ever so slightly at the thought of this girl getting to meet Serenity or Jim, she was truly in for a wild ride. Again she assured him that hers wasn't truly witchcraft, though it really didn't make any difference to the deity. If only she know what kind of magic he had at his disposal, she'd be lest judgmental about her own abilities. As he shone with the power of the sun and Silencia's own demonstration fluttered away like the butterflies they are, Kotal's glow faded ever so lightly so as to not blind the girl with his power. “I am the god of war.” He finally explained his nature. “And I draw my powers from battle and the sun itself.” He cupped his hand upwards much like Silencia had done and in his palm emerged a miniature sun, smoldering with radiant flames and spinning gently, letting the girl feast her eyes upon a part of the universe itself. The demonstrated faded away and again Kotal looked at the girl with curiosity in his shinning eyes, particularly when she apologized for the way he was addressing him. “No matter, there was no way for you to know.” Kotal's tone implies that she could have addressed him more respectfully, as a god, he can be quite proud and even arrogant. However, as she wonders how she should call him, the deity simply shrugs one shoulder in an indifferent expression. “I've gone by many titles and names. Call me however you prefer.” Not one who really cares for formalities it seems, which is weird for a god. “Your magic intrigues me, girl.” He finally says, “If you are still looking for a job I may have a position available for you.” A soft gasp escaped her as the man called Kotal Kahn showed her another one of his magical abilities. Her eyes sparkled in awe and her lips curled up in an excited smile. That little sun was absolutely beautiful to her and it seemed to improve her mood greatly, allowing the vegetation around her to flourish and bask in its newfound vitality. Her necklace was shining with a faint light again, reacting to the flow of magic that came from within Silencia. As the sun faded away and the night settled back in around them, Silencia brought her attention back to the statuesque man. She was unsure of how to treat him. She didn’t want to show any disrespect, but she had no experience in dealing with gods and he didn’t act like the gods that she heard of in the tales of her hometown. She settled her internal discussion by bowing once more. “It is a pleasure to meet you, sir Kahn.” As she rose and heard him express interest in her magic, she peeked at her hands. She wondered at how her little tricks could ever be useful. She finally smiled at the man when he told her that he could have a job for her. “I would gladly help to the greatest of my abilities!” There was still much she needed to process, but having some kind of purpose would help her in this task. Doing nothing and starving was not a way to deal with a situation as otherworldly as this one. A slight shiver ran down her spine, bringing her back to the present. She was barefoot and was wearing just a dress. She didn’t notice until now because of her panic and then Kotal’s magic, but she was freezing. She glanced at the man. “May I ask you to guide me to town? I should bring myself someplace warmer before I end up sick. I wont be of much use then…” The show of respect greatly pleased Kahn. Though he was truly very relaxed in the way he carried himself, a god he still was and he reacted very positively when given anything that remotely might look like worshiping. Kotal smiled at the bow and he glowed a little more brightly. “I am not the only god here.” He explained. “There are some others that walk the streets with mortals as I do.” Then, his glowing golden eyes narrowed in deep thought. “I will not let them have you.” Yes, it seems that the Aztec was seeing something about this girl that greatly intrigued her, and he'd be remiss to have any of the other gods lay claim to this young strange girl with the odd magical powers. “You have chosen well.” He nodded as Silencia excitedly agreed to his proposal. “You will need for none and need not fear of anything her under my protection.” Kotal had noticed how the girl was barefoot and he had noticed her shivering as well. As if to prove his statement about his dedication to Silencia's well being, he didn't even allow the girl to tread a single step more on those bare feet. Without warning, Kotal leaned down towards her to embrace her, sweeping her off her feet and carrying her small frame on his muscled arms like a newly wed bride. His skin was warm to the touch and it would keep the cold of the night away from her. “I will take you to the place where I work. You will be warm and secure there.” He fully intended on carrying her all the way there it seemed. A soft smile graced Silencia’s lips when she noticed that Kortal seemed to be pleased with her greeting. His sudden possessive statement surprised her slightly. She understood the sentiment, but not the reason. A soft giggle escaped her. “It is as much my choice as it is a choice made by luck, or fate, depending on how one looks at it.” She trusted his promises of protection, he was obviously a strong man and he appeared too proud of a man to go back on his word. He hadn’t done anything to earn any distrust as well, so she was willing to believe in his words. What he did next was absolutely unexpected. She yelped surprisedly when he picked her up as if she was nothing. A bright blush spread across her cheeks, her stutter returning as embarrassment took over. “I..I can walk by m..myself!” She couldn’t help but feel quite a bit better, because he was warm. She wanted to struggle, wanted to demand that the god put her down, but he was so warm and she had been so cold. Her resistance seemed to melt away, even though her cheeks were still painted with embarrassment. “B..but thank you… I..I had been feeling cold…” She had always taught the children in her orphanage to be honest, all the time. Now it was biting her in the ass, as she felt compelled to abide to her own teachings and remain honest. She glanced up at the man. “B..but please let me down as soon as I’ve warmed up, I’m imposing too much already…” “I've never believed in luck.” Kotal stated severely. “Believe me, girl. As a god I can tell you for a fact that there are always forces at work beyond the control of mortals. Though free will is always a factor, the are preordained paths for everyone to take.” He looked down at the girl in his arms and stared at her with that same glowing gaze, his eyes as if they were miniature orbs of light. Only when he blinked was there ever truly darkness. “I gave you an offer and you accepted me, when you could have easily refused. This is all that matters to me.” Indeed, it was well within Silencia's power to turn down Kotal's request and even he, a god, could have done nothing to force her to comply. It was the trust that Silencia put in him that Kotal really appreciated. Naturally, the Aztec would hear none of Silencia's complaints of being allowed to walk on her own. “Nonsense. It is the duty of a god to care for his followers.” Kotal was already taking claim of Silencia in his own way, even if it really was a kindness to take care of the girl in this way. “As you wish.” He continued when Silencia told him to put her down once they were somewhere warm, which really was his plan all along. As he carried her, Kotal stood there for a moment, going nowhere. He could just teleport back to the TASK building, but doing so wouldn't be as impressive. He wanted to dazzle this mortal girl with his power. And so, the Kahn bent his knees lightly and then took to the skies with a mighty leap! Flying through the air, the girl could look down and see the expansive nature of Twisted city. It spread from miles across every side and Neo-Edo beyond was even larger, with mighty sky scrappers seen in the distance, all surrounded by a body of water like a large island. There, he continued to fly giving Silencia the panoramic view until Kotal descended upon the rooftop of a large building with the words TASK painted on the front. The landing was slightly rough, as Kotal skidded forward until he lost momentum. Apparently the god hadn't actually flown or anything, it was just one big jump.
Perhaps it was part of his plan all along. Did Kotal intend to frighten Silencia enough to force her to cling to him? We may never know! But the fact remains that the deity had successfully managed to break through Silencia's barriers with his feat of power. There can be no doubt that Kotal enjoyed having the girl wrap her arms firmly around him and then press her cheek on his chest. It had been so long since a mortal had fully awed before his divinity. Despite his important position as the defender of Twisted, he still received plenty of disrespect and scorn, even by the very mortals he had sworn to protect. It felt very refreshing to have a girl fawn over him like that. Even if it was a little petty from his part, even a god needed to feel appreciated now and then. He smiled once he noticed that the girl was now in a better mood and nodded at her request. “Yes, one moment.” Before letting her back on her feet, Kotal actually needed to enter the building itself. He jumped off the ledge and swung himself into an open window using one arm, Silencia still firmly held with his other limb. The god brought the girl inside the building proper and it was perhaps, rather mundane looking for the workplace of a god. It looked like any other office building, with a carpeted floor, some tables and chairs and a few desks with laptop computers. It was pretty deserted too. “Hm, everyone must be out on patrol.” Kotal mused as he set Silencia back on her feet and closed the window behind them.
Silencia was glad she had sat down when the large man had motioned her to. She would surely have crashed into something had she been walking around when he revealed that he wanted her to be his priestess. She nibbled on her lower lip as she contemplated this. It was most definitely a job she was able to do and she would be good at it too. She didn’t know about the healing, but the god seemed to be convinced that she could learn to heal others like he did with her. Then it dawned on her. “You… are familiar with my magic? How?” She grabbed her necklace again, all other thoughts erased from her mind. “Do you know where they come from?” The little purple stone danced between her fingertips as she fiddled with it nervously. “I do not know the source of my magic and I do not know its potential. Is it truly possible for me to learn to use other types of magic?” There was no doubt in her mind she was going to agree to being his priestess, she had no reason to refuse, but his apparent knowledge about her magic, something she did not have was more urgent in her mind. When she finally calmed down, she smiled softly and slipped out of her seat, stepping lightly toward the towering male and knelt down. “Of course, I would be honoured to be able to serve as your priestess, if you deem me worthy of such…” All this time, Kotal had not failed to make notice of the silver necklace around the girl's neck, it glowed faintly with magic whenever she used one of her tricks, and it seemed attached to her in more ways than simply a magical trinket. It was something more and Kotal knew it. “In a way, yes.” Said the Aztec as Silencia wondered how he was familiar with her powers. “The one I speak of is named Morgana. She is one of the merfolk, more commonly known as mermaids. Though she has no real magical powers her soul resonates in a manner similar as your own, for despite being corrupted by a dark taint, she once was a nymph of the sea. A fey, or fair one as they have been known through out the ages.” He reclines on his sofa and looks pensively at the girl, then at her necklace. “I sense a similar magical signature within you, and that necklace of yours. They vibrate with fey magic. I believe you have some fairy ancestry.” Even if she does, Kotal knows perfectly well that children of fey rarely know of their parents' nature. That is the problem with fey, you see? They aren't really attached to the material realm and will flutter about whimsically between one world and the other with no regard to what or who they leave behind. This might not be the case with Silencia, but Kotal suspects she might not be fully aware of what she is. Ultimately, this is all meaningless at the moment, there will be time to explore Silencia's nature once she decides or not to become Kotal's priestess, and much to Kotal's satisfaction, the girl accepts her position and kneels before his feet. The god raised his chin up and gave the girl an imperious look before placing a hand on her head, a gruff palm treading her soft locks of hair. “I find you worthy, girl.” His gripped tightened ever so lightly, and she would be able to feel his thumb pressing lightly on her forehead. “Silencia, I now bid you first high priestess of Huitzilopotchli in this land of Twisted.” No visible marks, Kotal doesn't collar or leaves scars on flesh, those he does for subjects that are in need of discipline. Willing vessels such as Silencia are to be treated in a far more subtle matter. The digit of the Aztec god glows and the girl would feel something within her grow warm, as the Kahn touches her very soul and leaves a trace of golden light within her. Now, wherever she goes, she will always carry with her a part of Kotal Kahn. “May you serve me well.” Says he as he releases her and leans back. “Bow before your new god.” He ordered, wanting to Silencia to bow even lower than just a kneel. The god’s observations and his theory on her bloodline gave her an immense joy. Even if she never were to find her family, being stuck in a different dimension, just the thought that she could learn of her kind was enough for her to be happy. “This… Morgana.. will I be able to meet with her?” The term mermaids made her recall countless stories about the beautiful creatures and the fact that there might be the slightest of similarity between her and this Morgana made her all the more excited. She peeked at her necklace as he spoke of it. “When I was found, I was holding onto this necklace… I believe it to be a gift from my parents…” She felt that if she followed this man, she would finally be able to find the answers to the questions she had held in her heart for so long. She wondered about his earlier words, it did seem like this was a preordained path that she was meant to walk on. These thoughts filled her mind as she felt the powerful touch of her god. Her hands clutched at her necklace, the magical stone giving off a warm glow as she felt a peaceful warmth in the very depths of her soul. When he released her, the warmth remained. The glow in her necklace was steady and warm, signalling that Silencia’s magic was being affected by the god’s touch. Only time would tell in which manner this effect would present itself. When the regal figure in front of her told her to bow, she obeyed, dropping both knees to the floor and bowing, her forehead only a breath away from the ground. It felt strangely natural. “I pray my service will be of help…” Her stature was of complete submission, even her neck was bare as her hair had dropped down her sides and onto the floor. She remained in that position, waiting for the god to allow her to get up. “In time, you will meet her.” Kotal Kahn assured her, though given Silencia's apparent excitement she was under the impression that mermaids were whimsical, kind children of the seas. It was true that Morgana had changed a lot since she arrived to Twisted, though still, Kotal quietly feared that Silencia would be somewhat disappointed when she got to meet the mermaid in question and found that she had less in common with fairies and more with white sharks. “In time, you will meet all warriors in my service.” Continued the Aztec lord. “And all of Twisted as well. All will know that you serve me.” He chuckled quietly. “And all will know who do you belong to.” Because, ultimately, though Kotal Kahn enjoyed seeing people with untapped abilities like Silencia reach their full potential, he enjoyed it even more when they offered those powers to him. As his new priestess obeyed and bowed low, the warlord waited for a few seconds as she held that position before allowing her to straighten up. “Arise, my priestess. There is much for us to do.” | |
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