Shadows Lurk (OPEN)

[>Flighty<]

"I made your sorrow mine also, that you might have help in bearing it."

Deep in the shadows, in the broken parts of the massive city of Massarosa paced a dangerous creature. In only the most basic sense, there was something equine about the horrid thing. Six long, slender, multi-jointed limbs covered in scales like chitin, spikes and short, undulating tentacles carried the creature back and forth across the ruined street on sharp looking hooves and deadly claws. Orange eyes burned in the long, skeletal face. Long, serrated teeth were revealed now and then as the beasts lips curled back and its nostrils flared as it scented the dusty, smog filled air. Tentacles waived in the air along the beasts spine and down its massive, scaled tail that ended in a mass of the gleaming tentacles. A viscous, greenish black fluid covered it and dripped from the body and splat against the ground every now and then.

“For fuck’s sake.” came a voice from behind the beast. It turned it’s vicious looking eyes toward the one who had spoken. A toothy grin split the creatures face and it’s orange eyes flashed. Deep grey eyes met the beast’s and a shiver raked over the man’s frame as he stared at the creature.

The beast took a step toward the man; it’s claws digging into the asphalt beneath its feet. A snarl started low in it’s gut and shattered the silence of the dark street. In response the man solidified his stance and fireballs appeared above his hands. The beast laughed then; the sound part growl, part nails on a chalk board.

“Stand easy, Desmond.” the horrid creature spoke then.

“Fuck, Z!” Desmond gasped, but did not dissipate the fire he’d gathered in his hands.

Zenoch laughed again, the sound horrid even to his own ears. The tentacles along his spine grew more agitated in their movements as Desmond’s fire grew brighter. “Des, it’s me.” he tried to speak calmly, but there was a growl to his words still. Desmond’s fire could not kill him, but it would certainly hurt like hell.

Zenoch did not like his monstrous forms, but as of late he had found them necessary. Zenoch, along with Desmond and a handful of others had found themselves in Massarosa some time ago and had dedicated themselves to protecting the small, defenseless community in this broken section of the city. The people here were mostly human, a few other mortal beings were here as well, but they all had one thing in common; they were defenseless against the powerful beings that ruled this strange city.

It took Desmond another moment, but finally the fire dissipated though he kept his distance from Zenoch. The terrible beast turned back toward the borders of their community; orange eyes stabbing at the darkness beyond.

“Seriously, Z, thats the worst one.” Desmond said as he moved slightly closer to stand at his side.

Zenoch laughed his horrid laugh again though there was something even darker to the sound now.“Unfortunately you’re wrong, Des.” Zenoch sat back on his haunches and his tail lashed across the ground behind them. “What brings you out tonight? You’re shift isn’t for hours yet.” he asked then.

“Nicasia says we’re being watched. She’s been sensing it for a few nights now. She wants you to do some scouting.” Desmond explained in clipped sentences. He was clearly agitated by Zenoch’s current form, and failing at controlling his discomfort. “I’ll take your post here.” he added.

Zenoch growled as he stood back up. “I thought I felt something last night.” he told Desmond. He took a step down the dark street and from one moment to the next his form altered. He stood before Desmond as a man and the Elementium clearly relaxed for the first time since approaching him.

“Please don’t make me look at that form again.” Desmond shivered as he stared down at Zenoch.

Zenoch laughed, his blue eyes dancing, taking no offense. He was a hideous creature in his other forms, some worse than others. “Be sure you’re never around when I don my dragon form, friend. The nykur is a dainty and beautiful creature in comparison.” he chuckled.

“Be vigilante, my friend.” Zenoch added with a nod then and slipped into the darkness.

The moment the shadows enveloped him, he altered his form once more. His frame remained vaguely humanoid, but his legs elongated; knees bent backwards like a cricket and his entire skeleton became more prominent. His skin shifted to a sickly black-green hue; his hair hanging in thick locks to below his shoulders and his eyes became pits of shadows writhing in his skull. Black, obsidian claws grew from his bony fingers and his arms nearly drug the ground. Behind him whipped a long black tail with a tuft of writhing tentacles at the end.
"SPEECH”