When Hunters and Prey Fall... (Closed)

[Asa]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/NightPoet/More%20collections/acded5f2.jpg

Ishara Kir
Argarren
Long Deep black purple hair
Dark eyes that seem to glow faintly unless in high state of Alert then solid black

She sat in the tavern staring at the human across from her with disdain as this shaved ape attempted to what did the humans call it... hit on her... a snarl curled her lips as she listened to this Assignment of great importance to his employer one Mr De'Seluar. She grumbled hearing the name yet another worthless ape who thought he owned the various regions of the galaxy to some extent. this vermin still did not seem intelligent enough to pick up on the snarl at his attempt to flirt with her so once his hand touched her leg her blade rested against his neck.

You expect me to so find some academic for De'Seluar... you can not be serious hu~man... and you ever touch me again you will be the vermin shipped back to De'Seluar in a decomp crate. Why is your owner willing to pay so much for a simple academic?

He rattled off reasons and handing her the file and the picture and the first half of her payment for this target. She studied the picture for a moment and shrugged. He was not too bad looking for a human but this was just a picture so who knows.

 

[jack80]

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ReY5pmWGMRM/Txm5TngaZqI/AAAAAAAACvY/2eaNN8NHKlY/s1600/tumblr_lkech7rmat1qfr6ruo1_400.jpg

Jacob Nathaniel
Archaeologist
30 years of age
Human
Light blue/grey eyes (wears glasses but doesn't need too)
slightly unkempt brown hair
a week's worth of stubble on his face


"Jacob, get the fuck up!"

Jacob Nathaniel groaned as he rolled in the extremely small bed he lay in. The bed sheets were wrapped around his body and legs, his face buried deep in the pillow. He rose his head a bit, his eyes opened just the tiniest bit. Then he put his head back into the pillow, and fell back to sleep.

"Jacob, I swear if you do not get up right this fucking moment, I will set fire to all of your drawings!"

That did it. Jacob rose his head and pushed himself up. The bed sheets around his upper torso pulled down to his waist. For an academic, he was well toned. You don't dig your way into 10,000 year old tombs and not show anything for it.

"I'm up, I'm up." Jacob said as he rubbed his eyes. He reached out and grabbed his glasses and put them on. He didn't need them. Not with today's level of technology in eye care and repair. He just liked the way he looked in them. An intellect, a man of scholarly pursuits... a man being yelled at by a Holo AI named Sara.

"About fucking time, I swear I thought you were going to sleep the whole week away." Sara said as a blue outline of a feminine body appeared. It was only a foot tall, but somehow with her synthesized voice blaring into his ears, she sounded so much larger.

"Any new messages." He said as he got up, the bed sheets falling from him as he got up.

"How about you put some god damn cloths on and I will tell you." She spat, her indistinguishable face sticking its tongue out at him.

"Yes mother." He said as he grabbed a pair of white boxers. He sniffed at them, shrugged and put them on.

"Speaking of your mother, you still haven't respond to the 273 messages she left you."

Jacob nodded his head to that as he walked over to his desk in the small cramp quarters he had on the transport ship he was in. "Yes, yes. And they all say the same thing. 'Jacob why don't you meet a nice girl and settle down. Teach, instead of going to those disgusting worlds you seem to like so much.' Pass. New messages?"

"Nothing... except one from Ronald De'Seluar.... marked urgent."

Jacob groaned as he sat down in his chair. Ronald 'The Shark' De'Seluar. When Jacob first meant him, he hadn't known about 'The Shark' part of his name. I mean who really cares about what crime boss called themselves. Of course he also hadn't known he was a crime boss.

De'Seluar had presented himself as a banker, wishing to fund Jacob's expeditions. Lord knew no one else was lining up to help him. So like an idiot he agreed without reading the fine print. The fine print that stated anything Jacob found would belong to De'Seluar.

"Play." He said. He already could guess what his 'partner' would say, but at least it beat listening to his mother drone on and on.

A holographic image of a slim man in a very trimmed business suit appeared. He had immaculate styled hair, and a face that the best bio-sculptors in the galaxy had transformed into what many would consider handsome. He also had a very nasty sneer on his face.

"Mr. Nathaniel." He began in that fax British accent of his. "I hope you are doing well, and are collecting many priceless artifacts. Artifacts that belong to me of course, per the contract you signed."

Jacob sighed. Next time he meets someone willingly to front him money, he would read the bloody contract.

"I know you found something... something of note on that last world you were on. Something you were suppose to deliver to me, which of course you did not."

Jacob reached out across his desk to the small black box. The black box which contained the item De'Seluar spoke of. Jacob opened the box. Inside was a dark red crystal inset in an onyx casing with a long dead alien language engraved across it. A language no one had ever been able to decipher... except for Jacob.

"As per our contract, you are to hand over all items to me right away so they may be... cataloged."

Right. Cataloged. He meant of course into his own personal museum or sold off to the highest bidder. To never be seen by the public. The item was priceless. It had taken over 3 years for Jacob to find it, and another 2 to understand the language on it. He wasn't about to throw away 5 years of work.

"Since you have not complied, I am enacting the retrieval clause of the contract. The part where I force you hand over what you found, along with any other items of note."

Yeah. Good luck with that. Jacob shook his head. De'Seluar was over 2000 light years away, on New Detroit. He doubted very much he would travel that far for this, no matter how valuable it was.

"Do not try and stop my agent. Just hand over the items. Oh, and my agent has been instructed to bring you back as well. So we can discuss your failure to keep up our bargain. Good day." With that the image vanished.

Jacob snorted at that. Again, good luck with that. Just because his messages could find him, did not mean someone else could. He was on a dead world in a sector of space surrounded by dead stars and systems that no one had dared enter in over 10,000 years. Well except for Jacob that is.

Jacob studied the artifact which he had named The Key. The key to a legend which he had spent most of his life pursing. Most of his colleagues laughed at him. But he knew he was right. There had been a race so far advanced, they had controlled the whole Milky Way. Though Jacob doubted they called it that back then.

A race in which his studies had called 'Dark Masters' or 'Shadow Lords.' A dozen long gone alien races had all made references to them. Though others in his chosen profession chuckled at that and said it was their versions of the Boggle Man. No proof other then some obscured references even hinted that they had ever existed.

Well. Jacob thought. He was about to prove them all wrong. Who cares if the script on the Key spoke of danger and death. It was all part of the fun in digging up the past.

 

[Asa]

Several hours later she was in her the ship and bouncing her way back... "home" Her people had hidden in the "dead" planets and the what few inhabitable planets that surrounded and "guarded" those long dead regions. Bouncing from path to path through the star tunnels she knew the way back far too well even though she detested returning to this place where all the elders said they must guard this place to protect the outer worlds and the one left sleeping within... both Shadows and the ancients of their kind should never be returned... She was far too akin to the ancient ones for the elders liking leaving her little choice in life than a gun and hunter for hire.

setting the auto pilot she looked to the ancient human AI that floated before her.

Fly this thing to the death lands... let me know when we begin the last tunnel Gregory...

Very well Ma'am the robotic voice replied

It was little more than the ship itself no personality or anything beyond the orders given to it. With that she walked back into a small hall way with only a handful of rooms and entering the medical area she found the target of her dragging herself from the command station. Placing the drops in her eyes they made her eyes look a little more "human" but the colors were simply a side affect of the "medicine" that keeps her amped and capable of running for days needing little if any rest or food. A long outlawed chemical originally created by a group called Orchard for a Super soldier program that was beyond what their human creators and victims could handle. Wiped out far too many of the more useful members of the ranks of shaved apes but thats the way it goes with insects think themselves Gods. As she sat waiting for the medication to take affect the AI popped into the medical bay. We are prepared for the final gate.

Do it... Let me know when we arrive and the dead lands

A couple of hours later the AI appeared in her quarters to find her deep in training.

We have arrived what are your next orders?

Third planet... high orbit avoid any and all detection. I will take the striker to the surface. Have the other striker ready for back up in case.

She doubted that she would need any back up grabbing an academic but she was not going to be caught by surprise by anything.

 

[jack80]

Jacob pulled an old pair of jeans on. They were a bit tight, but they were his favorite pair. Donning a white undershirt the did not hid his well toned chest and and he then threw on a button up blue shirt. His mother always said he looked good in blue.

His recent hard body was still new to him. He had spent his childhood and teenage years a scrwany bean pole. Working with his hands as he did had changed that.

Grabbing his tool belt, a bag filled with old notebooks and a lunch, and the key he made his way to the airlock of his vessel.

"Alright I'm off. Today is the day I open the tomb.". He said cheerfully. "If any trouble comes up be sure and call."

"You've said that for the last six weeks. And as if there was anything that I could not handle without you. You would just muck things up anyways." Sara's voice echoed behind him.

Jacob hush laughed and left the ship. Surprisingly the air of this world was quiet breathable. Not the most pleasant smelling air, but at least he would live.

The transport was parked a few thousand yards away from the tomb. An obsidian structure with dagger like pillars juttering up from the ground around it. An ominous sight, but one that did little to jar Jacob. When he needed to clear his head, he would run around them, making a track around the tomb.

As he neared the entrance to the tomb, he could see the power tools that he used to clear the dirt and stone away from it. He liked to use his hands, but by himself that would take forever.
He stepped into the tomb. He had already made his way though the first two outer chambers... It was the third one he was having trouble with. The one he was sire required the key... And something else. At best he could determine, he needed the "blood of a guardian"... Or at least that was how the script on the walls were translating.

There was a lot about the guardians he found recorded on the walls. Something about how they fought shadows and had hid themselves across the dead worlds. There was more, this was just the cliff notes. It would take Jacob nearly a year to record and properly translate it all. If he could find something of note within this tomb that he could take back with him he was certain that the university would supply him more funding and he could pay off De'Seluar.

He just needed to find a way in. Even if he was loathed to use explosives, the walls were incredibly, sturdy. He doubt anything he had could make a dent. No. He would do it old school. Heh. Now if only gw could get his hands on some guardian blood he would be in business.

 

[Asa]

The striker buzzed its way to the planet surface as she had scanned and seeing where her prey was and a safe distance to hide the striker for now. She had picked up on the energy signature from his ship that seemed to be a little higher than normal living and was careful to avoid detection if it did have any defenses.

Landing she read the file once more quickly and looked at the pic once more. What the could this academic have done to De'Seluar that warranted a bounty hunter she could not imagine but money was money and De'Seluar tended to throw it about in the bounty community fairly liberally. Stupidly thinking he was buying loyalty out of thieves and cut throats who were all more than willing to take his money and would slaughter each other to take on the bounty to bring him in knowing that vermin would bring a very high price some day.

Slipping from the striker she cautiously began to move towards the ancient structure. The tomb of all things... noo couldn't find the old village ruins or the temple... had to be that infernal tomb. She felt the pull of home that stinging venom in the back of her mind as she made her way closing the distance between the striker and the tomb. Staying low as she reached the top of a ridge a couple of yards away and watched the tomb. She would study the prey for a while and see what she was up against.

 

[jack80]

Jacob paced back and forth as he made drawings of symbols and characters in one of his old notebooks, of the wall of the chamber he was in.

The more he thought he knew, the more he realized he had no idea how he was going to get in. He could see where a doorway, heavy and unmoved for an untold millennium. And no where to put the key. And he had no idea how the blood of a guardian was suppose to work into all of this.

Urgh! He needed a break. A quick run to clear the head, then maybe some of that protein bar he had in his bag. Yeah. Lets do that.

Shucking his blue button shirt off, he checked to see if his old fashion boots were laced up and properly tied, and then stepped out of the tomb.

He knew most people would be intimidated by the tomb, its pillars... and the fact that the world was for a lack of anything else... dead. Nothing was alive here save for insects, some small plant life, and bacteria. Nothing else seemed to live here. At least not anymore. And that might unnerve some people.

Well Jacob was not some people. At least that is what he told himself. Besides. What harm could some black stone pillars and a tomb that nothing alive was in anyways do.

Jacob put all those thoughts away as he just pushed himself as he ran. His boots digging into the sand and dirt that made up most of what this planet had to offer.

***​

Back in the tomb....

The key: the dark red crystal within its onyx casing, rested where Jacob had laid it. If he had bothered to look at it before he left for his run, he would have been surprised to see it was glowing. A very potent blood red glow.

 

[Asa]

She still could not figure out what had De'Seluar would be doing in business with this guy but if it had anything to do with the ruins it couldn't be good. She could feel the tensing in her shoulders and almost a feral sense as she moved closer to study him more. A feeling she remembered from one of her last days among her people on this planet. Having been told by the elders that she was to find everything in the stars beyond their worlds she suspected that there was more to it than than but leaving this death infested pile of rot was perfectly fine with her.

She was now slipping into the shadows of the lingering stones of the temple that sat just to the west of the old tomb. Her eyes seeming to enshroud in the solid black of a heightened alert but still the glow as only a deep shade of black can glow. He was a strange little bug of a human though better built than many of his kind who have found their way out beyond their fragile little point in the cosmos.

 

[jack80]

Jacob stopped after after a good ten minute run. He was sweating lightly though, his white undershirt lightly damp. Alright, time to get back to work.

Walking back into the tomb he quickly grabbed his blue shirt and put it on but didn't button it up. He went to grab his notebook again and begin his attempt to open the inner chamber of the Tomb again.

His mind going back work mode he was totally focused. Or he would if he didn't notice a red glow coming from his bag.

"Okay..." He slowly walked over to the bag and noticed that it was the red crystal in the key that was giving off the glow. "You've never done that before."

Like a child grabbing his most favorite gift on Christmas, he slowly picked up the key and held it slightly away from him. "Why are you doing this now?"

Looking up he then noticed some symbols on the door, ones that never had showed up before, were pulsating as well. "Huh."

He walked over to the door with the key in hand and made a face. "This is either good... or really really bad."

 

[Asa]

Something was different... that tomb... it seemed to glow... at least to her eyes it did... strange... something was not right... Fuck studying her prey she needed to move and move now. Drawing the energy gun she quickly and silently moved to bolt into the tomb outer entrance slowly making her way through the shadows as if she knew this place well though she had never been in here before.

Her every calculated step carried her right to the human as she stood there watching him seeing the glowing and the pulsing letters on the wall her dead black eyes seemed to glow a little more as well.

Careful Hu~man The elders would not be pleased with this turn of events...

Weapon leveled on her prey she watched him as she continued though this time speaking to what seemed to be no one.

Strikers one and two stand by...

Now why would a puny little hu~man like you piss of DeSulear Hmmm... Time to go...

 

[jack80]

Jacob never heard her enter. He turned at the sound of her voice a bit jumpy, his eyes wide. He took note of the energy gun in her hands rather quickly, though that wasn't what really what filled his field of vision.

It was the fact that it was a she. An incredibly hot she . Didn't matter if she wasn't human, with that purple hair, and black eyes... the rest of her was just so damn.... Hot. It really made it hard for Jacob to talk.

"EEeerrrrrrhh, ah, who are you?" He fumbled his words a bit with the key in his hands. Its glowing seem to intensify the closer she had got, though Jacob hadn't really put that and her together just yet.

"Oh, you must be De'Seluar's agent... well please do me a favor and go tell that shark that to forget it. He isn't getting this key... or me." He added that last part as an afterthought as he took a slow step back from her... towards the heavy door with glowing symbols on it.

She didn't scare. Nah. Not with those tats, and purple hair and tight clothing, and black eyes that seem to still be sexy even though they weren't quite human. At least that was what Jacob kept telling him self.

 

[Asa]

Between the "medicine" she had taken and the pull of the key her muscles tensed again as she moved closer almost unconsciously. Her eyes never leaving him yet taking in the glowing words at the key as if each were right in front of her. This was not something that a human like De'Seluar should possess... no human should... but the pull of this place... this...

De'Seluar... has his ideas... but if you can offer more... I am not beyond double crossing that shaved ape. Though I will tell you you have a pretty hefty price on your head...

A strange thought whispered words she consciously did not know how she knew... Something was affecting her and and mixed with the serum it was almost intoxicating... she... smiled waiting for his answer.

 

[jack80]

Wow she has a great smile. Wicked and playful. He thought as he stared at her, but as she stepped closer he stepped further back, till his back was against the door.

"Yeah, see I wish I could offer you more, but then I wouldn't have needed to take a loan from the Galaxey's biggest Loan shark if I had money to spend..." He almost whispered. He too was feeling a strange feeling. He didn't know if it was her intoxicating presence, the glow from the key, or something else. He just knew he liked it. Weird as that sounded.

"Shaved Ape? Always thought of him more of a reptile really. You know all slimy and scaley." He tried to somehow bury himself into the door. "Hhmmm just how much is he offering anyways?"

 

[Asa]

More than enough to upgrade two Striker 12s and my ship and that's dead... alive is nearly double that.

She unconsciously again took another step forward the smile becoming darker... almost sinister the weapon still leveled on him but her eyes moving ever so slightly towards the key.

You are not capable of waking them... neither is he... so why do you want to try?

Her eyes moved back to his but seemed to reflect the writing on the door and walls.

 

[jack80]

Jacob didn't know what a Striker 12 was. He was a student of history, a scholar of the lost and forgotten. But from the sounds of it... it sounded like he was worth a lot.

"Wake who?" Jacob said as he stared into those shining dark orbs. He could see the reflection of the writing on the door from behind him in them. Somehow it was almost as if he could understand them... without the help of all the notes he had accrued over the years.

"I... I really hope you plan on taking me alive. I don't think I would like being dead all that much. My mother would just hate that."

***​

Deep within the tomb... something stirred. Something that had slept for untold passage of time. Something that never should see the stars again. Something only a fool was stupid enough to even try.

 

[Asa]

They sleep just beyond the reach of death and ancient foes. In their prison safe... Keys of blood and stone and Light... bring back the shadows in the night.

She did not move her eyes lifting back to the human before her as she continued

Isareen... Ishareen... Bring back the shadows in the night.

Shaking her head the weapon never wavering as she then focused on him more intently. He had cause something within the tomb... but what... no matter once that key was out of the tomb things would die back down and everything would be the way the elders said it must be. DeSeluar was far from her mind and really she didn't care if he came after her for not delivering first thigns first getting out of the tomb.

Lets go we will talk more out there... Move it!

 

[jack80]

"Are you alright?" He asked as she seem to chat something. She obviously knew something about this tomb... about the race that built it. Was she... a guardian?

When she told him to move, he did. He wasn't stupid. You don't disobey someone with a gun pointing in your face. As he reached the archway to the outer chamber though.... things went a bit sideways. And upside down.

The tomb and the ground around them shook violently, sending Jacob crashing to the ground, where he smashed his head in the side of a rock, cutting a nice slash across his forehead.

He was out cold, the key fell from his hands onto the ground.

***​

Echoing from all over a long dark whisper:

The shadows must be free to roam the night sky. We must awaken. Bring us the Key! Bring us the Key!

 

[Asa]

She didn't know that she was both sides of this ancient battle given life. Leaning down to pick up the key the Guardian blood was not thundering in her mind as well... new knowledge for hunting old prey. She closed her hand around the stone key with a predatory smile though the sight of blood from her prey brought her mind back just a little to pull a med patch out and place it on his head and activate it before returning to the depths of the tomb

 

[jack80]

A few moments later, long after the bounty hunter left with the key, Jacob moaned. He was knock out but thoroughly attended too with the med pack on his head, but boy did he have a headache.

Raising his head he looked around. "What happen?" He asked but as he got no answer he groaned some more.

"Oh Ms. bounty hunter," He called out as he tried to stand up. "With the wicked smile and eyes and stuff...." He added slightly less vocally. "Where are you?"

Reaching a hand up to his head as it hurt a lot. He noticed that she had applied an emergency med pack to it. Huh. No bounty hunter.... now would be a good time to go. He thought as he looked outside of the tomb. But he also had no key... and he wasn't done here yet. Besides, what did a sexy bounty hunter know about opening tombs. She might need his help.

Jacob knew he was going to regret this as he went back into the tomb, after the hunter and the key.

Of course he was forgetting the odd feeling he was getting from this place now. The fact that she would most likely take him to De'Seluar once they were done. And the fact that the earth just seem to throw him to the ground as he tried to leave with the key after she had arrived.

Oh lets just forget all about that. Idiot.

 

[Asa]

She stood there before the door the beings behind the door now sensing the other side of her blood and the hunger for the hunt... her eyes locked on the massive stone door as she smiled an almost sadistic smile. Stepping closer she spoke again...

Again to the hunt... again to the sacrifices... Child of the Dark Phoenix will dance in the blood of the darkness once more.

Stepping closer a little of his blood still on her hand mingling with the blood from her gripping the stone key so tight she held the key up almost like a dagger and then striking it as if stabbing the door. The door falling away she stood grinning at the roaring sound that echoed from the depths of the tomb. Her form seemed to change slightly the muscle tone seemed to increase though her body seemed more sleek in appearance almost feline as well as more prominent animalistic fangs though still completely human in appearance beyond that.

 

[jack80]

Jacob rushed into the room, his head still throbbing. As he looked he saw the Bounty Hunter standing before the door, almost as if in a trance. She stabbed at it with the key and the door just vanish, as if it wasn't there anymore.

"Holy...." He never finished his thought. For the next thing he was was her appearance shifting, her body tone changing in ways he had never seen before. It reminded him of a cat, the way her body seemed to morph. A humanoid cat.

"Hmmm miss?" He shouted. But she gave no response, she just stared into the blackness behind the door. "Oh miss!" He said again, only this time he slammed into her knocking the key from her grasp and deep into other chamber. A chamber that seemed more like an endless void. Okay... maybe there was something to that Endless darkness, he thought just as he noticed one more thing. She had fangs sticking out of her mouth now.

Well thats not good. Then he heard it. As if a million voices were screaming out. From deep within the void. And they sounded like they were getting closer.

Grabbing her hand he pulled her up not caring if she was going to kill him or not. It was time to go. NOW. "Time to go!" He shouted as he tried to pull her back from the door way and out of the tomb.

 

[Asa]

Once more they will be hunted... Once more we are free...

She was rambling as if both Ancient Guardian and Shadow. Her eyes seemed to swirl with the depths of the darkness from the tomb but also glow as that sadistic feral smile still lingered on her lips. She moved with the pulling but her eyes never left the forms that exited the tomb around them and seemed to disappear into the light.

The prey is free... hunting time... at long last... We are the last... everything ends with us...

 

[jack80]

"I don't know what it is you are saying but we got to go!" He said as he pulled her closer to his transport.

Part of Jacob wanted to look behind him. After all he had come all the way here to learn of these Shadows. But the rest of him knew he would just lock up if he did.

"Sara, open up!" He shouted as they neared the airlock, pushing the bounty hunter in.

The blue holo of Sara popped up as they entered. "And who is this?" Sara asked more rudely then Jacob would have expected.

"Doesn't matter, get the engines going! We're leaving!" Jacob said as he ran to the cockpit, closing the airlock behind them.

"Hhhmmm problem... Jacob. We seem to be experiencing an energy drain.... and the engines are unresponsive."

"Oh isn't that just dandy." He said as he looked over to the bounty hunter.

 

[Asa]

The... the striker... energy shield engines...

She was returning to normal somewhat now shut off from the tomb. Her eyes back to a more human appearance as she looked around revolver still in her hand. She studied the AI for a moment then spoke

Guess academics are kinda like us hunters no point upgrading certain systems in borrowed or scavenged vessels.

 

[jack80]

"Borrowed!! Scavenged! Why you-" The blue holo AI shouted.

"Sara not now please!" Jacob responded, cutting feisty AI off. Looking at the hunter, he studied her for a moment. "Your striker has shielded engines...."

"You aren't thinking of leaving with this person are you?" Sara responded.

"Eh.. well since this ship isn't going anywhere... yeah." Jacob responded as he went to the computer console and began punching in commands.

"Oh no you don't! You ar-" Sara was cut off as Jacob pulled the module that contained her and his research. He might prefer the old fashion approach, but he wasn't stupid. Sara always copied everything he did. Just in case. And he wasn't about to leave all his work behind.

Turning back to the hunter, he paused a moment. "You know, in all this confusion... I didn't quite catch your name."

 

[Asa]

Ishara... She seems annoying... don't hook her up in my ship got it. Well back out into the desert. The striker is just the other side of the village... then up to the ship and out of here to begin the hunt...

Perhaps she was not completely better but close enough to mostly be rational and logical. Still that glint in her eyes and sadistic almost predatory smile graced her features as she moved towards the hatch.

Lets go before they start seeking us out.