Nil

Nil

N/A Currently

Hard to tell by Behemoth standards, but around 16 perhaps.

Male

Wanderer

Genetically Modified Behemoth

Light

World of Balance|Ruin

Master: The only 'family' that Nil has ever truly known beyond snippets of broken memories floating by in dreams is the human that rescued him after a near death experience. Master is the only thing the Behemoth knows the scientist by.

Nil is a mixture of emotions and feelings. On the one hand the behemoth is quiet, shy. Fearful of anyone who might have an inkling to what it is. Master had always told him that he was a monster, and that there was little that people feared more than a monster. That monsters were nothing more than something to be slain for them. And since his escape from home, Nil has seen this to be somewhat true. When not in disguise he's been chased and attacked simply for being around.

Reasonably, one would think this would make Nil avoid contact with anyone, stay to the shadows and remain fearful or even grow resentful. But even though the beast is somewhat afraid of the reaction of others, as fearful as he maybe he is much more curious. Master was the only person he ever knew and aside from the punishments he doled out, never tried to kill him. So surely that means there's other people out there who are nice...or at least willing to talk before beating him...

On the rare occasion Nil has gotten to know someone after his flight from home, he's proven to be a happy, friendly, and kindhearted creature. Albeit a bit naive thanks to his long seclusion. He's willing to do whatever it takes to make those he comes to call friends happy and due to his treatment by his Master, is quick to apologize for anything that he does 'wrong'.

Likes:
-Mangos: Quite possibly the most delicious fruit ever. He may have only ever had the chance to try one once, but it's a time he'll never forget.
-Reading: Despite the many strict rules that Master had sat out for him, Nil was allowed to read many different books, including ones on science, art, sewing, and even cooking.
-Painting: One of the few free time things that Nil was allowed.

Dislikes:
-Spiders: There's something about the unnatural and horrifying way that they move.
-Tightly Enclosed Spaces: Nil has vague memories of being trapped somewhere for some time, in tight confines.
-Needles: For a good while, Nil's master required blood samples and would often surprise the behemoth with them randomly.

Positive Traits: Kind, Trusting, Helpful (Despite all he's been through, Nil has a strong desire to be a good person...er...monster).

Negative Traits: Naive, Socially Awkward, Fearful (All due to years of isolation).

One of Nil's earliest memory is one of floating. Hazy images through a sea of green. Drifting in and out as a muffled voice drones through the liquid. A stinging emptiness somewhere to his right. Consciousness would come and go in this weightlessness. Was he alive? Dead? Something in between? Everything felt fuzzy. His head hurt. His body ached. His heart though felt steady. Light. Like everything would turn out just fine.

Amidst his waning and waxing consciousness came dreams. Dreams of sinking — like being dragged down into a bottomless lake — only to find himself standing alone in the middle of nowhere atop an ornately decorated pillar, the only shining light in the empty nothingness. As he took an uneasy step forward further towards the center of the pillar, a sound not unlike shattering glass filled the void before fading to silence. Imagery on the floor flickered into existence. The foremost: the hazy, shadowy silhouette of a human wielding a curiously shaped weapon interposed behind a tiny curled up Behemoth.

A voice from nowhere cut the stillness. 'Choose.' it spoke as three small dais rose from the ground. Atop each one sat a different item. A pair of fierce looking claws, a thick and ornately decorated breastplate, and a tome covered in glowing ruins. Staring at the items, he felt bewildered. Choose? What was he choosing? Cautiously he drew close to the plinths, his stride felt off and he wasn't sure why. His eyes passed over each of the items once more. Was he choosing what was important? What he needed? What he desired? He closed his eyes and thought before reaching out a paw to grasp the tome.

But seconds after he did so the claws and breastplate faded away, leaving only the tome behind. Soon it too began to break apart into a mist of glowing glittering light that flowed around the young Behemoth, enveloping him in a feeling of warmth and power. Then came a sound much like the shattered glass once again, but this time...different. Distorted. Almost as though it were backwards. Flickering light solidified into steps of colourful glass that lead further into the darkness. He knew not why, but he felt the need to press on.

As he walked the glowing back he began to feel oddly. His right foreleg felt strange, though he couldn't place why. With a shake of his head though the pup continued onward, up until the path began to split. To the left the steps trailed downwards towards what looked like a tunnel. The opening was so dark that it almost seemed to absorb the light around it. Even squinting, he couldn't see what lay further ahead. But that's what made it a good cave, right? Safe, quiet, a good place to hide, a safe haven.

To the right though the path crept upward, high enough that he couldn't see the top most step. It looked to be a long way to the crest, and he already came so far. The left path looked easy!


"Hang in there."


A voice broke the stillness again. Different from the last, unknown yet...familiar. The behemoth looked around, trying to find any sort of source but found only the emptiness that surrounded him. They were right, whoever they were. Maybe the left path was easy, but so was quitting. Going? Going was hard. Hard, but worth it. Right? Turning away from the darkened cavern, he began to climb.

The climb was long and winding, higher and higher it went for what seemed like hours. Eventually though, the top was in sight. A rush of excitement and satisfaction in coming so far gave the pup renewed vigor. Eagerly he bounded up the last of the steps and on to the new platform. Much like before the sound of shattered glass broke the silence and the floor came alight with imagery much like before. The little behemoth on it though wasn't curled up anymore, however, and instead seemed to be staring at the figure behind him.

Something was strange though. Off near the edge of the platform sat what looked like a pool of deep black ink. It seemed as deep as an abyss and still as stone, but as he approached it two glowing yellow eyes peered up at him. In a matter of seconds more appeared, all raising from the ground and taking shape, twitching and staring at him with eerie and unblinking eyes. Frightened, the pup began to back away slowly even as more began to spawn behind him. Quietly he whined, he was surrounded...Even if he wasn't, where could he go? Was there anything he could do?

"Don't give up. It'll be okay."

Once more that kind voice spoke out and soothed his fears. He couldn't run, but maybe he didn't have to. With a growl he swung a paw towards the shadowy creatures. Much to his disappointment the solid connection did barely anything against the undulating creatures. Again and again he tried to no avail. He wasn't strong enough, quick enough, and there were just so many of them...But still he refused to give up. Rearing up and standing on his hind paws, the beast struck out again. This time however he didn't feel his paw strike the amorphous form of the dark creatures, but something in his grasp smashed into it instead.

Looking down in his grasp rested a strange yet familiar weapon, one he felt he knew from somewhere beyond just the mural on the ground. He felt a connection to it that he couldn't explain. Gripping the weapon tight he swing again. And again. He swung and he swung, wildly slashing at the shadows as best as he could. Huffing and puffing he watched as the creatures began to slink back dropping down into the ground. A feeling of satisfaction and relief briefly washed over the behemoth until the sound of rumbling from behind him broke the reverie.

Leaping back, he watched as a larger pool of darkness crept up from the edge of the platform and began to rise. This one was much...MUCH bigger. Large hands slammed down and pulled the hulking creature up. It glared down at the small behemoth with sickly yellow eyes, a tendril like mass of hair writhing as it swung down to attack.

"You'll make it. Be strong."

Instincts were telling him to flee, but no. He refused, he came too far now! Gripping his weapon tight he fought. He wasn't perfect, taking his fair share of blows and pain. But he couldn't back down now, even if he wanted. The fight went on for what felt like hours, more than even the climb to get here. But with one final blow, his gigantic foe toppled backwards into the endless darkness.

With the din of battle at an end, the behemoth heaved a sigh of relief and toppled backwards. A hard earned victory was still a victory. Closing his eyes he relaxed again at last.


"Wake up."

Yet another voice called out to him. Different still than before. Commanding, gruff, cold. The behemoth clenched his eyes tighter before opening them once again. He winced softly as the bright lights of the room blinded him. Sitting up the pup looked around the room, clean and orderly, filled with strange devices with blinking lights and flashing screens. There by the slab table he sat on stood a human in a long white coat. They introduced themselves as the Behemoth's savior, who rescued the battered and broken creature from near death and through miracles of science nursed him back to health and even improved upon his form.

The pupped looked over his body and saw that beyond just the bandages around his wounds, much had changed about the body he once knew. The most shocking thing for him was his arm. Where once was a flesh and blood limb was an arm of metal. It moved and turned much like the real thing, but there was no real feeling to it. Before he could ask any questions, the scientist continued, explaining that all they asked in return of Nil — the new name he had been given — was assistance around the lab.

Nil's memories of the days before were hazy at best, but it was clear that this person had been kind enough to heal them up. And so they agreed. Over the next few weeks, their new Master as they insisted they be called, helped Nil to get used to his newly altered form, how to read, write, speak. Things the beast had never had to do out in the wilds, but things he would be expected to know from here on. All in all it was surprisingly simple for Nil. Another triumph of science, his master explained. The behemoth didn't really understand, but if it would help him to repay the kindness of saving his life, who was he to question it?

As weeks went on and transitioned to months Nil was taught more intricate things and his place at his Master's lab. Heavy lifting, note taking, cooking, cleaning. Whatever was required of him, he would be expected to do. He was given a room with a slab of a bed, a bookshelf, and a desk. The shelf was barren, but good behaviour would be rewarded in due time. All in all life was easy. Wake up, help master in the lab, fix food, sleep, repeat. However things changed rapidly as Nil fell into his daily routines. Mistakes would be met with increasingly severe punishments. He didn't understand this either, Master explained however that when a lesser makes mistakes, punishment must be dealt or nothing will ever be learned.

And Nil accepted it. He should have tried harder, done better, paid more attention. Pain is weakness and ignorance leaving the body, he was told. Some days were harder than others. But he managed. He would do his work and do it well, and Master would give him books to keep. His favourites dealt with the 'arts' as Master called it. Painting, music, dance. It all seemed so happy and enjoyable. Not that he particularly had any sort of time to try any of it, save for the dead of night.

The night had came to be Nil's favourite time of day. As tired as he was every evening, it was still the only free time that he had. And so he'd read and practice in anything he could. Dance was easy. Just stepping in time! It would be easier with music he was sure...Painting was...hard. The best he could do is keep leftovers from dinner to paint on a plate with, and by morning he'd have to wash it away. Sewing was, well sewing was work too, but even still it was enjoyable!

Over the years, Nil grew to accept his life and all it entailed. He never knew anything beyond his short childhood in the fields anyway. Occasionally Master would answer his questions about the outside world. Usually being met with non-committal answers or none at all. The one thing that his Master reinforced however was that there was no trusting anyone else. Because no one will trust a monster.

And Nil accepted it. He was different, scary, dangerous even though he knew not why. Others would hurt him for fun. His Master only hurt him to teach him better. Sometimes he slipped up, sometimes he forgot the rules. One rule he knew better than to ever break though. The basement was off limits. The scientist kept his most important and dangerous research in there after all. Nil would just ruin it all. And the punishment for that would eclipse any others...

But curiosity is a hard thing to fight. It's a battle some fight every day! And slowly but surely Nil was losing that fight. Maybe it wasn't really important and dangerous? Maybe it was a secret to be a surprise for him? Deep down he doubted that, but a curious mind will grasp at any excuse to be satisfied.

In the dead of night, long after his Master had gone to sleep, Nil quietly crept from his room to the door leading to the basement. He knew that no matter what was beyond the door, he was risking extreme punishment. Despite that though that nagging curiosity would never stop eating at him if he didn't. And so carefully, cautiously, he opened the door and climbed his way down into the dimly lit basement.

What he found in the depths of this forbidden lab was...well, it didn't seem that much different from the others that he was allowed to work in. Just bigger with a strange machine setting off against one wall and a black robe hanging not far from it. What caught the behemoth's eye more however were the rows of books that adorned a shelf beside one of the many computers in the laboratory. Grabbing one, Nil quickly recognized the handwriting inside as that of his Master's.

Within the journals were entries of his Master's studies from before Nil. He was hardly the first 'test subject', according to these. For many years the scientist gathered various creatures to experiment on, all of them being 'resounding failures' resulting in them being 'terminated'. Each book was filled with awful details of the experiments performed on them both before and after their use. Each one Nil read he felt his heart sink. Others though were less frightening to the behemoth and more a curiosity. Descriptions of other worlds and the creatures and habitats therein. He knew there was more to the world than this lab, but to know there were other worlds as well?

Sitting in the middle of the lab, Nil read through journal after journal, both enraptured and horrified in equal measure. Old journals made mention of something called a keyblade, a weapon that the Master apparently coveted, or perhaps held once before? The rambling was difficult to make heads or tails of.

The more recent books however stirred something in him. At some point during his Master's illicit activities, someone had started to become a thorn in his side. Constantly ruining near all of his attempts at capturing proper test subjects. That is until Nil. Flashes of buried memories came to him, explosions, pain, someone with one of these keyblades standing between him and a man in a white coat. So too did memories of that strange dream, having been buried in the drudgery of day to day life.

Nil had hardly registered that he had begun to cry as the pieces fell together. His Master wasn't his savior, they were his captor. They were the reason he nearly died. He wasn't anything more than a lab experiment to them! How long before he outlived his usefulness? How long before he was terminated? Growling softly to himself the behemoth rose to his feet. He would ruin everything if he went into the basement hm? Well, Nil thought to himself, he may as well live up to that.

Grabbing the journals he sat the ones on him and the ones on keyblades side, the others he wasted no time in tearing to shreds. Going around the room, Nil clawed and smashed whatever he could. The machine in the corner was far too big to topple, but wires and panels were easy to rip free and smash apart. He couldn't stay here. Not knowing what he knew now, and certainly not after what he did to this lab. Grabbing the black coat from its hanger, Nil hastily donned it and grabbed up the journals. As quietly as he could in his heartbroken rush, he hurried up the stairs.

Snatching up a bag he had sewn for himself in his free time, Nil shoved his meager belongings into it just as quickly as he could. There wasn't much time before morning now, he had to flee before he lost the chance. Back down the stairs, Nil stood solemnly at the front door to what had became his home, metal paw resting on the handle. Pushing the door open, Nil stared out into the rain. He knew that once he left there was no coming back. He had no home, he had no Master...

And Nil accepted it.

SPOILER: Click to show

Further History: Nil originally was born on the plains of the Veldt in the World of Balance. There he resided with a small pack of other Behemoths living deep in a hidden cavern. Being apex predators, this pack had little to nothing to fear from any of the other creatures that lived on the Veldt. However this didn't account for creatures from beyond the Veldt, let alone from beyond the world.

Nil remembers little to nothing about the events that transpired prior to him waking up in his Master's lab. The scientist had long been a 'collector' of exotic and powerful creatures. their collection stayed empty however, due to failed experiments and unruly subjects. It wasn't until Nil that they had experimented on a Behemoth however. Specifically they wished to experiment on a King Behemoth. Full grown Behemoths were far too unruly, let alone a King. Instead they opted for a 'Prince'.

Armed with explosives and technological weapons, the human stormed into the Behemoths' cavern and easily devastated the startled creatures. Not without a fight however. Roars of rage and pain echoed through the caves as the beasts fought tooth and claw to little avail. The scientist had come prepared. In the ensuing fight however, Nil had gotten caught in the crossfire, barely escaping with his life and losing a foreleg in the process.

However unbeknownst to the scientist, a young keyblade wielder had followed him. This hero had followed and put a stop to many of the mad doctor's capture attempts, and was sure that this one would turn out the same. Rushing in, they grabbed up the wounded Princeling and fled. Giving the behemoth words of encouragement as they rushed through the winding paths of the caves. Sadly for both of them, a dead end was all they found, and soon the scientist caught up to them.

Yet another battle ensued, one that the keyblader simply could not win. Another explosion rocked the cavern as they toppled backwards next to the barely conscious Nil. He didn't understand at all what was happening then, barely able to crawl over to the person that had nearly rescued them, collapsing on the weapon they held in their hand as both of them lost consciousness...The rest, as they say. Is history.

For a Behemoth, Nil is staggeringly small, standing not much taller than five feet not counting his horns. Said horns add another foot at best to the Behemoth's height and are smooth with a black colouration. Between these horns sits a mane of pure white that trails from the top of his head to between his shoulders. The wavy hair is about five inches long and drapes to the left or right as Nil needs it.

The fur on his body is a pink-mauve, thin and silky. Where his right arm once was resides a mechanical simulacrum. While capable of articulation like that of the real thing, it has little to no real 'feeling' to it. When not wearing a disguise which consists of a Black Robe stolen from his former Master and a dark blue mask he made from a spare piece of wood, the most he wears clothing wise is a makeshift loincloth tied to his waist.

Art Here! As done by my partner Sharkie.

"Sorry! Sorry...sorry."

"Just...just a bit further now." Nil whispered softly to himself, hugging his stolen cloak to his body. This was it, his one and only shot at this. The behemoth glanced over his shoulder towards the lab that had been his home...his prison. Through the pouring rain the building looked more ominous than he ever could have imagined. Though perhaps part of that was in seeing it for the first time. Maybe the last. He could only hope.

The papers and books he had found in his master's study and his few meager belongings were all that he had stuffed into the pack carefully slung over his shoulder. It was just a few more steps and he would be free. From the front yard, at least. It seemed like such a vast gulf, one that he never imagined that he could cross. One he hadn't ever began to imagine. But with each pawfall, he was one step closer. When his paw landed on the pavement , Nil felt a rush of relief and a strange, foreign feeling. One that was all but the fainest echo of long forgotten memories.

Freedom.

Rain or no, Nil ran. The energy, the happiness he felt, was unlike anything before. He was free! Free to run, to live, to see the world. But he realized...he couldn't do that. Not here, that is. Master would wake up, he'd see he was gone, he'd find his things missing and broken. He'd come after him. And so he ran. Off further into the city and through the alleyways with no idea where each road would take him. By fate or by chance though, the behemoth found himself at the city's docks. All kinds of ships resided here, but one caught his eye most of all.

The hovering freighter was left unattended, not a soul in sight. If Nil was good at one thing, it was staying out of the way, out of sight and out of mind. It had stopped worked with his master though, but perhaps it would work with the ship's owner? He couldn't stay in the city, but perhaps this ship could take him far away, where he'd not have to worry about the shadows at his back.

Carefully and quietly, Nil crept onto the ship and found his way to the cargo hold. One box was ajar and mostly empty save for a couple of stacks of textiles. It looked to be far more comfortable than his own bed back at the labs, at least. And so he climbed in and pulled the lid closed. All that was left to wait to find out where his destiny would deliver him...

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