The Monster Within [Invite]

[attr="class","parmtitle"]The protector

[attr="class","parmesan"]
Ravus was determined to not let the beast take over him again, but what could he do to stop it? He couldn't control the scourge.. only Ardyn was able to to do so and Ardyn wasn't here.. and even if he would be here, the demon would not lend him even a finger to aid him. He had cursed him to this life, after all. The royal needed his concentration to focus on keeping the darkness at bay, but he could hear soft steps not far away from him. Dieter wouldn't even have needed to announce his presence with the cough, Ravus immediately swinging around to see who was there. He would have drawn his weapon, but both of his hands were busy.

He was about ready to tell the stranger to leave immediately, but the young man was faster, his words catching Ravus by surprise. What... what was he talking about? The darkness was frightening him? Ravus shook his head as he tried to collect his thoughts.

“This.. is none of your business, stranger. You should leave.. as soon as possible.”

His eyes traveled back to his magitec arm that was still struggling in his grip, the scourge continuing to creep up his body, trying to take hold of his torso.
“What do you believe to know about my curse? Listen to my words and begone!”

Ravus could not see any fear in the man's eyes and it made him wonder what he wanted from him. Others would listen to his words and run as fast as possible or be frozen in fear in front of him as they witnessed how his body was slowly eaten by the curse in his veins. Ravus narrowed his eyes, taking deep breaths to keep his focus and at least attempt to keep his body still.
“There is nothing you can do.”

[attr="class","parmtitle"]The protector

[attr="class","parmesan"]
The royal didn't know what this man wanted from him. Why wasn't he running? He seemed.. way to calm about the situation that unfolded in front of him. Almost like... he had seen this many times and was used to it? Hm, no it was something about this boy that made Ravus shiver slightly. This aura of ancient power that radiated from him and the way he spoke reminded him so much on Gentiana, the soul of Shiva.

The man suddenly grabbed his befallen arm, Raus immediately looking at him with horror on his face, his other hand grabbing his arm and trying to push him away.
“NO! You will share my fate if you touch it!”

The man didn't listen.. and his grip was so much stronger than what a human could muster. Even with the strength his arm granted him, there was no way to free himself and so all he could do was watch how the darkness spread on his arm and tried to take him as well.
“Get away!!”

He didn't want to be the reason for the star scourge to spread once more.. he couldn't let this happen and the thought of it showed true fear on his face. It was in that moment that he caught the light on the others hand, their surroundings seeming to switch as Ravus was pulled somewhere else with the man, his eyes unable to understand what he was seeing right now. Was this.. a vision of the man's past? What was this man? Seeing how his other form was absorbing crystals of darkness and a beast spawned from it, the royal could only stare at what was unfolding, neither his mind nor his body able to truly understand the depth of what was going on in front of him.

Dieter continued his cryptic talk, his body twisting into an other form and protecting him and Ravus from the beasts anger by using a shield. Seeing this form and what he was capable off, Ravus couldn't help but remember the Astrals. Was he... one of them? A god long forgotten by mankind? He was able to devour the darkness that had tried to take him without being effected by it and he seemed to try and suppress the evil that had befallen the ex-commander.

“What.. are you...? Are you one of the gods?”, he murmured, but his attention was immediately turning back to his arm when could almost hear a shriek of anger radiating from it that almost deafened him. Dieter was trying to help him and the curse in his body was protesting and lashing out on the host. The strange liquid went wild, almost clinging to him and tearing at Ravus's skin. Falling to his knees, he would again grab his arm, screaming out in pain as it kept on lashing out on him and his veins. It crawled up the left side of his neck, starting to spread on one half of his face, his mutation making a horn start to spawn on the left side of his head.
“It... It is to strong. This curse.. can not be lifted from me..”

His voice had started to warp, a strange tone resonating with his words.
“This.. this is .. my punishment... for having failed to protect the person I love.”

[attr="class","parmtitle"]The protector

[attr="class","parmesan"]
After having seen his home and knowing it was save now, Ravus was looking for a purpose outside in the universe. He had told himself to stay away from Eos to keep what was left of it save from an other outbreak of the scourge. Of course he would sacrifice himself for the greater good if there was no other way for him. Suppressing it.. what would it do? How long could he keep it down without a cure in sight? He was all by himself.. all alone in the universe with his sister gone. What Dieter said was right about the weight he was carrying on his shoulders. It was a lot to take in, yes..

He wouldn't look up at the other, just staring down on the ground with the scourge continuing to try and eat away at him. But Dieter didn't give up on him, even though the demon didn't know him.. he would try to talk to him and tell him that this wasn't what he wanted and that he had to fight back. A hand reached up to his cheek, Ravus twitching slightly at the touch of the claw on his face that lifted his head up, so he was forced to look into those burning orbs of the other with those blackened eyes he already had from the infection. Only part of his remaining blue one was still the color of the sky. Fight... He wanted him to continue to fight it. Part of Ravus, the part of a warrior, told him that the stranger was right about what he said, but the other part... the other part just wanted one thing... Peace.

Lunafreya. She wouldn't want him to give up. She wouldn't want him to make it so hard for himself. He had always been there by her side, always carrying the weight with her and trying to keep her save. But.. how could Ravus fight something that had been poisoning their world for thousands of years without a cure in sight? How could he, a mere blood of an oracle without any power, do anything to stop it from taking him like all before him? Maybe even use him as a new vessel to spread it on an other world?

Fear settled on him like an invisible blanket, the scourge slowly spreading over his shoulders to his other hand that started to form into a claw like the other one. What.. could he do to stop it? Gritting his teeth, black liquid dropping from his mouth, he would dig his claws into the ground beneath them, trying to push himself up against the painful transformation he was going through that tried to take over his body and wanted to push him down again with brutal force. He knew.. once it would take over his body and mind, he would no longer be able to fight back. He would attack the man and the man would have to slay him and erase him. He, who had been able to not be infected, might be the sword to destroy the scourge forever right now.

“Thousands of years.. this curse has befallen my world.. no one could cure it.. Humanity... is lacking the power.. only the gods combined strength was enough to destroy it.”, he choked out, stumbling back a little.
“I am.. not chosen.. neither am I... able to change fate... Maybe I can fight it... but it will only delay the unavoidable. I... I need... help...”

There. He said it. He, once the commander of the empire and prince of tenebrea, needed help. All this time he had been a lone wolf. A man that always relied only on his own strength. And now he was standing in front of a stranger, quivering in agony, almost wishing to be released of his existence.
“If... if you can.. than please... I beg off you..”

He reached out his claw in the man's direction, his face twisted into a display of despair.
“HeLp.. MeEeE..!”

[attr="class","parmtitle"]The protector

[attr="class","parmesan"]
Ravus had actually hoped in a part of his mind that this man would just slam his claws into his heart and erase him with the scourge. It was a sad thought, that was true, but Ravus would sacrifice himself for the greater good of the stars. Not because he wanted fame and glory. Not because he wanted to prove he was better than the Caelum's family. No, this was him understanding the true depth of the situation he was in and his life slowly losing it's real meaning to him. Without his sister, there was nothing in this world for him to fight for. He had done his job. Noctis had gotten the sword and erased the evil from his home. His role was over the moment his last breath escaped him in their home, at least for him it felt this way.

His hand would touch the man, but he did not grab it to break it or do anything else with it. He let him pass, a sigh escaping the others lips as he started to speak to the former prince.

“I swore my oath and I shall.”

Ravus felt how a hand would touch his torso and the royal was ready to close his eyes and wait for the blow to finish him off.. but it didn't come. No, this man had other plans for him. He wouldn't erase him, but do as he had said before.. Blackened eyes would open, widening as he caught the glimpse of something burning around the other. It looked like flames, but these were not flames of fire. There was something far more powerful going on in front of him, the spark jumping over to his body, touching the darkness on him. In a matter of seconds, it would catch fire, spreading over the scourge and seeming to burn it alive. It shrieked loudly in his ears and Ravus waited for the fire to burn him also, but... the pain never came. Instead, he could feel the stinging sensation of the scourge trying to cling to the host as Ravus's body seemed to have turned into a living torch.

The curse tried to fight the burning sensation, trying to take over Ravus to attack the man. The scourge grabbed his mind, seeming to speak through his voice as it screamed in agony, his eyes turning completely black for a moment, before the scourge would suddenly retreat. The black poison moved back like it had spread, revealing his real features once more, the evil vanishing back into the core of Ravus's heart. With the invisible strings burned off by the flames, Ravus body would sink to his knees, his lungs breathing in the freedom he had gained with a gasp. His two-colored eyes opened again, staring down at his shaking hands, seeing that they were no longer black claws.

The scent of the scourge had left his body. Ravus knew it was there somewhere deep inside off him but it seemed so weak and fragile all of the sudden. What.. had the man done? Ravus was exhausted, but he knew that this man would be even more than him. He had recognized the energy that had filled his body to be the man's essence. Had he.. used his own life-energy to perform this miracle? His eyes moved up, trying to make out if Dieter was still standing. Ravus just stared at him, seeming unable to understand what just happened to him and to the demon in front of him.

Why.. would he do this for him? For a stranger.. killing him would have been so much easier, yet the other chose a path that would hurt him as well.

[attr="class","parmtitle"]The protector

[attr="class","parmesan"]
Ravus looked at the other, his eyes taking in the shaking features of the other just in time to react. The body of the seemingly young man drifted forward, taking by gravity as he threatened to fall on his own body. Arms moving up fast, the royal took a firm grip on the other so he wouldn’t land on the ground, shifting his position to something more comfortable in the hands of the royal. He just stared at him, the unknown feeling of worry flashing past his body when he saw the weakened form of his savior. His body returned to his human features, his eyes closing as one last word escaped his lips, before blissful sleep would take him away from reality. Live.. that was the order of the man.

A moment of silence stretched, before Ravus seemed to be able to return to reality, his hand moving up to the others neck to check for a pulse. It was a silly thought considering he was in front of such a mighty being, but knowing he used a very draining skill there could end with the others heart to stop in theory. The royal sighed in relief when he indeed found a pulse, the other most likely very exhausted from the miracle he had performed. Immediately, Ravus knew what he had to do. It was his duty to make sure this soul was save till he recovered and came back to his senses. This creature has saved his human soul from complete corruption, so of course he would try to repay him for it. His eyes traveled through his surroundings. This place was to open and it could be dangerous to stay here to recover, so he did the most plausible thing… get Dieter and get him away from here. It wasn’t easy for the other at first, he himself being exhausted from the fight, but he pulled through and managed to get Dieter on his back. He would carry him into the woods, directly to a small lake. The place was perfect to set up a small camp of sort. Gently, he would set Dieter down on the soft grass, seeming to think for a moment, before he unbuttoned his long coat to use it as some kind of blanket for the demon. Ravus had to admit, he felt kind of naked without it, now all the armor parts under it visible, just like part of what was left of his real left arm, covered in scars and burn marks, before the metal of his artificial arm would start....

He stayed close to the other, cutting some wood in the nearby forest and bringing it back to the unconscious man, the royal actually able to make a campfire with the Sparks of his magitec arm. Ravus hoped the warmth would help the other in his condition and with fresh water an arm-length away, all was set, should things go ugly. Now all Ravus could do.. is wait.. wait for the other to return to his senses without healing. Ravus couldn’t perform magic like his sister and the potions he had would only help with open wounds.

With a sigh, the man just sat at the fire, his blade always close to him should monsters or animals try to attack them. His two-colored eyes stared into the sky as nightfall slowly seemed to approach. Fight.. live… words of hope…

[attr="class","parmtitle"]The protector

[attr="class","parmesan"]
Ravus watched the sky turn dark and stars appear slowly, twinkling in silence. All he could hear was the water close to them, he wind in the trees and the cracking of the fire from the warming camp he had build up. His eyes traveled to Dieter who still seemed to rest. Seeing his chest rise and fall made him sigh slightly and he returned to look into the sky. He wondered if one of those stars was his home... He wondered if it was truly save now and.. maybe one of those stars was his sister watching him, sending him a light of hope to hold onto? It was a nice thought... but... Whatever he told himself, he knew she would never be back again. Hope is what keeps him going right now... Dieter had not saved his life for nothing. He needed to move on somehow.

It was when he heard a loud gasp, that his eyes would shot back to the man under his coat, his body moving up and taking hold of his knees. The streams of tears could not be ignored by Ravus and he couldn't help but wonder why the creature with so much power was crying.. what had he seen? He also talked to himself, asking a question to no one how it seemed. Taking a deep breath, Ravus would get up and walk over to the distressed demon, kneeling down in front of him carefully and take a look at his condition.
“You have awakened. Good.”

The royal tilted his head to the side, seeming to think about taking hold of the other to show him he wasn't alone right now. Just a gentle squeeze on his shoulder could be enough, but he didn't know if the other could lash out at him in such a state.
“What you did was rather reckless... It drained your body badly. If I had known how much this would damage you... Are you in pain?”
The expression on his face was serious like always, but his eyes showed that he felt worry for the other.