01-08-2018, 12:14 PM
At her words, Armande felt something tearing at his insides and rage threatened to overwhelm him. No! NO! His eyes gripped hers, holding them tightly. He would not let go, not now. He remembered Valeriya above, her screams at Illarion when she had been ripped away from him. "You dare to tell Rasputin what to claim? You?...Armande is MINE! You WILL NOT take him from me!"
Now it was his turn, as he felt the possibility that she could be wrenched from his grasp. Worse, that she would be another's. Violently, viscerally, he rejected that thought with every fiber of his being. It will not happen. His hands gripped hers as fiercely, a growl emanating from his chest. "They will not take you from me! You are MINE!" He took a breath to calm himself. His heart thundered, the galloping of a thousand horses.
"They <strong>will choose me,"</strong> he said simply. Fact. It would be fact. Fate and God and the universe might have a hand in what was happening, but he refused to believe he had no say in the matter. Even Valeriya knew the need to act when opportunity presented. It had been she who orchestrated the Exodus, despite the losses to her people.
"You and I might only be part of a larger vision. But I believe in that vision. And I do not believe that we have no say in making the vision a reality. You will be mine and I will be yours. This I vow." And God help anyone who thought to keep them apart.
His eyes burned with blue fire, blazed, and he bent down and kissed her hard on the mouth, a strong kiss of promise.
And then he pulled away reluctantly, going over what to do in his mind. He had shed the Regus. He had left the idol. That didn't mean he didn't have a role to play in their beliefs. He paused, looking at his old armor and tunic on the ground, his blades. He could present himself to them as he had first appeared to them. Demand as Rasputin returned.
But this would be delicate. Could be delicate. To walk the line. He had no desire to kill any more than strictly necessary. None, if it could be helped.
It felt strange but even as he thought and planned, he seemed to split into two people. Armande considered his words and arguments even as he slipped on a simple cream colored tunic and pants. He still put his heavy boots on, though. And it only took a moment to decide to reach into his pack and pull out his gun and slip it into his pocket. They knew blades. He had not seen any firearms among them, however. The ones outside were locked in their cases.
The other Armande paced and seethed, an animal, hungry, raging. The lizard brain, the limbic system. All of his most base desires and hungers vied for control, all seeming to revolve around this woman and the group that would control her. He wanted to trample and to tear. He wanted to fuck and to feed.
Armande the mind calmed himself, readied himself and walked out the door to the outer room where the other Khylsty waited. He hoped Valeriya would be next to him in this. Armande the animal noted placements, where people stood, their body language. Armande the mind clothed himself with reason and logic, passion and persuasion. Armande the animal wrapped violence and death around him like a cloak.
The room quieted and he gave them all a genial friendly look. Not penitent. Despite everything that had happened, that was never a face he could wear.
"The Eye has seen!" he intoned. He looked at Valeriya with respect. "The Khylsty have returned to the Above after 140 years, seven generations. The time appointed has finally come. Here, from this birthing chamber, the Khylsty will soon burst into the world to take their place. We have come home."
His use of the word 'we' was purposeful and not lost on a few. "The Eye has seen. You have all seen her carvings on the wall depicting the return of Rasputin, the Father." He did not mention the face on the walls was his own. He did not make the claim himself. Without even saying the words, they would make the connection. Let others proclaim his identity. It was always stronger coming from others. "You will yet see her other visions of the Above and the Khylsty come true."
And now, he paused. This was the hard part. He had been Regus. But he had rejected the idol that had gone with it. This felt akin to the sow returning to the mire once freshly bathed. The dog returning to its vomit. But for him to claim the right of Bond with the Eye, he had to be what they believed him to be. He did not look at Valeriya.
Instead, he found Illarion's face. The man was somberly looking at him, but there was no hostility in it. He was sure of the answer. "Illarion, who do you believe I am?"
The man looked at his sister for a moment. Armande could almost imagine him making one final decision. If there was ever a time for him to make a play for her, it was now. Armande smiled at him, a brotherly smile. The future of the Khylsty is in your hand. It was trust. Faith. He hoped it was not misplaced.
"You are Father Rasputin, returned. And my brother."
Armande smiled at him even as he breathed relief.
"I am your brother." And he looked at another of the Khylsty. "And yours." And to another. "And yours." And then he quoted. "Look, my mother and my brothers and my sisters," as he spread out his hand to include them all.
"I am no longer just the Regus Armande Nicodemus, leader of the Atharim. I am Khylsty. I have Awakened, cleansed of my sin. I take my place among you as one of you in all things."
There was some commotion. They hadn't known what to expect.
He raised his voice. "This I promise you. What the Eye has seen will come true. The Khylsty were hidden for mankind's greatest need. You all have a destiny with us and with our people. All of us will be one!"
Matvei had been silent the entire time though his eyes glittered. He could sense the shifting in power. With Illarion's words, he had lost prestige. His last chance was coming. What choice would he make?
If there ever was a time for him to act, it would be now. Animal Armande hoped he would. He hungered to plunge his hands into the heart of anyone that would keep him from Valeriya, to rip it out, the still beating heart in his grip, blood dripping down his arms. To watch the brains spray out from the bullet, to feel the recoil in his arm and shoulder.
"I stand before you, brothers and sisters" his voice faltered. This was harder than he expected, these words. He changed what he was going to say. "I stand here, to claim my right to be bound to the Eye. Time has come full circle. She is the Mother. I have been proclaimed the Father. Ask her if she is willing. I am willing. Let the fulfillment of the destiny of the Khylsty begin with our union."
What that meant, he wasn't completely sure of. Not what they expected, surely. No seed would ever spring from his loins again. He had seen to that. He knew what that meant and would not unleash another god into the world. It had been the only way, after Lissandra.
More importantly, he knew that when the time came to tell Valeriya, there would be a price to pay. But he was willing to do what was necessary and pay the price for it later. This was no longer about preserving the line of the Eye underground. The time for fulfillment was here. The rules had broken.
He waited, watching. Animal Armande paced, ready to pounce.
Edited by Regus, Jan 8 2018, 01:15 PM.
Now it was his turn, as he felt the possibility that she could be wrenched from his grasp. Worse, that she would be another's. Violently, viscerally, he rejected that thought with every fiber of his being. It will not happen. His hands gripped hers as fiercely, a growl emanating from his chest. "They will not take you from me! You are MINE!" He took a breath to calm himself. His heart thundered, the galloping of a thousand horses.
"They <strong>will choose me,"</strong> he said simply. Fact. It would be fact. Fate and God and the universe might have a hand in what was happening, but he refused to believe he had no say in the matter. Even Valeriya knew the need to act when opportunity presented. It had been she who orchestrated the Exodus, despite the losses to her people.
"You and I might only be part of a larger vision. But I believe in that vision. And I do not believe that we have no say in making the vision a reality. You will be mine and I will be yours. This I vow." And God help anyone who thought to keep them apart.
His eyes burned with blue fire, blazed, and he bent down and kissed her hard on the mouth, a strong kiss of promise.
And then he pulled away reluctantly, going over what to do in his mind. He had shed the Regus. He had left the idol. That didn't mean he didn't have a role to play in their beliefs. He paused, looking at his old armor and tunic on the ground, his blades. He could present himself to them as he had first appeared to them. Demand as Rasputin returned.
But this would be delicate. Could be delicate. To walk the line. He had no desire to kill any more than strictly necessary. None, if it could be helped.
It felt strange but even as he thought and planned, he seemed to split into two people. Armande considered his words and arguments even as he slipped on a simple cream colored tunic and pants. He still put his heavy boots on, though. And it only took a moment to decide to reach into his pack and pull out his gun and slip it into his pocket. They knew blades. He had not seen any firearms among them, however. The ones outside were locked in their cases.
The other Armande paced and seethed, an animal, hungry, raging. The lizard brain, the limbic system. All of his most base desires and hungers vied for control, all seeming to revolve around this woman and the group that would control her. He wanted to trample and to tear. He wanted to fuck and to feed.
Armande the mind calmed himself, readied himself and walked out the door to the outer room where the other Khylsty waited. He hoped Valeriya would be next to him in this. Armande the animal noted placements, where people stood, their body language. Armande the mind clothed himself with reason and logic, passion and persuasion. Armande the animal wrapped violence and death around him like a cloak.
The room quieted and he gave them all a genial friendly look. Not penitent. Despite everything that had happened, that was never a face he could wear.
"The Eye has seen!" he intoned. He looked at Valeriya with respect. "The Khylsty have returned to the Above after 140 years, seven generations. The time appointed has finally come. Here, from this birthing chamber, the Khylsty will soon burst into the world to take their place. We have come home."
His use of the word 'we' was purposeful and not lost on a few. "The Eye has seen. You have all seen her carvings on the wall depicting the return of Rasputin, the Father." He did not mention the face on the walls was his own. He did not make the claim himself. Without even saying the words, they would make the connection. Let others proclaim his identity. It was always stronger coming from others. "You will yet see her other visions of the Above and the Khylsty come true."
And now, he paused. This was the hard part. He had been Regus. But he had rejected the idol that had gone with it. This felt akin to the sow returning to the mire once freshly bathed. The dog returning to its vomit. But for him to claim the right of Bond with the Eye, he had to be what they believed him to be. He did not look at Valeriya.
Instead, he found Illarion's face. The man was somberly looking at him, but there was no hostility in it. He was sure of the answer. "Illarion, who do you believe I am?"
The man looked at his sister for a moment. Armande could almost imagine him making one final decision. If there was ever a time for him to make a play for her, it was now. Armande smiled at him, a brotherly smile. The future of the Khylsty is in your hand. It was trust. Faith. He hoped it was not misplaced.
"You are Father Rasputin, returned. And my brother."
Armande smiled at him even as he breathed relief.
"I am your brother." And he looked at another of the Khylsty. "And yours." And to another. "And yours." And then he quoted. "Look, my mother and my brothers and my sisters," as he spread out his hand to include them all.
"I am no longer just the Regus Armande Nicodemus, leader of the Atharim. I am Khylsty. I have Awakened, cleansed of my sin. I take my place among you as one of you in all things."
There was some commotion. They hadn't known what to expect.
He raised his voice. "This I promise you. What the Eye has seen will come true. The Khylsty were hidden for mankind's greatest need. You all have a destiny with us and with our people. All of us will be one!"
Matvei had been silent the entire time though his eyes glittered. He could sense the shifting in power. With Illarion's words, he had lost prestige. His last chance was coming. What choice would he make?
If there ever was a time for him to act, it would be now. Animal Armande hoped he would. He hungered to plunge his hands into the heart of anyone that would keep him from Valeriya, to rip it out, the still beating heart in his grip, blood dripping down his arms. To watch the brains spray out from the bullet, to feel the recoil in his arm and shoulder.
"I stand before you, brothers and sisters" his voice faltered. This was harder than he expected, these words. He changed what he was going to say. "I stand here, to claim my right to be bound to the Eye. Time has come full circle. She is the Mother. I have been proclaimed the Father. Ask her if she is willing. I am willing. Let the fulfillment of the destiny of the Khylsty begin with our union."
What that meant, he wasn't completely sure of. Not what they expected, surely. No seed would ever spring from his loins again. He had seen to that. He knew what that meant and would not unleash another god into the world. It had been the only way, after Lissandra.
More importantly, he knew that when the time came to tell Valeriya, there would be a price to pay. But he was willing to do what was necessary and pay the price for it later. This was no longer about preserving the line of the Eye underground. The time for fulfillment was here. The rules had broken.
He waited, watching. Animal Armande paced, ready to pounce.
Edited by Regus, Jan 8 2018, 01:15 PM.