LaCroix

This Demon King reigns over the Omen spirits, his manifestation often the precursor to catastrophe.
Skin and Lore by LaughingIdiot.




Cadel and Hunydd turned the corner, away from the bustling city and into a much less crowded alleyway. Though the midday sun hung high overhead, the angle of the buildings cast deep shadows onto the broken cobblestone. Wind whistled through the alley, its sound only dampened by the crushing din of the crowds. Cadel marched forward confidently, but Hunydd hesitated, taking in the dank scene with skepticism.

“You’re absolutely certain this is the place?” she asked, contempt lacing her words. Cadel rolled his eyes in response, letting out an annoyed huff.

“Of course I am! Do you think real oracles just hang out in broad daylight?” he spat back, grabbing Hunydd’s hand to tug her further into the shadows. “Come on, we don’t want to be late.”

With Hunydd in tow, Cadel led them down to the far edge of the alley, where a single, worn door stood obstinately among the chipped brickwork. A crudely painted sign hung over it, indicating that the resident was, indeed, an oracle. More accurately, it read ‘Fortune Teller’ in faded letters, the edges of the sign cracked with age and insect damage. Cadel knocked four times on the door, his knuckles rapping against the wood unpleasantly. He frowned and shook out his hand, refusing to show the splinters that had stuck into his digits.

Click.

From inside, the door unlocked and slowly began to creep open, revealing the dim interior. As both peered inside, the sunlight from above seemed to be swallowed into the darkness. The black void was interrupted only by a few sparse lanterns, their feeble flames only giving enough light to indicate where it was safe to walk. At the far end of the room, glowing eyes peered at them.

“Come in,” thundered an impatient voice. The pair exchanged glances, but nonetheless stepped inside, the floorboards groaning underfoot. Hunydd tensed as the door swung shut behind them, and she soothed herself that the lock hadn’t clicked.

Yet.

Cadel puffed out his chest and sauntered over to the table where the eyes glowered at him, Hunydd following behind at a slower, measured pace. She took her time, examining the shadowy silhouettes of various items just outside of the lantern light. Boxes. Books. Was that a skull? She couldn’t be sure without further inspection, but the stranger grunted a greeting to Cadel as he sat to his left and she hurried to take her seat beside him on the right.

“So, you are Cadel. And you are.. Hunydd, yes,” the stranger’s remark was worded as a question but spoken as a statement. As their eyes adjusted to the dimness, they could begin to make out the lines of a human face, the details obscured. Behind him, several shelves of bottles lined the walls, now beginning to glow faintly in eerie lights that danced within their confines.

“Er, yes. This is my partner, Hunydd, as you say. We are here for-”

“Your future. I’m aware. Don’t waste my time with pointless drivel,” the stranger interrupted Cadel, who promptly shut his mouth through gritted teeth. “I’m an oracle, and I’ve many clients today. Your payment.”

Cadel nodded, and reached in his pockets to pull out a small purse of coins. He hesitated for just a moment, feeling in front of him to make sure it was, in fact, a table in front of him. Satisfied that he was right, he placed the purse down, coins clinking within. Fast as a snake, a hand darted out and snatched the purse, pulling it towards the stranger.

“Satisfactory,” the stranger mused as he counted out the coins. Behind him, the bottles’ lights grew brighter, and a soft snickering rang through the silence. “Do not mind my… companions. They are merely a peanut gallery, for now.”

Hunydd shifted in her seat, trying to get comfortable. She realized the room curved slightly around them, the shelves were closer to her than she had originally thought. The nearest bottle illuminated, and she could have sworn that two sets of imperfect eyes stared at her from within.

The stranger rose and grabbed one of the bottles, setting it down between the three of them. It sparked to life, casting a sickly blue glow over the table. Laid out before the pair was a set of ten cards, face down with their ornate backings turned towards them.

“You. Pick one card and tell me its contents,” the stranger ordered, pointing a bone-thin finger at Cadel. Without a second thought, Cadel snatched a card nearest to him and turned it over. Though the details were difficult to discern, it portrayed what looked like two dragons arguing, fire dancing between them. The card's number was upside down on the bottom.

“The lovers,” the stranger sneered as Cadel described the card back to him. “And upside down, too. A future of disharmony and discord, an imbalance of power. Say, perhaps you may find yourself under the thumb of another. Don’t answer that. These questions are not for you.”

“But I-”

“Hush,” growled the stranger again, pulling the blue jar away and setting it to his left side. He pulled another jar down, the one with two sets of eyes near Hunydd, this one casting a pale red glow over the cards. He pointed at her, gesturing for her to pick a card like Cadel did.

Hunydd creased her brow in thought, examining each card with tense eyes. Though they were face down, something about them seemed… wrong. She hovered her hand over each card in turn, frowning until one card felt right. She grabbed that card and turned it over, allowing everyone to see the striking image of a dragon smashing directly into a large tower.

“The Tower. Interesting. It speaks of misfortune and tragedy, a sure sign that your future is set to see chaos unfold within itself. You may wish to tread lightly.”

The stranger cleared his throat, and set the red jar to his right. He folded his cards back into their deck, save for their picks, and eyed both of them intently.

“Now, you didn’t just come here for my foretellings. Accurate as they are, you are interested in my ability to change them. Yes, you can, but…” the stranger paused meaningfully, pushing the two jars in front of them. “I do not take payment for these, yet I cannot guarantee there will not be a price. If you so choose… you may be granted the gifts to change your fates. Simply open the jars and breathe in.”

Before the stranger had even finished, Cadel had opened the blue jar, inhaling deeply at the blue-gray smoke wafting out. At once, he felt a presence rush into him, whispering wildly into his head. His thoughts collided with it, and it spoke of dark magics, of grim futures, of death and omens.

Not to be left behind, Hunydd swiftly inhaled her own jar. She felt not one, but two entities collapse into her mind. They chattered in what sounded like garbled gibberish initially, but as their excited voices calmed down, their speech slowed into something intelligible. Ragged, yes, but she could make out their thoughts: power, brilliance, ability.

“Satisfied?” the stranger asked, the grin on his face loud and obvious even in the darkness. They both responded in tandem, their voices now echoed by their headmates.

“Very.”
Written by Nihilis

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L a C R O I X

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B I O G R A P H Y ♛ LaCROIX: "Why must I always be the villain?" NICK: "Because you're so good at it." Forever Knight, television series. ♛ Main Theme: Theme of the dragon, links to a music, insert title here. ______ Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. ______ Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. ______ Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem.

B I O G R A P H Y ______ Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. ______ Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. ______ Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia. Incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem.

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