..::Seeking out the Goddess::.. ((A Log))

[Venis Jordianthan]

((There is a little bit of language, but it's still PG13.  And it was edited without the second party proof-reading.  He opted out. LOL))

Time.  Such a thing didn’t mean much to a being to whom time can be infinite.

A long while ago, he had brought a girl back from the dead, but in utilizing the method he had, she also received parts of his soul which had since then weaved itself throughout her entire being. Over time his charge had been slowly losing herself. He had known that this was a possibility, and he was right. What he had not counted on was it triggered the release of the magic which had been dormant in the girl's body since she was born. It was not time yet for it to be freed, and Benjamin would do whatever it took to keep it locked away for a while longer.

What he needed was a person capable of sifting a soul. Though he could remove one’s soul, he was not able to ‘clean it up’ of the things it collected during the time it was a part of himself. There wasn’t a need too.  Why would he give anything to someone without it having a connection to him?

He did know of someone who may be able to do the job, the trick was finding them.


He had been looking for this person for quite some time, with no luck of finding her in one dimension or the next.  There were places he could not travel - or rather, didn’t want to - and he had wanted to exhaust all his options first. Although now, as he stood outside near the steps of one of Venis’ churches, he was none too sure if this was a viable option.

Benjamin remembered Venis saying something about being a goddess with followers - turns out she was right. Albeit these people were slightly difficult to track down, once he had gotten his hands on one, the rest merely fell into place. Through them, he found this older style temple of stone, located on the outskirts of this mediocre town.

Flamers.  Venis', not so affectionate, nickname for those fools who worshiped her.  She simply could not understand their devotion to her.  And here Benjamin was, seeking them out.

Under 'normal' circumstances, the flamers would have been easier to find.  But, with Venis being in the condition she was in, they had mostly gone into hiding.  When the deity you worship goes on a murderous rampage, people tend to frown upon it.  And the followers become targets.  So, most have gone into hiding, seeking refuge with their local church or even traveling to the safety of The Keep.

This church was closed in, and that presented one complication. Another was that though her deity was one of protection, Venis was also a vampire.  He always wondered how that contradiction worked, but now he was more curious as to whether or not he’d be able to enter the church. At his core Benjamin was a demonic creature and he had no desire to reveal something about himself that he didn’t want. With the most recent change in his being that demonic nature was more prevalent than before.


Benjamin ran his hands through his hair. He had thought about creating a puppet to enter and seek out Venis for him, but something told him that this would need a more personal touch. The soles of his heavy boots trod lightly on the steps that lead up to the main door. Shifting his weight so the pressure of his gait settled more on the heel than the entirety of the foot. Even now he could feel his skin prickling and his inner wolf wanted to growl at the threat to his person.

Benjamin reached out for the door to test if it would open easily or not, and what would he see on the other side if it did open.

The church that Benjamin was currently at had once been holy ground, sacred to those of a much older religion.  But it had become the spoils of a war long forgotten, and the ground tainted by the bloodshed of hate and ignorance, so it was now safe for the unholy to inhabit.  For the most part, anyway.

Faith is a powerful thing.  And those who once worshiped here had been very strong in their beliefs.  So, even though the facility and its grounds had been cleansed of holy relics such as bibles and holy water, there were some things that even the bloodshed had not washed away.  The blessing upon the door with holy water for example.

This would be the case with any of the churches that had not been new construction, of which there were quite a few. And Venis had been made aware of this, by accident, in the past.  Which was why, if she ever chose to visit one of these places, she was careful of what she touched and never entered by touching the door.

The purpose of the blessing was to keep evil out.  The zealots that had once occupied this building believed that all evil beings should burn in hell for all eternity.  So, were something evil to touch the doors, burn they shall.  But that was then.

Were Benjamin to touch the door now, he would still find it hot to the touch, around a hundred and five degrees, give or take.   Some evil things would find that unbearable, others, not so much.  It was up to Benjamin to decide if he could take the heat.

The knob.

Benjamin’s hand had barely gotten close to the object and he could feel the power around it.  Perhaps this was the source of the threat?  It had to run deeper than this and the thought of creating a puppet was sounding more appealing the longer he stood there are the door.

There had been a few reasons why he never spent a lot of time inside that Inn - one of them being that the essence of the residing Angel was nearly everywhere.  While it didn’t seem to affect the others much, his reality of it was different. This place - at least the door - was meant to keep creatures like him out. It was possible that other entrances (did the place have windows?) would be less secure, but he would go through the front. Benjamin was not afraid of the burning, rather he didn’t wish for the annoyance or what he would have to do later on.

Set in his resolve he gripped the door knob with the fingertips of his right hand - there was no need for more. As soon as his skin made contact Benjamin muttered a curse under his breath. Twisting the knob, he heard it *pop* to signal it was unlocked, and he opened the door.  Using his foot to do the majority of the work so he could reclaim his hand.  He curled his fingers in and stuffed the right hand into the front pocket of his ash colored, loose fitting jeans, and stepped inside the church.

Hearing the door open, the priest looked up from his cleaning.

Inside, he would find that the entryway was modestly decorated with two tables, one on either side of a pair of French doors.  There were pamphlets and leaflets upon the tables as well as a sign in sheet with a basket of pens.  To the left was a single door with a placard upon it that read 'office' and to the right hung a painting of Venis.  Painted over a hundred years previous, she looked just the same.  After all, she didn't exactly age.

Inside, he saw a scene that wasn’t out of the ordinary, what was, happened to be the feeling of death.  It took him by surprise for a moment that a church that consisted of a holy door knob would have the lingering feeling of death, but then again, Venis was a vampire.  The feeling was very old. No one had died in this place for a long time. Yet, that faint feeling helped him to negate that of the holy one which rang out here in various spurts.

The French doors directly in front of the front doors were open, and they led into the main room for the building.  Chairs now sat where pews had once formed rows and columns.  There was a pulpit at the farthest end of the room where the Priest would deliver sermons, glorifying Venis’ ‘selfless acts of heroism' when she 'saved mankind' from her evil sire and his desire to end the lives of all mortals.

The truth would be enough trauma to give them all heart attacks.

Nevertheless, inside the church doing some tidying up in preparation for evening services, was a jovial little Priest.  Small of stature and a bit rotund, he was dressed in red robes the color of Venis' hair.  He had once been a Catholic Priest, but he found that his sinful proclivities were far more enjoyable than his vows.  So, now he welcomed those sinners who sought protection from a murderous predator.

The rest of the room was rather bare.  There were no windows, no tapestries, no signs that this had once been a holy place. There were two doors at the farthest ends of the side walls, both closed, and a small alter behind the pulpit.

The Priest was cleaning the chairs about five rows in from the French doors.

Benjamin did not stop inside the doors. The remnants of holiness in this place made his skin crawl and spoke to a few of the souls he had acquired over the years. He felt the man’s presence before he saw him, and continued forward.

There was a priest there, and Benjamin’s thoughts shifted into figuring out how to dampen the Holy feel of the church even more, and spilling the blood of a priest sounded like a very good option to him.

No, he thought to himself.  Not now. Not yet. The man could be useful.

Benjamin walked heavily upon the floor as to alert the apparent priest of his arrival.  If that didn’t work he would have to speak - and speak is what he did.  “Your goddess,” Benjamin stated, his voice deep and laden with restraint. “Call her forth.”

"Welcome fri ..." His words interrupted by the abruptness of the stranger. A breath taken in to speak again was also cut short by the rather demanding tone from he who had entered.

Waiting a moment to make sure that he was done speaking, the priest began to answer back. "She is quite busy friend. We tend to not call upon her without just cause. I would be more than happy to tell you all you need to know about her." He placed his cleaning cloth in the bucket on the chair beside him and waved for the man to enter and sit.

The priest was trying to set him with apologies and excuses, even to offer to let him wait. Benjamin had waited enough lately and he did not have time for more. "I don't care if she is between the sheets," Benjamin relayed to the priest in a tone that was underlined with a deep growl. It would take a bit of adjusting to get his composure under control here. He could do it, though at the moment that want was far from his mind.

Truth be told, and the priest would not tell this truth unless absolutely necessary, she had stopped answering the calls of the innocent. Oh, a few reported her answering them when they were in dire straits and then murdering the being that was threatening them, but those who just had need of her presence for help or comfort were being ignored. It was very out of character.

The tone the man took when commenting about the Goddess being between the sheets caused the priest to look at him with wide eyes and mouth agape. "Good sir, I'll ask you to not ..."  Again interrupted.  This time by the man's advancement.

His steady strides carried him on until he stood a foot away from the small priest. If the man retreated as Benjamin approached, then he would continue until the desired distance was achieved. Benjamin's nostrils flared as he took in the man’s scent. It was a habit, and also allowed him to tell qualities about him…. Subject. Feelings had various scents.  What emotions were playing over this man aside from nervousness.

The Priest began to back step, stumbling over chairs and his own chubby little feet along the way.  Grasping the back of a chair for balance, the priest found himself sitting down, looking up at this stranger.  His fear was evident by his profuse shaking.

He had hoped that the stories he was hearing from his parishioners had simply been over reactions.  That they had been imagining the attacks upon them for things that the Goddess had done.  But here he sat, looking up at what definitely seemed like a threat to him, and it wasn't because of something he did.

"You're a little early for services, but you're welcome to come in and rest. Could I offer you some refreshments?" He was making every effort to be welcoming to the stranger, even knowing he could be here to avenge an action by the Goddess by means of harming her followers. It was a risk that was becoming more and more the norm the longer the Goddess went about her wicked ways.

“You will call her forth. Whether you do it under your own volition or not is up to you.”  The threat was anything but idle and Benjamin flexed the fingers of his right hand and rolled his shoulders to loosen suddenly tight muscles. “I don’t have time to wait for … Services.”

That was the only thing this man could do for him, and he would stick to this point until he had gotten what he came to get.

((TBC))

[Venis Jordianthan]

"Ha ... Ha ... Have you tried ... Tried calling her forth yourself, friend?  I ... I ... I mean, I know she's not been ... Been answering everyone, but surely, were it this important.  I ... I'm ... I'm not sure if a ... If she would answer me unless my life were in danger.  Is ... Is my life in danger?" The last question spoken with a higher pitch, seriously questioning the motives of the man before him.  Was this man willing to shed blood to get her here?

Ever so close he leaned in his head to that of the priests’.  Benjamin’s right hand rose up, and it looked as though he was about to reach for the other man’s face, but he paused in his motion a few breaths away from physical contact. Hand made to hover over the priest's face. Heat radiated from the palm of Benjamin’s hand and all the way up to the fingertips.

“Are you in danger? You might be,” Benjamin acknowledged. He was growing ever closer, but he would not get close enough for contact. No.  Not with this man, and not here in this place. This guy smelled like fear.

The priest had broken his vows many years before, he had a taste for women of a certain ill repute, and he was too weak to resist the influx of temptation that was paraded before him on a regular basis.  For this reason, no harm should come to Benjamin should he make physical contact with the man.  But should is by no means a definite.

Benjamin shifted his hand, turning it to curve around the side of the priest’s face so that the man could have a clear sight of the one who was looking at him.  The heat from Benjamin’s hands never reached his eyes, for they were a cold, dark brown.  And, though the left corner of his lip was curled upwards, it held an odious air.

The suggestion that Benjamin could try summoning the goddess himself was not an option that he had overlooked - it was one he did not plan on using.  Currently there were variables in place, and Benjamin knew how to pick his battles.  Right now, with the residue of holiness creeping its way across his skin, opening channels here held a possibility of more harm than good - and it wouldn’t be to himself.

Benjamin’s hand stopped once it had positioned itself under the priest's neck. “Be a good pion, and do what you’re told,” he seethed.  Bringing his face closer, Benjamin’s words were lower but not any less strong. “Call her.” For a moment there, while he spoke, the nature of his teeth had changed to sharp points.  Then in a flash they were gone, replaced by his normal set of pearly whites.

That being said, perhaps it showed in the priest's eyes, but for the briefest of moments he actually pondered an act of bravado. But that moment passed quite quickly.  After all, he was truly a coward at heart.  So, he opted for what he considered to be the smarter choice.  He did as he was told.

In a shaky and unsure voice, laced with terror, he cried out. "Go ... Goddess ... Goddess Venis ... Goddess, I beseech you.  Come ... Come forth and save me ... Save me from this threat against me.  I beg of you.  Please." He squinted his eyes shut and swallowed hard.  He was still quivering in fear.

_____

In a land far away, though still on the same planet, long crimson curls obscured the face of the Goddess as well as a good portion of the male in her lap.  Were there anyone available to pass by, it would look as though they were lovers sharing an intimate moment.  The reality of the situation was far less pleasant.  But hey, a girl's got to eat, right?

Venis had blocked out anyone who had meant anything to her, anyone who could usually contact her through a mental link with ease.  Anyone that the darkness could use as a tool to bend Venis to the will of that which possessed her.  But strangers, she didn't know them well enough to block them out.  It would have been quite the daunting task to block out every being in existence.  Now, that's not to say that some of those who matter to her didn't still have ways with which to reach her if need be.  But they're weren't conventional, nor were they easy.

In this case, the call she heard in her head was from a stranger.  That would be why she wasn't sealed away from his cries.  Her head rose from the throat of her prey, eyes a beautifully pale shade of blue turned to the sky's above. In her head, the chorus of voices speaking as one. ~No!~ One word. Yet it resounded in her mind loud enough to make her wince.

She slid the carcass, of the humanoid male she had been feeding from, out of her lap as she rose to stand. "But he is a priest."  Her own voice slipping from between her lips melodically.  It was then that her blue eyes first looked upon the carnage that surrounded her.  Bodies were strewn all about the village.  Buildings had been set ablaze.  The male at her feet, as well as several others, were absent of garb.  With a slow blink, she shook her head.

When her eyes opened, her irises had bled from blue to red.  Her own voice rang out in her head this time.  ~Seriously, why do you deem all this carnage to be necessary?~  She was feeling the pangs of guilt.  It was becoming a regular occurrence.  But she wasn't in control of her own body when these things happened.  In fact, she wasn't in control for the majority of the time these days.

The sound of someone else trying to use her vocal chords was still disturbing to her ears, even after all this time.  But the words were clear enough. "Several reasons, my pet.  Some of which, you are already aware."  Bare feet carried long, bare, legs across the grassy field. "Now, nevermind your little priest.  He's of no consequence.  We need to move on to the next village.  After all, we have a quota to fill."

Venis was not so easily squelched.  She caused herself an abdominal cramp.  It was all in her head, but her body believed it, and therefore, so did the darkness. ~All beings are of consequence.~  Not knowing that Venis was pulling a mind trick on her own body, the darkness within believed the pain to be real.  It receded once more while she doubled over, clenching her stomach.

Her eyes bled back to their normal blue as she took control once more. "And I intend to help him."  She closed her eyes and tried to find where the call had come from.  But the darkness wasn't willing to let her go to the priest.

Pain begat pain as Venis was struck down with a sharp pain in her head. She dropped to her knees as she ran both hands up into her hair on either side of her head, clenching her fists, and yanking her hair.  She cried out in pain and as she looked to the sky's once again, her eyes opened and they were as red as fresh blood.

_____

This priest had a poor way of communicating to his goddess.

Back at the church, the priest had noticed the change in the man's teeth. It scared him enough that he lost control of his bladder.  The wetness soaked the back of his robes and the chair he sat upon before puddling upon the floor below.

Benjamin's eyes drifted closed and his head tilted back, chin, raising upwards to the sky. He was thinking. He was calming himself down. Benjamin was drawing in a deep breath. His chest rising as his lungs filled with air. The steady exhale was accentuated by the low, rolling growl vibrating from his throat.

The priest did what people normally tend to do when afraid. Benjamin’s only concern was that nothing got on his black boots. Elemental debris, or blood, he didn’t mind, but it was an irritant to deal with excrement. His fingers were still flirting with the area around the priest's neck - it would all be so simple to end it now, right here. This quivering man may even thank him, but then he would have to find another victim.

Nearly unable to find his voice, the priest stuttered out.  "S ... See ... She ... She hears not my cries.  She does not believe I am in danger enough to warrant her presence."   He cringed and squinted his eyes.  He was truly fearful of what could possibly happen next.  Silently, though his lips were moving, he was saying prayers to Venis, that she might come to him and save him before it was too late.

Bringing his head back down and looked at the priest. Benjamin curled in the fingers of his right hand, all but the index one. That finger was placed against the side of the priests’ Adam’s Apple.  The man may have taken note of Benjamin’s short nail, but there would be no mistaking the fiery insertion of pain that came from the contact point.

The barest of touches and the priest felt as if he were to be set ablaze.  His eyes opened wide and he looked at the man again.  What he saw terrified him like nothing he had ever experienced before.  For a moment, he pondered praying to the Catholic/Christian God for forgiveness, thinking he might die before Venis would come.

Fire is what many people have associated his touch with, the way that it felt. The sensation would travel along the bloodstream, and even the nervous system, of the creature Benjamin made contact with so he could control their movements while he searched out the most important aspect - the soul. This was not Benjamin’s intention at the moment (thus why he only used a singular finger) and all of his attention was directed upon the priest neck, lighting up that area and making sure that the man’s head was turned enough to look Benjamin directly in the eyes.  The priest could still move his mouth - Benjamin could be merciful - and all the rest of his functions were intact.  The man only wanted to make sure that the priest was looking at his eyes.

Benjamin’s eyes were suffused with death and a reflection of the fears of any less fortunate to be looking into them at the moment. When he spoke again, Benjamin’s voice was considerably darker and heavier. “Try harder.”

He was told to try harder, so that was what he would do.  As a tear rolled down his face, he cried out once more.  "Goddess Venis, I beseech thee, come forth and save me.  Please don't let me die like this.  Please.  I'm begging you.  Help me!" His last two words cried out as loud as he could.

The scream had been delight to his ears and under other circumstances he may have taken the time to see what other vocal levels the priest was able to reach. Thoughts for another time.
_____

Venis halted in her trek.  Blue eyes surveyed her surroundings as she pulled the Claymore from her back.  "We're going."  She closed her eyes and slowly turned where she stood.  She found what she needed about 37 degrees to her left.

With her sword held in her right hand, she used the index finger of her left hand to draw an invisible slit in the air.  No one could see it, were there anyone about to see, except Venis herself.  She saw a thin silver line in the air before her.

There was a shift in the air. Something new was being introduced into this equation, and while he was hoping for the arrival of the one he came to see, he had a feeling more was coming than he had asked. This man may have had his attention directed upon the sniveling priest, but it did not mean he was ignorant of other things.

Using the tip of her sword and her fingers, she spread the slit apart, much like drawing back drapes, and stepped through.  As she stepped into the church, seemingly out of thin air, she had a two-handed grip on the sword.  She raised the sword, ready to swing it down and take the head of the being attacking the priest.

A sardonic smile graced his lips at the new arrival and the smell of blood that dotted the air. That was a scent he could always recognize. Both delicious and intoxicating. Of course, it was always better when it was straight from the source.

As her sword was coming down, she saw who was there.  She stopped her sword inches from his neck as she exclaimed.  "Shit, Be ..."  Blue eyes bled to red as she began speaking in her mind.  ~Big eyes, what big eyes you have Grandma.~

Clad in nothing more than the metal bikini created for her by her son, and a fury red cloak, one could easily see her muscles tensing with the effort of not continuing with the attempt to sever the head of the man before her.

((TBC))

[Venis Jordianthan]

The priest found himself in the throes of some very mixed reactions. On the one hand, he was terrified that he would die, on the other, she looked rather delicious with so little on. Regardless of the bits of dried blood here and there and a few cuts that had yet to heal.

The darkness within, having access to a good portion of Venis' thoughts and memories, was quick to figure out that Venis was referencing the story of Little Red Riding Hood. And given that she was wearing red that made this man The Big Bad Wolf.

Experience had taught the darkness that Venis would divulge nothing. So, the alternative was to ask him. Red eyes gazed upon the male as the less than melodic voice spoke through borrowed vocal chords. "So, tell me Big Bad Wolf, what is it that prevents me from taking your head?"

Benjamin remained still - even as that gateway opened and he saw the priests' eyes shift to look at the one who presented themselves, he stayed. The man could feel the energy of the blade lapping at the back of his neck. The only movement he made was in withdrawing his finger. He could see enough of her from his peripheral vision and while her appearance may have had crippling effects upon the priest, Benjamin was not so easily distracted. What he did take notice in was the change of tone in her voice.

Her first words held the inflections that he remembered of her, the second set did not. Perhaps it was that which caused his smile to deepen.

The priest scrambled away once the finger was removed from his throat. He scurried all the way over to the wall. With his back to the wall he drew his knees up to his chest and curled into a tight ball of tears, snot, and heavy breathing. His robes and position hiding the visual effect that the Goddess' appearance had on him.

Using the space vacated by the priest Benjamin eased down enough that he was able to turn more to the side and allow himself a better view of the woman with the sword. The man partially shrugged, a nonchalant look masking over his face. “Kill me, if that is what you are wanting to do,” came his reply. That, this thing speaking out of Venis’ mouth appeared to want to negotiate the cost of his life was humorous at best. Perhaps if he was a lesser being he would care but, as it were, his own contract was held by a higher force and he knew he’d return - like so many times before - in one form or another.

“Otherwise,” he spoke with an audible rumble rolling up from within his throat. It was deep and caused his next words to come out just as dark. Perhaps evil would recognize evil, for that’s what Benjamin was, no matter the mask he wore to appear civilized to accommodate his needs. “I’m here for Venis.”

Blood red eyes followed the priest until they were drawn back to the Big Bad Wolf. His movements made it necessary for a change in stance if the blade were going to hit the mark and relieve him of his head. Red eyes narrowed as she stood properly erect and lowered the sword to point at the floor, held only in her right hand. Again that, slightly wrong, voice spoke. Words coming a bit slower than what would be normal for casual conversation, as if they were being measured. "No ... Something tells me that you are too valuable to kill so nonchalantly."

This was not the one he had come here to see. It was the same being in appearance - even in smell - but there was something about Venis that told Benjamin that something was amiss. He was too valuable to kill? It may have been a long stretch of time since he and the goddess had a meeting, but those were the words of someone who had no previous experience with him.

Left hand rose to move her hair off the back of her neck. Right hand rose to place the sword back in its sheath. To anyone who knew Venis, even this act would seem odd. Her normal means of sheathing her sword consisted of her bringing forth winds to move her hair for her, or the sword just shimmering out of existence to reappear elsewhere.

Long legs and bare feet carried her past Benjamin to where the priest sat huddled against the wall. There was no sway to her hips, no placement of one foot directly in front of the other, none of her usual catwalk-esque grace. She knelt before the priest. "You stink of hormones and piss. The immediate danger is over. Go get yourself cleaned up." She stood and turned to face Benjamin again, but spoke over her shoulder. "And shame on you. One cannot serve two masters. Here I thought you gave up Catholicism."

The priest remained wordless as he scrambled to his feet and sprinted for one of the doors at the far end of the room.

Venis looked at Benjamin and tilted her head. Still speaking with slow, considered words. "Obviously I am who you are here for. You tortured that poor man until he screamed out in fear for me to come and rescue him." She again turned her back on him and began to walk along the wall. Her long fingernails lightly touching the stone surface.

It was not merely the change of timber in her voice, but also in the way in which she moved. He watched her actions carefully, giving close attention to the movements of her limbs and the way in which she carried herself. Once the sword had been put away, Benjamin stood to his full height and rolled back his shoulders as he watched this Venis-apparent deal with the priest. Any other time he would have found it amusing, and perhaps he still did, but it was not something to give attention to at this moment. Benjamin was listening to her words. For any odd inflections in her tone which may hint to what was actually running the show here.

His face was blankly inscrutable. Even the question he had about this lady’s true identify wasn’t offered on his face. There was something about her that hinted at familiarity, but not quite. It could possibly be his dark nature was approving of hers and found kinship.

She paused and looked over her shoulder once she was about half way down the wall. "But the question is, why?" She returned to walking along the wall letting her nails trace over the stone. No offensive sound was being made, she wasn't applying enough pressure for that. She paused again at the door that the priest had disappeared through. "Why would a being, as powerful as you, call upon me?" She started walking again.

She walked over to the alter. Her walk was slow and steady, just not graceful. She hovered her hand over the alter, and the pulpit, and the wall. Then she returned to the pulpit. With a fist, she punched into the wood on the side. Grasping something from within the hole, she winced and began to cuss in French. "Putain de merde qui fait mal." ((Holy fucking shit that hurts.)) As she removed her hand, a gold chain dangled from her fist. The smell of burning flesh began to fill the air and smoke could be seen rising. "That's going to leave a mark." Both the French and the English comments would ring of Venis' melodic tone.

He said nothing. Even as she asked him the question of why he would ask for help. Then there was something. It was subtle and perhaps another would not have seen it, but there was a change. It could be argued that this man simply didn’t know her well enough to think that her consciously vandalizing items in her temple was common place - but for him it was different. The slightest narrowing of his eyes, pulling in at the corners and his nostrils flared at the introduction of the new scent in the room.

There were only so many reasons a person would willingly inflict pain upon themselves, and he doubted that Venis was much of a masochist.

Blue eyes looked back at Benjamin. A soft smile curled upon her lips. Keeping her first clenched tightly, she began to saunter towards him with all the sexual body language that her normal movements contained. "Hello Benjamin." It was her voice, though not the whisper that she had used to say his name in the memory she was fighting to suppress at the moment. She stopped several feet from him, not wanting to get any closer than she had to with a Holy object in her hand. Her wounds were healing themselves as she stood there. "You wanted to see me?"

As she came towards him, Benjamin hooked his thumbs into the belt loops of his pants. His eyes went to her hand first - that held whatever object she had obtained, and then to her face. He grit his teeth. Being in this building was work enough and now she was bringing an accursed objected towards him. For his benefit, he continued the hold on his ground.

Venis’ entire demeanor had changed after she burned herself. If that had only told him one thing, it was that she was not fully there. Benjamin dropped his mask in favor for one with a curve of a smile to the lips. “Should I be amused, or insulted, that you’ve let another in?” He meant inside. Her greeting now was the type of welcome he had been expecting when she arrived, not the words of that ‘other’.

Benjamin was right. He was right about so very much. Her actions were not normal for her. She had her moments, but as a general rule, she was not much of a masochist. And intentionally vandalizing objects in her temples and churches were not her usual style. But, she had to get the cross without the darkness figuring out just exactly what she was up to.

And speaking of the darkness ... "Amused by my stupidity, of course." A half smirk teased at the right side of her mouth. Clear, blue, eyes looked at the man a few feet away and she had to fight back memories. It had been quite some time since she had been around anyone she was associated with in any way. She hadn't anticipated the influx of memory flashes. She needed to strengthen those walls.

More than just the cross melting into her palm and fingers was causing her discomfort. And if she was uncomfortable, she could only imagine what Benjamin was feeling. "Perhaps we could take this conversation outside? Away from walls with ears and sporadic hot spots of blessings long forgotten." Her empty hand rose toward the doors leading out of the building. The doors opened seemingly of their own accord. She waited for him to lead the way. For her to go first would put her in closer proximity to him than she wished to be. Both for the cross in her hand and the walls she needed to strengthen around her memories.

He was wrong about one thing though. She might not be completely in charge, save for the current moment, but she was still completely there. The darkness she had stupidly invited in might have been seizing control more and more often, but she was too strong to simply be defeated by it.

The longer he deliberated on whether or not he should play the part of the gentleman and let her go first, the more this place was chipping away at his resolve. For his benefit, he would rather take this conversation to another plane, but he wasn’t wanting to take whomever she carried along with her into a place of his sanctity.

Venis noticed his waiting before taking her offer to exit first. She wasn't sure if it was the gentleman in him or his not trusting her at his back. If she weren't currently possessed by darkness, would it be different, would he trust her at his back? Another question for another time perhaps.

Benjamin kept eyes on her that didn’t quite match the smile etched on his lips. He was studying her face. All the physical aspects of her were the same as before - nothing had changed. His nose twitched slightly as his first step took him marginally closer by half a foot before his next step was one to lead him away. “Perhaps next time my offer will have more appeal,” the man said in low rumbling tones that trailed behind him while he walked towards the churches entrance.

He walked steadily, but not slow. No foot stayed on the ground longer than it needed to be, and yet his gait was as smooth as ever. It looked more animal than man. Another thing to note, if she were paying attention, was how Benjamin had his hands. They were down and slightly away from his sides, hands open - but relaxed - and palms up. Despite the place being what it was, he was taking in the feel of the air and any holy energies therein. It was not the most pleasant of experiences, but it was also vital to understanding the history of this place, and perhaps whatever had a hold of Venis left its own tainted residue in the air. For example, since she would be following behind - and if she were attuned to it - there would be his taint. Surely the priest would pick up on the subtle aura of agony and a vile spirit that crept into the air from his upturned palms. If she could have seen his face she’d see his eyes partially shut as he navigated out.

((TBC))

[Venis Jordianthan]

She watched as he began to walk towards the doors. Men weren't the only ones who could appreciate the view when someone walked away. And the view of Benjamin moving, the way he moved like an animal, it made Venis tingle in low places. Of course, he probably already knew that he had that effect on her. He'd had that effect since the first time they met.

She noticed his hands, she knew he was most likely getting a feel for something. She used the same gesture to absorb things around her. Usually power or heat. It had to be terribly uncomfortable for him to do that in this place. She wouldn't have wanted to do so herself. He might have felt some residuals from the darkness within her, but most likely, not enough for him to figure out what it was or where it came from. Of course, if he wanted to know that, all he had to do was ask. She had no reason to lie to him.

Once he stepped back over the threshold his hands turned back in to his sides and his eyes opened fully. Benjamin walked a bit further from the church and stood off to the side, away from anyone who may pass their way to enter the building.

Benjamin looked at Venis, his eyes studying her and considering the weight of what he had come here to ask. If she had another force inside . . .

“Venis,” the low rumble had not yet left his voice. “What hindrance is your inhabitant to your abilities?

A sharp sting in her clasped fist drew her attention. She raised her fist to see that the cross had burned completely through her skin and drawn blood. The blessing had been nullified. She opened her hand as she began to walk. She pried the cross from her palm with a long fingernail. Then she flung the piece of metal back into the room behind her. This also sent some of her blood flying around the room. That would dampen some of the holy hot spots within.

She used her fingernail from her uninjured hand to 'play' in the cross shaped burn on her hand, keeping it bleeding and causing her pain. It was dangerous to be bleeding around Benjamin, almost as much so as it were around her, but it was the lesser of two evils. As she trailed him, she spoke. "Your offer had plenty of appeal. It's that one condition that I refuse to budge on." Speaking, of course, of his condition to have her make him her alpha male rather than he who had been such for dozens of years.

She continued her assault on her hand, torturing herself and inflicting pain, because the pain was keeping the darkness at bay. So long as the darkness thought she needed to be in control to heal herself, it would stay back in the dark recesses of her mind, but the moment the pain stopped and she was healed it would return.

As she exited the building the winds around her picked up. A funnel of dust formed around her and the cloak faded away. In its place, she was now clothed in a pair of tight, blue denim pants, a green t-shirt, tucked into the jeans at the waist and the sleeves rolled up, and a pair of matching green heels with open toes and a strap across the back. Her hair wound itself into a thick braid that trailed down her back to the back of her legs, below the knee. She didn't usually use such powers to do such things, but she was too busy with causing herself pain to worry about using her bag of holding that had been hanging under her cloak and was now hanging from her jeans on her hip. The dust settled as she walked towards him, not a speck of dust had landed upon her.

Now she was openly bleeding in front of him. Benjamin had watched her approach and studied her as he settled down things which were stirring inside of him. He felt better for being away from the church, but it had its effects. And now she was bleeding. The smell of her blood filling his nostrils. If she was choosing to bleed there had to be reason. To him, it said that she may not be in as much control of herself as she wished.

No longer holding a holy object, but still bleeding and keeping the wound open and sore, she felt it safe to step closer to Benjamin than she had before. So, she moved to stand within a reasonable amount of space for holding a private conversation. "From what I have observed, so long as I keep it at bay, it is of no hindrance to any of my powers, great or small. The trick is getting it to go away and keeping it back. Why do you ask?" She knew there had been a reason for his calling for her in such a way. And she had also noticed his tone. She wasn't sure if it were the church and the holiness that had lingered, or if he were upset with her for the strange presence she carried, but she hoped it was the former.

His eyes stayed level with her face and they narrowed as he picked apart the words in his head. “I am unsure that you are up to the task,” he admitted. The rumble in his voice was gravely and harsh. Benjamin was honest about his speculation. A certain amount of disclosure would be needed if she could, indeed, perform.

With the slightest down-casting of her eyes, given their height difference, Venis returned Benjamin's eye contact as he spoke to her. She never worried of bespelling him with eye contact, she wasn't even sure she could do so if she tried, but she could see the anger and hatred reflected within his eyes. He was evil, anger and hatred were to be expected, but this ... No, this was something different. There was something going on that had Benjamin's fur up. That explained his coming to her, of all beings, for help. Hell, the fact that he was turning to anyone at all for help was saying a lot.

His revelation of being unsure that she was up to the task caused the raising of her right brow, but she remained silent. No point in interrupting. No point in arguing, either, for that matter. He may be correct, depending on what it was that he wished of her. Though, his words did trigger the fight or flight in her, almost as if he were challenging her to find a way to do whatever it was he wished of her, regardless of what was within her. That might not have been his intent, but that was the result.

He took a fraction of a step backwards. If this task was not something she could do then he would go to the alternative option. It wasn’t what he wanted to do, but would if that were the only way. Benjamin’s eyes re-opened to their fullest and he looked dead into hers. He was serious. The only thing reflect in his eyes was anger and hatred, though they were not due to her. “Have you the ability separate a soul which has been absorbed into collection of other souls?”

The movement of his foot as he took that fraction of a step backwards caused her eyes to look to his feet for a blink. Eye contact restored, she tilted her head back and slightly to the right. This caused her to have to cast her eyes down a little more to retain eye contact, but she was paying very close attention, and it was reflected in her movements. He had her undivided attention; a double-edged sword. When he asked his question, she slowly moved her head back into its straight and upright position. The look she gave him, furrowed brows and narrowed eyes, would tell him that she was not expecting that question and was now quite curious, if not suspicious, about what was going on.

The other edge of the sword was about to make its mark. In having her undivided attention, she had stopped playing in the open wound on her hand. The wound was starting to close in a dainty little cross shaped scar, while her nails were still in her hand. But she wasn't noticing this as she tilted her head to the left and pursed her lips. Her eyes glazed over as if she was off somewhere in her mind, thinking. The pain in her hand snapped her back. She slid her nails free of the palm of her hand as she righted her head to look at him once more.

A deep breath was taken before she spoke, and the heel of her right shoe was moved to press against her left toe mindlessly. "I know the process." Her hand finished closing as she spoke, but her toe was already starting to hurt. "And I am capable of doing it." She blinked slowly as she reached into the bag on her hip, without looking at it, and pulled from it a small container. She popped the lid on the container and pulled out a moist towelette. She replaced the container within the bag and began to wash the blood from her hand and from under her nails. Then she put the bloody paper cloth back into her bag as well. She never broke eye contact as she did this.

She drew in her bottom lip and slid it back out between softly clenched teeth as the scent of her blood began to dissipate. "The amount of complexity to it depends on a few factors. Do I know the soul I am seeking? Are the other souls with it aggressive? Will they fight me to keep it? Will they try to leave with it? And once I have it, do you have the body it belongs in? Does the body still live? Because putting the soul back where it belongs is a completely different process, and it being alive or dead makes the difference of how it has to be put back." She knew that all the questions made it sound like a difficult process, but she needed to know these things to know how she would have to deal with it.

Benjamin watched her steadily. His eyes stayed on hers while she spoke and he was still able to see the other quirks of her movement. The way she let the wound close and the small thing she did with her heel in her shoe. Sure, he saw these things out of his peripheral vision but Benjamin was a skilled hunter and it had taken years to masterfully learn to watch without watching. It was all in where the focus was started.

Venis’ actions did not bring him any assurances and he made no move to mask the deep growl undertone which moved lowly from his lips. Benjamin’s hands flexed and his eyebrows furrowed downward. He saw this other being of hers, this darkness, as a problem which he wasn’t sure he wanted to explain.

And in regard to his other comment. "If you need me to do this, I can be 'up to the task' as you put it. The pain and injury is only the quickest and easiest way to keep the darkness at bay, it's not the only way I have." Her hand having completely closed, there was now a very noticeable scar on the flawless skin of her palm. Something she would have to deal with later. And rather than stand there picking at the annoying flaw, she slid both hands into the back pockets of her jeans. "I know it's not an easy thing for you to do, but you need to trust me. After all, you called for me, Benjamin." His name spoken a little louder than a whisper as their conversation was not loud to begin with.

“You know her,” Benjamin remarked. He was still looking at the goddess, but it was as though he sought to see the thing which was inside. “The other souls can be aggressive.”

Venis' expression was unmoved by Benjamin informing her that she knew the soul she was to seek. She spoke no words in response, there was no need for them, she has suspected as much. And his informing her of the other souls being aggressive was no surprise to her either. Though, what she hadn't expected was the undertone of his words. He seemed to have a bit more of a growl than usual. Yet, she gave no visual cues that she was slightly surprised by the tone he was taking with her.

Benjamin took two side steps off to his right. His feet languidly crossed the other as he walked. He was a beast - no matter his outwardly appearance - and his movements were akin to a panther. She must have struck a nerve somewhere for this man was quietly seething. It was felt in the tone of his words. “I don’t need to trust you. I’m choosing to express confidence in your ability. Yours. Not that thing which dwells inside.”

It did not matter to him if eye contact was broken now or not as Benjamin took another couple steps, but this time forming more a semi-circle. It put him closer to that church who's effects he still felt, but he wanted to get a better feel of this thing Venis had with her. He balled his fist a moment. “I don’t trust that at all. I don’t know what it is, and if you reach inside me there could be complications.” Even if it was her alone there would be some risk, but it was one he was willing to compromise with. The feeling was not the same if it would be shared with another force.

Benjamin might have been a beast, but Venis was a vampire. This meant that she had no requirement of her own heart beating or to even draw a breath other than to speak words. But there were always things to bring about exceptions to this general rule. And the beast that was now slowly starting to circle her was one of those very exceptions. By his second step, her heart gave a resounding thud in her chest. Perhaps he heard it?

Slowly, her eyes closed as she listened to his words. She needed to stop her heart before the darkness figured out that it was Benjamin causing her involuntary pulse. She swallowed and took a couple of deep, cleansing, breaths. It was only when he uttered the words 'reach inside me' that her eyes shot open. Her surprise would be evident in her voice. "You?!" Well, if this didn't just take a slightly more dangerous turn?

Without further thought, she spoke. "Faites que cette bête impie aucun mal de moi." ((Let this unholy beast come to no harm from me.)) A quiet, white magic, spell cast before she made her next move. She wished no harm to befall Benjamin if he closed the distance between them. And she was about to invite him to do exactly that. But, this time, she would feel a lot different to him than she had before. A lot closer to how Epiphany might feel. The spell was to prevent his discomfort from that.

With the spell in place, her right hand slid free from her back pocket. She reached up to take hold of the massive braid that ran down her back. She spoke as she pulled the braid over her right shoulder. "Fine. Then trust yourself." Her voice carrying a slightly rebellious undertone. She tilted her head to the right and exposed the left side of her neck to him. She was essentially offering her throat to the wolf. Only this wolf carried with him no red roses.

Venis had seemed rather surprised when she heard that it was him who she'd be working with - Benjamin had assumed it was rather apparent. But it was his turn to be surprised when the vampire offered her neck to him. His surprise was displayed in the slight narrowing of his eyes and the wrinkle in his brow before the man took a partial step backwards on his left heel. The meaning behind it was slightly lost to him. It could be that he was not versed in the same tales as she, but Benjamin was not a man - or beast - that bit on the neck. He was no vampire after all.

She had no idea if he would even close the space between them, let alone if he would merely smell her neck or if he would rip her throat out. Then there was the question of her being able to control her heartbeat and breathing if he did close the space. But she had a plan for that as well. And if he chose to step closer, he would find out her plan.

The only meaning he could contrive from her action likely was not one she intended. Then he huffed and finished that backwards step and made another, a small shake of his head. There was a rumbling in the base of his throat. Her actions varied a lot, and this neck offering was simply another on the list of things he was noticing since he sought her out. And what had happened to the dark feeling which was there? "This was a mistake." He said finally. His tone low and guttural. Deep. "Multiple variables...."

Venis sighed audibly. She righted her head and released her hair. "Is it that you don't trust yourself to not rip my throat out, or do you think I planned to do so to you? You question my control over my ... Guests. I intended to show you that I had that control, when needed." A light shiver ran slowly up her spine. She pressed the heel of her shoe to her toe again. Control needed to be maintained. "Dissoudre le sort." ((Dissolve spell.))

She turned to face him, adjusting her heel on her toe as needed. "If you feel this was a mistake, then so be it. That is your decision. But I am being honest with you when I say that I can keep the darkness at bay long enough to accomplish this task, Benjamin. Had you come closer you might have sensed, or perhaps smelled, that I am capable." Her hand returned to her pocket as she stood looking at him.

"Why would I want to rip out your throat?" He thought it was a reasonable question. "Have I threatened you since my arrival? Shown any inclination that I'd want to do you harm?" His eyes lowered to deeper slits. "The meaning behind offering your neck is lost upon me." She had wanted him to come closer, so she offered her neck... but why the neck? The more he thought about that, and what she had just said about not ripping out her throat, did nothing to improve his current attitude of the situation. A beast he may be, but he didn't go around killing with no provocation unless he felt it useful.

Venis blinked slowly. "I didn't think that you meant me harm, Benjamin. Quite the contrary. If that had been my thought, I would not have given you the chance to get that close." Another slow blink. She wanted to make sure that she conveyed her thoughts clearly. "You're a wolf, Benjamin. When you don't trust your eyes, do you not trust your nose? Do you not trust your other senses?" Her left hand came up to scratch at the back of her head for a moment. Her volume dropped as she spoke again. "I know that that's what I do." She slid her hand back into her back pocket. She had to wonder now, how much had Benjamin found out about her in the past. She presumed that he had already discovered her inner wolf. And she was simply offering him a chance to do exactly what she, what her wolf, would have done in this instance.

Benjamin was not that type of wolf - or they were from different understandings. Quite possible that this was the case. A person didn't offer their neck as a sign of trust where he was from. He took another step back as he answered her question in his own mind and spoke out on something else. "Senses can be fooled." He himself liked to play on what people sensed, or thought that they had, so he wouldn't trust that.

"We each do to our own imaginings. That,” He pointed at her but, in reality, it was a gesture to the thing inside of her and the varying shifts in her mood, "Is not mine." Benjamin liked things that were consistent. In a sense, he knew what she was doing - holding the darkness, as she said, so she could do the task, but he would have felt better of her not restraining it than inflicting a change in her nature to do what was needed. He couldn’t trust that she wouldn't have to change again and that, that was a risk he wasn't willing to make. Benjamin didn't trust anyone but one.

Right hand came up and index finger and thumb pressed to either side of the bridge of her nose as she lowered her head and closed her eyes. After a moment, she released her nose and lifted her head to look at him again. Her hand returned to her back pocket as she spoke. "What do you want from me, Benjamin? And I don't mean the pulling of the soul from you. I mean as far as my unwelcomed guests. I want to be able to help you. I am capable of the task you asked of me. But it is in my nature to protect you as much as possible in the process. Especially from my guests. Goddess of Protection and all. So, tell me, how exactly do you wish for me to proceed?" She kept her tone completely neutral.

He did not doubt that she was capable, from what he saw it was possible that he could lay down and this task could be done. Then he would be off to do the thing that needed to be done. There were too many variables here and they kept twisting themselves around things he did not like. Benjamin pivoted on his left heel and started to turn. She wanted to protect him, making it his fault for coming in the first place. Call it pride if you will, but Benjamin was not one to accept open protection. Stubborn. Prideful. Arrogant. All those may be apt words to describe his change of attitude. "I don't need protecting." Nor did he want to tell her how to proceed. If it were up to him he'd take that thing she had inside of her and have it for his own. That was something he understood without needing to think about it. That was something which was nearly native to him since the time he became what he was. He started to walk away. "You can return to your previous engagement." Whatever he had taken her from.

Venis shook her head as she looked to the ground for the moment. "Of course you don't." Spoken barely above a whisper, in regard to his needing protection. Her head rose and she looked at the back of his head. "But you came to me with this, Benjamin. You know what I am. Did you honestly think that I wouldn't try to protect you from them, from myself?" As he started to walk away, she removed her heel of her shoe from her toe. It only took the space of a few heartbeats, if her heart were beating, for her eyes to begin to bleed back to red. Before she was completely pushed back, she spoke again. "If that is what you want." And she turned to scratch a portal into the air before the darkness could try to stop her.

As he walked away Benjamin flexed his fingers at his side to prevent from shaking his head. He had already made his decision and it wasn't going to change. Ears had caught wind of the soft words she said and he answered it, and her other statement, with a slight nod of his head. He wasn't going to turn around. He could have helped her. He had inquired about what she had in her and she tried to protect him from it. Goddess of Protection. She may not have fully known what he was, therefore he would try not to blame her for doing her 'duty'. Benjamin's stride away from the goddess and the church was a smooth glide on a path that had no deviation. He lifted his left hand in a, short, non-committal wave.

As her portal opened, she spoke. But once again, it wasn't exactly her. "Too bad beast. I could have feasted upon you for days." And she stepped through the portal, leaving behind nothing more than a slowly fading gap in the air.

((-Fin))

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