Dream Key ~Caleb and Zeria only~

"I-I know that look! Relax, I can control myself quite well." he lied beautifully. But indeed, he suddenly had the urge to kiss her. There was something about this girl that drew him in. We it her demonic presence or just her beauty and stature? He didn't think too much, but he kept himself still. But then there was the issue of his horse. It was strong, but it was still just a horse. It would be scared of her too, no doubt. He sighed.

"It would seem we are to travel by foot then I qould assume," he picked up a sheath from the wall in her room. It was ornate, and looked almost arabic in design. It was leather, but with a metal design bracing the outside of it, resembling the waves of the ocean. He took it with him to his room, and pulled a key from under the chest.

"I guess it's time, ah?"

He came back a few moments later, with the sheathed sword in his belt. He only had it out for a short time, too quick to truely make out its' features. He was quite scared of it honestly. Although it would seem just being near this girl had an impact on him. If anything, this adventure would teach him self control.

Kesh'e shook her head, grabbing her things and waiting as Kale acquired his remaining weaponry. She sat down, lacing up her knee-high boots, then slung her pack over her shoulder.

"You seem...unhappy to be carrying that weapon..."

Almost as unhappy as she was every time she looked at her dance clothes...

"You could always do like I do and store your weapon in your dream world and pull it out at will..."

She demonstrated by hold out a pale hand. In a wave of fire, a blood red scimitar, the same one from her dream world materialized in her grasp...

"My powers don't work like yours do, however. In a sense, they're similar, yet opposite. I guess you could say our powers are polar to each other. I can't use magic like that. If I can, I don't know how to yet."

He shivered a bit, and drew the sword. Like the glistening of a star, the blade seemed died in oil, as he had described it. Essentially, the steel itself reflected all the colors of the spectrum. It was a bluish iron, but in the right light, it was like a sword forged from the blue sky itself. Its' handle was made of bronze. A very fine, durable metal. It was definitely not a sword that was made by humans.

"This blade. It's like it was made to slay evil. Whenever I have it with me, bad things happen. It's like it summons the true nature in those around it when it's outside of its' sheath. If someone has wicked intent, it shows immediately. The blade gives me the power to not just see, but show what people really are under the surface. Whatever their personality hides, is no longer hidden. Can you think of a more frightening ability? To have all of your secret aspects of yourself unraveled to those around you, just like that?"

He swung it around a few times, and sheathed it again.

"This sword is unbreakable, it seems. It's been in my family for generations, and there is not a scratch on the blade. Yet, I've seen it used plenty of times, and clashed other swordsmen myself. It simply will not dent. The materials of this world are no match for it. I'm scared of it. It's the only trace of what I am left, other than myself, of course."

Kesh'e pondered all that was happening momentarily, seeming to stare off blankly for several minutes...before she snapped back to reality in time to see Kale drawing that mysterious blade of his. Instantly, Kesh'e found herself wanting to dance. Something about that blade drew out the inner dancer in her...but something ugly stirred within her as well. A desire for blood and chaos. A demon's nature. Kesh'e put a hand to her head, shaking off the feeling.

"Never again..."

She shivered, but fire warmed her instantly, dancing across her skin with little flames. She absorbed that fire, drawing it into her body.

"Shall we depart....?"

"Ah, I forget. There are sides to you that are meant to be kept secret for reasons beyond human comprehension. There is a way to prevent the sword from affecting you, but that merely means being exposed to it enough. I'll make sure that if I ever do use it, it's in short order."

He grabbed his gold pouch, a change of clothes, and some fruit and bread. Packing his things, he took a bow and arrow with him as well. Hunting could prove useful if things turned for the worst on their journey. Walking out the door, people turned to stare at him. They could tell he was gone for a long time. A nearby drunkard looked on as though he would enter his house to steal when he left. Good luck. Kale had everything he owned on him, which wasn't much. He saved his money well.

He looked back to Kesh'e and scratched the back of his head.

"I... do now know the way to our destination."

Kesh'e nodded and made for the exit, following Kale outside. She could sense the intent of those around. It almost made her want to stay to reap their souls and feed on them. But she needed to move on, lest the people searching for her actually find her. There were many minions of the magistrate and the lord searching for her, as well as an exorcist who loved to torment her.

"You are wise to leave nothing of value behind...it will not be there should you decide to return to this place..."

She began to walk, signalling Kale to walk at her side.

"This road will lead us straight to the town I mentioned earlier. We'll have one stop along the way for rest, but otherwise we should be able to make it within two days' time..."

"This town is as you said. Infested with creeps of all types. I'm not one to gamble. Well, so be it," he walked at her side at a decent pace. People continued to stare, wondering who this beautiful girl was, and why she was being escorted by a blacksmith. It didn't matter. He'd likely never see these people again. He had no intention of returning. Adventurers, especially successful ones, did not belong in a town of such dark going ons.

He saw it in her. She was a wanderer. She likely had persuers. A demon of her strength, no doubt, had those who would menace her. It was kind of ironic. The tales of his people being of Angel's blood. And this demonic force beside him. If anything, she was the one escorting him. But he would protect her as best he could. He wasn't much for freeloading.

"So, why are we going to this place, anyway? Something important to you there, or is it just the closest place to whatever your destination is? I'm aware there will likely be fighting. Bandits, persuers, etc. I won't be in the way."

Kesh'e walked alongside Kale, silent for many drawn out moments...before she deigned to speak, her voice a gentle echo of the power she contained within her fragile body.

"Kamriel is a town known for being one of the most tainted around. My goal is..."

She sighed, gazing off to the distance, uncaring of the eyes watching them wherever they walked.

"I want to see if I can create a portal to hell to find my real body...but I need to do it in a place of great taint..."

Her expression seemed almost sorrowful for a minute.

"If I can't create one in Kamriel, I have no idea where else I might be able to make a portal..."

"Alright. Making a portal to hell on Earth sounds like a great idea! Nothing could possibly go wrong with such a plan. That much is common sense," he said with the utmost sarcasm. The road began to get messier and messier as they went, surely signs of the outskirts of their town becoming closer. It was odd. He hadn't traveled outside of the town without his horse before, so it was rare he felt such uneven earth beneath his heels. With each step, it was like stepping on another world.

"But am I actually right, though? Will hellspawn really start flowing out like I'm envisioning? Or is Hell something more sinister than just monsters roaming everywhere?" he asked, assuming that there really was such a "more sinister thing".

Kesh'e sighed and shook her head. It was pretty aparent that Kale knew little to nothing about hell.

"Hell...is just like earth, only there are simply demons and the souls of those sent there..."

She stopped, turning to face him.

"Look at me as I am now. Many demons are born with human appearances. Some aren't. I was born mostly humanoid, as you can see. My mother was more humanoid, so my genes followed hers, rather than my father's, who was a horned and tailed demon"

Kesh'e turned and began to walk again, her dark auburn hair blowing gently in the breeze behind her.

"Nothing will come out of the portal if I can successfully make it. We'll just be able to enter it to a certain location..."

"So would you say Hell is a safe place for those able to defend themselves? Or is it rather violent no matter where you go?" he was suddenly quite curious. He might as well be the only human on Earth now (if he was indeed one) who knew what life after death was to be like, at least... one of the possible outcomes.

"And how much stronger are demons compared to more trivial things, like werewolves or vampires? I mean, humans are rather off par with those rarities themselves, but are demons stronger than those?"

Kesh'e continued to walk, though deigned to explain things to him. After all, he was accompanying her on her journey. It was best that he knew what he was up against, should it cross their paths.

"You're never safe in hell. Especially if you're a woman. Hell is all about bonding ceremonies that keep you forever in the service of an individual. There are marriage bonds, slave bonds, handmaiden bonds..."

She sighed almost sorrowfully.

"I was bonded to a lord of hell...one of the strongest lords...from the moment he saw me dance, he wanted me. I just didn't realize the dance troupe I was with was bonding off girls until it was too late. I tried to run, but they caught me anyway...it doesn't matter now, though. I'm free"

It seemed that she wanted to avoid that subject as much as possible.

"Every demon is different when it comes to strength. Obviously, the lords are the most powerful. Then you have their second in commands, which I was. Then the magistrates who advise them are usually powerful as well. Most demons in hell are actually quite powerless on their own without the proper training. Unless, of course, you get them in groups. Then they can wreak plenty of havoc..."

"So in other words, it's no different than here, except you can't judge them by their cover until you actually cross blades with them. That in itself is frightening. I could go up against an imp and fight a hardcore mage, is what you could be saying?" he tapped on his sword. He wasn't too afraid, though. He had seen this thing before, plenty of times. Just like the rainbow it impersonates, cutting through the skies above, it slices through any barrier it finds. Those that would seek to harm the wielder, hidden emotions... there was next to nothing this blade could not fight.

But was he ready to use it? On his mind more than anything, really, was the memory of an orchestra he used to see almost every night. He could hear the pianos and violins even now. He was giving up those things, so that he could go on some escapade into Hell. What was he thinking? From the sounds of it, even going there would risk him getting enslaved. And what was she thinking by doing this? Isn't she risking the same thing?

Well, he did this expecting to leap into pits of fire, so apparently he already knew he was in over his head to begin with.

"Don't get me wrong. You can usually tell a seasoned warrior from a minor demon with no strength. It's all a matter of auras and pressure. If you feel like the strength in your body is nothing, then you're probably up against a lord or his second in command. If you feel like you're king of the world, you're up against a weakling..."

Kale was correct in worrying about being bonded away, though. Kesh'e herself feared in more than anything. It was because of her bond with Barron that he knew she was on the mortal plane, and could send his minions after her. However, there was something that saved Kale from being bonded.

"As long as you don't get yourself captured and pinned into a ceremony, you're fine. Just stay with me. I would never allow anything to happen to you. It's just not in my nature..."

At least, not anymore. She had once been a terrifying monstrousity, slaughtering all in her path at the orders of her master. Now, she was simply a melancholy woman with nothing left...

"Same. If it comes down to it, I'd find a way to break free just like you did, I suppose. You can't capture a cloud. And that's all I've ever been compared to, after all."

Indeed, his thoughts did seem to drift. But he was kind of right. He had an impressive fight or flight reflex. There's little way to catch him off guard without having plenty of help. If Kesh'e had attacked him that night, he'd have lived.

"I..." he stopped, to ask a more pressing question, while they were on terms of combat, "How vulnerable are demons to magic? I have a few basic spells up my sleave. Nothing substantial, just a little ignite spell, a bit of a cold snap, and a light."

Kesh'e smiled a bit. She kind of enjoyed his questioning. It made the time seem to pass much quicker as they journeyed towards Kamriel.

"It depends on what kind of demon you find. There are demons of all kinds. I am a fire demon, but I've also been trained in magicks of the mind. There are water demons, earth demons, fire demons, demons that fly, demons that swim...we're all different..."

She held out her hand, and a tiny flame warmed to life in her palm.

"This tiny flame could be a master weapon, should I ever need it to be. For this reason, I cannot allow my body temperature to drop below freezing level, or I will die..."

"Well, I think anyone would die if that happened, to be honest," he chuckled a bit, as they approached the woodlands that seemed to quickly fall upon them. As one tree passed, two more would come up next, until they were walking along the woodland path that was the border of the town. Indeed, bandits were known to frequent these woods, but that was all he knew. It was still early day, and they'd make good headway into the forest before nightfall, when they'd be on the prowl.

He smiled a bit, though. He honestly felt sorry for anyone who would try to kill them given his company, the woman nearby him. If she didn't devour them, she'd burn them to death. The thought made him kind of shiver, but he let it go. He stayed mesmerized by the various kinds of wood.

Kesh'e shook her head.

"Wrong, actually. Water and ice demons have regular body temperatures below freezing. They can survive the coldest of weather. Fire demons regularly run hot. That is why my skin will always seem warm to you..."

She froze in place momentarily as memories flooded her. Fire burning everywhere. Sweat dripping from passioned bodies tangled together. Absolute pleasure as they panted for breath. Keshe's eyes glazed over with a sheen of desire, as though her body were preparing itself.

"NO!"

She stopped herself, placing a hand to her head. They had travelled far enough. She needed to stop, before Kale had her remembering more things with Barron.

"We need to set up camp...ask no more questions..."

Kesh'e wove her hand, and a small fire started on the ground. She reached around to trees, snapping off limbs for use as firewood, throwing them on the fire, then took off her pack, spreading out a thin, tattered blanket on the ground.

"I need to rest..."

"I see," Kale sighed. She certainly did her best to keep her thoughts at bay. He'd do well not to ask too many prying questions. Making himself warm, he took out the first night's provisions he had prepared. Two jugs of water, and a loaf of bread to share between them. It was decent bread he had baked himself. It had various spices mixed within, making it very exquisite.

"I hope you like bread. I have two types, one type for tonight, and the other for tomorrow. Afterwards, we only have snacks, mostly, until we reach our destination."

Kesh'e nodded, moving to take a seat next to him. She hated that she had to get close to him. It wasn't just him, though. She typically avoided people, unless she absolutely had to be around them. However, something about Kale piqued her curiosity. She had to know what he was.

"I have some provisions as well, and whatever we need, I suppose I could try to summon...not that I'm a great summoner...my skill was with a sword and fire, rather than spells and potions..."

She held out her hand to him. She wanted to try something, despite her unease to do so.

"I...feel that you deserve to know what I used to be...I want to take you with me into the dream realm and show you..."

"You're not just doing this out of respect, are you? You seem uncomfortable. But, I've shown you what I can do, so it's only fitting I accept your invitation," he took hold of her hand, gently. He had the touch of a gentleman. Closing his eyes, he awaited the familiar drift that he would likely experience as she took him with her.

"But if you feel you need to stop, don't hesitate. Even I can see that there are things that trouble you."

Kesh'e swallowed hard and nodded, laying back as she let herself relax and drift into what she called the dream world. She could feel his presence with her as she awoke within the world, laying on the bed of bleeding roses, her cherished items surrounding her.

"Again with this room...I wonder what it is..."

She sat up, then walked to the wall, waving her hand. It opened up to reveal the various souls drifting about, as Kale had shown her before.

"Please do not fear me after I show you this..."

Kesh'e took a deep breath...then let her memories play...

~~~

Fire blazed across a bloodstained battlefield littered with bodies. Man, woman, child...it didn't matter. They all were dead. A war raged, swords and elements flying amock, destroying all in their path...and at the center of it all, stood an armor clad woman with dark auburn hair that blew wildly in the wind. She had her head thrown back as she let out a near psychotic laugh.

"More! More chaos! More blood! Moooore!"

A closer look at the bloodsplattered face of this pale woman............and it revealed Keshe's maddened face.

"Come at me! I'll kill all of you!"

She ducked and wove through the fighting bodies, hacking and slashing her way through any in her way, comrade or not. She didn't care. All that mattered was that rush when she felt the life leave her victims.

"MORE! MOOOOORE!"
~~

It was then that the memory began to shatter, and things changed back to the peaceful world of dreams...except Kesh'e stood there...trembling as tears of blood poured down her cheeks, hands on her head. Her voice was a pained whisper, her eyes clenched shut.

"No more....please...no more..."

Kale's eyes widened as the maddened woman began to rush at him, before shattering into pieces that seemed to fade away. Where the maniacal demon stood, now sat a humble, crying woman. The blood pouring from her tear ducts was offputting to say the least. But, he knew. Somehow, he knew this is what she was once like. Her prowess, even the way she held herself was that of someone ready to kill. How could someone kill so easily, even though to save their life like she does?

That was how.

He took a step forward. Then another. He wanted to hold her, but it wasn't until a few seconds passed that he realized: he never took a single step to begin with. He was frozen with fear of her, indeed. But, with a tearful squint of his eyes, he broke the spell of fright and rushed to her side, quickly wrapping his arms around her, kneeling behind her.

"It's okay, Kesh'e. That's not the life you live anymore! The woman there, is not the girl I see before me. That was a monster. This?"

He took his hand and caressed her cheek before slipping it under her chin and facing her face to his as he leaned over.

"The eyes I see here, are not the same. What I see is gentle. Remember, I can see people's intentions, the color of their souls. I do not see in you what I saw there. And what I do see, is very miniscule."

He kissed her forehead, and held her again. There were times when he was a bit perverted, but there were times when he was the most kind-hearted man that was in existence.

"I'll help you. Whatever the cost. If it's that kind of life you're fighting against, I'll gladly join you!"

He held his head behind hers, so that she wouldn't see the tears.

Kesh'e trembled. She was so afraid of herself that she couldn't help it. When Kale's strong arms banded around her.......she pressed herself into the comfort of his touch.

"I'm scared.....so scared..."

Her voice was choked as she tried to talk, but only was able to whisper out her terrified words. She gazed into his eyes, her obsidian eyes wide with fear.

"I don't ever want to be that monster again...I've come so close so many times..."

She closed her eyes as he kissed her forehead. Somehow, Kesh'e felt safe with Kale. Like nothing could ever hurt her again, like nothing the world could throw at her would be able to damage her further.

"An exorcist hunts me...he tries to lure out my raging demon...he relishes in the fact that I can slaughter thousands with one attack...he wants to see me go insane, and then send me back to hell. The magistrate who sent me here to the mortal plane has promised the exorcist power in return for sending me back..."

A cold drop on her cheek made her realize that she hadn't been the only one afraid. So she did the only thing her instinct could tell her...she leaned in and pressed a velvety soft kiss to one tear, stopping it from dripping down his cheek. Her lips would be warm against his cheek. She knew it. But she didn't care. She just followed her instinct...

"The good ting about dreams, Kesh'e?" he knelt in front of her, smiling through his watery eyes. He was moved by the effort this woman has made to protect her righteousness. "Nothing can hurt you in them."

He began to blush. t took him this long to register she had just kissed him, and the warmth was indeed like nothing else. It was like the sun itself had just touched his face in a loving motion. He wanted to return the favor in a way, but... she seemed to avoid romantic situations. Would it be wise for him to make the first move? He kept his composure, and decided not to. If she wanted to go further, it would be her choice.

"And nothing will hurt you in the mortal realm, either. I promise."