04-28-2015, 04:43 PM
He couldn't believe how stupid the people were around him, how could they seriously believe that the core of the sin heart would be a trap?! Dio felt bile rise the back of his throat before he even spoke, he couldn't believe that he was surrounded by people who would believe such a piss poor excuse for a rationalization let alone that it had worked on these people who likely considered themselves perceptive. Dio shook his head at the mere thought of it all, what kind of awful logic was it that the relic that made up the core of the Tarrasque would make up some kind of trap, wouldn't that have simply been a waste of the entire room that was set up in it's core? The engineers that designed this beast were none other than the most intelligent and powerful architects that in all the realms that comprised the Under Verse, how could they possibly take such care and pay such a high cost for something they intended to have blow up in the end when the original plan was to have one of hell's greatest generals leading their armies from within the beast? Not even the architects of hell were so spiteful and mindless that they'd take a beast that was supposed to function as a command center for one of their most treasured strategists and include a trap at it's core that persisted long after the beasts own death. What they were looking at was far from a trap, in fact, it could only be called a blessing that Dio had disguised with a simple lie. What they were looking at was none other than an artifact comprised of the purest omnilium, raw, unshaped, and likely dangerous to any non primes that touched it but for primes such as those assembled here it was more valuable than gold. However to Dio, who knew that in order to kill Dracula he would need a weapon of such pure omnilium that even Dracula's own incredibly pure essence wouldn't be able to overwhelm it, it was more valuable than even his own life. After all, he was a prime, and Omni himself had said that as long as Dio kept things interesting that he would be allowed to return to life, and Dio believed that with the scope of his plans and ambitions even that bastard up in the sky would definitely be willing to allow him to come back as many times as he needed to. Thus, there had never been any fear of death or pain in his mind as he made his plans, and the injuries he suffered from now were viewed as nothing more than temporary set backs, with that said however, they were set backs he could not afford to keep around for the culmination of his plan.
Thus, his mind races as he concocts his plan while he channels omnilium through his body, burning through his reserves of energy to recover at least a little in case anyone of these curs decided that they'd be better off with the artifact than he would, bones snapping and his arm twisting back into place like Dio was some kind of macabre action figure, blood being reabsorbed into his body and his collar bone mending itself allowing him to stand up straight. However, he didn't want to leave himself without the energy to time stop at least once more in any potential excursions, so his bruises and external injuries were going to be left where they were for now, the dull aches and the searing pain of his remaining cuts and bruises being pushed to the back of his mind with nothing more than a herculean display of willpower.
He wasn't idle as this happened however, and with a look towards the group he considered to be on his side he'd walk towards them, and for an instant of slow timed Dio would whisper to Alain as he passed him, a small smirk on his face. The whisper, barely even audible from the distance that it was spoken to Alain carrying a deep, powerful, and profound Charisma that Dio had yet to unveil. It brimmed with a ambition, power, and clarity that resonated with what Dio believed to be the aspirations of every mercenary. As for what was said in that instant of the pair passing, none could say as to an outsider it would have simply been said all at once, a garbled mix of words that would have come across as either some private code language or simple gibberish. However this was hidden in a seemingly natural motion that Dio took great pains to ensure seemed completely natural, so he'd gesture towards each of the remaining members as he passed to draw their attention to him, and then Dio began to address his group.
"Everyone, I want to thank you for the work you've done so far. You have displayed bravery, dedication, and stood staunch in the face of darkness that many fled in terror from. By killing this beast today you've done a great service that I, Dio, can never hope to pay back. You have allowed The Pale Moors to continue existing where others would have sealed it off, dooming it to a slow death. Fought where others would have ran before even trying to face such a terrible monster, and in the process displayed loyalty that even I, Dio, have never know my entire life. Thus, those of you gathered here who have worked for me today will be rewarded to the highest of my ability. In the future, when I carve out my section of the pale moors in my crusade against Dracula, and further down the road when I finally end his terrible reign, each of you will be granted a dukedom. A section of territory that you will be allowed to overview and that I promise will have no shortage of mineral wealth or established industry. I, Dio, will also be listing you as equals when I make the announcement that the beast was slain and the crisis was averted."
He would say, bowing with a flourish towards his own group, a nefarious scheme already concocted within his mind. By doing this he would encourage those who had fought with him to take his side in the upcoming struggle if the others could identify that this was an artifact, and if not, then he would have done everything within his power to ensure that these men would continue acting as his pawns in the future, this coupled with his action of saving Aang rather than securing glory for himself earlier he had at the very least cemented a decent reputation in the minds of those who had witnessed that act. However, there was still the task left of actually obtaining the artifact, something that Dio absolutely needed if he was going to be the one to take down that bastard in his castle. He would then take a few moments to think on what was going on here, after all he still had absolutely no faith that Atelos would trust him any farther than he could throw him, and even though he had some understanding of what had gone on in the fight and that at least some people had seen his rescue of Aang he doubted that the other party would concede a single inch regarding any potential treasure, thus, Dio knew that he had to end this quick as to prevent them from learning that the omnilium on the pedestal wasn't some kind of time bomb, and with that all too familiar charismatic aura enveloping him he spoke up once more to say.
"With that said however, given that there seems to be no physical sign remaining of the beast I suppose the best thing to do would be to find a way to safely disarm this core here, and bring it back as our proof of the kill. So to speak. The village was abandoned, as was the entire surrounding area so we don't have any impartial witnesses to spread the word, and unfortunately given the competing nature of the factions of some involved here I doubt that we would be able to convince everyone that the task was completed by us without it."
He said, doing his best to seem jovial about the whole matter, but in his heart was harbored a dark curiosity. He had read that there was an artifact within the core of the sin heart, an unrefined chunk of extremely pure omnilium, but unfortunately for him even that had just been raw speculation, and what it did was as shrouded in mystery as every gods damned other thing about the internals of the beast.
Then, in the next act of Dio's performance he would suddenly perk up, as if only just now noticing something as he'd turn to Whirda and Proto to say.
"Of well of course, the good people who we found here need to also be included in this. After all, why can't we be friends with such great heroes? In fact, in light of their valor today I think it would only be be appropriate to list them as a second hunting party who assisted in the kill when we make the official announcement. Though of course, I hope you understand that given the faction alignment of Atelos that he likely wont be welcome at the party. Nothing against you, Darkshire guards just tend to make my traditional guests uncomfortable."
He says, trying his best to seem jovial, to divert attention from the artifact being there at all, to make this seem more like the celebration of a monster that has finally been purged from the land. Which, in all senses but the one Dio cared most about, it was. The best lies did hold at least a grain of truth, and Dio knew well that it would likely be incredibly easy to disarm the situation if he played his cards right, that was unless anyone decided to become psychotic and go on a rampage. Ah, how he missed rampages. The feel of blood dripping down his hands, the screams of the weak and ignorant as they fled from the presence of their new God. He made a note to make some me time after this, carve out someone's heart, set some things on fire, kill some of this lands approximation to nobility, really get back to his roots. He had let that get away from him in his quest to really take down the head of this verse and make it his own, so much so that he had completely forgotten his foundations, the very reason he had wanted to rule in the first place after all is so that he could demonstrate his natural superiority. Though Dio supposed that this had not all been wasted time, at least this way there would be some veneration for the man who killed the aberration that had been a scourge of the land for going on years now, that would definitely earn him some respect from the nobility even if they didn't exactly care for him to start with. An odd look of nostalgia would come over Dio's face as he'd remember better days, and then he'd turn once more to his group to say.
"Now with this said, I think it's time that we stop loitering here and get back to work. After all, we do still have to secure confirmation of the kill and report it so that we can earn the fame and glory that befits us as the killers of this terrible monster. Now, given I'm the only member of our party who has any form of regeneration, and as such my chances of surviving any prospective booby traps are highest, I'll be heading forward first. You two are welcome to send your own man forward as well if you doubt my noble intentions, otherwise, I'm heading forward with or without your permission. Because with no offense intended, you have no authority over me or my men, nor do you have the right to even try. Though, if you're looking for a trophy yourself than I'll be happy to include your name on the plaque we put this on as the leader of the second party."
He'd say a dry smirk on his face as he'd turn and start walking towards the orb. Like he was going to follow their orders anymore than they would follow his. If they thought to impose some authority on him of all people then he would die before bending knee to someone who at best could be considered on his level. After all the two of them would have never defeated this beast alone, and to say that it was anything other than some sick joke that they could impose their authority here as what amounted to the minority then he had no choice but to remind them of the fact that they ultimately held less authority here than he did. Who did they think they were that they actually tried to order around he, Dio, with nothing more than a gesture and a look? People called him arrogant but expect obedience from the leader of a larger group without so much as giving him a little respect for his position, and expecting him to take it lying down in front of his men? That was simply too much, it wasn't like any of them ranked higher than he did here after all, and he had no reason to respect them more than any other prime here, and given the obvious enmity between their factions no one could possibly blame him for disregarding the orders of someone he barely knew and had no reason to continue working with.
However, Dio had prepared for this moment, stowed away within a sleeve was prepared a metallic bracer he had materialized out of a material similar in appearance to the Tarrasque's own hide. He had expected something a bit more direct in correlation to the beast's own nature when he had read of the artifact contained within it's core, but if his theory was correct about the raw omnlium here functioning as any other omnilium would, just many thousands of times purer, then he would be able to make it look similar enough to his original design that with a simple use of sleight of hand he'd be able to swap them in the stopped time without anyone being the wiser. He just needed to get there first, and with his grand performance back there he doubted anyone would dare to snub a man simply looking for the trophy of his kill, let alone as outnumbered as any of the other groups here were.
Thus, his mind races as he concocts his plan while he channels omnilium through his body, burning through his reserves of energy to recover at least a little in case anyone of these curs decided that they'd be better off with the artifact than he would, bones snapping and his arm twisting back into place like Dio was some kind of macabre action figure, blood being reabsorbed into his body and his collar bone mending itself allowing him to stand up straight. However, he didn't want to leave himself without the energy to time stop at least once more in any potential excursions, so his bruises and external injuries were going to be left where they were for now, the dull aches and the searing pain of his remaining cuts and bruises being pushed to the back of his mind with nothing more than a herculean display of willpower.
He wasn't idle as this happened however, and with a look towards the group he considered to be on his side he'd walk towards them, and for an instant of slow timed Dio would whisper to Alain as he passed him, a small smirk on his face. The whisper, barely even audible from the distance that it was spoken to Alain carrying a deep, powerful, and profound Charisma that Dio had yet to unveil. It brimmed with a ambition, power, and clarity that resonated with what Dio believed to be the aspirations of every mercenary. As for what was said in that instant of the pair passing, none could say as to an outsider it would have simply been said all at once, a garbled mix of words that would have come across as either some private code language or simple gibberish. However this was hidden in a seemingly natural motion that Dio took great pains to ensure seemed completely natural, so he'd gesture towards each of the remaining members as he passed to draw their attention to him, and then Dio began to address his group.
"Everyone, I want to thank you for the work you've done so far. You have displayed bravery, dedication, and stood staunch in the face of darkness that many fled in terror from. By killing this beast today you've done a great service that I, Dio, can never hope to pay back. You have allowed The Pale Moors to continue existing where others would have sealed it off, dooming it to a slow death. Fought where others would have ran before even trying to face such a terrible monster, and in the process displayed loyalty that even I, Dio, have never know my entire life. Thus, those of you gathered here who have worked for me today will be rewarded to the highest of my ability. In the future, when I carve out my section of the pale moors in my crusade against Dracula, and further down the road when I finally end his terrible reign, each of you will be granted a dukedom. A section of territory that you will be allowed to overview and that I promise will have no shortage of mineral wealth or established industry. I, Dio, will also be listing you as equals when I make the announcement that the beast was slain and the crisis was averted."
He would say, bowing with a flourish towards his own group, a nefarious scheme already concocted within his mind. By doing this he would encourage those who had fought with him to take his side in the upcoming struggle if the others could identify that this was an artifact, and if not, then he would have done everything within his power to ensure that these men would continue acting as his pawns in the future, this coupled with his action of saving Aang rather than securing glory for himself earlier he had at the very least cemented a decent reputation in the minds of those who had witnessed that act. However, there was still the task left of actually obtaining the artifact, something that Dio absolutely needed if he was going to be the one to take down that bastard in his castle. He would then take a few moments to think on what was going on here, after all he still had absolutely no faith that Atelos would trust him any farther than he could throw him, and even though he had some understanding of what had gone on in the fight and that at least some people had seen his rescue of Aang he doubted that the other party would concede a single inch regarding any potential treasure, thus, Dio knew that he had to end this quick as to prevent them from learning that the omnilium on the pedestal wasn't some kind of time bomb, and with that all too familiar charismatic aura enveloping him he spoke up once more to say.
"With that said however, given that there seems to be no physical sign remaining of the beast I suppose the best thing to do would be to find a way to safely disarm this core here, and bring it back as our proof of the kill. So to speak. The village was abandoned, as was the entire surrounding area so we don't have any impartial witnesses to spread the word, and unfortunately given the competing nature of the factions of some involved here I doubt that we would be able to convince everyone that the task was completed by us without it."
He said, doing his best to seem jovial about the whole matter, but in his heart was harbored a dark curiosity. He had read that there was an artifact within the core of the sin heart, an unrefined chunk of extremely pure omnilium, but unfortunately for him even that had just been raw speculation, and what it did was as shrouded in mystery as every gods damned other thing about the internals of the beast.
Then, in the next act of Dio's performance he would suddenly perk up, as if only just now noticing something as he'd turn to Whirda and Proto to say.
"Of well of course, the good people who we found here need to also be included in this. After all, why can't we be friends with such great heroes? In fact, in light of their valor today I think it would only be be appropriate to list them as a second hunting party who assisted in the kill when we make the official announcement. Though of course, I hope you understand that given the faction alignment of Atelos that he likely wont be welcome at the party. Nothing against you, Darkshire guards just tend to make my traditional guests uncomfortable."
He says, trying his best to seem jovial, to divert attention from the artifact being there at all, to make this seem more like the celebration of a monster that has finally been purged from the land. Which, in all senses but the one Dio cared most about, it was. The best lies did hold at least a grain of truth, and Dio knew well that it would likely be incredibly easy to disarm the situation if he played his cards right, that was unless anyone decided to become psychotic and go on a rampage. Ah, how he missed rampages. The feel of blood dripping down his hands, the screams of the weak and ignorant as they fled from the presence of their new God. He made a note to make some me time after this, carve out someone's heart, set some things on fire, kill some of this lands approximation to nobility, really get back to his roots. He had let that get away from him in his quest to really take down the head of this verse and make it his own, so much so that he had completely forgotten his foundations, the very reason he had wanted to rule in the first place after all is so that he could demonstrate his natural superiority. Though Dio supposed that this had not all been wasted time, at least this way there would be some veneration for the man who killed the aberration that had been a scourge of the land for going on years now, that would definitely earn him some respect from the nobility even if they didn't exactly care for him to start with. An odd look of nostalgia would come over Dio's face as he'd remember better days, and then he'd turn once more to his group to say.
"Now with this said, I think it's time that we stop loitering here and get back to work. After all, we do still have to secure confirmation of the kill and report it so that we can earn the fame and glory that befits us as the killers of this terrible monster. Now, given I'm the only member of our party who has any form of regeneration, and as such my chances of surviving any prospective booby traps are highest, I'll be heading forward first. You two are welcome to send your own man forward as well if you doubt my noble intentions, otherwise, I'm heading forward with or without your permission. Because with no offense intended, you have no authority over me or my men, nor do you have the right to even try. Though, if you're looking for a trophy yourself than I'll be happy to include your name on the plaque we put this on as the leader of the second party."
He'd say a dry smirk on his face as he'd turn and start walking towards the orb. Like he was going to follow their orders anymore than they would follow his. If they thought to impose some authority on him of all people then he would die before bending knee to someone who at best could be considered on his level. After all the two of them would have never defeated this beast alone, and to say that it was anything other than some sick joke that they could impose their authority here as what amounted to the minority then he had no choice but to remind them of the fact that they ultimately held less authority here than he did. Who did they think they were that they actually tried to order around he, Dio, with nothing more than a gesture and a look? People called him arrogant but expect obedience from the leader of a larger group without so much as giving him a little respect for his position, and expecting him to take it lying down in front of his men? That was simply too much, it wasn't like any of them ranked higher than he did here after all, and he had no reason to respect them more than any other prime here, and given the obvious enmity between their factions no one could possibly blame him for disregarding the orders of someone he barely knew and had no reason to continue working with.
However, Dio had prepared for this moment, stowed away within a sleeve was prepared a metallic bracer he had materialized out of a material similar in appearance to the Tarrasque's own hide. He had expected something a bit more direct in correlation to the beast's own nature when he had read of the artifact contained within it's core, but if his theory was correct about the raw omnlium here functioning as any other omnilium would, just many thousands of times purer, then he would be able to make it look similar enough to his original design that with a simple use of sleight of hand he'd be able to swap them in the stopped time without anyone being the wiser. He just needed to get there first, and with his grand performance back there he doubted anyone would dare to snub a man simply looking for the trophy of his kill, let alone as outnumbered as any of the other groups here were.