What Lurks Beneath [Dante & Rainore]

[Rainore Riverscar - Council]

The cheers from the crowd on shore were unbearable, infuriating and incredibly irritating as she rode the gentle waves of the English Channel. The humans, who were no more than prey these days to siren fledgling cheered as the ever growing, rather plump King stood in front of the great ship which was the Mary Rose. Her black eyes narrowed at the scene before her, how did so many people love him, when in reality? He did nothing good for them, and completely ruined the image of the church - she surely couldn’t forget that. Yet, she assumed not many of those standing in the crowd had ever been so personally attacked by him; the look he gave her those few years ago before the waves took her would remain imprinted within her traumatised mind. He was a monster, who created a monster himself through his selfish and egotistical actions of believing he could have any woman he wanted. 

The mere memory caused Rainore to growl, her elongated fangs ached for his flesh, her taste buds begged to be coated with his blood and the sea around her dropped in temperature; so much so, the wildlife that waded around her, disappeared into the depths. For months, Rainore had dreamt of this moment, the moment she would take the life of the King yet she had never truly planned on how she was going to do it; of course, the murder, the feeding had to be slow but how she was going to lure him to her, would be spontaneous in some degree. There were rumours among the siren colonies of a darkened patch of sea in the North Atlantic, an area which seemed to swallow travellers whole; it was, even to her people, strictly out of bounds unless one had a death wish. 

Now, Rainore was considered a young siren, reckless even and her thirst for revenge was far greater than the fear of whatever was going wrong in that triangular area of sea. And so, as she cruised the waves, the decision was made - that was where she would take him and watch his life slowly depart his emotionless gaze; the other life forms on that ship… well, they were collateral damage and surely wouldn’t be missed. Finally, the show was over and the ship began its grand voyage; the waves consumed Rain and she swam beside the ship for many miles. The anticipation of his death triggered her hunger, and her song itched at the back of her throat; she knew they still had quite a while before they entered the sworn off sea - but one meal wouldn’t go amiss. 

A sweet lullaby dripped from the tip of her tongue, enticing and seductive as it danced through the air to the mortals upon deck. The harmony wrapped itself around one fragile mind and she watched him stand at the bow of the Mary Rose; she could hear the frantic cries of the other sailors, trying with all their might to pull him back - but it was simply not enough as he threw himself into the crashing waves to join her. Rainore dragged him down, twisting and ripping him apart, all the while being satisfied that fear would be poisoning the men upon deck; this was only the beginning of the King’s hellish journey, the start of what was to come in The Bermuda Triangle. 

[Dante Tristan Wayland]

What Lurks Beneath

w/ Rainore Riverscar

• His gut was telling him that only danger could be further in if they continued •

Dante's jaw clenched at her ultimatum. It was true, being alone and stuck on some deserted island did not sound like the ideal. Still, he was not going to just let what happened to his men be in vain or downplay the horrors of it either. The image of the young and terrified boy being cornered by the ghostly creature flashed over his vision. His hand gripped the hilt of his sword tighter as he hacked away at the branches which made up the path he aimed to take. The giant leaves fell easily from the swings of the weapon, though with his anger currently, he doubted anything would likely survive the end of the blade. 

"You seem to be enjoying yourself," he said through his chopping motions, moving into the cooler parts of the island now as the tree cover above them provided some ample and much needed shade. "You'll have to forgive me if I don't seem as eager as you are about being here currently or watching other innocents die at the hands of monsters." He stopped for a moment to look at her and catch a breath before continuing further. 

Once through the thickness of the outer treeline, Dante sheathed his sword and looked around. The trees only continued onward and there was no immediate sign of any life. Not only human, but animal as well. It was eerily quiet and void of anything beyond the vegetation itself. He let out a conflicted breath through his nose. Nothing about this sat well in him. His gut was telling him that only danger could be further in if they continued, but nothing of value was there on that sand. If they were to find some way out of here or answers as to what was going on, the two would have to press on. His hand wrapped around the makeshift sack he'd made before giving a cautionary glance to Rainoire and moving on.

He decided to stop at a grouping of trees that would suffice for their needs and knelt down to start unpacking what he could salvage. Glancing around the space for a few moments as the eerie feeling still writhed in his gut, he looked up to his new companion wearily. "Think you can find some wood we can use for a fire while I get the rest set up?" Dante quickly interjected before she turned to do so. "Just... be careful. Don't go too far where I can't hear you." He knew she must've felt it too. Every moment of being here only heightened his unease.

He turned back to the sack and decided to focus on the task at hand then because that he could control at least. He cut the sail into a large piece and tied the ends to the trees with rope to give them a makeshift roof, using much of the rest of it to form a hanging cot for each of them as well as a smaller bag to keep the little food remaining and themselves off the ground. Just as the cursed man started tying some of the rope to the ends of the bedding, his boot landed on something which made a crunching sound.

Dante lowered himself and brushed away the dirt and grass to see the object more clearly. He blew across it in one final effort and held it closer for inspection. A foreboding chill washed over him as he stood then. His boot began to brush away at the ground in the surrounding area and more of the familiar pieces of varying sizes started to turn up with his disturbance. Bones. And not of any animal. And not from one person. More like a dozen at least.

His eyes lifted then to the wood where all still remained silent. "Rainoire?" There was no response and he was only met with more quiet. "Rainoire?!" Dante reached for his sword and moved away from the camp, his heartbeat quickening against his chest as each second he was met with more silence. "Rainoire!!"

[Rainore Riverscar - Council]

What Lurks Beneath

The blood she managed to draw from it was a black gunk, it was thick and it smelt awful.

Rain didn’t dare correct him, she didn’t dare tell him that she used her darkened sense of humour to make the best of the situation they found themselves in; when in a matter of fact, all she wanted to do was leave, and leave whatever lived here untouched, undisturbed - she quite liked the idea of having all her limbs intact, and her head secured to her neck. “You wear your heart on your sleeve, that could one day end up getting you killed” She responded with a shrug, and followed after him, her gaze watching the shadows with intent, absolutely certain that there were unseen eyes watching their every move. They moved in silence for a few prolonged minutes as Dante cut through the vegetation, creating a makeshift pave for them; the rustling they created echoed too loudly around them.

She caught the few concerned glances he threw her way, and it took all her will to ensure that her own expression remained clear, unbothered and emotionless; bar a little smile here and there to allow him some comfort to know she wasn’t going to try and eat him at any chance she got. Rain stood with her hands on her hips, taking in the area which would be their home for the evening, it could be worse, could be better. “Yes Captain” Rain smirked and saluted him as she turned into her heels to enter the shadows which, whilst silent, it still felt like they sang an enticing song for her. The shadows felt like they were reaching out to her, encompassing her and wrapping around her, pulling her, beckoning her to go deeper into its belly.

“Absolutely not” She hissed to the silent song of the island as it continued to entice her whilst she picked up a variety of different sized twigs and branches. The branches she snapped rang loudly in her ears, although the echo of it didn’t go far, as if the silence engulfed it, smothered it. “Dante, that isn’t funny.” Rainore muttered over her shoulder at the movements behind her, the insidious sounds rumbling around her but not insight. “Don’t make me sing you to sl—” Rainore hadn’t managed to complete her sentence as a mighty force pounced on her from behind; her face landing in a deep puddle of mud.

Rain didn’t scream, she wasn’t the type; but she did put a valiant effort against the thing that was attempting to render her unconscious. Her fangs and talons extended from her as she swiped, clawed, and attempted to bite into the overpowering being. The blood she managed to draw from it was a black gunk, it was thick and it smelt awful. She growled loud as she heard her name being shouted, Dante was coming and hopefully he had heard her - but it was enough of a distraction that the creature above her took it to its advantage and succeeded in rendering her unconscious with one powerful swipe of its claws.

[Dante Tristan Wayland]

What Lurks Beneath

w/ Rainore Riverscar

• Dante looked up just in time to see the crushing blow that sent him into darkness.•

The pit in his stomach only grew as there was no immediate response when he called out her name. Everything was far too still as he continued forward. No birds singing to one another. No skittering animals in the brush. No wind through the tall trees. Silence. Nothing. Dante's hand gripped his sword tighter. 

"Rainore!!" An inhuman response then. One he knew could've come from her. He raced towards the sound and was met by the echoes of a scuffle as he cut through some more of the thicket which brought him to a small clearing. There he saw the siren. Unmoving and covered in mud on the ground. 

His eyes swept the open area and yet there was nothing he could see, but that didn't mean there was not something there. Gaze landing back to Rainore, he tried to make out if she was breathing, hoping to see her back rising and falling in rhythm, but he was too far to be sure.

Bait. She was absolutely bait for him, but he couldn't exactly leave her there and he took his first booted step towards the trap.  

The unnatural silence was deafening. His footsteps being the only sound as he moved over the forest floor. That and his heartbeat thrumming in his head. Dante was close enough now to see Rainore, but his coat, which still draped over her, was far larger than her slight frame and he couldn't make out if she was even alive. With a final glance around him, he leaned down and turned her over carefully. His overcoat parted slightly between her breasts and he thankfully saw the steady breaths that lifted her chest. Sheathing his weapon, he lifted Rainore into his arms and braced himself. Whatever it was that was out there would most certainly be making its move now.

A step. Then another. Rainore remained limp in his arms, but he adjusted her slightly so her damp hair fell away from her face and across her back. He could then see the claw marks that had torn through his coat and across her shoulder, breaking through her skin and reaching as far as her neck. Blood seeped from the wounds and trickled over his hand, further down his arm which braced her against him. Whatever it was that had attacked her was no small creature. A few inches higher and it would've ripped her throat to shreds. However, if he didn't see to the gashes, she would bleed out within minutes.

A shadow suddenly passed just within the corner of his eye. Dante sidestepped as the thing that had been stalking them finally appeared. He didn't even have enough time to process exactly what it was he was facing as the monster lunged for him again. He had no choice but to drop Rainore far less gently than he would've liked before pulling his sword again. A screech came from the creature's mouth, its jaw seeming to disconnect at the motion to open at an impossible angle, vibrating through him and out into the clearing.

Then it vanished. The eerie silence fell down like a heavy weight around him again. Dante whirled, but the thing was nowhere in sight. "Come on, you coward," he taunted with deadly softness between clenched teeth. "Come on!" The air shifted behind him and he swung, connecting with what he assumed was skin despite its hazy form. Somehow that strike seemed to make the creature appear more whole for a moment as black, thickened blood coated his blade.

Another unholy cry reverberated around them as it charged. Dante was able to parry a blow, then another, but the sheer strength of the beast was more than he could withstand, the metal and his limbs shaking with the effort. He crashed to the ground heavily. His eyes shot across the glade to Rainore who remained still, blood now pooling around her. Dante looked up just in time to see the crushing blow that sent him into darkness.

Fire brought him around again. No, smoke, he realized. Dante's head was ringing, but he lifted his heavy lids to indeed see flames dancing at a pit a few feet away. He noted other strong spices and herbs which seemed to be floating around him, a heavy weight pressing on his chest. Or so it felt like. Lifting his head seemed impossible as a grogginess settled. His mind couldn't focus, it swimming in a fuzziness. His fingers flexed in and out and as he lifted his wrists to inspect them, Dante realized he was shackled to a slab of onyx colored stone.

He pulled again and again, but there was no give and his body was far too leaden to move. He knew it must've been the mix of herbs and magic being burned in the cave that purposefully kept him in this state. Cave.. they were in a cave. "Rain... Rainore..." His mouth was as dry as sand. His throat burned and ached and not just from the smoke. Gaze moving, Dante saw another figure laying on the opposite side of the fire, strapped on a twin onyx rock and shackled the same as he. "Rainore!" His eyes quickly moved to where he knew her wounds would be, but it was impossible to see clearly through the fire that blazed between them.

[Rainore Riverscar - Council]

Darkness swarmed around her, engulfing and suffocating her. The darkness breathed her in, and cradled her, allowing her to become one with it; whilst suffocating, it also caressed her softly, keeping her near. The world outside was now deemed too dangerous for her, and the darkness was possessive - it wanted to keep her; it wanted for her to stay, to stay protected in its hold. The darkness brought it’s warmth, and it made it difficult for Rainore to leave it’s embrace, it continued to tempt her with an everlasting home yet whilst she was tempted to stay, she knew there was a life outside of its embrace, she knew that there were people relying on her, even if she had only known one of them for a few hours. Dante. She needed to get back to help him, warn him of what lurks in and on this island. 

She could hear him shouting her name, his voice becoming an anchor to the real world. And so, with a deep inhale, she pushed herself and wrestled herself out of the intricate hold the darkness had wrapped around her. Grogginess welcomed her as light intermittently filtered through her lashes; her head was pounding, the pain in her body was sharp and insufferable. Rainore cried out in pain, albeit the cry was croaked, and it scratched her from within as a burning sensation made its way up through her neck. She tried to glance down at where the pain would be, however, she found it impossible to move; she was shackled down. 

Rain attempted to try and control the panic which wanted to consume her as she attempted to move her arms and legs to free herself; but failed miserably. Talons and elongated fangs pushed through the flesh which kept them hidden, however, Rain felt very little control of them as she tried to gaze across her blurred surroundings. “Dante? Dante!” Her hoarse voice filtered through her fangs as they fell upon a figured shadow. “It hurts” She cried and allowed her body to surrender to the stone she was tied against. Perhaps she should’ve stayed with the darkness which now seemed a lot more comforting and safe than where she found herself now. 

The smoke danced between them, choking her as it did so. Rain tried to focus her gaze upon Dante across the fire but continued to fail as the pain in her neck and shoulder tried to pull her under once more. “Wh-what happened?” She pressed, attempting to keep herself conscious by noting the things she could see, and hear, what she could smell, and what she could feel. The smell was horrendous, and the sounds around them were by no means comforting. “Hazard a guess, that we’re not alone?” She mused with a painful smile, her fangs coated with blood. 

[Dante Tristan Wayland]

What Lurks Beneath

w/ Rainore Riverscar

• His heartbeat thrummed loudly in his ears as it quickened with every closer footstep of the mystery person until finally a hooded figure appeared.•

Dante could hear the anguish in Rainore's gravelly voice, making him pull uselessly on his bindings again. His muscles strained against them and the magic that seemed to be keeping him under this grogginess which he could not shake. It was undoubtedly from the rank smell of herbs and who knew what else wafting about the cave. 

"I'm not sure," he replied, looking about the jagged, damp walls for any other clue as to where they were and who may be keeping them. He smirked humorlessly at her next question, blowing out a short breath, then leaning his head back down to the cool onyx. "I would guess we are not." Dante's mind worked backwards, an effort to remember what happened before they woke up in their current predicament. The herbs were certainly making that rather difficult. 

"That.. monster. That thing in the woods. I'd found you and," a searing pain lanced through Dante's head while he fought against the fog of his memory. "Apparently I did a rather shite job of getting us out of there." A loud and inhuman screech rippled through the cave then, drawing his head back to look behind him. A brightness leaked in from what little he could see, so he assumed that meant it was the entrance to the cave. The sound echoed around them and seemed to shake the rock, but Dante recognized it still. It was the creature that had hunted them in the forest. Pained.

Dante swallowed, his throat like the deserts of Nowhere. His heartbeat thrummed loudly in his ears as it quickened with every closer footstep of the mystery person until finally a hooded figure appeared. He couldn't see anything about their captor as they were covered from head to toe in dark linen robes which billowed with every step. They first went to Rainore which sent a shock of fear down his spine.  

"Hey!" he yelled in some effort to draw their attention away, but his voice came out in a harsh croak instead, hardly having the effect he was after. Dante pulled against the ropes futilely. Through the flames he couldn't discern what the person was doing, but the nearly white skin beneath finally showed when their hands lifted to put a substance on Rain's wounds. So they wanted them alive at least. For now, anyway.  

Dante decided he'd try anything at this point. "What do you want with us? Where are we?" Still he was met with frustrating silence as the figure continued to move to check on Rainore's condition before finally rounding the firepit and coming towards him. He tried to see anything of the person beneath the hood, but it was simply a void. A clammy hand rested against his forehead then and he flinched away from their touch. Dante was met with bony fingers wrapped around his throat to keep him still before the hand was back again to his head. After a moment, they pulled away, footsteps diminishing behind them until they were alone again. 

He cursed. The not knowing was driving him crazy. Blowing out another breath, he tried to focus on staying awake as the concoction of herbs still floated around them. "Are you alright?" Dante called over to Rain, pressing his lids together tightly before widening them. Before she could answer, another set of steps entered the cave and then stood before them and this time, they weren't covered.