Lost Ruins of Chaos Rising

Dali, oblivious to the conversation outside, was busy dealing with the echoing voice from inside the shadows. He flinched back as the same shadowy face appeared, gritting his teeth. Something about the whole thing just didn't feel right. Feeling another tap on his shoulder he swung around, this time with a ready fist, and aimed for a square punch to whatever the shadow creature was. He wasn't about to go down without a fight, no matter how much that creepy voice taunted him. After all, there wasn't really a mob of humans just outside the shadows... was there?

Much to Dali's horror, the fist just went straight through the shadow beast's head. "Ah hahahahahaha~ You cannot touch the darkness little vampire!" The beast said, reaching towards Dali with a clawed hand, only to disappear again. "Hehehehehe~ Your being watched we speak! But by what? Hehehe~" The Shadow Beast then appeared in front of Dali again, it's razor sharp teeth all glistening with what looked like blood.
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Obsidian grinned at the Shadow Beast's voice. "Doesn't it sound charming? Quite the interesting creature it is.... Oh that's right, I suppose you don't know what it is do you? Well, I guess you'll find out." Obsidian said, and the shadows parted enough so that Jest and Cyan could see in, but Dali couldn't see out. "A Shadow Beast. Quite the interesting creature. I cannot control it's movements, but I can however control when it disappears and reappears." Obsidian said, knowing that Dali could not hear them.

Dali's eyes widened, and he took a cautious step back away from the grinning creature. How in the world was supposed to fight against something he couldn't even touch? Especially considering whatever it was could touch him, since it tapped his shoulder at least twice. The fog-like darkness didn't really help either, and from what the creature told him it sounded like he was being watched by something besides the creature itself. Dali absolutely hated the feeling of being watched, which at the moment was starting to creep up on him.
Then it hit him. If the shadow, creature, whatever-it-was was intent on hurting him, it would've done so already. Instead it was merely taunting him. ...Was this someones idea of a joke?

The Shadow Beast grinned, before lunging at Dali, with the full intent to kill. However, just as it was about to hit Dali, it disappeared and reappeared behind Dali. "Hmm~ It seems we're both being played with" The beast said, before turning back towards Dali.

Dali raised his arms to shield himself when the beast lunged, and was slightly surprised to find it disappearing again. He turned so he could see the beast. So it WAS someone's idea of a joke. Relaxing a bit and standing straight, Dali silently plotted revenge in his head. Then again, revenge would be easier if he knew who was doing it...

"Well then, if I'm being toyed with, may as well toy with someone else~" The shadow beast said, looking back towards Dali with an evil grin. Dashing up to Dali, the shadow beast stopped right in front of Dali. Reaching out with a clawed hand, it traced a thin line in the air just in front of Dalis face. Following the creature's clawed finger was a floating red line of blood. Tracing out letters, the Creature watched as each letter dripped with real blood. "D.... A.... L.... I...."

"..." Dali watched the creature trace out his name with dripping blood that appeared to hover in mid-air. He wondered if that was supposed to scare him, considering it just looked like a floating snack at the moment. It smelled oddly good as well. Reaching a finger under the dripping letters he allowed the blood to drip on him, before hesitantly licking it off his now blood-covered finger. He wondered for a brief moment if it was poisoned, but for some reason he seemed to doubt that. It tasted good enough, anyway.

The Shadow Beast grinned at Dali's reaction to the blood. " I figured~" lifting a clawed hand up, a shadowy shield appeared around the beast, before a small light shone out, completely unaffecting the shield.

Dali reflexively lifted his arms to cover his face, staggering back a step. A small amount of smoke rising from under his shielding arms. He grimaced as he sidestepped the beam of light, the burning pain slowly fading. "That... Hurt..." he grumbled, half to himself.

"Hahahaha~ So You Caaaaaaan Be Hurt!" The shadow beast said, and the light vanished as well as she shield.
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Obsidian whistled at the shadow beast's ideas of fun. "It's worse than I am. That's a first."

Man, that thing would've so been toast by then if he could've hit it... Unfortunately, he couldn't, leaving the creature with a weapon and him without one. Then again, judging by the creature's previous shielding it could also be harmed by light as well. Then again, it was a shadow. If only he had a way to make some sort of light... even a flashlight would be semi-useful, which is something he thought he'd never admit to himself. Flashlights being useful...

"You still haven't figured it out huh~ Hehehehe~ I know who's toying with us... But do you?" The beast said, jumping into the wall of shadows, disappearing and appearing above Dali. "Little vampire, little vampire~ Why are you so dull? The answer is so obvious, yet you are oblivious~ I am not the one controlling the shadows, so who is it?" The riddle that the shadow beast said was a puzzler. Who was it, if not the shadow beast? "A clue, a clue~ Eyes of red, white and blue~"

Dali stepped back, so the beast was not hovering above his head. He wasn't quite sure what the beast was getting at, although at that point he had little care. He was simply wating for the whole game of the shadows to end, and for the game master to finally reveal himself. Then maybe he could start having a little fun of his own.

"A clue, a clue~ The gem that adorns the necklace is a black diamond, stripped of it's red enchantment~ Spikes on a collar, and a nasty scar~ Who, oh who, could it be~" The Shadow beast's sing-song voice chimed with a hint of mocking. "A tail tipped in a blade, and fur like spikes~ Who, oh who, Could it be~"

"..." Dali wondered in his head who it could be, but no solid image came to mind. It was on the tip of his tongue...

"Clues, oh clues~ The assassin queen hates him, And he knows the weak point~ Who, oh who is it?" Now the beast was practically giving away the name. "Shadows bow to him, and exile hunts him. Who, oh who could it be~"

Dali suddenly snapped his fingers. He knew who it was. But then, why would a famous assassin waste time messing with the mind of a young vampire? Perhaps for the sole purpose of amusement? Famous assassin or not, Dali was going to clock him in the head as soon as he got out of the assassins sick idea of a joke.

"Hahahahahahaha~ You figured it out! Congratulations!" The shadow beast said, it's grin growing ever wider.
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"So, finally. I suppose I should Introduce myself." Obsidian muttered, a wicked grin in his face. The shadows closed again, and Obsidian melted into the shadows, going into the ring of shadows.
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As soon as Obsidian entered the dome, the shadow beast disappeared. Obsidian then came out of the shadows. "Wow, for a vampire, you sure take a bit to click onto a prank." Obsidian said, watching the Dali in case he decided to backhand him or something.

Well, at least the annoying shadow was gone. However, if Dali wanted to get his revenge strike in he would have to time it just right. Hopefully a vampire's natural speed is enough to be able to clock an assassin in the head ta least once. "It wasn't the prank that took me a while to figure out..." he said quietly. "It was who was stupid enough to initiate it."

Obsidian glared at Dali. " Just because SOMEONE can't take a prank..." Obsidian said, suddenly dropping into the shadows and coming up behind Dali, his tail blade at the vampire's neck. "... Doesn't mean they can insult one of the most feared of the Ruins. I'm not as feared as Zerinika, but I'm damn close. So I suggest you hold your comments."

"Oh, was that what that was? Felt more like somebody's sick idea of a joke." Dali was apparently ignoring the rogue assassin's warning, despite the fact that he had a blade being held up to his throat. He wasn't about to be made fun of by an assassin's shadow and then just let it go like nothing happened.

"Lets just say I have a twisted sense of humour." Obsidian said, melting into the shadows, and coming up about five meters away. "And before you even think about it, but you probably already have, your natural speed cannot match mine. By the time your over here, I'll be on the other side of you, all within the moment you blink. I can be fast when I want to. How do you think I've survived being hunted by Zerinika this long?" Obsidian warned, his tri coloured eyes never leaving Dali's red one.

"Uh huh." he said simply. "Well, if you would excuse me, I'd like to escape this little sphere of darkness you seem to have created." He wasn't exactly keen on idle conversation. Besides, he could get his revenge later.

"Ah, but that would ruin the fun. There is a way out for those who don't have the Shadow Freight, but you have to find it. Good luck!" Obsidian said, a sly grin on his face. Melting into the shadows, Obsidian made sure he was no longer visible before watching Dali's reaction.

Dali folded his arms, muttering something under his breath. He was going to get revenge someday... but in the meantime, he needed to find a way to escape this dome. He began randomly feeling around the shadows, thinking there might be a lucky trigger or something similar.