Advertise/Affiliate Other Forum Main Page The World Before You Play

Crimson ice [M] [Marakai!]

Started by Medievarad, January 07, 2017, 05:52:39 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Medievarad

"And I will seal you once again," she responded with a soft frown. "As a sword needs to be sheathed, so do you," she retorted, following him in his figure of speech. "Else, it will cut innocent people. And you were unsheathed for too long."

She sighed softly. "Just.. Move on," she stated. Forcing herself to keep awake. Because when she was unconscious earlier, her guardians had almost killed a healer. It seemed her control slipped when she slept.

Marakai Trin

The guardian gave a sound like a cross between a grunt and a growl, and continued walking, otherwise silent. It seemed he was destined to return to that state between life and death, able to think and rage but with no body or senses with which to act.

....that only enraged him more, but he couldn't act on it further than clenching his jaw hard enough his teeth cracked, audibly so.

They just reformed anyway...it wasn't as if he was capable of doing any lasting harm to himself.

Finally he spoke again, not looking at her. "How far is your uncle from here?"

Medievarad

"I.. Do not know where he is," Evelynn replied with a pained sigh. She didn't care for the anger he portrayed. He couldn't vent it on her. He couldn't even harm her. She woud let him seethe. The girl felt no sympathy for Kulthanos.

"We'll move on to the next village and ask for information."

Marakai Trin

Kulthanos nodded, unaware of the familial bonds that people shared, and not at all finding it odd that she didn't know where her uncle was located. They would simply have to search the land.

But he'd leave the questions to her.

"....is there a direction that I should head in?"

Medievarad

"Just follow the road," Evelynn murmured, eyes slowly sliding shut.

After a short while, an armoured warrior blocked the path. And one stepped from the brushes behind them, lighter armoured, though. "Put her down 'n leave," the heavily armoured character stated with a soft sigh towards the still very naked Kulthanos.

Marakai Trin

Krulthanos stopped in his tracks, staring at the warrior before him. His intense blue eyes, sharp like that of the predator that he was, bored into the gaze of this other.

He simply turned around, intending to simply walk away, and saw the other, too.

This one, though....black hooded coat over chainmail, black cloth pants, boots....Kulthanos smiled. He turned to step towards the side of the road, and gently set Evelynn on the ground.

"....you'll see. I can be your sword...and your shield."

He turned away from her and whatever response she might have, and looked to the heavily armored man first. Steel armor didn't suit Kulthanos at all...this man could be consumed. What served as the guardians stomacj writhed within his belly.

His head tilted to the side, his eyes narrowed and his mouth widening into a maniacal grin.

"There. She's on the ground....take her. I dare you."

His voice was shuddering as he barely restrained his excitement, but these men may instead assume it was fear.

Medievarad

Evelynn glanced up at Kulthanos as he set her down. "Dispatch of them," she answered with a weak murmur. "As humanely as possible."

The knight glanced at him. "Step away from her," he warned, approaching. Yet, he had drawn his blade and was ready to fight.

The one behind him had drawn a crossbow, trimming it at Kulthanos' back.

Marakai Trin

Kul heard the sound of the crossbow priming, and smiled. These fools truly had no idea what it was they were getting into.

He spread his arms wide, showing that he was unarmed, as if it weren't obvious. He took deliberately slow steps forward, towards the man in heavy armor. The distance wasn't great, only a few more paces and he'd be nose to nose with him.

But he didn't need to be. He suddenly shot both arms toward him, and as he did they were wrapped in those same dark tendrils as before. They lengthened and thinned, bladed barbs ribbing the entire length as they shot forward

One of these deadly, bladed tentacles wrapped itself around the mans sword hand, the extra length twirling itseld around the actual blade. The other speared straight through the mans helm, through the visor, his face, and out the back, then wrapping around his torso.

Kulthanos pulled both arms back, and one removed the mans hand and blade. The other pulverized his skull, sundered his armor, and sawed through him like his armor was made of cheese.

The tentacle that had grabbed the sword released it to allow it to fly, spinning end over end, toward Kulthanos. With greater speed than before, he retracted the bladed tentacle, morphed it into a normal arm again, and caught the sword by its hilt.

Quickly he turned, and with strength that belied his stature, launched the sword toward the crossbowman.

At the same time, a crossbow bolt found Kul's neck, while a sword blade found the others face.

The Guardian ripped the bolt the rest of the way through his neck, and looked to the first man, seeing only a writhing black mass as his physiology transformed the corpse into more of whatever Kul was. He pulled this mass toward him, and summarily absorbed it into his body.

He lowered his arms, the entire exchange having lasted less than ten seconds. Looking to Evelynn, be gave a small smile.

"...there was fear... But no pain. If it's all right with you
.I'm taking the clothes off of that one." He jerked a thumb to the corpse with the crossbow.

Medievarad

Evelynn watched the ensuing scene, Kulthanos tearing through armour and killing the man within the blink of an eye. It only affirmed her suspicions. This creature was dangerous and it needed to be sealed as soon as possible.

Granted, she needed his protection. By no means could she protect herself with her current aptitude to cryomagic. She was an ice elemental, an enchantment involving ice essence made sure she was born one. So she had great potential.

But potential was all she had.

And this gore was more than sickening. She felt her stomach pull together and soon, she doubled over, leaning on both hands. And soon, a retching resounded as whatever was still in her stomach pooled on the floor. She panted heavily, before looking up at Kulthanos. "I-.. Don't mind.. Take it. Be quick."

Marakai Trin

He'd dressed quickly, stripping the corpse of its clothing in record time. He left it alone after that - he felt the need to not sicken his...handler...more than he already had.

By the time he'd returned to her, he was just slipping the coat on. He'd left the chainmail and tunic alone - armor was unnecessary for him, and he only needed enough to look decent. Besides, he liked the look.

He glanced at the puddle of sick beside her, and crowned. "....I apologize if my...methods...turn your stomach. But surely you were told what you were getting into by resurrecting me."

He extended a hand to her. "Perhaps you should walk. If carry you, any jostling might upset your stomach more."

Why do you care!? came the thought, the rage just held in check beneath the surface.

He didn't know. But he was liking having a clear head.

Medievarad

"I knew exactly what I was getting," she spat, before closing her eyes with a deep breath. "I had to. Else the Draconia bloodline would be destroyed."

She glanced at the hand and slapped it away, getting to her feet. "Don't act as if you care," she said, squinting at him, before shaking her head and moving on. "Because I know you don't. Let's just move," she murmured.

And she didn't want to think off her mother. She was all alone now. But she couldn't mourn now.

Marakai Trin

As she stepped past him, he followed her with his gaze, that hand still outstretched after she slapped it away. After a moment, he  shoved both hands into the pockets of his coat, and called out to her.

"Your parents are gone, Evelynn. Your kingdom burns around you - I saw it, in your blood, when I pulled the dagger from your hand."

He began taking steps toward her, keeping close to her lest the spell of compulsion fade with distance.

"You're all alone...except for me. You might as well get used to it! I'm all you have right now."

He shook his head, and sighed. Human thoughts and emotions were...complicated.

"What I'm trying to say is....take what you can get, Evelynn. Because, otherwise, there's nothing left. Eventually, you're going to have to trust me. You may not like it, but as far as friends go....I'm all you've got. So we're going to have to get along, somehow."

Because you're all I've got, too... came the lonely thought. Now where did that come from? Sanity made no sense to him.

Medievarad

She grit her teeth as he approached, shaking her head. "Shut up," she murmured softly. Forcing her eyes shut as her steps slowly came to a halt. As he drew near, she didn't say anything. She didn't move. Except for her shoulders, which shook every so slightly.

"Shut up"!" She cried out as he finished his own remark, turning around to look at him. Tears in her eyes. Her teeth were bared in a disgusted scowl. "Don't even try to act human!" She said, the tears slowly rolling down her cheeks. "You're not! Do not speak of my mother! Do not speak of my legacy! Just-.."

It was only then that she noticed the tears, before dropping to the ground. Sinking to her knees with a pale face. Not due physical pain or exhaustion. But because of grief. It seemed the shock had finally hit her.

"You were a mistake," she murmured softly, sobbing between her words.

Marakai Trin

If Kulthanos was at all shocked by her words, he didn't show it. He let her scream at him, his hands shoved in his coat pockets. Only when she slumped to the ground did he speak.

"Of course I'm a mistake. My very being is a mistake." He turned to the side, now-booted feet crunching on the frozen earth. This time, when he spoke, he didn't look at her.

"I may not be human...I may be a mistake. But with the control I have now, with my being bound to you, I feel human...and I may be a mistake, even just your mistake by summoning me...where would you be if I wasn't here? If those men who chased you into my shrine instead chased you into the hills and caught you?"

He then turned his head, glancing at her out of the corner of one too-blue eye.

"It was a horrible scene that I had stopped. I may not have prevented it, but....what if you hadn't summoned me?"

He turned his head more fully to look at her, his eyes sharp and hard, an unusual look on such a passive face.

"Where would you be now, Evelynn, if you hadn't summoned me, and I hadn't saved you? Where would you be, if those men had their way with you? You would be dead. Bleeding to death alone in the dirt."

He pulled his arms out of his pockets, and began walking. As he passed her, he huffed. "At the very least, a little appreciation would be nice. Let's go. It'll be dark soon."

Medievarad

"I said shut up!" She called out, looking up at him. Her face contorted in a scowl, positively growling at him. Yet the tears were still in her eyes. And as the words left her mouth, a ripple of arcane energy thrummed through the ground. And slowly, the dirt started to freeze, growing hard and cold. A flower became encased in ice.

And soon, a tree in full blood became frozen, leaves shattering in a thousand miniscule ice crystals. And it didn't stop there. Even Kulthanos, the abomination he was, could feel his very magical being slowly freeze. She had a lot of power and potential. What she lacked was control.

It didn't take several minutes of the feeling of one's very life force being frozen until it was over. Indicated by Evelynn's head slumping to the ground. She was panting erratically, before dropping forward on all fours, still desperate to catch her breath.

Marakai Trin

Kulthanos was frozen - quite literally - in his tracks. His legs sheeted over with crystalline ice, and he couldn't move them.

He dropped his gaze to the ground, sighing irritably - this was the most anger he seemed able to vent, despite the fact that what he wanted to do was to  tear the ground to pieces, rip his own legs off and rage against her with whatever limbs were left over.

He couldn't, though. He was rendered completely powerless, completely immobile, and all he had to use was his voice. And that seemed to be doing more harm than good.

His insides roiled, the amorphous mass that formed his body fighting against the cold, constantly circulating within his form to redistribute whatever warmth he had. But it wasn't enough.

He turned to look over his shoulder at her, watching her there on the ground. He stared at her for several moments, and then -

"...I'm sorry, Evelynn." He turned to face forward again, crossing his arms over his chest. All he could do was wait for the ice to thaw. Or wait for her to free him.

Neither option seemed like it would occur anytime soon. But he could wait forever.

Medievarad

The ice shattered, just like that. Whatever life around that that hadn't been ruined resumed it's natural course. Yet the trees and flowers, the grass, critters and insects were now small shards of crystalline ice. Still humming with ana overload of arcane energy from the young girl.

Even the corpse that had been left over by Kulthanos shattered in thousands of pieces. Yet the crystals of those weren't clear. Instead, they were stained with the victims blood. Everything that could freeze inis the body was frozen solid..

And Evelynn was still on. The floor. Panting heavily. And if Kulthanos were to approach, she'd feel unnaturally cold to the touch.

Marakai Trin

Kulthanos looked down, noting his legs were suddenly free as the ice that had nearly completely encased them suddenly was no more. He raised a brow, and turned to look at Evelynn.

".....?" He said nothing, slowly moving to stand over her. 

He'd felt the magic in her blood when he'd freed her - the ice was no surprise to him. Honestly, he didn't know if he could be surprised. But....why was she still so cold?

He got down on one knee, silently. He could feel the air around her, alive and buzzing with an excess of energy - it set his insides boiling, as if in response to some threat. But, nevertheless, he laid a hand on her shoulder.

"Evelynn...are you okay?"

He noticed his fingers quickly frosting over, but he paid it no mind. He'd absorbed enough organic mass to easily repair any damage, and so he gave her a gentle shake,  unsure of how else to rouse her. "Evelynn..."

Medievarad

"I'm fine," she stammered between deep and unsteady breaths. Kulthanos could feel how her body slowly started to warm up again from the absolute zero temperature.

"I.. Just need to rest," she added, her breath still hitching. Her heart began throbbing once again. Slowly at first, but soon, near the heartbeat that could risk a cardiac arrest, as it was working overtime to heat her back up.

She had outbursts before, but none of them were even close to the raw, arcane power she portrayed now. And as soon as she could rationally think again, she was petrified.

Marakai Trin

Kulthanos' senses worked in overdrive constantly. He could hear her erratic heartbeat as if it were his own, and his brow arched as he listened to it.

"...I'm quite sure you almost died, Evelynn." He took her hand, completely without her permission. She was warming up again - good. ".....if you want to rest, you can. But let's find  shelter, first. I'm fine here, but...I can tell, you're weak."

He stood, and crossed his arms. He glanced around the area, frowning. "....there's nothing nearby, though. I suppose I can carry you again....so  long as you're not going to scream at me anymore."

Tags: