His hand on her shoulder was different from the way he had touched her previously. It lacked the overconfidence, the swaggering sense of a man who was in control of the situation. It was a gesture, to some degree, of dependancy on Sable, and of gratitude. And somehow, it felt...right.
Their eyes met again, as they had as she had looked back at him on her way across the guttering. She hadn't really seen his eyes before, hadn't taken in their astonishing hue, reminiscent of fields of grain...vast, rich fields...
"You're welcome," she answered reflexively, before she had truly heard him speak. There he went, offering her thanks again, when she deserved no such thing. And yet, if he believed she did, if he thought she deserved it, perhaps she could, too. She had spent her whole life telling herself that what others believed didn't matter, because, in her case, what others had believed of her would have destroyed her from the inside if she had chosen to believe with them. But if he could see something in her that he could be grateful for, then maybe she could see it, too, in time.
The night had started as a game, an intrigue, one mildly more interesting than her usual pursuits. It had become an exercise in honesty, in self-reflection...and perhaps it could become a night of redemption.
If she lived through it, she reminded herself, as Raphael pushed her behind him. The wolf was a threat that, while it was neither as pervasive nor as long-lasting as those which had haunted her from within for many years, was nevertheless immediate, and undeniably lethal. Before she could deal with herself, she had to deal with the beast.
When the wolf vanished from sight, then, she was immediately relieved. It had given up, then, thwarted by the distance between them. She almost smiled, but Raphael interrupted her relief with its next words. Sable didn't know which made him so sure that the monster would continue to hunt them, but the conviction in his voice was enough to make her agree.
So they had to run. But..."Where?" she asked aloud. If the beast were really so determined to find them, then they could not run forever. And as far as she knew, they had nowhere to go.
Frowning, she moved a hand to his arm. It could have been to urge him on, or to steady herself, or to steady him. She couldn't say. All she knew was that it felt right.
An Opportunity, A Manipulation, and a Terror
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Raphael Quinn
- Outsider
- Posts: 44
- Joined: Sun Jan 28, 2007 7:02 pm
- Race: Human
Raphael had been glancing around, but stopped briefly and looked at Sable, processing the moment.
Her question implied that she had accepted what he said, despite that he had offered no explanation or rationale. From the place and terms that he had encountered her on, to this point, was a path he had never traveled before. That she was trusting him, because she thought she could. However forced or without other options the circumstances were, she was believing what he said.
She was touching him. She hadn't done that, not the entire night, when it had not been something he led. True, he had pushed her behind him, but her return contact was separate from that action. It was something she did consciously, for no other reason that he could figure than a reassurance. A human pressure that silently asked and affirmed that they were in this, both of them.
Not since he was a small child, before he had given up on finding it from anyone, had Raphael ever felt the need for someone to validate him. To recognize him. To trust his abilities and rely on him.
And now he wanted all of that from this beautiful woman. He wanted to justify every shred of hope that she might be placing in his abilities to get them out of this alive.
Dear gods, I am out of my mind.
"There's got to be city night-watchmen, somewhere. We run until we can find one and raise an alarm." He spoke the plan as it formed in his mind. It sounded good, but in the half-week he had been roaming these streets, he had only ever seen one such person, and they were drunk and leaving a tavern at the time.
He glanced around again and located the gleaming of his gladius where it had skid across the rooftop when he threw it. Without thinking he put his hand in the small of her back and brought her over with him to far edge of the roof where the sword had stopped and retrieved it.
He scratched his scalp through his woolen cap that was making his head itch as he sweated. Another brief glanced around, and a plan began to come into focus. The buildings of this entire area were tightly packed together, sharing common walls in the cluttered business district of the city.
So they could run, keeping to the rooftops until they found either a place they could hold-up in or draw on for help.
There was a short drop to the next roof top, and he jumped down to it, glancing to Sable as he did so. He offered up a hand to assist her in perhaps the most purely chivalrous gesture of his life.
"We've got to hurry."
Her question implied that she had accepted what he said, despite that he had offered no explanation or rationale. From the place and terms that he had encountered her on, to this point, was a path he had never traveled before. That she was trusting him, because she thought she could. However forced or without other options the circumstances were, she was believing what he said.
She was touching him. She hadn't done that, not the entire night, when it had not been something he led. True, he had pushed her behind him, but her return contact was separate from that action. It was something she did consciously, for no other reason that he could figure than a reassurance. A human pressure that silently asked and affirmed that they were in this, both of them.
Not since he was a small child, before he had given up on finding it from anyone, had Raphael ever felt the need for someone to validate him. To recognize him. To trust his abilities and rely on him.
And now he wanted all of that from this beautiful woman. He wanted to justify every shred of hope that she might be placing in his abilities to get them out of this alive.
Dear gods, I am out of my mind.
"There's got to be city night-watchmen, somewhere. We run until we can find one and raise an alarm." He spoke the plan as it formed in his mind. It sounded good, but in the half-week he had been roaming these streets, he had only ever seen one such person, and they were drunk and leaving a tavern at the time.
He glanced around again and located the gleaming of his gladius where it had skid across the rooftop when he threw it. Without thinking he put his hand in the small of her back and brought her over with him to far edge of the roof where the sword had stopped and retrieved it.
He scratched his scalp through his woolen cap that was making his head itch as he sweated. Another brief glanced around, and a plan began to come into focus. The buildings of this entire area were tightly packed together, sharing common walls in the cluttered business district of the city.
So they could run, keeping to the rooftops until they found either a place they could hold-up in or draw on for help.
There was a short drop to the next roof top, and he jumped down to it, glancing to Sable as he did so. He offered up a hand to assist her in perhaps the most purely chivalrous gesture of his life.
"We've got to hurry."
Life is just a mind game.
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Sable Corvi
- Outsider
- Posts: 42
- Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 4:53 am
- Race: Human
Raphael's hand on Sable's back felt as different from before as that hand on her shoulder had felt. It was as though he acknowledged that something had just passed between them. If he knew what it was, she certainly wished he would tell her, because she had no idea.
Night watchmen. She hadn't seen one yet, but then, Raphael had evidently been in the city longer than she. The question was, what, exactly, could a watchman do to help them? The beast had set them running for their lives, and she wondered whether one or two half-awake officials would really be able to tip the balance. Nevertheless, they had no other plan, and Raphael was right: they had to get moving, or it wouldn't matter what they intended to do; the beast would be upon them.
She looked at Raphael's proffered hand, and she almost laughed as she took it and jumped down beside him. When they ought to have been panicking, acting and reacting only in fear for their lives, he was making a gesture of gentility, of civility in what should have been chaos.
Somehow, it made things seem a little less desperate.
For a moment, as she stepped toward the other edge of the roof, she let her hand linger in his, and she almost considered leaving it there. But that would have been presumptuous. As much as the last several minutes had seemed important to her, she had no way of telling whether he felt the same, and so she let her arm drop to her side. She wasn't sure what had put the thought in her mind in the first place. Perhaps the warmth...the comfort in-
Anyway. There was no time to think of things like that. As he had said, they had to hurry. And hurry she did.
Night watchmen. She hadn't seen one yet, but then, Raphael had evidently been in the city longer than she. The question was, what, exactly, could a watchman do to help them? The beast had set them running for their lives, and she wondered whether one or two half-awake officials would really be able to tip the balance. Nevertheless, they had no other plan, and Raphael was right: they had to get moving, or it wouldn't matter what they intended to do; the beast would be upon them.
She looked at Raphael's proffered hand, and she almost laughed as she took it and jumped down beside him. When they ought to have been panicking, acting and reacting only in fear for their lives, he was making a gesture of gentility, of civility in what should have been chaos.
Somehow, it made things seem a little less desperate.
For a moment, as she stepped toward the other edge of the roof, she let her hand linger in his, and she almost considered leaving it there. But that would have been presumptuous. As much as the last several minutes had seemed important to her, she had no way of telling whether he felt the same, and so she let her arm drop to her side. She wasn't sure what had put the thought in her mind in the first place. Perhaps the warmth...the comfort in-
Anyway. There was no time to think of things like that. As he had said, they had to hurry. And hurry she did.
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Raphael Quinn
- Outsider
- Posts: 44
- Joined: Sun Jan 28, 2007 7:02 pm
- Race: Human
When she took his hand and jumped down, for Raphael it was the final confirmation that she was trusting him. That she was, in a way, willing to rely on him. For a few steps, neither of them let go. There was really no more need for it, and yet for a brief moment, their hands were clasped together for no other reason than the fact that neither party was releasing the contact.
Then he sensed her dropping it and loosed his hand at the same moment, letting his hand fall to his side as they sprinted across a short stretch of even rooftops. As they came to a two-sided roof that was only mildly slanted and they clambered up one side and gingerly, but as quickly as possible without loosing footing, half-skid half-ran down the opposite, Raphael caught a distant snarl and glanced around them, looking for any sign to their pursuer. He saw none, but that did not make him feel any better.
A few blocks of jumping over alleys and scaling rooftops had Raphael sweating. He was used to the general hardship of long roads and travel, and made it a personal endeavor to be in good physical condition, but he could sense that if it were necessary to maintain this pace for very long, he would begin to tire.
But he noticed, as they were forced to climb a straight vertical rise in the next roof that required a small jump to catch your hands on the edge of it, how Sable was reacting to him and he to her. As he pulled himself up and reached for her hand, she was already looking for it, ready to receive his help. When she tight-roped across a rickety board that spanned the alleyway below, she turned and held it steady for him when he followed.
They were working together. Raphael could not ever recall working in harmony with another person, at least not like this. Not simply to help each other.
And then their forward motion came to something of a stop as the long stretch of gaps they could span came to an abrupt halt. A true street, running at a northwest slant, separated them from the next length of buildings, a gap of twenty-eight feet at least.
Not a little desperately, Raphael spun around, looking for a way out.
There were no windows nearby, or stairway leading to the roof.
What he did see, a few rooftops back, outlined in the moonlight, was the hulking black-and-gray form of a monster, struggling up a steep roofline on the row of houses parallel to those he and Sable had been running on.
The desperation increased.
He ran to the edge of the roof and looked down. It was perhaps sixteen feet to the street below, maybe a little more. He was not an expert at escape and did not know the proper techniques for landing from that height without injury.
But he saw no other way.
He began rapidly unfastening his belt, looking Sable in the eyes. For her, at least, he had some plan.
"We've got to get down to the street, now. I'll lower you down as far as I can, and then you have to let go. I'll follow after."
He knelt down at the edge of the roof, offering the buckle end of the belt to her. It would be easier to grip.
"Just keep your knees bent." That much he did know.
Then he sensed her dropping it and loosed his hand at the same moment, letting his hand fall to his side as they sprinted across a short stretch of even rooftops. As they came to a two-sided roof that was only mildly slanted and they clambered up one side and gingerly, but as quickly as possible without loosing footing, half-skid half-ran down the opposite, Raphael caught a distant snarl and glanced around them, looking for any sign to their pursuer. He saw none, but that did not make him feel any better.
A few blocks of jumping over alleys and scaling rooftops had Raphael sweating. He was used to the general hardship of long roads and travel, and made it a personal endeavor to be in good physical condition, but he could sense that if it were necessary to maintain this pace for very long, he would begin to tire.
But he noticed, as they were forced to climb a straight vertical rise in the next roof that required a small jump to catch your hands on the edge of it, how Sable was reacting to him and he to her. As he pulled himself up and reached for her hand, she was already looking for it, ready to receive his help. When she tight-roped across a rickety board that spanned the alleyway below, she turned and held it steady for him when he followed.
They were working together. Raphael could not ever recall working in harmony with another person, at least not like this. Not simply to help each other.
And then their forward motion came to something of a stop as the long stretch of gaps they could span came to an abrupt halt. A true street, running at a northwest slant, separated them from the next length of buildings, a gap of twenty-eight feet at least.
Not a little desperately, Raphael spun around, looking for a way out.
There were no windows nearby, or stairway leading to the roof.
What he did see, a few rooftops back, outlined in the moonlight, was the hulking black-and-gray form of a monster, struggling up a steep roofline on the row of houses parallel to those he and Sable had been running on.
The desperation increased.
He ran to the edge of the roof and looked down. It was perhaps sixteen feet to the street below, maybe a little more. He was not an expert at escape and did not know the proper techniques for landing from that height without injury.
But he saw no other way.
He began rapidly unfastening his belt, looking Sable in the eyes. For her, at least, he had some plan.
"We've got to get down to the street, now. I'll lower you down as far as I can, and then you have to let go. I'll follow after."
He knelt down at the edge of the roof, offering the buckle end of the belt to her. It would be easier to grip.
"Just keep your knees bent." That much he did know.
Life is just a mind game.
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Sable Corvi
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- Posts: 42
- Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 4:53 am
- Race: Human
Sable should have been uncomfortable with the way she and Raphael were interacting, she depending on him, then helping him in turn. It was, in fact, the opposite of what it should have been. She was supposed to be independent, putting her life in no one's hands. Nor was she supposed to concern herself with another's well-being...things were safer that way. The more she distanced herself, the less it hurt when she had to leave everything behind. And she hadn't been hurt, not in a long time, because she wouldn't let herself. She numbed herself, and it worked for her.
And yet, she reflected as she knelt to hold the board steady for Raphael to cross, there was something to be said for this, this infusion of feeling that had invaded her numbness. She hadn't been hurt in a long time, it was true, but nor had she felt true pleasure, or the joy which can only come from genuine feeling, and genuine friendship. Friendship? Was that what this was? Perhaps not, but no word she knew came closer.
That frightened her. At the same time, however, it excited her.
Perhaps moments of happiness are worth the promise of pain.
However, a nasty consequence of feeling is that it causes you to care, and thus to think irrationally in situations like this. Looking down at the street below, she clamped down on her bottom lip before glancing back at him. "What will you do?" she asked, fearing -- knowing -- that he would not be able to jump down after her without injuring himself. He was already hurt from his fall earlier, she was sure of it, and...gods, even if he landed on his feet, the impact would...
But the beast was coming, and standing around would do no good. And so she grabbed on to his belt obediently, moving herself to the edge of the roof. Keeping her eyes trained on him, rather than looking at the drop below, she rose onto the balls of her feet and bent her knees, preparing to push off.
"I'll...I'll find something," she promised. Surely, there was something below that could help get him down, a ladder, a rope...something.
It was interesting that she hadn't even considered the danger she would be in. Perhaps it was because she trusted him. And she did, more than she had ever trusted a man. More than she trusted herself.
And yet, she reflected as she knelt to hold the board steady for Raphael to cross, there was something to be said for this, this infusion of feeling that had invaded her numbness. She hadn't been hurt in a long time, it was true, but nor had she felt true pleasure, or the joy which can only come from genuine feeling, and genuine friendship. Friendship? Was that what this was? Perhaps not, but no word she knew came closer.
That frightened her. At the same time, however, it excited her.
Perhaps moments of happiness are worth the promise of pain.
However, a nasty consequence of feeling is that it causes you to care, and thus to think irrationally in situations like this. Looking down at the street below, she clamped down on her bottom lip before glancing back at him. "What will you do?" she asked, fearing -- knowing -- that he would not be able to jump down after her without injuring himself. He was already hurt from his fall earlier, she was sure of it, and...gods, even if he landed on his feet, the impact would...
But the beast was coming, and standing around would do no good. And so she grabbed on to his belt obediently, moving herself to the edge of the roof. Keeping her eyes trained on him, rather than looking at the drop below, she rose onto the balls of her feet and bent her knees, preparing to push off.
"I'll...I'll find something," she promised. Surely, there was something below that could help get him down, a ladder, a rope...something.
It was interesting that she hadn't even considered the danger she would be in. Perhaps it was because she trusted him. And she did, more than she had ever trusted a man. More than she trusted herself.
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Raphael Quinn
- Outsider
- Posts: 44
- Joined: Sun Jan 28, 2007 7:02 pm
- Race: Human
The moment when she bent her lip in apprehension, in his eyes one of the most feminine of all expressions, Raphael knew there was no way he would let her fall. His shoulders would rip out of socket first. He didn't answer her first question, positioning himself as she prepared to slide off the roof. What he would do, he knew, was stay alive. In a very macho-spirited way, he trusted his ability to take a fall better than her.
They were very close then, as he nodded at her, wrapping the end of the belt around his right hand and offering a small smile as she eased off of the roof. Immediately the strain of her weight pulled on him and he felt himself begin to slide, but he ardently dug in and clenched the belt in a death grip, extending his arms as she descended. The belt, he knew, only took away maybe three and a half feet from the fall. But he also knew that three and a half feet could be the difference between a bruise and a sprain.
He kept looking at her as she came to the point where she could be lowered no further. Fully extended as she was, he figured she had perhaps a eight-foot fall. Maybe a little more.
"Okay-" he grunted, "let go. And keep your knees bent."
As she let go, in a split-second idea Raphael extended his focus and pulled upward on her for a brief second. Pain spiked harshly through his skull and he half-way collapsed onto his hands and knees, angry black clouds swarming across his vision.
He knew it would not stop her fall. But maybe, just maybe, it could slow her enough to prevent injury. But at the time, he realized, his vision not yet clearing, the potential gain was perhaps dangerously out-weighed by the cost.
They were very close then, as he nodded at her, wrapping the end of the belt around his right hand and offering a small smile as she eased off of the roof. Immediately the strain of her weight pulled on him and he felt himself begin to slide, but he ardently dug in and clenched the belt in a death grip, extending his arms as she descended. The belt, he knew, only took away maybe three and a half feet from the fall. But he also knew that three and a half feet could be the difference between a bruise and a sprain.
He kept looking at her as she came to the point where she could be lowered no further. Fully extended as she was, he figured she had perhaps a eight-foot fall. Maybe a little more.
"Okay-" he grunted, "let go. And keep your knees bent."
As she let go, in a split-second idea Raphael extended his focus and pulled upward on her for a brief second. Pain spiked harshly through his skull and he half-way collapsed onto his hands and knees, angry black clouds swarming across his vision.
He knew it would not stop her fall. But maybe, just maybe, it could slow her enough to prevent injury. But at the time, he realized, his vision not yet clearing, the potential gain was perhaps dangerously out-weighed by the cost.
Life is just a mind game.
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Sable Corvi
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- Posts: 42
- Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 4:53 am
- Race: Human
Sable sucked in her breath as he began to lower her, looking up instead of down at the ground below. That last smile he had offered before she had pushed off was somehow reassuring, as small, even tentative, as it had seemed, if only because it felt as though he had meant it to reassure her. Perhaps she was imagining it...but it helped, just the same.
And then he told her to let go.
She shouldn't have glanced down, really. But she did...and it was so far...swallowing, she tightened her grip on the belt for a moment. That was irrational, however. At this point, it would be too late for him to pull her back up, and anyway, that would put them back in the monster's path. The longer she hesitated, the longer he would have to hold on, and bearing her weight couldn't be easy, so there was nothing for it. She would have to drop. Now. This instant.
Oh, gods.
Letting out a quick yelp, she let go, twisting her body slightly as she began to fall -- she was falling, and she was going to...
As she sped toward the ground, she felt an odd sensation, a momentary tug, weak and only mildly painful, as though someone had grabbed on to her and then let go midway through the fall, jolting her slightly in the process. Strange...
...she was falling, and she was going to...
hit the ground!
Her feet hit first, and she was thankful for his advice, as, even with her knees bent, the pain of her legs jarring against the ground was...But she was still falling! How was...
She had tumbled sideways, the impact too strong for her to hold her balance, and now she was slamming against the ground, stone against flesh, scraping and bruising and pummelling her as she rolled to a stop.
Crouched sideways on the ground, she cursed loudly, and, for a moment of insanity, she regretted it, wondering what Raphael must think of her.
You madwoman. What could he expect you to say? "Lovely fall, though the landing was a bit poor. Shall we try it again?"
Gasping for breath, the wind knocked out of her by the fall, she struggled to her feet, gritting her teeth against the pain in her bones, her muscles, in places where she'd never felt pain before. As she looked up, she frowned, seeing only Raphael's head extending over the roof's edge. "Raphael?" she croaked, then stumbled backwards a few steps as she tried to maintain her balance. "Are you okay?"
And then he told her to let go.
She shouldn't have glanced down, really. But she did...and it was so far...swallowing, she tightened her grip on the belt for a moment. That was irrational, however. At this point, it would be too late for him to pull her back up, and anyway, that would put them back in the monster's path. The longer she hesitated, the longer he would have to hold on, and bearing her weight couldn't be easy, so there was nothing for it. She would have to drop. Now. This instant.
Oh, gods.
Letting out a quick yelp, she let go, twisting her body slightly as she began to fall -- she was falling, and she was going to...
As she sped toward the ground, she felt an odd sensation, a momentary tug, weak and only mildly painful, as though someone had grabbed on to her and then let go midway through the fall, jolting her slightly in the process. Strange...
...she was falling, and she was going to...
hit the ground!
Her feet hit first, and she was thankful for his advice, as, even with her knees bent, the pain of her legs jarring against the ground was...But she was still falling! How was...
She had tumbled sideways, the impact too strong for her to hold her balance, and now she was slamming against the ground, stone against flesh, scraping and bruising and pummelling her as she rolled to a stop.
Crouched sideways on the ground, she cursed loudly, and, for a moment of insanity, she regretted it, wondering what Raphael must think of her.
You madwoman. What could he expect you to say? "Lovely fall, though the landing was a bit poor. Shall we try it again?"
Gasping for breath, the wind knocked out of her by the fall, she struggled to her feet, gritting her teeth against the pain in her bones, her muscles, in places where she'd never felt pain before. As she looked up, she frowned, seeing only Raphael's head extending over the roof's edge. "Raphael?" she croaked, then stumbled backwards a few steps as she tried to maintain her balance. "Are you okay?"
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Raphael Quinn
- Outsider
- Posts: 44
- Joined: Sun Jan 28, 2007 7:02 pm
- Race: Human
He heard her question, but the pain remained sharp in his head for a few seconds longer so that when he opened his eyes to look down, the picture was still blurred. Raphael closed his eyes and shook his head again, unconsciously sniffing, and when he opened his eyes once more the image gradually came into focus, even though the headache persisted.
Sable was standing up. She was stepping gingerly, pain evident on her face, but she was standing. Nothing badly hurt. He once more allowed himself a small smile and nodded at her.
"I'm fine." No, he was pretty sure that he wasn't. But he was more concerned with her believing that he was fine than anything else.
On instinct he looked back then and saw the monster finally cresting the steeply-slanted roof it had been fighting its way up. It was perhaps four houses back from this one, and across the alley. But as it gained its balance and cast its baleful gaze on him, Raphael knew it could be upon them in the merest of moments.
So fighting through the ache in his head he turned himself around, grabbing the edge of the roof and in one quick motion slid off of the edge. He dangled for just a moment, unable to resist hesitating as he considered the drop he was about to make, when he imagined the monster suddenly jerking him back onto the roof and eating him alive.
And abruptly released the roof, pushing off of the wall and half way turning himself around as he rushed downward for the briefest of split-seconds, his stomach in this throat, subconsciously making his knees bent-
The impact was harder than he had expected. Possibly because he had been jumping onto rooftops that were more forgiving than a stone street, possibly because he had simply miscalculated. Regardless of why, he crashed down heavily and smashed awkwardly forward, coming to a stop face-down on the stones.
It seemed that his brain waited until his momentum had stopped to alert him to his condition as a plethora of sharp, aching pains came surging from his feet, knees and joints. His left shoulder was throbbing in unison with his head, which he was pretty sure he had hit on the road. It was hard to tell, things felt a little fuzzy. He unconsciously raised his right hand and pushed his knit hat off to touch his head and felt a warm flow of blood from a cut on the side of his scalp.
But he imagined the monster to be standing on the rooftop above them, preparing to spring down and tear them to pieces.
And with a quiet groan fueled by pure instinct for survival, he got onto his hands and knees and began to stand up.
Sable was standing up. She was stepping gingerly, pain evident on her face, but she was standing. Nothing badly hurt. He once more allowed himself a small smile and nodded at her.
"I'm fine." No, he was pretty sure that he wasn't. But he was more concerned with her believing that he was fine than anything else.
On instinct he looked back then and saw the monster finally cresting the steeply-slanted roof it had been fighting its way up. It was perhaps four houses back from this one, and across the alley. But as it gained its balance and cast its baleful gaze on him, Raphael knew it could be upon them in the merest of moments.
So fighting through the ache in his head he turned himself around, grabbing the edge of the roof and in one quick motion slid off of the edge. He dangled for just a moment, unable to resist hesitating as he considered the drop he was about to make, when he imagined the monster suddenly jerking him back onto the roof and eating him alive.
And abruptly released the roof, pushing off of the wall and half way turning himself around as he rushed downward for the briefest of split-seconds, his stomach in this throat, subconsciously making his knees bent-
The impact was harder than he had expected. Possibly because he had been jumping onto rooftops that were more forgiving than a stone street, possibly because he had simply miscalculated. Regardless of why, he crashed down heavily and smashed awkwardly forward, coming to a stop face-down on the stones.
It seemed that his brain waited until his momentum had stopped to alert him to his condition as a plethora of sharp, aching pains came surging from his feet, knees and joints. His left shoulder was throbbing in unison with his head, which he was pretty sure he had hit on the road. It was hard to tell, things felt a little fuzzy. He unconsciously raised his right hand and pushed his knit hat off to touch his head and felt a warm flow of blood from a cut on the side of his scalp.
But he imagined the monster to be standing on the rooftop above them, preparing to spring down and tear them to pieces.
And with a quiet groan fueled by pure instinct for survival, he got onto his hands and knees and began to stand up.
Life is just a mind game.
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Sable Corvi
- Outsider
- Posts: 42
- Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 4:53 am
- Race: Human
She couldn't help it. When he let go, when he fell, she screamed, stumbling back in terror -- terror for him, not for herself, and that was a distinctly new sensation. She had not been afraid for someone else since...
Oh gods. Oh gods, he had hit the ground, and he was...he was alive, thank everything that was holy. But he was trying to stand up!
She rushed forward, shoving her hands underneath his arms to help him. "You idiot!" she hissed. "Don't try to get up by yourself...why in hells did you do that? I told you I'd try to find you a way down!"
If the situation had been different, she might have noticed the astonishing silver of his hair, would have run a hand through it, admired it, marvelled at the hue. As it was, she registered the strangeness of it, but it was an afterthought as her attention was drawn to the blood leaking from his head. "You're bleeding, you stupid...damnit!"
She shouldn't be taking it out on him, she knew. It wasn't his fault; he had done what had been necessary. But that constricting of her chest, the tightening of her throat as she watched him plummet, had been worse than her own fall, than the bruises her landing had inflicted. "You...you could have died!" she informed him, as if he didn't know.
Oh gods. Oh gods, he had hit the ground, and he was...he was alive, thank everything that was holy. But he was trying to stand up!
She rushed forward, shoving her hands underneath his arms to help him. "You idiot!" she hissed. "Don't try to get up by yourself...why in hells did you do that? I told you I'd try to find you a way down!"
If the situation had been different, she might have noticed the astonishing silver of his hair, would have run a hand through it, admired it, marvelled at the hue. As it was, she registered the strangeness of it, but it was an afterthought as her attention was drawn to the blood leaking from his head. "You're bleeding, you stupid...damnit!"
She shouldn't be taking it out on him, she knew. It wasn't his fault; he had done what had been necessary. But that constricting of her chest, the tightening of her throat as she watched him plummet, had been worse than her own fall, than the bruises her landing had inflicted. "You...you could have died!" she informed him, as if he didn't know.
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Raphael Quinn
- Outsider
- Posts: 44
- Joined: Sun Jan 28, 2007 7:02 pm
- Race: Human
She was yelling something. He heard her voice, heard anger and worry and desperation all making themselves audible in her words. But, he blurrily noted, as she helped pull him to his feet and was pressed up against him as he leaned on her, the nature of all those emotions was concern. She was genuinely on emotional edge about his condition.
Raphael could feel his own warm blood flowing down onto his left ear now, but he knew it wasn't as serious at it appeared. The gash could be a quarter of an inch long and still gush like a fountain.
"You...you could have died!"
That made him grin, in spite of himself and their circumstance.
"Death from a fall seemed a lot better than death by monster's teeth, at the time," he said between his teeth, but still grinning. He was on his feet now, mostly carrying his weight but still with an arm across her shoulders for support. "Later on if I have the opportunity to compare, I'll let you know if I was wrong."
His right ankle was definitely swelling and his shoulder still throbbed, but the pain was bearable and the all-encompassing need to put distance between them and the roof they had just come from overrode everything else.
"It's close. The monster. I saw it a few houses back. We need to run."
It was a trifle preposterous on the one hand, and entirely self-evident in the other. But he said it anyway as they both started running in the limited, hurting, but still quick capacity they were capable of.
Glancing behind them and then some distance ahead, he discerned a building whose front lanterns were still burning. Perchance help could be found there.
Against his nature as it was, he prayed it was so.
Raphael could feel his own warm blood flowing down onto his left ear now, but he knew it wasn't as serious at it appeared. The gash could be a quarter of an inch long and still gush like a fountain.
"You...you could have died!"
That made him grin, in spite of himself and their circumstance.
"Death from a fall seemed a lot better than death by monster's teeth, at the time," he said between his teeth, but still grinning. He was on his feet now, mostly carrying his weight but still with an arm across her shoulders for support. "Later on if I have the opportunity to compare, I'll let you know if I was wrong."
His right ankle was definitely swelling and his shoulder still throbbed, but the pain was bearable and the all-encompassing need to put distance between them and the roof they had just come from overrode everything else.
"It's close. The monster. I saw it a few houses back. We need to run."
It was a trifle preposterous on the one hand, and entirely self-evident in the other. But he said it anyway as they both started running in the limited, hurting, but still quick capacity they were capable of.
Glancing behind them and then some distance ahead, he discerned a building whose front lanterns were still burning. Perchance help could be found there.
Against his nature as it was, he prayed it was so.
Life is just a mind game.
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Sable Corvi
- Outsider
- Posts: 42
- Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 4:53 am
- Race: Human
Vaguely, she wondered when this whole thing had become a joke. Had the fall rattled his brains? They were running (or, rather, limping) for their lives, and he was grinning about it.
"Let's not get you eaten for the sake of science, okay?" she grumbled, trying to make her voice as light as his without success. As they quickened their pace, she gritted her teeth, trying to stop their chattering. She wasn't cold; why, then, was she shaking so violently?
If he had died...
If he had died, she likely could have hidden better by herself. One person is harder to find than two, and she could have flirted her way into a home, found a haven and slept there, nursing her bruises and moving on, hopefully safe. But...
If he had died, she would have been alone. That had always been a virtue, an advantage. Solitude had its benefits. And yet, once you taste the other side of things, it's hard to let go. He had given her a chance at...what? At not feeling like a shadow? A shadow, somewhat separate from the world, visible but not tangible, fleeting. That was who she was, what she was. But he had made her feel...real.
How could she have borne losing that?
Not in years had she cared whether someone lived or died. People were tools, means to an end. She was the only one who mattered.
Why did he matter?
Stop shaking, stop shaking, stop shaking.
"Let's not get you eaten for the sake of science, okay?" she grumbled, trying to make her voice as light as his without success. As they quickened their pace, she gritted her teeth, trying to stop their chattering. She wasn't cold; why, then, was she shaking so violently?
If he had died...
If he had died, she likely could have hidden better by herself. One person is harder to find than two, and she could have flirted her way into a home, found a haven and slept there, nursing her bruises and moving on, hopefully safe. But...
If he had died, she would have been alone. That had always been a virtue, an advantage. Solitude had its benefits. And yet, once you taste the other side of things, it's hard to let go. He had given her a chance at...what? At not feeling like a shadow? A shadow, somewhat separate from the world, visible but not tangible, fleeting. That was who she was, what she was. But he had made her feel...real.
How could she have borne losing that?
Not in years had she cared whether someone lived or died. People were tools, means to an end. She was the only one who mattered.
Why did he matter?
Stop shaking, stop shaking, stop shaking.
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Raphael Quinn
- Outsider
- Posts: 44
- Joined: Sun Jan 28, 2007 7:02 pm
- Race: Human
He discovered, as they ran, that his right hip was hurt as well. Kind of a sensation of it grinding in the socket. But he didn't slow down. Having a beautiful woman to lean on and appear tough for was enough motivation to keep Raphael from uttering a syllable about his pain.
And was she... shivering? That distracted him and he glanced at her, several times. It was a little cool, maybe, but not nearly that cold. Yet her body held a tremor, and for a moment maintained it. Potentially, he reasoned, it could just be her reacting to the situation. To the shock and the pain and the stress and the fear.
Raphael straightened a little more and his arm across her shoulder became a little more snug, as though with a little gentle pressure he could help her get somewhat calm. Yes, he told himself, feeling the warmth from her body, I'm just trying to get her to be still.
You're going to die if you don't focus, tough guy.
The building with the lit lanterns hanging above the doorway was like a beacon on the street that was otherwise entirely dark, apart from where the moonlight illuminated at intervals through the clouds. Squinting slightly, he discerned a sign hanging above the door, and in the flickering lantern light read,
Fighter's Guild.
By whatever twisted fates guided the evening, that same door opened and a large man stepped out of it onto the street. In the flickering light, the large straight sword strapped to his back was readily visible. Raphael put two and two together and guessed that they might have just found a saviour.
He glanced back-
and his blood froze.
The monster stood poised on the edge of the rooftop, a terrifying gargoyle, maybe seventy yards back. It was watching. Just watching. Like it was waiting for them to turn around and see it and realize their fear.
"Don't look back. Just run. RUN."
He surged, pulling her with him. His ankle was stiffening, locking up, which he knew was a bad sign, but it made running easier.
"Hey! Hey, help!" He shouted at the man, who glanced toward them in the middle of lighting a pipe. As shock and alarm began to appear on his face, Raphael, not for the last time that night, prayed he would not turn away from them.
And was she... shivering? That distracted him and he glanced at her, several times. It was a little cool, maybe, but not nearly that cold. Yet her body held a tremor, and for a moment maintained it. Potentially, he reasoned, it could just be her reacting to the situation. To the shock and the pain and the stress and the fear.
Raphael straightened a little more and his arm across her shoulder became a little more snug, as though with a little gentle pressure he could help her get somewhat calm. Yes, he told himself, feeling the warmth from her body, I'm just trying to get her to be still.
You're going to die if you don't focus, tough guy.
The building with the lit lanterns hanging above the doorway was like a beacon on the street that was otherwise entirely dark, apart from where the moonlight illuminated at intervals through the clouds. Squinting slightly, he discerned a sign hanging above the door, and in the flickering lantern light read,
Fighter's Guild.
By whatever twisted fates guided the evening, that same door opened and a large man stepped out of it onto the street. In the flickering light, the large straight sword strapped to his back was readily visible. Raphael put two and two together and guessed that they might have just found a saviour.
He glanced back-
and his blood froze.
The monster stood poised on the edge of the rooftop, a terrifying gargoyle, maybe seventy yards back. It was watching. Just watching. Like it was waiting for them to turn around and see it and realize their fear.
"Don't look back. Just run. RUN."
He surged, pulling her with him. His ankle was stiffening, locking up, which he knew was a bad sign, but it made running easier.
"Hey! Hey, help!" He shouted at the man, who glanced toward them in the middle of lighting a pipe. As shock and alarm began to appear on his face, Raphael, not for the last time that night, prayed he would not turn away from them.
Life is just a mind game.
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Sable Corvi
- Outsider
- Posts: 42
- Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 4:53 am
- Race: Human
His arm tightened agross her shoulder, and she couldn't help but wonder if he had felt her shivering. Damn. Now was not the time to look like a quivering little girl. She clenched the muscles in her arms and back, trying to hold them still, then realized that that only made the problem worse, and was painful besides. With a soft, shuddering sigh, she relaxed, resisting the urge to look at him.
Instead, she looked ahead, at the door which opened and the man who stepped out. At the weapon on his back.
There was a sign above the door, and as the lamplight shone on it momentarily, she was just able to make out the words. The Fighters Guild? Feasibly, then, there could be several more men with enormous swords through that door. She opened her mouth to call for help, but Raphael spoke first.
"Don't look back. Just run. RUN."
The monster was behind them, it had to be, and they were damned. Keeping her eyes firmly forward at Raphael's direction, she stumbled after him, then quickened her pace, her long legs stretching in quick bounds as she fought to keep up with him.
"Hey! Hey, help!"
Help. Would the man help them? Would anyone in their right mind run after a giant wolfen beast, just to help two strangers?
She hoped so.
Instead, she looked ahead, at the door which opened and the man who stepped out. At the weapon on his back.
There was a sign above the door, and as the lamplight shone on it momentarily, she was just able to make out the words. The Fighters Guild? Feasibly, then, there could be several more men with enormous swords through that door. She opened her mouth to call for help, but Raphael spoke first.
"Don't look back. Just run. RUN."
The monster was behind them, it had to be, and they were damned. Keeping her eyes firmly forward at Raphael's direction, she stumbled after him, then quickened her pace, her long legs stretching in quick bounds as she fought to keep up with him.
"Hey! Hey, help!"
Help. Would the man help them? Would anyone in their right mind run after a giant wolfen beast, just to help two strangers?
She hoped so.
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Raphael Quinn
- Outsider
- Posts: 44
- Joined: Sun Jan 28, 2007 7:02 pm
- Race: Human
The big man appeared to hesitate for just a moment, and then Raphael saw a kind of feral grin crease across his face. One of the heavily muscled arms reached up and back, grasping the handle of the long, two-edged sword and pulling it out in a smooth, confident motion. He took a few long steps toward them and as they passed, he gruffly yelled, "Stay behind me!"
Raphael glanced back and saw the loping, monstrous form spring through the darkness, seeming to meld with the shadows it passed through, only visible in the moonlight. It occurred to him, then, that this powerful stranger might not realize it was more than a big wolf he faced.
But he limped with Sable to the door of the Fighter's Guild and reached to the handle and pulled- but it was latched. From the inside.
Damn it. They might have actually found safety, or at least a weapon [Raphael had left his sword back on the rooftop] within the building. But no. Locked out. He pounded on it in pent-up frustration.
Why was this thing after them? Why here, why now?
"This is insane. This is totally insane." he glanced at Sable. "There is no reason for any of this."
And then that blood-freezing howl tore through the air and he spun toward the sound.
Raphael glanced back and saw the loping, monstrous form spring through the darkness, seeming to meld with the shadows it passed through, only visible in the moonlight. It occurred to him, then, that this powerful stranger might not realize it was more than a big wolf he faced.
But he limped with Sable to the door of the Fighter's Guild and reached to the handle and pulled- but it was latched. From the inside.
Damn it. They might have actually found safety, or at least a weapon [Raphael had left his sword back on the rooftop] within the building. But no. Locked out. He pounded on it in pent-up frustration.
Why was this thing after them? Why here, why now?
"This is insane. This is totally insane." he glanced at Sable. "There is no reason for any of this."
And then that blood-freezing howl tore through the air and he spun toward the sound.
Life is just a mind game.
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Korhos
They had given Korhos for more difficulty than it had imagined they would. But nothing escaped. Not now, not ever. And this chase, with the prey so close for so long, had driven the demon-wolf into an absolute madness. When it had stood on the rooftop with the prey limping away, wounded in their attempts to evade death, Korhos had waited, for just a moment. Just to let the terror of its appearance settle on them, let them realize they were about to die.
The demon-half still appreciated the anticipation of the feasting, and deeply loved the way terrorized humans screamed.
And then with a loping bound, Korhos had leapt from the rooftop, landing heavily but uninjured on the street. In the same instant it gathered itself and began running, the wolf-half giving in fully to instincts of the hunt, powerful muscles propelling to to greater and greater pace.
Korhos heard and understood when the prey called out, and saw the other human stepping out of the building. But that did not matter, unless the new human was a fool, it would run. Nothing stood before Korhos.
But then the human drew its weapon and stepped toward Korhos, a readiness for battle emanating from him.
It absolutely enraged the demon-half. That this random human would dare to interfere, dare to believe it could challenge the immortal Korhos. The wolf-half also recognized the human's action as a challenge to its right to the prey.
Both halves were united in their focused and immediate malice, channeling it into a chilling howl of rage.
They were on the human in an instant, who swung mightily as he perceived Korhos's spring. But Korhos was a veteran of a thousands battles, empowered with agility and strength of supernatural nature. The spring was a feint, and as the human's swing hit nothing but air, Korhos slipped in under it and then took the human, crushing it to the ground.
Korhos revelled in the immediate terror, confusion, panic-
And then with a meaty snarl ripped out his throat and began tearing the body apart.
The demon-half still appreciated the anticipation of the feasting, and deeply loved the way terrorized humans screamed.
And then with a loping bound, Korhos had leapt from the rooftop, landing heavily but uninjured on the street. In the same instant it gathered itself and began running, the wolf-half giving in fully to instincts of the hunt, powerful muscles propelling to to greater and greater pace.
Korhos heard and understood when the prey called out, and saw the other human stepping out of the building. But that did not matter, unless the new human was a fool, it would run. Nothing stood before Korhos.
But then the human drew its weapon and stepped toward Korhos, a readiness for battle emanating from him.
It absolutely enraged the demon-half. That this random human would dare to interfere, dare to believe it could challenge the immortal Korhos. The wolf-half also recognized the human's action as a challenge to its right to the prey.
Both halves were united in their focused and immediate malice, channeling it into a chilling howl of rage.
They were on the human in an instant, who swung mightily as he perceived Korhos's spring. But Korhos was a veteran of a thousands battles, empowered with agility and strength of supernatural nature. The spring was a feint, and as the human's swing hit nothing but air, Korhos slipped in under it and then took the human, crushing it to the ground.
Korhos revelled in the immediate terror, confusion, panic-
And then with a meaty snarl ripped out his throat and began tearing the body apart.