((Quick OOC, whoever can join in this...))
Jerial stood tall in the arena, his hood over his head, his eyes cast down. The sandy ground was hot under the summer sun; the arena was filled with the roar of a thousand fans thirsty for the blood of he or any of his opponents, the one opposite him being a similarly hooded person, wrapped heavily in tattered cloth. He, or she, he surmised was possible under all that wrapping, held a zweihander heavily in both hands, barely keeping it up.
His staff was planted firmly in the ground. A hoarse yell rose above the others. For some reason, this prompted him to transform the staff into its sword form. His eyes flicked up, glancing around at his several opponents. He could discern nothing more from them; he still did not know where he was or why he had been brought here. All he knew was that he had chosen to fight over the horrific torture devices that were his other choice.
He would rather not have a choice, but he had been forced by the masked men that he had awoken to, in immense pain. He had been fed well by them in preparation: the food was still in his body as he entered the arena. He could see the blood and the body of the men and women that had gone before him, and it only served to steel his determination to prove he was worthy of freedom.
With his sword, he traced in front of his feet a line in the sand.
Line in the Sand
Re: Line in the Sand
Fay flew across the ground, all four of her limbs a blur as she fought to go faster still. She'd come back from a quick trip to bathe, only to find Jerial missing and signs of a battle evident. Her nose rose to the wind to pick up his scent once more. It was faint and almost over-powered by the scent of slavers and blood. Bowing her head once more she summoned more speed into her limbs and pushed herself beyond her limit.
Her journey took her to an arena. Panting, her limbs shaking from exertion, Fay forced herself to climb the sides, killing ay guard in her way. Once perched on top she saw him - a long figure surrounded by a large group. Fay swallowed, her mouth dry. Even she would have little chance of survival in such a situation. Her mind made up Fay quickly made her way to Jerial, still slaying those in her way.
Her journey took her to an arena. Panting, her limbs shaking from exertion, Fay forced herself to climb the sides, killing ay guard in her way. Once perched on top she saw him - a long figure surrounded by a large group. Fay swallowed, her mouth dry. Even she would have little chance of survival in such a situation. Her mind made up Fay quickly made her way to Jerial, still slaying those in her way.
Re: Line in the Sand
A feral battle cry escaped his lips as he saw Fayane from the corner of his eye. He knew that she had found him; he did not know if she had been captured, but he knew she could not be stopped if she had steel in her hand. The warrior with the zweihander roared a challenge to Jerial, lifting his sword with inhuman strength. Jerial raised his palm to face his opponent. A flash of light and heat erupted from his outstretched hand; the warrior fell to the ground, smoke rising from his chest where the magic bolt had struck.
Now he raised his sword in a sweeping strike, spinning around as he did to parry a thrust aimed at his back by another gladiator. Jerial forced the other's blade to the ground. His blade flew to the rag-clad, deprived slave's throat, scarlet bursting from his neck as he fell to the ground. Fayane had good intentions, but he knew he could have defeated these pretenders with ease.
Now he raised his sword in a sweeping strike, spinning around as he did to parry a thrust aimed at his back by another gladiator. Jerial forced the other's blade to the ground. His blade flew to the rag-clad, deprived slave's throat, scarlet bursting from his neck as he fell to the ground. Fayane had good intentions, but he knew he could have defeated these pretenders with ease.
Re: Line in the Sand
Fay battled with the slavers, glancing down to be sure Jerial was safe and holding his own. She saw what he didn't - more slinking into the arena and taking the spots of those fallen. Bastards. Fay snarled and ripped her blade from a guard to leap the several feet to the one who had his blade poised to kill.
Her blades sank into skin and sinew even as her boots, pushed down by her weight and the momentum of her fall, crushed bone. Up she rose, spinning, to slash the idiot coming up behind her.
"Jerial, there are more incoming." She glanced behind her to see Jerial take out another. "I feel as though you can handle it here." Quickly she dashed forward to meet the rising challenges.
Her blades sank into skin and sinew even as her boots, pushed down by her weight and the momentum of her fall, crushed bone. Up she rose, spinning, to slash the idiot coming up behind her.
"Jerial, there are more incoming." She glanced behind her to see Jerial take out another. "I feel as though you can handle it here." Quickly she dashed forward to meet the rising challenges.
Re: Line in the Sand
Jerial continued to hold his solitary line. He turned once again to check on Fay; he jumped as he saw a slight man draw a dagger from the folds of his robes, poised to throw at the woman. He reached out with a hand, grabbing his face and setting it aflame. His middle finger slipped into the man's eye socket. The man screamed horrifically as he died.
A giddy feeling made him shiver, the result of using magic. He had become ever more addicted to it over the years since he had met Fay and had been more involved in the world. He made many enemies in the region around Corezo, but he had never thought he was within their reach in Apthoni. He and Fay had lain low since the mishap, not making trouble, but grudges were of the sort that they were not easily let go in this instance, as obviously shown now as ever.
The man, his face now charred, fell to the ground for the last moments of his life. Jerial had shifted into his half-phoenix form, his muscles now more lean, his bones lighter, his magic more powerful. Death held no claim against him now, as his magic was so powerful as to make him nigh-invincible, a near demigod, a power not seen since the Changers. Even so, Fayane worried about him, as he was still as mortal as she and could be overcome if drugged or poisoned.
After a while, he grew tired of the pointless swordplay. He chuckled and raised his hand, clenching it into a fist. Fire rained down from the heavens, consuming the remaining warriors that had no hope of defeating him in any event. He then closed his eyes. When he opened them again a mere second later, he was standing near Fay, who had overpowered the guards and had sheathed her blades. A smoking circle stood where he had a moment before.
The giddy feeling made his vision blur with its power, washing over him relentlessly. He loved it.
A giddy feeling made him shiver, the result of using magic. He had become ever more addicted to it over the years since he had met Fay and had been more involved in the world. He made many enemies in the region around Corezo, but he had never thought he was within their reach in Apthoni. He and Fay had lain low since the mishap, not making trouble, but grudges were of the sort that they were not easily let go in this instance, as obviously shown now as ever.
The man, his face now charred, fell to the ground for the last moments of his life. Jerial had shifted into his half-phoenix form, his muscles now more lean, his bones lighter, his magic more powerful. Death held no claim against him now, as his magic was so powerful as to make him nigh-invincible, a near demigod, a power not seen since the Changers. Even so, Fayane worried about him, as he was still as mortal as she and could be overcome if drugged or poisoned.
After a while, he grew tired of the pointless swordplay. He chuckled and raised his hand, clenching it into a fist. Fire rained down from the heavens, consuming the remaining warriors that had no hope of defeating him in any event. He then closed his eyes. When he opened them again a mere second later, he was standing near Fay, who had overpowered the guards and had sheathed her blades. A smoking circle stood where he had a moment before.
The giddy feeling made his vision blur with its power, washing over him relentlessly. He loved it.
Re: Line in the Sand
Fay shredded combatant after combatant, blood lust singing through her very soul. She howled and shifted the same time Jerial did. Her blades danced with her, screams of agony and death the tune she danced to, blood her dress.
She caught a weapon with her hand, beheaded another idiot ad threw him on to the growing pile. She heard screams and smelt flesh burn. She couldn't look behind her, because she knew there were flames.
The battle was over shortly and Fay wiped her blades clean, sheathing them as she heard Jerial approach her from behind. Smiling she turned, untroubled by the flames that licked at his skin, his eyes glowing. He'd warned her of his addiction to magic ad her smile turned wry. Coming close the gently stroked his cheek.
"You keep this up, feathers, and you'll be very much addicted to your own powers." She teased, the nick-name rolling off her tongue with ease.
She caught a weapon with her hand, beheaded another idiot ad threw him on to the growing pile. She heard screams and smelt flesh burn. She couldn't look behind her, because she knew there were flames.
The battle was over shortly and Fay wiped her blades clean, sheathing them as she heard Jerial approach her from behind. Smiling she turned, untroubled by the flames that licked at his skin, his eyes glowing. He'd warned her of his addiction to magic ad her smile turned wry. Coming close the gently stroked his cheek.
"You keep this up, feathers, and you'll be very much addicted to your own powers." She teased, the nick-name rolling off her tongue with ease.
Re: Line in the Sand
Jerial felt the tide of the magic use start to ebb; he stemmed the outward flow by fashioning a Light in his hand. He smiled down at the ball of floating light, basking in both its warm glow and the renewed feeling of ecstasy he felt with its presence. Then he noticed a cut on Fay's shoulder, and the Light abruptly went out. He touched the wound lightly, and it disappeared, as well as the others along both of their bodies. Their clothes also repaired themselves, as well as the weapons. It felt amazing: the raw power...!
He stared into Fayane's eyes, the glow in his own renewed and bolstered. A slight wind cooled him off, the magical airstream lifting the heat from his tired muscles. He also fed the tired body, and Fay's, with energy from the Astral Plane, healthier and more potent than any corporeal food.
Pleasure...
He stared into Fayane's eyes, the glow in his own renewed and bolstered. A slight wind cooled him off, the magical airstream lifting the heat from his tired muscles. He also fed the tired body, and Fay's, with energy from the Astral Plane, healthier and more potent than any corporeal food.
Pleasure...
Re: Line in the Sand
Fay felt his power wash through her like a cooling tide, healing and bolstering her, though that troubled her. She tried to read his eyes, but she couldn't see past the power. Gently she reached up ad cupped his face.
"Jer, love, come on, come back to me please. There is no more need for magic." Fay's eyes pleaded to him even as her voice called to him. Losing him in battle was one thing, losing him to magic was another. Gently she stroked his cheek, hoping to see the magical fire that flared from his eyes, go out. She wouldn't lose him to man's blade, and couldn't lose him to himself.
"Jer, love, come on, come back to me please. There is no more need for magic." Fay's eyes pleaded to him even as her voice called to him. Losing him in battle was one thing, losing him to magic was another. Gently she stroked his cheek, hoping to see the magical fire that flared from his eyes, go out. She wouldn't lose him to man's blade, and couldn't lose him to himself.
Re: Line in the Sand
Jerial trembled. It seemed that ending the flow of lifegiving magic was just that- dying, falling off the edge of an abyss. He gritted his teeth. The turmoil caused clouds to form overhead; lightning struck, and ice fell, deadly with its sharp quickness. The only things that kept the two from oblivion were Jerial's wards, which made ending it all even worse. The addiction had deepened over the years, a wound that was just as deadly to his mind as a sword to his body. Jerial could feel his nails digging into Fay's shoulders, and salty blood seeped over his fingertips.
He couldn't stop.
He just couldn't stop.
He couldn't hear the roar of the cyclones over the sound of his own inner battle.
He couldn't stop.
He just couldn't stop.
He couldn't hear the roar of the cyclones over the sound of his own inner battle.
Re: Line in the Sand
Fay paled as Jerial's control waned, his grip on her painful but not so much so that she would be stupid enough to pull away. She saw his eyes darken and knew something was wrong, though she didn't know how to help him. Pulling closer to him she clung to him, scared witless of the raging magical storm.
"Jerial! Please! Hear me, stop this madness before you kill us both!" Fay cried directly into his ear. She heard the cyclones scream for blood and sobbed in her fear. She shook him and screamed again. She trusted him, she trusted him... but she didn't trust this magic.
It wasn't his, this wasn't him. She'd heard of (and been warned of) this kinda of addiction, the addiction to power. It changed people, loved ones lost their loves to it. Fay would NOT lose him. She shrieked his name again, intent on waking him even as the cyclones drew closer still.
"Jerial! Please! Hear me, stop this madness before you kill us both!" Fay cried directly into his ear. She heard the cyclones scream for blood and sobbed in her fear. She shook him and screamed again. She trusted him, she trusted him... but she didn't trust this magic.
It wasn't his, this wasn't him. She'd heard of (and been warned of) this kinda of addiction, the addiction to power. It changed people, loved ones lost their loves to it. Fay would NOT lose him. She shrieked his name again, intent on waking him even as the cyclones drew closer still.
Re: Line in the Sand
Jerial had his eyes shut so hard he was seeing a whole spectrum of colors, and tears were falling from his face, squeezing past his eyelids. He had to think of a way. Not for himself, he couldn't focus on that, but for Fay. The feeling in his heart, the emotion that arose whenever he thought of her, the feeling of nobility, of chivalry, now rose again. He thought of a way.
Only unconsciousness would not work, not now. He instead visualized the artery on the side of his neck. He felt the pain there, rising and rising with his heartbeat until finally, bittersweet blackness engulfed him.
((He gave himself a stroke
))
Only unconsciousness would not work, not now. He instead visualized the artery on the side of his neck. He felt the pain there, rising and rising with his heartbeat until finally, bittersweet blackness engulfed him.
((He gave himself a stroke
))Re: Line in the Sand
Fay shrieked as Jerial collapsed, the magic ending with a clap of thunder. Dead silence was broken only by Fay's sobbing as she attempted to awaken Jerial. She could hear no heartbeat, no breath, and sense no life. She arched and screamed till her throat was raw.
"DIOSUS!!!" She shrieked to the Changer. "YOU PILE OF WORTHLESS SHIT! YOU GAVE ME NOTHING BUT HELL FOR MY LIFE, YOU CHANGED MY FATE SO IT WAS NOTHING BUT TORTURE. THEN I FIND HIM, AND YOU TAKE HIM FROM ME!?!?!" Fay roared even as thunder boomed warningly. Something within her mind told her to stop, to back off, but she would not.
"I WILL NOT LOSE HIM, DIOSUS!!!GIVE HIM BACK!!!! OR SO HELP ME I WILL UNMAKE YOU!!" There was a roar, similar to an inferno, a challenge. Fay rose to it. There was a saying, she remembered, as she drew her blades; Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. No one appeared before her, but rather there was a chuckle almost.
Your courage is admirable, little one. But challenge me again, and I'll unmake you in the most painfu of ways. Have your man back, but warn him this IS the last chance he shall get. With that a bolt of hsilvery-blue lightning struck Jerial square in the chest. Fay whirled, listening- there. A heartbeat. Sobbing in relief Fay slumped next to Jerial and cradled him even as she thanked the Changer.
Just remember our little bargain, shifter.
"DIOSUS!!!" She shrieked to the Changer. "YOU PILE OF WORTHLESS SHIT! YOU GAVE ME NOTHING BUT HELL FOR MY LIFE, YOU CHANGED MY FATE SO IT WAS NOTHING BUT TORTURE. THEN I FIND HIM, AND YOU TAKE HIM FROM ME!?!?!" Fay roared even as thunder boomed warningly. Something within her mind told her to stop, to back off, but she would not.
"I WILL NOT LOSE HIM, DIOSUS!!!GIVE HIM BACK!!!! OR SO HELP ME I WILL UNMAKE YOU!!" There was a roar, similar to an inferno, a challenge. Fay rose to it. There was a saying, she remembered, as she drew her blades; Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. No one appeared before her, but rather there was a chuckle almost.
Your courage is admirable, little one. But challenge me again, and I'll unmake you in the most painfu of ways. Have your man back, but warn him this IS the last chance he shall get. With that a bolt of hsilvery-blue lightning struck Jerial square in the chest. Fay whirled, listening- there. A heartbeat. Sobbing in relief Fay slumped next to Jerial and cradled him even as she thanked the Changer.
Just remember our little bargain, shifter.
Re: Line in the Sand
Jerial awoke to the voice of a Changer, one of the archdemons that opposed Elohim. He was immediately stricken with fear, for he knew he would be destroyed piecemeal if it came to blows. Possibly. Jerial was only limited by what he knew to be his imagination. Even so, he would most likely die defending Fay from the spirit, even if he could rival the Changer on his own. Jerial's magic was fearsome, certainly even to a Changer, but the battle would encompass land in a wide radius, and he was not sure Fay would survive the chaos, so he decided he would rather sacrifice himself for Fay's life than live to be a killer of a Changer.
But, his fears were for naught, and the voice swiftly faded. With it faded all knowledge of the feeling of magical addiction, but when he tried, he realized he could still perform magic to an arbitrary degree. This he couldn't care less about. He all but leaped up, embracing Fayane for what seemed like the first time in eternity. His mind could not grasp the enormity of his time in death; he was in blackness, a blackness that a mortal mind could not encompass nor attempt to describe, but he clung to the gut feeling, even though he had no anatomical 'gut', that this was not the end of his journey to the afterlife: that this was only a sort of antechamber from which he would emerge into the afterlife, never to go back to the world of mortals.
He loved Fayane with all his heart that moment.
((Yeah, super angsty, but who cares?))
But, his fears were for naught, and the voice swiftly faded. With it faded all knowledge of the feeling of magical addiction, but when he tried, he realized he could still perform magic to an arbitrary degree. This he couldn't care less about. He all but leaped up, embracing Fayane for what seemed like the first time in eternity. His mind could not grasp the enormity of his time in death; he was in blackness, a blackness that a mortal mind could not encompass nor attempt to describe, but he clung to the gut feeling, even though he had no anatomical 'gut', that this was not the end of his journey to the afterlife: that this was only a sort of antechamber from which he would emerge into the afterlife, never to go back to the world of mortals.
He loved Fayane with all his heart that moment.
((Yeah, super angsty, but who cares?))
Re: Line in the Sand
When Jerial moved, fast and unexpected, to embrace her, all Fay could feel was pure relief. Then came the irrational anger that was triggered by the fear she had faced. Pulling back she slapped him, angry tears glistening at her eyes.
"You fucking idiot." She rasped out at his stricken face. "I lost you. Even if only for a moment, I lost you." She almost slapped him again, just for that, but held back. "I challenged a Changer. Told him to give you back. He did, obviously..." by now she was all but sobbing, no longer caring and warding off his attempts to hold her again. "But he said this was your last chance. Die again, Jerial, and I lose you forever." Her voice broke at the last word even as she slumped forward, all the events of the past couple hours rushing up to meet her; and all she could do was cry.
((And you thought your post was angsty.
Never try to out-angst me, it doesn't work too well. XD!))
"You fucking idiot." She rasped out at his stricken face. "I lost you. Even if only for a moment, I lost you." She almost slapped him again, just for that, but held back. "I challenged a Changer. Told him to give you back. He did, obviously..." by now she was all but sobbing, no longer caring and warding off his attempts to hold her again. "But he said this was your last chance. Die again, Jerial, and I lose you forever." Her voice broke at the last word even as she slumped forward, all the events of the past couple hours rushing up to meet her; and all she could do was cry.
((And you thought your post was angsty.
Never try to out-angst me, it doesn't work too well. XD!))Re: Line in the Sand
Jerial turned to punch the side of the stone wall with all his might, nigh-shattering it. He sunk to the ground, his head in his hands, oblivious that Fay had also done the same thing. He sat there for longer than he could have imagined; it must have been days. But he drew on every ounce of courage and luck he could ever fathom he had, and more still, and rose to face her, his head bowed. He had no idea what he was doing.
His face still stung from the impact of Fay's hand, worse even than death itself. Retreating into his formerly beloved shell for the second time since meeting Fay, he sat down beside her, listening and waiting, staring blankly. He didn't want to worry her by his introversion, but he didn't think he could do any good in any event, for the moment.
His face still stung from the impact of Fay's hand, worse even than death itself. Retreating into his formerly beloved shell for the second time since meeting Fay, he sat down beside her, listening and waiting, staring blankly. He didn't want to worry her by his introversion, but he didn't think he could do any good in any event, for the moment.