Line in the Sand

[Fayane]

She shook and fought to calm herself. Looking up, slowly and painfully, she saw Jerial's emotionless eyes. She wanted to lash out, scream at him for not caring, but something stopped her. His eyes... yes they were emotionless but they weren't hard as stone like they had been before... but rather.... desolate. She bowed her head, her breathing still ragged as her mind raced.

Over the while she and Jerial had known each other he'd been like this only once. He'd mentioned it was because of his dis-trust of others, and overall fear of pain. Well he hadn't said that but even Fay could read between those lines. She looked up again, eyes searching, and realized she'd either hurt him, scared him, or angered him. Taking a deep breath, just in case it was somehow all three, she stood, slowly and easily.

"Jerial," she murmured, slowly, gently taking his face in her hands, her one palm very gently stroking where she'd slapped. "I'm not... angry... at you." She took her time picking her words, her eyes searching his for answers.

"You scared me... you were dead." She smiled wryly. "If it had been me that had died, would you not have shook me? Been upset, scared or hurt?" Trying to explain feelings was hard... she didn't like this. Pushing on she contiued.

"I felt these when you fell, no heartbeat welcoming my ears, no breath in your lungs. I screamed to Diosus. Challenged him." A wry grin formed over her lips when she saw a flicker of what she suspected was suprise. "He agreed to return you to me... though, as I said, this is your last chance." At the last part, because she felt it was right, she stepped as close to him as she could, twining her arms around his neck and burying her face against the side of his head.

"Let's not waste time being withdrawn from the other, when we should be glad we still have each other."

((There, cut the angst and pushed forward some squishy "aww" romance I thought this was a battle thread...? -bemused-))

*****EDIT, decided to re-add some battle components again as I'm bored *****

She was trying to draw an answer from him when she heard the footsteps. After having fled from the magical storm, and gathered recruits, the slavers returned with a vengeance. She closed her eyes, breathed deeply, and pulled back reluctantly from the still stoic Jerial.

"It appears we have company, my love." She murmured, drawing her blades once more even as her mind switched coldly into assassin's mode. She could feel no pain, no exhaustion, only blood lust and calculated fury. She turned to the other entrance, where the steps sounded, and stalked off; though not before barking at Jerial,

"Stay put. I would not have you near me for fear of you getting harmed." The guards rushed forward, fools. Two slices had them down, her eyes now like ice. More blood followed, a blur to her, more screams of agony all blending into one. A sharp pain in her back barely registered, even so she whirled and beheaded the fool. Another spin, black wings following her, crimson hair dripping, howls of rage and pain. Red tinted her ice blue eyes. More, she needed more.

[Drayel]

An arrow shot from the distance slammed itself deep into the skull of a slaver. Within seconds more flew through the air, crashing through bone and flesh alike to bring death to the idiots who fought against the bloody pair below him. With a grunt Drayel reloaded his crossbow as he aimed for his next target.

Bloody bastards. He thought scowling as he shot down another. Can't lead peaceful lives. Instead they have to harm others. What a bunch of morons.

Gritting his teeth against the burn in his shoulder he moved to sling the crossbow back on his back. Breathing in a sharp breath his let out his battle cry before charging to help the outnumbered but skilled pair below. Seeing their faces he growled but still he drew his sword and swung.

[Fayane]

She head another race forward, saw more drop, and in her mind it registered he was an ally. Her eyes, now violet, snapped to the man before back to an enemy.

"Stay your distance from me, human, I wish to bring you no harm." Fay called, her voice as hard and cold as stone as she once more lost herself to blood and pain. It was all so perfect, she realized, as her daggers took yet another life. The blood was so beautiful, so pristine. Pain seared at her side and she beheaded another fool, her own life of no more consequence to her. All that mattered was that her revenge was taken. But revenge for what? Her blades felled another enemy as his blood answered her question. For the blood of your mate. Pain, blood, laughter (was that her own?). A crimson sea that engulfed her, the screams, roars and curses of the damned once more her orchestra to dance to against the seemingly endless flow of slavers.

A dance of death, curtained by crimson rain.

[Drayel]

Drayel frowned at the strange woman's warning but decided to heed it. Glaring at another slaver he let out a roar that shook him to the core. Startled at the sudden boom the slaver staggered slightly and was quickly met with the sharpness of Drayel's blade.

" 'Striking in justice but never in rage. Know their steps like your own, and never give mercy to those who won't give it back. Most of all however, protect the innocent and the good as though they were your own family.' True words that will never again be spoken to the likes of you." Drayel snarled as he turned on another. "May the filth in your blood run kill clean in the earth."

Another swing, another death, another man gone. Yet even then more came, and more died. The circles of his own living hell. Again he spoke the words of his father in an almost chant. It was those words that comforted him, it was those words that decided what was right and wrong. It was the words of a wise man.

The next swing held no mercy, only skill and precision. He would make them hurt.

[Fayane]

More... How much more? More! But why? MORE BLOOD! The roaring in her mind became overpowering, unbearable. A stab to her side, her arm sliced, something was in her leg, but still her soul screamed for more blood. She bowed her head, closed her eyes, her attackers rushing in for the final blow. Her heartbeat slowed. A thump, blood. Thump, pain. Thump, revenge. Her eyes opened, now scarlet, as her blades fell to the ground. Claws grew with a thought, shredding her gloves. Fangs grew beyond her bottom lip and sliced the tender skin open, her tail came up and around, deadly and flexible.

A metal object, flying towards her, hissing. It stopped when her claw reached through the wielder's back, his beating heart clutched in it. Everyone around her froze, suddenly petrified ad disgusted as she allowed the body to slide free of her hand, the heart quick to follow. More... She needed more blood, more death, more pain. Her claw snapped forward, gripped a throat, crushed it with a thought and threw the chocking body to the ground. More... She looked up to see eyes, terrified, staring. She smiled, her mind no longer her own. What little she could remember was that screams, the ripping and the laughter.

They deserved pain, but she did more-so. She allowed blades to cut, arrows to hit, limbs to strike. She deserved it. She'd brought pain to the one she swore to protect. And with that she lost herself to the song of death around her.

[Drayel]

Drayel stood gaping at the suddenly blood drunk woman. His instincts screamed for him to flee, that if he stayed he would die as well, but forced it down as he watched her slaughter another. There was no grace in her movements anymore, no more hesitant innocence. Just blood lust.

Drayel shook himself of the shock and killed another one, careful to keep his distance from the mad woman. In the corner of his eye he glanced over of the elf with a frown. He had seen some of the battle, he'd been stuck down and she screamed. It made his stomach clench. Yet even through her grief she challenged a Changer (hell knows that was stupid) then had a heart filled scene while the slavers crawled closer. Then she started to lose it.

A lucky swing sliced open his arm and Drayel howled in pain. Turning on them he glared as his tempter flared. Those...fucking....bastards.

[Fayane]

There was nothing but pain now, roaring agony. The slavers had laded a few too many hits, her blood lust and need for death had been long since sated, and now the pain of her reality was sinking in. A mountain of bodies surrounded her, and there was no-one left standing besides her own allies. She staggered, her eyes blue once more, as she struggled to climb free of the mass grave.

"You... guardsman... help me..." Fay rasped, still struggling.

[Drayel]

Hearing the raspy voice was near impossible but he heard it. Turning he looked down at the woman with a suspicious glare. The bloodlust in her eyes was gone, replaced only with pain and thought. Frowning he edged closer warily. He barely trusted her this close let alone closer.

"You had better be grateful woman." Drayel growled as he came to her side eyeing the hills for any other enemies. "This is becoming more trouble then it's worth."

Taking a chance he glanced her over he tried to decifier her blood from theirs. Wounds littered her body and her face was pale with exhaustion. The fact that she was still standing was shocking in itself.

"What're your name, woman?" Drayel grunted as he twisted to search through the medical bag on his hip. There wasn't much but maybe there was something he could give her to kill the pain. It would make moving her easier on both of them. Finding what he wanted he pulled it out and offered it to her though his eyes were on the elf. "What do want done with him?"

[Fayane]

Fay took the skin gratefully, drinking the bitter tea. The pain seeped away slowly as she pulled it and sighed gratefully. She smiled weakly at the man before her.

"I am Fayane, he," Fay gestured at Jerial, not able to move to him like she wanted to, "is my mate, Jerial." Hand shaking, she passed the skin containing the pain-killing tea back to the human male before she slumped to the ground in exhaustion.

"Do me a favor and make sure he-" she gestures at Jerial at this, "gets out of here safely. I have no desire to lose him when I just fought beyond my limit to ensure his safety."

[Jerial]

Jerial didn't see, hear, or feel anything until a jolt awakened him. He had been lost in his own reverie, cut off from the world. Now, a human had entered the scene, and Fay was beaten, badly. She was under the care of the human, it seemed. No wonder Fay was hurt so badly. Under the care of one so incompetent, it was no wonder.

He examined the man. He was truly a representative of his race: rippling muscles and perfectly mindless. He inquired as to the man's name; the man had earned respect enough by saving his mate.

"Elohim protect you for saving her, if that be what you did," Jerial said as he rose from the dusty stone. "How long was I incapacitated?" He started to think of a spell to cast, but forced the thought out of his mind hurriedly. His eyes flicked to Fay's face as he did so, and he hoped he did not look like he was chastising himself.

He did his best to look presentable, his finely tailored robes draped over his body under his silvery pauldrons and vambraces. His sword was belted to his side on his silver mail belt, his silver mail clinking underneath. He did not even recognize casting the spell summoning the items until he looked down and saw his wardrobe had changed. Obviously, he told himself with an inward sigh, this is going to persist no matter what I do.

Fay had once inquired on his armor, saying truthfully that silver was unsuitable for protection. He had replied to her that he had enchanted the metal to be unbreakable, even harder than diamond. She had laughed at him and asked why he did not just use diamond. He pointed out to her that diamond would not repel magical beings, which she readily understood.

Once again, he shook himself out of his self-induced nostalgia, now looking upon Fayane's body. She was breathing hard. Only then did it click. I must have been out for some time. There must have been some further conflict. With slavers, I presume, he realized. Bodies that were similar in garb to the ones he had slain earlier littered the ground around them. He grimaced, and once again he did not notice the magic as the bodies flamed for a mere second and turned to dust that lay in haphazard piles in the still air.

[Drayel]

Drayel growled when he heard the elf. So he was awake now that the fight was over huh? How convenient. Drayel snorted as he turned his back on the elf and continued to tend to the shifter. He tried to ignore the sneering sound of his voice but the voice kept coming. Slowly he grew frustrated as he tried to focus on his task only to have his voice distract him.

"If you don't shut your damn mouth I'll cut all your fucking hair off!" Drayel snapped shooting a glare over his shoulder. Here he was risking his own damn hide for that stupid woman and her mate and what did he get as thanks? A sneering thank you from a elf who was out of it for the whole damn battle. Damn he hated this job.

[Fayane]

Fay saw, with no small amount of relief, that Jerial had come to. But once she heard that sneer in his voice, she remembered one thing: Jerial could not stand pure-blood humans or elves unless they were shifters. Lovely. She heard steps - more were coming, just as the man barked. Seeing Jerial open his mouth to retort she barked... well, rasped.

"Enough!" she hacked for a second, shuddering before taking a deep breath. "There's more coming, and while I'd love to slay more slavers... I can't stand." She looked to the human and smiled, a small trickle of blood sliding down the corner of her mouth.

"I thank you for the assistance, no matter what my mate says." She looked to Jerial. "Please, if you'll not take me from here, take me somewhere where I won't be in the way of another fight." She hacked again. "So that I may heal." She winced and did her best to ignore the black teasing along her eye-sight. She didn't want to pass out, not yet, that'd only serve to scare Jerial... and possibly the human if he cared enough.

[Drayel]

Drayel frowned as the bloody woman hacked another lung. She was in bad shape. To move her himself would cause the mate to probably get angry. Perhaps a diversion? That would work. Enough time for those two to run anyways. He glanced over at the hills dully.

"What's your plan elf? Are you going to fight, or run?"

[Fayane]

Jerial never had the chance to answer as, of course, yet more slavers appeared. They charged in, roaring and Fay hissed in aggravation.

"For the love of... Jerial you must either defend me, or flee with me. Make up your fucking mind now." If there was one thing Fay hated most - it was feeling useless.

[Jerial]

Jerial raised his hand nonchalantly, the slavers disintegrating under a rain of lightning and fire. He yawned heavily and asked, "What was that?"