[OPEN] i get the feeling that it's two against one

[deadelfwalking]

Date & Time: Jan 7 - 11
Location: Across the icy wilderness
Characters: Koltira, perhaps you
Summary: Maddened elf seeks large supply of blood, suffering
Warnings: gore; sadistic grossness


[There's something howling in the wilderness lately, and it's distinct from the wolves, from the yeti, from any other predator stalking the area around the city. This sound is a bestial keening, agonized and ragged, echoing and tortured. It's a sound of helpless madness, of uncontrollable rage, and its force lingers in the winter wind. Anyone who follows the howl, whether purposely or by accident, might come across a trail. Initially, they'll find animal corpses killed cleanly, with a single, precise cut. Caribou, at first, partially and purposefully skinned, as though harvested by a mindful hunter.

But the kills become progressively grisly as the trail continues -- mutilated bears, gutted arctic wolves. There's no sense of care in these later kills; the entrails are shredded, wrenched and twisted like wet rags. Blood spatters the snow in random, violent arcs. The animals' bodies are in strangely advanced stages of decay, and their semi-rotted flesh glows faintly green.

Or you may find no trail at all. You may find an animal's foreleg, snapped at each joint. You may find a crushed eyeball, smeared like jelly across the snow.

Or you may find no trace whatsoever. You may simply find someone near you, crouching, his white hair streaked red, his mouth dark and shining and wet. Grinding his teeth. Standing up. Advancing towards you, as the snow hisses, as the earth turns black and dead under his boots.]

Comments

[stonefaith]

[ Bariyan starts laughing when he land his first hit, and keeps laughing as he forces Koltira back. Finally.

He starts to go in for another blow when he sees Koltira slam Byfrost down -- but then he sees the ice coming for him, and he reels back. It hits his axe first, causing its head to dive a good few inches with the extra weight. It doesn't take Bariyan long to realize what Koltira's intent is. ]

Enough!

[ The ground dulls, energy draining away. Bariyan throws his arms up against the ice and a halo of light explodes outwards, encases him, turns the ice away. His shield.

Which -- Bariyan grimaces -- isn't going to last very long, given how he's wasted his energies in the past few minutes. Bad. Very bad. ]

[deadelfwalking]

[Insensate with suffering and fury, Koltira hacks at the shield over and over, his face streaming with blood, his armor wet from the injuries Bariyan's inflicted on him. The assault produces more pain, more wounds -- he is striking against a wall of pure Light, after all -- but he doesn't stop. He cannot stop. Misery undercuts the horrible expression his face; misery, and abject despair.]

[stonefaith]

[ Bariyan starts to speak, then shuts his mouth and falls silent. He merely watches Koltira, instead.

He cannot feel anything but pity for the man, for his pain, for his struggle, but Bariyan is not so self-sacrificial as to give him what he wants. Appeasement of that kind is wrong, anyhow; it would be indulgent of the very instincts that Koltira needs to quash. And whatever temporary peace that Koltira might gain from it would do him no good in the long run. It would only set him back.

But nor will it do either of them any good to see Koltira rip himself apart.

Bariyan frowns. His shield's life is almost up. He'll have to leave soon, if he wants to live.

Yet he steps forward, thrusting his axe out to sweep Koltira's blade aside. Then he lets go with one hand to reach for Koltira's face. ]

Enough.

[deadelfwalking]

[Koltira heaves, trembling violently, his eyes darting from Bariyan's hand to his face. He's uncertain, and his fingers flex against Byfrost's hilt as he tries to think, tries to form some kind of meaningful thought.

But there's just too much pain. It's electrified every part of him, a toxic mix of the residual Light and the suffering that's endemic to his awful body. He makes an incomprehensible noise in his throat. He doesn't move.]

[stonefaith]

[ Bariyan stares and exhales, long and slow. And then winces. The adrenaline's gone. The pain and the cold and all the woes of his current situation are catching up to him, now. He's got to get out. He's got to get away. He can't best Koltira on his own.

He presses his palm -- warm from body heat, and blood -- against Koltira's cheek. ]

Control yourself, commander. I'll be back for you.

[ Then he shoves Koltira's blade away, and backs off. He throws up another shield; it's not nearly as potent as his first, but it's all he's got left in him. He's hoping it'll ward Koltira off enough to get a headstart on him. ]