Private Tales Let's Get Outta Here Red

[Kasimir]

Kasimir grunted as he went sprawling to the floor. With his hands behind his back he was unable to stop his face smashing into the ground and cutting all up his cheek. The pain barely registered however all consuming was that in his neck. It felt like a hot knife was beginning to press its way through his spine and he didn't doubt for a second it would go all the way through until his head was separate from the rest of his body. Of course he had no idea if that was what it looked like also, or if that was merely the impression of the spell.

But it wasn't the Rune itself that reacted first of all when her bloody hand attempted to activate its magic. The shadowy tattoos that covered his body, were bound to him and to protect the vessel they lived within, were the ones who threw themselves at Kala. Teeth, claws, wings, steel, all hit the other Tiefling with brute strength and raw power. Whatever she was attempting to put on him was clearly a threat not only to the Rune but to his Deals as well.

 

[Kala]

Kala screamed.

In fear, in pain, or simply because it was the only thing that she could do. Creatures and monsters of shadow assaulted her hand. They mauled her flesh and ripped at her muscle as they tried to tear her apart. The Tiefling shrieked, desperately trying to hop back and away from Kasimir.

Another scream echoed from her lungs as she did, one of the beasts suddenly grasping onto her and biting through her skin. Blood sprayed out, splattering all over Kasimir and the Rune as Kala fell back away from him and onto the ground.

Her good hand came up, clutching the deep wounds in her other arm as tears of pain and shock welled in her eyes.

 

[Kasimir]

Kasimir felt the pull of the shadow demons and the energies they borrowed from him to launch their attack, but there was nothing he could do to stop them. Not when they had felt a threat. Whatever they had done they had erased the magics Kala had attempted to place on top of his Rune; it had been a flash of pain and then nothing but the usual Rune pain that was urging him to return to Vel Anir. Her screams told her what his eyes couldn't see and he strained at the bonds around his wrists in an attempt to get himself free. The shadowy blade slid through them after a while and he tore the blindfold off.

"Shit," he crawled his way over to where Kala lay on the ground and grimaced, his hands fluttering to the wound in her arm. Which one had managed to get the most damage? It would determine what exactly he had to do to fix it, if he even could. Carefully he rolled up her sleeve or peeled it off the charred skin, whichever was easier. "I'm sorry, the spell must have done something to trigger their defences," he grimaced.

 

[Kala]

Heavy sobs wracked Kala, her entire body violently shaking as Kasimir peeled back the bits of cloth still covering her arm.

He revealed a mangled mess of a forearm. Blood poured from deep cuts, muscle and sinew clearly revealed themselves. A gasp filled the Tieflings lungs, and she quietly whispered. "I'm sorry."

Her eyes darted to the brand for a brief second, and then to Kasimir.

It was clear that whatever she had done either the Rune or whatever his magic was had decided she a could not go through with it. Her attempt had failed, and although she was nearly entirely consumed with pain she could not help but feel guilty.

"I don't think I can help you." She didn't have any other ideas. Didn't have any other way to free him. Another sob wracked her body, and Kala couldn't help but feel shame well up inside of her.

 

[Kasimir]

"I don't think anyone can," Kasimir gently pushed the hair back from her face with a small grimace and then slid his arms under her - one behind her knees and the other around her waist. With a tenderness probably at odds with his image he picked her up tenderly and began to walk. The pain was a throb in the back of his neck but he could ignore it for her. Without the blindfold he had been quick to take note of where they were and was surprised at how close to the city she had chosen to bring him to. It did mean however he recognised where he was and knew where to take her.

He was quick as he strode forward, deeper into the trees until they could hear the sound of running water. Once by the river he gently laid her down on its edge and then stooped in the water and took her arm in his.

"This is going to hurt," he looked up at her, caught her gaze, and then gently lowered it into the gentle running water to clean off the blood.

 

[Kala]

Kala tried to bite her lower lip as her arm was plunged into the water, a whimper escaping her throat as the agony of it rushed through her entire body.

As she pulled it out of the water Kala almost threw up.

It was clear that the limb was almost entirely mangled to bits. One could nearly see the bone now, and blood quickly returned. She could feel her head slowly getting woozy, lips thinning as she looked over at Kasimir. "Need...bandages."

Shock was setting in now.

Fingers in her good hand tightened slightly on Kasimir, and quietly she began to wonder if she was going to survive this.

 

[Kasimir]

Kasimir nodded grimly and began to strip off his coat. He threw it to one side then tugged the shirt up and over his head before proceeding to rip it up into long strips. Of course now it afforded her the full view of horrific scars and mutilated marks across his skin as well as the shadowy tattoos which prowled, watching her. He could sense they didn't trust her after the magic she had wielded against him and the Rune. They had nearly died. No, worse than death, vanquished to another realm where they would suffer for an eternity.

He worked quickly and with as gentle hands as he could to bandage her arm tightly. One layer was done before he rose quickly and hunted about for a good branch. Not finding any suitable on the ground he simply snapped one off the tree itself and returned to her, snapping it over his knee as if it were a toothpick. Gently he laid it over her bandages then added a second layer to splint it tightly and keep it straight. He grimanced again.

"Do you have someone... or somewhere we can go? I cannot take you to Vel Anir," she would wish she had died out here if he did.

 

[Kala]

Kala took quick shallow breaths as Kasimir bound her wound. Fingers tightened, lips thinning as she thought about the places that she could go. There were a few, though none were close. She would have to use the Paths.

"I'll have to go back into the gate." She told him softly, her words barely audible as she looked at her mutilated arm.

Something in the back of her mind told her that the limb was already lost, that she had more than failed in all of this. Had she done it too quickly? Had she pushed it too fast? Had there been any other way to do this?

Tears flowed down her cheeks as she shook her head in answer to silent questions. "I'm sorry."

She said it again in shame.

 

[Kasimir]

"No," the tears tore at a part of him. This was one of the first people who had even tried to help him, had shown him such kindness and believe he deserved alive outside of servitude. That she was crying because she felt she had failed him wounded him far deeper than the burning in his neck. He lent in the mud which soaked into the knees of his breeches and cupped her cheeks. Again, so tenderly, he wiped at her cheeks and then gently pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"It is not your fault, Blue. You tried and I... I got you hurt. Like I said," pain was clear in the set of his jaw and the way his eyes looked down at her bandaged arms. "Show me. Show me how I can get you somewhere safe," he dropped his hands from her cheeks and scooped her up again then stood.

 

[Kala]

Her eyes closed as she kissed his forehead, regret and self disdain rushing through her.

She shook her head as though his words did not quite reach. Kala knew what he meant, knew what he was trying to do, but he was still in chains. That was all that mattered in her head.

This was the first thing she had tried to do in living memory that had no selfishness. There had been no reward for her. No purse of gold or valuable gem that she could clutch at the end. All of this had been for someone else, and she had failed. "J-just get me to the tree."

She said through tears.

"The behind the fire." Her fingers quivered gently as they brushed against his skin, another pathetic whimper escaping her as she felt a wave of pain.

How could she leave him? How could she go?

 

[Kasimir]

Kasimir clenched his jaw against the pain of both the Rune and of her cries. He had done that to her. Allowed it to happen anyway. It was the creatures he had welcomed into his body that now left her in tears and very likely with the decision of losing the arm or being weak as it healed for months. He did as she asked however without question, walking over to the tree she had indicated. But he couldn't put her down. His fingers flexed against her body and then he shook his head. He couldn't leave her in this state.

"Open the door, I will take you where you need to go," it was a vow and there was no movement in his voice. He would broker no argument with her over this. He was going to be tortured and punished for being missing this long he might as well stretch out the time he had now. Better to spend the next few weeks hanging from Norris' hook with no regrets than wandering if she even made it back alive.

 

[Kala]

"No." She denied him the oath as she peered towards the tree.

Kala felt small in his arms, but this was not something she could allow him to do. The tiefling had already failed him once, how could she force him to do it again?

What pain would they cause him? What torture would they inflict?

She couldn't stand for it. "It could be months, more..."

There was really never any telling with the Paths. If he took her through then there was no telling just how long he would be gone. "They'll kill you."

 

[Kasimir]

"I do not care, if I do not know you are in capable hands then I am a broken man already," his words were said harshly but they were true. His tail made a loud noise as it repeatedly hit the ground in his frustration - the only give away he was tense for he still held her gently. His gaze was like a liquid fire as he looked down at her, lips pressing into a thin line until the colour was almost completely gone from them.

"Open the door, Blue. You're going to have to be the one trusting me now," she couldn't ask it of him and then not return it to him to do this for her. To return her kindness. To mend what he had inadvertently done to her.

 

[Kala]

She breathed in and out slowly, trying to gain some semblance of control. Pain was still wracking her entire body, her arm felt as though someone had lit it on fire and simply left it there.

Fingers tightened. "Okay."

Kala said weakly as she reached into her pocket. A card was pulled from it, decorated with a gate made of vines and flowers. Her hand rushed over it, and she closed her eyes. For a second she let the card roll through her fingers, then she flicked it against the tree.

At first nothing happened, then slowly the wood began to fall away and into itself. A portal opened up, slowly rushing into an abyss.

 

[Kasimir]

It was a good thing she relented because his only other option was to take her into Vel Anir and seek the help of what few friends he did have within the city walls. That would be been dangerous for them both. He struggled with his patience as he watched the gate form and then he was shouldering his way through it in a rush.

As soon as his feet connected with the pathway he paused and let out a sign of relief. Once again the pain from the mark vanished in this strange world of hers. It couldn't touch him here. Of course, she was right and it could be far worse when they emerged again. But this time he was at least prepared. He set off in the direction she pointed him in at a brisk pace: the abyss didn't bother him at all this time.

 

[Kala]

The Paths were confusing even on the best of days. This place had taken years and years to map out correctly. Even then it was a struggle sometimes to tell where you were going or even what your destination could possibly be.

Her head was spinning uncontrollably, and she wanted to puke. "I like being a thief."

Kala felt woozy, but she didn't want to puke, so instead she spoke.

"I like the adventure. The feeling of taking something that doesn't belong to me." Her good hand came up, grasping at something that wasn't there. "It's like the ultimate form of control."

She smiled. "Wonder if i'll be able to do it one handed."

 

[Kasimir]

He really hoped she stayed conscious long enough to get them both out of here. He wasn't sure what her magics were but he was pretty sure his wouldn't work in here. Not well enough to get them out of it anyway. They would wind up stuck and she would wind up in pain for god knows how long, perhaps even dead if there was an infection. He should have brought supplies with him on his mission. He should always carry supplies. It was one of the many rules of being an assassin. He cursed and berated himself violently as he walked.

"There are plenty of one handed thieves," he spoke calmly despite his growing worry. He was following what little directions she could give him to the letter and finally they rounded a corner where appeared a door. "Through here?"

 

[Kala]

Slowly Kala narrowed her eyes at the doorway, shaking her head for a moment before she pointed towards a walkway that jutted off just before the door. "Down there."

Down.

That was where they needed to go. Down. The Underrealm, that was where they needed to head towards. It was the only safe place, the only place that she could go without getting killed. Lyllya would be there, and the Ogress had always been helpful to her.

"I'm sorry if I die." She said quietly. "You'll have some problems to deal with then."

Kala smiled at him, trying to assure him there was no deliberate threat to her words.

 

[Kasimir]

He very much doubted any problems arising from her dying would be as bad as the ones the Rune and his handlers would give him. He would probably welcome the punishment from her friends in fact. Nobody was as cruel as the Dreadlords who kept a firm handle on the Forsaken, of that he was sure.

"You're not going to die, Blue," he said softly and glanced down at her as he walked for a brief moment before returning his attention to the task at hand. Down they went. He wondered if she lived in a similar place to him - were all of their kind forced to live in the shadows or did they just naturally like the darkness?

"Are... are there other Tieflings down here?" Was he being taken home?

 

[Kala]

"Some." There was an odd tone to her voice, almost a listlessness. "But not as many as you might think."

The place where they were going was not filled with Tieflings, not by far, but a few had made their way there.

A frown touched her face though as she watched the expression on Red's face, her lips thinning as her good hand gently caressed his cheek. "You don't know what home looks like, do you?"

There really was no home city for their species, at least not one that she was aware of, but there were certain places in the Underrealm where their kind was far more common than any other. She shook her head slightly.

"Maybe I'll take you home one day." She sounded more sad than before. "Not today though."

 

[Kasimir]

A few was more than he had seen in his entire life. She was more than he had seen in his entire life. He longed for more, to know more about what he was.

"No," his voice was a little rough as he spoke. The idea there even was something like a home was more than he had ever dared to hope or dream of. "You're the first Tiefling I've ever met. My mother..." well he had been told many stories about his mother. What exactly was true was a whole other story. He couldn't believe however that she would simply abandon her child to Vel Anir. He let the silence envelop them for a moment and drag out.

"I would like that..." he nodded and then stopped when he came at last to another door. "Here?"

 

[Kala]

"There are many of us." She said softly, patting his cheek as though it would somehow make up for all the loss he had felt. "But we don't have a city like everyone else does."

By and large most Tieflings preferred to wander. As a general rule their kind were fiercely independence. Most preferred to break out into the world and do whatever the hell it was that they wanted. Kala herself was one of those.

If he wanted to experience life among their kind, it was her family she would take him to.

Though not tonight. "Here."

She confirmed with a smile.

"There will be a cabin just a bit away from the doorway." Kala told him. "Lylla will be there."

 

[Kasimir]

Kasimir thought about what she said quietly, held the information close like a precious jewel. It was somehow comforting to know that there were many of them out there living free. As far as he knew he was the only one in the Forsaken and that made him feel better too. Her touch on his cheek was a strange thing and he looked at her oddly, wondering what it exactly the purpose was behind such a gesture, but said nothing else. He had a job to do. Missions were his bread and butter. So he pushed everything else out of his mind and stepped through the door with determination.

The Rune flared up as soon as his feet his the grass but he didn't falter in his stride. It was like a red hot poker now lived inside his spine and his body was stiff with it. He made his way quickly to the cabin she had described, it was easy enough to find, and shifted the weight of her in his arm to pound against the door.

 

[Kala]

The knock was met with a rumble of steps. The ground itself seemed to shake and quiver, buckling just underneath as Kasimir found the door in front of him swing open.

As the wood fell away an Ogre would be revealed. Nearly thrice the size of Kasimir and with a face as ugly as could be the creature lent down and stared at the Tiefling half a second passed, and then recognition dawned on her face as she saw Kala in Kasimir's arm. "Hey Lylla. I hurt my arm."

Kala said drowsily, her fingers fluttering in a muted greeting, showing her bandaged arm.

"Oh my dear Oni."

The Ogress spoke with the rumbling of a falling mountain, the sound of her voice like gravel being chewed up by a mill. Her arms quickly jutted forward and she grabbed Kasimir by the shoulder to practically yank him into the cabin.

Strangely, as he stepped inside Kasimir would feel a slight relief from the ache in his neck.

Lylla was a Ogre Shaman, one of the greatest in the world. She was also one of the Reesh Reckoners, the same gang that Kala had been sworn to in her childhood. Lylla was one of the few of the Reckoners that cared about the others, often acting almost as a mother to those who would put up with it.

"This way. This way."

She urged Kasimir.

"Put her on the table."

Lylla commanded.

 

[Kasimir]

Kasimir was ashamed to admit it but he flinched at the woman that came to greet them at the door, his eyes wide. This quarry was usually human and the Forsaken were always half breeds - smaller, more human or at least as human as half breeds like himself could get. He had never met a full blooded ogre before. He took an involuntary step back and wished he had his hands free to draw his blade. But then Kala spoke and waved to her like a babe would coo at her mother and he relaxed a little. Her rough grip on his shoulder nearly sent him sprawling onto his face with Kala in his arms but he managed to keep his footing.

He looked down at Kala with a look that asked a million questions at once but he voiced none of them. Instead he decided it was best to just follow her orders and carefully set his new friend on the table.

"Is that your name? Oni?" he asked quietly. He suddenly looked shy and uncertain in this unfamiliar room with these unfamiliar feelings.