Private Tales To Bleed Enough

[Henk]

The Dreadlord beside her chuckles a bit, shaking his head as he turns away from her to collect his belongings. They were done for the night; they'd made a mountain of progress in a very small amount of time, and while Livia may not feel it yet, she would be completely drained by the time her head hit a pillow. Best to get out of here now, before he wound up having to carry her back.

"Not for me to say what they'll rank you, but don't take Fourth Rank so lightly. Some of the strongest Dreadlords started below whatever rank they ended up peaking at. You're young, you've plenty of time to impress them the way you've impressed me."

As the two of them climbed the ladder back out of the hidden cavern and onto the Academy grounds, Henk stretched under the moonlight illuminating the old shack. It was too late to trek back to the city, so he'd probably end up laying out here for the night. The stars were relaxing, and it wouldn't be the first time he'd counted them to lull himself to sleep.

"If you remember anything that I've told you tonight, Quinnick, remember this." Henk threw his jacket back on and closed the door of the shack. His hands still shimmered dimly with the power he'd had to summon up to protect himself from her. Turning to look at her, he focused his eye on hers carefully.

"Even if your Father forced you to have this power, only you can dictate how you use it. That's something that nobody can take away from you."

Livia Quinnick

 

[Livia Quinnick]

They had been similar words that Zana spoke to her.

Livia looked at Henk with a mixture of emotions.

"I do not know where to begin with this magic... all I have tried is to disrupt the magical flow of Proctor Urahil's healing." And used her magic against her, but Livia had no control on that.

She brought her hand up to pinch the bridge of her nose, closing her eyes and exhaling heavily. "I am going to talk to my brothers. I must be missing something from my father's journals..." Her hand dropped to her side, and the Initiate looked agitated. "Thank you, really. I will see you next training day."

Livia's thoughts were restless, unable to remember that Henk was far from anywhere she could imagine was home.

---

Two weeks had passed, and Livia had been nowhere to be seen at the last training session. The second, she strolled in with her silver hair braided down her back, Initiate's combat uniform in pristine condition, and ignoring the open stares from her colleagues on the Taskforce. Her face was strangely void, differing to the many other times she had this same expression.

There was anger still within her, the source of it unknown.

She had gotten there early, already stationed at the archery field and retying the bowstring to one of two bows she had brought with her.

Henk

 

[Henk]

Livia's absence had been noted by all, but none more so than Henk. The girl had assured him that she would return on the next training day. There were murmurs and rumors abound regarding what had become of Quinnick, but Henk's lips remained silent. He did not worry. What he'd witnessed in that cavern had answered any lingering questions of the young woman's fortitude that may have nagged at him.

Livia was preparing. When she was ready, she would return.

Return she did, her steps full of purpose and her face empty of emotion. Her hair and expression drew stares from all who saw her, the murmurs returning twofold now that she'd made herself known with such a drastic change in her appearance. It was no surprise that she blew past them all, and headed directly for the archery field where she could be alone with her thoughts.

She wouldn't be isolated for long. The poor soul sparring with Henk found himself quickly flipped onto his back as Quinnick entered, and staring up would see only the departing form of the Dreadlord as he moved to follow the woman to the field.

It was time to see how far she'd come.

"You've kept me waiting, Miss Quinnick." Henk moved to stand between her and the targets on the far end of the Archery field, his arms crossed over his chest and a toothy grin resting on his scarred face. "But I know you don't expect to go back to business as usual."

Just as he'd done the first day they spoke, Henk uncrossed his arms and slowly slid into a fighting stance before her, the scales of his armor sliding open to allow sunlight to begin soaking into his flesh.

"It's time. Either attack me or prepare to defend yourself, Livia."

Livia Quinnick

 

[Livia Quinnick]

Livia did not lift her head up to meet Henk's challenge, but her eyes peered at him through dark lashes.

"Oh, I am preparing to defend myself." She answered, nimble fingers making quick work of tying knots to the string, moving her longbow to comfortable position and pretending an arrow was nocked as she tested the yield. Once satisfied, she hung it up on the stand beside her other bow, one she had told Skender she would not forget this time so that they could boast of their near death experience in the belly of a beastly ruin in the Empire.

Livia now studied Henk's stance before slowly moving to stand adjacent of him.

Of course, the ever watchful gaze of Dreadlord Marks bore hard into Quinnick.

"Henk stressing you out?" He chuckled, but Livia could hear the curiosity, the wondering of how the ends of her hair now took over the previously brunette.

Livia's hardened face remained fixed on Henk, who was quick to challenge her so soon after her arrival.

"I barely slept these past few weeks." She said simply, a brow deepening. Her outward appearance looked healthy, her movement sharp and her gaze alert. The magic unleashed inside her had kept her functioning, like the fabled stories of a Dreadlord being able to withstand a substantial loss. "All I could think about was plummeting to those depths again..."

Henk

 

[Henk]

"Some say the second time is harder than the first." The smile on Henk's face grew as she approached, moving to stand across from him in a way that mirrored their initial encounter. Aside from her hair, Livia looked the same. Inside though, she'd changed. The energy within her had grown denser, more concentrated. The aura she exuded was no longer one of constant fear of herself. Even the way her feet fell against the grass was heavier, with more poise and confidence. "Before, you could unleash it without recompense. Today, you must control it. No explosions, no shockwaves. Only within you, Livia."

Quinnick was a strong-willed girl. To be confronted with the fact that her own mind had been what was holding her back would have been a frustrating ordeal, even after overcoming it. Henk knew firsthand the tears he'd shed before deciding to step outside of his zone of comfort and reaching out for the strength he needed most. Now, she faced the hurdle of conquering her new strength.

"Last time we fought, the first strike you threw was parried away easily." Henk had sent her onto her back in short order, and while she eventually had managed some offense, it had taken her some time to find her rhythm. "Now I know you have the power to take me by surprise. I want you to hit me, and do not hold back because we are friends."

Henk's fists tightened, and the flaps of his armor seemed to open in what almost looked like an intimidating flex. Dim beams of light shot from the Dreadlords arms, and even the katars on his hips began to shimmer. Slowly, he would slide forward, dragging his boots through the dirt to make his way towards her.

"Because, if you hesitate, I will strike you down."

Livia Quinnick

 

[Livia Quinnick]

Her gaze upon him did not waver, until it came to assess how she should respond. All her previous attempts came to mind, and Livia flicked her gaze back up to the singular eye that Henk had left to see out of.

"Alright then."

He had moments to prepare before she would be in striking range, but that was what she intended to happen as he no doubt would block her various fists from landing upon him. There was anger in her throws; determination that dared to become retribution flaring in her.

And then her magic burst like licking flames from her skin.

Tongues and embers of corruption magic would just reach Henk as Livia's speed and strength did not let up, not allowing him a time to get a countermove in and most likely bring her down on her back again. She was aggressive, feeding off the fire of her magic as it came to life with her emotions. Maseno probably would not approve of her lack of control, but she at least was directing it other than towards herself and letting it stew.

Henk

 

[Henk]

Livia approached him quickly, much faster than she had several weeks ago. Henk was able to defend himself, but only barely; the window that Quinnick offered had shrunk dramatically.

Her speed was not all that had improved: The power behind her blows as they collided with the armor covering his arms was thunderous. Even with his protection, the strikes shook his bones and caused his limbs to ache from the sheer impact he was taking.

Through his focus on defending against her attacks, Henk found a fledgling sense of pride lingering in the back of his mind.

"Very good, Quinnick. I can feel these ones..."

The smartest strategy would be to focus on protecting himself until Quinnick wore herself out with this ferocious offensive, but Henk was not content to simply defend-- He wished to see how far she'd come, wished to test her newfound power in a way that she wouldn't have been able to do herself.

The next time her fist landed against his block, it would not find his armor, but a precisely placed barrier of light formed underneath her fist. On impact it quickly began to expand, pushing her fist back with it and creating a brief window for a counterattack.

Briefer than it should have been; that crackling corruption magic of hers ate away at the barrier sooner than it would have dissipated on its own.

Still, it was just enough time for him to throw a punch at her midsection, leaning forward on one leg as he threw his other hand back and released a burst of heat from his palm, pushing him forward in an attempt to launch Quinnick away and create space.

Livia Quinnick

 

[Livia Quinnick]

Livia was not able to evade the blow to her midsection, nor the force he threw her way. It was enough to topple her, but she was trained to fall, to correct her mistakes and do so safely. Livia rolled against the ground, finishing in a position she was able to kick herself back onto her feet and rise.

She glowered at him, "Had enough already?" He used his magic against her, and Livia curled her hands into fists. Did Henk not want to see her new power at play? To see how much stronger it made Livia?

Quinnick did not wait, running at him again, but her attack came before her fists did. The air crackled between them, almost suffocating the air from it's pure form with the rise in energy. It was as if she were now a storm cloud, crackling before the lightning struck in a series of aimed punches and jabs.

All her emotions came to rise, causing her to tear up and grit her teeth as the past few weeks all rolled back into her.

Henk

 

[Henk]

Quinnick was down, but not for long. Only a second would pass before she had sprung back to her feet with a taunting growl. Henk's merely tightened his brow, his lip twitching at the antagonizing question. "Don't get ahead of yourself. You've only just started."

Taking those hits had been an important part of this fight-- Now he knew he couldn't defend against her in close quarters without a significant magical defense.

But she was reckless. Already she lunged forward again for a second assault. Henk used his time well, backpedaling a step and throwing his arms forward to fire spheres of searing light from his palms to intercept her. Even if she avoided them, they would slowly discharge small bolts toward her, forcing her to defend herself from too many angles at once.

It was a reliable technique, but it left him open, and regardless her first flurry found him flush. With every punch that successfully landed, the crack of thunder reverberated through his skull, causing his ears to ring. It wasn't until Henk caught one of her incoming punches and gripped her arm with scorching palms that he regained some measure of control, twisting his body and using her arm to attempt a throw over his shoulder.

His ears still rang, and the taste of copper filled his mouth after the hellacious punches had rocked him to the core. His fire burned strong, but he could not toy with her as he had before.

Livia Quinnick

 

[Livia Quinnick]

Pain registered in her arm, burning through the wool of her training uniform, until it seared into her flesh. Livia growled through gritted teeth, cementing herself and twisting before he could use the momentum against her and land her on her back. Her skin scalded, protesting as she yanked herself out from his grasp. Liv put some distance between them, looking down at her arm as she twisted it from side to side to assess the burns he caused her.

They were bad; the pain not quite hitting her at the moment. She lowered her arm, anger darkening her eyes, but it was anger she had building inside her for weeks. Henk was just a way to get it out, to go all out and see what she could do now that fear of her magic no longer held her back.

Livia called on her magic then, become a disruptive beacon of corruption, flicks of electricity crackling in the ears of many Dreadlords around them.

"Quinnick!" Called out Dreadlord Marks, watching her with caution. "Take it down a notch!" His magic was to manipulate air, but standing within twenty feet of her, he could not begin to feel the air call to him. The magic she was wielding disrupted the channeling of others too, all but Henk before her.

"I... cannot stop." She whispered, panic slowly filling her olive eyes as she stared at her mentor. "Henk..."

Henk

 

[Henk]

Livia escaped the throw; even through the pain from Henk's scalding skin, she was far more prepared to defend against such an attempt than she was when first they'd fought. As she twisted away, Henk stumbled forward and dropped briefly to a knee, coughing up a small bit of blood from where she'd opened his face with her fists.

Well, it wasn't as though he could get any harder on the eyes.

If the fight had continued at this pace, with the two of them continuing to battle at this level, Henk didn't see himself winning. At least, not without tapping into the new powers that Zana had pulled from him. No, if it came to that, he'd stand down and give Quinnick her victory. For all the work she'd done it would be a well-earned one.

Their battle never had a chance to reach such a definitive conclusion, unfortunately. As Henk lifted himself back to his feet and steeled himself for another volley, he felt a wave of magic collide against his back, washing over him and dimming the light inside his body dramatically. A sudden fatigue fell upon him as he spun to face Livia, grimly knowing exactly what to expect.

The air crackled and sparked with power around Quinnick, her magic at a boiling point. She'd mastered some level of control over it while calm, but now, with her emotions heightened by the fight and whatever turmoil she'd internalized during her isolation, she was losing her grip.

"You're panicking." Henk's bloodied lips twitched as he stepped forward in defiance of the raging corruptive magic that flowed from her every pore. "Breathe, maintain your hold on it..." Even as he spoke the words he knew she was beyond the point of recovery. He'd have to act fast if he was to mitigate the damage to the rest of the Taskforce.

Summoning up the light that hadn't been fizzled out by her corruption, Henk held out his arms and fired it towards Livia in bright, arching beams. As they snaked towards her, careful to avoid the ripples of corruption, they wrapped around her body in a protective dome, like the one Henk had protected himself with in the cave.

This would be harder; this time he was trying to keep her magic in. Until the surge had subsided.

Livia Quinnick

 

[Livia Quinnick]

It was clear she needed to burn it out.

Trapped in her own storm of corruption and energy, Livia could not hear the words of others, but their mouths moved as if she could hear them. She dropped her gaze to the ground, before inevitably closing them shut tightly and letting her magic burn through her. She could feel the shield of light around her, struggling against the counter effects of her magic, but Henk held fast against her. He would weather this with her, and it was with that thought that Livia could trust him to keep them safe as she gave one last push of her magic until she felt it fill the air and suffocate her.

Like a flame choked of wind, Livia struggled to stay upright, and fell to her knees. She keeled over, whimpering and struggling to keep upright. The pain was registering in her arms, and through her very being. A burn out was not a fun venture, and with a large intake of breath, the Initiate let out a pained wail.

"I'll get the Healer!" Called someone, and despite the distance away from Livia, their voice pierced into her ears, leaving her to wince.

Henk