Pandemonium When death knocks...

[Gavin Blackfyre]

Damn... She saw through him... Ripped his plans to shreds... Broke down his barriers... And rebuilt them with a smile. Her annoyance with him was noted but warranted. She had every reason to be mad, especially given what he suggested. Partly because he wanted to protect her and largely because of his own fears. And she called his bluff big time. He meant it before, the flirting, the promises, the talk about their future. But right there more then ever Gavin realized the undeniable truth. He was going to marry this woman.

"Thank you... For protecting this fool and telling him exactly what he needed to hear.... It's us... All in.. Always." He declared, took in a deep breath, and smiled.

"Come my love... We've demons to kill, a life to return to, and a boat to gift to you." He was back, fully back, and confident. No facades, just sheer determination to make it, and with Kes by his side, he really felt invincible. And so he took the first step and their journey into the darkness truly began.

 

[Kestrel]

Kes watched him quietly, waiting… and then he took a deep breath, and reaffirmed that it was them together, and she felt a knot at the base of her stomach unwind itself. Whether she’d realized it or not the idea that he might do something foolish, something self-sacrificing, just to get her out of there, had twisted up inside of her… this, however, them together, a partnership… This was unbeatable. They were unbeatable.

Her smile widened as he smiled and shook off the gloom that had settled over them both. His shoulders a bit more square, his smile deep and real and not that pasted-on fakeness.

“There’s the fool I love,” she chuckled as he turned back towards the forest… and then sort of paused, the tips of her ears going red.

She hadn’t actually ever said it outloud -- that she loved Gavin. She’d thought it plenty of times. It was pretty obvious, to even the most obtuse, and she didn’t make any effort to hide it, not after everything that had happened with Faleru. But she hadn’t actually ever said those exact words out loud to him, and they just sort of slipped out, here of all places, in this stupid hellscape with its stupid demons and … Well, honestly, she couldn’t have been too surprised. They’d never done anything straightforward or normal in their entire relationship.

“Right, well then, let’s get on with it,” she said with this determined nonchalance, because it was No Big Deal and it was fine, and she was terrible with this sort of thing but she was fantastic with stabbing demons, so, that seemed like a good thing to focus on. Because outside of their boulder-hiding place, there were things intent on eating them or … or whatever, and she wasn’t about to let them get their slimy claws on her beloved captain.

Thankfully, the forest outside of their little hole seemed mostly empty, devoid of the creatures that had hunted them until their escape in the river. She gripped her daggers loosely in her hands, tossing one in front of her in that nervous fidgety habit of hers, before gesturing for Gavin to lead the way back down the river towards where he’d come out of the water. She could feel the tingle of the magical source on her skin, but first things first was finding an in to lead them into the heart of this hellscape.

 

[Gavin Blackfyre]

She loved him... He loved her. Admitting such a thing was not easy at all for either of them given their respected pasts but despite the fact, it should have been the easiest thing to say to each other. Life was fleeting, harsh, and prone to ending to quickly. The pair had experienced so much beside each other in such a short time, each ordeal trumping the next in such a frantic pace one could only believe the gods themselves took notice on them and decided to have fun, watching the spectacle which was their life.

If that were the case, then Gavin would present quite a show with the woman he loved.

And so hearing, her actually say it in response to him calling her "my love" brought the brightest of smiles to his face... If their were any victories to be had in this strange realm, this surely would have been one of them.

Moving just a step behind her, he kept an watchful eye, glancing about. The landscape itself was twisted, a nightmare made real which Gavin realized seemed fitting being the creatures this landscape spawned. "No two were the same..." He said in a light tone trying to make sense. "No two that I saw looked at all alike... Did you... Sense anything before..." Before what? He thought back to their wagon ride and it's lazy pace. The pair had been laid out in the back, cuddled up when the coach driver mentioned the thick fog. What was the fog though? A result of a spell gone wrong? And how could it be there were not near Elbion any more? He had made the trip often enough what the surrounding land looked like and their trip into the river had not taken them that far. How did we ended up here... He thought to himself. There was only one way he knew of to actual travel great distances in a short time. Portal Stones. Could this somehow be related to a portal stone?

His obsessive need to figure out where they were and how they got there almost caused him to miss the sound of a twig snapping just over head. They had been following along the river, moving to where he came from and being that he made some noise, there was a good chance someone... Or something came to investigate.

 

[Kestrel]

Kes picked her way through the dead and grappling branches carefully; she wasn’t used to moving in a forest, but she was used to moving silently, so she took her time and placed her steps carefully and they made their quiet, if slow and not completely silent, way through back towards where Gavin had climbed out of the river. It wasn’t easy to tell, because even with the amount of water he’d pulled up with him, the ground was spongy and moist, masking the most obvious sign.

Finally, they reached what Kestrel was assuming was the place that Gavin meant, with what almost seemed like a path that led further in to the forest, towards the tingling that she felt. She stood, inspecting the path, straining with her eyes to glean any hint of motion or movement that she could detect… With her other hand, she flicked the dagger again, that nervous fidgety motion, her eyes drifting back to him as he asked about her sensing things. She shook her head, her lips pressed in a tight line.

“Just that weird fog… and then we were in the river and I was a bit concerned with not dying,” she chuckled drily, shifting her dagger in her hand once more.

Then there was the snapping of a twig overhead -- and Kes struck out with said dagger, just in time to sink it into the fleshy neck of what looked like a twisted, half-rotten bird as it lunged at her shoulder. The bird-thing withdrew, fumbling and screeching as it flapped its way further into the forest, trailing droplets of black-red ichor. Kes watched it go, not for the first time missing the throwing daggers that she normally carried but had lost in the fight and subsequent river-ride, a grim look on her face. Well, shit.

“... well. If that doesn’t warn things we’re here I don’t know what will,” she glanced over at him, this hard determination on her face. It had flown roughly in the direction of the magical source that she felt, which meant that their path had just gotten a bit more difficult. Then again, when did things go easy for them… “Sounds to me like an invitation. Shall we?”

 

[Gavin Blackfyre]

"Hell of a invite..." He grumbled, none to happy that their trek wouldn't be as creature free as he hoped. But then again he knew hoping such a thing was a fools dream. They were brought here, perhaps for a reason or just victims of circumstance. Regards, Gavin knew one truth. There would be monsters a plenty as evidence from the strange demon bird she defended against moments before. Now more then ever, Gavin was on edge as he picked his way through the path.

"We survive this... Be sure to bring something back.. A head... Arms... Leg... Something." he announced suddenly and realizing how odd his words were, he realized he should further explain. "We're heading to Elbion... Maybe someone there can figure out what these things are.. Where they came from... Bringing back something might help us understand... And it may fetch a pretty penny... Also imagine the fame that could come from it.. The thief and pirate who emerged from.. Where ever this is... Victorious and proof of their exploits." He said with enough gusto for her to see the grin on his face even if she didn't look back to see it. He needed to put on this brave face if he was to believe their survival.

 

[Kestrel]

“A victory token, hm?” Kes said as she stepped carefully further into the forest, daggers in hand. She hadn’t bother to resheath them; if that bird was any indication, even the normal fauna in this twisted forest were less than friendly and not afraid to try and take a chomp out of them. And without the use of their magic, it was up to their blades, their wits, and their strength to get them out of here…

“I am a fan of anything that includes us making a lot of money,” was her playful response. “You’d better hope we get something really worth a lot, since you owe me a new ship to replace my precious lost one…”

Every so often she paused, tilting her head from one side to the other as she reached out to her hiding, just enough to feel the tingling of the source of magic. She wasn’t exactly trained in her abilities, much less using them to track throughout a world where they seemed to have been warped somehow. But she was fairly confident she was leading them in the right direction, even if it wasn’t the most direct or most efficient path. With Gavin wounded, it was up to her to get them where they needed to be.

“We’re getting closer,” she said, glancing over her shoulder. “It’s a lot stronger now…”

 

[Gavin Blackfyre]

"Thank you.. I am less likely to forget if you constantly remind me." He said in response, being a bit of a smart ass for lack of better words, though she would be able to tell he was joking. The boat going down wasn't exactly his fault, but he still owed her a ship more or less... So marrying him and assuming ownership of half his vessel would have to do. Those were happy thoughts. This was not a happy time though.

And so he fell quiet and held his blade at the ready for he could feel there were moving closer to something despite his inability to tap into his own magic. Hopefully the situation they found themselves in would end much sooner then later and the pair could be on their merry way. Of course, when did things ever go easy for them?

 

[Kasim Areth]

(Please tag this account when you need another DM post)

Even here the forest had it's sounds.

They seemed natural at first, but there was a twisting to them. Most would not have noticed it, most would have called it a play of the mind, yet they were there. A bird call that echoed too long, the crack of a branch that seemed to ring out. Even the sound of feet landing upon the forest floor seemed broken.

It was all there, but it was twisted, changed, just as the creatures that began to approach the duo through the forest. At first they seemed blended with the trees, a part of the woods themselves.

Spriggans they were known in some cultures.

Yet they too were changed. It was their nature that one would notice first, the way they walked, the way their heads hung forward. Spirit protectors had been masked, perverted into something else. Their flesh once wood now had oozing masses of postules, needles that seemed to stick out.

Thirteen of them stalked through the woods towards the path, all of them hunching forward as they suddenly broke out into a scrambling launch towards the duo.[/float_left]

 

[Kestrel]

Kes shot a look over her shoulder towards him at the sassiness about her boat, though there was no real irritation in that look. In fact, it was a look that promised in any other situation, he probably would have gotten knocked on his butt and that sass kissed right out of him… Alas, however, the current landscape wasn’t exactly conducive to her desire to smooch him silly, and almost on cue, there was the sound of something large moving in the brush ahead of them.

No, not just ahead of them. From the sides, as well, easily a dozen of them, moving through the forest towards the narrow path that Kestrel and Gavin had found themselves on.

“Seems like we’ve been noticed,” she said, in a tight voice, her amethyst eyes flicking through the branches and taking stock of their options. Back the way they’d come, yes, but that didn’t help them. All that existed back that way was slow starvation and being hunted by more of these creatures. The only chance they had, right now, was in the direction they were headed… and through these… twisted tree-things in front of them. So she adjusted her grip on her precious daggers, spreading her stance as the things began to lope towards them.

“Really wish you could burn some stuff right now,” she managed between gritted teeth.

Then the first thing reached her and Kes slapped its claws aside with the flat of her dagger, swinging forth with the other one and leaving a long, deep slice along its chest that… didn’t bleed, but oozed, making the thing stagger back just enough that Kes could parry the next swipe, kicking at it to send it stumbling back away from her...

 

[Gavin Blackfyre]

"You wish?!" He snapped back though his aggravation was not with her but more so his inability to call forth his magic at a time like this. "Good o'll steel with have to do." He went on to say.

The second he had heard their approach he near growled, knowing full well they were heading towards them. Of course when he saw what they were, he shuddered in response. What ever happened to fending off normal looking bandits? Now his ilk were things with many teeth and clawed hand, and talon like feet. He would kill to fight a man with a sword.

"Stay close." He said knowing full well he didn't have to... Still he needed to. Together they were steel... Unyielding steel.

Gavin approached his foe with a calm composure despite his worried worried. Each attack was fended of and returned with the goal of killing or maiming. His blades danced, outward tearing at exposed flesh against creatures which reared back but didn't fully seem to grasp pain... And a enemy like that could be very dangerous.

"You see a hole you make a break for it." Gavin said as he focused on clearly a path. All it would take was one of these damn things to bring them down and that was it.

And all the while as he fought, he creamed inwardly, wondering where the Darkfyre was.

I NEED YOU NOW.... WHERE ARE YOU DAMN IT!

No one answered this call though.

 

[Kestrel]

Kes didn’t have a chance to respond to him -- every second, every bit of her attention, was on the creatures that surrounded them, parrying and blocking their attacks, striking back when she could find an opening… not that it seemed to be doing a whole lot. These things seemed to be living wood, bark and chips flying off at the bite of her daggers but doing little to slow or deter them from continuing to press the attack.

Her eyes flicked downwards, further towards the path, and she knew in her gut that their way out lay there… not here, bogged down by these creatures.

“Gavin, get ready,” she yelled, watching for her opportunity.

It came only a minute later -- one of the creatures attacked and she blocked it downwards, its claws digging into the dirt beneath her. She seized the moment, putting all her acrobatic skill to bear as she ran up its arm, leaping with her knees and driving her full weight into its eyes -- or, rather, what seemed to be its eyes. At the very least it knocked the creature backwards, and the thing went down flailing, its claws driving the others back and presenting, for just the barest of moments, a clear path through the throng of attacking creatures around them.

“Come on!”

The half elf rolled to her feet, glancing over her shoulder to make sure that Gavin had taken advantage of the impromptu (and rather dangerous) bridge she’d just made them. As soon as he joined her, she’d take off sprinting; they had to put some distance between themselves and the creatures, give them some breathing space. Staying put, surrounded, was certain death. All it’d take was one mess up. This, at least, gave them a chance. A small one… but a chance. And that’s all they needed, just one small chance after another…

 

[Gavin Blackfyre]

Gavin battled beside her, twisting and parrying in a near full circle. His actions were a testament to a life spent battling in melees where more often then not, he and his men were out numbered. Being surrounded was a place he found oddly comfortable at times. Of course that was against the more normal races of the realm... Not the tree bark demons they fought.

Still Gavin held his own, keeping pace up until Kes managed to make the hole for them. And much like her he wasted no time in making a break for it. Clawed hands reached out for him, tearing at his shirt and threatening to tear his skin to bloody ribbons yet Gavin made it through with nay a mark. With out pause, the Captain would whirl about, his limbs containing all the fury of a storm as he swords lashed out. He did not aim to kill however, his blades chooses to claim the legs of no less then three of the creatures in a attempt to slow down any chase them may give. Gavin didn't wait to see however, as he soon twisted about and took off after Kes.

If her instincts were sharp, hopefully they were heading to the source of this problem.

 

[Kestrel]

Kes forgot to breathe, just for a second, as reaching claws tore at his coat, and it seemed impossible for him to navigate through them -- but then he was through, landing and already attacking, sending several of the creatures tumbling down amongst themselves. They were clumsy creatures, and slow, so that was quite an effective tactic… at least, hopefully. It wouldn’t make any difference if Kes and Gavin tired before they could find some sort of escape or hole-away to hide into…

So Kes took lead, sprinting nimbly through the forest, every so often weakening a horizontal-hanging branch with her daggers to give Gavin the perfect opportunity to drop it in the path of the creatures that were still pursuing them. The demon-trees had broken into a loping run that ate the ground quickly but made them much less nimble than the two two-legged fighters.

As they ran, ruins rose up around them both, craggy small clumps at first rapidly becoming large slabs. And the air, here… it was sharp. It bit at the lungs, until every breath hurt, and they were breathing hard…

The half-elf slowed, panting with the exertion of the chase, as she glanced over her shoulder. They seemed to have left the demon-creatures behind … at least for the moment. She turned her gaze to Gavin, her lips a tight, thin line. “We’re close. It… It doesn't feel right, at all. It’s weird, it’s… warped, somehow.” She shook her head, then jerked her chin towards one of the ruins closest to them. It was almost a sheer upwards jut, but she could see just enough handholds that someone who was used to scaling smooth stone surfaces could make it work. “Want to keep an eye out? I’ll climb up to the top and see what I can see.”

 

[Gavin Blackfyre]

His reply came int he form a shaky nod, each breath labored causing him to clear his throat to clear something that wasn't there. Strange... Painful... He'd never experienced anything like this, any of this in fact. He wasn't sure if the pain was a good sign or bad. Was it caused my a massing of mana? So many questions and no answers at all. Watching as Kes moved to climb, he looked about keeping watch though his attention was divided.

Where are you? Any of you? I need you Gav.... Blackfyre? He searched the depths of his mind, panicking, not for the first time either for he found not hearing the voices in his head was far more startling then hearing them. For the longest he relied on the power of the Blackfyre, thinking it more so a curse then a gift, an affliction to bear for his sin... The sin of living.

The Blackfyre allowed him to conjure and manipulate flames, developing certain techniques he in turn referred to as spells.This by no means was an accident born of laboring in the use of these flames. Each technique, each way of using the fire, came to him in rather vivid dreams that only ceased until he actually tried to do them. In truth he only had a hand full of these spells in his catalog and his own fear of using the Blackfyre prevented him from delving more into the power. He wielded it enough to turn his basic understanding into more, making him adept in it use though he used it more so like a tool then something apart of him. He would call upon it, either for battle or sensing the flow a mana around him, and then neatly pack it away. That changed recently with the power manifested itself into a being, it's past host. Gavin did not question this at all, choosing to believe in the mysterious power he wielded. And then it was revealed to him that that Blackfyre wasn't just some power to be wielded, but a entity unto itself. All this information was overwhelming and he barely had time to process what was going on when the voices stopped. Ever since the incident on the boat with Kes and her Amulet, the voices had ceased and Gavin now missed something he never knew he had.

"Anything?" He said to her, snapping free of his daze and looking up to her.

 

[Kestrel]

(( Kasim Areth I know you guys are winding down, do they see anything between them and the corrupted portal stone? ))

 

[Kestrel]

Kes nodded in agreement as Gavin took up vigil at the base of the tower, shrugging out of her bag and setting it near the base of the stone construct, having sheathed her daggers already as she gazed up at the structure they’d stopped in the shadow of. It was mostly smooth and straight up, but for someone like herself, who was well acclimated to climbing similar buildings with less in the way of handholds, it would pose little problem.

So, ignoring the stabbing pain of each breath, and that leeching terror that seemed to seep into her with each step further into this horrendous land, she began to scale the tower. The top was at a bit of an angle, precariously perched up against the wall of the building next to it and held on by almost nothing… Each movement made stones and debris shift and tumble down from where it was cracked, but the half-elf pushed onwards, up over the walls that obscured her view, until she was perched at the very top of it, balanced nimbly on a foothold that was barely big enough for her feet.

What she found … was probably something out of her worst nightmares. All she could see around them, for as far as it stretched, was that dark, twisted forest, obscured by the air itself, which hung thick and red and masked anything beyond only a couple of miles away. They had come upon what seemed like the ruins of a great city, but she saw nothing human or nothing familiar … only creatures moving amongst the rubble and debris that didn’t look like anything she’d ever seen before, and beyond… Well, beyond was a large growth, great spines or something having grown up around it. It thrummed with magic, biting at her senses. And directly along the path that would lead them to it, one of those twisted demons, larger and nastier than the ones they’d been fighting.

She heard Gavin’s call from below her, and took one last look around them to make sure that she wasn’t missing any other source of help or freedom, before carefully making her way back down.

Landing lightly, she winced at the grating pain that wracked through her. Breathing was becoming more and more painful, the longer they were here.

“Nothing anywhere around except more of that godforsaken forest… except for that way,” she nodded, “there’s… some sort of a magical stone. It’s covered with … something. Growths. Corruption… But I’m sure that’s the source of the magic I’m feeling. But...” she paused, pressing her lips together in a tight line. “... there’s more of those creatures between here and there. Including a big one. We can try sneaking past, or… or fight our way through.”

She lifted her gaze to him, fear darkening those amethyst orbs, but her face was set, determined. It was easy to be brave when he was at her side. “It’s up to you.”

 

[Gavin Blackfyre]

"Stone?" He echoed her words and furrowed his brow. The alien landscape provided little clue as to where they were and that was troubling. The air itself seemed dangerous which meant they couldn't expect much from anything else. Drinking the water or attempting to eat anything here would not be wise. And because of this, Gavin knew they could spend but so much time here.

"Stone..." he repeated, clearly thinking. "A portal stone?" He asked out loud though he didn't expect a answer. "If it's a portal stone.. and perhaps the source of this magic... If so... There's a chance we can get out of this... Nightmare." A plan was already formulating in his mind.

 

[Kestrel]

Kes frowned, aware that he didn’t actually expect her to answer his question, but wishing she could do so all the same. She’d heard of portal stones, sure, but no one in the Family was too concerned about the education of one small thief who ultimately had no real use beyond what she could do with her hands. So she didn’t have enough information to verify if that was, in fact, what she’d seen… but there was one way to possibly describe it.

Stepping back, she scuffed a patch of dirt bare with her foot, crouching and using a twig to draw -- roughly, in no great detail -- a brief outline of what she’d seen. It would be, hopefully enough to either prove or disprove his hunch… but honestly, she didn’t know that it made too terribly much difference when it came down to it. Either the thing was a portal stone and they could potentially get out of here, or it wasn’t, and they’d have to figure out another way out given what they had. It wasn’t like they had any other options, and now, without either of their magics and each breath turning into agony, it was down to this or nothing else.

“You’ve got that look on your face,” she said with a small smile, reaching out and playfully tapping him on the forehead. “The one that says you’re full of thoughts… I hope that means you know how to use one of these… portal stones, if that is what this is?”

She dropped into a crouch again, clearing more space around her rough drawing of the portal stone. Hopefully, the portal stone. “All right. That’s here -- in the middle. There are ruins all over, but there’s one path that leads directly to the stone in the middle. The big guy is right in the middle of that path. We can try and scale some of the ruins on either side of him, or just go right through him. I have... “ She lightly touched some of her pouches and pockets, taking stock of what she had available. “No more throwing daggers, but I do have some flash powder. It’s … hopefully dry enough to go off. Hopefully.” She offered a rueful smile to him.

 

[Gavin Blackfyre]

"Thoughts... Yes... Always thinking.... Um..." He said as he looked to her crude drawing. "First... We need to teach you how to draw as well as swim.. If you are going to be on a ship with me love, you need to learn how to at least sketch... How else are we going to make maps that lead to our booty." He was teasing her.. Which was the smart option giving what he was going to say next.

"A plan... One... It's something... That looks like portal stone... I have no idea how to use them... None... I don't have any idea on how to heal people either.. Yet I've done that in the past. Brute force magic.. Bend the mana to what you want it to do... it's not pretty and it's tired but it's all we have... And by we, I mean you, try and gather as much mana as possible and redirect it into the stone... I'll take care of trying to get us where I need it to get us too.. I think I can do that much.. because... I can't use my magic... At all..." He finally admitted. "So yes, we can surprise the big guy and keep it moving.." Like how he tried to keep the conversation moving.

 

[Kestrel]

Kes lowered the stick, staring up at him with an annoyed look as he made fun of her drawing; she had a stick and dirt to deal with, what did he expect, a masterpiece that he could sell for thousands of gold coins, really. Smarmy ass of a pirate, she thought, but with this happy little wiggle in the base of her stomach. Dammit, even when he was being a jerk she was just so damn smitten with him…

She was already on to the next question, the issue of getting to the portal stone, nodding along with his words. OK, he didn’t know how to use it but it’d be one of those cases of figuring it out as they went along, which seemed reasonable, and -- wait, wait, wait. She paused in what she was doing, turning those amethyst eyes towards him as he kept talking.

By the time he was done and rather unsubtly trying to move the conversation along, the half-elf was staring at him with mingled shock and confusion on her face. He… wanted her to do it. Her who could barely keep her magic up when someone was moving. Because he couldn’t use his magic. At all.

“You… but… the Blackfyre,” she managed, and then trailed off as she realized… she hadn’t seen him actually use the black flame magic since.. Since the boat and the storm when she’d shattered the amulet. That’d been the last time, absolute weeks ago… and she hadn’t even noticed. No, not just that, he’d actively hid it from her. This whole time they’d been wandering around in this forest and she’d consoled herself that even if things got truly bad they still had the potential for their gifts, even with how strange and out-of-whack they seemed… and that entire time, he’d been without his.

“Since… since when?” she finally demanded. “How long? What… happened? Why didn’t you tell me this before?”

It all just tumbled out in a rush, because… well, Kes wasn’t good at this, at being concerned about someone else. She’d been on her own her entire life, and in the Family, you watched out for yourself first and foremost, then others if you could. It was a new habit for her to be so concerned with another person that she’d put them before her… and so, she wasn’t quite sure how to handle finding out that there was a pretty vital piece of information that she’d been missing.

 

[Gavin Blackfyre]

Well, it seemed his well crafted plan of breezing through the vital bit of information he just presented her failed miserably and he was left with a spurting Kes who struggled to come to terms and demanded answers. He was quick to put his hands up and answer however. "Since the ship I suspect... I noticed in the water... I was getting cold... I didn't think anything until later on... It's like... I'm calling for it and no one is answering... I feel... Like it's still there... But.. it's not answering... I didn't want to tell you because I didn't want you blaming yourself... I was hoping we could get to Elbion and I could figure it out there..."

He confessed, momentary shame washing over his face before he steeled his gaze and look to her. "Do not blame yourself Kes..." He was serious as he spoke. "I should have told you sooner... I just don't want you blaming yourself."

 

[Kestrel]

Kes just stared at him for a long moment, just… trying to work through that rather large and rather potent bit of information. He hadn’t had his magic, then, for weeks. Weeks without the protection of his abilities, and all because of the amulet that had started this whole thing, because she had made the decision for all of them to try and destroy the damn thing, which really hadn’t done much of anything except cause more trouble. How much more would she cost him just because of who -- what -- she was? Her stomach twisted inside of her, bottoming out, and she inhaled sharply.

“Okay,” she said, with this determined evenness, as if everything was fine. Because as much as she wanted to yell at him or beat the amulet into a tiny pulp or berate herself, they were still stuck in foreign landscape with enemies all around and a sharp air that dug into their lungs and sucked away their energy with every single breath. She drew her breath in slowly, turning her amethyst eyes up to him. Reaching up, she put a hand on his cheek, letting the warmth of his skin under her touch wiggle its way through the cold clench of the threatening panic to reassure her.

“Okay. So. I’ll …figure out the stone,” she said, with a bravado that she wished she actually felt, knowing that more than ever she was going to have to try -- whatever the cost. She owed it to him to get him back to Elbion, now more than ever. “We just have to get past the big guy. Then it’s a clear shot to the stone, and then we’re out of here. To Elbion, where we’ll figure out how to… to fix this. It’s not much of a plan, but… It’s gotta work.”

 

[Gavin Blackfyre]

"It's going to work." He reinforced those words as he nuzzled his cheek into her palm. It was such a vulnerable moment, especially for the ship captain who more or less carried himself as such a strong and enduring person. Regardless of his earlier thoughts, he knew at that moment that they would survive. The heavens would not have brought them together only for their story to end here. He refused to believe that.

"How big are we talking though... I've brought down some fairly large fellows in my time... Just need to know if I'm going to be breaking a sweat." He said with a cocky grin added in for extra measure.

 

[Kestrel]

The fluttering panic at the base of Kes’s stomach still just a bit as Gavin nuzzled in to her hand, tossing a cocky grin at her… Like this was no big deal, that there wasn’t nearly insurmountable odds in front of them, they’d figure out a way out and make it to Elbion as planned. And with that stupid look on his face, she found it easy to just… trust that. Trust him, even if she didn’t trust herself to not somehow mess this up the same way she’d messed everything else up.

“Might just give you something more to brag about,” she teased in response, grinning as she dropped her hand away from his face so that she could re-shoulder her bag and settle it across her chest. They didn’t have much more in the way of supplies, and every breathe was proving harder and more painful. She just wanted to curl up and let herself rest, but she knew that wasn’t her talking. That was whatever cursed nature to this air was sucking out their magic, their energy.

“It’s just a bit ahead. I’ll sneak to the right, toss the flashbang powder down. You come in from behind, do what you can to cripple it… then we make a crazy dash towards the portal stone and get out of here. Sound good?”

Such a simple plan. Too simple? Maybe. She didn’t know what else they could do.

So, before they moved forward into the ruins, before they faced what could be the final few minutes of being together, she reached out and took his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Food. Wine. Bath… later tonight. Promise?” she asked, raising those amethyst eyes to him, scared and unsure, but determined. For him. For them.

 

[Gavin Blackfyre]

"Sounds like something I do not want to miss..." A wink was shot at her as he returned the squeeze to her hand. That wasn't enough however and soon Gavin moved to place a kiss upon the backside of her hand, much like a lord greeting a lady. "Especially that last part." He teased, that grin daring to grow wider before he vanished into the harsh landscape that surrounded them.

Despite his size, Gavin knew how to move quickly and stealthy, for contrary to belief, he had not always been the master sailor most knew him to be. His true domain, the one he was brought up in, was far darker in nature and such skills earned through years of training in the would he was raised in were not easily forgotten. His body was kept low, each step measured and precise as he moved forward, his mind sharp and focus to ensure he was not the one surprised. If Kes's plan was to work, he would have to take advantage of the opening she created. There would be no time to gawk at his opponent, no pause to figure out a plan, he would have to move, attack, and adjust if need be.

No holding back... Push yourself to your limit then beyond. Your limbs do not ache... Your breathing is not labored. You are the knife in the dark. You do not hear their voices... but you are not alone. You were something before you became Gavin... Before you were given your magic... You didn't stop being that person... You have years of training under your belt..

He gave himself a pep talk as he moved on stalking the lands as he moved to where Kes had directed. Soon enough the creature came into view and Gavin into a hiding place behind a barren yet thankfully thick trunk tree. There was no shock on his part at the beast as at that moment, it was an obstacle and nothing more. Gavin was ready to get the hell out of there and for good reason. He had a date to keep.