Pandemonium When death knocks...

[Kestrel]

Kes couldn’t help the grin that spread over her lips at his blatant flirting, knowing in her head what he was doing -- giving her something cheery, something good, to focus on instead of the creeping terror, the biting exhaustion, and the slicing nature of the air, and how great the odds were against them -- but still feeling it lift her insides nonetheless.

Then he released her and stepped back and was gone … and she took a deep breath, ignoring the stabbing pain of it, and moved to fill her own role in their escape attempt.

Silence was a thief’s best friend, so silent was the way she picked across the ground, around the last remnants of the ruins dotting the landscape. Their path was easy to discern, straight forward in the direction of the stone…. Picking each footfall with the care born of her life dependant on it -- but not just her’s, Gavin’s as well -- she made her way around the last wall, to where there was a clearing ahead of her and the large, single Spriggan-creature between them and their potential escape.

It was even larger than the others, perhaps in another lifetime, another world, it had been an elder or a leader of its people, but now it was a singularly large and gruesome creature, warped and twisted with pustules oozing from underneath its jagged bark skin. Kes hardly dared breathe as she picked her way further into the clearing. She couldn’t tell where Gavin was, but she had to trust in the rhythm that they’d found in the past month of adventures, the fact that whenever she needed him, he was exactly the answer.

The demon stirred, rotating its head towards her, and she froze, fingers shifting to the flash powder. It was a simple concoction, tossed with a small device that would create a spark and it would ignite brilliantly -- but it required movement. Movement that would give herself away, so she needed to be ready, to be sure --

Its claws raked into the ground as its head rotated, a low sound coming from its throat before abruptly turning and looking behind itself, perhaps at a sound too soft for Kes to hear, perhaps something else, but it was in the direction of Gavin, which she couldn’t afford. So she dashed from her cover, flash powder in one hand, knife in the other, and hollered with all her breath left.

“Hey, Firewood!!!”

The Spriggan-creature swung towards her, reaching with its slicing claws, and Kes lobbed the packet with all of her strength, all of the accuracy she’d honed through years and years of working with her throwing daggers.

The powder-ball hit the demon straight between the eyes and it exploded in a brilliant flare of light, making the creature reel backwards, flailing in the direction of the dark-haired assailant. Kes, however, wasn’t there, she was rolling in escape, in the direction of the stone, trusting that Gavin would be just behind her, that he would be, because he had to be.

 

[Gavin Blackfyre]

And he was there, stepping past her as she came out of her roll to take advantage of the opening she created. It wasn't a matter of getting to the stone but rather ensuring they had time to figure out what to do. That meant dealing with the massive Spriggan.

Reeling back his right arm, Gavin dashed forward and once in range, slashed at the creatures Achilles tendon. If it's body was remotely like that of a mortals, that would deliver a blow to it's mobility and possibly force it into taking a knee.Gavin's attack was quick and powerful but despite the sureness of his blade, he couldn't hid the surprise on his face or the pain when the blade rebounded off the creatures tough bark like flesh. Unlike the smaller ones they encountered moments before, this one one on another level. His blade pinged against it as if meeting metal and the collision was jarring to the point where his hand and arm were numb.

Though blinded, the creature reared it's head back in the direction where Gavin was now stumbling back from and roared in anger. Gavin's mind raced as the idea he had failed began to take root. The one chance Kes afforded him had been spent and they would either have to flee or... Or nothing else. No. They could not flee. Staying here was no option. This world... Was not their own. They could not survive here. That much he knew. Jaw clenched, he calmed his racing heart and went through the many forms he had been taught. He was off balance and thrown back and had to regain his momentum and build upon that. He knew what to do.

And so, blown back by the first attack, he twisted his body in the same direction and built his momentum up once more, this time striking the creatures leg. He was blown back again, the blades threatening to tear from his grasp but he would not stop and used both the momentum and twisting of his body to rebound. With a mighty growl he struck, blades parting the thick flesh of the Spriggran and causing a geyser of black ichor to gush outward. The creature was in the process of swinging but it's leg gave way causing it to fall to one knee and it's fist slammed beside Gavin. Using it's limb as a spring board, Gavin would first complete the spin of his last attack before running up it's arm to plunge both swords into it's eyes just as it was regaining it's vision.

The Spriggan lost control at this point, head thrashing about and ripping the swords away from Gavin's grip. The captain was hurled to the ground and smashed into the earth where he would roll, tumbling about in a mess of limbs before he clumsily climbed to his feet and rushed towards Kes. "Stone now." He croaked.

Stylish though not with out the it's risk, as the attack knocked the wind out of him and he was sure he would have a myriad of colorful bruises coming morning. So worth it for that bath though.

 

[Kestrel]

Kestrel didn’t wait around to see how Gavin fared; she wanted to, to help him, watch his back, but right now, the most important thing she could do was get to the stone and see if she could figure out a way to get them home. She doubted he’d be able to kill the giant wood-demon-creature -- they just didn’t have the firepower, literally or figuratively -- but that wasn’t the goal here. The goal was just to escape, and to do so, she needed to let him serve to keep the thing busy while she approached the stone…

… and approach it she did. It was in a clearing just past the rest of the ruins, the crumbling, vine-covered moss walls falling away to reveal a large stone archway, runes inscribed deep in its facade. More of those corrupted tentacles had grown up around it, entwining along its width and marring the formerly pristine stonework. Despite that, there was a soft blue glue emanating from it, and a breath, like a hint of fresh air, that brushed along Kes’s cheek before disappearing again.

The half elf stood in front of it, feeling the tingle of it along her nerves, the sense of it deep in a place she couldn’t quite define…

“Okay,” she said, to herself as the sound of scuffling continued behind her, the roar of the demon making her want to turn and bolt right back there to help Gavin. Instead, she forced herself to stay focused, to reach out one hand and touch the stone, which was cold and damp underneath her fingertips, like everything in this blasted forest. Closing her eyes, she took in a slow breath, ignoring how that hurt, how alien the air was, how her heart was racing, and instead, focusing on the tingling underneath her fingertips.

She wasn’t sure what she expected to find as she reached out, but it was like a well, like plunging deep into water that was ice cold and shocked every bit of her. And for a moment she floundered, just like she would in real water, flailing in the depths of the magic that she found there. Sweat beaded along her furrowed brow, her breathing labored, straining under the weight of the stone’s powers.

She couldn’t do this -- there was a reason she’d never been trained to use her abilities. She was too slow, too dull, to ever be a mage like Liev or any of the others that Father employed. Magic had graced her, but it’d been a mistake… this was a mistake, too, Gavin trusting her to do this, depending on her like this, was wrong, only going to get them both killed… And she floundered, letting out a soft sound at the effort, ready to just give up, let go, let herself get swept away in the deepening undertow of the portal stone’s magic.

Her hand tightened on the smooth stone she’d pulled out of her pocket, feeling the uneven edges of it against her palm.

The cool comfort of it reminded her of that night -- stars overhead, the boat rocking gently underneath them in the lapping waves, the way that he looked at her with that bright gaze… and she grounded herself in that memory, in how strong he made her feel, how brave, and pulled herself back.

The deep well of magic grew still, and suddenly, she realized, it was responding to her. She could feel it, the distant call of power that felt … familiar. Clean. Right. So that was where she reached, and it took everything in her, everything she had, but she gripped the piece of glittering blue stone in one hand and wrenched the door open --

-- and stumbled backwards from the stone, panting hard as the portal stone hummed to life in front of them.

Amethyst eyes stared up at the portal, then turned to Gavin, looking shaken but hopeful. “I.. I think I did it… Do you… trust me?”

 

[Gavin Blackfyre]

Gavin was still stumbling as he came upon Kes, the Spriggan thrashing wildly behind them and it's cries of pain which served as an alarm. It tore at the ground, junks of earth and stone tossed about in a frenzy as it tried to find the pair. Around them the bleak forest shuddered as the dull roar of rushing feet began to grow louder. No question about it, they were discovered. Soon enough more of the creatures would be upon them and heavens else knew what. The situation would have been utterly terrifying if for not the fact Kes stood near the stone which hummed with life.

She had used the time he afforded her and managed to activate and as he came to take her in his his arms she asked him the silliest of questions. Did he trust her? "Always." Her hand taken in his, he stretched out to place her palm flat against the surface of the stone.

And then...

A flash of white.

 

[Kestrel]

Inhuman cries grew all around them, echoing eerily through the mist-fogged air until they couldn’t discern where the cries were coming from -- perhaps everywhere, especially with the noise that the demon-Spriggan was making. There was no other option, no other chance, either Kes had figured it out or she hadn’t, and she gripped his hand tightly, looking up at that confidence on his face. Confidence she didn’t feel in herself…

“Wait --” she started, but he had already reached out and put their hands on the stone.

The magic crashed through her, tingling along every nerve, stretching her out but she kept a firm hold of him and of that distant feeling of right… and through it they tumbled, Kes clinging to the only two things that were certain…

...and they landed with a muffled thump! Firm dirt underneath and Kes sucked a breath in and it was crisp and cool and not the least bit painful, but she grabbed her dagger from its sheath and pushed herself to a crouched position, ready for anything… and finding themselves in the middle of a dirt road, buildings with their golden-glowing windows in the distance and normal, leafy trees stretched overhead...

Kes let her breath out in a rush, sagging to the ground in relief. She didn’t know if this was Elbion or where, but there was no red mist and no warped trees and the air didn’t hurt at all… She’d take it.

“... it worked,” she breathed. “It actually worked.”

 

[Gavin Blackfyre]

They survived... What they survived would be a mystery to them, at least for now however. They found themselves wading through what best could be described as a nightmare, with little rhyme or reason as to why they were even there... But they survived. A tale to tell for those willing to listen, that was sure.

Were they in Elbion? Did it matter? They were safe, or rather the very normal looking realm they were now in held the illusions of safety, with it's fresh air and normal looking buildings.He would figure out where exactly they were later. For now though, as he laid in the dirt looking upward into the sky, he couldn't help but laugh. A lazy sort of chuckle that pained him as he stretched his arms up in victory. "This does not count as our first holiday."