Re: Hide and Seek

by Red 19th September 2012, 10:36 pm

First topic message reminder :

Cage nodded. "He got there before me," he said. "He pretended to be Jack..."

Dom closed his eyes for a moment, taking a breath. "We were with each other the entire time. We... fled, while he was busy..." He opened his eyes again, his shame apparent. "I can vouch for these two," he said. "I figured there was nowhere else to go but here..."

by **EphPhoenix** 28th October 2012, 5:36 pm

"How...?"

"Here, let me see..."

Natalie ran up to them and walked over to Laura, kneeling down. "I see," she said holding her hands over Laura, "he's blocked off nerve impulses to the rest of her body. Let's see...there!"

Her healing spread through Laura and soon, Laura could move again. Natalie stepped back and grabbed Raziel.

"Hey!" he protested. "I'm fine! There are others--"

"I already tended to the guy who almost died," she said with a calm firmness, cutting him off. "Your wounds are screaming at me." She glared at him. "Another few minutes and you'd have passed out from blood loss."

She stepped away from him, his wounds now healed. She rolled her eyes. "Men."

by Red 28th October 2012, 8:45 pm

Laura cringed as she heard Natalie’s voice, staying silent as she worked her magic. She flexed her hands, reaching down to grab her knife she dropped at her side as Natalie shifted her attention to Raziel.

She stood up quickly, stumbling slightly as she sheathed her knife and cast about looking for the throwing knives she’d lost. She found one, kneeling down to pick it up, and the tears in her eyes fell unbidden to the ground.

Damn it. Pathetic. She brought one hand up to quickly wipe her eyes, not looking back at Raziel as she turned and started off for the woods quickly.

by **EphPhoenix** 28th October 2012, 9:45 pm

Natalie was exhausted by the time she finished healing the wounds of everyone majorly hurt. But the encounter had very much told him something: a lot of these people didn't know one end from the other on a sword. The fact that no one had died was a miracle--the one person he thought had Natalie had managed to revive. Had nothing to do with her powers, apparently. Go fig.

They rested for the rest of the day--Natalie's healing restored health, didn't undo mental fatigue--while Raziel had Natalie talk to everyone there to find out what he needed to know. Finally, just before sunset, he called a meeting of everyone.

"Starting tomorrow," he said, "you're all going to start learning to fight. Every last one of you--from age ten to ninety. If today's almost massacre taught me anything, it's that we're gonna need everything we have available if we're to survive this place with no casualties."

"We wouldn't have this problem if you'd let us use magic!" a guy growled. Several shouted agreement.

"Oh?" Raziel said. "Is that so? By all means, Renald, show me how you'd handle me with your magic. I won't use even a drop of mine..."

Renald smiled triumphantly. In an instant, ice shards formed in the air and shot at Raziel as the crowd backed to give the two combatants room. Raziel dodged them easily and sped for a nearby bow and arrow set, snatching it up as another rain of shards stabbed where he had been.

"Stop this at once!" Natalie growled furiously, but her words were lost to the chant of the crowd cheering.

He dodged, kicked, and blocked several different forms of ice that launched his way. Finally, he rolled to his feet and shot several arrows in quick succession. Renald confidently blocked the arrows, a derisive look on his face--until he felt the knife to his throat.

"You're dead, Renald," Raziel said quietly.

Renald broke into a cold sweat, and when Raziel removed the knife, crumpled to the ground panting. The crowd fell into a stunned silence.

"Any of you are welcome to try your luck," he said evenly as he walked to the center of the circle. "But I'll remind you that the instant you knew the men were going to reach you, you all broke out the magic...and were promptly stomped around, anyway."

He looked around. "Apparently, you don't understand that these are the Wilds, everywhere out here is rough, but you're currently in the roughest of it. These men aren't afraid to attack all kinds that enter their domain--or when they leave their domain because there aren't enough fools like us.

"You wanna survive? Then you're going to learn to fight because men who are adept at fighting mages aren't the only ones you're going to tango with out here. There's worse. Much worse. Other mages, for a start."

Faces paled at that revelation. "There were a couple of you who met a few tonight. How did your magic serve you then against someone who not only has it, but is used to using it to hurt people every. day?"

They all remained silent, looking properly abashed. Natalie looked pissed--she would, the pacifist.

"Now," he went on, "I've picked out several men who know what their about, and from this point on, we train every day. We stay here a week to get started--we'll need provisions and there's good game in this area. We're going to erect a large tent that will allow you all to practice combat skills as well as your magic--yes, you are going to work on it, too. But a soft body isn't conducive to magic on your feet, so you will learn what we have to teach you. We're not out to turn you into fighters, we just want you to be able to protect yourself. That is all. Now, if you're not part of the watch, get some rest early tonight. We've got a lot of work to do starting tomorrow."

by Red 28th October 2012, 10:30 pm

Laura's hands shook as she made her way up the tree, trying to focus on what she was doing. It was hard to see where she was putting her feet, though, when everything was a blur through her tears.

She finally dragged herself up into a crook in the branches, straddling her branch and leaning back against the trunk of the tree. She drew her chameleon spell about her, and only then did she let herself let go, letting loose a choked, ugly sob.

She leaned her head back, looking up as tears streamed down her face. She struggled to breathe, that old, helpless, worthless feeling rising up in her again.

Her plan, back when she was seventeen, had been to leave the city permanently. She got the feeling that's what her father wanted, so when the winter ended she pulled her things together and set out, wandering through the wilds away from Utopia.

Hell, it had almost gone well until she ran into them. A small group, not the main gang, a wandering band in search of easy prey like her. She'd not been the mage then that she was now. There was hardly even a struggle.

The leader of the band owed some small debt to their boss. He ordered his men to leave her unharmed until they reached the main group. Surely giving him a virgin like her would put him back in his boss' good graces, after all, and it almost seemed like they'd follow his orders.

Except Walsh. "Oughta know my name, seeing as someday you'll be screaming it." Dirty blonde hair, tall, lanky, baby blue eyes, a round face that made him appear almost innocent. She looked at him and thought he might be kind. Until the first night, while he was on watch, he appeared next to her under the threadbare blanket that had been hers, before they stole it. They'd made it clear she was only borrowing it.

"You have to be quiet. If you wake the others then they'll all want a turn."

She scrubbed at her eyes, pressing her palms against her face as she tried to calm down. Three nights. Three nights before she managed to create a distraction and sneak off. Three nights until she found herself at the top of a tree, invisible, as they cast about for her viciously.

When winter came, she walked back to her father's house in Utopia without a word. She was done exploring.

And now nothing had changed. It had been too easy for him to win. And Raziel had been right. She was pathetic. The hell does he keep you around for, anyway?

She let out another sob, struggling to stifle it. Stop this. Crying doesn't do shit. God forbid someone find her like this... She gave out a dry, pained laugh.

She leaned back, looking up at the sky. At the moment, she wasn't sure she cared if the caravan left without her. God knows she couldn't face Raz like this...

by **EphPhoenix** 29th October 2012, 3:23 pm

"You're a fucking neanderthal!"

"Well, hello to you to..."

Raziel looked wide eyed as a furious Natalie. He didn't think she talked like that.

"What was that--that pissing contest out there?!" she demanded. "I thought you were better than to go the 'might makes right' route!"

"Calm down," he said. "That wasn't the 'might makes right' route. That was me making a point; they can't defend themselves well."

She glared at him for a full minute before relenting. "Okay, fine," she said. "You didn't have to humiliate him, though."

"Fraid so," he said levelly. "He wouldn't have accepted anything but total defeat, and if I'd gone easy on him, he'd have taken much more insult."

She folded her arms and sat down. "I hate it when you're right," she snapped.

"Seems to happen quite a bit."

"Doesn't mean I have to like it. Ass."

Raziel chuckled. Natalie had more sides to her than he had originally thought.

by Red 29th October 2012, 3:30 pm

Dom and Kieran approached Raziel after his little 'demonstration.' Kieran had been injured in the battle, but the wound was light, and he had his injured arm wrapped rather than bothering Natalie with it.

"Raziel," Dom said, catching his attention, concern in his voice. "Have you seen Laura since the battle?"

by **EphPhoenix** 29th October 2012, 3:34 pm

Raziel shook his head. "Her voice was cracking when she spoke to me," he said. "She hates when anyone sees her have any emotion, so I thought it best to leave her be."

by Red 29th October 2012, 3:42 pm

Dom's eyes were dark with worry. "I... see," he said. He cleared his throat. It had been hours.

"Do we know where we could find her, at least?" Kieran asked.

by **EphPhoenix** 29th October 2012, 3:46 pm

He shook his head, but at watching their reactions, he stood up. "No," he said, "but I can find her easily enough."

He shot off to where he had seen her last. The scent was there, not too old. Thus, he charged off in hot pursuit till he found the tree she was at.

"I know you're up there," he said. "I can hear you hating humanity..."

by Red 29th October 2012, 3:52 pm

Laura closed her eyes. Figures the fucker would seek me out. She rubbed at her eyes with her hands, even though he couldn't see her.

She'd sunken into a sort of limbo, if she could call it that. Her heart felt like it had dropped in her chest, but with Raziel the shame came back anew.

"Don't you have people to lead?" she called.

by **EphPhoenix** 29th October 2012, 3:54 pm

"Not as important as looking after people I actually care about," he said offhandedly. "You always find the nicest of trees..."

by Red 29th October 2012, 4:03 pm

She gave a short, forced laugh. Sure. You're being pathetic.

Damn it, she thought she was done, but him showing up reminded her of it all over again. "Leave," she said shortly, her voice sharp, angry even as she forced back tears.

by **EphPhoenix** 29th October 2012, 4:05 pm

He sighed and leaned back. "Nope," he said. "You have barely talked to me since we started this damn exodus, I've missed your invisible brooding."

by Red 29th October 2012, 4:09 pm

I dunno, maybe because you turned into an asshole. She glared down at him, standing up on her branch and climbing up higher in her tree. She sat back down again, silent, bringing one hand up to her face to cover her mouth.

She wished he would just leave. It was hard to forget with him here, and before long she couldn't suppress the tears any longer. She clamped her hand over her face, praying that he wouldn't hear her.

by **EphPhoenix** 29th October 2012, 4:13 pm

He jerked. She was crying?! Hoo boy. He let on that he knew and she'd clam up completely on him. Best to play it off.

"I know we haven't gotten along the best, of late," he said. "If I know you, you're blaming me entirely for it. Which I think is unfair. The only thing I've been concerned about is everyone's safety--yours included, by the way--but always, always when something doesn't go your way, I'm suddenly the enemy. It's not fair..."

by Red 29th October 2012, 4:20 pm

She closed her eyes. Why, why did he have to love talking so much? She fumbled for a spell to muffle her sound, pulling it together and giving up as it fell to pieces the moment she set it.

She wiped at her eyes, taking in a deep breath as he talked. There was silence as he trailed off, expecting some response from her, and she struggled to think of one. What would get him to leave?

"A-Alright," she said, her voice soft but level. "I'm sorry," she finally managed, hoping that was what he had come for. Anything else, jackass?

by **EphPhoenix** 29th October 2012, 4:22 pm

"I'm only trying--wait what?"

It had taken him a minute to process what she had said. "Y--you're sorry?!" he stammered, leaping to his feet and looking up toward her general direction. "Okay, what's wrong? You never apologize." At the inevitable silence that followed, he said. "Please...?"

by Red 29th October 2012, 4:27 pm

She let out a sigh that was almost a sob. Damn it, stop that! "It's none of -" Her voice caught, and she swore angrily, swallowing hard. "None of your g*ddamn business, jackass!" she said, her voice twisted into an ugly, distorted version of itself. "Get out!" She snatched up the one throwing knife she'd retrieved, throwing it down at the ground toward him, but it went horribly wide.

by **EphPhoenix** 29th October 2012, 4:30 pm

He blinked as the knife sailed way away from him. Against his better judgement, he stood his ground.

"I'm not going anywhere until you talk to me!" he said. "Even if it means I have to get stabbed. Why won't you ever let me in, Laura? I've shared stuff about me, why is it so hard for you? It's not like the knowledge gives me some kind of weird power over you."

by Red 29th October 2012, 4:37 pm

She leaned back against the trunk of the tree, covering her mouth with her hand again and trying to hold back her sobs. Talk about it? Of course not, it was shameful, embarrassing, and hell, she didn't want to destroy his opinion of her any further. She'd never even mentioned it to her father. He was too busy and she didn't want him to worry.

"Please just leave," she finally choked out.

by **EphPhoenix** 29th October 2012, 4:48 pm

"I'm not budging," he said stubbornly. "See? I don't know if you understand how this whole 'friend' thing works. We lean on each other in times of need."

He turned and sat back down, leaning against the tree. "I left you alone these past weeks cause your father and your friend were here. I figured they'd pull you out from behind those walls, maybe help heal you. But near as I can tell, you've only become more closed off. If I'd have known it would turn out this way, I'd have bugged you every day."

He cast about for something to say. "Talk to me? Please? I mean, c'mon, how many life or death situations have we gotten ourselves into at this point? It's gotta count for something..."

by Red 29th October 2012, 4:56 pm

She pressed her hand harder against her mouth, trying to suffocate her sobs, but they burst through anyway. In an instant, the walls she'd tried to throw up collapsed, and she fell apart.

She was glad, again, that he couldn't see her. It was bad enough that he had to hear this. "I'm sorry..." she managed. "I'm... being pathetic again..." She held in her breath and looked up, trying to swallow her sobs and failing miserably.

by **EphPhoenix** 29th October 2012, 5:04 pm

He wanted to crawl into the blackest hole and never come out at her words. "I--forgive me..." he said, looking ashamed. "That--you're not pathetic!" he growled. "When I said that, I meant your behavior, not you your--no, that's not helping..."

"Um...look..." he said, fumbling around. "Crying isn't pathetic. I'm sorry...I'm sorry if I made you feel like you were less. That wasn't...that wasn't my intent, at all."

He looked up toward the sounds with an earnest expression. "I think you're one of the strongest women I've met," he said honestly. "Few women I've ever come across have the guts to come out here into the Wilds, let alone on their own. When I said you were being pathetic, I meant you were acting like some spoiled brat throwing a tantrum--sorry, not helping. I...I wasn't trying to put you down, just...motivate you to become stronger. I just...resorted to the methods that were used on me cause the other way wasn't working."

He could only hear her sobbing. He sighed. "Um...did you know that I used to be scared of snakes?" he said. "Like...deathly terrified...?"

by Red 29th October 2012, 10:12 pm

She tried to swallow back her tears as he babbled, but his words struck like daggers. Strong. A strong woman would have fought him and not simply lain there, terrified, three nights in a row as he did his work. A strong woman wouldn't have let them take her in the first, a strong woman wouldn't have had to rely on Raz to save her from the same damn fate. She closed her eyes. Hell, she was so scared, if he found out...

She let him talk though, hoping his babbling would lead him down other paths. She took a shaky breath, almost as if trying to draw the tears back in.

by **EphPhoenix** 29th October 2012, 10:51 pm

When she didn't answer, he continued on. "Well..." he said, "Arcturus had a pretty 'hands on' approach and his training methods weren't all that subtle..."

He grimaced. "The bastard threw me into a g*ddamn snake pit," he said grouchily. "I was fucking twelve. I was so scared I passed out...then woke up with them...slithering on me..."

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