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 Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2007 9:25 pm
And suddenly, he found himself in an entirely new threshold of pain.
He staggered back, holding the lowest portion of his arm and squeezing tightly, stemming the flow of blood only slightly. Balsem was panting heavily, staring down at the tide of red with a shock that was very rarely seen on his face. There was nothing left of the hand. His arm went down to the wrist, and stopped. The man trembled slightly, closing his eyes and gritting his teeth together. His sense was struggling to regain control, overcome the pain...
The head of red and white flew back, and the mouth emitted the roar of an animal trying to rid himself of a most constricting cage.
When it ended, Balsem felt the control return. Slightly. He was able to straighten, and look up with scarcely checked anger at a creature that was clearly too much for him to handle. Balsem knew that the loss of blood would soon knock him out, unless he was able to end this quickly and cauterize the wound. His mind lined up herbs that he would need to keep it from getting infected, and to make it heal faster...
He would have to get that far, first.
The hand that was no longer his was the hand holding his weapon...snorting, he picked up another, nearly identical rock, and faced Abaddon again. He shot forward, slinging his injured arm, other at the ready as he prepared to dodge. With any luck, some of the blood would hit the creature in the face - the angle was right, so unless wind interfered, it should. If it did not, he would have to stay alive until it did.
Hopefully, a shot of blood to the eyes would blind him momentarily, enough for Balsem to either flee or retaliate for the loss of self.
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Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2007 10:00 pm
Abaddon's eyes were bright, glowing in a way that infused absolute thrill into his entire form. The effect made the creature more wicked than any animal - save, perhaps, man - had any right to be.
A section of his victory prize still hung in the griffin's maw, but with a derogatory snap of his head, the beast flung the mangled appendage away from him. Even though hot blood of any type excited him, he'd tasted enough of the human kind for the day. But having so much of his opponent's red life was a sign that he had won the duel.
After his cry, the human's expression was no longer jeering, nor amused, nor confident. It was lined with a fleetingly-concealed pain, and a fury that Abaddon could feel. Furious that he had been beaten, angry that he was about to die? Perhaps...but the fear had not returned. That was indeed strange. But it didn't matter - the demon had proven his superiority, and would take no more time in grasping the last bit of satisfaction by ending his opponent's life.
Ah, but some liked to struggle until the very end. Abaddon saw the man go for another shard of rock, and turned to prepare for some stupid, misplaced and last-ditch attack...but was instead forced to rear back with a howl when a splash of blood collided with one of his eyes. Snarling with surprise and rage, the griffin instinctively backed away, covering his blind, vulnerable side with a wing, and bringing the other up to guard his unblinded eye.
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Posted: Sun Aug 05, 2007 11:12 am
He kept running at the creature, ducking to the left and dropping down so that his body slid on the grass for a few feet. The griffin's wings were up and covering his front, which left his back completely unguarded but for a few moments. And he could not see. Balsem made sure to skid close enough to the beast to catch the tender underside of the bird's wing, hoping to cut a tendon as he slashed at the base of the appendage. His blood splashed onto the creature as he did so - good, perhaps the two bloods would mix, and Abaddon would find himself with a rather nasty virus thanks to all the chemicals in Balsem's blood. Whether or not he 'made the cut' would eventually be inconsequential - as long as he was behind him, he could get away if he wanted.
....but he still had a few moments to linger.
He tumbled backwards and to his feet, staying at a crouch, watching Abaddon with slitted eyes. Take his hand, would he? Impressive though that may be, Balsem did not like getting the short end of the stick.
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Posted: Sun Aug 05, 2007 4:38 pm
Sharpness seared the underside of a wing as the griffin used the elbow to rub at his bloodied eye. Hissing, Abaddon folded both of his wings back, turning to face the human with a savage growl. His left eye stung from the blood being thrown into it, but there had been no damage. What concerned the creature the most, at the moment, was the severe protest the muscles in his injured wing were giving in trying to keep the appendage held up.
It was unacceptable to be attacked and harmed in such a manner. Yet, beneath the rage and indignity, Abaddon felt something else. His opponent had a will to survive, and a lack of fear, that puzzled the black beast, as well as trigger a sense of respect for the human. Strange, but it was not as though he had never revered another living creature before. It had just been a rather...lengthy period of time since he had felt such a feeling as respect for a human.
The beast seated himself, his fury calming away until his eyes had lost all traces of red. He continued to watch Balsem with an imperious manner, but there was also something deferential in the gaze, now. The griffin would let the man live for the moment, if only to see that they were able to battle again when they were healed.
Granted, while Abaddon knew that his wing would heal eventually, he knew that a completely-severed body part could not be recovered. Hm...perhaps it would be more of an advantage to have such a tricky creature with him.
He'd let this Balsem flee and care for his wound. Now that Abaddon had tasted the man's blood, he would be able to follow him anywhere, at any time he chose.
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Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2007 8:07 pm
Knowing from the look in Abaddon's eyes that he would not attack, Balsem lifted himself. He could feel his strength wavering, threatening to cloud his vision yet again....he closed a hand over the offending wrist, squeezing as tightly as his muscles would allow. The man had time enough to reach relative safety, but what he would do from there....ah, bother.
The man remained silent, turning sharply on his heel and walking away from the battlefield. He walked back through the path he had taken in the woods, back past the man who's life he had extinguished by the removal of a single cord.
He was rarely the type to need assistance. From anyone, for anything. Now, however, he might just be the type. Might. Balsem spotted several useful plants as he walked back to the village, using the shirt of one of the deceased to eventually wrap the wound. It was all he could do, for now. He would pass out, there was no question. The loss of blood was simply too much. If all went well he would wake up and be able to function from there, stand and make his way back to a more hospitable location.
If not...well, he'd deal with that when it came. 'Might' be the type to need assistance.
He slid down against the wall of what once was a family's household, refusing to enter the house and instead simply staying on the porch. Grunting lightly, he tore the cloth of the shirt with his teeth, placing an herb known most easily as the Hemorrhage Plant on the...well, stub, and wrapping it. Such a plant was supposed to be dried, but he really didn't have that luxury. It should work regardless - stinging was always a good thing.
A great deal of effort was expended in wrapping his arm, but it was accomplished in due time. He leaned his head back against the wall. He had lost a hand, but made away with his life..and inflicted some damage in return. Beaten? Perhaps, but living usually made the outcome a win in such situations. He had accomplished his goal - learned about the beast, even fought it....and he had no intention of wasting that. He would use Abaddon to his advantage, one way or another. That much was certain.
His body went limp as reality took over and whisked him into unconsciousness.
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Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2007 8:41 pm
The yellow eyes of the Destroyer watched the man fall unconscious, hissing in satisfaction.
Their's would be a love-hate relationship.
But, for now, the beast needed to tend to his own wound. Lifting his protesting wing, the griffin gave it a light lick, then turned-tail and strode back from the edge of the woods.
------
This place smelled too much of death.
He had thought so several times before since coming to what was left of the village. He had smelled the overwhelming odor of burning flesh and blood-soaked earth long before he and his master had entered the edges of the small town, catching the scent on the wind and pointedly dragging his master towards the place of destruction.
Oki ruffled his mane again, trying to ignore the stench.
....It didn't help in the least.
Readjusting his position in front of the house, and finding that he just couldn't get comfortable with that horrible smell lingering about, the griffin growled and stood up. He was to guard the building where his master was attending an injured person. But, he could guard while he walked.
Ruffling again and snorting, the red and blue avian set off on his fourteenth stroll around the edge of the house, trying to ignore the sensation of being watched. Something, the thing that had caused all this death, was still out there, and it had returned at least twice in the past six hours that Oki and his master had come upon the village.
He didn't like the feel of this place. Not the smell, not the sights, nothing.
------
Kin lifted his head when he heard his restless griffin get up once again to 'patrol' about the house. Hm...even being human, Kin felt it too...that presence of something unnatural. 'Evil,' to put it into the simplest of terms.
He gave an inward sigh. It would be unwise to move his injured patient under the conditions of such a gruesome injury, and as far as Kin knew, there was no other village within a few miles' distance from their current location. He knew Okikurmi would have preferred to leave; the human would have preferred to, as well. But their safest option was to stay put. In the length of time they had been in this house, he had changed the makeshift bandages several times already, using what he had of his own knowledge in herbal plants to tend to the healing of the end of the arm.
Thoughtful brown eyes glanced at the red and white head. What sort of duel could have overwhelmed you so, I wonder?
It did not like Balsem to allow himself to be so careless as to lose an entire hand. Whoever - or, whatever - had done this had most likely taken the man by surprise. The mind behind those snake-like eyes was one of admirable, if deadly, precision - Kin had learned that firsthand.
He gave a rueful tug at the end of his braid of black hair, pulling the length of it over his shoulder. Heh...at least Kin had not brought his charge with him on this trip. He doubted Balsem would have enjoyed being seen in such a weak state by that particular person.
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Posted: Tue Aug 07, 2007 7:51 pm
It was unlike Balsem to ever be rigid. Ever. But the moment he went to lift an arm as sleep departed from him, he went stiff.
It faded as soon as it came. Quickly, calmly, he ran over all that had happened. The fight, his unconsciousness...and judging by the faintest sounds of movement, a movement not his own, he was not alone. The somewhat familiar ruffle of griffin feathers instantly told him what he needed to know. Kin. Ah, good. That man always had rather impressive timing. He only heard the movement of one, so the...other, must not be there. Even better.
"For the record, my friend, " Balsem stated, knowing what Kin had to be thinking and yet refusing to yet open his eyes - the effects of the Hemorrhage Plant would likely make themselves known if he did so- "I have found one faster than I. Also for the record, you have impeccable timing."
Truly, he would not attribute the loss of a hand to something so trivial as a lapse in judgment. No, the facts simply could not be overcome. He dared to test them anyway. And for that, he was now without a hand, and feeling incredibly off balance in the areas of thought and deed. Unavoidable, but immensely irritating.
At that point, he opened his eyes. They were cloudy, he knew that much. His circulation was slower than normal, but new bandages covered his arm. Balsem's eyes scanned the bloodied area objectively. The man drew little joy from all the brown and red - the initial passion for it all had passed - but did note that Kin's bird seemed troubled. Indeed, the eyes of more than just Kin were upon him. He smirked. Devils and demons abounded in the village of loss.
"I caution you against staying too long, though I am bound to thanking you for your assistance. Why did you come?"
Balsem knew that it was not for him - at least, he supposed that much. But he had to ask. He also had to stand, but not until he knew exactly what Kin had done.
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Posted: Tue Aug 07, 2007 8:54 pm
One who was faster, indeed...Kin had guessed that much. Though, it had been obvious to the man, after examining the wound while he had re-wrapped it the first time, that the hand had not been lost by the clean slice of a metal blade. The shape looked too much like an animal's bite - and, having been with Oki for several years now, and having had his own share of injuries from the griffin, Kin knew exactly what sort of maw had left Balsem with nothing but a bloody stump.
What troubled Kin more than the wound was the way Balsem had addressed the creature who had inflicted it - as if the animal was human. Kin did not claim to know the red-haired man's mind, but he did know that respect from the man was difficult to come by. The beast had to have been something more than just a mere griffin.
"My timing is not as impressive when reflecting that I was searching for you," he commented, the small amusement in his voice overshadowed by what was clearly troubled relief.
"You have been delirious with fever until about an hour past. Muttering something about a 'Conquerer Worm,' I think?" Kin guessed that Balsem's caution against staying in the area was related to the beast that had severed his hand...which, perhaps, was related to another word that had been repeated frequently in the feverish murmurs - 'abaddon.'
He would be told in due time, should his patient wish to divulge that much. At the moment, however, Kin was watching Balsem for any signs of movement, and ready to advise against such a plan of action. "Please refrain from moving too much. You have managed to swallow a cup of tea with dong quai, but the ginseng will not be effective should you continue to bleed."
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Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2007 4:20 pm
"I know better than to move." he stated simply, making a mental note of the few plants he saw on the ground near him. He would have to wait before taking matters into his own hands, it seemed.
Balsem did, however, adjust himself slightly, to allow for better blood flow to his lower half. His head tilted to the side, watching Kin with slowly-clearing eyes. First things first. He gestured t'wards the carnage around them. "Mimes, in the form of God on high....mimes become its food. Literature. I am surprised that you do not know the tale. Nevermind, you will soon learn."
"Why, dare I ask, were you searching for me?" he asked, hoping that it was not some news of Kin's charge. Unless it was good news. Death, of himself or another? Either would be fine. Preferably another, if for no other reason than a reaffirmation of pride.
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Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2007 8:59 pm
Kin favored Balsem with a dry look, carefully guarding his expression as he said, "I have had precious little time to pursue intellectual studies, since taking on my current charge."
Though, said charge had a strange love of learning about everything that a mind could be wrapped around. The man did not mind sharing what knowledge he had, and especially enjoyed talking about his far-off homeland, whenever questions were asked of him. Hm...Kin's thoughts drifted to the boy for a moment, wondering how he was fairing. Before witnessing the utter destruction of the village today, he would have doubted that much trouble could have befallen the small town he had left his charge in...Mmm. But he did need Oki for travelling purposes.
The boy would be fine. "I have two reasons for which I have been searching for you." And, Kin thought in wry humor, You are lucky that it is I who found you. Had it been anyone else...."The first concerns the one you left in my care. The second concerns a matter of one of your former students."
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Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2007 2:33 pm
Balsem smirked. Yes, the 'charge' took a great deal of attention. That's exactly why he was not dealing with it.
He would call it a mistake, but, truly, it was more of a surprise circumstance. One that he honestly did not have the patience for. Not now, not ever.
So....well, Kin was the man for the job. Balsem didn't have to think very hard when the decision had to be made to leave Kin in command of it all. Of course, sometimes that meant conversations like 'I need to speak with you about my charge', but such a thing could not be avoided. Unless he killed him. What a seductive idea....too bad it was a lot of effort to be expended over nothing at all.
"I wish to hear of the student first." he stated simply.
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Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2007 1:48 pm
"I bring news of one," Kin began, "And an inquiry concerning the other."
The latter half of his statement sounded very vaguely irritated. As a matter of fact, the man was much more annoyed with 'the other' than he was letting on. However, the ire he held against that person was reserved to be seen only by himself - he would bide his time until he could make an effective vendetta.
-------
Several hundreds of miles away, a young woman sneezed violently, managing to snort out a great deal of the alcohol she was drinking at the same time. Sputtering a bit, she stared morosely into the now-empty glass as the little black griffin she had just dumped a majority of her beverage on gave a protesting squawk.
"Well, damn. Sorry, Zeph..."
'Rawrk!'
-------
"My first strain of news you may have more interest in," Kin continued after brushing a stray lock of black hair out of his eyes. Meeting Balsem's yellow-green gaze, the man said quietly, "Your protoge moves southward. He is building a name for himself."
Kin did not know if Balsem cared to know, or even if the red-haired man even cared at all. He had met both of the students once, while they had been under tutelage. The odd obsession the man before him had shown over the one Kin had just spoken of was, in the most general sense, disturbing. There had been genuine fear - and grudging respect - on the part of the student most often subjected to bodily harm. The other...Kin had not been able to place that strange one's emotions at all. Hm...he was getting side-tracked.
"My inquiry of your other student..how much did-"
He was abruptly cut off by an ear-piercing shriek. On his feet in an instant, Kin listened for any further noise...and within moments, he heard his griffin begin to snarl.
Danger, obviously. Perhaps the return of the creature that had taken Balsem's hand.
-------
Abaddon stalked again, his movements more controlled - more powerful, perhaps - than before, but just as predatory. There was no grace to his feline walking as he sauntered out from the trees and towards the smoldered remains of the village where he had begun his new path of destruction.
He was hungry again.
The beast had eaten well enough amongst the choices he had of the human animals, and had hunted down a deer in the woods but an hour before. This new hunger was not one of his physical stomach, but more of a satisfaction for his mental one. So, he had come to the place where the fear of another creature was tangible enough to taste it. Not as overwhelming a fear as Abaddon would have liked, but the brute would be content.
As he thought would happen, the griffin - the one that had been 'guarding' the building where Abaddon's human interest dwelled - gave a startled cry the moment the hellish beast reached the limit of the village. He ignored the warning snarls as he approached, but stopped 10 meters from the building to sit and watch with imperious eyes.
The red and blue griffin had subsided to unceasing growls when Abaddon had seated himself, but still looked ready to fight. The creature's feathers were puffed up, his fur standing on end, but it seemed to be as much out of battle-readiness as it was fear.
Snorting lightly, Abaddon extended his wings to furl about him, flexing the joints of the one Balsem had cut. He would wait, and drink this fear until the human decided to show himself.
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Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2007 4:54 pm
He caught the irritation, but did not address it. Kin said what he needed and wanted to say, and nothing more. Balsem would waste time trying to find out why the man was irritated. Besides, chances are he cared little.
His eyes flashed and a smirk moved to rest upon his features. Making a name for himself, huh? Not surprising. Nor was the fact that he was moving south. About time the little brat managed it. T'would be curious to see how long he lasted before either being caught, or killed, or perhaps becoming too famous to continue safely. Not that he didn't have faith in his pupil - it was he who taught him, after all. Fast, quiet, with immense potential. Damn him for it.
Other student. Balsem barely managed not to roll his eyes.
Both sadly and thankfully, Kin was cut short. Balsem's eyes rested calmly on Abaddon, while his mouth muttered words that did little to contain his inward excitement. "Your griffin would sacrifice himself to protect you. Noble, but perhaps stupid, as the odds are against you leaving here without him."
He knew the danger of doing so, but knew that he must anyway - priorities had shifted. Bracing himself against the wall he was sitting against, the man forced himself to his feet. He took a moment before taking a few steps forward, enough to where Abaddon was more clearly visible. He did not seem in any mood to fight, and barely in a mood to kill. Oki was still standing, after all. The man smiled slightly.
"Do you need something, Worm?" he called out.
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