Title: No reasons equals an easier target.
Description: [P] For Vaudeux Jupiter [P]
Azrail - April 3, 2007 02:01 AM (GMT)
[[Hope its okay! ^__^]]
"I think that's him..."
There was no one around for her to speak to except the glaring stars. She felt protected beneath them, she felt as if she could take on the world with her dagger and her spirit guiding the way. Her feet were planted harshly against the building roof, just a random building that happened to be the perfect spot. The roof, made from neatly placed grasses and wood, felt gentle beneath her body. She closed her eyes and took in deep breaths, lifting her face towards the cool sky. She could sense the full moon and the brightness it emitted, lighting up the entire village with a serene glow. The breeze was picking up and brushed past her bare legs, sending tiny bumps up and down her spine.
"This is the perfect night...absolutely perfect. "
He was leaving a house, most likely one that he took up his business in. He seemed like a nice guy. Calm, charming, everything that could attract a woman. Except for Azrail. Azrail had no interest in such silly things as love and relationships. Atleast not after what happened.
He was making his way through the town streets quickly, and for a moment she has spaced out and lost him. It took her a second to realize she had lost herself and off she took darting across nearby roofs. For a moment she thought that she had lost him until she caught scent of his overwhelming cologne. It made her cringe and she darted even faster, slowing down as soon as she caught up with his pace on the ground. Her right hand unclasped Threnody's Spite from her waist and clutched it tightly. She was not in normal attire, infact if anyone knew her they probably would not have been able to recognize her. Instead of her normal shorts and tee, she was wearing a full black, skin-tight body suit with a short black dress that tied around the waist above. She wore a tight black mask that covered from her nose down, only showing her eyes and up*. The constraining outfit made her feel slightly uncomfortable during work, but the thinness of the materials made it a thousand times easier to manuevar and sneak.
Suddenly, he stopped. He took off his hat and dusted it off with his free hand, glancing from side to side. For a moment she thought he had caught onto her but he never looked up. Again he took off walking, but this time slow and careful. He knew he was a wanted man, obviously having done something wrong to anger fellow co-workers. Customers never really gave her the reasons as to why they wanted a certain someone dead, nor did she ever really ask or care. Being given reasons would cause emotions in her which would eventually lead to a mistake. It made killing so much easier to not know why.
He was quickening his pace a little bit giving her the perfect opportunity to prepare for the attack. She quietly jumped from the roof to the solid ground, landing in a roll to the shadows at the side. He glanced back and shook his head, continuing forward as if nothing happened. She took the opportunity. Her heart was racing, little beads of sweat trickled down her forhead and her body, breaths coming short and tough. She crouched and followed behind him...closer...and closer. Now was the time, now she had to do it now. Standing at full height, she wrapped her free arm around his face, covering his mouth with her hand and twisting his head a little to the side. She brought Threnody's Spite up to his neck, pressing the cold metal against his throbbing arteries. She smiled and chuckled a little, twisting his neck a little more to the side each second.
"I don't know what you did wrong, nor do I care. I've come to take you."
*[See profile image]
Vaudeux Jupiter - April 3, 2007 05:25 AM (GMT)
((Sure is! Good idea.))
It was a rare occurrence to be asked to do a particular task, especially by a stranger. It was a clouded afternoon on the outskirts of the small village of Estolad. The thief was studded in his newly stolen Elven attire, creating an all the more striking image on his rippled exterior. The first half of his day was conspired in travels draining him of his reserve of energy and leaving him with thirst. Kneeling by the community river he took a solitary scoopful of water in his open palm and drained the liquid down his throat. There was a slight breeze wafting through the nature, flapping his cloak on his back and exposing the tip of a short sword strapped to his back. About to go for seconds he was startled by a sudden voice from behind.
“You traveler,” It was with raspy intonation, protruding from under a green hood, as soon as Jupiter’s eyes darted around to the subject that produced them. Slowly he rose to his full height to address the hooded man who laughed and continued, “What say your business for Estolad tonight?”
For a moment his eyes glanced at the small village his thoughts immediately drifting off to the nearest inn for a hearty meal, or even the tavern for a spot before he kept on. But he kept these thoughts as he looked back to the voice under the cape and answered simply, “Passing through.”
The green garment adjusted its stance, a pair of wrinkly hands folding at the base of a rounded belly, with a deep exhale. There was a few moments of silence, as if the man was studying Vaudeux, yet after another he finally spoke with an air of exasperation, “Dare to make a spot of gold?”
At the sound of gold Vaudeux was more than willing to accept. After all he was of greedy nature and the man seemed fraught. His task almost seemed simple. He would need to capture then secretly kill the local business figure of Estolad. Once proof was brought forward he would only then be bestowed with the gold promised. To make matters easier the man in green had provided him with the location of the individuals house and even the information enough to know that he was going out for an evening on the town. For the rest of the day of gloom he stayed at the inn - in waiting - in anticipation.
From clouded sunlight to a clear moonlit night the slow wind had carried the rain south and far from the peaceful village. Most of its citizens had turned in for the night, various lamps snuffed out until the early morning and laid in the comfort of their quiet beds. Only a select few stirred amongst the peace. One was the target, inside the front foyer of his cottage finalizing something on a bit of parchment. It had been a long while of waiting across from the house from the other pair of feet still standing in the evening. Jupiter watched the stout figure through the window scrupulously, anticipating his departure.
It wasn’t until hours later did the man finally dawn a hat on a mop of scruff before killing the flame over his parchment. Vaud sunk back into the shadows of the alley he owned, between a pair of dark cottages, and observed as his target exited the house and start off up the street. It didn’t occur to him that any other souls might be up in the stalking of night, but he was only focused on his capture at the moment. Next he turned on a heel and crept through the a maze of paths, between the houses, until he was walking parallel with his victim. The thief held his cloak tight to his body, to prevent any unnecessary flaps in the slight breeze.
His past thievery has told him enough to have the element of surprise on your side whenever possible, as it heightened one’s chances. Vaud stalked in the shadows as the man continued forward through the streets, only stopping once to dust particles off his hat. After a few more feet the thief moved closer in towards the alley’s, anticipating his next move. His hands had balled into a fist as he continually glanced up back towards the street every time he passed a building. Then, as he was bridging a gap, he moved forward into an alley between the tavern and another closed shop. It was time to act.
Now that he was ahead of the target he aimed to move out to the mouth of the alley and strike as soon as the man passed by. About to implement said plan, he moved to the mouth of the path only to find an old bracer to a chain rope of some sort whizzing nosily out into the streets. Cursing silently, Jupiter ducked back behind the building as the man stopped and glanced around suspiciously at the occurrence. Yet after a moment he continued onward without another care in the world.
Preserving Vauduex ducked behind the building and jogged up until he was merely two building ahead of the man. Here he set up his plan, careful not to kick any more objects, and waited. There he crouched in the shadows when he realized that he no longer heard the lone shuffling of the mans footsteps on the dirt path. Alarmed, he chanced a peek and looked quickly out onto the streets. To his horror his target was being stopped dead in his tracks by a blade pressed to his throat. The blade gleamed in the moonlight reflecting back into his eyes. He traced it back to its owners palm, some shapely rouge, having the man by the neck and at her own whim.
In an instinct, driven by the thought of gold, he kicked up his right heel. It seemed like a useless maneuver, as if he was warding off a hungry dog, but as his dagger spun up into his palm the action was executed. With a tight jaw he suppressed air out through clenched teeth then slid out onto the street. Years of practice etched into his muscles he quickly and fluidly flipped the hilt of the dagger in mid air and caught the weapon on the flat surface of the blade. Automatically he raised it to ear level until the tip pointed to an invisible line behind him. Then, with a forearm thrust, he extended his arm fully before letting the dagger fulfill its intended path straight at the rouge’s face. He was sure his precense had been noticeable enough, but it didn't matter all he wanted was the target and his gold. Anything else in his way was simply nuisance.
Azrail - April 7, 2007 04:02 AM (GMT)
[[I hope this doesnt suck! >___o'']]
"You...I've heard stories about you...are they why I was sent for you?"
She whispered gently in his ear, a bit of curiousity seeping out along with her words. Normally Azrail never asked questions or even spoke to her 'objectives'. It was considered a distraction, she stopped focusing on the environment and became only infactuated with him. For some reason she couldn't pull herself away, she couldn't stop wondering why. This was going to be a weakness she'd eventually have to work on, or so she tried convincing herself. Next time.
Her hand holding his face etched little by little to the side, individual air pockets popping in his neck. Which way would kill him first, breaking his neck or cutting his throat? She twisted the blade a little against his skin, the sharp edge piercing the skin barely. A tiny drip of blood escaped and traveled down the front of his shirt. Azrail grinned and rested her chin on the man's shoulder, shrugging a little behind him.
"I guess you can't really answer, I bet you're wondering which one I'll decide to do. Perhaps if you weren't so dirty, I would make it less torturous and painful for you. But..."
He was mumbling and shifting beneath her grasp, obviously putting forth as much effort as possible to escape. He couldn't move too far, however, Azrail could snap his neck in two before he'd even have the chance. But he noticed something that Azrail did not. She was too focused on him now and for a second the man considered this an opportunity. There was someone else, someone who must have the same objective as the woman holding him captive. She was nuzzling his neck and whispered a name, a name that was almost too gentle for the man to understand himself. Suddenly, her head shot up and she straightened her poise, tightening her grip on the man's face and the pressure against his neck. Tilting her head to the side, she slightly glanced backward, noticing a faint shimmer in the darkness. The shimmer jumped then returned, someone else must be there. Another assassin? Or maybe a hateful passer-by. Azrail became extremely nervous and shifted her foot, quickly turning her body in a full spin. She still grasped the man and practically brought him around with her, watching the shimmer heading straight for her face. Azrail closed her eyes and groaned, lowering her body behind the man's sholders as simultaneously both the blade thrusted into his forhead and Azrail's hand snapped his neck.
His attack was of purpose, hers was out of fear. Actually to be more precise, her hand accidentally shifted too fast to the side while she was attempting to lower herself behind him. During the process she dropped Threnody's Spite and could hear it clanking against the ground feet from her. She dropped to her knees as the lifeless body fell infront of her, landing face-down, most likely pressing the blade deeper into his skull. She whimpered and ran a hand through her sweaty hair, lifting her head to look at whomever trying to assassinate the assassin. She could only see a shadow which was not enough to give her some kind of answer. Her emotions were going psychotic. She felt like a failiure for having made herself so vulnerable, plus almost getting killed.
Inside, she was still a kid. New to everything, vulnerable and naive. Surprises like this break her down.
"Wha...what's your problem!? Are you...crazy??"
A possibility struck her. Whose kill would this be?
Vaudeux Jupiter - April 7, 2007 05:02 AM (GMT)
The dagger, a deadly extension of his arm, flew at breakneck speeds towards his target. It was an action meant to ward off the opposing assassin from his target, but he was surprised to see that the figure had not yet taken notice and was still concentrated on the victim in their arms. His stomach dipped around inside, quelling to the tip of his throat, as dangerous thoughts entered his mind. What if he did end up killing the rouge? Then he would have two bodies on his hands to deal with. Or worse, this assassin proved to be cunning and retaliate therefore causing both killers to loose sight of their target. The thoughts were brief, brief enough for him to hold his ending throwing pose as he concentrated on the flight of the dagger. Arm outstretched and knees flexed to lower his height. He continually observed, waiting for impact or the next movement, to consider his own next action.
Suddenly the unthinkable happened. The rouge had finally caught wind of his dagger, but had refused to relinquish their capture. The predator moved, spun, with its prey still stiff in its arms. Then, with a sound like that of a thick arrow embedding itself into a wooden target, his dagger plunged deep into one of the bodies along with a sickening crack. Amongst the shadows he was able to make out the capture’s body going rigid; the silhouette of his dome dawning Vaud’s dagger directly in the forehead and protruding like a horn. His immediate reaction was to recite a range of expletives under his breath as he took off, dashing towards the outline of the assassin and his target.
While approaching, the man collapsed to the ground like a limp rucksack at the shapely figure of the rouge. It was only when he was feet from his opponent did he realize that it was a woman, a woman assassin. He wasn’t expecting to be rivaling one other and a woman rouge was rare in his eyes. The whole situation was strange, why would a simple business figure have a bounty on his head worthy of two to perform the hunt? Nevertheless it wasn’t his preferred method of disposal, but it would have to comply for now. Here, he stopped short, not aiming to ambush the girl, but survey his work. It was here she disrupted the nights silence and addressed him.
"Wha...what's your problem!? Are you...crazy??" She spat almost child-like and his eyes narrowed across his chiseled face. He shot her a pair of dangerous eyes, as if to tell her to keep it down, then looked down at the body which was face-down on the cobblestone streets underfoot. Around the scene was houses, ticking like bombs with various patrons of Estolad just waiting to awake and find the pair of them, standing over a body, out their window. This was defiantly not the way he wanted to complete his task. The prospect of getting caught was higher than ever as he glanced about, almost distinctively hearing a door creak in the distance.
Vaudeux shot a glare back to the rouge and sneered, “If you’re worried about crazies maybe you should stay in at night woman,” His voice was nothing but a harsh whisper, the first thing that came to his mind in the midst of frustration. Next he tensed and lowered his head slightly so that it was closer to hers. “You’re lucky you are,” Jupiter growled.
Azrail - April 8, 2007 04:52 AM (GMT)
She could see the shadow approaching her and the dead body and a sudden wave of both fear and anger swept over her. She figured this would be a fight to the end to decide whose kill this would be considered. A smile crept upon her face, she already had her money. He could claim the kill if he pleased, he could do whatever he wanted to with the body and completely forget that Azrail was ever around. But no, she shook her head and then realized that was not an option. If word got around that Azrail had not completed a job, her name would carry a negative stigma. No one would want to hire her anymore. They would not consider her cleanliness, her quickness nor stealth, just that she could not kill one man before another. An overweight, defenseless man at that.
She wanted her dagger back. Quite a few times she thought of getting up and running for it, but each passing second the shadow came closer. It wasn't long until he stopped few from her, seeming to be paying the most attention to the dead man sprawled on the floor. A man who looked just as surprised to see Azrail as she did him. Perhaps it was not as common for a female to be a killer. He was rather handsome, very toned indeed. She thought for a moment and mentally compared him to Tal, whomever this man was beat him by a long shot in the looks department. Tal... Azrail shook her head and backed up a little as he started to speak back to her, his angry gaze frustrating her even more. Why was he being such a jerk? He was the one who was trying to kill her first. Getting caught was the last thing on her mind, Azrail was very well known for being able to easily escape.
His tone was disgusted and it really set Azrail off the edge. However, she decided to swallow her anger and and suck it up, play along with the scene. As soon as she made it far enough away she would take off. That, or try and take him out the same way she did the other.
"Do not call me woman. If you are going to call me anything, at least be respectful and call me by my name, Azrail. Besides, who would want to stay inside on such an eventful night?"
Azrail smirked and chuckled a little. She couldn't stop thinking of how much he reminded her of Tal, his pride and bit of arrogance. She stood up straight and cleared her throat as well as her mind of memories as he lowered his head towards her, apparantly thinking she was 'lucky'. Azrail snorted and chuckled, stepping one foot ontop of the man's rear and placing her hands on her hips, leaning her upper torso towards him to mimic the way he did her.
"Lucky, hmm? Lucky that...you are deciding not to kill me?"
She ended her sentence in a rather pathetic-mocking tone, taking her foot off the dead man's rear and beginning to circle the other man. She kept her hands on her hips and chuckled , brushing against his shoulder with her arm. She would have more fun out of this than she had first originally thought. Money and a cute man, what a deal. While behind him, she saw Threnody's Spite's blade shimmer beneath a fire lamp, only a few feet away. She stopped behind him and bent over, careless to what he was doing at the moment. She picked up the blade and gently dusted it off, twirling it in her left hand. Azrail sighed and shrugged a little, unsure of where she would like this situation to go. She could easily escape now, her adreneline was still rushing from the scene not too long ago. Or she could attack while from behind, but that was pretty disgraceful.
Her line of thoughts was disrupted when she noticed a faint light flicker on from a near-by house. She noticed the outline of a shadow appear and glance about, obviously unable to notice Azrail and the man. This was getting risky.
"Well, there isn't much left to say. I don't know who sent you, and I personally do not care. I will claim the kill as my own, I hope you decide to spare yourself the trouble and move on."
There was still a bit of playfulness in her voice, a little bit of teasing.
Vaudeux Jupiter - April 8, 2007 05:56 AM (GMT)
His first comments were meant to intimidate, his second shot to get the girl running away from his kill. But after her response he then realized that such a feat would be easier sought after than accomplished. The thief remained in his first position as she continued to blabber as if they were having a normal conversation in a tavern. Eyes narrowed, he listened with a passive expression as if to say the information she was providing him with was more than needed. Then he was suddenly caught off-guard when the rouge started to mock him. Her body language was purposeful, leaning over the fallen victim and using his bulbous rump as a step-stool, all the while finding his actions humorous. He was immediately putt-off by the lack of intimidation he failed to provide and therefore his expression turned to one of aversion.
Jupiter’s green eyes fell onto the swollen corpse as she rested her heel there, the mass lolling around somewhat dead beneath her slight disturbance. For a moment his mind strayed back to his own dagger, embedded into the brain of his target, and longed for its familiarity in his palm. Once he got rid of the woman (now named Azrail) he aimed for that to be his first order of business. But now she was trotting lightly over the body and bridging the gap between them to mere inches. Only when the rouge finished her last sentence did he look up to find her encircling him.
He could feel the blood rushing up to his face at once as she swayed around him. The very aura of her presence close to him made the tiny hairs on the back of his neck stand-on-end. When she brushed up against him he swallowed hard to try and find his conscious as he heard the soft clicking of her footwear, the only sound, behind him. Quickly he blinked, the single movement that brought him back to proper thoughts. Vaud’s orbs danced around the area, to the body, and finally to his dagger. Without hesitation he stepped over the dead-man’s legs and found himself sideways to his new acquaintance so to say, her visible in the corner of his eye just in case she tried something.
On the other side of the fallen victim did Jupiter deliver a swift nudging kick to the body, the lumpy mass thereby rolling over to its side. The midnight shadows had been cast of the bulk of the bloody mess, so the half-dragon merely looked for the protuberance, that would be the hilt of his dagger, in the man’s skull. From there he gripped his weapon tight on the handle and proceeded with one large tug. The wound was relentless, carrying the man’s head along with the tug and refusing to give up his blade. Vaud tried a few more times and ended up violently shaking his blade free by only a few inches. Frustration mounting he used his kicking leg to pin the lifeless body down to earth as he continued to grip. With a combined effort of push-and-pull he was able to free his dagger from its target with one vile suction sound.
Vaud flicked his dagger outward, relinquishing his blade of thick blood, then wiping the rest of its remnants on the fallen’s shirt. It was dirty work, but all was well when a bag of gold was your reward. Cutting edge clean he returned to normal height just as the rouge deemed Azrail turn back and glancing off to the distance. Following her gaze he saw it too, the silhouette of someone awaking to their presence. He cursed, rather loudly, under his breath and returned to the body. Quickly he picked the nearest finger and began gnawing it off with his dagger. The blood had lessened its flow due to the instant death of his owner, but it was still messy due to the fact that he needed proof for his bounty. After retrieving the finger he dabbed the loose end back to the man’s clothing, until the bleeding ceased, then pocketed the ghoulish souvenir in his cloak pocket.
Vigorously he wiped the foreign blood off his hand, being dirty one of his biggest peeves, and rose back to height just as a variety of outlines appeared in the light on the horizon. The rouge had just completed another sentence and he turned around back to her, faking a look as if he cared then quickly switching back to that of seriousness.
“Be that as it may it was my dagger who pierced his-” At that moment his sentence was interrupted by a shrill call in the distance, one that almost made the thief jump in surprise.
“Hey you!” Without warning the outlines were approaching, bringing along the undeniable clanking of metal and armor. They were soldiers, or perhaps guards, for the town of Estolad. Another expletive escaped from under Jupiter’s breath as he quickly noticed the men advancing.
A set up?! He thought quickly. The pair had only executed in a matter of minutes, no way would their actions bring on an impending brigade of warriors. There was no other explanation. He turned back to Azrail, his mouth unexplainably forming a sinister grin across his lips. He narrowed his eyes and sheathed his dagger at the same moment, soon words spilling coolly off his tongue,
“Fine just stay out of my way.” With that he gave her a shrug with his hands, hoping to knock her out of the way and gain a head start. Then he was off, giving the men something to chase as he headed into the winding streets of the town. They had been in the middle of Estolad, where many alleys and streets intersected and wove into each other like clothing. It would be hard for the two killers to not cross paths with all the roads. This thought hadn’t crossed his mind however, he was now picking up speed and diverging up the road taking a quick glance back to see how his tactic had favored and weather she was heading out for an escape route herself.
Azrail - April 16, 2007 02:34 AM (GMT)
He was cute, that sort of angry but adorable kind. The fact that at the present moment this man was her enemy depressed her a little, she always have to fight and/or kill the good looking ones. Maybe she could avoid the possible outcome for a little while and have some fun? She was only human, there was no real desire for anything more than an exciting evening. Even if it included getting caught by any nearby neighbors, she was intrigued by the thought of taking down the entire town by themselves. She admired his decent skills and wondered how long it would take them; it couldn't be much. Ah, but these were just silly thoughts, in reality she was just lying to herself. This was already a big enough risk and if any village folk were to find either of the two or the dead body, some sort of defensive action would be taken. Azrail couldn't be arrested again, she had already escaped once.
She looked back in his direction, watching him push the fat man's body around. She couldn't quite understand his reasonings, so she turned to face him and crossed her arms over her chest, quirking a slender brow. She rubbed her chin and slouched a little to the side, shrugging a little.
"You know, perhaps he ate your weapon. You might want to hurry and find it."
She found this scene rather hilarious. Actually, she felt almost a little bad for the dead man, having to be pushed and kicked around by an impatient killer. She could hear his organs squish around from the rough movements causing Azrail to cringe from disgust. It was pretty ironic, but Azrail hated blood and guts, yet she loved killing. She knew she was a freak, but that's what made every new day interesting.
She started to approach the other assassin, considering to offer her help, however he finally pulled his weapon from the dead man's skull. She assumed he noticed the figure moving within it's house, she thought it was gone. Glancing to her right, another house lamp flickered on, another shadow making it's way to the front door. She bit her lip and looked down to the man that was now sawing off a dead finger with his recently found weapon. He finished and started to speak back at her, his entire attitude seeming to change within a second. He wasn't so cute anymore.
"Pfft, was my hand that cracked his nec-"
She didn't exactly wait for him to finish his sentence, for she knew where he was heading with it. However, just as he cut his sentence short, she turned and did hers. It wasn't so much the call or clanking of metal that caught her attention, it was the other rogue's quick jump and the rushing sound of dozens of feet trampling their way. She let her arms drop and her body tensed, sheathing her dagger with a quick motion. Azrail pouted and was getting ready to run, forget about the cute man playing with a dead finger and the deceased victim. She had her money, there was nothing left for her to stay for. She was, however, abruptly shoved forward, losing her balance and almost toppling over. She gasped and caught herself before she fell over, eyes widening as he ran past, catching the last sight of a grin on his face. Azrail growled and narrowed her eyes, completely forgetting about the small army of soldiers heading their way.
Azrail took off, almost heading directly towards the army heading at her before taking a sharp turn to the right. She wanted to follow him, and honestly wanted to punch him for shoving her. She made another turn into a darkened alleyway and groaned, glancing around frantically for some sort of direction.
"Aha!"
Azrail found a pile of broken crates and selected one that still had some sort of hold to it. She slide it across the ground to where it hit against the wall of the opposite building. Stepping onto the crate, she jumped up and grasped the ledge of the roof with both hands, placing her heels against the wall and pushing herself up. Climbing on roofs was a hobby to her, each and every time it became easier and easier. Also, rooftops made it easier to scan the surroundings and the men running through them. Azrail wasn't going to waste any time, within seconds she was off, jumping from rooftop to rooftop that were within a decent distance from each other. She looked back briefly to see the soldiers splitting up through the alleyways, obviously determined to find both assailants.
After the 3rd or 4th rooftop, she was becoming a bit exhausted. It seemed like she wasn't going to find the arrogant man, and also it seemed as if the soldiers were catching onto her trail. She heard a few mentioned 'look up,' or 'what's that shadow?'. Maybe it was time to give up and just go home?
Suddenly, as she jumped to another roof, she noticed a rather quick being run through the alley beneath her. Azrail came to a sudden stop and watched, realizing it was the man from before. She growled and leaped off of the rooftop, landing in a roll which took her a second to recover. She couldn't hear any other metallic footsteps so she took off in pursuit of him. He was fast, a lot quicker than her, but she was determined to keep up. She was closing in, slower than wanted but she was almost there.
"HEY! Jerk! Get back here! You better apologize for pushing me!"
[[Bahah this SUCKS, but I was running out of ideas. Hope theres enough for you to reply with<3]]
Vaudeux Jupiter - April 17, 2007 01:23 AM (GMT)
The approaching soldiers didn’t give him a chance to respond to her protest for he was off, dashing up the streets and into the alley. The last bit visible at the corner was his cloak whipping around behind him. He bounded through the alley, flying over loose debris, and wove through the intricate catacombs of the back streets of Estolad. The path below him was no longer paved in cobblestone but laid with dirt. Clouds of dust, hidden in the darkness, puffed upward with every landing footfall. Several moments after his foot had passed, the dust lingered in the air just above the ground only to be abruptly disturbed by a scattered group of thick legs on the chase. Vaudeux had an advantage, he could hear his pursuers clearly, their armor clanking noisily as they ran, while his movements were dull thuds that lasted milliseconds.
He ran linearly for a moment then took a sharp turn, doubling back, and turning once more all in order to thwart the soldiers. Vaud sprinted without any particular direction; he had no destination in mind, just wherever his feet carried him. In the back of his mind he wondered where the woman had ran off to. He smirked to himself at the thought of her getting caught by the men, but he knew that this was highly unlikely. She didn’t seem like much, yet Vaud had a hunch that she was cunning. After all she did have his target before he did, as he thought this his divulged into it more. It was my target right? Perhaps he should try and find that old man again and dig deeper into the subject, just out of pure curiosity. Thereby he would then have to stay in Estolad longer, perhaps find a place to hide out until the morning.
It wasn’t long until he was running through around the buildings and he could no longer hear the familiar clanking beat of his followers. At this point he slowed to a slight jog between a thatched roof and another high building that was neighboring the main street. Half of his body was blanketed in the shadows off of the buildings while the moon light shimmered down on his other half. With all the racket he expected to small village to be lit up with activity, but at his current location it was the dead of night once again. Blackened windows and still doorways. He stood, a small breeze drafted across his collar and down to his chest. Jupiter almost shivered, sweat had condensed from his activity and was catching the cool night air. As he stood he started to listen more closely for any footsteps, he didn’t want to become too confident and end up having to ward off several guards.
But, even as he was listening for footsteps, he flinched vaguely as he heard the distant demands of a voice behind him, "HEY! Jerk! Get back here! You better apologize for pushing me!" Automatically he smirked, by recognizing the voice as the rouge’s. She caught up, He thought and turned slowly around until he was three-quarters cast into the moon light. At first he expected her to be right behind him but yards away, but then he noticed a slender figure silhouetted atop the rooftops a building in distance. In response he cocked a brow up at her while grinning. Contemplative, he considered his options briefly before acting. At once he bolted forward and spat the only thing that came to mind,
“Don’t fall.” He coaxed, as his body disappeared into the shadows, his cloak sucking up the last space before he vanished. Perhaps she would follow maybe she wouldn’t. One would be very obvious atop the roof tops if another were to be looking up at the precise movement. Secretly he wished she would dare to follow, the urge to agrivate too tempting to ignore. He was rather intrigued about their whole situation himself. Vaud bounded up the street in search for a certain empty house, a new plan coming to mind. He hoped that their new phase of shouting wouldn’t attract too much attention.
((Got an idea, might take a few posts))
Azrail - May 26, 2007 06:25 PM (GMT)
[[I hope I don't mess up your plan. :X<333]]
Azrail had to pause; she was running out of breath. She had never been trained or taught to chase someone so much, she usually caught her prey by now. He was a bit more challenging. However this felt like a game to her, a game she could not lose. Azrail took a deep breath and took off again, having lost quite a large amount of distance from him. She almost lost him except for the dust that his feet brought up from the ground left her a trail. She smiled as she once again caught sight of his figure, speaking beneath her breath.
"You're not getting away again!"
Then it started to hit her as she was running; why were two seperate assassins sent to the same job? It was a rather peculiar situation, there had to have been some kind of competition between two bosses? Or perhaps something else. Azrail shook the thought from her mind for the time being, she couldn't exactly think so hard while chasing someone. She was getting even closer now, and it seemed like the town's alleyways were almost neverending. What would happen if and when she caught up with him? She sneered at the thought of him pushing her again as her hand delicately brushed against her dagger's hilt. She didn't even get to use her weapon tonight which was pretty disappointing.
She passed through an opening which, suprisingly, lead into another alleyway. This one was a little different than others. It had one road going forward and back, and only one other road that turned right. Alongside the roads were enormous brick buildings which must have been inns or businesses. And even though this certain alley made her feel uncertain, her legs would just not give up. They had become the most determined part of her body other than her mind. Her entire body was aching with fatigue, but she just <i>had</i> to get him. The only downside to her determination was that she was completely oblivious to anything else going on around her, or coming at her. She started to pass by the right road and glanced to her side, watching a blurry figure preparing to ram directly into her. She didn't even have the time to blink before her body was thrown into the wall to her left by something that felt like a boulder. It completely knocked the breath out of her as well as most of her conciousness.
"We've caught one, Captain, sir.."
Azrail groaned and blinked her eyes open, staring at a mass of metal towering over her face and another to the side.
"Excellent. There's one other, right? Keep an eye out for him, looks like we're all getting dinner tonight."
He laughed and she winced, he had such an ugly laugh. Azrail's vision started to return to normal, she was able to make out several of the guards that were chasing them earlier. She sighed and looked up at who was holding her against the wall. The man was probably the largest person she had ever seen; he must be the captain. Her heart started to race with panic as did her breathing which brought his attention to her. He chuckled and pressed his sword against her stomach, turning it slowly in a taunting manner.
"Don't worry, we're going to catch your friend very soon. Did you really think you could get away from us?"
She shrugged and chuckled breathlessly, whispering back is a hoarse tone.
"We managed this far. You probably won't be able to catch him, it was my kill anyways."
He narrowed his eyes and grunted, obviously disapproving of her response. With his free hand, he grasped her throat and pushed her tightly against the wall behind her, pressing his blade deeper into her skin. Gritting his teeth, he brushed past her cheek with his lips and spoke into her ear.
"Stubborn girl. You'll be the first to go."
Vaudeux Jupiter - May 27, 2007 03:14 PM (GMT)
Bursting from the shadows the bulk of the figure trotted out into the dim moonlight overhead. He passed an extinct lamppost adjacent to a dark house until his boots were scuffing across the cobblestones of main street. His breathing was shallow from all the running, so he slowed and kept his pace to a moderate pant until his breath returned. Vaudeux walked normal across the street, like he was in for a mid-day stroll, yet the darkness cast nothing but a threatening outline of him for those without the talents of infravision. Despite the bounty to his back he strolled casually, confident that he was far enough away from the soldiers and harm’s way. Exhaling he ran his long digits back though his damp brow line until his hair retreated back to its first position, attractively messy atop his skull.
Sweat had congealed in the very spot, so after he rubbed his frontal through a few more times he smoothed back his hair, then lowered his hand to wipe the muddle on the pants of his upper thigh. The streets were deafeningly quite, so much so he could distinctively hear every part of his clothing rub up against his body, every breath that was expelled out from his nose, every clank of metal echoing off the wooden walls of the surrounding buildings. Jupiter stopped. What’s that sound… Clanking of armor? Vaudeux himself bore no armor to dawn, so he immediately knew that the steady jingle was no familiar tune accompanying his parade. He had lead himself into a false sense of security. The streets around him were no longer empty, somewhere in the darkness a solider was lurking.
Immediately the thief stooped over slightly and crept the rest of the way across the main drag, until he was slinking next to the opposing buildings. Tip-toeing further, he kept a sharp eye out for any sneaking shadows - that would be apparent through his eyes. Jupiter was determined not to be caught. Never had he once been perpetrated by such pathetic means and today wasn’t the day to start. The clanking grew louder and he dove into the opposing shade of the buildings. With any reactions left unanticipated, it was no surprise that the very thing he were trying to escape spotted his form at once. “I found the other!” Piercing through the night, and ruining the silence he had tried so hard to preserve, a lone soldier stood behind a short hut, sword catching a stray moonbeam that reflected back on its silvery surface.
The call was obvious to warn some type of leader of the progress that his team was making. The half-dragon’s breath shot up and lodged itself in his throat, his movements froze in an awkward stopping position before he spun on his heel and bolted around. Almost as if the soldier was expecting the thief to give up at once, he forced himself in a run after a surprised jolt from his legs. There was a rickety old bucket on the streets of Estolad. Its sides were made of worn birch strung together by a single metal band at the top and the base of its rickety structure. The previous day it had been filled with water and left to sit only to be dumped out the following morning. Through a large unforeseen crack of the old wood its contents had seeped out onto the cobblestone creating a slick path for any boot-wearing local to tread.
Bounding out of the darkness of the alleys, Vaudeux crossed to the cobblestone streets every footfall echoing off the insecure flat stones. Up ahead the bucket lurked yet Vaud’s eyes were on the path between two buildings for his next destination. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted the bucket at the last minute and hurtled over the obstruction before darting in between the buildings. The soldier in pursuit wasn’t as lucky. His legs were already form from the chase, the armor heavy on his back, and his mind entirely focusing on his catch, his heel caught the midst of the leaking water and stole away his balance. The man slipped straight backwards in callow, landing straight on his backside. Jupiter kept his sprint only hearing the loud scrapping of metal against the road and the delightful cursing of his pursuer.
Weaving through the buildings once more he found himself passing the house with the lamp post, Backtracking. He was retracing his steps, losing ground, not a good sign. Suddenly, springing from out of the side ally, yet another guard rounded on him. Vaud only had enough time to skid to a halt as the attacker jumped on his collar. The man didn’t bear as much bulk as the striking half-dragon did, so he was easy to manipulate. With great strength, Jupiter shoved forward on the man’s upper arms and rammed him into the nearest cottage. There was a hallow thud as the man made contact, yet the thief wasn’t done yet. He nearly picked up the soldier and spun him around until they were both toppling out of the small path and into a large alley.
Here Azrail had been captured, and little did they know, the captain was standing. At the last possible moment Vaudeux recognized the presence of bodies and let his grasp slip from the unfortunate soldier. The crusader stumbled backwards into his own leader and the pair was disrupted from any former actions as they wrestled to try and prevent themselves from falling. For a second Jupiter watched the pair until he noticed the rouge - up against the wall - and shot her a look. With a slick kick from his back leg he retrieved his dagger once more, it spun up into the air and flipped into his palm. Once it was resting in his grip he flashed her his signature grin and nodded. If they were going to rid themselves of their burden they would have to work together. Another man, who had watched Jupiter and his victim stumbled in, was now rounding on the thief. With a sidestep he lowered his hand and slashed upward as the man’s body closed in, a devastating assault.
Azrail - May 27, 2007 05:01 PM (GMT)
Whenever they decided that beating women was wrong, it certainly did not reach this specific group of officers. She figured if they kept going the way they were, she wouldn't be alive by the time they reached jail. This was degrading to her entire being. Never before had she been captured by her persuers, but, that was her punishment for leaving her guard down. After about 10 minutes they had worn themselves out, slowly beginning to shed off their heavy pieces of armor, probably to move their fists faster.
The captain himself was even becoming tired. He had released his grip and stepped back, wiping the beads of sweat from his wrinkled forhead as Azrail collapsed to the ground. Her hands felt around on the ground beneath her, trying to find anything, just something to help move the situation to more of her favor. Both of her daggers still clung to her body, but she could just barely move anything. Her face throbbed with pain, and she could feel bruises started to swell around her eyes and lips. And throughout the entire ordeal she couldn't help but smile, grin mockingly towards the captain as he threw his entire self at her. She did it to push him further and further, to see how long he could take it before giving up. Maybe she was just losing it.
Azrail heard a few yells coming from her left. Something about finding the other one, and for a moment she shrugged the thought away. Then she realized that the other one was that man, that other assassin that shoved her. Her eyes shot open as she struggled to glance around, struggled to move in some sort of way that would help her see what was happening. She pushed her body out from the wall a little to peer out of the alleyway but she really could not move too far. Along with her face they used their force against her upper and middle torso so moving most of her body wasn't a good idea. That and soldiers practically surrounded her. Again, she heard another yell and heard feet echoing against the walls. Her brows furrowed together and she started to groan, actually hoping they didn't catch him. Atleast one of them had to get away for this to be a successful job.
Hearing yells the other soldiers stirred and two approached Azrail, grabbing her arms and pulling her to her feet back against the wall again. She cried out in pain a little as the captain approached, waving the other soldiers away as he placed both hands against each of her shoulders.
"We've got him, just so you know. You and your little friend are going to rott in jail. Maybe if you're a good little girl you can make it out before you both die."
Azrail grinned and spit in his face, chuckling as loud as she could without hurting herself. She glanced out of the corner of her eye and noticed something fast coming towards them, quickly turning her sight back to the captain.
"That won't be happening."
She had prepared herself for what was probably going to happen. A random metallic figure was thrown into the captain, causing him to pull his hands away from Azrail and use them for his own defense. The captain was hurled away by one of his own men and she couldn't help but smile because she knew what had really happened. The man who kept interupting and causing her so much trouble actually saved her, intentional or not. She stared at him for a minute until he gave her a grin, one that she understood without needing any further explanation. Her right hand shot to her hip which unsheathed her Threnody's Spite, grasping the hilt like there was no tomorrow. Her other hand reached to her ankle which held a sheathed hunter's dagger, pulling it out with perfect precision. Although her body ached horribly her adrenaline pushed her, told her that she had to fight her way out alongside her competition. She would have to push aside her deep anger and frustration towards him and fight with him instead of against him. She laughed and lunged forward to the closest soldier, plunging her Spite into his face. Maybe this wouldn't turn out so bad.
"I still don't know your name!"
She yelled at him.
Vaudeux Jupiter - May 27, 2007 08:26 PM (GMT)
The solider in front of him gave a great cry of pain as Vaud’s old dagger slicked through his exposed front like butter. Feeling that the mere attack wouldn’t be effective enough the half-dragon balled his free hand into a fist and swung at his wincing target. In an assembly of clanking and other boisterous rackets the man, as a whole, fell into a pile of armor that had once been stricken from his body out of mere displeasure of the heat. As the pieces of protection flew up into the air below him Jupiter turned on a confident heel allowing the blood to cascade off his blade and into the soil below. The ally had suddenly burst into a flurry of commotion. To his right the leader and his man power were still struggling to retain their balance while another one of the men were falling, subdued after a precise stabbing from the rouge.
For a second he watched her. The features of her face now lit up with his sparkling infravision. They seemed different that earlier, full pout and hung like they were sore. Before that moment it hadn’t occurred to him what would have happened if the guards had caught her instead. By the looks of things it seemed as if she had been beaten. Never would he have dreamt that the man would solidify themselves to harm a woman. Had they even seen the scene from which they had fled? Surely the man wasn’t that of an important figure to do such a brutish act. Before he knew it he started to have a twang of concern for the woman whether he could help it or not. He knew that whatever she was harboring was no better than the men whom tried to harm her. Besides the fact that he himself caused harm it always sent a certain jolt of anger towards others trying to accomplish the same feats for trivial purposes.
The path behind him was open, free from persecution and ripe for the taking. He could bolt and save his own skin then go right back to the lonesome of escaping the law. He watched as the woman retracted her knife from the victim, a certain sort of glimmer and hunger to defeat the foes before them. At that moment he pledged to assist, no matter what the outcome or the circumstances. Flailing in a mad fury, one of the soldiers popped out from behind the rouge in an attempt to barrage her from the rear, yet Jupiter was too quick. As his feet were already in motion after his decision, he plunged forward in a feat of strength - his dagger ending up square in the man’s torso. His motion stopped and the half-breed gathered up a bundle of his uniform only to yank it sideways and off of his blade. As the man flew to the ground, feet away, Vaudeux spun around to find the other assassin inches from his body and in mid-sentence.
Amidst the heat and gaining momentum of the knife-fight, he could breathe. The pair were facing each other, but able to see in all directions. Trying to hide his kind expression, he flashed her brows that said, is this the right time? But gave in while he readjusted his dagger in his hand, the figure of another guard looming up behind the rouge. “If you must know, call me Jupiter,” He breathed in response, as the last few syllabus were exerted stiff as he, once again, thrust his weapon into an approaching figure that was popping in from behind her. At that same instant he could feel the prescense of another figure behind his own. As he removed his own dagger his victim staggered backwards clutching his neck where he had been stabbed, chortling up his own blood.
Azrail - June 11, 2007 05:15 AM (GMT)
This was all moving so fast for her; was this man, this assassin who had reacted so rudely earlier and ran, trying to help her? She became overwhelmed with an odd sensation, one she could not place a finger on perfectly. It was almost as if her true anger towards this man was disintegrating second by second. He practically saved her life as well as her career, what fortunate buyer would hire an assassin that was in prison? She had thought all of this in a matter of mili-seconds, and suddenly before she could think he was turned facing her. It almost seemed like time came to a complete and utter hault, there was a brief moment of serenity that she had never felt before. There was someone, risking their own life as well as their career, just to help her survive the situation. Just to make sure that she would not lose in the heat of the battle. Azrail saw the kindness in his face no matter how hard he tried to hide it and she gave it back 100%. She had become completely oblivious to the fighting and yelling going on around them until he finally released his name; Jupiter.
Azrail snapped back into reality as he lunged towards a being apparantly coming from behind her, launching herself forward at an unnoticing soldier trying to tighten a piece of armor. She could not shake the smile from her face as she drove the tip of her hunter's danger into the back of his neck, cracking through his spine. The dagger pierced so far into the man's throat, she could see the tip of the blade from behind the man. 'Ok, maybe that was a little too harsh.' She cringed as the blade receeded from the man, hearing bones shift and crunch as the tip of the blade withdrew. The man's body paused, the neurons in his brain attempting to turn and fight back. However, with an obviously severed spinal cord, the only thing his body could do was collapse into a lump of mess.
She held the dagger in her hand as her arm gracefully fell to her side, she was able to hear the drip drip of blood seeping from her weapon. She tilted her head to the side a little bit and took a glance around, taking in the scene. Several men were dead, but plenty more were about. She then turned to face Jupiter, carefully watching him take a man's life while making sure no one else was coming near. That moment of peace was disrupted by the sight of one coming up from behind him. Now it was her turn to help him, the only way she could think of at the moment to thank him. The soldier was catching up close to Jupiter, drawing his sword and grasping it with both hands as if to strengthen his anticipated swing. Azrail groaned and jolted forward, placing a hand on Jupiter's shoulder in terms of using him for support. She held the dagger in her free hand and as the soldier proceeded in swinging his sword downwards, Azrail thrust her dagger inwards, piercing through the poorly crafted armor and into the man's abdomen. He fell forward into Azrail as she pulled her weapon out, hearing the clank of metal amongst the rush.
"So, why did you stay?!"
She yelled to Jupiter who was behind her, panting while trying to catch her breath. She let her arms sag as she sort of leaned back against him, getting a little worn out.
"What I mean is...why are you helping me?"
There wasn't many soldiers left to find. Some had ran, some were dead. At the present moment she could not find the Captain. However, they all looked the same to her.
Vaudeux Jupiter - June 12, 2007 12:47 PM (GMT)
Before the unpleasant warmth of foreign blood could spray on his hand, he relinquished his thrust back into his poised position - ready to strike at the nest on-coming danger. Accordingly the very threat he had been foreseeing was swinging in behind him, he could feel the friction in the air, the very whizzing of a soldier’s blade as it ripped through the air. The half-dragon started to turn and face his predicament, but the rouge was too fast for even him to catch a glimpse of his attacker. He first felt the light caress of her palm accompanying his shoulder, then the force exerted beyond her own attack. The whizzing of his assailant’s weapon ceased at once, as he heard a groan he realized that the onslaught had been adverted. To his side Azrail stood and he watched collapse onto the dirt-ridden alley below, out of the corner of his eye. The space around them was now tainted with the air of apprehension, the soldiers now becoming less gutsy with the show of skill the pair were displaying.
Then his eyes caught sight of the shapely rouge and her blood-ridden knife. Little did he realize, before now, that she had saved his hide from critical damage. This set both assassins equations to equal, they were on the same plane; not to mention the slight spring of gratitude he was feeling for the unexpected encounter now thwarted. They were now backed against each other, viewing the scene alternately as if each other were watchful lights in the blind darkness. This let the pair view their surrounding quarry. From what Jupiter could see was a relentless pack of warriors, seemingly lying dormant for weeks, and emancipated for a fight. He had an inkling this might be the highlight of their short lives. Never truly being accepted to an army the bulk of soldiers were stationed to the small, uneventful village of Estolad to wait out the days of petty crime and local disturbances. The men were in luck tonight. Vaudeux wasn’t going to spoil their moment in battle, in fact, he was determined to serve their last moments for purpose.
He felt her lean against his back, his earlier inklings must have been true for she was showing signs of exhaustion. As she began to talk his eyes were kept sharp on a nearby soldier who seemed to be gathering up nerve to perform an attack. His steps were twitching inch-by-inch towards the pair, and Vaud could see his grip tightening around his long sword. "What I mean is...why are you helping me?" Just as she finished her sentence the warrior lunged forward towards Jupiter, as if taking her speech as a proper time to strike; almost like they would be too distracted from talking to fight back. “Well I have questions-” The half-dragon caught the man’s arm in mid swing, each man exchanging looks of concentration while the attacker looked taken-aback at his failed attempt. With his dagger hand Vaud adjusted his grip around it to enable him to grab onto the man’s waist clothes. Then, with a feat of strength and the power from his bending legs, he hoisted the man into the air and towards a group of his quickly approaching comrades. The soldier went flailing through the air and hit the group at an odd angle, the result of the group collapsing with his impetus weight. With the deed done Jupiter was able to continue his reply with a slight hint of breathlessness, “And how do you suppose I find these answers if they get to you first?”
His face split into a sly grin, hidden behind her back. His motives were almost unsure towards his spoken reasonings, but he prided himself on coming up with an answer to the difficult inquiry. At the sound of an approaching figure Jupiter side-stepped along their path, while still trying to keep Azrail behind him to impend said danger. The soldiers were still rustling around on the ground and amongst each other, and still trying to gather up enough nerve. He quickly glanced around back down to his accomplice who seemed to be noticing the same behavior from their opponents, rather she seemed as if she were trying to pick out one of the few for her taking. Almost under his breath he muttered with a slight prompt, “Looking for any one in particular?”
Azrail - June 12, 2007 08:46 PM (GMT)
It would have been nice to just sit down, maybe get a drink and some good food and just relax. Let her wounds heal as they usually did within time and never give any of them a second thought. If Azrail took to heart everytime someone hurt her, mostly men, she would definatly be a broken girl. Buyers never hired assassins who couldn't hold themselves together, therefore she neglected any sort of emotion that related to pain. Actually, she barely felt human a lot of the times because of what she pushed away; love, hurt, happiness. But, for the most part, she was alright with that she had become. The only problem is that the strong wall she had built around herself was starting to slowly rot. She had sworn up and down that she would never work with another, never allow herself to be so naive to her surroundings. But this one single man was carefully destroying that wall little by little, whether he knew or not. And with a frown she had to admit to herself...she was beginning to feel trust for this man.
She snapped back to reality. He had questions too? Her brows knit togther as she turned her head slightly to look at him, noticing a jumble of torsos and arms and legs on the ground not too far from them. She chuckled softly and smiled, shaking her head with disbelief. There had to be more.
"Questions? Why do you have questions?"
That idea made her a little uneasy. Nevertheless, she felt an odd sense of comfort and safeness surrounding them, as if nothing could penetrate the force they had together. He was back behind her again, surveying their situation as well as possible outcomes just as she was. However, a faint, throbbing pain began to surface around her stomach, probably a bruise rising to the skin from her earlier beating. She hunched over a little bit, a free hand grasping her gut. She then crouched down a little, trying not to seem hurt or disrupted. They needed to keep their focus on winning, not on silly injuries.
"I don't understand you very much, Jupiter."
She said with a playful tone, coughing a little afterwards. She raised a hand to wipe her mouth, noticing a thin streak of blood coming from within her lips. Her brows knit together as she quickly glanced above her shoulder, making sure he was paying the most attention to those soldiers who were man enough to try and approach. Using that same hand to cover her mouth as she coughed again, Azrail stood full and stepped out a little bit so that she was more side by side with Jupiter than behind him. Her eyes squinted as she attemtpted to make out which soldier was the Captain, he being her main target. She promised full-heartedly to give back to him what he had given to her earlier. A faint grin danced upon her face as her hand fell to her side, a gentle nod being tossed towards Jupiter in response to his question.
Azrail tightened her original grip around her dagger as her opposite hand once again gripped her Sprite. Suddenly her eyes widened with excitement as well as a slight sense of fear, the Captain was there, standing not too far from her own self. He was casually giving orders to the few men left over then took off, cutting down the alleyway to their side as if a monster were chasing him. She bit her lip gently and laughed, smiling at Jupiter as she took off after him. That was all of an answer he really needed. She outweighed this situation as she was running after him; he was fully clothed in metal armor that most likely weighed about her size, as well as carrying a two handed sword. She was just barely clothed in much, the soldiers helped her out in ripping a lot of the material. She didn't even have time to finish thinking, he was just seconds from her grasp, as she wasn't going to waste that time. Lunging herself forward she wrapped her arms around his neck, practically hanging from his back as she used all of her force to push him forwards. With his awkward weight as well as her force, he went tumbling forward, throwing her from his back only but a few feet. She was back at him though before he could fully react, sitting ontop of his chest with both daggers just grazing the skin of his throat.
"I've never had a man make me bleed before, you know. Never...and anyone who got close, I made sure they never thought of doing it again."
Unfortunately, she had thought the majority of her body was weighing all of him down, as well as the extra pounds added on by his armor. But he didn't say anything back to her, he didn't have to...it was all in his eyes. He wasn't sorry for having caught her, nor having beat her. And he sure as hell wasn't sorry for the small, hand-held knife that was shoved into her side, as well as the tiny streams of blood trickling out. He was just as sorry as she was when she slashed his throat apart two different directions.
[[Wheeww I'm a roll. Twissssst :o ]]
Vaudeux Jupiter - June 13, 2007 01:25 AM (GMT)
((Omg!))
Just as he expected and sensed she was keeping an eye out for her quarry. There were reasoning’s unknown by him as to why she would pick out one of these men in particular to waste her energy on, they all held the same haughty stances in the moonlight, their armor equal, and their movements similarly sloppy. Perhaps the answer was somewhere in the past, when he wasn’t present in the clearing, which would also unveil the new sore features she came to present once he had arrived. The beating. One of those asses… Vaudeux thought as his own pair of brilliantly green orbs flicked through the crowd of silhouettes as if trying to pick out his own prey. He could very well understand her passion for payback, if he were in similar shoes he too would be out for tasting the blood of retribution. Vaud thought of this as he watched his previous attack unfold, the soldiers blunder about amongst each other, knocking shins and bonking heads. He tried to keep his mind concentrated on the present, rather than letting them drift or divulge into her plots that would take him away from his defense.
Near him he could hear her sputter, the aftereffects of her beating were now taking effect. This made him grimace somewhat. As the numbers of the soldiers were dwindling, he still didn’t see the need in fighting all of them single-handed, nor did he long for scars on his face. So he glances down at her to find her at his right, she was almost doubled over in pain. At this point he was not only concerned for himself but for safety. Why doesn’t she just run? This solution would be his preferred, for he wouldn’t have to take responsibility for her if she got injured. Then it would rebuke any chances of their acquaintance reaching new heights, even if he held a subtle twinge of curiosity towards the assassin. His feelings were mutual to her remark, both of them would have trouble understanding the other, perhaps it was the peculiar situation they feel into from the start and the events unfolding afterwards. Though he felt the same, he couldn’t help but be amused by her admitting to her feelings.
Before he knew she was bursting from their small clearing amidst the bodies and pelting over corpses, and darting through a pair of enclosing soldiers. Jupiter stared after her, his expression twisting into one of surprise and of partial anger. Even if he wanted her to escape, he was surprised that she would and without warning at that. Jaw clenched, he watched as she slinked into the shadows with a burst of forced speed and away from the fray. Now that only one remained the lingering warriors eyed Jupiter almost hungrily, like their luck had suddenly increased. For a moment each of the men exchanged looks and initiated a silent agreement, they started to enclose the half-dragon in a close-knit circle. His tanned hand curled into a fist, his emotions now filled with anger with rejection. It was the worst feeling, a feeling that elicited his anger more than any other. The ground below him was solid, feet from his own cleared of any debris, while the others made their approach stepping over their fallen comrades. There was only one thing he could do, fight his way to sovereignty.
There was five in all, each marked with a nimble movement of his body. They were encircling the thief now, giving no room for escape nor linear defense. Quickly Vaudeux prepared his mind for the onslaught, it would be imperative to keep it clear in order to sense the next attack. He stepped off to the side in order to keep track of the man moving in behind him, the other four noted in apprehensive movements towards his center. The air was clear and the only sounds that could be heard was the soft clank of metal from the forthcoming soldiers. A fighter’s distance away the men halted their progress, the pause before a synchronized assault. It would happen all at once, Vaud could perceive the danger. Then one got excited they moved first. Luckily it had been the one he had noted and the half-dragon turned to meet him in mid downwards slash. He gripped the first thing his hands came in contact with, the man’s forearm and wrist, and stopped the slice before maturity. Behind him, his comrades became wise to their unfortunate ally’s movement and jumped in to aid. The weak soldier could do nothing under Vaud’s crushing forearm strength, so the thief closed in and was able to even slip his arm and hook it under the elbow of the man. With his other he twisted the thug’s wrist downward, as well as the blade, leaving no room for error.
His quicky movements, sweeping with momentum, spun the oddly tangled pair around to face the nearest soldier who would have been slashing at Jupiter’s back, but only managed to attack his own associate in his bent-over backside. While the warrior was ending his slash with a horror-stricken expression, Jupiter had adjusted his locking arm up and under the man’s arm so that it gripped below the hilt of the man’s sword within inches from being lacerated by the blade. Then he kicked outwards at doubled-over victim while releasing any grip he held on the man’s body. The solider stumbled backwards into his comrade, whom had attacked him, and both soon feel into the darkness as the other three moved into attack. Yet Jupiter was ready for them. Two came at the half-dragon from either side. The one to his left attempting a side-wards slash, while the other executed the predictable downwards slice. Vaud shot both of his arms up at once, one held the blade that was now pointing to the earth - an opposing grip that would have been blocked by his forearm, but glanced the impending blade off his own piece of metal - he did not need to watch. Instead he watched his other arm, catching the hands and crushing the fingers of the side-swiper. Instantly he enclosed his grip and crushed the pudgy fingers of his attacker, who let out a yelp of pain, thereby relinquishing his grip of his sword which hung harmlessly out of the side of his trodden palms.
Meanwhile the other, having his blow parried, winded up for another attack and stepped in towards the thief. Jupiter had already been in motion, spinning into the attacker on the left, his gripped hands wrapping around both of their bodies. Vaud kept his own sword-hand close to his neck so that, when he spun, the blade poked out above his victim’s coiled arm. Almost in a dancer’s embrace Jupiter then jerked his left hand under his right shoulder, the soldier’s crushed fingers with his blade now pointing straight towards his own comrade, its tip penetrating the man’s neck with a single pull. The receiver backed up at once, eyes in total shock, the life draining from his face at once. The other, horrified at the sight, squealed in pain under Jupiter’s whim. Vaud then relinquished his crushing command over the man’s arm and elbowed the nuisance away from his body, who toppled over out of sight. The remaining male, who had finally managed to dart away from the tumbling figures, was heaving his remaining unscathed comrade to safety.
Sensing the orbs of evil had befallen him he looked up and stood abruptly, his ally stumbling along aside him. This time Jupiter didn’t wait to defend. He leapt over a fallen body below him with a great spin of momentum. His sword hand was swinging over his head, his body spinning threateningly around to bridge the gap between him and the nearest warrior. Now he was facing his target, yet his grasp on his blade had loosened and it kept spinning in his palm. With a trained feel, he seized the hilt of the sword as it completed its spin and wreaked it’s impetus havoc down on the soldier. The only thing the man could do was bring up its free arm in defense, which collapsed at contact and barley blocked the rest of the blade from carving a bloodied design in his head. The final guard was still standing, frozen to his spoke, his weapon trembling in his grip. Vaudeux’s mouth quivered into a grin of confidence as he took a step forward and thrust the borrowed blade forward. It slid into the man’s body almost with breathing ease. At last the final man of the five-some had fallen, met his fate towards the blade beholder Jupiter.
Abandoning the sword in the man’s abdomen, Vaud pelted past the solider and out of the alley, taking the same path that the rouge had taken minutes before. His mind was suddenly lighter, as if taking out the guards had relinquished some of his anger from the previous rejection. He trotted along the cobblestone street, beads of sweat now letting loose down the nape of his neck and the ridge of his brow. The night had been long, one race after the other, and Estolad was in collision. He would hate to have wake up in the morning to find a mass of bodies outside the local market, let alone the corpse of a fallen businessman blocks away. He suspected this was the exact thing the small village needed to wake up its citizens from their peaceful slumber. Now with all their guards gone a wave of fear would soon be spreading over the country bumpkins. Ahead of him he noticed a collection of bodies sprawled on the ground, his retreating jog turned to a slowing cantor as he drew near. Then he noticed her, Azrail, and the unmistakable hilt of a blade protruding from her side. Somewhere in his torso his stomach dropped and he felt an emotion that had since long been forgotten, concern.
His step quickened as he rushed to her side, standing over her. Below the assassin was her quarry, a bulky figure with superior rankings about his veneer. His feelings of denial was thrown out of the equation, she had run not in escape but to catch the one who had harmed her. Payback was sweet, he still couldn’t deny that, but it seemed as if things didn’t go as planned. This brought a swell of uncertainty as he looked down on her, with her daggers still poised at his throat - carved like a roast pig.
“Azrail-?” Jupiter asked his voice oddly choked.
Azrail - June 13, 2007 02:41 AM (GMT)
[[Lol, I love roleplaying with you hahaha. I had to make this interesting! :o ]]
For awhile, Azrail only felt serenity. Almost as if she could sleep forever and never have to worry about harming another soul or getting harmed at that. She was bent over the dead soldier beneath her body, eyes closed and hand grasping the blade that penetrated her insides. She was pulling the weapon out extremely slow, wanting to complete the task with precise movements so she would not tear anything else. She assumed the color in her skin was gradually draining, that perhaps in the morning she would be found dead. Though, she was unsure if that would be considered her fear or desire. And then her thoughts carefully treaded to Jupiter, had he ran and left her behind? She wouldn't have held that against him, he had no written responsibility for Azrail. The thought of him having left pained her though and she cursed herself quietly for allowing her walls to crumble. Why had she trusted him? Why did she allow herself to believe that someone was there for her, to help and protect? Then again, she couldn't blame him. If she were in his shoes, she would have left too. 'Just like him...he was no different. Just like him...'
She had no idea if she had passed out or gave in. Everything had gone black for what seemed the longest time. When she finally opened her eyes, everything was the same just as it was when she was awake. There was still a dead body beneath her, the sky was still dark, there was still no Jupiter.
"Of course not...why would he come back?"
Azrail coughed rather obnoxiously, blood spattering against the captain's fearless face. His expression was a little amusing, it was almost as if he expected her to kill him. Perhaps it was just his fate as this was hers, to die alone just as she lived alone. Ironic, how life worked. Practically every evening she spent hunting down greedy pigs or hungry beggars that looked at a certain someone a certain way. And never did she accept the idea that someone who was dead by her hands would cause her own death. Azrail laughed at the idea, wheezing softly afterwards. This was so pathetic, she only prayed that she was dead before anyone could find her.
Once again she closed her eyes as her hand slipped from the weapon's hilt, giving up on trying to relieve herself of some pain. She found it a bit harsh how the weapon intruded on the same area that was hurting earlier before.
" Bastard...heh.."
She was losing it, her breath was catching thin. She had become a little nausious, it felt like the entire world was spinning beneath her. This was such a quick end to her young life, but what destiny had in store is what was there. Who was she to rearrange her path? All of these thoughts darted back and forth in her mind as did the image of Jupiter and the possibility of his absurd disappearance. That was the most depressing part of her current situation. She was to the point of passing out once more, the steps of an unfamiliar being approaching her from behind was barely noticable. Perhaps a lone soldier, searching for his beloved Captain only to find him dead beneath a dying assassin. Perhaps he would take her from her pain and just end her misery. She could sense the figure standing over her, holding a sword or some sort of weapon, or so she hoped. To be seen like this was an insult to her name. She attempted to raise her head and glance, but movement was denied. Then...his voice. He said her name, but it must have been an illusion. She chuckled and shook her head, sighing painfully.
"Don't try and fool me, stranger. That man from before is long gone, hopefully home. Please do not harm my being unless it be by the blade of your sword."
Unexpectedly, she started to cry. Before now it was the one thing she could control perfectly, but the tears were streaming out as childlike whimpers purred within her throat. Where was this tough, killing assassin who was roaming the streets like a goddess earlier? Azrail's hands stretched forward, grasping on the shoulders of the dead man beneath her. She leaned forward a little, just enough to where her stomach barely touched his armor. She laid the side of her head down against the Captain's chest, little puddles forming from beneath her eyes.
"Tell me before....that he's ..alright?"
She smiled.
[[Rawwwr such drama. ;) ]]
Vaudeux Jupiter - June 13, 2007 08:41 PM (GMT)
There was nothing to fathom at her situation. She was foolish, yet brave to venture to settle the score. Even if things ended up for the worst she had still managed to accomplish what she had set out to do, or so he thought, and vanquish the man underneath her. For a moment he watched her, body weakened and heavy with breath, like any other mortal. The blue moonlight was cascading off an object, throwing a peculiar glint and catching his eye. The hilt of the dagger, protruding from her side, seemed as if someone had tried to pull it from its wound. The metal was spider-webbed with blood while the rest glimmered in the evening light. It was almost a morbid sight, even painful to reflect on such a piercing thorn.
He stepped around the body of the fallen male in order to preview the situation further, his mind not truly decided on his actions. Up the empty street was the road beyond, stretching out into the dark country and to the freedom of the wilderness. The cobblestone street adorned a bonnet of dense fog that hung low over the horizon, giving the innocent path a twisted essence. Despite the skeptical qualities of the path, Vaudeux pondered over it for a moment, almost seeing himself tearing up the lane with nothing but his bloody dagger in his hand. The longing for freedom and safety in the empty street were almost overwhelming, he looked back down to Azrail - wounded - not bothering to turn her attention to him.
Then, astonishingly, it seemed as if she didn’t recognize him at all. Contrarily, she even went as far as to call him a stranger, which he knew they were far from it. His attention turned back to the fallen assassin as she continued her weary speech, somehow her words got lost in his mind. The undertones muted within the miasma of his subconscious. Soon his eyes were wildly bulbous as he stared down to her trembling form, the fiery tentacles of malevolence creeping up on the thief unexpectedly. She is weak… It said, the voice of his conscious recognizable as the Wyrm’s. Leave her, soon the town will arise… It was understandable and clear in his haze, the voice surprisingly soothing. A new layer of perspiration formed at his hair line and, as he pursed his lips in thought, a bead of sweat trickled down and disappeared in his burns.
Then, a snivel - a crack in the provoking silence - rose Jupiter from his calculating daze. The watchful orbs flicked back down to the rouge, an emotion closely resembling hatred unknowingly etched in his expression. Azrail was now weeping. Her last moments of hope and life realized. He concluded that she must have thought he were to kill her then, but her words were still piecing together a puzzle. Then, after a particularly stifled sob, he knew that she did not fear him but the idea that he could possibly be a solider. It was acceptance, a longing for care, and a wish of a failing woman. The humanly emotions flooded into his body like a warm beverage, a welcomed and almost foreign feeling. There was no denying as to the nature of her feelings and he wasn’t going to abort them now. So when she asked her final question he knelt by her side and gazed down at her. With his free hand he reached towards her and brushed the hair from her vision, the tips of his digits barley caressing the soft skin of her face. Once he could see the tears flashing in her eyes he stopped moving his hand, caught and returned her gaze, and spoke; his voice unnaturally soft from his usual liking, but remaining in silk,
“He is alright.”