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Darkseeker
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Lyo could have caught the Sorcerer if it weren't for the horrible weather. It was pitch black in the forest, he just barely could make out the outlines of trees. Narrowly missing them as he sprinted past. Mud began to quickly coat the bottom of his cloak. Lyo was quickly gaining on them. His only hope now was that they made a mistake. His heart raced, as they threw another blast of ice at him, but missed. That only made him want to catch them more. Being a crook came in his favor, at this moment. He was fairly used to running away, and for that he was yet to get caught. He was surprisingly fast. Just another hard push and he'd have them. Suddenly, a scream ripped out of the person. In a blink of an eye they were gone. Confusion gripped him, but before he could figure out what had happened, the ground opened up beneath him and then he was free falling. Lyo's body slid fast, when yet another lightning strike flashed, he spotted a tree root sticking out. Reaching out, he was able to grasp it. His body swung violently from the momentum of falling. Dangling, he reached up with his other hand. His hood slid off his head, as he glanced up. Wet black curls stuck to his forehead. Lyo tried to pull himself up, but the tree root snapped under his weight. Falling the rest off the way, he landed a few feet away from the others limp body. Adrenaline still pumped through his blood, as he rolled to his side. Propping himself on his elbow, he spotted the lump of the person's body. Still determined to end them, he dragged his body up. Standing on shaky legs, he wiped the water droplets from his eyes. Unsheathing his sword, he held it limply in his right hand. His body screamed at him, but he'd crash to the ground once the danger was eliminated. The last thing he wanted was the Sorcerer to get up before him and send a killing blast of ice his way. Standing over them, he used his muddy boot to roll them on their back. Planting his boot on their right wrist, he placed the sword on the underside of their chin. In case they still had some fight left in them, he didn't want to get a blast of ice to the face. Their hood still covered the upper half of their face. He could only see from their nose down. From the looks of it they weren't dead, their chest still rose and dropped. The thunderstorm still tore its way through the sky. Every so often lighting up the sky. |
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Darkseeker
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Ethelia didn't move for what could have been seconds or years. Slowly the adrenaline drained from her body, and new aches and pains appeared every thirty seconds or so. The rain still fell mercilessly, lightning and thunder accompanying it. She heard something slide down the side if the ravine, a heavy thud following it. Well at least her pursuer met the same fate. She was lying with her back toward her chaser, but she didn't bother to move when she heard them approaching. She didn't struggle as she was rolled on her back, wincing slightly when a booted foot stepped down on her right wrist. Everything hurt. So much so she couldn't separate one area of pain from the next. It all blended together. Her hood blocked most of her vision, but she could still see slightly. She sucked in a breath when she felt cool metal rest underneath her chin. A flash of lightning illuminated the figure. Their hood had fallen, but the lower half of their face was still covered. The lightning revealed curly black hair soaked to the figures head and familiar amber eyes. She had to be seeing things. Maybe it was a trick of the light or her hood was limiting her vision. There was no way in hell that he was the person chasing her. But as she looked closer, she noticed his build and the way he held himself. Even with their minimal interactions, she knew it was him. Or at least, she thought she knew, but she really, really hoped she was wrong. She was determined to get a better look at him before he ended her, just so she would know who took her life. She lifted her head slightly off the ground, just enough to use her free hand to flip her hood back. She gritted her teeth as she felt her skin split and her blood run down her neck. She gazed at him again, fury a living thing in her eyes as she confirmed it was in fact Lyo poised to end her. |
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Darkseeker
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Lyo's adrenaline was running low. Now only having enough to make the killing blow. Just as he was seconds from pushing the sword through their neck, the individual pulled their hood back. His amber eyes widened a fraction, as he recognized her. How could he ever forget those rage filled emerald eyes paired with her fiery red hair that matched her spirit. Ethelia. He hesitated in disbelief, but reluctantly he pulled the sword away. Dropping it, it clattered to the muddy ground. Backing away a single step, he sat back. Knees bent he hung his head low, while he draped his arms over his knees. He pulled his face covering down, so he could get a full breath. After a moment, he tried to collect himself. Thoughts swarmed in his mind. Like why the hell Ethelia was all the way out here. He knew this was partially his fault, but he wanted to put the full blame on Ethelia. If he hadn't heard her and her horse, he would have never followed the sound. Now, he was sitting gods know how far down in a ravine, potentially injured, trapped with the last person he wanted to see right now. It didn't help that it continued to pour on them, unlikely to stop anytime soon and it was pitch black out. Lyo could barely see his hand in front of him. On the bright side, nothing was broken, or else he couldn't move as freely as he liked. However, his body was still aching in pain. Though he didn't doubt Ethelia was in much more pain, as she took the full force of the entire drop. Seeing as she hadn’t made a single move this entire time. Lyo managed to catch himself and fell from a shorter distance. It still hurt though. "Ethelia." The male was seething. He'd rather rage fuel him than let the aches and pains take over his senses. "I'm going to kill you when we get out of here." His tone was terrifyingly calm, as he threatened an injured Ethelia. If they ever got out, was really the key word. He didn't care if she heard his threat or not, he was mad at the shitty situation they were now stuck in. Coming to his senses, he pushed his body off the ground. His body cried out in pain, he ignored it. Standing over Ethelia's body, he looked her over. Obviously he couldn't see any injuries, but no one took that fall and remained unscathed. If her injuries didn't kill her, the cold would. Snatching his sword off the ground, he slid it back into its sheath. Wordlessly, he lifted her off the cold, wet ground. He knew he should have warned her of what he was about to do, but a sick angry part of him wanted it to hurt her. Caring her limp body bridal style, he began walking down the dark ravine. They needed to find coverage from the rain if they wanted a chance at survival. |
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Darkseeker
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Ethelia didn't break his gaze, even as she felt the pressure of the sword lighten slightly. She tried to hide her surprise when he pulled the sword away, letting it fall to the ground. That hadn't been her intentions at all. But a win is a win. She watched as Lyo sat back, his head hung low. He tugged down his face cover. She made no attempt to move. She wasn't really sure she could, actually. She didn't think anything was broken, but she wasn't really excited to find out. Ethelia saw the cogs turning in Lyo's mind as he stared at the muddy earth. The sky still poured and darkness made it nearly impossible to see the man, even if he was only four feet away from her. She stared at him through heavy eyes as he threatened to kill her. "Be my guest." She seethed, her voice cracking. She wasn't sure why he didn't just kill her when she was completely vulnerable, but she was too tired to ask. She watched as he got up and walked over to her, his amber eyes scanning her. She gave him a confused look, but he leaned down and grabbed his sword, putting it back in the sheath at his side. She didn't object as he lifted her off the ground. She realized then how soaked she really was, the cold fabric giving her goosebumps and her teeth starting to chatter. Her body sparked with pain as Lyo carried her. Her cheek rested against his own soaked clothes, and she gripped the upper sleeve of his shirt, trying to hold herself up so he didn't have to carry her whole weight. She tried to scan the ravine for any potential shelter, but her eyes grew heavier by the minute and shivers accompanied her chattering teeth. She struggled to keep her eyes open the farther they walked, but Lyo's stride only made it more difficult, despite the rain. Finally she was tired of trying to stay awake. It was dark enough that she wasn't going to help find any shelter. If Lyo was going to kill her, he would have done it by now. She stopped fighting sleep and let her eyes close. |
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Darkseeker
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On any other occasion, Lyo would have gladly sunk that sword through her neck. However, seeing as this was indeed the daughter of the King they now have an alliance with, he couldn't do it. Hell, maybe if he managed to bring her back to the palace in one piece the King would award him handsomely. He would only help her out of obligation, not because he wanted to. Lyo couldn't help but replay the moment he almost killed her. Those rage filled eyes glaring up at him. Even at the end of her life she was angry. He'd barely heard the woman over the thunder cracking through the sky. His amber eyes were narrowed, as he scanned their barren surroundings. There was nothing but dirt and stone. He cursed, as he continued down what felt like the miles long ravine. Using the lightning strikes to his advantage, he spotted what looked to be a cave. A part of him was surprised with the fact she was allowing him to help her, let alone carry her. He may not know her very well, but from the few interactions they've had, she was stubborn. She probably still hated him for injuring her dragon. A part of him wondered if the dragon had made a recovery, though he would never ask her. She would most likely curse him out. He picked up his pace, wanting to get them out of the storm. Reaching the cave, he ducked down, to avoid hitting his head on the low stone. It looked like it was just a dead end from what he could tell. Using his elbow he found the wall of the cave. Taking them to the furthest corner, he gently laid her down on the hard ground. He propped her back up on the wall of the cave. Taking the sheath of his sword off he placed it on the ground. Plopping himself down next to her, he pressed his entire left side into her small frame. It was the closest they could get to sharing body warmth, but seeing as they were both soaked there wasn't much he could do. It felt as though he were next to a damned corpse. He knew she was freezing, seeing as she was trembling in his arms when he was carrying her. Realization dawned on him, she hadn't said anything the entire time and he had felt her go limp at some point. Although, she was right next to him he could barely see her. Ripping his gloves off, he reached out blindly into the dark. Finding the back of her head, he cradled her nape with one hand. She was cold to the touch, placing the back of his hand on her upper chest he felt her chest rise. It was shallow, but she was still breathing. Pulling his cold hands away from her, he felt something wet on the hand he had on her nape. It didn't feel like rain. He cursed, she was bleeding. Sitting up he took his cloak off and balled it up. Placing it behind her head, he couldn't tell where she was bleeding from, but he knew he had to apply pressure. Using his free hand, he tried shaking her shoulder to wake her. "Ethelia." He snapped. He didn't trust her sleeping state. |
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Darkseeker
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Ethelia didn't really remember falling asleep, but the next thing she knew someone was saying her name and shaking her shoulder. She woke with a gasp, gazing around quickly. It was dark enough she couldn't see more than a few inches in front of her. From the looks of it, Lyo had found shelter in a cave. The rain still hammered down, but it sounded like it was slowly lessoning. Shivers racked her body and she knew if she could see her hands that her fingernails would be blue. She felt Lyo's damp body pressed against hers. Even if this would normally repulse her, she didn't feel like freezing to death. Even if that was still a likely outcome for the both of them. The feeling of something damp on the back of her neck. She had absolutely no idea what it was or why it was there. Then there was a sharp sting where the object was resting. Something must have cut her on the fall. The wound on her throat still trickled blood, but it was a small cut, nothing serious. She leaned her head against the stone wall, trying to wrap her brain around what had taken place in the last hour. She was trapped in a giant ravine with the one person she hated most. Not to mention with soaked clothes and no supplies whatsoever. Ethelia had two words for Lyo. "Fuck. You." She whispered, the words more like breaths of air. Her right ankle throbbed, but the pain soon became dull as it mixed in with the other aches. Her bright hair was plastered to her face and it felt like every part of her was smeared with mud. Her clothes clung her her and her body still trembled. The rain slowed to a light shower, the sound of the drops bouncing off the stone somewhat soothing. Even though she was still horribly tired, she knew sleep wouldn't come easy tonight. She settled for staring into the dark abyss. |
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Darkseeker
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Everyone knew the first sign of someone's body shutting down, was allowing themselves to fall asleep. That was the time the body was most vulnerable. Lyo's brother branded it the Final Sleep. One had to keep the injured individual awake and alert. Distract their mind, while they were rushed to the nearest healer. Of course, Lyo didn't know the extent of Ethelia's injuries, but seeing her limp on the ground, he could guess it was pretty bad. A part of him was almost frantic to get her to wake up. Lyo dropped his hand as she finally stirred awake. He rolled his eyes, not that she could see him, but that was his reaction to her first words to him since she woke up. "Yeah, fuck you too, Princess." He quietly growled back. He rubbed his hands together before cupping them and blowing hot air into his hands. Desperate for any find of warmth. He thought about stripping off his soaked clothing, but he figured he'd be worse off. "You're not gonna die on me are you?" He questioned, trying to get a feel for just how hurt she was. A part of him was tempted to address his wounds, but he was too cold to even think about it. He knew if he slept he would wake up. His eyelids grew heavy with sleep. Exhaustion ate away at his body. Closing his eyes he leaned his head back on the hard rock. |
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Darkseeker
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Ethelia tried to make her body stay still, but the shivers were relentless. She felt like she was going to be shook out of her skin. She was painfully aware of every gust of wind or even the slightest movement in the air. She was surprised by Lyo's question. She was tempted to make a snarky comment but then it hit her that this man had just saved her life. Even if he was the cause of her near death. "I don't think so." She answered, adjusting her body in a slightly more comfortable position. Or as comfortable as you could be in a cave. Because of the cold, most of the pain was numbed, but she had a feeling it would be a lot worse when she woke up. Another icy gust of wind blew through the cave, causing yet another bout of shivers. Ethelia curled into Lyo's body, trying to absorb as much body heat as she could. A wave of exhaustion rolled over her and she fell into a restless sleep. (The next morning) Ethelia's eyes cracked open as a ray of bright sunshine nearly blinded her. She blinked sleepily, stretching her legs out in front of her. That was a decision she immediately regretted. Pain shot through her legs of all different sorts. She bit down on her lip to keep from cursing. She looked over to Lyo, who was still sleeping. Not only did her body hurt from falling down a huge ravine, now her back and neck hurt tremendously from sleeping on stone. It took a lot of motivation to make herself stand up, but finally she managed to get on her feet. She stumbled slightly and had to brace a hand on the wall to help support herself. She decided to take this opportunity to look herself over. The cut on her throat had already scabbed over and wouldn't be causing any problems, but the cut on the nape of her neck was a different story. It was deeper than some of her other cuts and still trickled some blood. She reached her hand back and blindly searched for it, pulling her hand away when she felt blood. It would take longer to heal but wasn't a life threatening injury. Ethelia's clothes were caked in mud along with most of her exposed skin. Her clothes had been torn in places from the fall, but they were still wearable. They were still slightly damp from the night before. She had thankfully stopped shivering at some point last night, goosebumps still rose on her skin. After looking over herself more she discovered a few more cuts, lots of bruises, and a handful of extremely sore muscles. She managed to work up the courage to take a few steps. She made it two before she braced herself on the wall again, favoring her right ankle. She had forgot about that one. She sat down again and untied her boot, slipping it off gingerly. She pulled up her pant leg and examined her ankle. It was swollen, not as bad as it could have been though. She quickly put her boot back on, getting up and limping out of the cave. The sun warmed the ravine, a stark contrast with last night's weather. The only evidence of the previous thunderstorm was the muddy ground and the countless puddles. The sunlight felt amazing on her skin and she momentarily forgot about her injuries. Ethelia saw a group of boulders near the entrance of the cave and claimed one for herself, gazing around and hoping to find a way out of this. |
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Darkseeker
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Lyo had passed out at some point last night. No doubt from the exhaustion of the night befores events. His eyes fluttered open, eyes adjusting to the new lighting. His brows furrowed, as he was met with bright light that leaked into the cave from the small entrance. At the realization that he didn't feel Ethelia's small frame pressed into his side, he shot up. Grimacing from the pain that shot out through his sore body. Getting to his feet, he grabbed his sword, before going to the cave entrance. Ducking his head down, he shielded his eyes from the bright sun that beamed down on him. Turning to his right, he spotted Ethelia. "Why didn't you wake me up?" His voice husky with sleep. Leaning his sword up on some stone, he stood in front of Ethelia. A glare on his features, as he looked her over. Now that it was light out he could see her much more clearly. In fact, the night before was not some crazy fear dream. The two truly had taken a tumble down into a ravine. He rolled his shoulders, as they ached. He most likely tore some of his stitches. Crossing his arms over his chest, he was slowly waking up more. Questions from the night before coming in hot. "Do you want to tell me what the hell you were doing out here?" His tone was accusing. He'd been wanting to barrel her with questions since the night before, but seeing as they had other things to worry about he held his tongue. (Sorry short, making room for dialogue.) |
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Darkseeker
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Ethelia's head turned toward the entrance of the cave as Lyo stepped out, ducking his head so he didn't hit it. Part of her wished he would have hit his head. That would have immediately brightened her mood. "Because you were sleeping. It's not like we have anywhere to be." She gestured around her. Ethelia had never been a morning person, and it took most of her energy just to drag her ass out of bed each morning. This morning didn't count, she wasn't sleeping in her luxurious bed that she missed dearly. Ethelia glared back at the man before looking away. She absently ran her fingers through her auburn hair and winced as they found a tangle. Her hair probably looked horrendous and she could feel it falling out of her braids. With nothing better to do she took them out and brushed through her hair with her fingers, trying to get the worst of the knots out. Ethelia braced herself for the bombardment of questions that was about to rise as she saw Lyo open his mouth to speak. She kept braiding and answered his question. "Actually, I'd rather not." She spat, her gaze not leaving her hair. He sounded so much like her father, it was uncanny. The same demanding tone. She finished with her hair and looked up at him from her perch on the rock, daring him to ask her more questions. |
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Spring 
Day Weather: 
Flood
