[center][h1]-Collab Between Pezz570, 13org- [color=6ecff6]Karina[/color] [b][color=c4df9b]Tayla[/color][/b] [color=ed1c24]Akai[/color][/h1][/center] [hr] [hider=View Post] Karina wasn't really expecting someone else to interrupt them at that moment, especially Smit. Much less for that person to suddenly jump in front of Tayla, pushing her aside and out of the way of the ice blades she had sent. There was little time for Karina to react. From the shout Smit gave to the moment he jumped, too little time for Karina to change or even adjust the trajectory of her blades. While she was aiming to just cripple Tayla, she wasn't expecting for that interruption and the moment the ice blade impaled Smit, she knew he was already going to die. Karina watched as Tayla fell to the ground before looking to Smit and shouting in panic. The moment the room began to tremble, Karina knew something was going on. Having lost control over herself, Tayla began warping the surface of the room, with many pillars rising from the walls, shooting at Karina. With that amount of pillars aiming at Karina, she didn't have time to retaliate and could only try to dodge to the best of her ability. Fortunately, due to the frenzied state Tayla was, she was just using her power haphazardly. Soon enough she wouldn't be able to do it anymore. Either that or she would kill herself. With that in mind, Karina only needed to focus all her efforts in dodging and so she did. With light steps almost as if she was dancing she skated through the icy ground, using ice when necessary to change her own trajectory. Even if it was a close call a few times, Karina still managed to dodge without suffering any serious wounds, other than a few small bruises and grazing wounds. Just as she was expecting, soon Tayla began loosing steam and after some time, just as suddenly as she had begun warping the room, she stopped. Slowly, Karina approached the despairing Tayla. While her rapier wasn't directly pointed at Tayla, she was ready to use her ice magic to end Tayla if she tried anything. Fortunately, it didn't seem like she could do anything right now. Not only she seemed exhausted, but she had her attention completely focused on the dying Smit. Karina watched her in silence. Her face was an icy, cold visage. There was no sympathy in her stare, no kindness. For Karina, she only saw a woman that was suffering the weight of her own actions. [color=6ecff6]"I intended to cripple you Tayla. To take away the power you aren't worthy of having... But it seems I don't need to do that anymore..."[/color] Karina said with a serious, cold tone. [color=6ecff6]"You lost something far more important than that. You lost someone who cared so much for you that he was ready to throw his life away to amend for [i]your[/i] mistakes. Despite your selfish and arrogant actions, despite you not caring about anyone, he still cared about you enough to do what he did."[/color] she said. [color=6ecff6]"Know that this, Tayla, are the consequences of your actions. It seems you already know it, but the only one to blame here for what happened is you."[/color] she said, in a harsh tone, her breath visible in the air due to how much ice magic she had used. [color=6ecff6]"I [i]would[/i] normally have already killed you a long time ago... I have given you more chances than I ever gave anyone in my life.... I won't kill you, nor I will cripple you, but I will give you one last warning."[/color] she continued. [color=6ecff6]"Do not show yourself in front of me again until you have learned from your mistakes. Until you have finally understood your duties as someone who holds power, any kind of power and until you have finally learned that if you want the world to care about you... You need to start caring about the world first."[/color] Karina finished as she got ready to leave Tayla and complete her mission. Without taking her eyes away from Tayla, in case she ended up trying to retaliate once again, Karina began making her way to the winch that controlled the portcullis. Tayla stared down at her dead friend. Exhaustion filled her every core. It was near impossible to think. [b][color=c4df9b]”If… if I had taken your offer… what… what would you have done? Would you have just let me walk away and live my life, or would you have tried to take me under your wing?”[/color][/b] Tayla asked weakly. [color=6ecff6]"I do not make choices for others nor I try to impose my choice on others, Tayla. It's neither my job nor something that can be imposed into someone. After all, if I did so, I would be no better than the cult."[/color] Karina replied, turning as Tayla asked with a weak voice about her previous offer. [color=6ecff6]"It doesn't matter if you had chosen to join me in the military or live your own life, I wouldn't interfere. Your choice is yours alone. Besides, a soldier isn't a slave nor is something one can be forced to be. A soldier fights for a cause, he fights for a reason. He is there because he wants to be there, not because he was forced to."[/color] she continued. [color=6ecff6]"As I said before, no matter what happens, one's dignity, one's honor and the ability to make their own choices are things that can never be taken away from them... Or at least shouldn't be. That's why the cult's actions are so abominable in my eyes..."[/color] she said, with a serious tone. [color=6ecff6]"Even now, you still have a choice to make, Tayla. You are undeniably a talented person, someone who could do much good for the people if you were trained and learned to be both emotionally and mentally stronger. That said, I will not force you to do anything. Your life is still yours to live as you see fit. I just ask you to remember the words that I said to you today. Remember everything that happened, so you might never make the same mistake again."[/color] she finished as she looked to Tayla, still with a serious expression. Tayla shook her head. She didn’t know if this girl was just naive or stupid. Fatigue filled every bone of her body. So much so, that her arms began to shake as she struggled to keep herself from collapsing to the ground. [b][color=c4df9b]”You… You have a strange idea of what it means... to be a soldier… If those are the kind of ideals your father stuffed in your head… then…”[/color][/b] Tayla’s words cut off into a bout of coughing. Her arm strength gave out, causing her to collapse beside Smit. [b][color=c4df9b]”...then it’s a wonder that he became general...”[/color][/b] Tayla finished after the coughing subsided. Everything in Tayla’s body burned. She felt weak. Weak and so very thirsty. [b][color=c4df9b][i]Am I to die here?[/i][/color][/b] She wondered. [b][color=c4df9b][i]Despite his sacrifice?[/i][/color][/b] So hard to think. So hard to move… She was weak… just like how she had been back then… [b][color=c4df9b]”He… he locked me up… my father...”[/color][/b] Tayla said weakly, not fully aware that she was speaking aloud. [b][color=c4df9b]”Blamed me for my mother’s death...”[/color][/b] Senses! Her mind felt so cloudy... [b][color=c4df9b]”Gave me that same cold look… beat me till... till I could no longer move...”[/color][/b] Karina heard Tayla's words as she continued to speak, despite her weakened state. Tayla was... unfortunate. In many ways. Hearing how her father treated her only made Karina understand a bit more of how she ended up where she was. Where her twisted view of the world had came from. If that wasn't enough, she somehow ended up in the worst place a misguided, although powerful person could be... Everything, from the way her father raised her to the unfortunate meetings and the terrible circumstances she found herself in only further steered Tayla into the wrong path... Weakly, Tayla nudged her hand until it lay on top of Smit’s. Maybe a long rest would make all the pain go away… [b][color=c4df9b]”Perhaps… I was never meant to know love...”[/color][/b] Tayla said, her voice now barely above a whisper. [b][color=c4df9b]”Maybe… I never... deserved it...”[/color][/b] Tayla let out one final breath. Her vision faded. The world went black. Karina was about to turn away when Tayla said a few last words before going unconscious. Tayla was never able to make a single choice for herself in her entire life. Never knew kindness. Not until Smit died for her. She deserved a second chance. [color=6ecff6]"Don't waste your new life, Tayla. This time, make the correct choices."[/color] Karina said with a heavy sigh as she opened the portcullis before walking back to Tayla, making some snow on her hand and putting it into her mouth so it would melt into drinkable water. After making sure she drank it. The very moment she was thinking on how to take Tayla to a relatively quiet and safe space, which wouldn't be easy due to the fact that Tayla wasn't exactly light, Akai suddenly appeared looking for her with a distressed look, which quickly turned into a confused one, followed by a smug and for some reason, really irritating one the moment she saw Karina. [color=6ecff6]"I don't know why you're looking at me like that but it really pisses me off. Stop it."[/color] Karina said to Akai, sighing. [color=ed1c24]"Hey! I haven't said anything yet!"[/color] Akai replied with a mischievous smirk and a chuckle. [color=ed1c24]"So... It seems like that one was a lot of trouble, wasn't she? Care to explain what happened?"[/color] Akai asked, hovering closer to the unconscious Tayla. [color=ed1c24]"She seems pretty beat up... Still, alive. Unlike the other one there."[/color] Akai concluded after a short investigation. [color=6ecff6]"I'll tell you later. Meanwhile, I need your help dragging her so we can hide her somewhere relatively safe."[/color] Karina said, sighing as she pressed her temples with the tip of her fingers. She couldn't believe she was actually not only letting her go but helping her. That woman was proving to be a lot of trouble for Karina, in many different ways. [color=ed1c24]"Wait... So you're not finishing her off? She is an enemy, isn't she? I am pretty sure she did try to kill you at least a dozen times already from what I've been told."[/color] Akai asked, looking to Karina almost as if she went crazy. [color=6ecff6]"[i]Was[/i] an enemy... She deserves a second chance. I believe she won't throw away after what that guy did to save her."[/color] Karina said as she grabbed Tayla and with Akai's help, began pulling her as they walked. [color=ed1c24]"That's unexpected... So you [i]were[/i] going to kill her."[/color] Akai said, nodding towards the gaping wound in Smit's abdomen. [color=6ecff6]"No. Just cripple her. The guy's interference... changed my plans. It doesn't matter now. Her life is in her own hands from now on."[/color] Karina finished as they began dragging Tayla, as carefully as they could, to hide her somewhere safer, stopping from time to time to put more snow to melt in her mouth. [/hider]