A H e a r t S c a r r e d A n d E m b e r e d
An Original Roleplay By
c o r n e r e d b l i s s x i c m a s t i c c
”The shattering of a heart when being broken is the loudest quiet ever” ~ Carroll Bryant
[IC] A Heart Scarred And Embered
- Post-Apocalyptic
- Modern
- 1x1
- 18+
- GM icmasticc Co-GM corneredbliss
Join Status:
Full
coGM
corneredbliss
Member
Seen
6 mos ago
Some would argue that the end of mankind was always going to be brought about by their own transgressions and the massive responsibility of free will. Others would argue that the end of mankind had always been written in the stars - flesh and bones unfit to survive the simple test of passing time. But the outbreak of war between the angelic and demonic factions on Earth ignited without any interference from mortal beings, leaving desolation and despair in its wake. Humans, innocently caught in celestial crossfire, were left fractured and despondent, scattered across the country with no defenses left. Only through sheer resilience and a desire to survive despite odds heavily stacked against them were they able to rebuild and reconstruct. These districts and communities resulting from a fragmented restoration were merely ghosts of the lives they once knew; but humans persisted, nonetheless.
Even with renewed senses of… not exactly hope, but something akin to it, humanity as a whole was tired and wary. Years of trial and error, accompanied by trickery on behalf of the more intelligent immortals, had taken its toll in the form of body counts. Betrayal was a common prank played by angels and higher-ranking demons alike, and while pupil color would usually be a dead giveaway, sophisticated celestials were still plenty adept at deception and disguise. It was this skill that most rendered them dangerous, and caused much distrust amongst humans who did not have much experience in distinguishing the creatures from their folk. And so it was with this air of extreme caution that the hunters of Resalire spread themselves across the desolate plains of the country, striking down any enemies encountered and rescuing humans that had been snatched by them.
Still, experienced hunters were emotional creatures, after all. Though suspicion became instinct, the opportunity to experience adrenaline for something other than fear was a natural inclination. It would not be considered a fault in the pre-war era, but this would prove to be detrimental in the current condition of their shared reality. Resalire’s principal tracker had been one such example of this error. Anaïs Fenton had been fooled once; she had sworn she would never let it happen again.
As dusk settled upon the neighborhood in which she had arrived with her steed an hour or so ago, the air was warm and still. Only the sounds of chirping of far off birds as they took flight through tree leaves underscored the scene. Abandoned and disintegrating, homes lined both sides of the street, full of memories likely long forgotten. Foliage had begun to win the battle against concrete, and a mixture of greens and browns could be seen peeking out of cracks in the pavement.
The hunter slowly emerged from the doorway of the faded red house in the middle of the street, twirling the handle of a small silver Bowie knife between her fingers in thought. The faint traces of the hell spawn they had followed had led them to this deserted abode; though it seemed they may have become aware of their tracers and moved on from the vicinity. They haven’t been here in at least a few days…
Anaïs resheathed the hunting knife in the leather holster wrapped around her right thigh. On her back hung another sheath, strapped around her torso and hiding a long, sharp, silver blade engraved with an R by its hilt. Standing at a height of 5’9” in her worn boots, Ana, though human, was not an unimpressive specimen. Her muscular figure was hidden behind draped layers of thin dark fabric, which was then covered by a flexible armor-like material that covered her midsection and chest. Bracers were affixed on her forearms, the cracks in the black leather apparent as she raised both hands, fingers splayed, to push her long raven hair behind both shoulders. It fell down almost to her hips, and though it was rare to see it hanging freely like this, it was always a treat for her to feel its comforting weight against her back.
A black shire exhaled through his nostrils, his head lilting up and down slightly as Anaïs approached him at the intersection of the front yard and sidewalk. “Looks like we just missed them, Enzo,” she murmured to the creature under her breath, one hand reaching up to caress the side of his face. The horse lifted his foot and tapped on the ground once, twice, then a third time, signaling his hunger. In response, she moved toward his rear where the saddle bag rested and reached into it, pulling out one last red apple. “Ah, last one, my friend. Make sure you enjoy it,” Ana chided in jest, voice still low, as her eyes flickered back and forth along the street, casually still at the ready.
Even if she couldn’t see where the fallen angel was currently positioned, she knew he would hear her voice carry in the silence of the block. Taking a breath and folding her arms across her chest, Ana leaned against Enzo as he snacked on his apple and spoke in the direction of the house. “So. What do you think? It’s likely been four or five days since anyone’s been here. Means we’re not too far behind…” Her voice trailed off as she glanced down the street, having heard a not so distant rustling from the tree line ahead.
Even with renewed senses of… not exactly hope, but something akin to it, humanity as a whole was tired and wary. Years of trial and error, accompanied by trickery on behalf of the more intelligent immortals, had taken its toll in the form of body counts. Betrayal was a common prank played by angels and higher-ranking demons alike, and while pupil color would usually be a dead giveaway, sophisticated celestials were still plenty adept at deception and disguise. It was this skill that most rendered them dangerous, and caused much distrust amongst humans who did not have much experience in distinguishing the creatures from their folk. And so it was with this air of extreme caution that the hunters of Resalire spread themselves across the desolate plains of the country, striking down any enemies encountered and rescuing humans that had been snatched by them.
Still, experienced hunters were emotional creatures, after all. Though suspicion became instinct, the opportunity to experience adrenaline for something other than fear was a natural inclination. It would not be considered a fault in the pre-war era, but this would prove to be detrimental in the current condition of their shared reality. Resalire’s principal tracker had been one such example of this error. Anaïs Fenton had been fooled once; she had sworn she would never let it happen again.
As dusk settled upon the neighborhood in which she had arrived with her steed an hour or so ago, the air was warm and still. Only the sounds of chirping of far off birds as they took flight through tree leaves underscored the scene. Abandoned and disintegrating, homes lined both sides of the street, full of memories likely long forgotten. Foliage had begun to win the battle against concrete, and a mixture of greens and browns could be seen peeking out of cracks in the pavement.
The hunter slowly emerged from the doorway of the faded red house in the middle of the street, twirling the handle of a small silver Bowie knife between her fingers in thought. The faint traces of the hell spawn they had followed had led them to this deserted abode; though it seemed they may have become aware of their tracers and moved on from the vicinity. They haven’t been here in at least a few days…
Anaïs resheathed the hunting knife in the leather holster wrapped around her right thigh. On her back hung another sheath, strapped around her torso and hiding a long, sharp, silver blade engraved with an R by its hilt. Standing at a height of 5’9” in her worn boots, Ana, though human, was not an unimpressive specimen. Her muscular figure was hidden behind draped layers of thin dark fabric, which was then covered by a flexible armor-like material that covered her midsection and chest. Bracers were affixed on her forearms, the cracks in the black leather apparent as she raised both hands, fingers splayed, to push her long raven hair behind both shoulders. It fell down almost to her hips, and though it was rare to see it hanging freely like this, it was always a treat for her to feel its comforting weight against her back.
A black shire exhaled through his nostrils, his head lilting up and down slightly as Anaïs approached him at the intersection of the front yard and sidewalk. “Looks like we just missed them, Enzo,” she murmured to the creature under her breath, one hand reaching up to caress the side of his face. The horse lifted his foot and tapped on the ground once, twice, then a third time, signaling his hunger. In response, she moved toward his rear where the saddle bag rested and reached into it, pulling out one last red apple. “Ah, last one, my friend. Make sure you enjoy it,” Ana chided in jest, voice still low, as her eyes flickered back and forth along the street, casually still at the ready.
Even if she couldn’t see where the fallen angel was currently positioned, she knew he would hear her voice carry in the silence of the block. Taking a breath and folding her arms across her chest, Ana leaned against Enzo as he snacked on his apple and spoke in the direction of the house. “So. What do you think? It’s likely been four or five days since anyone’s been here. Means we’re not too far behind…” Her voice trailed off as she glanced down the street, having heard a not so distant rustling from the tree line ahead.
GM
icmasticc Abstract Theory
Member
Seen
2 mos ago
Visions assaulted his senses, dancing around his mental sanctum sanctorum. Ash, acrid and pungent, burnt his nostrils as woeful memories took on intangible personifications. Blood, bodies, and cries of slain enemies filled the space of his mind’s eye. Force and willpower kept his eyelids closed; training and perseverance allowed his center to remain intact. Realities of present and past merged in a push pull battle of entanglement for superiority. The memories were long past yet their vices haunted him throughout his present. Nasiru understood his circumstances though even if he didn’t agree with them.
He allowed the memories to consume him in that moment. He watched with particular disdain as events played out before him in void space. Wispy lines flitted and coiled into three dimensional actors playing the parts of all those involved. He watched himself, a collection of translucent lining, dance around the void swinging dual short-swords with technique and precision. He bore witness to lined demons he slew and evaded in tandem. This memory was yet another reminder of his failures disguised as triumphs. An Archangel was supposed to relish in the throes of battle. The windfalls of combat. Yet he despised the translucent lining that mocked his ethereal form. It served only to remind him of how far he’d fallen in the thousands of years that had passed. How far he’d been distanced from the things that were truly important. Hazy and blurred, but just beyond the void space, just beyond the amalgamation of faintly glowing lines, he thought he could see them…
Ru’s eyelids flew open, but his body did not move. He sat against dilapidated, angled shingling of a rooftop. His arm rested on a raised leg while the other gave balance behind him. It wasn’t the ideal positioning for meditation, but he had long since given up formal traditions. Formal traditions had stolen his livelihood and brought about his current circumstances, after all. His wonderment shifted to the haze. Thousands of years passed yet they were still at the forefront. Almost. Just. So close. A darkened hickory arm slowly ascended from its resting place on his leg and extended out towards the waning sun. Long, thin digits gripped at the orb in the sky, but made no purchase. Ru exhaled and pushed himself to standing. Yellow pupils stared directly at the setting sun and took in its imagery. He thought for a moment he could see them again, but their forms had completely disappeared.
Lemon irises shifted from the sky to the layout before and below them. Rotting, abandoned homes lined the broken asphalt like husks who had lost their spirits long ago. Flora curled and claimed halves of the old buildings, cracks and crevasses in the road, and created a tree line on either side behind the houses as if someone from the old times had built a neighborhood running straight through the middle of a forest. There were trees taller than the houses just to their rear and they stood like watchful guards of the new era. Ru took it all in before exhaling again. The visions, the memories, and the haze didn’t matter all that much. Not in the face of his current circumstances. He took steps towards the edge of the roof until he walked into the air and dropped straight down to the ground, landing right in front of the door of the home he had been perched atop of. He saw Ana in the distance with Enzo. He smiled. Enzo was a beautiful horse and had he remained mortal, he would have found himself slightly jealous of his owner.
Ru began a slow stride towards the pair. They had agreed to search the neighborhood upon their arrival and, even though he’d taken a break to meditate, he had done his part. There was nothing to be found here, not in the way of supplies or anything indicating where the demon hellspawn decided to go upon leaving. That was a disappointment, but only the latest in a very long line of them. Ru had been searching an entirely different corner of the Earth for millennia and had found nothing to say his task had been worth it. It was only upon meeting Anaïs and Enzo that he had begun to finally make any sort of progress at all. Warrior he was, but tracker he was not. As Ru neared the pair, Ana’s voice echoed into the still air.
“So. What do you think? It’s likely been four or five days since anyone’s been here. Means we’re not too far behind…” she said.
Ru approached the shire and its owner and sighed heavily. He looked back and forth between searched houses and then back to Ana. She was taller than average at 5’9 for a mortal, but Ru stood heads and shoulders above at 6’6. His eyes met hers. “I share your assessment,” he said in deep baritone. “Five days have certainly passed since our quarry settled here. And I know not where they intend to run to.” He tried to temper the inflection in his voice, but he couldn’t quite his frustration. He never thought this would be the area where he would find the object of all of his ire, but he did think this would be where they would be able to make a significant advancement in their search. His frustration only lasted a few minutes.
It was faint, but the sound was distinct. Ru noticed Ana’s acknowledgement and nodded to her when she turned back to face him. “Five days have passed… But we may have good fortune yet,” Ru said, a smile creeping across his face. His hands instinctively reached behind himself near the small of his back at the waist. His dual short-swords rested in their curved sheaths, sleeping giants in miniature form waiting to be awoken for their next meal. Ru slowly unsheathed each and brandished them at his sides, briefly creating an x-formation as he did so. The blades bore a matching shape to their sheathes, silver metal etched in crimson runes from bottom to top. Each hilt was ornate and bore a panther’s roaring head on the butts of them.
At that moment, the figures rushed from the tree lines on both sides of the neighborhood. They resembled humans but their complexions were reddish hued, single or dual horns sprouting from their foreheads, and claws replacing nails on their hands. They moved quickly and each wore the remnants of what looked to be some sort of body armor, similar to what Ana wore though Ana’s was in much better condition. None of them had weapons which suggested they were the mindless variety. The very bottom of the barrel in terms of demon hierarchy. That was a disappointment. Another in a long line of them. It meant they would be getting no information from these types as they did little else but roar and scream. But it gave Ru one point of singular hope. As he rushed past Ana and towards the fast approaching group, he thought on this point in the void space of his mental sanctum sanctorum.
At least he could take out his frustrations in the proper manner.
He slid to a halt in the middle of the broken road. As part of the group rushed past him heading towards Ana and Enzo and another part stopped to snarl at him, challenging him to take them on, a final figure emerged from the tree lines and sauntered over to the group that had now surrounded Ru. The way he moved, the way his body language displayed, there was no mistaking it. This was a superior demon. One step above the mindless, but one who was intelligent enough to speak like a human and understand logic and reason. They weren’t the top of the food chain so he was undoubtedly not the one both Ana and Ru searched for, but fortunes had turned in their favor. He would be the one to show them the path forward.
Ru gripped the hilts of his dual blades and bent at the knees. Brought his center of gravity lower and spread his feet shoulder width apart. The basic tenets of combat as taught to him by the angels.
“Do you heed me, demon? You will tell me of the one called J’zir,” Ru said menacingly.
The superior demon broke out into a wide, toothy grin and almost laughed. “Come. Come and find out,” it answered.
He allowed the memories to consume him in that moment. He watched with particular disdain as events played out before him in void space. Wispy lines flitted and coiled into three dimensional actors playing the parts of all those involved. He watched himself, a collection of translucent lining, dance around the void swinging dual short-swords with technique and precision. He bore witness to lined demons he slew and evaded in tandem. This memory was yet another reminder of his failures disguised as triumphs. An Archangel was supposed to relish in the throes of battle. The windfalls of combat. Yet he despised the translucent lining that mocked his ethereal form. It served only to remind him of how far he’d fallen in the thousands of years that had passed. How far he’d been distanced from the things that were truly important. Hazy and blurred, but just beyond the void space, just beyond the amalgamation of faintly glowing lines, he thought he could see them…
Ru’s eyelids flew open, but his body did not move. He sat against dilapidated, angled shingling of a rooftop. His arm rested on a raised leg while the other gave balance behind him. It wasn’t the ideal positioning for meditation, but he had long since given up formal traditions. Formal traditions had stolen his livelihood and brought about his current circumstances, after all. His wonderment shifted to the haze. Thousands of years passed yet they were still at the forefront. Almost. Just. So close. A darkened hickory arm slowly ascended from its resting place on his leg and extended out towards the waning sun. Long, thin digits gripped at the orb in the sky, but made no purchase. Ru exhaled and pushed himself to standing. Yellow pupils stared directly at the setting sun and took in its imagery. He thought for a moment he could see them again, but their forms had completely disappeared.
Lemon irises shifted from the sky to the layout before and below them. Rotting, abandoned homes lined the broken asphalt like husks who had lost their spirits long ago. Flora curled and claimed halves of the old buildings, cracks and crevasses in the road, and created a tree line on either side behind the houses as if someone from the old times had built a neighborhood running straight through the middle of a forest. There were trees taller than the houses just to their rear and they stood like watchful guards of the new era. Ru took it all in before exhaling again. The visions, the memories, and the haze didn’t matter all that much. Not in the face of his current circumstances. He took steps towards the edge of the roof until he walked into the air and dropped straight down to the ground, landing right in front of the door of the home he had been perched atop of. He saw Ana in the distance with Enzo. He smiled. Enzo was a beautiful horse and had he remained mortal, he would have found himself slightly jealous of his owner.
Ru began a slow stride towards the pair. They had agreed to search the neighborhood upon their arrival and, even though he’d taken a break to meditate, he had done his part. There was nothing to be found here, not in the way of supplies or anything indicating where the demon hellspawn decided to go upon leaving. That was a disappointment, but only the latest in a very long line of them. Ru had been searching an entirely different corner of the Earth for millennia and had found nothing to say his task had been worth it. It was only upon meeting Anaïs and Enzo that he had begun to finally make any sort of progress at all. Warrior he was, but tracker he was not. As Ru neared the pair, Ana’s voice echoed into the still air.
“So. What do you think? It’s likely been four or five days since anyone’s been here. Means we’re not too far behind…” she said.
Ru approached the shire and its owner and sighed heavily. He looked back and forth between searched houses and then back to Ana. She was taller than average at 5’9 for a mortal, but Ru stood heads and shoulders above at 6’6. His eyes met hers. “I share your assessment,” he said in deep baritone. “Five days have certainly passed since our quarry settled here. And I know not where they intend to run to.” He tried to temper the inflection in his voice, but he couldn’t quite his frustration. He never thought this would be the area where he would find the object of all of his ire, but he did think this would be where they would be able to make a significant advancement in their search. His frustration only lasted a few minutes.
It was faint, but the sound was distinct. Ru noticed Ana’s acknowledgement and nodded to her when she turned back to face him. “Five days have passed… But we may have good fortune yet,” Ru said, a smile creeping across his face. His hands instinctively reached behind himself near the small of his back at the waist. His dual short-swords rested in their curved sheaths, sleeping giants in miniature form waiting to be awoken for their next meal. Ru slowly unsheathed each and brandished them at his sides, briefly creating an x-formation as he did so. The blades bore a matching shape to their sheathes, silver metal etched in crimson runes from bottom to top. Each hilt was ornate and bore a panther’s roaring head on the butts of them.
At that moment, the figures rushed from the tree lines on both sides of the neighborhood. They resembled humans but their complexions were reddish hued, single or dual horns sprouting from their foreheads, and claws replacing nails on their hands. They moved quickly and each wore the remnants of what looked to be some sort of body armor, similar to what Ana wore though Ana’s was in much better condition. None of them had weapons which suggested they were the mindless variety. The very bottom of the barrel in terms of demon hierarchy. That was a disappointment. Another in a long line of them. It meant they would be getting no information from these types as they did little else but roar and scream. But it gave Ru one point of singular hope. As he rushed past Ana and towards the fast approaching group, he thought on this point in the void space of his mental sanctum sanctorum.
At least he could take out his frustrations in the proper manner.
He slid to a halt in the middle of the broken road. As part of the group rushed past him heading towards Ana and Enzo and another part stopped to snarl at him, challenging him to take them on, a final figure emerged from the tree lines and sauntered over to the group that had now surrounded Ru. The way he moved, the way his body language displayed, there was no mistaking it. This was a superior demon. One step above the mindless, but one who was intelligent enough to speak like a human and understand logic and reason. They weren’t the top of the food chain so he was undoubtedly not the one both Ana and Ru searched for, but fortunes had turned in their favor. He would be the one to show them the path forward.
Ru gripped the hilts of his dual blades and bent at the knees. Brought his center of gravity lower and spread his feet shoulder width apart. The basic tenets of combat as taught to him by the angels.
“Do you heed me, demon? You will tell me of the one called J’zir,” Ru said menacingly.
The superior demon broke out into a wide, toothy grin and almost laughed. “Come. Come and find out,” it answered.
coGM
corneredbliss
Member
Seen
6 mos ago
As Ana watched the smile creep across Nasiru’s face, she could feel the shire become restless beside her. It seemed that Enzo too could sense the oncoming horde, perhaps had smelled the fiends as they approached in the cover of the tree line. Without another word, the hunter gave her horse two quick smacks on his side with the flat of her hand, and he took off like a bullet, away from the impending skirmish. While a beast in his own right, Anaïs was not willing to gamble his life away over a missed slice of her blade or the trained swipe of a demon claw. Enzo would remain in the vicinity but would only come back when called, and knew to only join the fight if his mistress was in visible distress; fortunately a very improbable scenario now that they had the prowess of a fallen angel on their side.
Anaïs watched as her unlikely partner unsheathed and brandished those impressive blades, which were once drawn in defense against her not too long ago. True to her training, and properly skeptical of all beings holy and unholy, Ana had launched an assault on him upon their first meeting. Ru had found her at the end of a bloodied trail of bodies, low-level scum that had given her only a modicum of information on her true target. It was only after discovering their shared goal and common enemy did she relent, albeit begrudgingly.
But now was not the time to doubt the immortal’s allegiance. In a matter of seconds, the peace that had blanketed the seemingly deserted neighborhood was shattered as a mob of figures finally burst forth from the cover of trees. Ru had launched into action even before she could count the lot, dashing past her into the middle of the block. Even from this distance, Ana could see that they were lowly, dumb brutes. A bit of a disappointment in terms of their search, perhaps, but easy enough to be rid of.
In a swift, fluid motion, Anaïs reached back with both hands and gathered her long locks into a single rope, using the black piece of elasticated fabric that lived on her wrist to band it together at the top of her head. The hair had barely fallen from her hands before a familiar, and strangely delicious, tension gripped her body. Precise and practiced, she reached behind her to slide the Resalire forged blade from its sheath. It slithered from its hiding place easily, as if eager to come out and play. Indeed, it had been quite a few days since the steel had last seen action. Ana took comfort in its familiar weight as she swung it up and gripped its leather bound hilt with both hands. She held it at the ready as three of the demons darted past Ru to surround her, gnashing their teeth and taunting her with their ugly little yellow eyes.
With knees softly bent and focused gaze snapping in rotation between the bodies before her, Anaïs took slow, measured steps sideways, making sure to keep her back toward the house they had just searched - which she knew to be empty of demons. Additionally, she wanted to keep Ru in her sight line, even though she knew he would be able to care for himself. These were just inferior scum, after all. This will be over in no time. And of course, just as Ana thought this to herself, she saw yet another figure emerging from the trees.
Ah… So here was their leader. Anaïs listened as Ru called out to the newcomer. She understood without exchanging words that this was to be their potential informant. Fine. At least they would not leave here empty-handed. They would need to rid themselves of the small fries first, however. Ana would have ordinarily waited for them to attack first, but the smugness in the demon’s voice as it spoke absolutely disgusted her. Though it wasn’t J’zir at all, it felt entirely like a personal assault on her lack of progress in finding the damned demon, and instantly ignited the flame of her fury.
Without waiting for a signal, Ana let out a loud, shrill cry as she heaved her blade up over her head and charged for the figure on her right. With the might of all the hunters who had trained her coursing through her body, she brought the sword down hard and sank it into the flesh of its exposed neck, grunting wildly as she pulled it clean through. Blood spurted from the exposed stump as the fiend’s head dropped onto the concrete, still wide-eyed and snarling. Anaïs, now breathing heavily with the effort and adrenaline, turned her attention to the next two victims of her steel. Her eyes were fierce and hungry, bordering on feral, as she reset her stance and braced herself for their retaliation.
Anaïs watched as her unlikely partner unsheathed and brandished those impressive blades, which were once drawn in defense against her not too long ago. True to her training, and properly skeptical of all beings holy and unholy, Ana had launched an assault on him upon their first meeting. Ru had found her at the end of a bloodied trail of bodies, low-level scum that had given her only a modicum of information on her true target. It was only after discovering their shared goal and common enemy did she relent, albeit begrudgingly.
But now was not the time to doubt the immortal’s allegiance. In a matter of seconds, the peace that had blanketed the seemingly deserted neighborhood was shattered as a mob of figures finally burst forth from the cover of trees. Ru had launched into action even before she could count the lot, dashing past her into the middle of the block. Even from this distance, Ana could see that they were lowly, dumb brutes. A bit of a disappointment in terms of their search, perhaps, but easy enough to be rid of.
In a swift, fluid motion, Anaïs reached back with both hands and gathered her long locks into a single rope, using the black piece of elasticated fabric that lived on her wrist to band it together at the top of her head. The hair had barely fallen from her hands before a familiar, and strangely delicious, tension gripped her body. Precise and practiced, she reached behind her to slide the Resalire forged blade from its sheath. It slithered from its hiding place easily, as if eager to come out and play. Indeed, it had been quite a few days since the steel had last seen action. Ana took comfort in its familiar weight as she swung it up and gripped its leather bound hilt with both hands. She held it at the ready as three of the demons darted past Ru to surround her, gnashing their teeth and taunting her with their ugly little yellow eyes.
With knees softly bent and focused gaze snapping in rotation between the bodies before her, Anaïs took slow, measured steps sideways, making sure to keep her back toward the house they had just searched - which she knew to be empty of demons. Additionally, she wanted to keep Ru in her sight line, even though she knew he would be able to care for himself. These were just inferior scum, after all. This will be over in no time. And of course, just as Ana thought this to herself, she saw yet another figure emerging from the trees.
Ah… So here was their leader. Anaïs listened as Ru called out to the newcomer. She understood without exchanging words that this was to be their potential informant. Fine. At least they would not leave here empty-handed. They would need to rid themselves of the small fries first, however. Ana would have ordinarily waited for them to attack first, but the smugness in the demon’s voice as it spoke absolutely disgusted her. Though it wasn’t J’zir at all, it felt entirely like a personal assault on her lack of progress in finding the damned demon, and instantly ignited the flame of her fury.
Without waiting for a signal, Ana let out a loud, shrill cry as she heaved her blade up over her head and charged for the figure on her right. With the might of all the hunters who had trained her coursing through her body, she brought the sword down hard and sank it into the flesh of its exposed neck, grunting wildly as she pulled it clean through. Blood spurted from the exposed stump as the fiend’s head dropped onto the concrete, still wide-eyed and snarling. Anaïs, now breathing heavily with the effort and adrenaline, turned her attention to the next two victims of her steel. Her eyes were fierce and hungry, bordering on feral, as she reset her stance and braced herself for their retaliation.
GM
icmasticc Abstract Theory
Member
Seen
2 mos ago
That shrill cry. Ru remembered the day as if he was reliving it all over again. He had spent a millennia tracking the archdemon only known as J’zir on his own and finding nothing to prove his various journeys worthy of their undertaking. His search had finally brought him to the broken landmass that was once the United States and it was in a neighborhood similar to the one he now stood in that he met Anaïs. A bloody trail had led the fallen angel towards an alcove on the outskirts of the abandoned encampment. The bodies of various low-level demons littered the bloodstained earth like sprinkles on an ice cream cone, their faces frozen in their last moments of agony or terror or realization that this was indeed the end. Some had even gone down snarling. But they were all disposed of properly and the cuts had been expertly placed. When the trail had finally led to Ana, Ru was met with the same aggression she’d shown the demons.
They had their brief duel. Ru taking up the defensive in order to assess his would-be enemy and Ana on the offense stringing together impressively precise slashes combined with pirouettes and whirling motions. She was an expert indeed, she’d moved like a ballerina across the grassy field and only committed to strikes when they were appropriate and had the best chance of landing on their target. It was only because Ru himself was not a low-level demon that he had been able to survive the onslaught. He’d concluded she had been trained well and even amongst humans deserved some level of respect. But it was her mentioning of J’zir that had taken hold of his mind and paused him in place. He’d had to block her final strike outright before inquiring about her knowledge of the archdemon and his whereabouts.
Ru came back to reality, facing the snide superior demon. He inhaled and exhaled sharply, watching the steps the superior demon took backwards as his low-levels closed the circle to completely surround the fallen angel. He wasn’t going anywhere. He was too arrogant to run away and that arrogance allowed him to sit back and watch his underlings attempt to handle the work he should have been doing himself. It made no difference to Ru. He was frustrated at the lack of progress in the hunt and this was exactly what he needed at exactly the right moment. The grin returned to his face as his yellow eyes lit up with excitement.
That shrill cry.
Ana was already at it not too far from him and it was that hunter’s bellow that spurred Ru into action. Instead of waiting for the demons to come to him he rushed straight towards the front and the two that awaited him there. They snarled and growled and lunged at him as soon as he was close. Ru ducked under a swipe and pulled one blade underhanded in a ferocious straight line that cut straight into the demon’s abdomen and unleashed its intestines, tubes and guts spilling out in a waterfall of blood. Without stopping, he immediately used the other blade, holding it properly and one-handed, to meet the second demon’s swipe and sliced through its arm cleanly before bringing the blade back around, palm gripping the hilt facing the sky, and cutting through its sinewy neck. Its head fell to the asphalt and rolled away while its body fell to its knees first and then flopped over lifeless.
There was a pause.
The smile on the superior demon’s face had been wiped away completely. He looked around at the underlings left and gave a non-verbal command to assault the fallen angel all at once with a nod of his head. Mindless, the demons did as instructed and each rushed towards Ru from around the now broken circle. Ru exhaled and went to work. He evaded claw swipes, cut, and slashed in equal measures moving across the cracked street as if he were now the ballerina. It was a macabre dance where limbs were severed, heads rolled, and blood spurted towards the darkened sky above. In his mind, all Ru could was his translucent self slicing and dancing away in the countless wars he’d fought with his angelic brethren. It was the same right now. It was always the same. Things never changed. At the end of the day, it always seemed to come down to his blades and how much they could eat before the battle was over again for a brief period.
As soon as Ru stopped whirling around and the final demonic body dropped to the ground, his eyes immediately locked onto the superior demon who seemed like he intended on slinking away. Ru raised one of his blades and pointed it at the demon, narrowing yellow irises. “You will tell me of J’zir, filth,” Ru said. Suddenly, the atmosphere changed. A breeze blew through Ru’s locs gently swaying them back. The demon produced a smile at the menace of Ru’s pointed short-sword.
“You seem familiar to me. You and your partner. Funny, that. But of course I won’t be telling you anything you see. Not when you’re both about to die,” the superior demon said.
Ru raised an eyebrow. Superior demons were intelligent, but their strength levels varied. One couldn’t properly assess their strength by simply looking at them as they had the ability to hide their auras. This one had been masking the entirety of the battle both Ana and Ru fought. Now that he’d released it, Ru could feel his intent. It was murderous and it was strong. Stronger than he’d anticipated. He hadn’t expected as easy of a fight as the low-levels, but he also hadn’t expected to be facing a demon nearing archdemon levels of strength. That was a surprise.
A welcome one.
Ru grinned again, slowly dropping his blade back to his side. The superior demon, at the same time, brandished two hatchets and unbuttoned the blazer he wore. He was dressed in the remnants of a charcoal suit, but it was tattered revealing peeks and glimpses of muscular tone throughout the demon’s human appearing body. The hatchets seemed to have come from the inner jacket pockets of the suit. Hatchets were an interesting choice, but it meant something. Something Ru confirmed as he bent his knees and brought both blades up into an X formation to block the speed blitzing strike of the superior demon. It had closed the distance in only a second. It was fast. Extremely fast. It couldn’t be that fast wielding anything larger.
Ru growled and pushed the demon back before jumping back several times and stopping right near Ana who had dispatched the rest of her quarry. Without turning to face her, he spoke.
“His intellect is superior, but he feels closer to an archdemon… This may prove challenging.”
Just as he said that, the superior demon rushed forward once more. Ru dashed to meet him in order to give Ana time to conclude her own assessments. Ru clashed in the middle of the street, slain bodies scattered around, with the superior demon and was immediately put on the defensive. This demon was fast. As he hacked away at Ru, the fallen angel could only block his strikes with both blades. The duo danced around the street swinging towards one another, evading, and clashing as if they were the only two creatures in this neighborhood. Ru kept the pace of the fight manageable and made sure to keep the demon away from Ana’s vicinity in order to give her time. He knew they would need a two-pronged offensive if they had any hope of defeating him, but he couldn’t let the woman get speed blitzed in the meantime.
The opportunity and opening would come. Ru knew Ana would recognize it when it did so he kept slashing away, blade meeting hatchet, hatchet meeting blade. His body could handle this level of exertion and he was confident Ana would join in when the opportune moment arose.
They had their brief duel. Ru taking up the defensive in order to assess his would-be enemy and Ana on the offense stringing together impressively precise slashes combined with pirouettes and whirling motions. She was an expert indeed, she’d moved like a ballerina across the grassy field and only committed to strikes when they were appropriate and had the best chance of landing on their target. It was only because Ru himself was not a low-level demon that he had been able to survive the onslaught. He’d concluded she had been trained well and even amongst humans deserved some level of respect. But it was her mentioning of J’zir that had taken hold of his mind and paused him in place. He’d had to block her final strike outright before inquiring about her knowledge of the archdemon and his whereabouts.
Ru came back to reality, facing the snide superior demon. He inhaled and exhaled sharply, watching the steps the superior demon took backwards as his low-levels closed the circle to completely surround the fallen angel. He wasn’t going anywhere. He was too arrogant to run away and that arrogance allowed him to sit back and watch his underlings attempt to handle the work he should have been doing himself. It made no difference to Ru. He was frustrated at the lack of progress in the hunt and this was exactly what he needed at exactly the right moment. The grin returned to his face as his yellow eyes lit up with excitement.
That shrill cry.
Ana was already at it not too far from him and it was that hunter’s bellow that spurred Ru into action. Instead of waiting for the demons to come to him he rushed straight towards the front and the two that awaited him there. They snarled and growled and lunged at him as soon as he was close. Ru ducked under a swipe and pulled one blade underhanded in a ferocious straight line that cut straight into the demon’s abdomen and unleashed its intestines, tubes and guts spilling out in a waterfall of blood. Without stopping, he immediately used the other blade, holding it properly and one-handed, to meet the second demon’s swipe and sliced through its arm cleanly before bringing the blade back around, palm gripping the hilt facing the sky, and cutting through its sinewy neck. Its head fell to the asphalt and rolled away while its body fell to its knees first and then flopped over lifeless.
There was a pause.
The smile on the superior demon’s face had been wiped away completely. He looked around at the underlings left and gave a non-verbal command to assault the fallen angel all at once with a nod of his head. Mindless, the demons did as instructed and each rushed towards Ru from around the now broken circle. Ru exhaled and went to work. He evaded claw swipes, cut, and slashed in equal measures moving across the cracked street as if he were now the ballerina. It was a macabre dance where limbs were severed, heads rolled, and blood spurted towards the darkened sky above. In his mind, all Ru could was his translucent self slicing and dancing away in the countless wars he’d fought with his angelic brethren. It was the same right now. It was always the same. Things never changed. At the end of the day, it always seemed to come down to his blades and how much they could eat before the battle was over again for a brief period.
As soon as Ru stopped whirling around and the final demonic body dropped to the ground, his eyes immediately locked onto the superior demon who seemed like he intended on slinking away. Ru raised one of his blades and pointed it at the demon, narrowing yellow irises. “You will tell me of J’zir, filth,” Ru said. Suddenly, the atmosphere changed. A breeze blew through Ru’s locs gently swaying them back. The demon produced a smile at the menace of Ru’s pointed short-sword.
“You seem familiar to me. You and your partner. Funny, that. But of course I won’t be telling you anything you see. Not when you’re both about to die,” the superior demon said.
Ru raised an eyebrow. Superior demons were intelligent, but their strength levels varied. One couldn’t properly assess their strength by simply looking at them as they had the ability to hide their auras. This one had been masking the entirety of the battle both Ana and Ru fought. Now that he’d released it, Ru could feel his intent. It was murderous and it was strong. Stronger than he’d anticipated. He hadn’t expected as easy of a fight as the low-levels, but he also hadn’t expected to be facing a demon nearing archdemon levels of strength. That was a surprise.
A welcome one.
Ru grinned again, slowly dropping his blade back to his side. The superior demon, at the same time, brandished two hatchets and unbuttoned the blazer he wore. He was dressed in the remnants of a charcoal suit, but it was tattered revealing peeks and glimpses of muscular tone throughout the demon’s human appearing body. The hatchets seemed to have come from the inner jacket pockets of the suit. Hatchets were an interesting choice, but it meant something. Something Ru confirmed as he bent his knees and brought both blades up into an X formation to block the speed blitzing strike of the superior demon. It had closed the distance in only a second. It was fast. Extremely fast. It couldn’t be that fast wielding anything larger.
Ru growled and pushed the demon back before jumping back several times and stopping right near Ana who had dispatched the rest of her quarry. Without turning to face her, he spoke.
“His intellect is superior, but he feels closer to an archdemon… This may prove challenging.”
Just as he said that, the superior demon rushed forward once more. Ru dashed to meet him in order to give Ana time to conclude her own assessments. Ru clashed in the middle of the street, slain bodies scattered around, with the superior demon and was immediately put on the defensive. This demon was fast. As he hacked away at Ru, the fallen angel could only block his strikes with both blades. The duo danced around the street swinging towards one another, evading, and clashing as if they were the only two creatures in this neighborhood. Ru kept the pace of the fight manageable and made sure to keep the demon away from Ana’s vicinity in order to give her time. He knew they would need a two-pronged offensive if they had any hope of defeating him, but he couldn’t let the woman get speed blitzed in the meantime.
The opportunity and opening would come. Ru knew Ana would recognize it when it did so he kept slashing away, blade meeting hatchet, hatchet meeting blade. His body could handle this level of exertion and he was confident Ana would join in when the opportune moment arose.
coGM
corneredbliss
Member
Seen
6 mos ago
The hunter knew that her cry would have its desired effect. Though she did not turn her attention toward him, too preoccupied with the flurry of action immediately before her, she knew Ru was handling his smaller adversaries with an ease and grace that she - very secretly - admired. In truth, it was rare for Ana to have the opportunity to properly study the techniques of any opponent as combat always happened too quickly for any research to be done. One interaction with any demon or angel was never enough to fully extract their secrets, and corpses surely never gave any away. But traveling with Ru has allowed her to observe him and his proficiency as a warrior, and though she would never admit it to his face, Anaïs was deeply impressed.
As the angel undoubtedly was with her. He had not hesitated to appraise her in his own way, despite the constant reminders that she was but a human. The Resalire was no longer the secret society they once were in this hemisphere, and Ana took immense pride in the surprise her capabilities often brought upon her enemies. To be underestimated was an inevitability in this line of work, and the woman felt a specific pleasure as she slashed through expectations and brought non-believers to their knees.
Anaïs could see that same momentary shock flicker onto these dumb faces as they watched the head of their companion hit the pavement. Her blade was itching to find further targets, and Ana was more than happy to dispense with her frustration in a productive manner. She challenged the remainder of her quarries with the slightest upward shift of her brows. They obliged with a greedy guffaw and darted towards her with a seemingly renewed sense of outrage.
Quick as a snake upon their approach, Anaïs shifted her weight and took a strong step out to the side, swinging the blade into a horizontal line as she did. It found its target easily: the Resalire steel carved a chunk from the second demon’s belly. He doubled over in panic, gripping his sides as if he were on fire before death’s shadow overcame his face and he fell to the concrete. The last of the lowly scum let out a gurgle of anguish as he lunged toward her. With a final stomp of her foot bringing her forward into a wide stance, she brought the hilt of her sword up by the corner of her far eye and held it steady. A sharp inhale through her nostrils as she waited for him to fall in line with the tip of the sword and - Shhhhrrkkk! Ana sunk the sword into the middle of the demon’s chest with remarkable ease. The male was immediately stopped in his tracks, and before his hands could fall from where they were poised to swipe at her, she brought her back leg up and used her boot to shove him off of the blade. As he crumpled to the ground next to his comrades, she hawked up a glob of saliva and spat it out at their bodies in disgust.
She was straightening herself up from her slight crouch when suddenly the wind changed. Anaïs’s attention snapped over to the two celestials now standing alone ahead of her. As expected, a mess of bloodied figures lay littered around Ru’s feet. All of the low level bastards had been disposed of, but there still remained the last demon, who was now wielding hatchets in both hands. Ana could feel the foreboding sense of unease creeping up her spine as the sounds of clashing metal against metal echoed down the street. The shift in atmosphere was an all too familiar one, and the woman barely registered Ru’s words as he jumped back and addressed her without eye contact. Even without the angel's warning, Ana knew the game had changed. This was no longer a routine exercise; she could see how fast the demon was, and how easily he matched Nasiru’s pace. Although not as potent as J’zir’s aura had been once he had revealed himself to her, the hunter recognized the power emanating from this last foe.
For a moment, Anaïs hesitated. Her last encounter with a demon of note had resulted in the abduction of her daughter and the crippling humiliation that came with the realization that she had been taken for an absolute fool. Though she had had some time to compose herself, she still felt the burning shame consuming her when she lay still in the dark, her daughter’s sweet face swimming into her mind’s eye.
Her daughter. Remy.
The girl was somewhere alone and terrified. Ana felt that she must hate her mother for allowing her to be taken so easily. She began to feel that this silly little encounter was taking up precious time she could be using to further her progress on hunting them down. Gods... She could only imagine what the monsters could be doing to her daughter at that very moment. The distressing reminder slapped her back into action and solidified her courage. Anaïs screwed it to the sticking place as she had done countless times in her life and set to work. With a flick of her wrist, she thrust the blade outward at her side, forcing as much of the gore that stained the steel to fly off from inertia before she returned it to its home in the sheath on her back. “Angel!” she shouted determinedly toward Nasiru, though nothing further followed. Ana did not want to say his name out loud. To know one’s name is to have power in this world. Especially over a celestial. Ru had proven himself enough of an ally at this point that she pledged to keep his safe. As with his warning, she knew they would both understand the meaning of the callout without further explanation. The angel knew precisely why he kept her around.
While her partner kept him busy, Ana began to prepare. She rolled up her black sleeves, revealing the ancient, intricate tattoos that originated from the inside of both palms and crawled up her forearms almost to her elbows. The ink was as dark as the blackest night and the symbols depicted were known only to humans that practiced this very same magick. The hunter slowed her breathing, closed her eyes, and gathered focus amidst the sounds of combat ahead, searching for it like a moth to a flame…
There it was. The energy that lived and breathed in every single molecule of everything that ever existed. Anaïs tapped into that vein as she had been taught to do, zeroing in on the force that wove itself within the very fabric of life. With her feet planted firmly on the ground, she willed it to fill her, inhaling deeper and deeper as her body began to buzz with its power. The ink on her hands and arms began to take on a shimmering quality as they lifted up and up above her head like they were being activated by this concentration. The particles that surrounded the woman almost seemed to dim as she appeared to expand and glow, seemingly becoming the flame herself. Without warning, her eyes flew open to fix upon her target, and on her face was a look of sheer authority as she cried:
“Te exsecror ad lapide! Non movere, imperio tibi!”
The words seemed to bubble up from the very core of the earth, moving up through the human’s legs, zipping up her torso, and bursting forth from her mouth. Her voice had regained its composure, calculated and intentional, signaling a departure from any recklessness she had shown previously. This was her purpose. This was her moment. To punctuate the incancation, Anaïs clapped her hissing hands together in the direction of the demon ahead. A clap of what sounded like thunder boomed from her hands as they made contact. Something akin to invisible static crackled from the tips of her fingers and shot through the air toward him. Ana didn’t know its name. No matter. The binding spell would work. For how long - that would be the unpredictable factor.
And work it did. The hunter’s magick caught the demon in mid-swing, with its right hatchet in the air and his body about to twist into the move. His entire body was frozen in that moment, though his eyes and mouth were still able to look and speak. Closer to the creature, Ru would be able to see the monster’s eyes go wide with shock and realization before squinting with rage. “What in the-" It let out a noise of frustration as it tried to pull itself free of the unseen shackles that held it in place. After realizing it didn't work that way, his angry eyes searched this way and that for the perpetrator.
"I know you!” he growled, trying in vain to look sideways at Anaïs, but she was out of his range of vision. “You’re that bitch’s mother!”
Ana said nothing, although the expression on her face made it clear she would have gone over and shoved her knife down his throat if she could. So he did know where Remy was. She tried not to let this small piece of information get her too excited. The concentration required to bind a demon of this caliber without knowing their name was too much. Skilled as she was, she wasn’t going to take the chance of distraction and allow the opportunity to slip through her fingers. She kept her palms pressed together as if her life depended on it, brow furrowed in focus as she kept her breathing steady. Anaïs had to trust that Ru would take advantage of this moment, no matter how brief it may be.
As the angel undoubtedly was with her. He had not hesitated to appraise her in his own way, despite the constant reminders that she was but a human. The Resalire was no longer the secret society they once were in this hemisphere, and Ana took immense pride in the surprise her capabilities often brought upon her enemies. To be underestimated was an inevitability in this line of work, and the woman felt a specific pleasure as she slashed through expectations and brought non-believers to their knees.
Anaïs could see that same momentary shock flicker onto these dumb faces as they watched the head of their companion hit the pavement. Her blade was itching to find further targets, and Ana was more than happy to dispense with her frustration in a productive manner. She challenged the remainder of her quarries with the slightest upward shift of her brows. They obliged with a greedy guffaw and darted towards her with a seemingly renewed sense of outrage.
Quick as a snake upon their approach, Anaïs shifted her weight and took a strong step out to the side, swinging the blade into a horizontal line as she did. It found its target easily: the Resalire steel carved a chunk from the second demon’s belly. He doubled over in panic, gripping his sides as if he were on fire before death’s shadow overcame his face and he fell to the concrete. The last of the lowly scum let out a gurgle of anguish as he lunged toward her. With a final stomp of her foot bringing her forward into a wide stance, she brought the hilt of her sword up by the corner of her far eye and held it steady. A sharp inhale through her nostrils as she waited for him to fall in line with the tip of the sword and - Shhhhrrkkk! Ana sunk the sword into the middle of the demon’s chest with remarkable ease. The male was immediately stopped in his tracks, and before his hands could fall from where they were poised to swipe at her, she brought her back leg up and used her boot to shove him off of the blade. As he crumpled to the ground next to his comrades, she hawked up a glob of saliva and spat it out at their bodies in disgust.
She was straightening herself up from her slight crouch when suddenly the wind changed. Anaïs’s attention snapped over to the two celestials now standing alone ahead of her. As expected, a mess of bloodied figures lay littered around Ru’s feet. All of the low level bastards had been disposed of, but there still remained the last demon, who was now wielding hatchets in both hands. Ana could feel the foreboding sense of unease creeping up her spine as the sounds of clashing metal against metal echoed down the street. The shift in atmosphere was an all too familiar one, and the woman barely registered Ru’s words as he jumped back and addressed her without eye contact. Even without the angel's warning, Ana knew the game had changed. This was no longer a routine exercise; she could see how fast the demon was, and how easily he matched Nasiru’s pace. Although not as potent as J’zir’s aura had been once he had revealed himself to her, the hunter recognized the power emanating from this last foe.
For a moment, Anaïs hesitated. Her last encounter with a demon of note had resulted in the abduction of her daughter and the crippling humiliation that came with the realization that she had been taken for an absolute fool. Though she had had some time to compose herself, she still felt the burning shame consuming her when she lay still in the dark, her daughter’s sweet face swimming into her mind’s eye.
Her daughter. Remy.
The girl was somewhere alone and terrified. Ana felt that she must hate her mother for allowing her to be taken so easily. She began to feel that this silly little encounter was taking up precious time she could be using to further her progress on hunting them down. Gods... She could only imagine what the monsters could be doing to her daughter at that very moment. The distressing reminder slapped her back into action and solidified her courage. Anaïs screwed it to the sticking place as she had done countless times in her life and set to work. With a flick of her wrist, she thrust the blade outward at her side, forcing as much of the gore that stained the steel to fly off from inertia before she returned it to its home in the sheath on her back. “Angel!” she shouted determinedly toward Nasiru, though nothing further followed. Ana did not want to say his name out loud. To know one’s name is to have power in this world. Especially over a celestial. Ru had proven himself enough of an ally at this point that she pledged to keep his safe. As with his warning, she knew they would both understand the meaning of the callout without further explanation. The angel knew precisely why he kept her around.
While her partner kept him busy, Ana began to prepare. She rolled up her black sleeves, revealing the ancient, intricate tattoos that originated from the inside of both palms and crawled up her forearms almost to her elbows. The ink was as dark as the blackest night and the symbols depicted were known only to humans that practiced this very same magick. The hunter slowed her breathing, closed her eyes, and gathered focus amidst the sounds of combat ahead, searching for it like a moth to a flame…
There it was. The energy that lived and breathed in every single molecule of everything that ever existed. Anaïs tapped into that vein as she had been taught to do, zeroing in on the force that wove itself within the very fabric of life. With her feet planted firmly on the ground, she willed it to fill her, inhaling deeper and deeper as her body began to buzz with its power. The ink on her hands and arms began to take on a shimmering quality as they lifted up and up above her head like they were being activated by this concentration. The particles that surrounded the woman almost seemed to dim as she appeared to expand and glow, seemingly becoming the flame herself. Without warning, her eyes flew open to fix upon her target, and on her face was a look of sheer authority as she cried:
“Te exsecror ad lapide! Non movere, imperio tibi!”
The words seemed to bubble up from the very core of the earth, moving up through the human’s legs, zipping up her torso, and bursting forth from her mouth. Her voice had regained its composure, calculated and intentional, signaling a departure from any recklessness she had shown previously. This was her purpose. This was her moment. To punctuate the incancation, Anaïs clapped her hissing hands together in the direction of the demon ahead. A clap of what sounded like thunder boomed from her hands as they made contact. Something akin to invisible static crackled from the tips of her fingers and shot through the air toward him. Ana didn’t know its name. No matter. The binding spell would work. For how long - that would be the unpredictable factor.
And work it did. The hunter’s magick caught the demon in mid-swing, with its right hatchet in the air and his body about to twist into the move. His entire body was frozen in that moment, though his eyes and mouth were still able to look and speak. Closer to the creature, Ru would be able to see the monster’s eyes go wide with shock and realization before squinting with rage. “What in the-" It let out a noise of frustration as it tried to pull itself free of the unseen shackles that held it in place. After realizing it didn't work that way, his angry eyes searched this way and that for the perpetrator.
"I know you!” he growled, trying in vain to look sideways at Anaïs, but she was out of his range of vision. “You’re that bitch’s mother!”
Ana said nothing, although the expression on her face made it clear she would have gone over and shoved her knife down his throat if she could. So he did know where Remy was. She tried not to let this small piece of information get her too excited. The concentration required to bind a demon of this caliber without knowing their name was too much. Skilled as she was, she wasn’t going to take the chance of distraction and allow the opportunity to slip through her fingers. She kept her palms pressed together as if her life depended on it, brow furrowed in focus as she kept her breathing steady. Anaïs had to trust that Ru would take advantage of this moment, no matter how brief it may be.
GM
icmasticc Abstract Theory
Member
Seen
2 mos ago
More time. Just a little more time.
The sounds of his thoughts were broken by the clash of blade and hatchet as Ru defended his position with Ana towards his rear. His focus remained sharp as he blocked and evaded hatchet swipes coming from both his left and right. This superior demon was fast, but not fast enough to sidestep his angelic opposition. Even while surprised at his opponents shocking strength, Ru wasn’t one to be trampled over. He’d spent thousands of years fighting in wars for both Earth and Heaven and all of that combat prowess allowed him to maneuver his current battle with some struggle, but without any true hardship. However, his annoyance grew as he searched for openings in the demon’s offensive. There were none to be found. As soon as one opened, it was immediately defended by the second hatchet and Ru’s blade would simply clash once more, metal upon metal.
Just a little more time.
He took a quick split-second to glance over his shoulder at Ana as she dispatched her final lesser demon. The lesser’s never posed a problem and they certainly wouldn’t have posed one to a hunter as skilled as she was. But Ru knew what he waited for. He knew exactly why he was holding the superior demon at bay the way he was. He knew why it was almost a dance versus an active offensive to try and slay the monster wielding hatchets. For one, this was their best lead yet. Superior demons possessed higher intelligence and higher intelligence meant they may be able to gain some info in their seemingly never-ending search. Beyond that however, it was a matter of patience. As skilled as Ana was, she needed time to truly shine. To truly unleash the secrets she held within herself. Ru was made aware not long after their first meeting when he inquired about her intricate tattoos. He was made aware when he trusted the woman enough to give her his true name, a move that allowed mortals to hold dominion over celestials should they choose it. He trusted her enough to know she would never do that, but he also trusted her enough to know what she going to do next. And then it came.
“Angel!” Ana shouted in Ru’s direction.
Ru defended against another flurry of hatchet swipes and beat the demon backwards his own return quartet of heavy slashes. Try as he might, speed would not overcome strength on this day. Hatchets were speedy weapons, but they lacked the weight and backing of a true blade. Even though Ru employed the use of short-swords, they were hefty enough to be able to overpower the hatchets. The problem was the superior demon was skilled in hatchet use and understood how to compensate for his disadvantages with an immaculate defense. And since angels and demons lacked the stamina issues of humankind, Ru couldn’t just wait until the demon grew tired. There was very little chance of that happening. But at Ana’s shout, Ru grinned.
He didn’t need to turn to know she had sheathed her blade and rolled up her sleeves to reveal the detailed ink work laced upon her skin. He could feel the shift in the atmosphere, the same as when the superior demon stopped masking his own ability. The wind changed and it blew towards Ana, rather it was willed towards the woman as she gathered energies and tapped into the lining of reality itself. To be honest, it was a beautiful ritual. Had he more time and was not currently preoccupied with his own fight, Ru would have watched her intently as she prepared. It reminded him of the rituals the angels held that were enacted just before big battles or just after traumatic situations. He was never one to be held too deep in the ritualistic arts, but he appreciated their beauty all the same.
“Damn you, angel! Let me past!” The superior demon shouted in a fit of rage. His attacks grew more feral, more wild, more erratic, and Ru could feel his defense begin to show cracks. He blocked another flurry, ducked under a double horizontal swipe, and brought his blades upwards in a fury that only resulted in another clanging of metal bashing metal. Yet it was the closest he’d come to slicing the demon open the whole fight. He thought about his words of anger and realized that the demon also knew what was occurring or at least he knew something of it. That was intriguing. Demons weren’t generally apprised of human traditions and secrets.
“Te exsecror ad lapide! Non movere, imperio tibi!” Ana cried out.
And that was all Ru needed to hear. He suddenly switched his stance from shoulder width to a much wider, much lower horse stance. As the superior demon charged at him once more, Ru pulled his right foot froward from the back and stepped into an “X” shaped cross slash that clanged against the hatchets but also employed his body weight, pushing the superior demon backward and creating a small space between the two. He immediately took a step to the side as a loud clap of thunder roiled the air and boomed across the darkened skies. The invisible static energy shot forth just as Ru expected and missed him to smash straight into the superior demon mid-swing.
The demon was frozen in place.
“What in the-" The demon said as he let out a noise of frustration and tried desperately the pull himself free. When it failed his searched this way and that for the perpetrator and though he couldn’t see her, he understood his circumstances quickly. “I know you!” He growled, “You’re that bitch’s mother!”
Ru raised a brow while also turning to examine Ana. With the demon frozen in place he now had time to breathe and collect himself. She was clasping her hands together for dear life, but with the strength of this superior demon it wouldn’t be long until he broke free of her spell. So Ru sheathed his own blades at the small of his waist in the back and stepped closer to the frozen superior demon. Thinking quickly, Ru unsheathed a single blade and held it to the demon’s neck.
“Tell me, demon. Tell me of J’zir and his charge. A human called Remy,” Ru said, narrowing his eyes. The demon remained quiet. Ru nodded his head in acknowledgement of the insolence and slowly pierced the demon’s gut with his blade. Not deep, he only impaled him with the tip of the short-sword, but it wouldn’t provide another pain. The demon howled. Ru held the blade in place and looked him in the eyes. “Tell me, demon,” he repeated.
The demon tried in vain to look around, but to no avail. The spell Ana had used was strong and she’d had enough time to gather enough energy to make sure it bound even a superior demon for at least a minute or two. “Alright, alright,” The demon finally relented. Ru withdrew his blade and shook the gore off it with one single motion. He sheathed the blade and folded his arms across his chest. He said nothing. He only stared at the demon with a menacing glare. There were no more words to offer. Only compliance would be accepted.
“I… J’zir does not talk to me. I am but a lowly foot solider in his clan. I know he cradles a human girl though. They travel together and he keeps her at his side always. Before we split off, I saw them together myself.”
“Split off?”
“Yes. J’zir’s clan is large and we were ordered to split into smaller cells in order to…” the demon trailed and averted his gaze.
Ru stood with his arms folded. His very aura lashed out and if felt would convey his message better than words could.
The demon felt it and met eyes with Ru once more. “We were ordered to split up and fan out in order to confuse you. J’zir knows of your search and he does not intend to allow you to meet with him. He gave me no indication where he was going.”
Ru thought a moment. Then he saw it. The cracks in the spell beginning to show. The demon would surely feel it soon. Ru unsheathed a single blade before he spoke. “The last place you saw J’zir, demon,” Ru said.
“I… It was just north of here. Deep in this human city, we had a camp in what they’d call a hospital.”
Ru nodded just as the binding spell broke. And as the spell broke and dissipated, Ru shoved his blade through the demon’s chest and pushed upwards and out through the demon’s head, splitting his body, neck, and face in two. The lifeless body fell to the ground as Ru shook off the gore and sheathed his blade. Then he turned to Ana and made his way over to her.
“I’m sure you heard that, Anaïs. We must go north and find this hospital.” Ru stared down at the human hunter before folding his arms. “How do you fare?” He asked.
The sounds of his thoughts were broken by the clash of blade and hatchet as Ru defended his position with Ana towards his rear. His focus remained sharp as he blocked and evaded hatchet swipes coming from both his left and right. This superior demon was fast, but not fast enough to sidestep his angelic opposition. Even while surprised at his opponents shocking strength, Ru wasn’t one to be trampled over. He’d spent thousands of years fighting in wars for both Earth and Heaven and all of that combat prowess allowed him to maneuver his current battle with some struggle, but without any true hardship. However, his annoyance grew as he searched for openings in the demon’s offensive. There were none to be found. As soon as one opened, it was immediately defended by the second hatchet and Ru’s blade would simply clash once more, metal upon metal.
Just a little more time.
He took a quick split-second to glance over his shoulder at Ana as she dispatched her final lesser demon. The lesser’s never posed a problem and they certainly wouldn’t have posed one to a hunter as skilled as she was. But Ru knew what he waited for. He knew exactly why he was holding the superior demon at bay the way he was. He knew why it was almost a dance versus an active offensive to try and slay the monster wielding hatchets. For one, this was their best lead yet. Superior demons possessed higher intelligence and higher intelligence meant they may be able to gain some info in their seemingly never-ending search. Beyond that however, it was a matter of patience. As skilled as Ana was, she needed time to truly shine. To truly unleash the secrets she held within herself. Ru was made aware not long after their first meeting when he inquired about her intricate tattoos. He was made aware when he trusted the woman enough to give her his true name, a move that allowed mortals to hold dominion over celestials should they choose it. He trusted her enough to know she would never do that, but he also trusted her enough to know what she going to do next. And then it came.
“Angel!” Ana shouted in Ru’s direction.
Ru defended against another flurry of hatchet swipes and beat the demon backwards his own return quartet of heavy slashes. Try as he might, speed would not overcome strength on this day. Hatchets were speedy weapons, but they lacked the weight and backing of a true blade. Even though Ru employed the use of short-swords, they were hefty enough to be able to overpower the hatchets. The problem was the superior demon was skilled in hatchet use and understood how to compensate for his disadvantages with an immaculate defense. And since angels and demons lacked the stamina issues of humankind, Ru couldn’t just wait until the demon grew tired. There was very little chance of that happening. But at Ana’s shout, Ru grinned.
He didn’t need to turn to know she had sheathed her blade and rolled up her sleeves to reveal the detailed ink work laced upon her skin. He could feel the shift in the atmosphere, the same as when the superior demon stopped masking his own ability. The wind changed and it blew towards Ana, rather it was willed towards the woman as she gathered energies and tapped into the lining of reality itself. To be honest, it was a beautiful ritual. Had he more time and was not currently preoccupied with his own fight, Ru would have watched her intently as she prepared. It reminded him of the rituals the angels held that were enacted just before big battles or just after traumatic situations. He was never one to be held too deep in the ritualistic arts, but he appreciated their beauty all the same.
“Damn you, angel! Let me past!” The superior demon shouted in a fit of rage. His attacks grew more feral, more wild, more erratic, and Ru could feel his defense begin to show cracks. He blocked another flurry, ducked under a double horizontal swipe, and brought his blades upwards in a fury that only resulted in another clanging of metal bashing metal. Yet it was the closest he’d come to slicing the demon open the whole fight. He thought about his words of anger and realized that the demon also knew what was occurring or at least he knew something of it. That was intriguing. Demons weren’t generally apprised of human traditions and secrets.
“Te exsecror ad lapide! Non movere, imperio tibi!” Ana cried out.
And that was all Ru needed to hear. He suddenly switched his stance from shoulder width to a much wider, much lower horse stance. As the superior demon charged at him once more, Ru pulled his right foot froward from the back and stepped into an “X” shaped cross slash that clanged against the hatchets but also employed his body weight, pushing the superior demon backward and creating a small space between the two. He immediately took a step to the side as a loud clap of thunder roiled the air and boomed across the darkened skies. The invisible static energy shot forth just as Ru expected and missed him to smash straight into the superior demon mid-swing.
The demon was frozen in place.
“What in the-" The demon said as he let out a noise of frustration and tried desperately the pull himself free. When it failed his searched this way and that for the perpetrator and though he couldn’t see her, he understood his circumstances quickly. “I know you!” He growled, “You’re that bitch’s mother!”
Ru raised a brow while also turning to examine Ana. With the demon frozen in place he now had time to breathe and collect himself. She was clasping her hands together for dear life, but with the strength of this superior demon it wouldn’t be long until he broke free of her spell. So Ru sheathed his own blades at the small of his waist in the back and stepped closer to the frozen superior demon. Thinking quickly, Ru unsheathed a single blade and held it to the demon’s neck.
“Tell me, demon. Tell me of J’zir and his charge. A human called Remy,” Ru said, narrowing his eyes. The demon remained quiet. Ru nodded his head in acknowledgement of the insolence and slowly pierced the demon’s gut with his blade. Not deep, he only impaled him with the tip of the short-sword, but it wouldn’t provide another pain. The demon howled. Ru held the blade in place and looked him in the eyes. “Tell me, demon,” he repeated.
The demon tried in vain to look around, but to no avail. The spell Ana had used was strong and she’d had enough time to gather enough energy to make sure it bound even a superior demon for at least a minute or two. “Alright, alright,” The demon finally relented. Ru withdrew his blade and shook the gore off it with one single motion. He sheathed the blade and folded his arms across his chest. He said nothing. He only stared at the demon with a menacing glare. There were no more words to offer. Only compliance would be accepted.
“I… J’zir does not talk to me. I am but a lowly foot solider in his clan. I know he cradles a human girl though. They travel together and he keeps her at his side always. Before we split off, I saw them together myself.”
“Split off?”
“Yes. J’zir’s clan is large and we were ordered to split into smaller cells in order to…” the demon trailed and averted his gaze.
Ru stood with his arms folded. His very aura lashed out and if felt would convey his message better than words could.
The demon felt it and met eyes with Ru once more. “We were ordered to split up and fan out in order to confuse you. J’zir knows of your search and he does not intend to allow you to meet with him. He gave me no indication where he was going.”
Ru thought a moment. Then he saw it. The cracks in the spell beginning to show. The demon would surely feel it soon. Ru unsheathed a single blade before he spoke. “The last place you saw J’zir, demon,” Ru said.
“I… It was just north of here. Deep in this human city, we had a camp in what they’d call a hospital.”
Ru nodded just as the binding spell broke. And as the spell broke and dissipated, Ru shoved his blade through the demon’s chest and pushed upwards and out through the demon’s head, splitting his body, neck, and face in two. The lifeless body fell to the ground as Ru shook off the gore and sheathed his blade. Then he turned to Ana and made his way over to her.
“I’m sure you heard that, Anaïs. We must go north and find this hospital.” Ru stared down at the human hunter before folding his arms. “How do you fare?” He asked.
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