SNAP OUT OF IT, VARIS! A voice screamed inside of Varis' head as he stood still, the two short swords in his hands drooping down as his wrists slowly became more and more angled. The voice inside of his head was quite loud, incredibly so that Varis had thought someone was screaming at him. He looked around the room, trying to find the source of the scream, trying to find the source of the voice. It was a voice he knew well, a voice that instilled fear into Varis, a voice that gave Varis' orders and commands.
It was his father's voice. His "father" that he had grew up with, his "father" that had trained him brutally in how to fight, his "father" that had told him that friends were nothing more but a way for his enemies to manipulate him, his "father" that had told him that allies were just people who would eventually betray you, his "father" that had told him never to trust anyone. It was his father's voice.
Varis, even though he grew a deep resentment for his father, had much to thank him for, for he was the one who taught him how to fight, how to kill, how to murder. He was the one who had taught him everything he knew, and for some odd reason, Varis went back on his training. Varis went against everything he was taught, everything he knew.
Suddenly, Varis could feel a hand hitting him on the back.
"Varis, no time to standstill, we have to make it out of here alive." Artos -- if Varis could recall his name -- looked at him before stepping through the broken doorway.
Varis took another step towards the door way, the grip on his two short swords becoming more much harder.
'It takes strength to be firm, it takes courage to be gentle. It takes strength to conquer, it takes courage to surrender. It takes strength to be certain, it takes courage to have doubt. It takes strength to fit in, it takes courage to stand out.
It takes strength to feel a friend's pain, it takes courage to feel your own pain. It takes strength to endure abuse, it takes courage to stop it. It takes strength to stand alone, it takes courage to lean on another. It takes strength to love, it takes courage to be loved.
It takes strength to survive, it takes courage to live.'
Varis could feel a slow resurgence of strength as he took another step, slowly looking over his shoulder at Ellyn before nodding, showing no sign of a smile or a grin, just a sign of an acknowledgement before stepping over the doorway, into the chaotic fray, his movements and attacks automatic and instinctual as two zombies approached him. He quickly dispatched of them with ease.
It wasn't until a skeleton came that Varis would have a bit of a harder time. A skeleton, armed with a long sword, approached Varis. With its bony arms clutching the long sword over its head, it swung down on Varis. Its movements slow and easy to predict, Varis dodged the swing and lunged towards the skeleton's rib with his short sword, it making a sizable crack upon impact -- although it was surely more damaging to the sword than the skeleton itself. The skeleton, raising its long sword once more and trying to turn its body to attack him, fell to the ground as Varis kicked it.
Knowing the skeleton was far from dead, Varis took off towards his allies, spotting Artos and running off towards him only to be stopped by another skeleton.
"I don't think we got to show off our skills to well,... lets show this dread lord what we can do." Varis meekly stared at Vivian as he stood in his now unlocked cage before slightly nodded and jogging over to their equipment. As he scanned through the pile, he noticed his dagger was gone. Having no idea where it was, perhaps stolen by some unholy, dead gnoll or perhaps one of his team mates accidentally took it from him, he grabbed his short sword and scanned for a similar looking weapon before his eyes finally settled on a similar sword with similar proportions. Varis backed away from the pile and began to swing the other short sword, making sure it was well balanced before finally nodding to himself.
Slowly, he turned towards the doorway where his allies had all run into, watching them as they fought hard to rescue their dear ally. At this point, Varis had no idea whether to fight or to escape -- something he probably would have done if he was the Varis from two days ago. He had no idea whether he would actually be worthy enough to fight. He was... afraid. Afraid of failing, afraid of not being able to make it in time. He had thought he was invincible, he had thought he was the best god damned assassin in the whole world... and he failed.
In other words, Varis turned into nothing less than a wuss.
"I failed you, father..." Varis stated as he slumped down in the cell once more, destructive rather saddening thoughts entering his head of his. Intrusive as they were, they were mostly accurate. Varis had a fortnight, or fourteen days, to murder his innocent target -- which was some type of merchant -- but because of this horrendous disaster, chances were, he wouldn't be able to kill the target in time.
Not like he actually needed the gold anyways. He had enough gold saved up over the years to live out a rather prosperous life, but he took on this assassination contract because simply, he had nothing else to do. Varis already tried living out a normal life, but it just wasn't for him.
"I failed..." Varis said once more, his head down, his gaze set on the metallic floor of the small cage. "I failed," Varis slammed his fist into the metal cage. "I failed, I failed, I failed," With each two words, he continually slammed his fists into the metallic floor. This was the first time he had ever failed a mission. The only thing he was good for, the only thing he was ever made for and trained for, he failed at.
After a few more punches, he stopped, raising his head as his eyes darted around once more before finally settling on one person.
"VIVIAN!" Varis instinctively shouted out as his eyes finally found her, clutching the bars that were in front of him, keeping him trapped in the damned cage like some sort of bird. He allowed for a few seconds of silence to fill the air before he finally realized what he was doing, causing him to recoil backwards and place both of his hands over his mouth just as the cocky marksman had done once before.
He had found her, and he didn't exactly know why he searched for her. Perhaps it was because he had interacted with her the most, perhaps it was caused by this unholy disaster that's occurred to them just this instant, or perhaps it was due to some other reason. Whatever it was, Varis had no idea what the reason was. It was the first time this had ever happened.
Slowly, Varis removed his hands away from his mouth just as the marksman once did, only to be interrupted by the sounds of the cocky marksman being dragged away herself.
"SANA-" Varis stopped himself before he could finish, absolutely mortified at himself as he raised his hands towards his face, looking down at them with eyes of sadness rather than anger. Why was he calling his allies -- his "teammates" -- by their names now? Why did he suddenly care for them, even if just an ounce?
"DONTCHU FUCKING DO IT," Varis could hear the anger issues man -- Hugh was his name, Varis believed so -- screaming out, causing Varis to stare at him in awe.