exsilium | second rune; death; video

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second rune; death; video

[When the feed starts, the netbook's camera shows you a view of the forest floor. A deer carcass lies among the grass and twigs, and it's obvious that the poor thing did not have a clean death. It's in the advanced stages of decomposition, even though the blood around its body is red and fresh. The camera does not linger on this image for more than a few seconds; it pans upward, to show Koltira's face.

He's standing over the deer, holding the device in one hand, holding Byfrost with the other. Agony creases his expression: his jaw is clenched, his eyes narrowed, every muscle in his pale, sallow face is taut with pain. The guttural growl of his voice occasionally rises in octave as he talks, as though something is beating the shit out of him from the inside.]

Were we brought here to fight for something, or to waste time reliving the past? Send. Us. On. A mission.

[He stabs the tree next to him with Byfrost, and the sword glows sickly green; the tree bark begins to decay rapidly, as though it's practically melting. Diseased fumes pour out of the bark, forming a nasty miasma around Koltira's body.]

I need a battle. [he hisses, and blood trickles from the corner of his mouth as he bites down on the inside of his cheek.] Now.

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[ Bariyan, as much as he doesn't like it, eventually has to stop trying to contact Koltira in order to focus on the road. It was easier before the last mission back in time -- vehicles had been few and far between, and the streets had been empty. Now he actually has to worry about crashing into others.

It's clearer out of the city, at least. He all but stomps down on the gas and roars his way down into the forests, only coming to a halt once he hears the screaming.

Bariyan turns the engine off and scrambles out, not even bothering to shut the door behind him. He pauses to get his bearings, to listen, then runs off in the direction that he thinks the screaming is coming from, raising his voice in attempt to make himself heard over the awful noise. ]

Koltira. Koltira.

[he's crouched down in the dirt still, pushing his fists against his eyelids, his mouth bloody from biting into the skin. When he hears Bariyan approach, he gestures frantically, trying to wave him off.]

Go. You shouldn't have come. You must leave.

Not a chance. [ Bariyan approaches almost casually, hands in his pockets. The look he gives Koltira is mostly concern, but there's a harder edge to his stare, too. He can't help it. Darkov had said....

That would have to wait.

He closes in on Koltira, only stopping once he's all of half a foot away. Bariyan goes down on a knee to bring themselves level. ]

There's no one else out here, is there?

[WHY ARE YOU SO CLOSE. Even though Bariyan has no heartbeat, he's still moving; he still has flesh and bones, eyeballs and viscera.

Koltira ain't missing the hardness, but since he literally does not understand a single thing about the Darkov situation, he puts it off, unfortunately, to judgment about the state he's in. He heaves.]

There's no one. I haven't been around another person since ... since I called Ashraf to help that kim'jael ... [muttering. A little delirious.]

[ Frown. No idea what a kim'jael is, but if it's not a person then Bariyan will put it aside. ] And Ashraf? Did you let him go?

[ He hates having to ask. He hates that he has to mistrust Koltira like this. But there'll be no more questions soon, soon. He just needs to get this one thing answered and then they can deal with the matter at hand.... ]

[That gets his attention, because what? What. His covers his mouth with one hand as he coughs blood into his palm, but his eyes are narrowed, focused.]

Let him go? I contacted him to heal a dying man, and neither of them spared me a second glance. I felt spasms in my legs, but I remained until I saw that the wound was mended. Then I walked away.

[WHY ARE YOU ASKING HIM THIS? There's a definite 'how dare you' undercurrent to his tone. He struggles to stand, still covering his mouth, and takes a step back, glaring now.]

Edited 2012-08-13 23:55 (UTC)

[ frown. so kim'jael was a person, after all. but it seems as though both of them had gotten away, so that's it. no need to pursue that matter any further. koltira's killed no one. ]

All right. That's all I wanted to know.

[ bariyan stands with him. he looks koltira in the eye and takes another step towards him. ]

Take up your blade, then.

[Cold. So cold. Koltira shakes his head, wipes his mouth.]

No. I won't.

Then what will you do? [ Bariyan reaches out for Koltira's opposite shoulder, in order to keep the other from backing away, should he try to. ] How long can you go like this? Before you....

[ He leaves it at that. Koltira knows the implications better than Bariyan does, after all. ]

[scowls at that hand.] That is why I'm out here. For everyone's safety.

[ TOO BAD, it's staying. Bariyan squeezes slightly, even. ] And will you be able to keep yourself out here?

[He looks away, miserably.] I will run as far as I can. I will let their border dogs shoot me, if I must.

Somehow, I doubt that'll do much to stop you.

[ a sigh. the hardness to his words, to his voice, it starts to drop off. he's being unnecessarily hard on koltira, he thinks. ]

And you're suffering badly, friend.

[yeah, that's probably true. Maybe if they all shot at once ... Koltira laughs, and it's a thin, brittle sound.]

Always, Bariyan. Always. I don't ... [hhnnghh. He chokes, swallows; his eyes flick to the hand again, why it is still touching him, why is skin still touching him--] I don't want to pass it on.

[ You won't be, Bariyan wants to say, but that defeats the purpose, doesn't it? So he keeps silent, as if maybe he can trick the laws of Koltira's curse by refusing to say it aloud.

He narrows his eyes. ]

This is for your sake. For others'.

[ Darkov, he thinks, again. He knows he shouldn't, but he can't help but be suspicious. Why else would Koltira hurt him, but for.... ]

[He tries to pull away.]

You want me to take my sword to you, the only person who has shown me any kindness here?

[granted you were being weirdly unkind just THEN, and he's feeling mighty suspicious too, but still ...]

[ that just gets bariyan to swing his second hand up, shifting his grip: a hand to both shoulders, now. he pulls even closer to glare up at koltira. ]

Yes. Consider it another kindness, if you will. I can't die, try as others might to prove otherwise. How much of a reprieve do you think you can get out of me?

[That's not good, very much not good at all. He's far too close now, and Koltira looks away, exhaling sharply as his nerves start to scream. He squeezes his eyes shut, repulsed at the thought of using Bariyan like a tool. His grip tightens on Byfrost, nevertheless.]

Don't do this. Please--if I start--if I start, I don't know if I can stop--

[ bariyan glances down at the runeblade, then back up at koltira. he tries to imagine what it must be like but he cannot. he can see the effects of it well enough, though, in the lines of koltira's stance, drawn tense, drawn to the point of snapping.

then he looks down at himself. how much of a beating can this body bear? once he'd managed to keep himself up and running after someone had blown a hole straight through him, but that runeblade of koltira's looked like it could cleave bariyan straight through.

could he die again?

no. he'd already gone through that. what other death was even left to him?

he makes a fist with his right hand, thumps it gently against koltira's chest. a gesture he has not made in a long time. and he finally answers. ]

Then don't.

[he doesn't know the significance of Bariyan's gesture, but it surprises him nevertheless. The moment is fleeting, though, overwhelmed by another crippling spasm of agony. He sucks in air, listing forward against Bariyan, and it's too much--Bariyan's nearness, the insistent, howling demands of Koltira's own veins, and the pain they inflict at his continued failure to obey.

He's blinded for a moment, the world going completely dark. He has no awareness outside of the pain and of the man standing so horribly close to him, his skin cool but soft, pliant, ripe for shredding. He wonders if Bariyan bleeds, wonders about the color and the taste, and suddenly he's back in the forest. He murmurs raggedly.]

Bariyan. Forgive me.

[and then he lifts the sword.]

Edited 2012-08-15 01:36 (UTC)

[ Forgiveness was something that they would have to see about later, for different matters. For now Bariyan swallows, dry-mouthed, somehow slightly fearful even though he knew he had no reason to be. But standing here, anticipating damage, bracing himself for it -- that was different from acting in the heat of battle.

He stands back, feet planted slightly apart, his one arm still half-raised in front of him. He forces himself to watch Koltira, instead of the blade.

He waits. ]

[He doesn't want to do this. He really, really doesn't. But it just hurts so much.

In a swift, fluid motion, Koltira lunges forward and drives Byfrost straight through Bariyan's stomach. All of the runes inscribed on the blade activate, but no spells seep from them, yet. Koltira's expression contorts, as though he's struggling to stop himself and failing. Energy, as yet without direction, rolls off of the runeblade in waves, kicking up the dirt and stones around their feet. Koltira grinds his teeth, his canines scraping against his lower lip, but he does not pull away.]

[ Bariyan grimaces, more out of habit than anything. He tries not to look. He fails. His eyes flick down -- nothing yet. The sword's still in him, and the cut is clean. Bariyan hasn't bled in centuries. The only thing that runs through his veins nowadays is whatever magic it is that keeps him alive.

Something that is cousin to Koltira's own curse, he imagines.

His hands wrap around the edge of the runeblade, instinctively, edges biting into his palms. He fixes his eyes on Koltira again. Gods, he is not looking forwards to seeing this thing ripped out of him. ]

[Koltira keeps the sword in place, gripping the hilt with one hand. He pushes forward, meaning to drive Byfrost's point into the earth, with Bariyan kept in place upon it. His expression as he does this is terrible; a wretched conflict of horror and something like joy, his smile wide but lopsided. He grabs Bariyan about the lower neck with his free hand, digging the gauntlet's claws into the bone.]

[ Bariyan gives, collapsing back, letting Byfrost pin him down. He's supported only by his own grip on the blade and Koltira's hold on his throat -- which suddenly becomes the focus of Bariyan's attention. The contact... troubles him. Koltira's missed the stitches, but he's dangerously close, and that makes Bariyan wince.

The next time he looks at Koltira, another name comes to mind.

Bariyan tries to swear, but it comes out as nothing more than a rough, strangled noise. He grabs Koltira's wrist with one hand. ]

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