I was Looking for a Breath of Life

[redlightgreenlight]

Characters: Valdis and Gene to start, others to follow
Date: March 26th
Location: The farmlands outside the city
Situation: Valdis' patience is at its limits, she hasn't slept in days, the nightmares are becoming worse and her thoughts are twisting into shadows.
Warnings/Rating: There will be blood...

The large hound ran across the back of the turtle at full speed, testing her agility, trying to keep her mind off the reoccurring nightmares and the evolution of her strange illness. She slowed as she approached the farmlands, sitting on the edge of a field to watch as people worked. Familiar and unfamiliar scents filled the air, but she ignored them all, losing herself in her thoughts. She was tired and not from running, it felt deeper than that and if her suspicions were correct, then it was also deeply disturbing. To say she was frustrated would be an understatement, she felt more on edge, agitated and anxious. She had a terrible feeling that it wouldn't take much to set her off and worst of all, she felt detached from herself, her normally sharp senses muted and dull.

She had been trying to pretend that nothing was wrong, it was easier than facing the truth. Lying to herself and others was so much simpler. Denial kept her going, acceptance would only cause more pain. Her head began to hurt and her vision darkened, the feelings of detachment intensified as her irises shifted color. She suddenly felt energized again, craving a release, she simply needed a reason.

Comments

[raavashing]

No recognition.

Valdis didn't recognize him.

Wan straightened, his eyes lighting up as one hand lashed out to the side to command the earth to cover hold Gene in place and cover him with a protective layer of stone. A hole just above his head would remain to allow light and air once it was done.

"Valdis. Stop," this time when he spoke, it was a command - gentle, but a command none the less - backed by the light of Raava. Their voices intertwined and echoing each other. He had promised that if she raged out of control he would use their connection to bring her peace. And he fully intended to, but he needed to protect Gene, too - who was thankfully still alive. And to do that, he needed a little more than a few seconds for the earth to move properly. He hoped her ire at him interrupting and commanding her would keep her attention that long.

[redlightgreenlight]

At the word 'dog", Valdis spun around, tearing through the rising barrier and lashing out with her claws, trying to reach Gene. Wan's command fell on deaf ears, all she felt was anger at the insult and at the one who dared to hide her prey from her.

[wrathfulkhan]

Gene hadn't been aware that Valdis could hear surface thoughts when she was in this feral state, so her sudden attack took him totally off-guard. He barely noticed the barrier of earth rising around him, and his vision went a dull red when her claws struck home, tearing through the skin and muscle on his arm, the force fracturing his wrist. A shout of pain tore itself from his throat, the exclamation hoarse and weak. She was just toying with him now.

[raavashing]

This time Wan was more aggressive with his bending, forcing the earth up between Gene and Valdis, trying to push her jaws apart to make her release his arm. He needed to separate them before he could even begin to help Valdis properly.

"Valdis! This isn't you!" He shouted, still trying to get through to her.

[redlightgreenlight]

The mouthful of dirt seemed to be her only reward for going after her prey and so she turned to face the offender, the man who could command the earth.

She lunged at him, ignoring the pathetic pleading in the back of her mind, the little voice telling her to stop. It had been too long since she had last been released, too long since she had killed. Besides, now she had to punish the little man who had stolen her prey from her.

[wrathfulkhan]

The pain abated, slightly, but Gene was too injured to do anything but shake inside his prison of earth. Everything seemed to be dim and dull - he didn't realize that Wan had brought up the barrier to protect him. He couldn't think. All of his training, everything he'd been through in order to keep his wits about him in battle, and he couldn't think. Then again, it's hard to think when about half your body is ground hamburger.

[raavashing]

Wan brought up a wall between himself and Valdis to keep her from mauling him the same as she had Gene. With the two separated, he had a chance of getting through to her. Gene would need help and soon, but Valdis was his first priority.

He took a deep breath and centered himself, bringing himself to a place of peace and focusing that sense outward. His body started to glow white with Raava's power. The Spirit of Light and Peace's influence spread from him, a choice not easily made for Wan didn't like exerting such control over spirits and others with her power. But it was needed.

If it didn't work, Wan wouldn't be able to keep it up. Gene's wounds were bad enough he knew he couldn't stall for long.

CW: Blood

[redlightgreenlight]

She snarled in frustration as the earth rose to separate her from her target and slammed her body into it, trying to break it down. She felt her shoulder crack from the impact and staggered back, wincing as the bone quickly repaired itself.

As the peaceful feelings started to flow over her, the Void surged forward, moving against it, trying to drive it back. The part of her that reached for the peace yelped in pain as the other part fought against it.

Her body began to shake again, fighting an internal battle that was beginning to have physical consequences. She began to vomit blood again as slashes opened up across her body, more blood matting her thick fur.

[wrathfulkhan]

Gene was beginning to feel cold in his makeshift barrow. He realized that he'd been covered in earth, and briefly thought for a delirious moment that he was dead already and had been buried. But no, he hurt too much to be dead, and the dead didn't have heartbeats - heartbeats that betrayed them with every second passed.

He hoped that this mound of earth wouldn't be his grave.

[raavashing]

The power did little more than make her sick. And Wan couldn't risk leaving Gene alone any longer, much as he wanted to focus on Valdis. Another dome came up, this time to cover both himself and Gene and separate them both from Valdis. He allowed his feelings of peace to continue, but he couldn't focus on them as strongly as before.

The ground between himself and Gene parted as water from within the earth floated to his hands. It glowed a soft blue at a touch of his fingers. He pressed one hand to Gene's leg and another to his shoulder, directing the spirit water over his wounds to heal him and keep him alive.

"I'm sorry, Valdis," he murmured as the light died from his eyes.

[walkthedarkpath]

From the distance something wicked this way comes. A sillouette that screamed Dante was coming from the distance. Rebellion on his back and a long black coat whipped around him as he moved towards the commotion.

The rush of dark power had summoned Vergil from his shower. His hair was down from still being wet as he approached.

[redlightgreenlight]

The feelings of peace faded away as another dome emerged. The hound began to pace outside the earthy dome, both furious and relieved that she could not get to her prey. Everything was so confusing. She had almost recognized that peace, she had wanted it but at the same time, she had also despised it.

She pawed at the dome halfheartedly, not really remembering why it was so important that she get in and kill the person hiding behind those walls. A breath of wind carried a new scent to her and she turned her head, immediately stepping backward, away from the dome that hid Wan and Gene.

Dante?

The scent didn't match, but it looked like him, and the scent was close enough to add to her confusion. She looked around, seeing the blood, her own and Gene's, but her eyes came back to rest on the approaching figure that so closely resembled the man she had loved. The Void swirled around, reminding her that she had been abandoned by that very man.

Except she knew that to be a lie and it was enough to break through the haze. Horror swept over her as she looked at all the blood on the ground. She spun around and fled, not knowing how long she could maintain control and wanting to put as much distance between herself and others as possible.

The Barrier is dying, She cried as she left, I'm sorry, but you need to find Raine, if it fails then everything is over.

[wrathfulkhan]

Someone else was in the barrow with him.

Gene tried to focus his eyes, which were glazed over with pain. It was...Wan? What the hell was Wan doing here? Dimly he realized that Wan must have heard the commotion and come over. He was going to try and tell Wan to run, that Valdis had snapped, but he couldn't speak, could barely breathe.

The pain seemed to abate a little, but he didn't know how. He couldn't move, couldn't see the spirit water. He thought he was truly dying.

[raavashing]

Wan had never learned to to properly heal using the power of water. The spirit water had always been enough for him. Only he didn't have it in the quantities he was used to. A little went a long way when it was in the hands of a trained healer. Korra or Katara would have been better than Wan.

But Wan did his best to move the water gently over the wounds Gene had incurred. The water would sooth and heal as it sunk in. The bones that were broken wouldn't reset, but the bleeding would stop and the skin would knit back together. It would keep him alive until someone better suited for the role of healer could get to him.

[wrathfulkhan]

The pain was in fact lessening, and Gene could feel his breathing getting a little less ragged. But he didn't understand. He wasn't supposed to be getting better from this. People didn't get better from this kind of savaging. Not this quickly. Not this well.

He felt cold. He swallowed, and tasted blood. "Wan?" he said hoarsely, his voice barely above a whisper.

[raavashing]

"I'm here," he murmured, just as softly, listening intently for the sound of Valdis outside the shield. "You're hurt real bad. Try not to move too much."

[wrathfulkhan]

"...where's Valdis?"

She could be anywhere, waiting to finish him off and kill Wan. He couldn't think; everything still hurt too much.

[raavashing]

"Not here," he answered simply. He didn't know if Valdis was still outside the earthen wall or if she had run off to find another victim in her state. "You're safe."

[wrathfulkhan]

Gene took a deep breath - or as deep as he could manage. It wasn't very deep at all. "Hurts," he said hoarsely.

[walkthedarkpath]

Vergil couldn't exactly tell what was happening but seeing the hellhound run off he knew something had happened. Normally he might scuff and walk off, but she was the love of his twin. As much as Dante was a pain in his ass he could not pay his debt to his brother back, so, he swore to protect Valdis even if she normally didnt need it.

He picked up speed running the way he saw her go.

Well, whoever that used to be is clearly dead. he thought to himself at the sight of the blood running after her. "Valdis!" he called out, whatever nonsense was going on, his goody too shoes twin would SO not approve.

[redlightgreenlight]

Her insides were twisting painfully and her muscles were screaming, but she had to get away, far away. Her ears flattened when she heard Vergil call her name, but she kept running. Dante would be so ashamed of her for attacking an ally. She didn't even know if Gene was still alive and Wan, he would feel that he had failed her, but he didn't understand.

She tripped on a rock and rolled down an embankment, slamming into a tree at the bottom. She got to her feet and stumbled sideways as she tried to steady herself, her head aching.

[walkthedarkpath]

Vergil was picking up speed as he ran after her. It was a bit more of a challenge to run after someone with Rebellion instead of Yamato. He had half a mind to use his summoned swords and take out her legs, but you just don't do that to an ally.

He saw her wipe out and hit the three. Even he had to hiss seeing that. "VALDIS!" He yelled at her. "STOP or else I will be forced to attack!" He wouldn't he just hoped it stopped her. As he got closer he started to slow down because he had no plans to slam into a tree.

[redlightgreenlight]

And why would you attack? She snarled, trying to leap back up the embankment and failing when her hind legs gave out. She slammed into the tree again, hissing with frustration. Her body wouldn't move as she ordered it to, she felt sluggish, weak, as if nothing was working correctly. Everything was slowing down, she couldn't think straight anymore.

[walkthedarkpath]

"There was a lot of blood. Which tells me you killed something. So, fair game." He moved closer when she start to slip back down. "You are not okay." That came out a little less bitchy than everything else. "Stay where you are." He ordered as he started to carefully make his way down. Sure he could teleport to her, but he was more concerned with catching her if she tried to move up again. "What's wrong with you?" man Dante would be pissed if he lets something happen to her.

[redlightgreenlight]

Half of that blood was mine, She hissed, ignoring his order and trying to scramble back up, but her body was becoming numb and refusing to respond. She lowered herself to the ground, shivering. It was better to pretend that it was her choice than to show how her own body was betraying her.

The barrier protecting my soul from my dark power is deteriorating. She replied quietly, resting her head on her paws.