Post by toby on Feb 7, 2011 1:17:15 GMT -5
Hours passed before Daniel finally stirred. The sun was beginning its descent to the horizon, a few scattered clouds turning to a burnt orange in the early stages of dusk. As the beams poked through the trees, Daniel opened his eyes to find himself laying on a cot inside their tent. Kestra stood at the door, concern molded into her face. As she turned to see him sitting up, that concern melted into a sternly compassionate visage only she could pull off.
"Do you have any idea what this has done to our schedule? If you had been paying attention you would've known he wasn't in that bush!"
Daniel squinted at Kestra, putting a hand in front of his eyes to block the sun. Her curved silhouette drew closer to his cot.
"I was worried about you. It's been almost four hours." Kestra's voice had morphed into something almost motherly, concerned yet firm.
Daniel swung his feet off the cot and began to stand, only to fall backwards and return to his pillow. Daniel finally got himself out of bed, palm resting on the back of his skull over the ever-frozen ice.
“Let’s go and see our new friend.” Kestra’s suggestion was accompanied by a look some would call sadistic, but Daniel knew to be a jest. Certainly her interrogation methods were a bit unorthodox, but they got the job done. And finishing the job was all that mattered.
The pair stepped out of the tent, Daniel shielding his eyes from the setting sun. To his right he heard a grunting noise.
“Glad you could finally join us!” Athromir said, unusually cheerful. Their black robed prisoner was draping from the tree, soaking wet. His hood fell low over his head and his sleeves were far longer than his arms. The robe fell low, touching the ground, and ensuring his entire body was covered.
“ We thought we’d leave the unmasking for you.” Athromir bowed slightly, indicating their detainee, and stepped out of the way.
“Let’s see just who you are.” Daniel’s words were framed in ice as he stepped forward. Drawing his twin daggers from their sheaths, he focused his energy and threw them each. Their tips connected with the captive’s robe, one above each shoulder, burying themselves at least four inches into the tree.
“Kestra, a sword if you please?” Kestra drew one of her tanto swords and inspected it, then gently handed it to Daniel.
“Be careful with it.”
“I will.”
Daniel held the sword in front of him, but was unsure of what to do with it. He finally settled with the blade parallel to the ground and parallel with his shoulders, arm fully extended. He walked around behind the tree, setting the blade across their captive’s throat.
“Why don’t we start with a name?”
“My name,” began the raspy voice, “my name is Zra’chron.”
Kestra and Athromir’s faces were both simultaneously stricken with fear as the demon spoke its name. Daniel looked up and saw them, visibly confused.
“DANIEL! GET OVER HERE NOW!” Athromir yelled.
“What? What is it?”
“JUST MOVE!”
Daniel ran around the tree, almost dropping Kestra’s sword. Athromir raised his hands, mouth moving rapidly. Kestra drew her throwing blades and flung them at the figure. Before they made contact, he melted through the ropes binding his limbs and ducked, causing them to lodge in the tree. Suddenly, the clouds along the horizon began to disappear. Athromir was visibly straining to evaporate them. As the sun beams eked through the clouds, Kestra charged the demon, twin tanto swords in a battle stance. As she neared her target, she began to spin, finally connecting with the top of the demon’s hood. Instead of slicing through the tough fabric, she turned the blade slightly, pulling the hood back and off his head. Daniel turned and saw a sight he would never forget.
The demon’s head was covered in cracked, pale blue skin. His yellow irises surrounded reptilian slit-like pupils, and his grin was full of razor sharp teeth. Most noticeable was his flattened nose; instead of the normal pointed feature, two slits formed a V on the middle of his face. He screamed as the sunlight touched his skin, turning and hunching over to escape the beams. Mother nature had other plans, though; while Athromir was a powerful spellcaster, he could not stop the world from turning. The sun disappeared behind mountains, and with it their last rays of hope. The demon stood up, watching the sunlight dance above, and laughed. Black smoke swirled around his feet.
"Athromir?" Daniel's look told him everything he needed to know.
"I think it's time we hit the road." Athromir's response was confident.
Before they could act, the demon flew forward, straight to Kestra. It passed through her, and she collapsed to the ground, before continuing on to Daniel. However, instead of passing through him, it stopped. The same black smoke flew up, forming a veil around the pair, only to disappear moments later. Daniel was down on one knee, head bowed, hands on the ground. Slowly he stood, and Athromir knew what had happened. The yellow in his eyes gave it away. Zra'Daniel grinned maniacally, displaying unnaturally sharp teeth.
"He's mine." With those two words, the demon-man disappeared into his black smoke. Just then, Kestra rose from the ground.
"Well, that went well," was all she could say.
"Do you have any idea what this has done to our schedule? If you had been paying attention you would've known he wasn't in that bush!"
Daniel squinted at Kestra, putting a hand in front of his eyes to block the sun. Her curved silhouette drew closer to his cot.
"I was worried about you. It's been almost four hours." Kestra's voice had morphed into something almost motherly, concerned yet firm.
Daniel swung his feet off the cot and began to stand, only to fall backwards and return to his pillow. Daniel finally got himself out of bed, palm resting on the back of his skull over the ever-frozen ice.
“Let’s go and see our new friend.” Kestra’s suggestion was accompanied by a look some would call sadistic, but Daniel knew to be a jest. Certainly her interrogation methods were a bit unorthodox, but they got the job done. And finishing the job was all that mattered.
The pair stepped out of the tent, Daniel shielding his eyes from the setting sun. To his right he heard a grunting noise.
“Glad you could finally join us!” Athromir said, unusually cheerful. Their black robed prisoner was draping from the tree, soaking wet. His hood fell low over his head and his sleeves were far longer than his arms. The robe fell low, touching the ground, and ensuring his entire body was covered.
“ We thought we’d leave the unmasking for you.” Athromir bowed slightly, indicating their detainee, and stepped out of the way.
“Let’s see just who you are.” Daniel’s words were framed in ice as he stepped forward. Drawing his twin daggers from their sheaths, he focused his energy and threw them each. Their tips connected with the captive’s robe, one above each shoulder, burying themselves at least four inches into the tree.
“Kestra, a sword if you please?” Kestra drew one of her tanto swords and inspected it, then gently handed it to Daniel.
“Be careful with it.”
“I will.”
Daniel held the sword in front of him, but was unsure of what to do with it. He finally settled with the blade parallel to the ground and parallel with his shoulders, arm fully extended. He walked around behind the tree, setting the blade across their captive’s throat.
“Why don’t we start with a name?”
“My name,” began the raspy voice, “my name is Zra’chron.”
Kestra and Athromir’s faces were both simultaneously stricken with fear as the demon spoke its name. Daniel looked up and saw them, visibly confused.
“DANIEL! GET OVER HERE NOW!” Athromir yelled.
“What? What is it?”
“JUST MOVE!”
Daniel ran around the tree, almost dropping Kestra’s sword. Athromir raised his hands, mouth moving rapidly. Kestra drew her throwing blades and flung them at the figure. Before they made contact, he melted through the ropes binding his limbs and ducked, causing them to lodge in the tree. Suddenly, the clouds along the horizon began to disappear. Athromir was visibly straining to evaporate them. As the sun beams eked through the clouds, Kestra charged the demon, twin tanto swords in a battle stance. As she neared her target, she began to spin, finally connecting with the top of the demon’s hood. Instead of slicing through the tough fabric, she turned the blade slightly, pulling the hood back and off his head. Daniel turned and saw a sight he would never forget.
The demon’s head was covered in cracked, pale blue skin. His yellow irises surrounded reptilian slit-like pupils, and his grin was full of razor sharp teeth. Most noticeable was his flattened nose; instead of the normal pointed feature, two slits formed a V on the middle of his face. He screamed as the sunlight touched his skin, turning and hunching over to escape the beams. Mother nature had other plans, though; while Athromir was a powerful spellcaster, he could not stop the world from turning. The sun disappeared behind mountains, and with it their last rays of hope. The demon stood up, watching the sunlight dance above, and laughed. Black smoke swirled around his feet.
"Athromir?" Daniel's look told him everything he needed to know.
"I think it's time we hit the road." Athromir's response was confident.
Before they could act, the demon flew forward, straight to Kestra. It passed through her, and she collapsed to the ground, before continuing on to Daniel. However, instead of passing through him, it stopped. The same black smoke flew up, forming a veil around the pair, only to disappear moments later. Daniel was down on one knee, head bowed, hands on the ground. Slowly he stood, and Athromir knew what had happened. The yellow in his eyes gave it away. Zra'Daniel grinned maniacally, displaying unnaturally sharp teeth.
"He's mine." With those two words, the demon-man disappeared into his black smoke. Just then, Kestra rose from the ground.
"Well, that went well," was all she could say.
