02-05-2018, 04:37 AM
This was it.
This was the end for the spirit, he could feel it. His heart hammered in his chest, every muscle and bone in his body aching, right down to what felt like his very being. He gritted his teeth, mud and stone biting into his knees, his torn pants providing no protection from the rocky soil, and the cold rain pelted against him, chilling him down to his very core. Desperately, he tried to lift up his arms. He could still fight, he still had his magic, even if he had to tear apart his very being, he would not die here.
His body refused to move. He could fight through the pain easily. All those deep gashes all across his body, scored so deep into some places that you could see his bone, they were all nothing to him. But in spite of that, his black-charred arms refused to move. He willed himself to rise to his feet, but his broken legs would not move. It took all his strength just to turn his head up, his neck creaking treacherously, something in there displaced, and look his opponent in the eye. He squinted into the storm, the pounding rain stinging his wounds, washing all the blood and mist away as it seeped from his body.
Pure blackness enveloped her face, as though it were concealed by a living shadow beneath her cloak. Not just that, her whole form just seemed... uncertain. Other than the dark cloak she wrapped herself, he just couldn’t grasp her form. He tried to force his mouth open, to speak, to give one last rebellious hurrah. But he just couldn’t. The black-hooded figure lifted her arm up towards him, and suddenly he felt his body being crushed, and his spirit pulled apart. His entire body screamed in agony, consumed by a hellish heat, and blackness consumed his vision.
But he didn’t black out. The storm spirit’s wounds still stung, his chest still ached as some pressure of some sort crushed him, making it difficult to breathe, but not killing him. No longer could he feel the chill of the rain, nor the agony as his very being was rent apart. He slowly cracked his eyes open, revealing not the torrential storm he had just been in, but rather warm beams of light streaming in through the ‘window,’ their rays caught in the dusty air of the Steppes. Rather than kneeling, he was laying, a blanket haphazardly thrown over his body. And instead of freezing in the chilled rain, he found himself pleasantly warm, like a summer’s day. Other than the sensation of his body being crushed, he quite enjoyed this wake-up. He slowly blinked away the sleepiness, his vision focusing until...
Breath tickled his face just as Ebony’s face came into focus, inches from his, her eyes closed, her visage relaxed. Her deceptively strong arms were wrapped tightly around him, pressing him into her warm body. His wounds vaguely ached, though it was much better than last night. Still, he instinctively wriggled, trying to get into a more comfortable position. The young mage’s death-grip grew even tighter as she felt his resistance, and a sleepy, contented sigh escaped her.
“Er... Ebony?” He asked quietly, trying to wake her up before she crushed him anymore. Another quiet hum rose up from her, but she stirred faintly. “Ebony~” he sang lightly, and she stirred again, snuggling into him, her face rubbing against his for a brief moment, and a weak blush rose to his face. Her eyes fluttered open, blinking away her sleep, and those deep green eyes met his, staring deeply for a few seconds as she slowly got her bearings.
A surprised blush crossed the young mage’s face as several realizations struck her at once. Her grip on him loosened, but she didn’t let go, and she drew back just a bit, bed bouncing as she scooted away, but not too far away, as though she were scared of losing him. Summer grinned brightly at that adorable display, a hint of mischief in his eyes.
“Mornin’ sunshine~” he greeted her quietly and cheerfully, his voice still low since Ebony was so close. His body still ached all over, and her hug wasn’t helping matters, but hell if he was gonna show that on his face. This was the best wake-up he’d received in a long while. Or perhaps ever.
“M-Morning....” She nervously mumbled back, her face slowly growing redder by the minute, the heat of her body intensifying in her embarrassment.
“Feeling better today?”
“M-much better. Th-thank you...” Ebony shifted awkwardly as she thanked him, averting her eyes for a moment, settling them further down his face as she tried to avoid eye-contact. Suddenly those eyes widened, and she shifted back to stare at him. “I-I should be a-asking you that!” She had probably been tipped off by the still-throbbing cuts crisscrossing his face. They’d scarred over by now, and soon they’d be completely healed, but man they still hurt like the dickens.
“Sore, but that’s to be expected.” The storm spirit answered vaguely. “Haven’t been in a fight like that in a long while.”
And he was hoping he wouldn’t have to again in a long while. He never enjoyed fighting to the brink like that. He had burned himself up until he couldn’t even move, until he had no choice but pass out. Again. How long had it been since he’d done it last? Years? Decades? Centuries? When was the last time he remembered doing it?
The image of a black-cloaked figure flashed through his mind.
Right. Her.
The smile fell away from his face. Memories he’d rather not remember, a nightmare he’d rather not have to suffer through. The last foe to best him in a one-on-one, the very same that had rent his soul in twain....
Ebony’s sudden jostling jolted him out of his stupor, her arms unwrapping from him as she pulled away, her welcome warmth disappearing. She propped herself up with her hands, looming above the spirit, obvious concern adorning her face as she stared down at him.
“Are you really feeling better?” The young mage all but demanded, an assertive tone he hadn’t yet heard from her entering her voice.
“Why wouldn’t I be?” Summer asked right back, his smile returning as he slowly sat back up, holding down his grimace as his gut throbbed. “Compared to the dragon, that was nothing!” Endless denial as always with him. He conveniently ignored the fact that it was his other half taking that beating, not him.
And the fact that he pushed himself too far, exhausting absolute everything at his disposal, foolishly trying to sacrifice even his body, not caring about how much damage he took so long as he could push forward.
He ignored the obvious tells all over his body; the numerous scratches and scars that not even the liberation inflicted upon him, the electrical burns running jagged lines through his body, the stump of a left hand, and the blackened and useless right arm.
And most of all, he ignored the fact that’d he’d do it again without a second thought. No matter how much he told himself he didn’t want to do that again. No matter how close to death he came, no matter how many looks of despair and tears Ebony gave him, he’d do it again, and again, and again. After all, it always turned out alright in the end, didn’t it? Sure, he may have been split into two halves, torn out of his old life after death, and hurting just a bit, he was still here. Alive and kicking. There was nothing to worry about.
“Come on, let's go wake up Morene and get breakfast!” He cheerfully tried to change the subject, sweeping his blanket off of him with his still-mobile stump. As much as he’d love to spontaneously regrow it again just to ruffle her hair, tell her it would be alright, he was still exhausted. He’d just pushed himself to the absolute brink, he wouldn’t have the energy for a fair bit. That was fine, though. All he needed was a nice meal and about 2 hours. Then they’d be able to spar to their hearts’ content. He’d barely managed to kick his feet off the bed, ready to stand up on shaky legs, when a firm hand seized his collar from behind.
“I-If it’s not so bad, th-then regrow your hand a-and...” Though shaky, Eb’s voice was still unyielding. “P-Pat my head like last time....”
Summer paused, his moment of hesitation telling the young mage all she needed to know.
“S-See?” She stuttered. He could feel the bed beneath him shift as she moved closer to him, her grip on his shirt easing up. “I-It’s worse than the dragon.” Her tone was subdued, defeat seeping through every word. “A-At least l-last time you could re-regrow it...” A soft, warm body pressed into his back, slender arms wrapping around him again. Summer heaved a deep sigh, fighting through the piercing pain in his lungs.
“It’ll be fine...” The storm spirit tried to reassure her, but his voice didn’t sound nearly as peppy as last time. “I just need a meal to get my energy back. Then I’ll be able to heal this all up in no time.”
Ebony simply hugged him tighter, still just as worried as before, and Summer didn’t know how to respond. There was nothing he could think to say to ease her tension, and he dared not pull away from her embrace, either. All he could do was let her have her moment, and feel the heat slowly enveloping him as she refused to let go. He didn’t know how long they simply sat there for, saying nothing, the castle quiet save for the sounds of their breathing. Finally, he stirred somewhat, wriggling just a bit in her grip.
“... Let’s go get something to eat.” There was no more cheery facade hidden in the storm spirit’s voice. The young mage remained quiet for another few seconds, as if debating whether she dared to let go of him and risk everything suddenly becoming worse, as it had constantly been doing in her eyes. Eventually, she shifted, her grip loosening up until he was able to gently extricate himself, ready to rise to his unsteady feet. But once again, before he could, a strong hand caught him by the collar.
“Actually, no!” Ebony’s voice was filled in an unexpected resolve, and she pulled him right back onto the bed with strength unbefitting of her small frame. She absolutely manhandled the storm spirit, who was too weak to fight back against her sudden assault as she forced him to lay back down, head plopping right back onto his pillow. The young mage’s deep green eyes stared down, meeting his own as she straddled him, holding him to the bed. A self-assured, if slightly arrogant smile adorned her face, an expression he didn’t expect to see her wear.
“You are going to stay right here and rest.” She ordered, smiling with a newfound confidence. Summer felt his heart skip a beat, a small blush creeping over his cheeks. “And I am going to bring you breakfast. Got it?”
The stunned spirit blinked a few times in absolute surprise, staring up at her awestruck, before finally getting his bearings back. “G-Got it....” He mumbled quietly, an answer that Ebony seemed satisfied with. Smiling, the young mage lifted off of him and hopped off the bed, before merrily going off to fetch some food. Summer simply watched as she left, having no idea how to react to any of that....
This was the end for the spirit, he could feel it. His heart hammered in his chest, every muscle and bone in his body aching, right down to what felt like his very being. He gritted his teeth, mud and stone biting into his knees, his torn pants providing no protection from the rocky soil, and the cold rain pelted against him, chilling him down to his very core. Desperately, he tried to lift up his arms. He could still fight, he still had his magic, even if he had to tear apart his very being, he would not die here.
His body refused to move. He could fight through the pain easily. All those deep gashes all across his body, scored so deep into some places that you could see his bone, they were all nothing to him. But in spite of that, his black-charred arms refused to move. He willed himself to rise to his feet, but his broken legs would not move. It took all his strength just to turn his head up, his neck creaking treacherously, something in there displaced, and look his opponent in the eye. He squinted into the storm, the pounding rain stinging his wounds, washing all the blood and mist away as it seeped from his body.
Pure blackness enveloped her face, as though it were concealed by a living shadow beneath her cloak. Not just that, her whole form just seemed... uncertain. Other than the dark cloak she wrapped herself, he just couldn’t grasp her form. He tried to force his mouth open, to speak, to give one last rebellious hurrah. But he just couldn’t. The black-hooded figure lifted her arm up towards him, and suddenly he felt his body being crushed, and his spirit pulled apart. His entire body screamed in agony, consumed by a hellish heat, and blackness consumed his vision.
But he didn’t black out. The storm spirit’s wounds still stung, his chest still ached as some pressure of some sort crushed him, making it difficult to breathe, but not killing him. No longer could he feel the chill of the rain, nor the agony as his very being was rent apart. He slowly cracked his eyes open, revealing not the torrential storm he had just been in, but rather warm beams of light streaming in through the ‘window,’ their rays caught in the dusty air of the Steppes. Rather than kneeling, he was laying, a blanket haphazardly thrown over his body. And instead of freezing in the chilled rain, he found himself pleasantly warm, like a summer’s day. Other than the sensation of his body being crushed, he quite enjoyed this wake-up. He slowly blinked away the sleepiness, his vision focusing until...
Breath tickled his face just as Ebony’s face came into focus, inches from his, her eyes closed, her visage relaxed. Her deceptively strong arms were wrapped tightly around him, pressing him into her warm body. His wounds vaguely ached, though it was much better than last night. Still, he instinctively wriggled, trying to get into a more comfortable position. The young mage’s death-grip grew even tighter as she felt his resistance, and a sleepy, contented sigh escaped her.
“Er... Ebony?” He asked quietly, trying to wake her up before she crushed him anymore. Another quiet hum rose up from her, but she stirred faintly. “Ebony~” he sang lightly, and she stirred again, snuggling into him, her face rubbing against his for a brief moment, and a weak blush rose to his face. Her eyes fluttered open, blinking away her sleep, and those deep green eyes met his, staring deeply for a few seconds as she slowly got her bearings.
A surprised blush crossed the young mage’s face as several realizations struck her at once. Her grip on him loosened, but she didn’t let go, and she drew back just a bit, bed bouncing as she scooted away, but not too far away, as though she were scared of losing him. Summer grinned brightly at that adorable display, a hint of mischief in his eyes.
“Mornin’ sunshine~” he greeted her quietly and cheerfully, his voice still low since Ebony was so close. His body still ached all over, and her hug wasn’t helping matters, but hell if he was gonna show that on his face. This was the best wake-up he’d received in a long while. Or perhaps ever.
“M-Morning....” She nervously mumbled back, her face slowly growing redder by the minute, the heat of her body intensifying in her embarrassment.
“Feeling better today?”
“M-much better. Th-thank you...” Ebony shifted awkwardly as she thanked him, averting her eyes for a moment, settling them further down his face as she tried to avoid eye-contact. Suddenly those eyes widened, and she shifted back to stare at him. “I-I should be a-asking you that!” She had probably been tipped off by the still-throbbing cuts crisscrossing his face. They’d scarred over by now, and soon they’d be completely healed, but man they still hurt like the dickens.
“Sore, but that’s to be expected.” The storm spirit answered vaguely. “Haven’t been in a fight like that in a long while.”
And he was hoping he wouldn’t have to again in a long while. He never enjoyed fighting to the brink like that. He had burned himself up until he couldn’t even move, until he had no choice but pass out. Again. How long had it been since he’d done it last? Years? Decades? Centuries? When was the last time he remembered doing it?
The image of a black-cloaked figure flashed through his mind.
Right. Her.
The smile fell away from his face. Memories he’d rather not remember, a nightmare he’d rather not have to suffer through. The last foe to best him in a one-on-one, the very same that had rent his soul in twain....
Ebony’s sudden jostling jolted him out of his stupor, her arms unwrapping from him as she pulled away, her welcome warmth disappearing. She propped herself up with her hands, looming above the spirit, obvious concern adorning her face as she stared down at him.
“Are you really feeling better?” The young mage all but demanded, an assertive tone he hadn’t yet heard from her entering her voice.
“Why wouldn’t I be?” Summer asked right back, his smile returning as he slowly sat back up, holding down his grimace as his gut throbbed. “Compared to the dragon, that was nothing!” Endless denial as always with him. He conveniently ignored the fact that it was his other half taking that beating, not him.
And the fact that he pushed himself too far, exhausting absolute everything at his disposal, foolishly trying to sacrifice even his body, not caring about how much damage he took so long as he could push forward.
He ignored the obvious tells all over his body; the numerous scratches and scars that not even the liberation inflicted upon him, the electrical burns running jagged lines through his body, the stump of a left hand, and the blackened and useless right arm.
And most of all, he ignored the fact that’d he’d do it again without a second thought. No matter how much he told himself he didn’t want to do that again. No matter how close to death he came, no matter how many looks of despair and tears Ebony gave him, he’d do it again, and again, and again. After all, it always turned out alright in the end, didn’t it? Sure, he may have been split into two halves, torn out of his old life after death, and hurting just a bit, he was still here. Alive and kicking. There was nothing to worry about.
“Come on, let's go wake up Morene and get breakfast!” He cheerfully tried to change the subject, sweeping his blanket off of him with his still-mobile stump. As much as he’d love to spontaneously regrow it again just to ruffle her hair, tell her it would be alright, he was still exhausted. He’d just pushed himself to the absolute brink, he wouldn’t have the energy for a fair bit. That was fine, though. All he needed was a nice meal and about 2 hours. Then they’d be able to spar to their hearts’ content. He’d barely managed to kick his feet off the bed, ready to stand up on shaky legs, when a firm hand seized his collar from behind.
“I-If it’s not so bad, th-then regrow your hand a-and...” Though shaky, Eb’s voice was still unyielding. “P-Pat my head like last time....”
Summer paused, his moment of hesitation telling the young mage all she needed to know.
“S-See?” She stuttered. He could feel the bed beneath him shift as she moved closer to him, her grip on his shirt easing up. “I-It’s worse than the dragon.” Her tone was subdued, defeat seeping through every word. “A-At least l-last time you could re-regrow it...” A soft, warm body pressed into his back, slender arms wrapping around him again. Summer heaved a deep sigh, fighting through the piercing pain in his lungs.
“It’ll be fine...” The storm spirit tried to reassure her, but his voice didn’t sound nearly as peppy as last time. “I just need a meal to get my energy back. Then I’ll be able to heal this all up in no time.”
Ebony simply hugged him tighter, still just as worried as before, and Summer didn’t know how to respond. There was nothing he could think to say to ease her tension, and he dared not pull away from her embrace, either. All he could do was let her have her moment, and feel the heat slowly enveloping him as she refused to let go. He didn’t know how long they simply sat there for, saying nothing, the castle quiet save for the sounds of their breathing. Finally, he stirred somewhat, wriggling just a bit in her grip.
“... Let’s go get something to eat.” There was no more cheery facade hidden in the storm spirit’s voice. The young mage remained quiet for another few seconds, as if debating whether she dared to let go of him and risk everything suddenly becoming worse, as it had constantly been doing in her eyes. Eventually, she shifted, her grip loosening up until he was able to gently extricate himself, ready to rise to his unsteady feet. But once again, before he could, a strong hand caught him by the collar.
“Actually, no!” Ebony’s voice was filled in an unexpected resolve, and she pulled him right back onto the bed with strength unbefitting of her small frame. She absolutely manhandled the storm spirit, who was too weak to fight back against her sudden assault as she forced him to lay back down, head plopping right back onto his pillow. The young mage’s deep green eyes stared down, meeting his own as she straddled him, holding him to the bed. A self-assured, if slightly arrogant smile adorned her face, an expression he didn’t expect to see her wear.
“You are going to stay right here and rest.” She ordered, smiling with a newfound confidence. Summer felt his heart skip a beat, a small blush creeping over his cheeks. “And I am going to bring you breakfast. Got it?”
The stunned spirit blinked a few times in absolute surprise, staring up at her awestruck, before finally getting his bearings back. “G-Got it....” He mumbled quietly, an answer that Ebony seemed satisfied with. Smiling, the young mage lifted off of him and hopped off the bed, before merrily going off to fetch some food. Summer simply watched as she left, having no idea how to react to any of that....
![[Image: ZpWQiiu.gif]](https://i.imgur.com/ZpWQiiu.gif)