11-13-2016, 08:19 AM
Koal saw her block the blade of his blade with the metal of her gun, and in a sort of slow motion, he saw the sparks fizzle into existence only to be extinguished by the winds an instant later. Time sped back up and Dawn quickly placed a foot firmly on Koal's chest, using it as a springboard to somersault backwards. Letting out a growl, he stumbled backwards, quickly regaining his footing before shooting towards once more, determined to press an attack before she was once more out of range. She was skilled, and Koal felt a small spark of admiration flicker to life in his chest before he crushed it. She was the enemy. He didn't know why, but he needed Ballad alive.
"You act so high and mighty, talking of scars. You don't know the half of what I've endured." he punctuated the growled out sentence with a strike from his blade, the swipe narrowly missing as Dawn wove her body to avoid it. He felt a bullet pierce the joint of his knee, and his leg buckled, before he quickly ripped it out, a spatter of scarlet blood steaming as it hit the snow. Dawn was quickly running again, firing in short bursts and Koal dove to the side as one slammed into his upper bicep. He spat out a curse as the rest cut through the snow-clogged air above his prone body. He heard her voice, as cool as the ice in the air.
"I could say the same to you." Another bullet threw out a small cloud of snow In front of his face, swiping his hand across his eyes. He quickly darted forward, trying to close the distance that she had created between them. A sharp spear of pain would race like lightening each time he put weight on his injured leg, but he ground his teeth, and quickly took a hasty swipe at he face, only to have the dark metal of her gun throw the blade off course as she partied the strike, the rusty metal only carving a shallow valley in her shoulder. He heard a small gasp escape before the butt of the gun strike his cheek. He felt the bone fracture, and he winced as he flinched backwards, his left hand shooting out desperately.
A shadowy vice locked into her right ankle, claws digging into the pale flesh. They drank the scarlet blood greedily, and Dawn tried, with limited success, to yank her leg from Koals grasp. The claws ripped small chunks of flesh out of her slender leg, and the slick blood loosened his grip enough for her to escape. He made another grab, but His fingers closed around empty air as Dawn dove and rolled forward through the snow, reloading a magazine as she did.
Koal sprang to his feet, locking eyes with Dawn as they both began to circle, assessing each other once more. Koal limped slightly with each step, red blood staining the white snow. Dawn was relatively unharmed, compared to Koal. He had scored precious few hits, and they weren't even solid ones. His red eyes faded to their original lilac hue as his anger subsided, replaced with a numb and empty feeling deep in his chest. Hollow. He took a good look at Dawn, really taking into account her features for the first time. She was beautiful, in a subtle way, but Koal could also sense the deadly aura around her. Her eyes made the snowstorm that raged around them seem warm in comparison. She was the very definition of cool. He felt a small shiver drag down his spine, and he straighten his back, flexing his calve muscles.
"I can't let you kill Ballad. I need him alive. I don't expect you to understand." His ragged voice barely reached Dawn's ears, but he continued on.
"You say that you see my scars.That you can sense my pain. Well... I can feel the weight of your sins, and it's a wonder you haven't crumbled beneath them." His eyes shone with a grudging respect and Koal shot forward once more twisting his body around an instant before a bullet raced by his head, a crack of thunder following it. The loud sound pieced Koals eardrums, but he ignored it racing forward to meet his quarry head-on. He let out a feral snarl, baring his fangs, before he sliced at Dawn's feet. She was already moving before he began the arc of his blade.
"I accept my sins and move beyond them. Holding on to your past won't help you in the present. Or the future." She put a bullet in his lower abdomen, punctuating the line. Koal retaliated with a simultaneous swipe of his claws and sword, hoping to get a good hit in, to justify himself to her in the only way he could. Through the Dance of Death. Dawn was more skilled than he, but he was no pushover. Koal watched with a faint sense of fascination as she seamlessly avoided his blade, but he clawed he across her ribs, rivulets of blood staining her shirt, dripping onto her skirt. He felt a grim sense of satisfaction as he saw a spark of surprise quickly find a home in her sapphire eyes, before quickly being replaced with the now-familiar icy expression.
"My sins are not to be forgotten. I carry mine with me, so that I will never forget what I've done." Koal glanced at his hands, turning them over as he mumbled those words. He felt his strength beginning to wane, each pump of his heart spilling more of his precious life blood onto the ground beaneath him. It swallowed the crimson liquid, snow turning pink. His eyes turned solemn.
"I am truly damned."
Her only response was to cock her gun once more, her eyes locking with his in a battle of wills.
"You act so high and mighty, talking of scars. You don't know the half of what I've endured." he punctuated the growled out sentence with a strike from his blade, the swipe narrowly missing as Dawn wove her body to avoid it. He felt a bullet pierce the joint of his knee, and his leg buckled, before he quickly ripped it out, a spatter of scarlet blood steaming as it hit the snow. Dawn was quickly running again, firing in short bursts and Koal dove to the side as one slammed into his upper bicep. He spat out a curse as the rest cut through the snow-clogged air above his prone body. He heard her voice, as cool as the ice in the air.
"I could say the same to you." Another bullet threw out a small cloud of snow In front of his face, swiping his hand across his eyes. He quickly darted forward, trying to close the distance that she had created between them. A sharp spear of pain would race like lightening each time he put weight on his injured leg, but he ground his teeth, and quickly took a hasty swipe at he face, only to have the dark metal of her gun throw the blade off course as she partied the strike, the rusty metal only carving a shallow valley in her shoulder. He heard a small gasp escape before the butt of the gun strike his cheek. He felt the bone fracture, and he winced as he flinched backwards, his left hand shooting out desperately.
A shadowy vice locked into her right ankle, claws digging into the pale flesh. They drank the scarlet blood greedily, and Dawn tried, with limited success, to yank her leg from Koals grasp. The claws ripped small chunks of flesh out of her slender leg, and the slick blood loosened his grip enough for her to escape. He made another grab, but His fingers closed around empty air as Dawn dove and rolled forward through the snow, reloading a magazine as she did.
Koal sprang to his feet, locking eyes with Dawn as they both began to circle, assessing each other once more. Koal limped slightly with each step, red blood staining the white snow. Dawn was relatively unharmed, compared to Koal. He had scored precious few hits, and they weren't even solid ones. His red eyes faded to their original lilac hue as his anger subsided, replaced with a numb and empty feeling deep in his chest. Hollow. He took a good look at Dawn, really taking into account her features for the first time. She was beautiful, in a subtle way, but Koal could also sense the deadly aura around her. Her eyes made the snowstorm that raged around them seem warm in comparison. She was the very definition of cool. He felt a small shiver drag down his spine, and he straighten his back, flexing his calve muscles.
"I can't let you kill Ballad. I need him alive. I don't expect you to understand." His ragged voice barely reached Dawn's ears, but he continued on.
"You say that you see my scars.That you can sense my pain. Well... I can feel the weight of your sins, and it's a wonder you haven't crumbled beneath them." His eyes shone with a grudging respect and Koal shot forward once more twisting his body around an instant before a bullet raced by his head, a crack of thunder following it. The loud sound pieced Koals eardrums, but he ignored it racing forward to meet his quarry head-on. He let out a feral snarl, baring his fangs, before he sliced at Dawn's feet. She was already moving before he began the arc of his blade.
"I accept my sins and move beyond them. Holding on to your past won't help you in the present. Or the future." She put a bullet in his lower abdomen, punctuating the line. Koal retaliated with a simultaneous swipe of his claws and sword, hoping to get a good hit in, to justify himself to her in the only way he could. Through the Dance of Death. Dawn was more skilled than he, but he was no pushover. Koal watched with a faint sense of fascination as she seamlessly avoided his blade, but he clawed he across her ribs, rivulets of blood staining her shirt, dripping onto her skirt. He felt a grim sense of satisfaction as he saw a spark of surprise quickly find a home in her sapphire eyes, before quickly being replaced with the now-familiar icy expression.
"My sins are not to be forgotten. I carry mine with me, so that I will never forget what I've done." Koal glanced at his hands, turning them over as he mumbled those words. He felt his strength beginning to wane, each pump of his heart spilling more of his precious life blood onto the ground beaneath him. It swallowed the crimson liquid, snow turning pink. His eyes turned solemn.
"I am truly damned."
Her only response was to cock her gun once more, her eyes locking with his in a battle of wills.
"...If the soul is left in darkness sins will be committed. The guilty one is not he who commits the sin, but he who causes the darkness.”
-Victor Hugo Les Miserables
-Victor Hugo Les Miserables