The World of Toisian ~ View topic

Kaida went a few steps from her post to decapitate one of the remaining beasts, side-stepped to take several legs off of one that had begun to retreat (it hissed and clicked, streaming slick blood from the wounds, and crumpled), and fell back to guard the non-combatants again. The drachnids were fleeing, turning back into the woods. Had they acknowledged, this time, that their strength was more than matched?

We're missing one, she registered. Seiji had probably just noticed Kail's absense from the clearing. "Don't worry," she replied, making a cursory head-count. "The boy is--"

She stopped to count again, a knot beginning to form in her gut. Kail was beyond the edge of her mind's eye, but she doubted that he would fall; there was Gage, movements explosive; Midori and Makoto, low, still, but pulses fast; Seiji, a new presence to henji, quick and nervous and sudden; Soumil, also new, collapsed but whole; Yozora, off to one side, subdued; Asmodeus, cold, barely exerting himself at all...

Her sentence halted, and she swallowed. Seiji was right. "Lenanabe." Lena's familiar pulse, fast and fiery, the taut grace of her fighting stance - she was missing. Through the beats hammering in her ears, Kaida reached outwards to the limits of her senses, and felt nothing. Despair clawed in her stomach, but she fought it; the fact that she had not detected the struggles of a dying body meant that Lena could still be alive, somewhere. Still, henji revealed nothing but Kail's return, fast and shallow heartbeat and too-fluid, too-quick movements.

He had paused, waiting, watching from the fog, not unlike the beasts they had just fought. Baiting him, as she had last time, was not an option. They didn't have time, and she couldn't risk that fight again.

She lowered her sword just slightly, enough (she hoped) to signal that she did not wish to challenge him but still at a place from which she could block or strike quickly. "Kail-kun," she said quite evenly, focusing on speaking in order to ignore the panicked twist in her gut. "The danger for us has passed. Put away your blade."

no, not like the vegetable Joined: 05 Jan 2006 Posts: 29

The Bloodsong tilted its head to one side. It remembered this one; oh how well it remembered this one...

A beautiful dance in shadowed streets, the glory of life a hairs-breadth from perishing...

...and then the cursed, deplorable cheat employed...

Chiburi, the quick flick leaving the Bloodsong's katana clean of the blood recently painted on, preceded the sheathing.

The blade would not leap must kill battle is over let the blood sing it must bow to my will I am Kail blood's voice must be heard get back in your cage prey is weak! and let me kill breathe!

Kail drew a shuddering breath as the Bloodsong finally subsided. Forcing the Bloodsong back was always an experience...and not an easy one in the least.

His face ached from the rigid grin so recently banished as Kail carefully seated his blade and showed empty hands. "Battle's over," he grated hoarsely, for all that the Bloodsong was silent, unlike the Dance. "I'm good."

Stepping carefully into the cleraing littered with dead spider-monsters, Kail flicked tired eyes around, counting dimly lit heads. His vision just fuzzy enough to blur details, he had to ask. "Who's missing?"

Kaida stopped just short of raising her blade again when Kail cleaned his katana of blood with one sharp movement. She waited, quiet, and did not sheathe her sword until three breaths after he had spoken, just for good measure, but even then, she watched him walk from the surrounding trees into the clearing, through which fog continued to meander.

Who's missing, indeed. Kaida sighed and set her teeth. "Lenanabe-san is." No need to say more. No need to blame or to make excuses. "Seiji-kun... did you see what happened? Did anyone...?"

Her eyes roved the quieted crowd, subconsiously seeking the taller woman and settling instead on her childhood friend. Out here, he was the next most comforting sight.