[SE] Justice for Mr. Matas!

-Zavien-

"Throw it?! Like a frisbee?!" Zavien had no idea how to do that, and as the serpent seemed to turn its attentions back to him, the Dragoon didn't really have time to figure it out. Koa's attack looked incredible, if Zavien could figure out how striking the air helped them. It seemed to do something as he watched the serpent's head erupt in sparks of electricity and a large gash between its beady purple eyes. However, it only served to frustrate it further as those eyes trained onto Zavien. 

Chuckling nervously, he dodged a desperate lunge attack that sprayed venom across his face while also taking the creature closer to the edge of their outcrop. Zavien hopped onto a large rock in one large leap, looking down at the sad scene. The shadow serpent had black blood oozing from both ends. Its tail dragged behind it, smearing across the dirt. Its movements were becoming erratic as the blood from its head wound began to drip over its eyes. A kernel of pity settled in his chest. Yet, as he saw Koa leap onto the creature, he knew that he couldn't delay. 

Zavien gripped the disk tightly in his hands and gave a war cry as he jumped from the rock, preparing to sever the head of the creature. As his hand came down in a merciful attack, the serpent vanished into a black cloud, appearing a foot in front of him. His eyes squeezed tight a few times as he tried to understand what was happening. Then the image of two heads raised before his eyes, neither looking very happy about his attempt on their life. Each head flashed in and out of focus, immediately telling Zavien that something wasn't right. Giving the snarling serpent an embarrassed smile, he rolled just in time to avoid their snapping jaw(s?). "Hey Koa? Are there two?" He already suspected the answer, but he figured it would help to confirm.

Life is getting up one more time
than you've been knocked down.

I always thought I might be bad
Now I'm sure that it's true

Yeah, like a frisbee, but it's ok - Zavien is figuring his shit out, and Koa doesn't have time to further instruct - he's busy riding bareback on a beast in the throes of death. This time he doesn't use his knife but goes straight in with his fists, pounding into the serpent's back - or rather, into the air a foot above. And then Zavien is leaping, the chakram in his hand, and Koa grins to see the metal glint in the air before crashing down on the serpent's head.

With a spray of violet and a final scream the shadow serpent falls. Koa waits a beat to ensure it's truly dead before disengaging and stepping off, his grin fierce as he turns to Zavien. "We fucking did it!" he begins to crow---

---Except Zavien is rolling on the ground, and Koa is confused.

"...No? Shit, were you bit?" Kneeling in the dirt beside the flailing Dragoon, Koa extends a hand to steady the other man. "There's been reports some of the void things cause hallucinations. Are you still seeing it? Cus it's, like, super dead."

'cause I think you're so good
and I'm nothing like you

Koa

-Zavien-

Koa's words didn't seem to compute with what he'd seen. "You mean I didn't miss?" Zavien stopped his evasive maneuvers to reassess his surroundings. To his eyes, the serpent still lay writhing on the ground, although there weren't two of them anymore, which was a marked improvement. However, now Koa had purple hair, and Pipsqueak looked extra big? The observations only confirmed his suspicions, but now the fear factor had vanished, generating a slightly hysterical laugh from the Dragoon. "You should see yourself right now."

Rubbing his eyes, he thought about the events of the fight. He definitely hadn't been bitten. He didn't even have any open wounds. His head shook, reassuring Koa that he hadn't been seriously exposed to the poison, but he then remembered how the creature had practically spat into his eyes. Zavien looked back at his fellow soldier, watching the man's features distort before him, although he tried to ignore that as he said, "I think I'm okay. It just got in my eyes. If we rinse them out, that should help." Especially as he considered the idea of climbing back up the cliffs with edges that looked like unstable roots or mushroom tops. And he thought that he was starting to get over his fear.

Life is getting up one more time
than you've been knocked down.

I always thought I might be bad
Now I'm sure that it's true

"Why, do I look extra dashingly heroic and incredibly handsome?" Koa laughs, puffing out his chest. Relieved to learn there's no serious injury, the Dragoon nonetheless does his own quick inspection of his colleague - Zavien's already demonstrated his judgment is impaired.

Satisfied with Zavien's state, Koa sits back on his heels and begins to undo his boxing wraps. "I have water in the pack, up there," he says, gesturing with his chin to the ledge above. "I'll go grab it. In the meantime - here, give me your hand." Taking Zavien's, the younger Dragoon quickly dresses them in the Taijitu. "Go punch something and think healing thoughts. Should make you feel better."

And with that cryptic piece of advice Koa makes his way to the rope, climbing up to the ledge above. By the time he returns with water Zavien will hopefully be feeling improved, and coherent enough to be safely ferried back across to solid ground.

---

Type: Grey | Style: Other | Level: Basic

Taijitu Boxing Wraps | When landing an attack on an enemy (via an unarmed strike), may EITHER cause Basic Damage to the enemy, OR may give Basic Healing to the user.

'cause I think you're so good
and I'm nothing like you

Koa

-Zavien-

Zavien looked closely at Koa's new look, his purple locks glinting in the sunlight. "Hmm... It's not really your color." His grin was joking, but he definitely thought the Dragoon would look better in green. When he started wrapping the strange material around his hands, Zavien tried to look down at the fabric, focusing on the sensation rather than the fact that they looked like pieces of bacon. Nodding at the instructions, he watched as Koa ran off to fetch the water. But when he finally processed the words, he realized he had no idea what they meant, shouting out, "Wait? Punch something to heal?! What does that mean?!" Yet Koa was already climbing up, too far to give further instructions. 

Looking back down at the pieces of bacon wrapped around his hands, he shrugged his shoulders. 'Go punch something and think healing thoughts...'? Okay... He'd just have to trust the words. So, Zavien stood and walked towards the shadow serpent. Luckily, it no longer appeared as two, so it was a little easier to take aim. Jabbing his fist forward, he made contact with the dark black-purple scales, trying to think of the feeling of warm healing sunshine on his face. A starburst of light flashed across his vision instantly. As his eyes blinked away the brightness, he noticed the bacon transform before his eyes. A smile split across his face and he waved a wrapped hand towards Koa. "It worked!" The knowledge that he was still atop a small ledge overlooking nothing, Zavien started his way towards the cliffs to join his friend up top. Overall, he was ready to have hit feet nowhere near a cliff for the foreseeable future, but at least they'd cleared out one less Void creature from Stormbreak!

[FIN]

Life is getting up one more time
than you've been knocked down.