[SE] So many things I need to say to you

Maea

"I need to hunt," Maea had announced tersely, a few days after the incident with the Voidforged fyrhunds. "Come if you want, or wait here - but I'm going." Spending a few days together in the sanctuary of the crystal-clad cave and visiting with Dygra had done much to restore her back to her normal self - but that normalcy came with its own ups and downs. When she began to frown over hardtack, cheese and dried fruit, and when her temper sharpened under a chafing restlessness, she was reminded all over again that peace for an Ancient was short lived, changing with the seasons. 

For perhaps the first time, she raged over the restrictions her goddess had placed upon her. Sating the bloodlust would be quick and easy in the dragon's guise, yet Dygra had specifically said to do it without shifts if she wanted to also improve her armor, and thus she found herself trudging along the jagged coastline of Angel's End with her pack tossed over a shoulder and the velvet armor dress swishing around her legs, quietly seething for seemingly no reason. She kept herself several strides ahead of her companion, who had fallen back to ride along on Liam's shoulder; her partner whom she had avoided looking too long at for the better part of the day now. Worried she might snap at him, or give in to a maddening hunger for him that would see them back in the bedroll for the rest of the year. Not a bad prospect, to be sure - but not something either of them needed right now. She was searching for a Lial, which wasn't unlike digging for the famed needle in a haystack - with the caveat that she could have burned the haystack down to ashes and sifted the needle out. Lials didn't burn - she'd have to actually search for one this time.

And I am the monster that startles me
in the mirror

Table base by Skylark

LIAM

Oh, I love it and I hate it at the same time
You and I drink the poison from the same vine

It had been a few days since the fyrhund incident, and Liam and Maea had spent them happily in their little cave - until, that is, Maea began to grow restless and terse. Liam had watched her grow increasingly tense as time went on, and when she finally grew tired of their meager rations of hardtack, cheese, and dried fruit and announced she was going on a hunt, he merely nodded and said, "Alright." Then he'd gathered up his things and followed her back out into The Climb.

Shii rode upon his shoulder a few steps behind Maea, who stalked over the ground like a creature possessed. The soldier kept close enough to guard her back, but gave her those few feet of distance, not wanting her to feel crowded when she was already so unsettled. They were hunting, apparently, for a Lial - vicious creatures not unlike crocodiles, Liam wasn't sure he was looking forward to this hunt. Not yet armed with an enchanted blade, and all too aware after the other day of his mortality, he was wary of any new entanglements they might face out here. But this was the task Dygra had set for Maea, and he wasn't about to let her do it without backup.

So follow he did, hazel eyes flickering over their surroundings, just in case something unforeseen came upon their backs.

Oh, I love it and I hate it at the same time
Hidin' all of our sins from the daylight

Maea

The landscape of the Climb held a wild and barren kind of beauty. Ash and dust dyed the roiling clouds a brooding kind of gray that seemed to eat the daylight. Any sun that penetrated that cover usually spilled to the ground in columns of light, bleak and somehow thinner - as if even Vi thought twice before trespassing upon Dygra's land. A taste of brikne on erratic gusts of wind that rolled in over frothing waves coated dry lips with a layer of salt and made them burn, cracking and bleeding... Not a land for the faint of heart, nor for the weak, or anyone without skill, perseverance - or a boatload of luck.

Said luck must be with the palest of Dygra's daughters today. Because just as she crested a hill and got a good look at what lay on the other side, a figure stirred on the ground below. A lava stream was runnelling from a series of bubbling pools towards the coast, and on the banks of it - like a crocodile languishing by the riverside, only make it hell - lay the lial she had been looking for.

Casting a look over her shoulder, Maea watched for a moment how Liam searched his way towards her over the terrain, dogged and so very loyal. How many would follow her like this, asking no questions, demanding no explanation? Not many, she thought. Not when it was for her. Her smiles held too many edges, even her shadow contained teeth and on days like today it was a toss up whether she'd kiss or kill anyone who got too close.

Well. Liam was exempt from the killing. She'd kill for him, would kill anyone who tried to lay a finger on him, and today... she would need to kill her prey before it had a chance to even get close to him.
"Found one," she informed him, stabbing a thumb over her shoulder at the dell below. "What do you know about lials? Ever seen one before?"

And I am the monster that startles me
in the mirror

Table base by Skylark

LIAM

Oh, I love it and I hate it at the same time
You and I drink the poison from the same vine

Maybe Liam was getting used to the harsh environment of The Climb, for today's hike did not leave him particularly winded, and the only sweat on his brow was that of a long walk over rough terrain. It was still swelteringly hot, of course, and the wind that blew was no help, as dry and biting as it was, but the soldier didn't complain. He merely plodded along behind his partner, ever on the lookout.

Liam's gaze flickered across the landscape to land on Maea, who had paused up ahead. Reaching her side, the soldier glanced in the direction that the Ancient indicated, noting the location of what seemed to be a very large, very menacing crocodile on the banks of a lava flow. Trepidation tried to light in his chest - there were any number of ways to die here, and after the past few days, he was less inclined than ever to give any of them a try - but Liam squashed it, all business as he looked back to Maea.

"I've heard of them," he said. "Never seen one before, but I know they're fast, mean, and deadly if you get too close." All of which was, of course, a winning combination on this kind of terrain, where one misstep would have someone falling into a lava pool.

Oh, I love it and I hate it at the same time
Hidin' all of our sins from the daylight

Maea

Nodding once, the ancient turned her gaze back to the lial. Fixed her attention to it, rather than the soldier, lest she find herself distracted by his scent and the way his jaw shifted when he spoke.
"Good. Yes. I hunted with one before - some other ancient, likely - and from what I noticed they don't turn very easily once they're in motion. Now, I can't shift, but I'm still able to use my abilities to hunt. Bloodbane should be most effective..."

Pursing her lips, the long tail coiled behind her, twitching with building anticipation as a plan began to take form. About to announce it, a nudge through the bond from Shii gave her pause, and with a quiet intake of air Maea looked up at Liam. "Do you have a suggestion for how to do this... as safely as possible?" Burning bloodlust would have her leaping right into the fight, and she found herself forgetting that her life wasn't just her own anymore. Staying alive had always been the goal, but now it was a priority - and she didn't want to make Liam worry about her, no matter how her blood seethed at the idea of ripping and tearing with wild abandon.

And I am the monster that startles me
in the mirror

Table base by Skylark

LIAM

Oh, I love it and I hate it at the same time
You and I drink the poison from the same vine

Liam watched the Lial for a moment, humming thoughtfully. If they couldn't turn easily, that could be used to their advantage - already his mind was working through various strategies and scenarios, trying to calculate the best chances of a win. But this wasn't his hunt, even if Maea was asking his opinion, and he turned to his partner with a grimace.

"We could try to take it by surprise," he said. "Give it less chances to come after us." But his only plan that seemed likely to work involved splitting up - something that he knew that he, at least, wasn't keen to do. Still, if the creature had difficulty turning, then perhaps spreading themselves out would work to their advantage. If it took even a moment to decide which target to chase, then that could give them the time they needed to secure victory.

"I don't have anything to fight at range," Liam said after a moment. "And given its speed, I'm hesitant to try anything at close quarters." He rubbed a hand over his stubbled jaw, thinking. "I could be a distraction," he offered at last, glancing at Maea to gauge her response to such an idea.

Oh, I love it and I hate it at the same time
Hidin' all of our sins from the daylight

Maea

"Hmm." Considering his suggestions for a while, her own mind hastily adjusted the plan she'd made initially. The outcome was considerably more reliant on teamwork, but would likely work better in the end. "Then, how about this; I hit it with bloodbane from a distance, and keep its attention so you can get close enough. You can take my chakram - they should bite better than your sword - then we take turns to be the decoy? When it turns to you, I strike its tail, and when it turns to me, you do the same." It would be dangerous for both of them, but would also let them remain close enough to assist if anything were to happen. "If Shii stays with you, we can coordinate somewhat." The wisp understood speech well enough to convey it back to Maea, and could simply boop Liam to warn him when she was doing something.

Unhitching the throwing discs to offer them for Liam to use, she held on a moment longer than necessary and raised her eyes to catch his. "We'll be fine," she promised, with a quiet conviction. "Last time we were caught off guard. This will be different." Two to one in their favour were much better odds.

And I am the monster that startles me
in the mirror

Table base by Skylark

LIAM

Oh, I love it and I hate it at the same time
You and I drink the poison from the same vine

"Alright." The plan was dangerous, to be sure, but Liam could find no fault in it. He wasn't sure about taking Maea's chakrams - what if she needed them? - but with only a sword at his side, he had to admit that going into the fight ill-equipped was foolish. Besides, Maea had magic and shifts at her disposal. Liam did not. And even if the Ancient was supposed to do this without shifting, he had to believe that she would do it anyway if it meant saving her life or his. They could find another Lial, after all; they couldn't find another partner.

Maea handed him the throwing discs, pausing to meet his gaze. The quiet conviction that he saw there calmed Liam's thoughts of how things could go wrong. He grinned at her, forcing a confidence that he didn't quite feel. "Of course we will." At least this time, they were on the offensive rather than scrambling to defend, and they had a plan going in that should work. Still... just in case, Liam tugged Maea to him, pressing a swift kiss to her lips. "We'll be careful," he murmured as they parted. "I'll wait for your signal."

Oh, I love it and I hate it at the same time
Hidin' all of our sins from the daylight

Maea

Kissing him back, she could taste the lingering dread on his tongue. A quiet kind of venom that could break a man if allowed to fester, one she wished she could vanquish from his heart as easily as she'd spoken those brave words. But she couldn't. Much like a rider after taking a bad tumble must get back up on the horse again, the only thing that would bolster Liam's confidence would be to lay a plan, go through with it, and come out on the other side, unscathed. Vowing to herself that the only injuries she'd sustain today would be self-inflicted, she hummed her agreement against his lips, and let him go. "I love you. Let's go."

Turning away from her lover and her companion, Maea began making her way down the hill. Angling her path so that she approached the lial from behind, she crouched low and slipped from crag to boulder to rocky outcropping. The air grew hot. A taste of metal upon her tongue reminded her to pick her path carefully, so that their taunts would lead the creature away from the lava. They might be fine, but Liam would not be.

Once she had it within reach of her magic, the ancient finally allowed herself to give in to her hunger. Sinking her teeth deep into one arm she drew out the power dwelling within her blood and flung it all upon the dozing creature. It woke with a furious rumble and cast about wildly, searching for its tormentor, but Maea ducked down behind a crag in the ground with velvet skirts of her armor pooling around her feet like a puddle of ink - intending to stay hidden until Liam was in place.

The signal was passed to Shii by way of the pain pulsing down their bond. From hovering idly near the former dragoon's shoulder, the wisp suddenly flared up, glowing bright as a torch for a moment; then it sped away, pausing only to ensure that the man was coming. They had work to do, protecting the stubborn woman they both cared so much about.

---

Type: Grey | Style: Defensive | Level: Upgraded
Valair Armour | A beautiful black dress lined with crimson, stronger by far than it appears. This item blocks physical damage. Requires a 3 post cooldown between uses.

Bloodbane (Ancient): Can injure themselves for mastered damage to weaken others at a 1.5x their mastered level with a range of 30ft.
Type: Dark | Rank: Mastered

And I am the monster that startles me
in the mirror

Table base by Skylark

LIAM

Oh, I love it and I hate it at the same time
You and I drink the poison from the same vine

Fear was a funny thing, impossible to rid oneself of when it really mattered. Still, it was something that Liam had been trained to ignore, and so he tucked away the icy shiver of dread that ran down his spine and focused his attention instead on his partner and her quest. "I love you, too."

And then she was gone, creeping down the hill. The soldier watched her for a moment before following, cutting a different angle towards the slumbering beast that lay near the lava. He had just gotten into place when the Lial stirred, waking with a furious rumble and turning to look angrily around; Shii flared on Liam's shoulder, signaling him to get to work.

Now there was no room for fear. There was only a cool calculation. Liam rushed to close the distance between himself and the Lial just enough to be in range with the chakrams. Careful of his step on the rough terrain - and mindful of the lava pits nearby - he yelled out a brief, "Hey!" to get the creature's attention. Once it faced him, he took one of the chakrams and flung it directly at the Lial's head.

Oh, I love it and I hate it at the same time
Hidin' all of our sins from the daylight

Maea

The pain felt good. When the dark magic surged and dredged all her vices to the surface, her shadow self purred with breathless delight as blood trickled from her fingers. Crimson stained the rock by her feet, yet the ancient hardly noticed. Her mind was elsewhere, following Liam's progress through the wisp's consciousness; saw how the man shouted, how the lial turned and how the first chakram spun through the air and carved a nasty gash across the scaly nose.

Grinning in feral delight, she leaped from her hiding place and drew upon the heat of the ground to form a whip of fire in her hand. Lashing it upon the lava crocodile, she knew it wouldn't do any damage - but the bright light and wriggling tail seemed to do the trick of drawing its attention all the same. Snapping its massive jaws as it spin around, she could feel the growl like a dull rumble through the soles of her feet. Dark Mother, she longed for the dragon now. How easy it would be to pick this lizard up and rip it apart - her teeth ached at the thought...

But no. No shifts. She could endure this dance of back and forth until the beast died; it looked like it would be a test of stamina, but she didn't mind. Shii would give Liam the notice he needed to be ready when she moved, so all she had to do was apply her magic at the best place and time - easy peasy.

------

Scorch (Ancient): Can generate and manipulate flames within a 30ft radius, pulling heat from the environment or their own body.
Type: Dark | Rank: Mastered

And I am the monster that startles me
in the mirror

Table base by Skylark

LIAM

Oh, I love it and I hate it at the same time
You and I drink the poison from the same vine

The great beast lumbered about until it was facing the soldier down, and then the chakram was slicing through the air, carving easily through the Lial’s nose. Liam saw blood spray with some satisfaction, though he was all too aware that he was down to one chakram and a sword - not ideal, if this was to be a test of stamina. He’d need some other way to get its attention soon enough.

Still, as Maea sent out a scorching lash of fire, the Lial rumbled another growl and turned again. ”Remind Maea I only have one more shot, please,” Liam said to Shii, leaning down to palm a black rock from the ground - solidified lava, no doubt, and the soldier was glad when it didn’t scorch his fingertips off. He might only have one - maybe two - chances left to injure the beast, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t distract and entice it to turn.

With another shout, Liam chucked the rock at the Lial, hoping that it would be enough to draw the creature’s attention back his way.

Oh, I love it and I hate it at the same time
Hidin' all of our sins from the daylight

Maea

The lial was growing increasingly irate, judging by the sounds it was making. When it turned back to Maea she noticed the hind legs swell as its claws braced against the ground. It was the only warning she got - then the massive animal was shooting towards her. She Dart!ed out of the way, a mere foot to the left that saved her from gruesome injury or even death. 

But now the lial was right beside her; instinctively she reached for a chakram that wasn't there, swore at herself for neglecting to invest in more weapons over the recent years, and but down on her arm again to summon bloodbane. Holding nothing back, she drew out as much as she could, quietly counting the times it could be used until she'd kill herself - and was relieved to see the animal stagger before it could launch itself at her again.

Shii's message came through, and she waved acknowledgement to Liam; she was down to one more use of the bloodbane as well, before she had to start healing back up. He'd better make this attack count - and she better not stumble the next time it came barreling her way.

And I am the monster that startles me
in the mirror

Table base by Skylark

LIAM

Oh, I love it and I hate it at the same time
You and I drink the poison from the same vine

Fortunately for Liam, the Lial didn't attack him - but unfortunately, it did attack Maea, who just barely managed to Dart! out of the way in time. Of the two of them, he supposed it was better for it to have gone after his partner, who was capable of using such an ability; if it had been him, he'd have been gravely injured, if not dead. Still, he had to swallow down against the sudden lump of his heart in his throat, focusing instead on aiming Maea's second chakram.

Pinching it between thumb and forefinger, Liam lined up his shot. This time, with the beast's attention on Maea, his options were limited to what he could see of the creature, which was a large tail and bulky legs. It wasn't quite as good as hitting the Lial in the head, but perhaps he could disable it with a blow to a leg, so he aimed carefully at one of the creature's back ones and threw the chakram in a sharp, swift motion that sent it soaring towards the Lial's hip.

Oh, I love it and I hate it at the same time
Hidin' all of our sins from the daylight