[Training] immediate regret

And I came to, walking on the train tracks
How did I get here? And how do I get back?

The Greenwing was everything that Deimos had promised. Dense ferns, grasses, and trees covered the landscape in a fertile swath through the tundra. The sun shone high overhead, though in true Halovian fashion, there was still a nip in the air.

Alys wandered through the brush, dressed lightly in a long-sleeved tunic, comfortable pants, and boots. Between the magic of the Academy and the special properties of Halovian clothing, she found the afternoon to be the perfect temperature. She would be sure to head back before dark, though; the temperature dropped in the tundra during the overnight hours.

She'd never been to the Greenwing before, but she'd been curious about the area ever since Deimos had recommended it to her. Thus, when she'd approached him about training today, she'd suggested the region as their training ground. She wasn't quite sure what they would be working on, but she carried her bow and a quiver of arrows, just in case they were needed. For her magic, she needed no weaponry or tools; or, they might simply work on endurance, in which case she would need approximately none of it.

Finding a flat spot with relatively fewer ferns and plants sprouting from the ground, Alys set aside her bow and began a series of warm-up stretches.

I've been up all night, let's stay awake
Push it further, you know I'll never break

Alys

Deimos

The residual chill curled around the corners of his clothing and he lifted his jaw to the wind – eternally bound to the frigid air as he was to mountains and warfare. In another time, in another place, he had been much the same; driven to endlessly guard the noble summits and the tundra plain.

But where he differed were the people, and arching his brow at Alys’ collection and assortment of things, his strides and boots fell against the long grass with primordial ease; at home with the wilderness, with the frost, with the bite and Siberian ministrations. Belial floated above, no hooting ranging on greetings, considering how he was circling over a nest of rabbits, and Zuriel meandered behind, more intent on grazing than anything else.

So his eyes scanned the horizon, lingering upon the feral bits of earth, a smug grin beginning to conjure over his features. “Want to race?”

it's not the waking, it's the rising
It's the fire it ignites

And I came to, walking on the train tracks
How did I get here? And how do I get back?

Belial flew overhead, circling over a nest of rabbits; Zuriel wandered along behind, grazing contentedly. It was almost shocking, that this much life could exist so close to the Citadel, which was often entombed in snow. Alys looked around with something akin to awe, admiring the greenery and activity of this part of the tundra.

Alys was many things, but a racer was not one of them. So when Deimos suggested a race, she looked up at him, shielding her eyes against the sun, a little dumbfounded by the suggestion. "Oh, sure, because that's a fair race," she said, only half joking. She already had to take two strides to his one under normal circumstances, much less while running. But hey, even if she lost, she had to admit that it did sound a little fun. "Fine. Where to?"

I've been up all night, let's stay awake
Push it further, you know I'll never break

Alys

Deimos

The responding grin, Cheshire, boyish, and dimpled, clearly indicated he hadn’t intended a fair race, fight, skirmish, or anything otherwise. “Thought you would like a challenge.” A spurning provocation, or a goading, inciting tenacity, was usually up the Sword’s repertoire of irritations and bag of tricks, with multitudes resting alongside. To be fair and certain though, he knew she was working hard on persevering through more incantations – raising her endurance and fortitude could coincide, and match the mechanisms, until she reached her next stage of magic.

Thoroughly amused, he gazed out over the wake, intending to spot a decent landmark. A large boulder rested, likely for eternities, some hundred yards or so away; enough for a warm-up on his part, and certainly some derision on hers. He pointed to it, and asked Belial to settle, land, upon its sanction. The peryton applied his efforts with only a subtle pout, promising more hunts of rabbits in the close future. “There, to that rock,” and he nodded. Then he offered her an opportunity for a more level playing field – but to be certain, Deimos had enough machinations to overrule likely a majority. “Do you want any ground rules?”

it's not the waking, it's the rising
It's the fire it ignites

And I came to, walking on the train tracks
How did I get here? And how do I get back?

Thought you would like a challenge, he said, and Alys snorted at the implications. She was going to lose spectacularly, she was sure, but that didn't mean that it would be a waste. After all, improving her endurance could only make her stronger - hopefully in more ways than just physically. She'd noticed already that her magic seemed stronger and more stable as a result of her efforts thus far. Sometimes, she wondered if Deimos ever looked back on the stubborn woman who had climbed the rock wall and laughed to find her standing here, every bit as determined and stubborn, albeit in a different way. Now she was aiming to improve herself rather than to act like a petulant child.

Belial circled down to land on the rock Deimos indicated, and Alys nodded. "Fine," she said with a dramatic sigh. "To the rock, it is." The opportunity to level the playing field had Alys pursing her lips in thought. "I don't suppose you'd give me a head start?" she asked wryly as she considered her options. No weapons or magic seemed like a fair ground rule, but any way she looked at it, she couldn't see a scenario that would be fair enough for her to actually be a competitor. "No weapons," she said, leaving her own behind. Then she raised a brow at Deimos. "What about you? Any rules you'd like to impose?"

I've been up all night, let's stay awake
Push it further, you know I'll never break

Alys

Deimos

Oh, Deimos did often linger back on those memories. Laugh. And then figure out how he could best utilize them for teasing or any other machinations. People altered and changed all the time – Alys had just needed the right motive and route of determination.

He waited for the dramatics to settle and for any rules to be shared. The implications of no weapons left stoicism in his wake – but an inward grin for her oversights. She might have said no magic. No shifting. And while it would’ve left her without some armaments, he would have been left entirely on his own merits – and while fitting, he absolutely intended for other notions.

After all, if they were just running…what would even be the challenge?

“I can give you five seconds.” Which would be more than enough time for his plans and intentions, as he began peeling off the many blades, knives, daggers, and sheaths locked along his belt, muffling down a thousand chuckles. She’d forgotten, probably, that he was a weapon too. Shaking his head, for he was perfectly fine with the matter, he jutted his jawline towards the distant rock again. “When you are ready.”

it's not the waking, it's the rising
It's the fire it ignites

And I came to, walking on the train tracks
How did I get here? And how do I get back?

Oh, gods, she'd forgotten about his damned shifts!

But it was too late now, as he accepted her terms, stripping himself of all weapons and preparing for their race. She snorted softly to herself. What a race it was going to be - her and her illusions against Deimos the fucking giant and his magic and his shifts.

Oh, but she got a whole five seconds head start. How kind.

She prepared herself, as best she was able, one leg back and one leg forward, her eyes fixed on the rock that Belial sat upon. She probably should give Deimos a fair warning. That would be the right thing to do. It just... wouldn't be as fun.

So, instead of a countdown, she simply... took off, running for all she was worth towards the rock.

I've been up all night, let's stay awake
Push it further, you know I'll never break

Alys

this is the reckoning

Considering he wasn’t about to be fair, he didn’t expect much in return.

So he watched as she dashed off, completely unbothered and arching his brow, and silently began counting down the seconds. He had enough time to witness her pressing into the wake of long grass, shrug his shoulders at Zuriel, and then begin his own trek.

In one fell swoop, he launched forward – not as a human, but as a hellhound. Unfurling, unwinding, great long limbs swept over the ground with power, precision, might, and a cheeky dog grin plastered on his features the moment he sidled directly next to her. With a loud, obnoxious bark, for good measure.

Before beginning to pull away – dashing along in sprawls of liberation, freedom, and speed.

DEIMOS

wolf image credit

And I came to, walking on the train tracks
How did I get here? And how do I get back?

Of course her duplicity was anticipated, and of course it would be mirrored in kind. Despite Alys's best efforts, she could only cover so much ground in the five seconds that Deimos had offered her. As he raced past her, offering a bark of what she could only imagine was amusement, she responded with a wordless snarl of irritation, pushing herself to go faster - as if she possibly could.

Deimos began to pull ahead, and Alys grasped wildly for any idea of how to possibly slow him down - and the only thing she could think to do was to try and use her magic before he was out of her range. So as she ran, she concentrated, opening up a false chasm in front of the hellhound that she hoped would, at the very least, give him pause.

I've been up all night, let's stay awake
Push it further, you know I'll never break

Alys

this is the reckoning

Deimos had presumed, given the nature of their existences, Alys would attempt some measure of incantations. And since he was only aware of the illusion enchantments, there was only expectation –

And well, there it was.

The chasm did give him pause, but as he’d been victim to such machinations before, he simply snorted. To his fellow Abandoned’s credit though, the beast made a great show of launching over the top of it with a massive launch; hindquarters bunched, unfurled, unleashed, until he could seemingly land upon the other side with no issue.

Rampaging on and on, he opted to kick a few stones towards her with his back paws. Maybe they’d cause her to trip.

DEIMOS

wolf image credit

And I came to, walking on the train tracks
How did I get here? And how do I get back?

If her illusion caught him off guard, he didn't show it aside from leaping rather dramatically over the false chasm, causing Alys to growl with exasperation. There went the exactly one trick up her sleeve. Still, she persevered, and she was mildly proud to see that he wasn't outpacing her quite as badly as she'd thought he would.

Until, that is, he kicked up some fucking rocks.

While Alys didn't fall flat on her face (which is honestly a miracle), she did trip, stumbling over her own feet before righting herself and pressing on, her face hot with embarrassment that such a simple trick could trip her up. She slowed for a moment to pick up a rock of her own and hurl it back towards Deimos. Maybe she could return the favor.

I've been up all night, let's stay awake
Push it further, you know I'll never break

Alys

this is the reckoning

Amused by prior antics, Deimos gave another hound grin over his shoulder, before persisting in the inevitable. The swiftness, besides the size, was a definition of the hellhound stature, grace, poise, and danger, and while he wouldn’t be unleashing any horrible amount of treachery, there’d be a mild amount of trickery.

Unfurled limbs and wild displays of speed meant her rock missed him by quite a bit, the swiftness beginning to separate and put some distance between Abandoned and dog. But, par for the course, he unleashed his own fervor and demolition – as his paws ignited patches of fire here and there. Not enough to send a field aflame, but certainly to call attention to their might, and perhaps, to steer clear.

Or distract. He’d take whichever.

DEIMOS

wolf image credit

And I came to, walking on the train tracks
How did I get here? And how do I get back?

Of course the man had the audacity to grin over his shoulder at her. Alys didn't even know why she was surprised anymore, given Deimos's penchant for mischief, but just when she thought she had him figured out, he pulled something like this "race" and piss her off all over again. (Okay, to be fair, she was more resigned than pissed off, usually, but this one was really irritating her.)

Her rock fell uselessly to the ground, nowhere close to hitting the hellhound that was Deimos, and now Alys was even further behind for having slowed to throw it. The upside of that was that she had plenty of warning when sprouts of fire began to emerge from Deimos's paws, lighting a patchwork of flames across the greenery that made things even harder for Alys - now she couldn't even run a straight line to the rock, but had to weave back and forth around patches of fire.

She did so - begrudgingly. He was out of the range of her magic, she wasn't about to try and throw another rock, and she had no bright ideas of how else to slow him down, so she focused simply on trying to not fall further behind.

I've been up all night, let's stay awake
Push it further, you know I'll never break

Alys

this is the reckoning

While Deimos held much more of a routine – simply based on scheduling purposes and means around Halo – that didn’t mean he was wholly predictable. Perhaps in the sense that there would be some chaotic balance, but with scores of opportunities, incantations, and shifts, the possibilities were endless in which modicum of bedlam would suffice. If he could utilize those semblances and actions to further educate another, then it had suited its purpose.

If he could amuse himself too, all the better.

Though Alys’ instruction today might’ve just been how to not unravel at the seams when one was frustrated. The beast swiveled his ears, catching the sound of her footfalls winding around patches of fire, and gave an inward chuckle.

Eventually, he loped towards the finish line, listening to Belial hoot and unfurl his feathers (Zuriel was still back at the start, continuing to graze, completely unbothered by the antics pervading the scenery). Turning back around, he gave the Abandoned an encouraging bark and another hound grin – purposefully antagonizing.

DEIMOS

wolf image credit