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Wartime with a Twist;; Harmonius & Anan
During the great supernatural war between Heaven and Hell, the demons and angels continue their ongoing struggle with humanity caught in the middle. Everyday is a fight for survival, and no one can be sure where their next meal- or next attack is coming from. On all sides there is strain of war-addicts and merciless killers, war-resentment and rebels, and the ones who are just trying to make it out alive.
During this trying time, can a human and a demon help each other through and survive, and possibly even find romance... in each other? |
Bio (with wiggle room :P ):
Name: Chrono. Race: Demon. Age: Unknown. Appearance: [x] [x] (In full bloodlust mode, haha.) Bio: Chrono is the son of Hades, Lord of the Underworld, and like the rest of his race has been sent to Earth to create havoc and hopefully end the human race forever. However, Chrono has reservations. Unbeknownst to him Chrono's mother was an Angel who died soon after his birth. This strange crossbreed has given Chrono something that other Demons lack - a conscience. The Demon is torn between a vicious bloodlust and a confusing desire to protect people from harm. In this strange new world, his guilt is almost overwhelming - but if he shows weakness his own people will slaughter him despite his heritage. ((Right - would you care to begin? (: )) |
Jade walked through the rubble that she could only assume had been a once great and bustling city. Now, peri-wartime, it was no more than broken foundations and dust, along with the occasional body of either side of the war, and sometimes, more often than not, a human who had gotten caught in the middle of an intense battle. She walked as quietly as she could, hoping not to draw attention to herself, in case a demon lurked around a corner, waiting for a foolish human to be brave- or stupid- enough to venture out for supplies: Jade was such a girl. Her bright green eyes, fitting to her name, glanced around the wreckage, both on the lookout for enemies and things that could be used.
A sudden and strong wind picked up and startled the girl, blowing her long, and much like the rest of her, dirty, blonde hair, tied up in a ponytail, into her face. She brushed her bangs from her eyes and her mane from around her neck, moving forward. It had been days since she had seen another being, human or not, and it was beginning to worry her. She had the usual survivor paranoia in the pit of her gut every minute of the day, and occasionally, the reasonable worry added to it, making her long to vomit. Among the ruined foundation and rubble of a small building among even more debris, she spotted something: what looked like clothing. Looking down at her own rags, she decided something was better than nothing, and went towards it. Anything new was a blessing, and created a light feeling, much like that a kid on Christmas morning, in Jade. She moved the debris aside and pulled on the cloth, noticing it was stuck, she moved even more of it, revealing not only cloth- but a body, and a human man at that. She looked over the corpse, which hadn't been dead all that long, she judged from the smell. Jade was torn a moment: to take the cloth anyway, or respect the body for the person they once were and leave them intact. Jade looked between herself and the body and cringed. This was not the time to respect the dead when ones own needs could be met. She tripped him of what she wanted, leaving him half naked. She took hold of the clothes, deciding to change when she was less left open for an attack, looked for anything else of use, and, finding nothing, moved out of the foundation, mumbling a small apology and prayer for the man's body that she left behind. Jade walked on, peering around furtively, and searching for anything else she could use. She was desperately hoping the next find would not be attached to a body. |
Despite very specific orders, Chrono did not kill the human on sight. Though he would never - could bever - admit it aloud, his stomach lurched at the thought of killing in cold blood.
This creature, somewhat like himself, was only searching for a place of safety in n increasingly dangerous world. How could anyone be begrudged that? He feared he would never understand, nor be able to fit in with his kind. His heritage and standing had kept him safe for this long, but it was obvious to anyone that Chrono was not the Prince of Darkness he was expected to be. He had no idea how much longer his status could protect him. Drawing a deep breath, he closed his amber eyes for a moment, steeling himself, then turned his gaze on the human girl approaching cautiously. She had just finished taking the clothes of Chrono's latest victim. The saddest thing, the Demon thought, was that this was the way they were all caught. The possibility of survivors or supplies drew the mortals out like flies to rotting meat. He shook his head vigorously, trying to rid himself of these morbid thoughts. Knowing that if he hesitated any longer he would talk himself out of doing his duty, Chrono dropped from his perch on the rubble to land in front of the girl. His first mistake was stopping to examine his prey. She was small, even by human standards, with long hair and dirty, torn clothes. But the thing that aught his attention were her eyes. Not just the colour - a bright, startling green - but the intensity behind them. The humans he had killed up to this point had seemed to be almost dead already, their eyes glazed and unfocused. This was different. He couldn't possibly take the life of somthing so obviously...alive. Cursing himself for being a cowardly, unDemonic, fool, Chrono stopped, his clawed hand hovering inches from the girl's throat. He knew that this gave her the chance to counter-attack. If she had so much as a pocket knife she could do some serious damage thanks to his apparent inability to harm her. |
Jade inhaled sharply as the demon appeared seemingly out of no where, his speed being the largest factor, as she had seen where he had emerged from. She couldn't believe she hadn't realize he was there! She felt so stupid for not realizing the fresh body was a clue! She took and instinctive step backward, hugging the stolen clothes closer to her chest, as though the could protect her from the hand- the claws- extended to her throat. Jade noticed the size of this particular demon compared to her own small frame. The thought of the comparison was enough to almost make the girl tremble.
Momentarily, she thought to welcome death as a way out. Considering the size difference between them and the harshness of the live she was living, she couldn't honestly say she was happy to be living... She shook the thought off, deciding living would be worth it in the end- she wasn't ready to die like that- and looked into the demon's eyes with ferocity, as though she thought she could take him on, or scare him off with her eyes. And somehow, it had worked. The demon paused where he was, hesitated, for some reason. Despite the fact this was the first demon Jade had come face to face with personally, she had never seen a demon hesitate to kill. Not even the one she had seen kill her brother. His hesitation gave her the opportunity to pull out the knife she had carefully tucked into the waistband of her skirt. It was a regular knife that in pre-war times you would have seen on a table at a family dinner, or even holidays. Now, it was her weapon, and the only one she had on her. Quickly, she attempted to lung at the demon, aiming for his torso, anywhere on his torso, and made an attempt to stab it into him. Instead, she tripped, always having been an ungraceful girl, and ended up only slashing the demon's hand, then falling behind him in her attempt. She hit the ground, the clothes still to her chest, and she jumped from the ground, running passed the where the demon had been hiding and out towards where some of the crumbling foundations were taller, where she could hide. Jade knew he could catch up to her, and kill her, no matter how fast she ran or where she hid, but it was all she had. Disappearing in an alley of sorts between two buildings that were only inches taller than she, the clung to the clothing and the knife, closing her eyes momentarily and trying to stop herself from breathing too heavily. Jade wanted to cry, to let the tears that were stinging her eyes fall, but she couldn't do that. If the demon appeared again, she needed to show him she was fearless, even though she wasn't. She didn't want to die, she wanted to live, even just survive would be good enough for the time being. She choked back the tears silently and looked around for a way out of the alley and to some place safe- well, safer, since that would be the best she could get. She saw a hole in one of the buildings, and decided anywhere would be better than remaining in one place too long. Jade attempted to maneuver over and around the stones and debris that were in her way; if she were to kick any of it, she might give away her position, so she moved slowly and deliberately. Again, being ungraceful and clumsy, her foot slipped against a rock and knocked it down the pile she had been beginning to climb up. She froze, holding her breath, listening if anything was coming her way. |
Chrono was unaware of anything for thirty seconds, his eyes locked on the mortal girl's.
Then, as she lunged towards him, a sharp pain in his right hand snapped him out of his reverie. His eyes whipped down - the think muscle between his thumb and forefinger had been sliced open, and his dark, almost black blood was already welling around the wound. His intake of breath was a hiss as his eyes became a slightly brighter shade of gold, the pupils narrowing to cat-like slits. For a moment he was a true Demon. He had been injured, and the culprit would pay. Chrono's wings snapped into reality and he whirled, taking to the air in one smooth movement. He rose, just in time to see the human duck behind some debris to hide. Nice try. Chrono's lips curled in a small smile, showing his slightly pointed incisors. Ignoring the sharp pain in his hand, the Demon began a steep dive, hurtling towards the rubble of the township. He landed on his feet, hard enough to cause vibrations. Several of the more precarious building shells crumbled a little more, sending pieces of debris thundering to the ground all around. When the din had ceased, Chrono remained still as stone, not even a breath passing his lips. He concentrated. A heartbeat - fast and irregular. She was terrified. Good. So she should be. He was a Demon. How dare she draw his noble blood? Rage had replaced all sentimentality that he had felt just moments before - good and evil fought for posession of the Demon's body and mind, as they so often did. This time, evil had it for the moment. Chrono stalked towards his prey. He was in no hurry. If she stayed put, he would reach her, and if she ran he could easily catch her up. The sound of half-stifled breaths and that erratic beat grew louder as he closed in, a hunter in his element. He stopped outside the building the girl was under, his fists clenched hard enough for the blood from his wound to well around his fingers and drop to the ground by the hole. "Come out, little mouse," he purred, his voice silky soft and dangerous, "Let's have some fun." |
In that pause, Jade's fear became a reality. The vibrations were sent through the rocks beneath her feet, causing her to stumble more as she pressed forward. Through the silence following the end of the vibrations, she heard a familiar sound next: the sound of liquid hitting the ground. It was a sound she was all too familiar with by that point. He knew where she was. The hesitation must have been to give her a chance to run so he could enjoy killing her that much more. She wasn't going to give him the satisfaction without angering him that much more. Jade figured that she might die in the end, but she might as well go down swinging, and if that little bit of extra frustration for him was all she could do, then that's what she would do... she just needed to figure out how to do so.
She looked around as his voice came through the walls. Such a beautiful voice from such a dangerous being- all the better to eat you with, my dear. she remembered of the wolf from The Three Little Pigs. If only she had a demon proof house at that moment, then Piggy-Jade would have a chance at not becoming a demon's bacon. Or ham, if he preferred that, Jade thought. She looked around, still unable to find where exactly the voice or dripping sound had come from. One thing she knew was he couldn't be under her. She searched beneath her feet, looking for some sort of hole to hide in, and with all the luck in the world, she found one, a jump away from her, and just small enough for her to fit into from the looks of it. She jumped in feet first and found it was deep enough to put a little over half a meter between her and the opening of the hole if she crunched down into the bottom as tight as she could. Jade held her knife at the ready, letting go of the clothes and letting them fall into her lap, ready to leave them behind. When she first attacked him, she refused to let go with the chance she'd be able to run and he'd leave her alone. Once that possibility was gone, her life was more important than the cloth. Jade took a deep, quiet breath, attempting to stop her heart from beating out of her chest. If she could make herself completely silent, there was a chance he wouldn't be able to hear her and he would go away, just go away... but all she could do was hope. She remembered her attacker's face, having committed it to memory through fear. He didn't seem all that different from a human, other than the obvious ears, markings and claws, if you ignored how he dressed and, of course killed anything in sight. His eyes were what she remembered most though. They were different from others she had seen. Less bloodthirsty, and perhaps with some emotion behind them... She nearly smiled at the thought. Jade had nearly forgot about the fact he was trying to kill her with the remembrance. |
Chrono sighed as he heard her move - not quickly in flight, but slowly, stealthily. Still hiding?
Fine. He'd play the game a little longer. "Come now. This can be quick, or it can be slow..." he murmured. His voice still low, but full of unspoken threat, the final word injected with venom. "If you won't come out," he informed her, "then I'll simply blast this place until you're trapped or crushed. Whichever comes first, I really couldn't care less." To prove his point, he sent a fireball spinning into the tallest tower of rubble, blowing it to pieces. The human didn't need to know that he had never mastered the art o the larger discs of dark fire that most upper rank Demons were capable of. Let her think he was just as dangerous as others of his level. "Did I hit you, little mouse?" he called sweetly, honey-coated poison. "I tell you what, if you come out now, nice and quietly, I won't kill you straight away. I rather fancy a mortal slave." There was a chuckle to his tone now. Of course he had no intention of keeping the girl alive for longer than it took to see the anguish in her face when she realised that she was dying. But that was another piece of information he intended to keep to himself. Flicking his dark hair from his eyes - a fading amber now - he drew his thin katana from its place at his waist and sat down. Taking a whetstone from his belt pouch he began to sharpen the blades slowly. The sharp ssshhhhk ~ sound produced with every stroke was menacing and soothing at the same time. The sound itself was the essence of sharpness, but the slow, steady beat was a technique that Chrono had found relaxing and lulling. "It's your choice," he said softly, "come to me, or let me blast until you die. " His voice was nonchalant, not betraying the war that raged within him, for he was still unaware of it. And so he sat and waited for his prey to come to him. One way or another. Patient as a panther. |
She quieted her breath again as she heard his voice once more. The sound of it alone was almost enough to draw her out from her hiding place, but the words the velvet voice spoke betray them: she would not move. As she listened to the words he spoke, she knew she had no other choice than to stay in hiding. The fact he hadn't dragged her from the hole in the ground was evidence enough he could hear and see her, but not track her scent. This gave a small flicker of hope that if the kindness she thought she almost saw, that small bit of emotion, did not return to him and his eyes, that she would be safe if she were quiet and out of sight. She would welcome being crushed to death over looking into those eyes again.
She took a long deep breath just in time to be able to hold it in and slap her hand over her mouth as the ground around her shook. The dirt from the walls around her fell a bit, and several small rocks fell in through the opening, but the hole remained intact. She praised whomever was looking over her for keeping her safe, if only for the moment. Rather than luring her from hiding as the demon had hoped, it only made her more determined to stay put and to grip onto her knife tighter. If push came to shove, she would use it again, and hopefully more skillfully than her first attempt. She nearly let out a laugh that he thought the idea of being his slave over dying would lure her out. Jade wouldn't submit herself to that for a human, let alone a demon who was lying. He would kill her just the same as soon as he had the chance. That alluring voice could not be trusted. The thoughts of what a demon would do to a mortal slave began to run through her head as she heard a noise she almost didn't recognize: the sharpening of a blade. This surprised Jade, as the other demons relied on bare hands or magic powers, or whatever they called them, to destroy all around them, rather than a weapon that seemed almost mortal. ...Was that what made him different; that gave the emotion in his eyes? Was he not a complete demon? She wondered, realizing her hand was still over her mouth as she looked side to side in her hole. How ironic, she was hiding in a hole, could possibly die in that hole, and would be buried in one in the end anyway. Were she to die there, she could skip the middle ground of a funeral... were there anyone left to bury her in the end. His offer came again: wait and be blasted, or go to him. Thanks, I'll die in my hole with a small chance of survival, snot picker." she thought, choosing more PG appropriate language, not wanting the last though in her head to be vulgar, for some reason. She waited quietly, listening. For some reason, she noticed, her heart beat had calmed back down after the blast. The flame of hope grew brighter; she wasn't afraid, whatever may happen, she was unafraid then, and she was going to survive that. One way, or another. |
With a last smooth glide, Chrono finished sharpening the katanas double edges to perfect, shimmering glints in the air.
Returning the whetstone to its case, he moved to his injured hand. With a furtive glance around to make absolutely certain that he was the only Demon in the area, he touched his left index finger to the gash. White lgiht sparked and the wound scabbed over, doing a week's worth of healing in a moment. He had discovered this gift at a young age, and had kept it very carefully hidden. He knew that healing wasn't a Demonic power just as well as anyone else did, and while he couldn't healt injuries fully as complete Angels could, he knew that even this shadow of the power would be enough to condemn him in the eyes of his kind. Once the healing was done, Chrono returned his intense gaze to the hole in the wall of the dishevelled building. She was still in there - her faint, steady heartbeat was enough to tell him that - and while he could dive straight in as most Demons would, Chrono was wary. The humans were growing more intelligent and wising up to the ways of Demons. In the past month alone three of his father's squadrons had been ambushed by humans teamed with Angels. And since Angels had no hearts to beat, just as Demons had none, he couldn't be sure that there were none waiting to attack at close quarters if he went in recklessly. While out in the open Chrono could have easily taken a group of Angels, in a dark, unknown, enclosed space with no room to swing his sword and no chance of summoning more fireballs without bringing the place crashing down around his own ears, he didn't like his chances. Best to simply crush her. So why wasn't he already finished here? That little voice asked, almost taunting. He should have simply blasted the building to the ground and set back up to wait for more refugees to come out of hiding. It was his duty, after all. He raised one hand, the spark of a fireball flashing there for a moment before disappearing altogether. The Demon bit his lip, a habit of his in times of distress. This insubordination, this...guilt at the killing that he was supposed to revel in had been growing stronger and stronger. He had felt the guilt and shame of cold-blooded killing for a long time, but now it seemed he was almost at the point of being physically incapable of murder. Would there come a time when his own mind simply didn't allow him to hurt innocent people? Was this that time? What was he? A peaceful Demon would last all of three seconds in today's world. As far as Chrono knew, nothing like him had existed before. He let the breath that he had been unconsciously holding out in a rush, his head dropping so that his long hair partially covered his face. What am I? The eternal question. |
Soon, the sharpening of the blade stopped, and Jade found herself opening her eyes when she had not realized they closed. Did she honestly just almost fall asleep on the brink of death? She was odd indeed, to find the sound of a blade meant for her sharpening soothing. Perhaps she found in it a sense of familiarity- rather than the blasting with powers, a demon was partaking in a human-like activity. This led Jade to wonder whether or not a human and demon halfbreed could be. It was impossible, wasn't it? A human being safe enough with a demon to conceive a child, even if it were for just that long... But the emotion in those amber eyes made her have to wonder, to ponder the idea. No that she could ever see that for herself; even if there was only a drop of demon blood in their veins... There was still that much death tainting them.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a sudden breath, which sounded too close for comfort. He was so close to her... But she was still alive. He knew where she was, but she was still breathing, still hiding, and still hoping... She could hardly believe it. A demon, close enough to reach in, grab her by the throat and rip her apart, and he was just sitting there? What sort of game was he playing? She inhaled, long and slow, and let it out in a soft sigh. Why wouldn't an angel appear and just take the demon out? She could use an angel right about then... A savior, that's what Jade needed. She listened for any sort of sound outside, any noises that meant she was saved, but heard nothing. Good for nothing angels were never there when you needed them. It was always a damned demon lurking around the corner. 'Why couldn't it be an angel to jump out once in awhile? Just pop on out and be fancying a handshake or a pat on the back. Or hand over some food, or something.' she wondered, leaning her head against her own shoulder. She was growing stiff from being crimped up in that hole, but she dare not leave it. Jade looked out from where she was, only able to see the smallest amount of the darkened sky from where she sat. She leaned backwards, into the deeper part of the hole, soundlessly, and hopefully out of sight of the opening. Not that it did any good, him already knowing where she sat and all. It was just a waiting game at that point. Waiting how long before he killed her... As that thought ran through her head, she couldn't help but also wonder what exactly it was that was stopping him at that point. Jade's mind flashed again to those amber eyes that she imagined staring back at her. She mentally shook her head, not wanting to see them. |
Chrono swept a slightly trembling hand through his coarse blue-black hair and closed his eyes, trying to steel himself.
It had never been this difficult to face death before now. He couldn't decide whether it was his growing conscience, or the fire he'd seen in those emerald eyes. Perhaps it was both. Either way, sooner or later he'd have to make a decision. He could leave, like the coward he was, and risk being found out and exiled, or he could grow up and accept his fate. And kill her. He wasn't sure how long had passed while the battle raged inside his head - it could have been hours or only a moment - but he was suddenly roused from his inner dealings by the sound of wingbeats. His head snapped around and up so that he was facing the sky, his eyes - amber now - scanning the clouds for the source of the sound. They were either Angels or Demons, and neither spelled out good luck for him. There. Black wings in the sky. Three Demons heading his way. A squadron from his father. Brilliant. Quickly realising that they must have been sent to check up on him, as his father was wont to do during dangerous times, Chrono decided that hiding was useless, and treason was the only option left open to him. Moving quickly out into the open space of what had once been the town square, Chrono hailed his fellows with a wave of his arm, forcing his face to smile. As they came closer, Chrono recognised Azreon as the leader of the group. One of his father's most ruthless warriors, and favourite generals. The three Demons landed lightly in front of him, Azreon just feet from Chrono and at the centre of his two henchmen. "Ah, the young Prince," Azreon grinned, clapping a huge hand onto the smaller Demon's shoulder in mock comradery. Both Demons knew that there was hostility there - Chrono was too intellectual, and far too merciful for Azreon's liking, and it irked the older Demon that he would one day have to answer to this weakling. "How goes the rought and tumble with you? Have you been in any battles lately, or just hanging around the graveyards?" Azreon looked around in distaste. "Azreon. How kind of you to stop by," Chrono said through gritted teeth, "I'm just mopping up the survivors from this place before moving on. Some of us like to finish what we start rather than just slaughter mindlessly." Azreon's black eyes hardened and his smile faded a few notches. "So did you leave us any, or did you keep all the torturous fun to yourself?" he snarled, raising one hand and summoning a black disc of fire. "There's no one left for you here Azreon. So carry on. Tell my father I'm fine and be about your business." Chrono replied calmly. The other Demon glanced sideways at him before inhaling deeply. He turned to the building under which the girl was hiding and smiled, his eyes finding Chrono's once more, "You keep something from me, little Princeling. What, you thought I wouldn't smell fresh blood?" He turned away and stalked towards the building, the black disc still hovering over his right hand. Chrono's eyes snapped from left to right, taking in the other two Demons on either side of him. They hadn't moved. It was time to decide where his alleigence lay. ((I have to go to bed now. I'll be back this evening since its already past midday. :P Thankyou! )) |
Jade was nearly falling asleep again. This game of cat-and-mouse had worn on her and the waiting was the worst. She forced her eyes open, not willing to let herself succumb to her tiredness. Jade had decided to wait it out, and she wasn't about to sleep through all of it; how she could come close to doing so worried her though... She laughed in her head, "Wouldn't it piss off that demon when he pulled me out to find me asleep?' she thought.
Then she heard movement from above: he was on the move, but there was something else, a faint flapping sound. Briefly, she allowed herself to believe the angels really had come for her. These wings sounded different though, and more purposeful.... She worried then: he had found back up, she figured. So when the sounds were moving away from her- when the other demons, two or three she guessed, landed and the vibrations reached her, through her surprise, she wondered what was going on. She tried to listen to the muffled voices, picking up a word every so often: "prince... survivors... graveyard... blood..." As she wondered what was going on during this conversation, she heard the conversation end and more vibrations, which grew stronger with each footstep. To her dismay, the vibrations and sounds were drawing nearer to her. They had been back up and they were coming for her. Three or four demons for one human female seemed a little ridiculous though. Could they all really be for her? Was the plan to take turns torturing her before they allowed her to die. The thoughts ran through her head as she waited to see what was going to happen to her. ((Nooo problem. Not sure when I'll be around, seeing as it's nearly eight in the morning and I haven't gone to bed yet.. XD Can't wait to hear from you again though! )) |
((I'm back! ))
Azreon halted - he must be only inches from the girl's hiding place - and turned to Chrono again. "What's all this? A live mortal? Don't tell me you're so useless you didn't even notice it, little one?" he said, smiling slyly, "Looks like this is a job for a real Demon." He dropped to one knee next to the buiding, inhaling the scent of blood and fear, then his clawed hand shot out, breaking through the concrete as thought it were paper and reaching around inside the hidey hole. "Come out come out, wherever you are..." he growled, groping for his prey in the darkness. The moment Azreon had knelt, Chrono was in action. His sword was in his hand in a flash, despite the pain of his wound reopening. He spun, slicing both the lesser Demons in two at the waist. They evaporated, bursting into black smoke before disappearing as lessers did when they were slain. He felt no remorse. These were the very creatures he had watched murder without mercy. They deserved no such respect. Chrono was already speeding towards Azreon before the smoke had settled. Although he couldn't kill the other Demon - only a weapon or creature of Light could kill fully-fledged Demons - he could certainly severely incapacitate him. Especially since he was distracted. In a flash he was behind the kneeling Demon, sword raised ready to strike. "Turn around slowly." he hissed, lowering the blade to apply light pressire to Azreon's back, "Or I'll skewer you." Azreon turned, his face distorted by rage. "I knew it," he spat at the younger Demon, "You traitor!" Chrono realised his mistake then; Showing mercy to a creature that didn't have the capacity to feel any in return. He should have struck immediately rather than giving the older Demon time to react. Now he was angry, and with more experience and skill Chrono would have to incapacitate him quickly or he'd be beaten to a pulp. Azreon batted the sword away with ease and launched himself at Chrono, throwing both of them to the ground. Chrono slashed wildly, his katana connecting with something fleshy. With his free hand he clawed at Azreon's face, desperate to keep the stronger Demon from getting a decent blow in. Azreon howled as a claw found his eye, and rolled off Chrono, one hand clutched to his face, his other hand readying a fire disc. Taking the oppurtunity, Chrono was on his feet in an instant and standing over Azreon. This time there was no hesitation, he brought the katana straight down into Azreon's stomach. Azreon hurled the disc, hitting Chrono square in the shoulder and throwing him backwards onto the ground. With a few twitches the older Demon lay still. He would recover since he only had dark wounds, but it would take some time. Chrono scrambled to his feet, panting hard, and examined his injuries. He had three deep gouges across his right collarbone from Azreon's claws, but they didn't worry him as much as the blood caking his wounded shoulder. He tried to move it and gritted his teeth against the pain that shot through his entire left side. Brilliant, he thought, dropping into a sitting position on the dusty ground, Now I'm a traitor to my own race, I'm injured, and I'm stuck with a recovering Demon general. He put his head in his hands, considering his next move. |
Soon, the demon sounded from directly above her. Jade looked up, fearing what would happen next, but ready to fight however she could. The claw then came down into her hiding place only inches from her, but she managed to surpress her scream by covering her mouth and closing her eyes looking away, just as another voice came from above as well. It was the demon from before, the one whose eyes she would never be able to forget, no matter how hard she tried for as long as she lived- and at that moment, it didn't seem as though it would be very long before she wouldn't have to look at them anymore.
The demon's voice reached her and amplified her shock; he seemed to be leading the demon away from her. The demon who had been playing the waiting game, leading one who was headstrong and action first. Was he enjoying the game that much he would challenge a demon who seemed so much greater than he, and for one human? Jade stayed where she was as she heard a fight breaking out between the two- lots of slashing and hacking and yelling, she could hear. When the excitement above died down, Jade faced another problem: To stay in the hiding place where her position had been given away, or to resurface and both find out what was going on and make a break for it. There really seemed to be only one logical choice- to run- and to hope for the best, despite the choking fear telling her to stay put. 'If nothing else comes of this, at least no one can call me a coward.' she said, releasing herself from the crunched up position, once again taking the stolen clothes with her, holding her knife tighter until her knuckles were a brilliant white, and wriggled to the opening of the hole. At first she peeked out, waiting for her head to be ripped from her neck, and assessing the situtation. She could see a body, what she assumed to be a demon, until she confirmed it by recognizing the hand that had nearly grabbed her through the ground. Closer to her, she saw the demon from before, bleeding, but sitting with his back to her and panting. She moved out of the hole and crouched down, her knuckles on the ground for support. She was shaking- this was the opportunity for him to finally kill her, if he was going to take it, and she was afraid. Jade stood slowly, closing her eyes as she did. She took a moment to find her voice, "Per-perhaps you should put something against th-the wound. S-stop the bleed-bleeding." she managed to sputter out, extending the hand with the clothes towards the demon as she moved a step closer. This was the point she thought to run, but after he saved her from the worse demon on the ground, she would even take kinder to him killing her. At least she could get one last look at those haunting amber eyes... |
Chrono turned at the sound of the girl's footsteps. For a moment he had almost forgotten the reason for his betrayl, but here she was.
His movements were no longer precise and catlike, but slow, almost resigned to his fate of exile and punishment. He raised his eyes to look at her - a dull, brassy colour now - she seemed none the worse for wear, despite her experience, and she was holding something out to him. A wad of cloth. It took him a moment to realise that she was speaking too. Put something against the wound. Yes, he probably should, he supposed. Not that there was much point healing. It wouldn't be long before his treason brought the wrath of his father down on him. Nevertheless he took the cloth, forcing a grateful smile to his lips, "Thankyou." he told her. The first interraction he'd had with a human that wasn't threatening. It felt odd. He'd always been taught to see mortals as inferior creatures, little better than animals. To speak to one as an equal was strange, but not wrong. It certainly felt more right than the idea of killing her. He unfolded the cloth and carefully bound his shoulder with it, gritting his teeth as he applied pressure to the injury. When he was done he turned to face the girl again. She looked absolutely terrified. Not that he could blame her - a short time ago he had been after her blood. The eyes were still filled with a fire though. Very much a fighter, this one. He was glad that if any mortal had been his reason to commit treason, it was one with a spirit to match his own. "You should get out of her," he told her, his voice soft, "He won't be out for very long, and no doubt my father has already sent out a squad to collect me." |
She watched as the same claws that had once reached her for her throat reached out and took the day's findings from her own, tiny hand. Jade instinctively shrunk backwards after letting go of it, despite the smile, in case of an attack. Instead, the demon began to rip the cloth and dress his wounds. She watched as he did so, not feeling the need to run; at the moment, the fight-or-flight response was not being triggered.
Jade looked into his eyes every chance that she got- they were a different color, but they were the same. Full of emotion and life and fervid... not like she would expect from a demon, and especially not from the way she had pictured him when he was trying to kill her. She imagined they were more bloodthirsty and angry, which was not the same fire and emotion she was seeing at that moment. Suddenly, he was warning her to leave, to run and leave him there. So many questions filled her mind, "Your father is going to come after you...? For what you did to him?" she asked, gesturing to the demon who had remained completely still since she moved out of hiding, "Wha-What about you? You want me to just leave you here?" she asked, incredulously. Jade was confused, not only by him but by herself: she wanted to help the demon who had been trying to kill her; she didn't want to leave him on his own. Maybe it was the fact he had saved her from the currently motionless demon, or because of those damn eyes of his... but she didn't feel right leaving him alone. She looked him over, waiting for answers. |
[font="arial"]Chrono sighed and closed his eyes, suddenly realising how tired he was.
How long had it been since he had slept? Two weeks? A month? He couldn't remember. But every time he closed his eyes lately, his victims would return to him in nightmare form and wake him before he had the chance to rest. He pinched the bridge of his nose between thumb and forefinger, trying to focus. The human was asking him questions. The questions themselves were perfectly reasonable, but her reaction was not what he had expected. Not only was she not running away from him, she even seemed reluctant to leave him here alone. He returned his eyes to hers - every time he was shocked to see how bright and intelligent they were. Was she different to other humans? Or had he just never come close enough to one to notice how very...similar they were to himself? "My father is Hades. I'm the Prince of Hell," he informed her, deciding that it was best to tell her everything outright. As much as he didn't want to be left alone to die, he knew that if she knew the danger she would leave and therefore be safe. That was best, of course, "He won't be happy with me for injuring one of his most prized officers, let alone to save a mortal. If you're here when they arrive, they'll kill you too." He gave her another small smile, this time it reached his eyes, "You wouldn't want my sacrifice to be in vain would you? If you die, then I've died for nothing."[font] |
She watched him as he explained. He was the son the angels had been talking about... Jade had heard rumors from a group of humans who had teamed up with the angels, but Jade had assumed that that was all they were- rumors. She had heard the son of Hades was among them and that he was fighting... but she had heard horrible stories about him, and she had had no idea that they were completely... wrong. He seemed to have a conscious.
She looked at him, her eyebrows furrowed, "Why sacrafice? Why commit yourself to this suicide; why not run?" she asked. All Jade had been doing for the entire war was run. It wasn't because she was a coward, it was because she had to do it to survive. She, a human, had more will to survive than the demon that sat before her. Disgust began to rise in her, "Some Prince of Hell you are, if you're not willing to raise any of it." she said, rolling her eyes. For the first time, a bit of personality was beginning to show through, though Jade hadn't started her life with such an attitude... It seemed to have been adapted for the present situation. "Why not come with me?" she found herself offering before realizing what had come out of her mouth. When she did, it was too late to take it back. |
Chrono scrutinised the human's face carefully.
Not only had she just insulted the Prince of Darkness, but she had then decided that he was to follow her like a little lamb. "I don't think you quite understood me," he said, an edge to his voice now - Chrono may not have been a typical Demon, but he had his pride, "I will be hunted down. Even more so than you. This planet is tiny compared to our world, they will find me. It's only a matter of time. So why run? Even if I did decide to run, where are you going that's so safe? You seem to have forgotten that you're as much of a refugee as me." He straightened to his feet, wincing slightly as the movement tugged at the wound in his side, "There's nowhere on Earth that we can hide. If I run, I die, if I fight, I die. So what's the point?" His eyes were hard, inscrutible points of gold now, the life and fire having returned to them. |
Jade laughed at him; for a prince, he was a fool. "The point is you have more of a chance of surviving if you're healthy." she said, pointing to his shoulder, which seemed to be bleeding less, but still going, "If you run, you give yourself time to heal, and thus more of a chance. You may die either way in the end, but what's the point of reserving yourself to it and not going down without a fight? The demon, over there" she pointed again, to the one lying on the ground, "He outranks you, in blood, correct; he is stronger than you? Yet you took him down. You have a chance if you fight. And even if it's not much of one, isn't it better than giving up?" she asked, trying to make him see her point. The human had more will than the demon, how pathetic was that?
She knew she had to leave soon, if he was right, the others would come for him and they would kill her since she was on the path, "I could use you." she said simply, before deciding it best to explain, "I could use your strength, and you could use my guidance. This world may not be as big as yours, but I know it better than you." she said. Then another bout of sarcasm came up and she spoke, in a condescending tone, "And apparently you also need me to give yourself a reason to live." she said, putting a hand on her hip while still holding the knife, a bit looser now. |
Chrono mentally shook himself. What was he going to do, sit here and wait to be dragged back to face his father? Waiting for death?
That was no life. Almost literally. He nodded once, decisively, then turned his liquid-gold eyes to the human. "Are you telling me you have a place to hide from Demons?" he asked, skeptically, "Because somehow I doubt that, considering that you're here in the first place." The Demon raised his arms and stretched, catlike. His shoulder was more of a dull throb than the stabbing pain it had been to start with. He couldn't heal it, since it was an elemental wound rather than physically inflicted, but he hoped it wouldn't slow him down too much. "As far as I'm aware, the only area not taken by Demons is Canada, and that's only because it's the Angelic Earth base. It's not exactly safe for human refugees either." he told her, his eyes still on hers, waiting for how she would respond. She was right, of course - if he had even a little time to heal, he stood a much better chance of taking some Demons down with him, which would be prefereable to dying for nothing, like an animal. |
Jade smiled mischieviously, "So far as you know... But you're one of them, so it would defeat the point of having a safe haven if a demon knew about it, wouldn't it?" He wasn't very smart for a demon either, apparently. Did he honestly think he would know if there was a place to hide from demons. The obvious and logical answer was 'no'. There was a place, but it was far enough away from them to make it a journey and a half. She continued to answer him for the moment, not thinking about the travel miles she was going to have to put on to get there, "And I'm out here because I'm on my way there. We have to come out of hiding for supplies, seeing as there's not exactly a convenience store on the way that's up, running and demon-free." she said, again amazed at how little he had thought about what he was saying.
She watched him as he moved around; there were those eyes again. She looked away, and shuddered, not being able to surpress it. Jade had a feeling they were going to get to her everytime. She looked back once more- they were more intense than she remembered. "Look," she said quickly, "are you coming or not? Because if so, we've gotta get the hell outta here now." she said, not wanting to waste any more time than they already had. If he wasn't, she'd done so for nothing, and he was on his own; at least she tried. |
"So it's not even self-sufficient? Doesn't that defeat the purpose also? It's hardly a haven if you have to venture out to gather supplies - you'd lose more people like that than you could afford." he began, "And I hardly think you'd be welcomed with open arms bringing a Demon prince with you. They'll be able to track me much easier than they can you." He thought this through. Obviously he could be an asset to a human camp, but would that be worth the threat? Possibly not, especially when the camp of humans had spent the majority of their time hiding from or being killed by his kind. If they even let him join them, he'd have to prove himself to them more than once. An injured, exiled Demon. what a gift to bring the humans. "What you want to do," he said, turning to her and trying to forget worries for the future - he might as well concentrate on the present, "is find things that will help once you get there. Plant clippings, seedlings, animals. If there are any left alive, that is. We usually leave the ones that do escape the towns, since it's more trouble than it's worth to catch them all." He considered this. There were domestic animals scattered around all over the place, but it would take time and effort to round them up. Time that he couldn't afford to waste. "How far, and in what direction are you going?" He asked. If she was travelling far enough he could fly above and bring any nearby animals with them. That would at least help their cause - if they brought gifts that outweighed their threat, then they might be welcomed. Especially if it reduced the need to leave the camp and risk Demon squad attack. |
Jade rolled her eyes at him- for someone who was waiting around to die and being offered a chance to survive, he was sure pessimistic and asking a lot of questions. Especially when time was of the essence. She gave him a look and explained, "These camps are fairly new, that's why they're not much just yet. But they are safe from demons, and that is what counts." she replied, "You're either coming or you aren't stop asking questions and stop wasting my time!" she said, glaring at him. Wasn't it he who said his father wouldn't take long to find them? They were sitting ducks at that moment, and she worried if she didn't get moving soon, she'd be dead before she could bat an eyelash.
"I don't know how far it is, but I know what to look for. It's Westward- Northwestward." she answered. It was true, she had an idea what to look for, she knew the landmark, but she had had no idea how far it was from where they stood. |
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