"Ironic" Styx nodded faintly... before the world started to go too fast for her. The cloak billowed down in a flurry of motion and the sheen of silk, distracting her almost thankfully... and the next she knew the glass has crashed and shattered on the floor before she'd had time to truly take in what was happening.
Senses swirled wildly around her as she forced herself to try and work out what had happened, as she traced the movements of Tahmores that she hadn't really seen, but that her memory had somehow perceived... and swallowed hard. Erato... how much her own thoughts echoed Erato's in that moment, the plea that rose to her lips subdued only by the fact that she knew it were far too late for what she said... to mean anything.
Maybe it was what the warrior wanted... maybe. And yet something in her mind... was increasing her guilt by the second. Morbid's voice was soft and sultry as she turned on Tahmores and Erato in turn, teasing
<No, taunting> Styx's mind corrected absently, thoughts coming to her a lot quicker than reactions, as well as the brief thought that flickered before the actions came on their own
<He can't take it>Shadows danced dramatically in the corners of her vision, but in the motion... she was determined not to get left behind this time. If she'd only known what
was to happen maybe she would have allowed her senses to remain dulled, maybe she would have allowed them to fall behind, to miss some sense of the brutality... but she didn't know.
A roar of fury that should have stalled her, but as Erato was flung backwards, Styx pushed off from the bench without hesitation, catching the girl as she was sent sprawling back... she herself collapsed to the floor but she had buffetted Erato's fall somewhat.
"Erra, are you okay?" she hissed, the name falling from her lips without warning... unexpectedly... and yet Styx herself never even noticed the slip.
The spray of blood hit her in the face without warning, hazing her vision as she blinked, raised her hands to her face to try and clear her vision... and choked back sickening taste in her throat as she forced herself to turn from the sight, muted horror and shock winding their way through her mind, twisting and turning withing her as she threw her gaze away in some desperate attempt not to
see...
She'd wanted to
help him... believed maybe even that the woman had... but
<He doesn't> the thought was almost alien to her, far too rational for the situation, and far far too considered
"Stop" she choked on guilt as she dared to look back and the blood sprayed again, acrid tears burning in her eyes but never making it much further as she fought the urge to be sick, fought the urge to simply run from the inn, dissociate herself from this while she still could. She doubted any would follow... and yet...
"Stop" she threw a force in the the plea that hadn't made itself known in her voice for quite some time
"Please..." the words, however she said them seemed limp, immobile... no matter what emotion she threw into them they came back somehow desperate to her ears, words she wasn't expecting to be heeded.
"This place was meant to be safe"She had a sword, she did... but she was peaceful. Skilled... but she wasn't used to fighting people... wasn't used to fighting the monsters humanity could become when it let itself become cursed and damned... vampires...
She was used to fighting animals infused by some unknown darkness, hoardes of that deemed truly evil
<You don't deem this truly evil?> her mind shrieked at her... but she daren't allow herself to dwell on the question
"Please" she said as forcefully as she could manage. Her eyes, to those who could see them, were pleading as much as her voice was... but they were less desperate and more determined as the shadows from the roaring fire passed across her, tainting her visage. Her morality... wasn't what it once had been.
She might have let... a normal feeding pass her by, for at least it would have bought him peace. The man had been dieing... if some facade, and facade of life had been what they were offering, again she might have been able to look away. But it wasn't.
If she had to, somehow, she was
going to make him leave the warrior... she didn't know how, but if she had to she would
find a way.
"Please... this isn't necessary" she pleaded
"Whatever shred of humanity is in you, whatever part of you I was talking to... Please... just... let the Gods take him. You are not a God. You have no right to cause him such pain in his ending"
"Please... just... please"
Edited by Charon, 25 June 2004 - 04:02 PM.
"Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind." --Rudyard Kipling