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Post by Val on Feb 7, 2020 21:07:45 GMT
Destrian had retrieved Ari from the soldiers barracks early that morning, as promised. He had kept his explanation vague, insisting that he would tell her about his strange mission on the way to their destination. Now, they rode side by side on horses on the main path leading out of Raevaryn's castle grounds. He kept his horse's pace slow, seeming tense and hesitant to begin the inevitable conversation. Behind them, Jinx slunk along the path, refusing to get left behind a second time.
"You remember what I told you about my past?" he prompted quietly, keeping his eyes carefully trained on the road. He had been vague before, only describing the trauma he'd endured at the hands of his enemies. He had refused to think about Cyra until recently, and had purposely avoided bringing up the topic at all costs. Now, though, the whole truth would spill. Part of him was worried that Ari would view him differently, but protecting her was the most important thing right now.
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Post by Elvander on Feb 7, 2020 21:57:33 GMT
Ari had been quiet as he led her from the barracks, respecting his space. He would tell her when he was ready. She rode slowly, matching his pace, and Luna walked at Jinx's side, unwilling to be parted from her mistress and her panther friend. Ari glanced over at Destrian as he spoke, nodding once. "Yeah, I remember." It made her angry to think about the ways he'd been treated, and her hands tightened on the reigns. Her horse reacted to her sudden tension by snorting and tossing it's head. Ari relaxed her grip and took a breath. "Is this about them, Destrian?"
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Post by Val on Feb 8, 2020 2:14:41 GMT
"Sort of," he replied, looking up at her as the horse fussed. He let her presence give him courage, taking comfort in the fact that Ari had never once judged him. Exhaling, he dove into the explanation before he could change his mind, "I never told you how I escaped from them," he began, "They claimed to work for the greater good, but they destroyed the innocent in order to do so. There are so many people with abilities out there, like yours," he mentioned, wondering how Cyra would react to Ari's shadow manipulation, "But some are a much, much greater threat to humanity. They tethered me to one of those people with an unbreakable curse. I was given control of her so that her reign of terror would be put to an end."
He felt drained of energy from revisiting his past so many times in one day, but he pushed on, wanting to get everything off of his chest, "I used her against them. That's how I got away, but I couldn't move on when she was a constant reminder. I didn't want the power. So I locked her away. For a long, long time...Until now." His eyes had grown unfocused, and he finally stopped to take a breath, feeling frozen as he awaited Ari's response and the inevitable questions to follow. Hopefully meeting Cyra in person would make everything fall into place.
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Post by Elvander on Feb 8, 2020 3:14:19 GMT
Destrian was right. Ari had a bunch of question she had to prevent herself from spilling all at once. She knew this was difficult for him. He'd never been much for sharing, and she'd never asked him to. It filled her with love that he trusted her so completely, and she wanted to make sure that he knew he always could, and that it wasn't misplaced. "Who is she? What can she do? Why are you releasing her now?" She blurted out and grimaced sheepishly, wishing she could hug him right now. But she was astride her horse, and the hug would have to wait. She bit her tongue to keep back any additional questions.
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Post by Val on Feb 8, 2020 3:58:21 GMT
Destrian felt relief when she spoke, even if it was a bombardment of questions. He could handle that, it was silence he feared. Tugging on his reigns, he guided his horse closer to hers so that their legs nearly brushed with each step the creatures took, "Her name is Cyra. She..." he struggled to put into words what she was capable of and finally just shook his head, "It's better if you see if for yourself," he decided. He gaze at her for a moment with a sense of adoration and then looked back at their loyal companions, watching as Jinx rubbed against Luna's side like a needy house cat. This was his family, "We need her protection. I'll be damned if I let anyone ruin what we have built." For now, the threats they faced were hypothetical, but he couldn't shake the feeling that the kingdoms were on the brink of disaster.
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Post by Elvander on Feb 9, 2020 1:18:20 GMT
Ari appreciated that he moved closer to her, taking comfort in his presence. No one had ever looked after her before. It was hard to imagine that she deserved it, and if she wasn't about to meet this all powerful being, she might have even cried a bit. "Thank you for looking out for us, Destrian. It's not... something that I'm used to. I think it's smart to be making the moves we need to to keep ourselves safe now. Just in case..." She pursed her lips and nodded, resolved. "All right, let's do this."
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Post by Val on Feb 9, 2020 1:43:57 GMT
Destrian nodded once and glanced ahead, where the cabin that he had left Cyra in was coming into view. He felt reassured now that he had Ari on his side, though he had a feeling Cyra herself was going to make the whole situation a lot more difficult. "One more thing," he spoke up as they stopped in front of cabin, glancing ruefully at Ari, "She wants me dead." He stated it in a matter of fact sort of way, but did not seem the least bit concerned over it. He had the ultimate control over her, after all. He dismounted his horse and stalked a few paces toward the house, "Cyra!" he called, waiting for her to make an appearance. He knew she would probably want to charge out there in her cursed form in an attempt to scare Ari, so he made a point of metaphorically tightening the reigns as he waited for the girl herself to step outside.
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Post by starrea on Feb 9, 2020 2:01:09 GMT
Things only got worse after Destrian left. Watching him actually ride away and leaving her behind awakened an anxiety she didn’t realize she had. After he had left, she had stepped outside and seriously considered leaving but she knew it was pointless. He would just summon her back and from the looks of it, he dumped her in the middle of nowhere. Again. She stomped back inside, slamming the door shut behind her.
All she could was wait and hope Destrian came back before another decade passed. She started to shake, wanting to explode out in a column of pure smoke and destruction, but her body wouldn’t obey. The curse tightened around her neck for several long seconds before she stopped trying.
Then she had an idea. She might not have been able to shift, but she could do plenty of damage just as she was. The cabin didn’t look like anyone had lived in it for quite some time, but it still had some furniture and other objects she could have fun breaking. The first thing she got her hands on was a a wooden chair and it only survived being smashed against the wall twice before it crumbled into a pile of kindling. Cyra admired her work, a sense of accomplishment washing over her. By the time Destrian returned hours later, the inside of the cabin had been completely destroyed except for a few larger pieces of furniture.
The sound of her name being called genuinely surprised her. She had little to no faith in Destrian and for once, he pleasantly surprised her. She sauntered out the door, an easy going smile on her face. Breaking things was extremely therapeutic - and if it pissed Destrian, then that would just be an added bonus. She leaned against the railing of the porch, eyes zeroing on his companion. She almost laughed - the woman looked just as uptight as Destrian.
“Whose the slut?” She called back, “Oh, and what did you bring me back?”
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Post by Elvander on Feb 11, 2020 1:44:26 GMT
Ari watched the cabin warily, her hand tight on the hilt of her sword after she dismounted. As Cyra appeared, she felt herself relax. Not what she expected at all, for such a powerful being. She wondered what sort of toll it took on Destrian to control her, and reached for his hand, twining their fingers together. Luna growled at Cyra, pacing behind Ari as she sensed a chaotic energy emanating from Cyra. But her mistress seemed calm, as did Destrian, and so she simply paced, anxious. "Oh, your words are sharp as a blade," Ari retorted, rolling her eyes at the remark. She'd been called worse. Cyra wasn't going to get under her skin. "You can call me Ari, but if slut is the only word you know, that doesn't bother me either."
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Post by Val on Feb 11, 2020 3:44:47 GMT
Destrian had expected Cyra to behave this way, but he simply couldn't control himself when it came to Ari. His temper flared against his will and his fingers tightened so hard around Ari's that he had to release her hand before he caused damage. Of course he knew Ari could handle herself, but he wasn't sure how long he could deal with Cyra acting like a bitch. Jinx crouched low to the ground beside Destrian, the inky black fur along her spine standing on end. She hissed and bared her teeth distrustfully, sensing the same dark energy that Luna felt.
"Nothing if you don't change your attitude," he snapped back at Cyra, glaring at her pointedly. They had, of course, brought her a bag of some of Ari's clothes as well as food and supplies to last them a few days while they settled into the cabin.
"Why don't you come down here and try that introduction again," he insisted. He crossed his arms and arched a brow, as though challenging her. If she were to keep up this insufferable behavior he damn well wasn't going to reward her for it, "I might even let you introduce your other form," he dangled the offering like a treat.
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Post by starrea on Feb 11, 2020 3:57:32 GMT
Cyra’s face widened into a victorious grin as she watched Destrian’s temper flare. It was almost too easy. Truth be told, she didn’t really care about Ari. She may have looked like a bitch but knowing Destrian, Ari could do better. Unfortunately for Ari, she was just going to end up being a way for Cyra to get under Destrian’s skin.
Cyra made a big show of rolling her eyes and pushing herself off of the railing and walking down the steps towards them. She hadn’t actually planned on cooperating but her gaze snapped towards Destrian when he promised to loosen her leash a little. He knew what she wanted and she had to play his game.
She flashes a big, obviously fake smile towards Ari, extending her hand for the woman to shake. “Hi Ari, I’m Cyra, the girl that Destrian abandoned in the side of a fucking mountain for how many years? A decade? It’s so nice to meet you.” She knew she was being a cheeky bitch but she didn’t care. Technically, she had been nice. Anyway, she wanted Destrian to loosen her leash a little before he walked inside the cabin. She doubted he was going to be too pleased with the mess he saw and she knew there was going to be repercussions.
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Post by Elvander on Feb 11, 2020 4:42:24 GMT
Ari shook Cyra's hand, returning the fake smile. She was determined not to let the girl rattle her. "Sounds like a shitty gig, to be honest. Destrian can be a little... rough around the edges," She glanced at her lover, a bit of humor in her eyes. It was hard not to tease him, even in such strange, tense circumstances. She let go of Cyra, taking a step back. Ari was a fan of powerful women, even if some of them were more dangerous and destructive than others. If she was going to be saddled with Cyra, she would do her best to make sure they weren't at odds. Ari's personality had led her to be stand offish and prickly in the past, but she wasn't just looking out for herself now. She wanted to make this easy on Destrian.
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Post by Val on Feb 12, 2020 0:14:40 GMT
Destrian watched the interaction, feeling his anger ebb just as quickly as it had appeared. Realistically, there was a good chance that Cyra was going to enjoy Ari's company a whole lot more than his. He narrowed his eyes playfully in response to Ari's comment, his annoyance quickly replaced by his appreciation for Ari trying to make this work.
He hooked an arm around Ari's waist and tugged her against his side, wanting her close before he offered Cyra free reign. He regarded his cursed counterpart pointedly, "Alright, then," he gave her a nod, "Let loose. And keep your distance," he added borderline threateningly. With that said, he closed his eyes and allowed his control over Cyra to loosen, effectively summoning the her second form. And with it, came the undeniable rush of power through his veins.
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Post by starrea on Feb 12, 2020 1:32:12 GMT
The release came all at once. One second, she could feel the curse wrapping around her next, around her torso, around her arms... and the next she didn’t. It wasn’t gone, it would never be gone, but it was allowing her the freedom Destrian promised. She took a deep breath, the adrenaline pumping through her as her body charged up to shift. And then one second she was standing with two feet planted firmly on the ground, and then next she wasn’t.
From the place Cyra stood, a tall, black column of black smoke exploded up into the sky. The experience was addicting. To be free of human restraints, to soar through the air with the power of absolute destruction and to completely decimate any obstacle in her path... there was nothing like it.
Unfortunately, the farmhouse that Destrian had managed to find was mostly surrounded by fields and while she would have loved to piss Destrian even more by taking down the whole cottage, she didn’t want to sleep outside. There just wasn’t really anything satisfying to rip up. She zipped through the air, settling her sights on a massive oak tree. In one fluid movement, she wrapped herself around the trunk and uprooted it completely. Just for show, since she has gotten the hint that Destrian wanted one, she hurled the tree in their direction, watching it crash down a hundred or so feet away from them.
A sense of calm overcame her and she meandered back towards Destrian but didn’t shift back down. Instead, she looked in front of them as a dark, column of black smoke that just hovered in place. She wasn’t entirely eager to especially because she knew he would flip out once he saw the interior of the house. He had told her to keep her distance and she internally debated whether that was indirect request to go the fuck away - one she would gladly obey at this moment.
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Post by Elvander on Feb 12, 2020 22:56:40 GMT
Ari leaned into Destrian, feeling safe against his side. It was both an emotional and physical sense of protection- whatever may come, if they were together, nothing would stop them. Her eyes widened in awe as Cyra took her form, uprooting the tree. It was a truly impressive display of power- one Ari had never seen before. She took a deep breath as she eyed the shifting column of smoke. It was a shame that something so powerful had been bent to submit to the will of another. "She's incredible," she murmured to Destrian.
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