... Last were his boots, which he fastened with great haste. He was running late as the clock downstairs chimed six-thirty. The chill of the morning eased into his room through the open window but he ignored the cold. He leapt from the bed, his apparel in sharp form, and he threw open his closet doors as he searched for his weaponry.
"Des!" he called, rather breathless. "Why didn't you wake me?"
A small breeze entered the room, a sign of Desdemona's appearance, and she spoke in a haunting, yet melodious voice. "I don't like the organization you're working for."
"We've been over this," Vincent grunted. "I'm a Soulkeeper, I'm automatically under the Spiritual Defense Organization's command once I'm of... age!" The contents of the closet collapsed, burying him in a mountain of clothes. He gradually weaseled his way out, ignoring Des as she giggled in delight. He turned to her, realizing she was looking right at him as she continued to laugh.
"... What?" He thought it might have been the distaster of the avalanche of clothes that threw her into a fit. Or perhaps it was? Vincent sighed; he'd never be able to understand women.
"Your shirt," she finally answered in a small voice, fighting back a snicker. He cocked his head, confused. "They don't commission the winter uniform for another week."
Great, Vince, even a phantom knows your work schedule better than you. And what kind of BS was that? It was the dead of winter already, or at least it felt that way, but of course the SDO had to wait until the 21st of December to allow him to wear a uniform that wouldn't let his ass get frostbite. They nitpicked worse than his mother.
Sighing, he quickly shed his shirt, hesitating as he stared at his pile of clothes in vain before leaping in. Even if the SDO put him through rigorous hours day in and day out, there were perks to being under their employment. The well defined muscle in his arms and shoulders bellied a skill in archery, the modesty of his chest and abdomen noting an equal balance of strength and agility. He trained with his father vigilantly in his wolf form, perhaps Vincent's weakest area if you were to name one. He was not a purebred, or truly belonging solely to a wolf species of any kind, and therefore synchronizing with his wolf instincts was extremely difficult.
Finding the item of clothing he required, he hastily put it on, catching the clock by his bedside at 6:40. Ten minutes late. Fuck. The boss is gonna have my head on a platter. He fidgeted with the collar, the itchy fabric tight against his skin, and once more scavenged for his weapons.
"I want to go with you," she chimed as he kneeled to look under his bed.
"Des, you'll be exorcized the instant the Soulkeepers spot you. Besides..." He leapt to his feet, a hand on his hip as he scratched his head. Glancing up, he found with great relief and grief that his weapons lied on the desk Des sat herself upon. Busying himself as he gathered his bow, quiver, and clawed gauntlets, he continued, "... you could get hurt and I can't guarantee your safety if you come along on a mission with me."
She leaned forward, catching his attention, his eyes flickering to the parting folds of her dress for a split moment. "You and I both know I'm perfectly capable of handling myself..." A soft smile adorned her face as she reached up and lightly passed over a lock of his hair, moving it slightly with the soft wind of her movements. "... I'm just worried about you."
He grinned, knowing her worries were unfounded. He'd yet to emerge from a mission with anything worse than a few scratches and a couple bruises. And after two years of working for the SDO, Vincent was sure he'd been through the worst of it.
"C'mon... You can walk with me 'til I get to headquarters," said Vincent, winking as he beckoned her to take the offer, already making his way out the door.
Des followed him up the the looming building ahead. Soul keeper general is what she called it, SDO head quarters was its offical name... If she could, she would have torched the place long ago. Vince shouldn't be sent on mission just because he was what he was. Of course, the many times hes explained that he had nothing to do with the matter and actually enjoyed the work he did wasn't even close enough to convince her otherwise.
ReplyDelete"Be careful!" She called after him as he dashed up the steps. Gods, he truly was an amazing boy. True, it had been weird to start to develpe such emotions for a male she'd known all his life but it was something she couldn't help. He was kind, yet strong, and the fact that his body was in top physical condition hadn't helped at all.
This happened everyday, only today he was actually aware of it. She would walk up with him to this very point and watch him enter that cursed building, not knowing if he would return to her safetly. . . but this time she wasn't going to stand back and wait. She manuvered her way around to where they usually met, the soul keepers. Missions were handed out and breifly explained before they were dismissed. She was sure that he would get the brunt of the missions for his tardiness, she would have the head masters head if anything ever happened to her Vincent because of his idiotic fits.
Just as she predicted, she found them in his office, yelling at him about who knows what. She crouched just outside, knowing she could hear them, if she could tap into that power within. She didn't know why, but she was getting exceptionally better at mastering them but the fact that they grew with such an intensity worried her. It was something she kept to herself. She didn't want to worry Vince with such petty information.
Concentrating as best she could, Des picked up the information she needed. He was to head north to a small town called Laur and invesitgate some murders that were being committed, most likely the work of Ghouls. . . Of course. . .
She couldn't help but smile a little to herself before vanishing to the place to await Vincent's arrival.
Yep, just as he thought, old boss man was hot off his rocker. Vincent remembered how honorable he'd been upon meeting a naturally bred Soulkeeper but perhaps that didn't necessarily call for special treatment; in fact, it almost seemed like he expected more from Vincent than the others. Enough to put a guy on edge, really, but complaining wasn't going to make the situation any better. So, once more pitted with a difficult mission for his negligence, Vince stepped out into the foyer and charged through the doors full speed in wolf form. Laur was not far but traveling this way was much easier and Vince was still in dire need to master his wolf side.
ReplyDeleteWithin minutes, much to Vincent's dismay, he arrived at the city limits and quickly reverted to his human shape. His sights first fell upon a line of SDO officials attempting to keep curious spectators at bay from something. That's my cue. He strolled over at a steady but hastened pace, knowing if he kept moving it'd be easier to ward off the cold air. Yet the more he drew closer to the scene, the more his senses picked up the intensifying smell of blood. Well, he was heading in the right direction for sure. A nearby guard, though attempting to remain professional, clearly showed irritation that another concerned citizen was going to ogle the scene.
"Sir, step away and go home-"
"Soulkeeper," Vincent cut off, reaching into his pocket for his identification and handing it to the official. "Dispatched this morning. I need a look at the crime scene."
The guard spared the identification a glance before snickering. "They're mocking us now, sending a kid. How do I know this isn't a fake?" Ugh. This guy was like the rest of the assholes working for SDO; it always seemed like it took more than just a piece of paper to convince the bastards he was the real thing. Old boss man's strict lecture this morning didn't help with Vincent's building temper.
He swiped back his I.D., glaring at the ignorant man. "Listen- !"
"He's the real deal, fool."
Soft, delicate hands rested upon Vincent's shoulders, adding on to the shock he felt just at the sound of her voice. The guard looked equally stunned, his eyes traveling to a spot well above Vincent's height. The woman's arm moved to encompass his chest as the other lightly cupped his cheek in her hand. Vince winced slightly, but otherwise maintained his composure as he stared at the SDO official. Gods, she had the worst timing... and the worst manners.
"You'll let him through, won't you?" Vince could only imagine the look on her face; it seemed enough to convince the man to comply. He motioned for the other guards and, after speaking to them in private, sent them away. They dispersed to the streets, shepherding the people away and vacating the area. The guard stepped up to Vincent, now with a more serious line in his face. That's more like it.
ReplyDelete"We'll patrol the streets. Just do your job." His eyes flickered randomly to the sky at the last word as though he were searching for something. Of course, ordinary people such as himself couldn't see the Ghouls. Everyone here was at risk because of that. After with those final words, the guard departed leaving Vince alone with the newcomer. A silence loomed over the both of them, perhaps because to the woman the man was still in sight and it wasn't until well after he disappeared into the city did she speak.
"You're late. Where were you?"
"Morning to you, too... Raven."
The woman Raven relinquished her hold on him slowly, walking to stand beside him as she observed the scene. A tall yet ominous figure, with orange hair and jade green and black skin, towered high above as the gold and red of her eyes met his gaze. Vince had to admit, for a shadow creature, she wasn't an eyesore to look at but this was a mission and he couldn't afford to get distracted.
Raven sneered. "Warn me next time when you're running late. This form is hard to maintain." In a swirl of shadows, Raven became enveloped in its wake, emerging as an imp like form as the shadows dispersed. Supposedly her true form, her ears, eyes, and head stood out as the largest features and her fanged smile only added to the semblance. "Come on, wolf boy, get to work!"
"I don't need you tell me that."
"Do you want me to help or not?"
Vincent sighed. If he had known cooperating with this creature would bring him this much grief, he'd have been better off taking the tamer missions. But with one dangerous as this, and with the expectations everyone had of him, Vince had no choice but to comply. Why she offered to help him he was still stumped; her only condition to help was that he act as her "steed" in wolf form. Arrogant as she was rude. Vincent smirked to himself, already beginning the transformation. Being an Akuma... he probably was no better.
Des stood in simple, and utter shock. Who. . . in heaven's name. . . was that woman?! And why did her Vincent not stop her the instant she set her hands on him?
ReplyDeleteAnger boiled within Des as she watched them proceed down into the crime scene, moving deeper and deeper until they entered the source of it. An old abondoned building stood almost ominously from the ground. It seemed to tower over all the others in a looming horrific sort of way.
And it was her Vincent's job to descend to its very core, find its problem, and destroy it.
"Come on wolfie! Move it!"
If she were flesh and bone. . . oh. . .
"ugh!" she grunted under her breath but could no longer hold back the anger toiling inside her.
She materialized in front of Vincent, her arms crossed over her chest in anger.
"Holy crap! I knew I sensed something dark and ominous!... Didn't know it would be ugly too!"
Des's mouth dropped open in simple amazement. How dare she!
"Who are you?!" She demanded.
"Well, I'm Raven," She smiled and winked at her.
"Get off of Vincent this instant!"
"Make me."
"Gladly!"
It was then that Vincent shifted back and stood between the two quarreling women.
"Wait-" He couldn't even finish his sentence.
"Slut."
If stares could kill. . .she was sure she would find the damned imp in the afterlife with her.
"Whore!"
"Ladie-. . . Des?" He seemed more surprised at her language than the woman named Raven did.
"Come gets some then, spirit. It'll be my pleasure to finally put an end to you."
"Try it, slumbag!"
"Bitch."
"Fucking shit eating whore."
"Nice one. . ."
"Thanks" Des sneered.
"Guys- oof!" He breathed when Raven shoved him aside to come face to face with Des.
"You want something, Casper?"
"Yes, you're head on a silver platter."
"Uh. . girl-" His voice was caught off. Des was vaugely aware of the sounds of a struggle, Raven seemed as much unaffected as she was.
"Who do you think you are? Hmm? I hope you're not after his heart."
"Oh?" Raven leaned back slightly as she peered at her, a cruel smile playing across her features. "You, LIKE him?"
She remained quiet. Of course a creature of her caliber would use her emotions against her. . . but she was not in the right mind to deny it.
"Yes, I do. And if you do not stay away from MY Vincent, I will destroy you."
"Guys!" Vincent's voice rang out bringing both of the girls attentions to him. He struggled against the weight of two ghouls, each snapping their jaws at his throat.
"... Ugh." The women said in unison as they both raised their hands. The two ghouls dissipated on command and without so much as a second glance they returned their attention to each other, all the while their precious Vincent fought furiously against the amounting numbers of ghouls.
What the hell were they doing?! He needed Raven to help get the job done. And with the place being a "nesting" ground for these Ghouls, Vincent wasn't sure how many more he could subdue on his own. Their behavior struck him as odd; they were sporadic and often their arbitrary actions had them colliding against corporeal objects. The extent of their power was strong where they could affect objects and living things... which made him worry about Desdemona's safety all the more.
ReplyDeleteYea, okay, he was at fault for not telling her about Raven... but Des avoided talking about his work if she could help it, and having worked with Raven for not even a week, the issue was never addressed.
Vincent swiped at a nearby Ghoul with his clawed gauntlets, the blood curdling screams echoing in the heart of the basement as the Ghoul began dissolving in particles of light. The distorted natures of the Ghouls left them equally malformed; some had even lost their human form altogether to ineffable forms of grotesque monsters. He'd have to fight each and every one with a different strategy... and there were still about a dozen to go. It looked like he was on his own, too, with the way the girls' shouting escalated more severely than before. A smug grin crossed the young Akuma's face. There was no time to waste, then.
He sprinted forward, his mind working frantically to predict the Ghouls' movements as best as he could. A Ghoul to his left flew in his path; Vincent feigned to the side as he fired an arrow to the soul's eye, but it evaded the attack with another erratic movement. His attention caught one malevolent spirit attempting to pass to the outside; a well aimed arrow plunged through the plasmic skin of the Ghoul and killed it instantly. Vincent searched for another target, his split moment of contemplation costing him a guileful strike from behind. The blow sent him flying forward several feet; Vincent softened the impact of the fall as he rolled. He grabbed a nearby arrow, his stock having emptied from his quiver when he was hit and he struck the nearest Ghoul.
"OVERSIZED, FLEA-BEATEN PIECE OF- !!!"
Vincent's attention shifted back to the girls and, with a heart stopping gasp, saw a Ghoul charge towards them. "Des!" he called, running towards the Ghoul. The other spirits appeared to notice and soon they each followed suit as they charged towards the entrance of the basement. The girls turned their sights back to the battle ground, each raising their guard to annihilate the oncoming storm of Ghouls. No matter how many they destroyed, the flow would become overwhelming for even the two of them. He had to draw their attention somehow... Without a plan really in mind, Vincent acted on the first idea that he could think of. He slipped on one of his gauntlets once more and quickly slashed at one of the more closer Ghouls to the girls. The wounded and, apparently, irritated Ghoul shrieked in pain and flew randomly throughout the room, clinging on to any last shreds of "life" it possessed. The desperate acts of the spirit damaged even the somatic surroundings... including the walls and basement ceiling.
"Vincent!" he heard Des bellow. Shit. This wasn't looking good at all. He had to do something before the Ghoul caused the building's collapse... Dodging the falling concrete, Vincent dived for an arrow he spotted and hoped he'd find his target true as he fired it. It hit and Ghoul was reduced to naught but dust in the air... but the detriment had already been done. As things settled, Vincent gazed with a heavy heart at the entrance now blockaded by parts of the walls and ceiling as the rest of the handful of Ghouls cackled ominously.
He was trapped.
"Vincent!" Des grew panicked as she watched the concrete crumble before her eyes. Leaving whatever of them whom remained to the female she dashed through the material in time to see Vincent fighting furiously to ward off the creatures. With one clawed gauntlet he slashed at the souls that came at him from the right. He flipped into the hair, effortlessly wielding his bow and arrow to shoot three more with one shot. But no matter how many he destroyed, dozens more seemed to appear.
ReplyDeleteThere had to be a source!
Her hands reached up, a flow of tangible power running along her body as she destroyed ghoul after ghoul in an attempt to make her way to Vincent's side. They swarmed like rats, climbing the walls, dashing at them from every angle imaginable.
This is incredible! How could there be so many, and so adamantly bent on protecting their territory- . . . That was it!
"Vincent!" She tried to draw his attention, but he seemed to focused and drawn into fight to hear her. She tried once more, "Vinc-" His named turned into a cry as she was slashed by a ghoul. It was a graze, but Des had not felt pain in many years. Not many things could hurt her and thusly she had never been exposed to such feeling.
It laughed maniacally as it poised to strike again. . . but it never had the chance to take the shot. Within seconds an entire horde vanished into dust and as it settled, the smalle form of Raven appeared.
She smiled smugly at Des, who nodded her thanks and moved quickly to Vincent.
"Des! Are you-"
"Yes, yes, I'm fine, listen. Raven has bought us a thirty- second window, we will ward them off. Vince, you must cleanse the building. It was built upon a burial ground. The souls you see here have been corrupted and consumed with their anger and hatred. They have disturbed their rest, this is why there is so many of them, there could be thousands more. Hurry!" She waved her hands, urging him to move. With a slight hesitation Vincent nodded and quite reluctantly moved to finish the job.
Desdemona turned in time to meet Raven's arrogant gaze as she made her way towards her.
"You ready to take out some ghouls, ghosty?" Raven threw her head back and laughed wickedly, and as if on cue, more of the souls emerged from every corner and wall within the perimeter.
"Of course, i'm eager to continue our conversation." Des returned the smug grin as she readied herself for the fight.
Raven's ominous cackle rang through the building as both women turned their attention to the approaching enemy.
Vincent blazed through the corridors, annihilating any hostile Ghouls in his way as he frantically attempted to forge a plan. It would be near impossible to cleanse the building if it were built on a burial ground and it's standing walls offended the restless spirits. Tearing into the concrete floor to burn the bones would prove too time and energy consuming, leaving him open for an attack. That left him with one and only option.
ReplyDeleteHe stopped around a corner, digging into his small satchel he'd brought with him. His head pounded horribly with adrenaline; he must've passed over every single item twice in his frenzy to find the one he needed. He glanced up every once in a while when he thought he heard a disturbance and as the seconds passed by his arms gradually began to shake. Vincent closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, willing himself to concentrate. It wasn't fear for his own life that troubled him and try as he might Vincent couldn't help but obsess over Des' welfare. This was exactly what he'd been afraid of and, while he had no doubt Des was capable of defending herself, his mindless fretting wouldn't cease. Just get this over with so I can stop acting like a freaking prick... I'm acting like she's... and I'm...
He blinked and shook his head. Later he would ponder over all of this... if he survived this and Des' wrath over Raven. He dug into the satchel once more, relieved to find his small stash of explosives he'd been saving. Forcing his entire focus on the mission at hand, Vincent set to work tying each individual explosive to his arrows while keeping his guard drawn for any more Ghouls that came his direction. For the moment, it seemed they were all concentrating on Des and Raven... Vincent fought the urge to cringe at that thought and rose to his feet after completing his preparations. He checked his surroundings for any hostiles as well as any signs of pressure points he needed to target. Shooting at random beams and walls would waste the entire thing if it didn't work so he set out to scope the area. He ran a good two dozen yards before finding the outermost corner of the building. Walking into a nearby room, Vincent's gaze met that of a large beam in the middle taking up most of the space in the room. Bingo.
He pulled back on the string of his arrow with the bomb already lit, aiming high at the point where the beam met the ceiling. He counted the seconds as they passed by and, as he hit number fifteen, let the arrow fly as the explosive detonated at that moment, hitting its target. The floor shook as the room and nearby areas were being reduced to rubble, and several Ghouls flew into the vicinity as Vincent maneuvered to avoid the impact of the falling debris. No doubt they'd be on to what he was planning but being reduced to mindless beasts left them with their default action of defending their home. So without a second thought Vincent clawed away at them with his gauntlets, determined to open up a window to strike at his target again. To his dismay, the avalanche of Ghouls appeared to be endless and fatigue began to wear on him heavily. He struggled for minutes before he realized he'd have to strike all four stress points in the building... or else risk it falling on any citizens above ground.
Vincent yelled in frustration, killing off three Ghouls in one blow, and made to run for the other side of the building. His stomach roiled with the thought he couldn't communicate anything to the girls and hoped that they'd be quick enough to get out before he succeeded. As things were, Vince wasn't even sure he'd be able to make it out himself.
Considering he was set on planning to destroy the building from the inside and find a way to bury the entire mess in a sea of flames.
They were endless, the streams of countless ghouls charged at them, mercilessly cornering them. Each moment that passed seemed to only increase their agression and anger towards those whom they considered to be intruders in their territory. The continuous snarls and growls that erupted around Des and Raven only grew louder by the second, it was enough to have the girls feel utter dread and hopelessness. And that was before the explosion.
ReplyDeleteThe entire building shook as its metal beams began to scream against a new found strain. Almost instantly, the creatures attention were drawn towards a direction Des guessed was where Vincent was. What could have happened, Des thought with great dismay. Her anxiety grew when a second explosion was heard. Almost instantly the ghouls rushed towards the source. Their dark, eyeless gaze fixated in the direction of the disturbance with such malice and contempt. They would destroy anything that threatened their home. . .
Vincent!
She had to act fast. There was little time to lose and she wasn't sure how much use she was to Vince, if he was doing what she thought, he would need to get out of the building as fast as possible and she couldn't get him out.
Much to her dismay, the only person who could save him now was the little imp.
"Go, find him," she directed her attention to Raven, " I'll distract them for as long as I can... just... get him out!"There was only a slight hesitation on Raven's part, but much to Des's relief, the woman gave a curt nod and vanished from her side without a word. She wouldn't let anything happen to Vincent. . . she hoped. . . if anything did happen to her soul keeper, she would not hesitate to gut the stupid shadow creature and feed her entrails to a hell hound.
Shaking the doubt form her mind she drew her attention back to the hordes of ghouls moving mindlessly towards their new found target.
How to get there attention back. . . how!
She didn't have to wait long for the answer. These were mindless creatures, with only on instinct in mind, defend the home. So, she would just have to threaten it, wouldn't she?
Desdemona took a deep breath, her entire focus was on the new found power that seemed to grew within her in each passing day. She concentrated it, drawing it in until she felt as though she would burst from the pressure.
ReplyDeleteLet this work. . . it was a flimsy thought because it had to work. There was no second chance with this, either she got their attention and bought Vince and Raven time, or she would be seeing them fairly soon in the afterlife.
Without another moment to spare, Des released the energy. The entire room seemed to warp in an almost dream like manner. Its walls becoming small swells of concreate, the floors rippling like waves before a powerful second wave cut through. All at once, bits of metal and stone flew all around her, shrieks emanated form the creatures as they began to panic aimlessly. Their moves became more erratic and spontaneous as they searched for the source.
"Over here you little bastards! Come and get me!" Des taunted them and succeeded in grabbing their attention. They lost no time in changing their focus to her.
Within a matter of seconds she was overwhelmed by the little devils. She struck and dodged, all the while keeping in mind that they couldn't hurt her. . . right?
The ghouls seemed to answer her question for her. In that moment she felt the sharp bitter feeling of pain. Shock rattled through her as she attempted to undertand what just happened. There was no way she could feel anything, that privilege passed the day she died. Or at least, that is what she had always thought. And yet she found herself crying out in agony as a searing, almost burning sensation erupted from her side.
The noise excited the ghouls further, as if eliciting a painful response from her was some kind of victory for them.
They became bolder with their attacks now as they increased their speed. Des did the best she could to avoid each one, but as moments passed, it seemed as though their "victories"would only increase.
Come on Vince, hurry! Please.
Her mind silently begged for some kind of miracle. It was all she could do as they surrounded her, cutting off any chance she had at getting away.
The world was a mixture of noise and bitter cold that blanketed the air with it's icy fury. In all the confusion it was a miracle Vincent was able to make sense of where he was going. Ghouls bombarded him left and right, but their numbers dwindled by the time Vincent reached and destroyed the third beam. It was foolish to think he, Des, and Raven were gaining the upper hand. Vincent could only guess as to what (or rather whom) the malignant spirits were distracted with now.
ReplyDeleteHe reached the last pillar and took only a second to indulge in his fatigue. Adrenaline only worked for so long and every muscle in Vincent's body screamed for respite. Each breath for air was strained and painful and there arose a growing suspicion that the swaying tremors he was feeling were not altogether caused by the building's collapse alone. Vincent had been pushing aside any notions of finality throughout this endeavor but it was plainly obvious that this was the end of the line.
Really enforces the saying "be careful what you wish for," huh Vince?
He shook his head; what mattered was the task at hand... and he still had a job to do. Pushing his reluctant body back into action, Vincent rounded the corner and drew his arrow toward the beam. When the dynamite neared detonation, he let the arrow fly and hit its mark straight and true.
"Vincent!"
The Soulkeeper turned toward the muffled cry drowned out by the explosion and was met with the sight of Raven materializing beside him from a veil of darkness. What set in was not relief.
"Raven?! What are you doing here?" bellowed Vincent, the collapse of the building occurring around him left ignored. "You and Des need to go! Now!"
Raven said nothing. But Vincent would've never guessed what came next when she vehemently backslapped his face.
"Des, this; Des, that!" Raven screeched, dark power buzzing the surrounding air. "Jeez, you two are quite the pair! Both idiotic and both complete martyrs!"
She slashed away the falling debris, along with any Ghouls left within the vicinity, in one fluid, vexed motion. Even as the walls shook and crumbled and the angry spirits belched out blood-curdling screams, Raven leapt upward and summoned a black void onto the ceiling above and turned back to Vincent with a kind of determined glint in her eye.
"Saddle up, Furball! Let's go get your ghostie and make like a bat out of hell!"
If she could feel exhaustion, Des was sure she would be feeling it now. She fought against the increasing number of ghouls, she was in utter shock as to the sheer numbers of them! There was no end, no waning of ranks. She didn't know how much longer she could hold them off. Her mind was still focused on the fact that she had actually _felt_ pain. It was both exhilarating and frightening. Why could she feel that? What did it mean? She knew she couldn't die over it, but the fact of the matter was, that she was actually. . ._wounded_?
ReplyDeleteThe entire earth under Des shook, her eyes immediately went to the roof as it began to crack under the weight.
Vincent! Hopefully he got out safely, she didn't know what she would do if he was still-
"Hey! Ghosty! Let's go!" Des spun in place and scanned over the horde for the source of the voice. . . No. Please. . don't let them be here. . .
But despite her pleading, Des's met with Vincent's for a spilt second before she felt herself being dragged into the ghouls. They swarmed around her, blocking her vision with their bodies. It was a cluster of nothing but flesh as they enveloped her, the pain of their attacks brought her to cry out as she fought against them the best she could.
And suddenly, he was there. The Ghouls holding her down were instantly torn in half by a clawed hand. The flock actually began to scatter as more and more of them began to turn and flee from her as Vincent all but destroyed them in swift calculated movements. It would have been utter relief that found its way into Des's heart had not a giant piece of the ceiling nearly hit Vince.
"What are you doing?! Get out Vince!" She called out to him, her voice was nearly drowned out by the sounds of everything just collapsing around them.
"Not without you, Des!"
Damn this boy, why did he have to be so. . .
"You fool! I can't die! You can! Get out of here Vince!"
"Oh you two can make your own sidcom." Both of their attentions were brought to Raven as she opened a portal beside her. "I know I'm beautiful, but you two can stop staring now. Let's go!" Right. . . Des stood up from the ground, hollers from the ghouls panicking was deafening to her. They were nothing but screeches to her ears!
"Des!" Her gaze snapped to Vince's. His hand stretched out to her, she couldn't quite understand why until she saw it go right through her arm as he tried to grasp her. The utter look of terror that passed his features told her to brace herself and sure enough, she found her entire body jerk back with bruising force. Not once did her own well being pass through her mind though. The entire place was going to crash down and she had to get Vincent out. Concentrating every bit of her energy left, Des sent a blast towards him and angled it to knock him though the portal. She only felt relief then when she knew that he would be safe. Not a moment passed that she regretted her choice as she saw the entire ceiling cave in. Besides, she coudln't die, all she needed was to rid herself of the ghouls.
"Des!!" Vincent cried, scrambling to his feet after hitting solid ground from Des's blast of energy. He stood and froze on the spot, watching the scene as it unfolded before him. Raven's portal had led back just outside the accursed building, which now crumbled in on itself with every passing second. The least of what Vincent had managed to do was avoid the towering structure from destroying any surrounding buildings, but now it hardly felt like a victory. The sky was plagued with dust and the air was drowned out with the sound of the building going to rack and ruin. Ringing filled Vincent's ears and fatigue set in his bones like lead; it was a miracle he was still standing. It didn't help that the ambiguity of Des's welfare hung heavy over his head and the dimmed rays of sunlight fighting its way through dust and ash could not have summed up his feelings about it any better.
ReplyDeleteIt was an insane notion but Vincent was absurd enough to go and struggle his way through the debris to find any sign of Desdemona. Insanity wasn't the worst thing that could happen... apparently, though, someone else thought otherwise.
It was so sudden that was almost surreal. All at once the entire perimeter and area of the fallen structure exploded in searing black flames, its heat searing heavily against Vincent's face that he was forced to step back from the spectacle. His thoughts weightless as the smoke and his limbs nearly giving way at the sight, Vincent somehow managed to round on his Itzalan companion.
"Raven! What the hell are you doing?!"
She didn't even sever her gaze from the roaring flames as she acknowledged Vincent with, "Finishing your job, idiot. Those Ghouls aren't going anywhere unless their bones are charred to a crisp. But you already knew that, right Soulkeeper?"
If only there was something in Vincent's hands to hit that little shadow with. She was completely missing the point! Des was still in there, and even if Raven had managed to permanently see to the end of the Ghouls, Des could still be...
"Well, look on the bright side, Furball." Vincent turned to Raven, a snarky reply already on the tip of his tongue, when a pair of large, sultry orange eyes framed by equally vibrant orange hair stood mere inches away from the Soulkeeper's face. Really, it was a wonder Vincent could think coherently at all after what happened to day, and of course that thought had to be that Raven wasn't imp-like anymore. A small, seductive smile lined the Itzalan maiden's lips. "At least this leaves us with plenty of alone time to get to know each other better."
"YOU MOST CERTAINLY WILL NOT!!"
Vincent jumped; his sights immediately turning to the owner of the voice he was all too relieved to hear. For a ghost, Des looked uncharacteristically looked disheveled and exhausted, which didn't help alleviate the guilty weight in Vincent's stomach. The only reassuring aspect of Des's survival was that she appeared just as fumed and full of energy when she first met up with Vincent and Raven, the latter of whom was under great scrutiny by the phantom.
Vincent sighed, feeling his body nearly go slack as the crash from the adrenaline rush began to set in. "Des-"
When Des's glare shifted to Vincent and not any less menacing as it had been when directed toward Raven, the Soulkeeper had a feeling he wasn't quite out of the woods yet.
Not even five minutes and that. . .that. . . whore was moving in on HER Vincent? Oh, but that wasn't the icing on the cake, her precious little Soul keeper made no attempts to reject her. It had Des fuming with rage!
ReplyDelete"Don't you 'Des' me, Vincent. I cannot believe that you would-"
"Hey," Both Des and Vince turned their attention to the whore standing next to him. Ugh. . . If she could, she would have destroyed the little bitch a long time ago. But. . . damn her, she saved Vince so she could almost be forgiven. . . almost. "I think we should get out of here. With the humans and all starting to gather and I'm pretty sure you don't want to explain to all of them that they were all about to be ghoul chow."
. . . She was right. And Des absolutely hated her for it.
"Des...?" Her sullen eyes turned to Vince and met his wide yellow ones.
"What?" His hand lifted slowly, pointed at some thing behind her. She frowned, confusion clouded her mind as she turned caustiously to where Vince directed.
"Oh..." Was all she could manage to say as she met the sight of huge chunks of debris floating several feet off the air. Almost in response to her, they fell with a loud thud back down to the earth. She stared at them for a while as she searched for some... Explanation. She couldn't do that before... She clenched her hands into a fist as she began to fear the power that seemed to be growing inside her.
"What? You guys are amazed by floating rocks? Come on, let's-"
"Silence you whorish wench!" Des's turned and snapped at the female. Raven's eyes held disbelief, already she could see the anger building up behind them. God, in any other situation she would have relished in the up coming fight with Raven, but right now she was in pain and confused and now that she noticed. . .she was... tired? So when she saw the female appear right in front of her, her orange eyes blazing with the very fires of hell. . . Des moved away.
"I'm sorry. . . let's just go. I'll see you at home Vince." Without a glance to see if he had heard, Des vanished from the place. What a day. And her Vincent had to go through this every single day? Why he loved the job was _beyond_ her. She'd almost lost him! If it weren't for that Raven girl, she probably would have. She moved towards Vince's bed, looking for anything to distract her from the sea of emotions that were raging inside of her, a small smile threatened to make its way to her lips. He was so messy and unorganized, a real typical male. His clothes were thrown all over the place, his bed unmade. It was all together a ''bachelor pad'' that a dangerous. . . adorable. . . handsome. . . Soul keeper, of all things, dwelled in! So then why was she still here?! Why couldn't things be simpler? Why couldn't she _be_ with Vince? Why did she have to die?! She heard the distinct sound of furniture moving behind her. Her frustration building with every moment that past leading up to the root of the problem.
"What's happening to me?"
It was foolish to think that if he continued to stare at the spot where Des disappeared, Vincent would somehow be able to conjure her back by will power alone. At the moment, it was a stretch to even summon up the strength to walk. How was it that this day had gone horribly wrong? Des's little display earlier wasn't all too encouraging either. She'd been able to send Vincent flying using a blast of energy to get him through the portal and all assortments of objects had begun to levitate of seemingly their own accord. Des... what's happened to you?
ReplyDelete"Well!" Raven huffed, the very air churning in her vexation. "I can see why you elected to go on more dangerous missions, Furball. I'd have a death wish, too, if I had to live with THAT everyday."
"Des had every right to be angry, Raven!" Vincent snapped, the tension already beginning to build and impeded only by the state of his exhaustion. He shouldn't have kept Raven a secret from Des even if the two of them had agreed to withhold that information from at least the SDO. Vincent groaned; that was another thing he was going to have to deal with before going home. Honestly, most days it felt like Vincent was spending more time trying to convince Des he was happy with his lifetime job than himself. Today was starting to feel like one of those days.
"Funny how you don't dispute the death wish accusation," Raven sneered, a blatantly malicious glint in her eye. Vincent glared back unreservedly; that statement wasn't even worth honoring with an answer. Perhaps realizing she wouldn't get a response (or that maybe his silence was answer enough), Raven frowned, unamused. "Well, don't bother asking for my help if your little problem decides to take another field trip on any more of your missions. Dealing with bitchy phantoms was NOT part of my agreement. Understood?" Without another word, the Itzalan disappeared into a shroud of darkness in one fluid movement.
Vincent sighed; this day was just getting better and better. The sound of bustling people began to draw close and even more prevalent was the shouts of nearby law enforcement discouraging the townspeople from getting to close to the wreckage. Admittedly, the entire process of exorcising the building could've been done without collateral damage, something which the boss was certain to chew Vincent's ear off about. Ugh... honestly, fighting off Ghouls seemed a whole lot more appealing than going back to headquarters right now.
"James, stay away from there!"
Vincent turned his sights behind him as a small child was immediately swept up in the arms of an older man, much to the displeasure of the child. The boy presumably called James struggled fruitlessly in his father's grasp, forcing the latter to grasp his son's full attention as he tickled him. The small shriek of laughter evoked from James stirred the attention of the wolf within Vincent. It practically whimpered at the scene before him and the sensation was so overwhelming that Vincent was forced to sever his gaze from the father and son.
Pull yourself together, Vincent... you've still got a job to do. A dense weight filling his chest, Vincent dragged himself away from the city of Laur in as little effort as possible. These yearnings were more annoying than anything else and with each passing day it only appeared to be getting worse. It was amazing how much two years of being locked in a job could quickly shift a person's preferences. Regardless, Vincent was sworn into this for life and, now a part of his habit, he fought those urges for the sake of a clear head. It would come back to bite him the ass later, but hopefully that day would wait until after the upcoming celebration of his parents' birthday.