middaeg | (Open) Every word you said...

[ While it felt like a lifetime ago that she was running through the streets of Dorchacht with Geralt trying to find Jaskier, fighting with every ounce of power they had at their fingertips. While the thoughts hadn't struck her in the moment, distractions a far too deadly risk, in the quiet of the aftermath... It was easy to allow her thoughts to wonder. This trip is partially to offer her assistance as a bonded witch, but also to satiate her curiosity of what happened after they left.

She didn't ask for permission to go, but she gave a courtesy warning to Jaskier and Geralt paired with a promise to be careful and to not over-exert herself. With two bottles of temporary bonding potion in her bag for an emergency, her time in Dorchacht had been the opposite of uneventful. They weren't kidding when they'd issued the warning that the vast amount of magic was acting as a calling card for everything and everyone.

Pulling the dark magic from the tree was no quick task for some of the deeper rooted cases, which seemed to be the case with the tree she'd taken on. Needing either a second witch to help make it go faster or a capable monster at her back, she's almost ready to abandon the attempt to help fend off whatever was coming. She just needed to try for another breath of a moment. There was too much in motion for her to easily stop unless she had no other choice. ]

Fuck. I just need another minute if you can hold them off.

Edited 2020-11-17 17:03 (UTC)

I got it. Just try not to get bit.

[ With a whole horde of giant beetles crawling all over the tree, they've had their work cut out from them since the beginning. Killua doesn't mind; it's kept him busy, at least.

He's fast. He's not a Monster, but his strength and speed are naturally comparable, and while the other Witch works with far more finesse and understanding of the magic than he's got in his few short months here, Killua watches her back-- and her face, making sure to knock away or kill any beetles getting too close to flesh.

If she hadn't seen him around helping to pour his own magic into the trees in this area, it would be easy to mistake him for something else. Killua's fingernails sharpen strangely into claws he uses to slice through the beetles, his strikes enhanced by magic that glows faintly blue around his hands, a softly-crackling electric current.

He's trying not to harm the tree itself (since they're supposed to be cleansing them... or something?), but the little beasts keep coming, and it's getting harder to get to them one by one. ]

Hey, lady! How much longer?

[ The seeming fusion of magic and what she can only assume are natural abilities remind her of a Witcher in a way, though he wasn't using Signs. If she weren't quite so busy, she'd have snapped back with a comment of her own, but the quicker she could get this done then the faster they could leave.

The closer she got to finishing her task, the more frantic the beetles seemed to get. She's grateful for the help, especially with keeping them from her face as she continues to concentrate. Truthfully, she'd been so focused on avoiding shades without Geralt around, she hadn't given much thought to the beetles. And they just keep coming and coming. To the point that it's hard to concentrate. Focusing, her choker begins to glow as her violet eyes flare to life slightly. She goes as quickly as she can without overwhelming either herself or the leyline method. One of the beetles nicks her arm through her sleeve, having barely had time to shake it off before it could do any real damage. She doesn't flinch at the pain, barely giving herself a chance to register what happened. There was just a little bit left of left in the tree, she just needed a few more seconds. Any other bites or nicks earn the same lack of reaction, if anything it just drives her on to push harder. ]

Almost there.

[ If it just remained the beetles to worry about, she'd consider herself lucky. ]

Shit--

[ Killua grabs the beetle and yanks it off her the moment he sees, realizing he's slipped and missed it and kicking himself privately, even though the cut wasn't deep. There are just too damn many of them.

He crushes the creature in his hand with an unpleasant, squishy crunch, and wastes no time picking off the others. ]

We're drawing attention.

More company.

[ Killua informs her shortly, watching the hulking shadow of something approaching from his peripheral. Though they're not alone out here, other Mirrorbound and Wilders spread throughout the area, it doesn't seem anyone is within reach to intervene right now. But he doesn't fully turn just yet; the Shade lumbering out of the forest is slow, and the beetles are fiendishly quick, and far closer.

They scuttle in and out of holes in the bark, clicking their pincers and trying to snap at fingers. Killua ends up with a number of cuts himself, without flinching. If he could just send a blast at all of them at once, it'd be easier, but he has to pick them off carefully to keep the tree (and the Witch's hands) intact. Meanwhile, the shadow approaching them from the side looms closer. ]

Thirty seconds, max!

I’m almost done.

[ Her voice is surprisingly calm, keeping most of her focus on the tree. She doesn’t blame him at all for the cut or any that follow after. The fact that she’d barely gotten any before she’d gotten close to the end of the drain was a credit to his efforts. Violet eyes drift to the side as the shade slowly draws closer. Well, fuck. The frenzy of the beetles seems to reach a climax before dissipating as the last of the corruption from the tree is drawn out.

Probably for the best that this was going to be her last tree for the day, considering the arrival of the shade. With about 10 seconds to spare, she pulls the last of the corruption out of the tree with a visible effort, an almost tangible pop as the last tethers of its hold release. Almost as soon as she’s done, she’s taking steps away from the tree and scurrying beetles as they search for their next meal, her attention entirely on the Shade. ]

Fight or run?

[ She’d prefer to just leave this for someone else to deal with, her personal exhaustion weighing heavily on her shoulders. But, this wouldn’t be the first time in her life she pulled from her reserves to push through for one last stand. ]

Are you kidding me?

[ One look over at her makes the decision for him. The woman looks like she's running on adrenaline, and it's no wonder, after using so much magical energy. Killua might be able to hold his own without her, but there's really no reason to stick around at this point; this area's cleared, and there's no one else close enough in need of defense. They might as well flee before something else crashes out of the woods into them. ]

Let's get out of here!

Can you run? I can carry you.

[ There's a moment of realization that not everyone is her and Geralt, where that's a real question to be asked. While fighting a shade is not at the top of her priority list, it wouldn't be the stupidest thing she's ever done.

But, he makes the decision and she doesn't argue. She's drained and one wrong move would fuck over not only he, but him. Better to leave while they still have time so she can get home and start the process of recuperating the spent energy. The cuts from the beetle bites leave a small trail of blood behind them, but she's not concerned. Though, she does make an effort to at least wrap her arms in her cloak to prevent anything non-magically driven from growing interested. ]

I can run. Let's go. [ She's pushed through worse with less blood in her body and energy in her steps. She'll be fine. ]

[ Killua doesn't argue or insist. He doesn't know the other Witch more than the last few minutes they've spent together dealing with these beasties, but it's enough for him to take her at her word; she seems like she can take care of herself, and if she says she can run, he won't insult her or waste time protesting.

He does, at least, check over his shoulder to make sure she's following closely enough that they can watch each other's backs as needed until they make it back to the Wilder camp in a more cleared-out part of the forest.

It's a bit of a trek, but they get lucky. At least for now. The first push at a quick pace yields no new enemies, all of them currently seeming to concentrate on the area they'd just left. After a while of full-out running, Killua slows to a jog, or even a full stop for a few minutes if his companion needs to take a break. ]

Looks like we lost 'em for now.

How are you doing?

(Open) Every word you said...

Quest: Site of the Last Stand - 20th

no subject

no subject

no subject

apologies for the delay, holidays/rl emergency happened

no problem at all! hope everything's all right!

it will be, hopefully I'll be back to normal speed after tomorrow

now it is my turn to be slow...