curruid_coinchenn: (one of us the prey)
ʙᴇʀsᴇʀᴋᴇʀ [ Cᴜ́ Cʜᴜʟᴀɪɴɴ Aʟᴛᴇʀ ] ([personal profile] curruid_coinchenn) wrote in [community profile] middaeg2020-01-02 05:54 pm

Behind the flames and the prayers, soulless creatures burn [closed]

Who: Berserker (Cú Chulainn Alter) and Flat Escardos
When: Ieneuer 6th
Where: Dorchacht Wilde
What: High-risk quest #1 - Search and Rescue
Warnings: Blood, violence, the usual


[ Dorchacht, the city he never wanted to see again. He'd left it burning in the night, his final memories of it a glowing ember in the distance. A factory that produced the potions that helped make monsters docile destroyed with the help of Geralt. Anyone who opposed him and Diarmuid killed in the night without a second thought. Countless others killed as he freed monsters and passed them to the resistance. The city of darkness he was forced to be in disguise just to traverse it like a witch or even a normal human would. Bile rises in his throat as he thinks about what he experience, about what Waver experienced...

Why is he back here again? Because of Flat. Flat went to the city and Berserker followed. If it had been Diarmuid or Geralt, he would have let them go alone. They can handle themselves. Flat, however, is not a trained fighter like his other two Bondmates. Even though they're outside the walls, a deep sense of unease fills him. Anxiety and discomfort, a sign of the trauma he experienced, get passed through the Bonds he shares. As uncomfortable as he is, it doesn't show on his face.

The plight of the Wilders in Dorchacht didn't concern him -- he was simply here to kill the monsters threatening them. That and track down Flat, who someone had just seen go into the Wilde. Berserker pulls the barbed, red spear off of his back and snaps it down into a ready position. As he makes his way in further to the uncharted area, he seems a familiar slender blonde. ]


Flat. Come here. Now.

[ He hears something coming and he's not about to risk the witch not having the reflexes to react in time. ]
escardos: (pic#13478930)

[personal profile] escardos 2020-01-03 12:22 am (UTC)(link)
Wah—!!!

[ flat turns around with a jump, eyes wide as he stares at berserker with a look of surprise. he had purposely gone without him, having sensed the mix of complicated feelings coming from the other. sneaking in wasn’t a problem, either, as they were always looking for assistance.

as asked, he goes over to cu’s side, looking up at him with some frustration of his own. to think that he’d be found so easily—!! ]


How did you find me so quickly? In fact, why are you here in the first place?
escardos: (pic#13489838)

[personal profile] escardos 2020-01-03 01:35 am (UTC)(link)
I see. I had totally forgotten that—I’ll keep note of if for next time!

[ flat announces it in a chipper tone, already filing it in his head to find out how to momentarily cover that connection.

but it’s something to think about for later, as he hears the hoofbeats in the distance as well. the emptiness that comes from cu doesn’t seem to bother him at all, instead falling behind him with a neutral look of his own. ]


We have to find those missing people. [ he talks neutrally, even as the beast approaches them, the grotesque heads turning towards them. ] They’re in danger. But will you be okay?

[ there’s a hint of worry in his voice as the beast smells them, and gallops, screaming. ]
escardos: (quatre.)

[personal profile] escardos 2020-01-03 02:35 am (UTC)(link)
[ flat’s an idiot, but he’s not foolish enough to think that everything is fine. the moment that creature sinks its teeth in cu’s flesh, he takes a step back, heart skipping a beat. he barely registers how the head of the creature is cut clean off, preferring to pay attention to his bonded and the way the wound bleeds. ]

You can’t get that close to them like that! What do you want, to end up as their meal? I can’t heal you, you know!

[ he thinks of jack as he speaks, and the way that the archer servant had nearly killed them. he thinks of their mangled body as they returned to him, their saint graph sliced in half.

he can’t afford to have something like that happened to cu as well.

with that in mind, he moves. ]


If you’re going to mindlessly slaughter them, then at least let me support you. I may not have had my magic back in the beginning of December, but I sure have them now!
escardos: (pic#13507852)

[personal profile] escardos 2020-01-03 03:16 am (UTC)(link)
...

[ flat remains unusually silent as he moves alongside cu. somehow, he seems to understand the cold, unfeeling, and apathetic tone in his voice, but it doesn't mean that he has to agree with it.

staying out of his way would be easy enough for flat to do. he could conceal himself, letting the beasts hone in on the dragon while he runs off. what he could do now with his illusion magic was now more than just mere parlor tricks--hiding his entire presence was the reason he had made it so far into the wilderness unscathed.

he looks up at cu, and then the creatures that are beginning to circle them. their mouths are open, eyes and mouths wide open with hunger. even when faced with the impending danger, flat can't help but find them fascinating.

but above all that, there's a hint of mischievousness as flat settles on an idea. it is not one that berserker will like, he's sure of that, but it's better than to watch him get ripped up to shreds.

he smiles. ]


You shouldn't be among the ones to die either. You're mortal too, you know?

[ he stops in his tracks. ]

Have you ever heard of the anglerfish? They have this flesh thingy that's used as a lure for prey. Well, they're not the only animals to do that, but they're the most famous. It's pretty cool really, if you ever get the chance to watch a documentary.

[ whether or not cu notices what he is insinuating, flat activates his magic wordlessly, focusing on erasing cu's presence as well as possible from the outside world. it is not an easy task, considering the dragon's...everything, but he'll do his best--even if it means leaving himself wide open. ]
escardos: (onze.)

[personal profile] escardos 2020-01-03 04:49 am (UTC)(link)
[ the moment that flat sees the shadow behind him, he turns around. berserker will feel that bone-chilling fear of death that lasts for a mere second before the creature closes its jaws on his throat with a force that first breaks his neck before any blood is spilled. and when it does, it pours, the smell of iron filling the air—

before it all disappears into a wisp of smoke.

finally, months of wearing himself thin while practicing magic without a bond are starting to bear some fruits. while his multitasking skills are nowhere near the level that they were back in london, flat is capable of layering an illusion over another, if only momentarily. he appears a few meters away, neck intact, as if the previous form was a mere afterimage.

he takes another few steps back, barely missing a strike from one of them. in a way, he seems to be trying to lure them into the path of cu’s lance, similar to how a bullfighter guides the bulls toward them.

but from the sweat that’s forming on his forehead, it’s obvious that flat is pushing himself to his new limits. ]


Keep yourself from bleeding! Their senses are sharp and god knows what I’ll have to do to distract them from it!
escardos: (pic#13478930)

[personal profile] escardos 2020-01-03 02:03 pm (UTC)(link)
I’m fine.

[ perhaps influenced by cu’s own anger, flat responds with a frustrated tone of his own as he continues to try threading through the monsters, leaving afterimages in his path for
the monsters to chew on for a second before it also disappears.

i’m fine,, he tells himself, even as the tiredness begins to increase, followed a dizzy spell. in the back of his head, he recognizes it all as signs of exhaustion. but the adrenaline that courses through him is stronger than that. he knows that he can pull through it—

until he notices one of the creatures galloping straight towards cu, their teeth bared and ready to sink into flesh. ]


Cu! Watch out!
escardos: (pic#13478896)

[personal profile] escardos 2020-01-04 04:40 am (UTC)(link)
Cu...

[ flat feels like his feet are made of lead, his body actually shaking from a feeling that’s a little too familiar to him—fear. watching the creature gnaw on his bonded’s thigh only reminds him of how the situation had been with jack, how they had almost died because they hadn’t done enough—

not once does he worry about the gore that’s left behind of the creatures. even as cu smashes their skulls and tears their organs apart with his lance, flat can only think about all that blood and the injuries and the fact that they are no longer a servant, but a mortal.

idly, he thinks of the wilders he was supposed to rescue, because it’s what he should do and what is supposed to be right, and yet he can’t even do that.

without so much as another word, flat breaks the spell, this time applying it on himself. it’s much easier to manage, and he practically disappears as he runs away from the fight. not to the city, but to a tall enough tree that he can climb and stay out of harm’s way while still having a bird’s eye view of the fight.

sullenly, he watches from a tall branch. ]
Edited 2020-01-04 04:44 (UTC)
escardos: (pic#13497519)

[personal profile] escardos 2020-01-05 01:15 am (UTC)(link)
[ the moment that the fight is over, flat doesn't so much climb down of the tree as he does jump. he feels his bones ache in pain over the landing, but nothing matters as much as the moment that cu collapses to the ground. adrenaline runs through his arteries, allowing flat to run towards him without even feeling the exhaustion from overusing his magic.

he can feel his heart drumming anxiously in his ear, trying to think of the healing spells that he can use, but none of them are effective with the little remaining magic that he has. using his whole body, flat forces himself to drag cu's unconscious body, lance included, propping it against a tree before getting to work.

luckily he is not without provisions, having at least packed a a roll of bandages in case things went awry. with one of his knives, he tears off the fabric above cu's thigh wound, making sure not to nick the skin with the blade--he doesn't want to test if the dragon is capable of being poisoned. with a good amount of bandages, flat proceeds to apply pressure on the wound in order to stop the bleeding, ignoring the way that his arms shake as he presses the bandages against the skin.

flat realizes that it's his fault, but it's too late for that-- all he can do is make sure that cu does not die here. with more bandages, he wraps it around his thigh until he assumes that it's good enough. from then on he moves to the head, and finally his shoulder. only then does he allow himself to take a step back, looking between cu and the expansive wilde.

he can't carry cu back. not even if he were at full strength, and much less now. but leaving him here was out of the question, too. and while he's no good at using healing magic properly, flat doubts that it's that important to do things correctly anymore. if he uses his own life source as the catalyst, then--

he kneels down in front of the lance, not hesitating as he grips the blade hard enough to cut through the palm of his hand, drawing blood. as he does so, he mumbles a healing spell he read about, one that he's only had the chance to practice on himself. it's not good enough to heal cu back to health completely or even moderately, but should at least be enough to push him back to consciousness. ]
escardos: (pic#13478895)

[personal profile] escardos 2020-01-05 04:56 am (UTC)(link)
You collapsed, y'know. You would've died. And I don't think anyone would've wanted to come back with me to pick you back up.

[ flat gives him a small, vague smile as cu complains, though it doesn't quite reach his eyes either. it's a bit forced, but it's difficult for it not to be when the adrenaline is finally wearing off and you feel like your limbs are made of lead.

he grabs for the bandages as cu stands up, quickly wrapping them around his own hand. once that's done, he pulls himself up with the help of the tree. his own face is pale as death, but there's no choice now but to push past it. ]


I couldn't carry you unconscious but... I think it'll be easier now.
escardos: (pic#13478933)

[personal profile] escardos 2020-01-05 06:14 pm (UTC)(link)
And? I'll survive, it's all I can do.

[ flat parrots cu's words with a self-mocking grin. surviving is all that he has done, mostly by dumb luck, at the expense of those around him. in the back of his head, he wonders when that luck will finally run out, or if it ever will.

he walks behind cu, his own steps even slower than the injured dragon as he looks to the sky. his muscles scream with every step he takes, but flat does a good job ignoring it. ]


What happened here that you hate it so much?
escardos: (heuit.)

[personal profile] escardos 2020-01-05 09:23 pm (UTC)(link)
I see.

[ flat says it softly, closing his eyes for a moment. somehow, the discomfort that passes through the bond is oddly relieving. the pangs of honest emotion, be it disgust, anger, and/or discomfort are true and legitimate emotions from cu.

even knowing the fact that waver was so horribly mistreated here doesn't seem to get any reaction whatsoever from flat-- time has passed, and anger isn't something he feels very much of.

the story is enlightening in a way, and explains clearly why berserker would want to do anything but to come here. and yet he was here, barely conscious, dragging his body back to the city after saving flat. he did not have to come here, and yet he did. the thought alone brings a small smile to flat's face, despite everything. ]


You helped a lot of people back then. I'm glad.
escardos: (pic#13478934)

[personal profile] escardos 2020-01-05 11:55 pm (UTC)(link)
What is it with you and wanting to be abandoned? Is that some sort of soldier thing where you'd rather die in battle than actually live? Jeez.

[ flat stops in his tracks as soon as berserker falls on his knee, a mix of annoyance and intense worry gripping his chest. the idea of leaving cu behind has been ridiculous since the first time he mentioned it, and the fact remains now. ]

I either leave you fully healed-- [ which would involve sacrificing a good amount of blood ] --or I'll drag you to an actual healer.
escardos: (pic#13478935)

[personal profile] escardos 2020-01-06 04:21 am (UTC)(link)
You—!!

[ flat shouts as cu picks him up, and he swears he can hear the wound rip open for a moment as they take flight. he feels an intense pang of guilt, something that superimposes itself over the pain that flashes from his bond and the worry that doesn’t seem to go away.

but he’s too tired to fight it anymore, whether it’s with a sharp comment or with an idea even stupider than cu’s. he’s tired, drained of energy, and he feels awful in a way that he hadn’t felt in years. he feels vulnerable and he doesn’t like it one bit, preferring to hide his face in cu’s chest. ]
escardos: (pic#13507844)

[personal profile] escardos 2020-01-06 10:21 pm (UTC)(link)
[ the rough landing doesn’t frighten him as much, simply gritting his teeth and clinging to cu’s neck until the worst is over. when he’s let go, he stays on his knees for a moment, taking deep breaths to settle himself.

he looks back at berserker, eyes wide as he considers the situation. there’s no reason to continue complaining, it seems, so he nods. he walks back to berserker, bringing an arm behind his shoulder and trying to lift him up. stupid dragon is stupidly heavy and stupidly tall. ]


Fine, fine, you win. [ it’s said with the least amount of enthusiasm possible. ] But I am taking you to the Coven back in the city. Or maybe we’ll pass out and they’ll take the both of us when we get there. Either one’s good enough.
escardos: (pic#13478934)

[personal profile] escardos 2020-01-08 04:00 am (UTC)(link)
[ flat doesn’t need to look around to know that the people’s gazes are on him and on berserker. he does nothing to scare them off, but also does nothing to stop cu from glaring and snarling at them. he simply continues walking, hoping with every step that his legs don’t give out on him.

and yet somehow they actually make it to the portal, weird looks and all. flat looks up at cu, suddenly hesitant of taking the first move. he’s already messed up so many times today, the last thing he wants is to add one more to the list and have that be fatal for the dragon. ]
escardos: (pic#13489835)

[personal profile] escardos 2020-01-12 02:35 am (UTC)(link)
Cu--!!

[ at least flat's shouts gets some attention from some nearby witches, who immediately pale at the sight of the the passed out dragon and the witch companion.

flat tries to reach out to them, to take a step towards them, but his knees finally give in, and his voice comes out as a small, weak gasp before he feels his consciousness fading and he slumps against cu's passed out body.

before it slips away completely, he hears the steps and shouts of villagers that are coming to help them. at the very least, they'll be taken to get help. ]