Solitude [pg13]

[ωΘĿƒ]

Ah. There it was. The satisfying resistance of flesh against is teeth. He felt it, and just as he did, he began to pull upward, dragging the creature out of the water with him just as an eagle does.

Now, this plan was all very well and good, but he did not count on the one thing that this Nakki did. It bit him, and even though it just managed a scrape in the small scuffle, he felt an uncanny sensation of pain.

...This Nakki was poisonous? How strange... How very strange indeed. Le Cyll let out a small snarl, his wings beating hard. He managed to lift himself out of the water halfway before using his customary technique - holding the neck of the Nakki between his jaws and beginning to crush it as he ascended. He did not, however, enjoy the sound he was hoping to hear - that nice muffled crackle of bone popping inside flesh. What he heard instead was the water still churning, and not by him or the Nakki.

It was moving of its own volition, swirling into something of a small spiral, slowly growing. What at first became a wonderful advantage to him now was a weakness. He lost a little bit of grip grip on the Nakki's neck as the water sucked him down, and instead of worrying about killing her, he instead focused on taking in as much air as possible.

She was dragging him down to suffocation, but he would me more than happy to return the favor. He had her neck, and he had it tight. He would not let go, even though his wings beat and the water continued to soak them. He was above the water, just barely. Just enough to keep her occupied. All the while his wings pulled upward, and he did everything he could to help them.

But, then there was always that small scrape. It had felt reptilian, he thought. It was a lot like something he had read about once, something he knew the antidote to. Poisoning? No, Amphis poisoning... He could tell. It was already starting to make his muscles stiff. He continued to hold tightly to the Nakki's neck, but now he wondered how she had found an Amphis bite to add to her arsenal.

"Someone was a snake in your family... Someone had that nasty little sting.[/i] He thought allowed, almost demanding it from her, but not quite.

He was only asking. Just to know where this strange genetic default came from. He asked, and he would get his answer. He would always get his answer when he asked just right.

Who was it? I really want to know...

Struggling now, feeling that strange paralysis kick in, he still kept himself locked to the Nakki. He was going underwater now. He was losing an uphill battle, and it was dragging him where he could not breathe. Still, he would have his answer. He would choke the life out of this thing just like she would choke the life out of him.

Was it your father? Your grandfather? I know I'm getting close. Just give me a hint.[/b]
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[Iƪƪia]

As the two remained locked together, thrashing in the water, something became increasingly obvious to Seth. The dog had bit her. He had actually managed to harm her. Undeniable as the dog's jaw closed over her neck. She was able to feel each individual tooth, like so many little daggers in her flesh.

Perhaps it had managed to wound her, though she wouldn't gibe him the satisfaction of killing her. Her poison had made it through, obviously. She was already able to feel his jaw muscles stiffen. This was good. The paralysis would soon become to much and he'd fall victim to her whirlpool which he was already having difficulty struggling against. He might have wounded her, but she would be victorious in the end.

And yet... Something wasn't right. Despite being weakened by the poison, he wasn't letting go of her like he should have. Even now, when his death was so near, he was still focusing on taking her down with him. She decided that she wouldn't let that happen as she thrashed against his hold. In doing so, she heard the mutt's voice reverberate throughout her mind yet again.

He inquired about her other abilities. He wanted to know why she had them. As a dying wish he wanted to know why he was dying. Pathetic. Such a useless wish. It wouldn't be worth her time to offer any response to the mongrel.

Unable to break free from the dog's grip, Seth looked for another reachable target, finding it in one of the dog's front legs. Without a second thought, she lunged for it, meaning to catch it between her teeth. To inject still more poison into it's blood. She had to kill it before it killed her.

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[ωΘĿƒ]

Le Cyll saw through the froth and the water the bite coming towards him. He knew it was meant to give him more of this terrible venom, and he reacted instinctively, snarling and kicking out at the Nakki's head. He felt strange now. Not quite weak, but confused and not used to moving. He was still holding on, but he could feel himself sinking into the water, and he did not like the feel of it on his wings.

He thrashed, trying to inflict more of a wound with his firmly clamped teeth. Perhaps he could tear a nice big hole and have the beautiful creature bleed out in the lake? That would be nice, and then he would have the time to get a gulp more air. He did need air, although right now he was more occupied with the creature he had so ferociously entangled himself with. He was willing to fight to the bitter and oh so interesting end. Who would win? he wondered to himself. It might be nice if he did, but at this point the only thing that mattered was the sport of it all. He would fell this wonderfully despicable Nakki, and he would gorge himself on its shredded body. This was his ultimate plan, and this was what he was working towards.

But, it seemed just as the froth turned black, and he felt that little light-headedness that came with such lack of oxygen as drowning, he felt a strange sensation of being lifted, and in an instant he was... above the water?

Vines. Many, many vines surrounded him. He did not like the vines. Although they did aid him slightly, he would have much preferred sinking to his death and taking his new found opponent with him. Briefly, he thought of breaking through the vines that entangled him, but then, he was stiff, and whatever they were, they seemed to be able to crush him.

He did not want to be crushed. If anything, he wanted to drown. But... he would have to settle for laying still in the grip of the vines and waiting for something to happen. Their intention did not seem offensive, so he was willing to wait and observe.

Off on the shoreline, a strange kind of creature sat, its tail falling into the water and its blank round eyes fixed on the ground. It did not seem to notice them, but Le Cyll thought it strange that the creature arrived just as the vines did. Upon further inspection, the clear water revealed that the vines were actually coming from the creature itself - from its tail so casually dipped in the water. He heard a voice from within, inclining his head at the sound of the mindspeak.

"No fighting on school grounds. It's a rule, you know."[/i]
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[Iƪƪia]

The dog was weakening. That much was obvious. Already, Seth could tell that he was barely keeping himself afloat. Soon, the lack of oxygen combined with her potent venom would be too much for him. The dog would black out, giving her a chance to escape as she watched him be lost to the depths of the lake.

Yes, that would have happened. Until a floating sensation overcame her. Somehow, she was being lifted out of the water. Not by the dog, of course. He wasn't strong enough to do that. Besides, she was able to feel his teeth be removed from her neck.

As Seth attempted to look around to see what had happened, she realized that she was pretty much immobilized. Immobilized by some sort of vine-like objects. Strange. Where did they come from? How were they able to hold her so still? She didn't know the answers to these questions and she didn't like not knowing.

She craned her neck as far as the vines would allow and gazed down at the lake, searching for the source of these vines. It didn't take long before she found it in the form of a strange creature by the water's edge. Her interest with the dog having ended, she became completely absorbed by this new being. Her curiosity only grew as she heard it's voice echo in the back of her mind. Continuing to watch the creature, she waited for it to do something, anything else.

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[ωΘĿƒ]

Daniel was sitting on the ground, using his long, knifelike index claw to score little runes into the soft mud in front of him. His tail did well in water, so that is where it resided, coiling up under the surface and spreading out whichever way it liked, while his body remained in dry land where it felt most at home.

Although, while his body was seated perfectly happily on land, his tail had found something amiss in the water. It had scooped the two quarreling students up, and now he was finding it hard how much detention they should serve. He couldn't put them together, because then this would happen all over again, and he doubted detention did much for these two.

He could see it in them. They needed something else.

"What do do...?"[/i] He sighed, adding new lines to the rune - improving it. "We don't use the torture chambers much anymore... What about a little school assignment?"[/i]

No. That wouldn't work. He made the combining circle, flicking off the mud buildup on his claw when he was finished, and tapping the runes lightly. They crackled with magic, and somehow, those small runes formed a pile of paper at his feet.

Looking at it for a moment, he picked the paper up. Oh, look at that. An ad in the paper. He checked the publication date to make sure it was recent, then folded it backwards to study it more closely.

"Hmm. That's a strange way of finding help."
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[Iƪƪia]

Seth continued to watch the creature as it went about conducting something she couldn't quite see. Whatever it was, he seemed oddly detached as he went about his business. With some difficulty, she pushed against the vines still holding her as she struggled to get a better view of the being.

Unsuccessful, she stopped her struggle as the Creature spoke again. He seemed to be considering possible punishments for their violation of these sacred rules. As he finished speaking, it seemed to be reading something. Something about someone looking for help?

"Help? Help with what?"

The words came as a shock to Seth. She was inquiring about this? Why did she care? Why would she care? How did it concern her? It didn't. So why then did she want to know? Why the hell did she have to know?!

Unable to find an answer for herself, she remained still and once again waited for the creature to speak.

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[ωΘĿƒ]

Le Cyll looked over at the Nakki strangely. What was she blithering on about? He was a little grouchy, perhaps because he was slowly losing mobility due to a poison in his system. He was not concerned much with this strange creature, although he did hear that "torture chamber" mention with a little zest. So they had places of that variety here, did they? He would love to take a look, if only to scout it out for future consideration.

Oddly though, this strange new creature reminded him of his father... He did not know why, but there was that same weary unease shaking him, and he could not quite seem to make it behave like a good little impulse. Inevitably, he knew this to be his pack mentality speaking. This creature, whatever he may be, was the leader of this place - this pack, if you wish it. Le Cyll had no inclination towards a power struggle, seeing as he was wounded and winded, so instead he was forced to be still and patient towards this new being. A response that shocked him, but at the same time he knew to be part of his core nature.

He would not go against anything so close to his core. To try to rip it out and re-pot it in something more suitable would be a traumatic thing to accomplish, and one he would not soon enough go through for this creature. He would let his wolf mentality remain, and instead, he would focus on thinking up that antidote for this particular type of poison.
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Daniel looked up from his paper, feeling something squirming in his tail. He cocked his head, remembering that he had to eventually think of something for them to be punished with. He had been too busy reading before, and had forgot, it seemed...

Oh well. He flipped back to the page where the ad was located, marveling again at its strange placement, and held it up to the Nakki, Seth was it?

Of course, she was too far away to read it, so instead he had another extension of his tail emerge from the water and take it to her, already explaining it as if he was trying to reason out what it meant.

"It's a raid on the school teacher's lounge. Illia needs to know something apparently, or else she wouldn't go this far for answers."[/i]

He spoke as if Seth already knew who Illia was, and why she needed these answers. Either that, or he was thinking aloud again.

"I wonder if she'll find any? Samuel thinks he needs to protect me until it's time, so he might not even tell her anything..."

Oh, but she needed to eventually find out. Better she did now then when she needed to, he reasoned.

"That's what I'll do."[/i] Crane said, as if he'd finally made up his mind. "I'll make Samuel tell her. He won't mind. Not much, I don't think."[/i]

So saying, he again took the paper, folding up up and closing it before he spoke again.

"You two are going to answer this ad. That's what I'll do to you. You'll be more useful there than in Detention anyways."[/i]

He began to get up, brushing the sandy clay off his legs and letting his tail recede from the water. He made sure to take the Kludde out completely, seeing as he really shouldn't be drowning in a lake anyways, but he left the Nakki in the water.

"Yes, that's what I'll do. Oh, and you two should visit the doctor before you do anything else. You need to be in good shape by the time you answer this thing."[/i] He tapped the paper with one of his long, curved claws. "Just don't ask Derek about your assignment while you're there. He won't know much anyways."[/i]

Daniel was already walking away, wandering off to wherever he had to be at that exact moment. He wasn't quite sure yet where it was he needed to be, but he always got there, so he was beyond the point of thinking about it. After a few hundred years small things like that just ceased to bother someone...
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[Iƪƪia]

As the paper was lifted up to her, Seth quickly managed to read the ad he had pointed out. It was indeed strange, as it didn't say just what they needed to do. However, that didn't matter much as the creature began explaining it further as she was still reading.

Some female by the name of Illia was planning a raid. Apparently, she wanted answers. Answers about this creature before them. Somehow, though Seth had no idea how, she understood this girl. As these thoughts crossed her mind, she let her curios eyes roll back to the strange being by the lake. She would have wanted answers from him to. Though, answers to what, exactly? She didn't know yet.

Telling them that they would offer assistance to the people who placed the ad, he let them down again, allowing her to remain in the water. With several more words, he left, leaving her to stare after him in confusion. What was going on? What did he mean by everything?

Seth let her mind wander as she remained afloat in the water. Well, she'd answer this ad, as the creature as said. She didn't have a reason too, but she had to answer it.

Her inquisitive thoughts departing with the creature, her face once again became expressionless and detached. With a few easy strides, she made it to the edge of the lake and climbed out. Shaking the excess water off, she replaced her skin.

She could feel a few drops of blood run down her neck as she pushed herself onto her two feet, though she didn't bother to wipe them away. Without so much as a backward glance at the dog, she slowly walked forward, into the curtain of trees. It wasn't necessary for her to go to the infirmary. Instead, she would find her dorm room, tend to her own wounds and wait for the day to end and this little raid to begin. That was all she needed to do right now.

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[ωΘĿƒ]

Watching both the creature and the Nakki walk away, Le Cyll could only sit and groom his feathers dry as he wondered. What was all this? About a girl, about a raid, about something that sounded so familiarly.... interesting.

Yes, he would go to answer this ad. It sounded nothing less than exciting, and he could use a little. Even before he had finished fighting the Nakki, he had already grown bored with life. Enough to become indifferent about death. This was usually not good, as it led to things such as his poisoning, and ended up with a few weeks of misery.

This ad though... It might bypass the weeks of unpleasantness. It might just spur him into something a little more interesting than a fight to the death, and save him the self indulging of various forms of foods among the campus. He always used that to cheer him up. It was good to hunt small, useless things.

After his wings were dry, he was able to tuck them away and begin the arduous journey back to the school. It wouldn't have been hard, but for the poison in his system. It was quite a good thing he had been only scratched by that creature, instead of fully wounded, or he would not have liked the outcome.
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