Which is More Dangerous

[Dane Gregory]

The dog could stand upon its own four legs no longer. It slumped, then toppled to its side, limp. Dane's eyes glowed hellish red with the reflection of fire all around. The heat of Nox's magic bubbled sweat to his brow. And standing in the midst of a thunderstorm paled in comparison to the presence of power all around.

Unnaturally still, Dane watched Nox slaughter dog after dog. Where the American's attention turned, carnage and blood followed. The stink of it, of burnt hair and warmed blood, filled his nostrils, flaring them wide as the smile growing on his face. His body flushed with desire. An ache that was not satisfied by choking the life from a beast that didn't deserve to breathe in the first place.

The homeless man rounded, sheltering behind Nox. In a flash, Dane's opinion of him formed. Lean, filthy, pathetic. And the eyes were wide discs. His jaw slacked with awe for Nox. Dane's power was slow and methodical in comparison. He planned for weeks to dole out a single act of death where Nox whipped it without second thought.

He licked lips crusted with the salt of sweat and stepped closer to the homeless man, aching to watch the light from those eyes fade and feed the meat to salivating dogs.

"Turn those eyes to me dear one,"
his heart thudded, his chest heaving with excitement.

[Nox]

Nox's attention was fully on the creatures in front of him. But the movement from Dane caught his attention. He was no longer playing with his toy and had found a new one. Nox slammed a wall of air up in front of him from ceiling to floor and wall to wall. A creature slammed into it, gnawing and snarling through the invisible barrier.

Now to deal with the monster with in. Nox sighed. Everything would have been fine if they'd been alone - if it weren't chupas. It had to be a pack!

Nox put his back to the air wall and stepped between Dane and the man who was about to be come Dane's new puppet. Nox dropped every weave but the wall and shoved his power into the ground around him. He felt the world around him. Could see his power flowing through every surface. He smiled down at Dane as the ground shook softly - dust settling from above on to their heads and shoulders.

Nox grabbed Dane's chin with gentle fingers. Something Aria would do to her fucking obsession. Nox wished he could pour her love for him into him like she could. It might tame the beast that he should rip heart out of now. Nox turned Dane's eyes towards him. "You will not touch him."
Nox's voice was soft and quiet. He wasn't going to piss off the deranged man anymore than he was already doing - even though his anger was through the roof. The ground shook again as Nox reigned in his feelings. "I will take you hunting. Let you kill any maligned creature down here. Let you torture them until they beg for mercy. There are creatures that will beg for you. We just need to find one. You've killed one of the hardest creatures in the world for normal Atharim to kill because why? It touched Aria? Don't make me kill you Dane. I don't care if Aria will hate me, but if you kill a human while you are with me I will rip your head off your shoulders."


((My color is #0072bb btw))


Edited by Nox, Jul 21 2016, 04:57 AM.

[Cain Belasis]

“Turn your eyes towards me dear one.”


The words themselves were oddly… almost fond, but there was no mistaking the menace in the psycho’s tone of voice. Cain’s breath hitched as he realized that he might’ve gotten out of the pan and into the fire. The magician’s treatment of the monsters could be brushed off; they were monsters after all. However, something told the redhead that he wouldn’t be much better off if he was left to the stranger’s tender mercies.

The jolt of fear was enough for him to grab and hold onto the fire within himself. Each time he did so, Cain felt himself getting better and better at wrestling his magic under control. It constantly wanted to break free, to burn and explode, and he imagined that if he weren’t careful enough, it would consume him just as easily as it consumed his enemies. Still, Cain didn’t attack. As aggravating as it was to be seen as a victim, he’d seen the dregs of society over the past few months. There were enough people on the streets who hurt others for the pleasure of it that he’d learned to give them a wide berth. Besides, he still didn’t know how to fight other magicians. Cain couldn’t say why, but some feeling told him that the other man was stronger than him.

Fortunately his protector continued to live up to his nickname. The taller man did… something again with his magic. Cain recognized the feel from before. The not-fire magic settled between the humans and the monsters, creating some sort of barrier. Another flavor sank into the ground, causing tremors in the floor. Each one was distinct from Cain’s fire, but felt similar to his magic. He could perceive the differences almost as if he were tasting them, in that taste was sometimes a tingling sensation on his tongue. Cautiously, Cain reached out towards the wall of magic and was surprised to feel a cool, solid structure, even though he couldn’t see anything. Clearly there was something keeping the monsters at bay though.

“You will not touch him.”


Cain was barely processing his relief at that, when the ground trembled again, accompanied by a surge of a different type of magic. Suddenly it clicked. The invisible wall… Air. The ground trembling was Earth. The magic was elemental. Shaking his head, Cain pushed the thoughts aside. He’d have to experiment more with his powers later, especially if there were other magicians out to kill him. He’d missed most of the good stranger’s speech, although he caught something along the lines of ripping the crazy one’s head off if he killed any humans.

“I’m behind that one hundred percent mate,”
he mumbled under his breath. With the snarling of the creatures behind him, and the… whatever was going on between the two magical strangers in front of him, Cain was still scared enough to maintain his grip on his gift. Resolutely, he set his jaw and curled his hands into fists. He’d felt the stranger’s solid air and quaking ground tricks twice now. Even though he’d want to practice them, in a fit of desperation he might be able to replicate the feats. And if not, well his fire hadn’t failed him yet. He should be able to put up a better fight than the dog-vampires anyway. For now it looked like the friendly one had things under control. Hopefully it stayed that way.

[Dane Gregory]

His chin pinched. Body pulled aside. The fire sparked yellow in the black orbs of Nox's eyes. Dane jerked to be free of the sudden touch but Nox held firm. Dane was suddenly aware of their difference in size, and How Nox flared with power. The tunnel shook and chills pricked the back of his neck with cold sweat.

"Alright Nox. Fine!"
He found his voice, accent seething fury, and peeled his eyes forcibly from the homeless man. Once before had another cowed him into submission. Damien. Although he could make Nox weep with strength.

He pried Nox off him, glad to free up his personal space. The dogs climbed the invisible wall behind them.

The barricade kept them safe but Nox couldn't hold it forever. Nor would the dogs leave of their own accord. He snarled at their pathetic, grotesque bodies.

"But find some better sport than these wretched beasts, Nox."

[Nox]

Nox sighed as Dane relented. He hadn't expected this to end without a fight. He knew so little about the man before him. He knew he was dangerous. He was controlling - at least of Aria. Nox expected Dane to lash out instead of relent to stand up. It was his fear and it made Nox wonder what made Dane who he was - why he was the way he was. There was something to say about nature versus nurture, but Nox felt bad for his own anger. He'd tempted Dane in coming down here. Nox let every weave slither away from him except the wall that stood separating them from the chups. Nox nodded towards Dane. "Sorry."


He turned towards the invisible wall and frowned, there were three creatures remaining. "I will endeavor to find something worthy of your time."
Nox took out three pebbles from his pocket and tossed them up in the air and watched them hover in place as he infused them with fire and earth and watched them ooze in molten glory.

Nox dropped the wall and hurled the three stones, one at each creature and watched as the molten earth sped through their bodies like a bullet to the head. They fell to the ground in a heap.

The quiet in the cavern was deafening. Nox turned towards their new friend. "You are far from a settlement. Why are you down here?"


Nox adjusted his landwarriors to start scanning connections to his map. He would have to improvise, but Nox listened while he searched for signs of another creature to hunt for Dane - something more humanoid.


Edited by Nox, Jul 22 2016, 07:55 AM.

[Cain Belasis]

Cautiously, Cain relinquished his hold on his magic. He was loathe to do so, as it was always easier for him to maintain his grip on it than it was to start. He had to be genuinely frightened to touch it in the first place, but much less emotional to continue using it. Unfortunately, it was a constant struggle to use and hold, and the redhead simply didn’t have the endurance to keep it for long.

The saner stranger seemed to have things under control though. Cain’s eyes widened as he watched the man casually dispose of the monsters using an ability that felt dissimilar to those he’d used previously. Was it another element? No, it seemed like… a mixture of fire and earth? It would make sense, since lava could be considered a mixture of the two elements. Huh. Not only were there multiple flavors of magic, but you could combine them to get even more variations. Cain was learning more about his abilities in this one casual encounter than he had in months of experimentation.

“You are far from a settlement. Why are you down here?”


The redhead considered his response for a moment. Attitudes towards homelessness and squatting tended to range from indifference to scorn to outright hostility. Still, he didn’t have time to think of a convincing lie, so he’d have to hope that the truth wasn’t the wrong choice.

“I… ah, I live down here, I s’pose.”
Even after months of hitchhiking and drifting to get here, it still burned at his pride a bit to admit. “I just got into Moscow recently, and with the riots going on it didn’t seem safe for someone like me to be wandering around over ground.”
No need to mention the fact that even without the riots, it’s not like Cain had any money or marketable skills. “I’m still new to all this.”
He waved his hand like the gesture could summarize ‘magic, monsters, miracles, oh my!’ “And well… when I lose control people get hurt.”


For a moment, he thought back to his grandmother, before flushing and forcing the memory away. The stranger hadn’t exactly asked for his life story. “The name’s Cain, by the way,”
the redhead finished gruffly.

Cain glanced over towards the crazy guy. Part of him wanted to stay the hell out of his way, but that hadn’t exactly kept him from becoming a target the last time. The redhead coughed awkwardly. “You hunt a lot of monsters then?”
he asked the aggressive magician.

((Thought I'd give you something to work with Dane, haha))
Edited by Cain Belasis, Jul 22 2016, 09:41 AM.

[Dane Gregory]

"You better,"
Dane muttered and stalked to the dead dogs. While Cain spoke with Nox, Dane splintered needle sharp threads of fire to dog hair, setting the bodies ablaze. The smell of burnt flesh was sickening, but rotting flesh was worse. Dane knew as much. A gust of air flowed the smell away.

Cain asked him a question, but Dane was slow to answer. Finally, he flicked eyes between Nox and Cain, then into the distant darkness of the tunnel. "Yes. I hunt often and alone."
not monsters. But who cared? He answered, voice somber, even lonely.

Nox felt guilty for dangling carrots and taking them away. Let him stew in his own conscious. He deserved it

As for Cain. He would live. For now.

"I suppose you're going to want to rescue the poor wretch and take him to the surface?"
He asked of Nox just as the rats made their return.

[Nox]

Nox watched Dane through the landwarriors disposing of the creatures. Cain rattled on about his life. Nox nodded as if he were listening. He caught the important parts. Dane's reply wasn't really an answer to the question but Nox didn't correct or add to which of the hunting party had been the monster to the prey. It didn't really matter not now.

Nox found evidence of Dreyken near by in the landwarriors. They'd have to head that way. However it was Dane's question that made Nox focus beyond the HUD display on his landwarriors. Nox nodded. "Yes, I intend to take Cain to the surface and as you said save him."
Aurora would accuse him of bringing home yet another stray. He seemed to be good at that. First Aria, then Asha, a stray pup which was actually Aurora's doing, and now Cain. Another stray...

Nox looked to Cain. "I'm Nox. That's Dane. I'll help you understand your ability, but you need to stay with me until that time. Don't get in our way, and don't mind Dane, he's having a bad morning."


Nox didn't wait for an answer as he turned back to Dane. "I think I can locate you a new toy worthy of your time, however it'll take us a level deeper. You okay with that?"


Nox stepped around the burning bodies. "This way.
Nox held the power but he didn't weave anything in front of him, not even a glowing orb of light. The flickering flames behind him would light their way for a while yet.

The only sound Nox could hear was their breaths and the sound of their footsteps echoing in the halls. Deep within the cavern ahead of us the sound of dragging could be heard - a soft scuffing against the ground too soft to be heard without his power augmented hearing.

They rounded a corner and a man was dragging something behind him. Nox took a pebble from his pocket and tossed it across the ground. The man turned around with a gun pointed in their direction. He looked shocked. It was faster than Nox could react, the man pulled the trigger.

Nox felt the bullet pierce his left arm and spin him around. The man yelled. "You've been undoing all our hard work."

[Cain Belasis]

((I’m guessing that this guy is the mook that you posted under Aria?))

“Yes I hunt often and alone.”


The redhead flushed a bit, catching the obvious reprisal in the man’s tone. He made a mental note to give the guy his distance. Cain didn’t want to be getting in his way. The two magicians’ conversation about him was far more pleasing though.

Cain fought the feeling of whiplash as Nox casually offered him all of the knowledge that he’d been seeking. While he’d certainly wished to find someone who could help him figure out his magic, he hadn’t seriously expected to stumble upon a mentor so easily (did it count as ‘easy’ if he had to fight off monsters and sociopaths to get to this point?). All he had to do was stick by the guy’s side and ignore Dane, who may or may not attack him? Well, it seemed like a fair enough deal, all things considered. Cain’s original plan had been to find a terrorist organization, so who was he to complain?

The universe wasn’t on Cain’s side though. Before he knew it, there was yet another stranger in the tunnels (just how many people were lurking around?) and Nox was jerking backwards… Had he been shot? It only took the redhead a split second to make his decision. He’d thrown his lot in with Nox, and he’d stick with it, no matter the ‘hard work’ that they were apparently undoing.

Wary of the possibility of another bullet, Cain threw himself in front of Nox, wrestling his magic under control. For once, he didn’t try to use the more familiar fire aspect. Instead, he pictured the feel and taste of Nox’s trick with the solid air. It was more difficult – it felt less natural – than working with flames, but surely enough a solid wall of air shimmered into existence in front of him. Cain wouldn’t want to try to hold back a pack of dog-vampires the way that Nox did previously, but it should protect them long enough. After all, there was a weapon far more potent and vicious than Cain here. Dane had been itching for a fight, and the redhead was happy to hunker down with Nox and keep out of his way.

((I’m bumping up Cain’s OP score from 5 to 6 in celebration of his successful new weave! Good for him haha.))

[Dane Gregory]

The rats returned as they departed, slithering back into their kingdom.

As they proceeded further into the tunnel, Dane watched Cain from a distance even Nox would deem safe. His emotions had cooled considerably, replaced with gratitude even. He could not have savored the death with such spontaneous act of savagery. Dane was methodical, coordinated. He would now have the chance to enjoy Cain's demise. When and if Dane chose to bring it about.

They came to the corner. Any noise down here was amplified by stone and curved walls. Dane wondered how close the sound's origins were, and gasped when they stumbled upon a man dragging a body. Jealousy flared briefly, but the shot was fired and Dane threw his hands to his ears protectively. The noise of gunfire rang his ears with pain. Nox was thrown off balance. He barely noticed Cain's magical wall.

Nox was shot! Dane had his chance! He stalked to the wall, aching with the power in his clutches. He roared, and bound up the man with shackles of invisible bonds-ones he would never escape.

Except in death.

Dane snatched the gun from the man, stepped back and aimed it at his chest. He'd never shot a man before. This would be a new experience.