video; un: deathweaver; locked to the islanders

[respired]

[ Koltira's standing in what seems to be some kind of schoolhouse theater. There's a projector beside him, largely untouched by the ravages of water or time, and a clear enough screen just ahead. The room itself is still in shambles; the floor is thick with debris and student paraphernalia--books, pens, ripped sheets of paper. Koltira taps his fingers on the projector, agitated.

Ashraf and Kida are nearby, looking on, though the frame does not show either of them fully. ]

I have something to show you.

[ His deep voice is low, still, dangerous. Tight with barely constrained rage. He presses a button on the projector, and turns his jewelry so that the screen fills the frame.

The following scene plays: ]



[ The view fades in as seen from the roof of this very building. Thick stormclouds gather off the coast of the island to the east, further darkening a dusk sky. They mount with an unnatural swiftness, and within minutes they've formed a solid wall across the sky as they advance. There are flashes of lightning throughout the clouds, but more eerie than that are the pinpricks of bright glowing fiery oranges and reds, like live magma cracking through its hardened shell. The storm begins to pound on the island, and view drops lower as whoever is recording drops into a crouch against driving wind and rains. Almost directly overhead those flaring, fiery colors form into the shape of a body, clear despite the swirl of clouds. Two fiery eyes peer down from among the chaos, and the feeling in them is clear: unspeakable fury.

The view jumps; it's now off of the roof and on the ground level, and furred arms reach to usher desperate, frantic people out of the doors of the building. These people look nothing like the Nalawi; they are much taller, their faces with a feline slant, all furred and striped. All of them are terrified, casting fast glances up at the sky. Screams begin as something large and dark with those same cracks of glowing orange slams down hard not far away. Things fly through the confused air, some of them alive and shrieking. The ground underfoot begins to shake and rumble; more of the panicking people are thrown from their feet, some buried under collapsing buildings.

Again, another cut. This time it seems to be at the shipyard toward the edge of the island. The viewer stands among a crowd, packed tight on the deck of a ship that's pulling away from the harbor. An enormous figure stands over the city, one leg planted in the middle of it, the other buried in the sea off of the land. The water is rising over the island, sweeping away bodies and homes alike. The figure is focused on raining down blows, until something suddenly snags its attention. Those two fiery eyes snap toward the viewer, then all at once its mass is turning, rushing for the escaping ship. Those destructive fists raise above its head, and the viewer turns to dive off of the edge of the ship. The recording goes black before it hits the water. ]

[ Watching this play out for a second time renews Koltira's already simmering fury. He grabs the projector's reel, and ice slowly spreads to cover the thing as he speaks. His lichfire eyes blaze; cold sparks hissing and dissipating into the crackling around him. When he opens his mouth, he bares fangs, and his voice is a horror: all echoes and gravel scraping against gravel, all deep, clawing, primal rage.

He knows destruction such as this. He lived it. He died during it. And, then as now, his people were utterly crushed. His kingdom lost. His life worse than taken--inverted, corrupted, perverted.

So he might be a little invested. ]

The gods of this world are a stain. They are an infection. Ryba is some tentacled glutton, and Nalanni is no more than a butcher.

[ By this point, the projector's reel is entirely coated in a thick, darkly shimmering layer of ice. Koltira seethes. He crushes the reel, metal and ice and film and all, in his fist; the thing snaps off, mangled beyond recognition, in his hand. ]

The way forward is clear. We will repair that ship. We will return to the main islands. We will find Nalanni, and she will answer for this slaughter.

[ He pauses, sneering. ]

Or I will, alone, if I must.

[ He turns to Kida and Ashraf, his eyes still ablaze, his muscles tense with fury. He draws Byfrost from his back. What little power he has left comes to the fore in full force. The runes on his sword glow dimly with unholy energy as he drives Byfrost into the ground, as the earth around it cracks and turns black.

The feed ends. ]

Comments

action for ash + kolt

[adlantisag]

[ After watching it a second time, she manages to quell the worst of the heat that pricks at her face, her eyes, the sobs make her hiccup. She can't possibly tell him to be calm, to not destroy this place, not when her blood feels like it will curdle in her body if she doesn't let loose this quaking rage. This damnable place with its damnable gods! She feels like she might choke on her own bile so badly she's trying to hold herself down.

Byfrost is too cold for her to approach; she suspects that Koltira is using the very last dregs of his power on this display, or perhaps it's just his anger manifesting. She wants to join him. She wants to scream, wants to beat her fists until they're bloody and bruised. In her mind, she sees the Dakal, she sees chaos, she sees a great magical barrier, she sees Nalanni, she sees her people screaming and dying-- ]

You are not alone.

[ The black ice burns her feet. She ignores it. Her eyes are dark pinpricks, blown wide and red-rimmed, haunted. She itches to reach for him, to touch something, to throw something. She turns, her gaze landing on Ashraf like a physical weight, a sledgehammer. ]

Ashraf! We must. We must.

[healplz]

[ Watching it through the second time had helped him not at all. His mind is still reeling, thrown by the snatches and glimpses of so much wanton death, still murmuring in a panicked voice he doesn't believe is his own, that isn't a god, no god would behave like that, it's impossible —

It's Kida's voice more than Koltira's destruction that finally wrests his attention away from the freeze of an internal struggle. He meets her gaze for only a few seconds before he's remembered himself, remembered the others. He pushes toward Kida, an arm out to caution her from treading too near Koltira. ]

Careful. [ It's a useless command, he knows already she isn't stupid. His gaze finds Koltira next, and sternness covers the hollowed panic very well. ] Koltira — I know. But this isn't where you want to waste your anger.

[respired]

Kida--

[ He stops, sneers at Ashraf's obvious effort to protect Kida; she has far little to fear from him than so many others in ALASTAIR's employ. But he makes no moves towards them, instead still channeling his small reserve of power into Byfrost, instead watching as the dark earth dries out, cracks apart. He wants to tear everything down. ]

You know, priest? You know?

[ He snarls, leaning forward over the hilt of his runeblade, his teeth bared. ]

Tell me what you know.

[adlantisag]

[ Now isn't the time for battles between them, not when there are greater foes to fight. She throws her arms out between them, pacifying. Now, Kida isn't much of a negotiator, nor is she terribly good at maintaining calm when she's pushed to the edge herself. But she knows for certain Koltira won't hurt her--unless he snaps.

And if he does, not Ashraf, not this school, nothing will preserve them. ]

Ah, cease, the both of you! [ She grits her teeth, swallowing back very visible upset. Ashraf's arm is swatted away, as she impudently steps closer. The ice is truly burning now, sending shocks of pain up her legs, making the wounded one tremble. ] Koltira, keep your magic for the one who deserves its bite.

[ She knows the depth of his pain. She's probably the one here best equipped to help him. But she can't--she's herself not far from breaking, too exhausted for the proper compassion they both deserve. ]

Please.

[ She finds herself reduced. ]

[healplz]

[ Ashraf meets Koltira's gaze with a firm one of his own, but without anger. He does know. Not clearly, it was a lifetime ago, but he knows. Now, however, isn't the time to prove it. His stare is broken by Kida's movement though, turning instantly into concern as he watches her. He doesn't make a move to stop her, though. It's a good idea. The two of them seem friends, if Koltira's magic hurts Kida, even just a little, he may realize himself.

So he just watches, keeping out of range himself, and returns his gaze to Koltira. He keeps quiet, to see if Kida's words have any success where his fell short. ]

[respired]

[ He grinds his teeth, recalcitrant until he notices Kida's trembling leg. He's hurting her. It's the last thing he wants, and he grabs hold of Byfrost, yanking the sword free of the ground. ]

Kidagakash --

[ His voice is choked with shame, but it's still rough, rough with grief and anger and guilt. Scenes from his own memory play over the recording in his mind, of forests burning, of bodies charred and gutted. Another massacre engineered by a being with power far beyond mortal ken. Someone who existed outside the rules--or believed so, anyway. ]

I did not mean to, I am sorry--

[adlantisag]

[ The ice fades from under her feet, and it leaves near-fire behind it as her skin regains sensation sharply; she leans back with a hiss, knowing Ashraf will support her before her legs have a chance to give out.

She swats Koltira's arm the way you'd berate someone who'd spilled their drink on you. The skin around her toes is blistered. ]

You oaf. Do not dissolve yourself in excuses--Nalawi needs your fire!

[ Frustrated, she hangs back, body curved into Ashraf's space while she composes herself. She presses the heels of her hands into her eyes, but they're no less puffy when she looks up again. ]

Let us leave this place. I cannot stand the sight of these--empty halls and...

[ All this empty, empty silence. ]

[healplz]

[ And he is there, as soon as the danger of Koltira's magic fades, the instant Kida wavers. He keeps an arm at her waist; it's a solid and supportive presence, but not one that will present any difficulty pulling away from whenever she chooses to. That was an impressive display, as far as he's concerned. A good use of will power and wielding the right words... but the state of her feet hasn't escaped his notice. If only he could be more helpful than to provide a living wall for leaning on. ]

There's a small room I've been staying in, largely untouched by the water. [ That's out quietly; it's not what he wants to be talking about, what he wants to be talking about is what they've all just seen. But he agrees, he wants out of this place as well. ] If you'd like somewhere... more like a home, to think on this. You're both welcome.

[ Even the creepy dead one. ]

[respired]

[ Rude, Ashraf?

Thusly swatted, and subsequently subdued, Koltira only nods. The fire Kida mentioned burns hot in his lichire eyes, though, particularly as noise keeps coming in from the jewelry. ]

Fine, then. Let us take our leave. I can hardly stand and bear these foolish arguments any longer, anyway.

[ He jerks his head, indicating his ring. ]

[adlantisag]

[ She sags against Ashraf, her head leaned against his shoulder. ]

Please.

[ She sighs it out in emphatic agreement, wanting to be away. Extricating herself from Ashraf's arm, she uses her spear as a walking-stick, to support her wounded leg. The other can more-or-less carry her, now that the numbness has receded. It's reddened, but she's certainly felt worse pain.

With her free hand, she reaches for Koltira's, not wanting him to feel as though she is angry with him. She isn't, or at least whatever flash of irritation might have risen to her mind was snuffed out by the greater anger towards Nalanni, the maelstrom of emotion in her. Every time her eyes sweep over the empty, blistered hallways all she can see is ruined Atlantean homes. ]

Tell me it is not far.

[healplz]

It isn't, I was on my way there when I ran into Koltira and was sidetracked.

[ Kida's reach for Koltira's hand also doesn't escape his notice. Kida has already impressed Ashraf in several ways, and it's clear her opinion of him his high; that, along with Koltira's vehemence in defending a strong choice against the recruits on the network is enough to make Ashraf reconsider his own opinion of him. He might be dead, but maybe he's not quite The Worst.

He starts forward and makes it as far as the door before remembering how utterly useless he currently is. He pauses a little stiffly and awkwardly clears his throat, gesturing with a nod of his head that Koltira go first. ]

I may have to ask you to lead the way, Koltira. I'm not quite equipped to fend off any of those creatures right now.