The Inner Darkness of Angantyr

The Inner Darkness of Angantyr
Date of Scene:	25 November 2012
Location:	Rabanastre - Lowtown
Synopsis:	Avira just came to chat. She winds up facing Angantyr's terrifying inner darkness instead. Is her willpower strong enough to pull her through or will she fall prey to the beast within?
Cast of Characters:	Avira, Angantyr Vespar

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Angantyr Vespar has posed:
Angantyr arrives back at the clan's house days later after Avira's rescue. He looks like utter hell, having slept little and fought much...and finally, after the beating he recieved, was allowed a chance to rest. He enteres the house, finds a spot away from others, and without caring plops down and goes unconcious.

A signifigant time later he'll start coming to his senses, and no matter how many pokes or prods he gets, he only now awakens. Slowly, the man rises to his feet, helmet laying near him, and his weapon on the other side. He rubs sleep out of his eyes, his body starting to recover from the riggers of the marathon of blood he just ran.

His injuries are minor, mostly taken care of by his patron, though exhaustion and over exhersion were the primary causes of his ailes now. He's also very unaware of his surroundings, focused on trying to repiece himself back together after the hell he just ran through. Lesser men would be dead, but something pushes the man forward.

Avira has posed:
While Avira wasn't always one to pry about Angantyr's activities-indeed, she had grown used to the mercenary doing his own thing and taking his own jobs when he felt like it-it was nonetheless kind of odd to have him disappear so soon after the Baron incident.

So it is with relief and some concern that she finds Angantyr finally returning to the guild house a few days later. For a while, Avira had let him rest, but after doing so for so long, she did indeed try to poke him awake. Angantyr was having none of that though. Avira had left for a while, then come back, poked him again, then left for a while yet.

It is by serendipity that she finally sees him awakening when she strolls in to check on him again. "Angantyr? Are you finally up?"

Angantyr Vespar has posed:
"Yeah." Angantyr says, helmet picked up and placed on his head. He realizes he needs to hit the baths at somepoint...mostly because his muscles need to relax...and also because he's gotten some money to spend on a luxary. He still holds the thing under one arm, as the mace with little effort is placed back onto the holder behind him. It hangs head up, just so he doesn't accidently tear his legs off if he were to run.

He looks towards Avira, his hair short and dark...that was always a thing. His hair was very dark, but he always kept it short. He hated long hair, and asking him got a simple answer: Hair got into your eyes, shorter hair didn't. Though it was starting to look a bit shaggy.

"I see you're back into something more fitting." he says, poking at her. "I'll spare your the teasing...being taken in by such a tool must be embarrasing enough."

Avira has posed:
"Good. What happened? I've never seen you this exhausted before. Did Garland come for training?" Seems like the most likely explanation to Avira. From what she now understood, that man was extremely intense and must be extremely vicious to his apprentice. So intense that Angantyr didn't have time to trim his hair.

She's definitely picked up on the slight shagginess but chooses not to comment upon it.

"Ahhh.." Avira wiggles after being poked, her face going red. "You don't know the half of it! I almost had him too! Someone in that much heavy armor has no right to be that manuverable. Hmph!" Grumpily, she crosses her arms over her chest. "Thank you again, by the way, for coming for me, Angantyr."

Angantyr Vespar has posed:
Angantyr isn't cruel...he'll use it as a way to make her stronger, but only because he believes in her.

"He's a quick little bunny...for all the good that it did him. Him and his little bitch mage couldn't stand up to someone who can really use power." he grunts, "Pathetic little puppy, that is what he is." he grunts. He hates weakness...that man exhudes it. Physical weakness is one thing, that can be overcome...that man has a weakness of the mind...and refuses to overcome it.

"And you're welcome. Clan mates have to stick together right? Besides, I like you." he pauses, "And don't think that it's going to get me to be more lax with you...oh no, we're going to have to kick things up a notch." he says. "After all, you got Baron's interest for whatever reason." he says.

She asks about why he was exhausted...

"The woman named Jasmine. The heartless desire her for whatever reason. They swarmed at her for hours, and she paid me well to keep her safe." he pauses...and he turns from her for a moment. The thing left a mark on him, for good or ill. "Stupid really...didn't even know men, I weild a power counter to her light, and she so blindly trusted me." he pauses, "And jumped after you without hesitation. Putting herself in danger to rescue you." he pauses again... "Bloody idiots the lot of you." he says, but not sneering.

Avira has posed:
"Puppy is a good word for him." Avira narrows her eyes. "He blindly and unquestioningly follows his country. At this rate it's going to lead him to ruin. Who knows, he might change his mind with that solid beating he's earned himself. Even then, I'll bet Valencia will still want another swing at him. She is alright, fortunately. That man just left her behind at Rabanastre."

Moving over, Avira elects to plop down on the edge of Angantyr's bed. "Aww." Avira grins. Yes, Angantyr, FEARSOME APPRENTICE of the TERRIFYING GARLAND, LORD OF CHAOS. "They sure do~! Er...ahaha...that's definitely a good idea to push things a bit further. Garland paid me a visit, you see. He...um, well he'll be watching me and attacking me at random."

Her good mood sobers a little, "Revenge, Angantyr. I opposed one of their attacks and personally fought the elf woman that was holding me captive. Morrighan, her name is, and she holds quite the grudge."

Though it's quite the coincidence that Angantyr's explanation is what it is. "Jasmine? The Princess?" her eyes widen a little, "That...well, she did help you out back at the castle to get rid of that spell around my throat too, right? Though I'm just as surprised as you are that she came to help me. Perhaps it is because she's so pure...you see, it was during that very fight with the Baron forces that I first 'met' Jasmine...well as much as you can meet someone upon the chaos of the battlefield. Baigan had teamed up with a sorceror and were after her. Quite a bit of effort has been placed into hunting her down, it seems."

After a moment, she looks thoughtful, "Perhaps she trusted you because she saw you had come to help me."

Angantyr Vespar has posed:
Angantyr pauses at the mention of Garland...

Tch...what was the old man up to? It was certainly not to make her stronger...she rejects the darkness out of hand. It is not a path that one walks without...circumstances, though. He pauses, considering the old man's game. Where was he going with this? The look darkens for just a moment, and then he sighs. "Well, he'll make good on that promise. You better be ready...at any time and any place." he says, before walking over to...place the helmet down on a dresser. He doesn't use this room much, but right now he's...comfortable here.

"Serving one's country isn't what makes him a puppy. I used to serve a land too. I'd die for it...I almost did. The difference is that he doesn't think for himself...he doesn't think about his consquences of his actions...he brought danger to the people he protected, and then on top of everything else acted like he was right." he grunts. "Pathetic...and weak." he says, turning back towards Avira.

"Yeah, she did. Though I think now my magic works upset her in the shattering of the spell...looks like it didn't leave any perminate marks. That's good." he says, with a smile. Then he pauses... "The Scoreror huh...that must have been the power behind the first wave of heartless. A great hatred works there.." he considers this for a moment, "Eh. And if that bitch wants you, I think she'll come after me first...or maybe she'll be too afraid too now. I hope so." he grins viciously.

'Trusted you.' another phrase that makes him...uncomfortable. "Tch. For her to trust someone steed in darkness like myself, it is foolish! I am mentored under Garland, I do take jobs from Shadow Lords. Why in the hell would anyone trust me? I am a dispicable disgusting thing, and I have no intentions of changing." he says, slightly self depreciating.

Avira has posed:
When she brings up Garland, Avira's actually carefully watching Angantyr's reaction to it all. She's pretty aware that the only reason this ominous man has approached her is because she's Angantyr's "adorable friend." He seems troubled by this news, and for good reason, because Avira would be lying if she wasn't intimidated by what Garland had planned to do to her. "I don't doubt that." She says, leaning back against the bed with her hands propping her up behind her back. "Does he do the same to you?"

Angantyr makes the distinction that Avira failed to communicate clearly when she had her words about Kaydin. The short woman nods, "He really doesn't, no." Did he really think about what carrying out her capture might due to his efforts to get the TDA to root out the corruption in Baron? Mercade was right there that night too, though if for entirely unrelated reasons.

"Actually, there was some bruising from the spell working itself, but it's gone now." Avira pauses, "...well you did punch me in the throat to get rid of it. That could put anyone off." She can't help it and giggles a little, even as he speaks about that horrible elf woman. "Well, I'm hoping that was enough to deter her."

Avira thinks back to that day spent following Morrighan around, doing housework, being at her beck and call. That dark elf enjoyed it all way, way too much. It was actually quite possible that she'd want her ~precious maid~ back. Just the thought of this is enough to make Avira shudder.

Angantyr suddenly takes a turn for the self loathing. "Angantyr...sure, you do deal in darkness and train under Garland and all that...stuff." She actually had not known about the Shadow Lord thing. "But I know you and I know for a fact that you aren't a dispicable, disgusting thing. Or at least there's a part of you that isn't and I'm looking at it right now. You're not..." she pauses, thinking about this. "...completely devoid of light. Maybe Jasmine can see that and hired you because of it."

Angantyr Vespar has posed:
He takes a job from anyone...Shadowlords pay well, it's easy to see. He does it because he needs something they have, money...power. He has a goal, it's easy to see. Something strong that he holds close to him...it is no less dark.

However, for a moment, he speaks truly. "Do you know why? Why I am a mercinary? You heard part of my story already, from either people at the clan, or when we talked before. But...I never did tell you what I plan to /do/." he says, calmly.

"I don't want my home back...it's gone. Any effort to reclaim it would be worthless...the damage is done, the people's culture is shattered...it would easily just bring suffering to people with the prolong conflict with the Arcadian empire." he says. "No...I want to raise a force...an army. So powerful, so fightening...and.." his eyes narrow, looking...focusing on that helmet. "I want to utterly destroy Arcadia. I want to shatter them...as they have shattered countries in their wake. I want to leave their armies dead...their grasp on the empire they have forged through blood and murder broken and shattered." he says, "For that, I'll do what it takes to get the money...to harnest the power." he says.

It's a fair amount of hatred stroked in his heart...and it is palpable. "The war between darkness and light? It has always been...it will always be. Nothing will change it. Darkness is defined by the light, and light can't exist without darkness around it." he continues, "Garland's conflict is eternal, rather he is here or not. But this...no, this is something that will only last as long as I draw breath."

Avira has posed:
It was actually something Avira didn't think about that much. Shadow Lords could offer money and rewards too, right? And marks were the lifeblood of clans and mercenaries alike. Angantyr was always very insistent on getting his compensation.

"You've told me why, yes." Avira says evenly, watching him with rapt attention. "About what Archadia did to you and your family..." Suddenly she's reminded a little bit of Skoll.

Now she falls silent as he reveals what he wants to /do/ about it. On one hand it's actually kind of admirable and inspiring. A man, with everything taken away from him, works to conquer the thing that did it. On the other hand, it sounds like it would be a terrible and bloody war, and with the connections Angantyr has forged, his terrifying army could very well turn out to be a legion of Heartless in the end. And given the tremendous hatred Angantyr had for the empire...

"...Angantyr? Do you think your goal makes you despicable and disgusting?" she asks after a long period of silence.

Angantyr Vespar has posed:
Angantyr moves to grab a bottle from the side of the bed, and takes a long drink. "Dispicable, perhaps. It's going to be bloody...many people will die. Innocent and guilty alike. That is the nature of war...it is brutal, bloody, and should never EVER be taken. But...well, what choice do I have? I can't simply pray that the Arcadian empire will disappear." he says, wiping his mouth. He sets the bottle back down, and turns towards a bad mirror set up in the room.

"I'm digusting because of the power I weild. I know what it is...Darkness. I just don't weild it, I /am/ it. I spread it where I go, there isn't anything I can do about it. I am a font of it, compared to the light, I am easily considered unclean. I grew up being told how filty I was, and only existed based on the love of the light in my family." he continues.

"Tch...listen to me. I'm growing soft with all this talk."

Avira has posed:
"The act is despicable, yes." Avira interjects. She might be struggling to remain nonemotional about all of this. While she did not have any love for the empire, she hadn't experienced a crushing war as Angantyr had. There were things about this she just didn't understand. "But you seem to be very aware of the consequences of your actions and goals. The alternative, of course, would be to do nothing and move on. But then what? You know what the Archadians would do." And with worlds opened up as they were, what if they spread themselves to other, non-Ivalice places too?

But now she can't keep the emotion from her voice. She sounds worried, scared even. "Are you so sure it makes you who you are?" She stands up now, moving to him, peering around him to his reflection in the mirror. "I know I've only known you for a few months, Angantyr.." she says softly, looking up at him, "...but from what I do, I came under the impression that darkness was just another tool. Not some wild force that drove people to do the foulest things imaginable." < br />
She offers a little smile. "Growing soft? I'm not sure there's any growing involved." Avira pokes the dark knight in the side. "I've already seen you as a softy plenty of times. You can't fool me."

Angantyr Vespar has posed:
"The brighest light, casts the deepest shadows." Angantyr says to her. It's a mantra, that he's held for a long time...he doesn't know where it came from, but to him it's always been there. "It is a force...it is a balance against the light...it is no less good or more evil than light. Sure, the light is more geared to protect from harm, and heal injuries and darkness' power is destructive...in the end it is all about how one uses it." he says. "However, like with any strong power...it had a drawback. It is corruptive...the weak fall under it's force, the strong have to steel thmselves. The power feeds on emotions...often negitive, but too can feed on the right positive ones. I always must be careful to not be consumed in it's wake...guide it to how it needs to be used."

"I can not move on. Not while.." he pauses... "Not while Arcadia exists. It will only spread, and not stop until it is stopped. The worlds combining may have deminished it...but I feel that they are still a threat...perhaps more of one than others think." he conitinues. "But I don't try and say that it's alturism that guides me. No...it is simple. It is revenge."

Then she pokes him on his side, and he shakes his head. "Maybe it is as Garland says. I am too kind for my own good. I struggle with the path I take, unlike others who could easily commit attrocity."

Avira has posed:
"A tool." Avira says quietly. "A dangerous tool." Darkness of Angantyr's magnitude would never seem to come to Avira. She just didn't have the potential. Even though she wanted to climb to the highest of skill, this was one skill she did not regret not having. "I worry for you, though, for just that, and hope that Garland's training continues to help you as it has."

That or Garland is shaping Angantyr into the next final boss.

"As I thought so." Avira looks away with a shrug. "But for the sake of averting a bloody and despicable war, I hope an alternative method comes to you one day." Sure, she could jump down his throat and demand to change his plans, but Avira knows better. He would be better convinced if an idea was offered in its place...and Avira's all out of empire-defeating ideas.

"Well /I/ see nothing wrong with that~" Avira playfully pokes him again. "Don't tell Garland I said that. I don't want to be considered a threat to his guidance for you."

Angantyr Vespar has posed:
Angantyr would also distance himself from her. He isn't the easiest to convinice to go a certain way by force. Also...oh man, you have NO idea what Garlands' plans are. They are both terrible, and horrible. Also worse then that...so much worse.

Angantyr, however, is not privy to all of them. "Garland's training has allowed me to focus and control the darkness in a way I could not before. It's less dangerous for myself and others, that's for sure." he says, and he turns towards Avira fully. There is something about the tone...why does she care so much about...no, he knew. What he wanted to do was horrible, and he already knew that. He takes a breath, closing his eyes, and then looks at her face again.

"You too, huh? You so blindly put your trust in me after I admit what I want to do. Why? Aren't you afraid I'll cut a bloody path through innocent's and fighters alike? Aren't you afraid I'll turn into a monster...and not the kind that you can see coming..." he says, pointing at his chest, "In here. The worst kind of monster."

Avira has posed:
Avira looks back at him, silent after his words about Garland. Of course she's worried! Garland was dangerous and she had no idea if that man could really be trusted and that his intentions to help were all that they seemed! She wouldn't have to worry, she'd probably end up getting to know Garland really well in the next few months.

She waits, knowing that he has more to say.

"You helped me, Angantyr." Avira looks up at him, "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't afraid. But after I woke up here, I made several decisions about how I'd be running my life from there on out. One of those was that I'd face what I'm afraid of." She looks away, laughing, embarassed, "Or I might just be a fool, continuing to trust and associate with you. But I promise you, Angantyr."

She looks back at him, "If you do become a monster, I will not be afraid of...fighting back." Against what, exactly, is left intentionally vague.

Angantyr Vespar has posed:
Perhaps Angantyr is afraid for her...or maybe he wants to desprately want to distance himself away from any links. However, suddenly...ha laughs. It is a barking laughter, not full of mirth.

"Will you? Will you truly?" he asks, that fangy grin again as...something around them changes. He uses that darkness on her...not directly attacking her...

But the light fades. Nothing can be seen, she only knows he's there because she's close to him. Things stir in the shadows all around her...and then...

She can see him, the darkness falling over his body again, connecting and weaving itself into his armor. The dark metal plates connect again, weaving around him. The claws hands extending from his once large hands. She can almost FEEL something beneath it all. As only a red gleam comes from under the newly formed helmet. Covering his face completely..

"Will you fight back.." he says, his voice distorted, "Against this? Knowing that I can turn that power on you? How far does your resolve go, Avira?" she can feel the...growling in his tone. Almost like a beast..

Command: Run, Fight, ???

Avira has posed:
Avira will be having none of that. She very much dislikes it when people push her away, hellpowers of darkness or not.

That laughter makes her pause just briefly and she stares at him. Was Garland giving him laughing lessons too...? "I-" she starts, hesitates, and suddenly the world disappears around her. Fear immediately fills her heart-the same primal fear she felt when she'd been plunged into the darkness when her world was destroyed around her. Just like then, she can hear things in the darkness lurking and squirming and...ugh, she can just imagine.

"Angantyr?" she asks as he disappears from view.

Then she sees him change before her and both hands raise to her mouth, covering a gasp. This transformation...it...doesn't LOOK all bad, but the feeling it gives off is an entirely different story. This is probably the first time Avira's been exposed to the darkness inside of him in such a profound way-it's pretty overwhelming.

He challenges her. He challenges her resolve to face a monster like this in what may very well happen one day, a clanmate and friend turned against her. She's silent for a long moment, perhaps stunned. Then she reaches behind her, metal against leather sounding as she grips her weapon and pulls it free. The faint silvery shimmer of her willpower-or her heart, rather, can be seen easily now against the surrounding backdrop of darkness.

"I will." she says solemly and charges.

Angantyr Vespar has posed:
The beast, for that is what she saw now, stares at her as she charges...

He throws his hand up at her, using the darkness to grip her body, to try and swarm around her...it burns. It burns worse than anything, a cold flame, that drains life and kills in it's wake.

The force aims to drag he down...but then she already has her feet firmly there. The monster has the mace, as he faces her...

"Words, brave words...but can you back them? How strong is your conviction, Avira? How strong.."

Then he is on her, the mace swinging, aiming to tear armor and flesh away as he swings it at her, then he moves, grabbing the mace in both hands, aiming to swing it down on her, as a trail of blackness courses behind it...aiming to brain her with the blow.

"IS YOUR LIGHT! SHOW IT TO ME!"

Avira has posed:
Avira doesn't even make it to this guy before the darkness around her snatches her up and holds her in place. "ARGH!" she squeals in pain, immediately thrashing and clawing, trying to break her way free of that burning grip. The longer it comes into contact with her, the more she can feel herself weakening.

She manages to free her arms in enough time as he comes swooping in, swinging the spiked mace at her. Desperately, she manages to lift her sword and fend off the first blow. The second strike she is not so fortunate with as it comes down upon her skull and for an amount of time Avira cannot remember, she sees stars. Her footing becomes unsure and she stumbles sideways, shuddering.

She glances back at him, now afraid, but fully aware that she no longer had a choice in the matter. She swings her Spine around her, striking out not with the blade itself, but a swift force produced FROM the blade that extends beyond its physical reach. In this place, it seems tinged with that same silvery glow. "I won't back down, Angantyr! Not now! Not ever! That's another decision I made that day!!"

Angantyr Vespar has posed:
The blade bites down into his flesh, well...armor flesh. He howls...the pain from the blade is...something. He staggers back, but not before he swings wildly to keep her back and off her game. The mace aiming to smash into her hip and legs to try and numb them. The weapon is easily held as he looks down at her. Already, he is gaining the advantage over her.

"Not bad...but that light, will not hold up here." he says again. "Show me the power of your heart, Avira. SHOW me that it is just not bluster..." he again demands...

The blade swings again, this time more powerful than before, aiming to try and literally launch her away with the blow...and then again. He swings, repeatedly aiming to try and beat her away. Using the range of his mace to keep her back and off her own game.

Avira has posed:
It's easy for Avira to tell that here, Angantyr definitely has the upper hand. The darkness around her is oppressive and drags her down, making her unable to get in too close, but not so far away that she can avoid that heavy mace of his. Angantyr definitely has the upper hand-his power here is vast. Absolute as Avira might go on to say? How was she supposed to stand against it?

'Show me the power of your heart, Avira.'

She tries to defend, but even through that, he easily knocks her away, sending her reeling, falling face down into the darkness. Squirming, she's quick to pick herself up and turn to face him, only for him to knock her down again. So she picks herself up again, even though she knows she couldn't stand against the power of these attacks.

Her heart beats wildly but her body refuses to relinquish it given the hungry darkness around her. Avira stares over at Angantyr, unsure how she can comply with that request. All she can do right now is fight.

So fine, he'll keep her at a distance. Avira can work at a distance. She stabs the Spine into the darkness-ground and holds up both of her hands, chanting as they glow blue and bright. Ice magic swirls in her open palms, fast and fierce. It actually seems quite a bit stronger than before-indeed, Angantyr will easily note that she's never used magic like this in her presence before. If the Archadians saw it, she'd be fined for it.

What results is not a projectile, but a swirling, raging blizzard concentrated around Angantyr.

Angantyr Vespar has posed:
The blizzard storms Angantyr...it freezes his armor, causing cracks along the armor...but still. He persists. He doesn't even make an effort to dodge it, he just accepts the blow...and the red visor gazes on Avira.

"Perhaps I have unterestimated you...but unfortinately for you, only a little!" he says, and then the darkness SWELLS around him. The dark armor is now obscured in whispy tendrils, as the oppressiveness of this place intensifies tenfold. He booms with power now... but she can feel it...

He does not want to win, he wants her to win...their hearts touch for that brief moment. He wants, oh so desprately, for her to come up on top. To prove to him that this is not the only path for him.

However, it is clouded by the fact that he is sure that she can not win. He will win, it is a matter of course...

But he hopes...

Avira has posed:
When he looks up at her, he'll see that Avira is panting. The darkness around her, this confrontation, the exertion she makes whenever she fights-these are all reasons for her current state. She didn't think she could blow him away in one shot, but she had put every hope into the possibility of doing so. This wasn't like their usual training sessions either. This was different.

This was real and she was afraid what would happen to her should she lose in this place. Will he take her heart? Merely kill her?

Grabbing her weapon, she pulls it free just as he allows his darkness to swell. As she feels his heart, he will feel hers reaching back, strong as it was. She wants to win too. She wants to win for both of their sakes.

She feels the counter-thoughts to that and suddenly the light swells forth.

Spine gripped with both hands, Avira swings it upwards and ice magic is channeled through it. The strike, however, emerges in the form of one of those silvery blasts from before, if only to knock him off his feet and distract him until she can close the distance. Fearlessly, she smashes her body into him, her whole heart placed behind that strike, though the effect is that she winds up pushing herself off of him more than she shoving him back.

A rain of jabs and cleaves follow, each so fast that it's hard to perceive. Soon it turns to blows from different angles, Avira moving through sharp footing that carries her around him until she is at his back.

Then the Spine is plunged into the ground. There is but a split second of pause before a sudden force beneath Angantyr's feet launches him upwards.

Angantyr Vespar has posed:
It was not enough...

He stood still...he let her unleash hell on him. The armor shattered as she assaulted him...shadows bleed from the wounds, even as she kicks him square in the back. He staggers...and then the SPINE hits the ground, launching him upwards and he falls end over end up...

Until he stops, energy bursting around him as he floats up there for the briefest of moments, reading her..

"It's not enough." he says, and then the mace is gone...the body sifts, ever so slightly...more monsterous as he hits the ground infront of her...

His claws swing up, trying to DIG into her body, drinking of the life force he can find, before he aims to lift her upwards...

"Avira.." he says painfully...

And then the claws rip out from everywhere...aiming to try and tear her to pieces.

But...is her heart stronger? CAN she snatch victory from the jaws of defeat?

Avira has posed:
She can do this! She's sure she can. That's what she's thinking as she attacks, coming at him full tilt, without hesitation and without fear. Upon sending him flying, she crouches, then leaps up after him. But he stops in midair and Avira sails past him, landing behind him.

The second she's turned around, she finds him in front of her. It's not enough, he says. She's about to retaliate, jab the Spine into him at close range, when he seizes her and sinks those claws into her flesh. Armor and skin punctures easily and Avira screams, blood welling up and around the claws, her vibrant lifeforce drawn away.

"ANGANTYR!" she cries out as he lifts her into the air. The claws come for her and she cannot escape their grasp, her skin shredded, clothing torn away-it's a bloodbath that fortunately only the shadows are privy to.

Yet all throughout it, she is fighting. Not just with her body, no, but that buried light within her, fueled by the same willpower that enabled her survival in the first place. It was the strength of her heart that had brought her through the darkness then and the very same thing does so now, even as Angantyr tears into her body.

But she cannot hold up forever. Wrenching her body, she twists sideways and extends her arm downward, thrusting the Spine down into the glowing red vizor.

Angantyr Vespar has posed:
The grip was assured to finish it...

But...she did not stop. Somehow, throughout the pain he inflicted on her, her blade still moves, and smashes right into the visor. There is a moment of shock...despite the lack of expression...then it dies, the darkness around him. Slowly...

Light returns, the room stands as if nothing had happened, and he falls forward loosing the grip on her, first to his knees, and then as a line of blood runs down his face as the armor that shelled him cracked.

The armor of darkness is gone, and he looks dizzy as he looks at her...

"You've gotten stronger." he says, then...

He pulls her into a tight hug.

Avira has posed:
The pain was overwhelming. She could still feel that dark power of his devouring her, feeding upon her lifeforce. 'Give in.' voices in the darkness whisper at her. 'Your life is ours now.'

She hears the shattering of armor and the voices fade as the light returns. When he releases her, Avira drops to the ground like a ragdoll, the Spine clattering free from her grip. Lying there limply, she's breathing hard as she looks up at him, confused but relieved to be in the light once more.

When he speaks, a weak smile graces her face. Angantyr will have to crouch down and scoop the girl up for that hug. That struggle thoroughly spent her energy-so much so that she cannot pick herself up.

Angantyr Vespar has posed:
Angantyr lifts her up to the bed and places her down. He was a bit rough there...he's not too good himself as he sits on the edge of the bed and groans...

"I'm getting too soft." he complains, and immediately grabs a potion and forces her to drink it. It'll help at least...

"But you've proven yourself stronger today..." he says, a bit of pride...and relief. "Thank you...and I am sorry." he says, grabbing that hand of hers. "I'm not such a good friend, beating you up like this."

Avira has posed:
"Ugh..." Avira manages to voice when she's laid down on Angantyr's bed. Her head rolls to the side, only for it to be corrected when the dark knight procures a potion and pours it down her throat. Thankfully, she does manage to swallow and /not/ let it burble messily out of her mouth.

"What was...?" she starts, once she has drank the potion, "...what was that...?" The beast he became. The darkness that surrounded them both while they fought. "No...don't.."

She squeezes his hand. "Don't apologize. It's the only way I'll be...ready."

Angantyr Vespar has posed:
"It's a glimmer of what is inside of me...did you not see it when I fought Kaydin and his bitch?" he says, and slides down the side of the bed until he hits the floor. Drinking his own potion, and sighing.

"No, stop. Accept my appology. I nearly killed you." he says, "I.." he pauses... "I care for you and I nearly killed you. But no..you didn't die." he says and then... "Don't look surprised. I meant what I said when I said your resolve was beautiful."

Avira has posed:
"Y..yeah..." she says, definitely recalling that fight. That didn't include 'alternate dimensions' though. Or if it did, Avira didn't see it during the utter chaos that fight was.

Almost killed her? For a few seconds, it felt like he did. "Alright." she says quietly, "I accept this apology." He pauses and Avira peers at him, waiting for him to continue, exhaustion in her eyes from that physically and mentally trying fight. Then, once he has continued speaking, a blush graces her cheeks. "I won't give up." she confirms for him, "T..thank you."

Angantyr Vespar has posed:
Angantyr closes his eyes...

"We gotta stop getting beat up. Or else we're never going to get money or fame." he says, to her, but leaving his hand on hers. For now, they can rest...again...

"You know this is going to get the wrong idea if we keep arriving back here together beat up."

Avira has posed:
At this point, Avira actually manages a weak laugh.

"I thought getting beat up a lot came with the territory." she teases, all too happy to rest now. She can deal with her to-do list later.

She falls silent, "...eh, so what. Let people talk."

Angantyr Vespar has posed:
Angantyr smiles at that, and even manages a laugh. "Well, then.." he says, and starts to relax. "Ha ha...what a pair." he chuckles... "What a pair we are."