Nightshift 30: Courtyard

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[[ from here. ]]River landed, flexing her legs so that impact wouldn't damaged them. Already, her head was spinning from the feat, and she had to take a moment to collect herself, huddled in a small pile of girl against the wall she'd just scaled. A simple feat was leaving her heart racing, and her breath came hard for at least five minutes until

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[theycutitout]

[[ from here. ]]

River managed about five and a quarter steps before her legs wouldn't work anymore and she fell in a miserable heap of girl, staining the grass red with the paint - no, it wasn't paint. She could taste her own blood on her lips, and yet her neutral, almost bored expression remained passively present even as her nerves screamed in pain.

Cuts, some more serious that others, marked her entire body, and she was half-certain that she was missing a piece of her ear. The sword that had impaled her leg was a problem too, limiting her mobility as she struggled on to find something even like a safe haven.

Fingers grasped the dirt and the earth as the doll that couldn't stop, wouldn't lay down ever, struggled unsuccessfully thus far to hoist herself to her feet. She wasn't broken yet. Still functional.

36.45% capacity.

[hotlittledragon]

A sword bolted out of the darkness so fast the air around it sang with steel. It would have sliced right through the crumpled girl, a single cut that would sever her head from her spine. Instead, it paused inches from her face, wearily respectful if its master's wishes.

Maybe it was River's luck that Amenomurakumo was the less violent of the pair.

"You shouldn't be crawling around on a night like this, little one. Return to your room. If you go back the way you came right now I will not harm you."

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River slowly raised her head to meet the steel, or rather face it with eyes that had long-since glazed over from the pain and the ambivalence of it all. The sword that had pieced her leg had vanished, and the one she faced now was much larger. It glinted in the night, glinted and sparkled and cut. It always cut.

The girl, the little one, looked up at him. She couldn't speak, wouldn't yet, but she looked at him, curious and amused and hateful and somehow forcing it all to mesh into nothing. He would receive no answer. There was nothing more to say. She couldn't crawl back. It would end poorly.

[eyrien_prick]

[from here]

Lucivar landed on his feet with ease though his satisfaction at retaining his balance was short lived as he saw the young girl at his feet looked familiar. "River?" he said before glancing up to see a person standing across from her. He growled, the sight of the girl crumbled on the floor pushing him close to the killing edge.

[bastard_sadi]

Daemon was quick to follow his brother over the wall, and his golden gaze was quick to take in the scene as he wasted in no time kneeling beside the fallen, bloody girl, shifting her slightly out of the way of the sword that hung there, placing himself in its path as well. Was this a monster or a patient? He couldn't tell, didn't recognize the other male.

"Are you alright?" he murmured instead to the girl at his side, hands hovering worriedly against her shoulders as he quickly searched for the locations of her injuries.

Hadn't Renji said she was fine?

[hotlittledragon]

The sword remained where it was, waiting. It wasn't River's answer that it was waiting for. Kurikara walked down the path after it, yawning widely. He'd been dosing by the pond and hoping no one would bother him tonight. He had little desire to fight; he didn't crush weaker creatures for sport under any circumstances. But his senses were sharper tonight and they told him that these weren't just some weaker creatures. As a dragon, he would have devoured them instantly. It was their luck that he couldn't take that form tonight

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"There was a sword in my leg. Gone now," River answered Daemon, regurgitating information like a machine that was merely giving a status report. "Approximately 25 to 30 cuts of varying depth and length, five puncture wounds, tip of ear not present and accounted for. 36.45% capacity." She paused, still trying to push herself to her feet.

"Don't go into the cafeteria," she added, watching without a shred of worry or amusement as the attacker turned his attentions on Lucivar.

[eyrien_prick]

The strike came without much warning. Lucivar's eyes widened and he sidestepped, using his the chair leg as a club. It was close but Lucivar was able to deflect the strike though barely which made him realize that something was severely wrong. He knew he wasn't in peak performance, far from it, but it was even worse right now. Lucivar reached for his basic craft to cast some sort of barrier but he could find nothing.

He cursed loudly in Eyrien and turned to face the person who had slashed at him, putting himself between his brother and River. "What is your quarrel with the lady?" he snarled, only giving the man a chance to speak because he was without his jewels. What he wouldn't give for even an ounce of his Ebon-Grey again.

[bastard_sadi]

"Stop moving!" Daemon hissed out at her, eyes widening slightly at her logical listing of injuries. "Don't stand, lady, I've got you, and moving about will only make you bleed more. Where are you most severely injured?"

It was hard to tell with all the blood.

He'd meant to leave Lucivar to deal with the swordsman, but at this point, the fight might be more than both of them could handle. However, the male was talking, something he'd seen few monsters do here.

"Are you a patient here by day? We've no argument with you if you'll let us take the Lady and return her to her room. She's been injured."

By whatever or whoever was in the cafeteria. Perhaps they wouldn't be going to the basement tonight after all, if River came out of there in this state.

[hotlittledragon]

The boy wasn't bad, he had to admit but that piece of wood would break apart the second he knocked it against something. It was no small thing to deflect Murakumo even if he let it happen. "She is suffering." He said simply. "I would end it."

He shifted his gaze to Daemon, tilting his head slightly at the man's words. Murakumo was still poised to attack. Sudden movements from any of them would be unwise. "You can take her back to her room provided that you stay there with her for the rest of the night. I've got no problem making sure of that myself but it won't be fun for you."

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"Can't stop moving. Can't lie down. Not ever," was River's only answer. Luckily, the blood loss and injuries were preventing her from doing anything more than wobbling on all fours before crashing back down into the dirt again.

"27.544444%."

[eyrien_prick]

"When we want your advice we'll ask for it," Lucivar snapped, pointing the sad chair leg at the - kid? man? it was difficult for Lucivar to tell but whoever it was he certainly had a nasty habit of attacking innocent girls. He snarled the moment the thinly veiled threat was uttered, his rage coming to a head.

"Oh really?" he said, an arrogant look on his face. "You underestimate me. I will find it tremendous fun. I've been itching to kill things all day."

[bastard_sadi]

Letting Lucivar handle the aggressor for the moment, Daemon instead kept his concentration on River. He'd know if his brother needed serious help; for the moment, he had the bleeding girl to fuss over.

Reaching out, he placed one hand on her shoulder, holding her still, while the other slid along her jaw, tilting her face up so he can catch and hold her gaze with his own. "Lady, look at me. It's okay to stop moving for a moment. For me. Be still, now, and tell me where you're injured. I don't want you passing out on me. It's too dangerous here. Will you help me?"

[hotlittledragon]

"Listen kid, this is how it's going to be: I cut off your arm and use it to beat you into demon pulp for thinking you could take me with a...is that a chair leg?" Kurikara laughed. "Ok, screw the monologue. I can't top that."

At least he'd gotten one laugh tonight. Kurikara behaved much like his element; his temper flickered and flared, usually unpredictably. He went from playful to serious in a breath.

The dragon shifted his grip one final time and did exactly as he'd promised: he lunged forward again and aimed this strike for Lucivar's arm, slashing downward. There were no obvious, easy movements this time and he was quick. If Lucivar didn't move, he'd be sure to sever the arm and if he did he would have to keep well back in order to compensate for Kurikara's reach. He was serious now. His earlier warning would be the last of its kind.

[theycutitout]

A million and one delayed thoughts all came crashing down in one, fell swoop. Realizations and pain and sense became too much to bear, and River felt her body beginning to shake. Just a bit longer. Just a bit and an inch and a mile.

"Need help," she finally muttered, much more meekly as the cool facade slowly began to drain away. "Can't walk. Shouldn't. Tear more open and drain more out. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

[eyrien_prick]

Lucivar saw the determination in the strike and he did everything he could to avoid the blow. It was more difficult then he imagined. Without his wings or any of his craft, let alone his jewels, Lucivar felt as defenseless as a landen and that was not something he ever wanted to feel. He used the club to try and deflect the blow as he jumped back. The battered piece of wood buckled under the pressure and gave way, shattering. It was enough to keep the sword from taking his arm but not enough to escape unscathed. A deep cut ran down his shoulder to his chest. Lucivar roared, angry and frustrated that he had been struck so easily.

In a fit of rage and desperation, Lucivar grabbed the blade of the sword and pulled hard, hoping to off balance the man on the other side. He was careful not to close his fist around the blade but to place both hands on either side and give a strong pull, watching his position. The last thing he wanted was to pull the sword directly into another strike that buried the blade in his belly or took off his head.