Had Orihime entertained even a mere shard of hope at being rescued, she might have noticed Marlon when he pushed his way forward. But she hadn't been looking at anybody. Her gaze instead had been focused on the sky, admiring the colors that had begun to paint the west as the sun drew closer to the horizon...and searching for signs of the demon lord's approach, for surely a being like that would fly on great leather wings, right?
It wasn't until Marlon had surged forward that she finally snapped out of her daze, and after two blinks, her eyes widened. "Marlon-san?!"
She didn't know how he'd found her, but at least she got to see him one last time bef--
"Kyah?!"
Before he grabbed her and ran away?!
The soldier at her side had been startled as well to see an upstart moving to interrupt the ritual. "Stop! You fool, what you doing?!" he barked, drawing his blade. It wasn't easy for Orihime to keep her feet with her hands bound behind her, but if Marlon was going to put himself at risk like this, then she'd better cooperate as best she could.
"Hold on! The demon lord...!" she tried to explain.
(OOC: Do you actually want the demon to show up? Or did you want to write the big bad guy? WHAT WOULD YOU LIIIIIIIIKE? :D)
More soldiers were mobilizing, abandoning their posts in a former attempt to keep the crowds from panicking once the demon showed up to claim his tribute. Orihime had seemed so compliant and mild that they hadn't really thought to put a better guard on her. And no one really wanted to get that close to the demon either, if they could help it.
"Marlon-san, you can't face a demon!" Orihime protested, starting to grow desperate as she saw more blades drawn. He couldn't face a legion of soldiers either! He was normal, just human! What kind of crazy plan did he have that would not only best their opposition, but allow them to escape on top of that?
That was so much better! Orihime flexed her fingers a little, feeling the tingles start in as her circulation was restored, but she had no time to stand around and appreciate the sense of freedom. They had to move, and fast. It was clear that Marlon wouldn't be persuaded, so Orihime stopped arguing. It would only slow him down. Her hand gripped his tightly, allowing her to draw strength from his warm, rough palm.
"...thank you..."
With her other hand she hoisted up her skirts past her knees, giving her legs more freedom to run and keep up with the man she loved.
As they took a sharp turn and dashed down a narrow alley between buildings, a dark shadow eclipsed them briefly overhead. Orihime was overcome with a sudden chill, goosebumps prickling down the back of her neck. "Turn back!" she suddenly warned, pulling at Marlon's hand.
Orihime didn't answer. Her brow was drawn as she frowned, the heavy THUD and cracking of stone behind them confirming what she suspected. The demon had probably been waiting for them to move into such a space. If they hadn't turned back when they had, the two of them would have been trapped between the pursuing soldiers, and the demon itself who had flown overhead and dropped to block the exit.
As it stood, they just barely skirted past the soldiers, so closely that Orihime caught a whiff of their sweat as they banked away hand in hand.
~SHEATH YOUR BLADES,~ a voice rumbled, not in their ears, but their heads. It was a cold voice dripping with a darkness that seemed to clutch Orihime's pounding heart in an iron grip. ~ANY WHO BRINGS A SCRATCH TO MY BRIDE WILL PERISH GRUESOMELY.~
Orihime had a sinking feeling, and for a moment, she began to doubt. "Marlon-san..." she whispered. He could still get out of this. If they split up, she knew she would be the one they pursued and caught. It was clear now that the demon had no wish to kill or eat her, but the same couldn't be said of her rescuer. Marlon could still escape this alive, but the opportunity for him to do so wouldn't last long.
Orihime's breath was starting to burn in her lungs. It was only adrenaline that kept her going at this point, and fear of what would happen to Marlon if they faltered. As for her own fate? She didn't bother to think about it. That was the last thing she wanted!
As they inched around the corner, she caught sight of the motorcycle that Marlon had stashed to the side, and her heart gave a wild leap of hope. They were almost there!
Then something moved around her waist. She scarcely had time to register that a hand almost two feet wide had seized her, and roughly wrenched her back. Orihime cried out in alarm, clinging desperately to Marlon's fingers before she was forcefully torn from his grasp and pulled against the demon's side. Its skin was dark, smooth, and almost deliriously hot to the touch, and no matter how she struggled, she couldn't dislodge its clawed fingers from holding her fast.
The demon's eyes burned as the mortal summoned up the guts to charge it, its teeth bared in a grin of sheer pleasure. Orihime, on the other hand, grew pale. Her legs scissored as she kicked and squirmed, desperate to break loose and stop them from connecting.
"Marlon, no!" she cried out, her head snapping up as she pleaded with the demon. "Don't hurt him, please don't hurt him!"
It ignored her, focused instead on the enraged lover. It hunkered, then spun, lashing out with a whip-like tail in an attempt to catch the hero and throw him from his cycle.
The odds of his success were almost microscopic. Orihime flinched, struggling to keep her eyes on Marlon as the demon whirled about. But when she was finally able to track him, she didn't see the broken body she'd expected with such dread. Instead he was moving at unbelievable speeds, past the demon's arrogant defenses, and straight for the creature's face.
She stopped breathing. Marlon...!
Orihime wasn't the only one caught by surprise. The demon was just coming out of its spin, the smirk turning into a frown when it didn't feel the satisfying crunch of broken bones and metal. Was the pitiful human actually--?
There's a sickening sound of steel piercing bone and brain, a wet cracking squish. The smell is even worse, nauseating and stinking of rotten flesh. The demon howled as black ichor spurted in thick gouts from the killing wound driven between its eyes.
Orihime gaped in shock, the demon's grip still firmly holding her as she went stock still. The great muscled body of the demon twitched, and started to fall. Orihime tensed, expecting the impact.
It wasn't until Marlon had surged forward that she finally snapped out of her daze, and after two blinks, her eyes widened. "Marlon-san?!"
She didn't know how he'd found her, but at least she got to see him one last time bef--
"Kyah?!"
Before he grabbed her and ran away?!
The soldier at her side had been startled as well to see an upstart moving to interrupt the ritual. "Stop! You fool, what you doing?!" he barked, drawing his blade. It wasn't easy for Orihime to keep her feet with her hands bound behind her, but if Marlon was going to put himself at risk like this, then she'd better cooperate as best she could.
"Hold on! The demon lord...!" she tried to explain.
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More soldiers were mobilizing, abandoning their posts in a former attempt to keep the crowds from panicking once the demon showed up to claim his tribute. Orihime had seemed so compliant and mild that they hadn't really thought to put a better guard on her. And no one really wanted to get that close to the demon either, if they could help it.
"Marlon-san, you can't face a demon!" Orihime protested, starting to grow desperate as she saw more blades drawn. He couldn't face a legion of soldiers either! He was normal, just human! What kind of crazy plan did he have that would not only best their opposition, but allow them to escape on top of that?
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"...thank you..."
With her other hand she hoisted up her skirts past her knees, giving her legs more freedom to run and keep up with the man she loved.
As they took a sharp turn and dashed down a narrow alley between buildings, a dark shadow eclipsed them briefly overhead. Orihime was overcome with a sudden chill, goosebumps prickling down the back of her neck. "Turn back!" she suddenly warned, pulling at Marlon's hand.
Reply
(The comment has been removed)
As it stood, they just barely skirted past the soldiers, so closely that Orihime caught a whiff of their sweat as they banked away hand in hand.
~SHEATH YOUR BLADES,~ a voice rumbled, not in their ears, but their heads. It was a cold voice dripping with a darkness that seemed to clutch Orihime's pounding heart in an iron grip. ~ANY WHO BRINGS A SCRATCH TO MY BRIDE WILL PERISH GRUESOMELY.~
Orihime had a sinking feeling, and for a moment, she began to doubt. "Marlon-san..." she whispered. He could still get out of this. If they split up, she knew she would be the one they pursued and caught. It was clear now that the demon had no wish to kill or eat her, but the same couldn't be said of her rescuer. Marlon could still escape this alive, but the opportunity for him to do so wouldn't last long.
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(The comment has been removed)
As they inched around the corner, she caught sight of the motorcycle that Marlon had stashed to the side, and her heart gave a wild leap of hope. They were almost there!
Then something moved around her waist. She scarcely had time to register that a hand almost two feet wide had seized her, and roughly wrenched her back. Orihime cried out in alarm, clinging desperately to Marlon's fingers before she was forcefully torn from his grasp and pulled against the demon's side. Its skin was dark, smooth, and almost deliriously hot to the touch, and no matter how she struggled, she couldn't dislodge its clawed fingers from holding her fast.
~THIS WOMAN NO LONGER BELONGS TO YOU, MORTAL.~
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"Marlon, no!" she cried out, her head snapping up as she pleaded with the demon. "Don't hurt him, please don't hurt him!"
It ignored her, focused instead on the enraged lover. It hunkered, then spun, lashing out with a whip-like tail in an attempt to catch the hero and throw him from his cycle.
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(The comment has been removed)
She stopped breathing. Marlon...!
Orihime wasn't the only one caught by surprise. The demon was just coming out of its spin, the smirk turning into a frown when it didn't feel the satisfying crunch of broken bones and metal. Was the pitiful human actually--?
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Orihime gaped in shock, the demon's grip still firmly holding her as she went stock still. The great muscled body of the demon twitched, and started to fall. Orihime tensed, expecting the impact.
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