darkness falls across the land

[innerfirewithin]

Characters: Zuko [innerfirewithin] and Tyki Mikk [sleightofhearts]
When: Afternoon of the 27th
Where: Near the City Wall, by the Wastelands.
Rating: R to be safe. He's kind of dying.
Summary: Zuko got bitten by the infected during a solo (idiotic) trip to Veles. Hours have passed -- and Zuko knows he can't go back to Adstringendum without fear of getting others infected.

Comments

[sleightofhearts]

It had begun with the chatter over the PCDs.

It didn't usually take much to cause a ruckus over the infernal things - make it difficult to sleep for a few days and they all made it seem like it was the end of the world - and so it had taken Tyki a while to catch on to what exactly was going on. Imagine his surprise when he realized that it was a legitimate ruckus. How entertaining.

Initially, he had only come out of the Chateau out of curiosity; poking around at the not-quite-human things skirting along at the edge of the city between Adstringendum and the Wastes. Akuma? No, not quite. These things, while they weren't quite alive anymore, didn't obey commands, and they certainly weren't very durable -- at the very least, testing their durability had been worthwhile entertainment.

He was on his way back to the Chateau when he spotted Zuko. On any day of the week, he would have leaped the opportunity to get the boy's knickers in a twist - he made it all too easy - but oh. Oh.

OhTyki's lips curled into a knowing smirk as he slipped

[innerfirewithin]

Breathing was difficult, but if Zuko was anything, he was stubborn. Resilient, even -- and it was with a great amount of effort that he managed to draw one of the swords he had brought with him to Veles, just in case one of those strange creatures had gotten too close to him.

Unfortunately for Zuko, he hadn't been fast enough.

It would be quick, painless -- he was already dead, for heaven's sake, all Zuko had to do was end it before he could hurt anyone --

But then, he heard the taunt, and his head snapped up to look at the newcomer with a scowl.

"Go," Zuko hissed, his fingers digging into the wall to keep himself standing, his other hand clutching the hilt of his sword tightly.

[sleightofhearts]

"Come now."

Tyki fished around for his pack of cigarettes, shook the end of one cigarette out, and then drew it out of the pack with his lips. He switched the pack for his matchbook and struck one against the pad of his thumb. The flame briefly illuminated sharp, gold eyes that were watching Zuko with far too much intention as he lit the cigarette and took a long, long drag.

Mmm~

The cigarette bobbed between his lips as he spoke, "Why would I do a thing like that?"

[innerfirewithin]

It was the eyes that did it -- and Zuko felt a brief surge of panic bubble in the very back of his throat, and he lunged forward with the sword, a wild slashing arc that was more the product of the sudden onslaught of irrational paranoia caused by the virus than to actually hit the man.

"I said go!"

Zuko was normally a brilliant swordsman -- but now, half-crippled by the virus that was slowly causing him to lose his grip on the world around him, he was nothing more than a child playing with a stick that was too big for him.

That didn't mean he wasn't going to fight for every single inch of what he was worth.