A shadow past..

[bondedgryphon]

Who: Zhaneel and YOU
Open: Yes
When: Backdated to the 25th (same day as insect monster has been sighted)
What: ZOMBIE GRYPHON
Where: Temple Grounds to as far as Ardel

Comments

[knowsvinewhip]

The weather had certainly cleared up nicely. Anything was better than all the wind and rain. The snow had been nice, thought. He'd rather enjoyed it. A rare treat, that had been.

He was just out for a walk, debating going back to the pod for a bath, or to wash something in the tub. There was nothing planned -- not really -- and not having three squabbling "adults" around to look after gave him a lot more free time than he was used to.

So Hakkai walked slowly, his hands in his pockets.

Cake or death?

[bondedgryphon]

Hakkai was far from alone, whether he'd noticed this fact yet or not. Zhaneel had made good on keeping herself hidden form most of her stalking, her bulky form surprisingly adept as hunkering down. Her feathers, though normally a pristine white, were mottled with mud and blood and far more likely to blend into the dark foliage that lined the paths around the Temple.

She paced Hakkai now, remaining nearly parallel to him from behind the bushes. If he paused, she would pause, waiting until he began to move again to start tailing once more.

Did he feel that lingering sense of 'threat' following him?

She ducked aside, weaving her form through the brush, ducking and padding with her wings pressed tightly against her sides, until she had passed him.

Then she flattens and waits, her unblinking gaze never leaving his approaching form.

CAKE PLEASE

[knowsvinewhip]

One didn't spend over a year on the road, being hounded by masses of murderous youkai without developing a sense for certain things. The hairs on the back of his neck rose, and Hakkai slowly drew to a halt, his hands hanging at his sides. His fingers curled, attempting, and failing, to summon up the necessary chi.

That put him at a disadvantage.

"You may as well show yourself," he said. "If we have business, I'd prefer to get it over with quickly."

Yummy cake! Preferences for maiming noted! }:>

[bondedgryphon]

Zhaneel had never met Hakkai in her time at Vertiline, at least not in person. It was more than possible that she had heard his voice or spoken with him over the communicators, but that was no longer a matter that she even paid mind to. She watches attentively as he stops on the path, still several yards back from where she's passed him. Her tail slowly began to lash back and forth, eyes narrowing to the smallest slits.

At his words she practically shivers in excitement, muscles going taunt before easing again. She begins to inch forward, wings quivering open and closed. When she's reached the edge of the brush she freezes again.

Do you hear that low growling Hakkai? That low, I'm about to fuck with your day growling? That's about the amount of warning you get before she gathers he muscles and springs at you. Please to be enjoying the horse-sized, talon baring death machine barreling toward you. :D

[knowsvinewhip]

The growling was, likely, what tipped him off first. If she'd been quiet, he'd have had a harder time locating her. But, again, the youkai of his world had a tendency to do the same, before attacking. That, and chant for blood.

He turned, sharply. Its shape barely registered before he threw himself sideways across the path, rolling into a crouch. That was no youkai. That was... nothing he'd ever seen before.

Hakkai was, suddenly, acutely aware of the absence of his abilities. No shielding, no energy blasts. He had nothing but his own physical strength. And, given the size of his opponent, that wasn't nearly going to be enough.

His fingers brushed against the limiters.

[bondedgryphon]

Zhaneel skids past, claws and talons scouring the ground as she moves to turn quickly back around. Her prey had moved quicker than she might have expected, but then she was of the mind that they should simply stand and let her shred them apart. That so many seemed to have a will to live was as frustrating as it was exciting; a will to live meant more of a fight before the kill

1/2

[knowsvinewhip]

One hand remains on his ear -- on the limiters. He doesn't want to let himself loose. It didn't end well the last time. He still remembers the manic glee of tearing into Goku's true form, the sadistic pleasure of rending flesh and breaking bone... and arms around his shoulders, pulling him back from the brink, back to himself.

... Gojyo isn't here this time.

But, then again, neither is the Minus Wave, theoretically. And if he doesn't do something, he'll be nothing but a smear on the ground.

I'm terrified of dying.He watches the creature circle, his own body tense and ready. When it lunges, he waits for half a second before nearly hitting the ground, attempting to avoid the pounce. It's only somewhat effective. The creature's claws rip his shoulder open nearly to the bone. His crouch and dodge turns into more of a dazed roll across the path, leaving a bright trail of red behind him

[knowsvinewhip]

... and feels absolutely nothing.

Hakkai's breath goes still in his chest, his heart all but stopping. This isn't right. It's not right at all. He can't move, can't think -- he's paralyzed by the lack of reaction.

Slowly, he raises a pale, shaking hand. There's no claws. No nothing but his own blood coating his palm. His limiters are on the ground beside him.

And he is, entirely, unarguably, human.

[bondedgryphon]

As the spray of Hakkai's blood splatters on her chest and cheek, Zhaneel practically croons in delight. Drawing first blood was a victory in its own right and generally the sign that she was about to best her opponent, even if she'd only had a handful of those thus far. He is in pain and that delights her crazed mind, eyes narrowing as her ear tufts pin back.

The sound that comes from her beak is guttural and eager, tail lashing in angry flicks behind her. Her talons were now coated in his life essence, feathers stained red as he stands before her. And yet, he is not fleeing, nor is he attacking. She watches him without approaching, uncertain what he is planning.

When he removes his limiters, she cannot possibly know what it means, but she sees his face fall. Whatever his plan had been, he had failed, the trinkets falling to his feet.

He seems paralyzed and in her mind it is because of his fear of her. She is a killer, after all and he would be just in fearing her. He's paying more attention to his hand than her and she lets out a

[knowsvinewhip]

He's sitting there, his mind in pieces. He's human. He's human. The words pound through his head, a deafening, blinding chorus. This has to be a hallucination. Something brought on by pain, and blood loss. That's the only possible explanation. The only way his sin could be erased so easily. He can feel himself shaking -- the bleeding, most likely, says the detached, clinical voice in his mind.

It's that same voice that picks up on the noise, and the sense of movement.

His expression suddenly closes off, survival instinct taking precedence, and moving his shell-shocked body before he can even begin to think about it. He swings up his already wounded arm with a twist of his torso, the motion sending blood flying as he does his best to block the strike, his other arm coming up to support it. His legs tense, shoving up off the ground, and away from the creature.

This would be the part where he struck, but his body knows better. It gets him to his feet, and keeps him moving at an awkward, staggering clip down the path.

[bondedgryphon]

Instincts were a damn fine thing when they were working the way they were supposed to. Unfortunately, Zhaneel's programming was a bit off right now, although Hakkai's seems to be working pretty stellar! His blood scatters across the ground and surrounding foliage as he secures his arm, and the motion protects him from most of the hit.

As a matter of fact, with the motion he makes to the side the hit with the side of her beak is all but a glancing blow. She snarls in anger, watching for a moment as he stumbles quickly down the path away from her. She slashes at the tree closest to her, tearing into the bark before moving to pursue.

She's far larger than Hakkai, however, so if he manages to duck off the path there was any number of places he was certain to find to hide himself. Hopefully she would lose interest in him ..

[knowsvinewhip]

It would be smarter not to tax his body, and keep staggering down the path. However, that way lead to civilization, to people. Young people, as well. To lead the creature to them was certain death. Hakkai hesitates a moment, before he darts, suddenly, into the undergrowth surrounding the pathway. It's less of a duck so much as a sudden listing sideways.

And, of course, there's a slight incline.

He trips. He goes rolling down the hill, crashing through bushes and bouncing off of rocks. There's a trail of broken branches and blood behind him. His body doesn't stop rolling until it crashes through a patch of thorns, the plants catching and tearing at his clothing.

Once that happens, he shoves himself to his feet again, using his good hand. Then he's off, winding his way through the patch of thorny bushes quickly, slight build being an advantage, for once.

[bondedgryphon]

Zhaneel is nearly on him when Hakkai ducks to the side, managing to cut through the undergrowth before she reaches him. Her snarl follows his tumbling form, but she already knows she cannot follow the same path.

She stalks back and forth at the point he vanished from the path, hissing low in her chest. Part of her heat maddened mind presses her to follow and take her quarry while it is weak, but another part gives her pause.

Bristling along her spine she gives one final glare to where all the noise has settled, Hakkai already trudging off to safety. Then, she turns on a hind paw and moves off. There was surely more prey along these pathways and if there was, she would find it.