Following Tracks [Open]

[LEANNE MARTEL]

Leanne kicked mud off her shoes, disdained at the bits of moss and leaves that clung to her boot. She never liked places like this, grimacing at the murky ground and the grime that had found its way to her clothes and skin. If she hadn't had to come this way, she would've avoided the swamp all together. It was so dank, with the haze and trees blocking the light, and the dampness of the swamp making the atmosphere seem heavy. It was almost eerily quiet, too. It irritated her.

But she had no money, thanks to that Beast that had taken off with it. She grimaced again, her irritation showing on her face. She'd been resting at Clocktower Boulevard, when someone had bumped into her. When she'd checked a moment later, her bag had been missing, along with all her belongings and money. A classic pickpocket. She couldn't believe she'd been a victim of something as simple and petty as that.

She hadn't gotten too good of look at the criminal, but from what she'd seen he'd been a Beast perhaps just slightly older than her with a coyote tail and ears. When she'd mentioned it to others, she'd heard rumors of a somewhat well-known thief of that description who usually hung out in Savette. She'd been to that grimy city a few times. It wasn't hard to believe that that would be the destination of the criminal. It wasn't far, just across the swamp. She'd decided to head there and look for him - the thief had stolen from the wrong person. She would take more than just her bag when she found him, too. She needed a refill on energy. She flicked her dark purple and black wings impatiently at that thought.

Beating them faster, she decided to take to them as the ground started feeling soggier. It was more tiring than walking, but at least this way she could move faster, and without getting her feet dirty. It was hard to see, though, the mist rising from the swampland hindering her vision. She'd never actually come through the swamp alone before...she hoped she wouldn't get lost in this unpleasant place. She was trying to stick to the main path, the way most people traveled through, but the haze made it hard to keep track of where she was going.

She frowned determinedly, continuing forward blindly in an attempt to head towards the end of the swamp.

[celsus]

Tick tock, went the little clock. It was almost time for another meal. Snapping the pocket watch shut, Celsus placed the silver timepiece carefully into it's own special pouch, somewhere inside the mass of bandages intertwined around his part-mechanical body. Straightening his overcoat habitually, the Hollow set out once again in search of a meal. What was he in the mood for today? A little melancholy? A pinch of prejudice? No doubt there would be something at the Clocktower Boulevard to satisfy his very specialized tastes.

Trudging through the mud, the Hollow's mirrored eye gleamed in the murky light of the swamp, his vision bouncing off the multitude of water droplets that fogged the air. To Celsus, navigation was of very little concern in a place with so much water. In a place like this, his field of vision expanded wide in all directions, thousands of separate reflected images - all streaming into his mind through his left eye. Were he not part machine, it would have been impossible to cope.

It was through this method of perception that he saw her. A faint image among thousands, a lone winged female flying towards him out of the mists. Instantly he knew her to be real - for only truth could be reflected in his gaze. But that raised a curious question; what was a Leech was doing way out here in the swamp? She was sticking to the main path, just as he was, which suggested they were both headed in opposite directions. She towards vulgar Savette, whilst he sought the regal heights of Clocktower Boulevard.

At any rate, if they both stuck to the path, they would bump into one another soon enough. The possibility of another meal presenting itself out of the mist, Celsus decided to remain where he was and wait for the Leech to arrive. He would conserve more energy that way, and he would be able to watch her progress through the fog with greater ease if he was standing still. Closing his human eye - he stood still as a statue - his mirrored eye unblinking and ever-seeing as he waited for his potential prey to come and greet him.

[LEANNE MARTEL]

The path went on for a surprisingly long time, the mist veiling the landscape and making everything look the same. She kept her eyes mostly downwards, trying to discern the main path from the rest of the soggy, curdled ground. It was very quiet, too, the only sound hitting her ears being that of her own wings beating against the air. She wasn't sure how long she continued moving forward like that, before a glint of light caught her eye. Bewildered, she momentarily paused, tilting her head to find the angle that made the glint visible again. The swamp was a dim area, but there were still a few shafts of light coming down from the sky. Light was reflecting off something not far ahead, but without being able to make out shapes that far forward in the mist, she was left not knowing what it could be. It seemed harmless enough, but in this world, she could never be sure.

She moved just a bit to the left, slightly away from where it was shining near the middle of the path ahead. Slightly more cautious now, she kept moving forward. It was a few more feet until she could start making out a shape, and a few more feet after that until she realized what it actually was. She tensed, quickly a few flaps backwards.

It was a person of some sort - one of his eyes looked like a mirror, that was what had been reflecting the light that she'd seen earlier. From the look of that eye, he had to be a Hollow. She frowned sometimes finding them exasperating to deal with. She wondered what one of them was doing out here, in this swamp. From the way it was facing opposite of her, perhaps he had been traveling to Clocktower Boulevard, but somehow the way it had been standing still there, as if it had been waiting, made her feel uneasy. It's other eye looked human, but it was closed. She stared at the mirror eye again. Could he really see her through that? If so, she wondered how long he'd been watching her. She shivered slightly.

But she didn't say anything, still more interested in the criminal that she was chasing after. "I'm in a hurry. Out of the way." She finally spoke, irritation in her voice as she rudely attempted to brush right passed him.

[celsus]

Celsus kept his gaze fixed on the Leech as she drew ever closer. His body motionless and unflinching, even as she came close enough to stare into his open eye. Unaffected by such emotions as anxiety, excitement, or anticipation, he regarded her with something close to curiosity as she stared at him uneasily. She was close enough to attack now, but his need for energy was not urgent. When she asked him to stand aside - he felt obliged to do so.

His human eye opening, watching as she flapped through the space left in the fog his body had been occupying a mere moment ago, he opened his mouth and whispered a simple request in return; "Wait." The girl had made it clear that she was in a hurry. For what reason, Celsus was interested to know, but not eager. The real reason he held no interest in her energy was that his curiosity from before had not yet been satisfied, however. It was the reason why he made it a point to never attack women on sight.

"Please wait. I do not wish to inconvenience you." He added, to emphasize his appreciation of her time. While it was not an emotional requirement - he found that treating other beings with politeness and respect often made them respond in a far more agreeable manner. And sometimes, if he was lucky, it helped to compensate somewhat for his rather grim outward appearance.

"My name is Celsus. I was only wondering, might your name be, or once have been, Odine Aurum? For I am looking for someone by that name." Blinking his right eye, clearing the few droplets of fog that had condensed on the surface, Celsus tried to keep his stare focused on the Leech for the sake of politeness, but it was hard to do so with so many other images. His head twitching, frowning a little, he tried to accurately verify whether there was someone else in the swamp with them. He kept seeing brief flashes of movement, ever since he concentrated his stare towards Savette. Although, oddly enough, they seemed to be moving away.

[LEANNE MARTEL]

"Wait."

Leanne blinked at the sudden word, stopping in midair as she hovered in place and glanced back at the man she'd just passed. She could've just kept flying, but she somehow felt compelled to hear what the Hollow wanted - seeing him out here had already been surprising, and it left her both slightly uneasy and slightly curious. Besides, if what he had to say proved undesirable or uninteresting, she could just get back on her way.

He greeted her politely, introducing himself with the name Celsus. She blinked at his question, though. ...Odine Aurum? She shook her head, slowing her wings and letting her feet touch the ground again as she turned towards him. "No, my name is Leanne." She explained simply. Her name had always been Leanne. With all of her memories intact, she'd never had a reason to change it. She wasn't who he was looking for, but the unusual request struck her as interesting. She tried to recall whether she'd ever heard the name before. It was unique and pretty. It almost sounded vaguely familiar, but she'd heard so many names and seen so many faces in her travels that she couldn't quite place or recall many of them anymore. Normally such things didn't matter much to her.

She noticed absently, though, that his gaze seemed to keep twitching, briefly moving in other directions before coming back to her. The Leech suddenly tensed, glancing around. Unfortunately, the thick mist prevented her from seeing much passed an arms length ahead. She didn't like this area. As open as it was, her lack of vision made her feel enclosed."Do you...see something?" She asked quietly, noticing that he seemed a bit distracted.

[celsus]

Celsus closed his right eye and nodded in silence, acknowledging the girl's confession that she was not the one he was looking for. While it was emotionally impossible for the Hollow to feel disappointed, the news was still yet another failed hope, another bitter pill to swallow. Running back over his mechanical memory, it was the two-thousand three-hundred and forty-second time he'd repeated that very same question. If necessary - he was prepared to ask it a million times more. Without fear or sorrow to weaken his resolve, he was ready to search until his dying breath.

Blinking once or twice, his focus returning to the present, Celsus turned is full gaze over to the Leech once more. It seemed she had a question of her own. Folding his arms, he nodded politely in response; she had answered him, so he would answer her in courtesy. "Yes, I believe I do see something." Keeping his right eye facing her while he looked into the distance, the Hollow bounced his reflective gaze through the network of moisture droplets in the air, and off the surface of the still pools of black swamp water collecting between the trees, his sights eventually coming to rest on a lone individual - nearly a mile away.

"I can see someone else. A beast, judging by his tail and ears. He has wandered off the main path, and looks to me as though he is lost." Celsus described in as much detail as he could at this range, with very little sympathy towards the creature's plight. Beasts were usually highest on his own personal "menu" of sorts, since their victims had to die to ensure their continued survival. Their drain on the system was very high, followed by Leeches and other Hollows, and then by Sirens. Who for now he tried to avoid feeding on at all.

"There is no need for concern, if you are looking to visit Savette? It will be hard for him to smell you with so much water around." Bringing his full focus back to the Leech, Celsus stooped his shoulders in a low bow in her direction. Grateful that they had been able to perform each-other a mutual service. "I thank you for your kind assistance. If there is nothing else, then I wish you a safe journey." Shaping his mouth into the shape of a smile, the Hollow raised a hand in parting gesture, getting ready to leave the busy Leech to her buisiness.

[LEANNE MARTEL]

As was usual for Hollow, the man didn't show much reaction to her answer, simply closing his eye and nodding at her response. She absently wondered why he was searching for this 'Odine Aurum', but decided not to ask. He'd only asked her if she matched the name or knew of her, nothing more. And it was none of her business really, anyway. She had other matters to attend to.

She tensed a bit, though, as the Hollow answered her own question. He thought he did see something - a male beast with tails and ears wandering in the mist. The man told her that he thought there was little need for concern and thanked her, seeming ready to leave afterwards, but the Leech blinked in surprise. "Wait! She called out, trying to catch him before he left. His remark had caught her interest - she needed to know more...otherwise she might end up in Savette without reason.

"A Beast...? Does it look like a coyote?" She asked quickly, glancing intensely with both her ears and eyes open. Perhaps her target had gotten lost on his way back to Savette. But she didn't see or hear anything. She briefly turned back towards the Hollow. "Where is he?" She questioned urgently. She didn't know quite how, but the man seemed to have better eyesight or some other enhanced way of seeing. Even in the mist, it'd seemed like he'd seem her coming before, and now he'd apparently caught sight of someone else, even though she couldn't see more than a few steps ahead. It probably had something to do with his odd, mirror-like eye. "I was going to Savette to look for a coyote Beast, you see." She added, in case he needed an explanation for her urgency and sudden interest in the supposed Beast he'd seen.

[celsus]

Lowering his arm, the Hollow raised an eyebrow hidden by the bandages wrapped round his head, the Leech's sudden urgency surprising him. As it turned out, he was not the only one in search of someone in this miserable swamp. Although the fact that she had not been as forward with her questioning as he was made Celsus wonder if she had more dubious intentions.

Her explanation was vague, at best. But from what information was available - this Leech was looking for someone she knew as an acquaintance at best, going off only a basic description, and in quite a hurry. It was indeed possible she was hunting him. Pretty or not, she was a Leech after all. And despite her far less intimidating appearance, she no doubt had impressive powers of her own. Trusting her would gain nothing at this point.

However, for racial reasons alone, she was of a higher priority to Celsus than a random Beast. Turning his head towards where he'd last seen the man in question, the Hollow followed the network of reflections once more, finally finding his quarry taking a drink from a still pool - his face pressed up against the water in excellent detail. "Yes." He replied at last. "I see canine ears upon the gentleman's head, and the tip of a tail by one of his legs." Having confirmed the Leech's target, he then reached into the linen weave around his body and once more took out his silver pocket watch.

Turning his human eye down at the watch, he snapped it shut again with a look of disappointment. "Unfortunately my lady, I cannot lead you directly to him." Stashing the watch back into it's hidden pouch, Celsus faced the Leech, whose name he did not even know, and shrugged his shoulders while shaking his head. "I must now devote my attention to finding a source of energy for myself. For in 12 hours, I am due to expire." Bowing his head, this time in apology, the look on Celsus' face was sincerity epitomized. "I can point you in the right direction, but I fear that is all the time I can spare." At least, until the Leech was more forthcoming with information, Celsus had decided

[LEANNE MARTEL]

The Hollow raised an eyebrow at her shift in attitude, but eventually confirmed that the Beast he'd seen was very likely her target. Leanne blinked. She'd definitely have to change her course. If he was lost here, there was no reason for her to go to Savette. ...But how would she find him when she could hardly see more than an arm's length ahead?

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the man pull out a pocket-watch from his odd weave, briefly glancing at it with an expression that gave away that he didn't like what he saw. "Unfortunately my lady, I cannot lead you directly to him." He added, explaining that within another 12 hours his energy would be gone. The Leech girl blinked. Did that pocket watch tell him that?

He offered to point her in the right direction, but the girl was still afraid that she wouldn't be able to find him through all the haze and grime. "If you need energy, how about you hunt down him?" She suggested coldly. "He's nothing but a criminal. He stole my belongings back in Clocktower Boulevard. As long as I get my things back, it's all the same to me. But I'm worried that I wouldn't be able to find him or that I'd get lost myself if I ventured off the main path." She explained. In reality, while she lacked a watch or any device to tell her the exact remaining time she had, she was beginning to run low on energy, too. She'd been planning to feed off him, herself. But...she glanced slightly at the Hollow again. If she got desperate afterwards... It was hard to say how strong the Hollow was, though. She'd have to see what he was capable off while they hunted the Beast down if he agreed. Trying not to show her thoughts on her face, the cold girl looked over at him hopefully.

[celsus]

Ah, revenge. It was a subject the Hollow had much experience with. Folding his arms, intrigued by the Leech's proposal, he listened with interest to the young woman's tale of woe. Thinking perhaps that a meal was not so far away as he might have expected. While there was still no guarantee that the Leech was telling the truth - that information was no longer vital. He now had two potential energy donors.

A criminal mind was rich in the type of emotions that Celsus savored. Vanity, greed, desperation, hatred. If this Beast was indeed a villain, he would take satisfaction in soaking up the creature's negativity like a sponge. And if he wasn't? The Leech girl had already demonstrated a desire to see harm come to those who had wronged her - vengeance. Willingness to conceal her true intentions if she knew them to be dishonest - deception. And she seemed very untrusting herself, indication of another emotion - bitterness.

If the Beast proved innocent, she herself would make a delectable substitute, the Hollow was certain. "... that would accomplish both our goals." He concluded after his brief moment of reflection. "And it is the morally justifiable course of action. Very well - I am at your service ma'am." Obliging the Leech with another bow of confirmation, Celsus quickly homed in once again on the Beast's location, drawing his rapier and pointing it in the thief's direction. Synchronizing the blade to follow his movements like a silver compass needle.

"He is on the move. But the way he is walking will lead him to a dead end." Walking forwards, he beckoned his new companion to follow. "The wind is to our disadvantage - he will smell us coming. But he will be unable to retreat." Leading the Leech through the winding trees, occasionally slashing through branches with his rapier, Celsus reached into his pocket and bought out a vial of water. There was plenty of moisture here, but he wanted to take no chances.

[LEANNE MARTEL]

Leanne grinned as the Hollow agreed to her proposal. Excellent. This would make her struggle a whole lot easier. It seemed like he'd be able to lead her right to him. In a way, she was disappointed that she wouldn't be the one the enact the revenge herself, if it was the man who was going to fed off him, but as long as the Beast saw here there, that would be enough. Beggars couldn't be choosers, after all. At least she'd get her things back. And who knew, maybe if the Hollow left enough, she could take whatever energy the Beast had left over. She flicked her wings hopefully. Either way, at least the Hollow presented a potential energy source himself if she became desperate, as long as he didn't prove too strong to handle. She couldn't tell if he trusted her or not.

"Fantastic." She eventually answered, her lips upturning into an odd grin. The man took out a rapier, using it to gesture towards him like the needle of a compass. Whatever method he was using to see really was amazing. He gestured for her to follow, winding his ways through the tree and using his rapier to create a path when necessary. She followed behind, being careful to stay close enough so as not to lose sight of him in the mist. If she did, it wasn't likely she'd be able to find him again. She couldn't wait to get this done with and get out of this haze. It was both frustrating and unnerving always having her vision blocked by the haze. She envied the Hollow slightly in that regard.

He commented on the wind as they set out, but noted that their target would be stuck in a dead end. "Let's hurry then." She added. If he would know they were coming, there was no time to waste. "But we need to be careful, if he catches our scent, he might be prepared to attack when we reach him." Using her wings to keep up with the Hollow without touching the grim as he lead the way, she kept on high alert, ready to attack if need be. With the mist obscuring her vision, she couldn't tell how near or how far they might be from the target. Beasts were fearsome, impulsive creatures. Foolish, indeed, but it wasn't likely that one would just give up easily if it knew they were coming.

[celsus]

Celsus nodded in silent agreement with the Leech's statements, but continued leading the way towards the Beast all the same. Her concerns were noted - and the way she quickly steeled herself for battle was reason for both admiration and caution. She was no amateur, whoever she was.

In the near distance, the Beast at last discovered his folly, finding himself trapped in a natural dead end. Judging by the way he was sniffing the air, he had picked up their scent. And it was clearly making him nervous. "He has recognized your scent, I'll wager." He reported to his winged partner. Their movements rapidly closing the gap between themselves and the Beast's only escape route. "You are correct that he will be the one to attack. But that will be our opportunity." Coming to a halt, Celsus positioned himself in front of the Leech protectively, lowering his rapier and waiting in silence.

The Beast seemed to realize that they were waiting for his move quickly enough. "We no longer need to chase him. He is on his way now." No sooner did he finish speaking - than a snarling coyote dived towards the unlikely pair out of the mist. The Beast having reverted to his animal form in order to track them down faster. Celsus slashed with his rapier, but hit only air. Or so it seemed... until the coyote crashed headfirst into something that had been mist only a moment ago.

Looking up in confusion, though he could still smell his prey, the Hollow and the Leech had disappeared behind a mirrored wall - which had looked exactly like the mist around it right up until the moment he was face-to-face with his own bemused reflection. Confused and enraged, he switched to his humanoid form and tried punching the reflective barrier, his arm throbbing as a fist of exactly equal force collided with his own. Making him cry out in pain and stumble backwards, cradling his injured appendage.

On the other side of the mirror, the view was unobscured. Allowing Celsus and his ally perfect clarity of vision as the Beast struggled against his own strength. Raising his rapier once more, Celsus slashed through the middle of the barrier, breaking it apart into a thousand pieces resembling shards of a mirror. "After you milady. You may attack now - and I will defend you." The Hollow whispered, shifting into a defensive stance ready to deflect any counter-offensive directed against himself or the Leech while she made her move.

[LEANNE MARTEL]

"He has recognized your scent, I'll wager." The man commented of the Beast. Leanne grinned, wondering if it was regretting messing with her now. She hoped so. That was what made revenge so satisfying - the foe had to have ample time for realization and regret, preferably before the heat of battle put things in full swing and when adrenaline started to cover up emotions. The man also confirmed that the Beast was indeed going to attack, but stated it as an opportunity. Before they got much farther, he suddenly stopped, the man positioning himself in front of her with his rapier outstretched. She blinked, not knowing how to react. But she decided to hang tight as they waited, following his lead and remaining where she was. After all, it was probably wise to trust the one who could actually see their foe.

The Hollow told her that he was coming, making the Leech tense up and draw her hatchet in preparation, but it wasn't a moment later that the Beast, in the form a snarling coyote, cut through the mist, right towards them. Flinching instinctively, she saw the man slash with his rapier. The attack didn't seem to connect, but the coyote still went falling back with a pained whisper. She blinked, confused. What had it hit? Leanne studied the area ahead of them further...there was some kind of invisible wall, almost like a mirror. ...Was the Hollow doing this?

The coyote's own confusion was very apparent, the Beast letting out a few more whimpers and growls before switching back into it's human-like form, its face contorted in rage. It smacked a fist towards the mirror like wall, but another fist came right back at it. It seemed to be more than a mere, normal reflection, the force of the reflected punch sending the Beast back with a startled, pained cry.

They could see him easily through the barrier, a mixture of fury and bewilderment clearly visible on their foe's expression. In a brief moment, the Hollow raised his weapon, smashing the mirror-like wall into thousands of tiny shards as it shattered. He told her to strike, and an excited grin came across the girl's face.

"Remember me?" Her grin only widened as she approached the coyote with a leap, the girl all at once calling upon her sound-based abilities and letting out a loud, high-pitched whistle. To the ears of most, it was nothing more than that, but the ears of canines could hear higher frequencies than those of humans, and painfully high, otherwise inaudible notes echoed loudly and harshly in the Beast's dog-like ears. He startled and cried out, instinctively throwing his hands to his furred, pointed ears in an attempt to block them. The Leech took the opportunity to quickly slash her hatchet towards his chest. It connected, making him cry out again as the blade left a gash near his left side. But he wasn't ready to give up so easily, quickly recovering and attempting to throw another punch in their direction.

[celsus]

The injured Beast was on the attack again - the opportunity Celsus had been waiting for. Hanging back from the fray, the Hollow had allowed the Leech to do the direct attacking. Observing what powers she possessed while she provoked their foe further. The injured fool had failed to learn his lesson from before, and taken the bait, his mind clouded by pain and anxiety. What he saw as a time to attack was an opening the Hollow was happy to exploit.

Slicing his rapier through the air once more, water streaming off the blade as some of the fog in the air was condensed, the Beast once again found his attack deflected by his own liquid doppleganger. Before their enemy could recover, Celsus lunged forward and shattered the mirror he had just created in front of his Leech ally, thrusting the point of the rapier through the watery wall and stabbing into the bicep of the Beast's primary punching arm.

Pulling away just as quickly as he had attacked, the Beast was left with a neat hole through his right arm, adding to the pain already felt from the gash on his body. Casually lowering his weapon while their adversary stumbled backwards, howling like an animal in pain. Celsus turned to face his partner. When this was over - he would make a point to find out her name. "I estimate that the ruffian's defensive capability has been compromised, milady." The Hollow spoke out loud. He wanted the Beast to hear him too - so that his confidence might too be crippled.

The words had the opposite effect. Blinking in confusion - Celsus noticed a dramatic reduction in the number of visible reflections in the air. The fog around them was starting to thin. Realizing what was going on, he slashed the air quickly, throwing up a mirror in front of himself and the Leech. His efforts proved fruitless however, as a blast of air swept him off his feet from the side, avoiding contact with the barrier completely.

Thrown into the air by the gale-force winds - most likely along with his partner, the Hollow fell through the air and hit the ground hard, knocking the breath out of his lungs. Holding on tight to his rapier, he jammed it into the ground just in time to weather another gust of air, this time from behind. His gaze shifting over to the Beast, the look of satisfaction on the criminal's sneering face confirmed that he was the culprit. "Milady!" Celsus called above the wolf-like howling of the wind. "Disregard my previous statement. I believe I spoke too soon."

Struggling to his feet against the whirlwind assault of Gale element attacks, Celsus watched the way the air currents shifted using his mechanical eye. Confirming his own worst suspicions. "His powers allow him omni-directional control over wind. Physically attacking him will be quite difficult now." Though he wanted to say more, a particularly powerful gust of wind blew him off is feet. Abruptly silencing him. The Hollow cold only hope that his partner's sonic powers would have helped her to hear - and hopefully allow her a way to break through the hurricane winds.

[LEANNE MARTEL]

Leanne dodging downwards, the Hollow managed to block the Beast's attack with another mirror-like barrier, making the foe's own attack backfire on him again. This time it didn't stop there, either, the man stabbing his rapier through the wall and right into the Beast's arm as it howled in pain.

"I estimate that the ruffian's defensive capability has been compromised, milady." He announced, loud enough for their foe to hear. It appeared so, with their foe clutching his wounded arm and his expression pained. But before she could do anything else, a gust of wind that both whipped the grin off her face and her feet off the ground hit her from the side. The Leech instinctively fluttered her wings, but it made no difference, the thin membranes only acting like sails for the gale. Swept into the air helplessly, she landed with a painfully hard thud, her face in the mud, as the winds all at once dropped.

And the moment stillness of the air only lasted a moment, another gale suddenly buffeted her from behind. Not having time to react, Leanne was sent into the air again, landing with another hard splash. Her head and body aching, she frowned in irritation at the Beast's satisfied smile. She forced herself back up, grabbing onto a nearby tree trunk in an attempt to ground herself against future attacks. Their foe obviously had formidable power over wind.

A particularly large gale suddenly swept her partner backwards, making the Leech cling desperately to the nearby tree as her hair danced behind her with the wind whistling aggressively by. It was hard to hear through the rampaging gale, but with the hearing awarded to her by her Sonic attribute, she managed to make out words from the Hollow, the man commenting that physical attacks would be difficult to pull off against the gusts.

She frowned determinedly, trying to keep herself steady enough to attack. Holding out one of her palms, a large, loud blast sounded ahead of her, in the Beast's general area with a volume and force that echoed that of a sonic boom. He yelped, the force of the blast making him fall backwards and momentarily cutting off the continuous stream of wind attacks. Not wanting to waste a moment, she immediately charged forwards, propelled by her wings, towards him, her axe outstretched. "Help me keep him down!" She called to the Hollow, hoping that he'd be able to hear her now that things had finally quieted. She didn't want to give the Beast the chance to start controlling the winds again.