Following Tracks [Open]

[celsus]

Gripping onto his blade for dear life against the force of the winds, there was a sudden explosion of sound that made the winds suddenly grow calm once more. His gaze moving instinctively to the Leech, he sat in silence, ignoring her call to rush the injured Beast while he contemplated a strategy in his mind.

Now that he knew what his partner's full powers were - an entirely new method of attack had become available. While he lacked any offensive skills himself, preferring a defense and counterattack strategy, in tandem with another his skills could be adapted to service other functions. It was something the Hollow was rarely able to exploit, not being accustomed to company. But given the nature of the Leech's powers - he was curious to see what the result would be.

"As you wish milady." He replied in regards to keeping their enemy down. Something he was certain this next attack would do. Pulling his rapier out of the mud, he twirled it in a circle through the air. While the fog had all been blown away, there was still plenty of moisture to go around in the swamp, which meant he could be creative with his work. Folding one of his barriers back in on itself - the result was a funnel, tapered at one end, and wide at the other, with a reflective inside surface.

In other words, a megaphone. Using his own power of reflection for amplification, the natural shape of such a device for projection, and the sonic abilities of his ally for raw power - Celsus could not predict exactly how effective it would be, though he estimated that the destructive power would be immense. Proportional to the Leech's own power multiplied by a factor of ten. "Pardon me, milady? Might you permit an encore of that last attack into this construction?" He asked politely, pointing to the floating shape shimmering in the air beside him.

"I believe now would be an appropriate time for the coup de grâce, so to speak." Standing back, away from the mirror megaphone, Celsus turned his gaze towards the injured Beast. If one sonic boom had knocked him over - then there was no telling what damage this combination assault might inflict.

[LEANNE MARTEL]

"As you wish milady."

Leanne briefly glanced back, expecting to see him rush the enemy as well in an attempt to hold him down. But instead, she saw him forming another of the mirror-like barriers, folding and forming it into some sort of odd shape. She blinked, momentarily bewildered. Before she could ask what he was doing, though, she suddenly recognized the shape he was making. It was a construction similar to a traditional megaphone. He confirmed it a moment later, asking for an 'encore' of the last attack using the water wall object.

"Gladly." An eager grin came across the girl's face, water splashing upwards as she quickly came to a halt and switched directions rapidly back towards him. She needed to be quick about it, before the Beast got up and got in the way with his wind again. She stopped as she neared him and reached the appropriate angle behind the large amplifier.

She'd never tried anything like this before, and she wasn't quite sure how it would work out, but keeping the fingers on her other hand crossed, she stretched her palm outwards towards the amplifier in preparation to attack. He was right, now would be a good opportunity to end the fight, providing the assault went as planned. She unleashed it, the boom echoing loudly into a fierce wave of sound and force as it blasted through the megaphone like object. The amplified sound was immense, and so was the force of the boom. The blast sent down several trees with a few loud cracks, and immediately sent their already stunned target back with a shriek as he went flying, only to smack hard into a large trunk. The Leech's grin only widened. What power! She'd never had such strength on her own...what a pity. The result had definitely been satisfying.

As soon as the attack faded, she rushed forward again, towards the direction of the downed Beast. A few feet away, something familiar caught her eye. Her bag. She collected it happily, feeling satisfied as she walked over where their foe lie in the mud. She nudged him casually with her foot, to which she got a very weak moan. "He's still alive, but he wont be getting up any time soon." She commented. But that was all the better for them - the fact that he was still alive meant that his energy was still up for the taking. She glanced up towards the Hollow. They fed on emotions, right? She was sure the Beast would have a lot of pain and anger for him to feast on. It was hard to resist the temptation to take the energy herself...but she'd already promised it to the Hollow as part of their initial agreement. She looked up, waiting to see what he'd do.

[celsus]

Though it was impossible to experience awe at the results of hi collaboration with the Leech, Celsus was nevertheless impressed by the sheer force of the resulting attack. The blast had cleared away a row of trees running for almost a mile in a straight line. Ironically - exposing a clear path that lead out of the swamp, towards the Ring Woods. A place renowned as a particular gathering spot for Leeches. With the fog gone - she would not be needing his help any longer.

Confirming this, he moved his lips into a smile as he saw her retrieve her lost bag. The original condition of their bargain. That only left the Beast. Who as his partner so eloquently put it; would not be getting up any time soon. "I believe that is an understatement." He commented with a passable imitation of sarcasm. It was in fact a possibility that the pickpocket would never get up again at all. While the Hollow tried to be frugal with his feeding, and only planned on taking as much energy as he absolutely needed, he was unsure if his vindictive ally was in need of sustenance herself.

Wasting no time, he unwrapped the bandages coating his right hand, reaching the now exposed flesh downwards and grabbing hold of the Beast's forehead in such a way that his eyes were covered. Closing his human eye, the Hollow opened his mouth and sighed in mourning. It was as he suspected - pain, fear, loneliness and uncertainty clouded the individual's mind. Though he knew nothing of this man, save that he was a criminal, the suffering he had endured stirred a shadow of sympathy somewhere in the depths of his memory. But there was no need for sadness. He could free him - free him as he had been freed himself.

His mechanical eye gleaming, Celsus pulled his hand away; revealing the expression on his victim's face to be one of quiet calm. Taking out his pocket watch, the Hollow began winding the crooked hands back leisurely, his life force at it's peak once more. "I have all that I require." He informed his companion solemnly. Having drained about a third of the Beast's energy, if the Leech took a third herself, the Beast would yet live. On the other hand, she might choose to consume him entirely.

If she did so, Celsus wondered, would it be classified as a murder, or putting him down? If she did consume his life - then at least he would die free of the painful emotions that had motivated him to such desperate acts. It would be... humane. "You may replenish yourself, if you wish. Without your contribution, my time would be a good deal shorter." Placing the silver timepiece back into its pouch, he began folding the loose bandages back over his exposed hand. He had time now, time to spare.

[LEANNE MARTEL]

"I believe that is an understatement." The Hollow commented dryly, coming up to where their fallen foe lie in the swamp's grime. Knowing what he was coming for, Leanne stepped aside as he undid the bandages on one of his hands and placed it onto the man's face. He kept his human eye closed, but a sad, almost mournful sigh left his mouth as he absorbed the Beast's emotions and energy. She absently wondered what it was that he was feeling from their foe.

Sometimes, Leanne almost envied Hollow. They were without the burdens of sadness, regret, and loneliness. Even the burden of love. All emotions seemed to inevitably lead to one conclusion, pain. It was that feeling that seemed to underline everything. Even anger was created from suffering, and, from what she'd seen, feelings of attachment and love only opened doors to even greater pain. Most people would likely say that it was better to love and end up with pain than to have never loved at all, but after seeing what had become of her mother, the girl wasn't so sure. Whenever the Hollow did feel emotions of any sort, they weren't theirs. They got to feel the emotions of their victims, but they were never haunted by any of their own. She wondered what it would be like to live that way... Her companion seemed to be holding his own just fine. Would being empty be easier? Or was it worth it to have life accented by feelings, both pleasant and unpleasant? She didn't know, but she gave a simple nod as the Hollow announced that he'd taken all the energy he needed.

She walked back over towards the downed Beast. He still had energy remaining, so why not take what she needed? She grinned a bit. It looked like she got to keep with her original idea of vengeance, after all. Bending down next to his limp body, she exposed her fangs, all at once biting into the Beast's upper shoulder in a fashion that somewhat resembled traditional vampire tales. But instead of blood, it was energy that she took in, the girl savoring it. There was nothing more satisfying than actually catching a target that she'd been after, it was far more so than just feasting off the energy of any random victim.

She paused, though, as she felt the Beast squirm lightly in pain beneath her. With both of them having stolen from him, his energy had to be already very low, if she took much more... She felt an odd, unfamiliar tinge of sympathy. He was a criminal, and she generally didn't make it her business to care about fate of others, but she could see how this life had turned him into what he was. She wasn't exactly a saint, herself.

The Beasts possibly had it harder than any of the other races, she realized. Each time they began to run out of energy, they had to make the blatant decision between their life and someone else's. They had to kill. They never had the option to only take what they needed...and they never had to make decisions like the one she was facing now.

A small part of her suddenly wanted to let the criminal go. She had her bag back, at least, and while not full in the least, she had enough energy to last her for a while. But if she let him go, one of two things would happen. Either he would be too injured and tired to find a victim of his own with which to regain energy from, and eventually just fade away and perish on his own. Or he would find someone...which would mean that that person would have to die. If he did manage to find someone afterwards, would that put his victim's death on her hands for not stopping him when she could've?

She sighed. Now she was just over-complicating and over-thinking things. Emotions really were confusing. She hated them, sometimes. Why were they getting to her so much today?

...Who was she to decide who lived and who died? Such a decision wasn't something that Leeches were stuck with making. She'd leave that to the Beasts who had no other choice. Sighing, she withdrew her teeth from his throat and pulled away, not taking anything more. Was shuffling the blame and the decision off like that selfish, in a way? Maybe even a bit weak? Perhaps. But she doubted that the Beast would see it that way. He had a chance. Whether he managed to hand his fate off to someone else instead was only up to him...she'd had her revenge. She was stepping out of it, now. She turned her gaze away.

She absently fixed her hair a bit as she stood back up, the ends of which had dangled in the mud while she'd been bent over. "I've got all that I need. He's left to his own devices, now."

[/color] She commented, trying to hide any uncertainty from her voice as she looked back in the Hollow's direction, trying to get a casualness to return to her tone. "Well then, since a path has conveniently opened up, I may as well make my way out to Ring Woods. Now that I've got my things back, I have nothing better to do. Perhaps I can find some old acquaintances, there. ...So I suppose I'll be off then, Mr..."[/color] Her voice trailed off, the girl realizing for the first time that she didn't know his name. A smile appeared delicately on her face...it was small, but different from her usual grins in that it contained genuine warmth, not the simple amusement or coldness that was usually the driving force behind the expression whenever it crossed her face. "...Thanks for the help."[/color] She added, such words leaving her mouth also being unusual.[/size][/blockquote]

[celsus]

Finished re-embalming his hand, Celsus flexed his fingers experimentally, testing the strength of the bandages. Satisfied, he turned is attention back to the Leech and their Beast companion: who was still alive. If not surprised, Celsus at least found his previous convictions about his Leech partner questioned. He had judged her to be more vindictive than she in fact was, it seemed.

Raising an eyebrow in the way he so often did to portray intrigue, Celsus carefully sheathed his rapier somewhere within his bandaged undergarments, having developed a certain level of trust towards his temporary companion. The two of them had survived the ordeal of battle after all, and on the whole with very minimal injury, owning in no small part to the compatibility of their unique abilities. He did not consider himself as someone who brought out the best in people... but sometimes they surprised him on their own. This was one of those rare exceptions.

"Celsus Destan." He finished for her, realizing that he had neglected to give her his complete name as well, and that he also now felt fully comfortable in giving it. She was smiling now - her lips reflected a thousand times in his watery gaze in a true expression of emotion. One the Hollow had felt only a brief, but intimate experience with, back before the conversion. Touched, the otherwise emotionless being kneeled down and returned the smile. It was without feeling; but it was honest.

"It was my pleasure, milady. Should you require my abilities... or perhaps some company," he said after a lengthy pause, as if doubting that anyone would ever truly desire his companionship, please do not hesitate to contact me. Standing back up, the Hollow brushed himself off and wondered where he would go to next. He had no real destination in mind, now that his energy reserves had been replenished, but assumed that things would probably turn out alright anyway. "Meeting you was an honor. Before we go our separate ways, might you permit me to know your name, or names?" Privately, the Hollow wondered if he would ever see the woman again after this encounter. It was something that happened all too often, in this parasitic world. But in the end, he could only trust. Trust that she would continue to stubbornly survive. Trust that they would meet again. Trust, but not blindly.

[LEANNE MARTEL]

The Hollow raised an eyebrow, a look of surprise showing on his face. Maybe she hadn't behaved the way she'd been expecting. Leanne looked down a bit, almost embarrassed by her indecisiveness, but she'd already made her choice, now.

Celsus Destan... So that was his name... Most of the time names vanished quickly from her mind, but she figured that his might actually stay somewhere in her memory. They'd made a good team, she had to admit. Most of the time, she fought alone, but his help had made all the difference, this time. At least they'd both gotten all the energy she needed - she had no need to think about remaining hostile towards him, now. She was glad. She almost felt something akin to trust...or at least respect...towards him.

To her surprise, he returned the smile that had somehow found its way to her face. Being a Hollow, the expression was without emotion behind it, yet it still seemed genuine. "Leanne Martel." She answered, giving out her full name in return. The smile stayed on her face a moment longer. "Same here. Feel free to seek me out if you ever have the need. I'll be around." She replied simply, before turning away with a final glance. If they ever ran into each other again, she wouldn't mind. She considered herself happy alone, but he'd actually made an enjoyable companion. She found herself glad that they'd met. Tying her newly regained bag tightly around her waist, she gave a last wave in his direction, before setting out in the direction of the village by the river. "Good luck finding the person you're looking for. See ya'!" She called back confidently.

[[Fin?]]

[celsus]

Raising his hand in a parting gesture of farewell, Celsus watched the Leech leave towards the forest. "Safe travel." He called after her, lingering a moment longer, before turning around and walking away himself. Leanne Martel. It was a name he would remember, to be certain. Quite why he seemed so companionable to sweet young women, the Hollow had no idea.

Now that time was once more on his side, he decided that it was probably best to return Savette, where he had originally come from. It was said that it was one of the few secure areas left, with the recent increase in Virus sightings in nearby Valli putting everyone under pressure. Perhaps it was time to do something about that? He had heard word of a group based in Savette issuing a "call to arms" so to speak. Rallying any and all citizens they could to unite against the virus threat. It was definitely worth investigating.

And what of the Beast? Celsus abandoned the creature where it lay, drained of energy and emotion. Maybe without the burden of greed, he would go on to lead a better, more honest life someday? If he managed to survive long enough to refill his energy. By the time it awakened? He and Leanne would be long gone their separate ways. Nearing the end of the forest, as a final precaution, Celsus stirred up a cloud of fog to cover his exit. Vanishing into the mist until he was just another shadow.

[[Fin.]]