The Hearts of Men (1x1 with Eternal Chronicler)

[The_Scarlet_Lark]

Jack------------------------------------------
------------------- Cortez

Of Blood and Gold I know,
of the freedom of a ship,
and only the wind holding you back.

Nickini... The voice was a hiss on the wind, and Jack jumped off of William, smacking him so that he would run away, which he did. The sound of scales scraping stone alerted Jack, and his cutlass rang as he drew it. "Come on you filthy, slimy, scum!" He called out. "I'll gut you like I did the other worthless pest!" The returning hissing shriek made his hearing uncomfortably painful and he looked anxiously towards the entrance, where movement had begun to be seen. Protectively, Jack stepped beside Tessa.



Nickini revealed herself, body coiling out of the cave, tongue slipping from her mouth.

"Stay by me," Jack whispered in Tessa's ear, squeezing her hand lightly. before taking his dagger from his sleeve and throwing it, the blade ripping through the hide of the basilisk's back and making it hiss and move towards them, scarlet eyes gleaming. Jack nudged Tessa sideways to get her to move towards the left.

This is what I loved...And lost.
[OutrageousObliviousCats:---]
 

[Kares-Eternal Chronicler]

--<._.-'--.__Tessa Orinae__.--'-._.>--

So cold...

All the same, all about me.

The wit, the wisdom.

Here I stand,

Here I live...

The truth of a revelation, frozen in fear.

Slowly dying...

Tessa's left hand flew up to the cloth over her eyes, pulling it down to completely render her unseeing though in a quick movement she had both shifted to the right and drawn Seriel, ensuring that Jack's hand could at least follow the movement to reach her elbow. Even behind the black cloth she closed her eyes, focusing on the mist about her with an ever-faint smile.
"I'm here, Jack," she whispered, "and I have no intentions of dying, either."

Obliteration On Cheetos:
 

[The_Scarlet_Lark]

Jack------------------------------------------
------------------- Cortez

Of Blood and Gold I know,
of the freedom of a ship,
and only the wind holding you back.

Jack sighed, her having shifted the opposite way before searching his coat quickly, fully aware of the looming head that was soon to be above them. He ahha-ed and pulled out four silver throwing darts that he proceeded to throw, attempting to hit the eyes of the basilisk. One glanced off of the serpent's eyelid and she swiviled her head around and lunged at Jack who deftly jumped out of the way, throwing the other one and hitting the eye, which earned him a hit with the tail of the Basilisk, smashing him against the cave wall.

"Tessa!" He cried out as the serpent turned her attention to the Half elf, one eye extinguished, and lunged for her.

This is what I loved...And lost.
[OutrageousObliviousCats:---]
 

[Kares-Eternal Chronicler]

--<._.-'--.__Tessa Orinae__.--'-._.>--

So cold...

All the same, all about me.

The wit, the wisdom.

Here I stand,

Here I live...

The truth of a revelation, frozen in fear.

Slowly dying...

"Jack?!"
Tessa heard the rush through the mist, and with her blade to her side she rushed her hand down in front of her, encasing herself in a solidified mist and chilling the surroundings substantially, though she could not get it enlarged enough to freeze the basilisk itself by the time it had reached her. Immobile, she could do nothing more for her own safety than remain utterly frozen.

Obliteration On Cheetos:
 

[The_Scarlet_Lark]

Jack------------------------------------------
------------------- Cortez

Of Blood and Gold I know,
of the freedom of a ship,
and only the wind holding you back.

Jack rushed the serpent, and sliced off the very tip of it's tail, the blood making him slightly more vicious. He had succeeded in turning the Basilisk's attention to him, and now was nimbly avoiding the snake's fangs while throwing the remaining darts. Eventually, on his last one, he was able to jab it into the remaining functional eye, earning his leg a burn of venom as it spat at him. He growled and retreated slowly, making his way to Tessa as Nickini wailed and thrashed her head, attempting to see again. "You can uncover your eyes now," He murmured. "But be very quiet," Even as he said this, Nickini heard him and focused on him. He nosily ran away towards the cave to draw her off from Tessa.

This is what I loved...And lost.
[OutrageousObliviousCats:---]
 

[Kares-Eternal Chronicler]

--<._.-'--.__Tessa Orinae__.--'-._.>--

So cold...

All the same, all about me.

The wit, the wisdom.

Here I stand,

Here I live...

The truth of a revelation, frozen in fear.

Slowly dying...

Tessa's icy shell burst away from her, but she knew well enough she could be pinpointed from the resulting shattering, and subsequently crouched and flipped over to the side, landing in such a manner that even crouched she eased down on impact to avoid any sound. After a short moment she removed her blindfold and stood, reaching out to the basilisk with a smirk.
She reached her focus into the mist about her, forming enough of a linear path to the serpent that quite suddenly several long spikes of ice seemed to materialize through the sudden lack of aerial moisture, already in motion to skewer the beast.

Obliteration On Cheetos:
 

[The_Scarlet_Lark]

Jack------------------------------------------
------------------- Cortez

Of Blood and Gold I know,
of the freedom of a ship,
and only the wind holding you back.

Nickini shrieked as she was pierced by the ice and she fell writhing to the ground. The shriek that came within the cave was even more earsplitting and Jack fell to his knees, covering his ears. Blood splattered the ground before everything fell still and silence became overbearing. "Tessa?" Jack called out before finding her and walking over, hiding a slight limp.

"You aren't hurt are you?" He asked, looking her over. He looked back at the serpent and spit at it in anger.

This is what I loved...And lost.
[OutrageousObliviousCats:---]
 

[Kares-Eternal Chronicler]

--<._.-'--.__Tessa Orinae__.--'-._.>--

So cold...

All the same, all about me.

The wit, the wisdom.

Here I stand,

Here I live...

The truth of a revelation, frozen in fear.

Slowly dying...

Tessa gripped her shoulders, wiping off the water still clinging to her arms with a shiver.
"A little cold, but I'll make it," she said quietly, "but we're not out of this, are we?"
She inclined her head toward the mouth of the cave, watching it as Seriel began to glow along the blade, the same light shade of blue that one might expect from the ocean in the sun's light. With a frown, she turned to Jack, then again to the cave, her stare contemplative.
"We're not alone... not in bad company, but not alone either. Best we move on before anything worse happens."

Obliteration On Cheetos:
 

[The_Scarlet_Lark]

Jack------------------------------------------
------------------- Cortez

Of Blood and Gold I know,
of the freedom of a ship,
and only the wind holding you back.

Jack nodded and tore off his neckcloth, tying it around his leg before going to Nickini and finding his dagger in her spine. He wiped it on the ground before sliding it up his sleeve and looking to Tessa, beckoning her inside of the cave, where it was dark. Jack made along fine in the long and large tunnel that awaited them, looking back at Tessa every few minutes to make sure that she was behind him.

"How is this possible!" The voice hissed, ivory hands glowing with a scarlet light, rage imprinted in every molecule of her being.

"My lady, it was Jack Cortez's doing, along with a Half Elf," Another scream rang out as a hand was lifted.

"He will die, he will pay dearly for what he has done," The voice hissed.

This is what I loved...And lost.
[OutrageousObliviousCats:---]
 

[Kares-Eternal Chronicler]

--<._.-'--.__Tessa Orinae__.--'-._.>--

So cold...

All the same, all about me.

The wit, the wisdom.

Here I stand,

Here I live...

The truth of a revelation, frozen in fear.

Slowly dying...

Tessa paused for a moment as her eyes reddened, the entire orbs going bright red in the darkness as she adjusted to the darkened view. She blinked twice before proceeding, having to jog a few steps to catch up once or twice but remaining uncannily silent. She bit her lip as her vision began to fail however, and silently she cursed that she was only half-elven, unable to see in a complete darkness despite her heightened visibility. After a while she reached for Jack's shoulder and followed by movement alone.

Obliteration On Cheetos:
 

[The_Scarlet_Lark]

Isobel*********************************
*************************Mierien

The age of men is over,
And the hour of Hell is at hand.

"Jack Cortez and Tessa Orinae, how wonderful it is to see you," A blinding light filled the chamber before fires lit along the wall, revealing a figure on a throne and multiple goblins and shadow wraiths. The voice itself was laced with malice, and in one fluid and impossibly fast movement Isobel had smashed her hand into Jack's head and sent him into the cave wall, rendering him nearly senseless. "Hello there doll, how would you care to see him die? Would you like us to start with the fingers, or with the toes? I hope you can agree that the eyes are saved best for last," Isobel whispered in Tessa's ear, her claws dug into the Half Elf's shoulder.

You will pay dearly Jack Cortez...
[OutrageousObliviousCats:---]
 

[Kares-Eternal Chronicler]

--<._.-'--.__Tessa Orinae__.--'-._.>--

So cold...

All the same, all about me.

The wit, the wisdom.

Here I stand,

Here I live...

The truth of a revelation, frozen in fear.

Slowly dying...

"Ah...!"
Tessa's vision took a moment to clear to something less blatantly white, but any chance to help Jack had already been lost as he flew back to the wall, drawing a slight scream from the Half-Elf, even moreso than the sudden pain in her shoulder.
Immediately falling into a crouch, she spun away on a foot towards Jack with her blade at the ready, eyes glaring menacingly up at Isobel, however failing her overall appearance.
"You ask the wrong questions, ma'am... Considering I have no answer to how I would see him die, I can only relay the truth; Jack does not die this day, so long as I have it in me to see him live. My question for you though..." She stood slightly taller from her crouch, a small smile coming to her lips, "How well can you dance when caught between a wall and a sharp object?"

Obliteration On Cheetos:
 

[The_Scarlet_Lark]

Isobel*********************************
*************************Mierien

The age of men is over,
And the hour of Hell is at hand.

Isobel laughed, an eerie sound in itself as it echoed off the walls and her eyes glowed. She dissolved into shadow and appeared directly in front of Tessa, her hands on the blade. She slid her palm down the sharp edge, and let her eyes show cruelty as only a black substance slid down the blade. "You are going to need something stronger than a blade doll, even if Seriel is within it," She grinned, using a hand to knock the blade back towards Tessa before looking around the room. Almost immediately the room became pitch black, shadows being the only thing darker than the air.

"And how does beloved Jack love you when you are wearing a necklace of rubies?" Isobel whispered from behind Tessa, drawing a claw against her skin so that it pierced it lightly. A sharp inhale from where Jack was could be heard. The lights reappeared and Isobel was gone, along with her servants, Jack's eyes betraying his thirst.

You will pay dearly Jack Cortez...
[OutrageousObliviousCats:---]
 

[Kares-Eternal Chronicler]

--<._.-'--.__Tessa Orinae__.--'-._.>--

So cold...

All the same, all about me.

The wit, the wisdom.

Here I stand,

Here I live...

The truth of a revelation, frozen in fear.

Slowly dying...

Tessa gritted her teeth, rushing a hand behind her neck to stem any bleeding, but the cut was larger than she could cover with any ease. A faint blue light shone from Seriel's edge as it rushed with water over it, and Tessa quickly sheathed it, running the same hand across the back of her neck and freezing over the injury. She closed her eyes, allowing a dire focus to her surroundings.
"You play a foul game indeed," she said calmly, "but you will not kill him. I for one will not allow it, and I do believe I am not alone in such a claim."

Obliteration On Cheetos:
 

[The_Scarlet_Lark]

Isobel*********************************
*************************Mierien

The age of men is over,
And the hour of Hell is at hand.

A chuckle echoed through the walls and Jack toppled over again, short of reaching Tessa. The room became pitch black again and Isobel struck out at Tessa, attempting to hit her with a clawed hand into the wall. Shadowy chains followed her onslaught, wrapping around Tessa's wrists and they began to attempt to drag her to the ground.

"I doubt you are in any position to make demands girl," Isobel said coldly, scarlet eyes seeming to float in the darkness. "You have taken something from me, he has taken something from me, and so it is only fair I take something from you both," The lights flared up again to reveal a shackled Jack, vampire blood, near black in color, oozing sluggishly from a wound just above his temple. Isobel stood behind him, a fan with a bladed edge gleaming in her hand.

"The age of men is over Tessa, you were foolish to have come," She said, her eyes flashing with rage.

You will pay dearly Jack Cortez...
[OutrageousObliviousCats:---]