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Post by jenee on Jan 24, 2009 18:46:41 GMT -5
Varen's hands became engulfed by an eerie blue glow, his attention fixed on Jamison. A few moments passed as the firey glow became brighter and stronger. Then suddenly, he inhaled, releasing the spell--a killing spell. It hit his target square in the chest, a fraction of a second before Jaclyn reached him.
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Post by m!chelle--✗ on Jan 24, 2009 18:53:13 GMT -5
Jaclyn rammed into Jamison with a sharp cry, and they both tumbled to the ground. The young man's form crumpled beneath her, and she rolled over, scrambling to get to her feet. Then she froze, eyes focusing on her brother's still form. Her mind refused to comprehend what she saw. But some part of her realized it was true- the life had been knocked right out of Jamison, and now he lay limp beneath her. Before she could react, a pale form thundered past, and a sharp snap sounded. A moment later she felt the pain shoot up her leg, washing over her in sickening waves. Her breath caught in her chest, and her vision blurred. A strangled sound ripped from her throat.
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Post by jenee on Jan 24, 2009 19:02:33 GMT -5
Nyra froze, warm tears forming at her eyes, spilling over and trailing down her cheeks. "Jamison!" she cried. Varen's attention instantly shifted off of Nyra and Jamison, switching to Jaclyn. Nyra instantly felt the pain from the previous spell lift from her, and she scrambled on hands and knees over to the siblings.
The sorcerer took a step forward, his expression hardly different than before, blue fire still swirling violently around his hands.
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Post by m!chelle--✗ on Jan 24, 2009 19:07:52 GMT -5
Jaclyn fought back tears, fought back the black cloud that tried to push her mind down and under, fought back the pain and grief that threatened to overwhelm her. She twisted to look up, trying to push herself with her good leg. The right was snapped, crushed, twisted. Numb, sickening, burning. She felt like sobbing, retching, dying... She bit back another inhuman cry, gritting her teeth against the pain and bile that rose in her throat. Her slitted eyes raised to meet Varen's. "Varen-... what... wrong with-...?" she choked out.
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Post by jenee on Jan 24, 2009 19:42:29 GMT -5
Nyra, unlike Jaclyn, was unable to fight the tears or the pain that kept her rooted to the spot, hovering over Jamison. Her cries were barely audible over the other sounds of battle, but they were enough to express the torture that ripped through her being.
Varen almost appeared smug, his gaze still fixed on Jaclyn as he readied to do the same to her. But then, when she spoke, something flitted across his expression. His eyes seemed to phase back to their original, dark blue color, his expression softened slightly. But that only lasted for no longer than a couple seconds--just barely enough for him to realize what he'd done. He was then back to the way he'd been before--as much of a threat as he'd previously been.
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Post by m!chelle--✗ on Jan 24, 2009 19:50:22 GMT -5
Terror glazed her eyes, and she struggled backward, knowing now that he had no control over his actions. His mind was no longer his own. Still, she couldn't help but cry out again. This was wrong. The world was falling apart around her, and she could barely keep her grasp on her slipping consciousness. "Varen, you don't know what you're doing. Stop, please, you're not one of them. You must fight. Varen! Listen to me!" she shrieked, desperate tears streaking her face.
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Post by jenee on Jan 24, 2009 20:02:09 GMT -5
Varen took another step forward. And another. Then he stopped, his form shaking--his eyes closed, his teeth gritted together. The fire around his hands went out for a second, but no longer. Without warning, he raised them, and a magically inflicted force flew in Jaclyn's direction.
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Post by m!chelle--✗ on Jan 24, 2009 20:09:38 GMT -5
The blow threw her against the ground, and her neck snapped back, a crack sounding as her head met the hard ground. Jaclyn let out a sharp cry, and fresh tears sprang into her squinted eyes. "Varen..." Her voice was weaker now. The effort to stay above the sea of black swimming beneath her eyelids was draining her. "Varen, listen. This isn't you. I don't know where they took you, but you have to come back. Come back, come back. Stop this. You can't... Varen..." Her voice cracked, and she let out a choked sob. Jaclyn drew a deep breath, trying to gain control of herself. Her tone evened. She sucked in another gulp of air, and another, balancing herself, her energies. She didn't believe she would be able to hold him off for long if he attacked, but she had to try... "Varen, you idiot, what did you let them do to you?" she murmured, gazing up at him. "You've got to fight it, you can't let them force you to hurt the ones you love. Love, Varen..." She shook her head slowly, helplessly.
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Post by jenee on Jan 24, 2009 20:21:42 GMT -5
Varen advanced again, his eyes giving a clear indication that he was ready to finish this. He aimed his hand in her direction--similar to what he'd done to Jamison. Inside, he was screaming. Come back. He tried--harder than he'd ever done before. His eyes flicked back and forth between the two colors a couple times as the moments dragged on. He was going under, on the verge of surrendering to what was controlling him. What did you let them do to you? At that moment, he put whatever was left of his energy toward fighting. The sorcerer resurfaced. The fire went out completely, never to return. His eyes regained their natural blue color, his arm lowered. Varen staggered, then fell to his knees, coughing violently, expecting to feel the force of control again at any moment. But it never came. He glanced down at his forearm to find the spell mark fading. Never again to return. He was free.
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Post by m!chelle--✗ on Jan 24, 2009 20:33:48 GMT -5
Jaclyn's vision was blurring again, and she blinked a few times, struggling to sit up. "Varen...?" she asked hoarsely, uncertain if he was still the puppet he had been moments before. She was on the verge of going under, but she couldn't let go now. But she could also barely move, her broken leg and pounding head keeping her rooted to the spot, half-laying, fighting to keep propped up on her raw hands.
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Post by jenee on Jan 24, 2009 21:24:31 GMT -5
He didn't respond at first, caught between coughing and trying to catch his breath. Finally, he inhaled deeply, trembling from shock, exhaustion, and relief. He was really free. For good. "Jaclyn..." he murmured, his voice weak. "You saved me." He struggled over until he was in front of her, still on his knees. He seemed to forget anything else that was going on around him--instead, he was overwhelmed with gratitude and exhaustion.
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Post by m!chelle--✗ on Jan 24, 2009 21:28:30 GMT -5
"Varen..." She trembled now, tears streaking down her cheeks. "Oh, Varen, you're really free..." She shook her head, unable to take it all in. She reached out with one hand, wanting to close the distance between them, wanting to be held and protected, wanting to shut off her senses and make it all go away.
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Post by jenee on Jan 24, 2009 21:32:50 GMT -5
The sorcerer gave a weak grin, and leaned forward, pressing his lips to hers, gently wrapping his arms around her--seeming to forget everything that was going on around him. The fight, by now, had spread out a bit...it wasn't as bunched together as before. It allowed him the time needed for something like this.
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Post by m!chelle--✗ on Jan 24, 2009 21:38:27 GMT -5
Jaclyn froze as their lips met, but an instant later she relaxed and leaned into him, twisting her arm up to press her palm to his cheek. She closed her eyes and let herself melt into the kiss, forgetting the world around her for a few moments.
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Post by jenee on Jan 24, 2009 21:57:07 GMT -5
For those few moments, Varen felt a rush of different emotions: relief, joy, disbelief...guilt. Everything that had happened in those last few moments flooded back to him--made real by the sudden streak of odd-colored magic that barely missed his head. He pulled his head away from Jaclyn's, though kept her close in his embrace, glancing up as an unoccupied sorcerer advanced on them. He cringed, knowing he didn't have anything left in him to fight back with. He turned so that he blocked Jaclyn, trying to think of some plan of action. He couldn't run, and he couldn't fight back. As the spell was aimed, he gritted his teeth, ready to use the very last of his energy to do whatever he could. But suddenly they were shielded from harm's way--the spell richochetted off of the semi-transparent blue barrier, backfiring on them. He looked over at Nyra, her face streaked with tears, but an arm held out toward the barrier, protecting them. "Nyra!" he called. "Can you get us out of here?" She nodded, keeping a hand on Jamison's arm. Though she didn't want to believe it, she was forced to accept that fact that he was really gone...and that his body shouldn't be left out here. Varen crawled over to her, carefully carrying Jaclyn with him, and reached out to grab hands with Nyra's free one. In an instant, they found themselves away from the battle--the sounds of it were faint in the distance. Instead, they were in the middle of the small base established by the healers among the fighters--elves, performers...anyone who had joined previous to the battle. They were far enough to be out of danger, but close enough for the injured to be able to retreat. Immediantly, they were attended to by the healers.
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