Fantasy Silent Rapture - The Solomon Files

[SilverFlight]

Location: Over the Western Desert, Egypt
Timing: After the clue that lead to Moscow
Interaction: Harian & Gabriel

Harian saw the panic on his face and her expression softened. When he went to hug her she hugged him back, folding both arms about his neck.
"Hurt? Please. These amateurs don't even have a real plane. Besides, when you figure out where I'm taking you, your reaction'll be priceless. No way I'm missing that."
When she stepped back she had fastened something about his neck. A leather cord, on which, hung a heavy bronze medallion. She pulled back the neck of his shirt and slipped it underneath.
"Don't you dare drop this." She warned with a smile.
Harian, if she was completely honest with herself, would have liked nothing more than to have continued their peaceful flight, just as it had been, but instead of voicing that fact she gave an annoyed shake of her head.
"You're making this way too hard for me. You know that?"

Keh'wet pulled the little plane about and brought it closer, staying just out of their firing lines. Every time they got close, she would bank sharply, or pull up or dive, weaving around them with the Cessna's superior steering. It was a time game however, because eventually they would get lucky.
The Cessna was close enough now to see the pair of people in the old biplane, one flying and in control of the nose guns, while another person sat in the back, holding what looked like an antique rifle. His face was not entirely human, more dog-like, with canines that grew down to his chin.
Harian groaned. "Ugh, demon. Looks like they have someone guarding their rear."
"I'm putting her into a spiral climb, get out there and see if you can't distract the pilot without getting shot."
"Getting shot won't be a big deal." Harian countered. "With a relic like that they can't use silver bullets."
With one last glance at Gabriel, Harian smiled and opened the door.
The wind stole her out of the plane and she plummeted only a little ways before changing into a falcon and winging her way toward the enemy.
From the Cessna, all that could be seen was a tiny black dot closing in on the cockpit before the plane veered. Keh'wet didn't waste any time. The Cessna soared above the rocking biplane as its pilot struggled to get the craft back under control.
"Here comes your shot human!" the ba called. "Make it count!"
Harian was watching the Cessna's approach, even as she tangled with the angry pilot. His hands and face already covered in scratches. The tail gunner had set his rifle aside and was trying to reach over and grab the offending djinn. She could see Gabriel, and at the very last moment, Harian the Falcon tore away from the biplane and gave him a clear field.
Naberius

 

[Naberius]

Location: Over the Western Desert, Egypt
Timing: After the clue that lead to Moscow
Interaction: Harian & Gabriel

"You realize it's equally hard for me right? You make this whole 'no touching' thing very difficult. Stop being so damn perfect."
He smiled at her, the teasing and jovial look on his face making the nature of his jest quite clear.
"Go kick some ass."

Gabriel settled back into the mindset he had so often made use of when hunting. His emotions became muted and his sense sharpened. The gun was as an extension of his self. His eyes narrowed as he leveled the sight. The plane spun around as their pilot did her best to put them in the best position possible for the shot. Harian gave him just the opening he needed.
He squared the barrel right as they past by at their closest point and time seemed to slow down. Years of training and the aid of his link to a war deity made for a deadly combination with any weapon, even a handgun. He pulled the trigger twice in quick succession. The first round went sailing towards the pilot, the second in the general direction of the passenger. Bullet drop and wind speed were his nemesis, but they were old foes, familiar. The bullets arced, passing over the propeller, the first lodging itself squarely in the pilots throat. The second round wasn't as well timed and was off by just a hair, but it whizzed past and struck him in the shoulder. A glancing shot. It wasn't fatal, but it would most certainly throw off his aim if he tried to level the rifle again.
"That's what happens when you piss me off, jackass."
He hurled himself back into his seat as the plane began to level out. An aerial gun fight was not how he pictured today going, but nothing quite gets the blood pumping as vigorously as nearly dying.

SilverFlight

 

[KhazTheGiraffe]

Location: Home--- Kitchen
Timing: Sometime after returning from Paris
Interaction: Hino, Hayle, and Ayramis

"I know," Hino responded to Hayle. If he was confident about one thing in his life it was most certainly his taste in music. He then turned to Ayramis, "I carefully considered the songs and order of each song on each mixtape, I know which song is coming up because designed it that way... and also I've pretty much done nothing except listen to them on repeat for the past 50 years." Being in isolation does that to you, he thought to himself.

"Perhaps he already has a name and he just hasn't told you yet. Volt wouldn't tell me her name until after a few months of meeting her." Delivered by any other person that sentence could have been interpreted as a joke, but Hino had said it as-a-matter-of-factly and there was little room for misinterpretation. Besides, jokes were not really something Hino cared for, after all, joking was just another form of lying. He now turned his attention to the fried garlic that lay in front of him. When it initially started cooking, it smelled quite delicious, but now the scent was overpowering. He was quite certain that the smell had no doubt filled the entirety of the house by now. But knowing very little about food he wasn't one to judge. He tentatively picked one up and plopped it in his mouth. It was very savory and tasty, but he immediately knew that this was going to be a difficult taste to get out of his mouth. Unsure of whether or not he should chew or swallow it, and being to awkward to ask, he merely rolled it around in his mouth like a mint.

Feeling as if he had talked enough for the next several days he had elected to remain quiet as Ayramis spoke and tilted his head to the side when he announced he wasn't exactly who he said he was. truthfully, Hino had not been paying attention to the group during their brief interactions and fights, choosing only to turn his attention to them when they did something embarrassing during battle. Hino grabbed the glass of wine that the man passed out and stared through the opening. It had certainly been a long time since he drank, and much longer since he drank with others.

andujarprime GamerCarrot

 

[GamerCarrot]

Location: Home--- Kitchen
Timing: Sometime after returning from Paris
Interaction: Hino, Hayle, and Ayramis

Hayle looked down at the jackal that was now sitting between her and Hino, putting down her empty cup she slowly moved her hand down to the jackal to let him sniff her hand before doing anything. She looked incredibly nervous about the whole thing not sure if he would even like her, she started to think about what names she could even give a jackal "I agree with Hino, you may find asking him to be a lot easier than trying to figure out a name for him. Worse case he has a really long complicated name that you have to shorten." She chuckled as she spoke, smiling at the jackal still unsure if it was okay with her or not. It was sitting calmly next to her so maybe it wasn't a bad idea to try. She moved her hand slowly to scratch the jackals chin, she looked down at the jackal apologetically hoping it wasn't too bothered with her cold touch. "Sorry little guy, can't exactly help it." she whispered to the jackal with a small smile on her face.

She continued to watch Ayramis cook as she scratched the jackals chin, leaning over the island she grabbed a fried garlic and put it into her mouth. Her eyes widen it was actually pretty good, she would've never thought to do this herself so she was kind of excited to try something new. Even the smell of what he was cooking was enough to make her excited to see what his cooking taste like, but as he finished and sat down pulling out wine and three wine glasses. As soon as he said they should get to know each other Hayle pulled the wine glass closer to her. She wanted to get to know everyone but she was also a bit hesitant to reveal anything about herself to anyone. Sure she knew Ayramis and figured he wouldn't mind but she didn't know Hino very well, this was actually the first she had ever really talked to him so she wasn't quite sure how he'd take her demonic secret.

As Ayramis introduced himself to them and said they were associated with death she nodded, she had seen him do a few things in their latest battle so she had an idea of what he was capable of. She looked down at her wine glass and took a small sip, she hadn't really drank wine before so she figured why not what was the worse that could happen. "I mean I don't see anything wrong with it? Someone's gotta do what you do right it's only natural?" she said while her fingers played with the glass. "What about you Hino? Tell us a little about yourself." she asked, as much as she wanted to know more about Hino she honestly was just trying to avoid talking about herself.

KhazTheGiraffe andujarprime

 

[SilverFlight]

Location: Over the Western Desert, Egypt
Timing: After the clue that lead to Moscow
Interaction: Harian & Gabriel

The pilot jerked as the shot hit and the plane began to veer. Harian was circling back, a living bullet as her silver wings cut through the air. The tail gunner snarled, the silver from Harian's gun had cut a hole the size of a baseball into his shoulder. It was impossible, but the demon managed to pull something out of a compartment at his feet. He pulled back and threw. A metallic thud hit the wing, and both Harian and Keh'wet saw the tiny black cylinder and the flashing red light.
Oh...shit.
Harian hadn't known she could move so fast. Her falcon form shot through the door from which Gabriel was firing, she was shifting even as she collided with him, pulling him with her now human form to the door and out of it. Keh'wet bailed too, hurtling in a solid dive out of the pilot's chair.
The little Cessna exploded, the shock reverberating in the air behind them.
Harian still held onto Gabriel tightly as the wind roared in their ears.
In the few moment's after the explosion, time seemed to slow down. The ground was far, far below them and crawled closer as they plummeted. It was almost peaceful.
"I'm going to let go!" Harian yelled, letting her hands slide down his arms to his hands as the air pulled them further apart. "Pull the chute!"
Suddenly she let go, spinning away and as she did, massive black wings sprouted from her back, her clothes accommodating them in wisps of black smoke. She banked sharply and flew level with him then, a broad grin on her face.
The ba bird had also resumed her true form, a large bird with the very same head that had greeted them on the ground. She spiraled above them, drifting to find a good location to land.
Naberius

 

[Naberius]

Location: Over the Western Desert, Egypt
Timing: After the clue that lead to Moscow
Interaction: Harian & Gabriel

Gabriel was, to put it rather mildly, surprised. He didn't exactly know what the device was, specifically, other than something that went boom in some way, shape, or form. His first thought was less than optimistic.
"I'm going to die. I'm going to die in a plane more than twice my age flying over the middle of nowhere in a country I've been to precisely this one time. On my birthday."
Then, the solution to his problem hit him. Or more accurately, she hit him. With a significant amount of force. He was lifted into Harian's arms like a groom carrying his newlywed wife and then found himself hurtling towards the ground at an impressive rate of speed. Luckily, her voice snapped him out of his confusion by mentioning his one and only saving grace. The parachute.
He grabbed the rip cord and pulled for all he was worth. By the divine grace of all the gods it popped without a hitch and his decent slowed considerably. He twisted around, facing Harian with a look somewhere between shocked horror, and maniacal glee. Then he did the last thing anyone in their situation should be doing. He burst out laughing. A deep, joy-filled belly laugh.
"Can we please leave the house just once without almost dying? Is that really too much to ask?"
He was pretty sure he had gone at least slightly insane by this point, but can an insane person really tell if they're insane?

SilverFlight

 

[SilverFlight]

Location: Over the Western Desert, Egypt
Timing: After the clue that lead to Moscow
Interaction: Harian & Gabriel

Harain flared her wings as the chute flew open and she circled him lazily as they descended together. She couldn't help but grin as Gabriel laughed uncontrollably.
"With our line of work? Yes!" She yelled over. It was good to see the adrenaline was affecting his brain so well.
Keh'wet had glided overtop of a set of ruined pillars, jutting up out of the hot, yellow sand. perhaps they had once been Egyptian, but time and the sands had washed away their markings, and now they were just another feature in the endless sea of sand. There was no cover anywhere else.
The biplane went down over the horizon and Harian had to wonder if one silver shot and a plane crash was enough to end their pursuers...
It took some time to finally get to the ground. Through that time Harian's wing beats became more laboured, and she was favouring her right side badly. She had tried to put up a front for as long as she could, but the landing made that impossible: Her legs buckled as they hit the dune and she fell, wings dissolving in a cloud of feathers, which vanished into smoke.
She was clutching her side, gritting her teeth as the pain flared. When her hand came away, it did so black and sticky, and the wound from where a bullet had found it's mark was leaking black blood staining her vest and crisp, white shirt. The wound was also trailing thin wisps of black smoke.
Harian gave up the front quickly. There would be no hiding this from Gabe. She struggled to sit upright.
"Damn demon had a handgun...The bullets had just enough iron...to give me trouble..."
She gave him a weak smile. "Sorry...guess I wasn't as...bulletproof as I lead you to believe...How good are you at...field surgery?"
Keh'wet was coming toward them now, something tucked under one arm. The survival kit. Grabbing it had likely been something beaten into her during her human life as a soldier. She had been thinking of the human when she'd grabbed it, but seeing Harian on the ground and the black stain blooming through her clothes, her face went Grim.
"We need a defensible position. I don't think Harian will be shape-shifting for a few hours."
Naberius

 

[Naberius]

Location: Over the Western Desert, Egypt
Timing: After the clue that lead to Moscow
Interaction: Harian & Gabriel

The the mood was light and cheerful for only a short period. Once they landed, Gabriel tore the chute from his back and sprinted to Harian's side, pure fury and dark fear making him appear far older than should be possible. For a moment, a familiar bloody red filled his eyes, but even the welling up of the Justicar was nothing compared to Gabriel's overpowering will to protect the one her cared for so much. The red faded as quickly as it had appeared, taking with it a sizeable chunk of the rage brewing underneath his expression. He placed a gentle hand against her cheek and tried his best to smile.
"I thought I told you not to get hurt. I don't age and you're going to give me gray hair. I don't know much about djinn physiology, seeing as how you're the only one I've ever talked to. You OK to be moved? We have to make tracks incase tweedle dee and tweedle dum survived."
He gripped her hand for a moment, giving it a calm, firm, reassuring squeeze before standing up and scouting out the area as best he could. He took off his shirt, the patchwork of scars clearly visible in the bright sunlight. He handed it to Keh'wet before checking the handgun and making sure there was a round in the chamber. He silently hoped they had survived so he could have the morbid joy of taking their lives in a more personal manner for daring to hurt her. The act of removing the shirt was not solely as a medical aid. But also to put the medallion he wore on display for anyone watching. A wordless dare, an open threat and invitation to anyone with the stones to try and take it. He would personally introduce them to whatever afterlife awaited scum like them.
Finally, he spotted a place to hunker down. It wasn't much, but some distance away one of the pillars had collapsed from ages of misuse and natural degradation, snapping in half. The top piece landed in such a way as to form a kind of lopsided reverse 'V' shape. It was their best, their only option at present.
"We need to move. Now."
He walked back to Harian's side and knelt down, placing a hand on her arm.
"This... Is going to be painful, and unpleasant for both of us. But we have to move you. I promised I wouldn't let anything happen to you, that I would always be here for you. So let's haul ass."
He picked her up as gently as possible, cradling her in his arms, her uninjured side pressed against his chest.
"Hold on tight, this might be a bit bumpy. I saw a place where we can lay low for a bit but it's at least a mile out."

SilverFlight

 

[SilverFlight]

Location: Over the Western Desert, Egypt
Timing: After the clue that lead to Moscow
Interaction: Harian & Gabriel

When Harian felt the gentle touch against her cheek she turned to it gratefully.
"W-when do I do...anything I'm told?" She gave him one of her signature mischief-filled smiles, but it was strained. When asked if she could be moved Harian nodded.
"No permanent damage...just need to get the bullet...out...soon."

"Iron isn't as bad as silver." Keh'wet explained. "But it is taking apart her essence. It is a slow and painful death if the iron stays there. She will begin to heal the moment it is not touching her."
Keh'wet took the shirt, wincing only a little in sympathy at the scars as she saw them. She nodded as he took charge. Pulling her own pistol from its holster at her hip. Whatever Harian was to her, it was obviously important enough to defend. Keh'wet wasn't going anywhere.

Harian swallowed and bit her lip against the pain as Gabriel carefully lifted her. She tried to shift into something lighter. Her form shimmered for a moment, but the pain flared badly and she cried out as her form re-solidified, just as human as it had been.
"Well, this is going to be a pain..." She looked apologetic.

The ruins loomed up before them. As they crossed the protective shadows Harian lifted a hand and pulled the collar of his shirt weakly.
"Listen...you have to get Keh'wet to leave...go get...transport...without supplies...you won't survive long out here..."
Harian thrived in the heat, but without proper cover, temperatures were over 109F, and the air stole every drop of moisture there was. She knew Gabriel would be struggling with heat exhaustion in a matter of hours, and night would be far worse.

Speaking of worse: The small black dot on the horizon confirmed that their attackers, at least one of them, had survived. He was making his way slowly toward them: It was Dog Face. His shoulder looked terrible, patched and leaking ichor. He was too far away to see an expression, but Harian had a feeling he was furious. He sat down then, in the middle of a dune and it looked like he was waiting...waiting...or casting...

Naberius

 

[Naberius]

Location: Over the Western Desert, Egypt
Timing: After the clue that lead to Moscow
Interaction: Harian & Gabriel

Gabriel looked into Harian's eyes, his own filled with a mixture of protective affection and worry. He was smiling as brightly as he could in their situation.
"You're as stubborn as I am. It's simultaneously one of your most admirable and most irritating qualities. You're lucky I L.... Like you so much."
The odd pause made it clear he intended to say something else but thought better of it. The look he gave in that split second was confused, mostly at his own near outburst. He had no idea why it had even occurred to him. But it was a topic for another time, another place.
He began the long trek out to the only reasonably concealed area he could see, the oddly broken pillar. They hadn't been walking for long when, in the distance, he saw something. One of their pursuers had survived.
Good.

Gabriel stared out at their unwanted guest, his body tensing up in rage and anticipation. He whirled around to face Keh'wet, and met her gaze.
"Take her. Get to that pillar and hunker down. I'm going to go ask our neighbor for a cup of sugar."
He stepped up close enough to make a gentle transition from his arms to hers.


SilverFlight

 

[SilverFlight]

Location: Over the Western Desert, Egypt
Timing: After the clue that lead to Moscow
Interaction: Harian & Gabriel

Harian was beginning lose focus, but what Gabriel almost said snapped her back for a moment. Then, he tried to pass her off to the ba, angling to face the demon on his own.
"Hey! That is not what I said to do!" Harian began to struggle as Keh'wet stepped forward, she refused to be handed off like a sack of potatoes, she fought against the pain too and the wound began to bleed faster.
"Gabriel don't you...dare go out there alone. There are too many unknowns! I am not letting you die in a damn desert on your birthday!"
A sudden wave of fresh agony swept over her and she clutched her side until it passed. The iron burned in her body, she could feel it eating away at her.
"Hey, you want to die instead? Stop moving like that." Keh'wet admonished, Harian glared at her.
"You need to go and get us a car, we're only 200 hundred miles out, you can fly to the delta and be back before dawn tomorrow."
"Leaving you here with the human is unwise. This is the Western Desert. The Valley of the Dead. There is powerful magic here, and not all of it is good magic. If that demon is doing what I think he is doing, we're in for a fight...a long one."
The djinn gave her a look that was dead serious. "Then you better get the Hell out of here before the demon finishes."
Keh'wet was still not convinced. "We need to get that bullet out. Now."
It was clear she could overpower the weakened djinn if asked, it was also clear that she was conflicted, she was waiting on Gabriel's final word before she made a decision.
"If I do not go now, I might not be able to once the demon decides to attack. In which case, you will not last more than a day in this climate without water. If I go, you will be alone in the fight, but you might have enough time before the demon finishes to remove the bullet. Harian will need only until midnight to heal. I can be back just before dawn."
"Gabriel." Harian growled through the pain, "I swear lives of all my kin, if you go out there now, I will not stop fighting until I drag you back."


The demon sat cross-legged in the sand. It did not burn him. His voice was deep, an earthy hum that seemed to resonate with the very desert itself. Something powerful was being spoken to...and slowly, very slowly, it was beginning to listen...
Naberius

 

[Naberius]

Location: Over the Western Desert, Egypt
Timing: After the clue that lead to Moscow
Interaction: Harian & Gabriel

"Harian... You are in no position to be making demands. There are things I can do that even you haven't seen yet. The Justicar never fights alone. If I try and remove the bullet, I would do more harm than good. I was empowered to deal death. And I may perish without water. But He won't."
The look he gave her was easy enough to read. His intentions were plain to see for anyone who knew how to look. He was going to bring out the one with red eyes. Gabriel placed Harian back into the sand as gently as possible, kneeling beside her barely inches away.
"I'm too stubborn to die, remember? Neither of us may like my boss very much, but even I can't deny how effective the gifts are. You've only seen glimpses of the true strength lying within my body. Strength, endurance, reflexes, speed, and precision far beyond human ability. That is the essence of a champion of a war deity. If I have to surrender control of my body for a day, that is a price I am more than willing to pay to protect you."
He stood then, his eyes closed. He was still smiling that self-assured, goofy smile. But his demeanor was already beginning to shift.

SilverFlight

 

[SilverFlight]

Location: Over the Western Desert, Egypt
Timing: After the clue that lead to Moscow
Interaction: Harian & Gabriel

Harian felt sick. This had never happened before. She didn't have a human body, she couldn't get sick, but as she examined the feeling further she discovered that it was worry. She was worried for him. Almost overwhelmingly so. Still, in his eyes she saw the resolution that would get them through. She decided to hold onto that.
Harian had been a prisoner for most of her life. For most of her life control had been wrested from her...now however, despite the absolute discomfort it brought, she chose to give it up willingly.
"Okay...I...I trust you...but you better come back."
Keh'wet nodded, interpreting the decision and putting gentle hands on Harian's shoulders.
"I will take care of her." She gave him half a smile. ""Go kick some ass" as you say."


The demon seemed to be waiting for him as he approached. He stopped chanting and looked up. Dog Face was angry, and his fangs, yellow and sharp glinted in the blazing sun. His muzzle was shorter than a dog's, it looked almost compressed, sewn onto a human face with fur covering the entirety. His eyes were black beads and he wore deep blue desert robes, torn and stained with age.
"Hello dead man." The demon said. "Would you like to know the name of your death?"
The sand rippled all about him and he smiled a wicked smile.


Harian was never a good patient, and the anxiety she felt watching Gabriel go out to face their attacker alone, with the obviously-coveted prize hanging openly around his neck, was making her even more fidgety and irritable.
"Ow! Watch it!"
"So help me Harian, if you don't hold still I will put another iron bullet into you!"
At length Keh'wet managed to extract the offending metal, and bandaged her side to stem the bleeding essence. She laid Harian back on the hot sand, and that seemed to dull at least some of the pain, which had already been reduced greatly with the iron removed.
"Where the hell did you find this human?" Keh'wet asked, cleaning the black from her hands.
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
"Mmhmm, and how did you get so attached to him?"
"...Shut up."
Naberius

 

[Naberius]

Location: Over the Western Desert, Egypt
Timing: After the clue that lead to Moscow
Interaction: Harian & Gabriel

When he next spoke, Gabriel's voice was different. But, not the legion of voices as once before. It was a melodic lilt, a slight Irish accent. And when he opened his eyes, instead of the burning, angry red, they were a calm aqua-marine.

"I wouldn't be worryin' too much about young Gabriel. He's right you know. The Justicar never fights alone. Unfortunately, we couldn't let the angry, ham-fisted one with the red eyes take over this time. Ever since the whole.... Baby issue, we've.... Well let's just say he's grounded for a while. And for the record, not all of us agree with his methods. Or his overly dramatic use of the 'we are legion' voice. Bit extreme if you ask me."
'Gabriel' looked his body over, frowning, then shrugging.
"Bit smaller than I'm used to, bit it'll do. Make sure you get that wound taken care of. We'll take care of Gabriel and the unwanted assholes that shot you out of the sky. Oh, and Gabriel says 'If you don't behave, the doctor who box set is still in my Amazon cart and I can afford one day shipping.' Not entirely sure what that's supposed to mean, but I suppose you do and that's what matters."
With that, he calmly set off towards the demon in the distance, twirling Harian's handgun the whole way there.

Gabriel looked the demon in the face, flashing him a carefree smile.
"In all honesty, I don't particularly care who you are. You're a thousand years too young to pick a fight with me, boy. And it wouldn't matter anyway, give me about 2 minutes and there won't be enough of you left to identify. I could talk your ears off for days and still not cover all the demons I've killed. You give them a bad name anyway. Most of them I've met have a bit of class. You're just some chump too full of himself to realize he's fucked up."
He was done talking. Gabriel raised the pistol and fired two shots. One at the demons other shoulder and the other at his chest.

SilverFlight

 

[SilverFlight]

Location: Over the Western Desert, Egypt
Timing: After the clue that lead to Moscow
Interaction: Harian & Gabriel


The demon's body convulsed as the silver shots tore his flesh apart. The clothes fell to the sand, empty save for a pool of dark ichor. A dark laugh came from everywhere around him and a foul wind whipped up the desert and spun in a growing vortex. "The djinn will die, and the ba will be consumed, you will fail mortal...and the medallion will be mine..."
The dunes erupted then, claws breaking the surface. limbs, some dried, other freshly rotting, imbued with a deep, demonic power that had long lay dormant beneath the shifting sand.
They looked slightly dog-ish, but square muzzles and spotted coats gave them away: They were hyenas, skin ripped and exposed innards glowing red with power. They had too many eyes and jagged, broken teeth. Their bodies leaked a foul, dark liquid that stank like rotting meat. The worst thing was...there were scores of them. Most turned to face Gabriel, one man against an army of corpse-eater demons. Some turned their crimson stares on the ruins, and the ba, with one pistol, guarding a wounded djinn.
The demons attacked, five leaping for Gabriel instantly, attempting to tear out his throat. Six peeled off and ran for the ruins, while four more skirted them, trying to flank.
Keh'wet shot three in quick succession, their heads exploding. The bodies fell and turned to sand. Apparently their heads were a weakness. There was a very finite amount of ammo however. This was going to be hard.



Naberius

 

[Naberius]

Location: Over the Western Desert, Egypt
Timing: After the clue that lead to Moscow
Interaction: Harian & Gabriel

"Mortal? Maybe once upon a time. You were closer to the mark callin' me a dead man. You obviously just do not know who you're fuckin with. But at least you brought some friends. 5 on one? That's almost a fair fight. If I didn't use my hands, anyway."
One thing was made very clear from the start. When Gabriel said 'far beyond human ability', he was not exaggerating. In the time it would take a normal person to to even grasp the situation, Aqua had already gone into a defensive stance. When the monsters rushed him, the difference in speed between Gabriel and the one now in control was absolutely staggering. The beasts lunged as a pack. Each hand lashed out, gripping the throats of one of the monsters in each. A foot raised and dropped onto the head of a third, crushing it to powder. The unbridled fury of one blessed by a god of war was on full display. He pivoted, slamming the two clinched hounds into the other two oncoming enemies, sending all four of them sprawling as the gun hit the sand. He snagged the firearm and sprinted after the looming danger the others faced.
"Aerial gun fight, army of demon dogs. What a fun day."
He cracked off two shots, tagging two more beasts, attempting to draw their attention away from the injured djinn and her comrade.
"Hey, shit for brains! Over here! Come get some you mangy wannabe hell-hounds!"

SilverFlight

 

[SilverFlight]

Location: Over the Western Desert, Egypt
Timing: After the clue that lead to Moscow
Interaction: Harian & Gabriel

The corpse-eaters fell under the justicar's fury, but for every one he put down, it seemed that two more had taken it's place. They moved to surround him, cut him off from the others. They circled, dodging now, always trying to strike from the back, jumping in and darting away. Testing, worrying, harassing, they were trying to tire him.
Three more went in for the attack, each for a different part. Jaws that could crush skulls vying for a mark on his body.
Keh'wet, had caught two more trying to flank, one got in close and lashed put. It fastened its jaws about her wrist and she screamed. The beast came away, her arm was intact but something, purple and ghost-like was dangling from its jaws.
The voice returned, gleeful. "We've just torn part of your soul away..."
The creature swallowed it and licked it's decaying lips hungrily.
"Delicious...I wonder if djinn have souls? What do they taste like?"
The ba aimed her gun at the creature and pulled the trigger, but nothing happened. She had already used the few bullets she had. The beast closed in, two more behind it. Suddenly a burst of red light rocketed past the ba, hitting the beast square in the chest and taking part of its chest with it. The impact set the creature on fire and it screamed and tore away from the group.
Harian still had her arm up, the flare gun from the survival kit in one shaking hand.
The bandages on her side were already black.
"We might need...a better plan..."
Keh'wet thought for a moment. "I used to be a magician...I know spells but, as a ba I can't perform them!" She glanced at Gabriel. "But he could."
Naberius

 

[Naberius]

Location: Over the Western Desert, Egypt
Timing: After the clue that lead to Moscow
Interaction: Harian & Gabriel

Aqua's smile dropped, now looking mildly annoyed. He tucked the handgun into the waistline of Gabriel's jeans, making sure the safety was on. Three new beasts lunged for him while his hands were occupied. He swore, pivoted with the oncoming attacks, and managed to just barely move out of the way of two of the three, but the third made it through. It's maw biting into the flesh of Gabriel's calf.
"Gods above, you blighted bastard!"
With a wince of pain, he forced the monsters jaws back open with his bare hands, tearing off its lower jaw in the process. He had little time to admire his handiwork as the other two were back on him instantly, going for vital areas. Traditional martial arts would do little good against this kind of enemy, and so he decided it was time to play dirty. He twisted his way past the latest attack, grabbing two handfuls of sand. They rounded on him again, and he slammed sand straight into their eyes as they came, blinding them momentarily. He promptly used this to his advantage, gripping one by its hind legs and proceeding to bludgeon the other to death with its own companion. Wielding the squirming, dazed beast like a makeshift flail, Aqua went on the defensive. This was a battle of attrition. One wrong step meant the end of Gabriel's life, and likely the others as well. He batted and beat and swung beasts, improvised weapons of the oddest sort. They served as a well-placed shield in a pinch, as well. Slowly, Aqua tried to make his way closer to the others. They needed to regroup. Things were only getting more grim and whatever was pulling the strings hadn't even bothered to show its face yet.
"You know, it's rather pathetic relying on minions to do your work for you. Too afraid to step out and get your teeth knocked in, eh?"

SilverFlight

 

[SilverFlight]

Location: Over the Western Desert, Egypt
Timing: After the clue that lead to Moscow
Interaction: Harian & Gabriel

The dark presence slinking all about them seemed to pause at Gabriel's taunt, and with it, several of the creatures too, as if they were all connected by that same, foul consciousness.
"Perhaps you are right...I want to see the soul drain from your body up close..."
The beasts still snarled, more attacked, but as they did, the corpses of the fallen began to twitch. They dragged themselves closer together, merging as they touched. A fleshy, red-glowing mass building from them. The creatures seemed to pause in their action now, giving respite for one small moment.

"Gabriel!" Harian called out to him. It was evident in her eyes that they had a plan. They needed him to hear it.

Harian despised human magic. It was the source of her slavery, and the subjugation of her people. Of all things on earth she hated magicians the most. To offer up this power to someone that meant so much...the feeling was a terrible one. She had seen magic corrupt so many times. She wanted to believe in Gabriel, though the doubt in her mind held on with a vice-like grip. It wouldn't leave...but the demon had too much power, even for the justicar...there was little choice.

"Your leg!" Harian hissed with concern, looking at the wound. "Did it get any of your soul? Damn corpse-eater bastards..."
"You are going to learn magic." Keh'wet told him matter-of-fact-ly. "First I will teach you a barrier spell, to keep the creatures from Harian, then I will teach you a spell of illusion. If the demon has an army...then it is only fair we do as well. Harian, the sand."

The djinn closed her eyes and focused. Normally, the power of the wind was closed to her. Her element was fire, but here, in the desert, the finest line was drawn between her world and the physical plane. The could reach more of her magic here. With one simple breath, the sand twitched, it rolled and piled, forming the lines of a circle around the entirety of the ruined temple in which they sat, symbols appeared surrounding it to channel the magic. Harian held the sands there, ready for the spell that would charge it with power.

The ba reached out to touch Gabriel's shoulder. It was so simple; transferring the words, the intent, the pathway of will. Suddenly Gabriel knew what to do. He could raise a shield to protect them.
Naberius

 

[Naberius]

Location: Over the Western Desert, Egypt
Timing: After the clue that lead to Moscow
Interaction: Harian & Gabriel

Aqua took the few moments they were given to sprint straight to the others and regroup, pulling up next to Harian.
"Hold on there, m'lady. I'll wake the boy. I wish you the best of luck. As you said, he's not allowed to die. The world needs both of you. So you best make it out of here alive, ya hear?"
His eyes closed, and he breathed in deep, holding it for several seconds. He gasped, opening his eyes. They were back to their normal blue, Aqua having gone dormant again. Gabriel bent to examine her wound, looking horrified, worried, and angry all at once. He barely even noticed his own bleeding leg, though his healing abilities were already causing the trickle to stop, clotting the wounds closed at a remarkable rate. It would still be a whole day until it was fully recovered. Another set of scars.
"Uh. Yeah, I'm fine. I think. New guy managed to get it off in time to prevent any real harm. Still stings a bit though. How you holding up?"
The mention of learning magic struck him like a ton of bricks. There was no way he could go through with something like that. He could never take on something that could cause Harian so much heartache.
"No, I can't. I won't, there has to be some other way."
The stony look he set upon his face made it very clear he wouldn't budge on the subject. But his objections were too late. Already the circle was forming, the experience flooding his mind through the physical and magical link flowing through that simple touch.
"I don't want this! I..."
He knelt beside Harian again, sorrow creasing his brow as he looked deep into those eyes.
"I could never betray you like that...."

SilverFlight

 

[SilverFlight]

Location: Over the Western Desert, Egypt
Timing: After the clue that lead to Moscow
Interaction: Harian & Gabriel

Harian gave Gabriel a smile, weak but tipped with humour.
"We are going to have to sit down at one point and go through just how many people you have possessing your body."
The issue of the magic was another matter; Harian watched him struggle with the choice, his stance on taking that power didn't surprise her at this point. His decision warmed her, and more importantly, it strengthened her belief that if there would be any one human who could resist the draw of power, it would be the one kneeling beside her now. Harian could feel that strange emotion taking over again.
Her hand went to his cheek, a gentle touch, trying to convey everything she couldn't put into words: affection, devotion, and trust.
"Hey, we're up against a wall here. Learning magic isn't a betrayal. Power isn't inherently evil Gabriel. It's a tool, one you can use to save us...If there's someone I had to trust with that power...it'd be you. Without question."
Her smile turned sly. "Besides, you can't tell me you've never been curious." Her tone gained a seductive lilt as she presented the temptation, playfully stepping into the role her kind was so famous for. "Controlling the elements, changing shape. It's a pretty sweet rush, I can tell you."
Naberius

 

[Naberius]

Location: Over the Western Desert, Egypt
Timing: After the clue that lead to Moscow
Interaction: Harian & Gabriel

Gabriel couldn't help but chuckle a little. She was right, this may very well be the only option they had. And he was confident that with someone like her at his side, he would do just fine. He placed his own hand on hers, that warm smile that came so easily and naturally to him stood prominently on display despite their dire situation.
"Then lets do this. But only because we have no other choice. I'm trusting you to keep me on the straight and narrow, here. I promise, no matter what happens, no matter how dark things may get, I'll never use this like....the others..."
He tried his best to not use the word 'slavers', but the meaning and venom was still there. Then she turned a bit more into her old self, but just a hair. He couldn't deny that he found her more playful side entirely fascinating.
"You know, my highschool pot dealer said the exact same thing about mushrooms."
He tried his best to draw on knowledge and experience that wasn't his. This was new territoy for him. He had dabbled in hedge occultism before but it was nowhere close to what anyone would consider real magic. This was an altogether different beast. He struggled to grasp the concepts at first, even his outside perspective from having fought spellcasters before was no help here. The biggest issue was the doubt. He doubted himself. That he could control it. That he could go the distance without pulling a full Anakin Skywalker. But all he had to do was look into those eyes that so often gave him comfort and courage. He had the greatest gift of all, someone who would never let him fall. They would support each other through this just like they had through all their battles together so far. Finally, he broke past that mental block and felt a surge of raw power unlike anything he had felt before. It was different from the justicar's strength he drew on so often. More wild and untamed. Truly free. He smiled then, and laughed just a little. Then, in true Gabriel fashion, he went full dork.
"In brightest day, in blackest night,
No evil shall escape my sight.
Let those who worship evil's might
Beware my power--Green Lantern's light!"
A great wave of crackling green spread outwards, centered on where he sat kneeling next to Harian. A familiar green. The same green as her dazzling eyes, but translucent. A large dome erected itself about them, sealing them in entirely.

SilverFlight

 

[SilverFlight]

Location: Over the Western Desert, Egypt
Timing: After the clue that lead to Moscow
Interaction: Harian & Gabriel

"You want me to keep you on the "straight and narrow"?" Harian laughed, which turned into a painful wince. "Oh Hell, don't make me do that...and I know you won't." She tried to make herself believe it with those words.
Gabriel mentioned his highschool dealer and only through great self control did she not chuckle. "But was he right?"
Harian watched him turn his focus to the spell, anticipation set in those green eyes. She felt the power. So did the demon, and the flesh began to knit urgently, forming tangled limbs, a thick, tattered neck...

Then Gabriel spoke. Harian buried her face in both hands, groaning loudly. "Oh my god...you colossal nerd!"
Then several things happened at once: The demon had finished his transformation, a massive hyena as big as an elephant, made of fused corpses, squealing in anguish. It charged the ruins. The circle flared with power and the barrier rose. There was an almighty crash as the demon collided with it, an echoing, fleshy thud, the snapping of bone and spattering of fluids. The demon had been sealed out. It screamed and the mouths that littered its body screamed too.
"You cannot last forever! Soon your power will fade and I will feast on your souls!"
Harian waved at him and then flipped him the bird. "Yeah he's not getting in."

Finally the djinn lay back and allowed herself to rest.
She smiled up at Gabriel, the affection in her eyes still there, just as strong.
"Learn from Keh'wet...I'll try to heal a bit faster..."
She closed her eyes slowly and then was still.

"Don't be alarmed if she stops breathing." the ba said, "breathing is an act for djinn, to make them look human. She does not need to." Keh'wet examined the barrier. "Good, it is a good cast. The next spells I have to teach will not be nearly so simple. This...will take time. Are you ready justicar?"

((I was going to time skip, you can have Keh'wet teach Gabriel whatever you want to fight le demon with, fun fact: deserts get really frickin' cold at night XD))
Naberius

 

[Naberius]

Location: Over the Western Desert, Egypt
Timing: After the clue that lead to Moscow
Interaction: Harian & Gabriel

Gabriel leaned in closer, pulling Harian into a tight embrace.
"I'll never betray your trust. Because.....well, maybe now isn't the right time or place for that. We'll...talk about the why later. But you're far too important to me to ever consider...something like that."
He couldn't help but laugh at her reaction to his 'colossal nerd' outburst. Making her smile was enough of a reason for doing it, but he also found that it fit rather well. After all, it was green.
"So whats worse, the colossal nerd, or the one who can't keep her hands off of the colossal nerd? And yes, I will viciously tease you in front of your friends as I see fit. Because I care."
He stood, walking back to their pilot, and apparent new ally, and just sort of stood there awkwardly.
"I uh...don't exactly know what we're doing, but I suppose we should get to it. I only have one rule. Under no circumstances is it to involve the sort of magics used to bind others against their will. I'd rather go out there and die fighting that thing with my bare hands. Well. Let's get to it."

SilverFlight
(Pfft, only like negative 5, no big deal.... XD)

 

[SilverFlight]

Location: Over the Western Desert, Egypt
Timing: After the clue that lead to Moscow
Interaction: Harian & Gabriel

It was before she closed her eyes, before she began to drift off into a very uncharacteristic sleep, that Gabriel decided to prod her about how close she had been with him. The barb stuck.
"What? I...that's not!..." For a moment, the familiar anger flared and she looked like she was about to hit him, but then, looking at him, the anger died just as suddenly.
He was right. She had been much too careless and for the life of her she couldn't understand why...or, perhaps she didn't want to understand, because admitting it would make things so much more complicated....It was as infuriating, and Harian didn't have the energy for this...
The demon prowled about their little shield, eyes glowing hot with rage, even as the sun began to dip below the horizon.

As Harian settled and let sleep finally take hold, Keh'wet was staring at Gabriel in disbelief.
"In all my years working with that djinn, I've never heard anyone speak to her as you did...and keep their tongues."
She looked mildly impressed.
Her voice became low, careful: "There is much she is likely unable to say, but I am not bound to that same secrecy...I believe there are things that you should know...if you truly want to keep her safe...and likely, if you want to stay alive while doing that."
A low wind swept across the sands, warm compared to the air about them. The barrier kept the demon at bay, but did nothing for the dropping temperature.
"A djinn is bound into service by a vastly-complicated magical contract, and must follow all instruction set into it. They can be punished any time they do not comply precisely with what is inscribed, but the punishment is delivered differently depending on which instruction is broken and how. There are absolutes, laid into the glyph work of the binding circle. If a djinn breaks one of these, the magical punishment is activated immediately. To give you an idea: if she inflicts harm onto someone she was ordered not to harm, or, if she openly betrays the one who summoned her. You may even have seen these punishments for yourself."
Keh'wet looked at Harian's still form, something akin to regret in her deep brown eyes. "Sometimes the instructions are too complicated for absolutes, in which case, the summoner decides if the contract term was broken, and the djinn's name must be invoked in order to cast one of the torture spells in their...extensive collection. Harian will not be able to speak against her summoner, that would be considered a betrayal...but what you should realize is...if she were ever questioned about anything she has seen or heard...she must not lie to him either."
Keh'wet waited to see if Gabriel had anything to ask, but otherwise indicated that she was ready to begin the instruction.
Naberius