Quest Never Enough (Savio, Sayren)

[Savio]

He wanted to believe her. By the Gods above, he wanted to believe her more than anything but he couldn’t. He knew better, and the evidence was stacked against her. Her words stung, but he knew it was just a part of her game; a ploy to get him to lower his guard. It had to be. She was even moving to into a stance to attack him. Savio narrowed his eyes and also fell into his own stance, his hands open but still held at the ready. Even though she was a liar and she had attempted to murder their Master, Savio still did not truly wish to hurt her. But she needed to be punished! Then she attacked with a kick. Her balance was still very off, and it was an easy thing to find the flaw in her center of balance and exploit it. Savio caught her foot before it stuck him, holding it and allowing her to do the work for him as she could not stop the movement of her body as it twisted. In the process, he could hear and feel the sickening crush of her ankle being twisted into an odd angle. He took the blow to the chest with no problem, since it then lacked the power behind it now that she was distracted by pain. He let her fall to the ground, her wounded foot unable to support her weight enough to catch her and hold her up right. Savio backed up a safe distance from her, out of range. He looked down at her with disappointment and sorrow in his eyes. “I truly cared for you, Sayren. Like a little sister at times. You lead me to believe that you were a good person, honest and kind. But I guess that was all part of the plan, wasn’t it?” Savio shook his head sorrowfully. "Even now, I can’t truly hurt you. But… You need to be punished. Ximal lost everything because of you… His favored student…” Savio snickered then. Something in his mind was warping his perception. Perhaps it was the Aperture; perhaps it was something inside him that was there all along. It was hard to tell at that point. He watched her, so small and fragile. He knew that she was strong from someone her size, but he also knew that her strength was less than his. “…take something from her that she can never, ever get back." Savio murmured, more to himself than to Sayren. Several thoughts crossed his mind, each one more twisted than the last. Maim her? Rape her? No… Savio shook his head violently. He… That wasn’t like him. Sayren was a living, breathing human being after all. A sense of wrongness began to grow within him. Something wasn’t right, and he couldn’t quite place it. It was like that feeling that one would get if they forgot something important, but couldn’t remember what it was or when something was out of place. The confusion only added to his frustration and temper. Savio glared at the young Drykas. Ximal wanted justice! Retribution! He moved closer and grabbed her by her wrists and pinned them down to the stone wall and positioned himself so that her legs were useless. “Just tell me why, Sayren. Please! I… He trusted you. I trusted you too. Why did you have to betray us like that, Say?” Savio’s voice had taken on a pleading tone. He really didn’t want to hurt her. His stone grey eyes were searching her’s, looking for something. Any proof of innocents.

[Sayren WindDancer]

The moment she realized her flaw, she screamed in pain as her ankle twisted. Her landing was by far much more sloppy since she practically fell to the ground. Trying to lift herself up onto her one good foot. She kept her bangs in front of her eyes, shielding them from his vision so he couldn't see the tears that poured from them. She was just trying to defend herself! He knows she hated being pushed around! She was shaking as she leaned against the wall, "What PETCHING plan?! I wanted to become a strong warrior! To best my brothers!" She sobbed. She couldn't help it.

Then he pinned her to the wall, yelling at her more. Her eyes widen and more tears erupted. "I didn't betray you or Ximal, Savio!" Nononono. Her legs were useless. He had her arms held fast against the wall. She had to get away. Now! She struggled with her arms, her good leg flailing. "Let me GO!!!" She flung her head forward and their skulls clashed in brief moment of contact. Smacking hard. It gave her a brief headache, but it was currently ignored as she tried to stand again. "I would never betray you or Ximal! You are my only friends!" Hopefully the hit actually landed, cause if not, she would still be pinned against the wall. Struggling hard against Savio's strength.

[Savio]

Sayren’s tears and sobs seemed to excite something deep and dark within Savio’s mind. He looked down at her with eyes full of spite and lust. He was finally going to defeat her, demoralize her and degrade her. This small woman, crying and begging for mercy beneath him and at his mercy. It made him feel powerful because he knew that she was a decent fighter. He knew that he had bested her and she could do nothing about it. He smiled at her, and it was a cruel show of teeth. If he had seen himself in a mirror, he would have thought it was someone else. A mad man… A Monster. His eyes were as cold and hard as the rock walls of the Aperture, and his face had a manic and wild look about it. Had Savio seen it, he would have been scared. But he couldn’t see it, he could only see the fragile creature who was at his mercy below him. His body was also aroused by her frantic struggles and soft flesh. It would be nothing to just take her. All she wore was simple thin tunic and tights over her shapely legs. It would be a simple thing. But that wasn’t all that Savio wanted to do. Something like that surely wouldn’t be enough punishment for her crimes. He wanted to maim her, mark her for the traitor that she was so that everyone would know what she had done. He could almost see it in his mind: taking his dagger and slowly carving her face as he took her. Skin the intricate skin marks off of her shoulders and chest with his sharp blade. And she would scream. It would be like music. And then he wanted to- Her skull connected with his and all train of thought stopped. Savio blinked for a moment, a confused expression decorating his face. What…What was he doing? He then focused and saw Sayren below him; her small body struggling like a trapped moth in a jar. His head was throbbing and…So was his body?! Oh gods, what had he almost done?! A look of horror replaced the earlier expression. Horror at himself, and Shame. So much shame. He panicked as he raised his fist and punched the girl in the temple; if it knocked her out he was going to carry her out of the aperture and back to the school where she can be properly be punished for attempting to kill Ximal by the other teachers. Savio did not trust himself any more. The things he had wanted to do- No. He shouldn’t think about it. It was too much… He needed to be alone to think of it…

[Sayren WindDancer]

He was smiling. That bastard was SMILING! Why was he smiling about this!? Why the petch did he want to hurt her so much?! Were these lies just excuses for him to hurt her?! To make her degrade herself mentally and believe this shyke he was feeding her?

It was painful when her skull smacked into his. But by the seven it was a much better feeling than how she was currently. How helpless she felt. Her father would be disappointed. Her father would be ashamed. Revy......would think she was pathetic...probably stroll right back into the arms of that lover of hers that's neglected her for beyond a season now. It looked like her headbutt at least got Savio's attention, because he punched directly into her temple. She would've screamed but she was far too out of breath to muster it up. A barely audible grunt left her lips. He moved to grab her. Bitterness is all that filled her as she tried to lift herself up. Glaring at this man with hatred she thought she could never find. SHE was the liar? SHE was the traitor? What gave him the right to punish her for something she clearly did not do? Who in the Web gave him the Authority to judge that she was in the wrong?

He had the Audacity to lift her off the ground! She gave a low growl. Her fists clinching, but they had no strength to move on their own. Nor did her legs. She felt lifeless. Hopeless. Grinding her-she blinked in realization. Her teeth. Yes! Her dull pearly white teeth! If she could just crunch down on him, he would at least drop her. What would she do after that, she had no idea. However, he was going to hurt after this! He was not getting away with hurting her. So she opened her jaw wide and latched her teeth into his collar bone. She pierced skin and she wanted her teeth to sink as far in as they could. A moment came where she tasted his blood, she despised it but knew it would ring out more pain in him if she thrashed about with her canines fastened into his collarbone.

"By the seven..." She growled with extreme animosity flowing out with her words, "I will not let you kill me!"

[Savio]

The pain was excruciating. But Savio didn’t pull her away, he continued to hold her and support her weight so that she didn’t have to stand on her twisted foot. She might have done something terrible, but Savio was no better because of what he almost did to her. Savio hissed in pain, and his body fought to jerk away from her but he stood still. He opened his eyes to focus on something else while the small Drykas exacted her revenge on his flesh. That's when his mind seemed to clear. The feeling that something was wrong shifted to the forefront of his mind. Ximal would have never asked him to do such a thing. The arrogant petcher would have never said that he was useless with only one arm missing, he probably would have looked at it as a new challenge. And if he wanted anyone punished, he would do it himself. Sayren had been telling the truth. “I’m not going to kill you, Say.” He managed to grit out from behind clinched teeth that held back yowls of pain. His thoughts were still on punishment but it was directed towards himself. How could he have been so easily fooled? He had refused to believe his friend and fellow student in favor of what he had thought was the truth. It had been a lie, and now… What he did to Sayren… His horror and shame grew even more. “Sayren… I am so sorry… I didn’t-” He couldn’t finish the sentence because he heard something fast approaching. Savio moved them so that his back faced whatever danger was approaching them, and he unsheathed his dagger. He turned his head in the direction of the noise and held himself ready. From afar, the two of them looked like embracing lovers because of how Sayren’s face was buried in his neck and how he was holding her so that he could support her weight.

[Balderdash]

Savio spun around, dagger gleaming, to face... Ximal? The giant was sitting lazily on the side of the outcropping in the style of a reclining model, his arm on his bent knee, and a wide grin on his face. Too wide. Something was definitely wrong. Something about his master's appearance was permanently, unnaturally wrong. Just looking at him made the hairs on Savio's neck stand on end. Sayren too, if she chose to look- for they could both see him now.- His hair was jet black, his skin had a haunting, unnatural pallor, his limbs and fingers were elongated, and his eyes were a solid, milky white. There was a darkness in him so deep and intrinsic that the very air seemed to grow corrupt and traitorous from his mere presence. He languidly curled his arm out to point at the acrobat, the accusatory finger unrolling like flower stem tearing itself from a bud. Then he spoke. It was at a whisper, but the words fell like hammers. "You impress me." Black flames consumed the figure then, starting from the bottom and racing their way up, until nothing was left of the imposter but writhing smoke. And then they were alone. From high above them, they could hear the monk of Xannos calling out to them. But now it was clear he had no ill intent.

[Sayren WindDancer]

Sayren noticed that something caught Savio's eye. She didn't want to, but seeing that he was distracted too, she figured it wouldn't be have cost her much. Her eyes widen when she saw the figure. At first glimpse, it seemed like Ximal. However, everything about him was just wrong and vile. His hair was not the lightly brown they had used to be, they were now jet black. Almost blending into the darkness while they cascaded down his shoulders. His grin spread wide across his face, the whites of his teeth piercing through the murky shadows. What was throwing her off the most was his eyes. His eyes were empty. Void of any good that she could sense. The presence of the man reeked of villainy and corruption. The man had motioned his arm towards them, pointing a finger upon them as the grin dimmed to a malevolent smile. And the words. Though simple, and small. The gravity they instilled came crashing down on them.

"You impress me."

Her spine crawled. Just about everywhere in her skin did. Then black smoke sizzled at the man's feet, blazing up his body till nothing remained of him. Only the passing of smoke and from what she could hear, a chuckle that poured into her ears. Whatever this man was, he was nothing ordinary. She couldn't help but think of a story her father had told her. A god who had no remorse. A creature so wicked, that even his name is not to be spoken. All she knew of this man, was that he had white eyes, and that he would appear, and disappear, with black flames at his side. Could this have been...no...it could not have been possible, why would any god take any notice to them?

Before she could think much else on this, she could hear above them monks calling out to them. Except now their intent wasn't to harm them, but to assist. Maybe not all of these monks are really that bad, Sayren thought. She sighed, almost leaning into Savio, but not for comfort. She was utterly exhausted and right now, if it wasn't for her ankle, she would ask this man to put her down. Actually....she just might deal with the ankle. "Savio...put me down...please?..." She kept her eyes diverted from him. Even though she knew he wasn't...smiling like that again, she couldn't look him in the eye. She felt too hurt, mentally and physically to want to be near him. Maybe later they can make amends to this. But as it stood right now, she was furious. Even her voice had some traces of her rage as they trembled out of her lips.

[Savio]

What he saw made his jaw drop… It was the Ximal he had seen inside the crack in the wall, but this time his eyes were completely white. The evil that radiated from the being was sickening and it made his skin crawl. The smile was by far the more frightening part though. Like he knew… He KNEW what Savio had been thinking when he almost…Made a huge mistake. Now that he could have a better look, the young acrobat could see that it was not at all Ximal. It was something else altogether. His mother once told him stories of the gods, how they looked and how they interacted with mortals. How she knew so much about the gods, he will never know… But the man that lay before them reminded Savio of… His eyes widened at realization hit him. Rhysol. The God of all things Evil. He pulled Sayren closer to himself and gripped his dagger tighter, logically there was no way he could fight off a GOD… but he didn’t want Sayren to be hurt more than she already was. Then he pointed at Savio. The young man’s heart nearly stopped in his chest. Rhysol’s voice was a whisper but Savio could hear it as clearly as if the God had screamed it into his ear. ”You Impress me.” It was a small statement but it nearly made Savio sick with terror. The God knew him. He will remember Savio, and that was something he feared above all things. The God then disappeared in a burst of black flames, leaving the two students alone once more. He was dragged from his fear induced reverie by the voices of men above. The sounded like monks. And for once, Savio was grateful for them. He felt Sayren lean on him, perhaps to take more pressure off of her foot. Savio felt guilt gnaw at his gut for what he had put this small woman through. Then she asked to be put down, but Savio shook his head in reply. “I will put you down when we get top side. Okay? I promise. Just let me get us both back above ground and then you won’t have to worry about me touching you again… Unless you need help walking back to the school…” Savio’s voice was full of sorrow and regret. The anger and distrust in her voice was painful, but he knew the he deserved it. “Just hold on to me while I climb.” Savio said quietly. He reached down and grabbed his bag. If she allowed him to, he would carry her as he climbed back up the rope until they reached the bridge above. If not, he was still going to carry her but it would take a lot longer because of her struggles.

[Balderdash]

Fortunately, the two of them were spared awkwardness as a robed monk sped down the rope with a lantern between his teeth. It was Jankovich of all people; the scion of Skerr that Savio had encountered so many days earlier. "I worry for your friend." he said to Sayren as his fellow zipped down to back him up. "I think he is touched in the head." Savio was starting to feel a touch faint, so it was fortunate that the two of them were able to have an easy ride up. A doctor was waiting on the surface to patch the two of them up, whilst the bow-wielding monk undid the rope, muttering something about idiotic initiates. Savio had lost a great deal of blood, but he would be all right, and Sayren's ankle sported a nasty sprain. "The Heart of the World is not a safe place to be." said the Southerner as Sayren was being fitted with a wood splint. "Especially at night. I stayed in its depths for three days; reality is slippery there." He frowned. "My brother, Ambroz, entered with me. He says he felt his shortcomings rising up to strangle him. He declined to don the robes after emerging." After a moment's pause, he added "Whatever happened down there, fear it not. The Aperture is a strange place that does strange things to those in it." Jankovich escorted them to their home, then. "It is a good school," he remarked as they walked. Or, in Sayren's case, limped with a smelly robed man's support, "But serious. You should move closer to your work; much nicer." The corners of his lips tugged upward. "Maybe we'll see each other more often then." They arrived at the school then, and Jankovich left them after wishing them both a very good night.

[Abstract]

Savio

Skills

+ Running - 1
+ Observation - 3
+ Climbing - 1
+ Rhetoric - 1
+ Intimidation - 1
+ Unarmed Combat - 2

Lores

+ Ximal's in trouble!
+ Sayren is trying to kill Xi
+ I'm a horrible person
+ Wait... Sayren ISN'T trying to kill Xi
+ I'm an even more horrible person
+ The aperture is a strange place
+ The Aperture messes with people... including me

Other:

I gave you a point in climbing for sliding down the rope, if it confused you!

Sayren

Skills

+ Observation - 4
+ Running - 1
+ Rhetoric - 2
+ Unarmed Combat - 1
+ Escape Artist - 2

Lores

+ Ximal's in trouble!
+ Savio's gone insane
+ The Aperture is a strange place
+ A freaky experience in the Aperture

Other:
Sayren has a broken ankle which will heal in half a season

Notes

Heh. This was quite good! Nice job writing... poor Sayren. And Savio. That guy's going to be soooooo ashamed of himself

If you have any questions, comments or concerns about this grade, please PM me and we can work it out!