Aspirations of Courage [End]

[Kitty]

He caught the very beginnings of that canine shake and veered to the side and backtracked a bit, desperate to avoid getting any part of the murky depths on his coat. For the most part he succeeded, getting on a few droplets from the spray on him and, seeing that she'd completed the action, glided toward the island once more. He curled his tail up and as far away from the ground as he could whilst he performed a rather graceful landing. First he placed his hind paws upon the surprisingly stiff earth and then his slightly shorter front limbs joined suit.

He was in the process of neatly folding his wings back against his form when snow hued ears perked to receive her compliment. Her words pulled another much loathed habit from him and he cheeks flushed. He was certainly glad his fur had darkened since his younger years, making the blush harder to catch beneath the darker brown and navy fur that covered them. He himself didn't think he looked that bad, his colors went together so well in quite a handsome pattern, but it was a rare few who complimented him. Most couldn't see past the lowlander traits and that's what caused a lot of the people who had to target him. He much proffered his bipedal form though but.... whichever she liked best was entirely her opinion and he'd not argue against it.

T-thank you very much .... y-you're coat it quite p-pretty.

Once compliment deserved another, did it not? He was glad she wasn't looking at him for his cheeks had grown ever darker.... surely that was noticeable through his coat. However the color receded quickly as he heard that wheezing cough and it instantly pulled on his heart strings. He moved forward, reaching out in sincere concern before her warning made him pause before he'd actually touched her. His paw lingered there for a moment as he froze with uncertainty.

His better judgment kicked in and he backed away, well, backed away as far as he dared. He'd reached the end of the island and a hind paw had found no dry land, but disgusting swamp water when it had been set down. He jumped, giving a soft squeak of surprise, and was forced to take a small step forward and see if he had time, or the need, to take to the air once more.

[veracious]

The silence that had subsided was her last ounce of control, she wanted to explain herself, but Desolace was not going to allow her the chance. She did manage to utter a few words to him however. "What ever happens..." She grunted again, pulling herself up to her hind legs. "She isn't me, Tavor..." She dropped down again. "I'm sorry..." She whispered.

"Oh but this will be fun!" She cackled darkly to him, her compassionate heart frosting over with the. It had taken quite a deal of effort to break Serenity of her will, but she had finally hit her where she was the weakest. Dominating over Serenity meant that she would have to get to her heart and break her from the inside out.

"Tell me, you broken wretch. Did you honestly believe that you were safe here?" She approached closer to him, those emerald eyes of her blood shot with Serenity's strain to control her.

"Fool, this place is DAMNED!" She was brazen now, approaching him in a very intimidating matter. Showing off her tainted fangs, the moist fur upon her back ridging upward in agitation. Her bestial nature pouring into her self control, feeding her sadistic urge to hurt. At this point she was as close to him as the ledge of the marsh would allow her to be. Leering up at him, seemingly feeding on his angst.

"Tell me, dear Tavor." She flexed her paw, canine claws begging to dig into something other then the soft mud below her. "What drives you? Is it courage? Is it madness? Is it stupidity? The word stupidity emphasized with a snap of her jaws.

"No matter, you won't remember it by tomorrow... there is no turning back now. You are lost to the swamp and victim to my desires." What ever kind creature had been there before was wilting away and replaced with the perversion of the swamp. It seemed that the curse had once again put Serenity to a state of dormancy.

[Kitty]

No, she'd certainly be able to snag him before he even made the move to begin flight. His wings, being utterly useless to him now, were pinned tightly to his sides as he moved away from her again, both hind feet sinking slightly into the mud of the island's shore just under the water. His ears were pinned back, his eyes had widened, his fur was bristled and his mouth was slightly open... but he resisted taking on a completely submissive stance. He'd come here with a purpose in mind and it seemed this would be the only way to make some sort of headway with that. And besides, in the process of her trying to intimidate him more, he'd come up with an idea.

They were on dry land, yes? Well, whilst she show boated a bit he'd use one of his powers, the only remotely useful one he had for this moment. Silently he called up the dust from the surrounding mass of dry land and moved it swiftly closer, condensing it and aiming it at her nose and mouth. It was just dust, so the most it would do would send her into a coughing or sneezing fit. He didn't even pause to see if it worked, he simply twisted his body around and plunged himself into the murky water and frantically flailed his limbs. He just had to make it to the other shore, he had to. There were more chances to escape there then there was on this small island.

He had, however, forgotten how heavy and cumbersome wings were when wet, not to mention no matter how tightly you held them to your body they didn't exactly stream line your body. He didn't look back, he just kept his eyes on the opposite shore.

[veracious]

Her muscles tensed at such proximity to him, she lowered her body into a pounce."Enough words! I will show you pain--" But before she could successfully get her pounce off, the ground had risen against her in the form of dust particles. Stinging her eyes and affecting her breathing passage, the canine's sensitive system was indeed successfully attacked by the dust.

"Gaaah!" She coughed, the interferance to her eyes causing her vision to blurr, the diversion that he needed to escape her clutches. But for how long? This was her domain after all and running may prove to be fruitless. He did the right thing however, he managed to get away for now.

"Loathsome little" She coughed, bringing a paw to her eyes to attemept to rub the dust out. This manuver had succesfuly irritated her and her anger lashed out in the form of insults."Gutter spawn!" Growling now, she took chase after him.

"Where do you think you can run?!" She called out after him while leaping into the water. Her legs efficently gliding her across the murk and tain of the discolored water. She was gaining on him and he probaly knew it from the start. But what else could he do? Any sane person would have tried to run after all.

"Once I catch you, I'm going to... to..." She paused a moment, stopping in the water. She looked lost for a moment, completly oblivious and staring ahead of her.

"Rip you apart..." She said weakly, but then narrowed her eyes once more. With a growl, she swam after him. Serenity shall not interfere!

[Kitty]

He was trying very hard not to listen to her actual words but just her voice, and only her voice so he could track how close she was to nabbing him and quite possibly drowning him as well. However, when she just about had him, she paused and he intensified his escape efforts. He even managed to get to the shore, but an awful realization crossed over him: his wings were wet and wet feathers didn't fly. Damn damn damn....

He curled his tail up and off the ground and bolted once all four limbs found semi sturdy earth. He had to find somewhere to hide, somewhere small that she couldn't get into. He knew his short little limbs wouldn't take him at near fast enough of a pace to escape the canine even if he hadn't been weighed down by the filthy swamp water. His heart was beating at such an intense speed that he was certain it would hammer it's way straight through his chest. She was going to catch him and eat him alive... wasn't she? Oh please.... please no...

Whilst he was running his eyes were roving over the landscape trying to pick something encouraging up but ... all he saw were trees and bushes. Trees would take to long to scramble up and bushes wouldn't offer him any protection at all. In short, he was doomed and the worst part about it was that he knew he was.

[Kiki]

Kitty and Veracious receive 1 token each, to be redeemed in Ashwin's Shoppe. This will automatically be added to your recorded totals in the shoppe. Congratulations, and keep up the good RP!

[veracious]

If he was focusing in on her voice, he would hear something that sounded as if the canine was lost, confused, and even scared. She was taunting him of course, but only half heartedly and not moving from her spot in the marsh. "Go on and run... run as far... as you... as you..." Seemingly at a loss for words, she blinked down at herself in confusion.

"Tavor?" She called up at him, the cold and angst filled voice that filled her before returning to that child like innocence that they had first met with. Her ears lowered down in shame, moving back-wards now into the shallows of the marsh, but still in it's waters.

"Please come back, dear one." Now she was complimenting him, even giving him sweet names that boarder lined on romantic affection. It was probably very awkward to behold, but she hoped it'd get his attention one way or another.

"I'm sorry, please come back..." The apology seemed sincere, and it was to Serenity. She sat down on her hind haunches, about chest deep in the water now. Her head bowing down. She knew this would happen and she hated it. Why was Desolace such a bitter creature? Was the marsh really that harsh on her? Or was her past something more, she really did not know how her purity could become tainted with such an unpredictable beast that seeks to eviscerate the first sign of friendship that she has.

"She's gone, I made her go away for now..." She hoped it was true at any rate, and it seemed that way from her perspective. But she knew in her heart it was not the case. She would probably find another way to come back out and attack the poor guy. Such was her fate. But exactly how dangerous was Desolace? She knew that she was angering her, that she was putting both herself and Tavor at risk. Yet she was compelled to befriend him, she felt he was... special to her in some way. It was hard to explain, she really did not understand at the moment what it was about Tavor that made her want to remain at his side. Even if it was safer for him to run.

[Kitty]

He was, indeed, focusing on her voice, it was the best way to track her without having to look back at her. Certainly with his looking elsewhere something far more frightening would pop out and eat him, or he'd run into a tree or trip over something or some lame thing like that. But he hesitated, slowed and stopped at that little quaver of fear in her voice... that got to him. He wasn't well versed in falsely presented intentions, everyone so far had been rather forward with theirs, and he was torn. Part of him wanted to run all the way home while the other, the larger part, begged him to go and make sure she was alright.

He twitched his ears forward and listened, he couldn't hear her getting any closer and the sound of Serenity's voice was just the same distance away as Desolace's was.... what should he do? He sighed ever so softly and turned around, creeping back from whence he came until he could see her brightly hued form and he couldn't entirely quell the tremble that ran down his spine. Serenity... he just couldn't leave her. She sounded so.... lonely and it pulled on his heart strings. He knew what that was like, and that little undertone in her voice was painful on his ears.

He edged his way to the water's end and peered across the filthy expanse at the canine, giving her a look that had everything he was feeling written all over it in large print. He still wasn't totally sure what to do here, but he decided to speak even though he didn't have anything to say. This was difficult.

... Serenity?

[veracious]

Her ears lowered down in shame as the canine slowly started to move out of the water and climb back onto the ledge of her island. It was difficult to explain to someone the sincerity in her intentions when that monster within was so free to emerge. Maybe it was best if she did let Tavor leave, even if she wanted for him to stay.

"Maybe he's safer out there away from you..." She glared down at her reflection as she passed a puddle of semi murky water upon her land. She slammed her paw against it as if washing Desolace from her existence.

"One of these days you are going to have to admit that I'm here to protect you as well." She scolded herself, those emerald hues of hers shifting behind her to gaze upon Tavor.

"But instead you do this to me. You make it difficult for me to find love in my heart for you." Sitting down on her hind haunches, she lowered her head and gazed upon the base of the ruins before her.

"So what if I do?" She inquired to herself in a low, bitter tone that reflected many emotions of pent up rage and envy.

"Then you let me make you happy, I'm trying not to let anyone get hurt. Including you." This conversation went on for a bit as she tried to reason with herself mercy for Desolace's actions. She had not done anything yet, but Serenity feared that she would hurt Tavor. Someone she actually had feelings for, feelings she did not quite understand given the spontaneous occurrence that transpired over the course of a single meeting.

[Kitty]

He reached out a paw and toyed with the filthy water as he thought for a moment on what it was he was going to do. There was nothing stopping him from turning around right now and scenting his way out of the marsh, he was quite certain he could pick his own scent out over the awful smell of marsh water that clung to his coat, or he could go back to the terribly perplexing canine just across the very bit of water he was playing with at present. He sighed softly to himself as his decision was rather clear, he might hate himself later for this but he couldn't quite leave her be... the sadness drew him in like a moth to a flame.

He extended his wings, looking one over and then the next before he realized that they were still far to wet and heavy to be of any use for flying... he had to swim again. He moved forward slowly, walking until the water was deep enough for him to start propelling himself through it with his short limbs. He remained as quiet as he could before he touched paw on her island and drew himself mostly out of the filthy water and tilted his head, still dripping, to make another simple query.

S-Serenity?