Howl crouched low in the blowing snow, staring down the slope of the hill that lead to a wide, flat valley where their quarry was currently feeding on something that Howl didn't want to look at too closely. It was their first, best chance in a sevenday to finally attack - so it looked like the moment was here.
"This is it," Snow murmured from behind him, her tone serene yet filled with a suppressed excitement. "It's time."
Yes, I suppose it is.
Howl was still in shock that Snow had joined them after they had confronted her at the old training grounds. He could still remember the look on her face, the strangely gentle smile.
"Hello, Warren. I'm here to save you."
Warren didn't really trust her, of course. Howl didn't particularly either. She wasn't the same person that he had been in training with - nor was she the girl that had thrown away everything to ascend into Coerthas in the first place and become "strong." She had become something else. It was like she was free from all attachment, all desire, and therefore little seemed to bother her. And yet... hadn't attachment brought her here? Some lingering attachment to Warren that had brought her with them to this place? And... she, too, had warned them what would happen if they attached Ryuuga with anger and hate in their hearts. It felt like they had been talking about that for moons now, and yet the dull ache in Howl's chest wouldn't go away.
He wasn't afraid of Ryuuga, per se. He wasn't even afraid Ryuuga would kill either of them (or Snow, he figured). He was afraid this was yet another one of Ryuuga's plans. It didn't seem like killing him would rid them of him. It didn't feel like this would do anything for anyone other than Warren - and while Howl wanted to give him that peace, he dreaded it as well, dreaded what would happen when they got back to Ul'dah, dreaded what he knew was coming then. Warren was going to write this episode closed, and move on - but Howl didn't think he would ever really be able to move on.
Snow caught his eye and smiled slightly. He averted his gaze. She knew too much about how his mind worked. She probably knew what he was thinking. She was probably laughing at him inside - she had laughed that one time, after all.
"Alright," Warren muttered, coming up behind them; he'd gotten into his full gear, heavier armor than what he'd traveled in, a shield. It wasn't his official armor - he refused to wear that in Coerthas - but he was still imposing, a huge hulk of a man in armor that just increased his bulk, a broadsword in his gauntleted fist nearly the size of Howl's torso. "As we planned, then."
"As we planned," Howl agreed, carefully stripping away the protective container from his poisoned lance. "Keep away from me until I get this in him." He wriggled away from the others, circling around, staring down into the valley. It was the perfect setup for a fight with a dragon, no trees or underbrush to concern themselves with, nothing to trip their feet except snow. They had tracked him for days deep into the wilds around Ishgard for this moment, yet Howl still felt like it was somehow a setup.
This isn't going to end it, Warren... it might never be over. How would you feel about that? Would that finally get you to get rid of me?
That thought chilled him more than the snow all around, and he unclasped his fur cape, letting it fall to the ground as Warren bellowed his challenge to Ryuuga and surged forward, swinging his broadsword in a massive overhand swipe at Ryuuga's form, claw and steel clashing. Then there was nothing to think of again, Snow harrying Ryuuga's right flank, trying to disable one of his wings - a similar tactic to what they'd used before to down their first dragon, in and out, light stabs at the wing membrane and tendon to harass the huge form and keep him distracted, his left flank exposed. Howl charged in as fast as he could go in the snow, then leapt the final yalms, drawing on every bit of dragonic power that he had been given or had taken before, stabbing hard at Ryuuga's ribcage, the spot where he could plunge the poisoned lance between two trunk-sized ribs and perhaps pierce his heart -
But Ryuuga was far smarter and more wily than the young breeding male they'd killed before. He was an alpha male in his prime, who knew how many summers old, and he had trained them in the arts of the dragoon personally; he whirled at the first touch of the lance, hard, and the lance snapped off in his side as his massive horned head slammed into Howl's body, sending him flying and rolling off into the snow behind him. With a bellow of triumph, Ryuuga turned, whipping Snow off of him with a sweep of his tail, opening his jaws to send a gout of flame at the stunned Howl.
"This is it," Snow murmured from behind him, her tone serene yet filled with a suppressed excitement. "It's time."
Yes, I suppose it is.
Howl was still in shock that Snow had joined them after they had confronted her at the old training grounds. He could still remember the look on her face, the strangely gentle smile.
"Hello, Warren. I'm here to save you."
Warren didn't really trust her, of course. Howl didn't particularly either. She wasn't the same person that he had been in training with - nor was she the girl that had thrown away everything to ascend into Coerthas in the first place and become "strong." She had become something else. It was like she was free from all attachment, all desire, and therefore little seemed to bother her. And yet... hadn't attachment brought her here? Some lingering attachment to Warren that had brought her with them to this place? And... she, too, had warned them what would happen if they attached Ryuuga with anger and hate in their hearts. It felt like they had been talking about that for moons now, and yet the dull ache in Howl's chest wouldn't go away.
He wasn't afraid of Ryuuga, per se. He wasn't even afraid Ryuuga would kill either of them (or Snow, he figured). He was afraid this was yet another one of Ryuuga's plans. It didn't seem like killing him would rid them of him. It didn't feel like this would do anything for anyone other than Warren - and while Howl wanted to give him that peace, he dreaded it as well, dreaded what would happen when they got back to Ul'dah, dreaded what he knew was coming then. Warren was going to write this episode closed, and move on - but Howl didn't think he would ever really be able to move on.
Snow caught his eye and smiled slightly. He averted his gaze. She knew too much about how his mind worked. She probably knew what he was thinking. She was probably laughing at him inside - she had laughed that one time, after all.
"Alright," Warren muttered, coming up behind them; he'd gotten into his full gear, heavier armor than what he'd traveled in, a shield. It wasn't his official armor - he refused to wear that in Coerthas - but he was still imposing, a huge hulk of a man in armor that just increased his bulk, a broadsword in his gauntleted fist nearly the size of Howl's torso. "As we planned, then."
"As we planned," Howl agreed, carefully stripping away the protective container from his poisoned lance. "Keep away from me until I get this in him." He wriggled away from the others, circling around, staring down into the valley. It was the perfect setup for a fight with a dragon, no trees or underbrush to concern themselves with, nothing to trip their feet except snow. They had tracked him for days deep into the wilds around Ishgard for this moment, yet Howl still felt like it was somehow a setup.
This isn't going to end it, Warren... it might never be over. How would you feel about that? Would that finally get you to get rid of me?
That thought chilled him more than the snow all around, and he unclasped his fur cape, letting it fall to the ground as Warren bellowed his challenge to Ryuuga and surged forward, swinging his broadsword in a massive overhand swipe at Ryuuga's form, claw and steel clashing. Then there was nothing to think of again, Snow harrying Ryuuga's right flank, trying to disable one of his wings - a similar tactic to what they'd used before to down their first dragon, in and out, light stabs at the wing membrane and tendon to harass the huge form and keep him distracted, his left flank exposed. Howl charged in as fast as he could go in the snow, then leapt the final yalms, drawing on every bit of dragonic power that he had been given or had taken before, stabbing hard at Ryuuga's ribcage, the spot where he could plunge the poisoned lance between two trunk-sized ribs and perhaps pierce his heart -
But Ryuuga was far smarter and more wily than the young breeding male they'd killed before. He was an alpha male in his prime, who knew how many summers old, and he had trained them in the arts of the dragoon personally; he whirled at the first touch of the lance, hard, and the lance snapped off in his side as his massive horned head slammed into Howl's body, sending him flying and rolling off into the snow behind him. With a bellow of triumph, Ryuuga turned, whipping Snow off of him with a sweep of his tail, opening his jaws to send a gout of flame at the stunned Howl.
People have forgotten this truth. But you mustn't forget it. You become responsible forever for what you have tamed.
Howl's Wiki
Howl's Wiki
