Howl felt a moment of sheer terror when Ryuuga turned to him, inhaling mightily to obliterate him in a scorch of dragonflame, but he was already scrambling to his feet, already pulling the next lance off of his back - Never let a spear be far from your hand. - determined to strike at Ryuuga once more, even if he was on fire while doing it.
But Warren was there, charging up alongside the rearing beast, and in a smooth yet violent motion, he had buried his broadsword in Ryuuga's left eye. Howl felt his own left eye twitch in response, the aching that never quite went away, the sense of something alien where once flesh had been. Had that been on purpose? But there was no time to think. Warren was whirling now, slamming his shield into something on Ryuuga's side - the broken-off lance! - but Ryuuga was lunging at him, his jaws opening, trying to take Warren's head off. Howl would never let that happen.
He darted in with a quickness he never would've had without all of the trials he experienced in this snowy environs, wedging himself between Warren's armored back and Ryuuga's descending maw, stabbing up into that gaping mouth with all of his strength. His spear sliced upward through Ryuuga's palate into his brainstem; he roared, belching sooty flame that blasted Howl's face and hair with heat, but his legs were faltering under him as the poisoned lancehead reached his heart. He turned on staggering legs, his wings snapping wide to flee, but Snow was already there on his blind side, taking advantage of his disorientation to neatly sever the tendon connecting his wing to his body. It snapped down like a sail on a boat, and Ryuuga staggered again, his roars becoming fainter, aware now that the wounds and the poison had brought him low.
He fell to the ground heavily, looking up at Warren with his one remaining eye, glaring baleful hate - and sick amusement. Howl, drenched in dragon's blood and soot, stood ready with his last lance to deflect any final attack from the dying beast, but it wasn't an attack Ryuuga had in mind - or at least not a physical attack. Images, thoughts, feelings suddenly flooded into Howl's mind, a last barrage, as Ryuuga unveiled the future for him, day by day, moon by moon, year by year, and its inevitable end. Howl steadied himself with the lance, blinking hard, trying not to void his stomach.
"It's never over," Ryuuga whispered. "It's never over for you."
And then, with one last, rattling breath, he died. Snow stood over his head and nudged it lightly with a foot, her expression serene, but her eyes were on Warren.
"Satisfied now, Warren?" she asked, but somehow she looked concerned. "You did what you came up here to do. Right?"
Howl gazed down at Ryuuga's corpse with a growing feeling of numbness, of unreality. They had finally done it. But he felt nothing like closure, nothing like finality. It's never over. Right? He wiped shakily at his face with his gloved hand, grimacing as his glove came away slick with blood.
"Well then, I suppose I'll be off. Give my regards to your Lady, Warren." Snow bowed to him, then loped off, vanishing off into the mountains, heading back to civilization.
But Warren was there, charging up alongside the rearing beast, and in a smooth yet violent motion, he had buried his broadsword in Ryuuga's left eye. Howl felt his own left eye twitch in response, the aching that never quite went away, the sense of something alien where once flesh had been. Had that been on purpose? But there was no time to think. Warren was whirling now, slamming his shield into something on Ryuuga's side - the broken-off lance! - but Ryuuga was lunging at him, his jaws opening, trying to take Warren's head off. Howl would never let that happen.
He darted in with a quickness he never would've had without all of the trials he experienced in this snowy environs, wedging himself between Warren's armored back and Ryuuga's descending maw, stabbing up into that gaping mouth with all of his strength. His spear sliced upward through Ryuuga's palate into his brainstem; he roared, belching sooty flame that blasted Howl's face and hair with heat, but his legs were faltering under him as the poisoned lancehead reached his heart. He turned on staggering legs, his wings snapping wide to flee, but Snow was already there on his blind side, taking advantage of his disorientation to neatly sever the tendon connecting his wing to his body. It snapped down like a sail on a boat, and Ryuuga staggered again, his roars becoming fainter, aware now that the wounds and the poison had brought him low.
He fell to the ground heavily, looking up at Warren with his one remaining eye, glaring baleful hate - and sick amusement. Howl, drenched in dragon's blood and soot, stood ready with his last lance to deflect any final attack from the dying beast, but it wasn't an attack Ryuuga had in mind - or at least not a physical attack. Images, thoughts, feelings suddenly flooded into Howl's mind, a last barrage, as Ryuuga unveiled the future for him, day by day, moon by moon, year by year, and its inevitable end. Howl steadied himself with the lance, blinking hard, trying not to void his stomach.
"It's never over," Ryuuga whispered. "It's never over for you."
And then, with one last, rattling breath, he died. Snow stood over his head and nudged it lightly with a foot, her expression serene, but her eyes were on Warren.
"Satisfied now, Warren?" she asked, but somehow she looked concerned. "You did what you came up here to do. Right?"
Howl gazed down at Ryuuga's corpse with a growing feeling of numbness, of unreality. They had finally done it. But he felt nothing like closure, nothing like finality. It's never over. Right? He wiped shakily at his face with his gloved hand, grimacing as his glove came away slick with blood.
"Well then, I suppose I'll be off. Give my regards to your Lady, Warren." Snow bowed to him, then loped off, vanishing off into the mountains, heading back to civilization.
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
