A Power of Dark and Light

[Star Lin]

(ooc: RP between Ruran Vas and John which was done a while ago.  Finally got around to posting it up today.)

 

Ruran Vas overheard word of a Flame Unit that had been seen fighting a large voidsent several days ago, while he was at Forgotten Springs.  He then learn that one of the unit members was seen riding out to the site of the battle a quarter bell ago, from the time of his arrival.  As he nears, he finds John Waterstrike in battle with an large wolf-like voidsent.  The voidsent already is wounded, though some of the wounds look to be somewhat heal.

 

John Waterstrike struggle to his feet, even as the tiny fairy, Kit, place herself infront of John, trying to keep the voidsent away from her partner.  The ‘wolf’ growl, “You think you can get away?”  It gave a growl again, “The spell your friend used should have open a voidgate with your group’s death.”

 

John glare, pulling a dark dagger from his belt and slamming it into the ground at his feet.  “Micky didn’t trust you, so he change the spell from the way that you had given it to him.”  He smirk, “And my Father undid it, so your plan will not work now.  The gate will remain close even with our deaths.”

 

Ruran Vas snapped his gaze ahead, drawing his sword as he rushed as quickly as possible through the sands.  He didn’t recognize the stranger at first, not until he saw the fairy.  Wordlessly, he place himself between the ‘wolf’ and John, his sheild ready.

 

The voidsent raised up on it’s hindlegs, allowing Ruran to see the wounds on it’s underbelly.  A wound on it’s throat, which also had a slash across it,  A hole in the chest and half the body was burnt.  A hole on the back leg, a hole in the stomach, and a slash across it’s side.  John was startled as Ruran place himself betwen the voidsent and John.  “Sir… you shouldn’t be here.  He’ll hurt you.”

 

The creature snarled.  “You think you and yours can escape by transfering the ‘wounds’ to me.  You will die as will your savior.”  The paw raise up, swinging down at Ruran and Kit.

 

Ruran glanced over his shoulder, though only for a moment, as half his attention remains on the beast as much as possible.  “I have fought worst then this,” his unsmiling tone stated.  He brandish his blade and brought up his sheild, and the voidsent’s claws would rake down the metal.  He countered with a swift jab of the blade at it’s torso.  “You ought to get to safety!” he warn John.

 

John shakes his head before whispering a spell.  The dagger at his feet began to glow, forming a symbol under him and Ruran.  The symbol wasn’t light, though a light spell activated it.  It was dark through the aether coming off of it seem warm, like a early summer night.  “This isn’t your fight, Sir.  It’s our fault, letting him use us for his own ends.”

 

The creature back away from the symbol, snarling again.  “He is my prey, hunter.  Even Waterstrike’s spell won’t keep me from claiming him.”  The tone in his voice seem to suggest that through the spell was John, the symbol and blade was not from John’s own hands.

 

John pulled Kit’s book from his hip, calling on an Adolquium, and place it on Ruran.  “We’ll end this now, so leave Sir Ruran out of this.”

 

Ruran felt the magic wash over him and his turquoise eyes settle on the beast.  His jaw clenched.  The dark symbol below them caught his gaze and he would stagger backwards, attempting to move both John and himself out of the spell.  He did not know if it was good or bad but it certainly appear malicious.

 

John was startled as Ruran started to push him out of the symbol, “What…Sir, what are you doing?”  For John, the spell didn’t appear or feel malicious.  It felt like his Father, when the highlander would teach his students in Thaumaturge, and the darkness was like the nights the nights he would show him and Tanya the stars.  As he was push out of the symbol, the beast drove around Ruran, aiming for John once again.

 

He barely had time to throw out a Ruin at it, the ‘wolf’s’ jumping sideways to avoid it, and putting in it Ruran’s direct line, even as it back paw came down in the symbol.  It glow dark but bright at the same time.

 

Ruran furrowed his brows at John’s question and it is then that he notice the dagger.  “Ah–”  He had little time to reply as the creature veered around him, whipping away from the Ruin–and heading directly for him.  The knight muttered quiet words to himself and a golden wisp of light began to swirl around his sword.  In a flash of light, the enchanted blade surged forward, attempting to add another hole in the creature.  If it connected, it would sting the creature with holy energies.

 

The ‘wolf’ scream as the sword connected, holy energy filling and flowing through the body, and it cause the symbol to flare to life. The dark symbol at Ruran’s feet shot up black aether, lancing up through the creature, and fire aether flaring up around and through it.  The two energies meet and repeal each other, and doing so seem to tear into the creature even more.

 

John’s ears laid back against his head as the creature scream, trying to close out the sounds of the dying creature.  Kit flare brightly, light aether flooding over he and Ruran.  “you…” the creature growl, before falling onto it’s side and fading away at Ruran’s feet.

 

Ruran grimaced at the clashing of aether, griping his sword tighter, and tearing the blade free from the beast.  The stone at Ruran’s chest flickered as he caught his breath, staring down at the fading voidsent.  He lowered his sheild but kept his sword at the ready.  He look to Kit with a greatful nod and then to John.  “Are you alright, sir?”

 

John panted as he watch the voidsent fading.  “I… I’m ok…” he said, even as Kit flutter over to Ruran, giving the hyur a hug before flying back over to John.  “I… don’t know if I could have used Dad’s spell…” only to stagger as something dark shattered around his body.  His aether flare almost bird-like around him before fading to nothing.  This happen at the exact moment that the beast’s fading body shatter into dark aether as well.  He look down at his hands before looking up at Ruran.  “It broke.  The spell broken.”

 

A kind-hearted gleam flicker over his masked gaze as Kit hug him and flutter back over to John.  He gave a start and a small step forward, reaching out to the miqo’te.  “S-sir–?”  He paused, his gaze wary.  “What spell..?”

 

John duck his head, shame crossing his face.  “A dark spell… though at the time none of us realize it.  Micky, one of our group had been studying dark magic…”

Ruran furrowed his brows, looking to where the voidsent once lay, then back to him.  “I see… Well, I think it’s safe to say you’ve learned the consequences of such things.  I pray you will not continue it in the future.”

 

John looked back up at Ruran.  “Yes…though I wish we had learned it sooner…before.”  He sighed, “The wounds you saw, those had been on my and my brother-in-law’s aether.  Dad had been able to rework the spell that Micky had gotten.  But for us transfer to work, we had to break his hold on this realm by killing it.  Sam… was injuried before we could complete the spell so I had to complete it while he recovered.”

 

Ruran sheathed his sword, now that it seem the danger had passed for now.  “I see, so I arrived not a moment too soon.”  His head gave a small nod and he sighed, “I am… sorry for your loss.  I hope finishing this gave you some consolation.”

 

John nods, “Micky and the others’ souls can be at peace and finally move on.”  Kit hug his neck in comfort.  “Thank you for your help Sir Ruran.  I wish that you had become involved in our mistake but I’m glad for your help and know I will not be able to thank you enough.”

 

Ruran bowed his head.  “Of course.  I had heard from the camp nearby that there may be trouble.  I’m happy I was able to help.”  He peeked down at the dagger curiously, then motioned to it.  “That is the source of the dark magic?  Or something else?”

 

John reached out, placing his hand against Ruran’s arm, feeling the aether about him, and trying to make sure he had not been hurt in the battle.  “I do not sense any injuries,” he muttered.  He blinked then smile.  “Oh no.  Dad placed a spell in it.  It was suppose to trap the voidsent so Sam and I could finish it off.  I wasn’t able to activate it the first time we face it.”

 

He sighed, “I’m just glad I was able to set it this time.”  He reached down, picking the blade up, and showing a normal dagger to Ruran.  There was no trace of darkness within the blade.  “I’ll let Dad know that it work… though I wonder why it thought I was the one that place the spell…”

 

Ruran gave a reassuring nod.  “I am fine, truly.  The creature was nearly defeated by the time I arrived, thanks to that magic.”  He gave a thoughtful hum, his head tilting.  “Well, I suppose it won’t trouble you any longer,  One would hope, anyroad.  I cannot be certain why he would think such…”

 

“I will speak with Dad about it.  I know that Dad is not young anymore… perhaps he hunted voidsent when he was younger, before he meet Mom.”

 

“Oh?”  He blinked, glancing at the dagger again.  “Perhaps so.  It may be something to ask him…  In any event, it would be good to get out off this heat.  Will you be heading back to the camp?”

 

John pulled his hand away, tugging on the cuff of his glove, before taking and sheathing the blade behind him.  “I should head home and see if Sam is recovering as well,” he said, “though I should let the camp know that they can start hunting again.”  He made a face, “Not that we didn’t have enough that wanted to help.  I’m thankful the Nunh said that it was our kill, that we should be the ones to finish it off.”  He brought out a whistle, blowing into it, and watching the Chocobo come racing toward them.  It stopped close enough to peck John’s head.

 

Kit giggle.  ‘John was worried and left Safire behind.’ she said.  ‘Think chick shouldn’t fight on own.’  John turn to make a face at Kit this time.

 

Ruran lifted his brows as the fairy spoke, awe in his eyes.  He nodded to the fairy,  “We wouldn’t have won without you, truly.”  He bowed his head, then look to John as chocobo rushed forward, booped John with it’s beak.  He winced, “…Sometimes the tribes simply have their own affairs to be concern about.”

 

John nods, removing his hat, and his ears wiggle as they were free from the confines of said hat.  “We can head out then,” he said.

 

Kit smile at Ruran, ‘Always willing to help.  We have gotten better with practice.’

John smile softly at her, “Yes, and far too many to practice on.”  Once he was on Safire, he remember what he had plan to ask the older hyur when he saw him again.  “Sir, if I may ask your opinion on something?”

 

Ruran adjusted his gauntlets and situated his sword at his side, preparing for the walk back.  “Hm?  Certainly, what is it?”

 

John hums in the back of his throat.  “I help out a group called Aethertide, who have had a few run in with voidsent themselves.”  He reach down and rub at Safire’s neck.  “One of their leaders, Khyran Oisin, is doing training with their STOP unit on how to deal with voidsents.  After what happen here, do you think I should see about taking the training myself?”

 

Ruran listened with a slight cant of his head.  “If it is something you are interested in, certainly.  I don’t see the harm in being taught a few techniques.  Especially after today.  Is there a reason you wouldn’t wish too?”

 

“I am truly not a fighter, Sir,” he says.  “If I could avoid it, then yes, I wouldn’t take the training.  But a friend within the company was hurt by a voidsent the other day.  The creature took his ability to hear the elementals… his ability to heal.”  John’s mind play back to how fail Connor had look when they were able to free him from the voidsent.  “I want to be able to protect them so something like what to Sir Connor doesn’t happen to anyone else…that I can protect Howl and the others too.”

 

“The desire to protect is a strong reason,” he agreed with a small nod.  “If you think it will be beneficial, I would take the opportunity.  Just because you learn how to defend yourself, does not mean you must jump into conflict.  You’ll simply be in a better position when the time comes.”

 

John bows his head to him.  “Thank you, Sir Ruran, for the advice.  I will speak with Khy the next time I see him.”  He glance up at the sky.  “We should head back to camp.  Thank you again for the help, Sir Ruran.”

 

Ruran nodded once.  “Of course.  Perhaps, if we meet again, you’ll let me know how it goes?  Such a glass would be…interesting, to be sure.”  He followed John’s glance up to the sky.  “Mm, indeed.  I believe I shall stop by the mining camp nearby, myself.  But do travel safely, yes?  I still have your pearl, should you run into any further trouble.”

 

“Please be safe, Sir Ruran.  May Thaliak’s wisdom be your greatest guide.”

 

“And may Azeyma light your path.”