Sparkindarkness 67 - The Guardians
Jul. 6th, 2005 09:57 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sparkindarknessBack. And I really have to apologise for this one. Never have I seen a theme be so overturned, never has a mood been so shattered.
I don't know what I was drinking, but I'm thinking of selling it on the black market - this is just beyond weird. *thwaps muses* this is hurting my head, damn it!
“Is your boy bisexual, then?” Liam whispered breathily, his naturally lascivious features forming a terribly suggestive smile.”
“No, homosexual.” I was also careful to keep his eyes on the Guardian, for different reasons.
“Then why is his Guardian a scantily clad woman with very large breasts?” Yes, he was definitely panting,
“And guns. You missed the guns Liam.”
“Believe my eyes have never left them…” his smile reached point where he might be arrested for it.
I snorted in disgust and turned my attention back to the Guardian. “Greetings, Miss, I do apologise for the intrusion and the abrupt departure, but I’m afraid we really cannot stop.” I started to walk forwards again, one of the guns raised unerringly to meet me.
“Sorry about this, chaps,” her every word was impossibly, perfectly English. “But I rather think I must insist on your company. Lara. Lara Croft.”
I choked back a groan. I am going to throw his play station out the window. “Nikolai, Liam and Darren - all of Camaalis.”
“Pleasure. I trust you’re here on business?” Her gun never wavered.
“I’m looking for someone.”
“I imagine so. Unfortunately, he doesn’t want to be found. I don’t suppose a miracle’s likely to happen and you’re going to take that as an answer, are you?” She raised one thin eyebrow in an ironic tilt.
“This isn’t a good idea, Ms. Croft. I’ve died once this week - you’d be amazed how hard it is to make me stay down.”
“Really? You’d be amazed at how many bullets I have. I’m a patient and determined woman and my trigger finger rarely gets tired.”
“Then, Ms. Croft, I really do have to apologise.” I raised a hand, calling my Sorcery at the same time. The tattoos held back my magic, but it still came so easily - ho long had I been forced to call my power from behind the metal wards as well?
Dark power arced towards her. She may not be human but there was enough destructive energy in that magic to seriously inconvenience a powerful daemon… The power had not even left my fingertips before she pulled the trigger…
She jumped clean over the bolt of energy, flipping gracefully in mid air. She landed, ever so briefly, before leaping up again, flipping, diving and rolling with almost inhuman agility. She never stopped firing for a second, regardless of the fact she was contorting in mid-air. And few of the bullets missed.
The first bullet hit me in the shoulder, thankfully it dissipated before it could do as much damage as its mortal equivalent could, but my arm still went numb. It felt like someone had hit me with a club, the force of it actually spun me around. The rest of the bullets dissipated before they actually hit me, little more than tiny fragments pelted me. Nikolai had moved to one side, concentrating on the spirit’s attack, robbing her of her weapons.
But she was persistent, and she did have an incredible amount of bullets (truly incredible when you consider that she didn’t even have to change the clips). Arcs of dark magic and black fire blasted all around her. Infernal flames and Necromantic ice exploded all around her… I could send out waves of necrotic energy to destroy everything around me - but not with Nikolai and Liam in the crossfire. If she were human and I was back home I could target her directly with power - but nothing seemed right in this alien place, magic didn’t respond properly and twisted in some distracting ways and she wasn’t human. She was strange, alien - nothing mortal or fleshy or normal. Nothing I understood - not really.
A stalemate. I wondered if she would tire of bouncing around before I or Nikolai tired of magic.
Of course, I forgot Nikolai. I think I’ve been too long alone, magically. He reached out with his magic, what he could spare from holding back her attack, and it was considerable. She wasn’t hurt, she may have have had protections against attacks, but suddenly she was moving a lot slower, like the air had suddenly become thick and viscous. And still impossible to track. I could not fault her agility.
Liam swore under his breath and grabbed my arm, using his Seer senses to adjust my aim. It was almost laughable - he was using me as artillery or a weapon. It was effective though, there was no denying that - my dark magic hit her in the centre of the chest, it seemed Liam had been keeping his eyes focused on the “goal.”
The spirit collapsed helplessly onto the floor. It wasn’t dead - I was surprised, it must have been a powerful being to survive the dark power I hit her with. It gasped uselessly as it began to fade around the edges. Nikolai was already chanting, a last offer of respect as he banished the spirit and scattered it’s essence back to the ether - perhaps to reform elsewhere if it has enough power and presence.
“Good- goodbye gents. Such a shame I have to leave just as things are getting interesting…” she faded. It was quite sad really. I think we all felt it, even Mikolai and ghost were solemn and sombre as we continued our journey.
Of course, I think we all lost any residual sadness before very long - it’s hard to quietly grieve while you are choking back irritation and annoyance. We’d met several of Rick’s Guardians by now, none as dangerous as the first but all certainly irritating.
“Get it off me!” Liam roared again as he was dragged closer to the maw.
Nikolai was by his side, one hand pulling his nephew back as hard as he could while hacking at the long, sticky tongue that held him with the long knife in his hand. The tongue parted with a sickening tearing sound. The creature at the end of it jerked back as the stretched tongue snapped back. I gave it no time to recover and launch any more surprises at us and wreathed it in infernal fire. The thing - it looked like a dinosaur if dinosaurs were ingratiatingly cute and virulently green - squealed as it burned to ash.
“Looks like you didn’t see that one coming, cousin?” I couldn’t resist needling the Seer. He returned a murderous look. Nikolai hid a smile.
“Who expects a damn dinosaur to have a tongue like a chameleon?! What warped mind came up with something like that?”
The clever people at Nintendo, I think.
I am going to find every games console Rick has and burn them all. “Are we through yet? We’ve had bouncing Italian plumbers, some freak with bright yellow, spiky hair and a ridiculously huge sword, a man in a yellow ninja costume with a spike in his hand and a skull for a head and a bright blue spiky thing - whatever that was.”
“A hedgehog.” I turned and looked at Nikolai. He blushed, actually blushed and turned away. Liam and I shared a look and a smile - this had to be remembered for future blackmail, it really did.
“And that fox must have spent a long time around Sellefield*.” Liam put in.
“It’s not like Rick even plays many computer games!” I hadn’t even recognised half of the strange things we had thought. The computer games industry and their designers are some seriously sick and disturbed people.
He owns a lot of computer games - he spends hundreds of dollars on them a year. He’s just so bad at them he never plays them for long.
“Why buy them if you can’t play them?” Liam asked.
Shiny addiction
“He sees something, he wants it, he buys it - the brain is never really engaged I’m afraid.” I actually thought it was cute. He’d go out, see some new gizmo or game or DVD and suddenly want it so badly he’d talk about nothing else until he bought it. Of course, once he had it he wasn’t really interested in it and was looking at the next shiny ‘must have’ thing. It was cute, I liked his eternal innocence. He went mad trying to get all these things and he must be disappointed with it each time - but it never stops him being excited about the next one. It’s like a six year old at Christmas who has opened parcels of socks and is still excited about the seventh. I loved watching his face as he shopped - he was so terrible at haggling, you could see how eager he was so easily.
“Ah, ‘gimme’ mind set.” Of course, Liam had a talent for dispelling cuteness.
“Enough.” Nikolai sounded even grumpier than ever. Probably because he had been outed as a closet Sega fan. “I want to have this done and be free from this maddening land.” He stomped off, arrogantly gesturing Ghost to lead the way while his magic allowed us to follow the spirit.
After another two hours, I was feeling as grumpy as Nikolai. Before we set off, guilt was the main emotion vying for my attention - guilt that I’d driven Rick to this, guilt that I had hurt him this badly, guilt that I had hurt so many people, guilt that I had enjoyed hurting them. Guilt about what I was and what I’d done and who I’d harmed. Well, that was old and familiar, oh so very familiar, even guilt for hurting someone I cared about was nothing new. Guilt for hurting Rick was a new and terrible blade - a new hurt for me and I thought I had already reached deep depths of pain. I had pushed it aside as well as I could but it still ate at me. Only finding Rick allowed me to hold I back.
I wasn’t actually overly worried about him. I was when I first came here, but more and more I realised how foolish I was being. I owed Rick an apology - he was so care free, silly, shallow, mercurial and happy that it was easy to underestimate him. It was easy to think someone safe when they held your heart - easy to want to protect him. He was a shaman, a powerful one if he defeated Donald - this was his place. I was arrogant and foolish to think he would be in trouble. I would have to make it up to him.
But irritation had managed to push away a lot of the guilt - it was actually beginning to raise my Sorcery. “When I get home I am throwing away every CD, computer game, DVD and hard disk that he has.”
“What were those tentacled monsters? Or any of that there?! Especially the school girls? What warped mind is defended by super-school girls?” Nikolai had originally tried to banish it as some vile spirit of corruption.
“I’ve never seen Rick watch anime before!” I was trying to repair some of the damage to my shirt, but I feared it was truly beyond repair or salvage.
He doesn’t. He collects it because it’s kind of compulsory to be an anime fanatic if you’re a computer geek. The two seem to go together. Besides Mia’s a massive fan and will conscript you to watch it if you give her the chance.
Ok, so I have to throw out Mia’s collection as well. This can be arranged. Between the computer games and the anime I’m considering getting Camaalis to declare war on Japan.
“For a homosexual he has an awful lot of big breasted women guarding him.” I glared at Liam, rubbing my ears. The exceedingly annoying laughter still echoed in them. He was annoyed enough that he just glared back rather than quaking in terror as he should have. “And what are we supposed to do with it… err.. Her? Whatever.” Liam was as irritated as we were, for once forgetting to look knowing and condescending as he glared at the spirit that was following us.
“It’s not hostile,” Nikolai had already examined it several times - so far convincing me not to kill it. Just.
“I’m helping you on your quest!” the spirit cried, with obscene enthusiasm.
“Why? Why is one of Rick’s defenders helping us?” Liam had almost given up looking to the threads of the future in this place - there were too many crazy variables.
“For JUSTICE!” The spirit squealed, sincere passion dripping off every word.
“If she starts another bloody speech about justice, I’m killing her.” I growled. We’d already had to endure three.
“Agreed.” Nikolai nodded, again leading the way behind Ghost. “The way is ahead, another level further in. We may have found him.”
My irritation was forgotten - even when the spirit began extolling the virtues of justice at the top of her voice. Rick was here. It was time to put this bloody farce behind us so I can go home with him.
I don’t know whether I’ll be hugging him or strangling him, but I desperately want to find him.
*NB: Sellefield is a nuclear plant and research facility in the UK. Despite it’s rather admirable safety record (except for some missing nuclear material *ahem*) it is still the butt of considerable jokes and insinuations of leaks and mutations in the UK.
I don't know what I was drinking, but I'm thinking of selling it on the black market - this is just beyond weird. *thwaps muses* this is hurting my head, damn it!
“Is your boy bisexual, then?” Liam whispered breathily, his naturally lascivious features forming a terribly suggestive smile.”
“No, homosexual.” I was also careful to keep his eyes on the Guardian, for different reasons.
“Then why is his Guardian a scantily clad woman with very large breasts?” Yes, he was definitely panting,
“And guns. You missed the guns Liam.”
“Believe my eyes have never left them…” his smile reached point where he might be arrested for it.
I snorted in disgust and turned my attention back to the Guardian. “Greetings, Miss, I do apologise for the intrusion and the abrupt departure, but I’m afraid we really cannot stop.” I started to walk forwards again, one of the guns raised unerringly to meet me.
“Sorry about this, chaps,” her every word was impossibly, perfectly English. “But I rather think I must insist on your company. Lara. Lara Croft.”
I choked back a groan. I am going to throw his play station out the window. “Nikolai, Liam and Darren - all of Camaalis.”
“Pleasure. I trust you’re here on business?” Her gun never wavered.
“I’m looking for someone.”
“I imagine so. Unfortunately, he doesn’t want to be found. I don’t suppose a miracle’s likely to happen and you’re going to take that as an answer, are you?” She raised one thin eyebrow in an ironic tilt.
“This isn’t a good idea, Ms. Croft. I’ve died once this week - you’d be amazed how hard it is to make me stay down.”
“Really? You’d be amazed at how many bullets I have. I’m a patient and determined woman and my trigger finger rarely gets tired.”
“Then, Ms. Croft, I really do have to apologise.” I raised a hand, calling my Sorcery at the same time. The tattoos held back my magic, but it still came so easily - ho long had I been forced to call my power from behind the metal wards as well?
Dark power arced towards her. She may not be human but there was enough destructive energy in that magic to seriously inconvenience a powerful daemon… The power had not even left my fingertips before she pulled the trigger…
She jumped clean over the bolt of energy, flipping gracefully in mid air. She landed, ever so briefly, before leaping up again, flipping, diving and rolling with almost inhuman agility. She never stopped firing for a second, regardless of the fact she was contorting in mid-air. And few of the bullets missed.
The first bullet hit me in the shoulder, thankfully it dissipated before it could do as much damage as its mortal equivalent could, but my arm still went numb. It felt like someone had hit me with a club, the force of it actually spun me around. The rest of the bullets dissipated before they actually hit me, little more than tiny fragments pelted me. Nikolai had moved to one side, concentrating on the spirit’s attack, robbing her of her weapons.
But she was persistent, and she did have an incredible amount of bullets (truly incredible when you consider that she didn’t even have to change the clips). Arcs of dark magic and black fire blasted all around her. Infernal flames and Necromantic ice exploded all around her… I could send out waves of necrotic energy to destroy everything around me - but not with Nikolai and Liam in the crossfire. If she were human and I was back home I could target her directly with power - but nothing seemed right in this alien place, magic didn’t respond properly and twisted in some distracting ways and she wasn’t human. She was strange, alien - nothing mortal or fleshy or normal. Nothing I understood - not really.
A stalemate. I wondered if she would tire of bouncing around before I or Nikolai tired of magic.
Of course, I forgot Nikolai. I think I’ve been too long alone, magically. He reached out with his magic, what he could spare from holding back her attack, and it was considerable. She wasn’t hurt, she may have have had protections against attacks, but suddenly she was moving a lot slower, like the air had suddenly become thick and viscous. And still impossible to track. I could not fault her agility.
Liam swore under his breath and grabbed my arm, using his Seer senses to adjust my aim. It was almost laughable - he was using me as artillery or a weapon. It was effective though, there was no denying that - my dark magic hit her in the centre of the chest, it seemed Liam had been keeping his eyes focused on the “goal.”
The spirit collapsed helplessly onto the floor. It wasn’t dead - I was surprised, it must have been a powerful being to survive the dark power I hit her with. It gasped uselessly as it began to fade around the edges. Nikolai was already chanting, a last offer of respect as he banished the spirit and scattered it’s essence back to the ether - perhaps to reform elsewhere if it has enough power and presence.
“Good- goodbye gents. Such a shame I have to leave just as things are getting interesting…” she faded. It was quite sad really. I think we all felt it, even Mikolai and ghost were solemn and sombre as we continued our journey.
Of course, I think we all lost any residual sadness before very long - it’s hard to quietly grieve while you are choking back irritation and annoyance. We’d met several of Rick’s Guardians by now, none as dangerous as the first but all certainly irritating.
“Get it off me!” Liam roared again as he was dragged closer to the maw.
Nikolai was by his side, one hand pulling his nephew back as hard as he could while hacking at the long, sticky tongue that held him with the long knife in his hand. The tongue parted with a sickening tearing sound. The creature at the end of it jerked back as the stretched tongue snapped back. I gave it no time to recover and launch any more surprises at us and wreathed it in infernal fire. The thing - it looked like a dinosaur if dinosaurs were ingratiatingly cute and virulently green - squealed as it burned to ash.
“Looks like you didn’t see that one coming, cousin?” I couldn’t resist needling the Seer. He returned a murderous look. Nikolai hid a smile.
“Who expects a damn dinosaur to have a tongue like a chameleon?! What warped mind came up with something like that?”
The clever people at Nintendo, I think.
I am going to find every games console Rick has and burn them all. “Are we through yet? We’ve had bouncing Italian plumbers, some freak with bright yellow, spiky hair and a ridiculously huge sword, a man in a yellow ninja costume with a spike in his hand and a skull for a head and a bright blue spiky thing - whatever that was.”
“A hedgehog.” I turned and looked at Nikolai. He blushed, actually blushed and turned away. Liam and I shared a look and a smile - this had to be remembered for future blackmail, it really did.
“And that fox must have spent a long time around Sellefield*.” Liam put in.
“It’s not like Rick even plays many computer games!” I hadn’t even recognised half of the strange things we had thought. The computer games industry and their designers are some seriously sick and disturbed people.
He owns a lot of computer games - he spends hundreds of dollars on them a year. He’s just so bad at them he never plays them for long.
“Why buy them if you can’t play them?” Liam asked.
Shiny addiction
“He sees something, he wants it, he buys it - the brain is never really engaged I’m afraid.” I actually thought it was cute. He’d go out, see some new gizmo or game or DVD and suddenly want it so badly he’d talk about nothing else until he bought it. Of course, once he had it he wasn’t really interested in it and was looking at the next shiny ‘must have’ thing. It was cute, I liked his eternal innocence. He went mad trying to get all these things and he must be disappointed with it each time - but it never stops him being excited about the next one. It’s like a six year old at Christmas who has opened parcels of socks and is still excited about the seventh. I loved watching his face as he shopped - he was so terrible at haggling, you could see how eager he was so easily.
“Ah, ‘gimme’ mind set.” Of course, Liam had a talent for dispelling cuteness.
“Enough.” Nikolai sounded even grumpier than ever. Probably because he had been outed as a closet Sega fan. “I want to have this done and be free from this maddening land.” He stomped off, arrogantly gesturing Ghost to lead the way while his magic allowed us to follow the spirit.
After another two hours, I was feeling as grumpy as Nikolai. Before we set off, guilt was the main emotion vying for my attention - guilt that I’d driven Rick to this, guilt that I had hurt him this badly, guilt that I had hurt so many people, guilt that I had enjoyed hurting them. Guilt about what I was and what I’d done and who I’d harmed. Well, that was old and familiar, oh so very familiar, even guilt for hurting someone I cared about was nothing new. Guilt for hurting Rick was a new and terrible blade - a new hurt for me and I thought I had already reached deep depths of pain. I had pushed it aside as well as I could but it still ate at me. Only finding Rick allowed me to hold I back.
I wasn’t actually overly worried about him. I was when I first came here, but more and more I realised how foolish I was being. I owed Rick an apology - he was so care free, silly, shallow, mercurial and happy that it was easy to underestimate him. It was easy to think someone safe when they held your heart - easy to want to protect him. He was a shaman, a powerful one if he defeated Donald - this was his place. I was arrogant and foolish to think he would be in trouble. I would have to make it up to him.
But irritation had managed to push away a lot of the guilt - it was actually beginning to raise my Sorcery. “When I get home I am throwing away every CD, computer game, DVD and hard disk that he has.”
“What were those tentacled monsters? Or any of that there?! Especially the school girls? What warped mind is defended by super-school girls?” Nikolai had originally tried to banish it as some vile spirit of corruption.
“I’ve never seen Rick watch anime before!” I was trying to repair some of the damage to my shirt, but I feared it was truly beyond repair or salvage.
He doesn’t. He collects it because it’s kind of compulsory to be an anime fanatic if you’re a computer geek. The two seem to go together. Besides Mia’s a massive fan and will conscript you to watch it if you give her the chance.
Ok, so I have to throw out Mia’s collection as well. This can be arranged. Between the computer games and the anime I’m considering getting Camaalis to declare war on Japan.
“For a homosexual he has an awful lot of big breasted women guarding him.” I glared at Liam, rubbing my ears. The exceedingly annoying laughter still echoed in them. He was annoyed enough that he just glared back rather than quaking in terror as he should have. “And what are we supposed to do with it… err.. Her? Whatever.” Liam was as irritated as we were, for once forgetting to look knowing and condescending as he glared at the spirit that was following us.
“It’s not hostile,” Nikolai had already examined it several times - so far convincing me not to kill it. Just.
“I’m helping you on your quest!” the spirit cried, with obscene enthusiasm.
“Why? Why is one of Rick’s defenders helping us?” Liam had almost given up looking to the threads of the future in this place - there were too many crazy variables.
“For JUSTICE!” The spirit squealed, sincere passion dripping off every word.
“If she starts another bloody speech about justice, I’m killing her.” I growled. We’d already had to endure three.
“Agreed.” Nikolai nodded, again leading the way behind Ghost. “The way is ahead, another level further in. We may have found him.”
My irritation was forgotten - even when the spirit began extolling the virtues of justice at the top of her voice. Rick was here. It was time to put this bloody farce behind us so I can go home with him.
I don’t know whether I’ll be hugging him or strangling him, but I desperately want to find him.
*NB: Sellefield is a nuclear plant and research facility in the UK. Despite it’s rather admirable safety record (except for some missing nuclear material *ahem*) it is still the butt of considerable jokes and insinuations of leaks and mutations in the UK.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2005-07-07 07:26 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-07-07 05:33 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-07-07 07:28 am (UTC)and, suprisingly enough, i just watched the first Croft movie a few weeks ago. reminded me that it's ok to enjoy eye candy and a popcorn plot.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-07-07 05:34 pm (UTC)I LIKED Tomb Raider 1. I know, I shouldn't have, but I really did.
i <i>like</i> popcorn-action flicks
Date: 2005-07-11 02:10 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-07-07 07:32 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-07-07 05:32 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-07-12 07:11 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-07-13 05:31 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-07-13 01:46 pm (UTC)*dies laughing*
remind me to sign rick up for nintendo anonymous with stone sometime. lara croft and small italian plumbers indeed. *shakes head*
(no subject)
Date: 2005-07-13 05:31 pm (UTC)Yes, I think we need support groups. This is just so not right
(no subject)
Date: 2006-02-16 10:30 am (UTC)Did you mean Nikolai?
Not that I'm still reading or anything. Because it's not like I'm addicted to this story or anything, oh no. *shifty eyes*
(no subject)
Date: 2006-02-16 05:49 pm (UTC)maybe.
See, there was a problem with names between two of these guys - Nikolai and Donald. The denizens of my head are most amused by it. yes, it should be Nikolai *runs for edit key*