Loose Ends and Lost Friends

"Loose Ends and Lost Friends" is a Season 3 Day 31 thread written on February 7th, 2015.
== Summary ==
== Full Text ==
Vox Arnason: Vox carried the rucksack on one shoulder, trudging through the field leading away from High Central. The emotional exhaustion he harbored was more than enough to discourage the long journey back, but the pity would have to be saved for another day.
I hate it here. I hate it here.
He threw each foot in front of the other, ready to make headway towards camp once more. He couldn’t wait to be home — it had been far too long since he’d seen anyone from the Rebellion... namely Tree.
I really hope she doesn’t hate me for leaving. I mean, even if I didn’t get the answers I needed. . . she has to understand. 
Darien Whiteland: She’ll understand.
Darien pulled his cloak tightly around him, breath steaming in the frigid gray air. Maralen will understand why I needed to return. She’ll be safe there among her…kind. And I will return eventually to search for the demon…she’s far too valuable to let run amok among vagabonds.
His familiar churred suddenly and nipped his almost-numb ear. “Ow!” Arceyx clicked his beak and took off, insistently pulling him faster in the direction he was already going. “Get back here! Get…” He sighed. “Stupid bird…”
Should be getting close to High Central in the next hour, anyway, he thought boredly, clapping his hands together to keep them warm.
Vox Arnason: Odin blast these ***** feet for not holding up.
It had been a while since Vox’s last excursion — two months, to be exact. He hadn’t build up the stamina he needed to further himself in a timely manner, and he feared his mission back to the Wilderwest was going to be far longer than he had anticipated.
I’m still walking. Why does it seem so much longer getting back?
He pressed on, cursing under his breath with every step he took. It wasn’t ideal, but he didn’t have a dragon. He hadn’t formed a bond with one long enough to keep it with him for any length of time, but he had always relied on himself for means of travel.
. . . what was that?
The sound of wings a fair distance away, Vox hadn’t been accustomed to hearing anything other than the wind through trees. It was an instant cause of alarm for him; the size of the beast was big, based on the whooshing the wingspan gave off.
Lay low, lay low… 
Darien Whiteland: Darien hunched over the griffon, pressing his lips together as he watched the wings pump up, down, up, down. 
He couldn’t take it any longer.
"Ah…excuse me…" He waved an arm vaguely. "Down. Down, griffon." The beast continued onward, unaware of his order. Darien sighed and pushed into its mind, and the griffon tipped into a steep dive as he directed its simple mind.
Arceyx, already two steps ahead of him, was circling nearer to the ground, amber eyes flicking over the landscape. The familiar’s mind picked up on something, and after doing a lightning-fast image comparison to Darien’s recollections, he hooted and flashed into the trees, hopping onto a branch and peering down at the man he’d found. Arceyx didn’t bother telling Darien about this yet, but it was certainly an interesting find. Spreading his wings and showing off the runes embedded in his feathers, he hooted again and turned his head nearly upside-down.
Vox Arnason: "My goodness. You’re beautiful."
Vox studied the owl, intoxicated by it’s visual charm. He had heard much about them from back home in High Central, but very rarely had he been able to see one this closely.
He dared not move, for fear that it may be hostile towards him. Vox could see the runes that decorated his feathers like jewels in a crown; they glowed against the sun as it passed through the trees. It was a sight to behold.
He better not aim to kill me. He’s a remarkable creature. 
Darien Whiteland: Arceyx righted his head and twitched his tail, staring intensely into the human’s eyes. The runes pulsed blue and a tendril of thought crept towards the man’s mind, taking advantage of his momentary distracted fascination. In abstract feelings and impressions, the owl conveyed that he wanted to know his name. 
The griffon drew nearer to the ground. Darien squinted into the forested landscape, looking for Arceyx. Where did that blasted familiar go…
Vox Arnason: This is so strange.
Vox stood slowly, keeping his gaze fixed on the owl. Careful not to startle it away, he held out an arm towards it.
"Hey, buddy. My name is Vox."
He smiled warmly, hoping to seem inviting enough for the bird to feel at ease with him. Maybe there was a chance it knew a faster way to the Wilderwest. These creatures were incredibly intelligent.
His concentration was broken by the wings beating far harder now than before.  They were far too close for comfort. He turned his attention away from the owl, and to the man and griffon edging closer to the ground a ways away from him.
Darien Whiteland: As soon as his back was turned, Arceyx shrieked wildly and slammed into Vox’s upper back, buffeting him with his wings, trying to knock him off-balance or even push him to the ground, all the while screaming out to Darien with forceful images of that day so many years ago. The announcement, the confession, the execution, all in quick and vivid succession. Darien just about fell off his griffon from the shock of it. What are you talking about? he demanded.
With a thud, the massive creature landed on the ground and shook itself idly. Darien hurriedly leaped off, blessing solid ground, and looked around for Arceyx. Where are you?
Vox Arnason: "ODIN!"
Vox fell to his knees, taken aback by the owl’s sudden jab against him. His palms hit the dirt beneath him, cutting the palm of his right hand on a sharp stone.
"Blasted bird!"
He shuffled to his feet once more, making an effort to escape the onslaught of the avian creature. He fumbled through branches and brush, hoping to get away unharmed. Looking back to see how far the bird was from him, he was suddenly stopped by what felt like a wall in front of him. He was thrown off balance once again, tripping over a branch and onto his behind.
"What NOW?"
He turned to see what had impeded his progress, only to be met by a pair of eyes belonging to a griffon. A massive, intimidating griffon.
Darien Whiteland: Darien frowned as he heard something thump into the griffon’s flank on the opposite side and began walking around it, shaking his head in exasperation. Arceyx continued to hit him with fragments of memory and the broken words of a boy. The amalgam of thoughts irritated him until he snapped, Who are you talking about?
"My…name…Vox…Arnason…!" the owl relayed in frustration.
Darien came to a complete stop, staring down at the man that was on the ground before him. Again. Arceyx landed on his shoulder, puffed-up and panting.
Vox Arnason: Vox remained where he sat, dazed at the moment of insanity he had been a part of. The owl was now perched upon the shoulder of a man, peering down at him from above. He stood in a familiar fashion, one that Vox had seen before. There was an overwhelming sense of familiarity in this situation.
…wait.
He studied the man, silent for the time being. He didn’t want to say anything that may cause him to wind up in a worse bind. He knew there was something about the figure that he knew. His hair, his facial structure… his stance…
No. This can’t be him.
Vox dragged himself away from the man, the epiphany struck him like an axe to the back. It was the mage that took the life of Dario. His best friend was dead at the hands of this man.
"S-stay back! I know who you are!"
He continued to pull himself away, paying no attention to the numerous cuts and scrapes adorning his hands and wrists. 
"You keep away from me, you monster!"
Darien Whiteland: "Ohh…"
Darien smirked. “So our paths cross again, boy.” He remembered well, now. His dark green eyes flicked over Vox as he scrambled away. “All by yourself, are you? Taking a walk in the woods? That’s dangerous, you know. Someone could get…hurt.” The griffon rumbled and tossed its head, clicking its beak and turning its head to stare at Vox with one eye. “You wouldn’t want your own foolish actions causing that again, would you?”
Vox Arnason: "Shut it."
Vox slowly raised himself up to his feet, not taking his eyes off of the mage. The rage inside of him was building. Images of High Central, the execution, his best friend…
"You killed Dario. You killed the only person I had."
He clenched his fists tight, moving closer to the man and his owl.
"Give me one good reason why I should let you leave here alive!"
Darien Whiteland: He raised an eyebrow. “You?” He let out a mild chuckle. “You’re going to kill me?” Brushing off his sleeves nonchalantly, he readied his mind with a dagger-sharp mental lance that was sure to do damage if thrust. “I’ll give you a reason. If you touch me, I can re-arrange everything in your head from your emotions to your memories to your sanity. Don’t test me. You won’t escape unscathed this time.”
Vox Arnason: Words. They are only words. He’s bluffing — he killed Dario. He can’t leave here and cause more harm.
I already let him escape once.
Vox was visibly trembling, fighting between survival instincts and emotions of grief for his friend. His lip quivered, and his eyes began to form tears. He was shaken and unbelievably upset.
"You’ve already done enough damage to my mind, fiend."
He took another step closer to them. He wouldn’t be deterred this time.
Darien Whiteland: Darien folded his arms. “We’ll see. You take another step and you’ll be paying with more than your friend and your mind.”
Vox Arnason: Enough.
Vox charged forward, blinded by pure rage and unable to contain the pure emotion controlling his every movement. Pulling back his arm, he swung straight for the man’s face.
Darien Whiteland: Oh, he actually went for it.
Darien managed to avoid the rage-blinded strike by a hair’s width. Grabbing Vox’s arm, Darien aimed for his own blow into Vox’s gut. Arceyx flapped into the air and circled overhead, keening at an unsafe volume.
Vox Arnason: Vox took the blow straight to the stomach. It was familiar to him; this was just like the first time he encountered this man.
It’s not going to end the same way.
He stumbled back, not deterred from his plan to take him out. Without missing a beat, he lunged forward again, throwing all of his weight into the man. The two fell to the ground, with Vox still throwing punches at anything he could hit on him.
Darien Whiteland: He went down hard and shielded himself with his forearm, grunting as pain lanced through the bone and up his arm. He had to admit, Vox’s defiance was admirable, even when he was in a flurry of rage and not thinking straight. Darien didn’t dare touch his mind, seething and untameable as it was. Yet.
Instead, his familiar descended on Vox, runes flashing, long talons open and swiping, just as wild as Vox’s punches, aiming for any open skin. Darien managed to heave out from beneath him and back away for a moment’s respite.
Vox Arnason: "Odin ***** it!"
He flung his arms around, hoping to hit the bird clawing at him. He was easily outnumbered, with three-to-one odds against him. It wasn’t anything he was considering in the present moment, as he had his judgement clouded by the rage that was bellowing inside him.
"I’m not going to let Dario’s death be in vain, you beast!"
He grabbed the owl by one of it’s wings, throwing it in the man’s direction. He was amazed at how his coordination hadn’t suffered from the fatigue he had endured, but being a scout, he was quick on his feet.
"You may have mistook my anger for weakness. I’m not letting you take any more lives."
He jumped onto the man as he tried to pull away from Vox, pinning his arms to the ground at each side. The frustration and fury in his face was burning.
I’ve never been this way.
But for Dario, I need to be.
Darien Whiteland: Darien gritted his teeth, panting heavily, staring up at Vox.
"What are you going to do?" he hissed, anger beginning to boil within him for the first time. "Kill me? It won’t make you any better than me."
He mentally stabbed into the back of Vox’s mind, digging around roughly for anything he could use as collateral, as a weapon. You think you’re not thinking straight now…just wait…
Vox Arnason: Why am I doing this?
The sense of the situation came to him in waves, but nothing was keeping him from wrapping his hands around the man’s throat. He pressed his thumbs into the center of his neck — he was going to put him through Hel.
This isn’t me. I’ve never killed anyone… I couldn’t kill anyone.
The man gasped and kicked his legs, hoping to hit Vox in any way that he could. Vox found himself unable to stop himself from applying more pressure to the man’s throat, his face still glaring meanacingly towards him.
…Dario wouldn’t want this.
His thoughts rang true. He knew how much of a pacifist Dario had been, until it came down to saving the lives of those who needed it.
There were no lives to be saved in this situation. Rather, the life to be saved could not be brought back. This entire ordeal would prove to be fruitless.
But why can’t I stop myself?…
Darien Whiteland: His hands wrapped around Vox’s and he struggled to give himself room to breathe. Darien picked up on a few of the thoughts flashing through his mind.
 ”It will do nothing,” he hissed, slamming an elbow into Vox’s locked arm. “Release me and I might let you live!”
Vox Arnason: Let him go.
He kept his grip firm — the tightness increasing by every second passing.
Don’t become what he was.
He clenched his eyes shut, trying desperately to keep the tears away from the man’s sight.
Don’t let Dario down.
Vox hung his head, choking back stifled sobs. He knew what he was doing was by far the worst way to handle the situation. Releasing the man, he cracked his knuckles, stepping away without letting his guard down.
“You let me go. You find me a dragon to get me home — no questions asked.”
This is such a long shot. He has no reason to help me.
“I never want to see you again, and I know you don’t want to see me.”
Darien Whiteland: Darien stumbled upright, brushing off his cloak and glaring at Vox, breathing heavily. “You’re fortunate that I have somewhere to be, boy.” He let Arceyx limp back onto his shoulder from the ground, wing dangling and broken, and the owl hissed at Vox, inflating his feathers. “You’ve injured my messenger, but…I suppose we are near enough for me to send a contact. I don’t have any way to convince you that the message will be sent.” He shrugged and the griffon cocked its head from where it had backed off nervously, snapping its beak. “But you don’t have a choice.”
Vox Arnason: You have to. You have no choice.
“Fine.”
Vox put his arms down, trusting that the man wanted out of this scenario as much as he did. Looking over to the griffon, he realized how quickly he could have been killed had the man wanted him dead.
“As soon as you can.”
Darien Whiteland: "Instantly." He reached out to one of his mages and ordered him to send a riding dragon to their location. The woman instantly obeyed, implanting the image and directions within the dragon’s mind. He figured there was nothing harmful out of sending him on his way, and hopefully it would prevent more hostilities in the future. "Stay where you are, though, I’d hate for the dragon to get lost on the way," he said with a slight smirk. "It should be here within the hour."
Vox Arnason: “Alright.”
He couldn’t say thank you. There were no thanks to be given to a murderous mage.
“I hope to not see you in the future. I’m sure you feel the same?”
Darien Whiteland: "The feeling is mutual." He eyed Vox and turned away to mount the griffon. "Don’t incite anything or I’ll have to come back to stop you again. And we both know how that would end."Category:Season 3Category:EventsCategory:Vox ArnasonCategory:Darien Whiteland
Category:BOTGD