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Dante's Inferno - Printable Version

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Dante's Inferno - Isopia - 01-03-2017

 
Continued directly after this thread. 



For a mind as philosophical and cold as Isopia's having been offered express permission for what she was about to do should have been enough. It should have swept away all doubt, any budding flowers of remorse or wrong-doing, and any hesitation.

And yet it did not.

Despite the fact that the aged and weary stallion before her had stated her case with a logic that even she found undeniable, something stayed her. Was it mere inexperience? She had sparred before, fought against opponents whose skills demanded respect, but she'd never fought to kill before.

Well, we all know that isn't exactly true. But that wasn't the same. That life did not have a face, did not have a mouth with which to plead, and did not bleed blood that she could see. There were no eyes which had slowly closed as life departed from them, only a faint thumping in her stomach which had slowly ceased. 

I will forever remember this act of kindness, he had said. And, I am so very, very tired of this life. I have no more need for it, and it has no more need of me.

Would her Father, were he here, give in to these demands? Her mind recalled stories of Midas, the former leader of the Falls who had been granted immortality, and yet whose life had been taken away by her Father. That morsel of insight suddenly steeled her nerve. 

If he can do it, so can I, she thought to herself. Though it was unclear if this was meant to be a pep talk, or whether she was merely absolving herself of wrong-doing.

"I hope you are right and that the next life is all that you seek." Isopia said, taking a breath, and closing her eyes for a moment. In any other battle, to do so would have been to give her opponent an unnecessary advantage, but she knew that despite Virgil's insistence that this would have to be a fair fight, that he would not attack her now. 

Hubris, who sat a few meters away on a pile of stones, folded his arms over his chest and whistled a low and sad note. Like Isopia, he didn't necessarily think what Virgil was asking was wrong, and yet some part of him wanted to go find a healer, go find a God, go find someone who could talk him out of this. But he could see the deep-set lines in the man's face and hear the weariness in his voice. There was no pulling him away from this, and yet the dragon still felt an overwhelming sadness. 

" I will try to make this quick." Isopia said. Now she did look like the demon Virgil had taken her to be earlier: as dusk fell, the fires from the heart reflected against her causing ominous shadows to stretch away from her, and edging her body in red. The air was warm and still, though there was very little light to see by now that the sun had sank down past the mountains that loomed in the distance. 

Grabbing for her rock magic, Isopia thrust and ill-formed mass of stone towards Virgil. She aimed for his head, thinking that perhaps if she knocked him unconscious she could spare him the pain and agony of dying. 



Setting: Helovia's heart, early nighttime, Birdsong.
Attack: 1/? (fighting until Virgil dies)
WC: 554


isopia
in places deep with roots entwined
i live among you, well disguised

Image Credits



RE: Dante's Inferno - Virgil - 01-17-2017

VIRGIL
of saints and sinners, 
& monsters and men.




Though Isopia's words were a kindness, suddenly the urge to have this business over and done with as quickly as possible consumed the warrior. Virgil knew that this process was not one which could be rushed; that his dying moments and all those proceeding them must be given their due prominence in the big scheme of things, still his need for the afterlife and his weariness of this life were like a weight upon his heart that was relentless. 

As Isopia's magic formed, for a moment Virgil lost sight of where he was and what was happening, and allowed himself to marvel at the earthen girl's power. He was now more certain than ever that meeting with Isopia had been serendipitous, and although had he remained where he was, with her rock-bullet careening for his skull, the battle would have ended much sooner, the warrior felt his muscles recoil as adrenaline pumped through his system. His mind knew that to give in would be no better than suicide and that the gates of heaven would remain closed to him. But perhaps more strongly, his body, hardened by years of training, would not be denied this final fight. 

Though age and failing eyesight stayed his movements somewhat, Virgil moved enough such that it was not his head which received the brunt of Isopia's attack, but the left side of his shoulder and neck. Pain echoed downwards in painful rivulets that both screamed glory to god and etched his soul one step closer to death. The pain and devastation his muscles felt was immediate and whole, and although Virgil cried out and tears sprang unbidden to his eyes, there was a ghost of a smile on his lips. This was exactly what he wanted, and more importantly, what he needed. He was no longer a spring chicken, was not infused with a warrior's spirit and a young man's need for danger that allowed him to push his body to its very limits and beyond. But what he was, was honest. And despite the tremors of pain, there was still more that he could do, to sanctify his soul.

Breathlessly he turned towards Isopia, for there was no running now. Rearing up onto his hind legs, he struck out with his right foreleg (the one undamaged by her rocky assault). Ghostly vapors wafted up around him, and what seemed to be a demon holding a sword appeared at his side. The sword was in fact a femur from the Tiger God that Isopia had ultimately killed. Had the two of them known this, perhaps the fated-ness of their meeting would have been even more sweet. The demon-hand struck, brandishing the blade towards Isopia's shoulder and aiming to slice her should she try and shimmy away from Virgil's outstretched foreleg. 



WC: 466
Attack: 1/?





RE: Dante's Inferno - Isopia - 01-17-2017

 
As pain and a sort of satisfaction that Isopia did not have the emotional capability to understand crossed Virgil's face, she once again felt the slick, dark feeling of regret rising up like water in the back of her mind.

She was going to kill him, and although logically she could find no fault in his request, something was still nagging her to stop.

But what? What could it be? Fretfully as the stallion gasped and an audible representation of his pain exploded from his lips Isopia searched her mind, trying to find the kernel of knowledge which could explain the hesitation broiling inside of herself. She had killed before, on more than one occasion. She'd even taken the life of an innocent, unborn child. The Mountain was already a monster; she was precisely the sort of demon that Virgil wanted and needed, so what was -

A ghostly apparition appeared at the stallion's side, brandishing a sword made from bone. Although Isopia knew that the stallion had intended to fight back - he had explained that his victory could not be passively attained - she had not been expecting this

With a quick and shallow inhale, Isopia tried to allow her mind time to calculate what her best defense was. She seemed to be forced between stumbling into his flailing foreleg, or being struck by his sword. Obviously, despite her relative lack of battle-know-how, she opted for the former. Evading the ghostly demon's sword sent her directly into Virgil's outstretched hoof. She felt the side of his hoof graze down her neck and then jarringly move outwards as it struck her shoulder. A dull line of pain pulsed down her neck and the swell of her shoulder, and although Virgil's attack would not leave a bruise, it would certainly leave her stiff tomorrow, and certainly for the rest of this battle. 

With her momentum already propelled to the side due to her doge of the sword, Isopia allowed her weight to continue to shift to her forehand. Her long and lean body tried to angle itself towards Virgil, so that her hindquarters might be in front of him. With her weight still forward, Isopia tucked her nose towards her chest and bucked. Her goal was to send her hind legs careening towards his face, neck or chest. As soon as her limbs fully stretched out, she retracted them and tried to trot a few steps forward and turn around, not wanting to be caught off-guard while there was a sword-wielding demon around. 

"I didn't realize you'd be calling in aid." Isopia nearly scoffed before controlling the tone of her voice. Her golden eyes narrowed as she looked at the sworded-creature, trying to decide the level of sentience it possessed, or its level of dependence on Virgil.



Attack: 2/? (fighting until Virgil dies)
WC: 464


isopia
in places deep with roots entwined
i live among you, well disguised

Image Credits



RE: Dante's Inferno - Virgil - 01-17-2017

VIRGIL
of saints and sinners, 
& monsters and men.




Her hooves found his chest and neck, striking in quick succession. Despite the pain and the slight clamping down on his wind-pipe, Virgil had the distinct feeling that this attack was somehow lesser than her previous one. Fear filled him, and briefly he wondered if this was the first step towards her recanting on her promise. First comes hesitation, and then abandonment? Virgil felt something steel inside of himself, wrapped and warped in sickly dread. He had come so far, had done so much. Surely she wouldn't abandon him now?

And yet as her body pivoted away from him, and his green-blue eyes skirted over the landscape, he realized just how close to hell he was. If she gave up on him now, he would charge into the sea and damn himself, all the while damning her. His fate was sealed one way or another, and only Isopia would decide if his soul ascended to heaven, or if it would fall to hell.

As the fire and lava flows of the heart churned and seemed to bubble brighter in the dimming light, Virgil wondered if he didn't already know the answer.

Wheezing slightly as breath returned to his lungs, his ears caught the words she tossed his way. "I told you that this was to be a fair and genuine fight. I cannot willingly release life from my body, no matter how much I might wish it." His voice was like sandpaper beneath a stone; jagged and heavy.  

Now that his shoulder and neck were ringing with pain, he decided to take advantage of the demon-soldier at his side, and take a momentary respite. Unwavering, the demonic shape moved forward brandishing the sword. It held the bone-blade upwards, both 'hands' curled around its hilt. Though there were no proper eyes with which it could see, it did somehow stare towards Isopia before lunging. The blade of the sword came down, aiming for her right shoulder, as that was the closest. It would not be a fatal blow, but perhaps it would temper Isopia's step enough such that she would be forced to remain close. And in close proximity to Virgil, perhaps the life-ending blow that he sought would come to him faster. 

Breathing heavily, for even he was not a young man any longer, Virgil limped forward. His head was held high, still proud even as pain continued to distort his face and haunt his movements.  The ghostly apparition did not retreat after attempting to attack Isopia. It was a creature of magic and for all Virgil knew, could not be harmed, and so the stallion gave no command that it should alter its course. 



WC: 445
Attack: 2/?





RE: Dante's Inferno - Isopia - 01-17-2017

 

His words made sense, and yet that lingering sense of discomfort still floated in the black-waters of her mind causing ripples to pulse against the back of her eyes every now and then. Now was one of those times. It didn't make sense. Logically she had no reason to be against this. No reason, but inside, she felt she had something else.

But what was it?

The demonic creature moved to attack her as she thought it might. Isopia's keen golden eyes watched the apparition, entirely unsure of what abilities it possessed. So far it seemed to more or less obey the laws of physics (other than floating of course, but that was seemingly a thing ghosts could do), but she would not have been surprised if it disappeared and reappeared at her side. >>Be ready for anything<< Hubris whistled into her mind. The dragon was still firmly distancing himself from this fight, but that did not mean he wanted to see Isopia unduly injured. 

As he neared, unknown powers or not, Isopia needed to act. Exhaling, she conjured a shield of stone, molding her magic into a shape she thought would best defend her against another strike from the sword-wielding ghost. Sure enough, just as the shield rose to defend her right side, she felt a magical-shutter run through her body just as if she had been physically holding the shield, and felt the reverberations of the sword rolling up through her arm. Isopia could hear a grunt escape her lips through the sound of shattered stone. She retreated a step to save her hooves from the brief shower of rock.

"Then you'll have to do better." Isopia said through teeth that wanted to grind together, but were forced apart, making her words sound more punctuated than she intended. 

With magic still tingling in her veins, Isopia conjured another amalgamation of rock. It had no real discernible shape, and was, like its predecessor, aimed to cause as much damage as possible. That is, aimed at Virgil's head. As she launched the stone, the feeling of wrongness once again sloshed against the back of her throat. It made her want to reach out and stop the stone, but of course her mind knew both that she couldn't (it was going too fast now, there just wasn't enough time), and that she shouldn't. At least, shouldn't in the sense of that would be what Virgil would want.

Still... her skull-marked face peered around the trajectory of the rock, wondering what part of Virgil - if any - might be hit. Would he try to dodge? Would he scream out? Would something crack.

>>You can do this<< Hubris whispered into her mind. Though in those seconds, Isopia couldn't tell if this was reassurance, or merely a statement of fact.

She could do it. Objectively she was much more powerful and strong than he was.

But would she?



Attack: 3/? (fighting until Virgil dies)
WC: 483


isopia
in places deep with roots entwined
i live among you, well disguised

Image Credits



RE: Dante's Inferno - Virgil - 01-18-2017

VIRGIL
of saints and sinners, 
& monsters and men.




Virgil isn't entirely surprised that Isopia is able to dodge his attack. He is no longer a young soldier, but even more relevant, he has never attacked using an enchanted weapon before. The sword-wielding demon is tethered to his thoughts somehow and obeys his command, and yet it isn't an extension of himself. Not really. It belongs in a world other than this one - and it is precisely that world that Virgil wishes to avoid. Part of the stallion feels rather sick at the thought of even using the weapon, almost as if it could further defile his soul and make his ascension to heaven that much harder. But Virgil is willing to take that risk, because what he fears even more, is Isopia leaving him here alone.

If he engages her in combat, he irrationally assumes that she will be forced to stay.

He isn't right of course, but it seems to be working so far, and so he continues.

Not for the first time this battle, Virgil's left shoulder takes the brunt of Isopia's attack. However now that it has been repeated, the surge of pain feels overwhelming and amplified far past the point of what any normal attack should have been capable of. The muscles of his shoulder feel stretched and torn (in fact they are), and despite the greyish blobby colour of his coat, immediate bruising can be seen as blood vessels are ruptured by her stones. The stallion does not try to place any weight on his leg, but part of him is curious to know if anything is broken. Surely something must be torn by now - the agonizing wall of pain is evidence of that - but he wants to know the extent of it. He wants to know just how close he is to reaching a state of brokenness that his mind cannot recover from. Just how badly will she have to assault him before he dies? What needs to break, in order for his life to slip away?

Through the haze of pain Virgil smiles slightly, feel his strength sap away. Isopia's attack had been harder, as he had intended. All was well then. Death was coming. 

Virgil wheezed as if he was about to say something, but then seemed to think better of it, merely shaking his head in Isopia's direction. Blood trickled down his left shoulder, wrapping around his knee and dropping to the nearly black stones beneath. The light had fallen so much that it was hard to make out the blood, but he could smell it well enough. Briefly, Virgil wondered if the demigoddess' dragon might be invigorated by the scent as well.   

"Will your ... dragon no-... -not join us?" Virgil panted, looking towards Isopia, trying to smile but likely not really doing much of anything. With a grunt, Virgil shifted as he used his mind to move the demon, which swung the sword clumsily; a clear indication of the stallion's waning energy.

The blade had no real target, for Virgil's eyes had gone blurry with the effort and he was finding it hard to focus. Would she move again? Probably. It didn't matter. Just so long as her attacks continued coming. 



WC: 533
Attack: 3/?





RE: Dante's Inferno - Isopia - 01-18-2017

 

Isopia could feel something in her mind slither away in recoil as her stones found their target. Virgil had managed to move enough so that the stones missed his head (allowing him to remain conscious), but the dull thud of their impact against his coat was unmistakable, even in the dying light. Isopia, not one for emotions, felt compelled to cry out for him. The lack of screams was unnerving, and though it appeared as though Virgil was once again trying to smile, the pain that etched the liens of his body were clear.

He spoke, and as the first notes of his voice hit her ears, she thought he was going to ask her to stop. To cry off this abominable fight so that he could live out the remainder of his days, and leave dying to a future version of himself. But that was not so. He seemed distracted, (or was he egging her on?), asking about Hubris. Distractedly, Isopia let her golden gaze move towards the bronze creature, who returned her stare with a bewildered one of his own.

"He is not one for fighting." She replied tersely. Silently Isopia tried to decide if Virgil was mentioning Hubris as a way of including him in the battle, so that perhaps all this would end sooner? Or was it merely the addled thoughts of a dying man?

Did it matter?

Isopia swallowed, her eyes now focused on the phantom shape moving towards her once again. She did not want to fight this thing. She didn't want this fight at all. How was she supposed to kill a man, made of flesh and blood, when he used ghosts and the bones of those already dead as his weapons? Rearing up, Isopia tried to strike out at the ghost, eager to see if it could be injured by physical assaults. As she expected, her hooves sailed right through it, and Virgil's clumsily-aimed attack found her wither. Because of their close proximity the blade acted more like a club than a knife, and although blood did not trickle down her shoulders, she did feel an ache as the force of the ghost's attack reverberated through her spine.

Deciding to switch her tactics, Isopia charged towards Virgil. Her intention was to gauge the right side of his body (the left had clearly already taken a beating), with her horns. She would pull the flesh from his bones if he could, if only to speed up this process. Once again as she charged, similiar to when she had thrust the rocks towards him only moments ago, something like hesitation threatened to blur her vision. It didn't matter of course, he was near enough that even with her eyes tightly shut she would still likely hit him, but the feeling was odd. It was disconcerting.

Isopia was not a creature who normally felt things, and that was especially true given that her memories of Volterra had been removed. Even when she did feel things, rarely was the type of feelings that could compel her to act. And yet her she was, considering closing her eyes to hide from the actions she had rationally decided to undertake.





Attack: 4/? (fighting until Virgil dies)
WC: 532


isopia
in places deep with roots entwined
i live among you, well disguised

Image Credits



RE: Dante's Inferno - Virgil - 01-18-2017

VIRGIL
of saints and sinners, 
& monsters and men.


Sweat had broken out of Virgil's coat, and though the Birdsong air was quite warm. it was likely due to shock than temperature. A coldness had settled into his bones, a sort of comforting numbness that secured in him the knowledge that he was almost there. It was interesting really, to try and die. Virgil was simultaneously pleased by the strength that his old bones seemed to posses, but also quite annoyed by their resilience. Did his mind have no say in this at all? His soul? Had his transgressions somehow fortified his body to make it harder to kill, so that this last act of penance was even harder than he might ever have guessed it to be?

He was an old man now. An old man who had wandered many worlds, who had failed enumerable times. A man who just wanted to die, and leave this life to those who wanted to live. To those who were deserving of it.

 Virgil's eyes turned towards Hubris, who was no more than a dull splotch of brown. The sun had nearly set and it had taken all the colour from the world, save from the brilliant reds of the Heart. Fire and lava still flowed and burned brightly around them, casting brilliant crimson hues around this battlefield. But when would the battlefield become a graveyard?

"Ahh well. We all have our reservations..." He said to the brown shape in the distance, his voice taking on an almost apologetic tone, as if forgiving Hubris for something.

As his sword collided against Isopia's back, Virgil anticipated feeling .. something. The sword was a magical extension of himself, was it not? And yet he felt nothing as the bone of the dead struck against the bones of the living. There was something unsatisfying in that, but Virgil didn't allow himself to dwell on it. Soon, it wouldn't matter. 

Although he could clearly see, despite the dying light, the demi-goddess coming towards him, he did not flinch. This was not because, as you might assume, he was eager to feel the embrace of her horns, but because he knew it was to his tactical advance. Given her currently trajectory, her backside was completely unguarded. Virgil's teeth sought out the exposed flesh of Isopia's neck even as her horns dug into the soft flesh of his neck, tearing down the right side and balancing-out the pain that already screamed for his attention from his left shoulder. Virgil's ears pinned against his skull and a gutter cry of pain, delight, need, necessity, want, meaning, and sadness escaped his lips. There were so many colourful emotions there, that, much like the mixing of a painters palette, the outcome was a brown sound, without life or dimension. His teeth sought her next as he gave the silent command for his ghostly accomplice to try and slice his sword down Isopia's backside. Hopefully, it would draw her attack forward and excite her passions for his blood. In short, hopefully it would piss her off.

Blood dripped down the dappled man's neck, but he could barely feel it. Already the feeling of cold sweat had permeated his bones and sank deep into his flesh. He was more like a dumb corpse now, than a man. 

All was going according to plan. 



WC: 550
Attack: 4/?





RE: Dante's Inferno - Isopia - 01-19-2017

 

Blood poured down Virgil's neck in what looked like a ruby tributary, gently bubbling away from some unseen spring deep within his body. Despite the seriousness of the situation, Isopia couldn't help but marvel at the ease with which her horns had sliced into his neck. Her Father was a relatively passive creature and Kahlua had no horns to speak of at all. That their offspring would be born with tools so adeptly honed for violence seemed important in some hard to specify way. Virgil's blood smeared against her neck as his teeth clamped against her own skin. But his teeth, unlike her horns, did not have the ability to slice. A dull clamping sensation extended outwards from the place where his saliva had marked a circle of growing pain. She did not cry out, but she did stiffen and try to pull away from his grasp.

Something about being latched onto by a man who was seconds away from death made her skin crawl.

As she backed up a step or two, she suddenly remembered Virgil's ghostly accomplice. Only moments ago she'd been smart enough to keep it in her sights, but now somehow she'd forgotten entirely. She felt the dull blade of the sword and its hilt come down on her spine - just above the dock of her tail. A scream of surprise left her lips, and Isopia had to hastily clamp her teeth together to stop the sound. Normally she would have done this simply because she wanted to control all of the non-voluntary reactions she had to things. Today however, it was because part of her wanted to spare Virgil any sort of grief at having caused her pain in the last seconds of his life, given the importance of the thing that she was doing for him.

Rather than ramming her body forward as her instincts told her to to escape the ghost and his sword, Isopia darted to the side. Virgil seemed close to death now, and she did not want the blow that ultimately killed him to simply be a knee-jerk reaction. There would be something lacking and ugly if what ultimately sent him on is way towards heaven or hell, was simply Isopia knocking into him.

>>Is this it?<< Hubris trilled into Isopia's mind, concern coating his mental words. The demigoddess did not look towards the dragon. She didn't need to after all, but even if she did, she likely wouldn't be able to make him out in the expanding darkness. I don't know. she replied, her mental voice uncharacteristically shaky and uncertain.

Surprisingly, Hubris lifted himself from the rock upon which he had been perched. He glided like a silent shadow over the battlefield, his leathery wings making little sound in the midnight air. Then, like an owl or a falcon, he dropped from the skies aiming himself directly at Virgil. His jaws opened wide and a stream of electricity blasted from his exposed lips. The beam was directed right at Virgil's heart. He hoped both that the electricity would briefly paralyze the stallion so that his last moments would not be filled with pain, but also that the upset to Virgil's cardiac systems might cause his heart to stop beating entirely. 

There had been enough blood already. Perhaps death could be more peacefully offered.

Just as silently as he came, and leaving Isopia with her mouth slightly agape for she had not anticipated the dragon's assistance in this task, she looked hurriedly back to Virgil, to see if her bonded's attack had been successful. 

>>You have killed enough.<< Hubris said mysteriously from the silent midnight shadows that he had slipped back into. She had, that was true, but she no longer remembered the life that she had murdered - the life of her child - that Hubris was ultimately referring to. And so his words seemed prophetic in some misguided way.  






Attack: 5/? (fighting until Virgil dies)
WC: 649


isopia
in places deep with roots entwined
i live among you, well disguised

Image Credits



RE: Dante's Inferno - Virgil - 01-19-2017

VIRGIL
of saints and sinners, 
& monsters and men.


Virgil's senses were deemed not immediately critical by his body, and so they had dulled significantly as his blood and attention of his mind were given to more important areas, such as his lungs and the beating of his heart. So despite Hubris' seeming attempts at stealth, they were unnecessary. Virgil's murky sea-green stare was focused on Isopia. He didn't even really register the dragon's blast until he felt his knees begin to give way beneath his body, and curious tingling erupt in his chest. The sensation of a cold light, like sunlight filtering through ice, came over him and he barely felt himself hit the ground. There was no pain, not really. Well, there was of course, but it was distant. Like a howling wind a few miles away that rattles your windows and screams through the trees, despite the fact that you're still safe inside your home.

Virgil's body was not quite as complacent with dying as his mind was, and involuntarily his legs kicked out, throwing ash and shale towards Isopia, as his body tumbled towards the ground. The man could barely catch his breath, for Hubris' attack had done more than merely disrupt the beating of his heart. His lungs seemed unsure of how to do their job, and despite the fact that his mouth was open, only a trickle of air was being pulled into his jaws. Virgil blinked stupidly, unsure which way was up. If asked (and if he could have answered), he likely wouldn't have been able to describe the state of his body. It was all so confusing.

He could taste ash and heat in his mouth, and though the hush and darkness of midnight was all around them, Virgil only saw a blinding white light. His lips, far too far away from his core functions to work did not move, but it felt as though he was smiling. In the white-milky depths of his impending death, he wanted to thank Isopia. To ... offer some last sentiment of appreciation. But language now seemed like an island that had drifted off in the distance. He could make out its shape, but no discernable features. Instead, he merely internally exploded into an outpouring of love, wanting to blanket Isopia and Hubris - and most of all Ava - in an embrace so dense and thick that there would be no questioning what it was he was trying to communicate. 

"A-"

He couldn't get up, but nor did he want to.

"v-"

Heavenly father who art in heaven..

"ah-"

..hallowed be thy name




WC: 426
Attack: 5/?





RE: Dante's Inferno - Isopia - 01-19-2017

 

When the stallion had told her that he would not willingly submit his soul to the afterlife, that it would have to be taken from him so as not to overstep any religious obligations imposed on him, he hadn't been kidding.

With death so close, Isopia would have thought for sure that his life would be in his own hands. Surely, with more and more of his fleeting life escaping with every shallow breath there was some switch - a button, a light, a door - to push, turn off, or walk through, such that her work was done. He was very nearly dead, and yet would not die.

As his body tumbled towards the earth, Isopia took a step forward without being fully conscious of what she was doing. It was only as shale and ash flew towards her face that she realized that perhaps the fight was not yet over. One stone, likely a hardened piece of lava rather than granite and coated with volcanic ash and dust, flew towards her eye, striking her in the black centre of her amber gaze. Pain rocketed deep in her brain as black circles spiralled outwards from her unseeing left eye. Defensively she closed both and stepped backwards, heading shaking unsteadily. Had that really been necessary? Somewhere inside of herself the regret and uncertainty she had felt had been replaced with rage. She was going this stallion a favour, and now she had potentially been blinded for her efforts.

Hesitantly she opened her left eye only to feel tears begin to pour out of it. Immediately she closed it again, knowing that she was not blind. Her anger dissipated as sounds croaked from Virgil's lips. Unsure of whether or not she should come near to him - whether or not he had any remaining tricks up her sleeve - she perked her ears forward trying to catch and piece together what it was he was saying.

Though perhaps he wasn't saying anything at all. Perhaps this was just what dying sounded like. 

That familiar blackish feeling of reservation crept over her, as she stared down at Virgil. He was so serene looking, so helpless. Now that she had time to think about it, she wasn't sure what she should do. Seconds away from death, Isopia knew that almost anything she could do to him would push him over the edge and into the unknown eternity that he sought. Even so, she felt paralyzed. Did she owe him more? Should her final attack of him be one that he could be proud of, if indeed there was a life after this in which he could feel pride?

Swallowing hard, Isopia looked into the darkness searching for Hubris. However with one eye closed and darkness all around them, there was no chance of seeing him. She groped mentally for him, and found him far closer than she would have thought. Flying, silently again, the dragonlingly moved towards Virgil. He did not appear hesitant or afraid, and landed close to the greying body. Hubris turned to look towards Isopia, his eyes full of confidence and sorrow. Extending a clawed hand, the dragon tried to place it reassuringly on Virgil's shoulder, offering a melodic trill that extended into some sort of song. As he reached the final note, he again sent a blast of electricity towards the stallion, though this time it was aimed at his head. 






Attack: 6/? (fighting until Virgil dies)
WC: 568


isopia
in places deep with roots entwined
i live among you, well disguised

Image Credits



RE: Dante's Inferno - Virgil - 01-19-2017

VIRGIL
of saints and sinners, 
& monsters and men.



guardai in alto e vidi le sue spalle
vestite già de’ raggi del pianeta
che mena dritto altrui per ogne calle.


Virgil's last thoughts were of Ava. He thought of the days when she was very young and his time spent with her was a series of attempts to keep her within his sights. She was playful, elusive and mischievous. She had been a beautiful filly and had grown into a child who had captured his heart with her every shining movement. He had adored her, and then come to love her. 

The world they had come from seemed so far away. He remembered the storm and the way that Ava had slipped past him, out onto the angry and tumultuous sea. He could see the island, and could almost taste the fear he had felt, thinking that she had drowned in the sea. He had followed her into the portal that had led them here, and had lost her soon after. Virgil had spent the entirety of his life guarding the girl with the rainbow palette, and yet he'd lost her here in this land of purgatory. Perhaps she'd not come through at all. Perhaps she really had died that day, he couldn't be sure. He wasn't sure of anything now, and not just because he was seconds away from death. 

The thought that perhaps Ava had died made the embrace of death all the more appealing. Although it was Hubris' hand on his shoulder, it felt like Ava's. She was there waiting for him. Calling to him. 

Allor fu la paura un poco queta,
che nel lago del cor m’era durata
la notte ch’i’ passai con tanta pieta.



"Ava-" He managed, rally all the remaining strength left in his body to say her name one last time. 


A le quai poi se tu vorrai salire,
anima fia a ciò più di me degna:
con lei ti lascerò nel mio partire;


Hubris' blast immediately and entirely overloaded his brain functions. In seconds, the watery images and memories of Ava disappeared into nothingness. The ghostly swirls of magic that had followed Virgil around since he had entered Helovia suddenly ceased, and the ghostly apparition holding the sword disappeared now that it was no longer tethered to a soul, the Tiger God's bone collapsing uselessly onto the ground. 


salimmo sù, el primo e io secondo, 
tanto ch'i' vidi de le cose belle 
che porta 'l ciel, per un pertugio tondo. 

E quindi uscimmo a riveder le stelle.





WC: 416
Attack: --- rip Virgil <3

Virgil's sword to Isopia




Quotes from dante alighieri!


RE: Dante's Inferno - Isopia - 01-19-2017

 

Isopia felt a swell of gratitude serge unbidden from her mind, directed towards Hubris. Perhaps it was because she no longer possessed the memories of the foal that she had murdered, but without the dragon's assistance in these last few crucial moments, Isopia wasn't entirely sure whether or not she could have completed the task she had agreed to.

Hubris did not turn to look back at Isopia, but instead stared at Virgil as life left his body. With a hand that did not shake or hesitate,  he reached out, gently folding the stallion's eyelids down, to hide his death-stare. For a long moment, neither of them moved. Virgil seemed so much smaller now. Was life - a soul - really so large as to animate a body in such a way that it was immediately obvious when it was gone? Isopia thought that perhaps it was.

She breathed in deeply, feeling her limbs wanting to shake. Her left eye was still closed, but she thought that if she tried, she could probably open it. 

"Thence we came forth to rebehold the stars." She whispered, the final line of Dante's inferno which in this moment seemed particularly apt. 

Though Isopia did not cry, her internal states matched those of one who was crying. She felt heavy, dissatisfied, and lost. Hubris had known what to do and she had not, and that was not the normal way of things. Though, asking for a fight to the death was not normally the way of things either. 

"Thank you." She said to Hubris, who had still not turned around. The dragon made no motion or indication that he had heard her, but of course he must have. 

The night was still and dark, like any other night.

And yet it was not. 




Attack: Closing "defence"
WC: 296


isopia
in places deep with roots entwined
i live among you, well disguised

Image Credits


Isopia's last sentence is from dante alighieri!


RE: Dante's Inferno - Blu - 01-19-2017

Virgil is dead, Isopia wins, HP gap = no judgement.
Isopia earns 1 VP
Isopia earns +2 VP for killing her opponent in battle by bringing them to 0 HP