Fantasy Silent Rapture - The Solomon Files

[Naberius]

Location: Over the Western Desert, Egypt
Timing: After the clue that lead to Moscow
Interaction: Harian & Gabriel

As Harian had her little outburst and her temper flared, Gabriel shot back with a calm, patient smile. He leaned in close as she was drifting off.
"Don't worry, you'll get me back. I'm sure of that. Rest. Together, remember? That's how we'll deal with this and every battle that comes our way. Like we should."

Gabriel simply smiled knowingly at Keh'wet and her look of utter shock. He supposed it was only natural, considering that ever since they became so inseparably close, Harian, and very likely he too, had been acting very different. He thought back to all the looks they shared, the quiet moments, and the time they spent alone.
"The even more shocking thing is I survived our first kiss. Talk about intense. I still don't remember about 98% of that entire day after we hit up that little supernatural diner in Paris. Nothing except that moment...."
He listened intently as she went over a few more key details of how djinn contracts work, the entire time the look of rage only grew. A cold, withering fury like a growing blizzard behind those ice blue eyes. It didn't matter a damn what the summoners intentions were, good or otherwise. Binding anyone against their will was robbing them of their most basic right. The right to freedom. All intelligent races were born with that right, no matter who or what they may be or become in their future.
"The most confusing part is not allowing her to talk about her feelings. Specifically, feelings for me. We can't....talk about things much. We care very deeply for each other, and I know where my feelings are coming from. And mostly what they are. It took a while to figure it out, but I've started to understand just what she means to me. And...That look she gets in her eyes sometimes....I know she feels at least similarly about me, but we can't even say anything about it. I promised I would free her one day. And I don't go back on my promises, even if I have to trade my life for her freedom. But that's neither here nor now. Let's get this over with and get our little road trip back underway. There are two key things I'd like to focus on. One...is specifically because it may prove useful someday. And the other is for more combat use. Shall we begin?"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Over the course of the darkening evening, Gabriel pushed himself to the absolute limits of his mental endurance, learning and practicing the techniques that would hopefully see them through their coming fight. After much deliberation, he settled on a classification of mystic arts he would be willing to learn. The first he wanted was a single ability. Banishing summoned entities. His chosen combat focus was the manipulation of one of the fundamental laws of physics. Gravity. It was a choice he arrived at by going over a combination of power and versatility. Then, it was finally time to do what he did best: hunting.

SilverFlight

 

[SilverFlight]

Location: Over the Western Desert, Egypt
Timing: After the clue that lead to Moscow
Interaction: Harian & Gabriel

Keh'wet listened quietly.
"It doesn't seem strange to me, I don't think she has been specifically ordered to keep her feelings unspoken, but think about it: with Harian instructed to protect your team you might have assumed this summoner is genuinely interested in saving the world, perhaps he really is just a good magician, helping the only way he knows how...but what if he isn't?"
She gave him a pointed look. "Harian has been summoned many times. Physical pain is familiar to her. She knows how to deal with it..but with you, I'd wager if anything happened to you it would cause her a very different sort of pain, one she has no experience with, it may be far more powerful..can you imagine then, if someone with ill-intent were to find that weakness in her? What he could do with it?" She smiled but there was no humour in it. "Summoner's will always ask what a djinn does, or what they have said, they will know almost every action, every word...but I've yet to meet a master who has ever asked how a djinn feels...no words, means the secret is safe from him. Harian has survived for so long because she has followed orders, because she has never before had enough of a reason not to carry them out...but now, you're here." Keh'wet looked away from him, out into the desert. "It's something to consider, anyway."

*~*~*

The ba worked tirelessly, making sure every element of the spells she taught was flawless. Magic was precise, but most importantly it was the shape of the intent, the detail poured into the will. That was they key to mastery.
The temperature had plummeted but the night sky was so clear, every star in the heavens glittered brilliantly above them. And nearby, the demon prowled. Glowing red with an angry evil, bent on ripping their spirits apart.
The barrier held for now, but the magic was beginning to weaken. The demon's aura had been pressing on it, wearing it away slowly but steadily. It would soon be weak enough for him to break. About him the remnants of his corpse-eater army slunk and whined. They would have to be dealt with too.

A hand came gently to Gabriel's shoulder. Brilliant green eyes smiled down at him. Harian was back on her feet. The dark stain on her clothing was gone and she looked much more like her usual self, only there was a spark of malice in that jewel-bright gaze.
"So, in what creative and painful way are we going to send this asshole back to Hell?"
Naberius

 

[Naberius]

Location: Over the Western Desert, Egypt
Timing: After the clue that lead to Moscow
Interaction: Harian & Gabriel

Gaabriel placed his hand on hers, putting on that brilliant smile he reserved only for her. The relief he felt seeing her okay was like the purest ambrosia. The tension and worry that had held his body rigid and his mind afraid for her safety melted just a little.
"We're going to solve this the millennial way. We arrange a peaceful protest, and inform him that this is a safe space and he has activated our triggers. Then we vape, dab in his general direction, and leave while he's confused."
For what was certainly not the first time, he was entirely sure he had gone insane. His response was very spur of the moment, his sense of comedic timing completely thrown out the window with the plummeting temperature and the constant mental strain of having his mind pumped full of knowledge and experience that was not his own. He stood and, still smiling, levitated slightly off the ground.
"Look, I don't even need wings. Also I was thinking we could just crush him with several atmospheres of pressure and call it a day."

SilverFlight

 

[SilverFlight]

Location: Over the Western Desert, Egypt
Timing: After the clue that lead to Moscow
Interaction: Harian & Gabriel

Harian could not have looked more unimpressed, she crossed her arms and waited for him to mention the violence.
"Now that's more like it."
The barrier began to crumble, but they were ready, or, as ready as they were going to be.
Keh'wet took a set of brass knuckles from her jacket pokcet. Not a gun, but better than nothing. Harian changed her form, growing tall, her arms covered in black fur and a lion's head snarling at their enemy. Two khopesh blades extended from her essence to gleam in her clawed hands. The Goddess Sekhmet, or a very good likeness of her.
"This will be your first time casting," Harian growled through her sharp canines, "so it'll drain you quickly. You'll need time to build the spell. I can give you that. Let me know when you've got the charge and I'll get clear. And Gabriel...if you let the magic drain you completely, you will die. Please...don't do that."

They didn't have any more time for talking. The barrier finally collapsed and the corpse-eaters surged in. Harian was there to meet them. Her blades spun with inhuman speed, taking heads off necks and legs from bodies. Harian was a force, and moved like the wind itself. Here in the desert, her power was strongest.
The beasts she kept at bay for the most part, but there were still a lot of them, Keh'wet was now fighting several and behind them all, watching with a grotesque, predatory grin, was the demon, and by the look on his face, he clearly had at least one more trick left...
Naberius

 

[Naberius]

Location: Over the Western Desert, Egypt
Timing: After the clue that lead to Moscow
Interaction: Harian & Gabriel

"Just remember that this is my first time and I'm liable to have performance anxiety. If I mess this up and we all die, you can only partly blame me."
He tried his best to sound as lighthearted as he always did, with limited success. In the back of his mind he knew very well that he could end up getting all of them killed it he messed up. But no pressure right?
He began drawing on experience gifted to him from another, power that was not yet his own. He called, and slowly it answered. It built like a steady stream. As the seconds turned into minutes, the stream became a rushing river, and on into a devastating waterfall of raw power. Even his impressive endurance was already reaching its end. His left leg buckled and gave out, driving him to his knees. But he had to keep going. He had to see this through, no matter what it might cost... He wouldn't let her die here. Not while he drew breath, not while he had the power to prevent it. His vision began to darken around the edges, a reverse corona.
"I hope you're ready for this. I don't know how much longer I can wait."

SilverFlight

 

[SilverFlight]

Location: Over the Western Desert, Egypt
Timing: After the clue that lead to Moscow
Interaction: Harian & Gabriel

Harian had lost track of everything else. There was only the fight. Wave after wave of the creatures. Her khopesh were slick with whatever served the demon spawn as blood. Every time one of them drew anywhere near Gabriel she would pounce on it in an instant, end it with one stroke before moving forward again to hold the line. Every body she slew dragged itself back to the demon, adding itself to his mass.
Gabriel was building the spell, she knew this, but when she looked back she could tell he was pushing himself far beyond the natural limit.
"Hells Gabriel! Cast it now!"
Harian dove to the side, rolling and coming up beside him. The demon roared and plunged his muzzle into the sand. A noxious gas poured from his mouth, staining the sand about him black. It veined out, coiling forward to surround Harian, Gabriel and Keh'wet. Where the sand turned it began to rise, trying to snake up their limbs. It caught up Keh'wet before Harian knew what was happening, dragging her down and pinning her. It tried to take her too, but she was a djinn of the desert, it would not betray her so easily. She stopped the sand from taking Gabriel, held it there, just below his ankle, but the sand was beginning to wind it's way up her legs...This was an attack she could not solve with khopesh, their only hope was to stop the demon.
Naberius

 

[Naberius]

Location: Over the Western Desert, Egypt
Timing: After the clue that lead to Moscow
Interaction: Harian & Gabriel

It started to get much harder for Gabriel to breath. His limbs were shaking and he felt himself start to fade into unconsciousness. He barely even noticed the strange mist until Harian was already at his side, yelling at him. The words registered far more slowly than they should have. Precious seconds wasted. With great effort, Gabriel raised his hands, looking as though he had grabbed hold of the very air around them. He pulled, and things got....strange. It was small at first, a light haziness one might see rising from asphalt on a particularly hot summer day. Gradually, it grew, centered on the massive demon hound. It's knees started to shake, the sand around it started to move first away, then back towards it as an incredibly dense gravity well began forcing everything within a few feet straight down into the earth.
"Hey creepy, no touching on the first date!"
Gabriel ripped his hands straight down, sending the giant thing crashing to its knees, and onward to it's stomach as muscle, bones, and internal structures began to collapse under the weight of several dozen atmospheres of pressure. The same kind of crushing force found at deep ocean levels. Bones snapped and splintered, the sand no longer able to be pushed further down acted as a massive anvil to his unorthodox hammer. He poured out ever last bit of built up power he had, sending it out like an avalanche of pure mystic fury, pounding their enemy into the ground. No matter how strong it may be, there was no escaping gravity. As one of the most powerful forces in the universe, it could not be denied, but it could be weaponized. Redirected.

SilverFlight

 

[SilverFlight]

Location: Over the Western Desert, Egypt
Timing: After the clue that lead to Moscow
Interaction: Harian & Gabriel

Harian watched with a mix of awe, worry and fear. No mage she had ever seen had poured so much energy into a spell without spending up all of their own life force.
The creature didn't even have time to scream, it went from standing to a crumpled mass of oozing flesh in the time it took Gabriel to bring his hands down. The unfortunate corpse-eaters that were too close were likewise flattened beyond recovery. The black sand stopped fighting and Harian sent it flying away from them, but her focus wasn't on the black sand. Nor was it even on Keh'wet, who had nearly been eaten up by the ground. It was on Gabriel, she stood ready to catch him, her green eyes filled with concern. Expending that level of power when he had literally only cast one other spell was near suicide.
Naberius

 

[Naberius]

Location: Over the Western Desert, Egypt
Timing: After the clue that lead to Moscow
Interaction: Harian & Gabriel

The overwhelming amount of power he threw at the monster crushed its body into a fine paste. They were safe. She was safe. But he could tell already that he had put far too much into his casting. He overdid it and the consequences were already making themselves known. He saw Harian just as his vision began to fade entirely. He smiled that warm, special smile as he fell face first into the sand. The light behind his eyes was no longer there. With the last of his strength, he said the one thing he could think of.
"I'm.... Sorry..."
The last wisps of life receded from his body as he stopped breathing. His heart went still.

SilverFlight

 

[SilverFlight]

Location: Over the Western Desert, Egypt
Timing: After the clue that lead to Moscow
Interaction: Harian & Gabriel

Strong arms made sure Gabriel didn't face plant. Harian turned him, cradling his head in the crook of one arm. She called his name, hearing the weak apology. She called his name louder and shook him. The green eyes, set into that feline face were filled with panic.
"Gabriel! Damn you! Breathe!" She shook him again but she could no longer feel his heart beating. She knew what was happening. The magic had taken too much.
"Gabriel...No.." Her voice broke. "You can't...I-I won't let you die..."
She held him tightly, pressing her muzzle lightly against his cheek. In all the 3000 years she had been dragged back and forth between planes, Harian had never once begged. Not for anything or anyone, but as she sat in the sand, clutching his body, desperation tore one small word from her: "Please..."
"Harian!" A voice yelled urgently, but Harian only registered that it had been Keh'wet when she was already pushing the djinn aside. The syringe she held came down and she plunged the adrenaline shot straight into his heart.
Keh'wet drew back, the empty device in one hand and together, they waited. For Harian, each second was a fresh agony.
Naberius

 

[Naberius]

Location: Over the Western Desert, Egypt
Timing: After the clue that lead to Moscow
Interaction: Harian & Gabriel


Gabriel floated in a sea of darkness. A stream. Others like him flowed around him like black water. He heard and felt them more than saw them. Suddenly he felt a cold, iron grip take hold of his shoulders and he was lifted up. He could see a faint light now, just ahead of him.
"Not yet. You still have work to do."

The next feeling he registered was overwhelming exhaustion. As though he had just done a triathlon with no rest. His muscles ached. His breath came in short, quiet bursts. Ragged, barely registering at first. His heart beat was slow but quickening as the chemicals did their work. He slowly opened his eyes, staring up into the worried face of the most important person in his world. He tried his best to smile, but was too tired.
"Charon has really cold hands..."
His voice was barely a whisper. It was all the strength he had. He closed his eyes again. His heart beat steadied and his breath began to normalize once more.

SilverFlight

 

[SilverFlight]

Location: Over the Western Desert, Egypt
Timing: After the clue that lead to Moscow
Interaction: Harian & Gabriel

"Charon has really cold hands..."
Harian felt as if she were turning to water. Relief flooded through her and she held him close, stroking his hair with gentle, clawed fingers, not caring enough in that moment to worry about what Keh'wet or anyone thought.
"Not a good time to celebrate." Keh'wet said uneasily. The demon was in impossibly-bad shape, but as his body had been made from tattered corpses, so it was still moving, and if they watched for long enough, they would see it reforming. They did not watch long enough.
""Your idiot"," Keh'wet said, using Gabriel's words, "has near-killed himself and left us no way to banish that shithead!" She threw a hand in the direction of the fleshy mass and was clearly angry. The corpse-eaters that were still standing were sluggish and no longer looked like they would attack. Tied to the demon's will, which was mixed in with the fleshy pulp somewhere, likewise reforming.
"All that effort teaching him and he's too stupid to use the power."
Harian opened her mouth to argue, but couldn't really, and so closed it again.
She stood up, big enough as Sekhmet to carry Gabriel carefully in her arms.
"You're going to fly out of here." She told the ba. "You will go get us help. Meanwhile, I will try and take him as far away from the demon as I can."
"On foot?" Keh'wet looked at her in disbelief. "I really can't convince you to leave him here? I'll get you a new human. There are plenty."
Harian walked past the ba, the royal warrior's garb of Sekhmet flowed behind her in the desert wind. She was already starting out into the dunes.
"Don't take to long Keh'wet, or the demon will reform and catch us."
The ba swore, but soon Harian saw a bird fly swiftly overhead.
The djinn looked down at Gabriel, sleeping peacefully and adjusted her arms a little to make him comfortable. Then, she started at a jog, carrying him across the sands. Above them, the stars of the milky way ran a glittering band across the inky blue, an inverted trail for her to follow.
Naberius

 

[Naberius]

Location: Over the Western Desert, Egypt
Timing: After the clue that lead to Moscow
Interaction: Harian & Gabriel

As Gabriel slept, he dreamed of vivid visions of memories that were not his own. An ancient battleground. A massive, towering humanoid beast. A den of vampires. Werewolves stalking through a forest. Too many different scenes to grasp them all. The steady rise and fall of his breath, and the steady drumming pace of Harian's footsteps pervaded his mind as, after nearly two hours, he began to stir. He felt strong arms holding him firmly but gently, felt himself pressed against another body. He opened his eyes. At first, he thought it was another vivid dream. But those beautiful emerald eyes told him just where he was. He raised a mildly trembling hand and touched her fur covered cheek as she ran. He smiled up at her, some of his strength returning.
"A furry. I'm dating a furry."
His eyes met hers, filled with a mixture of emotions. Joy. Hope. Affection. And something new. Potent. Love. He finally understood what she meant to him, fully and completely. His brush with death was the catalyst for his epiphany. He never wanted to live a single day without her.
"I'm glad you're alright."

SilverFlight

 

[SilverFlight]

Location: Over the Western Desert, Egypt
Timing: After the clue that lead to Moscow
Interaction: Harian & Gabriel

Harian was still thinking of the battle when he stirred, more specifically, of her own reaction to seeing him go lifeless before her eyes:
Death frightened her. It wasn't natural to her, she hadn't, like mortals, grown knowing it would come for her. She had learned of death the first time she had been torn from her world. She had learned it could come for her too. The thought of it had haunted her ever since, but to see it so close to taking Gabriel...somehow that had frightened her more.
She felt the hand on her cheek and it startled her out of her thoughts. She looked down and her eyes found a familiar, comforting blue.
His expression caught itself in her memory, and she couldn't help but reply with one similar.
"Who says we're dating?" She countered with half a smile on her feline face. "This is just your birthday present."
She slowed her pace, but didn't stop.
"I could change back," she offered, "but we'd be a lot slower, and I'd be dragging you...and then you'd have a lot of sand in...uncomfortable places."
His earnest admission turned her half smile into a full one, gentle and caring. "You really are an idiot..." That was what she said, but it sounded like she had meant something else.
"Keh'wet should have reached the delta by now, she will hopefully find us a rover, or something. We need to keep moving. The demon you didn't banish is going to come after us very soon. The desert gives him power, just like it does for me, but there's something else...I've fought a demon like him before...this one is a lot stronger...almost like that pestilence demon back in London..."
Naberius

 

[Naberius]

Location: Over the Western Desert, Egypt
Timing: After the clue that lead to Moscow
Interaction: Harian & Gabriel

Gabriel's smile turned devilish and full of mischief.
"Oh, that's why you had your hand under my shirt, and why we cuddled in the back of an airplane pretending that the world wasn't so bad. Because it's my birthday."
He continued staring up at her, it felt good to be teasing and joking with her again. He didn't want to think about how close he came to losing it forever. He lay there, looking up into the face of the one person who made the world feel like it wasn't so dark.
""Hey... You don't have to say anything. I... Feel the same way about you."
He didn't want to admit it out loud, but he didn't mind being held. At least, as long as it was her.
"I'll swallow my pride (hehe, lion joke) and let you carry me like this. We'll make better time. And... I don't think I can run right now."
He looked up into the beautiful night sky, staring at the stars with utter contentment. He was just glad she was okay and that they were back together again. Then, he thought of something he realized might be important. In a personal sense, anyway.
"Hey... There's something I have to tell you... But, I'll only say it if you want me to. Almost dying like that made me realize something I should have known all along. Something that was staring me right in the face the entire time. But... It might be dangerous to share it right now. So I leave it up to you. If you want to hear it, I'll tell you. Or we can wait."

SilverFlight

 

[andujarprime]

Location: Home--- Kitchen
Timing: Sometime after returning from Paris
Interaction: Hino, Hayle, and Ayramis

Sitting at the kitchen island Ayramis pondered their words. “You know, I can’t say I’ve had much need to ask him for his name. So I suppose you’re right.” He said looking down at his glass. He clicked his teeth and the Jackal hopped away from Hayle, licking her fingers first. Then made his way to sit beside Ayramis looking up at him with its head tilted. “So, we’ve been together for I don’t even remember how long. Would you like to tell us all your name?” Ayramis asked him curiously as he reached down to scratch its ears. It yipped and wagged its tale happily then just sat at his feet. “Or not, you spoiled brat.” He muttered before turning to everyone else. He looked at each of them in turn first at Hayle. “Your aura, it’s familiar. Not that I know you exactly, but it’s similar to some I have sensed in the past, yet different. I just can’t put my finger on it.” Then he turned to Hino “Yours, very ancient, very powerful. An aura not unlike my own. But we aren’t here to guess each other’s lives right? We’re here to enjoy food, drink, and perhaps the sharing of said lives.” He said to them as he took a sip of his wine.

KhazTheGiraffe GamerCarrot

 

[SilverFlight]

Location: Over the Western Desert, Egypt
Timing: After the clue that lead to Moscow
Interaction: Harian & Gabriel

Harian seemed caught off guard. Her memory drifted back to the plane and in his room before that. She looked away, dark ears laid back against her golden headdress, embarrassed. "If you're gonna rub every little thing I do back in my face..."
"Hey... You don't have to say anything. I... Feel the same way about you."
The djinn paused at that, and her face softened. She said nothing, but gave the tiniest of nods.
When Gabriel threatened to confess something Harian tried not to look worried. Near-death revelations were always serious, and the djinn's imagination was already lining up possibilities.
"I just got you out of one dangerous situation...at least wait a bit before leaping into another."
Harian ran on, well into the night. It was only a while after that a foul scent caught on the wind. Harian stopped and turned. There was something, a pack of somethings, racing toward them, following Harian's tracks in the sand.
"Look's like our time's up." She growled.
There weren't enough of them to give Harian much pause, but she knew the remaining corpse-eaters would only have been sent to slow them down. She really hoped that Keh'wet was closer than that demon right now.
The djinn picked her pace back up. She wanted as much distance as she could get before the creature found them. She didn't realize it, but she held onto Gabriel just that little bit more.
"They'll catch us in the next ten minutes. I'll have to set you down to take care of them. I know there's not much point saying this but...don't do anything reckless."
Naberius

 

[Naberius]

Location: Over the Western Desert, Egypt
Timing: After the clue that lead to Moscow
Interaction: Harian & Gabriel

Gabriel felt a bit bad seeing her react negatively to his teasing. He wrapped an arm around her, pressing his face into her arm. The best approximation of a hug that he could pull off given his current position.
"Hey. You don't have to feel bad because you have feelings. You can touch me all you want..... That came out wrong.... What I mean is.. Those little moments are all we have right now. We should enjoy them as much as we can."
She nodded, he winked conspiratorially. Their little secret.
"I suppose you have a point. We'll talk about it.... Later."
He looked up into her eyes again, trying to send his feelings through a single look.
"One day."
Those two little words held a world of meaning. One day, he would confess his feelings. One day, she would be free and they could express their emotions openly. One day, they could be together. As they should be.
He watched her expression turn grim as she realized they were being followed. Her senses were much sharper than his, and he couldn't quite make out anything. But he trusted her with his very soul. Her grip tightened and for a moment, Gabriel thought he felt just a bit of how she saw him. What he meant to her. And he couldn't help but smile. It was short lived, however, as time ticked on and the beasts grew closer.
"Me? Reckless? Never. Caution is practically my middle name. Put me down when you can. I think I can at least stand now. I won't let you do this alone. Together, remember? I made you a promise."

SilverFlight

 

[SilverFlight]

Location: Home Base
Time: After the 'Drunken Events'
Interaction: Nero, Jophiel, eventually Lucifer

Jophiel regarded Nero thoughtfully as he spoke. "There are few things that retain their original description when so many years have come between them." He gave the boy an earnest smile.
"Technically the books never describe us as having wings, but..."
They may have just appeared, or they may have been there all along. It was hard to be sure, but there were there now: a pair of brilliant white wings that seemed to shed their own gentle light, folded neatly against the back of his vest.
"Nero, you are a very special being. You have the blood of a mortal, and an angel. You are very likely the last living nephilim on earth. I was asked by...a friend, to look after you, and keep your presence a secret from..." He hesitated and looked worried before pointing a finger up. "The others."
Jophiel did not say why this was the case, or what were to happen if they were to be found out. Jophiel said nothing of what he was risking.
Crazy Trey-n

 

[SilverFlight]

Location: Over the Western Desert, Egypt
Timing: After the clue that lead to Moscow
Interaction: Harian & Gabriel

Harian ran as far as she could before the beasts were right on top of them. She set Gabriel down gently at the top of a dune.
There was a lot she wanted to say too, it showed in the conflict behind her green eyes, but there was one thing she could say:
"Gabriel, I'm going to protect you. Whatever threats come. I'll be here, standing against them with you...I think I might've finally gone nuts, but...I will." To her orders, it meant only as far as her master willed it, but to Harian, those words were a promise, made for time well beyond that.
As the corpse-eaters lunged her Khopesh were already there, greeting the first necks with incredible speed and precision. The next ones stopped short and began circling. Harian went for one but it darted back. She understood. They would not engage unless Harian tried to take Gabriel and run. When she tried to fight, they would keep away, stalling until their master arrived. They snarled their taunts, and Harian laid her ears back and roared hers. A jet of white flame poured from one of her hands and struck one unlucky beast, turning most of it to a charred husk. They were wary of the fire afterwards and it became almost impossible to hit them.
"Any ideas?" Harian asked Gabriel as she backed up close to him.
In the distance, the faint roar of a vehicle motor could be heard, coming from the direction Keh'wet had gone.
Naberius

 

[Naberius]

Location: Over the Western Desert, Egypt
Timing: After the clue that lead to Moscow
Interaction: Harian & Gabriel

The smile Gabriel gave her was less of a show of emotion and more of a confirmation that he understood her underlying meaning. Her bindings may prevent them from doing and saying many things. But they couldn't prevent them from letting each other know just how much they cared for one another. Not entirely. They would see this through together. Side by side.
"We'll face the future together. That's what people on the same team do, right?"
It was as generic and bland of a response as he could make, with no true meaning outside of the words themselves except to her. He wanted more than anything to scream his feelings for her out for everyone to hear. But it would have to wait.
He stood on shaky legs still not fully recovered from his exertions. But he wouldn't ever let her go it alone. Never again.
"Scully, when do I ever have ideas that aren't horribly dangerous, stupid, or both?"
He drew the pistol tucked into the waist of his pants. Only two rounds left. One in the chamber, one in the magazine. Not nearly enough.
"Think you can blind them with that sand trick you did earlier? We could make a break for it if we had a distraction. I only have two rounds left. We have to make them count."

SilverFlight

 

[SilverFlight]

Location: Over the Western Desert, Egypt
Timing: After the clue that lead to Moscow
Interaction: Harian & Gabriel

"So I'm learning." Harian smiled at him.
Despite the confession that his plans were always bad, the idea he came up with was a brilliant one.
Harian shot him a sharp-toothed grin and pulled on the wind. The sand shot upwards, straight into the eyes of the creatures. They howled and pawed at their faces. Harian went for the nearest two and cut them down, then she darted for Gabriel.
"Time to go." The Khopesh vanished from her hands and she picked him up unceremoniously. There were lights in the distance now. Two of them, they bounced together as the rover raced across the dunes.
"I don't think I've ever been happier to see that dumb spirit." Harian started towards the rover. A ripple in the sand made her stumble. Then a shockwave sent her tumbling. She held onto Gabriel as they rolled, coming to a stop at the bottom of one of the dunes. Harian looked up just in time to see the sands of that dune part, and the demon, mangled corpses of it's body spilling black ichor, step out before them.
"There is no escape. You are like insects before the Spring of Power's might."
The corpse-eaters had not yet recovered, but they were stumbling and sniffing their way over. Closing them in.
All of a sudden one of the beasts exploded, crushed under a set of massive tires. Keh'wet skidded to a halt almost too close to her allies, the rear door appearing right before them.
"Get in!" She snapped.
Naberius

 

[Naberius]

Location: Over the Western Desert, Egypt
Timing: After the clue that lead to Moscow
Interaction: Harian & Gabriel

Gabriel had no time to react. With a grunt of surprise, he was hefted up like a sack of potatoes and they were on the run again. This time, he could see their pursuers on their heels, blinded but driven by a mad will that wanted only their deaths. They went skittering across the ground as the monster he had pancaked reappeared again, very clearly just as angry as before. The noise from the engine grew closer. When the beast was turned to powder and their savior skidded to a stop inches away from their prone forms, he almost cheered. He hefted himself up, pulling Harian with him as a sudden burst of strength flooded his body, powered by sheer will. As he opened the door, he leveled the handgun directly at the massive creature.
"Eat shit, creepy."
He fired both rounds into the general area where it's face should be before slamming the door shut behind him.

SilverFlight

 

[SilverFlight]

Location: Over the Western Desert, Egypt
Timing: After the clue that lead to Moscow
Interaction: Harian & Gabriel

Harian felt the pull. Her current form, she noticed, would have trouble fitting in the back seat of the car, so as she followed Gabriel back to her feet she shifted, becoming her usual, small, raven-haired self. As Gabe turned she stepped behind him, clear of the shots.
The demon looked like he had recovered, but as the bullets collided with his skull it became clear that this would be the final blow. The demon screeched as the silver ripped through his skull. Half of the great hyena head was now missing, spilling it's oozing black contents onto the dunes. The torn corpses that made it's body began to slide apart, turning to dust as they hit the desert ground. Harian watched as the corpse-eaters fell too, crumbling before their eyes as the last of the demon's power finally faded away into nothing.
Harian didn't wait to see if that really was it. She grabbed Gabriel's arm and hauled him into the car, reaching over him to slam the door shut.
"Drive!" She yelled and Keh'wet stamped on the gas.
They flew away in a trail of flying sand and only when the dark puddle that had been the demon was barely visible, did she slump against the back seat and allow herself to relax.
"You owe me a plane." The ba said casually. Harian waved her acquiescence with a vague gesture, then she saw the bag of supplies sitting on the front seat.
"Shirt." She said, realizing that Gabriel had been out in the desert shirtless for most of the night. He was most definitely cold.
"Are you sure?" Keh wet said with a sly grin in the rear-view mirror. "I don't mind."
Harian glared angrily back and snatched the bag off the seat while she did.
The bag contained warm clothing, more medical supplies and about as much junk food as the rest of the bag could reasonably contain, to regain energy after casting.
Harian offered the bag to Gabriel. "You should eat, or you're going to feel like absolute shit when the sun comes up."
The djinn was not used to fretting about people, or worrying over them or caring for them. That was Jophiel's job. Nevertheless, for Gabriel, she would. To the best of her very inexperienced ability. She wanted to.
Naberius

 

[Naberius]

Location: Over the Western Desert, Egypt
Timing: After the clue that lead to Moscow
Interaction: Harian & Gabriel

Gabriel couldn't help but sigh with relief and let out a slightly maniacal, morbid peel of laughter. They had survived. Barely. They had been to hell and back, they were battered and beaten and sore. But they had survived. At the mention of clothes, he finally noticed just how horrifyingly cold he was. The shivering was only partly due to exhaustion. He was also freezing cold. He graciously, gladly accepted the bag and threw on anything and everything to get warm. He shivered silently for a moment, trying his best to warm up his cold limbs. Then, he had a really bad idea. He scooted closer to Harian, leaned in and looked her in the eyes. Then, he stuck his freezing cold hand against her neck to startle her, laughing like an idiot as he did.
"Sorry, I had to. Also, this is definitely the most...... exciting birthday I've ever had. Probably not what you had in mind, but hey. We're all alive, right? That counts for something."
While he spoke, he stared into those perfect eyes the entire time. His hand found hers, and gave it a gentle squeeze. They made it. It may have been a close call. But they had both learned from the experience. Learned things about themselves. And each other.

SilverFlight