Elira woke with a start to the terrifying sounds of a growling animal coming from just outside her tent. She jumped up, wondering if Vincent was battling Chaos, but the snarling was of a lighter timbre, as if from an animal much smaller than the demon. Still, she shifted quickly over to her pack in the growing light filtering through the material of the tent, removing the tranquilizer gun; better to be safe than sorry, she reasoned, making her way to the flaps of her tent.
She peered out carefully to find herself looking at the back of Vincent's leg. Glancing up his rigid frame, she saw that he had his gun at the ready in a steady hand, his expression one of grim concentration. Elira followed his aim to see the source of the growling.
At first, she was inclined to believe that the beast before Vincent was a Kalm Fang, though she had no idea how one would've managed its way up here. A moment of observation was enough to convince her that it wasn't. It was twice the size of one of the animals on the Midra Continent, easily as long as Vincent himself. The fur raised in agitated spikes along its arched back was a deep, inky black that rivaled Vincent's hair for pure darkness, and its teeth were the teeth of a hunter, not of a scavenger, protruding sharply from the top of its mouth to hang menacingly over its quivering bottom lip. And its eyes...Elira couldn't look long at its eyes. It was almost like looking into an endless pit, as if a fathomless evil rested within the beast.
She inhaled shallowly in some fear as the animal, if it could be called an animal, noticed her, its eyes shifting slowly and then staring as if it was able to see right into her. She shivered and found herself unconsciously edging closer to Vincent.
"Go back into the tent."
She glanced back up at Vincent's face in alarmed confusion, though he wasn't looking at her, his eyes trained unwaveringly on the strange animal. "What do you mean? You're not just going to stay out here and fight this thing, are you?" The idea of Vincent fighting this creature seemed almost ridiculous to Elira, though she wondered if she felt this way only because she'd never seen him shoot to kill anything. He must've at one point, though, she realized, since he was in Avalanche.
"I'm open to other suggestions," Vincent intoned flatly, almost testily as if her unvoiced refusal to retreat into the tent upset him. After a moment, however, he continued, his voice softening. "I may not have to fight. If it had come with the intention of attacking for food, I believe it would've attacked by now."
The beast's growl reminded Elira of the noise made by an exposed motor. It was still glaring at her hatefully, pacing warily as if gauging its next move.
"If it's not hungry, what does it want?" she asked quietly, now keeping her own eyes on the animal, fearful that it might attack at any second, though she didn't doubt Vincent was ready to spring if that happened.
"I don't know. I suspect, however, that we are in its territory and it is merely inspecting us."
Elira glanced back at those horrible eyes and shuddered. It wasn't like any inspection she'd ever received from a wary creature; this beast looked as if it wanted to kill them. "What should we do?" she wondered in a whisper.
"You should go back into the tent," Vincent restated softly. He looked about ready to continue, but his voice failed him as the animal turned abruptly and began to lumber away from them, as if suddenly losing interest. Vincent didn't lower his gun or his eyes until the beast was completely out of sight.
Elira didn't realize how shallowly she'd been breathing until she began to feel a little lightheaded. Inhaling deeply, shakily, she muttered, "I wonder what that was," as she slipped back into the tent to change.
"It had no scent."
"What?" Elira poked her head back out of the flaps. "What did you say?"
"It had no scent I could detect," Vincent said again, holstering his gun.
Elira frowned. No scent? How could an animal have no smell? Perhaps Vincent was mistaken, she mused as she withdrew into the tent again. But, that was unlikely. She'd noticed how his senses seemed far more sensitive than her own; if he said there was no scent, she was hard put not to believe him, no matter how odd it sounded.
It didn't take Elira long to change, fold up her tent, and then gather her things in preparation for the continuation of their journey through the forest. She almost said once that it might be better for them to go back to the village and get a ride from someone, but she stopped herself before uttering one word. She imagined this was hard enough for Vincent without having to worry about what could happen if others were around. Besides, that animal hadn't done anything beyond look at them, smell them. Even if something in its eyes had frightened her, there was no reason to believe that it had intended them harm. Maybe the eyes of this species just looked that way. Still, she shivered as she recalled them, pupiless and inhuman.
Filled with chaos...
The walk was uneventful. Elira found herself tired as they began, not even willing to venture a guess at how early it was. As the day progressed, however, she began to wake up, gaining more energy. The added weight of Vincent's coat still kept the majority of the mosquitoes from reaching her skin and the cover the trees provided beat the glaring sun away. It was actually fairly pleasant to walk in the forest, despite the humidity. The sound of birds was nearly omnipresent and the air was sweet with the scents of nature. Elira wondered to herself how she had managed to survive without this in Neo-Midgar for so long.
And then her stomach began to grumble at having not been fed in awhile. She'd brought some food rations should worst come to worst and she was unable to find any game to hunt, but she hoped she would be able to cook something herself. Eagan's father had taken both her and Eagan out a few times to help him hunt, skin, and cook small animals and she'd loved every minute of it. She wasn't so sure how she would view the killing and skinning of a creature now, but she was willing to do it if it meant eating something other than hard biscuits and tough strips of meat. She glanced around from where she was walking at Vincent's right, looking for any sign of small animal she could go after once she'd told Vincent what she was doing, but her excitement faded as she thought she saw a flash of familiar black fur flit away on a rise in the land not twenty meters to her right. She turned, intending to inform Vincent, only to see one of the large, dark-haired beasts that had visited their camp only hours ago walking along the ridge away on their left, matching their pace almost stride for stride. She hadn't noticed it when they'd entered this shallow, long-overgrown canal surrounded by trees, but now she realized what a perfect position it put them in for an ambush.
"Vincent," she murmured under her breath.
"Shh," he hushed her before she could continue. "I've been watching them."
Them? Elira wondered how many there were. She bowed her head, walking in silence for a few moments until she couldn't stand it anymore. "What if they attack?" she hissed. "What are we going to do?"
"I don't know if they will attack," Vincent answered softly, not looking at her. "They may just be following us, waiting to see if we are a threat. However, if they do charge at us, you will run and I will drive them off."
He sounded so sure. Elira frowned. "You'll drive all of them off? What if there are a dozen, or more?" Vincent didn't answer. Elira's frown turned into a scowl. "Listen, I know you were in Avalanche and everything, but it's been ten years, Vincent, never mind the fact that, if things get hairy enough, you'll have to fight off Chaos, too. How do you plan to be able to pull this off?"
Vincent glanced at her again, letting his eyes flit over her face for a moment. "Just trust me," he said quietly.
Elira sighed, a little of her edge melting away. "I do trust you, Vincent. I know you don't want anything to happen to me. But, I..." She faltered for a moment. "...I don't want anything to happen to you, either. I came along to help you as much as possible. And remember, you said my aim was improving."
He was shaking his head. "No. Shooting at a stationary target is very different from firing at a moving one." He sighed and there was a silence as the creature pacing beside them on the ridge was joined by another. Vincent didn't look, but Elira was almost sure he'd noticed. "You have a streak of brave folly in you that reminds me of a girl I knew in Avalanche," he continued. "You should know that it killed her."
Elira recalled Barrett talking about the young woman in their party who had sacrificed herself , some said knowingly, others unknowingly, for the lives of everyone on the planet. Barrett had sometimes sounded angry, and then other times sad when he'd spoken of her, as if mad at her for her foolishness, but admiring of her courage at the same time. Elira wasn't sure whether to feel insulted or complimented at the comment from Vincent since she'd never been sure if she would've applauded or scorned the girl for what had ended up being her last act.
"I can't just run," Elira argued after a pause, unable to take her eyes from the growing number of creatures gathering along both ridges of the low ravine.
"You can, and you will," Vincent ordered, his voice taking on an edge she'd never heard him use, though when she looked to his face his expression showed only calm. "You will run when I tell you to run. If any of the creatures pursue you, I would suggest that you find a suitable tree to climb."
The sound of growling was becoming loud. Elira swallowed, feeling her stomach twisting itself into painful knots, her appetite completely forgotten. "This isn't fair," she whispered suddenly, her eyes stinging with inopportune tears. "It isn't fair at all. We're so close." She swallowed again, batting her eyes quickly to keep the moisture in. "If I run, I won't be able to stop Chaos, and if the demon comes out now, so close to the city, our whole journey hasn't been worth shit." Her voice cracked at the end of her statement and she had to bite back a sob. "It'll kill me, or just fly thousands of miles away, or do both." She shook her head and then gave a bitter chuckle. "You know, even if I did drug Chaos, those creatures would probably kill you anyway. It doesn't matter. We lose either way." She wiped at her eyes angrily, angry at herself for crying, at Vincent for what she thought was stubborn arrogance, at fate. At fate most of all. And then she glanced at Vincent.
He was smiling, the corner of his mouth she could see twisted upward ever so slightly. Elira was confused for a moment. What was there to be smiling about?
"You haven't seen me fight, Elira. We won't lose."
Elira stared at that smug smile for what seemed an eternity. Oh, how she wanted to trust him. How she wanted to have his faith that everything would turn out all right. But it was difficult, so difficult.
The smile frightened her where she wished it would comfort.
But there was no time to dwell on it as the black beast that had been following them from the start gave a sudden yip, leaping over the ridge and running down the slope on legs too fast to see. A group of about half a dozen followed it. Elira was unable to do anything save give a gasp before she noticed the pack, slightly bigger than the first, descending toward them from the right.
"Run!" Elira heard Vincent shout over the noise of the approaching animals. But she couldn't. Her feet had rooted her to the ground. The few seconds it took the creatures to surround them, circling as if they were vultures smelling a carcass from the air, seemed to take ages as Elira's heartbeat thundered in her ears.
Elira's mind registered the fact that Vincent had drawn his gun and was now standing close at her elbow. She almost expected him to berate her for failing to flee, but he didn't, listening attentively as he was so as to be ready for sudden movement from any direction.
The creatures continued to circle them, their long pink tongues hanging over their sharp bottom teeth, occasionally dragging along their hairy jowls, smacking in a way most distracting. Their gait was slow, steady with an almost insolent, mocking quality. But their eyes were the worst, staring with a hatred never found in an animal. Elira heard the soft click as Vincent cocked the gun in his hand with a thumb. Her teeth chattered together as she felt a shiver passed through her, unsure of how long she would be able to stand the tense waiting before her panic overtook her.
And, as if able to sense her strain, the first move was made.
But not by any of the creatures.
It took a few seconds for Elira to realize what was happening. One moment, Vincent was at her side, the next, he was running toward the unbroken circle of the beasts. They seemed just as surprised by his abrupt action as she, however, so Vincent was able to take his first couple of steps without reaction. But the animals were quick to recover. The ones he was approaching began to lope toward him, their teeth bared in vicious snarls but, just as Elira was starting to fear that they had him, Vincent took one long stride before landing with both feet and pushing himself into a spectacular flip. Maws snapped underneath him and Elira was sure had Vincent been wearing his long coat, they would've been able to snag it and drag him down amongst them. But, as it was, Vincent landed expertly on his feet, unharmed, outside of the circle. He didn't look back as he continued to run, leaping nimbly up the side of the grassy ravine.
Elira was unable to understand what he was doing, a little worried that he was just leaving her though she couldn't see why he would. That is, she couldn't understand until the beasts began to follow him, interested in the moving prey. He was leading them away, she recognized in some awe. If she wouldn't take to her heels from the danger, he would take the danger from her.
As soon as she was able to make herself move, Elira began to run, heading for the nearest tree at the top of the ridge, thinking that perhaps from there she could at least pull out the small shot gun she'd bought in Costa Del Sol (not nearly as nice as anything made in her shop) and use herself like a sniper, picking off the black beasts as they came into view. She only realized that she probably should have waited a few seconds longer when a couple of the animals noticed her movement and broke off pursuit of Vincent to follow her. Her mouth going suddenly dry in fear, images of sharp teeth sinking into her flesh flashing through her mind, she pushed herself onward with all of her might, stretching her arms out for the trunk as if reaching for the security of a parent's embrace. Despite the speed of the animals, she had picked a close enough tree and was nearly to the first branch before the first of the two reached the bottom, putting huge paws against the bark, looking up at her with eyes that sparkling with evil, tongues dangling intimidatingly.
The sound of gunshots made her look up and she watched as Vincent dashed back into the ravine. Without hesitation, he followed her course of action, jumping to wrap both flesh and metal fingers around the lowest branch of one of the few trees available at the bottom of the canal before swinging himself up to safety. A few of the beasts gathered around the base of the trunk while others began milling around nearby, seemingly coming to the decision that he couldn't stay up there forever.
And he couldn't. Even with the distance between them, which Elira guessed to be about twenty-five feet, she could see the tell-tale signs of impending Chaos. He was trembling with exertion, his face set like stone. Despite the effort of keeping the demon down, however, Vincent continued to shoot at the beasts below him. Elira thought that, with his well-developed aim, it wouldn't take him long to kill off a number of them, after which the rest would probably escape with their lives.
Except that none of the creatures were going down.
Although most were dancing around at the noise from the gun, it was hard to imagine that Vincent would miss every time at such close range, even with the handicap of having to fight Chaos. Elira watched in horror as Vincent unloaded one clip to no avail before clutching at his head and nearly losing his balance as he reeled with pain. Time was running out. Securing her hold to the branch with her legs and doing her best not to look down, Elira slipped carefully out of her pack.
Vincent gritted his teeth and shut his eyes tightly, pressing the butt of the Peacemaker against his temple, increasing his internal defenses against the demon as it attempted to break into the physical world. He'd become better at defending himself from these attacks since the beginning of the journey, but it was still quite a strain. Especially when Chaos was attempting to distract him with chatter.
Let me out, Vincssssent. Let me kill thesssse annoying invertebratessss and remind you of why you need me. You will never die, you will never age or be plagued with ssssicknessss. I could tear the throatssss of thesssse pitiful creaturessss with no more effort than it would take me to lift into the air. You oncsssse reveled in the death I had the ability to causssse, Vincssssent. Let me be that again. Don't deny your darknessss. Embracsssse it.
Vincent lowered his hands from his head, straining to open his eyes as he fumbled through a pocket in his pack for another clip. Once he'd reloaded his gun, he leveled the barrel at another of the creatures. His hand was shaking. Cursing under his breath, he pulled the trigger. And, again, he missed, the beast hopping away as the ground exploded behind it from the impact of the bullet. Vincent closed his eyes, feeling the all-too familiar pain of the changes that were trying to take over his body. His head throbbed as his features threatened to morph.
They are too fasssst, Vincssssent. Let me take care of them for you. Let me be your fighting edge again.
"I don't need you." Vincent aimed and fired at one of the beasts who was scrabbling at the trunk of the tree directly below him. Although he was sure he was unable to miss, the animal did not fall dead, blood pouring from between its haunting eyes. It jumped away, unharmed, and another quickly took its place. Vincent blinked a few times and rubbed the heel of his gloved hand over both eyes. Was the strain affecting his sight? It almost appeared as if the bullet had gone right through the creature, as if it wasn't there at all. But that was impossible.
Impossssible, yessss. Am I disssstracting you, Vincssssent? I am excsssseedingly ssssorry. Laughter the sound of water falling on a hot burner scissored through Vincent's mind. Sssso, you do not need me? Very well. But, you sssshould realizsssse that sssshe may need you momentarily.
Vincent hadn't even checked to see where Elira had gone when he'd been forced to double back to the bottom of this shallow, overgrown valley that looked as if it had once supported a stream. She'd run and hid until he'd finished driving the creatures off, he'd surmised, just as he'd told her to do. But now, as he glanced up sharply, he found her not far away in a tree on the eastern ridge, fighting with her pack as she attempted to remove what looked to be the tranquilizer gun. The burden of his heavy coat, too big on her, seemed to make her movements just that much more furious as she struggled with the bonds that held the gun to her pack, also pushing at the sleeves that kept engulfing her hands. Below her, guarding the tree, two of the large beasts came in and out of sight, pacing around the ridge and watching her intently.
She was going to lose her balance. He could see it coming. She'd obviously not spent much time in trees, at least not recently. Although her legs were wrapped around the branch she sat upon, she had made no provision for the yanking she was doing. Once the gun came free of the bonds, he could see that it would be more than easy for her to topple backward. Right into the waiting grasp of those animals. He had to get to her somehow. But how? Even if he was able to jump down from the tree and run, he didn't think he would be able to make the tree Elira was in before the beasts caught up with him, especially if Chaos was trying to emerge and 'help' him. Perhaps a warning would be enough...
"Elira!"
She glanced over at him just as the gun came free of the attachments. Vincent watched in dismayed horror as she windmilled her arms for a few agonizing moments before slipping backward, a look of knowing shock on her face. His heart beat painfully within him as he followed her descent with his eyes until she disappeared from his sight because of the rise in the land. He heard her cry as she landed, followed by a hideous snarl.
And then the world exploded in a brilliance of chaotic, all-encompassing agony.
She was going to die. She knew it. And horribly at that, with sharp teeth ripping through her clothing to get at her flesh, her organs. And there was nothing she could do about it. The last moments of her world would be spent falling, falling.
She landed on her back on the ground with an exclamation and was unable to move for what seemed an eternity, the wind having been knocked out of her. She wanted to sit up, to try to escape her doom, but she could do nothing, her body frozen in the painful trauma of impact. She could hear them sniffing her. And then she saw the first one out of the corner of her right eye as it came up beside her. She moved her arm clumsily, waving the tranquilizer gun she was still holding in numb fingers, hoping to hit the creature in the face, even though that would undoubtedly just anger it, initiate the first bite.
But the metal of the gun passed harmlessly through its head as if it were no more than a hologram.
Elira scrambled away as best she could, dragging herself across the grass away from them. They followed slowly, growling now as if angry that she had discovered their secret. And then one lunged at her. She screamed, throwing her arms up in front of her face.
Nothing. She lowered her arms to see that the beast was standing with its face directly in front of hers. Vincent had been right, she realized then. They had no smell. There was no scent to the breath being blown in her face with every pant. With the way it was positioned, Elira figured that the heavy paws would be stepping on her body. But she felt no pressure. She lifted her head and realized in bewildering confusion that the creature was immersed up to its ankles in her torso, standing in her as if she was a pool.
Horrible, hissing laughter echoed around her and the beast moved away from her. Elira sat up, watching as the two animals, if they could still be called animals, went to sit placidly at her feet on either side of her, as if waiting.
They didn't have to wait long. It was no more than a few moments before Chaos swooped gracefully up the incline of the ridge and came to land directly before her, folding its wings as it looked her over with its bloody, pupiless eyes. She wanted to jump to her feet, to run, to escape. But she could do nothing but tremble, her mind still fighting to understand what was going on.
"Perfect. Jusssst perfect."
Elira was unable to comprehend at first that it was Chaos who had spoken, its leering mouth working to form the words.
"Yessss, thissss issss wonderful." The demon stepped forward until it was standing with one grotesque foot placed on either side of her. As it leaned down to inspect her closer, its sulfuric breath hot on her face, Elira gained some of her sense and raised the tranquilizer gun in her shaking right hand. Chaos noted her movement, glancing at the gun, and then it stood, towering over her, grinning wickedly. "Yessss. Sssshoot me. Sssshoot me."
Elira was confused by its invitation, but setting her face grimly, she brought the gun up until she was holding it with both hands. And then she fired it. The dart flew with practiced ease into the demon's chest. Chaos looked at it a moment before plucking it out of its skin. And then it began to laugh, seething laughter that seemed to scorch Elira's ears. "It won't do any good," the demon professed. "I am too powerful now."
Elira lowered the gun in some despondency. After a moment, however, the desolation was replaced with anger. Anger at how unfair this was, especially when they were so close to their goal. Murderous anger. Elira pushed herself to her feet, realizing that if she was going to die, she didn't want to do it lying down.
Where Vincent was taller than her by nearly another head, Chaos towered over her by a couple of feet. But the fear at the size difference between them was overshadowed by anger, more anger than Elira had ever felt before, an anger so hot it was icy. Vincent deserved a chance. And, even if all of the odds were stacked against her, even if fate itself was standing in her way, she would fight for that chance. The chance for peace.
"Demons always lie."
Chaos tilted its head as if to hear her better. "What wassss that?"
Elira cleared her throat. "You're lying. Demons always lie."
Chaos' features hardened. It didn't move, but it seemed as if an order had been given. As if they had been summoned, the remainder of the black-haired, black-eyed creatures raced up and over the ridge until all had surrounded her. And then they began to take turns jumping at her. She couldn't help but cry out and stumble back as they came at her, even though they passed through her like ghosts. Chaos began to laugh again.
"Do you believe I am lying when I ssssay I will kill you? Becausssse I will. No more excussssessss. No more sssstalling. You have been a thorn in my sssside for too long." It leered its interpretation of a grin. "You sssshould've jusssst left well enough alone. You sssshould've left Vincssssent and me alone. Perhapssss then you would've been given the chancsssse to live out your life."
Elira flinched, cowering away a little as another of the black beasts slipped through her. "Vincent isn't yours," she croaked out, her voice trembling more than she would've liked.
Chaos threw its ugly head back and gave a roaring bellow of laughter, all of its creatures joining in with howls. "Who do you think he belongssss to? That human fool Hojo gave him to me. He issss mine! I own hissss body. Without me, he would die! I am Vincssssent'ssss life! He issss nothing without me!" Chaos gave another snort as it took a step toward her. "But, jusssst sssso you will sssstop foolisssshly and sssstubbornly trying to take him from me, I will kill you now."
Elira knew that she basically had no chance now to escape Chaos, but she fled anyway, not hesitating before running through the tight circle of black beasts, her legs passing through them like so much air. She heard Chaos give a growl and begin its pursuit. She just continued to run.
Until claws fastened themselves resolutely into Vincent's coat, hauling her backward into the crushing grip of two massive hands. She couldn't keep the scream from escaping her lips. This was going to be it. She couldn't think of any more terrible fate, knowing that Vincent was probably seeing and hearing everything. Knowing that Vincent would experience another death on his conscience, her death, in all of the gory detail Chaos was going to inflict.
Oh God...if there is a God...please...help us...
Chaos turned her around in its hands to stare into her face with those red eyes, so different from Vincent's. So horrible and full of hate where Vincent's had been so...beautiful, so human.
I'm sorry, Vincent...
She was startled to hear Chaos groan suddenly as if with perverse pleasure. A sickened disgust fill her and began to fight in vain against the hold the demon had on her.
"Oh, yessss! Yessss! Fear, hopelessssnessss, anger, hatred!" Chaos growled, not seeming to see her any longer. "I've never felt thissss from him in ssssuch intenssssity!" The eyes focused on her again coldly as a terrible leering smile crossed the demon's face. "I think I'll playyyy with you awhillllle."
Without a warning, Chaos whirled her around again so that she was facing away from him before he shot suddenly into the air, still holding onto her painfully tight. The wings opened quickly to catch what wind was available under the trees and the demon swooped. Elira opened the eyes she'd closed in fear to see that they were heading back out into the open space provided by the ravine. And she noticed with a pang of hopefulness that her pack was still sitting on the branch where she'd left it when she'd fallen, and that they'd be passing fairly closely to it. The one package of tranquilizers she hadn't given to Vincent was in there. Maybe there was a chance, albeit a small one...
But a small chance was better than none. Elira stuck out her foot as they passed. At first, as her sneaker struck it, she was afraid that she'd just succeeded in pushing it to the ground, but then felt the weight of it pull on her leg. Nearly gasping in the shock of having actually done it, she turned her foot up to keep the strap from slipping off. A small chance at most that she would be able to use this chance...
At the clearing, Chaos caught an air current and used it to rise nearly seven meters in a matter of seconds. Elira shut her eyes tightly, not wanting to look down to see how far they were from the ground. Just the thought of it made her stomach churn with dread. And then, they were turning upside down, and they were falling at an amazing speed. Elira screamed, keeping her eyes closed tightly against the sight of the earth rushing up to meet her. At what she was sure was the last second, Chaos swooped up again, laughing wheezingly, crazily.
She had to stop this before she lost consciousness, she realized, already feeling faint with fear and breathlessness. She raised her leg up as unobtrusively as she could and, straining, grasped for it with the fingers that were not still wrapped tightly around the tranquilizer gun. Chaos was still laughing, too occupied, she guessed, with invading Vincent's thoughts and feelings, savoring them, reveling in them to notice her movement. Finally, with a silent cry of joy, she felt the strap beneath her chilled fingers. Gripping it with all of her strength, she pulled it off of her foot and toward herself. Only when the pack was securely in her embrace did she allow herself a weak smile.
Vincent struggled against Chaos in his body, trying to regain some control, any control. He'd thought Elira was dead once already; he'd never wanted to feel it again after Lucrecia. He'd never wanted to fall in love again, so to be sure, so very sure to escape the pain. But...
...but he'd fallen in love again. Even after all of his attempts to keep her at arm's length, to keep his heart from growing too attached. Her beauty, her almost naive courage, her strength, her understanding care...there had been no way for him to resist needing her when she'd reached out to him, soothing him where he hurt the most; soothing him with her acceptance and friendship. To resist loving her after that had been impossible. It was his fatal flaw...
...the same with Lucrecia.
Vincent fought against the demon, trying to influence its movements with his will until he was nearly exhausted. But he couldn't stop. Not now that Elira's life was hanging in the balance. He cursed himself, angered by the way he'd let her come along, angered by his weakness. Angered by the fact that he was again in love, his entire being nearly controlled by the desire to protect Elira, to see that she survived this.
Angered by Chaos, filled with an impotent rage. Where once he had expressed his ire through Chaos' acts of violence, reveling in the death, he now felt no release. Only more hate. He hated Chaos for what it was doing to Elira.
But, he was angered most of all by fate. After forty years, it had brought the heart he'd once thought dead around full-circle just to torment him again. Just to kill her again. Just to crush him again.
Though he basically had no physical self within Chaos, he used his will to grip the demon's mind again, hoping to sway its movements. The mental strain this took was almost more than he had since Chaos seemed to be feeding off of his anger and hate, but eventually he felt the demon shake its head distractedly.
Vincssssent, do you wissssh her dead?
Vincent saw Chaos let go of Elira suddenly. He heard her scream echoing loudly around him as she plummeted away. No! He put every effort into forcing Chaos to follow her descent, but Chaos only laughed, strengthened in his sudden fear.
I could let her die, Vincssssent...
Vincent was more than relieved when Chaos dove after her, no more than a second or two after he'd dropped her. The demon's arms caught her under the knees and neck carelessly, less than two feet from the earth. Vincent could see through blood-red eyes that she was nearing unconsciousness.
...but I'm having too much fun. Your fear feedssss me, sssstrengthenssss me.
Realizing how close they were to the ground, he used all of the might he could muster to try and force Chaos to let go of her. A fall from this height would give her a better chance than anything else he could think of. But, although the demon twitched, his course wasn't swayed and they were on the way up again.
I will hear you ssssay that you will give up thissss endeavor to exssssorcssssizzzze me or sssshe will die!
Chaos gave an abrupt grunt of surprised wrath. And Vincent knew why immediately. Although it was Chaos on the outside, it was still Vincent's body being used as a gateway into the physical world. He felt the pinpricks of several needles as they were shoved deep within his abdomen, giving a cry even as Chaos did. And then the drug flowed through him, through them, with the force of a tempest. Elira was laughing breathlessly at what she'd been able to do.
Chaos was receding. Vincent's vision cleared, no longer the blood red of the demon's eyes, as his body returned to its original form. His mind was clouded with the sedative as it attempted to pull him into oblivion, but he forced himself to stay awake. The wings of the demon were the last to go, leaving them to the mercy of gravity almost fifteen feet from the ground.
"Oh God..." Elira muttered as the fall began.
Vincent glanced down quickly. There were no trees close enough to break their fall. Frowning, his mind raced through everything he'd ever learned in the Turks about walking away from a drop.
He was falling slightly faster than Elira. He gauged quickly that he would have the most chance out of the both of them of remaining unscathed; his body was capable of handling quite a bit. Perhaps, if he somehow broke her fall...
He forced her to curl up against him as he readied himself to take the brunt of the impact on his feet. The jolt through his body was substantial. Although he bent his knees as he touched down, trying his best to control the landing, he was sent staggering forward. Moving quickly, he pulled himself into a somersault, clutching Elira to his chest. His body unrolled quickly, his booted feet hitting the ground soundly as he ended up on his back.
Oblivion threatened again. But they couldn't stay out in the open this way. Shivering with the effort to stay awake, Vincent made himself get up. Still holding Elira, though she seemed unconscious with her hands still clinging tightly to her pack, he walked unsteadily toward a small overhang of ridge. Though he nearly fell more than once, he managed to drag himself to the meager shelter before dropping to his knees wearily. He lay Elira down beneath the overhang as gently as he could and checked her heart and breathing rate with trembling fingers. She seemed to have come out of the ordeal fairly well, if a little shaken up.
Unconsciousness would not be appeased any longer. Moving a little way from Elira, Vincent lay himself down. Darkness claimed him almost immediately.
His last thought was one fearing that this had just been a taste of what was to come.