[IC] Collision Point: Steam, Magic and Blood

[Voltus_Ventus]

"you wouldn't" he said "I know you're not a murderer, a soldier yes, but not a murderer." Voltus reached out and tried to hold the blade to yank it out of Rhoris grasp. He maintained eye contact with Karina, trying to give her a reassuring look that everything was going to be ok.

[Totts]

Rhory let go of Karina and lunged forward into Voltus and tackled him to the ground. Voltus was ontop of him, which was not exactly desireable, but they were fighting, Rhory was just glad he wouldn't have to kill Karina.

[Voltus_Ventus]

"I don't want to kill you!" he roared at Rhori as they rolled ok the floor fighting "I dont want another war!" Voltus wrapped his hands around Rhori's throat and started to squeeze, not enough pressure to collapse the wind pipe, but just enough to make him gasp for air.

[Totts]

Rhory eyes were bulging under the pressure of Voltus' grasp, Rhory pushed against him, trying to free himself put he couldn't, Rhory moved streched his neck sideways and tried to bite Voltus, but his arms were just out of reach. " Why wouldn't you want to kill me?" he said raspiliy, " You could own Steamland, the people there hate me anyway, and you'd have so much power"

[Voltus_Ventus]

Voltus let loose some pressure "I dont want power! I never wanted to be a war monger!" he yelled into Rhori's face as his own contorted in pain as if the words were physically hurting him "I don't want to rule or conquer anyone." slowly he let go of Rhori's neck slowly and stood up, looking down at the fallen monarch, his neck bruised from the maniacal like grip of Voltus' hands.

[Totts]

Rhory lay on the floor, his neck pulsing with pain "Do it. Don't you see I opress my people, in my entire reign I have only ever given the death sentence for any crime" he smiled "I make people scared of me, because it feels good to be in power" Rhory gave a big smile. He looked up at Karina & said, "Your dad's not a bad person, it's me that's wrong" "Kill me Voltus, it's a win-win, you get Steamland, I don't hunt you and the girl down for the rest of my life, plus you get to let off some anger about Jarmin" he said slowly.

[Voltus_Ventus]

"No use avenging the dead" Voltus said grabbing hold of Karina and hauling her onto his shoulders, with a final nod at Rhori he made a bolt for the exit and vanished into the pitch black night, with the white haired girl on his back.

[Totts]

Karina was shaking, she had never seen Voltus be as violent as that before, his grip left such big bruises on his neck, something told Karina that he might have had practice doing that. Karina's hands were shaking, and she was sure Voltus could feel that, the night was pitch black, and she couldn't see. Karina was torn between pulling herself closer to Voltus, and pulling away.

Rhory headed back to steamland, dispersing into steam as he went, when he finally arrived back he walked towards his throne, there was silence until one person laughed at him. Rhory pressed his steam heated blade against his face, and watched it burn.

[Voltus_Ventus]

Voltus kept running through the darkness until he crashed through a set of doors into a well lit courtyard where people were drinking tea in long flowing robes, conversing and playing board games like backgammon and checkers. Voltus lowered Karina off his shoulders onto the cobblestone floor and strode towards the nearest man who was drinking tea with his friends, he poked his shoulder, "ya basha, ayn aagder en edawer funduk?" Voltus asked in fluent Arabic.
"you are standing in the courtyard of a hotel and you happen to be speaking to the manager." the robed man replied in perfect English with a wink.

[Totts]

Karina was being stared at by all these people, she shuffled closer to Voltus, their gazes were making her feel scared and uncomfortable. Karina took her long white hair and quickly started to braid it, the repetitive movements made her feel comfortable

[Voltus_Ventus]

Smiling and handing the man a handful of coins after conversing, Voltus held Karina's hand and they walked into the building at the end of the courtyard and went up a set of stairs into a long corridor that ended in a set of double doors. Voltus approached the door and slipped a key into the lock and turned it, when he stepped into the room. It was a fairly well done room with a dinglearge bed at it's center and a small sitting area in the corner consisting of colorful pillows on the floor. Voltus stepped onto the balcony behind the bed and leaned on the rail, sighing.

[Totts]

Karina trembled slightly, she was half scared of Voltus now, she could see how violent he could be when he was angry. Karina sat down on the bed, and tucked her legs to her chest to make herself as small as possible, she didn't want to bother or disturb Voltus, he was probably still fuming from the fight. Karina began to have another urge to say something, she attemped to supress it and she suceeded, but the feeling brewed down inside of her, all she could think was 'please don't strangle me' she kept on whispering it and backing away towards the door, only to find it as locked when she banged into it.

[Voltus_Ventus]

"The key is on the desk," Voltus croaked "if you don't want to stay, just go. You can do what you want." Voltus continued to look out the balcony at the suburban sprawl of the capitol city "I remember being here as a kid, in this very room in fact," he took a sharp inhalation and turned around, propping his elbows on the rail. "you can go." he said avoiding her eye "im not going to stop you."

[Totts]

Karina stared breathing quickly and sharply. If she was to go, where would she go? If she was to stay, how could she? Karina stood there, torn. She was scared of Voltus, scared of if the fact she made a tiny mistake, there's no telling what he might do. "I'm weak & a runt, you'd probably never have chosen me as a daughter" she slid down onto the floor as she began to tear up.

[Voltus_Ventus]

"weakness hides strength," he whispered and walked towards her, leaning on the wall and sliding down to sit next to her "and tears hide bravery." he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close "I know I'm not a good person, I know. I'm a soldier, all I've ever known is war. My father sent me away because I was a runt, a good for nothing, useless waste of air and gods time to put it in his words and I came back the most vicious warrior Ventium ever made. But I'm not proud."

[Totts]

Karina wrapped her arms around Voltus and sobbed gently. "But you're strong & handsome, not to mention tall, and I'm not" She pleaded. She let herself fall into Voltus' arm and she began to cry harder, after a while her sobbing slowed, and she began to gently drift off into sleep, her face relaxed but red from tears, and her long, curly white hair flowing on the floor. Her face was turned up towards Voltus as she slept. Her lungs were ever so small, all she could breath in were tiny breaths.

[Voltus_Ventus]

He picked her up gently and placed her on the bed softly, wrapping the blanket over her and making sure she was properly tucked in. He walked away and stood in the sitting area and kneeled facing away from the bed and began to pray openly, filling the room with his resonant deep voice:
Dear God in heaven,
My bare hand shall work the righteous work.
My shod feet shall walk the righteous way.
My naked eye shall read the righteous word.
My powerful shoulders shall burden the Righteous weight.
And my unsheathed blade shall soldier the righteous war.
Dear God on earth,
Defend me and my people and the people of all the points of the compass and please defend Karina, she is all I have left.
Ameen.

[Totts]

Karina tossed and turned in her sleep, repeating three words over and over "Rhori, Rhodri, Silence". She kept on tossing and turning. Repeating other phrases like "Don't hurt me Voltus, don't kill me Voltus, don't strangle me." her tiny voice filling the room. She eventually quietened down and fell deeper into sleep, not a care in the world. The bed was so small compared to her, and she was so fragile.

[Voltus_Ventus]

Voltus froze, Karina's words biting deep into his soul, "I won't" he whispered to himself, he pulled out a pencil and some paper and started to write: 'I understand. I understand I'm not ideal, not perfect, not the best but I am still a person and people can be hurt. I'm leaving you some money, take the first zeppelin from here to Rovitov in the north. I'm sorry.' he folded the paper in half and put it on the bedside table by Karina. He slipped onto the balcony and climbed his way down to street level, where he stole off inti the night.

[Totts]

Karina woke up and gently pushed herself up. She read the note and immidiantly understood what she must do. She got some clothes from the hotel drawer and put them on, they were a pair of trousers and a jacket. She went into the bathroom and got a pair of scissors, her white locks floating to the bottom of the floor, she did this so Rhodri couldn't spot her. Her hair was now about the length of Voltus'. She ran out of the hotel, keeping her pace as she went to the station, she bought a ticket to head to Rovitov and got on the next zeppelin.