Trial Without Error

[w0rmy]

The girl could have shitted herself with anger but who could blame her? Let’s say the blade had obeyed, what could have happened? Apparently, death but why, why was blood so bad on runes? Tuo didn’t know she didn’t take any official classes… in the past; she had read a book here and there about runes but never looked too deeply into the matter. Her favourite means of travel was either horse back or foot and nothing else… what else was there? Flying?

“Oh.” …fucking filthy… “Oh, I’m” …face like a monkey’s arse…”.Sorry. I didn’t”…tear out your gizzards and feed them to the mutts... “know.”
Tuo said between gritted teeth, continuing to think obscene thoughts. God, this was all too much! Her sanity and patience was beginning to crumble and she felt like going into a rage. Breakings things. Speaking foul words. But before anything of the sort could happen, everything around them began to warp and bend. It was strange-no! It was frightening and she felt like shouting but nothing came.

After what seemed liked forever, the warping and bending stopped. Thank God. Tuo fell to her knees, head lolling forward… she felt like retching but there was nothing to throw up.
“…ble-eh.”
It was like, it was like- well, it was hard to describe! It was like being bent over and over but that wasn’t possible, was it? And anyway, hopefully she will never have to go through that process again.

After taking a minute or two, Tuo stood but her legs were like jelly and she found it hard to walk. It was like being baby all over again, taking those first steps. It was embarrassing, humiliating and she hated it! And why wasn’t December affected? He looked completely fucking normal!!

Fucking hell…  

[Fell]

December eyed the results of Tuo\'s first trip via rune with dispassion. It wasn\'t exactly something that he hadn\'t expected... after all, being dragged through reality was a bit of a... shall we say, "different" experience. It could rather unsettle one at first. In truth, it would always unsettle one, but with time it became less obvious. That was why December appeared so fine - he was used to the sensation.

The Master waited for Tuo to regain her legs. She would need to be in top form for this, lest she accidentally be killed. Still, he had thought a vampire would be better suited to handling such an experience. But in the end, a vampire is but an animated human corpse, December reminded himself. "Are you ready?" he asked, his quiet voice unreadable.

When Tuo was, December turned towards the forest and told the Apprentice to stay close. He would need to hide them or they would never get through the outer defenses unnoticed. It wouldn\'t be a disaster - December was sure he would be fine - but it was so much easier to pass through without detection. Besides, wasn\'t that the point of learning everything they did at the Academy? Any idiot with enough raw power could walk in and start breaking things, but it took skill to break only the things you wanted to.

[w0rmy]

The legs still continued to wobble but not bad as before. It was getting better but by no means perfect. Tuo bit the inside of her cheek and clenched her fists, this was humiliating. And December, she could feel his eyes upon her, staring with disapproval and dislike but who could blame him? The behaviour that he had witnessed, it wasn’t acceptable. The vampire is stubborn, headstrong, bad tempered, over-confident, arrogant, oh the list could go on forever. I never want to that again…that horrible sensation, I can’t stand it, she thought bitterly.

Tuo walked once more, each step more confident than the other. This wasn’t t to say however, that everything was fine and dandy. They still felt strange and it wouldn’t be wise to do anything, ah, ‘extreme’. December told her to stay close, I don’t want to be near you, but obliged anyway. Even though somewhat delirious, the Apprentice attempted looking around at the scenery, taking what she can in, getting to know land marks and such. Though, after a few moments, she realised it was completely useless. What was the point? It wasn’t as if December was going to dump her anyway-or was he? Did he plan to dump her, like some twisted punishment… to see if she could kind a way back to the academy? Or, was she just being paranoid? Yeah, that was probably it.

[Fell]

Maybe I should just leave her here and let her find her own way back, December thought, glancing over to the Apprentice. It wouldn\'t be an entirely bad idea, and an Apprentice of her level should be able to accomplish such a task easily. If she couldn\'t manage something so simple, perhaps she didn\'t deserve her position. December, personally, was of that opinion.

Regardless, he reminded himself, casting an illusion around the two of them so that they appeared to be... nothing. A cloud of dust at best. Nothing in their immediate surroundings changed, and from where they stood in the middle of it, it seemed as though everything was as it had been. Only someone paying very, very close attention to the magic in the area would be aware of it, and only then if they knew they were seeking a Sidhe illusion. December had gotten very, very good at covering up his trace.

The forest, once they entered it, was deceptively silent. December kept a sharp eye out. He would have liked to move through this area much more quickly than they were, but coordinating such actions with Tuo would, he was certain, resolve itself into nothing but an ineffective pain in the ass. He and November would have been fine together, but alas, Tuo was not so easy to work with. Not for December, at least.

They were about 1/4 of a mile into the forest when December stopped suddenly, raising a closed fist to indicate that Tuo do the same. There was someone here, and December had a feeling that they had noticed them on one level or another. The Master rotated slowly, silently, reaching out with his senses to try to detect the person. His nose twitched delicately a couple of times as he tried to catch their scent.

Whoever they were, they were fairly good. December narrowed his eyes, then closed them and reached out with his innate magics. There was a light, intangible "brush" that told him that whoever else was out there was doing the same. Which means that whoever moves first has the advantage, December thought, glancing at Tuo. No time to tell her anything... He would just have to trust that she was ready.

December dropped the illusion over her, then waited to see what would happen. Whatever would, it would give away where the person was. And that was what December was looking for.

[w0rmy]

December casted of some sort and it felt weird. It was probably an illusion charm, Tuo mused; then again what would she know? The vampire didn’t know anything about magic. She didn’t plan to learn it either. If opinions mattered, she found magic to be imprecise and only cowards performed it. Fucking cowards. Hopefully, Tuo thought, December won’t make me learn magic. No fucking way, I’m not a coward.

After walking for seemed like forever, December suddenly held up a fist. Huh, what’s wrong now? Tuo looked around, she couldn’t see anything nor could she hear. She gripped the hilt of the kodachi; she had to be ready. Anything could be out there. Anything. The Master shot a glance at her but Tuo couldn’t read the look in his eyes. What is wrong, what does he mean?

Suddenly, she felt strange. Oh God, the enchantment! He took it off me! Tuo looked towards where December stood, or at least she thought. He could’ve walked off and I wouldn’t even know! Argh! Never the less, she stood and waited. Tuo refused to bring out the kodachi. She would so at the last minute, a surprise attack is so much more effective...

[Fell]

No one actually came out of the forest. It still seemed as though no one was there. It kept seeming as though no one was there until a sharp twang indicated an arrow being let off. December didn\'t wait to see what Tuo did with it; he moved as soon as he heard the noise of the thing, darting up a tree with incredible speed. There was a hiss followed by the sounds of a small, high-speed struggle before a human fell out of the tree.

Certainly, he was still alive. The fall seemed to have done him little enough harm, but the blood coming from his right hand seemed to indicate injury. Though December had preformed a forced amputation on the fingers there, he didn\'t much feel like letting the enemy escape. And so, as soon as the human hit the ground, what looked like a black cloud of fabric landed on top of him. On his solar plexus, specifically. Rather hard.

The man let out a strangled choke, then went limp. His breathing was very, very labored and he truly didn\'t look as though he could be going anywhere now, let alone put up a fight. "Hmph," December purred, a cold smile growing on his face. How... satisfying, if simple, the Master thought, looking down at his human prey. The pain you must be in now... December ran his tongue over his canines, not in hunger but in bloodlust. A desire to hurt this human, to make him scream... I will have to indulge myself later, he thought, turning his back on the man.

"See if you can get any useful information out of him, Tuo. I will keep us hidden," December told the Apprentice. Could he have done it all himself? Almost assuredly. But that would completely null the point of having brought Tuo along, which was to test her. Now he would see how her interrogation skills were.

[w0rmy]

Everything happened so quick, it was hard to take in. An arrow was shot and in a split second, December lunged into a tree. Even thought Tuo would never admit it, December had a lot of style and she couldn’t help but admire. In some ways, the immortal wished she could be like that. To have such grace when killing-no! Just to have that graceful quality, just to possess it. But, no matter how hard Tuo wished, it would never come true. She was not a graceful girl.

A man fell out of a tree but that wasn’t the weird thing. The master casted a spell and it almost looked like black fabric. The spell looked painful judging by the offender’s breathing. For a moment or two, Tuo had thought December was going to ah, ‘eat’ him. Tear away the flesh from the bone, like a dog. But no, that didn’t happen. But no, that did not happen. He turned around to face Tuo and said something completely unexpected. She assumed that he was going to do all the talking but obviously not. No, she wasn’t’ complaining, she was just surprised. As a reply, Tuo simply nodded and walked towards the man.

His hand was bleeding and it was a little distracting. Hopefully, she wouldn’t do anything humiliating. Tuo bent down and wrapped her arms around her knees; she almost looked innocent. Like a child. “Why were you following us?” She said finally. It took her to actually speak; she wanted time to check over the man. He didn’t seem that old but nor that young. “Before you my questions, I have to make one thing clear. Do not lie! Or I will not hesitate to take your manhood.” With a quick movement, Tuo pulled out the kodachi and held the blade near the man’s most private area. No doubt, the man’s breath had quickened. Sure, there were other methods of intimidation but this was most effective. A man was nothing without his, well... “I am not joking. I have done it before and I will do it again. So tell me, why were you following us? Did someone put you up to this?”