[Jaykobell]

Akakios watched the pitiful moaning girl on the ground. So much for a good battle; while she had a good skill, she obviously had no interest to use it with a minimum of intelligence. He still wasn't sure what her special skill was, but her defense was abnormal. If a normal human had gone through the same treatment as Jacqui, their ankles would've gotten cut off, not just slightly cut and badly sprained. What a shame that such a useful skill was to be wasted on such a boastful, reckless, ignorant child.

He walked over to Jacqui and poked her with the blade-less tip of his scythe. She shot him a burning glare, unable to hide the pain she was bearing from the injuries she had gotten from him. He looked down at her calmly. "You have something good." He narrowed his eyes. "But you're painfully stupid." He lifted an eyebrow when Jacqui snarled furiously at him. "You defended yourself against my scythe with your hands. Had this been an ordinary scythe, you wouldn't have any cuts right now, if the scratches you have can even be called injuries. You boast and show off your ability. An ability that is worth showing. But you use it so stupidly that it's useless to you, or to anyone. Your personality is unbearable. If you were the smallest bit intelligent, you would've kept your guard up, and you wouldn't have attacked the way you did. Your skill is defense, and not offense."

With the tension down and the battle "won", Aiolos watched as Akakios calmly explained the situation to the irritated young girl. While he didn't agree with Akakios's blunt words and hurtful sayings, he had made valuable points: Jacqui was too impulsive and overconfident because of a skill she couldn't even use properly. If she had kept her ground and hadn't attacked, maybe she would've lasted longer than two hits. Aiolos almost felt pity for the young fighter, even if her ultimate goal was to kill the three of them. Every young member newly upgraded to a high rank would get overconfident because of their brand new skill; some certain they would be able to bring their enemies down in a single hit. Very few understood that the strength and efficiency of the skill came with how well you could use it and the way you use it. Jacqui could most likely get an impenetrable defense if she put some work and heart into training.

Akakios brought his scythe down around Jacqui's neck, and she could the cold blade against the nape of her neck. She shivered and winced. If he twisted the thing now... He looked up at Ukkres, whom was staring down with wide eyes. Apparently the defeat of his partner wasn't something he had seen often. "You, up above," Akakios called, raising his voice so the boy would hear him. "Release these two," he ordered with a flick of his head towards Navi and Aiolos, "or else I'll twist this girl's neck." He paused, and when Ukkres seemed reluctant, even slightly unbelieving, Akakios narrowed his eyes. "I think we both agree that I don't care what happens to her. Release these two, and I won't touch her. Think on it too long, and you may as well say you're the one who's murdered her."

Apparently his reply had been frightening enough to convince Ukkres to obey and release his hold on Navi and Aiolos. The blue electric chains that were wrapped around them simply vanished into thin air, and Ukkres slide down a few pillars until he got to the ground. He started to panic when Akakios wouldn't take his scythe away from Jacqui. "Let her go," he asked with a firm voice, although his panic couldn't be completely hidden. "I let them go... keep to your part." He really thought that Akakios was going to kill Jacqui here and there, since he still wasn't taking his scythe away. But after a few endless seconds, he finally removed the scythe away from Jacqui's neck, and Ukkres was immediately relieved. But as he thought about it, both he and Jacqui were now at the mercy of those three, and Jacqui couldn't fight anymore. Ukkres shot a few panicked looks at Akakios and Aiolos, and he took a few steps back. Jacqui had tried to kill them, and she'd failed miserably. Surely they wouldn't let Ukkres and Jacqui leave alive. This mission had been a failure.

And then outside, snow crumbled...

[Jaykobell]

With one of the two attackers out of service, Aiolos wondered what they were going to do with them. Obviously the one with the spiky hair wasn't all that interested in fighting them, especially since Akakios had beaten his partner so easily, and since it would be three-against-one, or at least two-against-one. Ukkres was probably more worried about Jacqui's condition than finishing what Jacqui had begun. Aiolos didn't really know what to do, save for turning to Akakios. "What should we do with them?" Should they let them go? Or would they come back after Jacqui had healed? Was it safe to let them go? "Should we let them go?"

He saw a flicker of hope (and relief) in Ukkres's eyes.

Akakios didn't take his eyes off of Jacqui and Ukkres, and he didn't even turn when Aiolos asked his question. He stared at the two. One was injured in such a way that she couldn't fight effectively anymore; the other seemed unwilling to fight against Akakios. "Kill them," he replied after a long pause. "If we let them go, they'll get prepared for next time, and they'll hunt us down until they've killed us." If the boy wouldn't come back, the girl certainly would. She was so stupidly stubborn and headstrong that she would come back over and over at the three of them to kill them, even if it meant dying. As Akakios took another look at Ukkres, he noticed a hint of surprise in his eyes.

That was the only thing Akakios saw before getting an incredibly heavy and sharp blow to the side of his head. His reaction was to groan loudly from both pain and surprise as he fell to the ground, hitting his head again as he toppled down.



Without saying a word, the big Slynx shot a hard stare at Ukkres and then flicked his tail towards the opened entrance before head-butting Navi, forcing her to topple down on Aiolos, causing both to lose their balance. The Slynx shot another glare at Ukkres, and the spiky-haired boy nodded, picking up Jacqui in his arms and making a dash for the entrance. The Slynx's eyes glazed over momentarily when he got an indignant glare from Jacqui. But he barely had enough time to make an escape himself. Just as his victim, he felt a sharp blow to his head while he was distracted, and he rolled away towards a few benches.



The Sky Slynx scrambled back onto his paws to notice a second animal standing close. A single cross-shaped earring hunt from its right ear, a black leather collar was around its neck, followed by a neatly tied thin ribbon, and finally, a silver chain adorned with a cross-shaped crest. It didn't take long for the Sky Slynx to realize this Chaos Slynx that had pitted himself against him was actually the other man from the three.

"I'm not letting you escape as well," Aiolos snarled with bared teeth and furious eyes, his fur bristling.

[Jaykobell]

The Sky Slynx watched Aiolos with calm eyes. His eyes narrowed slightly with curiosity. "Someone else who can assume an animal form," he commented with a flick of his tail towards Aiolos. "Is this the only form you can assume?"

Aiolos narrowed his eyes and glared at the other feline. Was he really trying to start such a kid-friendly conversation? This Sky Slynx had just came along, knocked Akakios in a daze, and had then let the other two escape so easily Aiolos felt hot with embarrassment. Maybe if he'd been paying more attention he could've at least warned Akakios about an enemy creeping towards him. While Akakios hadn't lost consciousness, he had been knocked hard enough for him to be in a semi-conscious state, thus enable to react for a short while. Was this Slynx another killer sent out to kill the three of them? "Are you with them?" The answer seemed obvious enough, but Aiolos always preferred to make sure.

The Sky Slynx didn't flinch from Aiolos's anger, nor from his question. He simply blinked calmly before tilting his head slightly to the side. He didn't look threatened, nervous, or even worried about Aiolos's display of anger. "I am," the Slynx replied simply. He then lowered his head and stared at Aiolos darkly. "Due to circumstances, I've come to finish what they have began," he declared, his fur keeping still, but his voice clearly indicating that he was looking for a fight. "These two shouldn't be too much of a problem." He flickered his tail at Akakios, then at Navi. "They're not active. But as for you, an active member... If we let you go, your knowledge could leak to your clan mates." His claws scraped the old stone under his paws. "This could be fatal to us."

Aiolos hissed furiously, and his fur bristled even more. "We don't even know who you are," he retorted angrily, his own claws scraping the rock-hard floor. All of this had started as a simple matter of discussion, as a simple theory. Now all three of them were being hunted down because of it. "Who the hell are you? And where do you come from?"

The Sky Slynx narrowed his eyes, and his muscles seemed to relax slightly as he took a few moments to think about the situation. They already knew the basic idea; telling them more wouldn't make any difference, since he was going to kill them all, one way or another, as unfortunate as it was. "Very well." He sat down on his haunches and curled his unusually long tail around his paws. "My name is Alton. I am the Strategist of the Messengers, the third lost clan to the Executioners and the Emancipators. We're currently extremely vulnerable. If we were to face the other clans, they would annihilate us. It is my duty towards my clan to make sure no information about us gets leaked to the outside, especially not to the two main clans. Which is why you have to be eliminated."

[Jaykobell]

Aiolos kept switching from one thought to another. On one hand, he had a feeling this Slynx -- under the name of Alton -- wasn't all that aggressive and threatening. One the other hand, his dark eyes and his sharp tone just indicated how determined Alton was to get rid of them. While Aiolos wanted to believe in the former, he knew too well that he had to stick with the latter. Even if Alton showed great calmness, Aiolos kept his guard up. "So that's what you're called? Messengers?" Questions popped in his head, but he figured that, even if he asked that, Alton wouldn't answer them. "Why won't you just tell the truth?" Of course, that didn't mean he wouldn't try asking said questions. "Why do you insist that killing those who know is the only solution?"

Alton watched with interest as Aiolos kept his guard up, despite Alton's calmness. Emancipators were more level-headed than Executioners. "Yes. Messengers, Executioners, and Emancipators: the three clans. We fell and were forgotten in the past, but now we are rising anew, to be stronger than ever." His eyes darkened, and suddenly his calm composure turned into aggressiveness as Alton got onto his paws and tensed his muscles. "We need to be at full strength before revealing ourselves to the two main clans. Never, as long as I live, will I let the other two take power over us." This time his fur fluffed up and bristled, and he bared his teeth. "If we tell the truth as we are now, it will be the end of us. Either we die... or you die!"

Alton screeched and hurled himself at Aiolos with claws ready to rip through the other's fur. He bowled into Aiolos, and the two clung to one another as they rolled towards the entrance, eventually sinking into the thick snow outside. Aiolos let go of Alton when the two got outside, scraping his claws and kicking his legs in an attempt to hit the Sky Slynx, whom just stepped back to let Aiolos flail at air.

Alton was barely noticeable in the snowy scenery. "Can you hit an enemy you can't see?" he taunted the darker Slynx, whom couldn't hide at all in such a wintery background. "Unless you can track my voice. And even then, this battle won't be any easy for you." But right as Alton yowled that, he felt Aiolos bashing into him, sending Alton rolling through the snow for a short while before the Sky Slynx got back onto his paws, momentarily shaken. He shot a glare at Aiolos through narrowed eyes.

The Chaos Slynx returned the glare. "You shouldn't underestimate me!"

[Jaykobell]

Alton hissed as he glared at Aiolos. Why was he fighting so fervently, so angrily, when he was an Emancipators? Emancipators, while also power-hungry to a certain level, were much more peaceful than the Executioners, known to kill and rip apart anyone they would come across. "Why are you fighting?" Alton asked, heading towards Aiolos calmly. "Emancipators aren't known for their aggressiveness." He had attacked the former Executioner; yet the Emancipator was the one that had lashed out at Alton. Why?

Aiolos tensed his muscles and tried not to lose the Sky Slynx in the scenery. He thought about tumbling through the church and outside to fight, so Navi could tend to Akakios; Aiolos hadn't planned, however, that spotting Alton in this background would be so tedious. "This is purely self-defense," Aiolos replied to Alton's first question, and his eyes darkened when Alton commented about his clan. "You attacked us first by sending your allies -- we're just fighting back, like anyone would!" The truth was that Aiolos had decided to fight since Akakios had been knocked out momentarily, and he had no idea if Navi could fight. Alton seemed to be fighting in his animal form, for one reason or another, and it was usually better to fight animal with animal, as per weapon with weapon. He didn't even know if his skills were equal to Alton. When the Sky Slynx had appeared earlier, not only had none of them sensed him coming, he had hit Akakios just the right way to knock him out, and a single stare to his comrades had been enough to make them move. If Alton wasn't high-ranked in his clan -- the Messengers? -- he probably wasn't too far off from the higher ranks. Aiolos sank his claws into the snow as he doubted victory.

Seeing Aiolos being distracted for a matter of seconds, Alton dashed through the snow and bounced for Aiolos's side, sinking his claws into Aiolos's back while Alton's teeth sank deep into his body. Alton heard Aiolos yowl in pain as blood oozed from his injuries and through Alton's teeth. The Sky Slynx held on despite the sharp, disgusting tang of blood welling into his mouth. Aiolos flailed and shook his body about, trying to shake Alton off; the dark Slynx eventually rolled over on the opposite side, dragging Alton off the snow and into Aiolos's belly. With the two cats one on top of the other, Aiolos used this as an opportunity to claw at Alton's side, scratching restlessly as Alton shrieked loudly in pain from stinging claw marks on his side.

Alton quickly tried to get another grip on Aiolos to keep him from counterattacking. Quickly letting go of Aiolos's side, Alton spun around and sunk his teeth into Aiolos's neck instead, Alton's paws squashing on Aiolos's chest. Aiolos's collar snapped from the pressure of Alton's jaws, and Alton's eyes gleamed when he heard Aiolos gasp for breath, but soon Alton had to let go of Aiolos's throat when the Chaos Slynx battered at Alton's belly with his hind claws. Alton yowled and jumped away; blood oozed from his side and from his belly. The crimson strings leaked onto the clean snow slowly, the marks stinging from the cold air.

Aiolos quickly got back onto his paws, but he was the one that had taken the most damage from this attack. Sometimes his collar was enough to take a blow or two, but Alton had bitten just at the right spot to get the thing to snap in two. Blood was leaking out of Aiolos's side where Alton had bitten him, and he found himself gasping for air because of the fairly deep cut in his throat. He coughed some blood that had made its way into his mouth, most of it oozing from his neck, tainting his red belly fur a darker shade of crimson.

[Jaykobell]

While clearly inexperienced, Alton couldn't help but to feel some sort of interest towards Aiolos. If he had been fighting recently, it didn't show. Aiolos knew the basic moves, but he'd made a mistake by exposing his throat to Alton; Alton had done the same kind of mistake by revealing his belly, but the damage hadn't been as bad. He felt a sharp pain on his belly, the cold air stinging the fresh claw marks, and his side got the same treatment. The damage he had received, however, weren't all that bad compared to Aiolos's throat injury. Alton watched calmly and silently as Aiolos coughed some blood. Maybe this battle would be over sooner than Alton had anticipated. Aiolos had put up a good fight thus far; but would he be able to keep on fighting? "What rank are you?" Alton asked from afar. He wasn't good enough to be a Fighter, but he wasn't inexperienced enough to be a simple Benefactor.

Aiolos blinked and stared at Alton momentarily. He had heard the question just fine; he just seemed to have no idea what to reply. It gradually became harder to breathe, and he found himself panting fairly hard, blood oozing from his throat. Cold air got in through his mouth and his neck, and the cold temperature made it painful to breath. "Ad... Advanced," he panted as loudly as he could. The snow around his paws soon got tainted red as time went on, and his vision gradually got blurry.

Alton's eyes darkened as he watched the younger Slynx slowly weaken from his injuries. Would Alton patience (and time), he could just stand there and wait as Aiolos died of blood loss. Dying in such a way, however, was most likely painfully. Alton narrowed his eyes. Clearly he had the upper hand on every level. Without thinking about it much more, Alton made a dash for Aiolos and snatched the Chaos Slynx's throat again. He heard Aiolos gasp for breath painfully as Alton lifted him, blood leaking onto his crimson-tainted fur. Aiolos replied by scraping his fore claws against Alton's face, which Alton did his best to endure despite the stinging pain of his skin ripping. Aiolos eventually moved on to Alton's shoulders, and the Sky Slynx sunk his claws deep into the snow as he bore with the pain. He tightened his grip on Aiolos's neck, and the Chaos Slynx eventually stopped struggling as Alton's jaws closed into Aiolos's neck more and more.

More blood dripped from Aiolos's neck and dripped onto Alton's face and paws. The snow around both Slynxes got tainted with a dark shade of red. He had lost the battle the moment he had bowled into Alton back into the church.

[Jaykobell]

As Alton held Aiolos by his torn, bleeding throat, Alton couldn't help but to feel a pang of pity. This young one was talented; inexperienced, but he had potential. He was weak for an Advanced Benefactor, and yet his skills weren't all that bad, either. On one hand, Alton felt bad for ripping the younger Slynx to death; on the other, Alton knew that, if he didn't kill Aiolos, the Chaos Slynx would report the existence of the Messengers to his clan mates. Alton's eyes narrowed as he received of Aiolos's blood on his face. If only he hadn't interfered. If only.

He eventually dropped Aiolos to the ground, but he didn't let go of his grip. He dragged Aiolos on the snow instead, leaving a smeared path of blood as he pulled Aiolos towards the church. Alton heard the young one gag and cough painfully, blood bouncing onto Aiolos's face as he coughed. A short battle, for the simple reason Alton had aimed for the throat instead of any other parts. If Aiolos had done the same thing, Alton might have been the one being dragged somewhere by the throat. Destiny had made it, however, that it was for Aiolos to lose the battle.

As he got closer to the church, Alton quickened his pace. Running awkwardly with Aiolos's body hanging to his jaws by the throat, Alton waited to be close enough to the rundown building to twist his head and to toss Aiolos's body at a glass window. Being relatively low, but not high enough to miss, half of Aiolos's body crashed into the fragile glass, the impact breaking the colorful layers to pieces, falling down on the snow-covered ground below, while the other half just bumped into the stony wall. Instinctively, Aiolos reached for the edge of the window to try to hang onto it, but the glass hadn't broken completely, leaving tiny spikes on the edge. Aiolos yowled as the sharp bits of glass sunk into his paw pads, forcing him to let go and fall right into the mess of glass pieces, the shard sinking into Aiolos's back as he fell down. He screeched in agony as more glass sank into his flesh, the shards sharp as knives.

[Jaykobell]

Alton watched absentmindedly as Aiolos crashed into the glass window. The shards went flying about in multiple directions, all ultimately dropping onto the snow. Aiolos tried to hang onto the edge of the window, but failed when the leftovers of the glass sank deep into his pads, causing the Chaos Slynx to fall right into the huge mess of broken glass. Alton didn't flinch as Aiolos screeched in agony, trying to get back onto his paws and trying to roll around to get away from the glass shards; but the more he moved, the more shards he got stuck into his flesh, and the more he yowled. Shards slung to his back, his arms, and his legs. Alton continued to watch, seemingly uncaring and indifferent, as the scene unfolded, and until the other Slynx stopped moving altogether.

With the other defeated, Alton stared a little while longer before lowering his head and heading for the entrance of the church. One down, two to go. While he had doubts about taking on the other man, Alton figured that, since he was here, that he might as well finish the job completely. As he headed for the door, the pang of pity for Aiolos came again. Such a young soul lost for nothing. He was still loyal to his clan, he still wanted to protect it, no matter the cost; but maybe if Aiolos hadn't been an enemy. If he had been with Alton in the clan, if the two of them had been allies. Alton would've preferred it this way instead. Aiolos had shown potential in their fight, even if it hadn't lasted so long. He would've made for a wonderful ally in the clan, if only circumstances had been different.

Alton was so lost in his own thoughts that he wasn't looking in front of him. He bumped into something soft headfirst, and he stepped back in surprise, looking up to see what he had bumped into. He stared for a moment, and then his eyes widened as he saw the torn, bleeding shape of Aiolos standing in his way. The Chaos Slynx had managed to get back onto his paws, and he was now blocking Alton's way into the church. Alton stared at Aiolos in disbelief, every cut from the glass shards bleeding slightly, and Aiolos's legs shaking madly, barely capable of holding his own weight.

Summoning whatever amount of energy he had left, Aiolos slowly raised his head, giving Alton a sharp glare that was strong enough to make the Sky Slynx back way one step. "N-not... letting you... pass..." Aiolos stammered, a low growl awkwardly resonating in his ripped throat, blood coating his fur and tainting the snow under him.

[Jaykobell]

Unbelievable. Matching Jacqui's stubbornness on every level, Alton knew not what to do save for staring in sheer disbelief at the nearly-dead Slynx in front of him. He hadn't struggled at all when Alton had grabbed him by throat, when Alton had dragged him towards the church, nor when he had been thrown at the window and then stabbed by the glass shards. Had Alton been battered that much, he could imagine that he wouldn't be able to stand; and while it was clearly visible that Aiolos couldn't stand, the Chaos Slynx still found the energy, still found the determination to move right into Alton's way, in no better shape than that of a freshly killed corpse. Alton's eyes darkened, but they seemed to have a hint of compassion in them -- as well as pity. "Why?" he asked the other, his voice barely above a whisper, his meow filled with confusion. Why was Aiolos still standing.

He was so tired that he could barely make any expression. Any feelings Aiolos felt at the current time could only be expressed by his eyes. He stared weakly at the ground, seemingly semi-conscious. "In-inside... my... part... partners..." He coughed a bundle of blood as he stammered a weak answer. His resolve was still very much present, even if his body didn't have the energy to help him. He had to keep that Sky Slynx from getting to Akakios and Navi. Aiolos had engaged into that battle solely for that purpose; and he wasn't going to back down; not until he was literally dead. The thought of dying suddenly came to him, and Aiolos only had enough energy left to widen his eyes in fear as he thought about what was going to happen. His legs then gave in, and he fell onto his belly, slowly shifting onto his side, his eyes glazed over.

Alton hesitated. What should he do next? What could he do next? Aiolos was as good as dead. He stared at the slumped piece of flesh, and lowered his head to Aiolos's ear. "Your name?" He pricked his ear to hear a reply. He heard a faint whisper murmuring the word "Aiolos." Alton narrowed his eyes. "Aiolos. I see. Determined, and caring. It is a shame... to kill you." With that said, Alton raised a paw and slashed right across Aiolos's side and belly; the Chaos Slynx was so exhausted that his only reaction was a faint gasp and a quick twitch of his paws.

Alton lowered his head. "May it be a warning to your comrades. We will come back." With his warning said, Alton decided for a change of plan, and headed towards home instead. While he felt a pang of sadness in his heart, he didn't look back. Eventually his shape disappeared into the horizon.

Aiolos lay there, in front of the church, feeling his life leaking away. Is this it...? Is this... the end?

[Jaykobell]

He was in so much pain that Aiolos didn't even feel it anymore. His body just felt numb and unwilling to move as it kept oozing out blood from the injuries left by Alton. His breath came out as white puffs when he wasn't busy coughing blood. The only things he could still feel was the cold air making his injuries sting painfully, and the small, sharp cuts from the glass shards still embedded in his skin from his fall. Aiolos lay there, pretty much dead, in front of the church, and suddenly it started snowing. Aiolos felt the snowflakes fall onto his fur, melting instantly as they touched his tainted coat. His eyes glazed over, and the thought that he was actually dying hit him again.

Was this how it was like to die? Did you just lay there, waiting for your life to officially end? Did you stay there, motionless, waiting for death to claim you? It felt peaceful, though; Aiolos couldn't feel any pain, save for the two aforementioned things, and it felt like his body was getting lighter and lighter as seconds went by. He had some people say life was painful, tragic, slow. He could agree on most of those things, but he still felt, strangely, at peace. There wasn't much in his life, was there? He had left to live away from his clan to find someone to marry to make his parents happy, and even after all those years, he had found no one. He wasn't the best of fighters, hence why he refused to go on missions alone. He wasn't very useful, was he...?

As Aiolos got lost in his thoughts, foot steps could be heard. Stones resonated softly as they were stepped on. Aiolos couldn't hear the sounds, but the noise kept getting closer and closer to him, the rhythm never changing. Clock... Clock... Clock... Eventually the stones turned into hard snow, the foot steps crushing the white coating as they continued to walk towards Aiolos. Eventually the noises stopped and Aiolos could feel a form standing right above him. He barely had enough energy to say anything, but he was strong enough to roll his eyes over to get a glance at the towering figure.

Akakios stood there, hands in his pockets, his green eyes staring down at Aiolos indifferently. He simply stared at this foolish, self-sacrificing idiot that had literally given his life to keep Navi and Akakios safe. Still, the deeds of others meant nothing to Akakios. Or so he would say; but Aiolos had managed to win a tiny soft spot in Akakios's heart over the last few years. He owed Aiolos a lot. Circumstances had brought them together despite their origins.

Between Akakios's fingers lay a small die. He took the little square-shaped thing out of his pocket and fingered it nonchalantly. It had been silence between his steps and when he finally spoke. "... Would you like a second chance?"

[Jaykobell]

Aiolos's eyes suddenly lit with a flicker of hope. He didn't have his die with him; he didn't take it unless he was on an official mission. Even if he had brought it, however, it would have useless, since Executioners and Emancipators aren't allowed to roll for their own life. While it had never been confirmed, rumors said that the person's will to save, kill, and live were usually enough to modify the results of the roll. If someone in danger was scared to die, their fear and desire to live would be enough to let them roll a number to survive. If anyone were found guilty of rolling for themselves, they would usually either get exiled, and in the worst case, they would get killed.

Nothing in the rules mentioned, however, that an Executioner couldn't roll for an Emancipator, or vice versa. Aiolos actually wanted to jump on the opportunity. If he was lucky enough, Akakios would roll a number that would save him. But the dice of the Executioners were known to have consequences to them if you were lucky enough to get a good roll from them. Aiolos didn't know of the consequences, but it was either dying or taking a shot at a roll. No one else would find him in time. Weakly, Aiolos nodded his head as a "yes" to Akakios's question.

At first, Akakios thought Aiolos was actually going to decline. If Aiolos was lucky (or unlucky, knowing him) enough to roll a six, he would have to give up someone else's life for his own. Aiolos's only options was to manage to roll a four. Since the Executioners weren't meant to save lives, or at least meant to kill more than save, only two options out of six could save you, while one allowed you to live another day. Aiolos's condition, however, wouldn't allow for a three. He'd be dead before the end of the next twenty four hours. "You can decline the roll," Akakios reminded him, his voice keeping to its casual tone. He was clearly indifferent about the situation, but the fact that Akakios was bothering to roll, even though he wasn't with the Executioners anymore, meant a lot. "You have only one chance. After that, you're on your own." Akakios stopped playing with the die, and with a good throw of his finger, the die went flying up for a short while before falling down while spinning around, and it eventually landed...

[Jaykobell]

The die rolled on the snow creating a small path as it did so. It rolled until it finally stopped and revealed the number Akakios had rolled. Aiolos summoned whatever energy he had left to see which number the die had stopped on. His heart was pounding hard -- or as hard as it could in its tired state -- as the suspense lingered. Which number?

Four!

Akakios stared at the die momentarily in silence before bending down on one knee. Some said destiny had a say in the numbers the dice would roll for people. Was Aiolos not destined to die, then? Or had it only been luck? "Four," he told Aiolos, unsure whether the other could see the number or not. Aiolos had no idea what the rolls meant for the Executioners, so his facial expression was still tired and plastered with death. "It'll heal your wounds momentarily. You need to give me something in exchange. A limb, or a sense. The more you give, the longer the roll will you for treatment." Aiolos would most likely get some blood back, and his wounds would close up for a while. If his injuries didn't get treated, however, they would eventually reopen by themselves, no matter what Aiolos would do, and he would end up in the very same situation. "A sense or a limb," Akakios repeated, glancing down at Aiolos as he wanted for an answer.

Aiolos didn't know what to do. He thought he had been blessed with a second chance, that if Akakios rolled for him, that he would be saved. While the roll really was going to save him, Aiolos still had to give up something. A sense or a limb? The more he would give, the longer he would last? The situation turned around again in a single heartbeat, and Aiolos had no idea what to do. Deny the roll and die? Or accept it and give up something? But he couldn't imagine living without his limbs or without his senses. His heart was now beating hard with panic instead of relief. His eyes fluttered towards Akakios in distress. What could he do? If he didn't give an answer, he would die, and the roll would've been for naught.

[Jaykobell]

Akakios had no idea what to answer Aiolos. He noticed the panic in Aiolos's eyes, and it seemed like Aiolos was actually considering refusing the roll. Maybe he had been unlucky in his luck by rolling a four. Then again, rolling a six would've traumatized the kid. Killing someone for your own survival is most likely a sin in Aiolos's book. Akakios also had no idea what to answer Aiolos simply because, to him, it didn't seem like a big loss in exchange for your life. You wouldn't be able to smell anything for the rest of your life; but you would be alive. People were so illogical when it came to death. They don't want to die, but they also don't want to give up anything to survive. Akakios tried to suppress a groan.

Instead he decided to choose for Aiolos. He figured the other wouldn't be able to do anything if he lost a limb. Since Aiolos fought in animal form he would need all of his limbs to function correctly. Then again, if Akakios took away Aiolos's sight, hearing, or smell, Aiolos wouldn't fare so well. Akakios frowned. What to do here? Of course the spell worked in many different ways. Maybe giving only half of a sense would be enough to buy Aiolos some time. What if it wouldn't be enough, however? Akakios could roll another time, if Aiolos managed to last for another twenty four hours, but Akakios doubted luck would allow Aiolos to get another four, which was the only possible option for Aiolos, one way or another. "I'm choosing for you," he eventually told Aiolos, and he pointed to Aiolos's ear and eye. Since he was laying on his right side, Aiolos's left ear and left eye would take the hit. "Half-blind and half-deaf. That's as much as I can do."

He gave Aiolos no time to argue or respond. Akakios pressed his finger against the die, and the shape flattened against the snow slowly, until it disappeared, and to reappear again in the shape of a snake. The slick thing was seemingly made out of light and flashed with a bright tan shade. It slithered towards Aiolos and aimed only for the parts Akakios was pointing. "It's going to hurt," Akakios mentioned right at the last second.

[Jaykobell]

Aiolos watched as the strange glowing snake slithered towards him, making its way towards his eyes. He had no idea what to think about Akakios's offer, but apparently Aiolos had no say in the matter. He could only wait and watch as the snake slithered closer and closer, until it floated over the puddle of blood around Aiolos and finally onto Aiolos's cheek. He then heard Akakios warning him it would hurt.

It happened fairly quickly. The snake bared its flowing fangs and lunged for Aiolos's eye, and an indescribable pain shot through Aiolos. The pain was enough to force him to shrieked loudly in agony, his limbs weakly stretching from the pain. It felt like his eye was melting, like it was being torn out slowly and painfully to make sure Aiolos would feel as much pain as possible. After the melting part, it felt like the eye was getting pulled from his skull. It was the same feeling as getting something stuck in your throat pulled out, only so much worse, Aiolos couldn't calculate whether it was a hundred or a thousand times worse. It was just worse. His mind could think about nothing but the burning pain. Eventually it subsided, and Aiolos's body relaxed, but he tensed again when everything went black. He had just lost sight in his left eye. All he could see now was the snow and a little further ahead, but not much else. His right side was still stuck to the snow.

As the snake changed course, any scratch it would slither upon got magically stitched back. The skin would close up naturally without any stitches, leaving only a line where the two sides of the cut were connecting.

Next was Aiolos's ear. The pain wasn't nearly as bad, but it still made Aiolos gasp and wail in agony as the snake squeezed into his ear, and Aiolos felt like his head was going to explode. It throbbed and vibrated as if he had a headache, but like his eye, it was a lot more worse than a simple headache. Eventually the pain subsided, like it did for his eye, his hearing disappeared in an instant. It was like listening to music in mono, only you couldn't modify the settings.

The snake continued its way. It slithered around Aiolos's neck; being made out of light, going between Aiolos's body and the snow was no problem for it. It slithered over Aiolos's injuries slowly and softly, spreading warmth through Aiolos as it finished its job. Aiolos automatically relaxed, and tired from the physical and psychology pain, he just lost consciousness on the spot. Unconscious... but certainly alive.

[Jaykobell]

Akakios simply watched as the snake did its job. He was indifferent to Aiolos's screams and wails of agony. He would suffer greatly now, but he would live on. That's what Aiolos wanted, as far as Akakios knew. He'd rolled, Aiolos would take the roll. He had rolled to save Aiolos, not to watch him panic over losing something.

Watching the snake slither about brought back memories. He hadn't used his die for a roll in years. Usually, any exiled member would get his die taken away, as well as any skill he might have gotten from the clan. They would lose their powers and be considered an enemy were they to set foot in the clan territory again. So was the rule for the Executioners, anyway. Everybody knew Emancipators didn't kick out anybody. Akakios's case, though, was different. Since he hadn't officially told anyone he was leaving the clan, nobody had the opportunity to take his die away, nor his powers. He was a fugitive, for lack of a better word. Some Executioners had gone after him back in the days, but they'd stopped after he'd sent them back home beaten up and butchered. Some of them hadn't had the luxury of going back.

Akakios had kept the die... Well, he honestly had no logical explanation as to why he had kept the thing. He had used it a few times to kill his victims, but he had never used the die itself to kill or save anybody in years. Aiolos was the first since Akakios's childhood. Akakios had to wonder why he hadn't rolled for more random dying people. Watching Aiolos squirm while the snake took his senses away was strangely amusing, even if only slightly. It wasn't funny enough to get Akakios to break a smile, but it was funny enough so he would watch the scene with interest instead of ignoring it.

With its job over, the snake slithered towards Akakios and climbed onto his shoulder, and as Akakios exposed his hand slightly under the head of the glowing snake, the tan light faded and fell into Akakios's hand in the form of a die. It was then put back into the pocket of his pants.

Akakios glanced down at Aiolos, whom was now knocked out cold, but definitely alive. He could see Aiolos's chest rising and falling, and the many fresh cuts all over his body. Akakios groaned quietly before picking up Aiolos's furry form into his arms. When his legs gave in under Aiolos's weight, Akakios changed his plans and slipped Aiolos onto his back. Aiolos's front paws and head were hanging over Akakios's shoulders while Akakios held Aiolos's hind legs in his arms. It'd have to work until he got to a medical facility. Aiolos's injuries would open up again if they didn't get treated. Aiolos was alive, but not out of the woods.

As Akakios walked off, he stepped onto something. Withdrawing his foot away from where he'd stepped, he noticed Aiolos's broken black collar hidden under a thin layer of snow, blood coating it. Akakios narrowed eyes, and then bent down slightly and picked up the bloodied accessory. He slipped it into his pocket, repositioned Aiolos slightly, and headed off again. Navi had already been ordered to leave through the back of the church while Aiolos was still fighting. Knowing that Sky Slynx would come to finish Akakios off, Akakios had asked Navi to go back home. She wasn't involved with the clans, and she already knew too much.

With that in mind, Akakios hurried his pace, and his steps slowly got hidden as it continued to snow.