Penrose watched the girl disappear through the window. The ball dropped to the floor, almost forgotten. Droplets of the red sticky fluid collected at his fingertips and fell, gathering in a pool at his feet.
Questions flooded his mind. Who was that? WHAT was that? Who would be foolish enough to attack ME? Crimson rage filled his gaze and Penrose decided to pursue and end the existence of whatever had dared inconvenience him.
Shards of what was once the door of the small house filled the air as the wood exploded around him. A startled squeak drew his attention to the rooftops. The creature was still close, hopping from rooftop to rooftop, flipping and rolling over obstructions. Her movements were hurried, yet as languid as if she had all the time in the world.
Penrose follows, racing through the alleyways, between the houses and shops in his pursuit. He kept her in his sights, only losing her long enough to round a corner. As he passed through an alleyway he caught sight of her leaping over him. She had changed direction, and was evidently aware that he was close. Close enough to make her panic. She lost her footing and fell. The dark haired girl tumbled end over end. Penrose could hear the faint gasps of pain as she rolled, opening shallow gashes on her bare arms and legs as she went. The end of the roof came, but before she rolled right off of it, the girl latched on. What she had managed to grab, Penrose couldn’t see, but he meant to bring her down anyway.
Smoke swirled around his shoulders as a ball of flame manifested in his open palm. He’d watch her burn and smile as her bones turned to ash, as her hair and skin melted away and she became something less than human.
For reasons he could not begin to fathom, he hesitated. The girl hung from the roof, scrabbling to get up. A moment passed and she was hauling herself up and over, casting a confused glance over her shoulder. She disappeared over the peak of the roof.
Penrose cursed his incompetence and pursued. He rounded the corner and spotted her making to leap across the alley he occupied. He refused to hesitate this time. The fireball flashed into his palm once more and he flicked his wrist in her direction, aiming for the ledge the waif planned to land on.
A shrill shriek of terror made Penrose smile as the girl crashed against the roof and fell. A sickening crunch could be heard as she bounced off of a pile of wooden crates and hit the ground. She had landed in the corner of the dead end of the alley. High walls surrounded her. She had no where to run.
Pain clouded her eyes as she gathered her feet under her and slowly got to her feet. Penrose stalked toward her, stopping a few feet from her still half-crouched form.
“N-no.” Nyx managed to get out. She gripped one arm at the shoulder as blood trickled between her fingers. Penrose watched and grinned, thinking the battle - if you could call it that - already done.
Nyx made to run and dive, between his legs as she had before but Penrose wouldn’t fall for that again, and grabbed a fistful of her hair on her way by. He dragged her back, tossing her down before him. Nyx scuttled backward, kicking up dirt with her bare feet.
She whipped around, climbing the pile of crates that had ‘broken’ her fall. She leapt, and Penrose caught her with a hand around her throat. He could feel more than hear the low growl in her throat as he held her aloft. Tiny feet began to kick at his midriff and tiny claws tore at his flesh. Penrose simply twitched to avoid the kicks, though they would do little enough damage, he was sure. His grip began to tighten and he thought he could see the fight leaving her.
Nyx gathered the last vestiges of her strength. She planted her feet on his chest and kicked out with all of her might. His grip broke and Nyx hit the ground. A cloud of dust settled around her. There was no getting passed him. She assembled into a crouch in the corner of the alley. Penrose could see very little of her, but the reflection of the lamplight on her skin kept that little bit visible.
“You thought to attack me and get away unscathed? Foolish child. You must not know who I am, else you never would have deigned to attack me. My face will follow you to the under-” Penrose stopped as the tiniest and most annoying of sounds assailed his ears. Was she…She dared to LAUGH at him?
The giggle was almost inaudible. It began to unsettle him.
The glint of steel in the dark caught his eye and Penrose dropped, avoiding the blade that sailed past him.
Hurried footsteps snapped his attention back to Nyx . She was gathering what little speed she could and leaping up that pile of crates. She used the momentum to ‘run’ up the wall and leap from wall to wall. It was almost as though she was ricocheting between the surfaces. A moment passed and she was up and over the wall. She turned and looked down to the bewildered masked man.
A cocky grin plastered her features. Nyx wiped the back of her hand over her mouth and turned , simply walking away.
It was time to consult with the Vadan'Myr.
Questions flooded his mind. Who was that? WHAT was that? Who would be foolish enough to attack ME? Crimson rage filled his gaze and Penrose decided to pursue and end the existence of whatever had dared inconvenience him.
Shards of what was once the door of the small house filled the air as the wood exploded around him. A startled squeak drew his attention to the rooftops. The creature was still close, hopping from rooftop to rooftop, flipping and rolling over obstructions. Her movements were hurried, yet as languid as if she had all the time in the world.
Penrose follows, racing through the alleyways, between the houses and shops in his pursuit. He kept her in his sights, only losing her long enough to round a corner. As he passed through an alleyway he caught sight of her leaping over him. She had changed direction, and was evidently aware that he was close. Close enough to make her panic. She lost her footing and fell. The dark haired girl tumbled end over end. Penrose could hear the faint gasps of pain as she rolled, opening shallow gashes on her bare arms and legs as she went. The end of the roof came, but before she rolled right off of it, the girl latched on. What she had managed to grab, Penrose couldn’t see, but he meant to bring her down anyway.
Smoke swirled around his shoulders as a ball of flame manifested in his open palm. He’d watch her burn and smile as her bones turned to ash, as her hair and skin melted away and she became something less than human.
For reasons he could not begin to fathom, he hesitated. The girl hung from the roof, scrabbling to get up. A moment passed and she was hauling herself up and over, casting a confused glance over her shoulder. She disappeared over the peak of the roof.
Penrose cursed his incompetence and pursued. He rounded the corner and spotted her making to leap across the alley he occupied. He refused to hesitate this time. The fireball flashed into his palm once more and he flicked his wrist in her direction, aiming for the ledge the waif planned to land on.
A shrill shriek of terror made Penrose smile as the girl crashed against the roof and fell. A sickening crunch could be heard as she bounced off of a pile of wooden crates and hit the ground. She had landed in the corner of the dead end of the alley. High walls surrounded her. She had no where to run.
Pain clouded her eyes as she gathered her feet under her and slowly got to her feet. Penrose stalked toward her, stopping a few feet from her still half-crouched form.
“N-no.” Nyx managed to get out. She gripped one arm at the shoulder as blood trickled between her fingers. Penrose watched and grinned, thinking the battle - if you could call it that - already done.
Nyx made to run and dive, between his legs as she had before but Penrose wouldn’t fall for that again, and grabbed a fistful of her hair on her way by. He dragged her back, tossing her down before him. Nyx scuttled backward, kicking up dirt with her bare feet.
She whipped around, climbing the pile of crates that had ‘broken’ her fall. She leapt, and Penrose caught her with a hand around her throat. He could feel more than hear the low growl in her throat as he held her aloft. Tiny feet began to kick at his midriff and tiny claws tore at his flesh. Penrose simply twitched to avoid the kicks, though they would do little enough damage, he was sure. His grip began to tighten and he thought he could see the fight leaving her.
Nyx gathered the last vestiges of her strength. She planted her feet on his chest and kicked out with all of her might. His grip broke and Nyx hit the ground. A cloud of dust settled around her. There was no getting passed him. She assembled into a crouch in the corner of the alley. Penrose could see very little of her, but the reflection of the lamplight on her skin kept that little bit visible.
“You thought to attack me and get away unscathed? Foolish child. You must not know who I am, else you never would have deigned to attack me. My face will follow you to the under-” Penrose stopped as the tiniest and most annoying of sounds assailed his ears. Was she…She dared to LAUGH at him?
The giggle was almost inaudible. It began to unsettle him.
The glint of steel in the dark caught his eye and Penrose dropped, avoiding the blade that sailed past him.
Hurried footsteps snapped his attention back to Nyx . She was gathering what little speed she could and leaping up that pile of crates. She used the momentum to ‘run’ up the wall and leap from wall to wall. It was almost as though she was ricocheting between the surfaces. A moment passed and she was up and over the wall. She turned and looked down to the bewildered masked man.
A cocky grin plastered her features. Nyx wiped the back of her hand over her mouth and turned , simply walking away.
It was time to consult with the Vadan'Myr.