The Absence of Color // Emilia & V
It had been a night like any other the day that V had met who was to be his first clansman. The king had been in the mood to read some poetry to himself in a park a little ways from the little defunct bookstore he called home. Nightfall was the best time, he found, to partake in his little indulgence since the lack of foot traffic after the sun dipped below the horizon meant he didn’t have to be bothered.
Plus, his companion Griffon enjoyed being able to fly around freely without worrying about people bothering his king. Shadow was content staying within V, but on some nights, he allowed the large cat to prowl around the park and stretch its legs. Maybe he would allow it to roam tonight.
He stopped walking as something strange caught his eye. In an alleyway a little ways down the street, smoke poured from its opening and into the main street. “How odd.”
“Oooh, V! V, let’s go look!” the excited voice within V’s mind implored. “Not every night something like this happens!”
“It might simply be a fire that’s gotten out of hand, Griffon. There’s no reason to investigate.”
“But what if there is? Besides, it’s not like you lose anything if nothing’s goin’ on.”
V conceded, and he began to approach the source of the smoke, and as he got close, he heard the coughing and wheezing from within the alley, and although he wasn’t sold on investigating before, his attention had definitely been grabbed now.
As he rounded the corner, he took in the sight before him. Walls of fire had been erected at either end of the alley, effectively barring him from entering, but he could see a girl with long silver hair collapsed in the smoke and fire, and a man who seemed just fine. So he was the one orchestrating this attack?
V held his arm out and some of the tattoos littering his skin erupted into black shards that dissolved in the air before reforming into a large black and blue bird, the form that Griffon took. He flew upwards and looked at the configuration at the fire, seeing an opening above the flames. He swooped down, careful to clear the top of the ring of flames. He landed in front of the young victim’s face, craning his neck down to look at her.
“Hey, I’m gonna get you outta here, alright? Hold on, little lady!” Griffon hopped on top of her, sinking his talons into her clothing, careful not to actually grab her skin and hurt her. With ease, he lifted her up and began to carry her out of the way of the flames.
Perhaps Shadow could get some use after all, V determined, as he summoned the large cat with a similar flare to Griffon’s summon, and the panther growled as it sunk into the concrete, melting into a puddle around V’s feet. Quickly, Shadow dashed forward, carrying V with it through the flames, Shadow’s liquid form guarding him from burns. Griffon carefully placed the girl outside of the alley before joining up with V within the flaming alleyway.
“So, you’re the one behind this? That’s a useful skill ya got there! Maybe we can use him, V!” Griffon crowed sarcastically. The robber balked as Griffon stared him down, and Shadow seeped out from beneath V’s feet to reform its feline shape, snarling at the fire user.
“Use him? Is this another one of your jokes? Look at him.” V gestured at the robber with cane. “He’s shaking. Scared. Anyone who chooses to target those weaker than them and pales when faced with the consequences of his actions isn’t even worth a second glance.”
“Yeah, you’re right. Well, go on, Guy Fawkes. Scram before the hungry kitty here decides to eat ya.” The threat from Griffon was enough to send the robber scrambling to leave the alley, the fire extinguishing as he did, leaving nothing but smoldering rubble behind.
V sighed, wiping the sweat from his brow. “Thank goodness. I don’t enjoy being entrapped by fire. The heat is incredibly unpleasant.” He turned to face the girl that Griffon had pulled from the flames, and he walked over and knelt before her. “Are you alright?”
Emilia had read about fires somewhere once before. The main cause of death concerning fire's wasn't because of the burns.. It was because of the smoke. The feeling of despair that swelled within her heart at the realization of this fact was bearing itself down upon the girl. The fire had yet to reach her and she was already this weak. Even now her eyelids fluttered closed despite her will to keep them open. The longer she lay there, the more time it took for her to force them open.
When the large bird creature had descended down in front of Emilia, her eyes had been closed. Her strength had weakened so immensely that she couldn't even bring herself to cough anymore despite the incessant itching and tingling in the back of her throat. Very slowly but surely, her eyelids raised, parted just wide enough to drink in the sight of the bird that spoke to her. Huh..? A bird..? Would this be the creature that would herald her into the afterlife?
“Hey, I’m gonna get you outta here, alright? Hold on, little lady!”
She couldn't muster even a fraction of the confusion that played in her mind in that moment that even in her weakened state she could feel something latching onto her. As she blinked slowly the scene progressed rapidly. One moment the bird was there and then it was gone, yet she heard the flapping of it's wings the entire time. The next moment she could see her legs dangling down limply, the floor pulled out from under her. Then there was the wall of fire, and then the night sky, dyed gray from the smoke that rose in the air to fill it.
That was Emilia's first thought as she was gingerly set down outside of the alley, the rush of pure, unadulterated oxygen filled her poisoned lungs and she inhaled eagerly which only caused her to spiral into a terrible coughing fit. She placed her hands to her throat, grasping at it as though to massage her throat through her flesh, something that she could not do and did not help. It did help to steady her body as she was wracked with fits. She forced herself to calm down so she could peer into the alley, but it was hard to see with the flames everywhere. She could just make out the silhouette of a person standing there and other forms that she couldn't quite make out. The fire that licked the air caused it to distort the area around it, much like a mirage in a desert.
Once Emilia's coughing fit had subsided, she placed her hands in front of her as she sat there, body leaning forward as she squinted into the alley. Someone or something had clearly gone to her rescue.. She'd feel horrible if something happened to them because of her. As the girl steeled her resolve and willed her weak legs to move, the fire dissolved before she could bring herself to her feet. Amethyst eyes blinked in surprise as she locked her gaze on the person standing there. She tried to make out the smallest of details about him from his back alone but then he turned, walked over to her, then knelt before her.
"I'm fine!" She replied instantly to assuage him of any worry. "More importantly.." It was hard to view him in the position he was in but she carefully looked him up and down, craning her weak and wobbly body from side to side to make sure not a single detail was overlooked. "Are you Ok? You're not hurt, are you?" There wasn't a single scratch on his body, not a single singe to his clothing, the only thing of note was the sweat that had formed at his brow.
Just to be absolutely sure she looked him over once again and then sighed in relief. She couldn't help where her curious gaze led her to next which was back into the alley but before her eyes strayed too far, they landed on the creatures that hovered near the man. If she could describe them simply, one was a rather large cat and the other a rather large bird. Realization laced her features as she took in the sight of the latter. "Um.. You're the one that helped me right?" She was sure it had spoken to her back then and she regarded it with wonder and awe.
"Thank you." She finally smiled, trying to muster the intensity of the grattitude she felt towards the creatures before her as well as the man. She couldn't be sure of the man but he had asked if she was alright, and that thoughtfulness to her well being warmed her heart. "That man.. Did he...?" Her brows furrowed as she struggled with the words that she hoped the man before her would fill in. There wasn't a body so he surely must have survived, but if he had gotten away what of the pregnant woman's belongings?
