forum Fantasy O/O? // Closed

Started April 11, 2020 by @MarDeColores this is not it kids

tune

Itzal hummed, his lips pulling up at Cole's soft kisses. Stars, the feel of his lips against his skin was such a perfect sensation. "Hmm, maybe…" Itzal sighed, grinning at Cole. "I can always spare time for a kiss, though." He wove his fingers into Cole's hair and slowly leaned forward, pressing his lips against Cole's. Gently at first, and then Itzal found himself leaning into it. Why did he have to leave? Why did those beings have to come after the gods? He just wanted to be able to enjoy his time with this beautiful, wonderful man. He wanted to get to know every little, lovely thing about him. He wanted to taste his brownies, maybe even help him make them. He just… stars, he was being ridiculous. He had a job to do and he would do it… as soon as he finished saying goodbye to Cole.

(No worries! I'm with family all of this week and on vacation next week so my responses will be spotty!)

Cole's eyes lit up as Itzal agreed to another kiss and he leaned in, meeting his lips halfway. He let Itzal set the pace of the kiss, though he was far from disappointed as Itzal leaned further into the kiss, giving him the opportunity to do the same. Gently, he grabbed his shirt, keeping himself pulled close to the god. He tried to remind himself that Itzal had to leave and that he shouldn't get swept up in the feeling of his lips, but it felt so natural to kiss him. If Itzal decided to see him again after he dealt with the beings, he was sure he could get used to it. Until then though, Cole was going to take his time saying goodbye, with or without the threat of Alluma showing up again.

(Alright! Have fun! :)
Itzal let out a soft sigh against Cole's mouth and just barely pulled away. Stars, he didn't want to leave. But he'd stolen as much time as he possibly could and Alluma wouldn't listen to him forever. Itzal pressed a soft kiss on the corner of Cole's mouth and another on his jaw. "I think Alluma will actually drag me out of here if I stay much longer," he murmured into Cole's neck. Itzal sighed again and pulled away just enough to look at Cole. "So… I guess this is goodbye for now." He brushed his thumb over Cole's cheek and smiled. "I'll be back before you know it."

"I guess it is…" He murmured, finally accepting that Itzal had to leave, "I'll hold you to that." Cole leaned into the touch and met his eyes, a sad but hopeful smile on his face, "There's a spare key hidden under the rock pile on the left side of the door if I'm not home, and since my neighbors are nosey enough to know who frequents my house, I'll get a call from them if you're there when I'm not home." He turned his head and pressed a kiss to Itzal's palm. "When you come back, my door is always open. If any of the other gods want to stop by, they're more than welcome too as well." Cole figured gods would be able to get in without the key, but he wanted to tell him anyway. It made him feel a little better about having to go separate ways.

A warm feeling spread through Itzal's chest. He didn't know why it meant so much that Cole was telling him where he hid the key, but Itzal couldn't help but press a soft, lingering kiss to Cole's forehead. "Thank you, Cole." He sighed, reluctantly pulling back. "Heh, alright. I'll let them know." Itzal laughed softly and stood. He didn't think half of the gods would ever take Cole up on his offer, but if they ever wanted to come over, they'd be able to. As long as he went with them, of course. Who knew what crazy things the other gods might do in the presence of Cole? He'd supervise them first, just in case. Itzal gave Cole one last smile before vanishing in an instant. If he waited around any longer it would be even harder to leave. It was strange to use his godly powers again, but he supposed he'd have to get used to it. He'd be using them a lot more now.

Cole stood when Itzal did, smiling gently as he watched the god disappear. It was strange, to see him there one moment and simply gone the next. It made the space feel empty, without Itzal there. He sighed softly before looking around the room, grabbing his few belongings and glancing at the sword. It felt wrong to leave it here, and he felt safer bringing it with him, but he didn't pick it up. Without Itzal's power, there was a chance that people could see it now, and there was no way to explain the sudden appearance of a sword, definitely not on the ride back to his house.

He stared at it for a moment before grabbing it, bringing it close, and squinting at it as if he could tell if others would know what it was. Dissatisfied with his finding that he indeed couldn't tell if it was visible, he decided to bring it with. Checking around the room once more for anything left behind, he slipped the room key into his pocket and waited for just a moment. There was no reason for him to wait before leaving, but he did so anyway. Mostly to give himself time to think of what the easiest way to get home would be.

(sorry for the wait, finals week is almost on me and all the things are happening. :)
Itzal didn't really know where he was going–his home had been destroyed, as far as he knew–so he just followed traces of Alluma's presence until he finally found the actual god. Itzal appeared in the midst of what sounded like an argument. Voices were overlapping so much he couldn't figure out what they were so angry about, though.
"Oh stars, he's here!" Elief was the first to notice him and immediately jumped into his arms.
"Ah, careful!" Zoei appeared at his side, placing a steadying hand on his back. "I'm glad you're back, Itzal."
"Glitter!" A cloud of fine, very sparkly rainbow glitter got thrown into his face, announcing the appearance of Lazare.
"Lazare, what have we said about throwing glitter in people's faces?" Itzal sighed, carefully extracting himself from Elief and Zoei's arms.
"Don't do it!" Lazare giggled, tossing another handful of glitter onto Finlai's head. She growled and swatted at them, but they managed to dance out of the way.
"Lazare!" Itzal shot them a sharp glare. Stars, he'd forgotten how crazy they were. How crazy they all were. But they were together. He couldn't be mad at any of them for too long.

Timeskip

It had been three days since Cole had seen Itzal, and he had yet to see any beings. He pushed himself to get back into the swing of his usual routine, ignoring anyone who asked where he had disappeared to. It was tough, going from meeting the god to getting back to normal, but he pushed himself to do so, mostly to keep himself from thinking of the beings. And it worked. As he got home from work, no thoughts of beings crossed his mind.

Unlocking his front door, he walked in without fear, though his eyes darted towards his couch, checking that the sword he propped up against it was still there. While he hadn't thought of the beings outright, he was always worried that he would find his sword gone, a sure sign that the beings were there. No human beside him could see the sword - he had found that out on his ride home the morning Itzal left. Breathing a sigh of relief, he closed his door behind him, dumping his bag next to the door and kicking off his shoes. With less worry in his mind, he headed for the kitchen, turning his back to his front door, trying to think up something to make for dinner.

It was only a second later that he heard his door open. Thinking at first that he was hearing things, he ignored it, until his curiosity got the better of him. Turning back around, his eyes widened instantly. For good reason. Standing in his doorway were two beings. With the same wicked crowns on their head. His eyes darted to his sword, but he stayed where he was, the being's attention fully on him. What they were here for, he couldn't guess, but he could only hope they weren't going to kill him.

(By the way, I'm visiting family next week so I probably won't be able to respond very quickly. :)
Itzal had been busy the second he'd returned to the other gods. Caught up in a mess of plans and discussions, he hadn't had a moment to spare. Even more so once they actually started searching out the beings. Although the other gods still couldn't do much to the beings, Itzal could. The other gods were confused about how he was able to suddenly go against the beings, but he just shrugged it off. He wasn't all that ready to face against the reason for such power, and he'd have to in order to tell the other gods. So he just didn't.
"Itzal, are you ready?" Elief peeked around the doorframe. "A group of beings just appeared in a really weird place."
"Yeah," Itzal said, carefully arranging his features into a smile before he turned towards Elief. The headaches that had plagued him since the cave still hadn't gone away, but he didn't want to let the other gods know. He was the one who was supposed to be worrying about them, not the other way around. "Tell me the place."

Stars. No. Itzal hadn't imagined this was where the beings would show up, but here he was. Standing on the lawn, the same place he'd crashed into. Cole's house. The beings were at Cole's house. Why? Itzal started running towards the door. It was open, which didn't bode well. Why were they here? Had they already killed Cole? No, that couldn't happen. It couldn't. He wouldn't let it. Itzal skidded to a stop in the doorway, looking around wildly for any evidence of the beings. "Cole!" He shouted, his voice taking on an edge of panic.

(You’re all good! Take your time! Also, I’m very sorry this is so long…I got really into it. I hope it works to respond to..)

Cole made a mad dash for the sword across the room as he broke from his pause, knowing in the same moment that the beings were heading towards him. What he was going to to when he got to the sword, he didn’t know. Nor did he had time to find out. Just as his fingers brushed the handle of the sword, one of the beings slammed into him, flinging him across the room like he was a rag doll.

He hit the wall with a light thud, though it was more than enough to knock the wind out of him. Cole crumpled to the ground as gravity took hold of him again, gasping for breath as his mind reeled. He could see the being that had slammed into him making its way across the room, aiming towards him once more while the other grabbed the sword.

“Where is the god?” One of the beings hissed. He couldn’t tell which. His head was spinning too hard to figure out, and there was no movement from their faces that indicated either of them spoke.

“Far away from you,” Cole spat back, finding enough strength to scramble to his feet as the being reached him. He had to keep their attention. Just quick enough to get out of their grasp, he backed away from the being, narrowly avoiding a sweeping claw grabbing for him. The being hissed, this time moving for him at a much faster speed, as if he was just playing before. This time, Cole didn’t get away as easily. As he turned to run, he quite literally ran into the other being.

”Tell is where he is, and you’re death will be much less painful. Mortal.”

Again, he didn’t answer, crying out in pain as the tight hand from before grabbed his neck, fingers digging into his skin as he was yanked away from the being in-front of him. The sword shone dangerously in the beings hand, and as he was flung against his staircase, he saw the being lift it, pointing it at him. Cole hit the railing of his staircase much harder than he had hit the wall, shattering the beams holding up the railing. He dropped to the ground again, this time with shards of wood surrounding him. Some dug painfully into his back and sides, and he could tell a few had punctured skin, even through his jacket. He didn’t hide the whimper of pain he made, having no choice when the being reached down and grabbed his neck, yanking him upright with frightening strength.

”We have ways to find him. And since you aren’t telling us where he is. You’ll help bring him to us.” The beings spoke, still in the same hiss as before. ”You better hope your god is quick. And that he is smarter than you.”

Cole met the nonexistent eyes of the being holding the sword, gritting out in an act of defiance, “You won’t get him. He’ll kill you. Wether or not I’m alive when it happens.” The moment after he spoke, pain erupted in his chest, and in his leg, almost in the same second. He cried out loudly, looking down to see a neat line slicing across his chest through his shirt, which was quickly staining with blood. A glance further down at his thigh told the same story. It took mere seconds before there was a frightening amount of blood coming from his wounds, and the being without the sword seemed proud of that.

The being swiped a hand across his bloodstained chest, purposely digging his fingers into the wound, making Cole whimper. His dark hand came away sticky with blood, which he quickly wiped on the wall of his home, a daring clue to what happened here. ”You don’t think he’ll come to get you? I think the story of your home will have him coming to you in no time.” There was a hint of malicious pride in the beings voice, ”You’ll make a wonderful trap for the little gods. Then you’ll make a wonderful toy to rip apart.” Calmly, as if he was changing his mind about the matter, the being reached for Cole’s neck, tugging the necklace Itzal had given him out from under his torn shirt. He tsked in disapproval and yanked it from his neck, the fastening snapping instantly. The being dropped it to the ground among the wood splinters. ”There. Now your little gods will take longer to find you. Hopefully you’ll be dead by then. It would be a shame to hear you cry as we kill them.”

In an instant after the words were said, Cole disappeared, along with the two gods. Simply vanished into thin air, leaving no trace of him, the sword or the beings, only the destroyed home, Itzal’s necklace, and bloody fingerprints remaining. All which happened only moments before Itzal and the gods appeared outside his home. Moments too late to save Cole from the gruesome game of the beings.

(Happy new year! :)
Itzal's eyes ran over the scene. Bloody fingerprints on the wall. His heart started racing and he couldn't bring himself to breathe. Stars, no, this couldn't be. His eyes dropped to the ground, finding the necklace amongst the wood splinters.
"Itzal?" Elief started, her voice soft and confused. "Who's Cole? Where are the beings?" Itzal ignored her, instead dropping to his knees and slowly picking the necklace back up.
"Cole's that human he's infatuated with," Alluma answered, sounding extremely annoyed. "If there are no beings, we should go."
"No, something definitely happened here. We should investigate–" Elief started, taking a step into the house.
"No, Alluma's right. You head back." Itzal slipped the necklace into his pocket and stood, keeping his back to the rest of the gods.
"You're not coming with?" Finlai asked, her voice full of skepticism.
"No, I'm going to investigate a little more. See if I can figure out what happened."
"Itzal, we can help." Elief laid a hand on his shoulder. "There's no need–"
"Go! All of you. Keep looking for the reason these beings appeared in the first place," Itzal ordered, carefully turning around to face them. "That's more important right now." Elief looked like she wanted to argue, but a sharp look from Itzal stopped her in her tracks.
"Ah, let's listen to the man!" Lazare exclaimed, laughing. "It's boring around here, anyway." They disappeared, and under Itzal's careful gaze, the rest of the gods quickly followed suit. The moment the last god left, Itzal let out the breath he'd been holding. It was a stupid idea to follow after the beings all on his own. Going in with the rest of the gods would give him an advantage. But going in with the rest of the gods would also mean risking their lives. He was still the only one who could kill the beings relatively quickly and… well, this was probably a trap. The handprints felt deliberate, like the beings were taunting him. He would not bring the gods into a trap that was just for him. Itzal closed his eyes, searching for signs of the beings. He would find them and Cole on his own, and rescue Cole on his own.

Cole wasn't sure where they appeared again. There was a cold hand clamped around his neck, so he couldn't see their surroundings too well, but it was clear they were in the woods. He could feel pine needles and dirt under his feet, and before them was a cliff. He could see a lake in he looked down far enough, and as the being turned around with him, he could see a large forest behind him. If it was a different circumstance, he would've found the surroundings beautiful. With a shove, the being forced him towards the nearest tree and forced his back against it. It grew only a foot or two from the cliff's edge, and the ground didn't seem too stable even as he walked over it.

"Your god will be here soon." The being hissed, grabbing Cole's arms and bringing them behind him, tying them together behind the tree. The other being watched as the situation happened, swinging the sword in his hand easily.

"He'll kill you. All of you," Cole replied, trying his best to act strong. In reality, he was in pain and frankly was terrified that Itzal wouldn't find him. The cuts on his chest and leg were still bleeding, and while he knew they would bleed for a while, even he was worried about the amount of blood that was still coming out. The cuts didn't seem too deep, and they were thin, meaning they would clot fast…but they weren't. Maybe it was because of the sword that had been used. The pieces of wood from his stairs dug into his back as he was shoved against the tree, making him twist in pain.

This time the other being spoke, the one holding the sword. They sounded smug, full of themself, "He can sure try mortal. Or he can try to save you. Either way, we'll kill him. Then we'll do the same to the other gods." The being walked towards him, and he swore he could almost see a wicked grin under the shadows of the being's cloak. "If you want the best for your little god, you'll convince him to run far away. Of course, you'll die, but the god will be safe for however long it takes us to find him." The being shrugged, and both of them backed away from Cole, dissappearing into the trees until he couldn't find them. Though he knew all too well they were still there, waiting for Itzal to show up.

Itzal reached into his pocket again and pulled out the pendant. Even if Cole hadn't been wearing it for very long, he might still be able to get something from it. Something that might lead him to wherever the beings had taken him. Itzal closed his eyes, cupping the pendant close to him, and concentrated. For a terrible few seconds, there was absolutely nothing. Finally, with his heart beating in his throat, Itzal found a thin string. It seemed so fragile, like the barest hint of wind would make it snap. He followed it with his mind as carefully as he could, tracing Cole's path all the way into the depths of the forest. At least there wouldn't be any witnesses or unneeded casualties. Itzal's eyes snapped open, shoving the pendant back into his pocket as he moved towards the door. He knew where Cole was, and trap or not, he was coming for him.

Itzal appeared a little way into the forest. He couldn't see the cliff, but more importantly, he couldn't see Cole either. Had the pendant led him to the wrong place? Itzal started walking, looking around frantically for any sign of the man he loved. The cliff came into view first and for one horrible second, Itzal was sure the beings had thrown Cole over the edge for him to find. A few more steps and he spotted Cole. Alive, but bleeding from cuts on his chest and leg. He was entirely too close to the cliff for Itzal's liking.
"Cole!" Itzal gasped, breaking into a run. In the back of his mind, he knew that he was being incredibly stupid. The fact that Cole was tied up in such a remote place made it almost impossible to ignore the fact that this was most definitely a trap. But he couldn't just ignore Cole. "Are you alright?" Itzal's hands briefly landed on Cole's shoulders, his eyes scanning the man for more injuries. "Hold on, I'm getting you out of here." He made eye contact with Cole for a second, trying desperately to convey the fact that it would be okay, even though he was sure it wasn't. For him, at least. He would do everything in his power to get Cole out of there alive. Itzal hurried around the tree and started working on untying the rope. As soon as he was free, he'd send him to the other gods.

Cole waited for Itzal to show up with a lump in his throat. He was being used as bait for Itzal, and then beings had been clear that he was going to die if he tried to save Cole. There was no way he could let that happen. He had to convince him to leave. Yes, it would mean he would die, but a human’s life compared to a god’s? Especially the life of the god he desperately loved. There was no question he needed to make him leave.

Footsteps in the forest made him blink and snap out of his thoughts. He scanned the trees for who it was, until he spotted Itzal, and there was no doubt that it was him. Relief and panic mixed and he shook his head, desperately trying to get god to leave. But he ran towards him, ignoring the signs Cole was giving him.

“Itzal, you need to leave. Run, please. They’re going to kill you. They…It’s a trap please leave,” He pleaded, “Leave me behind. You need to go before they show back up.” Itzal didn’t do any of what Cole had just asked, and he could feel the tugging on the ropes behind his back as they started getting untied. There was a frightening amount of blood now staining his clothes, and he knew before long it would become much more serious of an issue.

”See, little mortal? The gods are predictable. This one will come save you without thinking.” The hissing voice of a being echoed, and frantically, Cole looked up. Fear and panic crossed his face as he glanced around. He could only see two beings, one with the sword he had taken from Cole and the other one unarmed. But he was sure there were more. Two alone couldn’t take down a god.

“Itzal. Leave, please.” There was desperation in his tone and he turned his head to look behind him, praying that Itzal had listened to him. Even if it meant he was stuck here with the beings, Itzal would be safe.

Itzal ignored Cole–of course, he did. There was no way he would sacrifice him in order to save himself. It was against everything he stood for.
"I can't, Cole." Itzal tugged the last knot loose, letting the rope coil onto the ground. "I know it's a trap, but…" He let out a hopeless sigh and walked back to face Cole. "I can't leave you. I just can't." Itzal flinched slightly at the sound of the beings before remembering that he didn't have to be afraid of them anymore. Because apparently, it was them who'd been afraid of him the entire time. Just thinking about it made his headache explode, but he had to keep going. He had to remember that they were never and could never be a match for him.
"Nice trap," Itzal said calmly, turning to look at the beings. Only two, though he was sure that wasn't it. He wouldn't be surprised if every being in the area was there, hiding somewhere in the trees. "You're wrong about one thing. I did think about this, and I did it anyway. Do you want to know why?" Itzal let out a short laugh, eyes suddenly sharp as the sword the being carried in its hand. "I've remembered. I remembered everything. And I know that I can obliterate you in a second if I feel like it." His headache was blurring out almost everything now. Everything except for Cole behind him and the beings in front of him. He had to keep them apart, no matter what it cost. For Cole's sake, and for the sake of the rest of the gods as well. He didn't want them to have to deal with the same burden he had to.

The beings laughed in a strange hiss, almost close to a cackle. "We've changed little god. Like you. We're not as powerless now. Especially to your little time games."

Cole sagged against the tree as the ropes dropped to the ground. He wanted to help Itzal, but his wounds stung, and they were still bleeding. It was starting to worry him, and so he pressed a hand to his chest, fruitlessly trying to stop some of the bleeding. All he could hope was that Itzal could beat them, without his help.

The beings advanced towards Itzal and Cole slowly, almost calmly. The one was still unarmed, but the one with the sword twirled it around effortlessly. Clearly he had use with the weapon. "Well, little god, are you going to fight us? When we win, you're going to watch your little human be torn apart, as well as the other little gods. Let's see your attempts at winning."

Cole closed his eyes, sinking down to a sitting position. He hadn't known how dizzy standing would make him feel. But it was catching up to him. "Where are the other gods? Why aren't they here?" He asked, hoping the questions didn't distract the god from his task.

"Is that so?" Itzal let out a quick laugh. Maybe the beings were stronger than they had been. Maybe this was a useless endeavor that would end in his death. But Itzal couldn't believe that. This power rested at the edge of his mind, the memories that stabbed his head every time he remembered them… they had to be enough to defeat the beings. They had to. Itzal clenched his jaw, slipping back into his godly form. At the being's words, Itzal reached up and closed his hand around the pedant they'd found in the cave. "When? I don't think so." His headache exploded, bathing his vision in white for a second. Although it had to be some of the worst pain he'd ever experienced, it seemed to clear his mind completely. "They aren't here because I sent them away. I'm not putting any more of the people I love in danger today," Itzal answered, keeping his eyes on the beings. He should probably get the being with the sword first. In a split second, Itzal was standing in front of the armed being, hand grabbing its wrist. Before it had time to react, he flung it into the future. The being crumbled to dust and Itzal caught the sword before it clattered to the ground. He turned his attention to the other being, hoping he would he able to keep this up until the beings were dead.

It took the remaining being only a moment to hiss in fear and stumble away from Itzal, clearly less brave now that the other being was gone. They moved surprisingly quickly as they slipped into the trees, with other beings emerging from the shadows behind trees as they ran. Most held swords like the first being, and they didn't seem as afraid as the first being, turning to attack Itzal without hesitation. They came all at once, brandishing their swords. The beings were still able to be harmed by Itzal's magic, but the sword he held would do no damage to them.

Cole pulled his eyes open as he heard one of the beings hiss, looking around to see Itzal holding his own. He desperately wanted to help the god, but as he tried to get to his feet, another wave of dizziness hit him and he sat back down, looking down at his wounds.

The cuts didn't seem to be healing, and it was becoming concerning, with his hand coming away slick with blood when he touched his leg. Had this been the being's plan? To keep Itzal occupied with surviving and killing the beings so he couldn't keep Cole from dying of blood loss.

Itzal figured out that the sword would be of no use when he tried to stab the first being to come at him and had the sword pass through like the being was made of smoke. Well, this was fine. Itzal tossed the sword to the side, ducking under a being's swing at the same time. He could do this. Itzal let out a shout in the godly language and time slowed down for everyone but him. He had no idea how long he would be able to keep this up, but it had to be enough. It had to be.
Itzal sped from being to being, touching them just long enough to launch them forward in time. With each being he killed, Itzal's weariness grew, until he had to let go of his upper hand. Time snapped back into the proper place, sending a being's sword at Itzal's face much faster than he wanted it. He stepped back, but not fast enough to avoid the thin cut that appeared on his face. The being who dealt the blow gave a hiss of laughter and went back in for another one. Itzal gritted his teeth and dodged, tapping the being on the shoulder and watching as it crumbled to dust. There were only a few beings left, but he was getting tired. Itzal sucked in a breath and squared his shoulders at them. He could do this. For Cole, and for the rest of the gods. It ended here.

The beings were relentless, and the remaining ones seemed quicker and more clever than the ones that had been killed. They dodged Itzal's touch, slashing and stabbing at Itzal with frightening accuracy. Working as a team, they did their best to hit the god, but they also forced him back towards the cliff, towards where he had originally appeared.

Cole still sat against the base of the tree he had been tied to, his eyes closed and breaths slow. There was no doubt in his mind now that he was dying, though he wasn't freaking out. A part of him wondered if it was normal to feel calm. He heard the sound of the beings hiss getting closer, breaking him out of his thoughts. With some effort, he opened his eyes to see them around Itzal, attacking furiously. New panic shot through him as he saw them narrowly miss his neck. After a second of consideration, Cole tried to get to his feet again. He saw stars as he stood, gasping in pain as he accidentally put too much weight on his wounded leg. Leaning against the tree, he did his best to ignore the disapproval from his body and he stepped towards the fighting. More accurately, he shuffled, almost falling as he reached a sword discarded on the ground.

He leaned down and grabbed it, pulling himself upright while using the sword as a cane. Then, he headed towards the beings, grunting as his leg buckled and he barely kept standing. The beings were focused solely on the god, so much so that they didn't notice as Cole came up behind them, steadying himself before he picked up the sword and swung at one of the beings.

It passed cleanly through them, doing no damage but turning their attention away from Itzal. It was only a moment before they turned for Cole, recognizing easily that he was injured and wouldn't be able to get away from their swift attacks.

Cole stumbled backward, dropping the sword in surprise before trying to run. It went about as well as he had imagined running, and within two steps backward, he had dropped to the ground. While he knew he could die here, the idea that he had bought Itzal time to fight back was a relief. Even as he saw one raising their sword, intent on stabbing Cole clean through, he looked for the god, trying to meet his eyes one more time.

(not me internally screaming when reading your reply… gods, this is so much fun. :)

It wasn't going well, Itzal could admit that quickly enough. But it was going just well enough that he was still alive, so that had to be something. If he just waited for long enough, he would be able to find an opening to take one down, and then he'd do it all over again. He was a god, after all. He could drag this out for a while if needed. These beings weren't giving up, and they were much more competent than the other beings. Itzal narrowly avoided getting his head chopped off and stepped back once again. He was getting dangerously to the cliff and would have to make a move soon if he was going to get out of there. But the beings weren't giving him a single opportunity. He was so focused on searching for weak points that he didn't notice Cole coming up behind the begins until the blow had already been struck.
"Cole!" The word ripped itself from his throat, his eyes locking onto Cole's. The beings were going to kill him, he had to do something. But he had almost nothing left, certainly not enough to freeze the beings for very long. "Stop!"

An explosion of power burst outwards from Itzal, instantly disintegrating the beings around him and Cole. Itzal's chest felt a little funny, but otherwise, he was fine. Where had that power come from? Was it like in the cave, where he remembered how to kill the beings? It must have been. He could think about it later after he'd made sure Cole was okay. He took a step towards Cole, noticing the blood that was continuing to seep from his wounds. He should… Itzal stumbled, suddenly feeling very lightheaded. Okay, maybe that power had taken more out of him than he'd thought. He needed to rest, he needed to… Itzal focused on Cole's wounds again, on the amount of blood soaking his clothes. He… he was going to die if something wasn't done. Swaying ever so slightly, Itzal walked the last few steps to Cole and dropped down in front of him. He was no healer, not like Zoei, but he could at least stop the blood from flowing until the other gods arrived. Itzal pressed a gentle hand on Cole's chest, hoping he had enough power to stop the bleeding. He couldn't tell how much he had left. Everything was getting a little fuzzy at the edges. Itzal blinked slowly, letting his hand drop away from Cole's chest.

"You're going to be okay, Cole. I've stopped the bleeding, and the other gods should… they should…" Itzal swallowed hard, trying to fight against the weakness taking over his body. Something bad was happening, he shouldn't be feeling like this. He'd never felt like this, even when he'd overexerted himself to his limit. "Be here," he whispered, body going limp. Itzal collapsed onto the ground, vision almost completely gone. "Help…" It was a last, desperate attempt to call the gods, and he had no idea if it actually went through to them. He hoped… he hoped they had heard. Cole needed help, and he… he probably needed it too. Itzal's eyes fluttered shut slowly, his body going slack. Maybe all he needed was a little rest.