forum Fantasy O/O? // Closed

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

tune

(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.

(I'm screammminggggg this is getting so good :D)

Cole watched the sword come down towards his chest in what seemed like slow motion. But as it neared his chest, it -and the being holding it- vanished, disappearing into nothing more than dust. He blinked as he registered it, wondering if he was hallucinating from blood loss. He reached up and touched his chest, his fingers coming away sticky with blood, but it didn't feel like he had gotten stabbed. Maybe he really was safe.

His eyes drifted from his wounds as he searched for Itzal, realizing again that the god was around somewhere. "Itzal?" He murmured, acting all too calm for someone losing terrifying amounts of blood. Even as he saw the god drop to his knees next to him and felt his hand on his chest, he was calm. It worried him that he couldn't manage the energy to sit up, but he didn't really care.

"Itzal?" He said again, this time with more concern as he listened to the god and promptly watched him drop to the ground next to him. Cole didn't know if his bleeding had stopped as Itzal had said, but he didn't care. It wasn't normal for him to fall over as he had, and Cole was worried, even if he couldn't really…feel the feeling. He could tell he was worried, and it was the only thing motivating him as he pressed a wobbling hand to the ground and tried to push himself up. His arm managed to hold him once he straightened it fully, but he didn't do much more than use momentum to drop closer to Itzal. "Hey. Wake up…you're scaring me. Get up."

Something was wrong with the god, he could see that clearly. But he didn't know what, and he didn't have the mental power to figure it out. "Don't worry, the gods…they'll find us…they'll fix things," Cole whispered, fumbling as he grabbed Itzal's hand and tried to will himself the power to believe in what he was saying. A moment later, he spoke louder, this time croaking out, "Uh…Alluma? I might have your name wrong…but Itzal needs your help. Can you-can you come to save him? Please?" He closed his eyes, relaxing back on the dirt and grass, calling every ounce of remaining energy to help him talk, "I, uh, I think he's sick, or dying. I can't tell. Anyway…please? Can you, um, come get save him?"

Sighing, he went quiet, squeezing Itzal's hand weakly. He had only met him several days ago, and yet, he was worried about him. Things had changed so much in the time since he had met him, and it almost felt disappointing, to be dying only days later. Only days after he thought his life was changing. Techncially, it is. He managed to tip the corner of his mouth up in a small smile, as his mind went blank.

(I know! screams)
The gods arrived only a few seconds after Cole passed out. The combination of Cole calling Alluma's name and Itzal's plea for help had summoned them in record time. Zoei took one look at the situation and dropped down next to Cole, warm light collecting on her hands. Within seconds, Cole's wounds were healed. With luck, he'd wake up in a few minutes.
"Zoei! Maybe focus on Itzal?" Elief exclaimed, snapping her fingers at the goddess.
"He was dying, Elief. Itzal isn't dying." Zoei carefully poked at Cole one last time, making sure he really was okay, then turned her attention to the fallen god.
"She's right," Finlai grumbled. "But that still doesn't mean you should prioritize the life of a human before Itzal."
"I think Itzal might kill you if he heard that," Alluma said offhandedly. "He loves that mortal."
"That's why I did it." Zoei carefully ran her hands over Itzal's chest. "Hmm…"
"Hmm? What does 'hmm' mean?" Elief dropped down next to Zoei, her face full of worry.
"Just… I don't know what's wrong with him." Zoei's eyebrows furrowed. "Alluma, could you wake the mortal up? I need to ask him what Itzal did."
"Got it." Alluma leaned down and tapped Cole's forehead, pulling him into the waking world. "Hey, what did Itzal do before he passed out?"

It had only been seconds since Cole had passed out, but it felt like an eternity and like nothing at all before he was woken back up. A demanding tap on his forehead was the first thing he noticed, followed closely by the fact that his chest didn’t hurt anymore.

“Am I dead?” He asked quietly, prying his eyes open only to see Alluma right above him. Truthfully he wasn’t very fond of the god, and it made him jump when he recognized who it was. Cole quickly regained his focus and thought through what had happened. The echo of Alluma’s voice in his head was enough to make him alert instantly. “Itzal…he…stopped me from bleeding he said, and…he made the beings disappear. All at once. I was about to get stabbed, and then suddenly they were gone. He was also…fighting the beings before that.”

He glanced over at Itzal as he spoke, propping himself up on his elbows as he glanced at the god at his side. He caught sight of two others crouched next to him though. Were they also gods? He watched with a questioning glance, though worry passed over his face as he realized Itzal was still laying next to him.

“What’s going on with him? Will he be alright?” He questioned, looking down to notice that his hand was entwined with one of Itzal’s. At some point he would need to let go, but it was his tether to the god. The only one he truly knew and liked out of the ones around him.

"You're not dead," Finlai snapped, looking extremely annoyed that she had to talk to a mortal.
"Wait, he made the beings disappear? All on his own?" Elief frowned, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Itzal, what did you do?"
"Yeah, what did he do?" Lazare finally spoke up, bouncing into the circle that was forming around Itzal and Cole. "Zoei, have you figured it out?"
"I…" Zoei's eyebrows creased and she carefully pressed her fingers to Itzal's forehead. "You said he made them all disappear, right? And he was fighting them before. And he… stopped your wounds from bleeding. Probably the only reason you're mostly okay." Zoei let out a breath and turned her attention to Cole. "Do you mind if I check you for residue magic? It might give me more of a clue of why he's…" Her gaze drifted down to Itzal. His eyes were still closed, chest rising and falling ever so slightly. "Why he's still asleep."

"I don't know what he did, but yeah, they just…were gone." He said quietly, looking down at Itzal's hand. Gently, he let go, looking up at Zoei with a small nod, "If you think it'll help him, then I'll do whatever you need." Saving Cole was the last thing Itzal had done before he was put into this state, and it was the least he could do to help the other gods save Itzal in turn. The gods needed him as their leader, and Cole needed him to be alive just for his own selfish sake. It would be too much to handle if he found out the effort of keeping Cole alive had been the thing that tipped Itzal's powers over the edge.

"Do you think this is from the amulet?" Cole asked, shifting into a sitting position as he glanced around, meeting each of the god's faces. "The one we found in the cave? I'm not sure if he's still wearing it, but it seemed to make him more powerful." He paused, then asked in a quieter voice, "He did tell you about it, right?"

"Thank you." Zoei carefully pressed her fingers against Cole's forehead, eyes closing for a second.
"Well?" Elief asked impatiently, leaning towards Zoei. "Did you figure it out?"
"He did stop your bleeding, but that's all I can figure out." Zoei pressed her lips together. "Finlai, you're sure he's not dying?"
"Yeah, not actively." Finlai shrugged. "I mean, it is weird that he doesn't feel all there, but he's not dying."
"He's not all there?" Lazare laughed, doing a little lap around the group. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"I don't know, it's just what I can feel."
"Wait, what amulet?" Elief asked, turning to Cole with a confused amulet. "He's never said anything about that to us."
"I'm going to kill him as soon as he's better," Finlai muttered, glaring down at the unconscious god. Zoei reached around his neck and slowly pulled the amulet out from under his shirt. All the gods leaned in, peering at it.
"I've never seen this in my life," Lazare decided, leaning back slightly. "Weird." Zoei hummed in agreement, moving to take the amulet off.
"Zoei, wait–" Alluma called, trying to stop her. But it was too late. In a flash, all the gods and Cole were sucked into Itzal's dream with him.

Cole felt slightly embarrassed when they didn't seem to know what the amulet was. He had figured they had been told about it as soon as Itzal had gotten back to them. It was a bit of a big deal to have it, especially if it had helped with killing the beings. "It was something we found when we were running from the beings. He said it would help him, but that's all I know about it."

"I wouldn't do that… Cole passed out when he touched it," He warned as Zoei reached towards it, though clearly his words weren't heeded or even heard as the next moment he was pulled into a dream. He had thought it had felt weird to hear Alluma's voice but to be brought into someone else's dream…it was a thousand times weirder. One moment he had been sitting on the ground next to Itzal, surrounded by the gods; now he was…somewhere else.

The gods and Cole appeared on a barren plain. It was clear that all the gods recognized it instantly, though it seemed the second they did, the scene shifted. Ruins appeared, misty at first and then all too real.
"This… this isn't right," Elief stuttered, looking around in confusion. "There weren't any buildings here. It was nothing." The rest of the gods appeared to be having the same reaction, though they didn't voice their thoughts. The bodies of beings started coming into focus, killed in a hundred different ways. Standing in the center of the ruins was Itzal and a being. He stared up at it for a second, then snapped his fingers. The gods watched in shock as the being scattered into dust. It was clear they'd never seen him do this before.
"He looks different…" Elief whispered, narrowing her eyes slightly at Itzal. Although it was said loud enough for him to hear, the god didn't turn around. His shoulders slumped, and a few seconds later, he dropped into a crouch.

Cole glanced around in confusion. He didn't recognize where they were at all, even if the gods seemed to know where they were. They seemed to know it well. Still, he didn't dare ask why they all shared the same look of confusion. As soon as his eyes fell on Itzal, he felt relief. He was alive. Granted, he didn't know where they were and if he was truly alive, but at least the god was moving around, not sleeping like he had been in the woods.

"Itzal," He whispered, taking a bold step towards the god. It was strange, to see how shocked all of the gods looked, even though Cole could see nothing but the god he remembered and loved. Even if he didn't turn around, Cole could see it was Itzal, and he started toward him.

Itzal wasn't there, not all the way. It was a strange experience, being halfway in his body. He could hear the other gods, hear Cole, but no matter how much he wanted to turn around, he couldn't. It was as though he was stuck living out that last day. The one where… well, it seemed like this was when he forgot. About the beings, about how he killed them. And, of course, about how he wasn't always the kind, gentle god he thought he was. Itzal stared down at his hands with a sort of detached horror. They were the color of the night sky and dotted with stars and galaxies. He'd never had hands like that. He wasn't–he was just the god of time, not one who looked like the night sky. It just didn't make any sense. And yet, at the back of his mind, he knew it was the truth.
"Itzal, are you okay?" The god looked up to see Elief–past Elief, who took life as easily as she gave it–standing in front of him. "We won."
"I know," Itzal murmured, slowly standing. The rest of the gods had appeared behind Elief, all wearing various expressions of unease and guilt. They'd gotten a home, but it had cost too much. He couldn't let them suffer like this. They'd come here for a good life. A better one. But it had cost them everything.
"Itzal?" Zoei's eyebrows drew together even more. "What are you doing?" What was he doing? Itzal looked down to see the amulet–the one he'd gotten from the cave with Cole–cupped in his hands.
"I'm saving you," he whispered, brilliant white light starting to shoot from the amulet. The gods only got a second to process that before the light exploded, blinding both past and present gods and Cole.

They were back in the forest. Everyone had collapsed to the ground when they entered Itzal's dream. The forest was blanketed in a peaceful silence, one that was quickly broken by the first gods stirring.
"What in the world…" Elief growled, holding her head. "What was that?"