- - - NOZAMA RAINFOREST // APRIL 3RD - - -
"Dammit, Xavia, what the hell is taking you so long?!" Dusk curses under her breath, growing increasingly anxious with every passing minute. It had been about an hour now and he still hasn't returned.
She's caught in a battle of decisions as she considers whether she should wait or dive into potential danger after him. His stubborn voice echoes 'Stay put' in her head but her worry and sense of responsibility argues otherwise.
About to spring into action, Dusk freezes as she hears voices and the distinct sound of footsteps closing in from behind. Whirling around on her heel, she swiftly readies her bow, only to find herself face to face with a group of armed poachers advancing towards her.
"Of course, just my luck... Right when I needed it," Dusk complains sarcastically as she steps back onto the shadowy rocks, her eyes scanning the incoming threat.
She can't avoid the fight now that they've already spotted her. Her instincts kick in as she pulls the string of her bow and lets an arrow fly. It strikes one of them square in his chest, causing him to stumble backward.
Dusk had never been a fan of taking lives but with Xavia's safety and their mission at stake, there's no room for her usual hesitations or ethics.
"What are you waiting for?" One of the poachers barks out, "Get her!"
"Well, that went south fast," She thinks to herself as bullets begin flying past her. She's an expert archer but up against guns, retreat seems like a wiser strategy.
Without further delay, she skillfully navigates through the rocky terrain away from the poachers in hot pursuit and heads deeper into the forest for better cover.
"Xav, we've got company!" Dusk pants into the comm piece as she takes down another pursuer with a well-aimed arrow, only to sprint off again. They're not backing down anytime soon and she's heavily outnumbered.
The urgency in Dusk's voice pierces through the silence of the temple, causing Xavia's senses to go on high alert. The nickname she used is a clear sign that something is going horribly wrong.
"Shit," He curses quickly. Without wasting another second, he sprints towards the exit of the temple, shouting back, "Hold on! I'm coming!"
Without a moment to spare, Xavia throws caution to the wind. The traps that had plagued him earlier are now insignificant compared to Dusk's desperate call for backup. His heart races as he weaves around the remaining traps like an enraged bull charging through a ring, not caring about any potential hazards along his path.
"Better make it fast, Xav!" Dusk breathlessly shoots back at him through the comm piece as she narrowly dodges another bullet.
Out of breath but forging ahead, she knows she can rely on her skills to keep the poachers at bay as she leads them in a chaotic game of cat-and-mouse. She decides to make a risky move in an attempt to get the high ground on her assailants.
"Time to get a better view," Dusk mutters as she deftly makes a daring leap up onto the first branch of a sturdy tree nearby. She's no stranger to climbing trees but doing so with bullets spraying around her is a first.
From this vantage point, not only can she better evade their attacks but launch surprise counterstrikes herself, hopefully long enough for Xavia to join in.
Calmly whispering, "Enhance," Dusk feels the familiar rush of her Nen flowing into her eyes. The blurry shapes of the poachers turn crystal clear as if they're standing right beside her. Letting loose arrow after arrow with sharp precision, she manages to take down a few more of them.
Her agility and sharp eyesight, amplified by her Nen ability, gives Dusk the advantage she needs. As bullets fly towards her previous spot, she's already a few trees away, arrow notched and ready to fire again.
As an arrow finds its mark in one of the poacher's necks, she watches as the man drops to the jungle floor lifeless, Dusk is already back in motion, a shadow jumping from one tree to another.
Despite her heart pounding in her chest, she can't afford anything less than utmost concentration. Her training as an archer takes over, calming her nerves and steadying her hands for clean shots. In all of this chaos, she finds her peace through the sight of each arrow finding its mark one after another.
The sight of enemy reinforcements arriving with even more weapons and the sound of the surging river below kicks in her worst fears. She's absolutely cornered now with nowhere to turn. It's as if she had hit a solid wall.
"No, not water...." She murmurs but she has no other options. She presses her comm again, trying to keep the fear out of her voice, "Xav.... I'm jumping off into the river! You- you need to find me."
"No, wait, Dusk!" Xavia's words are cut off as the line suddenly goes dead. His heart pounds in his chest as his mind races with horrifying possibilities, his earlier annoyance at her long forgotten now that she's in danger, "Dammit!"
He knows very well that losing track of her now could mean things going south really quick. He sprints towards the river, dead set on locating her before it's too late, "If anything happens to her, I swear I'll kill every one of those bastards myself!" He barks out through gritted teeth.
As Dusk plunges into the water, her past fear returns with full force. The cold grip of the water dragging her down, her lungs screaming for air, it all feels alarmingly familiar and terrifying.
She fights furiously to stay afloat, regretting that she had never learned how to swim. She thrashes around desperately but the river is merciless, pulling her under as she struggles to keep her head above water.
Water has become her enemy again. It holds a strange power over her like it had back in her horrid past, which only makes her more determined to fight back against it.
With the river's furious roar guiding his way, Xavia tears through the dense jungle foliage. Cold fear gripping him tightly as he sprints past trees and leaps over stumps, "Hang on, Dusk, I'm coming," He huffs into the comm piece, knowing full well that she probably wouldn't hear him.
He speeds along the rocky riverbank, skidding occasionally but never faltering. His sharp eyes roam over the raging waves as he scanned for any sign of Dusk.
"Come on... Where are you?!" He mutters under his breath with desperation creeping into his voice.
"No, not again," Dusk thinks in anguish as she continues grappling against the fierce current that's dragging her downstream. The water around her is a cold, terrifying reminder of that night as she fights for every breath she takes.
Finally, Xavia spots her, a dark figure bobbing and thrashing around in the frothy current of the river, "Dusk!" He calls out to her though the roaring water drowns out his voice. Feeling a surge of relief wash over him, he dashes along the uneven terrain towards her without giving his own injuries a second thought.
As the cold water begins seeping into her lungs, Dusk's struggles become weaker. The strength that once filled her body is now rapidly draining away as she slowly starts sinking deeper into the river.
"NO!" Xavia bellows as he watches Dusk disappear beneath the waves. Time slows down for him and all he can hear is her name echoing in his mind. He doesn't hesitate to claw off his jacket, swiftly diving headfirst into the frigid current with a determined snarl etched onto his face.
He refuses to let it end this way. Dusk isn't going to get away from him so easily. Death can fucking wait.
She's losing consciousness fast, her struggles subsiding as the icy water engulfs her. All she can hear is silence, a peaceful yet terrifying quiet that threatens to swallow everything alive.
Ignoring the freezing shock of icy water that threatens to numb his senses, Xavia propels himself deeper into its turbid depths. His eyes scan the dark water frantically for Dusk. Finally, spotting her sinking form, he swims towards her with all his might.
Summoning every last reserve of his strength, Xavia grabs a firm hold of Dusk's arm and kicks off against the riverbed as hard as he can. He can feel his lungs screaming for oxygen, but he forces himself to ignore it. His eyes sting from the murky water as he fixes his gaze on Dusk's limp form clutched in his grip.
He grunts, kicking against the current and dragging them upwards. The surface seems like it's miles away but Xavia refuses to give up. The sensation is intense, as if he's pulling them both up through a pool of tar.
Finally breaching the surface, he draws a ragged breath into his burning lungs. Water droplets spray around them while he kicks furiously to stay afloat, "I've got you," He rasps, tightening his grip on Dusk and using all of his energy to swim towards the shore with her in tow.
Gently placing Dusk's limp form on the grassy bank, he finds himself teetering between rising panic and sheer relief. He takes panting breaths, half from exhaustion, half from fear.
"No... No," He mutters desperately, shaking her slightly as he checks for a pulse. The thought of losing his partner, despite all their bickering and disagreements, is unbearable, "Don't you dare leave me alone in this shit show!"
Time seems to stand still as Xavia looks at Dusk's limp form, waterlogged and barely breathing. He kneels beside her on the soggy grass, feeling a sting of despair creeping in, "Dusk, don't you dare..." His voice cracks with raw emotion, an unusual display for him.
Shaking off his rising panic and shock, his hands move with swift precision as he begins giving her chest compressions, "Come on... Wake up!" Xavia pleads, pressing his lips to her cold ones in a desperate attempt at resuscitation. Each second feels like an eternity as he tries again and again while clutching desperately onto the hope that she'll wake up.
Dusk finally manages a shaky but promising breath. Her body shakes violently as she coughs up river water and struggles to draw air in.
Heaving a sigh of relief, Xavia quickly supports her, "Thank god... You scared the shit out of me," He admits through gritted teeth as he keeps an arm around her, keeping her steady.
The dark-haired woman lets out a raspy laugh as she chokes out the last bit of water, "You scared of losing your only partner and having to do all the dirty work alone?" She teases weakly, though her words hold an undertone of gratitude.
A ghost of a smile twitches at his lips, "Someone has to keep you alive," Despite the gravity of their situation and her weak state, Xavia can't help but indulge in their usual banter. But he has to know, "What the hell happened?"
She gives him a weary look before answering, "I was ambushed by a group of poachers with guns and didn't have anywhere else to run. My only option left was diving off that cliff into this death river. And... I'm not a big fan of water. I don't know how to swim," She shrugs nonchalantly as if she hadn't just cheated death.
The white-haired man frowns at her explanation, his grip tightening subconsciously around her, "We need to work on your exit strategies," He sighs deeply before speaking again, this time more softly than before, "I'll teach you how to swim sometime. We can't have something like this happening again."
Dusk blinks up at him, a slow smile spreading across her face, "You sure about that? I mean, you almost just saw me drown today. You okay with being my swimming instructor?"
"Only if it means I won't have to dive into raging rivers ever again," He quips back, his tone dripping with sarcasm. Seeing her smile makes him feel relieved. She really is okay.
"Well, then it's settled! You can teach me how to swim once we're back at the estate safe and sound," Dusk replies with a firm nod. Inwardly, she's still reeling from her near-death experience but she isn't going to let that show.
Xavia simply nods in response, no mocking comment or sarcastic remark coming from his lips. Today's experience had shaken him more than he cared to admit, "Alright," Is all he says before standing up and offering his partner a hand, "Can you walk?"
She accepts his hand and slowly rises to her feet, brushing off mud and leaves, "I can, but if you're offering to carry me..." She trails off teasingly with a smirk.
"In your dreams," Xavia retorts with a roll of his eyes, yet a grin plays on his lips, "Let's get moving."
Dusk laughs, feeling her spirits lifting, "Alright, alright! But you're definitely carrying my stuff then!"
"Deal," The white-haired man agrees as he reaches over to grab her bag, "But only this once."
- - - VAN HELSING ESTATE // APRIL 3RD - - -
Handing over the Jungle Staff to Aurelius, Xavia grumbles under his breath, "Never again," The cold water had done enough damage already, and now he feels a throbbing headache coming on.
Beside him, Dusk stands silently, her usual cheerful aura dimmed slightly by the day's ordeal.
"Wonderful! I knew you two wouldn't let me down!" Aurelius remarks jovially as he carefully inspects the ancient relic, "Very nice. It's in great condition."
"Great condition huh? Well, there were a few 'minor' hitches," Xavia mentions bitterly, his gaze locked onto the staff which had almost cost them their lives.
Their employer furrows his thick white brows in concern, curiously asking, "Minor hitches?"
Xavia is about to explain when he hears a shriek from Dusk, who points at his backpack in shock. A small snake covered in black and white blotches slithers out of his bag and onto his shoulders. He stiffens as the slithery creature wraps itself around him, crawling up to his neck. His gaze flickers over to his partner whose eyes are wide with fear.
He sighs exasperatedly before grabbing the snake by its tail and lifting it off of him in one swift motion, "Looks like we had a stowaway."
Finally recovering from the shock, she shouts, "WHERE DID THAT COME FROM? I thought we did a thorough check before leaving! How could it hide in your bag all this time?! And are you sure that's not poisonous?"
"The jungle's a wild place, Dusk. I guess it found my bag cozy," Xavia inspects the snake closely before shrugging nonchalantly, "Doesn't look poisonous to me."
Aurelius' assistant, Zane, who had been standing behind his employer quietly, raises his eyebrows in intrigue as he speaks up, "Interesting choice of souvenir, Xavia. Do you mind if I have it?"
The white-haired man raises an eyebrow at Zane, a smirk appearing on his face, "All yours," He says as he flicks the snake towards him.
Zane catches the snake in one swift motion before placing it gently around his neck, "Thank you," He says with a grin, pleased to have another addition to his collection.
Dusk still feels unsure about the whole situation but lets out a small laugh, "Next time, could you choose a less... Creepy souvenir?"
Xavia shrugs casually before meeting her gaze, a faint smirk dancing on his lips, "Only if you promise no more cliff diving."
She rolls her eyes but makes no effort to hide the smile on her face, "Okay, I think that's a very fair trade."
"Good, then we have a deal," He remarks as he turns to leave the room.
"Wait up, Xav!" Dusk calls after him. She casts one last glance towards Aurelius, Zane and his new snake before hurrying to catch up with her partner.
Xavia pauses momentarily, letting out a soft sigh before turning back to face her. Despite his initial reservations, Dusk has somehow managed to carve a place for herself in his life, "Well? Are you coming or not?"