Human

Interception

I watch as Ray cradles Asha in his lap. She barely moves but I can see that with the pain Ray is battling, seeing Asha alive is giving him strength. I guess its my turn to step in now. There's no chance these two are going to get out of here alive, if they do, well their injuries will likely catch up with them.

Death lingers nearby and warning him has acted as encouragement rather then a deterrent. These two are mine. I refuse to allow him to have them. Not yet anyway. I summon the clouds inland and with it steal the daylight. Ray looks up and his grip on Asha tightens and he whispers inaudibly rocking her slightly. The clouds roll in and so does the rumble of thunder, oh how I love dramatic entrances. Then Ray bows over Asha and rests his head on hers, as if trying to protect her from all this. The air gets hot and stuffy and I increase the strikes of light that hit the ground.

I make myself visible and walk up behind Ray touching his shoulder as a sign of comfort.

___________________________

Ray

Lighting strikes the ground and the storm growls loudly, I pull Asha closer, there's no chance I can get her out of this alive in the state I'm in. I mutter to her, but I'm trying to hold back tears and they come out all jumbled. This is where you'll die.

Yeah, but I have been dead time and time again and pushed through. We might find a way. I touch my head to hers and kiss her softly and she breathes shallowly. A wave of dizziness washes over me and I feel sick, then a hand rests itself on my shoulder.

I turn my head a fraction to see a figure so bizarre, so human like but not, that my jaw drops and I try to protect Asha again. The creature looks more startled than I do and raises a hand in, peace? There is a bronze sheen to its skin and unnatural bright eyes that stare curiously at me, bits of leaves and foliage litter its body and head, I could say monster, but its far too beautiful to be that.

It reaches a hand out to me and I shake my head. I can't get up. I'm far to injured. I then look at Asha who is muttering softly to herself. "What?" I ask trying to get her to focus on me.

"I'm cold." She mouths, I rub my hands over her arms and she looks away. I follow her gaze and it lands on another figure about 10 feet away. My blood turns cold. These figures, don't scream good news. The one Asha stares at is cloaked in black, with tendrils of shadow whisking behind, and it doesn't take a genius to guess what it is. Death.

I look up at the other figure who hisses at the black clad of a man. I look at Asha "You do not go with him. Okay?" She nods weakly and I look to the bronze figure "You're here to help us right?" It tilts its head in agreement "Then get her help. Please." My voice cracks as I plead and blink back tears.

The kinder of the two figures steps over Asha and wards off the shadows. Asha gasps painfully and her eyes roll back so I shake her and shout at Death "No! If you take her, you take me too!"

Death seems to take this into account and suddenly if feel more drained than ever and lose feeling in my arms and body. I watch the figure covered in petals and twigs shriek and its skin turns molten and cracks and the black cloaked man steps away and disappears. Suddenly a dead weight lifts and I breathe loudly seeing the once again bronze figure walk towards me. It kneels down in front of us and brushes a hand over Asha's heart.

Then it does the same to me and everything goes black.