Deep Waters. (Jasmine/Trucido)

[Trucido Damnedblood]

Trucido was slammed into the ground, again. Trucido took his sword and place it behind her legs, and as soon as he had the change, he raised the sword and flipped her on her back. He placed his sword on her arm and dragged it up her arm. "Feel the pain." He said to her as he stomped on her and then he hopped back.

[glitters]

Jasmine was thrown onto the ground and surprisingly, made no sound. Even as the sword was dragged up her arm, tearing apart her robe and flesh she remained quiet though the expression on her face was one of real pain--she cringed and bit her lip, gasping sharply as the blade dug in.

{You've made no move this time. He's badly injured your arm, I do apologize.}

'I...I don't even know why I'm fighting this. I'm not nearly strong enough to defeat him...'

{But you know he's playing with you. He takes pleasure in seeing you suffer. I think he may have broken something when he stomped on you, too...you are a sage, you said? A healer?}

'Yes...I'll need to use my magic to heal myself.'

{You'll be hurting again, and greatly. You don't take pain too well, medium.}

'I know. But if I don't I could very well lose my arm, it looks bad enough.'

{As you wish...}

Jasmine flickered back to her normal self, and as she did the pain that Brae could endure came flooding to her and she let out another painful scream. She muttered her incantation again to heal her arm, yet even after it patched itself up she could still feel an odd tingling in it.

'I think he may have severed some nerves...just great...'

Jasmine rolled over again, Brae hanging around right by her, waiting for Jasmine to make the call. She shook, wrapping her bloodied arms around herself and staring at Trucido, a few tears coming to her eyes as she tried to fight the pain. She was breathing heavily, her body was starting to feel the wear that was going on connecting to the spirit for so long.

{Are you going to try again?}

She could walk away. She could, and he'd laugh at her some more. Either way, he was laughing at her. She could continue to fight him and hurt herself even more, too. Andy wasn't here for her right now, either...and in a few ways, she was glad for it. In a masochistic kind of way, she wanted to try this herself, to test her own abilities. Not to mention, she felt it would be horribly embarrassing for Andy to see her like this.

Finally, Jasmine nodded at Brae and breathed deeply. Jasmine took Brae's form once again and she bounded forward with a ton more fight in her than before. She twirled, feinting a couple of swings before she kicked her foot into him. Throwing a few more slashes in with her elbow blades, a high energy in them picking up with every strike, she backed up and an even greater glow took over her. She brought her hands back, clenched her fist...

And the ground beneath Trucido exploded upwards in a powerful burst of wind.

[Trucido Damnedblood]

Trucido was shocked that Jasmine could still attack him. After the onslaught of strikes and the blast from the ground, worn him down. As he was return to the ground like a raindrop, he was out of breath.
"Not bad.... Jasmine...." He huffed as he looked at her. He suddenly caught his breath, he stabbed at her shoulder of the other arm.

[glitters]

Brae grinned proudly, the man had it coming. As Trucido attacked again, she got herself ready and as he stabbed at her other arm she shot herself backwards, rolling gracefully to avoid the attack. She rounded herself back onto Trucido and came charging at him, her elbow blades out and ready to slash at him again when she suddenly lost her balance. She stumbled, her mind flickering.

{What's going on? What are you doing?}

'I'm not trying to. I'm sorry, I'm not strong enough yet...I'm sorry'

The blue aura around Jasmine disappeared as she got closer, and the moment it was gone the young girl came crashing to the ground, entirely worn out. Jasmine lay there, trying to find the strength to get up but she was so exhausted from hosting a spirit in her body for so long that she could not move.

[Trucido Damnedblood]

Trucido watched as her body fell to the ground, like a puppeteer letting the strings goes on his puppet. He smiled as he walked towards her. "Now, shall I end your life here? Or shall I end it with everyone else? " He asked her, and he placed the sword next to her face. "Well? What will it be?"

[glitters]

Jasmine breathed heavily, exhaustion still claiming victory over control of her body as she lay there on the ground, though her eyes shifted upwards at Trucido. She stared at him, feeling the sword not even an inch away from her face...

She didn't reply. She wasn't going to.

[Trucido Damnedblood]

"... I will let you wallow in despair. I only kill the people that can kill me. You will be just a rabbit, like your mother. You will always lean on Andy for help, and when you are not with him, this happens." He said to her, as he put his sword away and when back to the digging site. He kicked some roots around, and then he said "I guess it is not here." He then picked up his shovel and walked away.

[glitters]

Jasmine squeezed her hand into a fist, desperately wanting to get back up. This had been her chance to prove something, and her body wasn't cooperating. She couldn't get up, and the worst of it was that she knew it was better that she didn't. Should she continue channelling the spirit, it'd tear her body apart--kill her.

Her hand fell limp again as Trucido walked away and she lay there, staring upward at the sky, closing her eyes.

{Medium. Medium, are you alright?}

'Mother wasn't a rabbit...whatever he means by that, anyway...'

She lost herself as she closed her eyes, the exhaustion she felt becoming so overwhelming that it took her to sleep where she lay, bloody, sore, and alone.


Jasmine's eyes fluttered open later to see the sun was setting. For a moment she became startled, wondering how she had gotten here, why she felt like she did--and then she remembered.
She was still so tired, but at least she felt she had the energy to move again. For now, she lay on her back yet, looking up at the sky as it changed from that brilliant blue that it once was into a fiery orange. Looking at it reminded her of Andy.

"I think I'm starting to get what he means...five months of training certainly doesn't seem to be enough..." she said aloud to herself.

{Medium! You are awake!}

Jasmine's eyes widened and they strolled over to Brae's spirit by her, the once monstrous figure now...the shape of a human? Did she actually become more powerful from that experience alone?

'My name is not "Medium". My name is Jasmine. Jasmine Loque.'

{Miss Loque...it's good to see you are well! I was afraid. He speaks so negatively of you, that man. Are you going to seek him out again?}

'...Eventually we will cross paths again. I know we will. For now, I should be happy that I even survived this and continue to train hard. He can say what he wants, but in the end I am no warrior. Andy is, and I help him. Trucido will see someday that I'm a much greater threat than he thinks, even if I help out on the sidelines...'

{Andy is a warrior? Trucido is the man? Let me help. You've seen, I can fight him. I know I can, Miss Loque.}

'Andy is a very close friend of mine, a warrior, yes. Trucido is an evil man who we have to stop.'

{Let me help.}

'You are actually willing to come along with me? Don't you have other business to do?'

{My business was always to keep the world at peace, and this Trucido is one that shakes that peace. Even in death, this would surely mean that I can continue to serve and protect those who need it. Please, Miss Loque. You know my words are true.}

Jasmine rolled over onto her stomach, slowly lifting herself with wobbling appendages until she was finally on her feet. Everything hurt, she'd have to examine herself further later. For now, she needed to get somewhere safer to rest.

'...Brae, was it? You are more than welcome to come along with us...I do trust you, and I do look forward to working with you...'

The blonde girl hobbled away in the sunset, her new 'friend' by her side that only she could see.