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Post by Roderich Edelstein on Mar 17, 2010 22:46:33 GMT -5
As Gilbert spoke, Roderich could feel him begin to shake. That narrow strip of cold where the other man's body pressed against his own intensified, and he had to adjust how he was sitting before the violence of his reaction literally knocked him over. Eyes wide, even if Gilbert had wanted him to, he could have said nothing in the way of comfort. His tongue had been numbed in his mouth by sheer horror, and tears of empathy welled in his eyes until he had to swallow hard, knowing that the last thing Gilbert would want to see is him in tears (again).
It was as if he'd been punched, really, as the other man finished his cold narration. Gilbert's voice had barely changed as he spoke, but his body language spoke volumes more than mere words could ever. Roderich could barely imagine surviving, as Gilbert had done, for even one day, let alone twenty years. And then for hundreds of years after that, living with yourself, living as what everyone would consider a monster...
And as Gilbert finally turned to him with a sad smile, Roderich could see the faint reflection of tears in the firelight. He doubted the other man even knew they were there, so used had he been to blocking everything out. "Hey... hey..." Voice gentle, he pulled his sleeve over his thumb and carefully wiped away his tears, feeling the chill of the other man's skin through his sleeve. With a wry smile, he echoed Gilbert's words from a few weeks ago, violet eyes misty behind his glasses. "I'm shit with tears, you know..." Giving up on the fabric absorbing, he let the sleeve fall and cupped Gilbert's face in his hands.
Slowly, holding him loosely enough so the other man could easily pull away, Roderich pulled his head into his chest, softly stroking the other man's hair with delicate fingers. "For what it's worth," he whispered, "You have me."
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Post by Gilbert Weillschmidt on Mar 17, 2010 23:09:47 GMT -5
"I..." Gilbert stopped, his entire body going rigid as Roderich's hands grasped his cheeks. He could feel himself being pulled forward, every fiber of his body was telling him to pull away. Images of being held down and roughly ripped from his clothes flashed before his eyes, but they stopped just shortly after they started. The sweet and familiar scent he'd come to associate with Roderich slowly filled his senses and he could feel his entire body beginning to relax.
For several minutes, the Prussian's arms hung uselessly at his side, angled oddly to the side as he listened to the brunette speak. Something in his mind seemed to shattered and rebuild itself in rapid succession as Gilbert's arms slowly and awkwardly wound themselves around Roderich's waist. He felt safe, comforted, and for the first time in years, like he was sitting somewhere he belonged; where he needed to be. His nose was pressed to the musician's chest, and each inhale made it easier for him to calm down after reliving that which he spent years shoving down into the depths of his mind.
"You're so... warm," he muttered quietly. His body shifted and turned, allowing himself better access to Roderich's hug-like gesture and pressed his body closer. "Compared to me... you're so warm. I hate my skin and body. It's as white and cold as snow... and every time I look at myself... I remember what happened back then. I can't... see or go near snow without remembering, and the smell of vodka..." he shuddered. "I can't smell it without breaking down. I... I hate dark books and being restrained... if I get too close to things like that... I..." he shook his head. "I don't... know. It feels like I'm back in that fucking basement... and I can't bring myself out of it."
Despite the dreary atmosphere, Gilbert found himself smiling as he angled his head up enough to see Roderich's face, but not to dislodge the gentle fingers from his hair. "Being with you... and touching you like this... You're warm, Roddy. I know I've said it before, but you're so warm compared to other humans, and it's awesome. I don't know how you do it, but even hugging you like this... I feel like I'm not made of ice anymore. " I'm... actually happy. I have a reason to be alive. I... No... that can't be it. Roderich is... I'm just glad to have him as a friend. I shouldn't read into it. It doesn't matter how awesome I think I am... he's not to be touched. "Heh, I bet I sound like a desperate creep, don't I? How uncool... I'm crying, too. Shit... How are you not laughing at me?"
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Post by Roderich Edelstein on Mar 18, 2010 1:18:50 GMT -5
"There is nothing amusing at which to laugh." Roderich released his fingers from Gilbert's silky silver locks and smiled sadly, trailing his hand down his face to wipe away the last vestiges of tears. Keeping his hand pressed against the other man's face, he felt Gilbert's icy skin slowly warming to match his own body temperature. Gently, carefully, as if handling a porcelain doll that might shatter at the slightest movement, Roderich wrapped his other arm securely around the other man's waist, shifting to make their position less uncomfortable until they sat nearly side-by-side again, but much, much closer than before.
Maybe it was his imagination, but the coolness of the other man's skin seemed to have faded from their embrace, and Roderich showed no intention of letting him get cold again. He could think of nothing further to say as he lightly caressed the other man's cheek with his free hand, feeling cold tears soak into his cravat. "Don't forget, you're awesome," he murmured, lowering his lips so that they almost brushed the crown of his head. Closing his tired eyes, Roderich rested his chin atop Gilbert's head. "I won't say it, so if you don't, who will? Your skin is a blessing, not a curse. If it hadn't driven you away from home, if you hadn't meet those Russian bastards," his voice hardened with uncharacteristic anger before smoothing back, "You would never have met old man Fredrick, right?
"For that matter, you wouldn't have met me, and I'd be lying dead in a forest right now." He was tired now, voice sleepy, and he started to nod off. Forcing himself upright, he kept himself awake for Gilbert's sake, knowing that the other man was nowhere near tired.
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Post by Gilbert Weillschmidt on Mar 18, 2010 7:37:17 GMT -5
"At least... you're finally admitting to it..." Gilbert chuckled softly, a small smile gracing his lips. The cold feeling that so often graced his skin was fading away, leaving him with the dull but warm comfort that Roderich's body provided him. The emotional blow from having dumped his entire past in a few minutes was finally beginning to fade, and the tears trickling down to his cheeks came to a stop.
He could feel Roderich slowly shifting in his arms, and he smiled again, tugging lightly on the brunette's waist until they both fell sideways with a soft 'plop'. "If you're tired..." he murmured, "it's alright to go to sleep, you know. I'm fine. I should probably try to get in at least an hour or two. Tomorrow sounds like it'll be a big day, and if I'm going to be out in the sun, I'll need all the energy I can get."
He smiled and nuzzled against Roderich's chest, sighing softly. "...Thank you..."
--- A/N: DX IT WAS SHORTER THAN I WANTED! The bell rang. I'll make the next one more epic.
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Post by Roderich Edelstein on Mar 18, 2010 19:56:25 GMT -5
The smoke from the dying embers of the campfire tickled Roderich's nose as he slowly awoke that morning. He pinched the bridge of his nose and rubbed his eyes beneath his glasses, feeling a strange weight on his chest as he tried to get up. Glancing down, he saw the other man still fast asleep, head buried in the soft folds of his ruffled cravat. Carefully shifting his weight, he gently brushed his hand against Gilbert's forehead and smiled, tucking a few stray strands of silver hair behind his ear. If it weren't for the faint flicker of his eyelids, Roderich might have feared he was dead -- actually so -- but he'd grown used to the other man's tendency to forget to breathe.
Gilbert's face was so peaceful as he lay there, one hand lightly clutching the hem of Roderich's jacket. His mouth was slack, muscles relaxed from their customary smirk. Head tilted questioningly, he gazed at the red tinge across Gilbert's pale face before turning to glance up at the sky. The sunrise was a brilliant scarlet, and he frowned.
"Red sky in the morning, sailors take warning," he murmured to himself before taking hold of Gilbert's shoulder. "Wake up!" he mock-scolded. "I didn't bring you with me just so you can laze around!"
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Post by Gilbert Weillschmidt on Mar 18, 2010 20:45:55 GMT -5
A pout formed on Gilbert's lips as he felt Roderich begin shaking his shoulder. He'd been rather comfortable throughout the night, sleeping almost the entire evening while taking simple comfort in the sound of his brunette companions breath in his ears. The other's chest was warm and soft, making the perfect pillow for him to settle against. It was nice; for the first time since Roderich had dragged him home, he slept feeling completely warm.
"Aw... it's no fun if you've caught me already." Smiling, the albino opened his eyes and sat up, returning the affectionate gesture he'd received by brushing several strands of brunette hair out of the musician's face. "I wouldn't worry too much about the sky," he murmured, glancing up. "It can't get too bad--besides, you've got me with you." He grinned. "What could go wrong?"
Standing up, the Prussian quickly moved around the camp, casting a quick spell at the fire to eliminate any smoke while rolling up the bed they'd previously been lying on. It was easy for Gilbert to do it quickly, his vampiric speed and hand-eye coordination giving him the extra boost to get it done quickly. "We should head out soon... We're closer to the desert and I'll be close to useless around noon. Just let me know when you're ready, my lord." Though the title was more of a tease than anything else, Gilbert still dropped to one knee, a hand crossing over his chest as he smiled up at Roderich with suggestive smirk and adoring look in his crimson eyes.
A light, fluttery feeling seemed to form in the Prussian's chest each time he looked at Roderich, and he had no doubt it had to do with the night before. Not even Frederick had been told all of Gilbert's passed, and the brunette was truly the first he'd ever had a chance to let everything out to. He felt calmer, more at peace, and much fonder of his contractor than he had before. It was odd, really, as he couldn't quite name the emotional change that seemed to be growing each night, but he set it aside for later. He was happy, and that was a first. "I await your orders..."
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Post by Roderich Edelstein on Mar 18, 2010 22:33:18 GMT -5
Roderich coughed and turned away, the slightest flush crossing his cheeks. "Stop that," he ordered, rolling up his own bedroll and pulling an apple from his bag, pretending to ignore the look in the other man's eyes even though it sent a strange shudder through him. "You look ridiculous kneeling on the ground. Get up and carry something."
As they set out that day, Roderich felt a strange spring in his step as if the miles they'd covered before had been twice as long, and this was the first truly easy part of their journey. Even as clouds covered the sky and threatened rain, he couldn't help but feel a thread of anticipation wind through him. The clouds were enough that even Gilbert was able to walk easier, and they made better time that before.
Thunder cracked in the distance as they approached their goal. High above them, atop a grassy hill overlooking the empty valley below, sat the remains of what had once been a castle, casting a dark shadow over the two of them as what bits of the sun could be seen through the clouds vanished behind the deteriorating stonework. Details were impossible to discern from their distance, but the lowered drawbridge seemed to have rotted completely away above a moat clogged with dead and dying weeds.
As they continued to approach, a frown tugged at Roderich's lips, and he tucked his hands inside his sleeves at a sudden chill. Stopping at the edge of the moat by unspoken agreement, the two travelers stared up at the massive gaping hole left by the decimated drawbridge. The interior of the castle seemed sturdy enough, however; though the stone was crumbling in places, enough seemed intact to keep the structure itself relatively safe. Now they simply needed to find a way across.
A flash of lightning in the distance, followed several seconds later by a echo of thunder. Drawing his violin case from his back, he wordlessly removed the instrument and held it gently by the neck, replacing the case on his back.
"I don't suppose," he said finally, turning to Gilbert. "You have an easy way to get across?"
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Post by Gilbert Weillschmidt on Mar 19, 2010 7:10:37 GMT -5
"An easy way...?" Gilbert repeated with a wide grin. It was as if God had suddenly taken pity on his existence and given him one treat after another. He stepped behind Roderich without so much as a pause and scooped one arm under the brunette's legs, using the other to support his back as he pulled the musician to his chest in a bridal-style hold. "Try not to wiggle around too much, it's suck if I dropped you down there."'
Ignoring the protests he knew would start spilling soon, he took several steps back, carefully surveying his landing point before he darted forward. At the last second, his knees bent and feet pushed off the ground, sending both of them soaring forward in a graceful arc. They touched down on the other side with ease a few feet from the edge of the bridge, making Gilbert grin at his success. "Kesesesesese~ How awesome was that!? I went even higher than I thought I could--you're lighter than you look."
From the devious glint in his eyes, it was easy to tell the Prussian was overly amused with the small action of jumping across the mote. Soaring thirty feet in the air to get across a distance little more than half the way across wasn't normal for most humans, but the albino was confident that they were both alone and safe in the matter, thus making it perfectly alright to not hide his humanity. His grip on Roderich had yet to loosen and he continued to walk forward, holding the brunette comfortably against his own body as he peered around. "Think this place can stand long enough for us to snoop around? It looks like the rainstorm could wipe it out..." Looks like it's gonna be a heavy one...
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Post by Roderich Edelstein on Mar 19, 2010 14:25:53 GMT -5
A surprised outcry fell emerged unbidden from Roderich's lips as Gilbert's arms suddenly swept him off the ground. Flushing with indignation, he sputtered only meaningless syllables for a moment until Gilbert stepped back, obviously sizing up the landing.
"No, no! No, you're not jumping that!" he exclaimed with some alarm, violet eyes wide as he realized the other's intent. "Especially not carrying me! Put me down! This is a terrible ide-AAAAH!" He squeezed his eyes tightly shut as the Prussian darted forward, unconsciously tightening his grip around the other man's shoulders, pressing the violin and bow against Gilbert's back in a vain hope that, when they fell, they would fall on him and spare the instrument.
It was a manly scream, he would comfort himself later as they touched down. Breathing heavily, Roderich slowly released his hold and glared angrily. "You could have warned me," he huffed. "Even a, 'Roddy, I'm going to jump over the moat now because I'm awesome!' would have sufficed! Stop holding me like a woman! If I had dropped my violin, I would have been completely useless! Do you think before you do anything?"
In Roderich's rage, he had barely even noticed what was around them[/u]. Strangely enough, once inside the walls, the castle didn't seem nearly as deteriorated as from the outside. The courtyard they were in was full of weeds in varying states of decay, but the door to the castle itself seemed intact. Some of the more outwardly-lying buildings had crumbled, but the main castle was untouched. There was strong magic here -- this is what Roderich had sensed with his violin. Now that they were here, it pressed down on him like a lead weight on his heart. "I think," he mentioned slowly. "That I may have been here before." Looking to his albino companion, he flushed against as he realized that only a handful's worth of centimeters separated their noses. "Put me down," he repeated, quieter. "Before we go in, I want to play and get a sense for what we can expect."[/sub]
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Post by Gilbert Weillschmidt on Mar 19, 2010 14:57:31 GMT -5
"I'll keep that in mind next time we have to jump a moat..." Gilbert said with a short and roll of his eyes. His eyes easily adjusted to the bizarre change in light, but the visual appearance of the area almost made hi wish that they hadn't. It looked almost haunted; unlike his own home which was more than inviting on the inside, this one appeared foreboding and somewhat eerie. It was like the building itself had died and it left the Prussian with a bad feeling in his gut.
Somewhere between landing and walking further inside, his amusement at Roderich's anger died down and his face turned uncharacteristically serious. Be barely heard the musician's claim at having thought he'd been here before, or the order to put him down. His arms tightened around the other instinctively as he took a step back, and it wasn't until several minutes later, with a great deal of reluctance, that he carefully lowered Roderich back to his feet. "As you wish," he mumbled, stepping closer to the other's side enough so that their shoulders were just barely touching. I don't like this place... he thought, giving the castle a dark glare. Something is off... and whatever it is, it's enough to creep me out..
Glancing at the brunette beside him, he slowly brought his hand up to rest casually on the hilt of his sword. If something was going to happen, he wanted to be ready. It didn't matter the level of danger which came with it, but he had sworn to protect Roderich's life and, contract or not, he was going to see that it was done, not matter what the coast was for him. "Just hurry up..." he paused, then added awkwardly, "...Uh, please."
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Post by Roderich Edelstein on Mar 19, 2010 18:32:02 GMT -5
Stepping forward, Roderich ignored Gilbert as he brought his violin to his chin and experimentally ran the bow across the strings. He used that opening strain to latch onto the magic, allowing it to guide his fingers as his eyes fluttered shut.
Almost immediately, he could feel the castle before his closed eyelids, flickering with what seemed to be a purple flame. He gave himself fuller into the music, allowing it to carry him through the courtyard like an invisible bird. Once he passed through the castle's doors, everything plunged into thick darkness, muffling his senses for a split second before his bow was forced to a discordant note, violin squealing harshly. The last thing he glimpsed through the music was something that might be a bare human skull, glimmering with purple fire.
Then the music took hold of his hand, scraping the bow against the strings with renewed force, sounding discordant note after discordant note in a devil's cacophony. Like icy claws, his own music turned against him, digging itself into his soul until Roderich focused his will and released his fingers, letting the bow fall and clatter against the cobblestones.
Roderich opened his eyes with a small gasp to find himself soaked with sweat, breath coming hard. His right hand shook with fatigue as though he'd been playing for hours, though he knew it couldn't possibly have been more than a minute or two. Staggering backward into Gilbert, he stared at the castle door with renewed apprehension. "There's something in there," he managed finally.
"Something that doesn't like to be looked at."
His throat tightened as he stared at the door, and he glanced at Gilbert. He almost offered the other man the chance to wait outside while he investigated, but with a shaky smile, he didn't bother. "I'm glad," he said simply, "That I don't need to do this alone."
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Post by Gilbert Weillschmidt on Mar 19, 2010 20:06:40 GMT -5
"Wha-!?" Eyes wide, Gilbert instinctively threw his arms around Roderich's waist when he stumbled back into his chest. A momentary flash of panic danced in his eyes, but the feeling was quickly dispelled as he stepped closer, pressing his chest against the other's back. "I could have told you something was in there..." he said quietly, looking at the musician in concern. The Austrian's reaction had been worrisome to say the least, and for a moment the albino had been tempted to knock the bow out of his contractor's hands. Happily, whatever magic that was plaguing the castle seemed to take care of the problem for him.
Crimson eyes slowly moved up and down the length of the door in front of them, but the albino couldn't find a reason to care much about what was beyond the wooden barrier for the time being. Shaking his head, he slowly maneuvered himself around Roderich's waist, keeping an arm locked around the brunette until he was peering into a pair violet eyes that seemed dilated far too much for Gilbert's comfort. "Mein Gott," he hissed, fumbling around in his bag until he produced a small canteen and handkerchief. "What the fuck did that thing do to you?"
He wet the cloth without another word and gingerly pressed it to Roderich's cheek, wiping away the layer of sweat and dust that had caked itself on the other's cheeks. Concern was easily evident in the vampire's eyes, but he did his best to push the feelings aside as he looked Roderich over. "And of course you don't have to do it alone!" he snapped, wetting the cloth for a second time and moving down to wipe his contractors neck next. "Which part of 'I'll follow you anywhere' are you having a problem understa--" he stopped, a dark red blush spreading across his cheeks in a matter of seconds. Smooth, dumbass...
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Post by Roderich Edelstein on Mar 19, 2010 23:16:33 GMT -5
Roderich paused and took the other man's hand in his as Gilbert tried to wipe his face. "I understand that, really, I do," he answered softly. "I just want you to know how much I appreciate it." He smiled and let his hand travel up to lightly brush Gilbert's red face. "You're warm," he murmured before pulling his hand away and taking a few steps forward to recover his bow.
Clearing his throat, he shook out his hands to try and free them from the strange music-magic that had taken hold. "Anyway, we don't have time to just stand here. Whatever is in there, it knows we're here. And I don't like waiting for it to decide that we're a threat."
As he glanced back at Gilbert, his heart fluttered strangely at the other man's blush. Quickly looking away, he cleared his throat and started up the stairs to the door, trusting that Gilbert would be right behind him. This is no time to get distracted, he scolded himself, shaking his head as he pushed the door open. The contract is an awkward thing to talk about. Of course he would blush.
And as he entered the main hall of the castle, the sunlight itself stopped, as if the sun itself refused to cross the threshold. Biting his lip uncertainly, Roderich raised his violin to his chin and ventured forward slowly, allowing his eyes to adjust. His bow dangled limply in his free hand, ready at the slightest movement to fly to the strings. "Gilbert," he murmured. "Please, lead the way. I'm not very good at close combat. I'd feel much better if you were in the front."
His footsteps were muffled against a ratty, moth-eaten red carpet. Instead of walking forward into the main hall, Roderich turned to the side on a hunch and slid his hand against the stonework. Closing his eyes, he trailed his fingers against the blocks of stone until he felt a particular nub, invisible to the eye. Opening his eyes, he frowned and pushed it.
A stone panel slid away from the wall, revealing a winding stone staircase, leading both up and down. Roderich stared at it before turning to Gilbert. "I think," he said slowly, "That I've been here before."
He shook his head again and glanced at Gilbert. "Up or down?"
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Post by Gilbert Weillschmidt on Mar 19, 2010 23:45:32 GMT -5
"So you keep saying..." Gilbert said, raising an eyebrow. It wasn't likely that just anyone would have been able to waltz into the castle and find a switch in the dark like that. Even for him, a vampire, it was slightly difficult to see in a room with absolutely no light, but the way Roderich simply seemed to know where to go left little doubt in the Prussian's mind that what the brunette was saying was true. "I doubt this place has always been in as shitty state as it is now... Maybe you came here before in that time-jump you can't remember?"
Taking a step past Roderich, the silverette peered up and down the separate staircases. The upper stairs were as dark as the room behind them, and lacked any form of illumination as far as Gilbert could see. However, the lower stairs seemed to promise a basement, which meant that if somewhere went wrong, they'd only have one means of escape: back up. He shook his head and sighed, glancing back at Roderich.
The Prussian didn't like the situation at all. Everywhere he turned he seemed to sense something else, and the overwhelming feeling of dark magic was driving him mad. He could feel the faintest hints of necromancy, but the various other forms of magic that seemed to leak from the walls themselves made it nearly impossible for him to pin-point where it was coming from.
"...Downstairs," he finally said, drawing his sword as he carefully moved several steps downward. "I can see a faint light down at the end; something useful might be down there... but I can't tell. It's impossible to sense anything for certain. For building that looks dead, it has a lot of shit running wild in it... I'm getting a headache from all of it."
With a small pout, the silverette continued down the stairs, narrowing his eyes in concentration as he tried to find something, anything, that would be useful to either of them. His fingers were wrapped dangerously tight around his sword, threatening to bend the handle if he added much more force. If there was anything here, he wanted to be ready. He had never been one to run away, but that was when he was alone. Now he had something, someone, that he wanted to protect... and a voice in the back of his mind was quietly telling him that if he kept moving forward, he'd be putting his precious friend in danger. Yet his body didn't seem to care much for the warning and continued on as if in a trance.
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Post by Roderich Edelstein on Mar 20, 2010 0:08:54 GMT -5
Roderich nodded once and kept his bow ready at the slightest movement as they descended the stairs. Using only the fingers against the neck, he plucked a quick series of notes to enchant the tip of the bow with a faint white light; not enough to illuminate it fully, but enough so he wouldn't have to worry about stumbling and falling down these stairs. Trusting Gilbert to keep watch where they were going, Roderich descended the stairs almost backwards, praying something wouldn't come down after them. These winding staircases in castles were built to cramp the sword-arms of anyone trying to come up, giving the advantage to the defending force supposedly above the invaders...
And Roderich frowned, studying the architecture. It was only then he realized that this staircase wound around to the other side.
Almost as if it were not to keep invaders from coming up from below, but to keep an invading force from above, out...
A soft clatter from above, and Roderich's bow sounded gently against the strings. Even with just that tiny note, he could feel the magic shift. "Gilbert..." he muttered quietly. "There's something coming behind us." Hoping that it was only an echo, he thought he heard it coming up from below as well.
Then the first skeletal figure burst around the edge into his field of vision. Eyes wide, Roderich barely had time to even register what he saw --is that a human skeleton?!-- before setting bow to string and starting to play. "Gilbert, watch out behind us!"
His music-magic wasn't nearly as effective against undead, but he exhaled sharply and tried to quell his fear, changing the tune to at once bolster his companion's already inhuman strength and resolve and slow the wave of monsters approaching from both sides. His music was heavy in the air, and the creatures slowed as if trying to pass through syrup.
But it didn't slow them enough. Not nearly enough.
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