Trials of a Planeswalker Ch. 02: Fall

"Son of a bitch!" Varia exclaimed.

The hydra roared and fought back, two of its heads trying to sink teeth into the giant. They did little damage against its holy armor and Henry grappled with the hydra. He grabbed the two heads and brought them together with a great crack. He fought like a brawler, punching, kicking and smashing as best he could. Unfortunately, the creature still had four working heads so its ferocious assault continued.

"I need to help him. Go on Shyara!" Blayne exclaimed.

"Hold on!" Varia yelled, grabbing the saddle. She hurled herself in the saddle in front of him and gave him a cheeky grin, "Don't think I'm gonna let you go alone twice."

Blayne laughed and wrapped an arm around her waist, adjusting himself to sit better. Behind them, Robin rose into the sky with her sword in her hand.

"I know this thing is huge, but if I manage to get a hole in it, can you try to pull out it's blood? If you can just drain it, it should die." Blayne called in her ear over the roaring wind.

"I think I could do that! It's big, but just pulling the blood out shouldn't be hard!" Varia yelled back, "Wish I would've thought of that when you chopped it's heads off."

"Mistakes." He shrugged.

Just then there was a ground-shaking smash. One of the hydra's heads had grabbed the ankle of Henry's Titan and pulled the leg out from under it. The Titan landed on its back and The hydra leapt on it, trying to tear it's throat out. The problem for the hydra was that the titan was crafted purely of white mana and it had no blood or veins. Biting down on it's neck did nothing.

While it was focused on trying to devour Henry, Blayne and Varia rose above it. Standing up in the saddle, he warned Shyara to hold steady while he gathered the mana for another spell. Boiling red mana shone in his hand and he gripped Varia's shoulder. He yelled and threw it downward and, light a spear of lightning, it pierced through the Hydra's back and out it's chest, also driving through the leg of Henry's titan.

Immediately Varia rose her hands above her head, pulling on the hydra with all the force she could muster. Blood erupted forth like a fountain, spraying out of the great wound as the spear dissipated. The hydra roared angrily and it thrashed about. It reared up on it's hind legs and one of it's heads collided Shyara. Blayne and Varia were knocked off her and all three of them were left plummeting to the sea below.

"Blayne~!" Robin screamed, turning over. She spun around skillfully and flew straight down towards him.

As soon as the hydra was off him and reared up, Henry shoved upward and knocked it over backwards. It tumbled into the water, one of its flailing heads smashed into the distracted Robin. She fell into the waters below, unconscious as Blayne and Varia.

Henry leapt on the hydra and drove his fist into the wound left by Blayne's spear. Blood erupted forth and he dug his fist deeper. He grabbed as much of the creature's guts as he could and ripped them out. There was another expulsion of blood and the hydra roared weakly. It slumped over on it's side and gave a pitiful moan. More blood ran from the huge wound and colored the waters around it a deep purple. Henry dropped the hydra's guts in the ocean and stood upright groaning, rather exhausted from the time within the titan.

"Waaah!" Varia gasped, jerking up in the cold waters, "Blayne! Blayne!"

'I have him over here!' Shyara called. She was a distance away, paddling through the water with an unconscious Blayne across her back.

"Shyara, get him to safety! I think I see Robin!" Varia told her as she spotted some brown feathered wings floating in the water.

Henry looked down and he reached down into the ocean. His huge glowing hands slipped underneath Varia and Robin, picking them up. Varia yelled in surprise as she was lifted out of the water and set gently down on the stone. Shyara thrashed madly, trying to get herself out of the water, but her wings were far too soaked. Henry reached down and picked her up, also depositing her safely on the rock.

The titan dissolved in a bright yellow light and Henry reappeared on the rocks near the others.

"Ohhh damn." Henry slumped and sat down quickly, his body overcome with exhaustion the moment the titan spell ended.

"Henry! Henry, get your ass over here!" Varia screamed.

"What? What's going on?" Henry gasped, getting to his feet. He walked over and found Blayne and Robin lying unconscious on the ground.

"They aren't waking up. Her head is cracked open and I think Blayne has a concussion and some broken ribs, pretty bad. His breath is ragged and I think his lungs are full of blood. Please tell me you can heal!" Varia exclaimed.

"Of course I can." Henry nodded.

"Then heal her!" Varia said, putting her hands gingerly on Blayne's chest.

"He looks worse, you can't heal with white like I can. Let me." Henry said, kneeling beside Varia.

"No! Heal her damn it! I can heal Blayne!" Varia screamed at him, pulling forth her own powers. Henry nodded and turned to Robin. He held his hands above her and a gentle healing energy began to radiate from them. Channeling white mana directly allowed him to simply reverse the damage to Robin's body. He sealed her head wound and made sure there were no other injuries. It was slow because he was already rather exhausted, but it was working. Healing a fake body was considerably easier than a real one.

Varia on the other hand healed in an entirely different way. Through the use of Sangromancy, she began to control his blood. She used it to feel the damage and see where his body was injured. She realigned his bones and put everything back where it was supposed to be. With her magic, she kept him from bleeding internally and she emptied his lungs of blood. By controlling his body in such a Necromantic way, she could craft a rather unholy method of healing. She had never done it in any seriousness before, but when her lover and husband was on the line, she called forth every ounce of skill she could muster.

Henry looked closely at Robin as he healed her. She really was a beautiful young woman, soft brown hair covering her face. She had a very interesting looking outfit on that showed her midsection. What captivated him most were her wings. The appearance of an angel was very unique and very rare to him, since they were one of the most difficult beings to summon on his Plane.

"Mmmm... Ohhh..." Robin mumbled as she stirred. Her eyes opened and she looked up at Henry. A moment later Her eyes widened and she jerked up, "Blayne!"

"Whoa! Sit back, you've been hurt pretty bad. Just stay still." He said, putting a hand on her shoulder to guide her back down, "He's fine. The hydra was slain and Varia is taking care of him."

She looked up into his eyes, a little taken with his handsome face this close to her. He was a rather dashing man, especially in the leather coat. She had a thing for leather, it really made a man look good in her opinion. After a second, she realized she was staring at him and she blushed.

"How is he?" Robin asked, quickly looking over at Blayne.

"He'll live, damn it!" Varia yelled over her shoulder as she continued moving the blood around his body, "I just need to get him inside to lay down on something better."

"Here, I'll..." Henry started.

"Fuck off. Don't you dare get near him." Varia snapped at him, rage burning in her eyes. With a grunt, she lifted Blayne's body in her arms and carried him away. Henry watched her go with a raised eyebrow. Shyara followed them and she sat down outside the door, ruffling her feathers as she licked her wounds.

"What's with her?" Henry asked Robin.

"I don't really know what prompted that, but she loves him. They recently got married and she's very protective of him." Robin said, sitting upright. She adjusted her wings, making sure the delicate cartilage was fully healed.

"Well I get that. But She's acting like I was the one who hurt him." Henry said, point at the spire, "I'm the one that killed the monster who did that, and I'm the one that rescued all four of you. I think I deserve at least a little thanks."

"Alright, thank you." Robin said, kissing him on the cheek.

"What?" Henry squeaked, putting a hand on his cheek.

"Wouldn't a kiss from a cute maiden do as thanks?" Robin giggled with a cheeky smile before walking away towards the tower.

He followed her, but Shyara stood up in his way.

'I'm sorry, but Varia asked me to keep you out here.' Shyara spoke into his mind.

"What? What for?" Henry exclaimed, crossing his arms.

'She didn't say. But I obey her like I would Blayne. Don't try to go inside.' Shyara warned him, settling back down on the ground.

Henry grumbled and sat down right there on the cold stone. In all reality, he was grateful for the chance to sit down. His body was exhausted and he felt spiritually drained. The titan was not an easy thing to do even when he was rested, and that he was not.

Inside, Robin walked across the room to where Varia had him lying on one of the bunks.

"What's going on Varia? Is he going to be alright?" Robin asked, looking down at them.

"He'll be fine. I've been getting better at my Sangromantic healing lately and I'm glad for it. I've fixed him up completely, he's just unconscious for now." Varia said, looking up at her.

"Why did you get so angry outside? Henry didn't do anything. He fought with us." Robin said, sitting down on a nearby bunk.

"Robin, we don't even know where he came from. He said he's a Planeswalker, sure, but the moment he showed up, a big hydra attacked us. Isn't that just a little suspicious?" Varia exclaimed, staring over at her, "I don't want to risk Blayne with this stranger around."

"I don't think it's suspicious. He risked his life for us and he just seems like a nice guy." Robin said.

"Robin, please don't take it as an insult if I don't take the word of a naive girl." Varia sighed, brushing her hand down Blayne's face.

"Girl? Varia, I'm the same age as Blayne." Robin pointed out.

"Yes, but you've not seen what we have. You don't know what can be out there in the Multiverse. When Blayne gets hurt, I don't take chances." Varia said, shaking her head.

"I suppose you're right. But come on, he's not evil. He's nicer than you were the first time we met. I know that look in his eyes, he's not out to get us." Robin said quickly.

"You're smitten with him." Varia stated flatly.

"N... No... No I'm not!" Robin stammered.

"Yes you are. Fine. I'll let him in here after I talk to him. But until Blayne wakes up, he doesn't come within ten feet of him." Varia said, "And if I am right, then I will keep Blayne from summoning you again. I know you think this is good fun, but if you put his life in danger, I won't hesitate."

"Varia, you know I would never want to harm Blayne. I love him more than you do." Robin said, standing up.

"I know Robin. I just want you to know how serious I am." Varia sighed, rubbing her eyes. She leaned down and kissed Blayne on the forehead, "Make sure he's comfortable until I get back. I'm not sure when he'll wake up. My healing doesn't work as good as that of white magic."

"I will. Don't go killing him." Robin said, nodding as Varia stood up.

"I promise nothing." Varia smirked slightly before walking away.

*******

CHAPTER 4 - ACCEPTANCE

"Varia, what the hell is your problem with me?" Henry asked as he saw her step out the door behind Shyara.

"Who are you?" Varia asked, striding towards him.

"I told you my name. Its Henry." He said as he stood up.

"No, who are you!" Varia said louder, power flaring in her eyes. Spectral energy surged in her body, making her skin glow with purple patterns. She grabbed the collar of his jacket and lifted him off the ground, staring at him with fierce eyes. "Who in the hell are you?!"

"What are you doing?" He grunted, grabbing her wrists.

"You show up and minutes later, we are attacked by a hydra. Blayne almost died and you walk away without a scratch. Give me a reason I should trust you! Give me something so I don't rip your blood from your veins and throw your corpse away for the crows!" She screamed, lifting him as high as she could.

"Look, I don't know! I didn't summon that thing! You want a reason to trust me?! Fine! But put me down first!" Henry said indignantly.

"If you give me any reason to doubt you..." She shook him violently, "I will make you regret everything you have ever done and I will make your life hell for all of eternity!"

She lowered Henry down to ground but didn't let go of him. The rage in her face and the strength in her voice made Henry believe her words. He could tell that this woman didn't boast beyond her own abilities; if she said she would do something, it would happen. Henry was scared by this strange fierce woman: not because she was almost holding him by his throat or that she was bristling with black mana. She had such a forceful will and such a love in her heart for the man lying inside. She would go to hell and back for him. She would sacrifice herself to destroy Henry if it meant saving Blayne and somehow he doubted he could stop her. When he answered her question he made sure to speak very calmly and clearly to avoid upsetting her further.

"Back on my world I was on a covert mission. I was contracted to destroy a weapon: an airship with enough firepower to destroy a whole city. The plan was simple: use my titan form to destroy it while it was still docked. I hadn't expected their defenses to react so quickly but I still managed to destroy it. But when I ripped out the core of the ship it drained all my mana and exploded. When I woke up I was falling into an ocean and no idea where I was. I'm still not sure how I got here or how to get back. You're the first people I've ever met from another planet. I get you don't trust me but I've got no reason to betray you or your family if I'm just going to be stranded on a wet pile of rocks. I don't want to hurt any of you and what happened to Blayne wasn't my fault! I promise I let anything else happen to either of them while I'm here."

The purple patterns on her skin began to fade until she was her normal pale self. Varia let go of him and the mana swirling around her dissipated quickly.

"Remember what I said." She said before turning and walking back towards the door, "And don't think of coming anywhere near him right now."

"Okay." Henry said, regaining his composure rather quickly.

'I'll be keeping watch out here.' Shyara told both of them.

Inside, Henry found Varia and Robin both sitting on the edge of Blayne's bed. He decided to stay outside for now. Varia wasn't going to stop being unreasonable until Blayne woke up.

"How is he doing?" Varia asked, her voice completely different from just a minute before.

"Nothing is different, he's still sleeping soundly." Robin said, glancing up. She seemed relieved to see Henry standing on the other side of the room, completely in one piece.

"If you let me, I can..." Henry started, but the glare on Varia's face made him bite his tongue.

After that, they sat in silence for the better part of an hour. Waves crashed outside and Varia stayed close to Blayne the entire time, occasionally sliding her hand over his chest and peaceful face. Henry sat against the wall on the far side of the room, stroking his beard lazily. Robin eventually got bored and started pacing around the room. She stopped next to Henry and sat down on the floor next to him. She pulled her knees up to his chest and looked over at him.

"So what kind of a world did you come from?" Robin asked quietly.

"Imriel? It's a world of progress, or at least it used to be. Every country strives for greatness and each new technological advance was considered a victory. But they also struggle over resources. Ever since the age of discovery ended they've been plotting against each other indirectly, trying to gain an advantage. I'm a member an order of mercenaries they hire to seize shipments and sabotage their competitors. I have a talent for infiltration, more than just being able to teleport."

"Sounds a lot like my word, just with more magic." Robin said.

"I hope not." Henry said, looking concerned. "Hostility has been getting more and more overt. My last mission was actually trying to prevent escalation to one nations attacking another directly and openly."

"Damn, that's pretty heavy." Robin said, raising her eyebrows, "I'm guessing that would put you out of job?"

"Well... there's more to it than that." Henry sighed ruefully. Then he turned to Robin and managed a friendly smile, "Enough about me. What about your world? Where does a beautiful woman like you come from?"

Robin blushed in surprise at his compliment, "Umm... Um well... Its a nice world... I just live in an apartment with my brother and his wife. I work at a little coffee shop in New York. That's a city on my world. Its big and full of tall buildings. Millions of people live there." Varia said, a little flustered by his interest.

"Millions? Wow! That's bigger than any city on Imriel. Is this New York the capital of your world?" Henry exclaimed.

"Most of the people that live there seem to think it is, but not really. Earth is a lot like your world. We have wars too, but none in my home country. Other parts of my world are pretty scary sometimes." Robin said, fiddling with the edge of her scarf.

"I understand. There are a lot of unsafe places in my world too, but the big cities are usually peaceful." Henry nodded.

On the other side of the room, Varia slumped down on the floor, leaning back against the bed. She dug in her pack and pulled out her pipe. Packing it with tobacco, she lit it quickly with a bit of magic. Her body was exhausted and her nerves were worn thin from worrying about Blayne after the fight with the hydra. She sat for some time, smoking quietly, finding relaxation in the delicious smoke.

"Mmmm... I'd know that scent anywhere." Blayne mumbled hoarsely.

"Blayne!" Varia exclaimed, her body suddenly full of energy. She leapt up off the floor, dropping her pipe on the ground, scattering hot coals across the stones.

"So predictable. I'm gone for a minute and you just fall apart." Blayne snickered quietly.

"Blayne's awake?!" Robin exclaimed, leaping across the room in a flurry of feathers.

"Hi sister. What happened?" Blayne asked, pushing himself up on his elbows, "Ohhh... that's sore."

"The hydra kind of thrashed about a bit. Knocked you and Robin out of the air." Varia told him.

"I take it Henry healed me?" Blayne asked, glancing over at the newcomer, still standing by the door.

"No! I didn't let him anywhere near you! I healed you! Blayne, I don't think we can trust him!" Varia hissed to Blayne, her eyes glancing back at Henry.

"Why not? You can trust him." Blayne groaned, pushing himself upright.

"Blayne! Don't strain yourself!" Varia exclaimed worriedly, throwing an arm around his shoulder, "How do you know we can anyway?!"

"Because I can feel it. I didn't just shake his hand when we first met. I skimmed a bit over his recent thoughts and memories. Trust me, he's an honorable man." Blayne said, holding his side where it hurt.

"Well, don't I feel special." Henry smiled, "Am I allowed to come over now?"

"Yea, it's fine." Blayne said, beckoning him across the room, "I trust she tried to kill you or something when she thought you knocked me off Shyara?"

"I only threatened to rip the blood from his body if he went anywhere near you." Varia grumbled, crossing her arms.

"I know that. I'm a little worn out right now. I trust if she had really wanted me dead, it's not like I could've stopped her." Henry said, walking over next to the bed, across from Varia.

"Damn straight." Varia said, narrowing her eyes at him.