xp_logs | Illyana & Namor | Slay, Queen and King

Illyana and Namor let off some steam in Limbo.

"Ha! This is the way!"

A twist, a thrust, and the next fiery demon in line went down.

"Flexing our muscles, reminding ourselves who we are!" An obsidian blade met with a flashing parry. A jump, a lunge. Another one of the endless horde down.

Namor, face streaked with demon gore, turned a wide grin to witness Illyana's own field of carnage. "There is nothing like the gift of battle!"

"They are being a challenge today." Illyana's smile was grim even as Soulsword's light flashed. A splatter of grey decorated the jeans she'd worn on this impromptu trip, demon halves landing with a wet plop as she continued focusing on the numerous small, pesky demons trying to group and overrun.

A motion of her hand had a portal popping into existence, and a swift kick of her foot had a demon sailing through one end and impaling itself on the horns of the demon Namor was fighting, and her smile became a sharper grin. "It is good, I think. Get the blood pumping, yes?"

"My weapons instructor always believed a surprise tangle cleared the mind," Namor replied with a golden sweep of his trident that flowed into a block — fang against Atlantean metal — that sent sparks flying. He kicked off the creature, backwheeling into a somersault through the air until he paused, hovering, for just a second. Ankle wings vibrating, he let loose a howl as he shot forward, weapon drawn, gathering the remaining scattered demons together as he flew in a tighter and together circle.

"Your highness, the final blow is yours by right."

"You say nicest things, Majesty." It was easier to channel her destructive magics here, and she let loose with a blast directly into the circle of gathered demons, body almost thrumming with the pent up energy she'd released. The gore left a nice pattern on the ground, almost runic in design, and she studied it thoughtfully for a moment before dragging the toe of her boot through one specific arc.

A chitter in the distance caught her ear, and she perked up, eyes narrowing at a demon hovering just outside what it probably thought was their reach. She spat something at it in Demonic, a zinging bolt of light following and clipping the demon on the back as it winged off. "One of S'ym's watchers," she explained to Namor tightly. "He is curious about visit, but will not interfere if he knows what is good."

Namor watched the interloper and the aftermath of Ilyanna's spell with a studied expression. "We are left wondering why you let this S'ym continue to play his hand so openly. It must be the nature of demons to need their games."

"As a child, he had upper hand, yes? Could torment freely, and often did." Illyana's mouth firmed into a thin line. "As adult, boot is on throat, as saying goes. So we have reached truce. I cannot be here always, S'ym is powerful and mostly content to be face of throne and wait out my death. But he watches, always, looking for weakness to exploit. It is way of demons, yes, to continue fight for most power. In this time, this place - that power is me. S'ym is allowed to live because he is more useful as tool. In other dimensions... other powers. Some we do not speak names of, lest we bring gaze down. Others... prefer to play with Earth."

"Fascinating," and there was the weight of consideration in his words, "So it is a long game. You act as a gatekeeper and bulwark to protect peoples who cannot even know of your sacrifices. Noble." He stared out over the stark landscape of Limbo. "I would not have the patience to play."

"If I do not play..." Illyana trailed off. "With me, Limbo is more neutral. Is always that struggle for power, yes? But not taking children, luring innocents into games they could not play. I would not want what happened to me to happen to another, and so I rule. Reluctant, yes, but better than alternatives. Children cannot understand, and must be protected. Adults should know to ask what are consequences before trying to play game with demons."

He nodded with clear respect in his eyes. "Noble and valuable deeds. We must," and he stopped there, considering, "I was taught we must put the people before ourselves. The crown serves for the future of our children." Namor's tone froze at the end there as bitterness iced its edges.

A sudden keening, yowl in the distance broke through the talk of kingdoms lost or gained.

"Do not like the sound of that. Shall we?" Illyana bent to touch the ground, eyes briefly unfocused as she sought the magical signature of the yowl. "Northwest, not too far. Follow me." The portal sprang open with just a circle of her fingertips here, and she put one foot on the other side before beckoning Namor through. "Should be quick."

Namor did a once over to properly appreciate the carnage they had wrought together before nodding solemnly. "Challenge or threat," he wondered aloud before following Illyana through the glowing blue disc.

"Likely both." Their travel was instantaneous here, dropping them within a short walk of what appeared to be two giant demonic animals fighting, similar to wildlife. She took them in, and heard a smaller set of yowls echoing. "One of those is mother protecting young. Do not know which, at glance, but stay alert for small demons. Maybe do not kill them if you run across. They are baby."

A kick of his heel into the ground, and Namor was hovering for a better vantage. They were merely on the perimeter of the overly large cage match. One of the combatants was almost canine, while the other was a mess of scales and extra mouths. There were a couple smaller, slimmer red figures in the distance.

"We in Atlantis revered the great dragons and leviathans of the sea. A loss of any of them would be a shame. Tell me, is that the same to Limbo's people." Illyana got an accompanying look that underscored an unspoken question: is this nature, or is this time for nurture?

Illyana made a so-so motion with her hand. "We are here. There is no prohibition about interference. Other demons would or would not based on sport provided." She let out a sigh. "Am inclined to give mother ability to raise young. Will be other terrors, but perhaps will give young fighting chance." A wave of her hand and a portal appeared in front of the scaled creature. The next lunge sent it through the space and into a rock, leaving it dazed as the two approached. A few words in demonic had the canid disappearing over the ridge in the direction of the smaller figures in the distance. "This one will be good sport."

Namor nodded in approval. "There are always other terrors. While we may be monsters, we also may choose when to be monstrous."

She nodded, giving Namor a small smile. "It is nice when others understand." Illyana swept her foot out as the scaled demon struggled upright. "Do not think so," she said sharply in one of the demonic tongues. It sounded like a mess of sharp hissing to the untrained ear, sibilant yet grating. "Hands, weapons, or magic?" she asked Namor. "You may have choice of battle, Excellency."

The Atlantean's buzzing wings were the only sound as the man, still aloft, paced in little half circles through the air. He settled closer only to put down his trident.

"Hands. I have seen your work with the sword and portals. Show me something new."

"As you wish." The sword disappeared into a sheath along her spine, leaving her armor visible. The eldritch plates interlocked down her arms and covered her hands, ending in sharp claws, and it was these that dug into the scaled demon at their feet. "That was not hunger chasing, that was sport." Illyana's words were flat as she lifted the demon up as if it weighed nothing. "Boring sport. What fight is mother and babies for demon like you? Weak, easy targets for weak, lazy demon. She was holding own quite well." She watched it impassionately as it struggled in her grip, claws flailing in the air as her own dug painfully between the joins of its scales.

"Pathetic.," she spat as she flung it into another rock. "Useless, waste of flesh and food," she continued as she stalked towards it.

A pitiful, mewling hiss caught her attention as she passed a rock. Illyana crouched, making tiny skitter noises with her fingertips as she peered down. "You are so small," she cooed at the tiny, winged cat-like figure cowering in the crevice. "Was lazy demon trying to make sport of you also? Where is mama? You are too small for alone." She turned her head, keeping one eye on the demon while she beckoned to Namor. "Take care of lazy scaled one? I have found thing. Come see. Think I will bring back."

The mutant observing from overhead might have been too far to hear her exact words, but the tag-in was clear. Namor let loose a fierce battle-yell as he dove down and into the scaled beast. It was a cheap blow, true, but the force of the flying brick of an Atlantean slammed the creature back into the mountainside.

The exchange of grunts from the creature and Namor's own, joyful bellows rang through hell as the two wrestled.

Illyana dug around in her pockets, coming up with some dried chicken bites. "Come here little one, have treat for you," she said gently, ignoring the sounds of battle behind her. Namor could handle himself just fine, and she could step in with magic if it truly became necessary. "We will look for mama, see if you have place to go. If not, will stay with me, become royal guard. Sound like good plan, yes? Even if you are tiny forever, can be fierce deterrent against idiots."

She dropped one bite in front of the kitten, then once it was eating dropped the next one several inches away. Three treats later, the tiny demon was eating the last treat out of her hand. "Am going to pick you up, please do not claw or bite. Will be faster to look for mama this way, will tuck you in coat." Better to talk to it like it had intelligence. It was hard to tell among the different demons sometimes exactly how much they understood. She scooped it carefully, hissing lightly as needle-sharp claws pricked into her skin. "That is not feeling good, tiny," she said to the demon. Careful movement had a zipper on a deep pocket opened and the small thing deposited safely. She kept one hand in her pocket with it, and turned to face the sounds of fighting. "Namor is really giving lazy demon what for," she said with glee, fingers stroking carefully along the head and ears of the demon in her pocket.

A high pitched squeal punctuated Illyana's statement as Namor struck first blood, relieving the gigantic creature of one of its neck frills. The blow also sent the two tumbling. As the beat rolled and bucked, the Last King of Atlantis's form danced through the air looking for choice shots — a punch here, a rejoinder, a hold there. The land itself quaked as a drumbeat for their battle.

"Hm." Illyana had moved up to Namor's side, watching as the other demon took a final blow that had it prone on the ground. "Now it will understand being easy picking for lazy big demon," she sniffed dismissively, before opening her pocket just enough for a tiny head to poke out. "Am going to try and find this one's mama," she said to Namor. "Think maybe not great luck, between canid demon and this." Her boot prodded the demon at their feet, making it twitch. "If we cannot find, I am bringing back to Xavier's."

Namor, sat respectfully paused, one more punch ready, as if stuck in time as the Queen of Limbo addressed him. Sweat beaded down his neck, and he had some scaley demony bits smeared across his chest. He finally turned slowly back to observe that the beast was truly conquered.

Yes.

Striding casually off the monster's neck, he rejoined Illyana as if coming back from running an errand.

"Xavier's compound does welcome all, but," and the big-eyed look he was giving the tiny baby did hint that he might be falling immediately for the little creature, "Let's ensure that we cover as much ground. It is a shame to separate any child from their parents."

"Agree," she replied shortly. "You can fly, cover open spaces. I will port, look into small spaces. Can cover grounds quickly, but do not think nest will be far, if it is still there. Maybe kilometer? Not best to judge distance, but do not think mama would drag baby past horizon unless desperate. She is probably nearby, if alive."

Namor still had eyes for the baby. "And this mother. We assume that she will be like this, but larger." There was the hanging implication in his tone about exactly how large that went unsaid.

Illyana nodded. "Probably in size between lazy and canid it was fighting. Is possible canid demon got mother, lazy moved in while it was shepherding own babies back to kill for feeding. So..." her hands moved into something roughly labrador shaped. "Do not think it will be bigger than that based on lazy demon."

"Understood." The man had already begun to hover, but he bent over in mid-air to address the tiny creature as close to its eye level as he could. "We promise that you will be helped, small one. We keep our promises."

And, just as quickly, Namor was off and away.

It was only about ten minutes later before he returned. The only thing he could offer, face visibly displeased, was a shake of the head. Nothing.

Illyana hadn't found anything either. Some blood, but nothing concrete enough to tell either way. "Looks like you're coming home with us, kisa," she cooed. "Is lust for battle temporary sated?" she asked Namor. "Need to get this one food, water. Other... things for cat. If only phone reception in Limbo, would text Clint, ask him to purchase supplies."

The hints of a smile graced the once-king's features; an echo of his previous glee, which was now shadowed by failed search and rescue. "Temporarily. The joy of battle feeds itself in a land conquered, a foe defeated. I could also use water." A fact evidenced by the fact that Namor was looking quite dehydrated: dry skin, more sluggish movements.

"We have had enough of Limbo, this Otherplace of No Oceans," he pronounced. "Let us go home."