I must admit, this chapter was a real pain to write. It was originally supposed to be done in November last year, but I was hit with such a massive writer's block that I shelved it and moved on with my other stories. When I returned after my holiday break, I quickly realized my problem, I was making the text too drawn out and operatic, wasting time trying to think up five words to describe something when just one would have sufficed. Anyway, it's done now, and I hope you'll enjoy it. If not, please let me know so that I can improve in the future.
Chapter 6: Dreadful Meeting
As far as weather went in these parts, it was quite a nice day. Well, at least Raven assumed it was day, based on the fact that it was slightly less dark than usual. No chilling winds, no thick fog, no furious snow storms. Which was why Raven had decided to move on now. Best get moving before the weather took a turn for the worse. But as she gathered up her meager possession, Raven was the tiniest bit mournful about moving on.
Actually, mournful was not the correct word, more like fearful. This area had been in possession of more game than her previous camps, not to mention a perfect place to rest. Who knew when she would stumble upon such fortuitous territory again? For all she knew, she could end up wandering on an empty stomach for weeks if she left. Perhaps it was best to stay for a little bit longer?
"No! I can't think like that!" she harshly lectured herself. Raven could ill afford to stay in one place, not if she wanted to return home, back to Jump City, back to Titans Tower. Back to her friends. There was a sudden stab of sadness to her heart as her thoughts strayed to them. Sweet Starfire, goofy Beast Boy, energetic Cyborg, steadfast Robin. By Azar, how she missed them all, her last family left alive.
They may not have been the family she was born with, but they were the family she chose, her sister and brothers. A fond smile slowly grew on her face as she remembered the good times they shared together, of the crazy escapades they dragged her along on. She hated it back then, but how she wished she could go back and relive those moments right now.
Almost without thinking, her hand found itself drifting to her belt, grasping an object she had carried every step of the way and brought it forth. Though its battery had run out a long time ago, she still held on to her communicator. Out here, alone in the harsh wilderness, it was more than just a piece of technology, it was her last connection to her home, a token to remind her what she fought for.
"I'll make it home. One way or the other, I'll make it back home," she vowed as her fingers tightly clutched the communicator, like it was all that kept her alive. Then she felt it, faint and distant but growing closer with every second. A congregation of malicious feelings and corrupted minds whose very presence made her nauseous. But Raven instantly recognized those foul emotions, that tainted presence that made her human part shiver in disgust and her daemon part purring in delight. That savage man from before was back, and he was not alone.
"Not a moment's peace," she muttered to herself in frustration as she pocketed her last treasure and strode towards the mouth of her cave. There was no fear or anxiety in her, no sense of panic like last time, only anger. He had dared to lay hands on her, dared to try and sully her for his own twisted amusement. And now, that scum was back for a second try. But he had made a grave mistake.
Last time, he struck while she was vulnerable. This time, he would have no such fortune. Standing tall at the very mouth of the cave, she waited as the fiends drew closer. She did not have to wait for long. Tall, muscled brutes with pale skins and thick beards, they stepped into the open without fear or hesitation. Ten of them in total, carrying a wide assortment of swords and axes, and all of them leering at her in a way that would make any woman shiver in disgust.
"I have no desire to fight you, but be warned that I will defend myself if provoked," she loudly declared, black energy already crackling between her fingertips in preparation. She very much doubted her warning would be heeded, assuming they could even understand her, but she preferred to be on the safe side. She truly meant it when she said that she had no desire to fight, and would have preferred to avoid it altogether.
Despite all that she had endured, Raven was still very much a pacifist, and would rather not have to resort to violence. But if push came to shove, then she would bury the lot of them head-first in the snow. As expected, the barbarians did not back down, and instead began to advance on her, their depraved emotions oozing out of their foul souls like the worst kind of odor.
"Figures," Raven muttered to herself, not at all surprised by their actions, futile as they were. With a single wave of her hand, she ripped the weapons out of their hands and sent them hurtling over the tree tops. That at least served to halt their advance, with the lot of them staring at their now empty hands in bafflement. Then their eyes went to her, and she could see a glimmer of fear inside.
"Still want to try your luck?" she asked dryly, black energy gathering around her in preparation for further hostilities. It seemed like it would prove unnecessary, as most began to back away. Clearly, they had realized they were out of their depth. But then, one of their numbers stepped forward and began shouting in his guttural tongue. His words remained a mystery to Raven, but whatever he said must have reignited their wavering spirits, as their fear turned to determination and they began to advance yet again. It was enough to drag a resigned sigh out of Raven.
"So we're doing this the hard way after all," she remarked tiredly. No longer seeing a point to be holding back, she let her powers flow freely once again. Her cloak fluttered in a wind felt only by her as her once amethyst eyes began to glow with a bright white light. The very shadows rose from the ground at her command, gathering in the palm of her hands as the savages halted yet again, fear returning to their rotten souls at the display of power.
"Don't say I didn't warn you," she remarked with a dry tone as a wave of pure darkness washed out from her, slamming into the savages with enough force to send the lot of them tumbling head over heel into the snow. Then, before the disoriented brutes could regain their addled wits, Raven raised a fist encased in darkness into the air. Responding to their mistress' will, tendrils of darkness wrapped around the prone barbarians and hoisted them into the air like puppets on strings.
"I can keep doing this all day long, if you like," Raven called out to the group as they helplessly dangled in the air, some struggling to free themselves, others content to conserve their strength and wait. Confident of victory, Raven strode forth until she stood almost beneath them. She may not have liked these people, if they could even be called that, but they could be in possession of knowledge that could be useful to her.
"Now, can any of you even understand me?" she asked, and was met with a slew of harsh and guttural words that she guessed were meant to be insults. Or maybe they were sharing their favorite recipes with her? With how good her understanding of whatever crude tongue they spat at her was, either one was just as plausible.
"Yelling will get you nowhere, you know," unsurprisingly, her deadpan snark flew right over their heads as they just keep shouting at her. It brought out a tired sigh from Raven.
"This is just a waste of my time. I'll just-" then, before the last words could leave her lips, a searing pain blossomed to life on her leg. The infected wound, quiet and unassuming for so long, now made its presence known again.
"Not yet," an insidious voice whispered in Raven's ear, a voice only she could hear. Then came the agony, and she screamed. She screamed like never before as something began writhing around beneath her skin. She felt it rooting around, burrowing its way through her body like a sentient creature, and the pain was more than she could handle. She wanted to collapse onto her knees, for she no longer possessed the strength to stand on her own, but something beyond her control kept her on her feet.
A power beyond her comprehension had seized hold of her mortal frame, invisible hands held her immobile as the torment continued. Like an insidious worm, the accursed thing beneath her skin slithered its way further up her body, burrowing through muscles and innards with the agony of a thousand scorching needles skewering her insides.
And how Raven screamed, she screamed until her voice turned hoarse as she fought to free herself. Had she been in possession of her limbs then, she would have clawed out her own entrails in a futile attempt to end the pain. But whatever had her in its cruel grip would not budge, her meager muscles not even so much as an inconvenience to it. Slowly, as if it relished inflicting pain, the foul thing inside her wrapped itself around her spine and used it as a ladder to climb ever higher.
By the time the pain reached her throat, Raven could no longer scream, for she no longer possessed the strength for it. All she could do was stand there like a puppet on strings, her limbs feebly twitching as the pain stabbed deeply into her brain. By all rights, she should be dead from all this. By Azar, she WANTED to just die, to end the pain. The pain, the pain, the pain! It was all she felt, bathing her every nerve string and searing every piece of flesh. By Azar she wanted it to end, please just let it end already!
"Not yet," then, the pain was gone, just as quickly as it came. With the foul grip gone, Raven fell into the snow's chilly embrace like a puppet with its strings cut, emptying her stomach again and again until naught but bile remained. Limbs trembling, a dull pain still throbbing through her body, Raven valiantly struggled back onto her feet even as she felt like she just wanted to keel over.
"What… what the hell was that?" she asked herself as strength slowly returned to her limbs. She could feel something wrong, something within her that was not right. There was a void, a feeling of emptiness she could not, one that not even the infuriating pain could hide. 'What happened to me?' but she was given no further time to ponder what had just transpired, for a series of soft thuds alerted her that her slip in concentration had released her opponents, and they all now laid sprawled out on their backs in bewilderment. But they did not remain like that for long, for soon they were back up with anger in their eyes. Raven could see their desire for violence, their thirst for revenge, and knew they would still not back down.
"I'm warning you, you won't like what happens next if you keep going," she warned, voice harsh and steady to hide the weakness she felt. Whatever terrible affliction that had struck her was, it had sapped a great deal of her strength. It seemed to work, for despite the obvious language barrier between them, they could feel the steel in her voice, and they could remember her dark powers. Fear returned to their savage eyes, but not enough to douse the burning anger held within. Heedless of the fact that none possessed weapons any longer, they advanced upon Raven yet again.
"Some people just can't take a hint," Raven muttered to herself in exasperation. So she waved her hand at them and sent the lot of them flying into the forest. Or rather, that was her intent. What happened was she waved her hand at them, they halted in their tracks from worry, and then nothing.
"What?!" Raven burst out in panic as she waved her hands at her foes yet again. Some of them shied away in momentary fright, no doubt expecting painful retribution, but yet again nothing happened. There was no wave of dark energy, no black tendrils, no levitated objects, no nothing. If her skin was not already ashen gray, Raven would have turned far paler as an ice-cold feeling settled in her guts. Somehow, her powers no longer worked. No, more than that, they were gone, beyond her reach. She was completely defenseless.
And by now, her attackers must have put the pieces together, for they began advancing towards her again. But there was no haste to their movements, no mad rush to overwhelm her with numbers. They took their time, fanning out to cut off her escape routes, circling like ravenous wolves. With unsettling chuckles and lecherous grins, they less walked and more stalked ever closer towards her, and Raven began backing away.
In her so far short life, Raven had faced few things that could terrify her. She had stood her ground against beings like the Brotherhood of Evil, Melchior and Brother Blood. She fought against Trigon the Terrible and even literally bested her own fears. And yet now, deprived of all her powers, a group of savage brutes posed a greater threat to her than any other enemy. And it terrified her.
Like a cornered animal, she inched her way back towards the cave, eyes fearfully darting from one assailant to the next, waiting for who would make the first move. But they were in no hurry as they slowly closed the distance between them, laughing in open mockery of her as they threw comments back and forth in their guttural tongue. Lecherous eyes roaming across her form sent revolting chills crawling up and down her spine, and it only made her more terrified. For she knew what fate awaited her now.
"Stay back!" she snarled out at them, hiding her fear behind a façade of strength and anger. For a fleeting moment, they shied back, fearful that her power had returned, but quickly resumed their advance when the shadows remained calm. Now, she was at the very mouth of the cave, and her attackers were so close she could smell their foul odor. A revolting cocktail of sweat, blood, oil and perfumes that created an almost palpable aroma around them. There was a terrible knot of desperation churning inside of her, but Raven was not done yet. Though powerless, she was still a Titan, and a Titan never gives up. Scooping up a stone in her hand, she braced her legs and stood ready to meet them head-on.
"Don't think I'll make it easy for you," she stated, her words carrying more conviction than she actually felt. The attackers merely laughed at her final show of bravado and moved in for the final blow. Or they would have, were it not for a rumbling noise from high above, rattling the lot of them to their very bones. Startled, all eyes were drawn to the skies, where a most foreboding event was taking place. Thick dark clouds, coming from beyond the northern horizon, were drawing ever closer, carrying with them the rumble of a thunderstorm.
But that was not the ominous sign, rather their unsettling shapes, for they looked like the clawed fingers of a monstrous beast reaching out across the heavens. In just a few heartbeats, those dreadful clouds hung above the gathering like a dark omen, bringing dread with them. Even Raven's assailants had lost all interest in her, fearful mumblings passing between them, some even throwing themselves to their knees in supplication of whatever dark power now dwelt above them.
"What's going on?" Raven's hesitant question carried a tremor with it that none cared to note as she stared at the spectacle above her. She did not need access to her supernatural powers to tell that dark magic was at work. Then, the dreadful fingers high above came together in a fist, and the skies were lit up with flashes of lightning, lightning that proceeded to strike at the mountaintops with a thunderous boom powerful enough to knock the lot of them on their backs.
Vision spinning, ears ringing, Raven's disoriented mind still had enough common sense left to warn her of danger, which had her trying to climb back on her feet. She only got to her knees before she felt the danger approaching. Slowly, her gaze travelled up to the mountain peaks, and what little blood that remained in her face vanished altogether.
"Crap…" she muttered as she beheld the avalanche rushing down towards her, shaking the very ground with its furious approach. Her assailants were already fleeing as fast as their legs could carry them, but Raven was far too close for that.
"Damn it all!" she roared in anger before throwing herself back inside the cave, a mere heartbeat before the avalanche slammed into the ground. Stone and snow spewed through the entrance, hitting Raven with the force of an angry giant and sending her careening deeper into the cave. For a fleeting moment, there was a sense of weightlessness for Raven, then she slammed into something solid and came to a painful stop. There was a brief moment of rumbling, and then it was all quiet again as the cave was plunged into utter darkness.
"Ow," Raven moaned pitifully from where she laid crumpled on the ground. Slowly, painfully, she attempted to rise again, but quickly fell back with a scream of pain as she tried moving her right arm. Lying on her back, she tentatively tried to move her arm again, hissing as pain flared up again. 'Most likely broken,' she observed as she rolled over on her unharmed side, slowly forcing herself upright with only two legs and one arm. Back on her feet, she quickly realized a far worse problem than a broken arm, namely the complete darkness surrounding her. Like a blind man, she fumbled about in the darkness, futilely trying to find her way.
"Azar damn it!" she swore, her one good arm extended as she tried to find something to grasp. It ended when her feet hit something and she tumbled over with a startled yelp, which quickly turned into a painful howl when she landed right on her broken arm.
"Why does this keep happening to me?" she could not help but ask, biting back the urge to cry from the pain.
"Alone again?" a new voice suddenly spoke up from the darkness, a voice that Raven recognized all too well.
"Don't worry. As long as I'm around, you're never alone," the insidious voice continued, growing closer even though Raven could not hear any footsteps.
"Slade," she snarled out, furious eyes glaring at where the voice had come from.
"Now now, is that any way to greet an old acquaintance after so long? After all, we haven't spoken in weeks," Slade ever slimy voice continued, now originating from somewhere behind Raven.
"Go to hell," she spat out as she spun around to glare at where the voice came from. There was naught but darkness greeting here there.
"Already been there, twice now might I add. Didn't really suit me," and now Slade's mocking voice came from somewhere else.
"Then go haunt someone else, because I don't even want to hear your voice ever again!" Raven all but shouted at him, her anger bubbling to the surface. But yet again, nothing happened. No magical explosions, not levitating objects, no nothing.
"And If I don't? What will you do?" Slade asked as Raven felt something brush against her back. She whirled around in a panic, her frantic arm hitting nothing but empty air.
"LEAVE ME ALONE!" she screamed, but Slade merely laughed at her.
"Scary, isn't it? To be without something you've taken for granted all your life, to suddenly be weak and defenseless. It's almost like dying, you know, this feeling of utter helplessness as you suddenly realize just how easy it can all end," he remarked, and a horrifying thought suddenly came to Raven.
"What did you do to me?" she asked in horror, to Slade's amusement if his laughter was anything to go by.
"Me? Wasn't I suppose to just be a hallucination? How could I then do anything to you?" he asked mockingly, his voice coming from all around her.
"Enough with these games!" Raven shouted at him, fear and anger mixing together in a dangerous concoction that should have levelled half the mountain, but which now only brought forth a rapid heartbeat and frantic breathing.
"Games? I was unaware we were even playing in the first place," Slade mocked her as she felt something bumping into her broken arm. Biting back the scream of pain until she tasted blood from her lips, Raven began backing away, her good arm held out in an attempt to find a solid mass.
"And where do you think you're going?" came Slade's infuriating voice from somewhere behind her, but she ignored it and pushed on, her hand finally finding the cave wall. On touch alone did she move onward, deeper into the cave.
"Ignoring me, are you? That won't do you much good. After all, I'm the only source of company left for you down here," Slade called after her, even as she pushed onward.
"For now, but I'll find a way out of here. This cave won't be my grave," she vowed as she trudged on, resolutely ignoring the throbbing pains in her arm and leg.
"Even then, you're just exchanging one prison for another. You really think there's anywhere you can go that will be safer than here? You honestly think things will be better out there?" he questioned, no trace of malice or amusement in his voice this time, just plain curiosity.
"I won't know unless I look," Raven answered without hesitation. She would make it out of here, she would survive, she would find answers, and she would go home.
"So be it. Be warned though, you may not like what you find," Slade's warning went completely unheeded as Raven marched onward, her one hand on the wall her only source of guidance.
"By the Gods, that was way too close for comfort," one of the marauders commented as he observed the mountain of snow before him.
"Tell me about it," another muttered as he dug his way free off the snow, joining the four others that escaped the avalanche.
"You think that witch survived?" someone else asked, which brought out a snort of derision from the first one.
"Who knows? And honestly, who cares? Not like we can do much with her now anyway,"
"Harsh words, but I think you exaggerate," someone muttered, but quickly quieted down when he ended up on the receiving end of a murderous glare.
"I never exaggerate. That sudden storm was more than just a stroke of bad luck. For good or ill, the Gods have taken an interest in that witch, and none of us want to anger the Gods," the warning brought out grim nods of acceptance. Only the truly foolish or the truly powerful dared to mess with the Gods and expect to live. Then, there came the sound of snow crunching under leather boots. As one, the five survivors turned their eyes back towards the forest, to find a lone stranger approaching.
"This one however does not carry the same favor, and I really need to vent my frustration right about now," the same marauder stated as he drew a knife from his belt, his compatriots following his lead as they closed in on their new quarry. But the stranger paid them no heed, for his eyes were focused on the great mountain before him.
"Now, which part of your body should I-" the stranger did not even look as a single swing took the marauder's head clean off.
"What the-" nor when his second swing cleaved another in half.
"What's happe-" he did not look as a third victim fell over with his entrails pooling at his feet.
"DAMN YO-" he did not even spare a single glance as his fourth victim fell into four separate pieces.
"What are-" he was barely even aware of the final marauder that died with the top of his head sliced off, his brain subsequently spilling out into the snow. The stranger only had eyes for the mountain, and what was hiding within. Guided by a force beyond mortal comprehension he marched onward, fully aware of where he needed to be despite never having been there before. He did not question or wonder, he just obeyed, as was his duty.
Raven had no idea how long she crawled through the darkness, hounded by pain and cold all the way. All she knew was that she was tired and hungry, her limbs felt like lead, her eyebrows constantly threatened to close, and her stomach ached. She wanted to stop and rest, she NEEDED to stop and rest, but she could not, she would not. She needed to get out, and fast, she needed to be away from the darkness, away from him. So she pushed on, feeling that lone eye watching her every step of the way. Finally, a light ahead of her. Pale and weak, it still stood as a stark contrast to the thick darkness that had dominated Raven's vision for hours upon hours.
"At last!" she cried out in relief as she hurried onwards, ignoring how her frantic movements sent spikes of pain through her broken arm. Soon enough, she emerged back out into the freezing winds and snow-covered landscape. For a fleeting moment, there was no worry for her, just an overwhelming sense of relief for seeing the starry sky again. But then the reality of her situation came back to her. Her equipment gone, her supplies gone, and now lost in the winding canyons on the mountain with a broken arm and defunct powers.
"When is this going to end?" she asked herself. Would there be no end to her torment? As if in answer to her questions, Raven suddenly heard them. Footsteps, lots of them, approaching fast, and that same guttural language being spat out by rough voices. Panic quickly set in.
"No, no, no, no, no! Not now!" frantic eyes scanned her surroundings, desperate for an escape, for she knew that she stood no chance. But the noises drew nearer, and in the end Raven chose to simply flee in the opposite direction. It did not take long before she heard excited shouts behind her, they had found her tracks. Desperation fueling her, she pushed on and ran for all that she was worth, heedless of the stinging winds and her throbbing arm.
Darting around gnarled old trees and jagged rocks, Raven could still hear her pursuers gaining ground, and her legs were beginning to hurt like never before. Though she may have worked to keep her body in shape, and her daemon physiology granted her some benefits over regular humans, she was no athlete by any stretch of the imagination. Soon enough, each intake of breath sent her lungs into agony, and every step taken was like stepping upon a carpet of nails.
But she refused to slow down, knowing what awaited her should she do that. Alas, no matter how hard she ran, she could hear her pursuers gaining ground on her. 'Have to escape, have to escape,' she repeated like a mantra in her head as tears of pain and exhaustion stained her cheeks and her whole body screamed for her to stop and rest. In the end, it got its wish, as Raven burst out from a thick gathering of trees, only to find herself standing on the edge of a cliff.
She barely stopped herself from running straight off, her toes peeking just over the edge when she finally managed to stop her headlong run. Eyes wide enough that it looked like they could pop out of her skull at any moment, she peered over to find a steep fall into what looked like a frozen lake. 'Too close, way too close, but I can't stay here for long. Need to get moving and-' that was when her pursuers burst out of the frozen foliage themselves, forming a tight semi-circle around her.
They were just like the last bunch she ran into: big, bare-chested brutes with thick beards and primitive weapons in hand, not to mention the lecherous looks in their eyes. The sheer numbers of them were enough to make Raven swallow a lump in her throat, for she knew what they desired of her. Hesitantly, she inched back towards the edge. But then, a voice rang out, a beautiful and commanding voice that had everyone freezing up. Fear slowly gave way to confusion as Raven watched the men back away from her, suddenly unwilling to even look upon her. 'What's going on?' Then their ranks parted, and Raven felt herself blush a deep shade of red.
She had never been all that interested in boys, stemming mostly from the fact that strong emotions such as love could be dangerous with her powers. Of course, it also tied together with the fact that Raven had never cared much about physical appearances, beyond the basic instinctual feelings that everyone carried. Good looks and muscled physiques were rarely enough to get her flustered and swooning over boys. However, the angel in human form that was currently walking towards her made her forget all those things and reduced her to a schoolgirl with a crush.
Long, golden hair that looked as smooth as silk that made her just want to run her fingers through it, the sweet aroma of exotic perfumes smothering all other smells even in the harsh winds, a lean and muscled physique sculpted to such perfection that it could only be the work of gods, dressed in a golden armor perfectly shaped to show off all those delicious muscles hidden beneath, a silken loincloth that tantalizingly teased about the naughtiness concealed behind it, and the face.
By Azar, it was the most beautiful face she had ever laid eyes upon, a masterpiece that no mortal words could ever hope to properly do justice. All in all, he was a perfection personified, and his mere presence was enough to make Raven weak in the knees, ignoring the fact that she had been ready to drop dead from exhaustion even before his appearance.
As their eyes met, the man gave her the most beautiful smile in existence, and Raven came close to fainting on the spot. Then, he started walking towards her, and so transfixed was she upon his handsome visage that it took her a moment to realize that he did not leave any footprints in the snow, as if he was too perfect to let something as dirty and mundane as the ground touch his perfect form. He opened his mouth, and the voice that came out was like music to Raven's ears. But it shamed her to admit that she did not understand a single word uttered by him.
"I-I'm sorry, but I don't understand you," she hesitantly spoke up, feeling like a child that had just disappointed her parent. A frown momentarily marred his face, and Raven was close to weeping as his beauty was diminished for a few precious seconds before his flawless skin smoothed out again and he spoke again. It sounded different to her ears than what she heard previously, but understanding still eluded her. Then what sounded like a new language poured out from his succulent lips, and then another, and then yet another. Despair was beginning to grow within Raven's soul, despair that she would never be able to understand this god in human form. But then he spoke again, and her heart leaped with joy.
"Perhaps you understand me now, my lady?" it bore a strange accent, and some of the words sounded nothing like how they were supposed to, but Raven could still recognize the language as German.
"Yes," she breathed out, a warmth spreading through her body as she was rewarded with another dazzling smile.
"Good, it would be a shame not to be able to hold a conversation," the man said as he all but glided up to her.
"May I inquire your name, my lady?" the question had her blushing in embarrassment, having forgotten such a common courtesy.
"R-Raven," she managed to stammer out, mollified by her terrible blunder.
"Raven," the man repeated, like he was tasting the name on his tongue, before smiling again. "A pretty little name for a pretty little bird. Allow me to return the courtesy, I am Sigvald the Magnificent, exalted scion of Slaanesh," suddenly, her hand was gently held in Sigvald's own, her glove peeled off as he brought it up for a light kiss on the knuckles. Raven was sure her heart melted at that point.
"Now, what does a pretty little bird like you doing out here all alone?" Sigvald inquired of her, still holding onto her hand as his fingers caressed her bare skin. That action alone was enough to send tingles of pleasure racing through her body.
"I'm lost, and I'm trying to find my way home," was her vague reply, and that made her feel even more like a little child explaining herself to an adult.
"Lost, you say? Well, we can't have that now, can we? Come with me, my pretty little bird, I'll take good care of you," Sigvald enticed as he began leading her away. Without hesitation, Raven began following him, this stranger whom she had never met and who commanded the same type of people that had been chasing her and-
"Wait," Raven suddenly spoke up as she stopped. "Why should I go with you?" now that she really began to think about it, why was she so trusting of this man? Then she looked upon him again, and she realized that she was not actually trusting him, she was merely smitten by his gorgeous looks.
"Where else would you go, little bird?" Sigvald asked in return, still smiling at her. But something was different, something was wrong. He was still the epitome of perfection, his smile still sending butterflies fluttering through her stomach, but it started to feel hollow, like there was no true caring or humor behind it.
"I've done fine on my own so far," Raven tried to argue as she tore her hand free of his grip. Her infatuation was slowly draining away, replaced with a deep sense of unease. Maybe Robin's paranoia had rubbed off on her, but she could not shake the feeling of wrongness about this Sigvald, like his absolutely perfect physique was nothing more than a façade, that it merely served to hide something darker beneath.
"But why would you want to? Why go out there alone again when you can come with me instead? I can assure you, you will experience far more pleasurable things in my company," Sigvald pressed on as he began advancing towards her again. The feeling of unease grew tenfold.
"I'll take my chances on my own, if you don't mind," Raven stated as she inched away from Sigvald, slowly approaching the cliff edge again.
"Oh, but I do mind. You see, I want you, and what I want, I take," Sigvald declared with that smile still on his face, but it had completely changed now. Whether it be Sigvald abandoning all pretenses or Raven finally seeing past the surface and glimpsing his true self, there was no longer anything comforting or handsome about the man. A face once the stuff of a girl's dreams was now disfigured in Raven's eyes by a haughty arrogance and a blatant lust for her flesh.
"You won't take me," she snarled out, and suddenly Sigvald was right in front of her, hand gently cupping her face.
"Don't be so sure, pretty bird," he murmured, fingers gently caressing her skin. This time, it only gave her chills of revulsion. She tried kicking him away, but his free hand caught it before it could ever reach him, squeezing her thigh in approval.
"Feisty, aren't you?" he asked with a sickening grin as his tongue slinked out to lick her cheek, like he was tasting her. Her whole body trembled in revulsion at the contact.
"Get away from me!" she screeched as her free hand struck at his face, untrimmed nails scratching four bleeding tracks across what used to be unblemished skin. More out of surprise than actual pain, Sigvald's grip loosened enough for Raven to break free. Desperate to get as far away as possible from this monster, Raven frantically backed up. A spike of terror pierced her heart, but she refused to show as she glared at Sigvald, who had not moved so much as an inch. Then, before her very wide and disbelieving eyes, the wounds upon his face closed up and vanished like they had never been there to begin with.
"That… was most ill-advised," he said, and then he was advancing towards her, each step forward by him matched by one step backwards by Raven.
"Slaanesh gifts his most devout followers with pain and pleasure in equal measure, little bird. But I can assure you, I will make sure there will be nothing but pain for you," Sigvald warned, his once handsome visage now a twisted monstrosity of rage and lust, and Raven almost felt like pissing herself in terror. Outnumbered, helpless and about to be subjected to cruelties she did not even wish to imagine, Raven had not felt this scared and weak since the time of the Prophecy.
"Stay back!" she screamed at him, waving her good arm in the faint hope that her powers would resurface and drive this monster away. No such salvation came to her.
"Make me," Sigvald challenged as he drew closer. Then, she was back up against the cliff edge again, with a smirking daemon in human form bearing down on her.
"Nowhere to run now, my pretty little bird. If you agree to come quietly with me now, I promise to save the part of skinning you alive for last," he enticed with an offered hand. Scared and weak, Raven still had enough strength in her to spit in the offered hand with a glare of defiance. Sigvald hardly even looked bothered.
"Typical," he muttered in disdain as the spit fell right off his hand without ever even touching skin. "I hope you realize you're only making it worse to yourself, because I have practiced for centuries and can easily keep you alive for hours without your skin," as he prattled on, Raven kept staring between him and the open air behind her. There was indecision in her gaze, a fearful question if she had the guts to do it. 'Then again, do I really have much of a choice here?'
"You're beaten, little bird. Why don't you just give up?" why Sigvald had not simply struck yet, she had no idea. Perhaps he found some sick joy in watching his victim squirm like a worm on a hook before dealing the final blow? Either way, it gave Raven time, time to accept the inevitable. In an instant, all her fears were put to rest and steely resolution hardened her soul.
"Because I don't know the meaning of the word," she declared to the surprised Sigvald, and then she leaped off the edge. For the few seconds she spent in the air, wind whipping by her, she felt oddly at peace. 'I may die here, but at least I fought to the end,' then that peace vanished with the introduction of bone-jarring agony as she slammed into the ice, and then crashed through it. The sudden feeling of dipping beneath ice-cold water shocked her enough to force out an involuntary gasp, which brought deep gulps of water flooding into her lungs. A desperate struggle ensued as Raven fought with all her might to reach the surface again.
For a few precious second, her head burst back into the chilly air, but her drenched clothes quickly dragged her back down again like an anchor. Kicking and flailing even as her lungs were filled with water, Raven fought a futile struggle, for she did not possess the strength to reach the surface. Panic returned tenfold as she began sinking like a rock, wide and terrified eyes staring at the surface slowly shrinking away from her.
Then, the panic began to drain away, her body growing numb from the cold. No longer possessing even the strength to struggle, she grew still as she sunk towards the bottom, her vision growing dark. 'Robin, Beast Boy, Starfire, Cyborg. I'm sorry, I couldn't keep my promise,' then, her eyes closed, what miniscule pockets of air still left in her bubbling out of her water-filled lungs.
But then, there was a splash above her, muffled by the deep lake. Someone had dived in after her. That someone swam with inhuman ferocity towards her, reaching her in record time and grabbing onto her like she was the most precious thing in existence. A small twitch was the only indication that a small spark of life still existed within her, and the stranger wasted no time rushing back to the surface again.
Heedless of his own safety, he smashed into the thick ice above, bursting through in a spray of ice and water. With a firm grasp on the ice, he hauled Raven out of the water first before climbing out himself. But Raven would not stir, her already grey skin an even paler shade than usual and her chest unmoving.
The stranger wasted no time in putting her on her back and pumping her chest. Over and over did he repeat the gesture, until finally, with a wet cough, Raven awoke again. Barely had her eyes flown open before she was tipped on her side, water spraying out of her mouth with a series of gagging reflexes. Lungs finally free of water, Raven just lay there caught between coughing up the last few drops and dragging in greedy gulps of air. Body so numb that she could not even shiver from the cold, her consciousness began to slip away from her again. But she was still lucid enough to catch a weak glimpse of someone kneeling next to her, nothing but a dark blur to her bleary eyes.
"Who…" she tried to speak, but even her voice failed her, everything starting to grow dark again for her. The last thing she felt were a pair of muscled arms gently picking her up like a newlywed bride and cradling her cold body to a broad and oh-so-warm chest. Then, the darkness claimed her yet again, and the stranger carried her away, vanishing into the dark forest.