Itzal nodded in agreement, tilting his head up slightly to catch the sun. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Cole wanted to know more about him… it made sense. And he probably deserved some more answers. After all, Itzal had made him flee his home. He should know who he was traveling with. "Alright. Ask away!" Itzal glanced over at Cole with a small smile. He was ready to answer almost every question he could come up with on his own and hoped that he could answer any others Cole asked.
"How old are you?" He asked, smiling back as he weaved around people, leading Itzal towards the park. It wasn't terribly far away, only a few blocks, but he wanted to spend as much time there as he could, so he was trying his best to keep a good, if a little fast pace. Cole was sure if they could even spend a little time at the park this day wouldn't be a waste, no matter if any of those beings came after them again or no.
Itzal frowned, trying to remember just how old he was. It was… a long time, that was for sure. Thousands of years… but how many thousands? "Um…" He trailed off. "We all kind of forgot, but I think it was… six thousand years, maybe? About?" Itzal shrugged, feeling a bit embarrassed. "Sorry I couldn't answer that one more concretely. Do you have any other questions?" He looked over at Cole, keeping pace with him.
Cole shook his head, still smiling easily, "It's alright, being that old makes it hard to be exact. What's your favorite season? If you have one that is, I don't know if the god's world even has seasons." His smile grew as the metal fence surrounding the park came into view and he pointed it out easily, "Theres the park I was talking about. It's pretty big, and there's normally not many people around the lake in the middle of it."
Itzal let out a small breath, glad Cole was fine with his less-than-adequate answer. "My favorite season?" Nobody had ever asked him that and he had to think about it for a little. "I think it would be spring. I just love all the little flowers and the rain and new life," Itzal finally said. "We don't have seasons where the gods live, but I always liked looking at your world and seeing spring in all it's glory. Zoei always had a fun time with it, too." He followed where Cole was pointing and smiled. "Wonderful! I can't wait to see the lake."
(Pardon my absence, I was visiting friends that I really missed)
"Spring is really pretty, I agree…the only thing that sucks is the pollen in the air," Cole agreed, laughing and thinking back to the spring. He always looked like he had a cold, with a runny nose and no sense of smell because of the pollen in the air. "It's very gorgeous though. Especially here at the park." As he talked he wandered down one of the gravel paths, seeming to follow a path that he knew by heart.
(You're good!)
"Oh, I guess that's true." Itzal nodded. He and the other gods couldn't really be allergic to anything– at least, that's what he thought. Based on how wrong he'd been before, it might end up that they could be allergic to something. Not pollen, though. "Yeah. Oh, I bet it is," he sighed, looking around him. This place was really pretty and he was glad Cole was showing it to him. Hopefully, the beings wouldn't show up and ruin the peace.
He smiled at Itzal as they continued down the path pointing out the very edge of the lake through the trees that lined the path when it was visible. "It's not a huge lake, but there's a bridge that goes over it, and benches along it if you want to sit here for a while and just take a break." Cole cut through the trees once they got closer and more of the lake was visible, taking a shortcut towards an old stone bridge across the well kept grass.
"Oh, it's perfect!" Itzal grinned. He'd seen many natural wonders– even helped create a few– but right now, that lake was the best thing he'd seen. Maybe it was because it was the most relaxing thing he'd seen since he fell out of the sky onto Cole's front lawn. Or maybe it was because Cole loved it and was showing it to him. Although he wanted to relax and stop worrying about everything, he knew that he couldn't. It was beautiful, but he couldn't let down his guard too much.
Cole's smile grew brighter and he nodded, slowing down at the start of the bridge and walking up onto it. He didn't focus on where he was going, just walked with his eyes on the lake until he reached the center of the small bridge. There, he stopped, leaning on the stone railing and glancing over at Itzal once again with a happy smile. "It's not much, but it's the closest thing I have to seeing the ocean around here. Going there some day has always been on my bucket list."
Itzal grinned and followed after Cole. "I'm sure you'll be able to–" He started to say. The sight of one of the beings standing on the other side of the bridge wiped away anything else he was going to say. "Cole!" Itzal exclaimed, holding up the sword and running the last few steps to the center of the bridge. Those beings had the prefect timing. Right as he was about to finally be able to relax a bit, they had to show up. "Get out of here," Itzal warned. "I've gotten rid of you before, and I can do it again."
"Of course. That's why I brought reinforcements," The being said, a bit of humor in its tone. Itzal scanned the area, finding another being stepping out of the shadows behind him. They were surrounded.
Even as Itzal shouted his name, it took Cole a few seconds to pry his eyes away from the lake. As soon as he saw the being though, his eyes widened and he rushed to Itzal's side. "What are we going to do?" He asked in a hushed whisper, glancing back and seeing the other being behind them, "It's going to take a lot of work to deal with them both..Especially in public like this." If dealing with the beings wasn't difficult enough the first time he had to do it, Cole was dreading it even more this time. Not only were there two, but there were other people in the park, and it was two more lives he had to end..even if his own life would end if he didn't do this.
"I don't know… I'm not sure if I can freeze two of them at the same time. I'll try, though." Itzal frowned. "Right now, we just need to hope no one comes near us." The beings still hadn't made a move– they seemed to be waiting for him to act. That didn't make him very confident about their chances. "Here. I trust you know what to do." Itzal handed Cole the sword and took a deep breath. This would be difficult, but there was no way he would let them hurt anyone else. The second before he decided to act, the beings lept at him from both sides. Itzal yelped in surprise and flung one hand towards each of them. The beings froze, one of them freezing with its sword only a foot away from Itzal. The sword jerked forward an inch and Itzal gasped. This was even harder than he had thought it was going to be. "Quickly, please." The words were soft and labored. The beings were fighting against him more than ever, and the sword slipped forward another inch. Itzal's hands were shaking an enormous amount, but he didn't let either of them go. He couldn't, because if he failed… then Cole and everyone else could be in danger.
Cole took the sword gently, his hands already shaking just from the thought of what he was going to have to do again. He nodded anyway though, and his eyes flicked between the two beings. Just as he brought the sword up to get it ready to swing, the beings lept, causing him to freeze for a milisecond, or at least until he heard Itzal's plea for help. That got him into motion, and slowly he nodded again, stepping forward and taking off the first being's head in one motion with his eyes pressed shut. It didn't help the guilt he got from killing these things, but he pushed the panic out of his head and let out a shaky breath, stepping behind Itzal this time and copying the same motion to the other being, also trying to ignore how much the being's own sword was inching towards Itzal. As long as he didn't think about it, it was fine, that's all he was able to tell himself as he once again decapated the being, then lowered the sword to the ground, letting the tip of it just rest on the ground. "Any more?" He asked, glancing around and wrapping his hands tighter around the sword if only to hide the shaking.
The second the first being died, Itzal let his hand drop to his side. His breaths were coming in sharp bursts and the hand extended towards the other being was shaking too much. The edges of his vision were turning black and he felt as if something was pressing on his lungs, restricting his breathing. Itzal managed to stay in his feet right up until the other being dropped. This was too much for him. The black at the edge of his vision rose forward until he could only see a small pin prick of the world. He dropped to his knees, hanging into consciousness by a thread. But he needed to make sure all the beings were gone. Though, if there were more beings, there was no way he could stop them. Turning his head required so much more effort than it should, be he couldn't see any beings around them. Itzal opened his mouth to reply to Cole– though how he would talk when he could barely breath was questionable– but found he couldn't. He felt his body falling towards the ground and the last of his consciousness left him as his eyes fluttered shut.
If Cole hadn't been paying attention enough to see Itzal drop to his knees, things could've ended badly for the god. Where as killing the beings had taken focus from him, rushing to the other male's side was second nature. He dropped the sword on the ground quickly and was there just in time to stop Itzal's head from hitting the stone pathway of the bridge. "Itzal? Hey, you alright?" He asked, concern clear in his voice as he shifted to kneeling so Itzal's head was resting on his shoulder, far from the threat of hitting his head. Even before asking the question, he knew that he was probably unconscious, and every instinct in his body was telling him to grab the sword and find a way to get Itzal and it away from the beings. With how much he was shaking though, and the fact that he would have to carry both the sword and find a way to get Itzal as well, the least he could do was let himself take a break for a minute.
He wasn't out long enough to dream– though he probably wasn't out long enough to fully or even partially recover. Everything in him was shouting for him to wake up, yelling that Cole might still be in danger. Itzal's eyes fluttered open, his breath still alarmingly shallow. He'd never felt this weak before and, to be honest, it scared him. Itzal swallowed dryly and tried to figure out where he was. He'd dropped to the ground, and… Cole had caught him? It seemed that was the case. His thoughts were still muddled and though he could breath a little easier, his body was heavy. "Cole?" Itzal whispered, closing his eyes for a second. "Do we have to go?" He didn't know how long he'd been unconscious for, or if any more beings had shown up. It was surprisingly comfortable where he was, but Itzal forced himself to sit up on his own. Stars, his head hurt. Was it a long walk from the park to the hotel? He couldn't remember.
(Are we going with Cole did move him somewhere else? Or that they're still on the bridge? Just wondering so I can plan my response :) )
(I think they're stilll on the bridge. Itzal was only out for about a minute or so.)
"Hey, hey, shhh, we don't have to go anywhere," Cole said, his voice quiet and still full of concern as he answered Itzal. He was still kneeling in front of the other male, and didn't take his hands off Itzal's shoulders as he sat up on his own. After all, the last thing he needed to happen was for him to fall over again. "I've been keeping an eye out, there's no more of the beings, so we have time for you to rest. Are you alright?" Just because they didn't see the beings didn't mean there were no more of them, but he wanted to give Itzal a little peace, let him take a minute to gather a little strength. "As soon as you're ready, I'll help you and we can find somewhere safer to sit. You need to rest first of all though, regain your strength. Holding two of those beings still couldn't have been easy."
"Are you sure?" Itzal squeezed his eyes shut for a second, trying to will away the pounding in his head. It was difficult to think through the pain, but he made an effort. The first thing that came to his mind was how concerned Cole sounded. "Oh, good." He let out a shallow breath. He didn't really want to make Cole even more worried, but he was also not able to lie at the moment. "I'm… not alright. At least, not right now." Itzal closed his eyes again and rubbed his forehead. The pain was fading a little, and his body didn't feel so heavy. He could probably stand up in a few minutes, but for the moment, he was stuck on the ground. "Ha, yeah. It wasn't." Itzal frowned lightly. What would he do if that happened again? He couldn't do that again, at least not for a while. "I'll be able to move in a little while, I promise."
"Take your time, there's no rush. I'll deal with any more of those things if they come around," Cole promised, shifting from kneeling to crouching next to Itzal, "Do you need water? Or painkillers or anything? What can I do to help?" He looked over the god, confident that he wasn't physically injured. From what he could guess, he had collapsed from exhausting himself, and if Cole had any say in anything, he wanted to make sure Itzal was thoroughly sure that he could stand before even attempting to. He could help provide support, but carrying Itzal's entire weight would be a bit more of a challenge.
"Okay," Itzal breathed, letting his head fall forward slightly as he rolled his shoulders. "Water, probably. I don't know if painkillers could help, but I'm willing to try if we can get our hands on some. I mean, right now, what you're doing is fine." Itzal looked up at Cole with a soft smile. He was really grateful that Cole was being so gentle with him. After a minute or so more of sitting, he felt okay enough to try and stand. "Alright, I think I'm ready." Itzal took a breath and brushed a few stands of hair away from his face. This was probably going to be difficult. He pressed his hands to the ground and rose onto his knees. A flash of pain shot through his head, but he kept going. Itzal didn't want to be the one to make Cole fight a being who wasn't frozen. That battle would end with Cole dead, he was sure. He finally made it to his feet, swaying slightly. "Let's… let's get out of here."
Cole kept a steady hand on Itzal's shoulder as he stood, still thoroughly concerned for him even as he stood. He scooped up the sword from the ground in his other hand and nodded, adding as he started to lead the way slowly off the bridge, "Please tell me if you feel like you're going to pass out again, or if you need to sit down. I'll be right here to act as a support as well." He glanced over at him, finally seeing what Itzal had meant by the sword being heavy. It definitely wasn't light.
Itzal was grateful for Cole's hand on his shoulder. It made standing much easier. Each step was a mountain to climb, but he gritted his teeth and kept going. "Alright, I will." His words were soft, maybe too soft for Cole to hear, so he nodded as well. Itzal was stronger than this. He could make it back without stopping. He could keep his eyes open and his mind awake. All he had to do was concentrate. One foot in front of the other was all it was, really. Cole's hand anchored him, have him the strength to move forward. It was a bit stupid to be pushing himself so much, he knew that much. The way he saw it, though, he didn't have a choice. They had to get out of the area before more beings came, or before the mortals could figure out something was wrong.
"Do you want to try walking all the way back to the hotel? Or just to a bench?" Cole asked, finally finding that keeping the sword resting on his shoulder as he helped Itzal caused the least amount of discomfort from carrying it. Walking was slow going, and every time he saw movement out of the corner of his eye, he thought it was another being, ready to finish them off. After all, even as much as he wasn't ready to admit it, there was no way he could take on one of those beings all alone, with just the sword as well as keeping Itzal safe from harm; just keeping the two of them walking steadily and alert was a task for the tired and jumpy male.
"We should get as far away from here as possible," Itzal said, taking a long, even breath. "More beings might come here and I don't think we could fight off another one." He took another breath. Walking was… not his favorite thing to do at the moment, but at least they were getting away. That was the most important thing. "I'm sorry I can't do more," Itzal muttered, glancing over at Cole. When they got back to the hotel– because they were going to get back– Itzal would have to rest, leaving Cole to watch over him. He was probably tired, and Itzal felt terrible that he had to suffer so much because of him. "I'm sorry I got you wrapped up in all of this."
Cole shook his head, meeting Itzal's eyes and shaking his head again, "Don't apologise. You've done more than I could've ever done, and I'm not going to ask you to work yourself to the point of exhaustion again. As scary as this whole day has been, I don't hate being wrapped up in this. It lets me help people, specifically you, and me being scared or being chased around is a small price to pay for that." He gently smiled, looking up at the mess of buildings in front of them, adding gently, "We'll get you back to the hotel, and I'll keep watch for as long as needed until you're feeling better."
Itzal let out a breath. Half of him was glad that Cole wasn't annoyed or mad, and the other half was convinced he was lying to make Itzal feel better. Feeling guilty wouldn't help anyone, so he tried to go with the half being glad. "How can you not hate it? Helping me can't be worth all the near-death experiences." The sentence slipped out before he could stop it and Itzal quickly looked away. They were making decent time to the hotel. At least one thing was working out. He peeked back at Cole, wondering what he would say. Itzal couldn't imagine why someone would want to be wrapped up in all of this.
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