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Description

*points for Jayne*
Everything... Everything was falling apart. Barts stared around as the monsters amassed around them, the fighters tried to keep them away from the ship as they powered it up. Standing against the railing, drained of the magic he had available, the priest could only watch the losing battle. The monsters would get on the ship soon, they would not be able to take off, and they would all die. Despite the gravity of these realizations, no panic or even fear dwelled in the priest's burning chest. Everything became so clear. Barts took a deep breath and closed his eyes for just a moment.

Sitting on the ground on the deck Jayne looked up from where he sat against the wall of the ship. His wounds had caught up to him, he could barely move, let alone fight, however much he wanted to. They did not seem to be doing well, and he just wanted to help, but sitting there, he couldn't miss the oddly serene expression on Barts' face. The look boggled his mind. Why would the priest look so calm? His bruised throat protested against speech, but he forced the question anyway.
“Barts... What-”

Jayne's eyes closed for a moment as the priest suddenly pulled off his hat, and pushed it down onto his own head. He winced and took the thing off, setting it on the ground beside him, but then his eyes snapped open wide when he saw Barts had climbed onto the railing, and stood up, arms out wide for balance. He wavered a bit, but was able to maintain his balance as he reached into his bag for a small little silver ball... A present from a Rainbow. The deer pushed against the wall, sliding his shaking legs underneath him to slide up the wall, smearing blood from his many wounds over the metal. “Barts, what are you doing? Get down!” Something twinged in his chest, and Jayne cringed, biting back a yelp as he began to slide back down.

Even more odd than Barts' serene expression earlier, he actually chuckled now. “You always push yourself way too hard, Mr. Hero... Try not to do that anymore... I won't be able to tie you down to make sure you heal all the way.”

“What are you saying?” Jayne asked cautiously, refusing to take his eyes from the priest. “Don't even speak like that, we're getting out of here. Get down from there, Barts, you'll fall down.”

“You're all getting out of here, I'll make sure of that... but can't come with you this time.” Gone was his usual sarcasm and the fake smirks. Instead, only a small smile settled on Barts' face as he stared down at the silver bauble in his hands. “It never left, Jayne. The parasite had adapted to the cure, and it never left... Got a couple extra months if I use all of my magic to keep it in check... but now...” He looked around, catching Jayne's blue eyes with his green ones. “Sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I was going to, I swear. Thought I had a month left... but sometimes, you just gotta roll with the punches. Including this one. You... Are the best person I have ever met, Jayne. You gave me the strength to change. So... Stay good, ya hear?” He looked away from Jayne, who was stunned, staring with wide eyes and an open mouth. Before the deer could say anything, before he could even move, the priest started to glow white with all the magical energy he'd been suppressing to fight the parasite in his body, which was then amplified by the little silver bauble in his hands.

“Binding Redemption!”

The priest shone like a beacon, and the light that emitted took form and shape, shooting out in all directions. It found each monster and enemy, and wrapped around them like a rope, but then the light dulled and it looked like barbed wire. The monsters shrieked and struggled, but their struggle caused the barbs to cut into their skin. The winged beasts were trapped in mid air, while monsters on the ground clawed at the earth to escape, but it was no good. The light didn't stop there, either. It went and snaked around all of those that had come here on the red dawn, settling over bodies like vines, and similarly, the light dimmed. Instead of wires, however, it looked like vines, and they did not constrict. Roses bloomed on the vines over wounds and injuries, stitching up flesh, soothing burns and scrapes, mending fractured bones.

A call went out from the captain of the ship that the monsters were trapped, and the crew destroyed the webs so they could finally escape. The spell held in place, the priest sustaining it still glowing fiercely as the airship took off into the air. Only those right next to Barts would see black tendrils taking over his skin from the inside. The only thing that seemed to hold him up was the magic of that spell, but as the ship got higher into the air, the white light started to fade. Limbs shaking, he looked around once more to the deer while black tendrils snaked under the skin of his face, but he smiled softly.

“Goodbye...”

In an instant, all the light was extinguished and Barts' strength left him. He pitched forward off of the ships rail. Along with the light, all the healing vines, and constricting wires faded away into red petals that fell through the air along with the priest. Jayne shouted and lurched forward, shock finally gone and suddenly aware of what was happening. He reached out to stop Barts from falling, but he had moved too late, and his fingers grasped only air. The deer slammed into the railing, hand still grasping while he stared down as his friend was swallowed by darkness and red petals fell around him and eventually faded as well.

Jayne was completely stunned, unable to believe what had just happened, and he would remain leaning over the railing and staring down with huge eyes.

1021 words
for

Description

*points for Jayne*
Everything... Everything was falling apart. Barts stared around as the monsters amassed around them, the fighters tried to keep them away from the ship as they powered it up. Standing against the railing, drained of the magic he had available, the priest could only watch the losing battle. The monsters would get on the ship soon, they would not be able to take off, and they would all die. Despite the gravity of these realizations, no panic or even fear dwelled in the priest's burning chest. Everything became so clear. Barts took a deep breath and closed his eyes for just a moment.

Sitting on the ground on the deck Jayne looked up from where he sat against the wall of the ship. His wounds had caught up to him, he could barely move, let alone fight, however much he wanted to. They did not seem to be doing well, and he just wanted to help, but sitting there, he couldn't miss the oddly serene expression on Barts' face. The look boggled his mind. Why would the priest look so calm? His bruised throat protested against speech, but he forced the question anyway.
“Barts... What-”

Jayne's eyes closed for a moment as the priest suddenly pulled off his hat, and pushed it down onto his own head. He winced and took the thing off, setting it on the ground beside him, but then his eyes snapped open wide when he saw Barts had climbed onto the railing, and stood up, arms out wide for balance. He wavered a bit, but was able to maintain his balance as he reached into his bag for a small little silver ball... A present from a Rainbow. The deer pushed against the wall, sliding his shaking legs underneath him to slide up the wall, smearing blood from his many wounds over the metal. “Barts, what are you doing? Get down!” Something twinged in his chest, and Jayne cringed, biting back a yelp as he began to slide back down.

Even more odd than Barts' serene expression earlier, he actually chuckled now. “You always push yourself way too hard, Mr. Hero... Try not to do that anymore... I won't be able to tie you down to make sure you heal all the way.”

“What are you saying?” Jayne asked cautiously, refusing to take his eyes from the priest. “Don't even speak like that, we're getting out of here. Get down from there, Barts, you'll fall down.”

“You're all getting out of here, I'll make sure of that... but can't come with you this time.” Gone was his usual sarcasm and the fake smirks. Instead, only a small smile settled on Barts' face as he stared down at the silver bauble in his hands. “It never left, Jayne. The parasite had adapted to the cure, and it never left... Got a couple extra months if I use all of my magic to keep it in check... but now...” He looked around, catching Jayne's blue eyes with his green ones. “Sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I was going to, I swear. Thought I had a month left... but sometimes, you just gotta roll with the punches. Including this one. You... Are the best person I have ever met, Jayne. You gave me the strength to change. So... Stay good, ya hear?” He looked away from Jayne, who was stunned, staring with wide eyes and an open mouth. Before the deer could say anything, before he could even move, the priest started to glow white with all the magical energy he'd been suppressing to fight the parasite in his body, which was then amplified by the little silver bauble in his hands.

“Binding Redemption!”

The priest shone like a beacon, and the light that emitted took form and shape, shooting out in all directions. It found each monster and enemy, and wrapped around them like a rope, but then the light dulled and it looked like barbed wire. The monsters shrieked and struggled, but their struggle caused the barbs to cut into their skin. The winged beasts were trapped in mid air, while monsters on the ground clawed at the earth to escape, but it was no good. The light didn't stop there, either. It went and snaked around all of those that had come here on the red dawn, settling over bodies like vines, and similarly, the light dimmed. Instead of wires, however, it looked like vines, and they did not constrict. Roses bloomed on the vines over wounds and injuries, stitching up flesh, soothing burns and scrapes, mending fractured bones.

A call went out from the captain of the ship that the monsters were trapped, and the crew destroyed the webs so they could finally escape. The spell held in place, the priest sustaining it still glowing fiercely as the airship took off into the air. Only those right next to Barts would see black tendrils taking over his skin from the inside. The only thing that seemed to hold him up was the magic of that spell, but as the ship got higher into the air, the white light started to fade. Limbs shaking, he looked around once more to the deer while black tendrils snaked under the skin of his face, but he smiled softly.

“Goodbye...”

In an instant, all the light was extinguished and Barts' strength left him. He pitched forward off of the ships rail. Along with the light, all the healing vines, and constricting wires faded away into red petals that fell through the air along with the priest. Jayne shouted and lurched forward, shock finally gone and suddenly aware of what was happening. He reached out to stop Barts from falling, but he had moved too late, and his fingers grasped only air. The deer slammed into the railing, hand still grasping while he stared down as his friend was swallowed by darkness and red petals fell around him and eventually faded as well.

Jayne was completely stunned, unable to believe what had just happened, and he would remain leaning over the railing and staring down with huge eyes.

1021 words
for