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| 1st Seraraye Tournament Round 1: Match #3; Reiku Tohno vs Rurouni | |
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| Topic Started: Apr 21 2009, 05:31 PM (190 Views) | |
| Rurouni | Apr 21 2009, 05:31 PM Post #1 |
Katsujin-ken satsujin-to...
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Deep within the mountains lay the Mines of Iseh, dankly lit, many have lost their way, and their lives, within the twisting system of caves and tunnels. Where you will fight is prone to have cave ins, locking one or both of you inside. Stalactites and Stalagmites are bad for getting in your way, the darkness is another enemy in this dank tomb of a mine shaft. Watch for Falling Rocks, and good luck. (Word Minimum 350) The Mines of Iseh were a peculiar choice for a tournament bout, to be sure. By their very nature, caves were secluded and lonely places that did not lend themselves well to social gatherings of any kind, and particularly not gatherings of the violent, battle-type. Nevertheless, it seemed this is where Shadyn had found himself for the first real round of the Seraraye Tournament, and no amount of subterranean, rust-colored mud was going to dissuade him from facing down his opponent. But if there were an amount of mud that was going to make the Nephillim give up on this venture, he would find it currently encrusted to his boot. Despite how quietly he tried to move, the mild but incessant squelch of his boots rhythmically pulling free from the muddy floor rang in his ears like a cacophony of cymbals fallen from clumsy hands in the middle of a beautiful song. Shadyn was already regretting his decision to take a smaller side-passage into the mines, hoping to get the drop on his opponent, whoever he (or she) may be. His assessment had been made in the interest of avoiding being seen, but such was his fallacy. Shadyn was not as well-versed with dank, underground caves as many other creatures, for indeed a winged angelic being tended to prefer wider, more open frontiers. Down in a place like this, which was lit by some unknown source but not to a great extent, sight was not the primary sense. Vision was obscured by the darkness and fooled by the shifting shadows. Sound, on the other hand, actually echoed. It was amplified by the location, and thus the Nephillim would have been likely better off on a more well-beaten path, which would have been more free of this infernal mud. Still, he couldn't exactly go back now, so the Angelus pressed on. He made his way as quickly and deftly as he could through the winding passageways, hoping that some clue would arise as to the whereabouts of his opponent. Many were the obstacles in his path. On more than one occasion, he had had to strike stalactites and stalagmites out of his way to proceed, but at least the passageway was tall enough for him to stand up straight most of the time. Fortunately, Shadyn had dressed light for the occasion. He wore a plain, sleeveless leather tunic cinched at the waist by a leather belt with a gold buckle. His trousers matched, but even if their natural color did not, they certainly did now. His entire form was splotched with smears of mud, including his bare arms and hands. The only part of his form that did not seem as if he'd been wallowing in a pig slop all day where the twin longswords lashed to his back. Soltia gleamed in the dim light over his right shoulder as brightly as always, while Lunaras continued to glint from his left hip. Soltia was strapped on in a more traditional manner, while his twin sister was lashed horizontally across the back of his hips. Both seemed unaffected by their surroundings, the jewels in their pommels continuing to pulsate softly with a hidden power. If Shadyn's mind were not already sinking into the state of razor-sharp focus that he fostered for a combat situation, the exasperation at the endless search through the muddy tunnels would have been reaching significant levels. However, the Nephillim managed to keep his mind firmly on the task at hand, and thus his golden eyes narrowed slightly as he finally rounded a bend to find the tunnels opening up into a massive cavern. Several small streams trickled through the cave room, winding through dense networks of beautiful, crystalline structures. Stalactites and stalagmites interspersed with spots and swirls of dazzling quartz filled the room, and hints of more precious jewels glinted in the walls all around. It was quite a dazzling sight, but Shadyn was not one to be moved at the moment. The Nephillim took the opportunity to scrape both of his boots against a rock jutting out from the wall in the tunnel he still stood in, right near the floor. The mud on them had built up to such levels that it was actually weighing down his feet and slowing his movement. It wasn't until he was nearly done with the second boot that he discovered what a catastrophic error this was. The rock dislodged itself from the wall without warning, and with it came a cracking all up the side of the tunnel. It appeared that that particular rock had been supporting much of the wall above it, and now the entire wall was coming down. Cursing under his breath, Shadyn flung himself forward violently and fell into a neat somersault, rolling out from beneath the collapsing wall. The entire tunnel collapsed on itself with a tumultuous roar, a haze of dust hanging in the air all around it even after it settled into place. The Nephillim had only just avoided being crushed. He pushed himself back up onto both feet, teeth gritted together and eyes narrowed in fierce exasperation. Drunkards in taverns in Ivelreth probably heard that cave-in. So much for getting the drop on my opponent. Still, though, it was in the past and so could not be helped. Shadyn raised his golden eyes, narrowed to angular edges, and scanned the room before him. He was ready. It was not the best start to this match, but he was still ready. Edited by Rurouni, Apr 21 2009, 05:36 PM.
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I met a traveller from an antique land Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone Stand in the desert. Near them on the sand, Half sunk, a shatter'd visage lies, whose frown And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command Tell that its sculptor well those passions read Which yet survive, stamp'd on these lifeless things, The hand that mock'd them and the heart that fed.   And on the pedestal these words appear: "My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!" Nothing beside remains: round the decay Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare, The lone and level sands stretch far away. | |
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| Reiku | Apr 21 2009, 05:52 PM Post #2 |
...without remorse...
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The Mines of Iseh. Mines. That would probably meant a dark and secluded area (well, maybe not that secluded) but it would bring limits nonetheless. The location of the first fight seemed to have favored him but he knew that he needed more that the favor of the landscape if he were to win in this round. The things he had on him weren't really much of a help either. He had two daggers, one easily concealable and the other handy for a quick escape. An impractically long blade, that would most likely have limits as to when and where he can draw it. A long scarf that does nothing and a blindfold that doesn't hinder sight. It was all he had on his person aside from the light clothes he had and the spells he is able to use. It was a mine and therefore it had different entrances. Still, in one of those entrances, his enemy could also be hiding, speaking, watching and waiting for a quick attack that might be able to take out this young homunculus. He had to keep a keen eye especially when he had entered the Mine itself. The ground was soft and his feet was at times in danger of sinking in the mud. That would be not good as it would make him open and less defended against an attack. It was quiet. The only sound he hears is the dripping of water from most likely a stalactite. He drew out his dagger, Seven Nights, and made an incision on his left palm. The blood that was supposed to flow down instead swirled into a gray metallic ball. It was the size of his palm and it floated when he released it. A good precaution or if not, at least a precaution he can use. He left the ball and continued his way deeper, glancing around almost all the time, wishing he had a vision that would give a three hundred and sixty degree on what his sights can reach. But he didn't seem to need so as he jumped back when he had heard a noise of tumbling rocks. His opponent must have either made a column collapse or was trapping him in the cavernous site instead. Taking out another dagger he sprinted towards the direction of where the sound had come from, taking the most hidden and hardest-to-see way possible. He keep near the walls, trying to hide in the shadows the create as he went from sprinting to sneaking. Now, he waits, but not before making another floating gray ball a couple of steps from where he stood. Precautions. Necessary precautions. So now he waits to see if this opponent of his will show himself or not. |
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| Rurouni | Apr 22 2009, 12:25 AM Post #3 |
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Katsujin-ken satsujin-to...
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Just as he had suspected, the collapse of the tunnel had drawn his enemy into the room Shadyn was currently in. In fact, whoever it was was moving with a good clip towards the Nephillim's position. The subtle but rapid squelches of feet dashing across sticky mud and loose rocks were not lost to Shadyn's angelic ears. However, he still couldn't see his adversary. Shadyn's eyes, while not worse than a human's in the dark, were designed for outstanding performance in well-lighted, wide-open places such as the sky. That advantage was just another of Shadyn's skills that was utterly invalidated by his surroundings. The Nephillim sincerely hoped that his opponent was suffering from the same sort of debilitation. By now, Shadyn too was moving forward. His own feet selected a firmer path that was free of small rocks and pebbles, but which bore only the thinnest sheen of rusty mud. He could not move silently, but with his ears as the primary locater of his enemy at the moment, he could use his eyes to minimize the sounds of his passage. He moved in a hunched-over position, recognizing the importance of keeping a low profile. He could not yet allow himself to be spotted. Making his way through the network of cave formations, Shadyn soon happened upon an area that, like a clearing in a forest, was relatively devoid of stalagmites. The area in question was atop a great rock slab, flanked on one end by a large cave pool filled with undoubtedly frigid water. The other side was walled off by a dense network of cave formations. The ceiling was lined by hundreds of stalactites. These formations were not very big, but they were sharp and rather imposing, not unlike icicles. His golden eyes took in this sight with considerable favor, as an open area such as this would allow him more free usage of his weapons. His longswords did not easily lend themselves to fighting in such closed quarters, and neither did his fighting style. At least with some elbow room he could use a sword properly. It was near the subterranean lake that, set into the floor, was an unmistakable trap door. It was difficult to spot at first, being as smeared with mud as its surroundings, but it was there. The door was obviously quite old and bore a simple iron ring for operation. The Nephillim imagined that it likely led to more mining levels down beneath this cavern. It was large enough that one could fall into it if the hatch were pulled open, but that was not the case at the moment. Shadyn looked at it for a long moment, wondering if it could prove useful, but unfortunately he didn't have a much time to ponder its mysteries. All the while, as Shadyn was taking in his surroundings, the faint but regular sounds of his adversary moving through the shadows of the grand cavern were drawing nearer and clearer. The Angelus didn't have a tremendous amount of time to prepare if he hoped to get the drop on his foe. He pulled his filthy bangs from his eyes to give himself a better look as he scanned the immediate vicinity, looking for something, anything, that he could use to his advantage. Then, looking from the "wall" of cave formations to the icy cold lake to the trapdoor, Shadyn began to have the inkling of an idea. * * * If his opponent was paying careful attention, he would likely catch a sudden glimpse of something on the edge of his vision. It wasn't much, just a subtle flash of silver light, but it was too much to be caused by the dim light in this cavern acting on any jewel of any kind. Aside from that slight hint of a presence, the entire cavern was full of only the delicate sounds of running water. Anyone in the room could interpret the information as he or she saw fit. Edited by Rurouni, Apr 22 2009, 12:52 AM.
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I met a traveller from an antique land Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone Stand in the desert. Near them on the sand, Half sunk, a shatter'd visage lies, whose frown And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command Tell that its sculptor well those passions read Which yet survive, stamp'd on these lifeless things, The hand that mock'd them and the heart that fed. And on the pedestal these words appear: "My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!" Nothing beside remains: round the decay Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare, The lone and level sands stretch far away. | |
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| Reiku | Apr 22 2009, 09:21 AM Post #4 |
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...without remorse...
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He cursed lightly as his steps were making it hard for him to approach undetected. He doubt that the enemy would not encounter similar problem so he kept on it. Though, he was unsure whether his adversary had used the noise to lure him or just simply had an accident that made it collapse. A part of him even hoped that the man or woman he was to fight had been buried under the pile of rocks and boulders that would have probably caved in. There were intricate web-like workings that he had to go through to simply approach the source of the noise. It was part to his advantage but in using some of his weapons, it was a great disadvantage. Softer sounds of ruffling rocks soon reached his ears. The brought down his hopes of an instant win. The movements were swift and agile and he can only do much as to try and catch up with his opponent, his primary goal was to see who or what his opponent was. So he followed, not hesitating even though it was in his mind to wonder if this was a trap or not. Surely his enemy wouldn't have planned this so well if it were a trap, so he pressed on. Soon he had reached a clearing, and it had damn well lessened his advantages. He was not that adept in fighting in the open field. He did not however, ran out of the hole in a flashing display of his entrance. No. Once he saw the clearing, he stopped and gazed around for a while. It wasn't a total loss. There were still a couple of marks he could hit if he were to throw his dagger. The wide space would allow him to freely use his long blade without much difficulty. He was still to asses his opponent, however, and that was one of the things he was searching for. Above, what seemed to be a smooth ceiling, turned out to be a stalactite formation. If these would rain down on an unfortunate being then it might have spelled death or worse, regarding the tournament, defeat. He already had a good view of the area*. The only thing remaining was his opponent. In the meantime, he had repeated the process he had done so a while ago: A cut to his left palm, his blood forming a gray ball, his wound sealing itself up as the ball floated. He should be careful with these balls. He could not provide much if he were to aims for the power of the spell. Then he waited. Waited for a while but no one had come out or was careless to expose themselves. gripping the hilt of one of his blades on his backs, Reiku hunched before he had crawled out of the dark passage he was hiding in. Focusing on his surroundings that were eye level an above, Reiku had been the careless one. His mistake might have cost him the match. He did not see that metal door that would lead further down the mines. Only when he himself had stepped on it did he realize its presence. It was bad. It was something that he had missed and he knew one thing. He drew out his dagger, hoping he wasn't too slow. He need to get away from that position immediately. *Thanks to Ruri, lol |
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| Rurouni | Apr 23 2009, 01:19 AM Post #5 |
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Katsujin-ken satsujin-to...
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((I hope you don't mind me defining bits and pieces of our battlefield. I intentionally left things vague to leave room for your interpretation after my first post. You didn't make any attempt to do so yourself, so I described a bit more. I've only explicitly defined a small area in the whole space, so feel free to add more of your own invention  ))Shadyn still couldn't see his enemy, even when his more reliable senses informed him that he, or she, was only a scant few inches away. The Nephillim had thrust himself into such a position that it impaired his ability to hear, but nevertheless his ears had traced the footsteps of who could only be his opponent once he drew near the rock slab, the chilled pool, and the trap door. And now, his nameless foe was essentially right on top of him. Quite literally. For indeed, Shadyn at that very moment was on the other side of the very trap door his adversary had inadvertently stepped on. After flashing Lunaras to lure the foe closer, he had pulled the door open and climbed down into the hole beneath it. The hinges were surprisingly quiet, though they did give a little squeak, and it took Shadyn a moment to realize that this was because they had all but crumbled entirely away, leaving only one crumbling hinge to squeak. The steel ladder he found beyond the door, obviously for helping miners climb down to the lower floor, supported his weight as he carefully closed the door over his head using the metal rung on the bottom of it, effectively hiding him from the rest of the cavern. Once he was sealed in what he quickly found to be quite a tight and uncomfortable passageway, Shadyn nevertheless worked quickly to re-orient himself. Rather than remaining on the ladder, the Nephillim dealt with the rock walls biting and scraping at his flesh and even more mud staining his skin and clothing as he turned upside down, pressed his feet against the bottom of the door, and hung there using the metal rung for support. Fortunately the door, though old, was made of steel and was not so easily degraded. Through all of this, Lunaras illuminated the carved out passage all around him, casting shifting patterns of light and shadow over the rock walls. The Angelus gripped the rung with his right hand to hold him in place, upside down with his head dangling straight down into what might just as well have been hundreds of feet of nothingness. His left gripped Lunaras' hilt, holding the blade oriented up and pointing towards the trap door that he currently hung from. And Shadyn held this position, curious as it was, until he felt the door shift slightly as his opponent stepped on it. At that point, his eyes narrowed and his teeth gritted together. Frankly, he was surprised he had been lucky enough to have his enemy actually step onto the door. His own good fortune astonished him. He would not get a better opportunity. Now. A rapid series of words in a language foreign to this world hissed from between his teeth, and all it once it seemed a giant had taken hold of the cave and turned it upside down. In a certain sense, the world actually was now upside down, but not as a result of it moving. It was upside down because a sudden shift in gravity had reversed the meanings of the words "up" and "down".* The Nephillim's magic had essentially reversed the pull of gravity, meaning that Reiku immediately began to fall, headfirst, towards the "ceiling" of the cave and all of the dagger-like stalactites that jutted out of it. Meanwhile, Shadyn's own weight now pushed the trapdoor open rather than holding it closed. The sudden force of the Nephillim's weight was far too much for the decrepit, old hinge, snapping the door free and sending the Nephillim falling towards the ceiling as well, still with his feet against the door and his right hand gripping the rung. Shadyn emerged from the passageway surrounded by the furious rush of all the water in the room, including that in the nearby pool, falling straight up with him. Waves of mist rolled through the cavern as thousands of gallons of water was violently relocated. What happened next was up to Shadyn's opponent. If things continued unchanged, the man would fall straight "up" into the spiky stalactites and Shadyn would fall right on top of him, still standing on the door and pinning his adversary to the "ceiling". The Nephillim would then thrust Lunaras straight into his trapped opponent. If the enemy somehow managed to roll away or otherwise get out of the way of Shadyn's fall, the door would protect the Angelus by crushing the stalactites beneath it and allowing Shadyn to land safely. Shadyn would then lash out in his enemy's direction with Lunaras, assuming he was still within range. * Shadyn uses Gravity Control. Edited by Rurouni, Apr 23 2009, 08:54 AM.
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I met a traveller from an antique land Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone Stand in the desert. Near them on the sand, Half sunk, a shatter'd visage lies, whose frown And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command Tell that its sculptor well those passions read Which yet survive, stamp'd on these lifeless things, The hand that mock'd them and the heart that fed. And on the pedestal these words appear: "My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!" Nothing beside remains: round the decay Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare, The lone and level sands stretch far away. | |
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| Reiku | Apr 23 2009, 09:15 AM Post #6 |
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...without remorse...
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[I'm all good, except for the tight pinch you put me in through there xD] Strange. He could have sworn that he sensed someone here a while ago. All he saw was the wide area. It wasn't as wide as an open field but it was definitely more open that that series of web-work that he had gone through to get to this point. The walls seemed as if they were about to crumble and it would be dangerous as they might cause a cave in. Then, there was this strange feeling as if he was getting lighter and lighter. It probably was his opponent. Be that one adept in magic or the cave itself was his opponent. And then...it happened. By some means unknown to Reiku, he was either pushed back with much force and propelled upward, or suddenly, the whole cave had turned upside down in mere seconds. So he was practically falling into the ceiling of sharp stalactites, or in this case, a floor of sharp stalagmites. He needed to think...fast. First of all, the 'fall' itself from a very high distance would break a couple of his bones, repairable damage but disadvantageous. If it didn't, then the now stalagmites would and might even cause more damage and even the risk of piercing almost every inch of his body, high risk to repair and greatly disadvantageous. Then he noticed something else. He realized that he had been standing on a heavy metal door. The trap door was now seemingly falling on him. It was strange however, as the fall of the door wasn't flipping like a coin. So that gives him something to ponder on more, at the least. But first, he needed to get out of his current situation... Reiku took out his long blade and held it on his left, the dagger still on his right. He then tried to maneuver himself like a cat would, spinning its body in the air to land on his feet. Of course, he did not wish to land at all. He spun, not simply twisted so he did not stop when he was facing facing 'down'. How he spun was another thing. He used the weight of the long blade and swung it with all his might to his left. That gave him some starting speed and he only needed to enhance it to keep spinning. As he neared the 'floor' or the cave, a small glint of metal shot out of the spinning homunculus. He had released and thrown his dagger. The dagger shot out to the direction of the whole where he had come from. Of course, he wasn't that strong and the dagger had arched and fell back to the 'ground'. At the least, it fell where there are no spikes. As he was almost crushed between the teeth of cave formations and the metal trap door, the dagger activated in the last second, taking Reiku out of that predicament and into a distance, rolling on the 'floor' a bit before he had stopped. His opponent would have still seen him under the trap door and would not realize that he had already disappeared unless seen firsthand that he wasn't where he was supposed to. Of course, that attack was not without retaliation. As soon as Reiku had managed to got up, he invoked a power word, activating the previous spell he had planted. A shot of a black lightning harpoon would shoot out from where he had entered the open area and in the direction of where he was supposed to fall. The sound of gushing waters made Reiku's ear twitch as he gained his footing. He sprinted to the cavern walls, both to gain distance from his opponent and both to gain higher ground. *Reiku used Speed, Seven Nights and Fragarach |
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| Rurouni | Apr 23 2009, 06:12 PM Post #7 |
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Katsujin-ken satsujin-to...
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The steel door, with Shadyn on top of it, crashed down to the bed of stalactite "spikes" with a thunderous clamor. The fallen god took the landing by sinking into a crouched position, resting his right knee on the door with the corresponding hand still gripping the rung. The sound of the landing was accompanied by the furious crash and hiss of a lot of displaced water, sending tendrils of icy mist wrapping around Shadyn's mud-splattered form and Lunaras' gleaming length gripped in his left fist. The water quickly moved to fill its new container, bustling about as if it were panicky as it wound its way between and around stalactites. The Angelus hardly noticed the water, though, as it quickly became clear that his opponent was nowhere to be found. The Nephillim had caught a brief glimpse of him, falling ahead of Shadyn on the other side of the steel door, but before they had landed the man (for a man indeed it was) had simply vanished. Shadyn thought he'd seen something small and shiny, as if metallic, fly out from his enemy's form before he disappeared without a single trace. Without even rising to his full height first, the Nephillim's head whipped about in search of his enemy. It was just as well that he didn't get up just yet, too, because just as Shadyn spotted his adversary clambering to his feet and beginning his escape, a nasty bolt of black lightning crackled no more than a scant few inches over his head. Shadyn's hair stood on end with the electric passage, and the Nephillim's teeth gritted together in response. Had he stood, he would have caught that full-force. But what had cast the lightning? His enemy was some distance away in the other direction. Head swiveling yet again, Aurion spied a mysterious grayish ball floating in midair not far away, in the general area the lighting had come from. The culprit could only have been this. The fallen god's eyes narrowed still further, taking on a feral look to their angular corners. He laid a trap for me. If I'm not more careful, the next one will fry me like a holiday poultry. He didn't have much time to ponder the subject, though, as even then his opponent was dashing for higher ground. Thinking quickly, Shadyn once again reversed the gravitation in the room, restoring it to its natural state.* As a result, he immediately began falling, headfirst, back towards the proper floor. Fortunately, since he had cast the spell, he was ready to cope with it. The Nephillim turned a neat little half-flip in midair to right himself, and landed nimbly about a foot or so from the lip of the hole the steel door had previously covered. The door itself tumbled down just behind Shadyn and crashed down over the hole, this time only half-covering it. Shadyn wasted no time in taking cover behind a set of cave formations, even amidst the ensuing roar as all the water in the room yet again relocated itself. He hid from the odd little lightning ball, just in case it decided to try to sting him yet again. Little currents and eddies coursed around Shadyn's dirty boots as water began to make its way back to its original locations, though some remained to soak the cave floor. The Nephillim flicked his head in the direction of his enemy, though there wasn't much of him that he could make out at this distance and in such dim light. Shadyn himself was surrounded by a silvery halo cast by the holy blade Lunaras, who was pulsating and casting away the darkness from his left hand, but her light did not extend that far. Personally, Shadyn preferred a conventional clash of blades to this unconventional style of combat he was being forced into. His opponent fled, something a winged creature should easily be able to remedy, but Shadyn's angelic wings were useless in an underground mine. Shadyn possessed speed and agility that very few could match, but judging from the lightning ball trap, he judged trying to chase the man down on foot to be unwise. His adversary could just as easily have left more traps earlier, or be dropping more at that very moment. In fact, much of Shadyn's entire combat style was thwarted by this unorthodox arena, and his enemy's flighty, strange strategy. It is not the strongest or the smartest who survive...but the most responsive to change. If I am forced to fight in an unconventional location, I will use unconventional tactics. With that, Lunaras suddenly erupted with a burst of silvery light. From a distance, it would seem that her frosty luminescence had grown so bright that it consumed Shadyn himself. The Nephillim vanished into the light. Then, as suddenly as it had appeared, the burst of light faded. Into nothingness. Lunaras, and her wielder along with her, had simply vanished.** The entire cave fell silent once again, a heavy taciturnity that was broken only by the mild sound of dripping water here and there. Shadyn was nowhere to be found. It was initially unclear how he had managed to simply disappear, somewhat like his opponent had, but he did not reappear. In fact, several seconds quickly past with no sign of him whatsoever. If he had teleported, he had done so over a significant distance. He also did not seem to be anywhere near his opponent, who had an unhindered path to whatever high ground he sought. The manner in which Shadyn had managed to pull such a disappearing act were as enigmatic as the man himself. One thing was for sure, though. The Nephillim had not fled. His presence still permeated the cave as completely as the icy mist, and any warrior should know that a seasoned competitor such as Aurion would not simply give up so easily. * Shadyn uses Gravity Control. ** Shadyn uses ??? (Wouldn't you like to know.  You will soon enough.)
Edited by Rurouni, Apr 23 2009, 06:21 PM.
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I met a traveller from an antique land Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone Stand in the desert. Near them on the sand, Half sunk, a shatter'd visage lies, whose frown And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command Tell that its sculptor well those passions read Which yet survive, stamp'd on these lifeless things, The hand that mock'd them and the heart that fed. And on the pedestal these words appear: "My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!" Nothing beside remains: round the decay Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare, The lone and level sands stretch far away. | |
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| Reiku | Apr 24 2009, 08:26 AM Post #8 |
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...without remorse...
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"God damn son of a..." Those were the only words that had come out of his mouth before he found himself falling down yet again. This time, it was reverted back to its original orientation. Still, a plummet that high would be near fatal, if not lethal. Acting quickly, he took out his long blade and kicked off his legs in the direction of the nearest cavern wall. Blade forward, what he had hit was a stone pillar instead of a wall. His blade had embedded itself on the pillar about two or three inches. It wasn't enough to let him stick to it but it was enough to guide him as he made an improvised glide down to safety. He glanced at the ball he had laid a while ago. It shattered and disappeared from view as he had not supplied it with enough blood. Given enough, it could have been stronger and would have shot a couple of times more. But he didn't and he can't change that fact. That little trick of his opponent, made the ground a bit muddy and wet. He himself landed with almost up to his knees down in the water. He doubled back and went to the same hole in which he had come out a while ago. This was bad. He barely has any spells and if this opponent of his was more of a spell user then he would have to find some way to get into close quarter combat. Before he re-entered the hole he came from, he glanced back. He saw a faint glow that was out of place and he had assumed it was his opponent. That glow was not moving however so this could be his chance. But it may be a trap...just like that trap door. He couldn't risk another wrong move not knowing what his opponent is capable of. Well, he had already took much time to decide that the light had suddenly and noticeably grown brighter. Then, as if in a burst of light, it was gone. He had expected an attack of some sort so her had shifted into a defensive position. None. There wasn't anything at all. Keeping an eye out, he started to back away and slipped inside the intricate web-work of tunnels that he had come from. He positioned himself in a bit of a tight spot, his blades hitting the walls if he tried to swing them. He was trying to at least narrow down where his opponent might come from, while leaving enough room to evade an attack. Unless it would envelope the entire tunnel that is, he would have a hard time evading that attack. It was in a mentality of his that all attacks can be avoided and he was putting that to the test. He held the hilt of the blade with both hands. His back turned to where he had come from but his head turned to his left shoulder. His arms crossed, right over left from his view as he held the blade in a horizontal position. Now...he waits. |
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| Rurouni | Apr 24 2009, 04:39 PM Post #9 |
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Katsujin-ken satsujin-to...
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Shadyn's adversary was of the same mind as those who invested in mosquito repellent. The man exuded an obvious belief that all threats could be eluded in one manner or another, a notion he planned to prove by wedging himself into a narrow passageway. In doing so, he hoped to limit the various methods of attack available to his opponent. It was a good plan, and indeed in a normal context it likely would have been quite effective. The mindset behind mosquito repellent and all other forms of pest control was quite similar. Those who developed these odd, bubbling concoctions believed that they could limit insect bites by doing so. They were willing to invest time, money, and considerable personal interest in devising and obtaining a substance that could keep mosquitoes and other pests at bay. They would go to any lengths to avoid the irritation brought by insects. It was analogous to Reiku cramming himself in a tiny, out-of-the-way tunnel, scraping up his skin and smearing it with sticky, rust-colored mud. He did so out of a desire to avoid what he sensed to be imminent attack, for he believed that such an attack could be avoided. However, no matter how potent one's mosquito repellent was and how much he or she wore, you still got bitten. Sometimes, you got bitten quite a bit. For mosquitoes were not made equal, and some were more tolerant to the chemicals than others. These mosquitoes got through and either had their fill, or got the smack. Even so, at least these mosquitoes followed the laws of nature. Shadyn was a perversion of those laws, a strange and aberrant blend of immortal and mortal, of human and angel. He was not subject to such crippling rules as lowly insects were. Even if at that very moment, it was one of those lowly insects that alighted on Reiku's neck. This was one of the tiniest creatures in all of Avalon, but nevertheless a fascinating insect. With his focus dead-set on detecting and repelling any possible attack that Shadyn might inflict, it was uncertain Reiku would notice the almost inaudible buzz of tiny, crepe wings or such a tiny pressure from such minute, gripping feet. Feet designed to land without exciting many sensory neurons and alerting the victim. Even if he did, could he get his hands off of his katana and readjust his position in time to swat the attacker? It was also uncertain whether or not he would notice when, in just a few moments after the landing, the fangs would dig into his skin. The fangs only a fraction of a centimeter in length but nevertheless bearing within them a neurotoxin capable of staggering a rhinoceros. Upon entering the bloodstream, the toxin would act as an inhibitor for the neurotransmitters that carried electrical signals from neuron to neuron, specifically acting on the motor neurons. In other words, the poison would cause rapid and crippling paralysis to most of the voluntary muscles. It was not delivered in large enough quantities to go to work on the complex neural pathways surrounding the brain or heart, and thus would leave its victim alive. However, it was certain that one afflicted with this poison would effectively be defeated within mere moments. No matter how much repellent one cared to spray on, or how effective the chemicals were, there was always one mosquito that would get through. And depending on the victim's luck, it was possible that it was that very mosquito that carried malaria. But this was no mosquito, and its effect would be far worse than a slow-acting disease. Edited by Rurouni, Apr 25 2009, 12:52 PM.
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I met a traveller from an antique land Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone Stand in the desert. Near them on the sand, Half sunk, a shatter'd visage lies, whose frown And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command Tell that its sculptor well those passions read Which yet survive, stamp'd on these lifeless things, The hand that mock'd them and the heart that fed. And on the pedestal these words appear: "My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!" Nothing beside remains: round the decay Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare, The lone and level sands stretch far away. | |
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| Reiku | Apr 25 2009, 08:11 AM Post #10 |
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...without remorse...
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He was getting impatient. He had been waiting and waiting but there wasn't any opponent to be seen. He was even expected a sudden burst of magic that would require him to dodge if it were to go through that narrow passage. He was waiting in that space, his eyes watching almost in every angle as he waited. None. It seems that there is none that would come. His ears twitched from a strange buzzing noise. A noise that he hasn't heard in his lifetime but he was sure it was familiar in his memories, the memories that the original human that he was designed from had contained. He heard it a bit closer and his eyes wandered to that spot on his shoulder. There was a small bug perched on him, its proboscis almost sticking into his shoulder. Vampire bugs? That was what had gone through his mind. He squinted and saw that there were a couple, no, many that were all over his body, trying to get a sucking of his blood. He saw the one near his neck a bit different and he shrugged off his shoulder. The strange mosquito like bug circled and bit his arm. He then realized that it was not like the mosquitoes that were snacking on him. His fingers started to get numb and then his arm. He noticed that the other bugs weren't causing this. Without hesitating, he lopped off his own left arm before swatting the bug by whipping his scarf. Pain. Excruciating pain. He almost screamed but he did not wish to alert his opponent (if he had not yet known) that he had lost an arm. But no matter. It was better to lose an arm than lose control over his body. It was nothing more than a small sacrifice. In his case, an arm is not such a great thing to lose in this situations. It piqued his curiosity about the other bugs. When the bugs would noticeably become a bit bigger from the blood meal, they would fly away in search of another source. Of course, with only him and his opponent as the possible sources, those bugs seemed to just fly and buzz around him. He'd feel an itch at the area where the bug had bitten and by now, he was itching in many places. The cave seemed to house a couple of hundreds, maybe thousands of these bugs. It was then that the idea had hit him. He went out of that tight space and back into the wide area. The water that had gushed out had been stagnant and there were a ton of these vampire bugs all over the place. Some would eventually fly down to him and take a sip before flying around and around or all over the water surface. He had swatted one by accident and saw a small red dot that was his blood on his palm. He just smirked and wiped it on his scarf. As he wondered where his opponent was, he wandered around the wide area, becoming a great target for those hungry little bugs, especially with a bleeding stump. Every once in a while, a couple would have already bitten him and takes some of his blood. By instinct, he would accidentally swat one or two but other than that, he deemed them harmless and let them be. He just hoped that they weren't like vampires and he wouldn't turn into one of them. Blade in hand, he waited. Left arm missing, he waited. By now, his stump seemed to be in too much pain that it had gone numb. That or that mysterious bug had caused his nerves to shut down pain as well. The mosquitoes going about their business as he went about his. Where the hell is his opponent? Another question has risen. Can he win with only one arm? It seemed like the next few moments in time will determine if he will rise or fall. *No more left arm Trivia: I was being bitten by a couple of mosquitoes while writing this xD |
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| Rurouni | Apr 28 2009, 06:15 AM Post #11 |
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Katsujin-ken satsujin-to...
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Shadyn had to admit that if nothing else, this one was dedicated. Even in the garbled, confused vision of a tiny insect, he could divulge from the images his bulbous eyes provided that the man had removed his own arm, and seemingly without any hesitation at all. The Nephillim, for the moment in the form of a minuscule insect, hovered for a moment a few feet behind his adversary's head. It was clear now that his opponent was not human. No mortal could have so easily done such a thing without a thought to the contrary. However, though Reiku had sensed the effects of the toxin in his system before it could take full effect and so had been able to take drastic action, he evidently still had not divulged that the insect bite was anything other than a sheer coincidence. He still faced in the same direction, blade raised before him, waiting for his opponent to show himself. And show himself, Shadyn would. It was about five meters behind Reiku that the silvery light burst forth yet again. Lunaras' energies coursed throughout Shadyn's insectoid form and formed a halo of bright light right there in the tunnel, large enough for a man to stand upright inside. The lunar radiance emanating from her blade then quickly faded back into a more subtle, shifting shine, revealing Shadyn standing there, gripping her hilt. He was once more restored to the same form he usually took, that of a human.* However, he did not stay still for long. The Nephillim was positive that the extravagant way that Lunaras restored his form had alerted his foe to his presence, and so leaped to the attack yet again. Though there was a few moments' lag time in between the light bursting forth seemingly from nowhere and Shadyn emerging from it, he was counting on the width of the passageway that they now fought in to balance out that disadvantage. You see, when Shadyn used his lunar blade to take the form of an insect, he hadn't gone straight for the bite. Instead he had taken a few seconds, during which time he was virtually undetectable, to assess his adversary and determine the best way to strike. His opponent carried a diakatana that was quite a bit longer than the traditional length of a blade of its make. This weapon would give him an advantage in range, as neither Lunaras nor Soltia were even its equal in sheer reach. However, large weapons like that often proved quite cumbersome in a variety of extenuating circumstances, such as whenever the battlefield deviated from the traditional flat arena style. The tunnel Reiku had chosen to take refuge in, hoping to restrict Shadyn's choices of attack angles, had instead become quite a disadvantage. For indeed, an insect was not restricted at all in such a place and now Shadyn was in perfect position to strike from behind, an angle Reiku could never have expected. In addition, in such closed quarters his diakatana would prove quite unwieldy, as when swung it would strike the sides of the cavern and so be considerably hindered. Shadyn was counting on this disadvantage to counteract the lag time between his appearance and his attack. In addition, Shadyn was quite the seasoned warrior. He had fought many an opponent who had used an oversized weapon that exceeded his own reach. In fact, the last opponent he'd fought in this very tournament had carried just such a weapon. As a result of all this experience, Shadyn knew the weaknesses of such an instrument and just how to exploit them. To negate their range, one simply had to get in close. Moving in to extreme close range made their weapon more of a hindrance than a help, and made it extremely difficult to defend effectively against a shorter, lither weapon. All of these factors Shadyn took into account, as he crossed the five meters between them in the blink of an eye.* The Nephillim closed to within a few feet of his opponent, well inside the diakatana's range and throwing the larger weapon off-balance. Shadyn's feral eyes glinted with a spark of finality as he raised Lunaras in his left hand, lashing out with the blade in a sudden storm of lightning-fast strokes. To Reiku, it would likely appear that the blade itself had dissolved into mere flashes of silvery light lancing out at all parts of his body. "Ariardre Ryeris...Lightning Moon Spark!!!" Lunaras was now a deadly rain of supersonic sword attacks, countless in number and so fast they struck in the blink of an eye. However, this was an attack in which the entire focus was speed and sheer number of blows. Each strike in and of itself carried virtually no power, and would leave a meager wound even at best, though stung with the cold that eternally enveloped the icy blade. In addition, the strikes were completely random and lanced out at all portions of the body. It was the aggregate sum of these strikes that would prove effective. Lightning Moon Spark was an attack best used at the extreme close range that rendered Reiku's daikatana useless, and was a move made to debilitate and defeat rather than kill. *Shadyn uses "Polymorph Self", which was also used two posts previous. ** Shadyn owns the "Speed" spell and in this interpretation, it is his body's natural speed and the emphasis placed on speed in his fighting style that grants him such rapid movement and attacks rather than magical intervention. Note that according to Avalon's rules, Reiku could potentially be just as fast as Shadyn as he, too, owns the "Speed" spell. Edited by Rurouni, Apr 28 2009, 11:43 AM.
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I met a traveller from an antique land Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone Stand in the desert. Near them on the sand, Half sunk, a shatter'd visage lies, whose frown And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command Tell that its sculptor well those passions read Which yet survive, stamp'd on these lifeless things, The hand that mock'd them and the heart that fed. And on the pedestal these words appear: "My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!" Nothing beside remains: round the decay Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare, The lone and level sands stretch far away. | |
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| Reiku | Apr 28 2009, 09:08 AM Post #12 |
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...without remorse...
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It would be a great risk to leave such a place but without his other arm, he just can't wield his impractically long blade with skill that would surprise his opponents. He was just about to leave when something, not really that hard to miss, had caught his attention. A sudden flashing light from behind him and he did not need to try and guess who or what it was. Close combat...this was his chance... And then Fate decided to play on him. He swung the blade upwards diagonally. But something was wrong. He was supposed to connect with two more attacks, done in such a way that it would seem as if it were two simultaneous attacks, not consecutive ones. However, he lack the other arm for control of the blade and upon the first strike, the had embedded in the nearest cavern wall of the tight confine tunnel. He had been foolish not to take a few more steps backward to exit that closed space. He did not try to retrieve the blade or try and pull it out of its newly found scabbard. His enemy has already gotten close. It was time for his final resort. He was saving it for when he had a clear shot of the enemy but that time would better off now than never. As the opponent went at him with such a speed, going into the offensive, he had moved in a rivaling speed, going into the offensive as well. The only difference was that he still needed time while his opponent was now on the attack. It was about time he did too. Under the sleeve of his remaining arm lay an ace in the form of a hidden dagger. It wasn't shaped like a playing card though but it sure as hell feels just like one. He placed his hand on his bloody stump and the blade slid out. Moving slightly, the blade stabbed through flesh, another blade of his drawing out his own blood. But this time, it was all planned out. His opponent now in close quarters, he can only do a back slide to try and avoid the strikes. It was not that effective and he figured that out the moment he felt several cold and quick strikes hitting various parts of his body. It had made him lose his balance and he started to fall backwards, falling out the hole and down to the ground. But that doesn't mean he has fallen yet. Blood had been spurting from the wounds he made and he gathered it into his hands. With the last ounce of strength that he had, he tries to prevent himself from losing his consciousness. He had his arm to his side, his fist clenched, looking like a one armed boxer that was falling down to the ground. The blood on his fist started to seemingly float and form a gray ball the size of his fist just above his knuckles. At that moment, the mosquitoes that had been hungry enough to feed on his blood started popping with a very small sound. Each of them bursting from the gray balls that had formed inside their bodies. Smaller balls, about a fifth of the size of the one in his hand started to litter the area where they were fighting. So several, maybe amounting to hundreds, had now floated all around them. He didn't know himself how many there was. His back soon touched the ground, his body battered with his opponent's strikes. He spat out blood, from the pressure of the several attacks. At that point, all the gray balls have taken their forms. With all the strength he could muster, he aimed a punch at the enemy. His goal was not to hit but to aim. The force of his opponents series of attacks put a bit of a distance between them and he won't be able to land his fist on his opponent. 'Fragarach', The power word. Only invoked inside his mind. It was the word that turned the gray ball into a black lightning that harpooned into his opponent. It was magical energy that had used his blood as a catalyst. No sooner than that did the other balls fired their own single ammunition of black lightning. Some straying from their target, causing dust to scatter and obscure their view as it rained darkness. He wasn't sure if he had hit or not but that wasn't what was coursing through his mind when he fell limp on the cavern floor. All he was thinking of was resting and whatever the results maybe, he'll welcome it with open arms, as soon as he gets his arm back, that is. |
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11:51 PM Mar 20
