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 Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2009 6:06 pm
Rhys didn't like Amelia getting actually pinned down. That wasn't good at all. No time for moving off to one side. He wasn't capable of drawing a sword...
Well, if he was so sure that they weren't going to die, now was the time to prove his theory.
Or die trying. Literally.
Raising his staff into what he hoped was a heroic pose, he...
...saw Siegell come in, make a monkey out of Nils, and fly away. Rhys' would-be charge had been ended just after it began, with a step, a realization, and a quick stumbling backward.
Grr... you think just because you can fly, you're better than me! Dammit, why does EVERYONE have to be mighty warriors all the time!?
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Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2009 6:06 pm
She couldn't help but wince. Yes, that dragon was not her brother, but it still hurt to see one of her own kind hit by Amelia's lance. And yet, a small voice cried out not to hurt the ice dragon.
Out of nowhere, Siegell flew down, blade aiming for the dragon. Siegell's attack served as a distraction, allowing Rhys to heal both himself and Amelia. The dragon's breath headed towards the Wyvern Lord, his roar echoing.
However, Amelia was still trapped underneath one of the dragon's claws. Ninian, against all reason, ran forward. Her hands grabbed at the claw, pulling.
"Let--her--go!" Ninian gasped.
Siegell continued to fly around the dragon, alternating attack and dodging, shouting taunts. Ninian wondered if he was trying to help in his own way.
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Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2009 6:29 pm
An explosion of light erupted a few trees over, threatening to reveal Rei's location. The nearest tree became bleached, in stripes, making it look like some sort of plant-zebra. Wincing, Rei turned to face the foes, concealed by another tree. But, the high-speed arrow from Sue had caught him unawares, leaving a cut along his left arm. Needless to say, it was out of commission, if only for a while. Mentally pulling a tendril from the ground, Rei used it as a surrogate hand, holding the book with it.
The boy looked past the edge of the trunk, spying the unknown figure attacking Nils, as well as a white blur, most likely Siegell, shooting through the sky. A shout called his eyes to the ground, where Ninian lay grabbing at Nils's claw. Irritated by their resilience, Rei channeled the Fenrir tome, summoning another bout of hellfire. This time, it circled around Amelia and Ninian. The unknown figure, Kishuna, may have been in the range of the fire, but Rei couldn't tell what he was doing save watching him slam into a tree. If three of them were taken out, all the better.
As the spell began, Rei took a few cautious steps back into the safety of the trees, pulling out a third tome. Alright, and now we wait.
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Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2009 6:37 pm
Okay. NOW charge.
"LEEEEROOOOYYYYY JENKIIIIIINS!"
Raising his staff forward, Rhys ran as fast as he could, building fatigue be damned. He was getting a bit exhausted by this time, but he could still go on a bit further. The flames were encircling Amelia, Ninian, and (since he still had Amelia under his other claw) Nils. "NILS!" he shouted. "Get out of there! It's dangerous!"
He wanted to add "Can you really kill us all in cold blood", but couldn't find the words for it. The hellfire hadn't completely formed, and stepped inside the vast ring just as a flame appeared behind him. He still came head-on, charging for Nils. Really, Nils was the only one unlikely to be harmed; indeed, all he had to do was frosttongue Rhys and it would be over. Rhys was charging head-on; the impact of so much ice on him would either freeze him in place or crush him in the blizzard.
But I came here believeing Nils and Rei wouldn't kill us. Not if they truly had that chance.
I've got to believe... if I'm to carry on.
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Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2009 6:37 pm
Amelia was still struggling underneath Nils' claws, thankful to have Ninian's help with getting free. Blood was dripping down his injured leg and onto her face, making her cough, stomach boiling at the sensation of getting someone else's blood all over her face. Ninian's efforts only caught her in the ring of Rei's Fenrir; Amelia could see the flaming purple ring form around them, and she screamed.
"Rei, stop!" Amelia shouted, straining against Nils' foot, only to hack and flinch at another drop of blood striking the tip of her nose. "Call off the spell! Dammit, be a man and fight us head on! Are you going to hide in the trees like a baby forever?" she screamed. Amelia wasn't quite sure what she was doing; maybe the decreased oxygen flow and cold was making her do stupid things. Amelia considered it a sort of last-ditch attempt, giving a heavy push against Nils' foot before trying to squeeze free, her breathing growing more laborious as the weight pressed down harder upon her breastbone. "L-Look at yourself! You're pathetic! You can't even come out and expose yourself! Too afraid I'll hurt you again? You know I could have beaten you!"
Amelia hadn't expected the Fenrir to hurt this much. She knew she had poor resistance, and starting to feel asphyxiated underneath a giant dragon's claws did weaken her, granted. But the dark flames rushing right through her body, leaving dark burns across her exposed arms, face, and neck, elicited a strangled scream that ripped out of her throat like it couldn't stand not being released, cut off abruptly when her lungs shocked themselves at being emptied of air so quickly. Amelia couldn't breathe, couldn't get anything in her lungs. Her vision started to dot black, and her struggling was weakening. Dammit...! Dammit!
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Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2009 6:54 pm
Ninian tugged as hard as she could, but she couldn't lift the dragon's claw enough to free Amelia. The general was going to suffocate if she couldn't get loose soon. Opening her eyes in between tugs, Ninian saw the purple flames. Her heart sank.
Not again. . . .
She didn't bother bracing for the impact, letting the flames tear through her. It didn't hurt as much this time, but maybe that was only because her focus lay in freeing Amelia rather than the spell's impact. The spell didn't matter right now, nor did Rhys's shouts. Her tugging continued, despite the futility of it. Amelia yelled at Rei, using what breathe she could get. The dancer ignored the general, concentrating on freeing her.
Please, let her go! Ninian thought. Please!
"Nils!" she cried, frustrated. "Nils! I know you're in there somewhere! Stop this, please!" Her eyes closed, a tear sliding down her cheek.
"Nils, for once, listen to your sister!" she screamed, slamming her fist down on the dragon's claw.
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Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2009 7:12 pm
Nils hesitated, not because of Siegell's taunting (which was rather annoying) or Amelia's pleas (also annoying) but because of Ninian. She was... crying? Irritating little--
--NINIAN!! The dragon, regaining control for a moment, loosened the pressure against Amelia and focused on yet another Frosttongue.
It fired, right in the direction of Rei.
... And then, Nils lost control, slipping back into his human form. He staggered a bit, his back slamming against a tree. He pulled the weapons out of his body, tossing them in front of him. "Ugh... w-what happened...?" A hand raised to his forehead, cradling it for a moment.
Then reality hit him, and he ran away as fast as his body could take him, away from Rei, Amelia, Rhys, Sue, Kishuna, Ed, and, most importantly, Ninian.
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Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2009 7:24 pm
Rhys had already suffered minor burns from a previous Fenrir, and then he'd had time to prepare a strong mental defense.
This time, he gritted his teeth as the dark flames seared him, leaving his face badly burnt. Charred flesh ripped apart along his cheeks, allowing blood to ooze out along the sides of his mouth. More charred flesh separated on the backs of his hands, creating numerous small cracks, letting the blood drop down in a small shower of droplets. He managed to avoid screaming, but... he'd had worse.
Blast, and my face was one of my REDEEMING features...
But he'd get to his ruined physique later. He knelt at Amelia's side. She looked weak, and he felt a little scared. "What was I thinking," he said sadly, lowering the Physic staff. "I thought I was right, that they wouldn't try to kill us. I was..."
He wasn't sure he was entirely wrong--he could see that Nils was fleeing, having suddenly betrayed Rei like before. But from what he could tell, it had been Ninian who stopped him. Not Amelia, not Kishuna. Ninian. The rest of them just... got in the way and let themselves get hurt. AGAIN.
He concentrated harder, the Physic shining brightly with the effort, soothing the burns. Burn marks didn't exactly LEAVE with a Heal staff, but wounds were wounds. At least the staff could close the wound. The burns would stay, and Amelia would need plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration, but... hopefully, she'd be fine.
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Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2009 7:26 pm
"Yah!" Shastah flapped his wings twice, arching his back as Siegell stood up in the saddle. Before anyone could call out, could give chase, could do anything, the wyvern and lord slithered off between the trees, chasing close behind the half-dragon.
Shastah's wings beat heavily in the air behind Nils as he ran, each beat a heavy thump in the air, closer and closer... closer, and closer still...
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Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2009 7:35 pm
Something changed. In the moment after Ninian's fist connected with the ice dragon, as her tears fell, something within the ice dragon changed.
Nils?
And then the ice dragon's blast headed for Rei of all people. Bewildered, Ninian watched as he returned to human form, pulling the spear from his body. Suddenly, he bolted.
"Nils, wait!" she cried, reaching a hand out to grab him and missing. Siegell flew after the fleeing bard. Ninian wanted to run after her brother, but--
She saw the glow as Rhys's staff healed Amelia's wounds. Ninian knelt beside the general, choosing to stay, praying Siegell could catch her brother.
"Are you alright, Amelia?" she asked, helping her to stand.
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Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2009 7:42 pm
Amelia was struggling to pull herself up as she felt the pressure magically disappear from her sternum, hacking. Blood trickled down the corner of her mouth, and one shaky hand went up to rub it away. Amelia winced as the motion brought the blood in contact with a fresh burn. The pain immediately started to dissipate, a friendly blue light surrounding her body. She relaxed, closing her eyes halfway. She propped herself up on one arm, her body leaning against Rhys'. The cold hadn't gone away yet with that light, and he seemed so warm, with all of those robes... Amelia saw the burns at his face, the peeling skin and cracked area around his lips, and the frown on her face was more than touched with worry.
"Don't blame yourself," she whispered, closing her eyes as the rejuvenated burst of magic took away all the pain from her chest, freeing her lungs to breathe. "You didn't expect this. None of us did... You need to heal your face..." Amelia reached to touch her fingers to his forehead, knowing better than to put pressure on his burns, but then Ninian's friendly arm was at her side, and Amelia was able to get to her feet. The burn marks weren't gone, but they didn't hurt now. Rhys really was an amazing Bishop.
"I'm going to be fine. Thank Rhys for getting here so fast. You too, Ninian." Amelia smiled a little, rubbing the blood off of her lips more vigorously. "Would've been choked to death if you hadn't been here." Amelia hugged her briefly, giving the same gesture to Rhys before picking up her Killer Lance. As much as she wanted to go back to Fefga's and rest, still tired and a little dazed, she couldn't.
There was still a job to finish.
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Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2009 7:43 pm
Nils ran faster and faster, pushing his body to the limit. He ached from the various wounds he got, but he forced himself to keep moving. If he stopped now, he'd be dead, especially with the wyvern lord and his wyvern so close behind.
He didn't see the root in front of him, really. Which is why he hit the ground hard, slamming his knee and hands against the ground. He turned around to face Siegell, eyes narrowed.
... So, this is the end? Heh... Not what I wanted at all. He breathed heavily. ... I'm too tired to fight. Crap...
Ninian...
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Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2009 8:06 pm
Rei flinched, pretty much falling back at the jet of cold aimed towards him. The mist ebbing from the permafrost chilled Rei's right leg, a sheet of ice too thick to move through, but too thin to ignore, coated the limb. Wincing, Rei reached into his pocket, grasping at the Erebus tome as a tendril crept up from beneath the chilled earth, wedging itself between the shoe and the ice, creeping halfway up his calf before a fist shattered the split sheet.
Staggering to his feet, Rei mustered up a commanding voice, trying to take attention from his ally. "Want me to stop playing games, do we, children?" The third tome began to glow, dark energies pouring from the young Druid into the ground. Stretching the right hand before him, Rei held the tome with his left.
"Forces of Hell! Drag these fools into the abyss!" Rei glared at the General, ensnaring her leg in a tendril's grasp. No interference this time, wench! Rei laughed, setting his glare towards the sky.
"Apocalypse!"
As the dark clouds began to converge in the sky, Rei focused his mind, balling his usable hand into a fist. Darkness enveloped Rei and Amelia, dragging them into the realm of the damned: where those felled by the spell went. But, in the sky, one could see the two standing, as if they were about to fight, the winner keeping their life.
Taking this chance as the best he'd get, Rei scrounged together the remnants of that Elixir, applying it to the wound on his arm. He couldn't afford to take any chances, this time. A slight grin crept onto his face, though, as it dawned on him that, despite their best efforts, the others could not intervene in any way.
It truly had become a Duel to the Death.
(( So we don't have any blasted interlopers, like last time! *SHOT* ))
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Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2009 8:17 pm
Amelia was moving towards the trees when Rei's voice echoed out, sending a chill down her spine, completely unrelated to the Frosttongue she had been the target of just minutes before. "Want me to stop playing games, do we, children?"
A slithering feeling against one leg, despite the leggings, boots, and greaves, caught Amelia's attention immediately. One of his elder magic tendrils had wrapped around her left leg, keeping her from running. What the hell does... he have... planned...
The spell's incantation left his lips, and then darkness surrounded her, pressing on her eyes and mind until finally she emerged somewhere high above the ground, above the trees, trying to regain her senses. Time seemed slower in here, somehow -- or it was just her being a little dizzy -- and Rei was busy rubbing an Elixir into his arm, like she wasn't even there.
Well, screw waiting for him to finish.
Amelia didn't make any sound; no scream, no heavy breath, no words. She ran for him, Killer Lance in both hands, then moved to slash deeply across the shoulder of the arm holding his book, deciding that the best way to win was to cripple him first. An enemy that can't attack isn't really an an enemy at all.
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Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2009 8:22 pm
Rhys stared upwards in disbelief. Just-just... WHY? They'd already fought, been nearly frozen, horribly BURNT, smacked about, and had flutes chucked at them, and STILL they were going to fight.
And once again, it was Amelia.
Yes, he loved her bravery, but he wished that she didn't try to get herself involved in every single battle on Learania sometimes.
"Grr... I know he forced you into this, but... ooh!" Rhys couldn't yell at Amelia; this battle wasn't her fault. Besides, it did provide a nice view up her skirt, even if she was wearing pants. But hey, how many guys got to look up a girl's skirt? Not many. Rhys felt a vague sense of victory at this realization, but he had other matters to attend to.
Opening a Vulnerary (he'd made sure to carry a few this time), he splashed some first on the burn marks along his face. They stung, but the wounds hadn't been severe; the skin closed around the wound, though the burns still made his skin feel very stiff and painful. He then applied a second salve to his hands, stopping the blood loss there. All fairly minor wounds, but he knew he'd be feeling the burns of this battle (PUN!) for a good while.
Amelia, I hope you've got strength left in you. You need to win!
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