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 Posted: Sat Sep 06, 2008 1:11 am
Vivian gritted her teeth, throwing her weight against the grip the man held on her... certainly he would have to give up at some point. Yet his grip held fast even with a sword pointed at his neck, it was maddening.
"What is she worth to you? If she were to die here would you bat you lashes and turn away?"
With eyes light as fire Vivian rounded her gaze on her captor, "This man who works to free me is not bound to me, nor I to him... my life or death as a warrior is not for him to concern himself with!" she hissed, a little angry with assumption being made.
A nod of understanding, "Yet your death as a captive seems to mean an awful lot."
"Do you not realize you will die if you don't release me?" she cried, tearing one arm free of the grip.
He laughed, "I will die if you go free, certainly as the vixen you are you would not let me take ten steps past your sight."
The words 'damn right' hung in the air like mist, and now that one arm was free Vivian drew it back to strike.
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Posted: Sat Sep 06, 2008 2:59 pm
Damien was shocked by the glow that now took his blade, accompanied by words long ago spoken of the great Order of the Paladins. However, none of his surprise showed on his face nor through his bright, sapphire eyes which shone down on the man before him with a sort of fierce determination. His blade never wavered from its place as the two spoke, captor and prisoner.
"I have no ties with this woman, but I would not hesitate to spill your blood should you harm her in any way. I have no doubts she could easily take you, but knowing your kind you probably snuck up, like any coward would." His words, though spoken cool and calm, came with a sort of hidden bite to them. He never spoke in malice, it was simply not his way, but the cool manner in which he delivered each word seemed almost more cruel and mocking than if he had taken a vicious tone.
He watched with pleasure as the woman, now freed in one arm, moved back to strike. Damien and Asgoroth, a lethal team at any time, were ready in an instant to block the man's escape, should he attempt it. People like him, cowards of the dark nation, deserved to be punished and pay for the wrongs they did to innocent people.
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Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 2:55 am
Before Vivian's blow could land the man released her and stepped back to avoid the swing of shadowy claws. "Then, fight me face to face as a man."
Vivian's gaze darkened, her limbs loose and ready to evade or strike based on the movements of her former captor. This soldier of the night was brave to take on an adversary who was clearly the better fighter. True enough, she was not fairly brought into captivity and that alone had given the nameless man an edge. Now, when her rescuer stood face to face with the sneaky enemy.... the dark wielder would surely fall.
"You are a fool, Soldier. A damn fool." Vivian laughed, stepping back a few paces to allow room. A challenge had been issued, the first strike would come at any time from either side... she would be foolish to step in the way.
--------------
A drop of water sounded in the dark, speaking untold volumes of words as echoes in the deep. A rushing sound of steel screaming through air, its voice a predatory cry.
Raphael opened his eyes, his scythe making another lethal pass through the air. The blade, sharp as diamonds, cast another cascading droplet of water in two.
'poink'
The severed tears of the cliff face splashed lowly into the stream at Raphael's feet. The water soldier pivoted his body in time with the motion of the heavy bladed stave, the force of its weight straining on gravity as Raphael controlled the heavy spin into slow rotations.
Each pass of the scythe over his head beat like wings, the rest of the world silent under the sheer volume of it. Finally, Raphael gripped the shaft of the weapon with his other hand, bringing it to a full stop over his head.
The scythe was heavy, weighing down with a warm familiarity in Raphael's grip, moonlight casting eerie shades of blue and black in the billowing trees. His eyes were sharp on the darkness, catching with ease the rise and fall of shadowed soldier's, each in the own form as brethren of the night. None would approach him, he was capable of taking any one of them out with his own two hands. With the trickling stream cresting at mid-calf... the danger was more prudent. He was born of the water and raised in its ways. Water was his greatest weapon, the ominous scythe merely a defense.
Raphael shifted the heavy weapon from above his head to hang loosely in his left hand, its weight beating as another wing-stroke through the thin night air. "The battle goes well without me, what is it that you want?"
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Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 7:21 am
Damien was not one to back away from a challenge. This man had the clear advantage of elemental control, but that would not stop Damien from fighting him. Even those without elements were not powerless. They had a different kind of strength that relied on their own bodies rather than the use of some external thing. He swung his leg over the back of his mount and stepped off, all the while keeping his blade pointed at the man.
The blade was still glowing with that eerie, blue flame, flickering about and casting an odd glow on the area. It was strange and yet mesmorizing, and Damien silently wondered where it had come from. Certainly the old legends could not be true? Either way, it mattered little. He would use this blade's inner fire against the dark man before him.
Taking a deep breath, Damien made sure he was, as the man had said, face to face. He stared down his opponent with a fierce, unwavering gaze. His sapphire eyes seemed almost to glow, like the blade, with a fiery passion behind them. He fought for that which was right in the world. He waited it out, though, deciding to wait for this man to make the first move. It was far easier to knock him off balance. Besides, he wanted to see if this man would resort to his element right away or if he would try to fight Damien in an honorable manner; by the sword.
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Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 7:54 pm
The nameless soldier smirked, clearly not expecting to have his challenge accepted. Vivian snorted, such were the bigots that the Dark Army consisted of. "You will die." Vivian sneered, retreating further to the darkest of shadows, her eyes alight in the darkness.
blackness whipped as a cyclone around the ankles of Vivian's former captor, its power sending anticipatory chills up the girl's spine. As expected, the Dark soldier would rely solely on his power until his power was exhausted. And why shouldn't he? Here in the dark, he was clearly at the blessed mercy of his patron element.
A shot of darkness arced across the clearing, splinting into the ground around Damien's feet, leaving small craters to riddle the earth.
To an outsider the display would seem mildly skilled, but to a fellow being trained in the ways of the shade... it was a mere front, the easiest of parlor tricks. At least... for those trained at highly as Vivian. "Good luck." Vivian shot sarcastically, carefully sweeping her dress behind her legs as she took a seat upon a warped and raised tree root. The comment was aimed at the over-confident soldier.
With eyes as black as tar the soldier turned his gaze to Vivian, "And when I am done with him, gentle princess... it is your turn. Reward or no." he chuckled, the half smirk warping his face with malice.
The glare in Vivian's eyes spoke more than words could have, "I've asked him not to call me that. Please make the first blow a good one, a simple request from me."
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Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 9:45 pm
Damien, ever wary of his surroundings and his opponent, had never let his glowing blade drop. The light coming from the blade was his advantage. It would banish the darkness that sought to take him down, though only if it was close enough. Thus, the challenge was left to this paladin to ensure that he swiped the blade in just the right manner to rid himself of the shadowy menace after him. His bright eyes seemed almost to shine with their own light as he stared down his opponent.
The darkness that moved to his feet was something he had expected, at least partially. He knew that no dark soldier he had ever met would rely on skills they likely didn't have. They used the elements overly much, relying heavily on their ability to manipulate the shadows. Damien, however, had no such skill, and so he relied on nothing more or less than his own strength. He pushed his very physical limits until he broke through, and then he would push some more. He trained his mind as much as he trained his body, if not more, for knowledge was a sharp and deadly weapon greater than any blade.
As he jumped back to avoid any damage to his lower limbs, he swept his blade before him to ensure the darkness would not reach past a line now drawn in the earth before his feet. The instant he heard the woman speak he couldn't help but let a small smile slide over his lips. She had given him the edge he needed. Her distraction was what he had been looking for. Foolish dark soldier. He thought with the grin widening. Never turn your attention from your opponent.
In an instant he had taken the chance, moving forward with great agility directly towards the soldier. He kept his blade back, attacking only at the very last moment. When he went to attack, bringing up his blade as if to strike the man's front, he suddenly spun on the ball of one foot, pivoting his position to the right of the soldier and swinging his blade in a wide arc that streaked the air with blue. The flat of his long sword was now whistling through the air towards the man's back. At this close range, manipulating any darkness or shadows the stop the blade would be very difficult, given the glow that lit up the area.
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Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2008 5:49 pm
As swift as Damien moved, so did the eyes of his opponent, taking in each movement he made. No further, only his eye surveyed the attack, his body was much slower. He tried to turn but found he was not fast enough, his foot landed a step beside him as the flat of the blade smacked against his back.
The dark soldier stumbled forward, sharp pain ringing in his spine. He fell to one knee over a root and turned almost as quickly as he'd fallen to shoot a lance of shadow waywardly back towards the Paladin.
Silently he cursed himself for the obvious lack of physical prowess. With sudden realization, he knew he would lose. His pitch black eyes turned on the girl in the darkness, his hand curling around a second lance of wispy blackness.
His body was slow to react but magic was split second for him, a reflex he didn't even know he had. As the first lance had left for Damien he'd flicked the second with lightning fast speed to Vivian in the shade of the tree.
"s**t!" she hissed, forcing her midsection into particles of shadow so the the makeshift shadow weapon passed through. It stung as nothing had ever stung before, her molecules already tender from being ripped apart with less than the usual respect she held for them. As she fell solid again she slumped into the tree, the quick decision to split apart exhausting her.
He may not have killed her but the fatigue was enough for him, a second chance at an attack aimed towards her would be nearly fatal. He turned slowly to face Damien once more, "That hurt." he admitted of the sword blow.
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Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2008 7:24 pm
Damien was not one to be smug of his small victory, even if he may have deserved it. He felt the shock of his own blow running up his arm, as was common with sword fighting. One couldn't simply whack an enemy and expect not to feel any of it themselves. When any object struck a heavier objec there was always some sort of backlash that would ring through the original object. In this case, that rebound worked its way through the balde and up Damien's arm. However, having trained many long years and having been skilled and well versed in fighting, Damien had grown accustomed to this and it no longer phased him as it once had. Thus, he was quick to react when he noticed the lance of darkness now headed his way.
A simply movement, barely any effort required, and Damien had his sword up, facing the approaching darkness. It split in two before the light of his adamantine blade, just barely passing to either side of him. His heart had practically stopped in that moment, unsure of whether or not his move would work. He was lucky, thank the gods, and now he was facing the man once more.
He had only just caught sight of the second dark weapon, having no time to react to that one, and was amazed to see the woman splitting her body into particles. What strange magic was this? He couldn't fathom which kingdom she was from being able to do such a trick, but it mattered little. Her kingdom was not important at the moment, for she was a maiden who had been in disdress, and it was his duty to aid all those requiring it.
He held his blade up once more, staring down the dark man before him. "So you actually can feel? Well, that is good news for me. However, I'm afraid it is bad news for you." Saying not another word Damien charged forth once more. He was now certain that in close combat he could beat this man, as it seemed his body was not accustomed to moving fast as Damien's was. Thus, as he neared the man, he aimed to move to the man's left, bringing his sword to his side so that, as he passed by the man, it would bite into his side.
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Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2008 4:30 pm
Vivian would have cheered if she hadn't been regaining her breath. The sword hacked into the dark soldier's side with a sickening sound, drawing blood in torrents that soiled the air with the stench of rust.
A cry fell from the mans lips as he struggled away from the blade, falling to his uninjured side in agony. His eyes burned black as shadows twirled in the darkness. It was the final attack on the power rung, he would draw the shadows as a crushing blow, pinning Damien between invisibly black walls until he was smashed.
Vivian sucked in air quickly, "DON'T LET HIM CONCENTRATE!" she cried, her fingers digging into razor sharp bark.
The man narrowed his eyes, breathing heavy as instinct kicked in to draw the shadows into a wave of pitch dark fury.
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Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2008 10:39 pm
Damien knew that he had but one option to him. Hate it as he might, he would have to take this man's life in order to survive. Now that blood had been drawn, it was this man's intent to kill Damien, unless he was first slain. With a grimace, Damien realised what was going on. Even the glow of the sword would not protect him from all sides. What was he to do? He had no control over any elements, merely his own skills. A realization struck him and he thanked whatever gods would hear his prayer that he had thought to bring burning oils.
Grabbing the goat skin bottle from where it still rested on his hip, he quickly began pouring it over the ground, silently praying to the god of nature to forgive him this offense. He then grabbed his striking stones and quickly struck the sparks at the oil. In an instant the sparks lit the oils around him, creating just the light he would require to keep the darkness at bay. He was, unfortunately, within the circle, but perhaps this would drain the man's energy, sending such a violent attack towards Damien only to have the bright light of the burning fires break it apart.
Damien still held his sword up, however, not wishing to have his life ended. The flames seemed almost to part in one section so that the man was clearly visible. Knowing he would have no better chance than when the man was down as he was, Damien leapt forth with his blade held high. He used the glowing sword to cut a swath through the darkness that sought to end his own life, jumping through it towards the man.
His blade came done, shifted in Damien's grip so that the point faced downward. With all of his force he thrust down on the crippled man, the point aiming to bight through the top of the man's left shoulder and thus pierce through the heart from above, rather than perhaps being hindered by the ribcage. The adamantine blade would make a clean cut, if the man did not dodge.
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Posted: Mon Sep 15, 2008 5:49 pm
Just as the Paladin had finished off the dark soldier, Seth was at Vivian's side. He checked her to make sure she was not bleeding and then turned to the Knorthian man. He walked over to him and stood there starring at the man's face. The Paladin did not look fazed in the least bit from the fight. "I am in your dept Knorthian. You are a great fighter, one to be envious of, as I am. I am Seth Daedra of the Kingdom of Darkness, however I do not claim their foolish ideals. We are traveling with a group of people like ourselves, renegades against this war brought to your kingdom's doorstep. I would be very pleased if you might join us in our quest. Though my words do not hold much merit as I watched like a coward from the sidelines. Whilst you bravely defended my fair Vivian, I could merely weave my illusions in attempt to aid you. It would seem my powers are not good enough to fight a man face to face. But everyone else is indeed strong. They are much like you in their strength. And I could also see you had the same determination that the others have. I'm sure the others would agree for you to join in our goal of overtaking the Dark Kingdom." He bowed to the man as he waited hopefully for a positive response.
Nicolai stopped throwing stones. He could see the growing frustration in the young boy's eyes. He walked to him and sat down in front of him on the ground. He looked into the sky and then smiled. "It is only as thin as you allow it to be." He looked directly at the boy. "You desire to become strong.... yes? So your end result is greater strength than what you have now. But the thing is... a little secret... you already have that strength that you desire so badly. Your true goal should be to bring that strength out. But it takes more than just patience. Patience is the companion of wisdom. Wisdom is your greatest strength of all. To know how to bring out your inner strength and use it to your greatest advantage takes great wisdom. You must be willing to learn, and willing to fail. Yes Acario, you will fail.... but it's what you do after you fail that determines who you are as a man." Nicolai got up and walked back over to where he had originally stood. "You get the chicken by hatching the egg, not by smashing it."
Adel walked through the streets of the kingdom. He had just finished at the general's house and had decided to take a walk to clear his head. How many days has it been since my world began disintegrating? I don't recall the exact amount. Things really started to go downhill from that day. When she left. She didn't see my vision. I wanted to unite the kingdoms under one banner, but she merely saw it as destruction. But to go so far as to leave... the unified nation was to be hers to rule when I faded away. The end justifies the means. He thought about what he had asked the general to do. It will help to rally our forces and highten their fighting spirits. But more importantly, it will show all who appose me who they're messing with. The end justifies the means.
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Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2008 1:27 pm
Damien stood up, pulling free his blade with an effortless tug and wiping it clean so that the blade seemed to sparkle magnificently. He sheather it quickly, noting now that the blade had ceased to cast that blue glow. His bright eyes turned to see a man by the woman he had just been protecting. For only the slightest moment Damien felt his muscles tense. Was this another attacker? However, the man approached Damien and proceeded to introduce himself. He then thanked Damien and began speaking to him as if he were something great to be revered. With a grin on his face, Damien smiled to Seth and shook his head.
"Please, you needn't thank me. I took a vow, long ago, to protect those in need. My name is Damien Athariel, of the Order of Paladins. I am glad that I could have been of service to you." He bowed in return, more an inclining of his head than a full bow. Damien bowed only to his king, though he showed great respect for the lords of the other lands as well. At the offer, Damien had to pause and think. True, he had set out on his own quest to address the lord of the Dark Kingdom, but would it truly be so bad to join forces? He would have to reserve his decision.
"I would very much like to meet this group you speak of. I won't deny my own desire for the end of this war, and in truth it was my mission to make my way to the Dark Kingdom." As he said this there came a snort from behind him and Damien turned to see Argoroth staring at him with those deep, black eyes. He grinned to the stallion and lifted a hand, patting the creature's neck. He turned back to Seth, eyeing him for a moment in a rather curious manner.
"So, it was you who spoke those words and caused the blade to glow. Do not ever underestimate your skill. In truth, had it not been for you I may not have won so easily. Indeed it would have proven a greater struggle, for in the shadows the dark kingdom is strongest, though I am sure you already know that." His eyes flashed with a knowing glance. Not once had he hesitated or flinched around Seth. In fact, the mention of this man being from the Dark Kingdom had no even fazed him. Damien held no grudges against the individuals of the kingdom, for generally they were merely following orders. So long as he was shown no ill will, then he in return would be kind.
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Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2008 1:34 pm
Nicki had been watching with interest, waiting in the shadows and allowing them to cover her in a blanket of darkness. She could not be heard nor seen nor sensed in any way until she released the shadow's hold on her body. She was watching a waiting, biding her time before she acted. Though it was a rare occurance for her, Nicki was far smarter than she often let others believe. She was usually one to act in a rash manner, fighting and killing without cause or thought, but her plans required far more thought than mindless killing, despite how fun it was.
As she watched the young Prince Ferros moving to fight the earth woman, she noticed how the power lashed between them. One strength against another. Even when she had fought the group in the clearing, she hadn't seen the full strength of the earth woman. She was truly intrigued, perhaps even impressed by the woman's sheer power and control over her element. There was something almost haunting about the woman, though this didn't frighten Nicki, it only excited her further.
She could see, in the distance, a faint blue glow. It was moving about in large, flashy arcs and then, suddenly, it disappeared entirely. She wasn't sure what it was, and thought she was curious about it, she refused to budge even a little. She had to scope out her enemy, see their strengths and their weaknesses. Her icy eyes moved to where she could see that boy from the water kingdom fighting along with the knorthian girl. To Nicki it mattered little what skill level they were at. All of her enemies required careful observation. It would not do to be foolish and underestimate them. Such mistakes often proved fatal.
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Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2008 4:29 pm
Vivian followed closely behind Seth, her hand not leaving his as she grasped it gratefully.
The dead soldier slumped to his side, making a sickening noise as various entrails slid from his gaping wound. Vivian covered her mouth and looked away, burying her face in Seth's back as he made peace with the man who defended her. For some reason, when he was nearby, she'd go weak in ways she didn't know she could. He was the one person she knew she could count on and her guard fell whenever he stood by her side. Well.... her own personal guard, not the internal demand to defend others.
"Thank you." she said over Seth towards the man who'd saved her life. "He would have taken me back to my Father.... and I would have been executed for treason. There is no way to get around that."
-------
None of the men said a word as Raphael stormed towards them, eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What. Do. You. Want?" he demanded, a little louder this time. Several of the soldiers flinched as Raphael's voice echoed as sharp as glass.
He rolled his eyes, of course they wouldn't answer him. They were TERRIFIED of him. He was the most powerful of the Water Nation's deserters to fall in the employ of the King. He stormed forth once more, this time weaving through the frozen men and into the darkness of the trees. The moon no longer illuminated his path but he knew it well, soon he was quietly traversing the length of a back alley to a main street.
In a time of war his weapon raised no surprise, but the color of his clothes made those who noted him take a few wary steps back. He still wore the royal blue of the Water Guard, and he did it so that when he faced his former allies they'd know it.
He didn't pay much attention after that, he just kept putting one foot in front of the other as he wandered down the dimly lit streets.
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Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2008 12:57 am
Adel's walk in the streets, led him to a man dressed in Water Kingdom garments. If it had been anyone other than this man, they wouldn't have made it into the city in one piece. Adel walked over to the man. "You caught word of my desire to meet with you rather quickly I see. There is a task I need of you, and I know that you'll take the job as the first half involves your homeland." Adel had waited to let the words sink in. "You will be paid a handsome reward when the first half is completed. It's a simple matter of bringing me the Queen that rules over the Kingdom of Water, alive of course... as I wish to make an example of her for all of the nations to see. I realize this will be a simple task for one of your ability, so the reward is not nearly as high as the next task. The second task I have for you is proving increasingly difficult. I want you to recover my daughter, and bring her back home where she belongs. The few I have sent before you have failed in their attempts. This is probably because she is traveling with the band of rebels hiding out in the woods nearby a Knorthian town. All of these rebels are presumably powerful and dangerous. My daughter is quite skilled as well with the shadows. Once she is back here, she will be given the option to stay or be executed. Because of the risk involved, you may name your price when I have my daughter. As usual, you are to speak of this to no one. I await the Queen's visit." Adel walked passed the man and made his way through the streets of the kingdom.
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