(CLOSED)A Second Battle, or Lady Luck's Gamble?

[Seigmand Dezmar]

Seigmand could only stand still as the being Solaris rushed in, faster than before and stuck a blow dead center in his stomach. He flew back till his back slammed against a sandy wall. He groaned from the pain and rubbed where the sand armour he had maintained on his person now glistened with the transparent shimmer of glass. Seigmand slammed his bracer against the glass, letting it shatter and fall idly to the ground. He heaved himself up on his staff and took position back on his feet.

Shit, battle hungry it is. No reasoning with this one either. At least he gave me a hint. I don't have to beat this thing, just endure it.

"Okay Solaris you want to hear me yell? Then we'll see just how much you like my screams as they evoke the power of Geomancy to destroy you!" Seigmand embedded his staff in the ground and began to move in a dance like fashion. With each pump of his arms and shifting of his weight from foot to foot the sand sputtered and took shape. The ground around Mark and Seig shifted into a flat plane and from all around Seigmand grew large models of chess pieces. The size of even the diminutive pawn towered above Mark as each one loomed over him. Having every piece in place, Seigmand was ready.

"Taste my most powerful attack Solaris!" He pulled both arms back and with a mighty "Sii YAHHHH!" thrust them out and sent two of the pawns launching directly for Solaris. With another ear booming "Ki YAHHHH!" he thrust his hands skywards and the two knights flew upwards, aiming to divebomb the possessed hero.

[Mark Angelus Fri]

*Solaris watched with interest as the chess pieces formed around him, then two Knights jumped at him. Solaris being the ass he is looked at his blood covered hand and bent down wiping it on the ground as the Knights came closer, he then raised his hand and blocked the Knights, although there was a sickening 'crack' in which you didn't get to see till the Knights had been thrown away. Solaris or Mark's hand had been literally misshaped, his hand broken and crushed.*

Solaris: Shit... human bodies... why the hell do I share the pain with that boy? *he rubbed his hand across his arm and repaired it.* Impressive move there, no doubt it'll crush anyone... but.... it reminds me of one of my brothers, and I hate my brothers!

*He waved his hand and shot out a blast that was Mark's special move Ain Soph Aur.*

Solaris: Recognize it!? The little shit took that move from me! Except I don't have to say the name!

[Seigmand Dezmar]

Seigmand wasn't even aware that his attack had done damage, his view obscured from the two pawns that were mere inches from Solaris. He was already using the opportunity to "castle maneuver" by dashing around behind the king as it switched places with the rook on the rear line. Using the chance he blended behind the left bishop and resumed his attacks, taking them silently and using his senses to feel where Solaris was.

Or so he would have if not for the blazing orb of light that shattered through his center line. The attacking pawns were decimated and the orb peeled through the rook and queen, leaving only a fragmented base of glass where they had been. Seigmand cursed softly under his breath, having hoped that Solaris would have shouted his attacks like Mark did.

No matter, in the end this is anything but a minor setback. With a flourish he fired out a pawn that angled into Solaris, while sending out his remaining rook to cross up his foe. As they headed towards Solaris, Seigmand hoped that the thing inside Mark still fought like him. A battle this intense left him little time to gather data on a whole new foe.

[Mark Angelus Fri]

*Solaris pushed away the pawn then swept his hand firing small orbs of light at it, then ducked low after feeling the rock ever so slightly pierce his skin. He touched the ground then raised his hand forming a light barrier blocking the rocks from hitting him anymore. The shield soon vanished letting him stand tall.*

Solaris: Let's take a break from our game, I wanna tell a story. *He said an evil grin reaching his face.* Long ago I very much liked being in this body, he was brutal, cold, no remorse, if you looked into his eyes you would see only the faces of the ones he killed. But not anymore, he met a girl and he fell in love with that girl, oh how I hated it, and worse of it all they had a KID! A KID! What the hell happened to my brutal little killer you wonder? He grew soft, to soft. So the second his mental power fell I took over and blew up the festival, killing his wife and kid... or so I hoped but really that kid has some of my abilities, so she survived the blast. Oh and then Mark goes all emo and says 'I will protect her no matter what' blah blah, he changes her last name and goes with the fact that she's dead. *He put his hand up high.* Funny story right? But the main fact is this: You remind me of him, of course without the senseless ability to follow any orders and to kill whatever. But yes, you remind me of him... which is why I must kill you.

*Light started to form above his hand, a giant lance like weapon formed above him.*

Solairs: Goodbye, boy. *He threw his hand forward sending the lance right at him.*

[Seigmand Dezmar]

Seigmand embraced the break, letting him rest and recover while Solaris flapped his gums about Mark. He paid only passing attention to the story as he felt his relief that came from each full breath he took. He stepped out from behind the bishop, having a gut feeling that Solaris knew exactly where he was despite his best efforts to hide himself.

If he is going to attack me, best I can at least see what he's doing. Seigmand stood upright and sturdy on his feet as he witnessed the light channel in Solaris' hand. Enough testing him, he seems to just be tossing energy around like its nothing, but the best I can do against something like him is distract him and get away. It seems I've got exactly what I need out of him. Seigmand smiled as he began to channel the energy required to finish his attack.

The rook that he had sent out before flew out in a lightning fast slide inbetween Seigmand and Solaris. At the same time, he forced the bishops down in a line to further shield him from the impending attack. As the stone shapes erupted from the destructive blast of the light lance, he fired out each of the five remaining pawns in a collision course for Solaris, with each movement of his body ending in an explosive shout to enhance the power and speed of his Geomancer attacks. Using the dust as cover he pushed the queen underground and fired out the king piece right behind the pawns. Seigmand pulled his staff from the earth and dashed right behind the king, his body fraught with anxiety and anticipation as he neared the godly foe he unwittingly faced.

[Mark Angelus Fri]

*Solaris frowned when he saw the lance not meet his target. And frowned some more when the pawns were sent at him.*

Solaris:Can't you think of something else!? *He leaped into the air kicking a pawn the flew at him, then using the other to boost him up higher, he didn't want to take everything he had sent so he retreated to the air. Without anymore words he raised his hand and light energy started to form, then everything around him started to heat up as the sun rays started to supply the massive ball which indeed was a sun of itself, burning the sand below it. He with one quick arm movement he sent it right down at Seig.*

[Seigmand Dezmar]

Seeing his chance Seigmand moved in with the final calculated strike against Solaris. Luckily for him, the man fought exactly the same as Mark, merely with more power. Seigmand rushed close to the advancing king piece and dove into it. Letting his hands strike into the core the piece popped into it's base components, letting sand fly out in every direction, as if it were a dense fog. Using the total cover he rushed to the remaining pawns lying directly below Solaris and shuffled their forms into a domed shield.

His actions weren't a moment too soon as the orb of light plummeted towards Seigmand. While the shield covered his body from most of the intense energy, the heat still managed to sear through the sand and burn his skin. He cried out in pain as the attack left his clothes charred and his stone skin armour burning against his body as it turned to useless glass. It took all his concentration to beat back the pain and thrust his hands skywards, letting the queen piece fly from the dunes and directly at Solaris.

Gotta get out of here. I was hoping to use this to beat him, but a distraction will just have to do. Seigmand's body shuddered as he urged the his Geomancy energies out as a pyre of stone rushed up from beneath him, bursting through the now glass dome and rushing into the queen piece. As if a radio antenna for his airborne piece, the pyre let Seigmand's energy cause the piece to twist into a dome that surrounded Solaris, encapsulating him in a prison of solid earth. Feeling his strength leave him Seigmand fell backwards, and in the moment of contact with the ground was swallowed inside without a trace.

[Mark Angelus Fri]

*Solaris stayed calm as the dome formed around him, he eyed it oddly then swung his fist breaking a small opening and let him jump out landing on the ground. He scowled looking around.*

Solaris: What...? No... HE RAN AWAY! No way! That or I burned him to ashes but I dunno about that. *He said to himself as he looked around, he felt a jerk as Mark started to win the war inside his head.* Hm, seems my time here is done, oh well, it was fun.

*The bright eyes went away and Mark regained control falling to his knees, he had strength, strength left to stand and look around.*

Mark: Dammit... that wasn't the way I wanted to win... *he cursed looking at his hand.*

[Seigmand Dezmar]

Seigmand laid in the ground for what felt like an eternity. The pain coursing through his body dulled his senses, feeling his concentration sway as he tried to sense Solaris or Mark's whereabouts. As he stayed still and waited, there was only silence. He wasn't sure if his power was merely too weak or if his foe had left, and so he waited, left only to his thoughts.

Slowly Seigmand's courage came back to him, little by little. Fighting back the pain he sat up in the tiny cave he'd formed for himself and reached into his sack. Rummaging through the tiny bottles and vials he pulled out a shimmering blue bottle, it's contents translucent. Pulling the cork he drank the concoction in one swig. The magical brew was slow to work, given the damage done to his system, but slowly Seigmand saw the redness die down, and the blackness on his face and hands scab over, allowing the natural healing process to begin. The piercing stab of the burns reduced to mere throbbing, and for the first time in god knew how long, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Outside the sky had once again churned violently as the portal re-awoke. It hung overhead, silent save for the tiny sound of Trucido's voice breaking through it. Unbeknownst to Seigmand, Mark had already ventured inside, and it was some time before Seigmand gained the strength to crawl out of his hole.

"Uh, oh please let there be good news on the other end of this thing. Though I suppose the fact that the portal opened means Trucido's still alive. Well, onwards and upwards." He spoke to himself as he entered into the portal above.