A Trial of Evil

[The Gravelord Requiem]

Someone was close...

He could feel them, so near, the strength of the dark seething energy that emanated from them so near that he could almost reach out and touch it. But there was something else. Another dark energy, but something all together different than what he was used to that his attention could not be diverted from finding what it was.

Looking up to the sky as he held down his hat, fighting the slight breeze that tried to remove it. He could see the blistering thunder as it crawled through the thick blanket of clouds like some kind of unholy serpent; a sight that Taggert found oddly enjoyable, but he always wondered why. Perhaps it was more the slight harmonious rumbling sound that rang through the air, or it could very well have been the sweet discord of nature that just made him feel like he was where he belonged, but all that was irrelevant at the moment.

Following the dark presence, he finally saw in the distance two figures, each one harboring some foul energy that pulled Taggert towards them. It was evident that the two were against each other, if only from the orange-haired one's attack. Getting closer, he got a sense of the two and their powers, the boy harboring an grandiose pool of dark energy, but one that simply laid dormant within him, while the other man passively seethed with the energy. It was evident that the man garbed in red was the more powerful of the two, at the moment anyway, and Taggert saw it as an opportunity to advance his own machinations to achieve more power, if he could get the man to cooperate that is.

His hand swaying to an imaginary beat, he approaches closer to the two, his face calm and deceiving to his true nature.

"What has become of warriors these days," he questions, his eyes focused on Andy. "The man carries no weapon and yet you still try and strike him down? You must be from one of the degraded tribes that litter this land, as your mannerism prove similar. Now what's say you leave, troglodyte, and let this man get back to his work? Should you choose not to, then I'll be forced to use a different kind of diplomacy to persuade you."

[Andy Jammer]

Andy narrowed his eyes, it seemed the unarmed fact did not faze him. Although his concern was this stranger, who the hell was he?

"I don't care." he stated, he felt his heart pound like a thunder clap. "Unarmed, armed, it doesn't matter. I will take you down and anyone who gets in my way!"

[Trucido Damnedblood]

"Violent today?" Trucido asked as he button his jacket. "I still want your answer, Andy: How is everything?" He then looked at the new man. "Hey, what is your name?"

[The Gravelord Requiem]

"Oh, the child has a temper," he mocked as a grin stretched across his face. "So tell me boy, do you plan to strike, or are you trying to intimidate me with such a paltry display of barbarism?"

Not taking his eyes away from Andy, he quipped to Trucido, "And you Sir, you'd ask for another's name before stating your own? My, what has become of etiquette these days. My name is Taggert, and what, prey tell, is yours?"

[Trucido Damnedblood]

"Well, I usually ask their name, before saying mine, to make sure they are not trying to kill me. Since you do not know my name, then I guess you are not." He said as he put on the coat. "Trucido Damnedblood." He turned and faced Andy.

[Gensayce Zidjiai]

Gensayce saw another figure move closer towards Andy and whoever he had just attacked, instinctivley Gensayce spun his spear into the palm of his hand and turned to face Kara and Tempest "Let's go..." He said nodding slightly.

[Tempest]

Tempest nodded and slowly pulled out his twin blades.

[Andy Jammer]

The moment Trucido became distracted by the other man was his moment, he pulled his blade back and fired Getsuga Tenshou at Trucido.

[Trucido Damnedblood]

Trucido heard the ground being cracked, and then he shove Taggert out of the way. Trucido looked at Andy, and said "That was not nice." He stuck out his hand and said "Dark." A ball of pure darkness was fired at Andy.

[Gensayce Zidjiai]

Gensayce saw the dark sphere of energy being shot at Andy, he gasped slightly in shock knowing he wouldn't be able to reach Andy in time but all the same he instinctivley sprinted forwards.

[Tempest]

Tempest touched the air. A second later, a burst of wind shot at the ball of darkness. Come on...move it.

[The Gravelord Requiem]

Being shoved out of the way, he scoffed at Trucido, finding the maneuver unnecessary. Quickly rolling up, he looks off in the distance, noticing several more people charging towards them, weapons at the ready. Giving his hand a flick, a burst of green flames appears from his fingers and suddenly disappears, a long conducting wand now in his clutches. His other hand, having been conducting the energies for some time now, had already accumulated enough energy for several spells, ones that he planned to use to level the playing field.

"So we have some players who wish to join our little session. Well I suppose I can give them some percussive player to work with," he states as his hands begin to glow with an ominous green energy. Slowly raising his hands skywards, the ground around him fissures in four places as skeletal hands burst forth from the soil and pull themselves free from their dirt prison. Each one stood with minimal chest plating, two with small shields and short swords, the others with bastard swords clenched tightly in their bony fingers. "Deal with the others!" Taggert shouts as a point of his finger directs them to their targets. They charge Tempest, Gensayce and Kara with a lust for battle that only the undead possess; their weapons held high in the air as if to signify a battle cry.

Turning his attention back to Andy, he flicks his conducting wand with a deft flourish, causing dark tendrils to fly out from under his sleeves; each one trying to grip at Andy and hold him in place for the mass of dark energy screaming towards him.

[Gensayce Zidjiai]

"Dammit" Gensayce growled suddenly halting his charge and taking a small jump backwards and pointing his spear towards the assailants he glanced back at the other's and then towards the skeleton approaching him, lunging forwards he swung the shaft of the spear at it's exposed skull, an almighty crack could be heard as it's neck snapped back before quickly lowering again, tilting his head questioningly Gensayce lunged forwards jabbing the spear end straight through the armour plating "What on the god's earth are you?"

[Trucido Damnedblood]

The ball of wind hit the sphere of darkness, away and hit the ground. "Oh, that is not nice... Dark!" He said as he fired another one. This one was heading at Andy's chest, at faster speed.

[The Gravelord Requiem]

(Just to quell any confusion, S1 and S3 will be the skeletons with shield+sword, while S2 and S4 will have the bastard swords. This is more so that my writing doesn't get too confusing what with not being able to refer to them by name. )

Dropping the shield in it's off hand, S1 grabs the shaft of Gensayce's spear and pulls it further through itself, also causing Gensayce to be tugged forward as if takes a horizontal swing towards his jugular. Off to the side, another of the skeletal assailants wielding a bastard sword runs towards Gensayce; S2's blade raised in the air as he readies for a vertical swipe.

Running past the first target, the other two undead soldiers come charging with blades at the ready, S3 charging at Tempest and trying to ram him off balance with his shield, while S4 charges behind S3, hoping to catch the young warrior off guard with a horizontal slash.