One More Stop

[Seigmand Dezmar]

At least she sounds ready. Seigmand struck his staff into the ground, letting the ground beneath grow around it's base. "Well then, let's begin." Seigmand bent down and without hesitation thrust both hands straight down. They hit with a glomp sound, and pulling them free of the ground his hands were covered in large stone gauntlets. Pausing only to watch the hands move to his command, he turned to Jasmine and let out a loud "Keeyah!"as his leg swung up and down with a heavy thud.

The ground shuttered in front of him, and by sheer force alone a boulder sized fragment flew up in front of him. His arms cocked back, and sitting low in his stance he shoved out at the fragment, sending it careening towards Jasmine.

[glitters]

Jasmine remained still, fingers wiggling by her side as she watched Seigmand form his gauntlets and ready his first attack.

{Miss Loque?}

'Hush, Brae. Wait until I say so, I'm to only use the art when necessary--it won't do good for an opponent to know what exactly I have in store now, would it?'

Brae did as Jasmine said, quieting herself and staying away until called for so as to give Jasmine time and peace to think as Seigmand made his first move. Watching Seigmand's arms pulling back Jasmine's hands moved by her side as well, signalling her first defensive spell to come to her.

The fragment came towards her and she squeezed her hand shut tight, a moderately reliable defensive spell pulling up and over her. She shook slightly, immediately after bringing her spell up she started a verbal incantation for another, eyeing carefully the damage already being done to her 'security dome' as Seigmand's attack hit it. It held well enough but cracked and shattered in some smaller areas, eventually entirely falling apart and leaving the blonde girl with minor scrapes and cuts from the debris.

"...feira dos voluga!" Jasmine finished, the final flick of her wrist in Seigmand's direction sending a simple but vicious beam of light straight for the man.

[Seigmand Dezmar]

Seigmand sprang up from his low riding stance and dashed as quickly as he could towards Jasmine. Following the crash of his attack against her shield, Seigmand's steps were heavy and slower than normal from the extra weight of his gauntlets. Time to try and get in close. If she's going to fight as a caster, then her biggest hurdle will be overcoming a strong melee offensive.

His ears perked up as he could hear the unusual language emerge from the debris, and before he could even contemplate what was coming his way the ray of light fired out at him. Single shot light spell, likely high piercing. His combination of knowledge and instincts acted in a split second, making him take a hasty dive for the ground. The light scathed past his back, gouging out some of his stone armour as it flew past.

"Nice try, but where's that follow up?" Seigmand shouted to her as he tucked and rolled back up to his feet. Covering half the distance between them he let his arms fall back behind him, pulling them out in front in a sweep motion. The ground on either side followed his motions, cracking and pushing out erratically as the waves of Geomancy energy flowed towards Jasmine.

[glitters]

Jasmine took an immediate step back, trying to think as fast as Seigmand was moving (despite him apparently moving slower than normal). Practice, that's what she needed...wait, no, she had been practicing. She needed to focus, that's what.

'Stupid follow-up...' she mentally grumbled, bringing her hands up and moving them in a slapping motion, spewing off defensive spells to try to ward off attacks.
It wasn't working too horribly well, but she did the best she could while she started putting together the hand signals for a spell she wasn't quite sure she liked using (for herself anyway), but would definitely help her out both defensively and offensively.

"..zu na duvoi te--ah!" she hissed, having gotten hit again and letting it disrupt her. Now she had to start all over again.

She reverted to not only [magically] blocking again, but flipping out bursts of fire again at random with either hands, changing the timing of each aside from just the location until she could get her spell moving again.

[Seigmand Dezmar]

Come on Jasmine, you can do it. Seigmand grimaced as he continued to move in against her. With his arms sweeping out one after another he sprayed pieces of stone out from his gauntlets like flechette rounds against her wards, leaving what would have hit to bounce off harmlessly from the defences.

At least she puts up a good front against ranged attacks. He continued to analyze when all of a sudden his path was blocked by another of Jasmine's explosive spells again. Skidding to a stop his feet dug into the ground and with a bit of his art caused the ground to pile up in front of him as a defensive wall. It blocked his vision from her, but he didn't have to see her to know her barrage continued as area all around him became a field of chaos and fire.

Alright, this time this spell won't get me. If I can't predict it, I just have to outlast it. Behind the makeshift wall he once again dove low and dunked his arms into the earth. He laid still for a moment as the ground welled up around him, covering every inch, save for his eyes and mouth in rock hard minerals.

He rose up from his cover looking much as he did when he first encountered Jasmine today, and with one heavy lumbering step after another he moved toward her again. Even when an explosion or two caught him randomly it could do little more than knock him around and take pieces out of the more powerful armour that covered him.

With his arms almost dragging at his side, he grunted and flexed as one hand rose up in an arching motion, causing the ground to once again rumble beside him and out towards Jasmine, extrusions of earth popping out along its path.

[glitters]

Jasmine was too busy trying to get her attack flowing again as well as attack the new armour Seigmand wore to really counteract the attack that came at her.

"...duvoi telai fe-EEEE!" she flew, landing and rolling roughly. She stayed laying on the ground however, appearing to be hugging herself close. She had, however, managed to keep her focus this time on her spell, hissing it to herself the whole time she hit and tucked into herself to keep her mind off of any and all pain done to her. Under her arms she worked quickly with more signals, the last she pulled her arms out and rose them slightly upward. The area around her formed a dreary purple-blue mist, howls and heavy growls beginning to be heard. Around the small girl the ground shifted slightly, fifteen or so enormous, 10ft tall beasts with glowing eyes and tattered fur, all in the shape of something wolf-like (some with spiralling horns) dug their way out of the ground and positioned themselves around her. They sat obediently, protectively around Jasmine, doing nothing more but staring straight ahead as though they were waiting for something.

The spell was a real pain to conjure up, but Jasmine let out a sharp sigh in relief before she struggled to raise her aching body back to its feet. The last time she'd used this particular summoning spell was when the Saints had attacked, she'd used it to protect Harumi. The pack would sit, caring nothing for what was going on and moving only when the 'protected one' moved outside of its safety. The moment an attack was made at them, however, every single one of them turned to attack the one (and only that one) person who dared to attack--spreading out when multiple people hit them.
It faired very well against something like thirteen Saints, she wondered how it'd do against one person.
It was probably the strongest Jasmine was able to do spell-wise at the moment. This was her best aside from using Seigmand's advice and layering even simple spells.

[Seigmand Dezmar]

The creatures loomed over Seigmand, creating pause in his offense as he watched the dark beasts, their eyes meeting for brief moments. As first he thought only to protect himself, huddling low to prepare for a pounce from the massive creatures. But in moments fear turned to confusion, to at last contemplation.

Why do they not strike? Are they there to shield her, or does she need to command them first? Only one way to find out I suppose... Seigmand's breath warmed his face as he sighed deeply, knowing that most likely he'd regret his actions to come. Once again he heaved and shouted out as his arms lifted high into the air. Like the mallets of a war drum his arms slammed against the ground, each beat echoing as it tore a fissure in the ground. The gap widened and grew, starting as a mere crack in the ground near Jasmine's feet before splitting open to try and swallow her whole, wide enough to fit no more than a couple of the strange beasts within it's width.

[glitters]

Jasmine stood still, watching as Seigmand did just as he was supposed to do--attack. She shifted uncomfortably, noticing right away the crack in the ground by her. As it widened she jumped to get out of the way, nearly falling in the gap.

All of the beasts moved suddenly, one stumbling into the hole while another dug its large nose under Jasmine and forced her up onto its head to remove her from the danger. The other thirteen charged with baring, sharp teeth at Seigmand, viciously pawing and biting at him as they got close.

[Seigmand Dezmar]

"Oh crap!" Seigmand exclaimed as he barred his arms out in front of him. As he focused on the armour surrounding him it was all he could do to prepare for the worst the creatures had to offer. Their teeth clamped on to him and gnawed away like a living vice with a grudge against the Roccian king, yet the armour held. He thought he'd be able to do little more than be a chew toy for the swarm of teeth and fur till a massive paw came out of the furry dervish and sent him flying away.

As he tumbled through the air, the stone defence that surrounded him crumbled and fell away like brown paint chips clattering to the ground. Hitting the ground harshly only once his body sprang up and landed with a heavy thud. Seigmand was already sitting in his stance as the beasts ran up to follow through on their assault, and without any of the heavy stone holding him back he was ready to deliver some payback.

His arms swung wide and frenzied and earth swallowed a limb of two of the beasts. As three took to the air in a powerful lunge his body sank into a sweep kick. His leg hit only air, but his motions were a plea for the land to defend him, and it responded by towering up to meet their claws and fangs with its might.

"Siiiiyyaaah!" He shouted as his arms shoved out to either side, him bare palms striking the cylinder of stone that surrounded him. Like his body was the very center of an explosion the stone wall ruptured into mud that sprayed out all around. The thick substance clung to any of the beasts that it hit, making them slower or binding them to the ground if they were unfortunate enough to have a leg hit.

"Was that all of them?" He looked with puzzlement around the battlefield, unable to remember exactly how many there had been. Was there ten, or twelve? Maybe more, but as he turned to face Jasmine in his search the hellish creatures became a nagging afterthought. He had yet to get close enough to her to see her hand to hand defence and offence, and he'd be damned if he was going to call himself a suitable teacher to her if he couldn't even do that. Seigmand took off in a full sprint, rushing past the impeded beasts as they clawed desperately at him, leaving shallow flesh wounds in his torso and arms. They stung, but it was worth it to have his natural speed for this instance.

[glitters]

Two left--the one trapped in the gap of earth managed to wriggle and fight until it could position its feet just right to spring up from the hole and charge directly at Seigmand. The other set Jasmine down, circled her, and then followed along with its remaining companion fearlessly.

Jasmine was starting to feel good, it looked like she was doing fairly decently now but she had to remember to keep going rather than pausing for a reaction.
She couldn't explain what exactly, but something made Jasmine feel that now was a good time to channel the only spirit she actually knew, the aforementioned Brae.

A pale blue glow overtook Jasmine's body as she followed behind her summoned creatures, her speed picking up (though slightly, to Brae's dismay the young Jasmine Loque's body wasn't quite built to be a warrior) as Brae's spirit took over, in her hands appearing the glow of two ethereal bladed tonfas. Her whole demeanour seemed to change as she became something that was a lot more focused and enthusiastic to battle.

[Seigmand Dezmar]

Seigmand kept low and tight as he bolted towards the summoned creatures. While en masse they had been an intimidating foe, the two that charged him down were only obstacles. As he neared contact with them his one foot plowed into the ground and he kicked out with his other as if punting an invisible ball. Instead the ground lurched after his skyward foot, giving him footholds as he climbed and leapt over the beasts from his earthen ramp.

He struck the ground a mere instant later, his voice crying out once more as the land trembled in his wake. A wall separated him and the creatures he had leapt behind, and with a deep inhale he took to his final strides before reaching the young sorceress.

What is she doing now? Another spell? Seigmand watched the blue glow cover her as the mysterious weapons formed in her hands. He nodded in approval, eager to see how she'd fair in hand to hand combat. His arms fell to his sides, and as he focused his power below him a stretch of land rumbled beside him. The muddy shape flowed forth, and as he neared Jasmine he twisted on the ball of his foot, spun around and shoved his shoulder out in a ramming motion. The mud followed through, past his gesture and out the few feet that separated the two as a solid stone slab.

[glitters]

Jasmine sped forth despite the stone piece coming at her. It was so close and such a sudden attack that she herself wouldn't have had much luck thinking fast enough what to do to counter it; thankfully she'd put most control into the spirit her body currently hosted and Brae reacted solely on instinct.

She half-spun, winding her blades around her which created a small ring of energy to cut into the slab. Not easily, the recoil sent her back a step or two, though she was immediately on the move again afterward. She sliced upwards with one blade (either to hit or feint, however he reacted), promptly afterward half-spinning again to attack with a side swipe.

[Seigmand Dezmar]

Blades? He looked with surprise as he sidestepped past the first strike, then moved swiftly back to dodge the horizontal swipe. He stood still in his side stance, pausing for a moment in serious contemplation before he smiled and lowered his arms.

"Wonderful Jasmine. You didn't disappoint at all." Seigmand waved his hand out and forward so the ground would drag his staff back into his hands. "You have the strength I hoped you'd have had, both in mind and in skill. They will certainly listen to you." He breathed in deeply and with a motion of his hands the earth moved up and through his clothes to once again form his stone armor.

[glitters]

Jasmine ceased her attacks as Seigmand lowered his arms. The blue aura around her disappeared and the sweet girl showed through again, however a little confused.

"I'm glad to hear that I have impressed you at least, though I'd like to know why this was all necessary. And who are 'they'?" she asked, keeping her curious stare on Seigmand.

[Seigmand Dezmar]

"Forgive me for my methods Jasmine, but I needed to be sure you were strong enough to do what I would ask. The others have shown me their power, but you have shown me the resolve I need of a Hero." Seigmand turned almost broodingly serious as he continued.

"I know not what Trucido is planning, but I know he seeks to slay the lady Profeta. It seems her death by his hands is the final piece in his plan. When he will do this I know not but it will be soon. What I ask of you is to stay near Nachtundtag with any of the Heroes that will listen to you. No matter what he tries to divert you with keep your eyes on the mountains, because when he does make his move I will be there to signal you and the Heroes to come."

"This is why I had to test you Jasmine, for I don't doubt the other Sumata will be close at hand when he does this, and more than anything you will need to ensure that Profeta is taken somewhere safe. If she makes it unharmed, you have to take her somewhere hidden, and kill her yourself." His face made it abundantly clear this was no joke.