Post by Sahir Masbrati on Nov 6, 2012 14:42:43 GMT -5
On a night of terrible winds and earth shattering thunder the only respite from its forces for miles was the eroded walls and stonework of a lone keep tucked within a barren valley. Time has aged its once proud and sturdy work to shambles. Broken bricks and shattered windows gave way to the storm’s downpour, and only a few pillars held the ceiling aloft. Within the grand hall where great leaders once stood now only cobwebbed furniture and artwork remained, given illumination by the incandescent light of a few sconces.
In a sudden flash of lightning the entire chamber was brought to light, filling it with shadows that stretched beyond the first floor and extended to the balconies overseeing it’s entirety. Among these, the figures of two humans sprung into view; one a tall and slender man, the other a short wisp of a girl.
“This doesn’t have to end in a fight. I’m only after your weapon. Surrender it and we can both walk away unharmed.” The girl, one Sahir Masbrati spoke fiercely, her eyes staring directly ahead at the man opposite her. Garbed in exotic wears befitting a gypsy dancer the fiery reds and emerald greens cover most of her body save for a few generous showings of her dusty complexion.
“I don’t much care for fighting women actually.” Kyros Forthe spoke with the calm and reserved dignity of a noble as he reached out to slowly free his sword from its sheath. He stood in contrast to Sahir, his clothing stylish but proper, muted by the Crepusculum grays and whites that covered him head to toe. “However, I dislike the idea of giving up my sword even more. I don’t suppose we could just talk this over? Maybe come to a compromise of a sorts?”
“Sorry, but no.”
“Very well than. I’m sorry.” Kyros snapped his blade to his side and with a few muttered words called out a divine orb, hurling it just wide of Sahir in hopes of scaring the mysterious girl off with a show of his power.
Sahir went rigid in surprise at the sudden attack, flinching in time to watch the ball of holy magic veer past her by a foot and collide into the doors of the grand hall.
“Do you see? It’s a far easier feat to talk about stealing Bonus Malum from me than actually doing it.” Kyros declared with some confidence.
“It’s a far easier feat to simply throw magic around than it is to actually hit someone with it.” Sahir snapped back to her senses. Her initial shock had worn off and she stood in a wide stance, ready for what would come next.
Fine, teach me to be a nice guy huh? Well, I suppose as long as I don’t go overboard I won’t kill her. Kyros hesitated for only a moment before he retorted. “Very well, have it your way! By your justice and might, expel the light!” Once more Kyros threw out his divine magic at Sahir, this time a direct attack. Yet Sahir was ready for it this time, and undaunted by its power she charged right in. With a flash of the ethereal blade from her scythe Umbravox she sliced into Kyros’ attack causing it to vanish from sight. “W-what? How?” Kyros stammered. Before he could give the question a moment of thought Sahir was upon him, Umbravox raised high and descending down toward him with its blade now alight with a transparent white glow.
On reflexes alone the young prince leapt to the left and away from the lit expanse of the halls into the shadows, dodging not just the scythe’s edge but also a crescent of energy that flew forth from it’s swipe. Taking advantage of the cover provided by the darkness Kyros moved his arms in a fluid motion, undoing the seals of great magic like his teacher had taught him. “Bequeath to me your power, imbue me with your light. Quicken!” Feeling every muscle tingle with power he could swear that Sahir was moving in slow motion as she lunged towards the darkness with a leaping horizontal slash. While she swung in hopes of hitting a target she met only air as Kyros ducked the slash with ease and countered with a hilt butt to her exposed midriff. Sahir chocked out a painful gasp as Kyros hit his mark, and taking advantage he followed up with a back kick that knocked her back into one of the supporting pillars.
“Had enough? If you’ll agree to leave I will hold no grudge against you.” Kyros emerged from the pitch black, his body only visible thanks to the candlelight and the faint glow of his enchantment. Sahir staggered to her feet. She was winded, but the pain was already subsiding. She counted herself lucky the man seemed more trained in magic than he did in his physical prowess. Still, she needed time to rethink the fight. Time to turn his strength into his undoing.
As if answering the Crespusculum prince’s question Sahir reached for an orb bound in cloth attached to a small satchel on her hip and threw it on the ground in front of her. With a sound like that of a gunshot the ball burst into a thick chocking smoke that enveloped the pair in an instant. The alchemic bomb covered nearly half the room, and while Sahir was prepared for it Kyros caught a lung full of the stuff before he could even realize what she had done. Coughing deeply the smoke broke his concentration on the enchantment, and by the time he managed to stumble out of the cloud his aura had faded, returning his speed and perception to normal. Wiping his eyes and left with only a couple coughs to rid the smoke from his lungs Kyros was unprepared for the force of holy magic that cut through the cloud and struck him in the side, sending him staggering to one knee as he cried out. No sooner could he stand that two more waves shot out from the obscuring cloud and struck him again, this time blowing him backwards and prone.
Desperate to not be caught again Kyros rolled with the force of the attack and returned to a stance, his one fist clenched tightly behind him. “Enough!” He shouted as he threw out his fist in a dramatic punch. Seemingly from the sheer force of his strike a blast of energy flew out across the chamber, dispersing the smoke and continuing to sail through till it at last collided into one of the eroded walls. It shook violently as it gave way to the force magic, creating a cannonball-sized hole that screamed with the torrential winds of the storm brewing outside. Kyros looked in dismay to see that his strike had failed to hit Sahir, and worse yet that the winds and the force had blown out most of the candlelight from the room. Only a single source on the far end seemed to still glow with a radiant flame, but it was too big to be one of the sconces.
“You missed.” Sahir’s taunting tone came from the direction of the flame, and looking closer Kyros could see that the flame was indeed not a sconce, but her scythe now bathed in the elemental energy Umbravox had siphoned from the remaining wall candles. Unknown to Kyros she had barely managed to dodge his attack, getting clipped with a surrounding cone of air pressure that had knocked her back to her current position despite her attempt to block it. Regaining her composure, she performed a flashy twirl with her scythe, sending out a hot splash of flame towards Kyros’ general direction. Unable to see Kyros at this point it was all Sahir could do to lash out with the flames, each time granting herself only a moment’s glance at where Kyros was as he stayed mobile. He bound back and forth with agile steps, granting himself the time to place a shielding ward on himself.
“SIIII-YAAAAAAAA!” Kyros cried out in retaliation as he once more mustered another force magic punch towards the direction of the dancing flames. He was done with dodging, now that he felt empowered by the shield that caused the flames to flicker harmlessly away. With a graceful dodge Sahir leapt away and once more the force crashed with a powerful impact against the keep’s stonework. No sooner was she clear of the powerful strike that she swung out another bout of flames, and no sooner did the flames flicker against the protective dome that Kyros let another powerful force attack out against his lithesome opponent. Drowned out by the shadows, only the briefest flashes of lightning gave a full view of their dance, each one caught in the ebb and flow of attack and defense. From across the room their magic careened through the air, with neither making their mark till at last the sound of Sahir crying in pain broke their rhythmic pattern.
Kyros sucked in a deep breath as at last he was allowed a moment’s respite from the battle when no flames came for him. He smiled with relief. “Now, may we finally put this futile confrontation to rest?” He called out loudly, his voice noticeably quieted by the gusts of wind and booming thunder from outside. Yet he heard no reply. “Miss?” Once more he called out, yet no words responded to him.
Oh no, what if I… Relief turned to a sickening feeling of dread that made him unable to finish the thought. Kyros conjured a ball of light and left his protective ward, making for the far corner of the hall where his last attack had been sent. With his mind already racing with the incantations for curative spells he rounded past a pillar that seemed to quake and shutter from his force blast having blown a few chunks from its base. Yet bringing the orb to illuminate the blackened corner he found something worse than the battered and bruised body of his assailant. Looking with a frantic fervor Kyros scanned the area to no avail, seeing only dusty pictures adorning the wall and floor, debris and a small flight of stairs that curved upwards towards the balcony.
Stairs? Oh no. Kyros didn’t know what was coming but he didn’t need to see Sahir poised over the balcony above him, nor did he need to see the small vial she had hurled towards the creaky pillar beside him to know he had walked right into a trap. Cracking against the pillar the vial erupted in a volatile explosion that decimated the remaining base of the pillar and sent Kyros against the wall only a couple feet away. As bad as the pain was that shot across his arm, chest and back it wasn’t enough to distract his senses from the sound of falling stones that were collapsing from the ceiling, no longer supported by the pillars holding it’s fragile, worn structure in place. Cursing under his breath Kyros leapt for the stairwell in time to keep from being crushed beneath a stone twice his size. Pulling himself on his sword he cast his eyes upwards, expecting any moment to have another barrage rain down on him. His ears perked up and his nerves tensed as he watched and listened. Any second now. He stabilized and braced his sword by his hip, ready for the onslaught from above.
“You’re looking the wrong way.” The whispered words of the exotic girl flowed past his ear, and by the radiant ball of light she could see the color drain from his face in an instant. Sahir had waited patiently, waited for the man to come inspect his handiwork, waited to spring her trap, and slowly snuck behind him after she had dropped from the balcony along with the remnants of the ceiling. The wind had masked any and all noise she had made and now she was mere inches from his body.
Driven by pure instinct Kyros whirled around and collected a vast amount of force magic within. He let out a powerful cry as he let loose a punch directly into Sahir’s chest. Got you, you nasty girl! Sahir groaned in pain and Kyros swore she went flying from the force of his magic. Yet what transpired was far different, as looking down he saw her merely doubled over from his punch, her arms both still clutched tightly around Umbravox. His eyes traced down the length of her weapon and saw that the blade vanished from view as it was implanted directly into his chest.
“Your…your power is mine now… and I think you deserve a taste of that punch of yours!” Sahir drew the scythe out from Kyros and immediately swung upwards in a vertical arc. Left in the cramped stairwell and with nowhere to dodge he brought up his sword in a last ditch attempt to block the attack, knowing full well that his force magic was something you didn’t simply block. The force hit him like a raging bull, shooting him out of the stairwell and crashing to a abrupt halt with the balcony’s wall. As Sahir approached slowly up the stairs, Kyros could feel his consciousness slipping. The last thing he felt before the last light point of light faded from his vision was the weight of his blade being removed from his hand.
In a sudden flash of lightning the entire chamber was brought to light, filling it with shadows that stretched beyond the first floor and extended to the balconies overseeing it’s entirety. Among these, the figures of two humans sprung into view; one a tall and slender man, the other a short wisp of a girl.
“This doesn’t have to end in a fight. I’m only after your weapon. Surrender it and we can both walk away unharmed.” The girl, one Sahir Masbrati spoke fiercely, her eyes staring directly ahead at the man opposite her. Garbed in exotic wears befitting a gypsy dancer the fiery reds and emerald greens cover most of her body save for a few generous showings of her dusty complexion.
“I don’t much care for fighting women actually.” Kyros Forthe spoke with the calm and reserved dignity of a noble as he reached out to slowly free his sword from its sheath. He stood in contrast to Sahir, his clothing stylish but proper, muted by the Crepusculum grays and whites that covered him head to toe. “However, I dislike the idea of giving up my sword even more. I don’t suppose we could just talk this over? Maybe come to a compromise of a sorts?”
“Sorry, but no.”
“Very well than. I’m sorry.” Kyros snapped his blade to his side and with a few muttered words called out a divine orb, hurling it just wide of Sahir in hopes of scaring the mysterious girl off with a show of his power.
Sahir went rigid in surprise at the sudden attack, flinching in time to watch the ball of holy magic veer past her by a foot and collide into the doors of the grand hall.
“Do you see? It’s a far easier feat to talk about stealing Bonus Malum from me than actually doing it.” Kyros declared with some confidence.
“It’s a far easier feat to simply throw magic around than it is to actually hit someone with it.” Sahir snapped back to her senses. Her initial shock had worn off and she stood in a wide stance, ready for what would come next.
Fine, teach me to be a nice guy huh? Well, I suppose as long as I don’t go overboard I won’t kill her. Kyros hesitated for only a moment before he retorted. “Very well, have it your way! By your justice and might, expel the light!” Once more Kyros threw out his divine magic at Sahir, this time a direct attack. Yet Sahir was ready for it this time, and undaunted by its power she charged right in. With a flash of the ethereal blade from her scythe Umbravox she sliced into Kyros’ attack causing it to vanish from sight. “W-what? How?” Kyros stammered. Before he could give the question a moment of thought Sahir was upon him, Umbravox raised high and descending down toward him with its blade now alight with a transparent white glow.
On reflexes alone the young prince leapt to the left and away from the lit expanse of the halls into the shadows, dodging not just the scythe’s edge but also a crescent of energy that flew forth from it’s swipe. Taking advantage of the cover provided by the darkness Kyros moved his arms in a fluid motion, undoing the seals of great magic like his teacher had taught him. “Bequeath to me your power, imbue me with your light. Quicken!” Feeling every muscle tingle with power he could swear that Sahir was moving in slow motion as she lunged towards the darkness with a leaping horizontal slash. While she swung in hopes of hitting a target she met only air as Kyros ducked the slash with ease and countered with a hilt butt to her exposed midriff. Sahir chocked out a painful gasp as Kyros hit his mark, and taking advantage he followed up with a back kick that knocked her back into one of the supporting pillars.
“Had enough? If you’ll agree to leave I will hold no grudge against you.” Kyros emerged from the pitch black, his body only visible thanks to the candlelight and the faint glow of his enchantment. Sahir staggered to her feet. She was winded, but the pain was already subsiding. She counted herself lucky the man seemed more trained in magic than he did in his physical prowess. Still, she needed time to rethink the fight. Time to turn his strength into his undoing.
As if answering the Crespusculum prince’s question Sahir reached for an orb bound in cloth attached to a small satchel on her hip and threw it on the ground in front of her. With a sound like that of a gunshot the ball burst into a thick chocking smoke that enveloped the pair in an instant. The alchemic bomb covered nearly half the room, and while Sahir was prepared for it Kyros caught a lung full of the stuff before he could even realize what she had done. Coughing deeply the smoke broke his concentration on the enchantment, and by the time he managed to stumble out of the cloud his aura had faded, returning his speed and perception to normal. Wiping his eyes and left with only a couple coughs to rid the smoke from his lungs Kyros was unprepared for the force of holy magic that cut through the cloud and struck him in the side, sending him staggering to one knee as he cried out. No sooner could he stand that two more waves shot out from the obscuring cloud and struck him again, this time blowing him backwards and prone.
Desperate to not be caught again Kyros rolled with the force of the attack and returned to a stance, his one fist clenched tightly behind him. “Enough!” He shouted as he threw out his fist in a dramatic punch. Seemingly from the sheer force of his strike a blast of energy flew out across the chamber, dispersing the smoke and continuing to sail through till it at last collided into one of the eroded walls. It shook violently as it gave way to the force magic, creating a cannonball-sized hole that screamed with the torrential winds of the storm brewing outside. Kyros looked in dismay to see that his strike had failed to hit Sahir, and worse yet that the winds and the force had blown out most of the candlelight from the room. Only a single source on the far end seemed to still glow with a radiant flame, but it was too big to be one of the sconces.
“You missed.” Sahir’s taunting tone came from the direction of the flame, and looking closer Kyros could see that the flame was indeed not a sconce, but her scythe now bathed in the elemental energy Umbravox had siphoned from the remaining wall candles. Unknown to Kyros she had barely managed to dodge his attack, getting clipped with a surrounding cone of air pressure that had knocked her back to her current position despite her attempt to block it. Regaining her composure, she performed a flashy twirl with her scythe, sending out a hot splash of flame towards Kyros’ general direction. Unable to see Kyros at this point it was all Sahir could do to lash out with the flames, each time granting herself only a moment’s glance at where Kyros was as he stayed mobile. He bound back and forth with agile steps, granting himself the time to place a shielding ward on himself.
“SIIII-YAAAAAAAA!” Kyros cried out in retaliation as he once more mustered another force magic punch towards the direction of the dancing flames. He was done with dodging, now that he felt empowered by the shield that caused the flames to flicker harmlessly away. With a graceful dodge Sahir leapt away and once more the force crashed with a powerful impact against the keep’s stonework. No sooner was she clear of the powerful strike that she swung out another bout of flames, and no sooner did the flames flicker against the protective dome that Kyros let another powerful force attack out against his lithesome opponent. Drowned out by the shadows, only the briefest flashes of lightning gave a full view of their dance, each one caught in the ebb and flow of attack and defense. From across the room their magic careened through the air, with neither making their mark till at last the sound of Sahir crying in pain broke their rhythmic pattern.
Kyros sucked in a deep breath as at last he was allowed a moment’s respite from the battle when no flames came for him. He smiled with relief. “Now, may we finally put this futile confrontation to rest?” He called out loudly, his voice noticeably quieted by the gusts of wind and booming thunder from outside. Yet he heard no reply. “Miss?” Once more he called out, yet no words responded to him.
Oh no, what if I… Relief turned to a sickening feeling of dread that made him unable to finish the thought. Kyros conjured a ball of light and left his protective ward, making for the far corner of the hall where his last attack had been sent. With his mind already racing with the incantations for curative spells he rounded past a pillar that seemed to quake and shutter from his force blast having blown a few chunks from its base. Yet bringing the orb to illuminate the blackened corner he found something worse than the battered and bruised body of his assailant. Looking with a frantic fervor Kyros scanned the area to no avail, seeing only dusty pictures adorning the wall and floor, debris and a small flight of stairs that curved upwards towards the balcony.
Stairs? Oh no. Kyros didn’t know what was coming but he didn’t need to see Sahir poised over the balcony above him, nor did he need to see the small vial she had hurled towards the creaky pillar beside him to know he had walked right into a trap. Cracking against the pillar the vial erupted in a volatile explosion that decimated the remaining base of the pillar and sent Kyros against the wall only a couple feet away. As bad as the pain was that shot across his arm, chest and back it wasn’t enough to distract his senses from the sound of falling stones that were collapsing from the ceiling, no longer supported by the pillars holding it’s fragile, worn structure in place. Cursing under his breath Kyros leapt for the stairwell in time to keep from being crushed beneath a stone twice his size. Pulling himself on his sword he cast his eyes upwards, expecting any moment to have another barrage rain down on him. His ears perked up and his nerves tensed as he watched and listened. Any second now. He stabilized and braced his sword by his hip, ready for the onslaught from above.
“You’re looking the wrong way.” The whispered words of the exotic girl flowed past his ear, and by the radiant ball of light she could see the color drain from his face in an instant. Sahir had waited patiently, waited for the man to come inspect his handiwork, waited to spring her trap, and slowly snuck behind him after she had dropped from the balcony along with the remnants of the ceiling. The wind had masked any and all noise she had made and now she was mere inches from his body.
Driven by pure instinct Kyros whirled around and collected a vast amount of force magic within. He let out a powerful cry as he let loose a punch directly into Sahir’s chest. Got you, you nasty girl! Sahir groaned in pain and Kyros swore she went flying from the force of his magic. Yet what transpired was far different, as looking down he saw her merely doubled over from his punch, her arms both still clutched tightly around Umbravox. His eyes traced down the length of her weapon and saw that the blade vanished from view as it was implanted directly into his chest.
“Your…your power is mine now… and I think you deserve a taste of that punch of yours!” Sahir drew the scythe out from Kyros and immediately swung upwards in a vertical arc. Left in the cramped stairwell and with nowhere to dodge he brought up his sword in a last ditch attempt to block the attack, knowing full well that his force magic was something you didn’t simply block. The force hit him like a raging bull, shooting him out of the stairwell and crashing to a abrupt halt with the balcony’s wall. As Sahir approached slowly up the stairs, Kyros could feel his consciousness slipping. The last thing he felt before the last light point of light faded from his vision was the weight of his blade being removed from his hand.