City Square
Welcome to the middle of the sleepy (yeah, right), humble mountain city of
Midgaard. The peaks that surround the somewhat smallish sprawl of
constructions about you appear a vibrant, cool purple at this distance..capped
with off-white snow at the tops. Although the town itself recieves little
precipitation from being sheltered by this atol of sheer rock, a cold wind does
comb and filter its way through..providing a brisk, though arid, atmosphere.
On the southwestern pointing end of town, a small, manmade pass in the
mountain valley allows for easy access from the bustling world outside. To
your north and west are the commercial districts..manufacturing, shipping, and
selling various consumable goods. In the east, to the 'horizon', appear to be
homes of various architectural influences..the more wealthy of said houses
bordering a small alpine lake and park. To the south, the middle-class homes
continue, thinning out just before the open gap to the highway beyond.
As for where you stand..it is the Midgaard City Square..Several government
offices and the larger buildings can be found on the sides of the slightly
misnomered elliptical, cobblestoned intersection. No actual automobile traffic
passes here, being routed through the side streets..this is a strictly
pedestrian and bicycle zone. A large, granite fountain with a statue of Odin
atop it towers nearly two stories prominantly in the center. There are also
benches about for taking a quiet repose from the hustle of daily life.
[Exits : City (H)all, (T)ransit Station, (S)outh, (N)orth, (W)est, (E)ast,
and (F)ountain ]
[Players : Harken, Guido(Pup), Al(Pup), and Remo ]
[Things : The Wheel of Morality, and Ye Olde Message Boarde [IC!] ]
>l guido
Guido
You see a very tall, and very strong man standing before you. He's about 7'8'',
crew cut hair, black, and he wears a very nice suit, almost like the one Remo
is wearing. Guido is also Remo's body guard/hitman/bouncer/assassin you name
it, Guido is it.
Carrying:
>l al
Al
You see a very tall, and very strong man standing before you. He's about 7'8'',
crew cut hair, black, and he wears a very nice suit, almost like the one Remo
is wearing. Guido is also Remo's body guard/hitman/bouncer/assassin you name
it, Guido is it.
Carrying:
>Prophet stands across the street, his cloak billowing slightly in the light
breeze. Wait, where'd he come from?
>Guido and Al stand next to Remo as he looks around
>Prophet scans the area, spooting Harken. He stays silent, for the moment.
>Harken's attention is focused for the moment not on Magus, but on Remo. She
studies him with narrowed eyes for a long moment before giving him a small,
precise nod.
>Prophet . o O ( I can wait. )
>Remo jerks his head up, and looks over at Harken, sniffs the air, then scans
the rest of the crowd
>Remo looks over at Magus
>Prophet looks back. Even though you can't see his eyes from under the hood, you
know he's looking back.
>Guido blinks, and walks off
>Guido walks into the city hall.
>Guido has left.
>Harken raises an eyebrow at the silent exchange, then turns and strides from
the square. o O ( Interesting crowd, tonight... )
>Prophet speaks up. "Miss harken?"
>Harken pauses on the edge of a shadow, and glances over her shoulder, leaning
casually on her scythe. "You want to talk to me, baby?"
>Prophet scoffs. "I just have one piece of information you might wish to know.
Esmerelda is active once again."
>Harken regards the Prophet through half-lidded eyes. "What's the bitch up to,
now?"
>Remo blinks, and watches the two from a distance
>Prophet turns to walk away. "Probably tormenting a few people. Enjoy hutning
her."
>Harken says with soft vehemence, "Oh, I will..."
>Prophet chuckles slightly as he walks away.
>e
You depart to the east.
Odin Avenue [300]
Odin Avenue is part of the zoned residential area of Midgaard, and while the
homes this close to the city square might perhaps be made for a richer and more
modern taste, there is no doubt that Odin Avenue, the east side, is for the old
fashioned. Historical old homes, some still lived in, some for sell, and some
in various stages of degrade, neglect, and disrepair, can be found here for a
modest sum for the average salary of a Midgaardian. The Midgaard Housing
Agency also makes it easier to set up a plan for you to own your own home.
[OOC: In other words, contact Bahamut for linking your home to this street.]
[Exits : (E)ast, and (W)est ]
[Sleepers: Sylvie ]
[Things : None ]
>Magus steps back. He takes a moment to survey the surroundings, then chants - a
second later a dark portal opens behind the wizard, and he simply steps back
into it, with both him and the portal disappearing after.
** A pause. Magus detects Harken and Esmerelda together - and several others **
Magus steps back. He takes a moment to survey the surroundings, then chants - a
second later a dark portal opens behind the wizard, and he simply steps back
into it, with both him and the portal disappearing after.
Abandoned Warehouse
This building has obviously seen better days. The concrete walls are chipped
and cracking in numerous places, several places in the catwalk running around
the inside of the building have been eaten through by rust, and the few windows
that aren't broken are covered with dusk so thick as to block out almost all
the sunlight. The only items still remaining from this warehouse's useful days
are a few wooden crates, empty and rotting. Besides the main storage area, the
only other room in the building is a small office, the door to which has long
since been lost. The remnants of the catwalk can be reached from a rickety
stairway on the left side of the building, and over on the right side the
catwalk can be used to get up through a trapdoor leading to the roof.
Towards the back right corner, several creates have been pushed together to
form a makeshift wall. Behind them (and hence hidden from the view of anyway
standing in the entrance) the floor has been cleaned off, and a small sleeping
area has been set up. There's a ripped matress, with a fairly ratty blanket.
Against the wall are a few used candles, a book of matches, and a small stack
of books. On the other side of the mattress, nearer the crates, are a few
smaller wooden boxes, which contain some girls clothes, none of which are in
very good condition.
Occasionally the sound of something small moving around can be heard from the
shadows.
[Exits : (O)ut, (R)oof, and (D)oorway ]
[Players : Harken, Alhazad, Esmerelda, and Eria ]
[Things : None ]
>Eria asks, "...Duel!?"
>Magus floats slowly down onto one of the many crates. He carries a large, dark
scythe in his left hand.
>Es-chan turns to Harken. She arches an eyebrow as she looks to Al'Hazad, "A
duel deary?" rather surprized.
>Harken surveys Esmerelda disdainfully from neck to knee. "That's right....
'dearie.' Are you worth the effort to me? Or do you lack the courage?"
>Es-chan places a hand over her chest as she smiles wanely, "And how..might I
ask..did I earn your ire deary?" she intones. Glancing over to Al'Hazad
absently..
>Eria tries to get somebody's attention. "Hey! What's going on?"
>Magus speaks up, "Why Esmerelda, I didn't know you were manipulating the young
girl, too."
>Al'Hazad simply hovers in place, remaining to the sidelines. "You've done
nothing untoward. You simply piqued our curiosity."
>Harken gives Esmerelda a tight smile that betrays the lie. "Nothing personal."
She glances at Eria, and suggests coldly, "You've no part in this. Leave while
you can."
>Es-chan waves a hand to Eria, "Stay back deary..and watch." glances back to
her, "This will be amusing." ^_^ Looks to Magus, "I guess so deary." ^_^ She
hrmms at Al'hazad..looks back to Harken, "A test is it? I see.. WELL I
suppose I accept."
>Es-chan answers Harken, "She stays."
>Es-chan waves Eria off so she can stay in a far corner and watch.
>Magus looks down at harken. "Fighting her one-on-one, eh? One should hope
nobody else-" he glances at Al'Hazad "-will interfere."
>Al'Hazad's eye locks onto Magus. "As if it were any concern of yours, little
man. Don't presume to have business here."
>Eria heads off the side of the warehouse, and leans there, muttering to herself.
>Harken answers Magus without tearing her eyes off Esmerelda. "That's the idea."
Her voice has gone steely as she drops into a half-crouch, raising her scythe
before her in both hands. There is an eager glint in her eye.
>Magus rubs his chin, and debates crushing the impudent demon. He deices to just
watch, for now.
>You mumble, "Observe, child, this is how powerful people clash." to Eria.
>Magus mumbles, "Observe .. child .. ..... ..... ..... powerful people
..... .." to Eria.
>Al'Hazad doesn't debate crushing anyone. He doesn't like wiping flesh and blood
from between his toes, y'see. Plus it'd be too easy.
>Ooh, and watch the egos in the room clash....
>Eria looks over at Magus, and makes an obscene gesture in his direction. Gee,
maybe she dislikes him?
>Es-chan saunters out a bit towards the center of this cavernous
warehouse..taking stock in her surroundings..she glances to Harken, "I hope you
don't mind if I slip into something more...comfortable deary?"
>Magus says, in a deep voice, "Now, now Esmerelda. Do try to fight fair."
>Harken answers cooly, "It doesn't matter what you look like; only how well you
can fight. I can wait."
>Es-chan answers, "Why thank you deary.. your honor is noted." she intones. She
doesn't particularly want to show off infront of Magus.. as then he would know
something of what to expect... but if this is a test..then it's time to show
off..and prove why these Metal Demons should answer her calls. And besides
that..give something Eria to look up to. She rubs her hands together, "Any
ground rules deary? I assume this isn't to the death.. and I have a feeling
you would rather die than submit.. and I must profess my pride would prevent me
from doing the same..so what do you suggest?" she giggles
>Harken arches an eyebrow. "I've got no problem admitting when I'm overmatched;
should you earn that respect from me, you will have it. But I do not expect
that will happen. If you will only submit in death, so be it..." She laughs
harshly. "...But there is no honor in dying for pride's sake."
mumble al=Enjoy the show, this should be most interesting. And don't try to
interfere.
>You mumble, "Enjoy the show, this should be most interesting. And don't try to
interfere." to Alhazad.
>Magus mumbles, "Enjoy ..... ..... .. ..... ..... ..... most ..... ..
And ..... try ..... interfere .." to Alhazad.
>Alhazad mumbles, "Do the words, 'Butt out before I hurt you, maggot' mean
anything to you?" to Magus.
>Alhazad mumbles, "Do ..... ..... .. ..... out ..... I ..... you ..
..... mean ..... ..... ..... .." to Magus.
>Magus smirks slightly.
>Es-chan answers, "We shall see deary." she slowly raises her arms..crossing
them before her, she halfhoods her exotic emerald eyes, "Well then..lets get to
it.." she closes her eyes. For a moment..there is nothing, but then a slow
subsonic hum begins to build in the room..the broken windows above begin to
rattle..and you can feel a small roar slowly growing into audience. A gust of
unseen wind begins to pick up around Es..lifting the edges of her skirt higher
and higher with the mystical whirlwind..as her emerald locks begins streaming
into the air..the wind slowly grows faster and faster..as an emerald light
begins to build within her form. Her eyes suddenly open, now amber with black
slits down the middle...she SNARLS with feral fangs, then SCREAMS out with a
draconic roar reverbing off the walls..the emerald light BURSTS and EXPLODES
like wings unfolding! As she spreads her arms out wide..literally lifting into
the air as the blinding light makes her disappear..
>Magus watches dispassionately, apparently not impressed.
l esm
Esmerelda
You glance over.. doubletake and _stare_ at the heavenly view set out before
you. A tall 6ft woman stands before you.. her stance is easy and fluid. Her
face is so painfully gorgeous that it could stop a lovelorned man's heart at a
distance. Her features are indeed exotic.. her skin a jade-velvet in texture
and color. Her lips are thin and a luminous emerald in color, oddly seductive
even as you see white tips of fangs. Her ears are pointy in an almost elven
way.. her nose delicate but defined. Her most striking feature are her eyes..
which are almond shaped..but totally amber..save the ebon slits that run down
the middle. The tapering slight eyebrows and slitted amber eyes portray a
serpentine seductiveness that coils about the heart in a way that can't be
denied. Her hair is a dark aquamarine. Wavy tresses cascade down her back as
well as crown her magnificent eyes...you blink as you could almost swear that
the blue-green strands slither about by themselves..but it must be your
imagination.
our eyes decend down her person..and the view only improves as you go along.
Her slim shoulders evenly curve into arms that almost seem crafted for the sole
purpose of embracing a lover.. her hands are delicate, as her fingers are
tipped with well-trimmed green colored fingernails. A tattoo of an Anaconda
begins on the back of her left hand, as a head.. the body of the snake weaves
along her arms..and gently trails over to her busom..where it weaves between
the two more magnificent swells of flesh you have ever seen. Not too
large..but definitely formitable in size..even to her tall frame.
The way her formitable chest defies gravity is nothing short of magical, it
tends to bounce and jiggle with her slightest movement..again..almost of their
own accord at times... which starts to make you wonder...
The tattoed snake slithers down her slim and fair waist to her hips. Her lower
region would be the object of any girls jealousy...and any womans fantasy. A
perfect blend between slim yet volptuous, finely crafted yet not overly
muscled. A master artist's rendition of the perfect female form crafted of
jade-velvet. The snake waves down her thigh...around her imperceptible
knee..along her flawless calf..until ending around her ankle like a bracelet.
Her long legs sway in a language that only the blind cannot hear.
Oddly.. this body that sings of seduction.. is unmarred by it's inhuman
attributes. Large dragon wings sprout from her back.. a leathery backdrop to
the masterpiece at hand. A long serpentine tail reaches from behind
her...occassionally coiling around in the air..or about nearby objects..or
people thoughtlessly.. If anything..these increase her unearthy beauty in a
way that is almost painful.. she halfhoods her slitted amber eyes as she
notices your captivation. A slight smile twists the corners of her lips..
Instead of her usual immodest deal. Esmerelda is now decked out for war. Her
upper torso is covered in a thick battle armor...tainted green in the dim
light. Covered with scintilating runes that glimmer with eldritch powers of
protection. her waist is tightly carressed by a cross work of leather
strips..helping to support the weight above..which she seems to carry without
problem. Her hips are covered in a scalemail loin cloth originating from a
metal belt... gleaming like the scales of the dragoness she is. Legs otherwise
bared fully....barefooted as well. Her untattooed arm is covered in plates of
metal..with similar arcane symbols running down their length until it reaches a
slim leather glove...hugging tightly. Her tattooed arm is otherwise bare. She
also wears face paint.. a draconic symbol on her forehead..with acute stripes
along her slender cheek. All in a deeper green than her pale skintone.. She
seems ready for business..
Carrying:
>Al'Hazad . o O ( It never takes my demons that long to transform. It's always
-whoosh- "We're demons now". I suppose the theatrics are just for fun, but
that's a rather inefficient way to go about it. Leaves one open to attack, that
does. )
>Magus . o O ( Regardless of the outcome, i should smite that obnoxious dragon
when the combat finishes. She's still weakened, I may not get another easy
chance. )
>As the light dies down.. wide emerald wings are open...dragon wings clutching
at the air as if possessively..embracing the world around her..the ground
CRACKS and crumbles at her presense as the whirlwind aura slowly crackles about
her... her appearance now MUCH different...(SPAMMY desc beware) as she stands
before you...amber eyes narrowing, "Lets go."
>Harken apparently has no intention to attack until Esmerelda is good and ready.
She merely drops into a slightly lower crouch that will allow her to tilt her
head back without unbalancing herself, watching for the dragon-woman's first
strike.
>Eria stares, reeeeally wide eyed.
>Magus makes a slow glance at Eria, then back at the combatants
>DragonEs folds her wings about her armored shoulders..as she stands before you.
Still hovering just a bit off the ground. Not making a stance at all..her
long sineous tail flicking back and forth elegantly..as she tilts her head to
the side...emerald locks spilling over one eye as she reaches out with her
armored arm...waggling a finger at Harken..bidding her on.
>Magus slowly chants, hands clasped before him. A moment later, he extends his
arms to the side, and the air around him shimmers.
>Harken gives a low laugh. "So. You -can- dress for more than just toying with
men. Come, then. It's time to die." (It's become a "you-strike-first, no,
YOU-strike-first" battle of wills now, hasn't it? )
>Al'Hazad likes what he sees, although it's difficult to tell with that golden
head of his, the perfect poker face because it's not a face at all. [ * ]
>DragonEs giggles roughly, "If you insist." her the armored arm pointing at you
suddenly EXTENDS out at LIGHTNING speed! The armor and arm beneath it LASHING
forward across the room..the hand BURSTING into a set of TALONS as it SHOOTS
for you! Just to get the party started
>You mumble, "I AM surprised why a first-class demon as yourself would toady for
such an insignifigant dragon. It seems so... unseemly." to Alhazad.
>Magus mumbles, "..... AM surprised ..... ..... first-class ..... as
yourself would toady ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .. ..... seems
..... .. .. .. unseemly .." to Alhazad.
>Eria continues gawking.
>Alhazad mumbles, "I'm surprised someone with your presumption hasn't been
killed already. If you must know, I toady to no one. My 'business' with the
lizard is solely entertainment. She finds the parties for me so I don't have to
sully myself amongst the flock of those marked for culling." to Magus.
>Alhazad mumbles, "I'm ..... ..... with ..... ..... ..... been killed
..... .. If ..... ..... ..... .. I toady ..... no one .. .....
'business' ..... the ..... is ..... entertainment .. ..... finds
..... ..... ..... me so ..... don't ..... to sully ..... ..... the
flock ..... those marked ..... ..... .." to Magus.
>Magus smirks at Al'Hazad. "Do tell..."
>Magus . o O ( I will destroy him after the reptile. )
>Harken, prepared for an attack, gives her scythe a quick half-twirl, using its
metal haft to deflect the talons as she slips deftly to one side, moving far
quicker than anyone in all that armor should. There is a sickening screech as
sparks fly from the contact. Harken remarks with studied laziness, "Is that the
best you've got?"
>Al'Hazad . o O ( If this Magus guy is so powerful, why doesn't he do something
about that bald spot he calls a forehead? )
>Al'Hazad . o O ( If you're going to play at world conquest, you should at least
-look- impressive. )
>Magus . o O ( Perhaps I should just destroy this whole structure, and all
inside. )
>The metal armor flakes away as you BAT her arm off....her arm seems to go
wide...but actually like a long tendril slithers along the ground behind
her..taloned hand looking to grab at her leg from behind, as Es holds out her
other, serpenttattooed arm...a halfdozen serpents of energy slither along to
her hand then WHIP together..twilring about then imploding into a wicked
curving serrated longsword.. hoping that the small specticle will keep your
eyes off down bellow...
>Al'Hazad . o O ( I should have designed Harken to operate in less armor. Sure
she looks good now, but.... )
>Magus . o O ( The weakest of the two shall perish. And after I destroy this
demon, I will kill the survivor. Very well. )
>You mumble, "If you have a shred of self-preservation, I would suggest you flee
while you can..." to Eria.
>Magus mumbles, "If ..... ..... a shred of ..... .. I ..... ..... you
flee ..... ..... ..... .. .. .." to Eria.
>Al'Hazad . o O ( Why is it that our Innocent One is in cohoots with everybody
else with their fingers in the pie? I question her worthiness...another could
be found with little effort. It's not like our Dark Guardians can afford to be
selective. )
>Harken does, indeed, miss what's going on down below; but her attention is
focused on neither the tendril making its way behind her nor on the curved
longsword, but on the bulk of the extended arm now off to one side. With a
bloodthirsty snarl, she slashes the scythe's blade downward, attempting to
shear off the arm itself.
>Eria ignores Magus, and continues watching the fight.
>Luckly you had the right idea as you SLASH down on the armored arm! The
taloned hand JUST manages to grip your leg before it lets go.. the original
strike weakened the armor and the second SHATTERED it... cleaving down to the
rockhard bone with a small bloody splash! Es WINCES and SNARLS...WHIPPING her
arm back into it's rightful length..blood splattering all the way..taking note
of the strengths of this one... she spins the sword with her good arm..as she
begins walking towards Harken..not entering Melee range quite yet. her folded
wings hang off her shoulders like a leathery green cape..tail swishing back and
forth in anticipation..
>Magus . o O ( Perhaps I underestimated the girl. She seems to be holding her
own so far... )
>Harken gives Esmerelda a decidedly edged smile as she drops back into her
starting position, half-crouched. Her breaths come slightly faster, and she
does not press an attack for the time being, taking the few seconds to
re-gather herself. o O ( I've got to watch those arms... she'll have me if she
keeps going at that rate. Can only parry so much... I need to get in close. )
DragonEs similarly takes a moment. She holds her wounded arm out...and
concentrates. A small green aura covers the wound as the blood slowly seeps
back within it.. not bothering with the cosmetics or the armor or even fully
closing it..just spending enough energy to reconnect the muscles and make it
work at 100%...she then sends another half dozen serpents of energy along the
arm..they swirl together and implode..forming a matching shortsword for the
long one.."Alright then deary.." she then begins to hover over the ground by an
inch..effectively nullifying analyzing her footwork..as she assumes a stance in
midair...shortsword forward..long sword tucked under her arm at the
side..rather complex looking..and the set of her inhuman serpent eyes tells you
she means it..
>Al'Hazad . o O ( This would be easier on everyone if the test had been
something simpler. Mud wrestling, perhaps. Oh yes... )
>Harken's eyes narrow, taking in Esmerelda's stance. Then she hurls herself
forward without warning, feinting with the butt of her staff toward the
shortsword-side of Esmerelda before lunging to the other side, letting her
scythe sing through the air in a wide arc toward the side where the undertucked
longsword lies.
>DragonEs OOC Harken. How about you put down your scythe and I put down my
swords and we strangle Al'Hazad like civilized girls?
>Al'Hazad (OOC) has, unlike SOME receedinghairlineworldconquerorwannabes, his
priorities in order. [ n ]V
>Harken OOC Hmm. Your suggestion has definite merit.
>Magus (OOC) It is NOT receeding. It is simply... in strategic withdrawl -.-
>Harken OOC Hey, Es, can Magus be next? I've got the iocaine all ready.
>DragonEs of course deflects the diversionary blow from the butt of the
staff..but instead of reflexively backing up from the rush..she suddenly flies
forward..faster than someone on mere foot can accelerate.. trying to make it
within Harken's strike, getting to close for her to bring the blade on the
scythe on the far end to bare..letting the wood portion ram onto her armored
shoulder ineffectually...at the same time trying to shove her other shoulder
onto Harken's armored chest.. trying to bowl her over should Harken not stop
her in time..
>DragonEs OOC hrmmm..sounds like a plan deary.
>Harken realizes her mistake too late to prevent getting thrown to the ground,
off-balance. She makes (what is probably to Esmerelda) a satisfying
*clang*clunk* as she impacts with the ground, and instinctively rolls several
times to the side to avoid a follow-up attack. o O ( -Too- close-up.... )
>Magus narrows his eyes. When to intervene...?
>DragonEs is..as you now realize..VERY strong as well. FAR FAR stronger than
her slender frame might suggest. Isn't she supposed to have serious magic?
Wouldn't she be using it about now? As she doesn't rush you..hovering back a
little..letting you stand up. Resuming her stance.
>You mumble, "Your opinion on the warriors?" to Alhazad.
>Magus mumbles, "..... opinion ..... the ..... .." to Alhazad.
>Harken's next roll brings her smoothly to her feet, although she winces and
admits grudgingly, "Not bad, girl... So, you're more than pretty words after
all..."
>Alhazad mumbles, ":concludes the question as a sentence,"...will be reserved
for the moment. Now if you don't mind, I'm trying to watch the show."" to Magus.
>Alhazad mumbles, ":concludes ..... ..... as a ..... .. " .. .. ..
will ..... ..... for the moment .. Now ..... ..... ..... ..... ..
I'm ..... to ..... ..... show .. "" to Magus.
>Magus hmmphs.
>DragonEs answers, "I know when to talk. And when to fight deary." she doesn't
smile or act smug. She simply answered Harken's question..still waiting for
her to steady herself. Her own blood trickling down her armored form from her
as yet not quite healed wound..
>Harken nods shortly, and takes the words as invitation, darting in again in
what appears initially to be a repetition of her last attack. But instead of a
false attack to the right or left, she attempts to slide -past- Esmerelda,
turning in a dramatic half-circle and placing her back to the woman for the
precious seconds it takes to spin so that her attack comes from the rear, a
quick upward swipe at one of Esmerelda's wings.
>DragonEs watches you charge.. not preparing for your previous attack as not
many people do the same mistake twice... and she figures you have something of
a head on your shoulders. As you suddenly slide past her and begin to
spin..she too begins to spin in the opposite direction as you.. so
theoretically both will end up facing one another. As you SWIPE upwards luckly
the membranous cloak portion of her wing flutters wide..allowing you to slash a
large openning in the wing..unfortunately not striking bone however..Es snarls
at the pain as she too completes her spin..her short sword stabbing STRAIGHT
For you as she uses the kinetic motion of the aerial spin to help drive it
onward..hoping to gain enough momentum to pierce the armor easily... not aiming
for a vital region..her other sword arm unfolds..spinning the long
sword..preparing to slash along the gash in your armor her shortsword could
theoretically make...
>Magus . o O ( Perhaps I underestimated Esmerelda as well. She hasn't used her
magic yet. Feh, she is probably just saving it to finish off Harken. )
>Harken makes no sound as the shortsword slides with a screech across her side,
cutting a swath in her armor and drawing a thin line of ....silver?... from the
flesh below. She had anticipated that. Ignoring the threat of the longsword,
she raises her own weapon again. The scythe catches the light briefly as it is
raised high, then descends--not once, but many times in a rapid succession of
strikes that can only be the result of a quasi-magical technique. Scythes just
aren't designed to -move- that fast.
>DragonEs TWISTS the shortsword within your armor..CRACKING it open
further..metal shards flying to and fro as she looks to insert her longer sword
within this gap she created.. however you have other plans as you begin RAINING
down blows with the wicked blade portion.. of which she has little defense save
for the large armor plating along her shoulders. THe first two strikes deflect
off the metal but the succeeding blows beginning to crack and rend! She
immediately pulls back under the hail of blows..one SLICES down along her
jawline..leaving a ragged gash along her otherwise perfect face...as she
quickly hovers out of range for the remainder..one of her shoulder plates
simply falls off..broken and shattered..the wing flutters open then relatches
onto her now bare shoulder.. she frowns in concentration..organizing her next
move..
>Magus smiles, ever so slightly
>Eria . o O ( Wow... That's amazing... )
>Harken grimaces, one hand sliding briefly to the gash in her side--from which
there is a remarkably noticeable lack of blood. Only a faint silver sheen
dripping from the ragged edge of her crimson armor hints that something is
amiss. That, and her slightly slower movement as she presses forward,
attempting to remain directly beneath Esmerelda. If she can't reach her
opponent, she'll harry her. o O ( The Magus implied she was a powerful
sorceress, not a second-rate swordswoman.... is she holding back?! How -dare-
she....? )
>Harken challenges boldly, "Come down and... finish this! Or do you yield?"
>DragonEs suddenly stops directly above Harken...slowly floating down to JUST
out of Scything range, she holds her swords close in as she says, "Yield? I'll
do nothing of the sort.." as she suddenly DIVES down! Feet first! The
wonderful mechanics of the scythe is that it isn't a piercing weapon..requiring
a good swing in order to slash.. theoretically Es figures she can STOMP on your
head before you even manage to get the Scythe out far enough to swing back in..
Harken, however, typically carries her scythe clasped in both hands in battle,
haft diagonally slanted and curved blade pointing down. As Esmerelda is on her
way down, Harken doesn't bother slashing; she simply braces herself as she
twists the haft in her hands to rotate the blade so that it's pointing upward.
DragonEs would come up with a better plan..but unfortunately was in middive as
she KICKS downward! Nicely running her bare leg along the bladed portion of
the Scythe..spurting yet another fountain of blood..this time on her opponent.
She continues through with the kick however...and in complement to the
attack..her sineous tail WHIPS out! Looking to encircle and PIN Harken's upper
arms to her chest as the kick knocks her off balance!
>Harken takes a knee in the collar and staggers back several steps, grunting as
>Esmerelda's unexpected tail captures her arms, forcing her scythe upright as
her hands, now slick with Esmerelda's blood, slip closer together on the haft.
Realizing she is effectively pinned, Harken gives the scythe another twist,
hoping to whallop [nice, descriptive onomotopaeic word, ain't it? -ed.]
>Esmerelda with the flat of the blade on its way around.
>DragonEs takes the relative slap from the blade of the scythe..however not
nearly enough to dislodge her..as her tail CONSTRICTS about your armor like a
snake.. supernatural force enough to actually make dents and buckle the
metal..she then LANDS upon you..holding you steady with her tail..looking to
basically flatten you to the ground..in the same instant..she pulls back and
tries to CLOBBER you with the pommel of her longsword upside the head..she
knows when to press her advantage..
>Harken proves to be much harder to flatten than one might expect. Beneath that
armor, her body isn't nearly as soft as it looks. The armor buckles a bit and
Harken grunts again. At almost the same moment Esmerelda's longsword descends
to meet her skull, Harken gives the scythe, now flush against Esmerelda's side,
a downward tug as best she can with her limited mobility. The blade is likely
to catch on something on the way down. She reels from the pommel's blow, but
isn't -quite- under. Yet.
>You yank down on the scytheblade..and indeed a few coils of muscular tail are
there to greet the blade.. you PULL downwards and it immediately cuts through
the smooth scales and most the muscle..but STOPS on the bone. Apparently
inwardly she isn't very soft either. She SNARLS ferally as she looks to DRIVE
the pommel RIGHT onto your temple.. trying to knock you out or a similar state
of delirium before you manage to saw through her tail...
>Magus . o O ( Hmm. I may have to intervene soon, yet the demon has not made a
move... I do not wish a fight on two fronts. )
>Al'Hazad . o O ( Well...when you start with inferior materials you're going to
end up with faults in the design somewhere along the line. Ah, well..I didn't
deem her my masterpiece because of her fighting ability in the first place.
Still, this is something of a surprise.. )
>Al'Hazad . o O ( She'll do better next time. She won't fall prey to this
dragon's tricks so readily. One also supposes credit is due toward Esmerelda.
Harken -is- perfection, so the dragon's skill is accurately gauged by this. Oh
yes...now we know more about you...oh yes. )
>Magus . o O ( I am impressed that Esmerelda has held up so well without magic.
When I confront her, I will be careful to have minions present to deal with her
on a direct front. Now, to fgure out when the demons will betray her... )
>Eria . o O ( Hmm... There must be some way to make some money out of this, no
matter who wins. $.$ )
>Harken continues to put pressure on the scythe, but finally crumples under the
rain of blows, drooping in Esmerelda's grip.
>DragonEs HUFFS as Harken finally goes out like a light. Her shoulders sag as
she gently slips her tail off of her..as she continues standing on her armored
form..wincing as she pulls her tail off the blade gently. She IMMEDIATELY
begins casting a healing spell on the most grevious of her wounds as she turns
her gaze to Al'Hazad, "Well then deary... I assume I passed your test hrmm?"
utterly submersing the pain she feels.
>Magus hmmphs. "Was that all this spectacle was?"
>Al'Hazad would shrug, were he built for it. "You've proven to the Demon Race
that you're not a complete waste of flesh. I still maintain that you know where
all the good parties are. Lady Harken's curiosity is satisfied, so yes, I'd say
you did pass this test. Very nice."
>Al'Hazad says, "It was thoroughly enjoyable to observe. I'm grateful to both
you and my sleeping comrade for keeping me entertained."
>Eria is still looking on rather wide-eyed. "...I can't believe how strong you
all are."
>Magus scoffs.
>DragonEs steps off of Lady Harken's prone form, nice..demoted to doormat there,
as she limps a bit further..frowning as she continues casting another healing
spell..letting the swords fade away as she concentrates more fully on the task
of healing..mentally berating herself for letting that Scythewielding psycho to
hack her up so much..but unfortunately..there was a clear difference in
skill..and Es had to make up for it in sheer physical versatility and stamina,
but it hurts damnit. She continues frowning as she glances to Magus, asking
Al'Hazad, "You know... I'm surprized that you allow that little pest to stay in
the room...do you know that HE sided with a Goddess of Light against me not to
long ago?"
>DragonEs continues, "Actually.. make that three days ago."
>DragonEs continues to Al'Hazad, "He's probably spying for her right this
moment."
>Magus smirks, ever so slightly. "Perhaps I just have better taste in peons,
reptile."
>Harken would probably prefer to be out cold for a bit longer, but metal demons
are quite resilient, as it turns out, and she has already begun to come around.
She spends several moments raising herself on one arm, groping with the other
for her scythe instinctively. o O ( I.... I lost, did I? Well... well. She's
got .... brute force on me, I'll admit... )
>Al'Hazad hmms. The glowing red orb through which he sees the world pulses
faintly as he studies Magus, conveying disdain even with the expressionless,
faceless thing he calls a head. "You haven't quite learned how to see the world
yet. Your plans might come to fruition on the day you wise up and learn how to
act around your betters. As it is, you're simply inviting trouble on yourself."
DragonEs smiles smugly at Magus. Continuing her restorative spells..which have
a long way to go..
>Magus continues his smirk. "Perhaps."
>Harken draws herself up slowly, refusing to use her scythe for support.
>Al'Hazad says, "Whatever your power, it means nothing because it's -all- you
have. Operations of the type you intend require resources I doubt you've the
talent or inclination to gather. Make those funny faces all you like, but so
far all I see is my theories being made fact."
>Harken's voice is still in perfect condition. "Enough, Alhazad! She defeated
me, for the time being. Leave it at that. There's no need for your petty
backbiting."
>DragonEs glances over her shattered armored shoulder to Harken as she slowly
rises. Her wing still in the process of healing as they remain clinging to her
shoulders like a cloak, her wounded tail slowly sways in the air painfully as
she places one hand on her hip..smiling to her, "Not bad deary. You know..with
a few modifications you could be far..far more potent." she glances to
Al'Hazad..beliving he has something along those lines in his thoughts as well.
Al'Hazad releases Magus from his burning gaze to study Harken. "Would you like
to keep your mouth shut until your ears have stopped ringing? As it happens, no
one was bickering."
>Magus's cloak flows with the slow air currents. "You haven't the faintest idea
what my plans are, do you? Very well, that is not my concern."
>Harken sacrifices her impending reply to Esmerelda to give Alhazad a golden
glare of pure loathing. "You could have fooled me."
>Al'Hazad says, "It wouldn't be hard, in your state. Go home and heal."
>DragonEs looks back to Magus, "And as for you deary...don't think for a moment
that you haven't crossed the line. Standing around and being an arrogant bore
is one thing.. taking arms along side an enemy is a completely different
matter. You will not interfere with my ambitions which happen to mirror those
of my allies in attendence. Unless you wish to be slaughtered here and now..
go. While I PERMIT you to."
>Magus slowly moves his scythe in front of him. "And what if I do not wish to
leave?"
>Al'Hazad says, "Then you're going to find out just how badly you're
underestimating those around you."
>Harken glowers at Alhazad, and quite deliberately turns her back on him to make
her way toward Esmerelda, her movements already turning more graceful, masking
the damage to her body. She says softly, "The next time, you will not hold back
with your sorcery--do you understand?"
>Al'Hazad would grin with pride, but he has no face and is distracted at the
moment besides. . o O (She is truly a masterpiece.)
>DragonEs smiles, adding credence to Al'hazad's words. She glances to Harken,
"In truth I would not have deary. If there were not mitigating circumstances."
she smiles, "Prehaps if there is a rematch I will use them ne?"
>Magus asks, "Underestimating? Esmerelda has gone through at least two fights
today alone. She is hardly in peak condition, while I am. The tables are
turned, and I doubt she will press her luck. Or am I mistaken?"
>Al'Hazad says, "You are. You wouldn't be fighting her."
>DragonEs continues smiling at Magus
>Harken smiles faintly in response, and inclines her head. "Until then." Without
another glance at Alhazad, she seems to fold into space, disappearing.
>Magus turns his gaze to Al'Hazad. "Perhaps it is YOU who are underestimated
your opponent."
>DragonEs smiles.. and now glances back to Eria with her serpentine eyes.
Tilting her head to the side..curious as to what she makes of this development..
>Al'Hazad again, would shrug were he equipped to. The silence he fills by
bobbing up and down in place serves in that capacity. "I do no such thing. I
have no preconceived notions of your ability, only the hard evidence that
you're an arrogant little boy playing at grown-up games. Maybe you do have the
strength to back up your claims, but that doesn't change the fact that you're
being a piss-poor guest and a general nuisance. Apparently you forsook an
education in decorum to learn the wielding of that silly toy."
>DragonEs even must wince at that one.
>Magus says, to the point, "If you do not enjoy my presence, then eject me. If
you are too weak to do so, then stop complaining."
>Ooooh. And Alhazad knows -so- much more about -DECORUM-.... ahem. Sorry. I'm
not here, I'll shut up now.
>DragonEs calls out, "Is that a challenge deary?"
>Magus smiles faintly.
>Eria says nothing, just watching, and waiting. And occasionally glancing at Es
with looks of awe.
>Magus waits patiently.
>Hwoooooooo.....
>A rat scurries across the floor.
>Magus doesn't seem to be moving.
>Al'Hazad ahems, shaking his inclined head as though pondering the behavior of
an errant child. "Well, fair enough, then."
>And suddenly the rat starts in on a FMV scene from Parasite Eve and turns
into... Never mind. It just scampers away.
>Must've been a sudden budget cut.
>DragonEs gratefully spends this time healing her wounds however.. frowning as
she continues to heal that blasted wound on her tail. The one on the leg
mostly healed now.
>With that, Al'Hazad's form is engulfed in whiteness and undergoes a subtle
shifting of outline, changing from the inhuman thing he prefers to be to
something more readily classifiable.
>l al
Alhazad
Everything about the figure before you suggests that he's someone terribly
important. Garbed from head to foot in spotless white and liberally decorated
in flashes of gold, green, and red, his image is suggestive of a powerful sheik
from some Middle-Eastern nation. He's broad and tall, larger than life and
mostly concealed beneath a floor-length cloak that gathers in folds on the
ground without picking up the least bit of dirt.
A loose Arab headdress conceals much of his head, held in place by a headband
of gold set with triangular panels of alternating red and green. When one takes
note of the gloves covering his hands, it becomes apparent that the only skin
he leaves exposed is that of his face, which is a lustrous metallic...green,
smooth and decidedly caucasian in feature. Every effort is made to keep his
eyes concealed behind a pair of slightly overlarge 'John Lennon' sunglasses,
their round lenses a dull, unyielding black. The hair of his thick, expressive
eyebrows is a shiny gold color.
His cloak is typically thrown back over one shoulder, revealing the
long-sleeved, blousy white shirt hiding his massive frame. Glittering with
their jewel encrustations, a pair of golden bracers contain his forearms to the
wrist, where his afformentioned gloves take over to hide his hands. A richly
embroidered sash of exotic silk crisscrosses several times about his waist,
clasped in position by a golden device with a red jewel at its heart. Loosely
fitting trousers bunch and gather around his legs before being stuffed into the
tops of his calf-high boots of supple white leather with their upward curling
pointed toes.
Carrying:
>Al'Hazad does keep one aspect of his true self. That sword that pretends to be
his tail, with the segmented length coiled up like a chain behind it. This
weapon, the only armament apparent in his humanoid form, is revealed as he
throws open his cloak and strides across the floor on actual feet to close the
distance between himself and Magus.
>DragonEs blinks at Al'hazad. Briefly pondering the reason of having a human
form for combat..but a mishappen monster for casual social situations. Then
simply surmizes to him a human shape must be damn ugly and looking for a
psych-out factor. She shugs..as she continues trying to heal her tail.
>Magus leaps down to the floor of the warehouse. As you approach, you notice that
there are strange sigils on his scythe... and they are glowing.
>Al'Hazad bares his teeth in a grin that needs too much practice to pass for
human. Those garish white things in their perfect row stand out markedly
against the metallic green of his..skin. From behind the glasses concealing his
eyes, points of red dance like the embers of a dying furnace.
>Magus narrows his eyes, and stares down the metal demon, his red irises seeming
dilating as he focuses on you. "Begin, if you are so determined to."
>Al'Hazad says, "If I fight you in my real shape, you might damage my robe. I'm
quite partial to it and that simply wouldn't do. Besides, I just invented this
form for myself, and I'd like to see how it moves."
>Magus levitates off the floor, floating a good foot. "How arrogant of you."
>DragonEs saunters on over to Eria..her wings still covering her shoulders like
a cloak.. as she stands beside her.. not taking any special measure to mumble
her voice, "So deary..what do you think.hrmm? Impressive ne?"
>Eria nods vigorously, still looking at Es with awe.
>DragonEs idly wraps an arm over Eria's shoulders as he comments, "Indeed
deary.. such things arn't beyond your grasp either I might add.." her wing
unfurling just enough to fold over her shoulders as well, Leathery membrain
curling about Eria's form..almost possessively. As she continues watching this
confrontation very carefully
>Al'Hazad's face seems stuck in that hellish expression of demented glee as he
casts his right arm out and to his side in a sweeping gesture with no
discernible purpose. During this motion, another, blurrier and more ominous
occurence transpires. At waist level his details are obscured by rapid motion
while the sound of a chain running through metal rings fills the room. The
blur, intended to move more quickly than human vision is allowed to follow, is
that of his four foot long tailtip, now a sword..or something of that ilk, as
it glides effortlessly through the air on a collision course with Magus'
abdomen. Whether or not it's deflected seems to become irrelevant to Al'Hazad,
however, as he's already making use of the diversion to glide soundlessly along
the ground on a circular path to his opponent's flank with his other hand
raised in readiness.
>Eria looks at Es. "...Really?"
>Magus doesn't have to worry about the mere tail blade; his scythe is guided,
effortlessly, to block the initial assault, causing a cacophonous din as metal
strikes metal. Magus' dark gaze tracks the metal demon as he extends his arm to
the side, exclaiming a strange word in an unknown tongue as a flaming sphere
surrounds Magus - and explodes outward in all directions, leaving little place
to hide. Oddly... the display has no effect on Esmerelda or eria...
>DragonEs watches with a giggle as the spell effect washes over her and her
companion colorfully, but lacking substance. She idly places a finger on
Eria's lips to silence her, "ooh.. you'll see deary. But for now..simply watch
ne?"
>Eria nods...
>Or Alhazad. As the wave of flame caresses his form, it leaves no trace of
having ever touched him. It encircles his hand first, l cascading over his arm
to wash past him as he releases his own attack. Needing no words to wipe the
grin off his face, he simply wills seven multihued bolts of angry light to
streak through the air on a direct course for Magus. As green replaces blue in
the light reflected off his sunglasses, his other hand opens enough to catch
the four foot long sword blade he uses as a tail as it retracts, now held like
a proper weapon in his off hand.
>Magus holds his ground, taking no evasive maneuvers as the bolts close - and
strike him solidly - to no effect. The energy from the strike outlines his form
for a moment, then simply vanishes. Magus raises his right hand, and points
towards the demon, screaming in an arcane tongue as a black explosion of dark
energy surrounds Al'Hazad!
>From the midst of the rippling blackness, twin bolts of hellish crimson light
scourge the ground as they trace a path toward Magus' feet, then upward with
every intention of burning the flesh they touch into soft, warm vapor, if the
effect they have on the floor and walls they touch is any indication. As the
darkness surrounding Al'Hazad subsides, he can be seen with his sword held
close across his body with his other hand at rest at his side, holding the
sunglasses which concealed the points of infernal light raging in his sockets.
Those twin suns release their beams of hate once more, deadly accurate and
potently destructive to whatever they touch, solid or spell.
>Magus takes evasive action now. He leaps farther into the air - leaping,
because that was the action he took, even though there was nothing to push off
of. In doing so, magus vaulted Al'Hazad's eye beams - for the moment. However,
the bolts of hellish flames travel underneath the Magus, exploding from below!
Magus scowls visibly as his ether shield flares to life, abosrbing the brunt of
the strike - although Magus' legs are now quite singed. Magus extends his right
arm to the side, and chants in the short moment after Al'hazad concludes his
attack, pointing both scythe and hand at the demon, exclaiming at the top of
his malevolent voice, "DARK MATTER!" Reality begins to tear behind the demon...
>Al'Hazad casts his arms wide as though intending to turn around and embrace the
aperture so crudely riven into the fabric of existence. Rather, his form is
embraced in ivory radiance brightly contrasting the blackness behind him, and
then his image succumbs to nothingness and disappears.
>During some point between here and there, Al'Hazad thought to replace his
sunglasses. He wears them now as the bright flash of whiteness from above
heralds his presence on a downward plummet toward his opponent, blade held
across him in readiness to swing while he chases his quarry with bolt after
bolt of bluish white light, not so much for accuracy as to give Magus entirely
too much to think about. They appear to be finite in number, and after seven
have flown from his outstretched hand he's free-fallen close enough to be in
melee range.
>Magus smiles, ever so slightly, as he looks up and sees the form of Al'Hazad
plummeting upon him. The bolts of energy strike him solidly - indeed, he
doesn't even flinch. He holds his scythe straight up, point first, creating a
nasty landing pad for the metallic one. At the last moment, he exclaims "BLACK
HOLE", and both Magus and Al'Hazad disappear from sight for an instant...
>A resonant clang of runic metal against alloy from a realm best left unpondered
informs those not engulfed in blackness of precisely what happened to the
sickle aimed to puncture Al'Hazad, while the darkness is made grey by what
would otherwise be a blinding flash of pale orange light. The rustling of
something that pretends to be cloth betrays the demon's landing as his cloak
settles about him. His sword arm is held at his side while his other is busy at
his face. With his back to almost everyone, the only person who would see
exactly what he's done is making their own escape from the faux-singularity.
>Magus stands at the center of the anomoly as it fades from existence, two tears
his his cloak, and beneath them, blood wells. Magus turns towards Alhazad,
whirling his scythe over his head with his left hand in an impressive, but
mostly dramatic, display. He points his right hand towards the Metal Demon,
uttering "DARK WIND" in a loathesome tone. A violent, purple, acidic mist
sweeps through the region, covering all in it's path with it's lethal vapors,
and obscuring sight. Once again, Esmerelda and Eria are unaffected...
whisper al=As the mist passes, Magus will charge you at full speed, in a simple
attempt to remove a limb or two with his charged-up scythe. factor that into
your reply.
>Al'Hazad lets out a soft sound of distaste as he closes his eyes and wrinkles
his face in an expression of discomfort, more out of concern that this stuff
will stain. Other than that, he makes no obvious display of being harmed by the
acid wind, his metal body born specifically to survive rigorous conditions like
this. Assuming that no one would rely upon such a technique as their sole
stratagem, he turns his body sideways and extends his 'sword' outward to catch
any oncoming attackers and begins inching forward through the stuff, waiting
for it to clear.
>Excellent call, Al'Hazad. There's a clang of metal against metal, and as the
mist clears, it becomes apparent that Magus' scythe is locked against
Al'Hazad's 'sword'. Magus scoffs, pulling on the scythe to divert the sword
just long enough for him to thrust forward, hopefully allowing the spear tip at
the end of the pole the puncture something vital. Regardless of success, Magus
chants the beginnings of another spell...
>Al'Hazad opens his eyes to favor the pointed tip imbedded in his chest with a
moment's attention before looking up into the eyes of his opponent. He shrugs
once, and then brings his sword back and down in a slice whose intent is to
shorten Magus by a few ankles. This attack is rather halfhearted, though, while
the majority of his effort is focused through unleashing brilliant crimson
punishment upon his attacker by way of the twin furnaces through which he views
the world. While not currently possessed of the formidable arsenal his enemy
can call upon, he does attempt to make good use of the tricks he has.
>Magus immediately pulls the polearm out of what passes for Al'Hazad's flesh,
turning the blade ever so slightly to catch against Al's incoming slice. As the
blades lock once more, Magus reaches forward with his right hand, coming
within inches of Al'Hazad's chest - and unleashes a massive torrent of
lightning. Unfortunately, all this parleying costs Magus as the eye-beams graze
his left shoulder, wounding him once again.
>Eria glances at Es. "How long do you think they'll be fighting like this?"
>The sheer force of the lightning tears Al'Hazad's robes away and reduces his
cloak to taters. It's only then that the sheer extent of his shapechange
becomes apparent. The powerful upper form bared by the attack, scored as it is
with light silver gashes, is a human ideal cast in metallic green. From beneath
the headdress, jarred loose by the close-range assault, curls of gold escape.
The only thing betraying the image of an Adonis are those evil red eyes and
that sick grin. And the way silver trickles chase paths down his torso. The
wounds, save for the deep wound in his left pectoral, appear to be negligible,
however, no worse than a minor road rash. Also, the demon doesn't budge as he's
buffeted by lightning, or to even take a step back and claim some distance. No,
he stays right where he is and raises his hand to Magus' face, letting the
upraised palm float in his enemy's field of vision as a garish white-blue light
builds there.
>DragonEs answers Eria, "Oooh..not much longer I would think deary," still
holding her with one arm and wing, "The arrogant dark one can't last much
longer I do believe." she giggles
>Magus draws back with his scythe, sweeping upward and across in a fluid motion
to do nasty things to the offending arm. Of course, such an obvious trick will
likely be countered - and as magus anticipated this, he raises his right hand
high once more, exclaiming in a rumbling voice, "DARK MATTER!" Reality tears
behind Al'Hazad in a flash once again, and the very air seems to be being drawn
from the room... you swear you see a field of stars...
>DragonEs giggles to herself . o O (He's repeating his tricks..it seems he's run
out. How unfortunate.)
>Al'Hazad isn't looking for stars. A simple bending at the elbow spares his arm
a severing from Magus' scythe, and serves as his cue to glide sidelong and
raise his hand again at his opponent's flank as his feet come to rest on the
ground. With the reality warp now safely to his left, he completes the spell
he'd been casting and lets the seven bursts of light fly from his hand on
zigzagging but determined courses toward their target. Inspiration strikes, and
he then raises his weapon to grasp it with both hands, using the same gliding
motions to follow his projectile spell in to attack range, following them up
with a vicious downward swing angled to strike the wounded shoulder and ideally
pass through the intervening flesh on its way to empty air again.
>Magus ignores the energy bolts once again - they simply splash harmlessly off
of the Magus (what was that about repeating tricks, Es-chan?). Oddly, you
notice that the wounds on his body don't seem as bad as they did before... He
hefts his scythe up, perpendicular to Al'Hazad's downward strike, causing the
'sword' to strike the metallic rod, forcing it down slightly. Magus maintains
his grip, and once again, opens his right palm towards he metal demon,
unleashing a brilliant hail of electricity.
>Al'Hazad decides not to be there when the lightning reaches his current space.
The sparks are lost in a halo of white, and then a similar one occurs behind
Magus, fading to give way to a feeling of impending harm that one typically
feels with a big, heavy blade arcing down toward their head. Al'Hazad wields
the weapon one-handed again, keeping his other free for retaliatory magic, of
which he engages in none currently.
>Magus shifts his scythe slightly, blocking the downward strike once more, with
a resounding *CLANG*. Magus doesn't even bother to turn around as he exclaims a
phrase in an arcane tongue, and his body is encased in a halo of sparks - which
them proceed to leap out as massive arcs of brilliant lightning in every
direction. The lighting effect is quite pretty, for those with suitable cover...
>Eria hopes Esmerelda is suitable cover.
>But of course.
>DragonEs is indeed.
>Like rain on a parade, some force causes the lightning washing toward Al'Hazad
simply fizzles away. The mad, grinning face with its unblinking hellish orbs
offers no explanation, assuming none is needed. Instead, the demon in man's
form takes a step back and makes a vain attempt to adjust his headdress,
observing Magus casually. "I've lost interest. I genuinely appreciate the
amusement you've provided, but I fear all good things must come to an end. When
you grow weary of being insufferable, come to be again and we'll dance as we
have tonight. Perhaps I'll even wear this shape again, although I strongly
doubt it."
>Magus slowly floats to the ground, his cloak billowing around him. As he sets
foot on the floor, he opens his hand, and his scythe vanishes from view. He
stares directly into Al'Hazad's malevolent eyes, and slowly comments. "You
lasted much longer then I originally anticipated. Perhaps you have promise."
>Al'Hazad rolls his eyes in amusement, an expression he's been saving for a
special occasion. Today has just become Christmas. He'd always wanted to do
that to somebody and now his chance has come and passed. Life is good. "I don't
know what's funnier, your presumption or the fact that I was about to say the
same thing to you."
>Magus smirks, so very very slightly. "Well met." He turns towards Esmerelda. "I
will let you have the girl, reptile." He then faces Eria. "But listen well,
girl, trust not a thing the dragon has to say, or it will be your undoing."
>Magus steps back. He takes a moment to survey the surroundings, then chants - a
second later a dark portal opens behind the wizard, and he simply steps back
into it, with both him and the portal disappearing after.
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