“You hold legion to Draven Bladenheart? It seems he’s been busy getting friends as of late. Just so you know, I detest all who work for that man. So I’ll take up your challenge,” Voyse returned.
Another ball of dark energy flew past Voyse’s head. Immediately he sprung into action, diving off the platform he was on to avoid a third, more powerful blast of energy from Julia. As Voyse hit the ground in a roll, he had to throw himself into an odd twist to avoid a spike of dark energy that pierced up from the ground. By the time he got to his feet, spikes were poking out everywhere. He “danced” his way towards Julia, who seemed equally eager to close the ground between the two.
Voyse quickly discovered how big of a mistake that was. As the two neared, the assassin felt a burst of energy knock him backwards. Another push of neutral energy, this one from the ground up, sent him flying into the air. A disk of dark energy buzzed through the air towards Voyse, but he parried it with a quick blade of darkness between his hands. He crashed into the ground hard and laid there very still for a moment. His trick only caused him harm, though, for Julia waved a wall of darkness at the prone Voyse. The wall shoved him many feet back and bit at his very nerves with pain.
“What is wrong? I thought YOU were going to kill ME?” Julia said teasingly.
“You have yet to see my full wrath,” Voyse grumbled, pulling himself to his feet.
It didn’t take Voyse anytime to realize that Julia was simply toying with him. Obviously he’d need that necklace if he hoped to defeat this foe. On though, he looked up at the platform above, and the walls of fire that would spring to life to protect it. A plan formed in his head.
Voyse spun on his feet and fell into the nearby shadows. Julia watched him as if he was clearly visible. Just as Voyse suspected, Julia was sensing his magic to keep up with him. He slid up one wall and around a platform. Finally, he came to the highest point the could reach from that connection of shadows, which still gave him a long way to the top. Julia mirrored his movement, and he started off towards the edge. The mage appeared from the shadows next to him quicker than he would expect. Giggling, Julia sent forth hundreds of dark hands from the shadows to grab Voyse and pin him to the wall.
“Now now…if you were going to trick me into running into that barrier of fire, I’m afraid you’re mistaken. I can sense magic, you see. A small trick I learned while playing with my void magic,” Julia explained.
“So, you’re one of those duel adepts I’ve heard of? Capable of learning more than one trade of magic,” Voyse reasoned.
“I was not born that way, if that is what you’re assuming,” Julia corrected with an innocent smile.
“Draven has found a way to imbue living people with void energy?” Voyse asked incredulously.
“My my, you’re not just quick of the hand! I commend you for knowing so much,” Julia said happily, clapping her hands in Voyse’s face.
“You’re lucky I have this mask on --” Voyse snapped, trying to jerk free.
“-- Or you’d spit in my face? Well that’s not nice!” Julia said admonishingly. “Why do you wear that mask anyway? It is so ugly,” she continued.
“It matters not, but I’ll tell you what does matter,” Voyse said calmly.
“And what might that be?” Julia asked.
“Getting off this precarious platform…” Voyse answered with a smirk. As if on cue, Julia glanced down at the curved dagger stuck in the almost completely cracked wall. The duel adept’s eyes widened in realization, and she ran for the edge. The wall gave way, dropping the platform and Julia along with it. The hands that held Voyse to the wall disappeared, and Voyse fell just as well. Using his quick reflexes, Voyse grabbed his dagger in mid air and jabbed it into the wall below the fallen part. The blade held, halting his decent.
To Voyse’s distaste, Julia fell into the shadows and reappeared unharmed at the bottom. Voyse wedged his dagger free and kicked off the wall at the same time towards the closest of the pillars. Once again the wall of fire appeared. Thinking quickly, the assassin created four orbs of dark energy, each on one hand and foot. He used these as a buffer zone between himself and the fiery wall, and slid down it slowly. In no time, he stood face to face with Julia at the bottom.
“You are trickier than you first led me to believe, but improvising won’t win the day for you,” Julia said with a grin.
“What is in a fight more than improvising, then? What happens when your planned fight doesn’t go as expected? Wouldn’t the one who can think on the run be the better prepared for the fight, then?” Voyse countered, equally confident.
Julia paused for a moment, a blank expression on his face. Slowly, a pout formed. “Well put! You’re the first to beat me at words. That’s good!”
“And I can beat you at everything else,” Voyse bluffed.
“Oh! So, you’re going to try and defeat my magic with your sacrificial spells?” Julia asked, daring the assassin. “Do you really think those cutters of darkness are something special?”
Voyse twitched slightly at the mention of his last use of sacrificial summoning. “So, you were watching me on the bridge?” He asked.
“That’s exactly what I’m saying. Now, watch and learn,” Julia said. Just then, Julia went into the exact posture Voyse had near the end of his fight with Rory the mage. Energy guilt up in her hands, and finally she uncrossed her arms, swinging the energy at Voyse. Two crossed blades in the shape of an X flew towards Voyse, who seemed frozen to the ground. At the last second, Voyse regained his wit and did the first thing that came to mind; he dove. He fell right between the opening of the X at the bottom. The energy grazed across his back, singeing part of his cloak.
Up came Voyse in a mad dash towards the stairs he originally climbed. There was no hope for his tricks on Julia, so the artifact was indeed his last chance. Julia was quick to pursue, throwing dark balls of energy as she followed. Voyse got past the first trap again, then worked on the second. By the time he reached the third level of traps he was moving in and out of blocks of stone pushing out of the walls in an attempt to shove him off. Close behind he could hear as all the things he avoided were blown apart by magic.
In no time the final set of traps were behind him and all that stood in his way was a ten foot jump to the center platform containing the artifact. He readied himself and ran for the jump. Just as he leaped, though, his right foot gave out, weakening his distance. He fell short many feet, but a concussion blast of neutral energy bombarded his back, launching him the rest of the way across. He hit the platform and rolled until he smacked into the back of some pedestal.