OOC: Also, define inanimate because under Alexander's Natural Affinity, plants can move; you can also make the case for them being alive in the first place.
Paddy's Challenge
- Thread starter The Welsh Paddy
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OOC: The effect has a decently large effect area. Using Eile as a center point, it expands outward of 3 miles max in diameter and it only affects inanimate object. So rocks, dead trees, weapons. Anything that don't breath is affected. The only exception is if someone was wearing knights armor and Eile uses Reverse Gravity, then the person would be affected in a indirect way.
OOC: Alright, thanks for clarifying. 
OOC:So you made the distinction of dead trees, I'm guessing live ones don't count?
"How naive... The past defines who you are and what you become. If you do not acknowledge the past then there is no future. But of course, you already knew that. Is your stagnance enjoyable? What of your self-destruction? I would advise that you steer off your current path but why would you listen to me? At least, not as long as devils chain you down."
Alexander shrugged slightly with a small smirk. Long ago he learned that people were a lost cause. He never wished for their destruction but it always seemed as though they desired it most of all. He looked over towards the other girl. She seemed to not have any animousity towards him...at least not yet; she seemed more focused on the tiger-woman.
As the smell of smoke crossed his sense, his eyes widened slightly. Jerking his head, he saw the smoldering shrubbery and the handle of the flaming axe the Knight of Swords had deflected. The faint cries of the plants seemed to be falling on deaf ears.
"No respect for yourself, for me, or even for nature," he said evenly though vitriol laced each word heavily. "You must be put down before you become a danger to existence; your own desire for self-destruction led you to this."
He narrowed his eyes and gave a harsh glare towards Degra before he knelt down and placed the pentacle tattooed palm of his hand against the earth at his feet. The earth quaked at his touch; it was weak, unable to be noticed by any most the most sensitive to nature. A geyser of the fertile earth spouted from the ground near the axe and showered over the growing flames, smothering them before it stopped.
No sooner had the shower of earth ceased did the girl slam her scythe into the ground. He stood up quickly and backed up a bit - those kinds of actions were never good; the last time he had seen it done, a massive tear opened in the earth and swallowed someone. No tear appeared but he felt himself begin to float gently in the air. Alexander as instantly wary - he had flown before but it had always been with an ally; now it was only him.
Letting his breath slip from between his lips, he thanked the gods that he had drawn the Ace of Pentacles. The pentacle glowed softly and his ascent stopped and now, more than ever, he appeared more magically inclined.
"The power of the element of Earth," he murmured. "Gravity, pressure, force... all ineffective as long as I wield it."
All around him the objects that were floating shot towards the ground at high velocity. He could hear branches in the distance breaking as rocks sundered them into pieces and the screams of the trees as their limbs were broken.
"Must you show such callous regard to nature like that desecrator over there?" he asked of Elie. "Will you too fall to using flame?"
Alexander shrugged slightly with a small smirk. Long ago he learned that people were a lost cause. He never wished for their destruction but it always seemed as though they desired it most of all. He looked over towards the other girl. She seemed to not have any animousity towards him...at least not yet; she seemed more focused on the tiger-woman.
As the smell of smoke crossed his sense, his eyes widened slightly. Jerking his head, he saw the smoldering shrubbery and the handle of the flaming axe the Knight of Swords had deflected. The faint cries of the plants seemed to be falling on deaf ears.
"No respect for yourself, for me, or even for nature," he said evenly though vitriol laced each word heavily. "You must be put down before you become a danger to existence; your own desire for self-destruction led you to this."
He narrowed his eyes and gave a harsh glare towards Degra before he knelt down and placed the pentacle tattooed palm of his hand against the earth at his feet. The earth quaked at his touch; it was weak, unable to be noticed by any most the most sensitive to nature. A geyser of the fertile earth spouted from the ground near the axe and showered over the growing flames, smothering them before it stopped.
No sooner had the shower of earth ceased did the girl slam her scythe into the ground. He stood up quickly and backed up a bit - those kinds of actions were never good; the last time he had seen it done, a massive tear opened in the earth and swallowed someone. No tear appeared but he felt himself begin to float gently in the air. Alexander as instantly wary - he had flown before but it had always been with an ally; now it was only him.
Letting his breath slip from between his lips, he thanked the gods that he had drawn the Ace of Pentacles. The pentacle glowed softly and his ascent stopped and now, more than ever, he appeared more magically inclined.
"The power of the element of Earth," he murmured. "Gravity, pressure, force... all ineffective as long as I wield it."
All around him the objects that were floating shot towards the ground at high velocity. He could hear branches in the distance breaking as rocks sundered them into pieces and the screams of the trees as their limbs were broken.
"Must you show such callous regard to nature like that desecrator over there?" he asked of Elie. "Will you too fall to using flame?"
Such words had no affect on Degra. Here was this mortal, trying to preach about morality, about devils and about respect. 'Hah, respect,' she thought. That kind of talk meant nothing to her. She, who had lived over two centuries, had bore witness to both miracles and tragedies. Despite her time on this plane being nothing in the grander scheme of things, she had experienced much, and learned even more. Her face contorted into something that only barely resembled a grin. 'Naive little pup,' she thought. He thought he was being noble, protecting the world from 'stagnation'. Sure, that may very well seem to be the case back where he came from, but here...
He was upsetting a delicate balance that could very well lead to nothing but destruction. She was suprised that he hadn't revealed himself to be of the Asura, or of the Faerie. His powers certainly are unusual for one who seems to be mortal.
Glancing to the female, Degra once again saw her inject herself with something. These fluid injections appeared to be what granted her these combat skills. It was a rather effective method, but how would she cope without them? It was something for Degra to keep in mind.
The male had revealed more of his powers. It turns out he had some sort of control over the earth, and he demonstrated this by lifting a clod of earth to smother the flames that had spread from her axe. He had already revealed much to her without so much as even attempting to harm her. What was his game? He certainly was an unusual one.
Then the female decided to break the stand-off. Using the new powers she had pumped herself with, she began raising inanimate objects. Dead trees, rocks, even the male was lifted up into the air. Degra figured it must have been because of his garb, as it had the same effect on the female. She felt the pull on her axe as well but, using her considerable strength, she retained her grasp on it. This only served as a minor distraction, however, as everything hurtled back down. Degra saw the female point the barrel-end of her scythe at her, and she didn't wait for the shot. Leaping to the side, she had managed to get out of the way just as the female pulled the trigger.
There was that resounding 'Bang' once more. A sound that went through Degra like nails on slate. She probably wouldn't get used to it. The second her feet touched the ground, she pushed off again, her axe flaring up intensely as she swiftly closed the gap. She swung her axe; it gave off a roar of flames and emited a blast of heat. The blow was once again swung horizontally, from left to right, but this time aimed at her mid-drift, which was her most exposed area. Then, Degra followed up by calling on the Rhino's Favour; a Gift she had bestowed upon her a long time ago. It came in the form of a horn, that materialised on her forehead. An unslightly protrusion, to be sure, but she proceeded to employ the Gift by aiming a headbut at the female. She finished off the combination by once more aiming another slash with her axe, diagonally from right to left, aiming for the female's thighs and hoping to hit a major artery.
She employed yet one more Gift, then; the Dragon's Roar. Bellowing like a thunderclap, she opened her jaws to fire off a ball of lightning with such speed and power, hurtling it towards the human male.
There was no holding back now.
He was upsetting a delicate balance that could very well lead to nothing but destruction. She was suprised that he hadn't revealed himself to be of the Asura, or of the Faerie. His powers certainly are unusual for one who seems to be mortal.
Glancing to the female, Degra once again saw her inject herself with something. These fluid injections appeared to be what granted her these combat skills. It was a rather effective method, but how would she cope without them? It was something for Degra to keep in mind.
The male had revealed more of his powers. It turns out he had some sort of control over the earth, and he demonstrated this by lifting a clod of earth to smother the flames that had spread from her axe. He had already revealed much to her without so much as even attempting to harm her. What was his game? He certainly was an unusual one.
Then the female decided to break the stand-off. Using the new powers she had pumped herself with, she began raising inanimate objects. Dead trees, rocks, even the male was lifted up into the air. Degra figured it must have been because of his garb, as it had the same effect on the female. She felt the pull on her axe as well but, using her considerable strength, she retained her grasp on it. This only served as a minor distraction, however, as everything hurtled back down. Degra saw the female point the barrel-end of her scythe at her, and she didn't wait for the shot. Leaping to the side, she had managed to get out of the way just as the female pulled the trigger.
There was that resounding 'Bang' once more. A sound that went through Degra like nails on slate. She probably wouldn't get used to it. The second her feet touched the ground, she pushed off again, her axe flaring up intensely as she swiftly closed the gap. She swung her axe; it gave off a roar of flames and emited a blast of heat. The blow was once again swung horizontally, from left to right, but this time aimed at her mid-drift, which was her most exposed area. Then, Degra followed up by calling on the Rhino's Favour; a Gift she had bestowed upon her a long time ago. It came in the form of a horn, that materialised on her forehead. An unslightly protrusion, to be sure, but she proceeded to employ the Gift by aiming a headbut at the female. She finished off the combination by once more aiming another slash with her axe, diagonally from right to left, aiming for the female's thighs and hoping to hit a major artery.
She employed yet one more Gift, then; the Dragon's Roar. Bellowing like a thunderclap, she opened her jaws to fire off a ball of lightning with such speed and power, hurtling it towards the human male.
There was no holding back now.
Eile smiled as she saw the roaring fire heading towards her. Focusing a bit, runes started appearing around her as it took affect.
"Counter Circle!" Eile cried out as the fire that was meant to char her instead broke down into energy as it was absorbed into her.
She saw the tiger lady rushing at her with a swipe of her axe as she managed to deflect the attack with only a slight cut on her stomach. The next attack came in the form of a headbutt with a horn on her forehead. It was a weird sight as Eile fired a shot above her from her Sniper Scythe, forcing her downward to the ground. She barely missed the attack and the followup slash as she landed on the ground and jumped backward.
"Time to play rough eh." Eile muttered as she held her left hand out.
Electricity sparked into life as it started to shape itself into a form of a spear. Eile's normal spears was the size of an actually spear. Eile soon channeled the stolen fire magical energy into the spear, which made the spear grow twice it size and flare out with fire along with it's innate element of lightning.
"Lightning Spear!" Eile roared as she hurled the spear at airborne tiger lady.
Quickly, Eile pointed her Sniper Scythe toward the man with the body guard and fired a shot at him while taking advantage of the recoil to jump further back from the combatants before pulling out another vial. Quickly injecting herself with the vial, she extracted another skill while putting in another skill into her body.
OOC: Extracted Reverse Gravity for Wire Pull.
"Counter Circle!" Eile cried out as the fire that was meant to char her instead broke down into energy as it was absorbed into her.
She saw the tiger lady rushing at her with a swipe of her axe as she managed to deflect the attack with only a slight cut on her stomach. The next attack came in the form of a headbutt with a horn on her forehead. It was a weird sight as Eile fired a shot above her from her Sniper Scythe, forcing her downward to the ground. She barely missed the attack and the followup slash as she landed on the ground and jumped backward.
"Time to play rough eh." Eile muttered as she held her left hand out.
Electricity sparked into life as it started to shape itself into a form of a spear. Eile's normal spears was the size of an actually spear. Eile soon channeled the stolen fire magical energy into the spear, which made the spear grow twice it size and flare out with fire along with it's innate element of lightning.
"Lightning Spear!" Eile roared as she hurled the spear at airborne tiger lady.
Quickly, Eile pointed her Sniper Scythe toward the man with the body guard and fired a shot at him while taking advantage of the recoil to jump further back from the combatants before pulling out another vial. Quickly injecting herself with the vial, she extracted another skill while putting in another skill into her body.
OOC: Extracted Reverse Gravity for Wire Pull.
Until this point, the magical construct of the Knight of Swords had remains both silent and still - the Court Cards never attacked without Alexander's direction. As the ball of lightning rocketed towards his master, he merely held his blade up and the lightning homed in on it as though it were a lightning rod for the power behind the suit of Swords is the element of Air and that most erratic of Air attributes is Lightning. As the last remnants of the lightning blast crackled ineffectively, he turned to look at Alexander who merely nodded and gradually lowered himself so that he was behind the protective Knight.
Once again the bang that he now knew belonged to the other human rang out and he watched the Knight take the shot meant for him, the construct unflinching despite the trickle of blue blood that dripped from his left arm. Though they could not feel pain, the Court Cards had their own life when they appeared in a reading and damage wicked away at it.
"So she's an enemy too..." Alexander muttered.
He hated multiple enemies. Too many vectors of attack and you simply couldn't protect against them all. At least in the Maze he had had allies - or at least people that didn't want to kill him right off. With a wave of his hand, Alexander's spread for Degra reappeared, the bottom card of the cross shining.
"The Arcana reveals all..." he said, the second tone once again creeping into his voice. "The Five of Swords...not surprising given the conflict in your life Tigress. What killed them? Your family...or at least, that's the best guess, tribe perhaps given your beastly nature? All of them slain and you the lone survivor. Were you seeking vengeance? Did your knight in shining armour come to your rescue and teach you to fight? But something happened to him... did you kill him Tigress? Did your bloodthirsty behaviour get him killed?"
As his word's lingered in the air, five longswords shimmered into existence before him. They rotated quickly in the air to become parallel to the ground before rocketing off, three at Degra and two at Elie.
"You thrive on conflict and destruction"," Alexander said to no one in particular. "I can turn them against you and unless you change who you are, you fight yourself."
Once again the bang that he now knew belonged to the other human rang out and he watched the Knight take the shot meant for him, the construct unflinching despite the trickle of blue blood that dripped from his left arm. Though they could not feel pain, the Court Cards had their own life when they appeared in a reading and damage wicked away at it.
"So she's an enemy too..." Alexander muttered.
He hated multiple enemies. Too many vectors of attack and you simply couldn't protect against them all. At least in the Maze he had had allies - or at least people that didn't want to kill him right off. With a wave of his hand, Alexander's spread for Degra reappeared, the bottom card of the cross shining.
"The Arcana reveals all..." he said, the second tone once again creeping into his voice. "The Five of Swords...not surprising given the conflict in your life Tigress. What killed them? Your family...or at least, that's the best guess, tribe perhaps given your beastly nature? All of them slain and you the lone survivor. Were you seeking vengeance? Did your knight in shining armour come to your rescue and teach you to fight? But something happened to him... did you kill him Tigress? Did your bloodthirsty behaviour get him killed?"
As his word's lingered in the air, five longswords shimmered into existence before him. They rotated quickly in the air to become parallel to the ground before rocketing off, three at Degra and two at Elie.
"You thrive on conflict and destruction"," Alexander said to no one in particular. "I can turn them against you and unless you change who you are, you fight yourself."
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The human female had mostly managed to evade Degra's onslaught, but the Khan had succeeded in drawing blood. It was no victory by any means, but the sight of it did provide a modicum of satisfaction. At the very least, it was a step in the right direction. The female, however, cried "Counter Circle!" and had managed to absorb some of the spirit energy from her axe. It didn't in anyway deplete the energy imbued within the axe, but it did absorb the excess from her attack. Regardless, it didn't bode too well. As she let rip the Dragon's Roar, she barely had time to move as the female counter attacked, yelling "Lightning Spear!" and channeling lightning energy into the form of a large spear, which she hurtled towards Degra.
Allowing the momentum from her previous movement, Degra had managed to avoid being directly hit. However, the attack had burnt her on her left flank. The smell of charred fur and flesh plagued her nostrils, and her mind was quick to register the searing pain. She ground her teeth and snarled, steeling herself against the pain. The female had taken the opportunity to use her scythe/projectile weapon to fire a shot at the man. However, that Knight creature had obscured the male, taking the shot without even flinching. 'Well, that's interesting,' Degra thought, as she noticed the blue blood trickle from the wound. This creature, the very one that simply absorbed the blast from her Dragon's Roar, bleeding from a simple bullet wound. She decided to change her tactics.
She flexed her left arm, testing the muscles of the part of her stomach that was injured. It hurt considerably when she stretched, but other than that it wouldn't prove to be any hinderance provided she remains focused on the battle. The human male began speaking aloud once more, yet again questioning Degra's past. It seemed a rather futile attempt to get her riled up. It wasn't working, nor was it ever likely to. And if it did... it wouldn't bode well for any of them. The last time she was induced with the Rage, her opponents were nothing more than scraps of meat by the time she calmed down.
As the male was speaking, several swords materialised in the air before him, rotating so that they were pointing outwards. Degra was beginning to think this male was speaking too much when the swords suddenly shot outwards. There were five of them, three of which shot towards Degra while the other two flew off in the direction of the female. However, the time taken to perform this had given Degra the advantage of being able to evade them. She leaned backwards, allowing them to pass mere inches over her body, before turning the movement into a backwards roll and swiftly rising to her feet. She snarled at the male. "Okay then, pup," she growled. "Let's really see what you're made of. Your conjurations will only protect you for so long, and what will you have then?"
She began walking at a steady pace towards the male, flexing her arms and neck, grasping her axe tightly in one hand while flexing the claws of the other. The flames on her axe diminished and then completely vanished, leaving the metal steaming and glowing red with heat. Though her eyes were fixed on the male, her other senses were peeled. She was aware of the female's position and that of the Knight. She was ready for an attack from any of her opponents, and she had ideas of who was the more likely to attack. But... such assumptions were best shunted aside. No sense in depending on certain things happening when it was just as likely something else would instead.
But she had her plan, and she maintained eye contact with the male, quickening her pace into a brisk walk. She raised her axe, preparing for an attack.
Allowing the momentum from her previous movement, Degra had managed to avoid being directly hit. However, the attack had burnt her on her left flank. The smell of charred fur and flesh plagued her nostrils, and her mind was quick to register the searing pain. She ground her teeth and snarled, steeling herself against the pain. The female had taken the opportunity to use her scythe/projectile weapon to fire a shot at the man. However, that Knight creature had obscured the male, taking the shot without even flinching. 'Well, that's interesting,' Degra thought, as she noticed the blue blood trickle from the wound. This creature, the very one that simply absorbed the blast from her Dragon's Roar, bleeding from a simple bullet wound. She decided to change her tactics.
She flexed her left arm, testing the muscles of the part of her stomach that was injured. It hurt considerably when she stretched, but other than that it wouldn't prove to be any hinderance provided she remains focused on the battle. The human male began speaking aloud once more, yet again questioning Degra's past. It seemed a rather futile attempt to get her riled up. It wasn't working, nor was it ever likely to. And if it did... it wouldn't bode well for any of them. The last time she was induced with the Rage, her opponents were nothing more than scraps of meat by the time she calmed down.
As the male was speaking, several swords materialised in the air before him, rotating so that they were pointing outwards. Degra was beginning to think this male was speaking too much when the swords suddenly shot outwards. There were five of them, three of which shot towards Degra while the other two flew off in the direction of the female. However, the time taken to perform this had given Degra the advantage of being able to evade them. She leaned backwards, allowing them to pass mere inches over her body, before turning the movement into a backwards roll and swiftly rising to her feet. She snarled at the male. "Okay then, pup," she growled. "Let's really see what you're made of. Your conjurations will only protect you for so long, and what will you have then?"
She began walking at a steady pace towards the male, flexing her arms and neck, grasping her axe tightly in one hand while flexing the claws of the other. The flames on her axe diminished and then completely vanished, leaving the metal steaming and glowing red with heat. Though her eyes were fixed on the male, her other senses were peeled. She was aware of the female's position and that of the Knight. She was ready for an attack from any of her opponents, and she had ideas of who was the more likely to attack. But... such assumptions were best shunted aside. No sense in depending on certain things happening when it was just as likely something else would instead.
But she had her plan, and she maintained eye contact with the male, quickening her pace into a brisk walk. She raised her axe, preparing for an attack.
Eile watched as she saw the fire embedded lightning spear graze the tiger lady. It made a good size burn on her as she then turned her attention to the man she fired at. The being took the attack for him as she saw blue blood spurt out of it.
"Very interesting. A bodyguard." Eile muttered as she then saw the woman rushing toward the man. He has sent 3 swords at the tiger lady while sending two at her.
She swatted the swords aside she back off further into the forest. It wouldn't do much now, but sometimes it would be better to watch then to actively fight as she reshaped her scythe back into a sniper rifle. Wires unwrapped themselves from her clothing as she sent the wires to a sturdy branch with plenty of leaves to hide her. It pulled her up onto it as she landed in it. Taking a deep breath, Eile raised her gun and aligned it's sights. Not on the tiger lady or the man, but the being the man summoned. More importantly, she aligned it on it's head for a impending instant death if it were to connect when she fired. Eile smiled as she once again pulled out a vial and injected herself with it's content while extracting the wire pull skill.
(OOC: wire pull's gone and replaced with energy shield. She has not fired the gun yet.)
"Very interesting. A bodyguard." Eile muttered as she then saw the woman rushing toward the man. He has sent 3 swords at the tiger lady while sending two at her.
She swatted the swords aside she back off further into the forest. It wouldn't do much now, but sometimes it would be better to watch then to actively fight as she reshaped her scythe back into a sniper rifle. Wires unwrapped themselves from her clothing as she sent the wires to a sturdy branch with plenty of leaves to hide her. It pulled her up onto it as she landed in it. Taking a deep breath, Eile raised her gun and aligned it's sights. Not on the tiger lady or the man, but the being the man summoned. More importantly, she aligned it on it's head for a impending instant death if it were to connect when she fired. Eile smiled as she once again pulled out a vial and injected herself with it's content while extracting the wire pull skill.
(OOC: wire pull's gone and replaced with energy shield. She has not fired the gun yet.)
OOC: I thought it might be a good idea to expand on just what exactly the court cards are. At their core they are elementals/wierds/golems based on their respective suit’s element, in this case air; that they have discernible anatomy at all is because they were crafted as such. They are perpetuated by magic and thusly as long as the source of magic is intact, they continue to exist; this is why when a new card is drawn from the deck as a single draw they vanish – by drawing a new card the source has been cut off. In a reading however, they work differently. Since the card is technically already drawn and there the source is there until the reading is finished. However, instead of the full power of the deck behind it, it has a fraction of that resulting in what is effectively a hit point total (as well as reduced capabilities – the lightning blast would have been deflected back with even more power had it been a single draw court [such a capricious thing the wind]) which means that if they sustain enough damage they will decay. They still function as elementals though meaning that dependant on their element certain damage type have little effect and others have extra effects as well as the property that should they be dismembered, they can reattach the severed parts since they are simply magic incarnate. They have limited intelligence based upon protocols given when they are created; much like computer programs some protocols only come into effect when certain conditions are met. They can understand their creator’s orders and obey to the best of their ability.
IC: As Degra came towards Alexander, he took a step back – he hated close combat. He didn’t have the armour and wards like anyone else had. He didn’t even have the skill with a ready weapon to parry an attack. Long range was his style but the unpredictable nature of the cards forced him to think on his feet. More often than not though, there was a way out so long as he could find it. In front of him, the Knight of Swords narrowed his eyes at Degra’s advance. Sword in hand, he changed his stance just slightly to prepare to throw her off.
“A head-on charge?” he muttered. “How ridiculously brutish.”
With a sweep of his hand, the Celtic Cross reappeared this time the card at the top of the cross shining before everything stopped.
There was no sound, no movement, nothing. Than Alexander stepped out and around the Knight of Swords who was also frozen in time.
“Do you like your world Tigress?” he began, again the second tone slipping into his voice. “Behold your mind, trapped in time.”
He smiled at her, knowing she could hear everything he said.
“Shall I tell you what I know about your mind? About how you’ve held onto your vengeance for so long that it has clouded your thoughts? Perhaps I should talk about how it’s your fault your mate died. You think yourself good enough to judge the wicked but fail to see the murder you’ve wrought. You stifle the truth in your quest to avenge the death of your tribe by trying to kill the ones responsible. The fact is…you’re nothing more than a filthy hypocrite who should die. In reality, you have nothing to live for.”
His smile had vanished and his eyes were full of hatred as he spun around and walked back towards the knight.
“But I won’t kill you here and now – not until I’m finished. You will have a chance to atone for who you are then, once I’ve laid you out bare for life to see. The future is as certain as we will all come to an end… Death is the only future truth. It is up to you though whether it be by your hand or another. Unless you defeat the demon in your own head though, you won’t win. As long as you hold onto this mindset you will remain in suspension just like time is now. There will be no path forward. There will be no path back. There will only be the single place upon which you stand.”
As he approached where he had activated The Hanged Man he turned back to Degra.
“A single point is no life at all but that is where you are at. Shall you spin in circles or will you let go and move forward? The choice is yours as it always has been.”
He knelt down to the earth below and placed his hand against it.
“One of the holy books from my world says that we came from dust. True or not, the symbolism is clear. The first step will be forced upon you that you might see the light ahead, then choose whether to run to it or flee like a coward. The choice is yours.”
With those final words and the magic of The Hanged Man wearing thin, he quickly drew a circle in the earth beneath his hand and stood up, his hand remaining level. The power of the Pentacles flowed out and before him floated seven large rods of earth, each maybe four inches in radius and three feet in length. With a swipe of his arm they were sent soaring towards the immobile Degra.
“Be reborn from the dust of the beginning!” he called out, his last word echoed by the loud chirping of a bird.
IC: As Degra came towards Alexander, he took a step back – he hated close combat. He didn’t have the armour and wards like anyone else had. He didn’t even have the skill with a ready weapon to parry an attack. Long range was his style but the unpredictable nature of the cards forced him to think on his feet. More often than not though, there was a way out so long as he could find it. In front of him, the Knight of Swords narrowed his eyes at Degra’s advance. Sword in hand, he changed his stance just slightly to prepare to throw her off.
“A head-on charge?” he muttered. “How ridiculously brutish.”
With a sweep of his hand, the Celtic Cross reappeared this time the card at the top of the cross shining before everything stopped.
There was no sound, no movement, nothing. Than Alexander stepped out and around the Knight of Swords who was also frozen in time.
“Do you like your world Tigress?” he began, again the second tone slipping into his voice. “Behold your mind, trapped in time.”
He smiled at her, knowing she could hear everything he said.
“Shall I tell you what I know about your mind? About how you’ve held onto your vengeance for so long that it has clouded your thoughts? Perhaps I should talk about how it’s your fault your mate died. You think yourself good enough to judge the wicked but fail to see the murder you’ve wrought. You stifle the truth in your quest to avenge the death of your tribe by trying to kill the ones responsible. The fact is…you’re nothing more than a filthy hypocrite who should die. In reality, you have nothing to live for.”
His smile had vanished and his eyes were full of hatred as he spun around and walked back towards the knight.
“But I won’t kill you here and now – not until I’m finished. You will have a chance to atone for who you are then, once I’ve laid you out bare for life to see. The future is as certain as we will all come to an end… Death is the only future truth. It is up to you though whether it be by your hand or another. Unless you defeat the demon in your own head though, you won’t win. As long as you hold onto this mindset you will remain in suspension just like time is now. There will be no path forward. There will be no path back. There will only be the single place upon which you stand.”
As he approached where he had activated The Hanged Man he turned back to Degra.
“A single point is no life at all but that is where you are at. Shall you spin in circles or will you let go and move forward? The choice is yours as it always has been.”
He knelt down to the earth below and placed his hand against it.
“One of the holy books from my world says that we came from dust. True or not, the symbolism is clear. The first step will be forced upon you that you might see the light ahead, then choose whether to run to it or flee like a coward. The choice is yours.”
With those final words and the magic of The Hanged Man wearing thin, he quickly drew a circle in the earth beneath his hand and stood up, his hand remaining level. The power of the Pentacles flowed out and before him floated seven large rods of earth, each maybe four inches in radius and three feet in length. With a swipe of his arm they were sent soaring towards the immobile Degra.
“Be reborn from the dust of the beginning!” he called out, his last word echoed by the loud chirping of a bird.
Before Degra even get close to the male human, she felt a strange shift in the air before finding that she chouldn't even move. Everything had gone to a stand still; the trees swaying in the breeze, all sounds of wildlife, even the river. She could still think, however. The human male stepped out from behind that guardian of his. He began speaking. "Do you like our world, Tigress?" he asked. "Behold your mind, trapped in time."
He smiled as he spoke. It was as if he thought he had the upper hand. But he really seemed to enjoy talking; going off on a monologue this time. Once more there was that hint of someone speaking in unison with him. Again, he started speaking of Degra's past. She wondered why this was so. She couldn't care less how much he claimed to know about her, not that he really understood her intentions. The man kept speaking of vengeance, but she had long ago avenged the death of her mentor. He was berrating her about "judging the wicked", and being a hypocrite. He wasn't too far off the mark, but she served a far greater purpose than that. She was awaiting the inevitable attack, not even caring if this man destroyed her. Should she fall this day, she will gladly accept her fate. She had been waging her war against those who wish to destroy this world for many years. There will always be another to take her place; Gaia needed it, and so it would be. Degra was too proud to cower in the face of death, and she was consoled by her part in the war against evil.
She closed her mind, mentally preparing herself for what is to come. A voice spoke within her head. "Daughter... Your time hasn't come yet," it said. That was all. She felt the magic that had taken hold of her began to recede. Her fur bristled, and she was able to follow the man with her eyes as he paced back to the place in which he cast the magic, kneeling down to place his hand on the Earth. “One of the holy books from my world says that we came from dust," he said. "True or not, the symbolism is clear. The first step will be forced upon you that you might see the light ahead, then choose whether to run to it or flee like a coward. The choice is yours.”
'How fitting,' she thought smirkingly. The magic's affect on her had loosened further, and she called on the Gift of The Bear's Skin. Her body was covered in a green aura, which turned brown, taking on the look and feel of a bear's skin. It covered her head, arms and upper torso.
The man called up a number of rods of earth. That same trick again, but combined with the hold his magic had on Degra it could prove deadly. He swung his arm outwards. "Be reborn from the dust of the beginning!" He called out as the rods went flying towards Degra. The magic had completely lost its hold on her by that point, and her tensed muscles launched her forwards. She swiped at the rods, averting those that surely would have killed her, but she was still wounded. The rods cutting her deep on the outside of her right thigh and left shoulder, though not as deep as they should have. The Gift of the Bear's Skin, was a form of protection which lessened any damage she endured, and it enabled her to tolerate the pain without so much as a flinch (Note that the effects of this only last a short time). It also doubled her strength and speed, which meant that she closed the distance between herself and the man in mere seconds.
Without pause, she swung her paw at the man's face swiftly and powerfully, following with a downwards strike with her axe, aiming for the artery on the man's thigh before kicking out with enough force to floor him before attempting a finishing blow with her axe, aiming to crush the man's skull.
He smiled as he spoke. It was as if he thought he had the upper hand. But he really seemed to enjoy talking; going off on a monologue this time. Once more there was that hint of someone speaking in unison with him. Again, he started speaking of Degra's past. She wondered why this was so. She couldn't care less how much he claimed to know about her, not that he really understood her intentions. The man kept speaking of vengeance, but she had long ago avenged the death of her mentor. He was berrating her about "judging the wicked", and being a hypocrite. He wasn't too far off the mark, but she served a far greater purpose than that. She was awaiting the inevitable attack, not even caring if this man destroyed her. Should she fall this day, she will gladly accept her fate. She had been waging her war against those who wish to destroy this world for many years. There will always be another to take her place; Gaia needed it, and so it would be. Degra was too proud to cower in the face of death, and she was consoled by her part in the war against evil.
She closed her mind, mentally preparing herself for what is to come. A voice spoke within her head. "Daughter... Your time hasn't come yet," it said. That was all. She felt the magic that had taken hold of her began to recede. Her fur bristled, and she was able to follow the man with her eyes as he paced back to the place in which he cast the magic, kneeling down to place his hand on the Earth. “One of the holy books from my world says that we came from dust," he said. "True or not, the symbolism is clear. The first step will be forced upon you that you might see the light ahead, then choose whether to run to it or flee like a coward. The choice is yours.”
'How fitting,' she thought smirkingly. The magic's affect on her had loosened further, and she called on the Gift of The Bear's Skin. Her body was covered in a green aura, which turned brown, taking on the look and feel of a bear's skin. It covered her head, arms and upper torso.
The man called up a number of rods of earth. That same trick again, but combined with the hold his magic had on Degra it could prove deadly. He swung his arm outwards. "Be reborn from the dust of the beginning!" He called out as the rods went flying towards Degra. The magic had completely lost its hold on her by that point, and her tensed muscles launched her forwards. She swiped at the rods, averting those that surely would have killed her, but she was still wounded. The rods cutting her deep on the outside of her right thigh and left shoulder, though not as deep as they should have. The Gift of the Bear's Skin, was a form of protection which lessened any damage she endured, and it enabled her to tolerate the pain without so much as a flinch (Note that the effects of this only last a short time). It also doubled her strength and speed, which meant that she closed the distance between herself and the man in mere seconds.
Without pause, she swung her paw at the man's face swiftly and powerfully, following with a downwards strike with her axe, aiming for the artery on the man's thigh before kicking out with enough force to floor him before attempting a finishing blow with her axe, aiming to crush the man's skull.
Eile kept her eye in on both fighters as she had her finger on the trigger. The tiger lady was going in for the kill. While she didn't mind that, it would put her mission in jeopardy if she targeted her while she was going on her way out. Moving her cross hairs onto the paw, Eile fired two shots towards the paw, hopefully to make her slow down. Quickly refocusing her cross hairs on the axe, Eile fired 2 more shots toward the axe with the hope that it flies out of the lady's hands and off somewhere in the forest. After the shots fired, Eile jumped off the tree and rushed towards another patch of grass far from the tree she shot in, easily blending in and watching through the scope what the next move might be.
Baseret Looks like Gavin isn't around anymore. Are you still up for carrying on?
IC: As Degra went in for the killing blow, the man before her faded away, as though he were little more than a ghostly apparition. The man's guardian, if that's what it was meant to be, also faded away in a similar fashion. The weretiger had no time to contemplate this as two loud bangs followed each other in quick succession. Her axe was knocked out of her hand, but she reacted swiftly. With a loud roar, she leaped towards the woman as she made her way towards some other trees, no doubt trying to find some cover. But Degra didn't plan on allowing that to happen. Cutting a path to intercept her opponent, she moves in for the attack.
With the increased strength and speed granted by the Gift she had called upon (in my previous post) she lashes out with her claws, aiming a total of six slashes towards the womans face, torso and arms, before reaching out in an attempt to grab the woman and make an attempt at driving the horn protruding from her own forehead into the woman's face.
While Degra is currently opting for more brutish tactics, she is already deciding on a new plan on attack that she feels would help end this battle rather quickly.
IC: As Degra went in for the killing blow, the man before her faded away, as though he were little more than a ghostly apparition. The man's guardian, if that's what it was meant to be, also faded away in a similar fashion. The weretiger had no time to contemplate this as two loud bangs followed each other in quick succession. Her axe was knocked out of her hand, but she reacted swiftly. With a loud roar, she leaped towards the woman as she made her way towards some other trees, no doubt trying to find some cover. But Degra didn't plan on allowing that to happen. Cutting a path to intercept her opponent, she moves in for the attack.
With the increased strength and speed granted by the Gift she had called upon (in my previous post) she lashes out with her claws, aiming a total of six slashes towards the womans face, torso and arms, before reaching out in an attempt to grab the woman and make an attempt at driving the horn protruding from her own forehead into the woman's face.
While Degra is currently opting for more brutish tactics, she is already deciding on a new plan on attack that she feels would help end this battle rather quickly.