[RPBT] John Henry Westhead v. Caitaryne Delylah Meracah

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CassinoChips

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Setzer's Tent
Setting:The Dead City

A city devoid of all human life, destroyed all in one night by one seemingly innocent girl. Nothing moves in this once populated city bar the occasional rat or bird scavenging for scraps that no longer exist. The houses cast large shadows across the ground and the sun seems to never fully bathe the place in its light anymore. What is left of the inhabitants, (bone for the most part) lay scattered cross the stone where the scavengers left them, long after the juiciest morsels had gone.
 
John Henry Westhead, the creature of the Abyss known as Force, made his way into the Dead City. He had sent a small scouting party into the town three days prior. None had returned. His soliders told wild stories of a demon that prowled the streets, preying on anyone foolish enough to enter the city's boundaries. They said the demon took the form of a young girl, fooling her victims into thinking she's harmless ... innocent ... human.

Force put little credence to his soldiers' wives' tales. They were weak-minded fools, searching to place meaning to every little detail they did not understand. Force believed the answer to be much simpler. It was most probably a woman, and she may even be demonic. But she would be no demon. Force planned to kill her for the delay, loss of soldiers, and general aggravation she caused.

Stepping into a large plaza in the south end of the town, Force approached the fountain in the center. Inside the water-carrying maidens that adorned the outside edge of the fountain, there was a large bell. Most likely, it would be rung in times of celebration, as well as in times of great danger. Pleased with the coincidence, Force stepped into the fountain and approached the bell. Drawing one of his chakra, he rapped the golden ring against the bell. The peal that it put forth carried throughout the entire village. Force hit the bell again. This time, as the sound rang out, he shouted, "Come out, girl." And again. "Come out, girl."

CLANG.

"Come out, girl."

CLANG.

"Come out, girl."

CLANG................
 
The sun seemed to shy away from the city, barely bathing it with enough light to call it day within the area walls. Whilst that might not have been to many peoples tastes, the shadows provided by the dull light made for the perfect home; for Caitaryne at least. The slender girl sat in a pool of the darkest shadow, barely visible save for the subdued light reflecting off her eyes. The Shadow Weaver allowed them to close, shutting off those tiny orbs of obscure lumination. A gentle sigh passed her lips as the girl allowed the dead silence to overwhelm her.

It was usually a very quiet place, bar the scavengers picking for morsels that no longer existed. Of course, every now and then someone would wander into this place... but it was rare that they ever made it out alive to spread tales of this deserted city. There had been perhaps a handful who had managed to evade Caitaryne... telling their stories of the Dead City and its' Shadow. Naturally, most people believed these tales were nothing more but the alcohol induced hallucinations of fools. As stories seem to do, however, there was always a few that wondered if they were telling the truth... and then they would become the Shadow's next victim.

A small smile flittered across Caitaryne's face as she mused over these thoughts; until a loud clang reverberated around the area, breaking the girl violently from her happy little daydreams of disembowelment. A voice echoed after the metallic sound, repeated as the bell was struck over and over.

Pushing herself from the ground, Caitaryne pouted. Disturbing my alone time, she whispered to herself, brushing off her skirt and tossing her mane of shiny black hair over her left shoulder. With confident strides, Cait moved towards the city centre. Pausing to take one last moment to herself, the Shadow Weaver loosened the wire around her hand, her oldest weapon. A sly smile ghosted over the corners of her lips.

Making sure Scindo was safely hidden within the folds of her skirt, the girl moved towards the south end and the bell... and also her challenger.

An innocently childlike expression washed over her face as she approached, head tilted slightly. "You called?"
 
"You called?"

"Indeed."

Force took stock of her. His soldiers were right; she was no woman, only a girl. Force guessed she couldn't be more than sixteen years old, looking closer to thirteen. The realization surprised him momentarily. Gathering himself, he continued his quick appraisal of her. She was slight of build, though he could see definition in her physique. Because of her stature and her age, he guessed she relied on speed and agility in battle, rather than brute force. He could discern no weapon on her person, but he assumed she was armed in some fashion nonetheless. Was it possible she was a mage?

"It would seem you have much to answer for, little girl. My soldiers tell stories of a demon disguised as a girl who devours whole all who enter the boundaries of this village. I thought they were scared, drunken idiots, but it seems I did not give them enough credit." Force withdrew his Zweihander from its scabbard and held it casually in his right hand, tip down into the hard-packed earth of the plaza, leaning his massive frame on the pommel.

"I do not know what you are capable of, but you have caused me delay in my objectives, and took from me a number of useful soldiers. For this, you must pay the price." Subtly pushing the blade of his Zweihander far enough into the ground that it would stand upright on its own, Force momentarily considered donning his bagh nakh. Dismissing that idea because of his enemy's assumed lack of strength, he instead unlatched his twin chakra. Taking one in each hand, he adressed the girl again.

"You will die today."
 
Head still tilted innocently to the side, Caitaryne listened to the man's words with gradually increasing interest. Each word he spoke intrigued her further. Lip catching between teeth, a soft, almost mocking giggle stirred in her throat. Oh this was just too precious! Scanning the man, Ryne had a pretty good idea that he was stronger than she; hell, everyone was stronger than Caitaryne and she wasn't stupid enough to think otherwise.

"Oh... that last lot were yours?" Caitaryne asked at last, gesturing over her shoulder and back towards the way she had appeared from. "You'll find what's left of them back there someplace. They should have listened to the tales of the drunkards in nearby inns and towns. It's not the smartest move to go wandering into a deserted city with rumors of demons, you know. But then, men have never been all that smart," she gave him a beaming little smile, still locked in her innocent facade. Letting out a sigh and shrugging slender shoulders slightly, Ryne straightened up.

"A demon disguised as a girl..." the Shadow Weaver pondered that for a moment. "I guess I should take that as a compliment... however, so sorry to disappoint you, but I am what I am. True... you can't call me human, but then again, I think you already knew that." Slowly the girl's eyes slid to the chakram and she became aware that this man was not going to leave quietly. "If I die, so be it."

Whilst she hated men and felt somewhat intimidated by this man's imposing frame, Caitaryne was not going to show him that. Taking a slow, deliberate breath that seemed to rattle her ribcage as her lungs expanded, Ryne dropped the innocent little angel expression. Staring him in the face, the Shadow Weaver's eyes hardened and her body grew taut as a bow string. If he was going to attack, she would be ready.

"Before I die, Stranger, you'll learn why very few make it out of here alive."

Her hand dipped briefly into the folds of fabric around her form, retrieving a three of her numerous throwing stars. Bringing her hands back down to her sides, Caitaryne thumbed the small projectiles almost lovingly. Then she struck.

Leaping into the air, Caitaryne let loose one of the tiny, sharp missiles towards her opponent. As her body flipped gracefully in the air, another left her hand, curving slightly on its' path towards the man. Landing lightly within a pool of shadow, her eyes glittered menacingly from the darkness. The third and final star in her hand flew from her gloomy cover, spinning as it targeted the imposing form. Still tense and ready for a counter strike, Caitaryne waited.
 
"If I die, so be it."

Force was impressed by the young lady's verve. In many ways, she reminding him of ... well ... himself. He got the feeling that she had as little to lose as he did.

"Before I die, Stranger, you'll learn why very few make it out of here alive."

I believe I already have. Force tensed in a defensive posture as he watched her reach for her projectiles. The movements were deft, quick, and confident. Almost quicker than Force could follow, she leapt and unleashed her projectiles towards him. He used the chakram in his right hand to deflect the first by sweeping it through the star's path directly in front of his body. His eyes flicked to the second star. He had a beat on it, but its curving trajectory forced him to make an adjustment. He managed to deflect the star with the chakram in his left hand, but barely. It left him open to the third. Having no recourse, Force simply tried to protect himself. Raising his right arm up, he turned his face away from the star, which embedded itself in the musculature of his forearm.

It stung more than he expected it to. The girl threw her stars with some velocity. Returning his gaze to where the girl crouched, he saw that she was in a defensive stance, waiting for a counterattack.

Not yet. Slipping the chakram in his right hand onto his left arm, he let the two throwing weapons hang in the crook of his left elbow. He reached with his left hand and removed the throwing star from the flesh of his right arm. He inspected the star, then with a casual flick of his wrist, tossed the projectile to the ground. Re-arming his chakram, one in each hand, he again assumed a defensive posture and addressed the girl with a mocking, demeaning smirk on his countenance.

"It'll take more than a few trinkets to take me down, girl. What else do you have?"
 
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