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Post by Akara on Oct 28, 2015 21:43:44 GMT
Akara flowed around the strike, dimbly dipping backwards - but not quick enough. He got a slice across his thigh for cutting it too close, which illustrated a couple realities of combat to him. Primarily, that his opponent was skillful enough to ensure that he couldn't dodge forever. Secondary to that, that he didn't have the raw power needed to shatter the woman's thick metal carapace. This was a losing battle, but it was a losing battle he could draw out for a long time. Which was good - it gave the people time to escape. To flee this murderous lunatic. It also meant that Akara might be able to win through other means, though he was not immediately sure what those means constituted. Perhaps backup might arrive.
Doubtful.
"I thought a murderer might have sharpened her blade a bit more." Akara noted in a casual tone as he circled the woman in black, his hands high and his body flowing smoothly over the stone. "Tell me - what slapshod organization do you represent? The Guild would have sent a more skilled catspaw to cause mayhem, if it wanted to." He added, the faintest bit of disdain creeping into his voice. "Or at least put a decent sword in her hand."
Taunting wasn't Akara's style, but he had to keep the woman's focus on him. He flourished briefly, then half-stepped backwards firing off another whistling high kick that threatened to take Steel Eye's jaw off, but went wide by a thin margin.
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Post by Steel Eyes Forsaken Bitterness on Nov 2, 2015 16:26:54 GMT
The kick narrowly missed her jaw as she leaned back and away. She turned her hips square to face the whelp as he began to speek. Her steel grey eyes flashed as the dereth dared insult her skill and her blade. With bared teeth she fought the urge to try and remove his head from his shoulders but he had to pay. There were ways to make heroes pay in ways that they would never forget.
Essence flowed through her and her caste mark began to bleed as she bent her knees and leapt back. Her armored form cartwheeled in mid air as she crossed 10 yards through the air to land flat footed on the side of the nearest building. Spider web cracks formed in the wall where she landed and she began to run to across the wall toward the north. That was when her opportunity arose. A overly curious man stuck his head out a window in her path and her daiklave met his extended neck as she passed.
"YOU FAILED THAT MAN HERO!" she cried as she leapt from the first building to another and continued north. Her troops were getting close and soon the war ghost would be there to kill and collect the souls of the dead for more soulsteel. She stopped to look back for a moment then somersaulted from the wall to the street where she saw a woman and her child hiding beneath a banquet table. She would end these peoples worthless existence on way or another.
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Post by Akara on Nov 5, 2015 18:18:11 GMT
Akara watched as the dark woman fled combat with a flat expression, expressing clear disapproval. This expression did not change as she cut down a hapless bystander, refusing to give the maniac the satisfaction of having successfully taunted him. "No, desperate one - you have failed yourself, by showing your nature." He declared boldly, the golden 'target' mark of his caste mark appearing and blazing to light on his brow for the first time in this battle. "When confronted with actual opposition, you flee - as the darkness ever turns in cowardice from the light."
With a small breath, Akara took a step forward, and the very fabric of the area - the shaped energy that gave form to all things - paused in quivering response. His hands extended forward, eyes closed, taking advantage of the woman's preoccupation and the distance she'd created to lower his guard and focus - apparently performing a kata, as his hands circled and grasped at the air, his leg came up. A small inward breath shifted all the small, nearby plants with it, but nothing else. An outward breath moved them as though a breeze came that touched only leaves and branches, but not the pavillions and tents set up for the festival. The power of life, the might of the Emerald Dragon of the Eastern Pole, flowed briefly through the Dereth as his willpower shaped Creation itself to his desires. Akara turned, thrust his hands forward, and set his foot down, and the invisible energy that he'd summoned to his will flowed outward.
Vines and bark appeared on Akara's hands from seemingly nowhere, then began to grow, expanding to cover his hands and forearms like gauntlets. From nearly to his elbow to the points of his fingers, wicked talons of wood coalesced and hardened to become harder than steel, the points of the fingers as sharp as any blade. Akara's eyes flew open, his caste mark casting a shadow under his angled face, his new 'claws' clenching and unclenching to indicate a readiness to battle.
"Come forward, desperate one." Akara challenged, raising his hands. "For you now face the opportunity to do battle with - and perhaps strike down - a Crowned Sun." He wasn't sure WHO the woman in black worked for, but there was surely no greater opportunity for glory among the causes of evil than the death of a Solar Exalted. Especially a Quill of Heaven, one of those dedicated to maintaining peace and cooperation among the peoples and spirits of Creation. "...or would you perhaps rather tell your masters that you fled at the first sign of resistance, preferring to attack mere children? Fear not. I shall be able to spread the tale of your weakness and disgrace to every corner of Creation." He promised, allowing the first show of emotion thus far - a smug smirk. "I dare say that a dark murderer regarded as a cowardly joke would make a fine tale to tell to every spirit, mortal, god and ghost from Yu Shuan to Lethe."
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Post by Steel Eyes Forsaken Bitterness on Nov 10, 2015 4:30:01 GMT
Steel Eyes stopped dead and began to walk slowly back. Her eyes blazed at his taunt. He had her, she would not suffer to allow her courage to be questioned by anyone, least of all the now blazing Solar exalt. Her teeth bared she held her daiklave out to the side tip down as she drew near. There were no sounds of hungry ghost, no sounds of screams as undead rushed to make the living join them in unlife. Could it be that The Lover Clad in Raiment of Tears had sent her alone? Could she have been lied too? All she knew for certain was she was definitely alone and this Solar was her only threat...for now.
"Well then Hero." she said her face changing to a small seductive smile, "I'll leave this place and stay away for no less than fifty years if you give me yourself for the night. Will you give yourself for their safety, precious?"
Lover may be proud of thoroughly pissed off when she found out about this tactic but then she would have felt so anyway. She had already failed to kill the residents end masse. This would at least plant seeds for future cultivation.
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Post by Akara on Nov 10, 2015 4:49:48 GMT
Akara's nose wrinkled in distaste. To lay with such a loathsome creature was... well, gross. Considering she'd murdered in cold blood just to inflict a more piercing taunt - by all rights, her life was forfeit, by whatever disgusting standard she considered life. But similarly, even with the aid of sorcery, Akara wasn't sure he had the ability to take her life. Armored foes were hardly his forte. For a moment, the wooden claw-hands coating his fingers twitched irritably, gauging how successful an attack would be.
And how dishonorable attacking an opponent who was parrleying for (an albeit loathsome) peace would be.
"You know what I am - and so you must know how reckless it is to make promises casually in my presence." He declared plainly. "Lay down your weapons and armor, dark one, and I shall do the same - I promise nothing of my body, but offer you an opportunity to enjoy the festival as a man and woman should, once you've made reparations for the lives you've taken today." Akara explained plainly. "In exchange, you will not return to these lands for forty years."
No promise of sex, but ten years off her exile for the chance at it seemed fair. As loathsome as the bargain was, it was important - as a Lawgiver - to set the terms himself.
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Post by Steel Eyes Forsaken Bitterness on Nov 10, 2015 5:06:01 GMT
She had been educated on solars it was a requirement during training. She knew the dangers of agreeing to his terms. If she simply agreed she could be bound to whatever he understood as reparations and have no choice it to obey. She lowered her weapon and grabbed the front of her armor's collar casually. In truth it hurt to be a abandoned this far from her resources and she killed as a mercy not from hate of these people. She had wanted nothing more than to be a hero of her people, had given her life for that power, even her name, but was she made what she was promised? She wasn't sure.
"Define your terms for reparations...please." she felt the urge to fight press on her mind but she resisted but only by a hands breadth.
She let her daiklave rest on her black clad shoulder as she placed Her other hand on her shapely hip. She knew that it was likely going to be a grave response but if that was the case... They could always return to trying to kill eachother...right?
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Post by Akara on Nov 10, 2015 5:19:19 GMT
Akara kept his arms folded, watching every motion of the woman - keeping a weather eye out for the resumption of hostilities, or perhaps a simple attempt to flee. One couldn't be too careful. "You've killed two men today." He explained with clear disapproval. "You will pay their families a year's worth of their salaries, or owe each family a debt - a single favor to be redeemed when they wish it. Heaven will ensure that you know when such a debt is due to be paid. Your choice." He explained. Was a year's salary worth the life of a son, a husband, a father? No. But it would help them get by, meagre compensation though it was.
Akara wanted to add a provision ensuring that the dark woman had to attend their funerals, but such a thing was likely only to distress the families of the fallen. Not worth it.
The lawgiver took a half step forward, his caste mark dimming as combat appeared to have drawn to a close. It was still lit, but no longer blinding. "Do we have an accord, Dark one?" He asked flatly.
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Post by Steel Eyes Forsaken Bitterness on Nov 10, 2015 6:13:11 GMT
A steep price for the freedom she gave those men. Unless they clung to life they would not suffer the underworld nor her harlot mistress but was it worth it.
She clicked her tongue a few times as she thought about the deal. She was a weak despicable thing however. She slowly bent her knees with her eyes on the Solar the whole time and let her black blade rest on the ground before standing with chin raised slightly.
"I agree to your terms." she said softly as she reached for the clasp on her armor. Blood and ashes, I'm a fool. she thought as she loosened the clasp on her gauntlets then pauldrons and began doffing the black plates.
Each piece was carefully placed in a pile before she wrapped them in a stray cloth that was cast aside in the chaos, chaos she had caused. She tied the makeshift bag to her blade and set it to the side and stood erect again in nought but a white linen wrap around her waist and chest.
"Your move, hero."
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Post by Akara on Nov 10, 2015 6:26:35 GMT
The gnarled, deadly wood around Akara's hands began to chip, fade, and return to dust as the willpower the solar had committed to making it faded away - returning the motes of Essence that had been bound into physical form to their natural state of formless energy. Akara's caste mark flared briefly, floating runes and holy symbols describing the contract appearing in the air - a gorgeous display of heaven's power - before fading into nothingness. The vow was sealed, and let one who would break such a sanctified promise fear the retributive wrath of the most holy.
That included Akara.
The Dereth breathed a quiet sigh of relief and relished the chance to allow his somewhat diminished power recover itself, touching briefly the cut that the woman had given him. Ripped a nice, clean slash in his new festival dress, too. Still - They were in a date, of sorts. Be civil. She was in naught but her undies, anyway. Akara extended a hand towards the dark woman, a show of peace, and offered a slightly strained smile. "My name is Akara - What say you we get some proper clothing, and something to eat?" He offered, whipping his long silken sash off so he could drape it over the woman's shoulders. It wasn't much, but enough for a rough toga or sarong to help preserve her modesty a bit.
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Post by Steel Eyes Forsaken Bitterness on Nov 10, 2015 7:04:15 GMT
She watched curiously as he kept his word and bound her to hers. It was strange but she had expected him to simply attack. Her Steel eyes narrowed at the outstretched hand of the dereth and slowly extended her alabaster hand. The blood red tattoos that adorned her pale flesh were extensive and reached to her wrist. She carefully took his hand and let her full lips turn into a small closed lip smile.
"I am Steel Eyes Fors..." She paused, "just Steel Eyes." her voice a soft thing in comparison to what she was. A poisoned Lily, a bell on a grave stone, that's all she was but he had "condescended" to touch her abyssal flesh and she may as well indulge in the small chance to enjoy herself.
Her head dipped slightly as Akara lent her the sash, a nice sentiment, needless, but nice. She allowed her self to be guided barefoot across the ground as people began peaking into the square. How strange it must be for them. She watched the young man like a scholar studying an oddity and did nothing to hide it as she drew closer to walk close beside him. Her hand reached up to touch his black hair and she watched for the reaction. This would be a day to remember, she could feel it.
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