Of Brushfires and Weed-Whackers

[Woe]

"No, my position as a Liaison for Guild of Hospitality grants me only so much time for such affectations. I prefer to spend them on more luxurious activities." Woe said, wincing at his choice of words.

After a bit or so, he finished applying the runes that he was drawing and rose to his full height. "I lived in Yaralon for a time, a season or two. Had a few duels, but nothing as serious as a tournament." Woe looked around, "I wonder if they have prizes for the winners."

But then, it was time to start the fighting. Woe and Balthazar were approached by a pair, a woman wielding a flail and a man with a spiked war club. The man wore heavy armor, but with many gaps here or there on his limbs. Mostly the armor covered his torso, with a scale mail sleeve on his sword arm. An armored kilt hung from his girdle.

The woman wore a padded leather aketon, and some metal vambraces. She was tall, taller than most women at 6'1", and seemed to have an advantage of longer limbs for the use of her flail.

The Darstrion, after he was set squaring off the rest of the fighters against each other, approached the four who were assembled off to the side.

Before he got there though, Balthazar asked him a question. "I'm not as good with a blade as a whip, so I suppose they might have a chance. If I'd a whip, though, there'd be no contest. They'd be reduced to a quivering heap." Woe wanted to give them a sporting chance by taking up the sword. He could always draw his scourge from the folds of his domain bag, but that would only be done in an emergency.

The Darstrion grinned widely at both of them, and then their opponents. "Yoir kner ter rules? Foight without shootin' magic. Only magic on yoirserf if yoir got it." So saying, he nodded, and gestured for them to begin.

Woe held up his sword, waiting for the others to make the first move, as was his habit. And the first move came as the armored man with the warclub came charging in at the torturer.

Woe moved out to the side, sweeping the club along on its arc with his blade, and then launched a kick into the side of the man, kicking uselessly against his armored torso. The warclubber then caught him on the backswing, nearly colliding with Woe's head, but Woe was able to get his blade up in time to send it off course.

Meanwhile, the flail-wielding, tall woman was closing in on Balthazar, sweeping the flail from side to side, giving him little room to maneuver inside her guard without getting swept by the chains.

[Balthazar Black]

57 Ymiden 720

Luxurious activities? Balthazar couldn't help but wonder what that meant but he did not pry because they had more important matters to deal with first. Besides, if Balthazar was staying in the guest room he had a feeling he'd figure out what luxurious activities Woe was talking about sooner or later. Woe spoke of his short time in Yaralon and Balthazar grinned. It was always good to meet someone who'd spent a little time in that magical place. "Sometimes I miss Yaralon. It was always so easy to settle your differences with others." Balthazar lamented before the two who they'd be fighting arrived. A average man and a large woman. As Balthazar had predicted, nothing incredibly intimidating.

Woe remarked that he'd have been better off with a whip than a sword and Balthazar nodded, having a fairly similar thought. "And I'd have been better unarmed so I suppose it's only fair for them we use swords." Balthazar carefully pulled the faldrunium sword from it's sheathe, but upon finding that the blade was too long to be pulled in a single motion, Balthazar slipped it back into the sheathe again to reconsider the motion. His care came mostly from the knowledge that it would hurt quite a bit if he accidentally touched the blade. If the sword was too long to come out in one motion, Balthazar would have to use both hands. This time he wrapped his left hand around the sheath of the sword and his right hand around the handle of the blade itself. As Balthazar pulled the sword out with his right hand, he pushed the sheath back with the left so that the blade would clear the sheath and not get caught as it had the first time.

A satisfied grin spread over the mage's face as he brought his left hand to the base of the sword's hilt beneath his right, gripping it now with two hands. Then Balthazar's face twisted slightly and he released the sword with his left hand, lowering it slightly and holding the blade a little out to the side. He didn't like holding a sword with two hands because it felt restricting and while there was some weight to this sword, Balthazar was strong enough to hold it comfortably with one hand. He needed limbs for striking if the sword failed... but these were men, not monsters. The sight of the glowing blade seemed to frighten them some so Balthazar thought Why not frighten them more?

He caressed the red hot sword with blue flames which burst to life along the blade but Balthazar didn't wave it or try to show off. He was a little afraid of cutting himself as well. He kept the burning sword out at his side and watched the duo who'd come to fight them as the Darstrion returned with his final reminder about the rules. Then the battle was to begin.

Woe took a defensive stance while Balthazar stepped forward only to stop and realize his partner was choosing defense. Balthazar had always believed the best defense was a swift and decisive offense but in the trill Woe had held back, Balthazar decided to trust the Empath. So Balthazar stayed in line with Woe, holding the sword forward slightly so the blazing blade was pointed towards the woman as she began to charge at him.

A flail was an interesting weapon and one that seemed hard to combat. She had longer arms that gave her some reach but Balthazar had a red hot sword that reached farther than her flail. She kept her weapon flailing from side to side and that stopped Balthazar from moving in to attack her... well... from the front. How many times had they told him only to use magic on himself? Well... as you wish.

Balthazar surged forward and as he did his whole body was consumed in a sudden burst of flame. The flames dissipated almost instantly leaving nothing but whips of smoke hanging in the air while another eruption of flames appeared behind the tall woman. Balthazar emerged from the blink portal and slashed downwards at the woman's back with his sword. The single handed slash didn't have a lot of weight behind it, but Balthazar was still getting a feel for the new sword.

[Woe]

Woe was impressed with what Balthazar could accomplish arcanically, without even throwing fireballs or lightning or, whatever else he could do. The battlemage moved with such fluidity too, such skill, that Woe could be forgiven almost for getting mesmerized as he blinked behind the woman and sent an arcing slash down her back.

Yet, he wasn't given to watch for long before the big brute with a club was against him once more. His reverie was broken by the club, which came at him in figure-eight motions. There was less telegraphing this time, as the man-made swift swipes of the wooden implement. Woe kept his sword held in both hands, managing to fend off the warrior, at least until an opening presented itself.

The warclub suddenly snapped forward, taking him in the gut, and bending his torso with its impact. If it weren't for the chained runes of strength and endurance in his core, he might've buckled entirely. Yet he recovered, faster than the warclubber anticipated, and sent his blade in a feint across the man's side, before reversing the grip and thrusting it into a gap in his armor.

The man howled as the tienite bastard sword pierced flesh. Woe took that for the advantage, and pressed the blade's tip in further, then twisted as he pulled it out.

The warclubber fell to his knees, and Woe held him at sword point, forcing him to surrender. The man was dragged bodily from the arena. Woe could only watch, waiting for an opening to help his partner while Balthazar saw to his opponent...

[Balthazar Black]

57 Ymiden 720

While Woe dispatched his foe, Balthazar went to work fighting the woman. The red hot blade slashed across the her large, leather padded back prompting a surprised yelp and a wild swing that Balthazar ducked beneath- his unarmed skill and sparks providing him with plenty of warning that the woman's attack was coming. His sword flailed at his side and the mage stumbled backwards, uncomfortable with the strange mid-range. A sword gave him more reach than his arms but he was used to getting in close... or kicking...

The woman advanced quickly using her rage to numb the burning pain in her back as she continued swinging her flail at him. Balthazar kept on a backpedal, using his superior senses provided by Attunement and Rupturing to keep him from stumbling. His footing was solid due to his training but he didn't know quite what to do with the blade as he held in his right hand. He kept it outstretched at his side to avoid hitting himself with it as he moved on the retreat. He was doing a decent enough job of keeping out of the woman's reach but she was gaining on him so Balthazar lashed out, slashing upwards with his searing katana which caused the woman to recoil slightly. She might not have been afraid of Balthazar but she'd felt the sword before and didn't want to feel it again. Her panic turned back to resolve quickly and she swung her flail out at Balthazar's sword, ensnaring it and pulling the blade from Balthazar's hand. His eyes widened and then he remember he was more dangerous now.

The woman grew more confident after she disarmed Balthazar but the mage charged at her suddenly and as she brought her flail-arm around, Balthazar blocked her forearm. The end of the flail swung slightly after he stopped her arm but it didn't hit the mage who quickly drove his left fist into the woman's stomach. Her armor helped absorb the blow and she seized Balthazar by the throat with her free hand- her metal vambrace smacking into Balthazar's face as she did. The mage was stunned long enough for the woman to drive her knee into his stomach and then toss him aside. His spark warned him she was winding up a swing with her flail so he rolled to the side a second before her flail crashed into the ground where he'd been. Balthazar kicked the woman's shin out from under her, knocking the large warrior off her feet.

Then Balthazar rolled away and got back to his feet, moving a few trills quicker than the woman who stood favoring the leg Balthazar had knocked out from under her. The mage charged again leaping through the air with his leg extended and tearing another blink portal to the space right in front of the woman and driving his heel into her chest. She crashed backwards onto the ground with the air knocked from her lungs while Balthazar fell onto his back and rolled over before pushing himself up onto his feet again. The woman heaved on the ground but she didn't rise and Balthazar looked to Woe. "Does that mean I win?"

[Woe]

Woe felt no need to help Balthazar, as he was well capable of handling himself in a fight. Better than Woe would have, at any rate, and without even using much of his weapon. The mortalborn had to admire that and considered more than once that he could stand to learn some more unarmed techniques. Woe felt the etheric signature of Balthazar, as he portaled in and out of the woman's measure, alternating his movements. He tried memorizing the mage's method for casting rupturing. The signature of his ether. Who knows, he may have to fight a rupturer in the future, and knowledge of how the ether forms and coalesces around an ingress and egress might be key.

Not that Woe thought he had much to fear from this Rupturer, as long as he was being paid.

The fight was over before much longer, and Balthazar stood triumphantly, with a boot on the back of the woman he was fighting. She heaved as he kept her pinned to the ground. The Darstrion clapped and was about to announce a winner to the bout.

"Well d..." Woe was about to congratulate the mage, when a sudden commotion erupted from above the narrow entrance to the fighting pit.

"Bleeders! The Theocratum is shutting us down, boss, we..." The blood priests had infiltrated this fighting pit. Woe cursed briefly, and then turned to Balthazar, placing a hand on his shoulder by way of apology.

"I trust you know the way back to the house? By your portals or through the Untold, you can find me there. Try not to get found by the blood priests before we fight the Creep. They can make your time in Quacia quite uncomfortable if they have you pegged as a trouble-maker." Having said so, Woe clicked his portal boots on the ground and was gone.

A small group of blood priests broke in through the narrow entrance to the pits, wearing the scarlet and black robes of inquisitors. They began spreading out, apprehending, and beating patrons into submission.

[Balthazar Black]

57 Ymiden 720

The only reason that the Blood Priests found Balthazar before he escaped was that everything had happened so suddenly that the mage had no idea what to do. He'd felt victorious and joyful in one second and in the next a militia was bursting through the doors and beating anyone who crossed their paths. Woe saddled up beside Balthazar, stating his assurance that Balthazar would be able to find his way back to the mansion. Woe was correct because Balthazar was an Attuner and could never forget the paths he walked, but it didn't help that right after Woe said it, he clicked his heels together and disappeared. Was that what he'd been trying to do to the Condemned with the boots on his hand? Strange.

Blood Priests, the Theocratum, these were words that Balthazar knew no meaning behind because he had arrived in Quacia and rather immediately been arrested. Then Woe found him, brought him home, and then brought him to the fighting pits. Balthazar had had no time to research the area on his own to learn of their cruel practices and false gods... or perhaps they weren't false? Surely an Immortal would have moved in... perhaps an Immortal who could deceive them? Balthazar shook the thoughts from his head, knowing that only a fool tried to predict the plans of higher powers.

Woe was gone and everyone in the building was scrambling beneath the chaos the Theocratum had brought. Balthazar stood like a ship in a storm while people of all shapes and sizes ran back and forth around him. Suddenly the hand of a Blood Priest gripped a handful of Balthazar's hair and tried to yank him to the ground only for Balthazar to turn and punch the priest square in the face. The priests head snapped backwards and he fell onto his butt while Balthazar caressed his sword in blue fire again. The sudden burst of fire frightened the priest who crawled backwards before two thugs the priests had brought with them ran at Balthazar. Unfortunately for them, there were no more rules to the fighting.

Balthazar stomped, pushing his ether through the earth and causing it to ripple like water. The stones rose like a wave and smacked into the shins of the charging thugs- knocking them off their feet while the mage dispersed the flames on his blade and clumsily tried to sheath it again. He struggled to get the tip of the blade to line up with the opening on the sheath and another thug moved in behind Balthazar to tackle him. Balthazar sensed the thug moving in and spun to his right as the thug commit to his dive and as a result the thug crashed into the ground. While the priests and thugs were beginning to rise again, Balthazar finally figured out how to get his sword back in the sheathe and more importantly, he figured out he was outnumbered.

Balthazar began swinging his hands above his head, conjuring a flaming blue portal above him that slowly became a vortex of fire as Balthazar shifted the ingress, making it pull him in. The ingress vanished from view and the four who'd been fighting Balthazar looked on in confusion. Meanwhile the mage himself slipped out of the egress by the door and took off down the street. Woe had some explaining to do.

[Doran]

Woe:

Knowledge:
Hone: x 3
Intimidation x 1
Blades: x 6
Two-Handed Focus: Blades x 3

Loot: -
Wealth: -
Injuries: -
Renown: 5, for winning a duel.
Magic XP: Yes, for Hone.
Skill Review: Appropriate to level.
Points: 15

Balthazar:

Knowledge:
Attunement (Project) x 2
Rupturing (Pushing/Pulling) - Pulling yourself up through a portal
Blades (Katana) x 6
Blades (Two-Hand Focus): Two-handed grip is more limiting
Intelligence - Quacia's Theocratum
Politics x 2

Loot: a masterwork Faldrunium sword
Wealth: -
Injuries: -
Renown: 5, for winning a duel.
Magic XP: Yes, for Rupturing.
Skill Review: Appropriate to level.
Points: 15

- - -

Comments: I wonder what exactly happened prior to this thread and why the Dragoons kept Balthazar locked in the room. Either way, it’s an interesting premise for another meeting between Balthazar and Woe. I appreciate Woe telling Balthazar what the Creep is. I learned something new from it. I didn’t know that they actually have something resembling emotions!

The Faldrunium sword that Woe gave Balthazar sounds great. I appreciate in how much detail you described it. I was amused by Woe’s thoughts about Hospitality and his wondering if his job was beginning to rub off on him. He does seem to be receiving more guests than he usually does!

The fight itself was entertaining to read. Balthazar’s unarmed and magic skills more than made up for his lack of skill when it comes to fighting with a sword in my opinion. Ending the thread with a commotion and the announcement that the Theocratum was shutting things down provided a bit of additional excitement. Magic and portal poots are definitely useful when you need to quickly take your leave!

Enjoy your rewards!