• PM To Join • Of Sword, Song and Serpents [Part 3]

[Kaladis Anar]

Of Sword, Song and Serpents [Part 3]

Near the Digsite, Underground Cells, Nashaki
Afternoon, 6th of Cylus.
The Scrolls of Anar, Nashaki, #8 Fire against Bone, the dance continues.
Continued From Part 2 Here

D

ark in here, wherever he was. He blinked, and turned around to see a row of small cells, they looked like they were still underground, and he was a captive. Seeing Laventia the Qi’ora researcher on the other side of the bars, he saw the bodies of the rest of her research team laying prone on the floor, the bronze armored human maker who had argued with him in the cell opposite, and his Eidisi mentor Ralari, arguing with Laventia, the head researcher at the center. Arguing would be a polite a word given Ralari’s bruised face. He was coughing and sputtering, more so when Laventia’s stooge next to him released the grip around Ralari’s throat.

It was Rupture then, they’d pulled or pushed Kaladis the other side of the tunnel end perhaps, and locked him in a cell, that was clever. He had heard of this portal discipline but never experienced it. Definitely feeling disorientated, but steadily recovering his sense of balance, to assess the fix he now found himself in.

“Maybe you will tell me what he could not.” Laventia turned to Kaladis and sneered, “open his cell, this other one is no more use to us.” A double cross, this didn’t make sense. Didn’t Laventia work for his employers the Makers, no he remembered when they’d joined the dig, she wasn’t happy to see them. Were these black figures in employ of the council, what was so important to kill their research team, did they think they would get away with murdering three council retainers?

“You will regret this.” Kaladis said at the sight of his beaten mentor. Why had Ralari not used his abilities, he must have been waiting for something. Waiting for Kaladis? That would be his style, he must have known Kaladis would come.

“Like Mentor and like Student. Both blind to the shadows,” Laventia sneered, “or what’s right in front of them.” Little did she know she was describing herself now she had renunited a mentor and apprentice of a different sort, both men who would give their lives for each other.

K

aladis took a good look at Laventia’s assistant, black leather armored with silver markings, like those who held the contract of the smith he worked for. He was also trying to assess any weakspots he had, spotting a bandaged knee. This tunnel was wider than the digsite and more stable, but it was still a tunnel and he had no idea where it would lead.

When his cell was unlocked by Laventia's stooge, he was led toward Ralari at sword point, bending down to check on his bruised friend as he arrived. Laventia’s hand began to glow warmer, she pooled the air around her finger into a warm burning sensation above it and pressed it downward, ready for round two of her torturing session. “Tell me why you were really sent here.” She glowered angrily at them both, she’d not even bothered to strip him of his weapon, how arrogant, and foolish to underestimate an Eidisi, no, two Eidisi.

“Kaladis.” Ralari looked up, and he smiled a pained but happy smile. Kaladis nodded, and stepped out of the way. They knew each other enough to need no words, it was time.

[img]/gallery/image ... ge_id=7260[/img]

~

[Kaladis Anar]

The First Arcanist Duel.

W

ith that same breezy draft from earlier coming into the tunnel, it was again accelerated, this time into a howling full wind, taking Laventia and her black clad helper back a few steps, away from them both. At least until the breeze died down, Ralari was a competent defier, meaning he used what was there, sadly he was not the only one who could manipulate the elements.

“He’s a mage,” Laventia's non too bright helper stated obviously. "Really!?" She rebutted harshly.

Whereas Laventia seemed to have more expertise in Defiance, she was still taken by surprise. Her original flame blown out, the Qi’ora drew upon the ether herself again, her hand slowly drawing fire into being with no assistance, igniting the air. Ralari scampered back to the bodies of the dead researchers on the floor. Kaladis drew down into Abrogation to try to delay her, holding his own shield up as a symbol and for cover, being a novice he doubted he could distract her for long, but he had surprise on his side. Ralari would need time to ready the dead.

Reaching into the same ether she was drawing to her, he tried to flip it, divert it and snuff it out before it became fire, having some success in confusing Laventia's technique further, moreso because she was already off balance and wasn't expecting it. “Kill the apprentice!” She scowled to the armored man at her side, realising she was facing two arcanists and her overconfident mistake. Kaladis walked back a few paces to get some distance, keeping his shining new cobalt shield up.

Rather than run at him, her helper became still, waiting for something, allowing Kaladis to wrestle with Laventia’s concentration. Trills later a snapping, loud, rupturing sound thundered out, the black clad figure blinked toward Kaladis, rupturing the air before him and appearing almost on top of the Eidisi, to strike at his shield with a sword. The first clang of their metal broke any effect Kaladis still had on Laventia.

It was to be Apprentice vs Apprentice and Mentor vs Mentor, Four Mages in close quarters. Another might think this was going to be interesting. Despite his desire for revenge, Kaladis wanted to get them both out in one piece, but now they had been revealed for what they were, he also wanted less witnesses left alive.

[img]/gallery/image ... ge_id=7260[/img]

~

[Kaladis Anar]

W

ith a second hit against the shield, his arm and especially shoulder was already feeling the impact, the cobalt holding up well to the iron regardless of the arm braced underneath. Kaladis had little technique with the shield, some basic instruction of how to deflect, would have served him better than just trying to directly stop each strike, had he more skill. Shrugging the shield forward to try and gain some space, he drew his own iron sword, and sliced to the side of the shield, being met with a parry. Forced back a pace, the truth was he was outmatched in strength and also in how the other man moved, his attacker was better trained. Back another step, his opponent pressed his strength advantage, and threatened to just knock him down if it continued. One day someone would teach Kaladis to side step!

A small burst of fire from Laventia came flying by, and everyone ducked, thankfully it went wide of everyone.

Seeing magic zipping about, “get me out of here!” The remaining captive yelled, the same bronze dressed man from his earlier encounter. “I can help!” He assured. Whether he’d help or just run for his life who really knew. In front of the cell, the exchange of sword strikes continued, his opponent waited for Kaladis to open his shield up, and almost gave him a cut on his arm. With a curse and a downward block of the sword, Kaladis would enjoy giving them another man to shoot at, but how was he going to open the cell door?

Behind him, Laventia had finished igniting a larger burning ball of air, and sent it screeching toward Ralari, who was still making his final preparations on the dead. Thankfully the first undead body jolted up in time, taking the burst of fire face first. These were not dry, old or dusty undead, they were fresh and although weaker than a prepared corpse, no more vulnerable to fire than a man. It simply didn’t care that it had been lit aflame, and got up, shuffling towards Laventia anyway. With just one silent command to the now burning corpse, kill that crazy woman!

There was no hiding it now, everyone in the tunnel knew they were dealing with necromancers. “Defiling the dead will not save you,” Laventia hissed at the top of her lungs, building a larger ignition of the elements above her head. Too bad for her, the undead and the fight was between her and the door, and Ralari had two more to raise!

Meanwhile Kaladis eyed the keys on the belt of his attacker.

[img]/gallery/image ... ge_id=7260[/img]

~

[Kaladis Anar]

F

ires burning added heat and growing light to the melee, with two struggles developing. Sword against shield and bone against fire. There were no archmagisters here, or master arcanists, yet the tunnel was getting warmer and the surrounding energies marginally more volatile as they were unleashed by command.

In a clever twist, Kaladis’s opponent switched sword hands to his leftside, which made Kaladis’s shield less effective in trying to block his cuts, but he hadn’t yet realised stabbing and feinting was the best way to bring a shield user down, because neither men were swordmasters here.

For Kaladis’s part, he turned aside a strike with his sword instead. Pushing down from the inside out, the Eidisi followed through, stabbing his weapon down, going for the keybelt to try and dislodge the jailer's keys. Missing his target, and feeling his body twisted awkwardly, Kaladis felt a gripped blade hilt hammer him in the jaw for his trouble, a sharp sting drawing blood followed. Kaladis’s answer was to hammer his shield in a punching action, it was untrained but got a body blow of his own in.

Beside him Ralari was faring better, as usual, a second thrall was walking behind the flaming first in a silent synchronised march of bones, looking to make a meal of the power mad sorceress, who found herself in an unwise dead end. The next fire exerted from Laventia almost consumed the already burning front thrall, burning at a superheated temperature, it reached its legs and without their stability the undead collapsed to a crawl. There was some cost to the sorceress, she was visibly taking deep breathes and sweating from the exertion. Ralari silently commanded the next undead to walk over the burning debris of its partner heedlessly. When something didn’t care about its body, the legs were an obvious weaker, thinner spot, to melt or burn. Kaladis realised in that moment, that as long as they had a supply of bodies, they could run down an unprepared opponent by attrition.

Feeling the wash of heat, and using the distraction. Kaladis continued trying to ram the shield into the shoulder of his foe again, his opponent pressed back, using his greater strength to unbalance the Eidisi, and swipe his sword over the top of the shield, grazing Kaladis’s shoulder and drawing second blood. Kaladis bit down on burning pain, fooling nobody that he was not feeling the wound. Cutting again for the jailor's keys, this close he couldn’t miss, they came away and satisfyingly he made the other yelp as his blade pierced his left thigh’s leather.

“Come on, Come on get me out of here!” The imprisoned man watching on rattled his bars, either increasingly panicked by the displays of magic, or increasingly keen to get into the fight, it was hard to tell.

[img]/gallery/image ... ge_id=7260[/img]

~

[Kaladis Anar]

T

rying to resist the burning sensation from the cut, Kaladis’s shoulder was feeling heavier. His opponent now limped heavily on the wounded leg, both of them showing their fatigue. Eying each other, both men chose to patiently wait for the chance to strike, assuming high guards, their standoff was the opposite from the now frantic spells being slung beside them.

The second of Ralari’s thralls had almost reached Laventia, and the third had arisen to his will. Sent forward, one crawling, two walking in time together, the march of the dead carried echoes of what was one day to come. The sorceress scorched forward a burning answer to the line of corpses now in front of her, incinerating the legs of the nearest one, having found her Achilles heel. She visibly had to hold the wall as this next gush of flame melted the undead’s ability to stand. Ralari was running out of bodies, and Kaladis of time. Yet once every so often, his mentor gave him his opportunity.

“What in the hells!” The nearest crawling undead had grabbed the ankle of Kaladis’s opponent, it being on fire did little for the demeanour of the man it was holding. Opportunity knocked, for a split second his oppenent was distracted, and Kaladis struck with a cutting motion down his arm. The injured man's response was instinctive, he threw the Eidisi and his shield against the cell bars, clear of him.

“Tathon!” Laventia called out, showing concern for her underling, the man fell to one knee, twice wounded, and visibly bleeding, hacking at the corpse holding his ankle to free himself. It was all the time Kaladis needed to grab the dropped key and unlock the cell next to him.

“Help us finish this.” Kaladis demanded of the freed man, he didn’t need any encouragement or take any notice for that matter. Out charged the bronze clad prisoner, ready for a payback of his own, clashing blades with the wounded man. Just as Ralari had given Kaladis his opening, now he repaid the same.

C

asting another bout of amber to set the only standing undead aflame, Laventia had cleared the way to Ralari, who was now defenceless and visibly backing away. Close to her victory, the sorceress was beginning to overreach, she was off balance and dizzy, Kaladis didn’t know this was defiance overreaching but he did see a lack of control in the last attack. The forming ether above her, was her real weakness, so close she formed the fire. His eyes saw it, and his mind began to call it to his will. Abrogation to distract, to offbalance the ether, to stop what she was doing, she fought it again predictably, and she won. Kaladis felt a sharp pain in his cheek where she rebuffed his novice technique, the fire she held blossomed twice as bright, and twice as large… lighting her own arm on fire.

A dark grin came across the Eidisi’s face at her arrogance, for the day a novice used an expert's own spell against them.

[img]/gallery/image ... ge_id=7260[/img]

~

[Kaladis Anar]

W

hat a desert lacked for was obviously water, it was times like this Kaladis was reminded of it most of all. Had she more concentration or less fatigue Laventia might have been able to summon forth water, as it was she screamed and waved her burning arm about her, before realising to try and roll on the ground to put it out.

Behind him the swords continued to clash, Laventia's stooge Tathon gaining some distance from the bronze prisoner. Tathon became still again, and Kaladis readied his shield, knowing the signs now. “Guard yourself!” Kaladis advised the bronze prisoner, who was still paying no attention to a word he said, much to his own peril now. With another loud crack of rupturing, Tathon blinked into a small shockwave, ended up behind the prisoner, and maimed him squarely across his back. The outmanoeuvred man fell to the ground, dead outright or soon to be.

Kaladis wasn’t standing there waiting this time, he’d been moving and so had his sword, as Tathon turned around to face him it thrust into his stomach. The man tried to get his hands around Kaladis’s neck but he lacked the strength. Kaladis had seen death but never by his own hand, even in his cold heart something gnawed at him. Tathon slid backwards, sword still imbedded in him, breathing his last few breathes.

Moving to check on Ralari, Kaladis helped his bruised and battered mentor up from the ground, his injuries seemed superficial, but he was no doctor. Tathon groaned on the floor, his last act was to call a portal for Laventia, who clutching her arm, sorrow in her eyes, exited the tunnel in a flash. Kaladis was too far away to stop her, he doubted they’d seen the last of her, what was worse was they’d have no answers now. His own sentimentality for Ralari had gotten in the way of finishing his enemy.

Retrieving his blade from the dead, and searching the fallen's pockets for any loot. He gave Ralari the dead antagonist’s iron sword, pulling off his boots and looting anything of worth on his belt, he found a few trinkets, a coin purse, and a memento of a waterfall. Afterwards the wounded pair walked toward the fallen prisoner. Kaladis poked the body, but there was no movement, he closed the dead man's eyes. Deciding to honor the fallen ally in respecting his body and belongings, Kaladis placed the ally’s fallen blade tightly in the dead man’s grip. What he did notice was the tattoo of a blue serpent on the arm, not recognizing it.

Had this been outside the city, the fallen man would have made an honoured thrall. As it was he couldn’t stop Ralari taking what bones were left of the other burned researchers for his own use, there wasn’t much from the fire, but he obtained a few spare parts, snatching a dusty spare rucksack to fill it up.

There was not much else in the tunnel, the dead researchers had already been looted of items, what was left was burning piles of bones and ash now regardless. Laventia had been thorough, it irked Kaladis that she had got away. She knew who they were, and that made her more dangerous than any of her magic skills, their hold over her was, they knew what she’d done here.

An old sword, a few cheap trinkets, some boots, some bones in a rucksack, and an underlings coin purse, not exactly a king’s ransom for the day, he doubted the Markers would be happy that everyone was dead, or that the woman responsible had got away, and if they were truly council retainers now laying scattered all over the floor, that might bring further complications. He rubbed his temples, looking at the bruised face of his mentor, “a low profile then?”

For once, Ralari had no comeback.

Fin for now, consequences to come.

[img]/gallery/image ... ge_id=7260[/img]

~

[Maltruism]

Come and get your Loot!

(There's plenty more where that came from)

KALADIS ANAR:

Rewards:

• Story: +5
• Collaboration: +0 (solo)
• Structure: +5

These points CAN be used for the magics you are initiated in.

Knowledges:

• Abrogation: Resist and Release to Make Enemy Mage Overdo Herself
• Abrogation: 'Flipping' Will at Least Delay a Superior Mage
• Blades: Block With Blade to Surprise with Shield Slam
• Blades: Novice vs. Novice is a Well-Matched Fight
• Blades: Using the Hilt as a 'Fist' Weapon
• Bronze-Armored Prisoner: Had Blue Serpent Tatoo
• Defiance: Using Wind for Separation to Gain Time
• Laventia: Enemy Defier Mage: Escaped
• Location: Laventia's Tunnel Dungeon
• NPC: Bronze-Armored Prisoner: Deceased
• NPC: Laventia: Qi'ora Traitor
• NPC: Tathon: Laventia's Rupturer Thug: Deceased
• Necromancy: Fresh, New Thrall is Less Vulnerable to Fire
• Necromancy: A Legless Thrall Still Has Arms and Teeth
• Rupture: 'Blinking' for Sudden Attacks
• Rupture: The Feel of a Portal's Pull
• Shield Combat: 'Blocking' and 'Deflecting' are Not the Same Thing
• Shield Combat: A Central Blind to Hide Sword Swings
• Shield Combat: Push Forward and Step Back to Buy Time
• Tathon: Marked With Silver Sigil of Smithy Contractor
• Tactics: Anticipating an Enemy Mage's Blink Tendencies

Loot:

Prizes and more prizes

Loss:

set of Good Leather Boots
12gn in coin purse.
trinkets include: small padlock with key.
small folding knife.
4 dice of a metal that almost seems to glow.
Small Waterfall knick-knack made of a glassy metal.

Injuries:

A sword wound in the shoulder. 2 weeks to heal.

Fame:-13

Judging by the "Fantamaln" thread, the actions here did become known.
Yet they seemed to be unpopular.
Act of magic x5 (-10)
Victory in Single Combat (-3)

Devotion:

Nothing to speak of

Comments:

Very engaging thread. I liked how you let Laventia build up the force of her fire Defiance, and then pulled the resistance. Kind of like opening a door before a charging enemy...lol
I confess, I'm not sure what the "Memento of a Waterfall" is exactly. A souvenir of a visit to one?