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Post by Admin on Jun 17, 2010 21:18:02 GMT -5
The tournament floor was empty, but the crowd was filled with excited patrons hoping to see a bloody battle between two great fighters. There were two doors on opposite sides of the arena. One for each fighter to step though. The announcer wasted no time in yelling from the side lines, "Without further delay, let's begin this fight!"
All that there was to wait on was the entrances of the two opponents from opposite sides.
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Post by Golden Emblem on Jun 17, 2010 21:53:50 GMT -5
Drake was actually sitting in the hallway before the door entrance, hidden to the crowd and his prospective opponent. He was just a bit nervous for the fight, as he didn't want to see who was going to be his foe. He always worried about so many things. What if it was a friend? What if it was someone he didn't want to face at all? What if it was a woman? He didn't know if he could fight someone of the opposite gender. It was a fear of his, but he did have to overcome it somehow.
Just as long as it wasn't one woman in particular. Drake knew that if it was one woman, he would throw down his halberd and leave.
There was no one there yet, so Drake just glanced around at the massive arena, actually waving shyly to a few people there before realizing that they were very aggressive, and didn't want him waving to them. In fact, they were just plain rude about it. Drake shook his head and set his eyes towards the door, wondering who was going to appear.
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Post by killerinstinct on Jun 20, 2010 17:10:57 GMT -5
Papillon was polishing her rapier when the announcer yelled for the fighters to come out. Sheathing her sword back in its place, she turned and faced the door. The young brunette was breathing deeply. She wasn't accustomed to fighting someone she never met before. In all her previous battles, she always chose her opponent. But not this time. This time, destiny chose for her. But she should accept it, as it was a way for her to improve her skills; by facing the improbable.
She slowly approached the door, and pushed it. It creaked as it opened, revealing to her the arena, the crowd... and her opponent. She couldn't see what the combatant looked like, but she could tell from the silhouette that it was a man, and that he had a halberd. She could tell, even before stepping in, that this was going to be a tought fight. A rapier against a halberd? She would have to rely on her speed as much as possible. It was the only thing she had. Nevertheless, Papillon stepped into the arena with a confident air, and determined steps. She walked towards the center, as the crowd roared with excitation, only wanting to see the fight begin. When she was a few meters away from Drake, Papillon stopped, and looked at him; shaggy hair, green eyes... he had a messy look for sure, but she wondered if his fighting style had anything to do.
But the young woman didn't waste another second to unsheathe her rapier, as she gave her opponent a determined stare.
"I guess it would be more appropriate to introduce ourselves before we fight", she said in a surprisingly soft voice, "they call me Papillon. I am a treasure huntress."
She took on a battle stance, "and I hope you are ready to fight."
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Post by Golden Emblem on Jun 20, 2010 17:25:47 GMT -5
Oh no, a woman. Why did my first match have to be against one? I mean, they do make up half the population, and it would have been wrong to assume that I would be facing solely male opponents, but... no. I cannot just give up now. I have to show her that I am ready to fight her, and show no fear. I know I can do it... I think.
Drake stood up straight, his halberd digging into the ground beside him, and began to speak. Well, speaking was the wrong word for it. He was talking louder than he normally would, and his knees shook a tad. "I am Drake Armandi, ma'am, and I do not have a career at the moment! I also hope you have a good battle, and... you may have the first move."
Drake didn't mean to be rude or sarcastic by this gesture. He was just trying to be nice by offering to allow her the first strike. He even prepared himself in a defensive stance, getting ready for her to take advantage of this.
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Post by killerinstinct on Jun 20, 2010 17:59:00 GMT -5
Papillon had an eyebrow raised as Drake spoke. He was practically shouting, and he was shaking a little... was he afraid? He was taller than her, had a stronger build, and hell, he had a halbert. She didn't appreciate his gesture; unlike many women, Papillon wasn't fond of the gallantry men often displayed, and more often than not found it insulting. This situation was no different; the fact that he gave her permission to go first, and went into a defensive stance, it was like telling her she wasn't strong enough.
"Tch", was Papillon's only comment. She stood still, looking at Drake. One would think she was hypnotized, but in reality, she was in extreme concentration. If one were to be in her head, they would see that her vision had changed; her sight had been heightened. It was like looking through infra-red goggles; she could see Drake's silhouette, and somehow, there was a large white spot all over his back.
[[Perceive: Since she's a treasure huntress, Papillon can increase her sense of perception when she concentrates on it. This helps determine an opponent's weakpoint.]]
Hmm... so his weak point is his back?, she thought, as her gaze slowly returned to normal.
He's going to regret letting me start... I never thought I'd be able to use this skill, and he gave me the opportunity.
Rapier in hand, Papillon slowly approached Drake, before breaking into a dash and trying to hit him on the side.
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Post by Golden Emblem on Jun 22, 2010 12:54:40 GMT -5
Rapier in hand, Papillon slowly approached Drake, before breaking into a dash and trying to hit him on the side.[/quote]
Drake was definitely not prepared for how fast she would be, even though she had paused for a minute (and looked at him strangely, which unnerved him quite a bit), and he was really not prepared for her to start the first attack in such a way. However, he did manage to dart to the side, even though her rapier glanced his side, cutting through his shirt and causing blood to stain it.
Ahh... I have to be more careful next time. She is very fast, and I do not want to deal with getting stabbed with a rapier. Getting stabbed with anything hurts.
Drake had to think for a minute, but he had a plan that would perhaps allow him to return the blow she had given him. Light began to form in his hand, growing stronger and stronger until he threw it up into the air as a bright burst of light.
(Lost Star Galahad: This spell is a strange one, and it does not work well on more intelligent opponents. What it does is create a bright light in the air, which is good as a distraction. Sometimes, Drake can add sounds to it, or make it flash to temporarily blind opponents. But most of the time, it is simply a big, shiny light.)
He hoped it would work, but not many people were distracted by the sudden jolt of light in the sky.
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Post by killerinstinct on Jun 26, 2010 15:49:30 GMT -5
As light formed in Drake's hand, Papillon wondered what to do, not knowing what this light would do. She stood still, hesitating, but ready to react when needed. However, instead of sending the ball at her way, Drake had thrown it up in the air. As she didn't know what it would do, Papillon made the mistake to glance at the jolt of light at the sky, wondering if it had any effects whatsoever, though it seemingly didn't. Even though she was still wary and was still ready to move quickly, Papillon might be a bit slower than usual (since she got distracted for a few seconds)...
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Post by Golden Emblem on Jun 27, 2010 14:33:59 GMT -5
Drake saw that Papillon was looking at the light for a moment, instead of him, and he knew it would be his chance to launch an assault. He was used to seeing the flash of light, after using this spell so many times, so he could stare straight at it and be barely affected. He had to think for a second, but an idea planted itself in his head. He ran at Papillon, carrying his halberd in both hands so that the pole, not one of the sharp ends, was pointed at his foe, and attempted to ram into her, thereby shoving her away... if it worked.
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Post by killerinstinct on Sept 1, 2010 17:32:11 GMT -5
Papillon was going to find out that this was her first big mistake. As she realized that the light was nothing but a trick, she looked back at Drake, and was too late to move; he had already started charging at her. She attempted to step away, but the pole was long enough to reach her. The pole rammed into her abdominal area, making her lose her breath, and pushing her forcefully to the ground. The fall hurt her back a lot, but she still forced herself to get up, as she didn't know what Drake could do next. Papillon coughed and gasped, still breathless, as she painfully got up and backed away from Drake, a hand on her stomach.
"You got me fooled well...", she said with a hoarse voice, "I should be more wary of you."
I should also go full force, she thought, or else he'll break me apart before I get the chance to do anything.
The pain subsided, she was able to move quickly again. Without waste, Papillon prepared her next attack. She quickly came up with a plan, and began charging at Drake, ready to thrust her rapier at her opponent... or so it seemed. Her attack could change at the last minute, depending on Drake's reaction.
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Post by Golden Emblem on Sept 1, 2010 17:42:37 GMT -5
Drake was so surprised that his attack had actually hit that he had backed off a bit while Papillon stood up, waiting to make sure she was up and ready for another attack before he went to attack her. He listened to what she had to say and felt badly for hurting her. Maybe he should have just said no to entering the tournament, but when she charged, he knew he'd have to stick it out until the end.
He began to spin his halberd using both hands, stepping back as he placed it in front of him, almost like a make-shift shield. He hoped that it would keep her from stabbing him, but at the same time, if she was fast enough, she could easily injure him.
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Post by killerinstinct on Sept 2, 2010 10:06:41 GMT -5
Bingo.
It was the opening Papillon was looking for. Drake facing her, ready to block her attack. She sped up, raised her rapier, ready to stab, and when she was close enough to hit...
... She disappeared.
[[The Magician's Act: When facing an opponent, Papillon can in a flash disappear and reappear behind the opponent, like a magic trick. In truth, she just uses her speed to be behind the opponent when he least expects it. She cannot use this skill often, and she can only use it best around the beginning of a battle, as she would be least tired at that time.]]
Except she hadn't disappeared to thin air. She was fast enough to go behind Drake unnoticed, but her steps could be heard. Now behind him, she aimed her rapier at his back, the weak point she had perceived at the beginning of the battle.
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Post by Golden Emblem on Sept 3, 2010 14:33:31 GMT -5
Drake didn't have time to react, even though he had heard her footsteps behind him, mainly because he was so surprised she had disappeared out of the blue. However, it would be a matter of who surprised who, as something happened when she slashed through the flesh of his back.
Two angel wings sprouted from his back, unfurling themselves behind Drake, some blood spattered on the grey feathers from rubbing against his back, a bit more dripping on the ground. It was a weak point for Drake: if a certain spot of his back was hit, his wings would come out. He really didn't want such a thing to happen, but he quickly sheathed his wings, disappearing shortly after they had appeared. As per tournament rules, he had clipped them, so he couldn't fly even if he wanted.
However, Drake was more embarrassed now than ever. he hadn't meant that to happen, so instead of attacking, he began to draw away from Papillon, not wanting her to attack again.
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Post by killerinstinct on Sept 3, 2010 15:19:37 GMT -5
Papillon let out a loud gasp. Though she only saw them for a few seconds, it was enough for her to know they were wings. That explains the weakpoint that extended all over his back; it was his wings. Papillon never truly believed in a higher power, and thus not in angels or devils, but now she was in doubt. Though she had travelled a lot, she had never met before in her life winged beings. Or perhaps she had met some, but they had their wings hidden, as Drake had his. The young swordswoman stood in place, eyes wide open, staring at Drake in awe. She was speechless at first, and was completely paralyzed from the shock.
"What... are you...?" she finally managed to mutter under her breath, loud enough for Drake to hear her. She was still unable to decide what to think of him. Was he an angel? Just a person with wings? Could he even be considered human?
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Post by Golden Emblem on Sept 3, 2010 15:26:53 GMT -5
"I guess you could call me an angel," Drake stammered, a bit nervous to be admitting it himself. This really wasn't something he wanted to be talking about, but there wasn't much he could do about it. She had already seen his wings, and he owed her some truth to her question. "I am from Heaven, although it is not as heavenly as one would imagine."
He chuckled a bit, and then frowned. "I apologize for frightening you. However, I am very similar to you, so staring is really not necessary, and it... would be appreciated... if you stopped... please. I think we should just finish the battle, and perhaps we can talk after."
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Post by killerinstinct on Sept 4, 2010 10:28:10 GMT -5
"An angel..." Papillon pronounced that word as though it was magic. She was wondering whether she should believe it or no, but one thing she couldn't deny was that he did have wings. Still, in her head, it sounded insane to say she was battling an angel.
"Ah!" Papillon snapped out of her thoughts, when she saw Drake's expression, "My apologies. I didn't mean any offence by staring like that. Yes, we should finish..."
Papillon tried to focus again on the battle. For now, she couldn't use another skill; the one she just used drained quite a lot of energy out of her. She should take it easy for the moment before using another skill. Taking on a battle stance, she began circling Drake, walking slowly around him. Then, she dashed at him, intending on slashing at his legs.
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Post by Golden Emblem on Sept 4, 2010 12:53:31 GMT -5
Drake had seen her charge at him this time, so instead of backing away or just standing there and taking the hit, he moved his halberd in order to prevent Papillon from hitting his legs, and to get her into a parrying stance. He knew that, if they were to be in a position where their weapons were pushing against each other, he could win. He didn't want to hurt her badly, but he did want the battle to end. It would be a nice change to talk to someone about what he was, instead of hiding it.
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Post by killerinstinct on Sept 4, 2010 14:04:14 GMT -5
Papillon saw that Drake had placed his weapon in defense, but she continued forward, and her rapier clashed with his halberd. However, she immediately retreated; parrying against a halberd would be a very bad idea. Instead, she had taken a few steps back, but remained close to Drake. Rapier pointed at her opponent, she drew a circle in the air, before going into a fury of thrusting, none of it hitting Drake.
[[Blade of the Illusionist: When close to an enemy, Papillon can use this trick, by thrusting and swinging her blade at an insane speed, creating illusions that she's attacking. This can be used as a way to confuse her opponents.]]
Papillon was hoping this would confuse Drake enough that he wouldn't know where the attack could come from, and that would permit her to attack him and deal some damage. She wasn't planning on giving up easily.
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Post by Golden Emblem on Sept 4, 2010 14:20:17 GMT -5
Drake was surprised when Papillon preformed such a move against him, but he soon realized that he wasn't exactly getting hit. It was frightening to be constantly being "attacked", but he had to focus, and try to not think about the fact that she could actually stab him in the gut at any second, or go for his legs again. So, he did something that might have seemed absolutely crazy to the audience, but it made perfect sense to him.
He closed his eyes and muttered what one could think of being a prayer, keeping his eyes closed as the air started to go cold, and the skies darkened. He was casting a spell, one which could maybe turn the tide for him.
[Gate of the Earthly Prisoner: This spell darkens the skies and causes it to grow cold as snow begins to fall, quickly becoming a storm of sorts. However, this snow covers for ice balls which fall shortly after, similar to hail. This lasts for a short time before the ice balls stop, but the snow lasts the entire fight.]
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Post by killerinstinct on Sept 4, 2010 14:31:09 GMT -5
Curses! This doesn't look good...
It didn't look good at all. Papillon quickly caught on with what Drake was doing, and the first signs were probably only the beginning. She couldn't waste any more time; she had to give it her all. It was now or never. She might not get another chance to do this, anyway.
So, while Drake was casting the spell, while the skies darkened and the air got colder, Papillon had stopped her illusive attacks, and prepared her next attack. She concentrated all her energy in her left arm, and thrust the rapier at Drake, aiming for the abdomens (because she couldn't bring herself to aim for the heart). Whether the attack missed or no, she didn't know; what she did know was that, after this, she'd be very weak.
[[Piercing Strike: Papillon concentrates her energy, and deals a damaging blow.]]
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Post by Golden Emblem on Sept 4, 2010 14:43:37 GMT -5
Drake had been too busy focusing on casting his spell that he didn't realize she was aiming for him until he felt the blade sink into his stomach, not having noticed her come towards him. Due to this, he couldn't finish casting the spell and allowing it to reach its full potential, so instead it just began to snow, large flakes falling to the ground slowly at first, the speed beginning to move along at a rapid pace.
"Ah..." Drake managed to gasp out, looking down and seeing where the blade had struck him. He managed to pull away from her, the blade leaving his stomach as he stepped away from her, blood dripping onto the snow as he pulled away. At the very least, the snow might be a distraction which he could use to his advantage, by hiding away for a moment and seeing if he could do something about his injury.
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Post by killerinstinct on Sept 5, 2010 9:14:28 GMT -5
It had worked! Papillon felt her rapier cutting through flesh with force. She was glad her energy didn't go to waste, but she felt a bit bad for hurting Drake so, and exhaustion had taken over her. As Drake pulled away and pulled back, the snow began falling heavily, covering the blood and any potential footprint created. The rapier fell out of her hand, and Papillon dropped to her knees, hitting the snow with a soft thud. She was really tired, and the cold wasn't helping: she didn't do well in cold places. Breathing heavily and shivering, Papillon looked up and around, searching for Drake. Although she had dealt a considerable amount of damage, she still had a bad feeling, as he could cast another spell. But, what with all the snow, it was impossible to see anything.
Grabbing her rapier, she struggled to get up. She looked around her again, this time focusing, if only to see a glimpse of him.
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Post by Golden Emblem on Sept 5, 2010 9:25:16 GMT -5
Drake, meanwhile, was hiding against one of the arena walls, trying to see if he could do something about the blood dripping out of his stomach. The only thing he could think of was to rip off some of his pant leg and hold it there to slow the bleeding for the moment. He had the feeling he could cast one more spell, but that would completely drain him of any energy or will to continue fighting, unless he did it in a last blazing stand. But he couldn't even see Papillon right now. Doing that would be stupid until the snow began to clear up a bit.
For now, he just began to walk, one hand holding the cloth to his stomach, the other dragging his halberd along. If Papillon looked carefully, she would be able to see a glimpse of steel through the snow.
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Post by killerinstinct on Sept 5, 2010 9:35:44 GMT -5
Papillon stood in place and searched through the snow-filled arena for any sign of Drake. And there, against the wall, she could make out a metallic object slowly moving, as though dragged along. She figured it was Drake's halberd. Still tired, she decided to take it slowly, and just observe him for the moment and see what he could do. She slowly walked, keeping a distance between them in order not to be noticed, but keeping an eye on him all the while.
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Post by Golden Emblem on Sept 5, 2010 9:43:26 GMT -5
Drake was also looking around, trying to make out Papillon's form in the snow, but he couldn't see her at all. The snow was still too heavy, but at the very least, it was beginning to lighten up a bit. Maybe, soon, it would be possible for him to see Papillon, and at the very least get the battle over and go home for a cup of tea. For the meanwhile, he decided to hold his halberd straight, picking it off the ground, and stay where he was. Hopefully Papillon wasn't watching him or something.
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Post by killerinstinct on Sept 5, 2010 19:05:43 GMT -5
Papillon noticed that Drake had stopped moving. While the snow lightened up a bit, it wouldn't be a good idea to attack now. She was barely able to walk, let alone run, and with the snow, it'd be a bit too risky. She moved towards the wall, an eye still on Drake, wanting to hide from him until the snow's stopped. After then, she would think what to do, but for now, she was going to wait. She got to one side and got on one knee, deciding to rest until the snow stopped.
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Post by Golden Emblem on Sept 5, 2010 19:36:07 GMT -5
The snow was finally beginning to lighten up, and soon enough, it had completely stopped. It was even beginning to warm up, so some of the snow was starting to melt. Soon, the arena would be filled with puddles. With the snow halted, Drake was able to look around, and he noticed where Papillon was, currently on one knee. He stood, but didn't approach.
"Shall we finish this?"
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Post by killerinstinct on Sept 5, 2010 20:02:24 GMT -5
As the snow stopped, Papillon was aware that she would be easily spotted. And spotted, she was. She slowly got up, using the wall as support. She was a bit better now, although it was certain that she would be unable to use another skill. Plus, the snow, which would soon turn into puddle, was going to hinder her. The battle was going to be very tricky now...
"Yes... we shall", Papillon answered Drake, as she slowly began walking in his direction, but always staying far enough from him. She was perhaps waiting for him to do the first move. The way things were now, she was at a complete disadvantage, thus she'd prefer her opponent to start first, so she'd think of a way to counter him.
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Post by Golden Emblem on Sept 5, 2010 20:35:54 GMT -5
Drake began to walk towards her as well, dropping the covering on his stomach and leaving it in the snow to be able to hold his halberd with both hands. He felt a lot weaker than he had before, with blood dripping from his back and stomach, but he wanted to at least give it everything he had in him, as not to insult Papillon's fighting ability.
Once he was about ten steps away, he paused, and then broke out into what would be a run, except he was trying not to fall in the snow. When he was close enough, he aimed a slash at her, starting from the ground and slashing towards the sky.
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Post by killerinstinct on Sept 6, 2010 14:55:26 GMT -5
Papillon had stopped and waited for Drake to move. She noted his wound and the continous bleeding, and felt very bad for him. Those she fought with in the past were foes she couldn't care less about, but the tournament was very different. Here, she didn't know her opponents, and thus had nothing against them. She decided to apologize to him later, but for now, they had to finish this battle.
As Drake broke out into a run towards her, Papillon acted fast and jumped back to avoid the slash. Except her dodge wasn't a complete success...
"Ahh!!" she shouted out, as she slipped and fell on the ground. She managed to avoid getting slashed by Drake's halberd, but ended up hurting her left elbow when she fell on it. After this battle, she was surely going to hate snow. She let out a groan and rubbed her throbbing elbow.
Not good..., the brunette thought, holding tightly her aching elbow. She got on one knee, ready to get up.
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Post by Golden Emblem on Sept 7, 2010 10:15:34 GMT -5
Drake had the chance to slash at Papillon again, but he decided not to. In fact, what he did decide to do was go up to her, going a bit slow because of the fact that he was beginning to get a little dizzy, and stand right in front of her. With his hand that wasn't covered with blood from holding his wound, he offered a hand to her, to help her get up. He would have felt terrible to strike her down while she was on one knee.
"Do you need a hand?"
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