Rumble on RPA Awean8 vs splicer407 {J Shepherd}

[Shepherd]

The tang of salt air hits your nostrils and you barely have time to register how out of place the scent is before a roaring wind tears the surroundings from your sight.

As the cacophony of sound around you fades and the whirling turbine of air dissipates you realize that you aren't in Kansas anymore Toto. Instead you find yourself on a ancient schooner that has clearly seen better days. The floor boards creak and give under your weight, making you wonder how much of the ship is sturdy and how much is being held together by mold, sea slime and rot. Your gaze is then drawn upwards to the three large masts with their tattered sails flying and beyond to the solid wall of thick grey clouds that dominate the sky in all directions.

As the ship softly rolls on the currently placid sea, the sky tells of the dangers of a storm to come, and as if on cue, the tip of the center mast begins to glow with violet-blue fire as a streak of lightning breaks the gloom of the dull grey sky.

"Greetings," says the voice emanating from the St. Elmo's Fire. "You have been brought to this place to do battle. The match will last until one of you is dead, unable to battle, or gives up. Afterwards all wounds shall be healed, but remember, only one will advance to the next round. You may begin at anytime." And with that the mysterious ghost light vanishes, just as the first drops of rain begin to patter on the deck of the ship.

(The battle will last for 10 days or until you each have posted 5 times. After you have each posted 5 times, please wait for the judge to post before proceeding.)

[GraftRaven]

Arxus looked around the decrepit ship, its almost flat deck rocking side to side slowly, there was very little that looked clean and only slightly more that looked in any sort of working order. He jumped slightly when the lightening struck the tallest mast, igniting a fire that spoke the rules of the engagement. Arxus paid it almost no mind, time limits and healing mattered little to him, but what did matter was finding his opponent amongst the detritus of the apparently ancient ship.

He drew both of the talons and began to walk, gently chanting a two century old sea shanty as he picked his way across the deck, careful of any boards that creaked a bit too much. Then Arxus spotted him, the telltale red cloak and slung sword of Rynn. "You!" he shouted, fury coating his voice like armor as he vaulted over a pile of old barrels and began to run towards the man.

[Awean8]

"Well, it's good to see you too", Rynn was wearing a coy smile as his nemesis dashed towards him with his signature talons, "Let's try to make this quick shall we?"

His daggers remained within their sheathes, as Rynn instead brought out the sword that was slung on his back. The Spine. The serrated edges of the evil blade were fettered with rosary beads, magical charms to contain the negative energy with in it. When Rynn pulled the beads off it caused an eerie wind to rush through the deck of the ship causing Rynn's cloak to flap and flutter.

The rain began to pour. A great setting for a great battle. The last battle with Arxus had almost killed Rynn. He was truly a challenging opponent. Rynn would never unsheathe The Spine for anyone else, only for a special occasion such as this. The warlock took a defensive stance awaiting Arxus' charge, ready to fend him off.

[GraftRaven]

If he was going to do something creative he had to do it quick, the deck and everything on it was rapidly becoming slick with the mixture of rain and grime. Arxus performed a sort of running wall-jump off of the low cabin to his right, intending to vault over Rynn entirely, though his trajectory would likely take him within range of that curious blade. Regardless, it was too late to reconsider, his foot planted firmly on the wooden wall and, with an ominous cracking sound, he was propelled nearly seven feet into the air.

Arxus twisted violently to keep his opponent in view and his body as far as possible from that blade. Just as he passed over the blur of a red cloak he could see he spat a tongue of flame that was more solid than usual, intending that it stick lightly to everything for a second or two. Arxus landed heavily on the boards of the deck, which in hindsight was rather unwise as the nearly rotted wood beneath him instantly cracked and nearly gave way save for the support beams beneath the deck. This would be a fight against the environment as much as Rynn.

[Awean8]

Rynn used his cloak to shield himself from the flames, singeing it severely before any remaining coals were drowned by the now heavy rain fall. Just as Arxus had landed, although clumsily, Rynn prepared an offensive before swiftly being thrown back against the ships railings. The rickety ghost ship was now being thrown about the waves of the sea as the storm swiftly brewed into a violent hurricane. The wet floorboards made it difficult for Rynn to keep his footing, which meant a defensive stance would be nearly impossible.

Rynn than did what he usually did best. With his right hand clutching the Spine, and his left hand held out towards Arxus magnificent blue flames shot out from his palm in short bursts.

Looking over the side of the railings he could see the massive waves pushing the ship back and forth in a battle between the different forces of nature. Multiple lightning bolts flashed from all around them, shining brightly in the horizon. The thunder caused his ears to ring, and the rain made his clothes heavy as they soaked up water. This was going to be a battle of endurance over anything.

[GraftRaven]

(Sorry, jetlag and all)

Arxus rushed forward through the flames, his black garments catching the azure flames and holding them grudgingly for a moment or two before they were extinguished by the pounding rain. The wounds he sustained to his bare arms was negligible, perhaps a few blisters would appear later. A flash of lightening lit up the entire ship evenly and producing a clap of thunder that caused the air in Arxus' dead lungs to quiver unpleasantly. The ship had begun rocking so violently that he began to stumble over the slick wood as he ran, the easiest solution to this was already in his hands.

He swung his left hand out and the Talon flew out to the maximum length of the chain and embedded itself in the wood of the cabin. The chain tightened and steadied Arxus as as he continued to charge forward, then he swung the other at Running hen he was six feet away, aiming to wrap the chain around him and stab him with the Talon attached to it. Almost as soon as he did this another flash of lightening nearly struck the ship, causing an even louder blast of sound that seemed to shatter the air around them as drops the size of grapes pounded against them.

[Awean8]

The warlock wiped his drenched dark hair out from his face so could at the very least make the attempt to see through the blurry curtain of heavy rain fall. Each drop hitting against his skin as if they were bullets. His entire body began to grow numb. Just as he fell down to one knee he saw Arxus pierce through the curtain; Rynn immediately knew what his opponent was planning. Instead of the obvious notion to avoid being entangled in his deathly chains, Rynn instead chose to once again stand his ground.

He held the Spine above his head in an offensive style. The blade thirsted for blood, and he could feel it. Rynn could feel it so sharply in fact that his tongue began to grow dry and his stomach felt empty. The seeds of corruption began to grow within him, and it was only a matter of time until he will be forced to sheathe the sword, lest run the risk of becoming a slave to it. The temptation will be far worse however when the blade finally hits flesh. Hopefully, Rynn will have the willpower to control himself.

[Shepherd]

The bright spot of violet-blue flame once again appeared on the ship's central mast, the only point of light in the darkened expanse as even the lightning seemed to momentarily cease and the air itself quivered with tension as the very fury of mother nature took pause. "Hmmm," came the voice again from the St. Elmo's Fire, "It seems this battle must come to an end before it truly begins. Thus I will have to judge your progress thus far, and while you both performed well, it will be Arxus who shall advance to the next round." And with that the bright light expands to a blinding flash leaving the world little more than a searing blaze of violet-blue light and as it fades you realize you have been returned to your domains as if no time had passed at all.