Duel:Chaine v Locke
Duel Info
- Judges: Celeir, Sadie, Diggson
- Stakes: None (5000 gold from Mahri)
- Rd/time: 3 rounds 15 minutes
- Location: Cliff
- Decision: Chaine, 3-0
- Chaine: Human, Scientist
Venue
Cliff
This gives true perspective to the altitude you are currently at. As you peer over the cliff just a bit, you see no bottom, but rather a great mist swirling perhaps hundreds of feet below. You are not sure how much further below the mists the bottom of the gorge truly is, but you feel no need to test it out. Strangely there is a lack of snow here, probably from the warmth that rises from the cavern below, and to your west you see that the snow is also exempt from there as well. To the east is more solid ground, and the faint glimmer of frost or light snow. To your west you spot a rope bridge, but from here you're not sure how sturdy it is or if it will be able to hold you. It sways from left to right in the wind, the ropes and wood making unnerving sounds, creaking in the steady wind.
Chaine vs Locke
Locke stands upon the very edge of the precipice staring out across the vast expanse of air overlooking the northern highlands. The wind swirls all around him; its soft whistle fills his ears. The ranger's face is shrouded beneath the hood of a dark-green cloak obviously tailored to hide the man beneath the canopy of a forest's foliage. He stands nearly five and a half feet tall with a bow almost as long slung over his shoulders. It's this bow which he quickly swings into his hands at the first sound of a predator approaching from behind. He spins around planting one foot ahead of the other as he draws an arrow into the taut embrace of his oaken bow's string. The wood complains ever so softly as he draws back with his gaze firmly set on the approaching robed-figure. With nary a word spoken, the sharp 'thwip' of bowstring let loose signifies the launch of the first arrow, though before it can even close the distance between the two combatants, a second is drawn, strung, and fired leaving two razor-sharp projectiles flying towards each of Chaine's supple shoulders.
Chaine had been cradling her bandaged left hand to her chest. She had lost a finger a few days previous, and the damned thing still hurt. However, she cleared her mind of the sharp pains as well as all other distractions, letting her sharp gaze fall upon the ranger before her. Adjusting her black-framed spectacles on her face, the scientist looked her opponent up and down, seeing what could be done to counter any physical attacks he may bring. And just as Chaine thought this, as if on cue, Locke notched one, then two arrows and fired them straight for her. She twisted to the side agilely, the first arrow catching the hood of her robe as she turned. It grazed the back of her neck, letting blood drip down her spine under her robe. The second arrow flew far and away behind her. She lifted her right hand to the nape of her neck, drawing away blood on her fingers. She frowned-- she had not hoped to sustain injury this early-- and turned back to face Locke. Then, Chaine did something completely odd-- she reached to her back and smeared blood all over her hand. Coming away with a limb dripping in the stuff, she then sent proceeded to fling her hand to towards Locke. She concentrated hard, exciting the atoms of the organic liquid as it flew from her hand. The blood sprang out from her hand, jolting and moving across the air like red liquid lightning, headed straight for Locke. Tendrils of blood flew at the ranger, intent on enveloping him in itself, drowning him in his opponent's life force.
Locke raises his oaken bow level with the oncoming torrent of crimson tendrils, softly whispering words of the arcane beneath his breath. Drawing the bowstring back, the empty space between the wood and string begins to pulse and writhe with raw energy. As the ranger continues to work his spell, that energy begins to take on the form of a single arrow. Like raw electricity, it pulses with power and casts a violet hue across the face of the ranger. As Chaine's life force draws in and threatens to wrap itself around Locke, he releases the bowstring sending the magic arrow speeding forward. It bursts into flame before splitting right down the middle of the blood spell's source, searing the liquid and boiling it away. The arrow continues to fly forward and being shrouded inside her own spell, should the scientist not realize what's happening, it threatens to pierce her heart before she even sees it.
Chaine let go of the thought in her mind, and instantly the blood fell to the ground, again ordinary liquid. Dragged to the ground along with the liquid though was Locke's electrical arrow, the energy having been absorbed by the magically-enhanced blood in the first place. Considering her next move, the scientist bent to one knee on the ground. Chaine splayed her hand on the rock face, feeling the cool smooth rock beneath her palm and concentrating hard once again on the effect she desired. Then with a sudden movement the woman drew her hand up, and under her hand a pillar of the purest diamond, six feet in diameter and measuring to her waist, jutted abruptly from the ground. Grinning underneath her hood, she ran her hand over the pillar and towards Locke, a razor-sharp disc of the hardest diamond flying towards the ranger. She sent out a multitude of these discs, with the sharpest edges and the hardest chemical structure, all intent on slicing Lock to ribbons.
Locke quickly ducks beneath the first of many diamond discs sent his way, barely escaping a quite fatal removing of his head. The second flies past on the right moving so fast and being so sharp that Locke barely feels the skin deep cut that went right through the man's leather armor. On the third, he leaps, his foot colliding with and knocking to the ground the diamond structure and giving him leverage with which to jump upon the fourth disc. Off of this one he jumps, sending him cleanly over the remaining projectiles and closing the distance between the scientist and he. One hand shoots for the crude dagger at his side while he extends his leg towards the scientist's unprotected jaw using both momentum and strength to, hopefully, send her sprawling towards the ground.
Chaine was amazed at Locke's acrobatic skills-- though not stunned into paralysis by any means. As the ranger's boot flew out on a crash course for her face, she took up the next layer of her diamond pillar and threw it up in front of her. Her hand stuck to the middle of the diamond plate, and she used the disc as a shield to prevent Locke from executing his kick. She had miscalculated, however, and the force of the rager's foot against the diamond shield sent it crashing into her face, bending her nose to one side and sending blood spraying from her mouth. Face thoroughly roughed-up, Chaine slapped a palm down on the pillar again, fusing her hand slightly to the mineral. Now armed with two razor-sharp discs attached to her hands, she began to swing and twirl, gracefully slicing arcs towards Locke.
Locke wasn't expecting such a defense; obviously this human isn't quite what she seems. He collides against the diamond plate at an unexpected angle sneding him sprawling across the cliff side and, by the time he regains his footing, Chaine is upon him. First one then the other diamond disc slices across his leather-covered chest leaving two bright red nonfatal cuts upon his torso rather than gutting him alive thanks to his trusty leathers. He scrambles back, recollecting his bow on the way, and aims it at his opponent as it takes a defensive stance to prevent further attacks.