Duel:Lanara v Rapideath, Round One Agitation Monster Tournament

Part of the Agitation Arc

Duelists: Lanara vs. Rapideath, noxious horse of death (played by Emilia). 
Duel: Traditional 3 attacks and defenses each. 15 minute posting limit. 
Stakes: Advancement into Round Two of the Agitation Monster Tournament. 
Judges: Hildegarde & Pilar  

Meadow (Xalious)

The long grass of the peaceful meadow swayed with the gentle breeze of day creating an inviting atmosphere for creatures and beings alike. That is until the grasses started to move with wide sways with the movements of an unknown creature within the tall grass. The flowers within the meadow began to wilt, the bees buzzing about them vanishing away, and suddenly the area was dead silent minus the rustling hoof like sounds coming in a galloping pace toward the dirt path. Clippy-clop, clippy-clop, clippy-clop. The grass in a line steaming from the direction the moving beast was dying away with the noxious gas breath of the unknown monster. Without warning a wild Rapideath appeared bursting out of the grass suffering from rage effects. The creature was once a horse before it coated with a layer of black-ooze slowly mutating it into the ugliest horse you have seen in your worst nightmares. With slick ooze over boils leaking a mixture of pus and blood, a long braided whip tail, and the irritated near pure red eyes. Rapideath paused if only a moment before its sights landed on the only living creature within the meadow, Lanara who should have probably listened to the warning about tall grass. Nostrils flaring and a high pitch shrill of a should Rapideath pushed off the dirt path toward the elf with ever increasing speed, little globs of black ooze splatting onto the ground with each hoof that hit the ground. A plume of noxious gas leaking free from those nostrils with each with breath as it charged at the two legged creature with yellowed teeth bared and braided tail whipping wildly behind it. Wild Rapideath used Enraged Charge against Lanara.

Lanara is picking some flowers and placing them in a small basket, humming softly to herself, and remaining oblivious to the face that she was not alone in the meadow. “This will do for a nice elixir!” She says, aloud to herself, as she plucks another flower from its stem and gently places it atop the others in her basket. Suddenly, the flowers all begin to wild, and the chirping of the birds, and the buzzing of the bees, falls silent. Even the brown bunny that was hopping along contentedly behind her earlier seems to have vanished. A quizzical look around the meadow was given, as the once breathtaking fields were now filled with decay and shaded in darkness. Fear momentarily strikes the heart of the witch as Rapideath comes fully into view, the ground rumbling beneath her hooves. Was that a horse? Uncertain, Lana tilts her head to the side, in curiosity, as she spies what she imagines to be a horse, covered in black ooze, with crimson eyes. As the beast nears her, she knows that her empathic abilities would likely be moot, as she had to touch the actual flesh of the animal, and she didn’t want to get the ooze on her own flesh, as the last time that had happened, she had an awful burn on the sole of her foot, that still left her with a noticeable limp. Thinking fast, the witch tosses the basket of fresh picked flowers, and darts in the opposite direction, her boots leaving faint footprints on the ground as she climbs the nearest tree and tries to remain as silent as possible. Being an elf would come in handy now, she thinks, and she knew that bravery was of the utmost importance, as she was now a volunteer for the Xalious Militia. Removing her bow from her back, the witch slides an arrow onto the string and arches the string back, as the fletching of the arrow rests against her slightly tanned cheek. Counting to three, she watches as Rapideath nears her and releases the string, hoping that she would hit her mark, and that it would be a fatal shot, as the arrowhead was newly sharpened. As soon as the arrow flies through the air, electric shocks begin to spark off of the shaft, threatening to zap and burn whatever the arrow came into contact with, which would hopefully be the horse.

Rapideath with nostrils flaring and hooves hitting the ground in rapid succession leaving imprinted marks upon the earthen path with each passing moment leading the mutated horse closer to the running two legged creature. That basket that had been tossed trampled into the ground, evident by the sound of the wicker snapping and the item itself left behind like a half squashed in pumpkin. Those terrifying red eyes never lose a movement of the enemy, Lanara. The creature itself moving in a path that followed those boot prints left in her wake, disfiguring them with the imprinted shapes of its hooves overtop. A sharp shrill neigh sound as the other scurried itself up into a tree before Rapideath. With such a sound of pure rage in that moment the creature came to a skidding halt before the very trunk below the climbing elf. With another loud neigh Rapideath was rearing up onto its hind legs sending globs of black ooze flying onto the ground. Hooves in the air coming down against the bark of the tree with all the weight of the beast in an attempt to shake it enough to catch the climbing witch to lose balance and fall free as if she was an apple to the ground below in the best outcome for the horse. Moment after that hit into the tree Rapideath was back onto all fours with those eyes glaring up at the woman in time to see that bow being loaded with something foreign and threatening. Once more a shrill sound from the monster as it pushed off the ground to avoid the oncoming object flying through the air toward it, however the horse is not near as fast nor graceful as a two legged beast. This combination of lacking mixed with the fact a tree was blocking a straight rush Rapideath was hit in the hind by the zipping arrow causing it to let out the most painful and horrific sound a mutated horse could make. The smell of burning horse flesh, puss, and black ooze filling the area as the arrow caused its damage to the mutated creature. Along with that smell quickly taking over the meadow a noxious gas was spilling from the nostrils of the beast, rising into the air surrounding the tree that the woman was keeping above ground in. In pain and more enraged than ever the horse like thing turn on hoof and started to back off with a limping trot away from the tree. It is however as Rapideath gained a distance just beyond the once more trampled basket that it made a pivot around the bits of busted wicker and began a dead gallop at the tree with the enemy in it, a run that was sending the horse at Lanara again. Those hooves hitting the bottom of the trunk as monster ran up the side of tree in a diagonal arc, that braid whip tail flicking hard back and forth with a force that caused a cracking sound with each flick. The aim to use the tree to get off the ground enough that its tail would whack against the legs of the elf before Rapideath came back down to the earth to start to circle the base of the tree. Rapideath used tail whip against Lanara.

Lanara lowers her bow and climbs higher into the tree, as the horse is struck by the ferocity of the electric arrow. Giving a quick glance over her slender shoulder, she hisses as the horse begins to gallop back to the tree, yearning for the taste of blood. The smell of decaying flesh and the sound of hooves thundering against the field of wilted flowers, hits the witch strong, as she grabs onto the branch above her, and readies herself for a possible attack. Out of arrows, she bites her lower lip and stares into the eyes of the beast, as it rears up on its hind legs and pounds against the bottom of the tree. The petite elf scrambles to find footing and literally dangles in the air, one hand holding tight to the branch, as Rapideath circles the tree and whips its braided tail against the base. The force from the momentum of the ooze covered tail hitting the trunk, along with the gust of wind that smacks against the witch’s back, is too much. The elf is sent flying six feet in the opposite direction, and lands in the field with a painful groan, when a snapping sound is heard. Crawling to her feet, she whimpers softly as her wrist is bent at an unnatural angle, and only then does the pain begin to surge rapidly up and down the length of her arm. Unable to use her left hand, and not having the time to reset the bone, she blinks back tears and eventually rises to her feet. Walking backwards she keeps her eyes on the black beast, and glances upwards, muttering a barely audible incantation beneath her ragged breath. “Goddess, and God, come to me! Help slay the beast, bring victory! Light up this field, with element of fire. Let the meadow burn, and flames climb higher!” Pausing, she catches her breath and sidesteps quickly as the horse readies itself for another charge. “So mote it be!” As soon as Lanara falls silent, a vicious wind picks up and the wilted flowers unearth from the ground and dance in mid-air, as time seems to stand still. A moment passes as the meadow seems frozen, before each wilted flower is transformed into a small fireball. Dozens of fireballs begin to spin wildly through the air, circling Rapideath, before each one is aimed at the hellacious horse, follow the path of the beast, and seeking contact. Lana watches on, while cradling her broken wrist, fighting fire with fire.

Rapideath skids to a stop after another rounding run of the base of the tree after the witch had been knocked free from the branches. For a moment, the look in those blood thirsty red eyes was confusion, where had the creature gone to? Angry eyes searched higher up into the tree for Lanara, but there was no two legged beast to be found. A snort of frustration sending black ooze mixed with snot rocket onto the ground at the base of the tree, clinging to the root that protruded from the ground. Turning around the momentarily calmed beast with an arrow sticking out from his read quarter landed sights on the witch finishing her rambling of strange words. Rapideath doesn’t speak or understand common after all. What kind of alien foe had been found? One that must be trampled to death before it caused more strange things with its squawking. Left front hoof tapped against the ground thrice before the mutated black ooze covered, burnt puss and flesh smelling beast pushed off the ground in a dead charge for the enemy. Enraged eyes glanced back and forth at the balls of fire that had appeared from the dead plants after the chanting of Lanara. A bit of panic setting in as the creature started to change the direction in which it ran, to avoid the bright heated colored flame balls coming its way. Circle to the left…no still incoming fire balls. Circle back to the right…no still good in shaking the foreign flying flames. Turning another circle to try and ward off the impending attack when the first ball came into contact with the wild-monstrous horse Rapideath. One by one the Rapideath was hit by Lanara’s flaming balls. If she thought black ooze covered angry Rapideath was scary she was in for a real treat when the horse turned around to take another enraged charge at her, this time while on fire. The black ooze that coated the skin of the beast creating a protective mid layer keeping the flames burning over the ooze while not yet burning the horse with the exception of where the arrow was stuck. There the arrow itself burst into flames and the smell of already burnt flesh and ooze worse than before with another round of burning by the flames. The braided whip tail under the flames whipped wildly back and forth behind the monster as he went for Lanara with all intent to trample her down and if that tail got her a good whipping in the process the monster wouldn’t mind. Flaming Rapideath used enraged-flame charge against Lanara.

Lanara watches as the flames collide with the hell stallion, as the smell of burning ooze and flesh stings her nostrils, and as the heat from the fire warms her face. Rubbing her wrist, she half-limps over to a large apple tree, and presses her spine against the bark, sighing from exhaustion. Pain continues to surge up and down her arm, from her fingertips to her elbow, and tears shoot from her chocolate hues as she desperately looks for another way to escape this mess, in case the tiny fireballs don’t do the trick. Out of the corner of her eye, a glint of metal catches her sight and she finds herself scrambling towards the shiny object. It seemed so out of place, in a meadow of death, to see a small sliver of hope, literally beaming up at her, but there it was! An axe lay upon the ground, its blade gleaming in the darkness, as though it were discarded from someone that was tired of tending to the trees. Whoever had left behind her new makeshift weapon was a blessing, as Lana turns to peer at the horse, and screams as she sees Rapideath had not only survived the fireball circling attack, but he seemed to revel with the additional flame power. Now the beast was charging towards her, on fire, with an arrow stuck out of his rear, and whipping his tail wildly. Surely, the creature was intent on delivering death to the newly armed, broken wristed, elf. Though she would defend herself, the best she could, with what little she had to work with. So, lowering herself into a defensive crouch, the witch readies her axe, while cradling her opposite wrist against her waist for protection. If the horse were to make contact, his throat would be met with a blade, and a woman that was determined to survive.

Lanara wins.

Lanara feels the heat of the horse upon her, as she squints her eyes closed and tries not to vomit from the disgusting odors emitting from Rapideath. As that last hoof beat steps a mere three feet before her, the elf lunges forward and strikes the beast in the neck with the axe. The first strike catches the horse off-guard, and using the last bit of energy she has, she dislodges the weapon from the flesh, and drives it deeper into the freshly made gash. Blood begins to spurt from the wound, and it is then that both Rapideath and Lana come to an understanding, an understanding that death was present. As the eyes of the hell horse begin to roll in her head and the nicked artery continues to pour blood from her neck, she attempts to turn course, though her front legs give out. The witch steps nearer to the beast, and drops to her knees, at the same moment the horse rolls onto her side, and takes her last few breaths. Lana cradles the stallion’s head on her lap, knowing that the battle was over, and that she had been victorious. Though there is a deep sadness in the woman’s brown eyes, as she was an animal lover, and it was the black ooze and the mage’s that were to blame, not an innocent horse. “I’m sorry…” She whispers, before rising to her feet and exiting the meadow, slightly limping and cradling her wrist against her torso.