Duel:Leifong v Takishido
Background
Leifong stalks the dragon Takishido in order to obtain necromantic reagents.
The dragon, protecting Amenia, is found resting in northern Sage forest, and a conflict ensues.
OOC Details
Time: Approximately 2am, 12 September 2011
Posting limit: 15 minutes
Judges: Nemisis, Jolie (Mid), Jolie
Stakes: 1 dragon fire/bile duct (permanent loss) vs 20k gold stakes.
Setting
Your journey through Sage Forest ends and begins here as the thickening wildwood prevents any further travel north. A cool breeze rolls down from the mountains to the west, carrying with it just a hint of rainfall and maybe something else you can't quite fathom. The overhang of leaves rustles gently, quivering in anticipation as the wind wafts by on its course for the tiny town hidden somewhere below.
The Duel
Leifong moves quickly through the trees, the whole forest now shrouded in darkness as he draws closer and closer to the source of that scent. It hadn't taken him long to track down one of the saurian beasts with his modified olfactories, so pungent is their stench, and so it is that less than an hour after being charged with this task, the priest is approaching the end of it. Whistling between the thick trunks of sage, Leifong finally finds the creature he seeks in a sparse clearing, and stalks for a moment at the tree line, observing. It was a powerful one, with brilliant emerald scales... this was going to be an interesting hunt. Leifong himself is near soundless, near invisible, but his stench is unmistakable as the wind picks it up and sweeps it into the clearing, the stench of death and decay, of blood, though not his own. Putrid rot strong enough to make the nostrils curl and try to close themselves. Then the whispering begins, Leifong's lips impossible to identify as the true source as his words seem to spread through sage from all directions, unnaturally amplified to an uncomfortable volume. His voice bends and distorts from a high wail to a vicious growl, making the words all that much more difficult to identify. Ancient words, in an ancient tongue known to few living mortals in the world called hollow. In direct response the shadows take on a life of their own, taking the shapes of men and darting through the trees, decoys for the priest who is among the thirty or so shadow people, examining the dragon more closely as he decides on a plan of attack. As the flurry of shadowy figures flit around, Leifong pauses at key points to create the starting points of a seal, little glyphs burned into the trees, ground, or stones.
Amenia moving within the shadows of trees looking for her protector to finish her task she was charged with. Coming to the edge of the tree line she spots him in his full dragon form with his beautiful green scales, yet sensing movement she hangs back. Noticing what appears to be about thirty men she decides to stay along the tree line where it is safe for her and her unborn children.
Takishido resting with his eyes closed, that is until the stench arose around him. Throwing his extrinsic Emerald wings out to the side and beating them for a few moments in an attempt to scour the scent from the air surrounding him. Takishido then hears someone speaking and starts to notices A lot of movements within the shadows of the surrounding trees. Cocking his head back he counters the voice with a rumble of his own holding it for a few moments before jerking his head towards the tree line. Releasing a fiery spew set forth to help eliminate the shadows of the night so that he may see who his true opponent really is. Upon completion of the fire launch he slowly starts beating his wings increasing speed as time goes by as to raise himself above the flaming forest floor.
Leifong is relentless in his work, wasting no time on his prey until his trap is set. He courses around the grove, choosing his sigil points carefully and precisely with a level of comfort in the design only achieved through years of studying. He had just completed the fourth, and was moving to the fifth when the dragon finally seemed to take notice of him and released it's fury in a brutal, though altogether expected manner. As the flames consume his shadow people, they fade to nothing, the light created by Takishido's fire weakening them. Yet where one falls, another pulls itself from the aether, and for the moment at least they seem to serve their purpose in masking Leifong's true position. Leaves wither and ignite, trunks crack from the heat, and Leifong is forced to abandon his work on the final sigil long enough to take cover as the fire blast sweeps over him, but without a clear target, the Dragon's attack is useless. If anyone might be harmed by the fire spewing, it might be Amenia and her unborn child where they hide just out of sight. The beast beats it's powerful wings, trying to flee the clearing, and it is now that Leifong knows his haste is essential. Dashing out from behind his covering stone, the priest weaves his way through trailing streams of fiery spittle still smoldering on the ground and finds the charred, but still intact, half finished sigil point. Frantically he finishes gouging out the symbols through magical means and as the last is completed, the priest places his hand palm flat against it. With a rush, the seal completes itself, pulling all the energy that it needs from the priest to do it's work. Thick veins of glowing amber burst out from each circular set of symbols, connecting them in an intricate spiderweb of lines and even more symbols long forgotten to most. They swirl in a circle at seal's center as Takishido continues to gain altitude, until the final lines connect and suddenly a violent blast of energy is released into sage forest. Great tearing sounds erupt from the ground directly beneath Takishido as the earth rends itself asunder, and huge tracts of earth surge skyward to ensnare the fleeing saurian. Thick masses of root filled soil, acting as giant ropes, coiling around every bit of the dragon that they can find, legs, wings, neck, and trying to pull the beast back to the ground.
Amenia still with the stone she had previosly stolen a few nights ago she looks around not finding any cover trying to get out of the way. Yet not in time she just ducks pulling her cloak over her, not expecting what was to happen next. The flames move around her body not touching her yet she feels the heat though un beknowest to her the ward stone marked with the rune for fire has saved her from Taki's attack. Yet, she does not know this yet, maybe later she will find out why she was spared.
Takishido releasing a deep howl as the roots being to wrap around his body unable to pin his razor-sharp wings however, He spots a few of the roots as they fall to the ground. Twisting and turning as he struggles to use his wings to cut through the rest of that in which binds him from gaining further altitude. His Emerald eyes finally land upon the one who wishes to bring harm upon him, for no announced reason at that. Sending another spew a flame blazing out of his throat; Aimed right for the man at the stone the one who was causing these roots to pull him closer to the ground as Taki continues to struggle to free himself from the last couple of roots those that were bound to his hind leg twisting his next he sends a blast towards an already cracked tree in hopes that it would fall towards the roots that are attached to him as it takes out a few other tress in the process by mistake but if luck is with him tonight one of those trees will land on his foe.
Takishido jolted downward as the tree fail to be his freeing assist, landing on his back with one of his wings slightly pinned to the ground by a branch that went through the flesh. Cranking his head at an almost impossible angle blast his own wing as to weaken it enough so the he could pull it away and soon following it was a sickly tearing sound that would echo for miles. Howling in pain as his body takes on a ancient Emerald glow blasting a blinding light in all direction that was just a bright and hot as it would be if you were to stand upon the surface. Turning to where he had seen the man before now sees a tree where he stood. Sending out another spew of flames at the fallen tree only this time he spins his head up as he turns his body and twists his neck virtually creating a fiery spinning vortec which would soon grow large enough to hit the ground in just a few minutes and suck everything within 100ft around it in all direction's within it self before closing and disappearing into the unknown. Taki however will still have the roots wrapped around his ankles holding his in place till the vortec is finished.
Amenia moving frther into the woods yet still where she can see as taki came crasing down to the earth she climbs a tree and fits snugly into the branches to hold her put in case anything else where to happen. being as she was in hollow anything could happen with the elements here.
Leifong wouldn't have thought that physics really worked exactly like this, but apparently his understanding of the universe needed a little updating, for there was now a cyclone of fire trying to suck him up, despite his best attempts to escape. He was barely outside the radius of it's damage, just past the tree line and hiding, but he had to dig in to avoid being devoured by it.
Jolie announces Leifong's defeat by the very thinnest of gnat's whisker's. Taki wins.
Takishido sending a final blast at the roots wrapped around his feet freeing himself from that which bound him as he gets up and heads over to Amenia. Picking her up under his arm he begins to head south leaving the man to his thoughts
Amenia struggles as taki picks her up knowing it was futile she gives up and growls the whole way away.