RP:Storm-Forged Partnership
The path here is slightly shoveled of snow, but very icey, as a thin coat of frost as made its home against Hollow's surface. As you walk carefully, you take a good look around the path and see that it leads to the west, where two large gates stand. To the north you see a path which leads closer to the main part of the village, and the mines, while to the south you see that the area begins to move up hill.
- Kasyr, Vampire Revenant, Kuro No Kensai.
- Saotshi, Kit-vampire, Frost Singer.
- Luffy, Black Ice Dragon.
Kasyr is simply sitting along the side of the path, the only indication that he'd moved semi recently being the slowly fading trail of tracks that lead back to town. Not that the Kensai seems particularily interested in subtlety, as he's rather busy scrutinizing a document that was sent to him, "...How in the? Why...I stepped down! Why would they even bother tracking me down to complain about their neighbour, and taxes? I'm not..." Apparently, the cause of the vampires distress is a pile of soggy papers sitting in the snowbank nearby.
Satoshi is preoccupied with her own set of distressing papers--alternating between giving sheets dark grumbles and letting the lyrebird on her shoulder riddle them with holes--when she stumbles upon the Kensai. Quite literately, mid-"Why're we taxing -snow-? And only soggy snow, not powder?" and obviously not looking where she's going until she's introduced to Kasyr abruptly. "Ah. Erm. Aha. Hi." The kit isn't exactly distraught upon seeing her papers join his own on the ground, although she quietly comments on, "Kindling isn't very good all wet, is it..?"
Kasyr casually draws himself up from the slouch he'd fallen into, before leaning over to lazily brush her pages into a somewhat neat pile. "So, do we have that arrangement with Ginger Sorted out? Taxing snow sounds like something she'd be knowledgeable on- If I didn't know better, she'd tax people for breathing in the city of the dead. ..Than again, I don't breathe, so I suppose I wouldn't know." Chortling, the hybrid carelessly hands the pages over to his wife, before shrugging his shoulders, "Not overly good wet, as a note- though I wouldn't suggest putting it to the torch et all until you've gone over it to make sure there esn't anything that'd work in your favor. I mean, I could do that -for- you..but than I wouldn't have the time to read these complaints, consider them, and than properly fold these papers up and file them in the cabinet shaped like a fire place." Kasyr can't help but look mildly annoyed, by the end of his speech, "...Quand meme, they trace me to the middle of nowhere, and there's not even one with a good suggestion or comment, or something -worth- responding to."
Satoshi tries to look offended at the 'middle of nowhere' comment, but the attempt fails after a moment of consideration and a nod of agreement. It is one of the reasons she's fond of this city, after all. Nodding still, the minstrel stows the dampened papers away before offering her delayed reply, with something of a shrug--much to Ko'tar's displeasure. "Most of this is getting filed in the same place as yours, really. Giants are even more ill-suited for politics and paperwork than -I- am. I'm thinking of letting ol' Frosty Momma replace the current council with her broodlings. Less violent meetings, that way." Shuffling over to bring herself alongside the kensai, Satoshi glances up at him with a curious expression. "What're you doing out here, other than trying to soak up the extra, tax-free, snow with your letters?"
Kasyr stares at the letters for a few moments longer, before he begins to contemplate, "..Actually, if they're wet, that means the snow they were set on has started to become soggy, likely because I was sitting there so long. Alors, I suppose it's time to destroy the evidence." Which is about all the warning the feline gets before the air around the hybrids right hand sparks, and burst of light erupts from his palm and sears through the papers. Whether or not she'd recognize it as Electromancy since the gloves weren't present wasn't really something the hybrid cared to find out, as he was currently busy being delighted by the sight of flaming paperwork. "Ah, now that es progress. Erm, as to your particular affairs, mon cher- Well, I can't really suggest much. After all, you do essentially have free reign to do as you please, and the only meeting I've had with a counsel member so far involved filleting him. The idea of a council of wailing hatchlings es rather funny, however." It's at these words that the Kensai flops back into the snow, arms spread out to create a large imprint in the snow bank.
Satoshi doesn't react to the sparks with more that an initial flinch and just the faintest hint of wariness in her eyes. Either she's learning, or Ko'tar's got more hold on her currently than with just his needly talons dug into her shoulder. Whichever it is, the kit's not saying now, preoccupied with watching the paperwork burn in an almost studious manner--homework from the Fox Spirit. It's only once the pages have become specks of black ash on a patch of slush that Satoshi shakes herself out of her focus, glances sidelong at the kensai, and promptly joins him in lounging on the snow. "I know I can do as I please, but the tough thing is figuring out which of my options results in less bothersome noise from others~. Please them to keep myself happy~..."
Kasyr actually seems a touch relieved by the general lack of reaction given by the feline- though he doesn't spend too much time considering it. No, within moments his attention has already drifted back to the felines' comments, and the feline herself really- given Kasyr is more than happily looking his wife up and down as he talks, "Well, long run, it's likely better to leave the council alive- so that you don't become an evil empire that the people eventually rebel against. Especially since that'll attract do-gooders from outside areas to this location. Plus, since you can pretty much disregard anything they say unless they get the backing of every involved, that still leaves most of the power with you, while giving them the general illusion of being able to influence things et Sway your mind." The Kensai smirks at that, eyes idly rolling up towards the sky, "Not that I'm saying you're stubborn, ou anything of that sort, Ma Chere Chatton. ...Plus, i'd be less likely to get into fisticuffs with your council if they're not Saurian. It's just how it es."
Satoshi shifts to her side and idly begins constructing a tiny snowman while listening to the kensai talk--this, of course, following her burying Ko'tar in the snow to avoid hearing its noisome scoldings at being knocked off its perch. "Well, now you're just making it all sound really tempting. Attracting do-gooders would include Riss, which would give you someone else to fight. Other than myself and all the dragons in the area. Even Frosty's wary of you now. I'm going to have to import more dragons to fuel your habit of dragon-stomping, you know~." The kit doesn't exactly look bothered by this, however, as she can likewise use a new selection of dragons for the habit she's picked up from her husband--as well as new broodlings for the Eyrie.
Kasyr offers the feline a look that he wishes could pass for innocent, "At least I'm not killing hers, ou anything of the sort." Something very quiet is coughed out, about "Mostly" or something of that sort, though the hybrid doesn't allow there to be any sort of silence before he starts right up again, "Well...Whilst I was waiting for some sort of malevolent organisation to possibly poke holes into after using them for all they were worth, I suppose you can go about disposing the council. Just..get the ones you somewhat like to resign, et than liquidate the rest, ou quelque chose. Or simply declare the dragons appointed by divine wisdom. Hah." Waving his hands around idly, the Kensai than simply shrugs again, "...It would be interesting to see if we could draw Riss here. Whilst I can't kill him, there was nothing said about crippling him, or leaving him near something that can kill him, or simply imprisoning him somewhere. ...I'm not all that fond of being stuck in positions where I don't have the upper hand."
Satoshi's better at putting on an expression that's impossibly innocent. Even when she decides to change from lounging on the snow to lounging on a conveniently nearby kensai, the kit still manages to look positively angelic, chin resting on folded hands as she peers at her mate with wide-eyed sweetness. "Aww, no fun~. But you do have a fondness for fratricide, obviously~. Killing brothers, and dragons..." The frost singer pauses, eyeing Kasyr thoughtfully, "You... you have a very odd taste in habits, dear."
Satoshi adds in a cherubic tone, "Is there really something wrong with not always being in a position with the upper hand~?"
Kasyr gives Satoshi an almost indignant look, though he's rather quick to warm up given how hard it is to resist curling his arms about her when she's so close. "Whilst I can see the analogy with Riss, mon chere- I do have to wonder just what sort of relation I bear to the saurians, beyond that of an antagonist, en fait." His wifes pause does not go unnoticed, warranting a small squeeze from the Kensai, before he glances down and locks his gaze with hers, "...That's not exactly something tu can comment mon chere, since you have quite the questionable habits yourself, tu know?"
Satoshi does an exceptional job of mixing the innocent expression with an indignant one, complete with a disbelieving little scoff. "What? -Me-? Never. I mean, really, when you're as perfect as me, how can you do -anything- that's considered 'questionable'. Perfect only does perfect~." If Satoshi was a bird, she's be shamelessly preening right about now, but since she's more of the fox variety she opts instead for feigning inspection of her claws for specks of dirt--even while they're still gloved.
Kasyr gives Satoshi a fixed look, before tipping his head over towards her and playfully nibbling at an ear, "As much as that was a brilliant transition between topics, mon amour, I must confess I'm quite interested in what caused you to comment on my habits. It's not like you've ever really questioned our picnics et the like before." Ponctuated by another nibble, the figment tips his head back and huffs, "...I suppose I can't argue too much with the perfect bit, however. I am quite fond of tu, after all."
Satoshi has a clever retort all prepared--or at least she's pretending to look as much--when she's interrupted by a groundshaking 'thud', a sound caught between screech and roar, and a swiftly approaching scream that ends in a crunch of bone and metal as the giant belonging to the scream abruptly crumples against the ice wall not ten feet from--and above--where kit and vampire lounge. Satoshi blinks, alarm not quite kicking in as she watches the pile of mangled flesh, bone splinters, and scrap metal that had just been an armored Frost Giant slide unsteadily down the wall, blood half-frozen to it already. "That... can't possibly be good..." is about all Satoshi manages before the second Gate Guard joins his partner, followed by another high-pitched roar from the distant western gate. By that point, the minstrel's on her feet in a flash and looking on the far side of frantic as she shuffles uncertainly behind the kensai, hurriedly murmuring, "Not good. Not good. Definitely not good. -How did she find me-?"
Kasyr is still lounging on the ground, though his expression has shifted from carefree to one of wariness, "Well, mon chere- would this be a do gooder you've enraged pre-emptively, or es this a villain whose toes you've tread upon? Or peut-etre something in between?" Albeit his querys, the hybrids attention is mostly fixed on direction from which those rage-filled roars are emanating from, beyond the occasional glance he steals in Satoshis direction. After all, whilst the hybrid isn't really afraid of all that much, his wife seemed altogether unnerved by this particular development.
Satoshi gives up trying to hide behind a still-lounging Kasyr and instead chooses to fumble about in the snow, in search of the poor lyrebird she buried earlier. "Ah. Er... neither. It-... she, is a dragon. That I can't quite... undo. And she's determined to prove I'm-" Satoshi's words are cut off as she tugs a katana-y Ko'tar free of the snow at the same time that the earlier earthquake-esque thud is repeated... a mere few paces away, when the distant dragon decides to, with a single leap and wingflap, close the gap between the gate and the guards she's just punted. Translucent black scales gleam with a decidedly malicious light as the saurian stretches like a cat, the onyx spikes running down her spine and whip-thin tail clattering together with the effort. But whatever attention the dragon might have had for the demolished security ends when she spots Satoshi, ruby red eyes widening in a look of surprise before narrowing to a look of victory and--just as the kit finishes her sentence with 'edible...'--murderous delight. With a shriek of a roar, the black-ice dragon simply lunges, oblivious to the kensai in the snow.
Kasyr glances one last time between Satoshi and her creation, before his gaze becomes a fixed stare at the roaring menace which has landed just paces away. Drawing one arm up under himself, he shifts his weight onto one side, pulling his legs up towards himself as though cowering from the impending fate of being trampled into paste. A train of events which, really, isn't all that likely to happen. The dragons barely begun it's mad dash when Kasyr shoves himself mostly off the ground, priorly curled up legs kicking off in that moment to send him hurtling back. The Kensai is, after all, attempting to three particular things with this maneuver: The foremost being to gain a bit of distance and some time, the second being to gain the dragons attention, and the third... Well the third begins when the hybrids other arm flicks out in front of himself, a clenched fist pointed just a bit beneath the dragons maw. An action that could only be mistaken for harmless for a mere moment, as swirling miasma of darkness surges out from the tieflings sleeves and coalesces into a bastard sword clutched tightly in one hand. By this point, the dragons already too close for comfort, and gravity is unforunately grasping hold of the tiefling, leading him to simply swinging the blade upwards in what could easily be mistaken as a flail. Alas, were the dragon to make that err, it would likely fail to notice the stream of darkness that forms in a line between the Kensai and itself, a stream that promptly erupts into a line of bastard swords which all swing up to mirror the Figments strike. And the tiefling? All he needs to do is jam his blade into the ground and push off it with his free hand to roll himself over and use the momentum to get into a kneeling position- one which is made almost formidable, given the dozen swords which move to form a ring around him. "Introductions? Fun facts?"
Satoshi's quite thankful for the distraction Kasyr provides, as she'd rather not test which of her icy creations is more durable in a clash of dragon and blade. And Satoshi quickly goes from thankful to delighted when the dragon skids to a halt before the kensai, a look of ired confusion on her scaly face before she's unexpectedly sent crashing snout over tail by the collection of blows from too many broad swords. An indignant screech comes from the saurian as she thrashes in the snow, spiny form fighting to right itself even while Satoshi inches nearer to Kasyr, ducking around the waves of slush being flung by the irate dragon. "Introductions? Meet Luffy. MDF's... ah, little sister, I guess. She's bigger, meaner, rougher, tougher, and... doesn't really like me." All an understatement, if the bloodthirsty look Kasyr's getting now from 'Luffy' is any indication as the dragon returns to her talons and begins hunkering down much like a cat preparing to pounce. "Fun facts? She doesn't, or can't, use magic, at least. All brute strength. A lotta brute strength." It's almost like the dragon's listening to Satoshi, because the instant the magus states that, Luffy strikes like lightning, frosty muscles bunching as she abruptly turns full circle, sending her spike riddled whip of a tail screaming inches above the snow toward her duo of targets. Hit or miss, the dragon doesn't care as she comes back around with teeth bared and neck uncoiled in a cobra-esque, blind strike for that patch of snow where they stand.
Kasyr s' reaction is a simple curt nod, using the time Luffy is flailing about to rise to his feet, willing Gospels shape to change from it's basic form of a Bastard sword, to the more hefty form of a broad sword; something which coaxes those blades which orbit around around the figment to likewise change, effectively providing the Kensai with a veritable shield of blades. And a fortunate thing too, as he's able to direct his newly created wall of swords in between himself and Luffys tail- something which results in all but 3 of the hovering blades finding themselves promptly propelled off to the sides from the sudden impact. "Note to self, ground them next ti-" And the hybrid barely has the time to lift the blade he was still holding in front of himself, the last few blades intuitively mirroring this action so the momentum of luffys strike is slightly reduced before she impacts into the Vampire. Not that it prevents him from being promptly hurled back into a wall, but at least it hurts less. Kasyrs even able to compose himself enough to dispel the blades scattered about the area, his blade simply turning back into the darkness it originated from, and coiling about his right fist.
Satoshi's time is occupied with her own attempts to avoid Luffy's tail, a haphazard scramble to press her back to the ice wall that spares her anything more than the very end of the dragon's whip around strike. It's this quick movement from the kit that catches the dragon's eye after recoiling from her collision with the kensai, head reeling. With a snarl, the dragon lashes out with one of her forepaws, effectively pinning Satoshi to the wall--and leaving the dragon with Ko'tar pierced through the center of her icy palm to halt further progress. Even as kit and dragon glower at each other in their semi-stalemate, with Satoshi snarling out a, "Couldn't you just -stay away-? Bored of killing yetis already?", Luffy hasn't completely forgotten Kasyr and fixes a crimson eye on him as her other talon lashes out in an attempt to catch him in the same predicament she's gotten Satoshi in.
Kasyr is, surprisingly enough, grinning like an absolute lunatic as he braces his left hand against the wall- seemingly heedless of the fact that Luffy is about to try and pancake him into the wall. It's only when she actually moves to squash him like a bug that he quite happily springs off the wall and straight towards her, the darkness around his right hand finally condensing into a particularily angular looking glove. Still, whilst Gospels gauntleted form does augument the hybrids already questionably high strength, that hardly compromises the entirety of the Kensais strategy. No, the other half of it is a rather sharp discharge of a sizeable amount of electrical energy the moment he Impacts into Luffys Talons- the revenant intent upon hopefully stopping the fist, and propelling himself back towards the wall. ...And well, if that fails, it's not like being punched through a wall by an enraged dragon will kill him. Probably.
Satoshi is resisting the urge to squirm and attract Luffy's attention once more, because honestly, however uncomfortable it might be to be pinned between icy wall and equally icy talons, it's still better than being squished between the two. So the kit merely waits and thinks while Luffy's preoccupied trading hits with--for once--someone that can give and take on equal grounds. And the dragon's offered another taste of just what the kensai has to offer when she finds her claws impacted and promptly blown back in a blast of electricity, the rest of her hefty form skittering along the ice in alarm as the static courses through her--and, unfortunately, Satoshi, linked to the dragon through Ko'tar. It takes Luffy a long moment of shaking her head and huffing before she gathers herself once more, red eyes blazing with something akin to delight as they settle on the vampire curiously. The black ice behemoth's a fighter through and through, and carries a definite love for a proper trading of blows, stronger even than her desire to hunt down her creator. Thus it's with a determined air that the dragon's talons release Satoshi, letting her drop lightly to ground as the saurian sneers at Kasyr, wings half-unfurled and chest thrust out in an arrogant fashion to match the haughty tone of her voice, ~This'll be fun.~
Kasyr 's rather happy that his tactic succeeded, as it means he can allow his momentum to carry him back to the wall in peace- impacting against it's surface in a crouched state, before flipping forward and landing nimbly on his feet. Snapping his gauntleted arm out to one side, the hybrid falls into a curt bow, an action that lets him to subtly steal a glance in Satoshi's direction, before he rises back to a standing position. Gospel to undergoes it's own form of greeting, a serpentine body briefly emerging from the form of the gauntlet, if only to curl about the hybrids wrist and extend outwards, changing the glove back into the familiar form of a bastard sword. "Just what I was thinking. En guarde."
Satoshi's not stupid enough to stay in the immediate vicinity of either Kasyr or Luffy when they're fighting, and most especially if they're going to fight each other. So, pausing long enough to give the kensai a look as if to say 'Have fun', Satoshi rather hurriedly finds a seat a safe distance away... and ends up with a case of Déjà vu. "Pity there aren't any pillars available for Kasyr to smash upside Luffy's head," the minstrel muses to herself, looking disappointed. The dragon misses the comment, focused on eyeing the sword-toting vampire and trying to determine just how he's able to wield equal physical force despite being so much smaller than herself. Carefully, almost cautiously, the black drake shuffles sideways and uncoils her spiny tail, the tip of it weaving patterns in the air like a warrior's sword might while they're gauging their foe. But the dragon's intents are more of a snake's than a warrior's, the steady array of patterns almost hypnotic, like a dancing cobra meant to draw Kasyr's attention off the impending attack--one that comes as swiftly as the snake she's imitating, tail tip striking out in a stab for the kensai's torso. Success or not, the dragon's tail is quick to rear back and dive in for low sweep and another high jab.
Kasyr doesn't spare Satoshi another glance once she's cleared out from the area, his attention locking fully upon Luffys form- the Kensai doing his utmost to read into her actions. Unforunately, the winding weave of a saurians tale is hardly the arc of a blade, and it's only by the skin of his teeth that he's able to swing the flat of his blade into the path of the dragons tail, knocking the appendage aside- at the cost of sending himself reeling back a few paces. A mistake that costs him as the dragons sweep promptly robs him of his already perilous footing. Without pausing to think, the hybrid slams his blade down into the ground as he falls- if only so he can push himself off of it, unevenly twisting away to the side, to both push him away from Luffys third strike, and regain his footing. Not even sparing the time to collect his blade, the Revenant falls into a headlong dash towards the Saurian, his weighted form pounded out a path across the slick ground. Really, the Kensai is just waiting for when Luffy will lash out again- by which point that ring of caliginous blades emerges from his form again, with one of those myriad bastard swords immediately launching from the majority and neatly imbedding itself in Kasyrs path. In effect, it's purpose is to serve a stepping stone, the figment intent upon kicking off of it to get himself as high up as possible- an action he replicates once gravity tries to reinstate its claim upon him, by fixing another of the swords in mid air, allowing the hybrid to effectively launch himself even further up. Twisting in mid-air during this second jump, the Kensai fixes one last blade in the air behind himself, if only to kick himself off so as to send himself downwards with an increased bit of momentum. Even as he plummets, the ring of blades shifts according to the hybrids will, each weapon becoming a broad sword, with one floating over to the tieflings hand so that has something in hand to slam against Luffys skull, as the rest of the weapons simply plunge into the area around the hybrid to hopefully suppress any hopes of a counter-attack.
Satoshi's not torn between which side to cheer for like the last time Kasyr fought one of her dragons, so there's no pause for consideration before she cheers at Luffy being practically flattened against the ground with the kensai's aerial impact. There's a certain disadvantage to being such a large target, for all the physical strength it grants, and the dragon's left thrashing and snarling in rage when she's caught beneath the 'rain' of blades, not a one missing the broad target that is her back, neck, and wings. A number of thin cracks appear where swords meet frozen scales, puncturing Luffy's every movement with a grating sound as she whirls around and around in anger, head whipping back and forth to dislodge any kensai that may be attempting to loiter and hopefully catch him beneath talons being stomped wildly against the ground in her temper.
Kasyr wasn't so much loitering as he was bowing and offering a blown kiss to his adoring fan, an action that does, in fact, lead him to being hurled clear from Luffys back. Though his arms briefly flail out, no doubt due to the shock of his new found position, the figments oddly innate sense of balance kicks in mere moments afterwards- forcing his body to curl inwards as his hands tightly clench the hilt of the blade he's carrying. Even at a range, Gospel displays itself willing to heed it's masters desires, the countless scattered broadswords thinning out in the blink of an eye, before finally cracking in two. In the place of a bulky broadsword rests the elegant form of a pair of katana's, a change was has in fact been mirrored by the blades in Kasyrs hands. Thus, even as the Kensais body slams harshly into the ground, he doesn't lose the entirety of his momentum, his curled form enabling him to continue into a roll. Before he can accidentally skewer himself, or Luffy can mash him into paste during her tantrum, a peculiar distortion appears in the air around the Revenants blades- before a rather forceful explosion of condensed air ruptures forth. Though that particular stolen technique had been used by it's militant avian originator for more aggressive purposes, Kasyr is more than happy to find out it also serves admirably to generate a rather large push when used against a solid object that can't move- especially seeing as it's sent the hybrid back up into the air, if only so that he can land unevenly a fair few paces away, both arms extended out as though he were in dire need of balance. "..Well, not quite used to fighting something that can fight back, are tu?"
Satoshi bites back a laugh as Luffy whips around toward the source of Kasyr's voice, looking as startled as a cat that's just had its tail pulled. But the dragon recovers quickly, pulling her splayed limbs in and rearing her head back in that prideful fashion as she regards the kensai with a look of disdain. ~They're usually not so... puny. Wolves chasing fleas,~ the black saurian comments cooly, lips curling back in a sneer of onyx fangs. ~But fleas can't jump around forever.~ Hissing, Luffy rears onto her hindlegs, wings unfurling and flexing in powerful downstrokes--purposely aiming the torrent of wind and debris in Kasyr's direction--to lift her sleek form into the air. Keeping low, Luffy begins circling the path, buffeting the area with wind each time her wings flap and all the while lashing out with her whip of a tail, crashing it against the wall and ground alike to hurl shards of ice and clumps of stone about in a haphazard barrage. Satoshi's quick to take cover, as this debris-hurling was a favorite method of Luffy's twin as well.
Kasyr quite simply relinquishes his blades, not even sparing a second glance as they're sent clattering away by the fierce winds. Almost immediately afterwards, his arms are flicked out in front of his face, serving to both shield his face from the clumps of stone, ice and snow that are picked up by her wings. The activity would have been considered curious, given the occasional blade that's sent skittering towards the Kensai, were it not for the fact that proximity merely brings the Katanas back into orbit around Kasyr. It's only when Luffy is fully lifted up from the ground that the figment ceases focusing on merely bracing himself, one bare hand lifted up pointed at a section of the wall that was further away from the Black ice dragon. Satoshi would no doubt recognize the familiar sparking that forms around the hybrids arm, she might even pick up the faint trace of burnt ozone, right before the area around the tiefling is engulfed in a blinding flash of radiant light. Kasyr doesn't even wait to act, using that brief cover caused by Empera's manifestation to flick out the wires of the of his most favoured form- though not anywhere near Luffy. No, the wires simply whip around a chunk of the wall, before being pulled taut by the hybrids will. Luffy would likely only catch sight of Kasyr once he'd taken a few steps and hopped forward, the razor wires than simply doing the rest of the work for the Kensai- working as an improvised grappling line which now pulled the Revenant to the wall, so that he could begin racing his way over towards the mines, "Better part of valour, et tout cela. Or perhaps Strategy~ Knowing when to retreat.." Hopefully, Luffy wouldn't notice that those swords which weren't hovering around the Kensai were simply fading into darkness, and vanishing from sight.
Satoshi is thankfully ducking behind a snowbank to avoid Luffy's makeshift whirlwind and misses Empera's appearance, although she'd likely have been delighted to see the wires used on anything other than herself. It's Luffy's high-pitched shriek of rage that gets the kit peeking in on the battle again, in time to see the dragon executing a backwing and mid-air twist to hurl herself around and after the fleeing vampire. Angular limbs tuck in tight against the saurian's underside, streamlining an already sleek body and allowing her to slice through the air, past the kensai, and drop into a heavy land directly in front of him, talons skidding across the ice with a screech even as she lowers her head and opens her jaws in a hope of snapping him up before he can stop his own momentum.
Satoshi said, "That seems like a bad move..."
Kasyr really doesn't seem all that bothered by the fact that he's rushing straight towards Luffys maw, his reaction being to merely toss his trenchcoat off to the side as a pair of Katanas materialize into his hands (The veritable Gospel finally plucked up from where it had been sitting all this time). What the dragon doesn't see is the kensai drawing in as much ambient empathic energy as he could (A task limited to the immediate area due to his changed nature), as well as invoking the energies contained within the souls that he had still had access to- energy which the Kensai now evenly splits between the augumentation of his speed, strength ...and his sword. The only indication that something might be amiss is the manner in which Kasyr blurs forward, leaping straight into Luffys maw in an attempt to dodge any attempts at biting him, ...and the rather ominous black outline that poured off the blades in his hands and trailed in their wake. It's only be when the katana's crash into whatever Kasyr lands on, that she's likely realise her err. Unforunately, by this point, the dark energy that was funneled into Gospel and further enhanced by the weapons dark affinity promptly rushes out, seeking to infuse whatever it struck with as much of that vile magic as possible- before simply detonating. It's hardly a typical explosion either, the force seeking to ripple outwards in what could only be described as a spiralling pillar of tenebrous energy. Kasyr, of course, is pretty much going to be taking advantage of this chaos by manifesting the entirety of his katanas at once, and effectively riding a serpent of blades right out of Luffys mouth if she hasn't closed her mouth by this point, seeking to at once enrage & harm her, as well as dragging himself as high up as possible.
Satoshi could have told Luffy something like that would have happened, but hey... the kit's rooting for her husband, not the dragon. Which leaves said dragon with a personal introduction to a trademark Kasyr trap, something that costs her the better part of her bottom jaw and a hefty chunk of her top as well. Luffy's screech is decidedly strangled as she whips her head back, damaged jaws snapping open and closed in rapid succession--more out of pain than an attempt to snag the kensai that's already escaped. The saurian goes into a veritable temper tantrum by that point, talons once more slamming into the ground in rapid, earthshaking succession as narrowed crimson eyes dart about in search of the revenant. There. Not on the ground as she might have expected, apparently, but that doesn't stop the dragon from lashing out anew, rearing up to deliver a number of swift swipes from her front claws--reluctant to bring her maw back into the fray despite it being an easier form of attack against the airborne kensai.
Kasyr 's reaction is simple enough, simply hitting his -still- gloved hands off against a pair of swords, affixing the wires of his gloves to the blades, before he abruptly wills them to jerk down- effectively yanking him out of the way of the initial few swipes. The rest of the blades are quick enough to follow the hybrid, granting him the occasional foot hold to hop off- though he's quick enough to return their shape to that of a broad sword, as they serve far better as platforms. "I do believe, Madamoiselle Luffy, that this particular gnat es likely to be the death of a wolf such as yourself at this rate. So let's make things interesting, hmm? It might get tu a free meal~"
Satoshi gets a particularly unsettling feeling when she catches Kasyr's words. Making deals with dragons is never a good thing. Luffy, however, can't pass up an offer on a free meal--especially when it gives her a moment to collect herself. Huffing, as if Kasyr's merely wasting her time and she's growing weary of their game, the dragon settles back down on all fours and tips her battered snout in his direction. ~What do ya have in mind?~
Satoshi facepalms. And mutters something about deals with devils.
Kasyr ,despite the precarious balancing act involved with standing on a floating sword, takes a few moments to brush off his shirt and stretch out. "Et bien, it has occured to moi that whilst you seem to be possessed of a rather murderous personality, you're likely one of the stronger dragons I've come into contact with. Et it just so happens that I may, in fact, be in need of something with your particular strength: A partner-in-crime, if you will. You likely understand the whole premise of the mount et rider bit..save that, I don't exactly need a mount, I just need something that won't die when I go about doing the wonderfully cheerful actions that I do. Though, the ability to fly does make things easier on moi." Pausing, the hybrid leans forward, one hand moving over his forehead as though he needs to squint to look down at her, "That's, if I beat you. Now, for the part that interests you- if you were to break my bones into wonderfully edible pieces- you could chose to spare moi, et get someone conveniently helpful to lure people to you...Or...you could eat moi, et right before you do, I'll tell you something that es on my person, that tu could possibly use to frighten poor Madamoiselle Satoshi." ...What Luffy likely doesn't perceive, is that the Kensais other hand is behind his back waving off in the direction his wife is- as well as occasionally enthusiastically pointing at his wrist.
Satoshi's giving her husband one of the darkest looks she can muster--which is truly a look of concentration as the kit focuses on the innate magics woven into their wedding bands, seeking that link between them long enough to give Kasyr a private message. 'She'll agree. She's arrogant like that. But to hold her to the deal, you need her proper name. It's Sazume. She can't double-cross you if you have that. Binding contracts and such. Have fun, love~.' Luffy, of course, is oblivious to this as she readily bows her head in agreement with the kensai, wings furling and unfurling in visible excitement at the prospect of violence and further Satoshi-harassment. ~You have a deal. Make your move, gnat.~ Which is dragon code for 'I'm still trying to figure out how you work, so do something else I can watch and study. Then I'll eat you.'
Kasyr bows neatly to the dragon, before pulling down his goggles over his eyes, "Well, Madamoiselle Sazume. We're in agreement than. Do try and keep up, Oui?" Stomping sharply on the blade that served as his platform, the hybrid simply allows himself to be flung forward- one hand flicking out to the side to tap onto the still spinning sword. The dragon likely wouldn't even notice the faint hint of a spark that touchs around the swords hilt, nor those that catch around four other nearby blades- not when she has a Vampiric Kensai plummeting head first towards her. It's only when Kasyr would be in range of Luffy that he'd seek to correct his flight path, jerking sharply upon the lines of his wire glove to abruptly yank himself upwards. Though his arm protests with a sickening crack, the tiefling does in fact manage to reverse his momentum for a sparse few moments, and in the same motion yank the quintet of swords down with enough force that they quickly flicker by his form- with the rest of the hybrids bladed harem sweeping rushing past the Kensai shortly thereafter. What luffy likely wouldn't perceive, is that the tiefling was still very much attached to the initial five swords that would seek to clash into her- their supernatural density hopefully punching into scales, so that he can use his empera augumented electromancy to essentially paralyze her long enough for the rest of the blades to slam into her, before she can move away. None of that really matters all that much however, as it's essentially serving as a cloud cover; the Kensai waiting until the five swords have nestled firmed into either Luffy or the ground, if only so he can wrench himself forward (with another cracking noise from his arm) and promptly send himself hurtling down towards Sazume's back. It's only than that his broad sword rematerializes in his hand, the vampire channeling a portion of his very being into the ensuing downward strike. While the intent is to strike the dragon, the Kensai isn't particularily heart set on it. With a particularily different brand of lightning surging through Gospel, Kasyr simply seeks to impact straight into the nearest thing- by which point a shockwave of concussive force emanates from the point of impact, one strong enough that it could knock a minotaur off it's feet.. "..Did I just get a nose bleed?"
Satoshi finds a certain joy in Luffy's incredulous look at the use of her proper name, although the kit does harbor a hint of sympathy for the dragon and what she's about to endure. Sazume, fortunately, is blissfully unaware of just what she's gotten herself into and merely tenses sinewy muscles in preparation to go after the kensai. The black drake's first mistake is spreading her wings, intending to use them to propel herself forward in a powerful lunge but instead leaving large, and vulnerable, targets for the array of swords abruptly descending upon her. While the rest of her may be glacial scales of armor, her wings are still the typical leathery hide of most dragons and fall easy victim to blades punching through them and effectively pinning her down by her own appendages. Sazume's initial screech of outrage reaches newer heights of volume and fury with each additional sword that lodges itself in her already cracked armor until, out of sheer stubborn ferocity, she shreds her own wings with a violent upheavel of her body to force herself once more onto hindlegs. Foretalons rise up, prepared to catch the kensai plummeting straight for her within her icy grasp. She's not exactly expecting the results of the impact, however, and coupling her surprise with the concussion is enough to throw even her bulk backward in a spiky tumble head over tail. But even once her momentum comes to a halt, Luffy doesn't readily scramble back to her feet, leaving her battered and dented self sprawled haphazardly across the ground while she stares intently at her foreclaws firmly cupped over the snow in the eager fashion of a cat with a mouse pinned between its paw. Slowly, painfully slowly thanks to Ko'tar's earlier bite and a pair of claws broken off from the shockwave, Sazume begins pressing her talons together, intending a far from pleasant crushing death on the one she's privately dubbed 'The one that bites like a storm'. Satoshi, during all this, can only come to one conclusion. "Hellfire. I am -not- crossing blades with him again."
Kasyr is beginning to feel a sort of weariness encroach on his spirit, even as he drags himself into a standing position once more, "Well, she's certainly...resilient." Nonetheless, he's also aware of the fact that his current breathing room is limited by just how long it takes Sazume to grind him into paste between her talons- a fact which motivates him to drag Gospel out from the ground, and heft it over his shoulder. Even with only one arm available to himself, the Hybrid still held a certain air of confidance, one which only magnified as he began to pray to Daedria. With a pained scream, Gospels edge begins to blaze a pure golden colour- even as the weapons corrupted energies begin to seep out and meld into the divine energies invoked by Daedrias' blade. With every passing moment, the light surrounding the blade seems to grow brighter, just as the shadows within it grow more prominent. Whether it's the inability to continue contain the two conflicting energies or just the fearsome proximity of Sazumes claws, one thing is certain; the hybrid doesn't waste another second in trying to thrust the blade into one of Luffys talons- quite intent on making it the focal point of the ensuing calamity. After all, the hybrids essentially counting on the ensuing detonation of conflicting energies to hopefully blow the dragons hands apart, or at least coax her to smack him away, at worst.
Satoshi can at least take some pride in having made Sazume exceedingly durable to the point that the dragon's missing pieces of herself and still readily battling. Even when her left paw is abruptly shattered into nothing more than shards of black ice--conveniently raining down on Kasyr in a glassy hail while the dragon recoils in pain and surprise. Hobbling, Luffy retreats to a short distance long enough to take stock, and she's not pleased with what she finds. Or rather, what she finds lacking: wings torn to uselessness, an entire paw missing, another without two claws, jaws next to worthless, and random chunks gone and growing with each movement throughout her hide. It's right about now she wishes she was able to regenerate as easily as her white twin was, a roll in the snow or a dunk in water and he'd be good as new. But for Sazume... a source of pure ice has to be eaten to restore the damage inflicted. Heaving a sigh--the sound whistling through the holes in her maw--Luffy turns her back on the kensai. It's no surrender however, as her thus far undamaged tail darts forward suddenly, delivering a series of quick jabs, feints, and swipes at Kasyr while the dragon watches from over her shoulder and begins a steady backwards walk in an attempt to herd him nearer the icy edge of the path and the short plunge into the woods past that.
Kasyr takes one luck at Sazume before he simply swipes his sword out in front of himself, that blackened blade taking on the oft-unused form of a Nodachi. It's poised as such that the hybrid becomes first aware of sudden onslaught of tail thrusts, lifting Gospel up just in time to forcefully knock aside the first jab. The weary Kensai is hardly as fortunate with the next thrust however, only managing to twist his body aside so that the wound isn't as grievous. Or the next few after that, the Figment seemingly focused on simply redirecting the blows so that they land shallowly, or impacting into her tail with every ounce of force he can muster- just to see how Luffys scales hold up against Gospels Form that is specifically meant to cut through magic. Seemingly, being the keyword, as once the tiefling deems himself sufficiently damaged, he rather purposefully dives to one side, and slams Gospel into the ground, hastily summoning all of his other swords to his vicinity to form a hastily improvised barrier. One that becomes composed of bastard swords, not a few moments after...
Satoshi isn't entirely sure what to make of the current turn of events involving the dragon essentially fencing with Kasyr... using her tail. Luffy doesn't keep her antics up, however, scrambling--in a lopsided and terribly unbalanced fashion--back around the instant the kensai dives aside. Hindlegs bunch beneath her to launch her glacial bulk forward in a behemoth lunge, lowered head and remaining claw intent upon colliding with the wall of blades and simply barreling through them and straight on to the dragon's target in nothing more than a battering ram-esque show of brute strength.
Kasyr is certainly bleeding profusely, and has in fact taken refuge within a wall of blades- but the Kensai is hardly beaten yet. But than, he was counting on the dragon to come in for the kill, even as he simply began to focus on all the wounds he had allowed her to inflict. That suffering is grasped, it's very essence forced into his blade, that negative empathic energy giving Gospel an eerie wisp-like aura, which is further fed by the blades malignant nature. Satisfied, the Kensai rises to his feet, and stares at Luffy as she pounds her way forward- before simply swiping his sword in her direction. Whilst normally the gesture might appear meek, the ensuing rampage of dark tendrils which rip out from Gospel give the action an altogether discomforting aspect- Each one arcing outwards as though preparing to barrage Sazume from all sides. It's only when they near here do they promptly coalesce once more, twisting into a single overwhelming mass of negative energy meant to strike the dragon with the damage she'd wreaked, at an altogether heighted rate. It was a technique the hybrid had picked up from Syadon, one meant more for the dispatching of an entity on equal footing- but than, the Kensai had a distinct feeling that Shazume hadn't been -feeling- the pain quite as deeply as she should have been. Really, Kasyr is just hoping to distract her long enough that she doesn't notice him lifting his sword up, and jamming it into the ground, all but collapsing against it, as the ring of swords around him do the same. So long as he's left unimpeded for a few moments, he'd be able to channel the remaining chunk of magical energy he had within himself, and spread it through the swords. That energy, attuned to a more pyric nature, would be used to form anywere between three and a dozen fiery ruptures within the earth- for every one of the blades the Kensai had buried in the ground. Certainly, it left the hybrid all but drained, bleeding and hunched over his blade- but it was going to leave Sazume in the midst of an impromptu hellish landscape, as her world would become engulfed in a confusion of fiery pillars and scorched earth.
Satoshi might actually be starting to feel sorry for Sazume.. or she's just disappointed the fight's drawing to a close. Either or, Luffy's general disregard for pain isn't coming into effect right about now as she takes Gospel's corrupted blow directly into her broad chest. Cracks and fissures course throughout her form, entire chunks of the dark ice falling away as the dragon shrieks, for once, purely in pain. Hurling herself backwards, reeling with compromised balance, Luffy stumbles upon her hindlegs and frantically fans her tattered wings in an attempt to halt gravity's hold on her in her sideways plunge. With a crash the saurian lands upon a number of the earthbound blades just in time for the fire to begin erupting beneath and around her. Even with pieces of herself falling away with every movement, Sazume still attempts to return to her claws amid the chaos of hellfire, and it's one of those geysers appearing beneath her that grants her the momentum needed--at the cost of a wing and most of her side. Wobbling forward on melting talons, the dragon sets blazing eyes on the slumped kensai and bares her fangs, the gesture almost useless as her jaws are reduced to little more than slush by the heat. Another moment spent eyeing Kasyr costs Luffy her tail, a hindleg, and a decent part of her flank, but the dragon's far past caring as she forces herself once more onto her remaining back leg. She lingers in that position for a second longer before she's sent forward by another gout of flame, bringing the melting mess of ice dragon crashing down where she's last seen the vampire.
Kasyr groans, dully aware of the heat that rages around him, arcane fire tearing through snow and seeking purchase upon the ground. Leaning heavily against his sword, the only thing he can think to do is grasp the arm that's dangling at his side, and force it back into place with a sickening pop, and a grunt- figuring that the 'healing' underwent by his kind would likely take care of the rest. It's only when he becomes aware that the thudding in his ears isn't his inexistant heartbeat that he bothers to look up- a brief look of disoriented panic giving way to grim determination. It's as if something clicks inside the Kensai during that brief moment- the simple awareness that his existance was about to cease enough to coax some of the spirits locked deep within himself to emerge. One of them is immediately put to use, every ounce of the Shaman Kemens' energy poured into the hybrids ability to recuperate. An impromptu spring of vitality, which combined with the hybrids still unweighted form allows him just enough speed to kick off his still buried sword, sending himself skittering off to the side. Straightening up as his body uses the siphoned energy to repair it's wounds, the Vampire tsks as the dragon 'traps' Gospel beneath her before shaking his head and simply snapping the fingers of his offhand. Whether or not Sazume could move or not anymore was beyond the point now, a fact that seemed more than clear as 12 obsidian blades rippled into existance around Kasyr. One by one, they move outwards to form a ring above the dragon, hovering at different angles- before the hybrid simply flicks out his wrist towards the highest one- the wires of his glove firmly locking around it. With the blade refusing to budge from it's spot- the unarmoured Revenant is easily able to replicate the grappling line trick he had pulled before, effectively lifting himself up so that he can perch upon the broad sword. Resting one hand upon the hilt, the Figment of Balance simply drops head over heels, pulling the blade down with him. It's only than that he invokes that secondary soul- the wild energies of the mage Shaele filling his being, as he poured both it and his own essence into the blade. Even as he moves to slam the now sparking bastard sword into the dragon, to catalyze that same shockwave of concussive force, a patch of skin dissipates off the Kensais' body- dissapearing with naught but a crackle of energy. Not that it stops Kasyr, as he simply whips out the wires from his gloves and actually rides the after effect of the shockwave up towards the next highest blade- nimbly grasping onto the hilt, if only so he can swing himself around and hurtle himself back down towards Sazume- to bludgeon her with that shockwave again. Over and over again the hybrid mirrors this motion, using the increasing bursts of force to effectively keep the dragon pinned, even as patchs of his body wisp away in trails of crackling sparks. It's only when he's gone through all of the floating blades that he leaps one last time into the air, tapping so forcefully into that reserve of energy, that an entire patch of flesh dissapears from his hands...a fairly fitting price- given that the Kensai seeks to invoke a shockwave of raw electrical force with his final blow- essentially hoping to cook Luffy into a state of submission. "...Right."
Satoshi never thought she'd do it, but there she is rushing up to the scorched area, calling out to the kensai as Luffy's subjected to the series of blows, "Stop! You'll kill her!" Why yes, the magus is coming to the dragon's aid, for despite their rather strained relationships the two are still linked and Satoshi's not willing to see the last part of her masterpiece destroyed. Although Sazume is very near that point, hardly more than a decimated chest and upper foreleg, a neck, and partially intact skull, the rest of her lying in either pieces or inky puddles around her. The dragon is incapable of more than the slightest quiver of her head, yet still her eyes blaze in defiance, her willingness to fight unceasing... up until Satoshi reaches her after Kasyr's final strike, the cryomancer placing a hesitant hand between the saurian's eyes. "Enough, Sazume." The dragon shudders, whether it's from the touch or the realization that she's lost is a mystery, but with a sigh she closes her eyes, conceding. ~All right.~ The voice is ragged but still as imperious as earlier, a single eye cracking open to fix on the revenant. ~You win, gnat. This time.~ Heaving a sigh, Satoshi falls back to sit in the melting snow around the dragon and gives Kasyr a bemused look. "If you really want to keep her, you're going to need a lot of ice to fix what you broke."
Kasyr hops off from the dragon, each one of his blades dissipating into a solid stream of inky blackness which swirls over to his arms, before re-inking itself into the shape of a serpentine tattoo running up his arms. With his gaze jumping between Luffy and Satoshi, the Kensai simply shakes his head, before plucking out a cigarette from his vest pocket, a small sputtering flame coaxed into existance with a cantrip. "Given that she made me try, I'd be pretty frustrated if she gave up the ghost after all of this. As for ice...if tu could move her further into the mountain range, we could maybe drag her off to a frozen lake- and see if she couldn't skim the top of it for what she needs, oui? Or, am I missing something?" Casually letting out a puff of smoke, the Revenant begins to make his way off towards where he had tossed his coat- seemingly intent on getting access to his trenchcoat and all it's pockets. "..Oh, et Sazume. Good fight. You were more of a pain in the ass than the supposed King Of dragons."
Satoshi shakes her head as she climbs to her feet. "She's more stubborn than her brother in every way, including restoring herself." Luffy's given a withering look by that point even as the minstrel begins humming a low tune, weaving her words into lyrics to keep conversation and spell active at the same time. This isn't what Satoshi had in mind when she'd requested to be able to heal. "She needs pure ice, and she needs to eat it~. Healing through devouring, like a proper brute~." The dragon huffs at that, although the sound is more a laugh than one of offense. Watching Kasyr from the corner of her eye, Satoshi begins calling up crystalline stalagmites of ice from the snow around the dragon's head, gentle whistles coaxing one to break and land before what remains of Sazume's jaws. With more energy than she should possess after her beating, Luffy snaps up the ice in a hurry, crushing it with the last of her fangs before the element seeps into her being to begin the restoration. Leaving a small forest of icy spikes for Luffy to feast upon, Satoshi shuffles her way over to Kasyr, nudging her head lightly against his shoulder in something of a hello. "That was quite the show, y'know."
Kasyr outright laughs at his wife's description of Luffys' healing process. "Does that mean I was quite the brute until recently, Cherie? I had quite the appetite until we went about that island excursion, after all..." Shrugging innocently, the Kensai simply turns his attention over towards the Dragon, curiously observing her eating habits- and the vigour she still retained for causing destruction rabidly. It's only when Satoshi sidles up beside him that he turns his attention back to her, tilting his head off to one side, to tap his head lightly to hers, "Well, I'm glad I meet your approval for entertainment purposes."
Satoshi carefully lowers her voice to a conspiratorial level and glances at Luffy to make sure the dragon can't hear. "It was as terrifying as it was entertaining. Hellfire. So much lightning..." The kit isn't one to readily admit to anyone when something frightens her, but it's not something she's easily able to hide from her mate either. Whatever seriousness she might have had when glancing up at Kasyr then is lost, however, as she snickers and offers the kensai a white kerchief from her satchel. "Bloody nose, dear~?" That aside, Satoshi adopts a more business-like expression--with only a vague hint of amusement--before adding, "You're really planning to keep her around? For the Eyrie? You'd make a dangerous duo~."
Kasyr blinks, and touchs a hand up to his nose, which is still bleeding from when he initially invoked that blade art that was ionizing select bits of his body. "...Oh. Well. Yeah." Accepting the kerchief with a sheepish grin and a wave of his hand, the kensai simply begins to dab at his nose, "Anyways, yes, that's about the plan. I'd probably kill just about anything else, or at least maim it, with the particular missions I do. She seems competant however, et quite capable of instilling fear in anything that gets in our way." The perverse glee that enters the Kensais voice during that moment is almost chilling. "...Anyways, I think we ought to depart shortly after this- as much as I like lingering near scenes of massive destruction I've caused-...I much prefer piece et quiet to gawking crowds."
Satoshi agrees with a nod, deftly linking her arm with the vampire's and promptly steering him in the direction of the mines, and their home not far beyond that. The kit can't help but slow when she reaches Luffy, raising her brows as the last of the pillars of ice is devoured by the nearly restored beast. Sazume dutifully ignores the duo, however, pretending to be focused on glaring at a rear leg that's taking too long to grow back paw and talons. "You pick the oddest companions, Kas~," Satoshi remarks, returning the dragon's favor and ignoring her behemoth presence--even when Luffy turns to amble after them in an unsteady gait of half-reformed feet that shakes the ground beneath her. Truthfully, it's probably best the saurian follows them into the caves to avoid the inevitable crowd drawn to the scene and quite possibly an encounter with Frostmaw's own aggressive frost dragon. Satoshi will have to, of course, weave a story out of all this, to ensure the citizens their queen's consort is a hero and defeated a great threat to the city. Might be just what she needs to name an 'in-house' champion, even.
Kasyr is more than happy to follow Satoshi's lead. After all, home is where the heart is...and where his study with a rotating chair is, aaand there's that nice bedroom, too. Not that the hybrids likely going to be visiting either of those spots immediately- since he'll quite likely be helping Satoshi weave a proper heroic tale out of the encounter. Kas was quite the politician after all. if his stay at vailkrin proved anything.