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Post by Raziel on Dec 31, 2009 4:11:53 GMT -6
With the final rotation the speed and momentum had faded, and with another twist once more he landed softly on his feet. Raising his left hand, he held his palm upward to the sky. Shadows slid from all directions, gathering at Raziel. Something as simple as a shadow harbored much more than one normally would have guessed, and the Dark energy from those that had amassed at his beckoning melded and mingled in the shape of a sphere roughly a hundred feet overhead. At first, it wasn't discernible, but steadily and swiftly did it grow into a massive black orb.
His dead eyes fell on the two before him. Something flashed within them, and then the last little of Light surrounding him flickered and vanished. A snap of his fingers.
The giant shadow sphere exploded. Hundreds of sharp, javelin-shaped objects rained from the sky.
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Post by Drake the Perceiver on Dec 31, 2009 4:25:59 GMT -6
[glow=maroon,2,000]A perception, late in coming due to the energy used in the perceived attack, caused Drake's eyes to bulge.
He dashed for the nearest table in the plaza, weakened by Raziel's explosive burst but still standing. He dove underneath it, and the javelins pounded through the table. Slowed by the wooden table above him, Drake was stabbed by about two dozen of the shadow spears, though none of them plunged more than an inch or two into Drake.
He yelped in pain, and slowly reached for a table leg. Able to lift the table a few inches up, Drake was able to crawl from beneath it and avoid further perforation.[/glow]
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Post by Rifel on Dec 31, 2009 4:50:38 GMT -6
Rifel watched, as the shadows gathered overhead, taking this chance to draw both halves of the Tear, and placing them together to create the full weapon, four feet long, and nearly two and a half wide. If they were actual shadows, then this would work to his advantage, and quite so. The old man, on the other hand, was screwed.
Suddenly, they descended, hundreds of large, pointed shadows. This was the cue. Fortunately, there weren't centralized on just the kid's opponents, but scattered all over the place. All he needed now, was the correct timing. And it came. One of the javelins fell directly on top of him, slamming into the ground, as though Rifel had never actually occupied that space. In fact, he was now behind the chimera child, flying out of a second javelin with the Tear raised over his shoulder like a massive baseball bat. A bat which he swung at the boy's head, using the flat, broad of the blade, in hopes of rendering the berserker unconscious.
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Post by Raziel on Jan 1, 2010 19:22:25 GMT -6
]Raziel looked skyward as it hailed of shadows, as if waited. He did not budge as they drew ever closer. Just as they were about to pierce and stake him to the ground, he became shrouded within a small dome of shadow, the spears bouncing harmlessly of the shield. After deflecting the rain of death, the shroud shrunk and sank into the ground; disappearing. Rifel's attempt hit naught but air, the Chimera no longer there.
Instead, it was he he was flanking Rifel rather than the intended vice versa, gripping one of the shadow spears and pulling it free of the ground. At his touch it reshaped into a straight-edge katana of the deepest black, the transformation barely complete before it's tip thrust towards the older man's right shoulder, angling himself a little to the side to not get caught by the massive sword lest the other lost his footing and the swing went farther than anticipated.
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Post by Rifel on Jan 10, 2010 0:33:32 GMT -6
The swing missed, and the heavy weapon's mass forced the wielder to spin as he continued through the air, into the spot that the boy had only recently occupied. By a stroke of luck, the blade's broad side managed to absorb the stab, as Rifel held it close to himself to maintain balance. The force of the strike, however, halted the revolution, and forced blade and master back. His feet touched down, skidding with the inertia transferred from the chimera's attack. Acting on instinct, Rifel stabbed the Tear into the concrete, tearing a massive gash down the middle of the street before finally coming to a complete stop. The still injured man slumped over on his blade, breathing heavily. The kid was strong, almost too strong for someone his age. If this kept on much longer, he wouldn't have much of a choice, but to use the Shadow Drive.
Standing as quickly as he could, Rifel grimaced, his left hand sliding the blade from the end of the miniature canyon it had carved. Setting it down to rest between his feet, he glared at the chimera, almost daring the boy to close in. For the moment, he would merely counteract what was thrown at him. Without knowing the full extent of his enemy's abilities, he could very well condemn himself, were he to act recklessly.
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Post by Raziel on Jan 10, 2010 4:19:24 GMT -6
The instant his attack was a failure, Raziel leapt backward; sailing softly through the air and putting a good measure of distance between himself and Rifel. A slight trickle of blood running from the corner of his mouth, despite the nonexistence of physical injury. Unaccustomed to its newfound abilities, the boy's body was beginning to be pushed past the limits it could sustain. But that appeared of no concern. The aura about him flared up once more, stirring the winds around the street.
Things were about to go up a notch.
The approach began slow. A short, purposeful walk that grew to a stride. The pace continued to quicken, until reaching a full-out charge. Tearing yet another shadow spear from the ground, it became a twin of the weapon in his other hand, each at his side as he closed in on Rifel. The Shadows around the elder man flattened, becoming pools of dark energy, while one shaped akin to a door rose directly in front of the Chimera's charge, blocking him from sight.
Thirteen more shot up from the ground around Rifel, completely surrounding him on all sides save above and below. A moment later, Raziel emerged in a flash from the "Door" directly in front of the man, his pace not slowed a beat. Each blade was brought up to bear, held at the respective hand's opposite, and swung with destructive, momentous force in a cross-slash.
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Post by Drake the Perceiver on Jan 10, 2010 21:02:37 GMT -6
[glow=maroon,2,000]Drake turned and looked at his quarterstaff. The chains that had been a serious threat to him a few moments ago were now motionless, the boy's attention totally focused on this angry man, who Drake perceived to be Raziel's injured cohort. He seemed fine now; the two apparently had similar abilities, and were now duking it out with each other, ignoring him almost completely.
Drake briskly plucked his staff from the chains before the boy had a chance to send them at him again, then took a few steps away from them. The two would be fighting each other a while, yet he somehow also felt his personal safety would be threatened again in the not-too-distant future.
For the moment he simply held his staff and observed. This was beyond him at this point anyway; he was good - in fact, he was damn good - in a fight, but that was by human standards. Against these two, he would be asking for trouble, and without his armor and weapons he wanted no part of that kind of trouble.[/glow]
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Post by Rifel on Jan 15, 2010 2:09:39 GMT -6
The boy was coming for him again, now armed in both hands. Rifel slowly lifted his weapon from the ground, readying to counter. Then he was surrounded by black, more shadows. If he had more time, he would have jumped into one, but as things were, he had to be a bit hasty. Jumping into one now, he might come out of one of the others that currently surrounded him, which would put him in the exact same situation as he was presently in. While debating, he ran out of time. Raziel screamed out of the first shadow, that had started the black cage, swinging his darkened blades from either side.
Acting out of instinct, Rifel swung the Tear into one, using his damaged arm. The weight of the clumsy swing should have knocked the slash back where it came from, but it only halted the advance with the surprising sound of grinding metal. With his good hand, he grabbed hold of the boy's non-deflected wrist, halting the blade just before it tickled his ribs. Though, there was a considerable amount of force behind the blow, so the impact forced him to sway quite a bit, stepping back a bit.
"I'm not sure what's gotten into you, kid," he growled, "But this has gone on long enough." Suddenly, with a loud crack, Rifel's body emitted a furious, black shockwave. It didn't have any force, nor was it intended to. In fact, it was the side effect, rather than the actual catalyst. Black lightning began surging from every joint visible, jumping from one end to the next. In an instant, his wounds vanished, and his grip on the chimera's wrist strengthened. "I just want you to know, if you're still capable of listening, that you're going to work pretty hard to make up for making me use this." His eyes lacked any color, just orbs of pure white, and his voice was layered, almost as though five of him were talking at once. This was the Shadow Drive.
With his strength returned, Rifel stepped back more, his blade still locked with the boy's and his grip still around the wrist. He had, in fact, stepped through a shadow, only his arms remaining on the outside. The rest of him was inside the Shadow Realm, a sea of black, with many invisible doors. Only a select few could navigate these darkened corridors successfully. As he pulled the Tear back to his side, away from the chimera's weapon, he pulled on the wrist he clutched, attempting to bring the boy into the darkness as well.
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Post by Raziel on Jan 16, 2010 2:06:58 GMT -6
Rifel appeared to be taking the matter at hand more seriously. Whether it was out of realization of the potential severity if left unchecked much longer or an overwhelming desire for it to be over and done with was uncertain. If Raziel were himself, he'd wager a combination of the two. A flash of black exploded from Rifel, yet there was no overwhelming pressure behind the release. It was unsettlingly... Calm, almost.
[Lil Music]
But matters certainly were full-throttle in the opposite direction of any semblance to the word "Calm". Whatever it was that had hold over the Chimera became more volatile, as if loathing a rivaling dark power, bleeding into him further to the point his expression became wild and feral. Animosity sparked live once more the moments-ago empty eyes. The pressure behind the shadow sword held at bay by Rifel's blade increased greatly as the weapons continued to grind against each other.
The man, now renewed, took a step through a section of the wall of Shadow Raziel had created, aiming to drag the boy in along with him. His words before sinking through the black a forewarning of the punishment that would come after. If there was an after.
The resistance against his sword slackened and vanished. That was a mistake. Raziel's free arm slid to his right side, but it remained there less than briefly. Blade in hand, it went tearing upward to the left. In the same instant, he released the sword in hand and twisted his wrist, catching hold of Rifel's as well; locking them together. With the slash approaching from the opposite side of which the man held the blade, guarding the blow would be difficult. Not for the weight, but the sheer size. The keen edge drew closer at a furious pace, aiming to leave a gash from hip to shoulder.
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Post by Rifel on Jan 19, 2010 1:38:51 GMT -6
There was a sudden, sharp pain across his chest. Were he to look down, he would notice the diagonal cut, bleeding profusely. It hurt, but he's suffered worse. Being that the Shadow Drive was still fresh, his regeneration hadn't toned down yet. Black bolts of lightning sprang to work, jumping around his torso as though they were one, long string, spiraling around the wound, and pulling it shut. There would be a scar for a few minutes, but the damage had been repaired.
Behind the mask, Rifel was cursing himself out having made a rather stupid mistake. Sure, this time he got away with it, but later on, once the regeneration wore off, he would have to fight with the wounds he suffered. But, now wasn't exactly the time for a mental debate. There was a more pressing matter at hand. The boy had made sure to grip Rifel's wrist, so the hands were locked together. This worked to his advantage, he thought, as it made it easier to pull the berserk child in. Once they were both in the Shadow Realm, the damage to the still recovering Thoncir would be greatly lessened. Also, there was no telling how well the chimera's body could handle the realm. With any luck, he wouldn't be built for it, and would pass out. Worst case scenario, he would be torn to shreds upon entering. But, that was doubtful, as very few had suffered that fate, and all of them were normal humans.
"Get in here," he grunted, twisting his torso, and putting his whole body into a shoulder throw that would hopefully bring the boy into his turf.
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Post by Raziel on Jan 19, 2010 15:35:22 GMT -6
The attack had been a success, that was obvious by the resistance of flesh against his blade; but it appeared not to halt his adversary in the slightest. The ground eluded his feet, Raziel was hurled into the darkness with an overwhelming strength. His body ceased to be airborne after a few moments, smacking into the ground. Silently the boy pushed himself back on his feet, appearing more than a little irritated at being man-handled but not much worse for wear.
They were blanketed in an endless darkness and Shadow. The very essence of Raziel's power; or at least half of what comprised it. But Light had little sway over the boy currently. His eyes fell on Rifel's upper body, where the wound should have been was but a fading scar. The Chimera's eyebrow arched, but silence remained.
With a flick of the wrist he held the shadow sword in a reverse grip, holding it at the ready and keeping his eyes on the man. The Chimera was being far more wary than the frenzy earlier. After a few moments, an impatience was in the air about him as he took the first few steps to charge. He didn't get very far.
The boy dropped to a knee suddenly, his free hand clutching the side of his head as he panted heavily. What may have looked like an intolerance to the Shadow Realm was actually the inner battle for dominance between Raziel and his own power.
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Post by Drake the Perceiver on Jan 19, 2010 22:57:15 GMT -6
[glow=maroon,2,000]Drake saw the two men disappear behind a curtain of shadow, then felt the two men disappear entirely.
Their battle had taken them to another plane, Drake was able to perceive. Other than that, the two were too far removed from him to perceive further.
He looked around, the remainig traces of solid shadow fading without anyone to maintain them on this plane. He looked around at the damage that had been done by the battle thus far, and it was considerable.
Drake only knew it wasn't over yet. He hailed a cab and headed back to his condo. If they came back to this city, Drake would almost certainly know about it. But he'd cross that bridge when he came to it.[/glow]
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Post by Rifel on Jan 24, 2010 2:00:29 GMT -6
Apparently, his thoughts weren't entirely a guess. The chimera was indeed having something of a reaction to being dragged into the Shadow Realm. Though, something was a bit off. The boy was fighting it, seemingly desperate to remain conscious. Maybe he was a bit more attuned to this place than Rifel had initially thought. If that was the case, then a little more suggesting was in order. He approached the boy slowly, raising the Tear above his right shoulder like a baseball bat. If the chimera lashed out, it would take the broad side of the blade to the side of its head.
(Short post... Sorry.)
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Post by Raziel on Jan 26, 2010 3:49:34 GMT -6
Blanketed by darkness, it was almost like sleep. There was an awareness, yet at the same there was also an abundance of nothing. A blend of being and nonexistence. But the veil was slipping from his eyes, and he would wake into a nightmare.
There was no Light, there was no warmth. Wherever he looked, Raziel saw only an endless sea of obsidian; this place was hollow. He wasn't sure if he loved it or hated it. Comforting, yet haunting. "Am I dead?" He whispered as he glanced around. He couldn't remember anything specifically that had killed him, but there wasn't much that seemed impossible anymore.
The pressure began to subside, but he didn't move for fear of aggravating it once more. His eyes became more focused, and he could see the outline of a person. A person hefting a huge sword over their shoulder. Raziel became aware that he was gripping the handle of something, his gaze shifting to the shadow sword he held so tightly his palm bled. "Old man...?" He called out to the figure, his voice shook uncertainty. The soft radiance returned to his eyes, but the pale blue was filled with fear.
For the second time today, once more he had awoken in a foreign world.
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Post by Rifel on Feb 3, 2010 3:52:00 GMT -6
It seemed as though the boy had finally regained himself. Without the immediate threat, Rifel lowered his weapon, letting it rest on what could be considered as the ground. Though, he didn't sheath it, in case this was some sort of trick ot catch him off guard. Clearing his throat, he knelt down before the kid. "Are you alright?" It was a whisper, but the Shadow Drive still warped it, doubling the voice over and again, making it seem as though many people were whispering to the chimera in unison. "You lost yourself out there. I brought you here in hopes that it would bring you to your senses. Looks like it worked." Standing once again, he held out a single hand to the boy, offering to help him stand.
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