| Welcome to Imythess, the border between dreams and reality. We hope you enjoy your visit. Imythess is a creative writing board where you narrate the story of a character in the medieval land of Imythess, on the planet Chaon. Each topic is an opportunity for your character to interact with the world and its peoples by cooperatively writing pieces of a story with other members, one post at a time. We call this role-playing, because you assume the identity of your character as if it were your own. In order to play, you must register an account for each character you would like to write about, and begin their tale by filling out their basic profile information: Race (human, elf, demon, etc.), class (warrior, mage, etc.), physical appearance, and any other personal details you would like to describe. You are also encouraged to come up with some background history information for what your character's life has been like up to the point at which their story in Imythess begins. There is no approval process or application required to join, so long as you follow the rules then you are free to write whatever character details you choose. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free. Create a character now! If you're already a member, you can log into your account below: |
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| Mercenary, Meet Mage. | |
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| Topic Started: Sat Jul 9, 2011 7:29 pm (303 Views) | |
| Castor | Sat Jul 9, 2011 7:29 pm Post #1 |
 
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Everto sat at a table in the busy tavern, he had a glass of water and was listening to the tune, he had also been given a room for the night, the innkeeper taking pity on an 'abandoned child.' Everto didn't feel the need to correct him even though he was quite wrong, the fact is that he had no money, looked like a child, and hadn't show off his magic yet. He drank quietly until a few of the women in the tavern walked to his table, ask him questions about who his mommy was, and where his daddy was, talking down to him like he was a baby. He just wanted to pop the nearest wench in the mouth with his fist while throwing a fireball at the ceiling... though he knew he wouldn't. Then he heard them ask for his age... he could tell them the truth that he was one hundred and fifty-eight years old, though he doubted that would end well, he might get his free room taken away if they believed him. So instead he told them the last digit of his age, "I'm eight years old, I don't know what my mom and dad are doing, they're not here anymore." He saw a few tear up, oh yeah, it was time to milk this for all that it was worth, they ordered him food and told him they'd be sure he got a meal tomorrow morning. Sometimes looking like a kid had its advantages, he drank his water as leg of mutton and some apples was put in front of him, or yes, it was indeed good. |
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| Kalim | Sat Jul 9, 2011 8:52 pm Post #2 |
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Balefire was definitely not on Kal's list of favorite cities. The place stank of dark activities. Even the name - Balefire, city of lanterns - sounded ominous. Why any human would choose to live here was beyond his comprehension. The only useful quality about the place was that it was, surprisingly, a hub for business of all sorts. While some of them didn't quite suit his tastes (there was quite a market for assassins here), he still always managed to find work that didn't infringe on his conscience. It was a last, but reliable, resort when he couldn't find an acceptable job in one of the other cities. Like every time he went on a job hunt, his first stop was a tavern, and the Purple Lantern was one of the more well-known pubs. As he stepped inside he heard the sound of laughter, and the sound of music coming from a corner where a few men sat playing. He looked around, dissapointed by the lack of empty tables. He preferred to sit alone at times like this. Having someone jabbering in his ear made it difficult to listen to the news and rumors that always seemed to run rampant in taverns. He finally decided on a table where a child was sitting. Even as he pulled the chair back and sat down, he looked at the boy, bemused. He had an abnormal appearance, the first clue that there was something different about the kid. Most eight-year olds didn't have red eyes and white hair. Maybe he was an albino? The mercenary wouldn't count on it, not in this city, where a person that looked like a human could actually be any creature that walked the earth. He couldn't help but chuckle at the women that were practically coddling the kid. It must be nice, to have one's every need taken care of like that. Maybe he should try out the sympathy card sometime, get himself a few free meals. Nah. He had too much pride to stoop so low. His curiousity was piqued, and until it was satisfied, he'd never be able to pay attention to what he'd come here for. He removed his cloak and sword, throwing the first on the chair next to him while he propped the sheath up against his own seat, ready in case of danger. It never hurt to be cautious, especially in Balefire. With that done, he looked across the table. "So, what's a kid doing here? I didn't even know it was legal for a child to be in a pub!" |
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| Castor | Sat Jul 9, 2011 9:07 pm Post #3 |
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Everto looked around, no one was within listening range, "I'm 158 years old, I just prefer water and free meals." He made sure to let a touch of sarcasm play in his tone as he spoke, he didn't want the man to feel welcome, he called him a kid, if he could have it his way he would have used his spell punch combination to make it so he could never have kids again. He looked over at him, "It's strange for a grown man to decide to sit with a child instead of flirting with the barmaids or talking about past battles with the other people, why choose to sit by a freaky looking kid, well besides the women that sometimes come over here and coddle me." He began eating the mutton, it was perfect, it was nearly falling off the bone, he drank deeply from his water, waiting for the man to continue. "Oh, before you tell me your name and life's story I should really answer your question, I'm here because I want to be here, also, my name is Everto Parvulus, though from the way you look you're a mercenary..." He lowered his voice so only the man could here, "I am the demon child that bandits speak of if you've listened to them as a spy or just before killing them." Of course he doubted he knew what and who he was, but he had been killing bandits and slavers, the few that escaped called him the 'demon child', oh well, something fun might happen soon though. |
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| Kalim | Sat Jul 9, 2011 10:14 pm Post #4 |
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Well. Talk about a bombshell. Kal didn't quite know how to react as quite a bit more information than he had expected was revealed by the pint-sized kid. He decided to digest it one section at a time. First there was the bit about being a century and a half years old. That either made him a terrible, atrocious liar, or...not human. Then there was the bit about himself being a mercenary. Quite perceptive, for someone so small. He felt his eyebrows raising more and more at this wacky tale. Finally, this "Everto" explained that was a famous bandit-killing demon. Oh, but of course! Why couldn't he have guessed that? Kal almost choked. A barmaid that had come to refill the boy's glass gave him a reproachful look. "I hope this man isn't bothering you. I'll have him kicked out if he is." She shot Kal a foul look. "Lady," he began, struggling to regain his breath after the bout of coughing, "You have no idea. This kid's..." he glanced at those crimson eyes, and shook his head. Heck. He might as well not destroy the demon child's fun. The maid waited, an irritated look marring her pretty features, and he shook his head. "Nevermind." She moved on to the other tables, muttering under her breath about filthy sellswords. In any other city, he would have accused Everto of being a liar, but here in Balefire, he knew it was all to possible for a demon to openly roam the streets. That was the nature of the darkness-enshrouded location. Along with that, he had heard about some kind of monster slaughtering bandits and slavers, but he accredited that to a wild imagination and too much drink. If it was true, and this little guy was the one and same, he was facing a creature with quite a bit of power within that little frame. "Well..." he released a breath, leaning back in his chair, glad for the sword he still had sitting next to him. "I guess after all that, I owe you an explanation, too." He nodded. "I'm a freelance sellsword, and I could care less about reliving battles, and I don't have time for women." Besides, he had always despise that sort, the soldiers and wanderers who pestered the girls who were just trying to do their job. His sister worked in a tavern, and if he ever saw someone doing that to her, he would remove the fool's head. "I'm looking for work. Killing bandits, hunting thieves, guarding caravans...so long as it involves my sword, I'll do it. You don't know anyone that'd be interested?" His mouth kicked up in a half grin. Life was so bizzare some times. He was actually asking a midget demon about work. What had the world come to? Even as he contemplated the turn of events, his stomach erupted with a fierce growl akin to an earthquake. He eyed the food sitting in front of Everto, but refrained from asking. Even if he was eight times older than Kal, he still looked like a child, and the mercenary's pride would not allow him to take food from an arrogant pre-teen. |
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| Castor | Sun Jul 10, 2011 4:05 am Post #5 |
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He smirked, he knew plenty about work, in fact he himself needed an escort to keep him safe this night. He saw the barmaid walk up to the table again, asking if he was really alright, he smiled and put up his best kid-like voice, "Yeah! My parents said I'd find my uncle here, and that's him, could you please get him some food like you did for me?" He gave her his biggest smile, she rubbed his hair and nodded, "Sure, I guess I can swing a free meal from the chef, he'll be staying in your room tonight then?" He just nodded as she walked off. He chuckled as he looked at the man, "Pretty good aren't I? I can cry on command to, only did it once when a priest tried to exorcise me, I've never seen so many barmaids take out trays and beat someone half to death with them." He remembered that time in Kellen, it was hard to forget in these times. He smirked as he continued on, "I can hire you, the meal and room will be part of the payment and my sister can pay you the rest when we meet her on the road." He waited to hear his answer, he thought the deal was good, get half the payment now in goods and the other half later in gold. |
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| Kalim | Sun Jul 10, 2011 9:01 am Post #6 |
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Kal blinked. "...Uncle?" he asked incredously as the girl moved away. He was hardly old enough to anyone's uncle! Not unless his sister had found herself a husband, and if she had, she would require a stern talking-to; she was only seventeen, and besides, no man was good enough for her. Still, he wasn't complaining. The free meal was a plus, and he had been wondering where he would stay for the night. The notion of sharing a room with a demon child wasn't exactly appealing to him, though. What if the kid tried to barebeque him in his sleep? He shrugged nonchalantly. "Heck, why not? I accept." This day just got stranger and stranger. What would happen next? "But I have to ask. Aren't demons supposed to be, well, frightening?" He scrubbed a hand through his blonde hair, looking at the half-pint. "I don't mean any offense, but you...aren't exactly intimidating. I thought your kind were suposed to make women flee in terror, not coddle them." Not that he was an expert on the monsters of the abyss, of course, but he was pretty sure that those that were couldn't have gotten it this wrong. His line of questioning was interrupted by the appearance of his food, and for a few minutes, the only sounds were those of Kal tearing into the meal. He felt like he hadn't eaten in a whole day. And, he realized with surprise, he hadn't. Amazing, how little things like food could slip your mind when you were on the road. His face was practically buried in the plate, but when he was finally finished, he brushed crumbs off of himself and returned his attention to Everto. "What do you need protection from, anyway?" He thought he might have a clue as to the answer, but it was best to be certain. A demon could have all manner of enemies, after all, and he liked to know what he was up against, preferably before it tried cutting him up. He was confident in his skills, but a little preparation went a long way in this line of work. Kal didn't intend to die due to carelessness if it could be avoided. |
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| Castor | Sun Jul 10, 2011 1:00 pm Post #7 |
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He smirked, "A very annoying, very mean paladin, as for why I look like this, I'm half-human, though demons choose their forms, my father preferred the body of a male elf, thus why my ears are slightly pointed, he kept the white hair and red eyes of his demon heritage, which me, and my four sisters, have all inherited." He nodded, yep, he had chosen his words perfectly, he munched into his mutton finishing it off. Though he probably wanted to know why a paladin was after him, "He's a bit of a hard headed idiot, saying all demons need to be purge, no matter how much blood is in their veins, che, idiotic arse. Plenty of races have demon blood in them, he wants to commit genocide and is quite fervent about it. As to why I don't just boil him alive in his armor, simply, I don't want to kill him, he isn't bad person, just misguided. Beating him down and leaving him there to lick his wounds in the street will be the perfect lesson... though as you can see I'm quite... diminutive, my only shot would be my metal knuckles and punches below the belt, combined with magic missiles shortly afterward... I'm made grown men go cross eyed and never go back from that combination." He smirked, most people paled when he told them his favorite combination, he was short so he was at the perfect height to make it happen, those of five feet or taller beware, to Everto, below the belt was fair game. |
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| Kalim | Mon Jul 11, 2011 2:52 pm Post #8 |
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Oh, lovely. The boy had a holy knight chasing him down. Kal wasn't particularly religious, so he hadn't spent much time around the various shrines dedicated to the gods of the world. As such, he hadn't hung around paladins much, but he knew that fighting one wouldn't be much fun. The very emobodiment of light, or so he had been told, they were mages and master swordsmen rolled into one. It would probably take cheap tactics to overcome him. Speaking of which, apparently his half-demon friend was skilled at such things. Kal chose not to comment on that, though he made a mental note to not let Everto get within punching range of him. He shrugged. "Some paladins are like that, I guess. Their sworn duty is to hunt down the less...reputable races, after all. Just doing his job." He was glad someone did it, because he certainly wouldn't enjoy it. The few times his work had required him to slay a vampire, or drow, or anything of that nature, it had turned out badly. He was a human, meant to fight other humans, not super-races that could kill him with nothing but a glance. No thank you. "And I'll do my job," he said, tone becoming serious. He hoped that the demon's many years of life, if not providing him with some maturity, at least gave him enough knowledge to do the same. "My sword is yours. Tell me what to cut, and I'll do it." No matter the client, he had a responsibility to perform well, to complete the assignment, and leave his employer thinking that their spent money hadn't been a waste. Maybe this would even provide a boost to his reputation in Balefire! Though...maybe that wasn't a good thing, considering how many bounty hunters frequented the city. If he wasn't careful, he might find himself the target of assassination. Oh well. It wasn't like his life could get any more trouble-filled than it already was, right? |
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| Castor | Tue Jul 12, 2011 2:43 pm Post #9 |
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Whoa, the guy was a serious mercenary, that's good, he'd need to be to fight the paladin, "Good, just don't fight until we're out on the road when the paladin will surely follow us, now if you'll excuse me I'll be going to bed, we'll be leaving in the morning." He quickly finished up his meal and water, getting down from the seat he quickly made for his room, "I'll be in the third room to the right." Were the only words he got to say before leaving. He entered the room and sat on the bed, it was soft and comfortable, if only it smelt of burnt feathers then it'd just be like at home. He sighed as he took off his coat and boots, sliding under the blankets he quickly fell asleep, tomorrow they would be out on the road where a great battle waits for them, little did he know that the paladin was gathering forces in Balefire that night, the next day would be a brush with death. |
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| Kalim | Thu Jul 14, 2011 10:23 am Post #10 |
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Kal leaned back in his chair, looking up at the ceiling as Everto left. He had a few qualms about this job. Paladins were a curious bunch. Overly idealistic, sometimes power-hungry, and always zealots. Still, they fought for a good cause. He wouldn't necessarily enjoy killing one. Fortunately, a mercenary didn't always have to dislike the people he killed. That was what the gold was for; a motivator to overcome any issues one had with an assignment. Some called them no better than assassins, which was true, he supposed, but at least they were more honest. Mercenaries were just soldiers, in truth, with only one major difference. They had freedom. He stayed in the room for some time, paying attention to the conversations around him now that he was alone, but a backup job seemed unnecessary. He doubted the half-demon would try to worm his way out of paying him. Everto was strange without a doubt, but he seemed honest enough, for one of his kind. To say that the mercenary trusted his newest employer would be a lie, but he was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Which was good, since this paladin would need his full attention. Finally, he stood, picking up his sheathed sword and making his way through the building until he found the room that Everto had mentioned. He opened the door quietly, and found that the boy demon was already fast asleep. He examined the room closely, noting every detail. It was sparsely furnished, meaning that anyone that snuck in would have an easy time moving through it. He strode back and forth, getting a feel for the size, memorizing how many paces it was wall to wall. Everto was sleeping in the bed, in a far corner; an easily defendable position, but also a bad spot if they needed to escape quickly. Though, considering that the only entrance was the door, if he could defeat any intruders, they'd be stuck anyway. He nodded. All standard practice for him in this situation; he had to be prepared for anything, and in a bodyguard role, every precaution possible had to be taken to ensure the safety of his charge. He retrieved his throwing knives out of his cloak and slipped two in each boot, two inside his leather gauntlets, and the last he lay beside himself along with his sword. He would sleep as he always did when on the job: fully dressed. In an emergency, he would need to be ready to go in an instant. It took him a while to finally fall asleep, and when he did, he was plagued with nightmares, scenes of vicious battles, some of which he had participated in, some not. It was nothing new to the mercenary; conflict was the only thing he ever seemed to see in his sleep. But just as it seemed his opponents were finally going to strike the finishing blow to his mangled and broken body, his sister's face broke through the chaos, and he was able to fade into the peaceful abyss of sleep. |
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| Castor | Thu Jul 14, 2011 3:01 pm Post #11 |
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Everto always woke up at the crack of dawn, he sat up in his bed, reaching to the night stand next to him to pick up his glasses. He quickly put on his metal knuckles and started to go through his routine of jabs, hooks, and uppercuts, followed by throwing a hundred left and right straights. He breathed heavily as he felt the power come forth from his arms, he was strong for his size, he proved it many a time in fights, though it helped that the metal knuckles were strong and perfect for fighting. He felt good after throwing so many punches, he shook Kalim awake, "Come on, lets eat breakfast and get moving, we're burning daylight." Everto moved quickly as he changed his face to a much more sleepy expression, rubbing at his eyes as he sat down, two plates of eggs were placed before him and Kalim along with two glasses of milk. Everto thanked the waitress and ate the eggs quickly, shortly afterward he drank the milk. Breakfast was delicious, he rarely had eggs or milk back at home since his parents slept in so late his sisters and himself just ate bread. He gave the waitresses his winning smile as he got done, thanking them for the delicious food, he let them hug him goodbye, even kiss his forehead. He waved to them as he walked outside, changing his face back to a more serious expression as they left, walking towards the edge of town. Everto gave Kalim a smirk, "Remember, don't kill the paladin if you don't have to and if you're beaten tell him I tricked you into thinking I was an ordinary child. Just remember, life is important and it is most important to protect your own to, after all, you're a mercenary." He didn't think this was totally true, he had met a few mercenaries that were strong and hardy folks with good hearts, it's just they usually had empty bellies and needed the money for food and living expenses, it was understandable. He walked on until he heard the heavy foot steps of plate armor catching up to them, he looked on ahead and saw three men dressed in leather carrying shortswords and bucklers. Everto grimaced, were they bandits or helpers hired by the paladin, he turned as the paladin drew a mighty warhammer, grasping it between his hands, "Demon Child, you have killed many a man and woma-." Everto cut in to inform Kalim, "Yep, many a man and woman of the bandit kind and the slaver kind." The paladin gave Everto an outraged look, "You also slaughtered several of my paladin brothers! They have not come back to our headquarters in nearly a month!" A look of triumph crossed his face as he took a step forward. Everto rolled his eyes, "Yeah, they're totally dead, has your stupid organization even bothered checking with the town healers where I left the severely burned paladins, all I did was make them crispy for attacking me and left them alive, I will admit killing demons is a good thing, though not all demons or half demons are evil, now I suggest you and your flunkies leave me and my bodyguard alone... before this situation gets heated up." He realized he just used a fire pun, he chuckled, he'd have to do that more often. The paladin and the three men and leather were about to charge forward, though Everto was loath to give them the chance to have the first attack, he charged the paladin, "Take care of the three flunkies, the leather softens my fist's blows while the metal knuckles I have on will let me hammer a few blows into the plate." Of course that was an obvious lie, the metal knuckles wouldn't be able to do a thing to plate armor, though his spell certainly would, he'd just need to start gathering his magic, it'd take significantly longer while fighting though. |
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| Kalim | Thu Jul 14, 2011 9:31 pm Post #12 |
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Kal's eyes shot open as soon as he felt Everto grab him, his hand reaching for his sword before he realized that the perpetrator was just the half-demon. He lifted himself up, scrubbing at his eyes. The mercenary stretched as he stood; despite sleeping on the floor, he actually felt better than he had for a long time. This was one of the first nights where nightmares hadn't besieged him in a neverending wave. He supposed he had his sister to thank for that. Along with a lot of other things. He owed her a visit. Maybe after this assignment, he could allow himself a detour to drop by. Right. I've been telling myself that for how long? It wasn't as easy as he would like to go home. If Kent was present, he would probably not be able to get within twenty feet of the door. He could send a letter, asking her to meet somewhere, but having to sneak around like that would just ruin the reunion. Was his eldest brother planning on keeping him locked out forever? He had never wanted this to happen. What remained of his family had been split apart, but it seemed like Kent had no interest in fitting the pieces back together. Kal would do it himself if he could, but he had to be met halfway, otherwise it was impossible. The mercenary realized he had a far-off look on his face, and quickly returned to his normal, intent expression. He didn't want Everto to think he was suffering from a lack of focus. He followed the half-demon out of the room after throwing on his cloak and securing his weapons, and sat down across from his employer, one hand casually resting on his leg, hiding the small dagger that was concealed beneath his palm. He smiled at the sight of breakfast laid out before them, and with his free hand ate, pretending to be absorbed in the food, while his eyes roamed around the tavern, hunting for any possible threats. Now that the day had come, and he knew that enemies lurked, his instincts were heightened, and though he saw no one that he could be certain meant them harm, he knew that spies had to be watching them. It could be anyone, and his only choice was to maintain a normal demeanor while keeping his guard up. He kept close to his charge as they left the Purple Lantern, and he knew as they walked along the street that despite the utter lack of resemblance, people must be thinking that they were related; perhaps he was the boy's much older brother or cousin? Or maybe even his uncle, as Everto had claimed in the pub. He knew that their pursuers wouldn't be as easily deceived, and he swiveled his head back and forth, trying to watch every direction at once. He heard the clanking sound of armor behind them at the same time as his small companion, as well the men blocking their path up ahead. Kal turned sideways, with both threats on either side. He ignored the paladin's ranting, looking down to receive his orders. "Take care of the three flunkies," he heard the demon say, and the mercenary nodded. He didn't like seperating from his charge; if the boy died, he wouldn't get paid. But he was a demon, and if he thought he could stand against the knight alone, Kal wouldn't doubt him. Instead he turned to the slowly advancing minions, drawing his sword at a similar pace, the rasping steel a battle cry far superior to any he could muster. It was a fitting prelude to their battle. The men were in formation, each set to defend the other with their raised bucklers. Their stances were appropriate; he could tell from that alone that they had experience. Kal slightly bent his legs at the knee and clutched his longsword with both hands. Each heartbeat seemed to last an hour as he waited for them to close the distance. Finally, he deemed that they were as near as they needed to be. He ran around the side of the right-most swordsman, his blade slashing with all the force he could generate behind it. The man raised his arm, and the sword scraped along the buckler, leaving a long, deep scratch in the metal. Kal immediately slid his feet back and brough his sword up, blocking the counter swing. The two blades clashed before his attacker pulled back, glancing at his allies. The three moved around him, trying to encircle him. He adjusted accordingly, moving to keep them in his sights. Engaged as he was in his own battle, he could only wonder how Everto was faring against the holy knight. |
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| Castor | Thu Jul 14, 2011 10:14 pm Post #13 |
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The warhammer was something to constantly dodge, the paladin swung it well, always aiming for his head was a mistake though, allowing him to move just enough to dodge as he put his metal knuckles back on. He looked as he swung it straight down at him, he smirked as he dodged to the side and charged in, sending an uppercut into the man's groin, he felt the metal meet, "Feel my power." He collected the magic in his fist, firing it out into the metal plate, forcing it to dent slightly. He felt something smack his jaw, sending him flying across the road, his back hitting a large rock, it was a mistake to fight the paladin. The paladin laughed, "This is the demon that we are supposed to fear? Son of Andulin, Demon of Fire. It is a pity that your father isn't here for me to smite also, I guess I'll hunt him down after I take care of your sisters." He laughed again, Everto felt insurmountable rage build up as he stood up, blood flowing a bit out of his mouth, he quickly spits it out, a magic circle forming. He grinned as green flames erupted from his hands, throwing it into the magic circle. From the circle rises a mighty golem, made of glass with hands like blades, standing six feet tall, only slightly taller then the paladin. Everto laughed harshly, "Fool! I'm the weakest in my family and you brag about it?! A fool fights me!" He laughed even more, as the golem readied itself, "Charge Glaiser! Knock him around!" He laughed again as Glaiser charged him, slamming it's shoulder into the paladin's chest, sending him skidding back. The battle between the golem and the paladin would begin, Everto smirked, he started calling his magic, calculating the magic, amount of energy, and the amount of power he needed to will over existence. He watched the battle with grim determination, Glaiser wasn't doing well, his one of his arms had been hit at the shoulder and taken off, his legs and body cracked. He couldn't risk having Glaiser die, he was a friend, he dismissed him as he brought his fireball into existence. The glass arm that fell off though was now just a glass blade, the paladin picked it up, feeling the magic from it, he smiled, "What irony, I kill the demon with his own summon's blade... prepare to die demon." He charged at him wielding the glass blade, Everto smirked, the fool. He crushed the flames in his hand, having it erupt onto the glass blade, the paladin gave him an odd look, and then horror met his face as the glass blade exploded, sending shards into his face and side, piercing his armor. He was down for the count, Everto walked over to him, "I would have started killing you guys if I knew you were hunting my entire family, you wanted a demon and a cause so badly you were willing to make one... well guess what? Wish. Granted." He picks up a long shard of glass from the ground, stabbing it through the paladin's eye into his brain, he turned to look to see how his bodyguard was doing. |
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| Kalim | Fri Jul 15, 2011 6:00 am Post #14 |
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The three men were closing in, and Kal realized that they had managed to back him into a corner, his shoulder rubbing against a stone wall as he took a step back. One of the swordsmen jabbed his shortsword at him, and the mercenary moved his blade to deflect the shot, but his opponent immediately twisted his sword, moving it around the metal to lock them in place. One of his companions immediately leaped forward, slamming his buckler against the steel, sandwiching the sword and rendering it unmovable. The third, grinning, strafed around the other two and stepped towards him, thinking that they had won. Kal matched his smile with one of his own, and the man's smug expression dropped from his face, replaced with one of confusion at his enemy's confidence. Still, he didn't stop in his attack, shuffling forward and stabbing his weapon at Kal's ribcage. The mercenary released the hilt of his useless sword and turned his body, allowing the stab to pass by harmlessly. Leading with his shoulder, he charged his way through a gap in the three men, and came to a sliding stop several feet behind them. They turned, letting the longsword fall to the ground with a clang. Irritation was evident from their scowls, annoyed that what appeared to be an obvious beaten man was refusing to just give up. But Kal knew he was far from being defeated, and if they thought that a single sword was the only weapon a mercenary carried, they were all fools. He quickly slid off his cloak, casting it aside to flutter to the ground, and held his hands out, one to his side, and the other towards his trio of enemies, beckoning them forth. "Change!" he called out, feeling the leather on his hands responding immediately to the word of command. The simple gloves changed, steel rising up from beneath the softer material, covering the back and front of his hands, the metal gleaming in the light cast from a nearby lantern. A single spike formed on each gauntlet, facing forward and set above his knuckles, and a hooked structure, with a space large enough to catch a blade, emerged from the bracer on his left hand. A series of smaller spikes were fitted beaneath the right. The shocked looks of awe on the men's faces at the transformation was extremely satisfying. "Come on!" He bent himself slightly at the waist and turned, his right arm held forward, and his left pulled back behind himself. Their surprise didn't last long, and the foremost fighter came in, slashing his shortsword at what appeared to be the sellsword's unprotected face. Kal pivoted on his feet, bringing his left gauntlet forward, and the blade was caught within the snare of the weapon-locking hook, mere inches from his face. No fear was displayed in his features; only determination. Kal swung his right fist up in an uppercut, driving the spike into his opponent's throat. The man's eyes bulged, and though he opened his mouth, only a wet gurgle escaped his lips before he fell, to the ground. The mercenary heard footsteps to his left, and as the flashing edge cut towards his hip, he moved the protective steel to intercept the attack. The sword bounced off his bracers, and Kal punched at his attacker's sternum, only to have the bloody spike slam into a raised shield. The two surviving men began circling around him again, but Kal didn't give them time to maneuver. He ran towards the man on his right, knocked away the raised sword, and proceeded to launch a barrage of punches that his target attempted to dodge before first one, then a second fist slammed into his chest. Kal continued pummeling him; the spikes were deadly but small, and it required vicious repeated strikes before he was willing allow the man to collapse, trying in vain to hold in the quickly pooling blood. He would be dead in moments. He turned to his last enemy only to see his back facing him as the man started to flee. The mercenary would have allowed him to escape, but his orders were to "take care" of them, and so he flipped his right hand so the palm was facing the sky, and pressed his thumb against the side of the gauntlet. With a snapping sound, the spikes ejected from their place, shooting through the air before burying themselves in the retreating man's back, causing him to fall forward on his hands. Kal walked over to him and quickly and silently dispatched him before retrieving the spikes from their victim. He cleaned them against the most recently felled foe's clothing before slipping them into a pocket, and grabbed his cloak before returning to Everto's side. He nodded to the paladin's corpse. "Not bad. Looks like you were right about your power. So, is that it?" Surely not. It couldn't be that easy, could it? |
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| Castor | Fri Jul 15, 2011 2:51 pm Post #15 |
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Everto looked up at Kalim and answered deftly, "That is all for you and me, I've got a paladin order to destroy... they did one of the very few things I will not forgive. They threatened my sisters, and for that, I will obliterate them all, purging them with my demonic flames!" He clenched and uncleaned his fists, first he'd find the paladins, then he'd obliterate every building they used as a headquarters, these paladins were far from chivalrous, they wanted him and his family dead for no real reason, it was time to become a real demon and fight back. He undid the clasps and buckles on the plate armor, kicking the chest plate off, the paladin was still wearing normal clothes underneath the plate armor, his belt had a large coin purse, "So that's why the missile didn't create a bigger dent... the coin purse was stopping it." He grabbed the coin purse and tossed it towards Kalim. "There is your payment, take it early, I'll be walking alone from here, just remember, when you start hearing knews of paladins dying out, you'll know who it is, so tell no one." He gave no threats, he didn't need to, the brutally murdered paladin was words enough. He started to walk away... he was curious, he turned his head to speak to Kalim before walking away, "Hey, Kal, what would you do if the paladins threatened to kill your family... especially after they threaten to hunt down your siblings, I dunno if you have any or not, but what would you do? Would you do the same as me and hunt them down to the last man, or just let it slide?" He himself would never let it go, the paladins would die whether or not Kalim said he would or wouldn't, he was just curious if he would do the same or not. |
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2:19 PM May 19
