Ascalon V Laemor First Battle

[16:45] The Zanders had been striding across the grass with a steady pace. Climbing the western mountain of Dawn's valleys. His intent was to exit the city, to say he'd be surprised when he was stopped by a familiar shape. A kitsune in red. His emerald hue settled upon them, attempting to recall who they where.

"I don't see a raiding part, so assassination?"

Ascalon's reika was already swirling about his form in a steady pulse. Having come from sparring previously. Perhaps the kitsune recalled his face? Who could say.
(Ascalon Zanders)
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[16:50] It almost felt for the fox like the conversation prior, just wasn't enough for him. Soon to take off, likely to the caves in attempt to patrol for any dawnsmen.

It's to his surprise that before his departure, the sensation of magic filled the air. Nostrils flaring, his gaze shifted to his back. The looks of a familiar face, but he couldn't recollect the name whatsoever...

"Ah!"

A yelp produced by the fox as he took to descending back to the ground, leaving laughter to follow suit in response to the mans comment. "I'm no assassin, boy. I'm a man driven by something more... Grand than money could buy."

Raising a hand to sky he curled his fist into a tight ball, lowering it to release a single finger towards the magi. "And you, you could be just that, you know? So what do you say... Come and follow me? I'd rather not have to drag ya..." Running his tongue over the surface of his lips.

He seemed eager for either or at this point.
(Laemor)
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[16:56] Ascalon's gaze narrowed as he looked at the man. He was listening at the very least, though to say he understood what they where talking about in regards to something more grand. "Something grand..."

He didn't know what was grand but his expression betrayed a hint of curiosity. "Follow you for something greater or you'll drag me? I can't say I'm not curious but being tortured in the Briar doesn't sound very enjoyable."

As the young Zanders spoke they'd place a hand upon their belt. He wasn't following but he was listening. More than most at the very least.
(Ascalon Zanders)
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[17:01] The arm he held out in extension to the male opened with his palm to the sky. "Oh c'mon! A little bit of torture won't kill ya!" If it's that the boy feared, well... It may have been just that he'd been walking into.

"I'm offering you a chance to repent. Not on some religious sense, no... But typically that word carries more weight than other terms I could use." A sluggish shrug of the shoulder.

It was evident, the man wasn't in the slightest religious, but he did believe in the greater powers. After-all, they did exist. "Abandon dawn, it's going to fall. Soon enough. Best to give yourself up to some place willing to accept you before it's too late. No?"

Reeling his arm back a steady motion towards the pummel of Masamune was had. "More of you dawnsmen I bring in... Quicker I can have myself be known by more than just the people of this island." But the sin of heart.

And with that, the fox seemed out of energy to talk and sway the man otherwise. If one could even call it, an attempt.
(Laemor)
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[17:08] The child was hearing something about torture and how Dawn will fall. He wasn't listening to much of it but he was curious. Dawn was his home. It would never fall, it just couldn't fall and with him trying to take the oscuri way on their own turf was something rather bold to do. Especially when there were others in the square last he checked.

"Wait.. Hold on a second. You can't just come up here and try to snatch someone away from their home to torture them Mister! That's just wrong and what you said about Dawn. It is not going to fall! It will never fall."

He didn't like this situation at all.

"Don't go with him Mister!"
(Rai Blackwood)
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[17:17] That emerald hue didn't shift as they listened to Laemor's words. He wasn't lying, no that was true enough. The endless raids where only children stood to defend their home was proof enough. The endless atrocities within the city itself. His features shifted, a frown easily settling over them.

That's when the child ran up, though Ascalon's gaze didn't shift towards them. Having only one eye at this point made looking at two things at once difficult and the Kitsune was by far the more dangerous of the two. There was a short pause after the child spoke. During it the Oscuri's hand shifted upon his belt to grip the handle of his whip.

"You've given me thought, but for now there's someone in this city I must look after least the monsters within get to them again."

His expression hardened, perhaps if things where a bit different at the moment he might have went with them. Though for now?

"If that changes, perhaps then we'll speak again. For now I must stay." His head tilted to the child. Clearly not wanting to risk one so young getting harmed in the crossfire.
(Ascalon Zanders)
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[17:24] Maybe, if the fox was like who he was before... He could come to understand what feelings the oscuri was attempting to have him relate to. "Ya see... It's things like that though, that give us strength." The fox claimed, removing the weapon from his sheath.

The sapphire flames reflected off the sun, emanating heat heats only those trained to withstand. "How hard are you willing to fight for that goal? How much are you willing to give... I wonder." Streaming his hand around a vile of winds, he tapped his claws safely down the length of the vibrate blade of flames.

"See... As hard as you work to defend the life of someone in there... I work as hard to bring the life of others to my..." He paused momentarily, taking time to contemplate the answer.

"Lover."

Silence soon filled the air, lips curling to a smile. The eager fox held hardly any quarrels with dragging the man in. Even with the child in the back shouting leaving the fox to give him a hastily response.

"Look kid. If you're going to act like man, you better be prepared for what it entails being one."

Swinging his blade, the harsh reality of the island would seemingly be put on display for the child to watch, or intervene. Whatever the case, the foxes adrenaline picked up and the blood rush brought his mind into a trance.

And soon... He'd charge without rest.
(Laemor)
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[17:29] At-least surprise didn't touch the man's expression. Though, anger certainly came easily enough. It'd be an easy thing for him to spin backwards, gaining space. One palm stretched out and simply blasted the kid backwards with a gust of air. They'd get hurt from it, but it was better than what might hit them. With the other his grip upon the handle of his whip tightened.

A crack was heard as it came free of its handle. The blaze of reika only intensified as the young man's body thrummed in concert with his heart-beat. Each beat sending a pulse of reika through his mana circuits. Ever more into the strained net-works as he refocused upon Laemor.

"You'd be surprised what I'm willing to give. Though how much will you let me take!"

The Zanders didn't waste another breath, another word. To do so would give the charge to his foe. Instead with a twist of his wrist he'd swing the whip in a tight arc. A fight it would be.
(Ascalon Zanders)
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[17:37] The feminine boy frowned. He was just a boy he wasn't an adult. The kid only twelve years old, pinkish eyes starring back at the fox guy. He wanted to say something, taking a step forward only to get blasted by a gust of wind. The small boy being flung into a tree.

"Ugh!!"

Rai grunted as he landed pretty hard against the tree. That wasn't fair. he wanted to try to help with his healing waters even if it didn't help much. But the older teen just tossed him to the side like he was some ragdoll.
(Rai Blackwood)
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[18:09] Racing down the oscuri, a single swing of his blade packed enough force to send them both off the cliff. Stuck mid-flight between a clash of strength, the fox refused to part from the close distance the two shared, despite the ground closely coming into sight.

"You know! It's actually quite easy to be as strong as, I, you need only... Determination and the will to press on!" His voice called out past the howling gales that eventually consumed the two. A blast of invisible force separated the two right before impact.

And with only the open fields left for them, the fox took advantage of the open space to rush down the oscuri. "You can see it! There is no other truth than what, my, strength displays!" Volumes echoed down the tunnel of embers grown to wild fires from the typhoons picked up in the foxes wake.

Presenting the male bits and pieces ofthe foxes wit as he enacted the duet to his finale. Towards the beginning, it nearly seemed like a landslide, the fox favoring the his wayfinders path.

A unique art that left hardly any room for the man to retaliate, when in combination with the foxes speeds. To what was left behind him was nothing, but ash.

"More... More! C'mon! Where's the challenge!" A disgruntled groan, he'd swapped stances in the midst of the conflict. Deciding he'd savor the oscuri's exhaustion to the fullest.

Closing the distance more, straight-forward. Afterimages were left in the foxes wake, drawing the field with images of himself that raised and swung masamune in different angles. All until the eventual clash of blades where a single swing seemed to harness the strength of all his prior actions...

A repetition in the motion came with every clash, enduring the pain. Admiration for the stoned expression the man made in the midst of the conflict. Was he cumbersome, in pain, enjoying it? To what expression did he reveal when feeling pressed into a corner by a predator of insurmountable prowess.

� Regardless of the matter. The man could only hold out for much longer. Heavy breathing and raspy breathes. Blood stained his pale visage beside his lips. "A-Alright! Let's end this..."

Closing his eyes he stabbed masamune into the ground. Drawing oathkeeper from its sheath, the magical weapon once used by Ashur was held over head. Harnessing his fighting spirit all into one single swing, his senses heighted as his bodies heat increased. Such build up required a release and it was displayed to the male in the shape of, wings.

A blazing glory that stood to represent what heights the fox could take... This wasn't where he stopped his press. Bringing down the blade a wave of flames was sent forward. Like a tunsami it eclipsed the sun above, the only light was that produced by the intense flames that came down asunder. Eviscerating everything in-sight.

Surely the man can survive, this... Right?

Drawing a few breathes after the technique, with so much debris picked up from the attack. He was sure the man lived, but. . . He wasn't sure where he was.
(Laemor)
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[18:31] The initial clash wasn't something the inexperienced warrior was ready for. How could something be so fast? He'd had to block the powerful blows with gusts of shards of raw reika, least he be cleaved asunder.

Sailing through the air was an unnerving expression, he couldn't utilize the whip to any true degree. Relying on his own reika to keep the struggle going. The landing was another matter, the separation, the open ground.

Throughout he maintained a focused expression, the clash back and forth was. Exhilarating, he'd fought for the city before. Yet, now he was fighting for himself. It brought a rush to his synapsis that'd been unheard of.

It was the shadows that warped, the illusions that danced, the weight of the blade itself. Ascalon struggled throughout the fight. He was outmatched, every movement sluggish, every swing to slow. Yet, he'd keep at the battle.

Exhaustion was already starting to take it's toil. Yet, even still Ascalon reached into the deepest wells of power he could. Then it was there, the one chance he saw to win. Garuda, another mage of the winds.

In a rush of reika emerald wings of divine wrath sprouted from his back. Rushing down the Kitsune in an attempt to turn the tide. The flood of reika was so great, the strain of his mana circuitry screamed in his ears.

Through gritted teeth the man roared, struggling to contain the fury of Azrael's blessings. "Here's your challenge!" It'd come out strained, yet there was a touch of something there. Enjoyment.

With each swing his body seemed to pulse with power. It was the last act of someone backed into a corner. His expression only faltered then, in those moments. That Stoney glare breaking into a sense of glee. The pulse of reika pushing his body to it's limits.

At the moment of do or die he'd given it his all. All that wasn't powerful enough, not nearly. The giant blazing wings that'd highlighted with the raising of the sword. The Oscuri's face faltered in that moment, from joyous enjoyment of battle to fear.

It was a sign at that moment to gain space. Leaping away in order to gain space. The blazing wings of reika curled about his frame. As he pushed the last hints of strength of his reika into defense. Yet, where that fell short he'd reach out towards the realm beyond. Pleading for the aid of his ancestors in the realm beyond. A soft prayer touchings his lips as he called upon the guidance of his father.

Chroma the man who'd fought and died for Dawn. Leaving behind a shining beacon for the young Oscuri to imitate. For them to follow in and seek to become more than they are. Perhaps they where on the right track as they felt the comforting presence of their father wash over them. Almost as if they where wrapping in within a hug as they'd so often done while alive.

The rush of spiritual power into his circuitry stretched it even further. Yet, it'd give him the power to encase his form in a sphere of reika. Powerful enough to shield him, but not enough to stand against it. Buried alive wasn't the worst outcome that could have come of this, but it wasn't pleasant either.

(Ascalon Zanders)