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Post by Mana on Apr 19, 2015 19:53:12 GMT -6
The Siege of City of Heroes. The great battle which would left its mark in history had once again shown the cunning and fierceness of Sacaen warriors and their allies to the world. Souless bodies piled up in every corner of the battlefield, heroes and bandits mixed in the sea of corpses that had painted the green grasses with crimson color. New heroes were born in the battle but many were lost. The Demon King was slain, his followers were routed, and his minions were purged. It wasn't a complete victory, so many were sacrificed, but at least the bandits were forced to learn not to mess with the children of the plains. However, there was one individual, no less dangerous than the Demon King Hargus himself, had escaped the battle and lived to continue his cursed existence.
Arum Knight...Now has assumed a name originally belonged to its mortal host...Nega Burt
Almost everyone who had encountered him in the battle had been slain by his deadly sword but some had survived to pass the tale of the nether demon. One of them was a girl who followed the guidance of the spirit within Falcatta to hunt him, refusing to let the dangerous demon roam free in this world. The young warrior spoke with spirits along her journey to find the exact location where the demon was hiding.
More than a week had passed since Mana left the City of Heroes to embark on her personal quest and now she stood in the middle of forest where the demon was probably hiding. Mana herself wasn't a very skilled hunter but it wasn't too difficult to trace Nega Burt into this place. Falcatta, her sword, had blessed her with ability to feel and communicate with spirits. She just needed to follow the decay and the scream of spirits who were hurt by his demonic aura. But, even without those abilities, she just needed to follow the destruction he had left on his way. The trails finally led her to this mountain near Sacae-Bern border. It was unknown if he purposely chose this place or he simply went through here by coincidence, but this place was perfect place for hiding. The prey might even devour the hunter in this tricky place.
Mana leant on a huge tree as she gulped her water. She looked around and tried to study the terrain which was very difficult for any human to pass through. This place was a thick forest with some steep cliffs hidden by the bushes and the ground was also rocky in some places. "I've got a bad feeling about this..." she thought. There was still a few hours left before the night came. Of course the maiden wouldn't be crazy enough to hunt the demon at night in this dangerous forest so she had to either find him soon or retire for today. But first, she would take a rest here under the shady tree, the journey had tire her a bit.
The Sacaen swordswoman adjusted the new armor she wore, seeming still not used with having protector around her chest and shoulder. If it wasn't a precious gift she would have thrown it away because it made her uncomfortable and slowed her movement. "I can feel his presence. It's faint but I am sure he has passed through there. Or, maybe he is still in somewhere within this forest." Mana gritted her teeth as she remembered the sensation of his dark magic attacking her unprepared self. "It felt worse than any wound caused by blade..." she muttered to herself.
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Burt
Fighter
DEAD
Posts: 82
Sacae Fame: -2
Profession: Arum Thrall
OoC Alias: Burtorega
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Post by Burt on Apr 19, 2015 20:11:40 GMT -6
Sleep is for the weak, and that was Nega Burts personal motto. Since he retreated from the City of Heroes Nega Burt has made it his mission to kill every living thing he came by. The blade needed life energy and humans were not the only ones with it. Bears, skunks, horses, deer, he did not care what. Every felt the bit of his blade. The wound he received on his shoulder took longer to heal than he expected, it was a good cut. However after a week it was gone and Nega Burt was back into full gear. Now he would hunt the greatest of prey,mankind. The Arum in Burt's body feed off the man's natural bloodlust. It was something that he was born into and had been fighting with all the strength of his soul. However with the Arum inside of him all it took was a little push and Burt went off the edge.
"Mercy", screamed a hunter as Nega Burt brought his sword down into the man's skull. The mountains between Bern and Sacea were rick with bandits and hunters alike. It was the perfect place to hunt prey without arousing the entire horde of humans. Here he could kill a man and leave his corpse to rot and no one would think anything about it. They would chalk it up to bandits or some wild beast, never knowing that he was here.
"More, more, more", spoke Nega Burt as he pushed himself through the mountain. The beast desired battle and battle he would have. A simple hunter was not enough. Killing a man with only a flimsy bow and a stupid dog, which he kicked, was not enough to sate the hunger. He needed to kill more, to slay more, to enjoy more! Nega Burt found his next target. A simple camp in the mountains protected by a wooden wall. Over the wall he could see white smoke rising into the air. Bandits no doubt, by the look of there fortifications and the fact that they have not spotted him yet he guessed they were not very good ones.
"Fresh meat", spoke Nega Burt as he jumped into the air. The inhuman horror jumped onto the top of the wooden wall and stared down withing. The men on the inside numbered a meager ten strong. Horror filled there eyes as they stared up at the beast straddling there crummy wall. A wolfish grin crossed Nega Burt's face as he leaped forward and began his assault.
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Post by Mana on Apr 19, 2015 21:32:05 GMT -6
A rest and a pouch of water were enough to soothe her tired self, the girl finally found herself ready to continue. Mana believed she could continue the search for another hour before she should safely retreat to safer place. A bit risky, perhaps. But she knew if she could find the demon sooner even for one hour then more lives would be saved. Mana then continued venturing deeper in to the mountain with great caution, taking every steps carefully and observing possible hiding places. The thrill couldn't be compared to when she hunted rabbits, deers, or even bears. This was much more dangerous.
"There's someone!" Mana hastened her pace when she spotted a man in the distance, who unfortunately already dead with his skull split open. A badly injured dog was beside the corpse as it licked the dead man's face, probably trying to wake his master. The girl's eyes showed pity for the dead hunter, lamenting how unfortunate he was for encountering a most dangerous demon. He would be avenged, she promised. "He is nearby..." Although she had difficulty grasped the exact location of Nega Burt, the Sacaen swordswoman could feel his demonic aura lingering in this place. As if it reacted to his presence, Falcatta also started throbbing and urged Mana to hurry. Keeping her hand on her weapon, Mana scanned the area for possible clue of the Arum Knight whereabouts. It didn't take long before she found a trail of blood and started to follow it without hesitation. She became more convinced that she had taken the right path when she spotted other clues like broken branches or footsteps along the trail of blood. "A smoke? Could it be...?" Mana felt a bit scared that there would be more victims when the trail led her to a direction where there was smoke rising. Her fear proved to be true as the throbbing of Falcatta began to intensify.
Had she knew that the demon was attacking bandits, she wouldn't have rushed to rescue them. Of course, Mana might be chosen by the spirits but she wasn't a saint. The young maiden hated bandits more than anything in this world and she might consider helping the monster slaying those vermins if given the chance. However, this time she was unaware of their identities and swore to defend them with all her might.
As she got closer to the camp, Mana drew Falcatta and prepared for combat. It would be a great struggle to fight against the inhuman warrior but she had to do it. She WANTED to fight him. Unlike Burt, Mana still had human limitation and couldn't leap over the wall so she needed to ran toward the gate. Hopefully those people could defend themselves until she arrived.
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Burt
Fighter
DEAD
Posts: 82
Sacae Fame: -2
Profession: Arum Thrall
OoC Alias: Burtorega
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Post by Burt on Apr 20, 2015 14:32:08 GMT -6
It was a massacre, Nega Burt fell upon the bandits with the speed of lighting and the fury of thunder. The brigands fought well. There physical prowess combined with there greater numbers proved to be troublesome at first, but Nega Burt was no longer a man. He was a Arum Knight. Unlike any other stranger pushing there way into the camp Nega Burt had no fear. The brigands bare chested berserk fighting style had no intimidation on him and the fact that they mainly used axes did not help either. However the true deciding factor in the fight was not the blade or the lack of armor. It was the magic that Nega Burt could erupt from his body.
As the fight raged on Neg Burt bombarded them with the force Luna draining there very souls. The burly brigands did not last long under the effects of the magic. They were trained to trade blows with other warriors and heroes not to have there souls ripped apart by magic. The first to go were the weaker ones and the mid grades were cut down by Nega Burt's blade. The boss proved to be more difficult as his spirit was strong and his arm even stronger. Burt battled with him for fifteen minutes before the magic had done its job. By the time Nega Burt finished fighting with the man he was barely anything left. He begged for mercy before Nega Burt finished him off. Even though Nega Burt was possessed by the spirit of the sword he still had a strong grudge against bandits. Some of his cousins were bandits and he took issue with there occupation. To set an example for anybody who found this place Nega Burt chopped the men to pieces and left there bodies in the shape of a tree.
After finishing his work Nega Burt left the stronghold the way he came in. He hopped up onto the wall and began to plot out his next journey. It was then that he noticed the maiden moving around the structure. The one that wounded him in the city of Heroes. It seemed that she had followed him, and was trying to stop him from cutting down these worms. Unfortunately for her she was late. The deed was already done, but she would find out soon enough. Half of Nega Burt wanted to go down there and cut her to ribbons. However in the end he decided it would be unwise. His shoulder ached from the blow she delivered back in the city. He remembered her skill well and knew that he was going to have to be cautious. This was not the best place to fight her.
Rather than take her on here Nega Burt finished hopping over the wall and began to move up deeper into the mountains. If he remembered correctly she was a plainswoman. They lived close to the ground were the air was thick and oxygen plentiful. However Nega Burt was from Bern and the mountains were his home. Up in the mountains he would have the advantage.
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Post by Mana on Apr 21, 2015 17:13:52 GMT -6
Mana was so focused to the dead bodies so she failed to see Nega Burt hopping over the wall. "Oh no...I am too late..." It was a sight of horror. Judged from the timing when the scream of battle ended it had been only a few seconds since the winner had been decided. Nausea filled Mana as soon as her eyes captured the gruesome sight. Those men...were barely left. The demon didn't hold back at all to is preys, leaving no trace that those meat pieces were originally humans. The Sacaen plainswoman were a warrior with enough experiences that corpses weren't something weird for her but this....this was too much even for her. As she stepped in to the camp, Mana barely stopped herself from throwing up everytime she saw the result of Burt's massacre. For unknown reason he had decorated a tree with the...leftovers of his opponents. What a cruel monster!!!
"May Father Sky bless and save your souls..." she whispered a short prayer before she finally avoided looking at the victims.
Mana was ready for an ambush of some sort but she never found the demon inside the camp. It was either he was still hiding or he had already left the place. It was clear that he was close, though. The blood from his fight were still fresh and his demonic aura still lingered strong in this area. "Coward! Come out if you dare! Let finish our fight, demon!!" Her taunt was useless because Burt had already left the camp and went toward the mountains. Continuing her futile search around the camp for another fifteen minutes, the girl eventually realized that he had moved to another place. Did he notice she was coming? If so, she actually expected the brute to attack her without hesitation but it seemed her target had another idea. When she thought about his devilsh nature, it came to her that this situation was very weird. It would be unlikely for him to let her roam freely. Wondering what Burt was plotting, Mana then left the camp to continue her hunt.
He was close! Both the swordswoman and her sacred weapon could feel it. Maybe it was because she was very close to her target that she made a mistake for rushing and pursuing him to far without noticing how deep she had ventured to the mountains. This unfamiliar area would give Mana territorial disadvantage as Burt planned.
"Damn it! How far is he planning to go?" Mana sounded annoyed as she decided to stop for a while. She quickly brought up the water pouch into her mouth, savoring the moment the cold water filling her dry throat. "Maybe I should have brought a horse at least..." she lamented her misjudgment. It was annoying. This area had a trace of his demonic aura and it was getting stronger everytime she went further but so far the demon was nowhere to be found.
"I guess it would be wise to take a short break. Grr...I wonder if he will ever feel tired." Her grumbling showed her frustration which was influenced by stress and fatigue. "Heh...probably not...Cursed demon!" she shouted as she sat on a big rock.
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Burt
Fighter
DEAD
Posts: 82
Sacae Fame: -2
Profession: Arum Thrall
OoC Alias: Burtorega
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Post by Burt on Apr 21, 2015 19:04:19 GMT -6
Higher and higher Nega Burt climbed into the mountains. He was a bit upset that the maiden did not follow, but it mattered little. She would have to come to him if she wanted her prey. Truth be told however Nega Burt was just as anxious for the encounter. He wanted to finish her off and repay her back for the wound she engraved on his flesh. The beast touched its shoulder feeling the scar and began to enrage himself. It was still not time. If anything history had taught Nega Burt that haste makes waste and those who wait pay out in the end. As the best began to draw back on Nega Burt's memories the morality of the man surfaced. He began to lament the killing of the travelers and the random animals he slaughter. The struggle lasted for a moment, paralyzing the best in place as it struggled against itself. Burt was easy to control as long as they were fighting. It was in his nature to be violent, but afterwards, he would resist. he would fight against it. The solution however was simple, push them into another fight. However someday that was more tedious than it sounded.
"Hey who is there", spoke a man as he heard the struggle in the bushes. A wolfish grin crossed Nega Burts face as the Arum pushed him into battle. The beast erupted from the bushes to find a traveling family passing by. They were leaving Bern in hopes of finding a new home in Lycia or maybe Sacae. The nation had gotten to chaotic as a result the couple chose to leave there ancestral home. It was a mistake. The mountains filled with screams of horror and pain as Nega Burt cleaved through the travelers. He killed the father first. He was the closest. Then he cut down the mother. The two children were next. They attempted to run, but his magic put a swift end to them. Last was the baby. Young, pure, and filled with life. Nega Burt rose his weapon to finish the deed, but suddenly stopped. Burt was struggling, resisting, moving himself to the top. He would not allow it. Not by his hands, not with his body. Forcing the man to do this was more troublesome than it was worth. Instead the arum decided to let the baby life. As a matter of facts this child could be of use to it. With a mighty howl and a slash of its great blade the Arum left a clear path for the maiden hunting him in the mountains. He wanted her to know where he had been and follow his path. He left the baby there, in the middle of its dead parents. He knew she could not leave it if she found it. Nega Burt would soon turn the hunt around making the predator the prey.
Nega But soon left and took refuge in the hills above the site. He kept a good eye on the young child and on the roads leading to it. He did not want any wolves to take his bait. No there was only one target worthy of it.
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Post by Mana on Apr 22, 2015 14:42:42 GMT -6
It was as if the demon wanted himself to be discovered. Any hunter wouldn't miss such clear howl, Mana didn't waste time to follow it. It was bit far but if Nega Burt let out that kind of howling she should expect the worst. Maybe he was engaging another group or maybe he was simply going berserk, hopefully it was the latter so there wouldn't be more victims. The Sacaen girl didn't know that it was a trap from the cunning demon, the howl was simply a mean to lure her into the execution ground.
Mana followed the trail which was purposely left by Nega Burt, not knowing the real danger waiting for her. The land and trees were badly damaged or scorched from something which she could only assume as an attack from Damonzhan. Never since her hunt had began that it was so easy to grasp his position, unfortunately, the Sacaen girl didn't suspect it at all. With her mind already set on slaying Nega Burt, Mana was losing the composure to analyze the true purpose of her prey. "Spirits save them!" Mana quickly rushed to the remains of the family. What a tragedy. These people, like the other victims, were caught unprepared and quickly murdered by Burt's blade. No, even if they had been prepared for such attack it was too unlikely that they would have survived the encounter. The demon wouldn't be easily stopped by anyone, in term of physical might, fierceness, and fighting skill he might be on par with the legendary Kenshin or the great Richter. To be fair, Mana herself wasn't able to defeat both warriors so her chance from beating him was actually low.
These victims...at least their dead bodies weren't violated too much by the evil creature. Mana cursed her inability to save them in time as she knelt in front of their corpses. "Maybe if I didn't rest...I would have been able to save them. I shouldn't have slacked off." It was hardly her fault but the swordswoman couldn't help but felt responsible for their misery.
The cry. An unexpected cry broke her anguish and brought a little hope. A bit bewildered by it, Mana searched frantically before she finally saw a baby, crying but still alive. Her hand trembled as she extended them to reach the poor baby then brought the pure creature into her arms. It was a boy!! Mana's eyes became tender as she held the boy within his arms, very protective as if she was the boy's mother. "Poor kid...I am sorry...I should have come sooner." It was an heartwarming event but this caused the girl to direct all her attention toward the baby in her arms. She would be unprepared for an ambush.
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Burt
Fighter
DEAD
Posts: 82
Sacae Fame: -2
Profession: Arum Thrall
OoC Alias: Burtorega
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Post by Burt on Apr 22, 2015 19:48:47 GMT -6
Nega Burt sat and waited int the tall tree's. His eyes constantly watched the path. He waited so patiantly for his prey to fall into his trap. Almost like a spider in its web. Orcleous sat there, his eyes sharp and his ears read. He could smell her even before she arrived. His old wound started to ache and muscles began to tense. Nega Burt wanted nothing more than to simply jump out and attack. He wanted to cleave the woman's head from her body and stick it upon a tree. However he waited. So patient was he. Nega Burt had set a trap and he would not strike till it bore fruit. A predator was only truly vulnerable during two moments. The first was right before it took down its prey and the second was when it moved to take a drink. In the hunters case this was her drink. She would see the gore, the death, and his handy work. However there was something more sweeter waiting for her. Some he knew she could not ignore. A young child, lying there, so helpless and so vulnerable. There was no way she was going to pass the child up. She had hunted him across the plains and into the mountains. This was on pure principle alone. If there was one thing Nega Burt knew to be true it was that she was moraly right person, and that would be her doom.
As expected, she took the bait. She ran to the baby, cried to it, nurtured it. Motherly instincts were kicking in, but they would not last long. Soon only the blood would be left. Without a word or a howl Nega Burt leaped from the tree with his magical sword at the ready. With the full force of his body he brought down the demonic blade moving to cut both the maiden and the young child down in one swing. It was the only way the Arum could get Burt to kill the child. The only way he could gain its abundance of life energy. Only by manipulating Burt's natural furry for battle could it get him to do as it pleased. There was no other way, no other option.
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Post by Mana on Apr 25, 2015 5:51:38 GMT -6
This time Nega Burt had chosen more silent approach, saving his intimidating howl for later. And this was the key for his successful first attack. Normally, Mana would have heard the rustling sound when Nega Burt jumped down toward her but this time she was completely distracted by the cute baby in her arms. She was unprepared for such ambush. She didn't see it. If it wasn't because her new ability from the awakened Falcatta the brave girl probably would have been cleaved by his demonic sword. The spirits screamed into her mind, trying to warn her about the incoming doom, and thankfully Mana returned to her sense in time. However, the timing of the attack was undeniably perfect. While shielding the baby with her body, Mana made an attempt to save their lives by leaping to the side. She could hear the sound of the demon blade cutting the air as she slipped away from a certain death. What frightening sharpness!
His attack came in a very good angle and perfect timing that even with her agility the girl couldn't completely dodged it. Mana gritted her teeth and strengthened her hold around the baby as she bear the pain when the black blade of Damonzhan cut into the flesh on her back. Nega Burt's infamous sword made a long cut on the Sacaen swordswoman's back when she slided away from his attack trajectory. The burning pain was so great that she was on the verge of fainting but Mana endured and rolled further from the demon, hoping to gain some distance between them. "Coward!" Mana shouted as she stopped her rolling to stomp her feet on the ground. But the strength in her leg suddenly disappeared when the pain from the big fresh wound on her back began to torment her, resulting to the Sacaen fall onto her knees. The wound wasn't deep enough to become lethal but it was still pretty big wound. However, despite being injured, Mana found a small relief when she noticed that the baby in her arms was safe, he looked frightened and started to cry but thankfully safe.
Not wanting to repeat the same mistake, Mana quickly regained her focus and drew Falcatta. The girl forced her injured self to get up using the great willpower which was always one of her strong point. Her eyes were still filled with determination and battle spirit as she raised her sword toward the cunning demon. "Monster! Look at what you have done! You've massacred these poor people and now you are still hungering for blood!?" she shouted angrily. Stupid question. Nega Burt would probably laugh at it. It was very stupid to talk to him, after all. The demon only knew violence and death, which he had successfully brought into these land so far. And you ambushed me!!! "Are you afraid to fight me fair and square that you chose such dirty approach!?" she said again.
Mana might look strong and healthy from the way she stood there and shouted at Nega Burt but anyone could tell that she was in bad shape. Fresh blood was dripping from her wound to the ground and her breath was heavy. Unfortunately, the girl was too enraged and lusting for battle that she had yet to notice her own condition.
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Burt
Fighter
DEAD
Posts: 82
Sacae Fame: -2
Profession: Arum Thrall
OoC Alias: Burtorega
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Post by Burt on Apr 25, 2015 9:42:18 GMT -6
"Yes, yes", shouted Nega Burt with excitement as he stared at the back of the woman as she rolled away. A expression of excitement crossed his face as he savored the hunt. "In the dark with your back turned and a child in your arms you still managed to avoid my attack! Such skill, such power! You are truly the greatest prey", shouted Nega Burt as his blade absorbed the blood. A feeling of euphoria rushed over him he prepared his sword for the next attack. However everything changed when the woman began to speak. He words cut deep into the heart of the Arum and pulled on the soul of Burt locked inside.
"People, I don't hurt people", spoke Nega But suddenly in a clam tone. Burt had been brought back into conscious. "I only seek to write down the worlds history and I use my axe only in defense of myself or others. I am not my family! I don't give into my base instincts! I am not a wolf!" It was then that Nega Burt looked at his hands and the blood dripping from his blade. The woman, the baby, and then he turned an looked at the blood. His memories started to rush back to him. All the murder, all the killing, everything he had done. The blood lust, the rage, everything rushed back to him in a flash. The flood of memories, shame, and emotions was too much. The Arum moved to take control, but Burt resisted.
Suddenly Nega Burt started to go crazy. The beast started to swings its sword around like a madman. It attempted to step forward, but its opposite foot stepped back. Quickly to keep its balance the blade stabbed into the earth and dark magic began to pour from his body. Nega Burt took a few steps back as its free hand covered its face. The internal struggle manifested itself in a outward wail of pain as dark tendrils erupted from the ground around him and started swing wildly. The maidens words had cut deep and Burt was staring to pull himself to the top. At the moment he beastly nature inert and Burt could resist. However the Arum would not have it. It wanted full control again and it knew how to regain it. The beast pressed for Nega Burt to wield his blade and to attack. Suddenly Nega Burt jumped into the air and began a assault on the maiden with a mighty leap of power. However Burt was still struggling inside and as a result he redirected his body. Instead of the beast attacking the maiden its blade slicked into a nearby tree. The blow cut it into two.
"Run", spoke Burt as he held control. He did not know how long he could control it, but he knew it was not long. "Run before I loss myself again", he spoke as he stared into the broken tree.
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Post by Mana on Apr 27, 2015 19:00:46 GMT -6
Mana didn't feel happy at all when the Arum Knight commented about her skill and praised her. Instead, she felt insulted and angry. Was he provoking her? The Sacaen kept the menacing glare toward her opponent with the sword as she tightened her hold around the baby with protective manner. It took everything to stop herself charging toward the demon. This wasn't a good time. This wasn't an ideal condition to fight. The big wound she had received was one thing but her consideration about the safety of the innocent baby within her arms prevented the hothead swordswoman from taking reckless action. Mana actually need only a little push before she lost her calmness and attacked Burt but then something happened...
"What's going on?" Things had gone strange. Nega Burt seemed to go berserk as soon as he shouted something about writing history and his family. His words were vague but for this single moment he sounded like a normal human instead of a bloodthirsty monster. Very strange. Mana was unaware of the human inside the Arum Knight, maybe if she knew about him she would take different approach. Taking this chance, the girl slowly stepped back further to get into safe distance. Not that she was afraid but getting close with a mad monster with a blade and some suspicious black tentacles didn't sound like a wise choice. "Hey, what's wrong with you? Before you spoke like a maniac but now you look even crazier!" Her protest would probably mean little for him but she needed to shout her frustration for the current circumstances.
Mana lowered her stance and prepared to dodge when Nega Burt suddenly decided to follow his rampage with a sudden attack. It was difficult to move with this wound while carrying a baby but she didn't have any choice. Blocking his attack from the front was obviously impossible, she would be skewered if she were to try. Surprisingly, the attack never came at her. Well, it actually did but the Arum Knight redirected his attack to nearby tree.
"Run???" Mana didn't seem to like the suggestion. Her pride couldn't allow it. "But the monster is standing there with defense open after that attack. I might be able to finish him." It was actually a good chance. Nega Burt looked unstable and he didn't look at her for now so he basically showed some opening. But of course she had to ask herself whether it would be wise to attack him now in her current condition. She could place the baby somewhere safe then returned to fight but the demon might play dirty and used the poor soul as hostage again. And how if she decided to go to the fight while carrying him? Too dangerous for them both, obviously. Her thought was then disturbed when the baby started crying again, but thankfully the cry also worked as a reminder that she wouldn't be risking her own life. "Damn...I hate this..." she grumbled. Mana still hardly believe that Nega Burt himself had told her to escape. He might be planning to attack her when her back was exposed again. With great caution and Falcatta at ready, Mana slowly stepped backward as she observed him. Her pace gradually increased and then, after she believed there was fairly far distance between them, the Sacaen finally turned against Nega Burt to switch to a sprint. "I have confidence in my speed. He shouldn't be able to catch us," she thought.
After a few minutes of constant running, Mana stopped near a river to catch her breath. She then chose to leant on a big rock which provided a good cover, feeling a bit dizzy from exhaustion and loss of blood. "Have I lost him?" she asked herself. The girl couldn't help but felt uneasy for stopping even for a bit, too risky. It wouldn't be too hard to track her, he simply needed to follow her blood trail. "Easy there, kid. I need to put you down for a while..." she said as she gently lie the baby on the ground. After doing that, Mana quickly plunged her head into the river and gulped as much water as she could. It felt cold but refreshing.
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Burt
Fighter
DEAD
Posts: 82
Sacae Fame: -2
Profession: Arum Thrall
OoC Alias: Burtorega
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Post by Burt on May 4, 2015 20:19:35 GMT -6
Burt sat there for a while doing everything he could to keep the Arum under control. However its desire and hunger for the woman was too great. Little by little Burt could feel his consciousness slipping as his battle instincts started to take over. More than ever Burt curses his heritage as the drive for violence pushed him over the edge. He wondered why they were all like that, but the thought faded from mind as aggression took over. There was a target to kill and simply standing around and thinking was not going to make her even more dead.
Late, but swiftly Nega Burt began to follow the tracks left by the maiden. It was a easy hunt. The maiden was bleeding and the blood marked the ground in regular intervals. To make things worse she was also carrying that baby, which meant that she could not hide. It was a brilliant plan to leave the child with her, though that only came about because Burt refused to kill it. His instincts would push him to hunt the maiden and make the Arum job easy. However it would not let him kill the child, or not at least directly. The child was not a threat, nor was it sport. It was a simple kill, no pleasure, no glory.
It did not take long for Nega Burt to get to the river and even shorter time for him to find his prey. The cries of the young child made it far to easy to locate her. Still going in for a direct attack might not be the best idea. Nega Burt touched the spot were the old wound lay. The mark ached as he looked upon her. Nega Burt knew she was dangerous and simply going in would be foolish. A cornered rat was the most dangerous rat. Instead Nega Burt would simply let her do the killing for him. No reason to charge in and risk himself when exhaustion would do the job for him.
Nega Burt took a long breath and then let out a deadly howl that radiated through the air. His voice carried with it the power of Luna as he drained the souls of all the creatures around him and put on a show of dark magic. That was enough. The maiden would know he was near and would once again flee. Every step she took would drain her strength and every drop of blood that left her veins would weaken her arms. It was only a matter of time before Nega Burt would have his kill. He was going to let her suffer before he made his cut. She was going to pay for making a wound on him, nice and slow.
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Post by Mana on May 10, 2015 3:32:03 GMT -6
Mana didn't miss the demonic howl, she quickly prepared herself for an ambush and took position near the baby. A few second passed, a minute passed, and still no attack from the Arum Knight. "Weird...Does it mean he hasn't found me yet? Then what's the meaning behind his howl?" The Sacaen girl tried to calmly and carefully analyze the situation as her eyes searched the area for any possible hints. She then concluded that he might either go berserk again or get frustrated. Anyway, he was close, probably even closer than she thought. The girl believed the reason he hadn't attacked yet was because the monster hadn't found her. Unknown to Mana, this time Nega Burt used his cunning to "weaken" her until the right time to strike.
Falcatta throbbed again as if the spirits within the sword urged to engage and kill Nega Burt but this time Mana shut down the voice in her head and prioritize to save the baby. If it was only her life, she would be willing to risk it, but the baby shouldn't be dragged into the same danger. "Come on, kid. I will bring us out of this mountains. We will be safe if we can reach the plains," she said to the baby as she picked him up and started running again while trying to calm him by gently caressing his cheek.
However, Mana was getting weaker for every step she took. The mountains provided unfamiliar and difficult terrain for her, who spent most of her time in the plains. It wouldn't be a problem if she was walking normally but this time she had to run away from a dangerous beast while carrying and protecting a baby. Also, the wound in her back gave her pain and the blood loss stole the strength from her body.
"I can't continue like this...I need to stop the bleeding first before I pass out..." Mana stopped her run and then hid behind a big tree. The tree provided quite good cover for her small body, at least it might be able to make Nega Burt lose her track for a few minutes, if he was still pursuing her. Her breathing was heavy and the amount of sweats left her body wasn't normal, showing how exhausted the girl felt. She fought the dizziness to bring up the water pouch to her lips. The water was able to revitalize her a bit but she would need more than that to recover. The black-haired swordswoman wiped the sweats in her forehead and looked around. "I guess I've managed to gain some distance. Maybe I can use this chance to stop the bleeding, huh? I wonder....Should I use that healing trick?" Mana judged she needed to do something about the bleeding before she could continue. Taking a deep breath a few times, she relaxed her sense and muscle. This was a trick she picked up in her journey through repeated training and meditation. Imbue...how some people called this kind of skill...was a internal energy control technique to help with the healing process. It was similar to the ability of those healers with their magic but also different. Mana concentrated her energy to maximize the healing and the regeneration of her injured back. The bleeding was slowed and her broken tissues was mended as Mana's qi flowed into her wound.
"It's working...I think..." Mana's lips curled into a small smile as she began to feel the effect of Imbue. It took much time and energy but she had to do it. The Sacaen girl wondered how much time she had for recovering before her opponent, Nega Burt, found her.
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Burt
Fighter
DEAD
Posts: 82
Sacae Fame: -2
Profession: Arum Thrall
OoC Alias: Burtorega
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Post by Burt on May 16, 2015 10:32:36 GMT -6
"So far Nega Burt's plan was working. His shout had got her moving and the more she moved the less energy she would have. The wound he inflicted on her was still bleeding, but the maiden seemed to be up to something. She stopped, which was not a good idea. In Nega Burt's eyes this was a clear sign that she was tiring out. She was probably trying to catch her breath, Nega Burt could not have that. He was going to push her. Push her till she could not be pushed anymore. Then once her body was in complete exhaustion and her muscles unable to run he would end her life and absorb her life force for the sword. Letting her rest would disrupt the process and Nega Burt was not going to have that.
At first Nega Burt thought that he would make her jump with a howl, but that idea was soon rejected. He had done one before and the results was her taking a break now. Clearly the sound of his voice was not good enough to make her run in terror. He needed to show her something, let her taste the fear that followed on her tail. Nega Burt was going to have to make an appearance and strike out at his cornered rodent. Not to much to give her strength to land a decent blow, but just enough to send her fleeing in terror.
As the maiden hid behind the tree Nega Burt let out another howl. This one was designed to cause her to jump in fear as his assault was soon to come. Shortly after the howl Nega Burt swung his vile blade and released a mass of Nether energy. With the speed of lightning and the ferocity of thunder the dark energy slammed into the tree and shattered it like glass. Wooden splinters exploded in all directions as Nega Burt pressed through his own attack and struck at the maiden's old position with his sword. The attack was meant more to frighten than to actually do damage. He doubted that she was still in the same spot after he annihilated the tree, but the idea was enough to send chills down the spine and send one fleeing. Or the maiden could grow a back bone again and attack. He skill with the blade was good, but with the young one there. Nega Burt was sure he could win. This hunt was a little to easy to be truthful. Who would have thought his primary target would have come to him.
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Post by Mana on May 20, 2015 3:44:42 GMT -6
His howl was like a signal, it warned Mana to leave the tree quickly. If she were to neglect it and choose to gamble by hiding herself even for a mere second, she would be killed when the monster pierced through the tree. "So I can't hide from him, after all," she thought as she leapt away from the tree just in time. A second later the tree exploded and Nega Burt came through with a strong attack. He was persistent. At this rate the Sacaen swordsmaster wouldn't have time for recovering. Even with the qi control technique Mana hadn't been able to heal her wound completely given the very little time she had. The wound on her back had gotten better surely but the bleeding was only slowed, not stopped. She would need bigger opening and more time to be able to heal it properly. The Sacaen girl added another leap as soon as she landed from the first one to get away further from Burt. Fighting in this condition would have her at disadvantage so she needed to maintain the distance between them as she escaped.
Mana quickly unsheathed Falcatta and switched to Kirin, the thunder sword. While Falcatta is much sharper and stronger by any means, this golden magic sword would prove more effective for attacking an enemy at long distance. The black-haired swordswoman looked up at Burt and shouted, "If I knew this would happen, I would have killed you back then when you were most vulnerable. You told me to run. Was that simply you toying with me? From what I see...you certainly don't want me to get away!" Her words weren't to buy time or "persuade" him, Mana simply wanted to unleash her frustration for being pursued without able to fight back. As she spoke, Kirin began to emit lightning from its blade, as if the spirit within the blade was releasing its rage. Synchronizing with Mana's will, Kirin built up its energy around the blade until it reached the level of power that the girl desired. With her aim directed straight at Burt, Mana brought up the sword and released the gathered force with thundering roar.
While still keeping eye on the target and releasing the second lightning right after the first one, Mana began to carefully step back. If before her mind had decided to run away from this monster, now she wasn't sure anymore. It wouldn't be wise to fight against Burt while carrying the baby, that action would probably send them both to their death. However, running didn't seem like a good choice either. Mana had realized how it made it exhausted very quick and how unlikely it would be for her to outrun Burt in her current condition. Undecided whether was the better option, the Sacaen girl would continue her run for now but with slower pace to save her stamina while keeping Burt away with magic attack.
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