Saturday, January 5, 2019

Master of Strings Ch67: Knight vs Dragon

Tess, after using her Form of the Dragon ability stalks around as Alaroc twirls his Energy blade in his left hand and his Dragon Slaying blade in his right. Their eyes lock and Alaroc raises his dragon slaying blade at his opponent and levels a Challenge at her.

"By my honor as a Knight, and by the blade I brandish, I will not falter in this challenge I face." Alaroc's eyes focus in through his helm and he and his skeletal steed, Twenty-Four. Tess begins to flap her wings and take to the sky.

Alaroc and Twenty four begin to dash about the arena as the dragon begins raining down Breaths of lightning that make her previous Lightning Bolts look tame. Alaroc and Twenty-Four manage to avoid most of them though, as Alaroc shouts out, "Tandem Evasion! Shake it off!"

Once he shouts it, Twenty-Four's movements become much quicker as Alaroc's eyes keep on the above dragon. Every time she lets loose a breath attack Alaroc's boot knocks into the left or right of Twenty-Four's rib cage, and the horse takes no time in bolting to the side to avoid the bolt.

By the end of rain of lightning the arena had taken most of the attacks, as Alaroc and Twenty-Four stand mockingly motioning for Tess to come at them. In the sky Tess lets out a toothy smirk as she swoops around and dive bombs at Alaroc.

Alaroc puts his Energy blade out in front defensively keeping his Dragon Slayer off-hand, waiting for the ideal moment. Tess's new form may only be the size of a Very Young Dragon, but it's ferocity is like that of an ancient dragon.

Teeth, claws, wings and a tail assault the man, with a few of the attacks managing to connect with the knight. Twenty-Four keeps swaying to keep Alaroc atop him as Alaroc twists his Energy blade around deflecting and redirecting some of the claws, He then follows through with a stab from the Dragon Slayer as it's runes spark to life.

Alaroc manages to scratch at the wing and cut down it, disabling it's flight capabilities. Tess scrambles about flapping her good wing and roaring into the air. She twists into the ground landing low and stalking.

"Lets finish this buddy, time for the Bone Rush" Alaroc and Twenty-Four let loose a Cavalier Charge at the downed dragon, but right at the faithful moment Twenty-Four is stopped in his tracks. Tess holds the beast back gripping right where the horse's haunches are.

Before Alaroc can even snap a pun, he and Twenty-Four are twisted up and slammed into the ground. Twenty-Four breaks apart and forms back into his portable form, Alaroc stands again looking at Tess and smiles.

"Been liftin?"

"Dragon supplements. Best thing in the world to get bigger"

Tess begins to streak in like a snake and snap at Alaroc. Alaroc stops the attack with a flick of the Energy blade, but with a sweep of the tail Alaroc is tripped down to the ground and Tess is upon him immediately, digging a claw into Alaroc's gut.

Alaroc winces  as he felt the blood of the stab drip down his midsection. He kept his eyes locked on the Dragon's face. He refused to looks down, both because he didn't wish to see the damage, and because he already knew what to expect, his garb cut through like wet paper.

Alaroc kicked up and managed to get Tess far enough away that he could get enough room to swipe his Dragon Slayer and cut into Tess's shoulder. Once again Tess squeals in pain as the runes of the blade did their job, making her rear back and take up a stalking stance.

Alaroc rises slowly, keeping the Dragon Slayer out pointed at her. Fear of the blade kept her looking as Alaroc took his Energy blade and...

"No" Said the man in the hat toward the helmeted man.

"What do you mean no? Long as I make the Con check I should be able to-"

"Brilliant energy doesn't do that, it just passes weapons and armor."

The man known as Jones interrupts and says, "It's only a +4 enchantment, he's got room for Flaming as well."

The man in the helmet smiles as he grabs a Twenty-Sided Die, but Jones points to the man, and says, with a smile, "Oh hold on buddy, first Alaroc needs to make a Heal Check."

"AAAARRRRGGGGGHHHHH! Justitia's Spear!" Screams Alaroc as he presses his Energy blade to his wound and from his overly sensitive tapping on the wound rather than pressing on it solidly, he looks to only make the wound larger, even though the bleeding stops.

Alaroc's eyes go sour as he stares down the Dragon. The Dragon smiles and begins to form back into her Elven form, holding her wounded shoulder that forms back with her. She twirls her two sided blade as her graceful form finalizes and says,

"That blade of yours was unexpected, but from the looks of it I don't think I need much more pressure to make you pop, and so I ask again. Surrender."

"No can do. Long as at least one of my arms is working, I won't stop fighting."

Tess's eyes begin to spark back to the green eyes of a Bronze Dragon and her skin gleams again. She sparks with power as she says, "Thanks for the info."

Tess blasts forward and slashes at Alaroc who flashes his Dragon Slayer out to defend as he throws his Energy blade up and changes his grip to his left on his blocking Dragon Slayer. He then snatches his Energy blade out of the air with his right hand and swipes it around and into Tess's unguarded hip.

Tess stumbles back as Alaroc winces to move from his gut. Tess glances down to her burned wound and back to Alaroc. Alaroc smiles and says,

"Just cause I can't use the Dragon Slayer, doesn't mean I've no chance."

"Noted, you are stubborn."

Alaroc thinks back to his training with his mother and father for the life they wanted him to live and he responds, "It's hereditary, you may have dragon blood, but I've got the blood of something much grander."

Tess and Alaroc stand facing each other down and Tess charges in to slice down her blade, but Alaroc blocks it with his Dragon Slayer, then as he tries to pull the same maneuver as before, Tess blocks the energy blade with her clawed hand. As they lock weapons their faces turn stern as they exert power, and Tess seems to push back against the struggling Alaroc.

She smiles and says, "You stand no chance, no matter your blood. I am stronger, smarter, and more skilled. What do you have?"

Alaroc's eyes shift about as he smiles and says, "It's not that I have something, It's that I lack something else." Tess tilts her head as Alaroc grins and says, "Fear."

Alaroc lets go of his Energy blade, leaving himself wide open, and at risk. Luckily Tess and her claw falters as he brings his right hand up and across, clocking Tess right across the chin. Her head spins along with her body, and she falls to the lightning scorched floor. Alaroc stands, shaking from his wounds and the lightning still in his body, but victorious.

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