Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Black Omega" data-source="post: 393181" data-attributes="member: 79">With a mighty yell, Madame Sadoka's men rushed toward Yasuki Kome's waiting ronin.  Their tactics were quickly apparent as the smaller of the masked figures and one of the ronin peeled off to flank Kome's defensive line.  The charge did not get far, however, as Volar pulled an egg out from a pouch.  Quickly the moon elf chanted, cradling the egg in his hands, then with a swift move he crushed it.  Instead of a gooey mess, a green-yellow mist rushed out from the egg, enveloping the charging ronin in a mass of noxious fumes.  Volar was rewarded with the sounds of retching, Sadoka among the poor souls affected.Many emerged unaffected though; among them the massive masked man from Mindra's vision.  A leering demon mask with a toothy grin wrought in black iron covered his face, and at a word flames rippled along the length of his barbarian style great sword.  The hulking warrior rushes right at the image of Yasuki Kome, cleaving it in half with a single mighty stroke.  Much to his disappointment the image simply flickered from view and the snarling warrior turned his attention to the figure in Kome's armor further back.  Off to the side, Yukiyo started to launch arrow after arrow, finding someone had cast some sort of magical protection from arrows on Sadoka and the one visible Shugenja.  But the ronin were more vulnerable.  Verick used his borrowed katana to parry an attack, slashing the ronin terribly in return before feigning a panicked retreat to draw the warrior more into Kome's men.Mindra summoned a wolf and siced him on the Shugenja, the animal nipping at the spell caster's heels and bringing him to the ground easily.  Mir chanted in her singsong voice, her eyes fixed on the imposing masked figure and despite everything else, he came to find himself charmed with the lovely young woman.  From the mists a bowman stepped out, one the group knew well.  Taka still had Verick's double sword slung over his back.  Taka zeroed in on the best bowman on the other side, Yukiyo, and scored a hit.  Then calmly he stepped back into the mists to ready another arrow.  Kazuyuki came face to face with three ronin.  They looked ready to mob him but one, a stone faced man, waved the other two away "Go help Beekta with Kome.", he growled "This one is mine.  I'm Ogura.  I'm a ronin, as was my father and his father.  But do not think that means I lack courage or skill."  Kaz didn't even bother with his own name, the no nonsense Crab simply flourishing his sword in salute then closing into sword range, sparks flying as the katana met.From there the battle turned into a furball.  Here a Sadoka fighter cut down a Kome ronin.  There a Sadoka man fell with a knife stuck between his shoulder blades.  Between times falling to the dirt courtesy of the wolf, the Shugenja summoned up a swirl of air spirits around Volar, little stings and distractions making it tougher for him to cast spells.  Yukiyo traded arrows with Taka and found, much to her frustration, he too was protected by magic from arrows.  The huge, iron masked figure savagely hacked through a guard, his fiery sword bashing the fake Kome's katana aside, then splitting his helmet as well as the head beneath.  At almost the same moment, the smaller of the masked men got into position, his hands held out as he chanted, electricity crackling around him before a lightning bolt erupted down the line, mostly striking Kome men as well as half frying Mindra while he was busy healing Yukiyo.  Yukiyo and Verick were too agile for the lightning bolt, dancing out of the way.  Verick threw himself at the masked wizard in a flash but the ronin yojimbo got in the way and the wizard readied his own falchion, double-teaming the young man, driving him back.  Kaz and Ogura traded slashes, Ogura blocking an overhead stroke then slashing into Kaz's leg.  Kaz wobbled but came right back, another powerful overhead cut sending the ronin to the ground in a bloody mess, but the shugenja managed to kick away the wolf long enough to reach over and heal him.  Madame Sadoka was still recovering from the effects of the stinking cloud, but luckily she was still under the effect of that protective spell as Mir's arrows added to Yukiyo's, already sticking out of her heavy silk kimono.  As Verick was running into trouble with his two, Volar popped into view, gesturing as he rubbed a little butter between his fingertips.  And suddenly the ground beneath Verick's opponents turned as slick as ice, or perhaps grease.  The yojimbo fell to his back, though the spell caster kept his balance well enough to retreat from the slippery area.  His partner was not so lucky, and Verick was able to pin him to the ground with his katana, twisting it before sweeping it up and back down to lop off the man's head.  And still Kazuyuki and Ogura fought on, the newly rejuvenated Ogura forcing Kaz on the defensive with a series of fast strokes.  A block followed by a left handed smash to the face staggered Ogura but he came with a swirling strike that pushed Kaz's sword off to the side and a stab that went into Kaz's belly and out the other side.  As the katana was twisted and pulled free Kaz slowly collapsed in a pool of blood.  Only to be revived as Mindra dashed up, calling upon the healing power of the spirits to heal the grievous wound.By this time Yukiyo had circled the back of the battle to get out of Taka's line of sight and was pumping precisely aimed arrows into Sadoka's men., dropping one with a shot to the throat.  Verick circled the greased area to get at the masked wizard, clearly outclassing him in swordplay, hacking two bloody slices into him with lightning speed.  The wizard stood his ground and started to chant, summoning what would not doubt have been a truly terrifying spell.  We'll never know what it was, however, as his concentration broke at that crucial moment, giving Verick the opening he needed and one final stroke that starting at ground level sliced through the wizard, leaving his two halves falling slowly to the ground.  Seconds late, the huge masked figure hacked through a last Kome ronin then hit Verick from the side, his flaming great sword dealing the young Lion a terrible wound.  At least the flames cauterized the wound…Looking over the dead body of his partner, the masked figure threw back his head and howled, muscles bulging…veins throbbing…unmistakable signs of a berserk.  Mir kept trying to talk him away from the battle, but while he seemed unwilling to attack her, Verick and Yukiyo were close at hand.  As Taka stepped from his misty cover, another arrow was sent into the battle, first into Mindra, then two more skewering his wolf after the Shugenja was tripped yet one more time.  Seeing his chance, the disguised Kome struck, sliding around the edge of the battle and running up to the downed shugenja, hacking the man to bits with less skilled but energetic strokes.The berserk figures fiery sword dealt Verick another wound and the young Lion knew he could not take another and live.  And yet...the sight of the cowardly Kome taking that chance infuriated him beyond all control.  Retreating suddenly, Verick ran close to the burning sake works for cover and pointed over to Kome, yelling out loudly "That's Yasuki Kome!  He's hiding from you!  He's the man you want, in the dark blue armor!"Kome's eyes grew wide with kimono wetting fear as the hulking man charged him, that great sword nearly chopping Kome's arm off in one stroke.  Kome knew he could not take another hit and thought quickly, retreating around the still raging Kaz-Ogura duel, placing Kaz between and the raging maniac…hopefully buying him enough time to escape into the darkness.  An Acid Arrow whizzed past Kome's shoulder, nearly striking it's true target, Ogura, but instead sailing off into the night as Volar continued to be troubled by the distracting spirits.The fight between Ogura and Kaz was entering its final stage, both men covered with blood from a dozen wounds, only the most serious healed.  Kaz raised his katana high and swung, a might blow that Ogura cleverly side stepped and as the follow through left Kaz stumbling to the ground Ogura threw himself forward.  Then cried out loudly as Kaz suddenly went into a roll toward him, taking his legs out from under him as the ronin crashed to the ground as well.  Both men went for their swords, desperate to get in the first stroke before the other recovered…but Ogura's sword was just a second faster, slamming into Kaz's helmet and sending him to the ground unmoving.  Seeing his cover lost, Kome gave a whimpering yell.  Briefly.  Then the raging masked man was on him, jumping over Kaz's corpse and slicing Kome's head off with one savage stroke.  With the death of the real Kome, his men lost what little courage they had left and fled into the night.  Sadoka had only now recovered from the debilitating effects of the stinking cloud and had precious seconds to savor Kome's death and her own victory.Mindra rushed forward to check on Kaz and Ogura used his sword as a cane to stand, staggering even from that slight effort.  Slowly he raised his sword for a lethal attack on the monkey.  Volar chanted, fingers weaving a complex series of gestures.  But the magic missile died before being born as a distracting spirit picked that moment to sting Volar's eye and he lost the spell.  Ogura laboriously raised the sword, ready to stroke…then an arrow spouted out of his chest.  His eyes had time only to widen in surprise before another lodged in his throat, Yukiyo's deadly aim finally killing the stubborn ronin.Verick was the one up to the front first to confront Sadoka and she glared at him, her wakizashi recovered.  "You won't find me so easy to kill, you snotnosed punk!  I'll fight you to the end!"  she hissed and swung.  At the same moment Taka stepped free of the lingering mist and took aim with one of the deadly black arrows.  His arrow struck Verick just a split second before Sadoka's own stab nearly finished Verick off.  But that was Sadoka's last chance, Verick standing his ground, yanking the black arrow from his body before a single swing of his sword ended Sadoka's life.The massive berserker was aware enough to realize his side had won…and lost.  His blazing eyes turned to Verick, then to Yukiyo, and finally to Mir."Come on, the fight's over.  Can't we just leave and talk someplace more private?"  The charming young woman offered.  Charmed with Mir, the man turned his furious glare to Verick and Yukiyo and growled in a voice almost to thick for words "Attack me and I'll kill you both!"  Then he rushed at Mir, scooping her up in his arms and carrying her off into the night.  Much bloodied, Verick and Yukiyo discretely turned their energies to finishing off Sadoka's men.  Mir could take care of herself, of course.The arrow to Verick was the last they saw of Taka.  One final look over the battlefield and he retreated into the mist again for the final time.  Hoping against all hope, Mindra turned Kaz's body over and gently eased the split helmet up from his head. Weakly, the Crab samurai moaned, his thick skull and Ogura's own exhaustion having preserved his life.  Spirits swirled over Kaz's body as Mindra chanted, monkey screeches summoning them to pull Kaz back from the brink of death.Slowly Kaz staggered to his feet and looked over the pile of dead bodies.  Mindra pulled and arrow caked with blood and fur from his own body before answering Verick's strained call for healing.  Yukiyo wiped the blood from her eyes as she stood guard, arrow at ready if any new trouble showed up.  "Looks like we won."  Volar murmured quietly.</blockquote>

Verification