Slipstream I
Like Swords
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"Beowulf! BEOWULF!!
Damn it, you idiot, where d'you think you're going?!?"
Focusing on the terrain ahead, Arngrim had been caught
by surprise by the knight's sudden move, rushing off into the
jungle depths before anything could have been done to stop
him. Was he trying to kill himself, running flat-out
with that wound? He'd claimed it wasn't that serious but
Arngrim was no stranger to battle-wounds - if that wasn't a
life-threatening one by now he'd eat his broadsword.
Zynk heard his cries and quickly moved over from the
area he was scanning, the two remaining warriors forcing their
way through the greenery. But despite Beowulf's injuries the
man was gaining ground on them - Arngrim's reinforced armour
was too heavy for quick movement and Zynk's metallic body was
nowhere near as capable as a human's for moving at speed.
The two chased the knight for the next few minutes,
crashing through the forest with all the natural grace and
poise of a pair of drunken wilderbeasts, but they'd quickly
lost all trace of Beowulf. Arngrim slowly staggered to a halt
and leaned against a tree, fighting for breath after the
prolonged run. At least... you don't have... to breathe,
metal man, he thought wearily.
"So, what now?" he
asked his remaining partner.
"At the moment, we won't
be able to find Beowulf," the robot replied flatly, "so I
suggest we keep moving in the direction he originally
suggested. That is our best chance to meet up with him again."
"Hang on, you saw the state he was in!" Arngrim
spluttered. "No way is he going to be able to make it any
further by himself!"
"It isn't as if we can find him
now," Zynk replied, "and he chose to leave us of his own will.
Although I would wish him to return, it is his own choice to
do so as well." The robot fell silent, as if he had said all
he wished to or all he thought would be understood by the
warrior.
So... down to two. Maybe I should have
fought by myself after all - all I've done so far is fail to
protect a wounded man from a sneak-fighter in an open
clearing.
And what did Zynk mean by that, anyway? He
left us of his own choice? Does that mean it was wrong
for us to try and find him? Was it wrong to try and
become his friend, his ally?
He was about to reply
to the robot with something along those lines, when the bushes
near him exploded into activity and a man lunged towards him,
a curved sword aimed for his exposed chest. Arngrim swore
loudly and reflexively covered his chest with his arm-shield,
there being no other option to take with so little warning.
The curved blade scraped along the edge of the rounded steel
with a sickening screech and a trail of sparks, finally
whipping off the left edge and cutting into a nearby
tree-trunk, trapping the blade for a second.
Arngrim
took the chance; he bounded backwards with a single leap born
of pure adrenaline, which left him three or four paces from
his opponent. Now that he was in a position to notice such
things, he saw the man was wearing loose clothing, clothes
that allowed him full mobility yet did little to protect his
body - it was a style built around speed and agility instead
of strength and protection. He also wore a covering across one
eye that he'd almost ended up getting himself, after the cut
that had opened up the left side of his face had nearly taken
his eye.
"Who are you?" he shouted to the swordsman.
"Why did you attack me, from behind cover like the craven
coward you probably are?" And while we're on, how the hell
did you get so close to me without my noticing you?
The eyepatched man sneered at him, not bothering to
reply, and rushed him again with the cutlass. Arngrim didn't
even try to unsheath his broadsword - against an opponent as
fast as this one he'd never get it out before the man managed
to strike him hard. Instead he took the blow on his arm-shield
again, taking the long dagger from his belt in his right hand
and slashing back in return.
The pirate blocked his
strike easily, the dagger being nowhere as long as the man's
sword. Although Arngrim had the advantage in defence, and
would have beaten the man hollow if he'd been able to use his
broadsword, he didn't have the reach or the speed necessary to
give the man more than trivial injuries. The blows hammered
back and forth, each man looking for a weakness in the other
and hoping to exploit it.
The decisive blow eventually
came from a completely unexpected source; the pirate was
slammed heavily into a tree as beams of light not unlike a
Prismatic Missile took him in the side, driving him across the
ground at speed. Arngrim followed up the attack immediately,
his body twisting as his arm-shield smashed through the air
and into the pirate's stomach. He immediately collapsed on the
ground, clutching at his chest and breathing hoarsely.
The mercenary looked to the side and saw the
briefly-forgotten Zynk standing there in a battle stance, a
cluster of strange equipment and other metal oddites protuding
from a chest cavity. He must have been behind that light
attack, now I know why he didn't close in to combat - he was
waiting for me to give him a clear shot.
"Hhhh...
ahhh... thanks, Zynk. I owe you for that," he managed,
regaining his wind after the battle.
"It was no
problem; we are working together," the metal man replied. "But
I believe our foe is leaving us."
Arngrim spun round,
placing a hand on his broadsword in case the man tried another
attack, but he seems only interested in staggering into the
foilage and escaping the two other fighters. Not that Arngrim
blamed him - he must have known that he couldn't have taken
either of them in a fair fight, never mind the two working
together. Well, Zynk, I guess there's something to be said
for having someone to watch your back, after all.
---
OOC: Aaah! Sorry this took so
long, I was following Baka's lead earlier and then I screwed
up that fight so badly I had to rewrite most of it. Anyways,
one vote against Vyse.
I SWEAR it wasn't
supposed to be this long, either. o_O
---
"Are you just a blade of grass,
to be blown in the wind?"
Last edited by Slipstream on 08-06-2001
at 01:35 AM |