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Damsel in Distress [Complete]; [P]Dain
Topic Started: Mon Aug 1, 2011 6:54 pm (1,404 Views)
Lyria
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Over the top of the shield he saw Rin manage to duck under the fireball with a roll, and he continued on with his charge though he expected her to move to the side in evasion. Instead, she jumped at him. One of her feet slammed into his shield, surprising him and slowing his rush, and the girl used it as a vaulting board along with the ground to leap clear over him. He swore, knowing how dangerous a situation he was in, but instead of cutting at his neck, or even attempting to split his skull with her sword, Rin jabbed at the shoulder of his sword arm. The glowing blade sunk into his flesh, burning as it carved a path through his shoulder blade before exiting. His momentum kept him moving forward a few paces before he staggered to a stop. He turned slowly, teeth gritted at the pain in his arm. It would be useless for using his sword, now.

He planted his shield on the ground by his feet, holding it by the top rim as he looked at her. She had every bit as much determination in her face as he did, and contrary to himself, she didn't look the least bit tired even after all her tumbling about. He shook his head at her question, bemused by the folly of it, and responded harshly.

"Were you born beneath a rock, girl?" he demanded. "It's obvious. Mortals covet power. But by their own nature, mortals are foolish." He clenched a gauntleted fist. "They lack the ability to use the power for good. Only the righteous should wield it."

Aanon broke into his head, the celestial's voice musing. That is not necessarily true, Dain.

The statement shocked him. Out of all people, having an angel tell him that the holy, the worshippers of Light, shouldn't have power was unexpected. He shook off his confusion and continued. His next words were touched with magic, commanding the arcane even as he spoke. "You seem to deny your sins, but I will prove to you that they exist. May judgement fall upon you." He held a hand out as he spoke the words, gesturing towards his chosen target. He knew the girl wasn't evil in the true sense of the word, and the spell would not be as effective, but only those with good-intentioned hearts could truly escape its grasp. He hoped it would be enough to make her realize that the divine was not on her side in this little game of hers.
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Rin
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OOC
 
I am going to assume that you are using the spell Judgment... If I am wrong let me know and I will change my post accordingly. >.>


Rin stared at him in obvious shock, her mouth gaping open for a moment. Suddenly she began to laugh, and laugh hard. Chortles wracked her entire body, so hard that she thought for a moment she would drop the hilt of Excalibur. Instead she attempted to rest the tip of the glowing sword on the floor of the cathedral, forgetting for a moment that the energy weapon wouldn't function as a cane. The golden blade passed straight through the floor so when she tried to lean on the weapon she simply fell to the floor. Rin almost fell to the floor when she tried to put her weight on the weapon, but managed to catch herself just in time. She wiped a tear of mirth away, straightening and looking at the paladin with an amused expression. "Dain, oh Dain! I am not a mortal, Dain. I am sorry that I have not been entirely clear with you." The girl smiled in an odd fashion, cocking her head to one side. Her eyes still contained a hint of amusement, but she displayed absolutely no remorse at the fact she had just injured the paladin grievously enough to render one arm useless.

"Greed is a mortal affliction, Dain. I do not suffer from it. These pages belpng to me." She stroked her forearm, feeling the page hidden within her gauntlets respond to her attention. Its energy seemed like a cat's purr to the construct, a pleasant reaction. It could sense her affinity with the Grimoire ans was glad to be back with another of its like. "I exist to rectify the mistakes of mortals. They believe, like you, that they are suitable guardians for its power... I am the only one who has a true claim to their strength." She shook her head in a rather pessimistic gesture. She had met many men and women in her travels who thought they would escape unharmed from utilizing the Grimoire's power. A demon in a hidden cave, a serial killer in a rebel camp, a faerie who was lonely, a cultist hidden in the desert... All of them had succumbed to its intoxicating power, and as a reward all they had received was her blade in their gut.

This paladin seemed insistent on battling the girl despite her reassurances. He pointed at her, and once more Rin felt the ripple in the fabric of reality as he utilized arcane methods. Expecting another fireball, the girl made no attempt to quell his spell, simply preparing to dodge around it once more. Instead his hand began to glow with a light that made her blink and shade her eyes with one hand. Suddenly a wave of nausea rolled through the girl's body, filling the back of her throat with the oily taste of bile. Rin gasped and fought the urge to vomit, stumbling back from the paladin. Sweat beaded on her bare skin, rolling in sticky rivulets down her back as she fought the urge to collapse in a quivering heap. "What... what did you do to me?" Her voice was incredulous, as if she could not believe that Dain was capable of hurting her. She grimaced and managed to stay on her feet, although she continued to sway.

Rin gritted her teeth and forced herself to ignore her heaving stomach. She hefted Excalibur in a reverse grip, but she doubted she could even charge the few feet at Dain in this condition. Instead she just hurled the glowing blade like a javelin. Although it was not designed for flight, the shortsword was a light and aerodynamic enough weapon to stay on a fairly accurate path. It shot towards Dain's thigh; she was still following the Grimoire's instructions to maim instead of kill, after all. She was not sure if the paladin would afford her the same amount of decency, but she had no choice but to follow the tome's instructions. The throw was still slow enough that the paladin would have plenty of time to dodge, but maybe she could get lucky...
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Lyria
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He reflected back on the words he heard Rin speak. So, not mortal, was she? It would explain a lot; her abnormal speed and skill despite youth, the perfection of her appearance, her odd behavior. But he could truly only focus on one thing. She had laughed at him. He was being mocked by an uppity young girl that seemed to think the entire world was hers to play with. Her confidence bordered on arrogance, a flaw he wished to remedy.

"Be that as it may!" he roared, true anger touching his voice for the first time. "You can't deny the horrible effects it has on others. What if your strength fails? What if you can't keep keep it from other's grasp?" He smiled grimly as Rin began to sway. The ill expression on her face proved the divine spell's sucess, and he responded as she demanded to know what he had done.

"Nothing. What ails you is the anger of the heavens. You are not as perfect as you think, it seems."

Her response was not what he expected. Held in the sickening effects of his spell, she seemed incapable of attacking him directly, but his eyes widened as he saw her holy sword leave her hand, darting towards him like a hurled spear. Surprise caught him off guard, and he was unable to move in time. A cry of pain escaped his lips as the energy blade slashed through his upper leg, and he dropped to his knees, even more sweat popping up on his face from the shock. First his arm and now his leg. The paladin slammed a fist into the ground, shouting in anger at this girl that laughed at the Light.

"Damn you! You say you aren't mortal?" He looked up to her. "Then what do you know of this kind of power? Do you know about the trajedy it causes?" He shook his head, his tone turning weary. "No...I suppose you do." He looked to his sword in his sheath, and with a sigh he unbuckled the belt that held it and tossed it to the side. It clattered against the smooth floor. "This fight is pointless. I can't defeat you, Rinrae.

Good.

He scowled at the celestial's approving tone. What did you mean earlier, about not being true?

The celestial responded slowly, seeming to be musing about something. It was a first; Aanon always seemed so sure of himself. Think. Would it be better for those sworn to fight evil to have all the power? What would they, you, do with it?

Destroy all the enemies in my way, of course!

Yes, and create more chaos and warfare. Perhaps it is better for those in between to possess it. They follow their own path, leaving the fighting to the others...it perserves peace.

Dain just growled, shaking his head at the words. He couldn't believe them; they opposed everything he had been taught. Or was it just his anger, muddling the teachings of his elders? He would have to contemplate it later. Right now, he needed to treat the wounds he had obtained. He placed his hand over the gash in his leg, muttered a few syllables, and the injury began to fade. He stood, testing the leg, and grunted, satisfied, before walking to retrieve his helmet. He paused and looked over to the mysterious warrior. He would have to think of her that now, he realized. She had displayed her strength, but he had to ask.

"I can't stop you, but I have to ask. What do you intend to do with these pages?" She had mentioned something during their fight, but with the blood rushing in the midst of combat, it was difficult to recall.
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Rin
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Rin stared at him, her eyes flashing and her demeanor changing in an instant, Although she still looked sick to her stomach, there was an expression of utter rage and disgust on her face. "What do you know of these matters, Dain? You do not even what power this is, or who it rightfully belongs to. You know nothing, Dain Falron. Nothing at all." She looked at the glowing blade of holy energy lying on the floor next to Dain, his blood sizzling as it slowly evaporated off of the sword. She waved a hand at it dismissively. For a moment the outline of the weapon glowed before it disappeared in a flash of holy light, the girl returning reality to its natural orientation as if the legendary weapon had never existed. She gestured at the massive greatsword next, banishing that weapon in a burst of flame. She was still shaking with anger, so much so that she did not trust herself to approach the paladin. His self-righteous attitude and supreme arrogance made the edges of her vision go red.

"I suppose you think you are a more worthy Guardian, Dain? A knight who lost to a teenage girl in a swordfight?" She did not laugh this time, simply thrusting a finger at the paladin, her voice dripping with mockery and derision. "What would you do with this power, sir? Would you keep it to yourself, guard it for eternity? I think not..." She shook her head, reaching into her gauntlet and pulling out the glowing sheet of paper. She whipped it through the air like a conductors wand, moving it in a quick pattern before pointing it directly at the paladin's chest. The air around the page seemed to ripple, leaving a distortion in the air around its path. "You, like all mortals, would yield to your greed and temptation. You would be no better than these cultists, wishing to manipulate the power of the Grand Grimoire." She sneered, the expression full of scorn. She had met men like Dain before, those who believed that they could manipulate the power of the pages for good. She was so angry she did not even notice that she had revealed the source of the page's power to the paladin.

"As for myself... I will use these pages for what they were originally intended." She shrugged absentmindedly, although her fiery blue eyes stayed riveted on the paladin. "Nothing. They were not designed to be used in such a fashion, Dain. Merely to serve their function. It is mortals such as yourself who have corrupted their purpose." She placed the rolled page back in her gauntlet, shaking her head sadly. "All I will use this power for is to find more of the pages. That is all I am here for... It is the only reason I exist. You doubt my intentions, but can you truly claim yours are more righteous? That you are somehow worthy of this power?" RIn stared at the paladin defiantly, waiting for a response. Dislike for the paladin was written across her features, but there was a hint of desperation in her voice as well. She somehow had to make him understand how misinformed he was.
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Lyria
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He stood steady, unflinching beneath the girl's verbal assault, though his jaw clenched a few times. He didn't quite know what to make of the attack; some of her words bit deeply, catching on uncertainties he didn't know existed. Such words coming from the mouth of a young girl seemed strange, containing a depth that contrasted sharply with her age. He had already realized that she couldn't be judged by normal standards, but being superficial was a vise that all humans suffered from. He grunted as he stooped to retrieve his helmet.

"I'm glad to see that you were born, or created, with knowledge." Terri flapped over to him, landing weightlessly on his shoulder, and he reached a finger up. The dragon allowed herself to be stroked, though he could still sense her irritation at him. With Rin's anger evident, and dissaproval emanating from the two beings that shared his mind, he felt cornered, as though he were locked in a small room with no way out. Why was he being attacked like this? He had done nothing wrong. The Light demanded that the page be destroyed or secured. Didn't it?

"I...don't know," he said, answering her question. Every trace of rage had left his voice, and the stubborn set of his face faded, making him look like only another tired young man. This day had not gone how he had expected; what had been a routine excursion was now making him question himself. He felt that he was straying from his path, but he knew that demons weren't the only evil in the world. Even if he managed to destroy them all, a goal he knew he couldn't possibly complete on his own, there would be other monsters out there, and even the people he meant to protect could be capable of far greater evil than creatures of the abyss.

He pressed the steel helm over his head, hiding his features and his exhaustion. Inside his shell, he was stronger, able to consider himself more than human. The armor held him together, keeping his trembling mind from cracking. To think, the drive that had kept him going for two years had nearly been shattered by a teenage girl.

His voice steadier, he walked closer to her. With his sword discarded, he hoped that she would trust him enough to come near; he intended no more harm to her. Their fight truly was over. With his conviction damaged, he had no reason to continue, and while he would not apologize, he did not want her as an enemy. "I can heal your injuries, if you wish." He knew she had received a cut from his shield, though that wasn't what he referred to. He could still see the damage that the cultists had inflicted on her, and remembered the anger he had felt when he first noticed it.

"I would never use it's power for myself," he continued. He felt the need to clarify. Being grouped with the very power-hungry mobs he sought to destroy was insulting. "My strength comes from only one source." He looked to her arm, where she hid the page, wondering if there were more like it stored within. The thought of so much raw potential energy in one place was dizzying. "Just promise me one thing and I'll be satisfied. Don't let any of those get in the hands of a demon. I don't want to see another Taras."

((OOC: If Rin agrees to let Dain heal her, just go ahead and assume he does in your post.))
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Rin
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The girl continued to watch the paladin, her lack of trust written across every feature. Not even the compliment, which the construct was usually so fond of, was enough to help calm her tumultuous mood. The sheer arrogance of this man! It still rankled her that he believed he was more worthy of safeguarding the Grimoire's power than her. However, a sliver of pity entered her expression when he answered her question. He had removed his helmet, revealing his visage, and he appeared much more likable when she could see his long blonde hair and blue eyes. There was such doubt and self-pity in his face and words that she could barely keep a hold on her anger. Although there was still an undercurrent of anger boiling in her gut, she was not entirely sure how to proceed... She did not how to deal with his quandury.

Careful Rinrae. Warriors such as this man often live their entire life by a code. My existence could seriously unbalance his view of the world. We do not wish to cause him some manner of paradigm dilemma.

The girl bit her lip when Dain offered to heal her, but slowly walked towards the paladin at the Grimoire's insistence. She clenched one fist behind her back, preparing to conjure a dagger if his intentions proved to be violent instead of beneficial. However, when his gauntleted hand was rest on her shoulder it was gently, careful not to squeeze her arm too tightly or pinch her skin in the joints of the lobstered steel. She sighed in relief as the healing magic flowed through her body, congregating on her more serious injuries. The swelling around her eye slowly faded, leaving traces of dried blood on her sculpted features. The cuts across her legs and shoulder mended as well, fresh shiny scar tissue replacing the injuries. She knew that within days her own augmented regeneration would make even those white lines disappear, leaving her skin smooth and unblemished. The cut on her heel closed as well, leaving her almost completely healed. The girl smiled and spontaneously reached up, lightly touching the man's helmet. "You should not hide behind a mask, Dain."

She stared straight into his eyes through the visor in the armor, their eyes near the same shade of blue but hers almost unnaturally bright and intense. She did not blink. "I believe you would try to not use it for yourself. But you do not quite understand. All it would take was a moment of weakness for you to abuse its power. If, even for a moment, you wished for something to be different, if you hoped that the world was a little different... You would corrupt reality." She smiled, and there was an infinite amount of sadness in that expression, a misery that was quite unusual on a face that appeared so young. She had seen it happen before, and she did not want this young paladin to fall prey to the siren song of power. "I will do my best to keep these pages out of the hands of anyone but myself. But I am not aware of the location of every artifact of this magnitude. There might be some in the hands of demons even as we speak..."

Rin smiled ahgain, and this time it was much brighter, with a trace of her typical exuberance. "But I promise I will give them no more quarter in battle than I gave you. I can call upon the power of Excalibur to vanquish them back to the Abyss." She stepped back from the knight, crossing her arms over her chest. She was not exactly sure hoe he would react at this point in time.
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Lyria
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When Rin approached him he showed no relief or pleasure, keeping his expression neutral as he placed a hand on her shoulder and muttered before the healing magic was cast, and he watched as it began to mend her various injuries. He stepped back when she lightly touched his helmet with her fingertips, though for a few moments he couldn't escape her intense gaze as she looked though the small opening in the headgear. He scowled at her words - he did not need this girl to lecture him, and he began to interrupt angrily. "I don't need you to tell me..."

He paused, and sighed again, turning away from those piercing eyes. "Perhaps you're right. I must admit, the thought of destroying my enemies with it crossed my mind." It hurt him to admit it; the fellow members of his order would never yield to the temptaion, he knew. But they were all dead, and in the years since the fall of the city, he had been forced to do things that were, possibly, beyond the bounds of his teaching. Evil was vicious, and if he wanted to crush it, he sometimes had to be just as brutal. If that sometimes meant making sacrifices to the nobility and kindness that the paladins were meant to exibit, so be it.

He growled audibly at Rin's uncertainty. "So these things are just scattered around, where anyone could find them?" He whirled, his armor allowing the quick movement, and stomped over to where he had tossed aside his sword, retrieving it and buckling the belt back around his waist. "Then I have no time to waste. I'll kill every demon I find if that's what it takes." He cast a glance back over to Rin, giving her a slight nod. "If I find any of these pages, I'll return them to you. But if you ever use them for destruction..." He shrugged slightly. "Well, I won't be so weak forever. You may have more difficulty next time." He was simply being honest; despite their truce, he would fight her again without hesitation if she had been lying to him. It was his duty as a holy knight.

Stepping over the corpse of a fallen cultist, he glanced back, looking over the broken pews and the altar at the front of the cathedral. He couldn't help but wonder who the ancients had worshipped here; had it been a god of light, who gave them happiness and bounty, or was it one of darkness? The lure of power was a strong one, able to bend even the strongest men to do terrible deeds. He knew, because he had almost fallen for it, and not just this one time. If only he was stronger, he could have saved his friends, and he could avenge them.

But that's what you're here for, isn't it?

You have a long way to go.

Terri hopped up from her perch and flew a circle around Rin; she was telling her bye, he knew. The fly dragon soared over and landed on his shoulder as walked towards the gap he had used to enter the building, and the paladin clambered up the pile of crumbled stone before casting a last long look at Rin. A curious girl with an even stranger goal. Oddly enough, he felt no emnity for her. Maybe he had leared something from their battle?

"Good luck," he said, before making his way down the precarious hill of rubble and out onto the streets of the silent city.
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Rin did not speak at all in response to Dain's replies. In fact, she barely moved, simply watching him with her clear, blue eyes. Only when the paladin began to walk away did the girl stir, smiling at his armored back. "If I become a monster like that, I would expect nothing less. I might even thank you, by the end..." She giggled and said goodbye to the small, golden dragon as it zipper around her head, watching as the knight and his oet left the cathedral. His parting words were met with a bright smile, although there was an odd gleam in her eyes. "Goodbye Dain. Thank you for rescuing me."

After he had left the girl sighed and almost immediately fell to her knees, closing her eyes in relief. She had not wanted to kill the paladin, despite all of his anger and arrogance; Rin was glad he had chosen to depart rather to continue his attempts to steal the page. If he had done that she was not sure that she could have resisted killing him for much longer. When the pages were threatened she found it difficult to restrain herself in combat, almost impossible to look at her opponents as anything more than obstacles to be removed. Her query to the Grimoire was tentative and halting, as if she was afraid of the book's response.

When... When you made me... Well. I feel no remorse for my actions. Nothing like what Dain showed. Why... Why is that?

You were made for one purpose, Rinrae. I did not want your soul to be torn by ethical decisions.


Her brow furrowed as she bit her lip, her face twisting in silent agony for a moment. Then I have no soul to lose... I am not human.

No, Rinrae, you are not. But that does not mean you are a lesser being. You are something better than human.


The girl's fought to keep her composure as she reopened her eyes. Am I? Although she had not intended for the question to be rhetorical, the Grimoire chose not to reply. Rin sighed heavily as she stood, her entire body aching. Although the paladin had healed her open wounds, his spell had done nothing to fix the bruises across her frame. They would heal soon, but for the time being even breathing hurt. She doggedly searched through the tents, cloaks, and bags of the cultists, divulging the hidden camp of anything valuable as well as reclaiming her own scant possessions. That done, the girl walked out of the front door of the ruined cathedral and stared up at the sky for a moment before continuing on her journey, the newly recovered page of the Grand Grimoire pulsing against her wrist.
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