Gladiators - A New Fight -- Round 2: Raybur Ravenloc vs Kyron

[Naithin]

Underground Dungeon

This place is dank, and dark. Torches sputtering thick oily smoke are thinly spaced along the walls, revealing a slime covered stones. The torches are loose in their brackets, able to be taken if you so wished.

The layout of this dungeon was explained to you before you were forced to descend. The outside walls are a simply box shape, running all the way around. There are two paths criss-crossing from the center of each side, creating in effect, 4 squares within the box.In the center of the dungeon, there is of course a four-way intersection, allowing travel to either edge of the outer square.

You and your opponent have been placed at opposite ends of this place to the East and the West.

It is tight down here, perhaps too tight. Little more than a metre distance across. If you were to stand akimbo, your elbows would likely touch the walls. The roof is similiarly imposing, no more than 2 metres high. Swinging long weapons down here nigh impossible, it seems.

---

To the crowds above, the pit floor, once covered in sand, now seems a radiant pool of light. When focused upon, they can see any area of the dungeon below they wish. The four mages at each point of the square chant in a low voice in unison, to keep the effect flowing.

There are another four, kept in reserve, should any need to break before the match is decided. Switching a mage mid session is difficult, but certainly preferable than having one faint, losing the entire image effect.

They wait, they sit and stare, looking at the fighters, assessing, not yet knowing who to root for in the dangerous place below.

[RavenLord]

((Woohoo...thx Naith :p ...Raybur

[Raybur Ravenloc]

OOC: meh, this one aint too bad, Nait can get off the hook for now, at least I dont have to search for my target ☻




Raybur stepped into the arena passageway, his eyes keen enough to make out his opponent rather clearly in the gloom. Kyron was already sending a dagger his way. Raybur flattened himself against the wall to his left, keeping an eye on his foe as the dagger whizzed before his chest. Kyron sped forward and whipped around into the side passage to Raybur's left.
De ja vou... Another bonehead hiding around a corner!

Raybur decided to take his time. He took a few steps backward to where the thrown dagger had clashed against the closed gate behind him. Raybur picked it up and stuck it into his belt. He then walked back forward, pulling each of the torches free of their holding and tossing them to the ground. When he reached the last torch, he paused at the crossway for a moment holding it, before drawing the recovered dagger and tossing both around the right corner as hard as he could, torch first, then dagger. After this he took two steps away from the crossway, pulling free his bow, preparing to begin knocking out the torches across the intersection, one by one, with his bodkins.
No hurry whatsoever..

[RavenLord]

OOC:

Kyron sped forward and whipped around into the side passage to Raybur's left.


Mixing up your lefts and rights again?? :p
------------------------------------------
A torch flew around the corner. Kyron raised his daggers and swept it aside. Then a dagger - his own - flew past him.
[I][B]What the...I

[Naithin]

OOC:
It is tight down here, perhaps too tight. Little more than a metre distance across. If you were to stand akimbo, your elbows would likely touch the walls. The roof is similiarly imposing, no more than 2 metres high.

Just mention this and highlight the hieght of this due to your 'jumping over the fire powder', jumping forwards doesn't require toooo much hieght, but if you're a average-tall character to begin with, you really don't have a lot of room to maneuver.

Same for throws really. Just bear in mind the confines of the space you're in, it doesn't make such moves impossible, but try to factor them in to most everything you do if it seems relevent. :)

[Raybur Ravenloc]

OOC: Sorry about the left-right thing, I got it right the first time, then I went back and re-wrote the whole thing... :rolleyes:


Raybur was in the process of shooting the second to last torch, when suddenly.. Whooosh! A blast of light caught him completely off guard, throwing him onto his back on the floor.
Son of a Dwarf!
Raybur heard two daggers clashing into the gate behind him before hearing his opponent's steps retreating back to his own tunnel.
Thank god he's as blind as me down here.

Raybur could see nothing but darkness covered in white spots. He was totally blind for the time being.
At least I can fake it for a while.
Raybur stood, listening for Kyron's footsteps. He lifted his bow and pulled and nocked an arrow by pure familiarity. Then came the tricky part. Raybur felt along the wall to the nearest bracket, and judged from memory where the last two on the other side were. Raybur drew and fired, and a moment later, was rewarded with the sound of splitting wood before the clank of metal on metal when the arrow struck the opposite gate. Damn, I'm good!

Of course, the final torch required four shots to take, and Raybur hoped his opponent wouldn't take enough bravery from it to make a full frontal assault. Regardless, Raybur pulled free his quarterstaff, having to lean forward to do so, and held with one tip tuck under his arm and the other held forward like a spear. Raybur blinked his eyes furiously, he was getting used to this treatment unfortunately, but he could still see nothing. The only possible good sign was that it was mostly black now, with very few white and occasional purple spots.

[RavenLord]

OOC: My char is about 180-185cm, so jumping over a small pile of powder wouldn

[Raybur Ravenloc]

OOC: just want to note that it is pitch black in this hallway now, as the only light is coming around the corners. OK so far though.


Raybur had been hoping for Kyron to sneak up and parry his staff before attacking, so it was only a half surprise when there was a sudden tug on the staff. Raybur simply let go of the staff. This he followed by pulling free his bola. The passage was too narrow to spin it properly, seeing as its full size was between one and two meters, so Raybur began backpeddling and spinning it almost vertically.

Raybur hoped that his opponent wouldn't recover from the released staff in time to draw a knife, close the distance, and try to disrupt the bola before it was released. After about a second of spinning, Raybur stopping retreating, kneeled, brought the bola to as close to horizontal as he dared, and threw it forward with all his strength.
Now, as long as I didn't get too disoriented my my blindness, and it doesn't clip the wall too much, that should clear everything from shin height to belly height in this tunnel.

Raybur began to draw his gladius and stiletto as he awaited the cracking sound of stone on stone or the thud and crack of stone striking flesh and bone. Not to mention any satisfying squeals. Blinking some more, Raybur saw almost no more spots, and thought he could make where the walls were roughly. He was still facing straight down the tunnel, but could make out neither his opponent nor his bola.

[RavenLord]

OOC: Well, a torch that

[Raybur Ravenloc]

OOC: Bah, a lit piece of wood, thrown down on a dank cave floor would go out pretty fast. And yes, I would have stomped out the ones on my side had they not gone out. So if you'd like, there could be some embers still burning in the far tunnel from the ones that exploded from my arrows, perhaps one of the last two is still in decent condition. :rolleyes: :D


Raybur heard the clash of metal on wood and then both on stone further down the tunnel, and had a rough idea of what had happened. Damnit, if he broke my staff, i'm gonna wring his neck. Then Raybur saw a shadow fall a short way in front of himself, confirming that his vision was at least partially back. Then he saw some motion, and heard the ring of steel being drawn.

Raybur got an idea to buy himself a little more time. He quietly pressed his stiletto into his right hand with his gladius, and untied the pouch of dust at his waist. It was nothing special like Kyron's powders, just a simple mix of flour and sawdust, but it proved useful. Raybur took as much of the dust into his hand as he could and stepped to just out of range of a dagger swipe before flinging it into Kyron's face.
"Exuro!"
The powder ignited into a short burst of light and heat.
Without waiting for the results, Raybur took the stiletto back into his left hand and stepped forward with a wide left to right downward arc of his gladius.
"Like the taste of your own medicine?"

[RavenLord]

Kyron threw his hands up to stop the coming attack and retreated hastily. most of the dust never reached his face. The heat was still enough to burn his eyebrows.
So hot! Aaah!
Kyron backpeddaled to avoid any incoming attacks. He was almost totally blinded for a second.
Then he heard a sound of a blade cutting through the air. In the last moment he managed to get his dagger in the way of the gladius and was relieved to feel the gladius hitting the blade of his left-hand dagger and not his head.
His face would shine red from burns, and it would hurt and feel like it

[Raybur Ravenloc]

As Kyron retreated, Raybur followed up, closing the distance with a downward hack of his gladius at Kyron's left shoulder and a stab of his stiletto at Kyron's right breast.

[RavenLord]

Suddenly Kyron stopped. And got his musceles ready to take the attack.
He could see only a shadow of his opponent. They were still some 5-8 steps away from the intersection. Still, eaven the shadow was enough to reveal a simple attack.
Kyron

[Raybur Ravenloc]

Raybur swore as his blows were both deflected, crossing his arms neatly.Then the shadow of his opponent pushed closer with a flash of steel heading for Raybur's exposed throat. Not wasting any time, Raybur pulled both feet off the ground in a kick at his opponent's thighs, pushing his upper body safely out of his Kyron's range.

Raybur heard his opponent grunt, and did the same when his back struck the stone floor. Nonetheless, he bounced back up again instantly and determined not to allow himself to be manipulated to easily again. He rushed his opponent yet again, with his gladius now coming from left to right in a gut-level upward slash and his stiletto jabbing from right to left just beneath it.
Fast and furious, dont give him time to play any more tricks... Especially since I can't seem to think of any..

[RavenLord]

[I][B]He

[Raybur Ravenloc]

OOC: double-check the way my weapons were moving, missing you uncrosses them, as they were still crossed from the first time. right hand went to right, left to left.



Raybur had made a mistake in failing to notice that his opponent had taken a low stance in front of him. Both of Raybur's weapons flew through thin air just as a force to his knee caused him to stumble forward. Then he caught another glimmer of steel waiting just beneath himself.
Son of a Goat-Loving Shepherd!

Raybur decided to take a risk. Raybur would give his opponent a more important place to put his blade. Spinning both of his weapons by their own momentum into a downward grip, Raybur jerked both down at the rough form of his opponent on the ground before him. The gladius appeared to be heading for his opponent's heart while the stiletto would puncture his stomach if unchecked.

Hope he has some priority on self-preservation..
If his opponent persisted in poking him, then they would likely both inflict mortal wounds. At most Kyron could deflect only one of the incoming attacks with his other dagger, and due to the awkward position, would be unlikely to be able to move out of the way of either while keeping enough leverage on his left arm to be able to puncture Raybur.

Raybur's hope was that his opponent would either roll away to safety or use both weapons to counter his own. Either way, he would have to abandon the chance to cause any significant damage to Raybur's hide.
The only real fear was of Kyron being willing to take a tie. Raybur disliked bloody stalemates.

[RavenLord]

OOC: Yes, of course :) ...I noticed the mistake I made with your weapons...it doesn

[Raybur Ravenloc]

OOC: Lol, totally confused me, but I'll take your word for it. Did you do this in your closet to simulate the meter wide space? :p



Raybur's gladius was knocked in front and beneath him, but he felt the stiletto bite into something. Raybur twisted his right arm so that the gladius went to his left and his head struck his own arm, rather than the stone floor. Raybur grunted as he struck down. Raybur brought his head up instantly to figure out what his opponent was doing.
Kyron had been scurrying away and was now rising a short ways off. Raybur had just gotten his arms and knees under himself when he caught a glint off a blade coming from Kyron's direction. Raybur was a little slow rolling to the side away from it, and felt the blade skim along the studded leather of his shoulder. The angle had not allowed it to penetrate, but it was a close call.
"Had enough yet?"

Cocky ass goatson..
Raybur picked himself off the ground as he replied, "We've only just started!"

Raybur left his gladius balanced on his right foot as he stood up, and drew a dagger from his boot instead. As soon as he was standing, he threw the dagger at his opponent's chest and kicked the gladius up into the air, where he caught it again.

Without waiting for the results of his throw, Raybur charged again. His eyes were completely recovered now, and he could see his opponent's silhouette clearly against the dim glow coming around the corners behind him. As he approached, an idea occured to him. Raybur brought his foot up to waist level just as he came close to Kyron, hoping that his opponent wouldn't notice the change in body movement. At the same moment, he prepared to bring it back down and go with another inward to outward attack with his weapons should his opponent do anything unexpected.

[RavenLord]

OOC: Actally I was against a wall and I placed a coke bottle 110cm away from it to mark the other wall :p ...If I

[Raybur Ravenloc]

OOC: Lol, OK.


As Raybur charged, his opponent retreated, stumbling awkwardly back and around the corner he had been in earlier. Stumbling with his kick brought Raybur into the crossway, and looking to his left he heard some foul language and grunting indicating that his throw had done some damage.

Its a shame I'm too lazy to go to the trouble of making enough poison for all of my weapons. Anyway, now I have him right where I want him..

Then his eyes caught his opponent's move with the dagger he had just pulled out of himself. Shit. Raybur dropped down to a knee and bent his back downward, but he was too close and there was no time. The dagger didn't sink in, due to the twisted angle it hit at. It did, however, slice into both his leather and the flesh beneath it, before striking off a metal stud and bouncing up away from the flesh to clatter on the stone beyond him. The slash wasn't too deep, and wouldn't cause any serious trouble, but small wounds added up quickly, and the bleeding would irritate him for the rest of the match.

Now Raybur turned to his opponent, who had retreated down his own corridor. Raybur backed into the opposite tunnel about half as far as his opponent was in his, then sheathed his weapons and drew his bow as quickly as he could. About two and a half seconds after stopping, Raybur had a broadhead nocked and locked on Kyron's chest, and loosed. This he planned to follow with a fellow as quickly as he could, and charge again if his opponent should try to make the crossway to escape into another tunnel. Being only half as far from the crossway, he should have no problems pinning Kyron into that wing.

Lets see how he squirms out of this one.

[RavenLord]

Just after tieing his wound, Kyron found himself staring into the tip of a broadhead arrow. Before Raybur was able to release his arrow, Kyron concentrated on the powder that was spread out in front of him. The powder exploded in a burst of fire that filled the central part of the dungeon and almost reached Kyron. His opponent was not that much further away from the explosion point, so Kyron guessed that he too had fealt the heat of the fire. Kyron went low and closed his eyes, partially to protect himself from the heat, partially because of the arrow aimed at him. Soon he heard the arrow bouncing off the wall, somewhere behind. Judging from the voice it had gone too high.
Hmm...it worked..
For a moment, he found it hard to breathe...the fire had taken much air out of the corridor. This didn

[Raybur Ravenloc]

Son of a...
Raybur swore as a raging fire beat against his face just as he released his arrow, sending it high and most likely burning away the feathers if not the entire shaft. Raybur braced against the heat until it subsided, and saw that a pitch blackness had enveloped everything beyond a single step forward. Raybur heard a howl as he prepared another arrow, and loosed just as a dagger came shining out of the darkness. There was no time to react and the dagger scored deeply into his left forearm, beginning just below the wrist and ending just above the elbow.

Raybur sent a yell back at his opponent as he dropped his bow, and went into a low crouch as he drew his gladius and sidled up to the edge of the darkness. A second dagger came through just as his head came below its arc. Raybur was sure his opponent would be the next thing through, blind charges seemed to be Kyron's way, and therefore had no time to deal with his wounded arm. Instead, Raybur crouched down against the wall to his right, turned away from the darkness, and stretched himself so that his right foot was braced against the opposite wall and his hip was in the air a quarter of the way across. Supported by his left leg and right arm on the ground and his left hand and shoulder on the near wall, it created a fairly solid bar across the corridor at just below where he judged Kyron's waist level to be.

Hopefully the move would be unexpected, and his opponent would fall, leaving Raybur in a position to rise first in time to send a kick and/or a slash at whatever part of Kyron seemed most vulnerable. Then there was nothing to do but wait for his foe, and to grit his teeth at the pain in his arm. Pain that he was very prepared to pay back in double.

[Raybur Ravenloc]

OOC: By the way, just had a little chat with Naithin, and the arena looks like the following picture, with the white as accessible areas. I didn't realise we could walk around the perimeter. It all works out so far, but I guess we can keep this in mind for the future.
http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/6043/untitled9cx.png
Not well drawn, just a basic idea, with the little colored marks being the gates we entered at.

[RavenLord]

OOC: Thx for the info...That question occured to me in the past, but I assumed that there was no accesible perimeter...I

[Raybur Ravenloc]

Raybur grunted at the force of Kyron's thigh hitting him full on. His hand slipped and he fell forward with the blow just before he felt something punch him in the back.
"GODAMIT!!"
Raybur sent a sharp kick at Kyron's head, which had landed just in range as he attempted to turn the fall into a roll.
Then Raybur was trying to get his feet under him, and at the same time feeling around at his back. His fingers found warm wet steel; the dagger had lodged in and apparently torn from his opponent's grip. He was still breathing evenly, so it couldn't have damaged a lung, but he was bleeding like a stuck pig.

Raybur yelled again in pure rage, and leapt from his crouching position, straight at his opponent, driving down and forward with his gladius in a downward grip.

[RavenLord]

Great! I lost my dagger...
One of Kyron

[Raybur Ravenloc]

Raybur screamed ashe felt the blade in his back twist and rip free, shredding various muscles as it went.
"Give up already!"
Raybur answered by raising his voice even louder, throwing his head back, and then flinging it forward at his opponent's with as much force as he could muster.
Raybur was now beyond rational thought, but one thing occured to him, I really hope he doesn't move.. This is gonna put me to sleep either way, but it hurts less if I know he's feeling it too..

[RavenLord]

Kyron applouded silently to his opponent as this seemed to be more than willing to continue the fight. His first reaction was to let his dagger fall and put an end to this battle, but he hesitated. Eventually he let his right hand fall to his side.
Instead, as Rayburs head fell down, Kyron sent his head upwards to meet it.
"BASTARD!!"
The collision resulted in a sensation that was beyond pain. Kyron

[Raybur Ravenloc]

"BASTARD!!"
Clack!
These were the last sounds to reach Raybur's ears before the lights went out, dim as they had been.
Raybur slept peacefully.. Until the dreams came.
He was home, but then something was wrong. The house was burning, his parents were screaming.. The heat was beating on his face.. He screamed, and opened his eyes. The fire was all around him. Grabbing handfulls of flaming debree, he cast it in all directions..
Finally, Raybur found himself in a dark, dank, corridor, with downed and mostly put out torches..
Dream, just a dream..
Then the pain bit into him, from his back and his left arm.
Hmm, rough night?
Raybur simply reached for his pack and drew out his cloth bindings, wrapping them around his wounds before looking around. He was sitting in a pool of his own blood, and just the thought made him a little dizzy.
Now, where the hell am I?

Then his memories hit him. Oh,... right.
Raybur stood, controlling his shaky body, and looked around. Nothing but a few torches still burning, which he immediately snuffed out with his boot.
With his hands, Raybur took a quick inventory of his gear. Gladius. Two Stilettos. Two Daggers. Dirk. Flask. Raybur took up the flask and drained half of it down his throat. No bola, staff, or bow. The rest seemed to be accounted for.

Now Raybur wondered what games his opponent was playing with him. He grimaced as he finally noticed a burn on his chest from where one of the torches must have been. Then Raybur got an idea. Well, if he likes games..
"Marco!!"
Raybur drew his gladius and a stiletto, trying to be gentle with his left arm, and waited to see if his opponent would respond.

[RavenLord]

Kyron watched as his opponent got up and tied his wounds. Then Rayur took out his blades. Kyron could see only a silhouette of his opponent against the light coming from the corridor behind Raybur..his opponent couldn

[Raybur Ravenloc]

Thunk!
Raybur looked down at the blade stuck solidly into his right shoulder in slight confusion. Then the floor hit him in the back of the head. After taking a moment for the world to stop spinning, Raybur sat up and shook his head, causing it to spin some more. Then he yanked the dagger out of his body and pulled more cloth from his pack.

After wrapping the fresh wound, Raybur stood up again. He was well beyond worrying about death, because he knew he had already lost. Raybur could only hope his tormentor would make some mistake while toying with him and leave an opening for vengeance. Now with reduced strength in both arms and bleeding from several mid-ranged wounds, Raybur was too tired to feel the pain.

Well, only one thing to do..
"Marco!!"
Raybur ducked this time, peering forward at the shadows in front of him for something to go by.

[RavenLord]

OOC: Errm..could you just forget about this part: [QUOTE]I

[Raybur Ravenloc]

"Polo."
Raybur grinned and chuckled slightly, taking care not to seem threatening.
"It

[RavenLord]

Strangely, his opponent didn

[Raybur Ravenloc]

Raybur laughed with his recent opponent as he took his weapons.
"Healers are overrated, I'm heading for a tavern and then to find a nice tree to nap in. But next time we face off, I'm definitely returning the blasted headache! In triple!!"
And with that, Raybur strode out the nearest gateway.

[Naithin]

Naithin gave a slight smile at the retreating figure of Raybur, and a barely distinguishable nod of his head in respect. That done, he turned his attention back to the victor,

"Kyron! This battle was a close thing, but it would seem you have come out ahead once more. Rest. Recover. Repent your sins, for the final fights will soon be upon you!"