and
Darius looked over at Elyra, then at the others in their group. He looked back at Jamie and shrugged.
"I am not too worried about it. If they want to leave they can, we could track them down after the fight. It is not like they could go very far, or lose us."Darius took a few steps away from the group, and away from Jamie. He stood with his back to her. When he spoke, he spoke loud enough for Jamie to hear him.
"Ready whenever you are."Jamie nodded, she supposed that that was true, so moving away from the others, she waited, watching.
"oh, I'm ready"She moved at his words, darting forwards, yet it was merely a testing move, to see what Darius would do, her eyes watching for any small move that would indicate what he was about to do.
Darius closed his eyes, and breathed deeply. He centered himself, and felt the winds of nature brush past him. He focused on what he could hear rather than see, seeing how he has his eyes closed, and heard the rustle of Jamie moving at him. She was fast, he had to give her that. When she was close enough, he allowed her a second to attack. To his suprise she didnt. Darius knew she was testing him. Thats ok. Darius knew she was fast now, so his turn. Darius jumped, backflipping and landing on his feet a few feet away from Jamie.
Jamie dashed to the side at Darius's movements, and seeing that he seemed to be listening, she frowned, knowing she couldn't stop the slight move her shoes made. giving a shrug, she began to move again. She wasn't really giving away anything, she had already said she was fast.
This time, when Jamie got close, she dashed to one side, ready to jump towards Darius if he sought to move again.
"You have to attack eventually."Darius side stepped Jamie, grabbed her wrists and was going to sweep her legs to send her to the ground.
"Oh, I know:"As soon as Darius grabbed her, Jamie jumped, using Darius as a spring board, so he wouldn't plant on her on her ass, twisting to try and break his grip, she brought a knee up, trying to hurt him just enough to break free.
Darius took knee hit, and he released his grip on her. While he did take the hit, it did not faze him, and quickly and silently he threw a jab to her stomach, and a threw a punch towards her throat. After he did, he would backflip away a few feet.
Jamie leaped back, but she wasn't quick enough to avoid the blow to her stomach. She manged to block the blow to her throat, simply because she stumbled back, She drew in a slow breath, letting it out. She kicked off her shoes, and began to run again, leaping up at the last moment to try and leap around Darius, and get behind him.
Darius listened to the wind, and found without her shoes she was actually very silent. She was quick, silent, and agile. After all of this was over he may have found his new apprentice. Darius kept his eyes closed, but through years of experience he formulated what she might do. He did not move, and since she was mostly silent now whatever actions proceeded this would be instinct. He had a gut feeling she would try to get behind him. But he did nothing.
Jamie very nearly continued with what she was going to do, but something made her stop. At the last second, Jamie instead stopped, and putting all her force behind a blow, jabbing at his side.
Darius nearly was hit by the jab, but at the last second and inhuman reflexes he caught her wrist. He could not deny the entire attack though, and he felt the force behind it. He flinched, and opened his eyes, looking into Jamies eyes.
He smiled. [color=004b80]"Not bad. Not bad at all. What would you say if I said I was looking for someone I could pass my teachings too?"
Darius spun, flipping Jamie and making her land on her back. Darius threw a punch, but kept it from landing. He kept his fist inches away from Jamies face.
Jamie wasn't surprised when he could block her blow, and when he flipped her, she had the wind knocked out of her for a moment. She closed her eyes, drawing in a breath slowly so she didn't look like a fish out of water.
She felt the wind frm the blow, could imagine him pulling back.
"I'd say" She said, and quick as the flash of a quails wing, she brought her feet up, to use as leverage in pushing Dairus back, rolling away and up,
"That that is interesting" She smiled, and she rubbed her stomach, sore from the earlier blow
"Jeez, you hit hard"Darius smiled genuinley, a rare sight from him, and took a few more steps back. [color=004b80]"Believe it or not I was holding back. I did not aim, or go for any vitals. You are quite skilled though. Not that I was aiming to kill you, but no one has ever faced me and lived. You took my hits well. Now for the next part."
Darius crossed his arms then just as quickly unfolded them and let them hang in front of his chest. In between each knuckle was a black throwing knife.
"Lets see how you handle these."Darius threw one from each hand at Jamie, as a test.
Jamie dropped to the ground, rolling away, and darting up, she quickly looked about, and dashed to where the knives had landed, scooping them both up, she weilded them, waiting to see if Dairus would throw move, and ready to deflect them, watching with slightly narrowed eyes.
Darius sighed.
"Lesson one, learn to be proactive. When faced with a superior enemy, its best to be as offensive as possible. Do not react more than acting. This is because if your enemy is faster, stronger, or better in however you are fighting a strong defense is not going to win you the fightm only tire you out,"Darius threw 3 more knifes, and with the last one he threw it in a way that would make it curve slightly.
Jamie merely smirked, and as Darius threw the last knife, she threw one of hers. She quickly blocked first one knife, and then another, dodging the third, and leaping back a few steps to avoid the last, and then dashed forward, but instead of getting in close, Jamie used it as a diversionary tactic, scooping up another knife, she threw one, darting first to the side and then back towards Dairus.
Darius used a single finger to slightly re direct the thrown knife when it came close, and it flew past him. The second knife was slightly trickier. He had expected her to dash in and try to attack him that way, so the knife was unexpected. Darius side stepped and crouched lower to the ground, turning his head to see Jamie darting towards him.
Jamie took a chance, and she leaped the last little bit. She may have put a bit more power into her leap then she thought, and instead ended up crashing into him. She rolled away, unable to help the laugh that escaped her, and up, bringing the dagger up, towards Dairus, but stopping before it could land.
Darius returned her laugh, Jamie being infectious. He leaned forward until the knife was brought to his neck, slightly causing a small amount of bleeding from a cut being formed. His face was inches away from Jamies, and he smiled as he leaned forward and pecked her lips against his. In her confusion, he was able to take out and arrow from the quiver on the back side of his belt, he thre the arrow a few feet behind her, letting it get stuck in the ground. He then threw a jab at her side and chest.
Jamie was indeed confused. Why on earth had he done that? Was it merely to distract her? If so, it was indeed distracting her. But at his movements, instinct taking over. She brought up the knife to deflect the jabs, earning a slice over the back of her hand, then she darted forward, seeking to close the distance once more, stopping her knife once more.
"That was sneaky"Darius held up two fingers, throwing them up and hitting the underside of her knife and sending it flying. He formed the same two finger up fist with his other hand, and he punced on her, trying to strike a few vitals on her that would lower her speed and movement.
"Lesson Two, be prepared for the unexpected. To be prepared though is something you will need years of battle experience for. I am still in my twenties, yet I have been doing what I have doing doing my entire life."Darius looked Jamie in the eyes.
"Could have done much more to suprise you.""So have I" Jamie said with a bit of anger, "I just never thought to be kissed in battle" She didn't allow the pain she felt from his blows show, instead Jamie shifted. If all was fair in this...
"Still, I suppose battle is a good way to get...fired up" Her look suggested she knew the under lying meaning in that, as she reached up
"Well, we're both bleeding now" She gently wiped the blood from his neck,
"And we could keep at this all day, But we must go sometime." She gave him a smile. She then flopped back, letting herself breath heavily as if exhausted, she could, after all, play a damsel when it suited her, but quick as a flash, she snatched up the arrow he had thrown behind her, and was up once again, gripping the shaft of the arrow as she brought it up, aiming for his neck, and stopping once again before it could land.
Darius calmed himself and closed hsi eyes. He had been excited by this fight, and he had enjoyed himself more than he usually did but this fight was over. He felt the force of his arrow, but he stood still.
"Lesson three, do not use the enemies equipment against your enemy unless you have no choice. Reason being," He said as the arrow in Jamies hand broke in half and splintered her hand," Is because a few of my arrows have been laced with a special chemical agent I concocted that breaks the arrow apart and can cause slight paralysis in the person if it seeps in your skin, such as it is now with the coated wood pieces stuck in your hand."Darius lowered her hand and put another hand to her cheek.
"You fought well. I cheat."Jamie cursed, knowing the battle was over, but she thought it hadn't gone too badly. She glanced down at her hand, frowning, before looking back up. Without a hint on what she was going to do, She kissed him, more then the simply peak he had given her, before rising.
"You shouldn't underestimate me, Darius. I used all your own weapons against you, after all. And You might just learn as much from me as I do you" She glanced back at him, giving him a quick grin and a wink, before walking off so she could remove the splinters, and deal with the wound to her hand.
Darius blinked a few times, unsure of how to react. It was a good thing he could have a neutral face on, and that he was not facing the group. He was actually flustered, him, the infamous Shadow that has toppled infamous organizations, governments, and monsters that gave your nightmares nightmares. Darius cursed himself for underestimating her, she had seemed the innocent sort. That was just playing dirty. He looked himself over and retrieved his equipment. He had a small cut on his neck and some minor bruises but they would both be healed in a few hours and did not restrict him. Darius turned to the rest of the group nodded at them, signifying he was ready.
@caits@wick@gareth@ashevelendar@venku@shadow daedalus
