[IC] In the Darkness of the Night

[ShidenBlades]

A thin layer of cloud cover choked the light of the full moon so only sporadic beams of moonlight were visible through the passing moon cover. The cloud cover might not have been complete enough to block the moons light but it certainly was more than adequate to block out the distant stars.

The only other lights were from the windows of businesses or from in front of taverns and other less savory establishments, letting the patrons of the night know they were open and that their business was welcome. It was the sort of night that D’Angelo preferred. He was knelt down where the light couldn’t touch, his cloak wrapped about him as tightly as the shadows were dark that hid him. From the recess of his cowl he stared out into the street, knowing his next target would pass by, eventually.

He thought briefly about the man that laid behind him, his blood now cold and pooled around him. The man had simply come to the wrong ally at the wrong time. Where he had thought to relive himself was where D’Angelo had been hiding.

The man hadn’t even had time to scream out when he was pulled into the waiting shadows, a dagger shoved into his heart as a strong hand had clasped over his mouth. Someone would likely find him in the morning D’Angelo mused. But by then he would be far away from here and onto his next target, his next mark.

[Dolerman]

The air was thick with murder, this was not a welcoming city and Dax did not want to be here. Although he could appreciate the rouge-ish charm of the streets in the calm night he knew this place he was in was essentially a stronghold for cutthroats and thieves. Daxius clutched his weapon tightly as he carefully made his way across the roofs of the lower levels of the common market place, he listened to crickets cheep and rats scuttle he contemplated why he was in this city to begin with. Sadly the reality was, he had little to no choice in the matter, he was broke. Although he was a somewhat moral man, he could not continue on his travels with good intentions alone, he was forced to hunt down random criminals for bounty money, not because he was a paragon for justice, just because it was fairly easy and he was running out of options.

His nose started to twitch as a thick scent started to float towards him....it was blood, fresh blood no less someone had just been killed on these streets, and Daxius concluded that even if the killer had not already a large bounty, he or she soon would do. Daxius then began travelling fast and lightfooted towards the fresh murder scene, hopping from rooftop to rooftop, the scent getting stronger as he went.

[ShidenBlades]

Patience. It was the name of the game when you waited for your mark and D’Angelo could be very patient when he needed to be. People were creatures of habit; they tended to do the same things day in and day out. D’Angelo had spent the past two days following his Mark and he had learned that the man had come here every night, and every night he met with someone new, a client of sorts.

Still, it didn’t mean that he enjoyed waiting. He had always been a man of action, or at the very least to be put on a contract more difficult than the one he was currently on. He sighed to himself, and stood stretching in the darkness. Perhaps he could wait inside for the man? It would surely be more comfortable than this.

D’Angelo pulled his cloak around him and left his hands resting on the hilts of his weapons. He was about to move out of concealment when he heard a familiar rolling laugh. His target was approaching. He gave a wolfish smile and lowered back down into a crouch, his right hand moving to one of the pouches at his side. It was almost time to kill again, the thought brought a smile to his face.

[Dolerman]

Daxius, was tearing through the night, closing in on the scent of blood. He was feeling a cocktail of emotions, paranoia, excitement, even guilt for having to stoop so low as to kill random criminals for money, he was no saint but knew there was no honor in these actions either.
His feline nose twitched as it suddenly picked up another scent, a human, a calm human as he could smell little to no sweat. Dax knew only dangerous individuals could stay calm in a horrible city like this, and upon nearing the scene of the obvious murder he could smell steel and poison......an assassin was near.

Daxius was fairly stealthy but he was no ninja, his excellent sense of smell could only get him so far in a town full of various odors, so he decided to cut his losses and jump out to the middle of the street and call his opponent out.

You know why I'm here, Cut-Throat, you've murdered a man and there will soon be a bounty for your flesh. I will find you eventually no matter where you go, so for your best interests I suggest you try and kill me out here. So you may attempt to continue your most despicable career.

Daxius noticed the street was fairly wide, and lit with the nightlamps across the street, he would not be easy to suprise in such a an open space, sacrificing the element of suprise so he may have a more direct fight with the killer.

[ShidenBlades]

D’Angelos fingers closed in around the small item in his pouch, he could not yet see his target but the man’s boisterous nature made it evident that he was approaching. He ran through the practiced steps he would need to take, it would be a quick and clean death. Easy, yes. But also brutally efficient.

He pulled forth the small ceramic orb and rolled it comfortingly around the fingers of his left hand. It would be any moment now. He tensed his muscles and then let them relax, like a cobra before it was about to strike, he could just see the man when a booming voice echoed out causing his target to recoil back a step, out of sight. D’Angelo cursed.

D’Angelo looked over his shoulder and understood that somehow the voice was directed at him. Some zealous do-gooder he thought. With clenched teeth he played over his possible courses of action, he didn’t yet know what kind of man he was facing; it could very well me a mage if he was unlucky.

Deciding on his action he tossed the ceramic orb out to the middle of the street, as it struck the ground spilling forth a thick but harmless smoke that easily covered the width of the street. Then with as much silence as he could he nimbly climbed the building to his left, where the direction of the voice had come from. His feet and hands found purchase on windows and boards of the shabby two story building.

Within moment he was on top of the roof, his hand-cross bow at his side, and dark eyes scanning for the man that had dared to call him out.

[Dolerman]

Daxius could smell his opponent now, his open challenge had angered the man an the slight raise of temperature allowed him to follow a new scent that was above him, probably on a rooftop but he couldn't quite see him yet. Daxius drew his sword and struck it in the ground with great force and fustration.

Once again, you snivelling night stabber, I'm right here, come and kill me before I tear this town apart and find you myself!

Daxius clutched one of his throwing knives, he released he was opening himself up to some sort of ranged attack, but he trusted his reflexes to hurl a counter projectile in the direction he had been shot at. His feline body was hunched over with his glowing demon eyes shifting, ready for anything.

[ShidenBlades]

It wasn’t until D’Angelo stood to his full height that he saw the bi-pedal cat demon thing hunched over with a sword stuck out of the ground, its blade resting easily in its newly created sheath of earth. He studied the thing for a moment and knew at once that at this distance his relatively low-powered hand cross-bow wouldn’t even pierce the skin, if it could even make it that far.

He stayed quiet, though he came into easy view once he stepped out towards the edge, his right foot half hanging off the roof. Then, with a practiced ease he raised his cross-bow up and across his body, angled it up and then let it fly. The smoke was already dissipating, and shadowed forms could easily be seen. One of these forms gave a gurgled gasp and clutched his throat before tumbling down to the cold street.

It went against all of D’Angelos training to yell back some witty remark and so he didn’t, rather he fitted his hand-cross bow with another dart and withdrew his jagged short sword with his right hand. He wondered if the cat-demon thing would see him in the darkness of the night, above the lights and wearing a cloak that was designed to help him hide in such an environment. The creature had known he was there through some other means it had seemed, D’Angelo wondered what those means were.

[Dolerman]

Daxius, waited for a response but still heard nothing, this assasin probably wasnt going to be drawn out by simple insults, nevertheless, he knew some sort of attack was coming, he just wasn't completley sure from where....click...thwipp!. Any sort of fighter worth his salt knew the unmistakable creak and snap of a crossbow, and Dax's finely tuned feline ears picked up the direction of the shot, it was from a elevated angle just where his right shoulder was pointing, and Dax hurled the knife towards the sound as soon as he heard it. The knife tore through the air and whistled towards one of the rooftops.

He still couldn't see where his opponents was, although the smell was pointing to one of the rooftops above him where he just threw the knife.

Curses!, come fight me coward! I'll gut you with my bare claws if I have to!

[ShidenBlades]

The act of shooting the already surprised man had taken only a fraction of D’Angelos attention, and so when Daxius hurled the knife in his direction he saw it coming. The sound of it whistling through the air made it easier to track, and in the darkness of the night he heard more than saw it. By shifting his weight to his right foot and ducking slightly he heard the knife go whistling by.

With his right foot already partially off the edge it was a simple matter of shifting the rest of his weight and tipping forward off of the roof. D’Angelo completed one full rotation before landing nimbly on his feet roughly forty feet from the cat-demon. He holstered his hand cross-bow and let that hand stay hidden within the depths of his cloak, resting on one of the many pouches he wore.

“You’re an angry kitty.” He said with an amused smile on his face and mockery in his tone, his right hand was holding his short sword loosely and comfortably at his side. His pace was leisurely as he moved closer to Daxius. “Was that a fur ball you hacked at me up there?” He shook his head, feigning concern.

“Perhaps we should take you to the vet?” He spoke each word just loud enough for Daxius to hear, but that was it. No need yell an awake anyone else that hadn’t been roused from their sleep by the cat-demons yelling.

[Dolerman]

Daxius was relieved to see his opponent finally revealed to him, although Dax had the tools for stealth, he much preferred to meet his opponent in head on combat. He couldn't help but chuckle at his opponents 'cat jokes', a bit of banter always helped him enjoy a fight that little bit more. He grabbed his sword out of the ground and began to walk towards his opponent.

I haven't always looked like this you know, I used to be an elf. Sadly messing around with demonic blood and rituals turned me into this feline creature you see today. But I suppose I cant complain, at least I didnt turn into a....human.

Daxius's walk became a sprint, he was now charging at the assasin, about to clear the 40 feet distance inhumanly fast, his cat like speed was blinding.

Catch!

As Daxius was sprining he hurled two more throwing knives in succession at his villanous foe with his non-sword hand, even while running, his accuracy was unnervingly sharp, especially now he could clearly see his opponent. His sword hand had his main rune blade dragging along the cobble stone floor, creating sparks from the friction. He was planning to cut at his oppnents legs in a sweeping motion as soon as he got close enough.

[ShidenBlades]

D’Angelo maintained his rather casual pace as Daxius spoke, the ever present smirk visible from under the cowl of his cloak. Even as Daxius sprinted D’Angelo maintained his clam breathing, he wouldn’t allow himself to be pulled into the creature’s game and he was determined to set the tempo for this fight.

“Oh yea, such an improvement. From one nature loving freak to one covered in fur.”

His short sword came up and across his body one way to slap the first dagger out of the air. The second however, grazed his left arm as he pivoted to avoid it, slicing a clean line across cloak, shirt and skin up near his shoulder.

“Stop that.” He grumbled, not liking at all the speed at which the daggers were thrown.

Still, the next attack with the sword dragging behind, sparks showing clearly in the night, seemed too telegraphed to D’Angelo. He was instantly weary of the attack and kept his focus on the cat-demons free hand, the one that seemed all too willing to pump out high velocity daggers.

As the attack came in D’Angelo dropped low to a knee, burying his short sword in the ground as his opponents rune blade came across to take him out at the legs. Daxius would find that that the smaller sword was more than able to take the impact of the longer weapon.

At the same time the hand that had been resting on a pouch flung out, not with a weapon of the conventional sense, but a handful of finely crushed glass that was aimed in the general direction of Daxius’s face. D’Angelo would try and see if his opponents momentum would carry him through the fine glass, and risk breathing it in and getting it stuck to his eyes where it could do serious damage. Or, would he close his eyes or turn his head and risk taking his eyes off the dangerous assassin? Or, perhaps something completely different.

[Dolerman]

Dax was impressed with this wily human, he was able to dodge the throwing knives with relative ease, although one did manage to nick him. Th wound was covered by his robes but he could still smell a small amount of blood from his opponent. As he drew closed he knew his low sweep was obvious but grit his teeth and swung with it anyway....CLASH The dastardly assasin had dug his smaller blade in to block the attack, and at the same time reached in his cloak to throw something close range, probably at Dax's now exposed head.

Daxius did have time to try and guess what it was, so he used his lightning reflexes to turn his head and body around so whatever it was wouldnt hit him in the face. As he pivoted to the right, what felt like a thousand needles cut past his neck and shoulder, his armor was able to protect most of it, but the few that scratched his neck cut deep enough to sting dreadfully and open some small wounds that would soon begin to bleed.

Now this is a real fight, I was more than ready to bleed, Villain!

Daxius snarled as he used the momentum of his pivot to turn all the way around into a roaring spinning back kick, it was all one fluid motion as he aimed to kick at the assasin's neck/chest area.

[ShidenBlades]

The smile that had been full of mockery a moment ago was replaced by a cold humorless thin lipped smile that failed to reach D’Angelos still shaded eyes. Those dark eyes carefully picked away at Daxius, he was watching how the creature moved and noted the ease with which it spun during its forward rush and launch into a powerful back kick.

For someone like D’Angelo, a human without any magical abilities, fighting strange and weird creatures was often a gamble. He was forced to be on his A-game, to force them into overconfidence or make some other mistake with which he could capitalize. He thought that at this moment Daxius had made one by launching relatively blind attack and leaving his back exposed.

The name of the game was energy conservation, he had no idea how much stamina Daxius had. He assumed that if it was in any way like a great hunting cat that it had far more than him, that included strength and land speed as well. He clicked his tongue against his teeth, he hated being physically out classed.

Still, there was more than one way to skin a cat and D’Angelo decided it was time to see which way it would be for the one before him. It became evident as Daxius spun that he would be trying to use his momentum to his advantage, so as he spun bringing his sword with him, D’Angelo stood up and back out of the kicks reach, pulling his short sword out of the ground as he did with his left hand. With his right he tilted the hand-cross bow up without ever taking it off his belt and fired all in one smooth moment, using the exact same time it took Daxius to spin and launch its kick as it did for D'Angelo to take a step back and fire.

The target was nothing lethal, actually it was aimed to do nothing more than injure the creatures pride for D’Angelo’s target was Daxius’s rump, aiming for the non-kicking side. Even if he missed he was sure that Daxius would see the dart skim by and plant itself somewhere ahead into the ground and know the mans intentions, still, if it hit than that would fuel D’Angelo’s plan even more.

“You picked the wrong human, freak.” He said in the same calm and controlled tone he had used before.

[Dolerman]

Daxius launched the kick mainly out of instinct, his demonic fighting spirit would occasionally go on auto pilot when he hadnt enough time to think about an attack rationally. He knew the kick would be just a little slower than he would have liked against a human who could dodge throwing knives. He was ready though, his left hand was reaching in towards his equipment belt as he lauched the kick which just barely missed the assasin.

Daxius flung his grappling claw at the assasin to follow up the kick, he would use this vicious instrument as he would a flail/whip hybrid allowing him to lash out at his dodging oppoenent at a fair distance, aiming the hook at his torso, as his body turned to face him.

Daxius's right hand still holding the sword in typical back hand fashion quickly jerked in the way of an incoming crossbow bolt, allowing him to bat it away, much like the man did with his throwing knives.

You may LOOK like a human, but you're just a fidgety rodent, and this is my rat trap!

The nasty blades of the grappling claw glinted in the street light as they flew towards the assasin.

[ShidenBlades]

D’Angelo remained stoic, not bothering to move as Daxius followed up his back kick with the straight throw of the grappling hook. Grappling hooks weren’t generally meant for the straight throw, it made it harder for their true purpose, grappling. So the assault with the weapon stuck D’Angelo as odd, perhaps there was something special about this one? As it came in he moved his short sword blade in its way, mirroring Daxius’s movement to his dart and batting it towards the ground, making sure that the hooks wouldn’t become caught on his wide blade.

“It is, is it?” He said, reaching across his body and pulling out the long sword at his left hip. The long, ash grey blade didn’t reflect the minimal amount of light as a normal blade might, it was too dull in color. With both weapons at his side he gave a humorless chuckle and wouldn’t move until the Cat-demon signaled he was ready.

“Cast aside your string, cat. Let us settle this with blades.” His voice seemed to leak venom and disdain as he showed how truly revolted he was by the thing in front of him.

[Dolerman]

I'll set it aside alright, aside the side of your face!

The grappling claw that was batted aside laying on the floor to the left of the assasin was now in perfect postion to swing at him from the side. Daxius whipped the rope up in a circular angle sending the hook in an upwards diagonal towards the assisins's right shoulder/neck area.
During this, using his right hand plunged his rune sword into the ground and flung two throwing knives in a 'V' pattern infront of him fairly low, hoping to catch the assassin in the thigh area should he try and dodge the grappling hook left or right. Also ready to bring the grappling hook round for another attack straight afterwards.

[ShidenBlades]

D’Angelo raised a brow as Daxius went up swinging his hook around again. The weapon while effective in certain situations was far to telegraphed to strike D’Angelo with its current use. He snorted and ducked down as he dashed forward, letting the weapon swing harmlessly overhead.

He came in then, dashing forward, his short sword picking off one of the daggers while the other scored a hit. His leather protection did little but cause the dagger to slide into his leg at an angle slicing deep but not sticking as he came forward with a flurry of movement, he could feel the warm blood being soaked by his clothes and running down his leg.

D’Angelo closed the distance quickly, his longsword slashing out at the hilt of his opponent’s weapon. He assumed it wouldn’t do any damage, but if his opponent tried to grab it he would have to face the threat of having a finger severed or mangled. If he managed to prevent the cat-demon from grabbing his weapon he would continue to press, ready to bring his weapons to bare on the creature, full prepared for the swinging weapon to come back around.

[Dolerman]

Daxius grinned and his feline fangs glinted in the moonlight. The grappling claw was keeping the assasin moving which is exactly what Dax wanted. While this human was clearly skilled, and incredibly fast, he was still just a man and at high speed fighting, he will eventually start to slow down or tire a lot faster than Daxius, his feline humanoid body could keep this up for a hell of a long time, he was biologically suited to this sort of combat.

One of the daggers managed to slice past the man's leg, creating a fresh wound, but before Daxius had time to enjoy the smell of his blood, the hooded villian dashed in, brandishing a sword of black steel, though strangely the angle of the attack was aimed at an angle towards his right hand side, almost as if he was aiming for the sword handle to prevent him from retreiving it from the ground.

That sword is dangerous, you don't want to be near that...

Daxius leaped back towards his left, clearing a couple feet distance from him and his own sword, simultaneous whipping up his grappling claw for a second swing as towards the man's back. Daxius then grinned madly as he extended his right hand and the rune sword began to glow. The Assassin came with in striking distance and Daxius shouted...

ERUPT!

The rune sword's explosive power, detonated a small raduis energy charge, that Daxius could detonate safely while away from his own chatoic blade. The energy bast radius was small but concentrated and powerful with erupting magic energy shot to severely burn and ravage foes.

[ShidenBlades]

Despite D’Angelo’s skill he was still human and had to face his limits. That dagger had hurt, but it was like a emptying a bucket into the ocean. His life was one full of pain, of torture and it was a state of being that he was accustomed to. So while he was aware of the wound on his leg it did nothing to hinder his movement nor did it cause him to slow in the slightest. His blade struck Daxius’s hilt with no effect, a pity.

He watched his opponent’s movements, keenly aware of the threat that still lingered behind him. The creatures arm movements made the telegraphed weapon an irritation, nothing more. D’Angelo dove out and to his right, his opponents left, so that he would come up in a role still relatively in front of Dax, slightly more to his opponents left.

His evasion proved more successful than he imagined. He evaded the chain weapon, but when the runes glowed, then let off a detonation he was far enough away to suffer only the flash of heat and the shockwave that an explosion always produced.

Now once again standing D’Angelo’s two swords were sheathed and his hands worked at the pouches on his belt. “Are you finished running?” He asked, gaining control of his breathing and making sure not to rush forward into anymore daggers. At least if the creature went for his sword D'Angelo would easily be able to cut him off and force him to engage at close range.

[Dolerman]

You blasted rodent!, that trap should have killed you!, and I know a thing or two about death....

Upon retrieving his grappling claw and returning it to his belt, Daxius' glowing eyes went dark as he placed his dark hand on the floor.
Within seconds his necromancy magic took effect and the earlier vicitim of the assasin, the one who was stabbed in the neck rose from where he was killed, some 40 feet away. He was now an undead servent that Daxius could command, and the somewhat fresh corpse began to run towards the fight, desperate to protect his master, though he was not in range to be of any help of hinderance just yet.

A few more seconds and help will be on the way, I suppose you want a swordfight dont you? but you seem insistant in keeping me away from my own blade...no matter then.

Daxius, with his left hand let 2 more throwing knives fly, one at his legs, and one at his torso, they were thrown as fast as ever, and right behind them, Daxius charged at the assasin, following up the daggers with slashing with his right claw to his opponent's injured leg, he was without his sword, but nonetheless ready to slash and beat this human barehanded while he waited for his undead assistance.