Crimson Paladin

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Fleuri Jodeau

The dragon spun around, causing Fleuri's cape to billow and nearly detach from the powerful gust of wind created. Fleuri ducked under the neck and tail as they swung overhead, managing to keep his footing in the momentary but intense gale.

The dragon took a moment to address them. It claimed that they needed to "show valor". In other words, at least as Fleuri could surmise, the dragon was advising them to get aggressive and make some bold moves.

Best that they not disappoint him, then.

As Thrinax repositioned and began to swipe its claw at Fanilly, the matter of footing made Fleuri realize something- with its head raised and one of its front claws being raised to strike at the captain, its other front claw- the one nearest to Fleuri- ought to be firmly planted to maintain the dragon's balance. It'd be but a momentary opportunity, but that was often all it took.

If Renar's stratagem hinged on Fleuri doing what he did with the griffin, now was the time to act on it. As the dragon made its attack at the captain, he sprinted towards the dragon's other front claw, scrambling up its limb much as Renar had done.

Fanilly gave her, ordering them to strike and claim victory. Even more reason to not disappoint.

But first he would need to decide on a spot to strike at the dragon.

Renar was going for the dragon's wing membrane, so Fleuri opted to join in the attack on his wing. There were many ways it could go wrong with just one person attacking, but as many, many of their previous fights had shown, multiple knights working together had much greater chance of success. Crawling into position and holding on with one hand, he took his greatsword and jabbed it at the dragon wing's equivalent of an armpit. The spot ought to be flexible enough that, like with armored knights, it should be less protected than most of its body, and he hoped that it'd disrupt any attempts by Thrinax to disrupt Renar's own strike.

@Psyker Landshark

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Fleuri Jodeau

Ordinarily, having his dagger restored to him and his weapons enhanced with magic would be considered very generous. But in this particular context, in this particular challenge, it was clear to Fleuri that this was an act of mercy to give them a fighting chance. And all of this was just to wound Thrinax.

Looking at what they were up against, however, it was no surprise that the terms of the match seemed so merciful- they were going up against a legend whose power supposedly even surpassed Volkstraad, whom it had taken a living saint to bring down. Merely managing to draw blood with magically enhanced weapons was going to be a very difficult task.

And it looked like Thrinax wasn't going to wait for them to come to him- he took flight and let loose his fire upon the hill. Fanilly ordered the knights to take cover (not that they really needed her guidance to know that staying put would end very poorly), and Fleuri complied, bolting and tumbling into cover as the flames blanketed the hilltop.

Renar was quick to take charge once again, giving commands to Gerard and Fleuri to keep the dragon's attention. He couldn't deny that Renar had some skill at taking charge in a fight.

As the dragon swiped a claw at Fanilly, Renar gave Fleuri another command- to do what he did with the griffin. Evidently, his stunt with Lucas had left a lasting impression on Renar. Either that or it was just a ploy to get Fleuri non-permanently killed in an amusing manner. But Renar had a point in that something like this would need to be attacked from all directions, and even if Thrinax knew how to deal with someone latching onto his back (and he probably did), it'd still probably be more troublesome than dealing with someone in any other position around him.

Since there was no watchtower, he opted to circle around to the dragon's neck and head, opposite to where Fanilly was readying her knife, from the look of it she was about to throw it. Fleuri had no idea how good her knife-throwing skills were, or how well-balanced her dagger was for throwing, but he had faith that the Captain knew what she was doing.

Assuming that Thrinax would move his head to avoid the blow, Fleuri readied his sword to strike at it while it was focused on not getting hit by Fanilly. And if the opportunity presented itself, perhaps he might even see an opening to latch onto it on like Renar suggested.

@Psyker Landshark@VitaVitaAR

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Fleuri Jodeau

They had made it. Despite facing one last surprise of a bombardment of "friendly" fire courtesy of the witch, Fleuri and Gerard had managed to reach the top. Fionn, too, had evidently managed to scale the hill, seemingly unseen by the Hundi. The only complication was that he had no idea where his dagger had gone, after he had used it to stop one of Gisela's spells. It wasn't exactly irreplaceable, but it would be a slight annoyance to have to continue these trials without it.

Fleuri let out a deep exhale, partially from the exertion of the sprint up the hill, and partially out of relief that this trial was over. Not that he expected to have much of a reprieve- after all, the last trial had been heralded with a spell that had disintegrated Fleuri, and he fully expected the next one to be accompanied by similar theatrics.

The Hundi took a moment to give criticism to Gertrude for her ill-conceived fire bombardment. Fleuri felt the feedback was well-warranted- having worked with Reonites extensively, he knew the importance of being careful with fire magic. If that sort of magic was what Gertrude would be using in the real world, it was essential that she learn not to use it recklessly. True, she might have factored in the fact that they couldn't die in the dream, but aside from the fact that being burned alive was a very unpleasant experience, there was little point in training here if the only techniques that she honed here hinged upon one's own allies not staying dead.

Just then, a massive shadow passed overhead. Fleuri looked up at the source- the great red dragon Thrinax. A living legend, mighty even by the standards of dragons. As he passed, Gisela announced the goal of their final trial- to injure the dragon.

Not kill, or defeat, but merely injure him. And even that would be a very lofty task. The Roses had managed to avoid losing any of their own so far, but for this trial...Fleuri wouldn't be surprised if they weren't all standing by the end of it.

"Err, Lady Gisela," he asked, addressing the Hundi, "I am not sure how this realm's restoration magic works, but might there be a way to restore my dagger to my side for this last trial?" he asked, gesturing at the empty sheath at his waist.

Reborn in a Fantasy World, This Time I Shall...!

Javal

??? - Forest

The first thing Javal noticed when they returned was the path leading up to the cave. Was it just him, or was the path in worse shape than when they had exited?

Maybe he was just seeing things, and it looked different from the top than from the bottom, but it wasn't impossible that whatever power brought him here might be gently encouraging them to get moving and not hunker down here. Regardless, he'd keep an eye on the way down- if it got any worse, it might be wise to not use this location as a shelter.

"I can keep an eye on things out here, watch out for any sign of our friend, and make sure we don't get any uninvited guests, if you two wish to thoroughly explore the cave," he proposed to the two elves.

He'd hardly be able to face anything comparable to that metal bird by himself, but with the path's footing as precarious and unsafe as it was, any foe that couldn't fly up to the entrance would find themselves at a disadvantage trying to force their way up and past Javal's polearm.

@Thunder999999@Expendable

Reborn in a Fantasy World, This Time I Shall...!

Javal

??? - Forest

"I definitely would not," Javal replied to the mage as he accepted his polearm back. "If that metal bird is a sign of what is in store for us in this world, I'd hate to go anywhere without a weapon." Not that their armaments did anything against that flying monstrosity beyond pull off a single tail feather, but it was certainly preferable to trying to fend it off with just sticks and fists.

Javal looked at his reflection in the bird's tail feather. It certainly was different from when he was on Earth. Pale, blue-eyed, white-haired. It might take some time getting used to seeing a different reflection every time he looked at a mirror, but he could definitely work with this.

"I've no complaints about the proposed course of action, the cave seems like our best bet. Once we get there, I'll stand guard outside, as I talents are slightly less effective in enclosed spaces." Javal was not unfamiliar with the fantasy convention of elves having better night vision than humans- from what the elf said, it sounded like it held true here.

It was a shame that they had lost the knight, but whether they survived was up to them- and whether or not the elves' hunches were right and the flute might have some use. A bit of a contrived coincidence, perhaps, but this world was strange enough that he was willing to believe it possible.

"Before we go, anyone care to take a look at their new forms?" he asked, raising the severed tail feather in case any of the others had yet to see their own reflection.

@Expendable@Thunder999999

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Fleuri Jodeau

The Hundi wasn't out of tricks yet. What had initially assumed to be an easily enough dodged rain of magical projectiles proved to be a feint. The projectiles froze in the air, the a moment later, began firing smaller projectiles aimed squarely at the two knights' positions.

It was a foolish assumption to think that this Hundi would make any part of this challenge easy.

Fleuri bolted to the side and forward away from Gerard, not wanting to dash right into the barrage aimed at Gerard, and likewise not wanting to lead his barrage towards his fellow knight. His assumption was that the suspended magical bolts would track the two knights, meaning that they'd have to move quickly and not stay in any one place. He would try to keep ahead of their tracking, ready to dodge any stray bolts that fell in the path of his run, and any that he couldn't, he'd attempt to use the blade of his sword to block.

I wonder how the other knights are doing. With any luck, at least some of the others would be taking advantage of the Hundi's attention currently being on Fleuri and Jerard.

@HereComesTheSnow@Raineh Daze

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Fleuri Jodeau

Complying with Gerard's warning, ducked down as a spell came hurtling at them, striking the ground and exploding not far from Gerard. As the Hundi readied another attack in her hand, it was clear at this point that she was now done tossing magical hazards at the duo, and was now focusing on dealing with them.

If they did not react accordingly, they would quickly be removed from this challenge.

Fleuri was no mage, but he could deduce a few things based on what he saw from that first silver sphere. It was almost certainly a warning shot- a mage of such vast power wouldn't miss like that except on purpose, especially in what was explicitly meant as a challenge for the knights. Even in the unlikely event that its trajectory was a blunder on her part, she'd almost certainly correct her aim for the next one.

The most important detail is that the projectile exploded when it hit the ground, rather than bounce off or penetrate through.

If something hit it mid-air with enough force, that ought to make one of these projectiles explode prematurely, he reasoned. At least, he hoped that's how this worked. As Gerard grabbed some dirt, presumably either thinking the same thing or perhaps hoping to obscure himself, Fleuri pulled out the one object on him that he could use in for this purpose- his dagger. It wasn't exactly designed as throwing weapon, but in this instance he didn't need the blade to hit it.

For what it was worth, this ordeal of facing magic did give Fleuri some ideas as to where he wanted to go with his swordsmanship training. Between this and the fight in the Cazt tomb, it was clear that it wasn't enough to learn to deflect physical blades, he needed to learn to fight and deflect magic. He hoped that Rui- either the real one or the duplicate of this world- would be available and willing to instruct him on this path.

The moment that the Hundi fired a projectile as Fleuri, he'd fling the dagger in its path in an attempt to detonate it mid-air, then use the momentary concealment of the light of the explosion to move forward, weaving to the side to ensure that if another spell followed at the exact same trajectory, it would zip past him.

Reborn in a Fantasy World, This Time I Shall...!

Javal

??? - Forest

Javal's attempt to prevent the bird from taking off had failed, the bird's tail feather proving unable to support his weight. The loss of one tail feather did not appear to hinder it, nor did the not-inconsiderable weight of the knight in its talons as it flew off.

"No!" he shouted as it escaped with their companion. He endeavored to calm himself down, or at least appear to be calmed down- he knew from his former profession the importance of always remaining composed and calm. He wouldn't serve anyone by panicking.

They needed to see where the bird was headed. There was no way they could catch it on foot, but perhaps they could at least get an idea where it was taking its quarry.

Javal dropped his halberd and dashed towards the nearby cliff face. He took a leap up towards what looked like could suffice as a handhold, intending to get a better view of the metal bird as it flew towards the tree cover of the forest. He wanted to at least see where it was heading, and how their companion was faring in its talons.

Was there actually any hope of saving her, considering how fast that monster was flying and how ineffectual their weapons had proven against it? Maybe, maybe not, but as long as she might be alive he felt an obligation to try.

@PKMNB0Y@Crusader Lord@Thunder999999@Expendable

Reborn in a Fantasy World, This Time I Shall...!

Javal

??? - Forest

Javal leapt back the bird came down upon the knight, who had volunteered herself to take the brunt of the blow. Evidently she was confident in her ability to withstand the bird's descent, and from the look of it, she had calculated correctly. Unfortunately, the metallic avian was now taking off with her in its talons.

They couldn't let this thing carry off any of their companion to what would be almost certain death. They needed all the help they could get, and once that thing was finished with her, it'd come for the rest of them. Javal wasn't sure if they could kill it, but they needed to discourage this thing from trying to prey on them.

The two pointy-eared companions moved to attack, the mage trying to ice its wings and the knife-wielder attempting to stab at it. With how heavily armored the bird was, it looked like their best bet would be to prevent it from taking off with their ally. Fortunately, as Javal knew all too well, there were many ways to hinder something's airworthiness.

The former pilot dashed beneath the bird, keeping his halberd up to discourage it from bringing its beak down upon him. He then leapt onto the bird's tail, driving the top spike of his halberd into a massive metal tail feather. It might be metal, but he hoped it was thin (and perhaps soft, because surely something so nimble in the air wouldn't be encased head-to-toe in thick, hardened steel, right?) that his halberd would punch a hole into it.

@Thunder999999@Expendable@Crusader Lord

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Fleuri Jodeau

As the advance begun, it became clear that the Hundi was not playing along with what Fanilly had predicted. The demon took flight and descended to where the captain was, while the slope that Fleuri and Gerard had taken cover on was being assailed by a pair of rolling orbs tumbling down. It would appear so far that neither the demon nor the mage were giving direct momentary attention to the two Reonites. Fleuri took cover near Gerard, poking his head out to observe the immediate threat they were facing.

The spheres, firing out randomly as they came down, were reshaping the hill, removing any cover that was present. If the knights tried to wait this out, they'd be left exposed for whatever the Hundi would next call down upon them. They needed to move. However, like Gerard had pointed out said, there was a pattern, and at least some predictability to them.

"I'm with you, Sir Gerard," Fleuri replied to the other knight as he emerged from cover and began to advance alongside him. Like Gerard said, they needed to take this shot, as it would be the only one they'd be getting.

@HereComesTheSnow