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Post by Zeke on Aug 30, 2006 4:50:31 GMT -5
Unknown to Ave, the last sword did do more than jar his arms and make a loud noise. It also made Zeke lose balance. It wasn't much, but enough so thathis next strike missed Ave by a foot or so, leaving an opening. It was there for barely a second, but Ave took it. His sword flashed in, only to have it locked inbetween the parallel prongs of the staff.
Twisting his staff upwards he brought Aves sword with him, and for a second, he grinned behind his helmet as he brought his heavily armoured knee up into Aves groin, and then pushing his full body weight against him, Zeke pinned Ave to the side of a slag vat.
"How do you like it?!"
His voice roared out from his helmet, sounded mechanical and strange.
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Post by Avelon on Aug 30, 2006 11:53:12 GMT -5
At this point of the story, dear reader, it is important to know Draconian physiology. Had Avelon been fully human, he would surely be dead. Draconians are coldblooded, like common lizards and dragons. Unlike lizards, Draconians share an inner heat with dragons that allows them to walk abroad in winter with little more discomfort than an ordinary warmblooded human. But they are still coldblooded: in other words, extreme temperatures have a large effect on the temperature and relative limits of their bodies.
That is not the only factor here. Draconians, like any lizard or dragon, are blessed with genitals that do not protrude from the body outside of intercourse. Normally, the genitals are held in a tough pouch that can fold down on itself to appear almost mammallion. Though Zeke's knee would have weakened a human enough that all he would be able to do was flail his arms as he was cooked, it was like a knee to the stomach for Avelon, knocking out his breath. Now read closely, for such a situation will likely never arise again in your lifetime.
----- At the shock of the knee, there was a grunt. At the heat of the vat, there was nothing for several seconds, as the burning metal worked its way through winter clothing and then tough skin between Avelon's shoulderblades. But it did make it through, and as the heat began to flow out through his veins, Avelon screamed. Acting on a combination of instinct, adrenalin, pain, and rage, Avelon drew up his legs from either side of Zeke's knee and pressed his boots to the man's chest. Sizzling came from behind Avelon as hair and clothing was singed away. Even Avelon is not entirely sure what happened next. His cloak, for sure, snapped as his wings strained against the burnt wool. They spread to either side of him, perhaps startling his foe enough for the instinct, adrenalin, rage, and pain to concentrate in the muscles of the swordsman's thighs. Perhaps he lost his tedious control over his magic. Either way, Zeke was pushed back five paces through the air and landed on his back, taking Avelon's sword from his hand in the process. Avelon was away from the vat before Zeke hit the ground, ripping off his smouldering cloak and checking the tips of his hair for fire. This took less time than it took for Zeke to realise he was no longer standing, and Avelon had already darted forward to retrieve his fallen weapon by the time Zeke rose again to his feet. With an outraged shout, Zeke threw himself at Avelon, bringing his staff back with both hands to jab at the winged man's chest. Blood now literally heated, Avelon stood his ground, thrusting his blade between the two prongs of the staff. Both men leaned forward, and Avelon was the lighter. His boots skidded as his arms refused to give way, and he was pushed back toward the vat as he absorbed the blow. Feeling that heat behind him once more, the swordsman glanced back, noted the distance was appropriate, and bent his knees. Unnoticed by either man, Avelon's sword had begun to dimly glow and resonate with the same tone as the crystal prongs of the staff. Pushing himself up suddenly, Avelon immediately closed the distance between his boots and the vat. As he felt the contact, he furled and drew up his wings, then slashed both downward, tilting his wrist up to break free of the weapon lock. The result was that Zeke's staff slammed into the vat squarely and his weight held it there long enough for Avelon to land on the shaft of the weapon. He didn't hesitate; his foot drew back and came forward, the toe of his boot landing squarely in Zeke's face. The helmet came free, along with with several wires, and as Zeke's head tilted back, the chin of the helm caught the tip of his nose and was carried to one side as Avelon's balance shifted and his foot went to one side. The cartilage snapped and the skin along its left side was badly scraped. Avelon dropped to Zeke's right, rolling to his knees. "No skin off my nose," he grimly uttered in a belated response to Zeke's taunt, unwisely giving a window of time for his opponent to recover equilibrium and attack.
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Post by Zeke on Aug 31, 2006 14:04:12 GMT -5
And now it is important to know what happens when Ezekiel gets hurt. With his strange affinity with metal, and the way he can feel its pain, it too is weakened by his pain. This part of his power which, years into the future, Zeke would look back and sob, for he had never learned to control it.
---- Now his face was visible, it was clear that he had no control over his actions. Blood flowed freely down his face, and his eyes were wild and the colour of blood throughout. His hair, on the other hand, was dark red and steel, and left a indent in the walkway where his head hit the floor. And then he shot forward with unnatural speed, fighting on instinct rather than with skill. His first blow was so wild it was easy to block. but they became more accurate and Ave was battered backwards. The crystal blade sliced across his left arm, cutting a thin wound and filling it with oil, which the blood welled up against. Without concious thought on Zekes part his magic reached out into the machinery of the plant, and it began to fight with him. Slag bubbled with more vigour and plumes of it arcked between vats, lighting up the factory with orange light. Streaks of colour shot across Zekes vision, but he was blind to it. As he hacked at Ave his blade caught a support cable for the walkway, and with an echoing creak it began to collapse. But Zeke was oblivious to this, and in no danger, the metal wrapping around Aves feet to keep him imprisoned. "No skin off your nose? How about your face!" He brought the butt of his staff down at Ave, which he blocked on instinct. A mistake as it happened, for as soon as he moved to block it Zeke swung the staff the other way, and the blade slashed across his face, leaving an oily cut.
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