genessia | Action for Everglade/Castlevania

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Action for Everglade/Castlevania

Who: Ike and anyone who wants to tag him
What: Ike gets teleported into Dracula's Castle -- after sunset. If he wants to reach safety, he must fight his way out of the castle and through the streets of Everglade.
Where: Dracula's Castle -> Everglade
When: January 25, after dusk
Warnings: Creatures of the night, a blessed sword slicing through said creatures, and plenty of badassery to go around.

It was only a matter of time before Ike was one of the people who was randomly teleported somewhere else entirely.

When he had started, he was in Fayren. He had gotten up from where he was seated to get some fresh air.

But when he stepped out the door, he found himself in an unfamiliar place. For one, he was still inside. At present, he was in a room with what could be identified as Baroque architecture stylings -- if Ike were familiar with such a thing. As it is, mercenaries don't really concern themselves with architecture styles.

And secondly, no sooner had he appeared than he found himself under attack. A large suit of armor, even larger than Ike himself (which is no small feat), immediately hurled an axe at him. Ike ducked, drew Ragnell, and smashed the armor with a single thrust. However, the clamor drew more attention, as a pair of boomerang-wielding skeletons ambled into the room. Beating them to the punch, Ike swung his sword, once at each of them. Each time, a wave of black energy surged forth from the blade and shattered the skeletons.

Immediately, Ike broke into a run. He didn't know where he was, but he knew he needed to get out as fast as he could and find a safe haven somewhere. The building he was in was clearly dangerous, and crawling with dark creatures that would just as soon kill him if he let his guard down.

But Ike was tough. He was skilled. And most importantly, he was ready.

[OoC Note: You can find Ike either fighting his way through minions in Dracula's Castle, or through packs of monsters and other creatures of the night in the streets of Everglade. Either way, he'll fight as long as he has to, until he's either teleported somewhere else or he reaches a house whose residents are willing to take him in.]

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Aoshi had been making his way back to the Amagi Inn after picking up some beef for a special order that night. He'd blinked.... and had promptly found himself in a Western chapel, assailed on all sides by skeletal swordsmen who preferred twin blades just as he did.

His bewilderment had swiftly given way to pure survival instinct. He'd focused on defense at first, meeting their blades with his hastily-drawn one. But after being relieved of his device, he'd found the space to draw his other sword and pull out all the stops. He'd made short work of them, and was now free to try and get his bearings.

Emphasis on try. Just where was he?

Near the entrance to the chapel, he whirled at the sounds of footsteps coming his way. Their owner was armed, if its pattern and the accompanying jangle of metal were anything to go by. There was nowhere to hide and he was running out of time. All he could do was raise his swords and wait for the newcomer to show itself.

A few seconds later, Ike ran into the chapel. His sword was in his right hand, and he was looking around frantically.

"Did someone get here before me?" He had noticed the remains of several skeletons as he looked for another path out.

"Hey! Anyone there? I'm trying to get out of this place!"

Another human trapped here. That changed everything. He lowered his swords and showed himself fully, walking out of the shadows to meet him. One look and he knew this was a fighter too. A good thing; Aoshi excelled at keeping his guard up but watching his back was a different matter.

"Same. Are there more of us? It's best if we combined our strength."

"Not that I've seen." Relief flooded through Ike's own system, though he made care to remain vigilant. There was safety in numbers, but they weren't out of the woods just yet.

"But I agree. I've had to fight way too many of these...twisted creatures already. Having some help would be great. I'm guessing you got randomly transported here too, huh?"

He nodded, one eye back the way he'd come. Danger lurked everywhere, but nowhere more so than deeper into the chapel. He should know; he'd just barely eluded it. "The monsters who enforce Everglade's nightly curfew. This is their home. The subarchway must lie beyond the walls of this..."

From above them came the flap of bone and leathery wings. Aoshi looked up, in time to see winged skeletons hurling spears their way. His form wavered and rippled, much like a reflection in a newly-disturbed pond. The spears seemed to pass right through him, and suddenly he was a few steps away. This was their cue to start running.

"Lead. I'll cover you as best as I can."

"If you say so." Ike took off at a run again. He could have slain those constructs, but he wasn't going to question his newfound partner's capabilities. Plus, he could still cut down anything that popped up in his way.

Which they did. A small group of zombies ambled into the hallway they had to run down. Not stopping or even slowing down, Ike swung his sword twice. Each time, a wave of energy flew forth from the blade, and the two attacks left the zombies incapacitated.

He'd never seen that kind of power back home. There were the vaguest hints of what a man could achieve the more he tapped into his ki, but otherwise, warriors on Aoshi's world generally survived with no more than the weapons in their hands and sheer skill.

Not that Aoshi was complaining. This man was quite a bit more geared to fighting the supernatural than he was. The least he could do was watch his back.

And that's what he did for the most part, picking up whatever his new partner dropped. But his true skill shone whenever the enemy sought to pick them off from afar. His twin kodachi turned the air around him into a steel haze, dicing and deflecting arrows and axes sent their way. He seemed to have spent a lifetime focusing on defense, and now he was putting it to good use.

Ahead of them, two knights advanced with mammoth hammers raised, intent on pounding the duo into the ground. A burst of speed carried Aoshi further forward. He'd deal with the left one. The right was all for the blue-heaired warrior.

Ike reacted accordingly. He surged forward with surprising speed in spite of his large stature, then thrust his sword straight through the chest plate. The sword punched through to the other side, leaving a web of cracks around the point of entry.

Still, the enemy was able to use its hammer. Ike was forced to relinquish his grip on his sword for a few seconds to dodge the swing, then came back, grabbed the handle of his sword again, and finished what he'd started by ripping the sword to the side. Incredibly, it was enough to tear the armor in two; the divine blessing of the goddesses was allowing it to be extraordinarily effective against creatures of darkness. Once the sword was free, the armor crumbled to pieces, from tip to toe.

Aoshi's foe swung first from left to right, using its superior range to try and hit the spy before he could get close. In response, he tumbled forward and took himself below the knight's arc. Then he sprung up, crossing his kodachi's blades and aiming them for that vulnerable spot between helmet and chestplate.

"Kodachi Nitou Ryu: Goku Juji!"

The blades closed in on each other like a pair of scissors. Aoshi landed past the knight... and a second later it crashed to its knees, its head rolling away for a few meters before it and the body it had just left behind went up in flames. Still running, he spared a glance over his shoulder to watch it burn.

"I suppose I'm fortunate their vulnerabilities remain human, even if they're clearly not."

Clearly, he came from a world where magic and monsters were figures of speech instead of reality.

Ike was able to witness the spectacle, and judging by his expression, he approved of what he saw. This guy was better than he'd expected.

As he caught up, he asked, "Who taught you how to fight?"

His answer came readily enough. It was different when you were fighting for your life, shoulder to shoulder with someone else in your predicament.

"The Oniwabanshu. We were spies in charge of castle security."

And the irony of now having to break out of a castle wasn't lost on him. But it helped that the path seemed relatively straightforward as long as they kept moving down to ground level.

"That sword. I've never seen anything like it." Not strictly true; Shishio's had burned too, but there were perfectly natural reasons for it. His partner's sent demons scattering like wheat before the scythe.

The irony wasn't lost on Ike, either. He was unable to suppress his grin.

"It's called Ragnell. It belonged to the Begnion Empire as a national treasure before its empress gifted it to me. It's been blessed by Ashunera, the Goddess of Creation, so it's no ordinary sword."

The story was far more complicated than that, but Ike never particularly enjoyed talking about his exploits. He has had enough admiration for one lifetime.

Near the gate, unfortunately, there'd be one more guardian barring Ike's exit to the castle. She looked normal enough, other than that she looked like a human who was not being attacked by the monsters. ~~And it'd be, what, two sequels later before Ike could possibly see anyone dressed even somewhat like her? Actually, Tharja at least has a better hat...~~

More problematic than her mode of dress was the sword at her side, and her chuckle as she saw him approach.

"They may be mere summons of the will of Lord Dracula, but you cut them down so easily regardless," Pidonus Marasia observed aloud. "It's almost painful to watch, really. Clearly an adventuresome sort. Pity I can't let you pass. Lord's orders, and all that."

Ike came to a stop, his gaze hardening on the girl before him. Ragnell's golden blade gleamed with the light coming from overhead. From the way she spoke, she sounded as if she serves the owner of whoever owns this building. Where had he heard that name before?

"Look, I'm not here for trouble. I just want to get out of here and find a safe place to spend the night. Call your 'lord,' have him call off his minions, and we'll have no reason to cross blades tonight."

If she wouldn't listen, he was prepared to go through her if he had to. He wasn't going to simply give himself to death for the sake of not harming another person. The only thing more important to a mercenary than his payment and his reputation was his life, after all.

"Sorry, no can do. The law of Everglade, after all, basically says that any human caught out at night is prey. The people need to fear to keep the barrier working, after all. And the boss' orders were pretty clear on that."

Pidonus reached down to her sword, drawing it out with one hand. It seemed like a pretty plain longsword, other than the flame patterns lined in. Of course, he might not have a way to recognize the firey magic that'd start taking effect with each swing.

"You'll have to pay a little toll. In blood, of course~", she muttered, as her wings appeared to either side.

"The last time I looked, we weren't outside." Ike normally wasn't one to argue semantics, but he really would have liked to get out quickly and find shelter. He's spent too much of his life fighting to keep it alive.

"But it doesn't look like you're going to budge. So be it." He raised Ragnell and assumed his own position. "I don't want to hear any complaints after I've cut my way through."

Once he said that, he dashed forward. He was surprisingly quick for a man of his size, and the swing he threw at her torso was even more surprisingly quick, given he wielded it with just one hand, and it was large enough to be a claymore.

Pidonus' smaller blade shouldn't realistically have been able to block something as big as a claymore. And, indeed, as she quickly swung to block, it only slowed the blade, not entirely stopping it from hitting her side.

Her side, however, didn't take the cut Ike would have expected. Like it was much tougher than human skin or what looked like leather should be.

"Not bad," Pidonus declared, stepping back. "I'm going to say... Little formal training, lots of battlefield experience?"

"Depends on how you define formal training." Ike leveled Ragnell again, curious about whatever defenses Pidonus had up. Most magical defenses mattered little to a blade that was blessed by the goddesses, after all. He was accustomed to physical defenses being the only resistance he got.

"My father taught me everything he knew starting from when I was just a young age. I've followed them all my life and they've never led me astray."

"I see," Pidonus responded. "Me, I'm just a bard with a few post-human abilities."

Her description belied the fact that she obviously had some strength... And knew exactly how to use her sword, as she leveled it in a one-handed stance of her own. "I see you have magic on your blade, as well."

A few things were coming to Pidonus' mind at this point. First, this guy was good. She would have to stay on the defensive against him, or start one of her songs. Second, that blade was trouble - if it got a solid cut on her, who knew what would happen.

Third, of course, was that cowardly reflexes sucked. But she couldn't flee yet. Not until she knew she was outclassed.

"I'm not so sure 'magic' is the right word for it. It's a divine blessing."

Ike saw no point to conceal the true nature of his sword to his foe. With the power of the goddesses of Tellius flowing through its blade, Ragnell has been able to cut through these creatures of the night like a knife through butter. It was something he had noticed, and perhaps information he could use to his advantage.

"Feel free to show me what your sword can do." While Ike had no idea what it could do, once he saw it in action, he could formulate a plan to counteract it. Even if that plan amounted to "prevent her from using it again." Ike wanted to make sure he knew completely what he was up against before going all out.

Pidonus chuckled. "Classic trick, nice try. You'll just have to find out for yourself."

And then, she stepped in, taking two swings... The sword igniting into flame with each. If Ike looked closely, it'd be rather obvious that the sword was still a sword and was generating the fire somehow. It'd hurt in a few different ways if it got a clean hit on him, or if he let it get too close to his clothes.

The odd part was, Pidonus' own clothes - some of which appeared to be ridiculously flammable silk - weren't lighting up as well, even if the flames got close to her.

Ike is no stranger to fire magic. That doesn't mean he enjoys it, though.

He needed an opening. He brought Ragnell up to block the strikes, then leaped away. He swung his sword twice, seemingly at thin air -- but each swing unleashed a wave of glowing energy that raced toward his foe. If he could force her on the defensive, he could close the gap quickly and press the attack as hard as he could.

Ike's opponent seemed to understand what he was trying as he took the swings. Unfortunately, she'd underestimated the speed of the waves - her quick launch into the air avoided the first, but Ike easily adjusted to hit her square across the torso with the second, knocking her back and forcing her to land.

"Heh. Not bad," Pidonus responded... Before beginning, strangely, to sing, a haunting tune in some language Ike had never heard.

Singing in the middle of battle...Ike could only conclude that it was seid magic or something similar. He's witnessed heron galdrar far too many times to underestimate the power of song.

He dashed forward, once again showing his speed. This time, he spun as he approached, and brought his sword around with him as he spun, lashing out at Pidonus's midsection.

Best-case scenario, he'd wound her enough to force her to withdraw. But if nothing else, it should stop her from using her songs.

As Ike started to approach, he finally saw what was happening just as Pidonus raised her sword to block the strike, this time more confidently than before.

Whatever magic she was using now, there was now a problem; her sword was sheathed in crackling electricity. If his gloves weren't thick enough, his hand would take quite the shock.

This looked like thunder magic. Ike was plenty familiar with facing thunder magic before, too. He immediately brought his sword back.

"You're just full of surprises, aren't you?"

This time, he responded with an upward slash from below. He was aiming to either hit her midsection or her shoulder. Either way, if he landed it, she would be out of the fight.

Pidonus kept the song going - apparently, the song was the key to the sword's electricity. Which, of course, meant she wasn't going to talk much.

She also seemed to be anticipating Ike going for a strike she would have a hard time blocking, as she quickly stepped to the inside of the swing, trying to strike at Ike's midsection.

"That's some concentration you have there!" He'd never seen someone use a blade and be able to focus on incantations, whether sung or not, before.

This time, Ike jumped, since he was already moving in an upward direction. The leap carried him over Pidonus's slice, and backwards several feet, as he landed on both feet and his left hand. He then flipped forward, keeping his one hand planted on the ground, and landed upright -- and bringing his sword down as he did so.

Dracula had been content to sit in his throne during this new and annoying invasion and allow his minions to deal with the situation. However, when minion after minion was cut down and reduced to ash by the magic this blue-haired intruder wielded, the master of Castlevania could not sit by idly.

He summoned a minion with the Valmanway, sheathing the blade at his side before making his way to where Ike was. "I must admit, for one that wields no tools of the Hunter trade, you seem to be making swift work of my minions. However, you are intruding, and I will defend my home."

Ike stopped in his tracks, though he kept his sword out, and stared at the new arrival. So that's who the owner of this castle was. He could also tell that the man before him was very powerful, though he wasn't intimidated.

He just wanted to find shelter.

"This whole thing has been an accident. I got sent here at random and was attacked as soon as I appeared." He lowered his sword as he spoke. "Let me leave, and I'll be done with this place. All I want is to find a safe place to spend the night."

Dracula remained motionless as he sized up Ike. A few of his minions began to advance on the swordsman, but were stopped with a simple hand gesture.

"Were this a different circumstance, such a thing could be arranged. However, you have caused quite the disturbance here. I will need some form of compensation for such trouble. Leave your sword here, and you will be free to go."

Ike tightened his grip on his sword. It was pretty clearly no ordinary sword, given how easily it was cutting through minions as well as its ability to unleash waves of energy when swung. But it also possessed the blessings of two goddesses -- and the two goddesses were formed from the division of a single, more powerful goddess, and the blessings acted similarly.

"I'm afraid that's out of the question. This sword is a gift from a cherished friend, and is the only thing I have to remember my home by besides my memories. It stays with me until I find a pupil worthy of inheriting it."

And Ike was still a young man, hardly a day over twenty-one. That day would be far off indeed.

Dracula's arm shifted beneath his cloak, hand resting on the hilt of the Valmanway. He shook his head somewhat disappointed, though he didn't expect the sword to simply be offered up in tribute.

"Then I'm afraid that the only way out of here is through me." He wasn't planning on taking the duel to its fullest, but rather getting a feel for how a potential thorn in his side fought for future reference.

Ike immediately assumed a fighting stance. You'd think these people would be more willing to listen considering he wasn't out here by choice. He's not even a resident here. But apparently not.

"If that's how it has to be, then I hope you give me a good fight. It'll be more worthwhile if it's something I can enjoy."

"Considering your choice of weapon, I'll be surprised if you can even hit me."

Dracula's stance didn't change, simply raising a hand and beckoning Ike to make the first move with the smuggest of all grins on his face.

"Well, now I won't be satisfied until I do land a blow. I have a reputation to uphold."

Ike was willing to make the first move. He crouched for a second, then leaped forward. His leap carried him so high, he nearly touched the ceiling -- then, after he reached the apex of the leap, Ike raised his sword, bringing it down to bear as he fell toward Dracula's location.

[Since the attack on the Mayor's office, Izanami briefly wondered if anyone would turn up to Castlevania itself to confront Dracula. Despite not sharing the vampire's hatred for humanity, she enjoyed the separation from them that the castle offered. Here, she could lower her guises to some degree - she didn't have to pose as a human - and could show at least a part of her true nature without being feared.

She didn't take kindly to the idea of humans breaking into that space.

As soon as she heard the sound of battle, she let the fog swarm around her and alter her form, taking on the same appearance she used for the attack on the Mayor's office. That done, the Goddess swept down the hall to confront him personally.]

Ike felt Izanami's presence before he saw her. Every sense in his body was telling him that death was close at hand. Not necessarily his death, but just the concept in general.

When she appeared, Ike stepped back, keeping his sword raised. This, he realized, was going to be a powerful foe.

When he got out, he was going to have to have A Word with the authorities here in this cluster of cities.

"What are you?" Ike had no way of knowing whether the abomination he faced was sentient or not, but he asked anyway. At the same time, there was something...familiar about the presence he felt. Not so much the sense of death, but the last time he felt this kind of power, he was in the presence of goddesses.

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Action for Everglade/Castlevania

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