percivalthegale (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
percivalthegale) wrote2009-06-10 12:10 am
percivalthegale) wrote2009-06-10 12:10 am
Prose log with Yuber
Who: Percival and Yuber (![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
eightfold_devil)
When: early in the morning, June 10
Where: on the path leading to the stables
What: Yuber makes good on his threat
Mornings were Percival's time to himself, to take care of Midnight and any of his own personal errands before beginning patrol. As such, he rarely suited up until afterward, perferring to head down to the stables in his riding clothes and boots. This morning, he hadn't even bothered with the leather gambeson, only strapping on his sword before heading down to feed and groom his horse. It was a perfect morning, warm and windless, just right for maybe taking a ride.
And not far off, something lurked, stalking its prey with the silent stealth of a predator, heterochromatic eyes locked onto the unsuspecting knight. After the spat with Kathy a few days ago and Yuber's ominous parting words, surely Percival would have been a little more careful. Or not. Perhaps he thought the warning was meant for the girl. The corners of the demon's mouth curled upward in a mad grin, and he stepped closer, footsteps silent.
As he approached, one blade slid out of his sleeve and into his hand, drawing it back in preparation to strike. "Scream." he spoke, giving the knight only a few seconds to react before attempting that strike.
The voice behind him made Percival jump in surprise, but he didn't register the word until after he had already started to turn and found the blade whiffing past his shoulder. He let out a startled yelp and staggered sideways in an attempt to avoid the hit, though it glanced off his arm. He had to back off to a safer distance in order to even have room to draw Zukunft. "What are you...?" he started to ask, and then realized who he was facing. Questions weren't necessary.
Grinning like the madman he was, Yuber swiftly advanced upon him. "Scream; it's no fun if you stay silent." he sneered, drawing the other half of King Crimson into his free hand and lunging forward with it, aiming for the knight's arm that he so narrowly missed before.
The sword flew from its sheath in one fluid swing, deflecting the blow with a loud clang. "What is this?" Percival demanded, his brief panic turning into outrage. "What are you attacking me for? I've done nothing!" Rather than scream, he tried to keep his voice low - he didn't want anyone nearby hearing and trying to bravely come to help. Spectators were merely liabilities.
"You denied me a victim; you're going to take that brat's place since she seems to mean so much to you." the demon laughed, deliberately striking Zukunft's blade fiercely in attempt to throw Percival off-balance.
Percival's dark eyes widened briefly before the strike hit, jarring his arm. He had never fought directly with the demon before, he only knew from Lady Chris's tales and what he had seen during the war. Gritting his teeth, he changed from backing away to facing his foe, swinging his sword fast and hard in a low cut.
The demon leapt back, narrowly dodging the attack before lunging back in with a few slashes of his own, each faster than should be humanly possible. But then, Yuber was far from human. "Are you frightened?" He asked with amusement as he threw another strike, this one aimed for the shoulder of Percival's sword arm.
Percival blocked most of the strikes, but sloppily, as Yuber was even faster than him. The last one, however, got past his defenses and sliced across the top of his shoulder even as he flinched sideways. Giving a small snarl, he swung Zukunft to parry away the blade before it could bite him again. "I will not give you the satisfaction," he breathed, going into a tighter stance to protect himself. He was starting to fear that he could not do this alone, but he had no choice. All he could do was keep it from showing on his face.
To that, Yuber just laughed, mirthless and cold. "You're already slipping." He spoke, and the grin faded to an almost blank look of condescension. "How much more of this can you take, I wonder?"
Leaping back suddenly, the demon held King Crimson before him and straightened up, the back of his right hand suddenly flaring as the light around them seemed to be sucked away, surrounding the two of them in darkness.
Oh no...that rune. The technique rune Percival had heard more than one person speak of with disgust and dread. He braced himself, raising Zukunft protectively across his vitals.
A futile effort, the demon thought, two copies appearing on either side of him, their stances identical. Murderous intent clear in his eyes, all three charged, blades poised.
Percival was only somewhat conscious of the actual attack, as the mirage blades and the real ones formed a confusing swirl of activity around him. He fleetingly thought that he should have tossed on his leather before coming down this morning, even as gashes appeared along his arms and flanks.
Ending the attack behind Percival, light returned to their surroundings, and the demon turned to survey his work. The knight was bleeding, yes, but it wasn't nearly enough for him. "Are you scared yet?" he mocked, the grin returning to his lips.
Trying to stifle a pained grunt behind clenched teeth, Percival staggered in a sort of turn to face his foe again. One slash in his left side was horribly painful and bleeding profusely, while the others appeared less serious. There was nothing he could say, though he glared at Yuber in order to try and cover his fear with hatred. He raised his right hand, still holding his sword, but rather than cast a healing spell off the Water rune, he went straight for Breath of Ice, since it was impossible for the target to completely dodge.
Eyes widening slightly in surprise, the demon had little time to prepare for the attack. The first few shards cut into him unhindered, and while he managed to knock a few away with his swords, most of them connected.
"That was sneaky..." He hissed when the spell finished, reaching up to yank one free from his shoulder and toss it away. "But it's not going to save you, maggot." And with those words, he charged in rage, one blade of King Crimson aimed for Percival's left shoulder, and the other for his right leg.
Even as fast as he was, Percival was no match for Yuber's speed. He gulped a deep breath and recoiled, swinging Zukunft in a wide parry. It deflected the blade headed for his leg, but he was completely open to the second strike and took it full on - the blade sank deep into the flesh below the joint. Despite his attempted restraint, Percival let out a sharp cry, and failed to bring his sword up to retaliate. He just stood there as if paralyzed.
"Yes, there's that scream I was looking for." the demon cackled, leaving King Crimson impaled through Percival's shoulder while the second blade disappeared into his sleeve. Raising his now free hand to the knight's throat and closed his fingers around it, squeezing hard enough to be painful and difficult to breathe, but not quite enough to crush it. "What now?"
Percival struggled to breathe, wincing at the twinges of pain in his shoulder from every slight movement of either of them. "How...can I scream," he hissed angrily, "when you're...strangling me?" His instincts were not dead yet, and he still held his weapon, though the lack of air combined with the pain left him dizzy - it was going to be hard to fight back. But fight Percival did, twisting his wrist in order to jab the pommel of his sword up toward Yuber's gut.
Catching him off-guard and knocking the breath out of him, Yuber stumbled back and gasped for air, wrenching the blade out with him. "You little..." He seethed, gripping the hilt of King Crimson tighter, the urge to run Percival through again almost overwhelming, but until he recovered his bearings, he would likely be too slow to land the hit. It would only take a few seconds, but even that length of time felt like an eternity to the speed-oriented demon.
Percival used the few seconds he had bought himself to flip Zukunft back up into attack position. It was a good thing he preferred one-handed swordwork, because his left arm was nearly useless now. He pressed it against the gash in his side while he stared down Yuber. "That's what you get for underestimating me," he dared. "I am a Zexen Knight. I will not let you succeed." He had to pause for breath, he was gasping so hard. "Even if you kill me, there will be others. My comrades and my captain will avenge me..."
The demon actually had to stop himself from laughing. "Your comrades? What good will that do?" He asked, finally recovering enough to raise the bloodied King Crimson before him. "Your idle threats mean nothing to me."
A faint smirk crossed Percival's lips. "I'm sure it will do plenty. After all, Lady Chris has defeated you before." He winced at a jab of pain in his shoulder, but bit it back. "And that was before she had the True Water Rune. I shudder to think what she can do with it now..." His dark eyes showed obvious pain, but he still dared to sneer. "Killing me will end nothing...it will just start them onto your trail until they finally kill you. If that's what you want...then come at me."
Yuber hesitated at this new bit of information, debating in his head. When he found no way around it, his eyes narrowed and he gritted his teeth in anger. Yes, there would be a way around it, but that would require being stuck in Emptiness again until someone decided to summon him. He so wanted to cut that smirk off the human's face, but he restrained himself, taking a step backward as the ground rippled beneath him. Without a word, he vanished through the self-made portal and left the battered Percival behind.
Percival had honestly not expected the bluff to work. When Yuber vanished, he gave a weak sigh of relief, but then his drained body suddenly began to wilt. The sword fell out of his hand first. He took a few unsteady steps away from that spot of ground, toward the castle, before collapsing in the middle of the path.
eightfold_devil)When: early in the morning, June 10
Where: on the path leading to the stables
What: Yuber makes good on his threat
Mornings were Percival's time to himself, to take care of Midnight and any of his own personal errands before beginning patrol. As such, he rarely suited up until afterward, perferring to head down to the stables in his riding clothes and boots. This morning, he hadn't even bothered with the leather gambeson, only strapping on his sword before heading down to feed and groom his horse. It was a perfect morning, warm and windless, just right for maybe taking a ride.
And not far off, something lurked, stalking its prey with the silent stealth of a predator, heterochromatic eyes locked onto the unsuspecting knight. After the spat with Kathy a few days ago and Yuber's ominous parting words, surely Percival would have been a little more careful. Or not. Perhaps he thought the warning was meant for the girl. The corners of the demon's mouth curled upward in a mad grin, and he stepped closer, footsteps silent.
As he approached, one blade slid out of his sleeve and into his hand, drawing it back in preparation to strike. "Scream." he spoke, giving the knight only a few seconds to react before attempting that strike.
The voice behind him made Percival jump in surprise, but he didn't register the word until after he had already started to turn and found the blade whiffing past his shoulder. He let out a startled yelp and staggered sideways in an attempt to avoid the hit, though it glanced off his arm. He had to back off to a safer distance in order to even have room to draw Zukunft. "What are you...?" he started to ask, and then realized who he was facing. Questions weren't necessary.
Grinning like the madman he was, Yuber swiftly advanced upon him. "Scream; it's no fun if you stay silent." he sneered, drawing the other half of King Crimson into his free hand and lunging forward with it, aiming for the knight's arm that he so narrowly missed before.
The sword flew from its sheath in one fluid swing, deflecting the blow with a loud clang. "What is this?" Percival demanded, his brief panic turning into outrage. "What are you attacking me for? I've done nothing!" Rather than scream, he tried to keep his voice low - he didn't want anyone nearby hearing and trying to bravely come to help. Spectators were merely liabilities.
"You denied me a victim; you're going to take that brat's place since she seems to mean so much to you." the demon laughed, deliberately striking Zukunft's blade fiercely in attempt to throw Percival off-balance.
Percival's dark eyes widened briefly before the strike hit, jarring his arm. He had never fought directly with the demon before, he only knew from Lady Chris's tales and what he had seen during the war. Gritting his teeth, he changed from backing away to facing his foe, swinging his sword fast and hard in a low cut.
The demon leapt back, narrowly dodging the attack before lunging back in with a few slashes of his own, each faster than should be humanly possible. But then, Yuber was far from human. "Are you frightened?" He asked with amusement as he threw another strike, this one aimed for the shoulder of Percival's sword arm.
Percival blocked most of the strikes, but sloppily, as Yuber was even faster than him. The last one, however, got past his defenses and sliced across the top of his shoulder even as he flinched sideways. Giving a small snarl, he swung Zukunft to parry away the blade before it could bite him again. "I will not give you the satisfaction," he breathed, going into a tighter stance to protect himself. He was starting to fear that he could not do this alone, but he had no choice. All he could do was keep it from showing on his face.
To that, Yuber just laughed, mirthless and cold. "You're already slipping." He spoke, and the grin faded to an almost blank look of condescension. "How much more of this can you take, I wonder?"
Leaping back suddenly, the demon held King Crimson before him and straightened up, the back of his right hand suddenly flaring as the light around them seemed to be sucked away, surrounding the two of them in darkness.
Oh no...that rune. The technique rune Percival had heard more than one person speak of with disgust and dread. He braced himself, raising Zukunft protectively across his vitals.
A futile effort, the demon thought, two copies appearing on either side of him, their stances identical. Murderous intent clear in his eyes, all three charged, blades poised.
Percival was only somewhat conscious of the actual attack, as the mirage blades and the real ones formed a confusing swirl of activity around him. He fleetingly thought that he should have tossed on his leather before coming down this morning, even as gashes appeared along his arms and flanks.
Ending the attack behind Percival, light returned to their surroundings, and the demon turned to survey his work. The knight was bleeding, yes, but it wasn't nearly enough for him. "Are you scared yet?" he mocked, the grin returning to his lips.
Trying to stifle a pained grunt behind clenched teeth, Percival staggered in a sort of turn to face his foe again. One slash in his left side was horribly painful and bleeding profusely, while the others appeared less serious. There was nothing he could say, though he glared at Yuber in order to try and cover his fear with hatred. He raised his right hand, still holding his sword, but rather than cast a healing spell off the Water rune, he went straight for Breath of Ice, since it was impossible for the target to completely dodge.
Eyes widening slightly in surprise, the demon had little time to prepare for the attack. The first few shards cut into him unhindered, and while he managed to knock a few away with his swords, most of them connected.
"That was sneaky..." He hissed when the spell finished, reaching up to yank one free from his shoulder and toss it away. "But it's not going to save you, maggot." And with those words, he charged in rage, one blade of King Crimson aimed for Percival's left shoulder, and the other for his right leg.
Even as fast as he was, Percival was no match for Yuber's speed. He gulped a deep breath and recoiled, swinging Zukunft in a wide parry. It deflected the blade headed for his leg, but he was completely open to the second strike and took it full on - the blade sank deep into the flesh below the joint. Despite his attempted restraint, Percival let out a sharp cry, and failed to bring his sword up to retaliate. He just stood there as if paralyzed.
"Yes, there's that scream I was looking for." the demon cackled, leaving King Crimson impaled through Percival's shoulder while the second blade disappeared into his sleeve. Raising his now free hand to the knight's throat and closed his fingers around it, squeezing hard enough to be painful and difficult to breathe, but not quite enough to crush it. "What now?"
Percival struggled to breathe, wincing at the twinges of pain in his shoulder from every slight movement of either of them. "How...can I scream," he hissed angrily, "when you're...strangling me?" His instincts were not dead yet, and he still held his weapon, though the lack of air combined with the pain left him dizzy - it was going to be hard to fight back. But fight Percival did, twisting his wrist in order to jab the pommel of his sword up toward Yuber's gut.
Catching him off-guard and knocking the breath out of him, Yuber stumbled back and gasped for air, wrenching the blade out with him. "You little..." He seethed, gripping the hilt of King Crimson tighter, the urge to run Percival through again almost overwhelming, but until he recovered his bearings, he would likely be too slow to land the hit. It would only take a few seconds, but even that length of time felt like an eternity to the speed-oriented demon.
Percival used the few seconds he had bought himself to flip Zukunft back up into attack position. It was a good thing he preferred one-handed swordwork, because his left arm was nearly useless now. He pressed it against the gash in his side while he stared down Yuber. "That's what you get for underestimating me," he dared. "I am a Zexen Knight. I will not let you succeed." He had to pause for breath, he was gasping so hard. "Even if you kill me, there will be others. My comrades and my captain will avenge me..."
The demon actually had to stop himself from laughing. "Your comrades? What good will that do?" He asked, finally recovering enough to raise the bloodied King Crimson before him. "Your idle threats mean nothing to me."
A faint smirk crossed Percival's lips. "I'm sure it will do plenty. After all, Lady Chris has defeated you before." He winced at a jab of pain in his shoulder, but bit it back. "And that was before she had the True Water Rune. I shudder to think what she can do with it now..." His dark eyes showed obvious pain, but he still dared to sneer. "Killing me will end nothing...it will just start them onto your trail until they finally kill you. If that's what you want...then come at me."
Yuber hesitated at this new bit of information, debating in his head. When he found no way around it, his eyes narrowed and he gritted his teeth in anger. Yes, there would be a way around it, but that would require being stuck in Emptiness again until someone decided to summon him. He so wanted to cut that smirk off the human's face, but he restrained himself, taking a step backward as the ground rippled beneath him. Without a word, he vanished through the self-made portal and left the battered Percival behind.
Percival had honestly not expected the bluff to work. When Yuber vanished, he gave a weak sigh of relief, but then his drained body suddenly began to wilt. The sword fell out of his hand first. He took a few unsteady steps away from that spot of ground, toward the castle, before collapsing in the middle of the path.