Anna
Garou
Der Wahnsinn ist nur eine schmale Br?cke
Posts: 672
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Post by Anna on Sept 20, 2008 22:05:48 GMT 1
Anna was now left facing the bane alone. She thought quickly. The previous plan didn't quite work when you were fighting something on your own. All she could do was hope to hit it before it hit her. So she growled low and snapped at it again, while at the same time trying to dodge its teeth. The memory of the pain was still too fresh for her to want to feel it again.
(split, and prepare for suck)
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Post by Shehrazad on Sept 20, 2008 22:17:13 GMT 1
The War Wolf, protected by the sheath of icy fur, fought furiously with no regard for defending himself. Both he and the swan-maiden delivier brutal blows to the bane, tearing shreds of it's essence away. Even when the bane sank it's teeth into the War Wolf's throat, it only came away with strips of fur and a mouthful of ice, so protected was the mighty spirit by the cold.
Though Anna managed to sink her teeth into the bane despite her divided attention, it was not the most terrible of wounds she had seen. The bane snapped it's jaws at her in turn, but Anna was saved from the wound she wouldn't of been able to dodge in time by the savage slipping on the ice and falling a hair short of her face.
Init: War Wolf 16 Valkyrie 17 Anna 8 Bane A 7 (fighting Fenris) Bane B 13 (fighting Anna)
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Anna
Garou
Der Wahnsinn ist nur eine schmale Br?cke
Posts: 672
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Post by Anna on Sept 20, 2008 22:20:46 GMT 1
Anna breathed a sigh of relief as she was saved from the bane through blind luck and probably the war wolf's icy charm. Still, it was on its feet and she jumped back to avoid its teeth this time around, hoping that her luck would hold.
(Dodgythings)
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Post by Shehrazad on Sept 20, 2008 22:42:34 GMT 1
The War Wolf continued his attack biting and clawing with all his might at the battered bane, destroying what was left of it and removing it's taint.
With her enemy being swiftly thrashed by the War Wolf, the Valkyrie circles around the combat and approaches behind the savage attacking Anna. She span as she closed, still hovering a few inches above the ground, and brought the sword down hard across it's hind leg and lopping it firmly off. With it distracted by the change in it's balance, Anna was easily able to avoid the bane's lunge.
Init: War Wolf 9 Valkyrie 15 Anna 16 Bane B 10
The War Wolf turned on the last corrupted wolf spirit, roaring as he bore down on it with his jaw gaping wide seeking another kill. The Bane turned around unevenly and lunged at the Valkyrie who had wounded it so severely, who in turn changed tact and made to avoid the attack.
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Anna
Garou
Der Wahnsinn ist nur eine schmale Br?cke
Posts: 672
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Post by Anna on Sept 21, 2008 9:46:43 GMT 1
Everything seemed to be going much better since she had taken war wolf's advice. She was still in one piece, and there was only one badly wounded bane left. As it turned on the Valkyrie, Anna bit deeply into its side and latched on to slow it down before it decided to rip a piece out of her.
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Post by Shehrazad on Sept 21, 2008 10:21:20 GMT 1
The bane turned at the wrong moment for Anna, her teeth only bit down on it's tail and left her with a mouthful of fur. The Valkryrie turned aside as the bane lunged, avoiding it's teeth, and the War Wolf charged into it's flank and raked his claws over the bane's hide.
Init: War Wolf 15 Valkyrie 14 Anna 11 Bane 6
The bane snarled in anger and pain, but still showed no signs of fear, savagely fighting to the death in another attack on the Valkyrie.
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Anna
Garou
Der Wahnsinn ist nur eine schmale Br?cke
Posts: 672
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Post by Anna on Sept 21, 2008 10:25:05 GMT 1
Frustrated at her failure, Anna spat out the mouthful of fur and attacked again, trying to take a bite out of its side this time.
(biteythings)
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Post by Shehrazad on Sept 21, 2008 11:23:31 GMT 1
The three of them continued the manoeuvres, the bane lunging for the Swan Maiden while she weaves around it's teeth deftly or fends it off with her sword, while Anna and the War Wolf continue to bite and claw at it's flanks and rear. Eventually the bane was worn down and destroyed, though it put up a furious last effort and takes numerous blows before it gave up the fight.
With their enemies all vanquished, the Valkyrie turns on the area the banes had been settling and fighting. "This land has been tainted by their presence, but I shall cleanse it." She stood beside the animal spirit the banes had brought down, at the centre of their corruption, and raised her arms to the sky. The wind picked up, icily cold, and started blowing through the area strong enough to make Anna choose better footing to stand against it. The winds converged inward on the Valkyrie, then joined together and blew upward with a terrific strength, her white clothing whipping about her as she stood their silently. The winds took with them the banes, piece by piece of their bodies being taken to the freezing gale and taken away. Even the spirit they had killed is cleansed, the slime and spit of the banes torn off it's body drop by drop. The spirit was still dead, but it was untainted by it's death.
Once the winds had passed, the War Wolf approaches the maiden, signalling with one paw for Anna to come with it. "Valkyrie, I give this cub my blessing. Though she is young and inexperienced, she has the strength to stand with the proud Fenrir." The owl swooped down and perched on the War Wolf's back, though the wolf looked unhappy about it, and offered it's own contribution. "And she has the wisdom to be worthy of the title Cliath and Theurge." The War Wolf growls his assent. The Valkyrie turns to Anna and steps up to her. "Your task here is done, return to the Caern, and your passage will be concluded."
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Anna
Garou
Der Wahnsinn ist nur eine schmale Br?cke
Posts: 672
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Post by Anna on Sept 21, 2008 11:49:31 GMT 1
Anna watched the Valkyrie cleanse the forest. There was something both refreshing and comforting about the icy cold wind, and although Anna was sure she wouldn't have been able to go another round with the banes, at least the walk home didn't seem so terrible anymore.
And then the war wolf gave her his blessing, and Anna felt she would remember those words for the rest of her life.
"Thank you," she said to both the wolf and the owl. "I will honour those titles. I will be worthy of them."
And she turned away from the recently cleansed place and started towards the Caern, still wearing her Hispo form. She was too tired to shift. Her fur was bloody and her shoulder ached from where the savage had struck her before. But all of that didn't matter. Today she was Fenrir and Cliath, and there was nothing they could say that could change that.
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Post by Shehrazad on Jan 30, 2009 0:51:54 GMT 1
Anna limped along while the Swan-Maiden floated alongside her, at long last she could see the ghostly representation of the city that let her know she could stop and rest. The Valkyrie paused as they began moving past ancient and hollow buildings, wrapped in the webs of the spider, and hovered beside Anna. "Be stealthy, lest you wish to bring the weaver down on you. Though these creatures will rarely stop to talk, the creations of Gaia have it within them to seek a peaceful resolution. Not all of them resort to the tongue of man, so you would do well to learn the tongue of spirits. I will show you, young Theurge, how to communicate with any creature of this realm." She reached out to place an icy hand upon the top of Anna's savage head, and looked coolly down at her. The chill flowed through her body, but with it understanding came. Not of words or letters, but of thoughts and concepts, metaphors and suggestions, the language of spirits. "Speak with the spirits and practise this gift when you are able, having knowledge of the language is much like having practised with a sword on the air. Until you have faced the cut and thrust of battle, you do not truly know anything." She floated around to face in toward the city again. "We are not far from the Caern now, we can walk if you feel the need." It was a much-needed break for Anna, though she had certainly done better running that if she had been in her breed form, Hispo is still unfit for long-distance travel. Every muscle in her body ached with fatigue, and every step threatened to cause her to fall.
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Anna
Garou
Der Wahnsinn ist nur eine schmale Br?cke
Posts: 672
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Post by Anna on Jan 30, 2009 1:11:01 GMT 1
"Thank you," Anna said, speaking for the first time in the language of the spirits. It was easy, almost intuitive, as if she had been speaking it her whole life. She limped along, trying to walk as stealthily as she could, but she was never really good at that. Even if she hadn't been hurt, she wouldn't have made a good job of it.
Now that she had this gift, she wanted to use it more than anything. But walking beside the cold and stern Valkyrie, in all her glory, Anna was rather at loss for words. She settled instead for stating the obvious: "You have helped me a lot through my trial," she said, trying out the strange words. It sounded so different, much older, somehow, and a little formal. "For that, I am truly grateful. I will be worthy of it, and every battle I fight, I will fight in the name of Fenris..." Anna felt like someone else was saying those words. They didn't sound like her at all. "Thank you, for everything," she said.
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Post by Shehrazad on Jan 30, 2009 17:00:15 GMT 1
The concepts and shapes required of speaking with spirits were difficult, and Anna had trouble forming any such lengthy speech. She still needed some practise before she could really be called fluent. The Valkyrie speaks while she floats alongside Anna. "Your time to die has not yet come. When that time comes, Fenrir face it without fear. Stand strong and, if it is required, die fighting the coming darkness. That is your duty, now. That is the thanks you need to give for the honor of joining their number."
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Anna
Garou
Der Wahnsinn ist nur eine schmale Br?cke
Posts: 672
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Post by Anna on Jan 31, 2009 12:25:36 GMT 1
Anna did have a lot of fear, but it wasn't the fear of dying in battle. Back when she was still new to all this, it had been. But now, she could think of no higher honour. Maybe she had spent too much time with warriors like Vasara and Kaleb. Maybe becoming a Child of Fenris changed one's values somewhat.
"Bear has given me strength, Fenris has given me spirit," she said, trying to get comfortable with the new language. "I am no longer afraid."
She was still very much afraid, but she didn't let it affect her as much as it did before.
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