Spine VS Bat

Spine VS Bat
Date of Scene:	12 December 2013
Location:	Narsche - Outskirts
Synopsis:	Avira and Echo have a Western-style showdown outside Narshe. Pull those pistols, pardner!
Cast of Characters:	Avira, Echo

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Echo has posed:
It is quite cold here, that is normal, given the region. Echo stands poised on the outskirts of Narshe, the coal mining town, the breath rolling from her ruddy lips like thick mist into the air. From what it appears, it's like she's supposed to meet someone there... or is she instead waiting for someone?

Avira has posed:
Manhattan had laws that Avira respected. Outside of Earth, rules were a bit more lax. Because of this, being a full-out mercenary was something that could be a regular profession. Even 'ninja' was a legit job! These were all things that Avira has adapted to well.

Maybe a little too well. Following an investigation, her sources had pointed her towards Narshe to where her quarry could be found. Little did Echo know that the words exchanged in Central park were not empty posturing.

Dressed in her heavy coat, she quickly nears the outskirts of town, searching the various footprints leading in. It doesn't take her long to spot Echo, which brings a frown to her scarred features. "...is she...waiting...?" as she approaches, a hand slips under her coat to pull her odd-looking weapon free.

Echo has posed:
"Looks like yer lookin' for some Frontier Justice here, Pardner," Echo turned her head to point one yellow eye at Avira as she got closer, grinning as she put on her best Texan accent there, or attempt at one.

"Mnn, is that for me? I'm honored~" Echo turned and brought her hands cupped up under her chin, batting her eyelashes (pardon the pun) at the revealing of Avira's spine sword. "You ready to do this then, pardner?" Echo stood adroit before Avira and held her arms and hands out at her sides, as if she was willing to draw imaginary guns on her. "You gonna pull those pistols or just stand there whistlin' dixie?" she narrowed her eyes grinning, doing her best man with no name impression.

Avira has posed:
"Maaaaaaybe." Avira drawls once she gets within earshot, slightly disappointed she won't get the element of surprise-but in these snowy plains, was there really a place for her to sneak up on the bat? Nope. "Damn straight it's for you!"

She's still approaching steadily, even as Echo postures in front of her like a cowboy of the old west. In fact, the moment she challenges her, Avira breaks into a run, charging the winged cowgirl-wannabe.

Echo has posed:
There is a heavy silence where at first one can only hear the sound of the howling wind, Echo remains stock still. Moments pass, and finally Avira breaks out into a run at her.

"Draw!" Echo shouts in a commanding tone, as if officially calling a start to their duel--bringing her hands up and letting out a flutter of silver energy at the charging swordswoman, before jumping back--her wings flaring out around her.

The light strike of her blade is nowhere near the bat, her sandals are already skidding backwards in the snow as she lands.

Avira has posed:
Echo leaps backwards and the Spine prods at empty air in her wake. Momentum continues to carry her forward until Echo's light spell sends a flurry of energy her way and abruptly blows her backwards. The girl doesn't fall over but she does slide in the snow, leaving two long trenches to mark where her feet passed in her wake.

She doesn't close the distance again quite yet, instead leading with an abruptly large blast of ice energy that roars and snarls through the air like an animal.

Avira's not too far behind that magic, eager to follow up with a slash of her ice imbued sword.

Echo has posed:
Echo blinked in surprise as the sudden blast of ice energy zooms past her and shreds part of her front. "Ahhh! and here I was going to go nice on you, damnit!" Echo all but screeching, sounding as if her shoes were mussed, or very expensive car was scratched--a much pettier sort of anger than one ought to be feeling when they'd just had a chunk ripped out of them. The bat flew back and spat blood, red dotting the snow.

"It's a little cold out, let me help," Echo called over the howl of the snow, sending a raging inferno towards Avira!

Avira has posed:
Surprise briefly flickers on Avira's face, which Echo can see immediately because Avira is suddenly right UP in it! Her previous fight in the Golmore Jungle had revealed that Echo was very adept at avoiding attacks. In fact, she recalls spending most of the time trying-and failing-to hit her.

The surprised look solidifies into a grin of satisfaction.

"I'm not here to play nice~" Avira grins before she receives a facefull of fire. Burns creep across her skin and Echo earns herself some space between Avira and her vicious weapon. Once the fire has disappated, Echo can see her breathing heavily. "Ouch." she cringes and does not rush in, guiding a mix of wind and ice magic at Echo from afar!

Echo has posed:
"Neither am I!" Echo called out, having to drop to the ground to avoid the spinewielder forces her to drop to the ground--ground that has become very wet, and almost muddy, though it's a bit too cold to get muddy, thanks to the inferno she'd just caused. What seems like mist and fog forms around the battlefield as the bat mage tries to burn the dark-skinned girl, suddenly summoning a giant fireball that launches towards her--as well as electrical energy and a bolt of red matter, oddly designed to cut.

Avira has posed:
"Oh s-" Avira drops to the ground herself, aiming to roll out of the way of the incoming magic. Unfortunately for her, she underestimates the width of the lightning-tinged fireball and while she doesn't endure a direct hit from the magic, she still takes a pretty heavy one. The leather of her coat and clothes fortunately defends against most of fire, protecting her skin.

But that odd bolt of red matter seems to slice right through her coat, scoring a deep cut across her upper left arm that immediately begins to bleed. Avira cringes as she feels the coldness of the plains through her wound. "Oooh..." she hisses, "You'll pay for that, Batgirl."

Avira charges now, aiming to run the sorceress down and strike-not with the sharp edge of her weapon, but with a tackle as she flings herself forward. Now that Echo's on the ground, she might have a chance!

Echo has posed:
"How'd you like that?" Echo stepped through the mess that was now the ground, of course, wiping her mouth daintily as the projectile she'd hit Avira with earlier had returns a small portion of her energy to her. Suddenly charged, the bat is taken by surprise and knocked down into the now mixture of snow and slush, coughing a little. She rolls over up onto her shoulder and takes a moment to breath, before a surge of magical death is brought up in one hand, the bat scowling.

"You taste delicious, by the way!"

Avira has posed:
"What are you talking about?" Avira actually pauses, that moment enabling the bat to slip out of her grasp. A shame, really, because she'd wanted to give Echo the good ol' Morrighan treatment (of over a year ago). "...are you trying to eat my soul or something?!"

It wouldn't be the first time someone's tried. Maybe it was that red energy...? Avira's eyes briefly flick over to her bleeding arm before she turns sideways to brace her back against Echo's onslaught of magic-which, oddly enough, doesn't seem to make it hurt any less. Groaning just a little bit, Avira focuses on steeling herself and casting a bit of regenerative magic to close up that cut.

Echo has posed:
"Yeeees?" Echo looked a little taken back by that comment, her pinkish slender tongue slipping out just a bit to catch the hint of red there on her lips from Avira. Magically had her blood sucked out, who would have thought?? "Not that much, however, just a taste~" Echo became alarmed at the girl using her healing skills, instead getting her fuzzy rear in gear and flapping her wings, jumping back up into the air.

"Oh no you don't, no more of that goody two shoes white magery here!" Echo made quite the frowny face and gathered a spinning supernova of magical energy above her, before tossing it down like a giant medicine ball!

Avira has posed:
The wound that had been bleeding gradually closes up and some of Avira's burned skin begins to heal. "And that's all you're going to be getting tonight! Next thing you'll be tasting is prison food after I haul you in!" Well, that was some cold comfort. She wasn't just going to beat up Echo and leave her out in the cold, right? Not like certain other people she knows would do. Not that jail was much better!

Turning to face Echo again, she pulls her Spine back and tries to swing it at the magic as if she were about to hit it away like a baseball. This doesn't actually work, much to Avira's dismay and the magic simply blows up in her face. Still standing, though visibly exhausted and pained from enduring so much magic, she grips the Spine in both hands and points it skyward.

With a swift movement, she inverts it and jams it deep into the snow. Enormous icebergs jut upwards, trying to smash and encase the flying batwoman.

Echo has posed:
"But I can't go to jail! You don't know what they do to bats like me behind bars!" Echo clasped her hands together in front of her, putting on a mock crying, sobbing expression.

"Oh shi--" she immediately dropped her joking demeanor however as the giant shard of ice erupted from the ground, catching her off guard and knocked her back in the air, though still able to keep flying. The bat was not out of it yet.

"Look just grrr--you go squish now!" Echo formed a blinding hot ball of energy in front of her, sending it careening down for the wounded amazon.

Avira has posed:
"There's a first time for everything! Including jail!" Avira calls back, all to eager to take this dark elf harasser off the streets!

As the ice rises, Avira jumps on top of one of the momentary hills, likely to follow up with some kind of attack with her Spine against it. Just as she crests the hill, a blinding hot ball of energy strikes both her and her temporary platform, exploding the latter and sending Avira arcing overhead behind Echo, skidding along the ground and finally stopping as she slams up against a building.

"Ugh." she groans in exhaustion. "On a second thought..." she forces herself to stand and edges alongside the building. "I think I'll need to arrest you /another/ day." And perhaps invest in some anti-magic armor to do so because that was a ridiculous amount of magic.

Echo has posed:
"Never take me alive, copper!" Echo reorts as the two collide in a surge of magical energy like that. Soon, there is quiet all across the snowfield. Villagers from nearby Narshe are likely coming to check on what is happening, dog sleds powering through the snow, getting closer to the misty area that the fire magic has created. There is the sound of crunching snow above Avira, but is it a friendly villager come to help her...?

"Surprise~" Echo is grinning devilishly down at her, moving to pull the girl up and out of the spot where she lay. Avira seems so light, Echo is actually able to hold both her wrists together and pull her up that way with her right arm, leaning in as her lips part and jaw drops predatorily.

"I think that free sample earlier left me a little hungry..." her irises tighten to pin drops as her eyes grow wide, devilish insane mirth bubbling there in--and everything goes black.

Avira has posed:
Sheathing the Spine back into her coat, she edges around the wall and slips towards town. Hearing the crunching, Avira actually looks because certain werewolves have trained her better than to let sounds like that go unchecked. Spying Echo looming over her, she turns and pulls a hand back, ready to punch, only to have the bat-lady lift her off her feet. "Whoah!"

She squirms angrily, "Don't you dare-" Then, blackout.