Ai glanced over to where the bounty hunter had been sat only to find the spot empty. Feelings of panic fell over the runaway. Shit. Practically slamming the exa for her drinks she fleeted outside, her eyes darted around but there was not a kimono in sight. She brandished a deviced from her pocket and used it to remotely activate her drone, Artemis. She started to scour the nearby streets separately from the drone, she could cover more ground than if they were a two this way.
“Shit. Shit. Where did she go?” Ai futility asked under her breath. She unzipped her jacket to allow for a quick draw if need be, though this also betrayed that she had nothing to protect her from attack. Suddenly she heard the unmistakable swirling sounds of a spell being cast. It was close, on this street. Must have been no more than twenty meters from where she was. She bolted to the corner leading to the alley. Pistol in one hand and a ghostly purple serpent contorting with her off hand as she prepared a blur spell, just in case. Preparing to turn the corner she took a deep breath. Its never simple is it?
The sound of rapidly approaching footsteps distracted Izumi momentarily. She swiveled her head around, seeing her shadow approaching her intently. The girl was originally planning to try a simple approach that wouldn’t betray her intentions, but the newcomer was making things rather obvious. As far as she could tell, her disguised formcontinued to hold.
In her disguised form, Izumi made a quick gesture towards Annora, tilting her head back to signal Ai's approach. It was all she could do while holding ensuring the disguise held. She diverted her path moving perpendicular and away from the alleyway.
The gun-wielding hunter was revealed in full to the fugitive.
It was a quick glance at the weapon that darkened Annora's gaze, but the whiff of perfume that followed as 'Larus' quickly diverted course that sealed the deal. Hunters, and in the worst possible place! The lodge was just down the street, and she needed well past it. The Nidus was a good half-hour away, which meant...
A surge of instinct took hold of her, the distinct image of a young laicar urging her on. Surging forward suddenly, the spurii's fist shot from behind her cloak, feeling the heat of Breaking Palm flare as she did. The surprise sucker punch aimed solidly at the gun-toting hunter's gut, the curls of Annora's olive cloak blowing backwards as the force of the spell was released with the attack.
In the same moment, Annora's sword-arm was revealed to the still-disguised other, wrapped tightly around the sword at her waist.
The spell made contact with a resounding thud; launching Ai rolling down the street. Her blind spell launched as her arm ragdolled around in the air. The hunters fingers were agonised as she desperately tried to hold onto her only lifeline until her drone circled round. Flipping back to her feet she trained her sights on the two aggressors. One was her mark: Annora Caestrum, the other was a teen whose name she could not quite place. She had limited options, but her main priority was to gain cover lest she crack a rib next time she is launched through the air by a spell. Her now free off hand could feel the corner of another alleyway not quite parallel to the one over the road. It would have to do.
“Could you not? These clothes are new and I can’t really afford to replace them,” She called in the hopes the misdirection would buy her a few more precious to think up a more long term plan.
The sounds of combat signaled that for the moment her gambit had succeeded as now Ai was abruptly brought into the fight. While this brought in another factor, it provided her some additional leverage against the fugitive. The reflection of light against Annora’s blade surprised Izumi, who stopped and turned to face her. She half expected the girl to make a break for it.
The disguise began to flicker away, the hunter dispelling the spell around her. Her floral kimono was completely revealed to her target. The bounty had specified for capture and not kill, which required to adapt her usual strategies.
She touched her right hand to her right shoulder, visae building at the tips of her fingers. With a rapid flick forward, the energy dispersed into the environment. The ground fissured below the spurii, thick tendrils of emerald energy bursting outwards. Four in total, two aimed for her arms, while the other two aimed for her wrists.
Another magic user? Annora thought wildly, attempting a swift retreat. With a harsh ring, her sword was loosed.
The loosened ground put her off-balance, but a strong rising slash rent the tendrils apart, meeting the blade for a tense moment before snapping like whipcords. Stumbling back a step, she pivoted around to face away from her opponents.
Whether folly or bravado, exposing her back seemed to pose no issue to Annora's words. "Hunters? I should think you'd find better prey in those deserving of your attention."
Against her will, the spurii's chest rose more quickly, a sign of the long day's exertion. Her hide shawl had been abandoned, leaving her neck and shoulders exposed save for the cloak still weighing upon them. Plainly visible was a thick leather cuirass lined with a number of loops at its sides. In the small slips, vials of terra regia volantis sat ready for use. Her forearms were covered with a matching pair of bracers, but her hands were plainly visible.
Even curled around a sword hilt, the membranous webbing between her fingers betrayed her mixed blood. Her hood fell back, revealing dark aqua hair that trailed in a braid down under her cloak. Her bright blue eyes held a glint of grim determination, but anxiety was written in her stance. Holding one hand against the sheath of her blade as her right arm held Vallum aloft, the steel was a wise choice between her and the pair attempting to apprehend her.
Ai anticipated the drone would be closing in on the mark soon, If she could keep her attention diverted she could pincer the spurii and the other bounty hunter. The problem was that the time to talk was long over and a gun was a difficult weapon to inflict non-life threatening injuries with. Aiming to vault to a balcony above her she leaped at a wall and turned, pressing her weight into it to form a stepping stone to get over to a balcony above where she started.
“If you want to enlighten me to a simpler way to make one thousand exa honestly I’m all ears. Getting launched over a road is kind of unpleasant,” utilising her complaint to stall for time, although her body did indeed ache painfully from the experience and her acrobatics had not helped. Lacking armour or any form of defensive magic she was definitely the softest target.
To capture not kill. Izumi recited that back to herself, the hunter being much more familiar with the latter. In a deft move she drew her blade. A shimmering katana was revealed crafted by renowned blacksmiths of Songen. Reflections of light against the polished hilt betrayed its deadliness. Juxtaposed against that was the circular guard and an almost childishly colored, hot-pink, hilt.
The hunter approached Annora with frightening determination. The ways of magic were secondary to her, training in blades being mandatory in Songen. Without a moment’s hesitation she slashed at Annora’s left shoulder.
The stark hiss of steel-on-steel sounded, Annora's blade quickly rising to meet the Songen woman's. The clash was brief, parting, before the spurii was back-pedaling. Ever on the defense, she surrendered precious ground between her and her goal.
Recovering swiftly, the woman raised a single hand as her aggressor pressed further towards her. Her words were quick, matching her huffing breath, but even nonetheless. "In a faraway, forgotten land-"
Izumi struck faster than anticipated, and the spurii dove under the blow to roll behind the Songen woman. A thin lash of pain arced up her back as she did so, and she bit back a hiss. She was aggravating old wounds now, this couldn't go on much longer.
"... a tall statue would forever stand! Reflector!" She panted out the remainder of the spell as Izumi turned to land a decisive blow. Almost too quickly to follow, a translucent crimson disc spread from Annora's outstretched fingertips. Quickly widening to protect the spurii's whole front, she quickly threw shouted words at the remaining bounty hunter. "A simpler road might be to pursue someone actually guilty of something."
She had no more time for any other words, Izumi was already upon her shield.
Ai glanced at a device in her jacket pocket. Her drone was not to far out however with the bounty hunter engaging it would be difficult to get the spurii in a corner.
“Doesn’t say anything about guilt on the poster...” she responded. Almost feigning contemplation as the drone moved into a fire position “... however whatever has got you this price on your head will pay my meals,
Smugly the mechanist depressed a button on the side of the device. The drones weapon whirred into life, generating a sea of suppressing fire between the two combatants at street level. Not just forcing them into cover but also apart. As much as Aisha was fascinated by the fanciful tales she had heard of Songen she was unwilling to give up the mark to someone so keep on making a competitor out of her. well that probably got their attention, she thought to herself whilst preparing to abandon the balcony if she had to, fearing that both her competitor and her target may be more than mere melee specialists.
“Tch,” Izumi exclaimed, attempting to dodge the sudden hail of gunfire. The bullets grazed past her, the closest calls easily ripping through the kimono she wore and breaking the skin below. Jumping back behind a nearby wall, she reached under the folds of her floral garment. A pistol was upholstered rapidly, wielding with similar skill as the katana in her hand. While Songen was a place of tradition, modern conveniences had made the trade of hunting far simpler.
She fired back at the droid, lining up a clear shot. Without a moment’s hesitation she turned back on Annora, firing two shots in blistering succession. One was aimed at her left shoulder, the other at her right knee.
A loud keening pitch accompanied the drone as it opened fire, rounds impacting with a muted twang against the carmine barrier. Pooling at the bottom, cracks quickly spread across the surface of the disc. With a grunt, Annora fell back, thick boots treading heavy footfalls against the cobble street.
Then, muzzle flash out of the corner of her eye. The Songen..!
Her sword flashed forward in time for the drone to cut down the remainder of the Reflector. The first shot was met with the steel blade of Vallum, the force of the bullet sending her blade reeling. She didn't see the second shot, and a second later a sharp pain lanced up her left shoulder.
Gasping and nearly dropping her sword, Annora flinched backwards and immediately turned. She couldn't fight two marksmen at the same time! Hopefully the in-fighting between them would distract long enough to get her to the Nidus.
A moment later, and she was sprinting down the street with sword sheathed and her good hand clamped over her fresh wound.
Final [ 137 / 2209 ]
Note
So Ai not only suppressed Izumi from pursuing Annora, she also stranded herself on a balcony with no clear path of pursuit herself. Annora's jumping threads, there'll be a new one for you guys to continue hunting her next week if you so choose.
