01-12-2018, 09:52 PM
Dernhelm stared with bewilderment at the hidden torment of her foe, the metal warped and melded with flesh. For the first time, Kopaka’s rage was displayed upon his features, restrained no longer by its protodermis cage. Dernhelm rose painfully, The Great Kanohi glowing faintly in her hands like a warm hearth. It was deceptively light, with a swirling fade to its brightness that drew the eye.
With effort, Dernhelm steeled her mind against the mask’s allure, and casting about herself found the Toa’s shield, discarded amidst the conflict just as her own armaments. Kopaka’s madness seemed now absolute and the Toa’s measured gait had been wholly abandoned as he hastily moved to collect his own blade.
With the speed of desperation, Dernhelm crawled to the discarded shield. Setting the Kanhoi upon the unyielding floor, she raised the Hau te Kōpae above her head, eliciting a cry of rage and tormented fear from her opponent. With her full might, Dernhelm brought down the shield’s edge, smashing metal against metal in a desperate bid to end her opponent’s sorceries. The Kanohi’s power held against her efforts however, and Kopaka collided with her, snarling. The two warriors struggled, weapons abandoned, scattered about them on a personal battlefield. Dernhelm fought, grappling with her larger foe as her strength allowed, but at the last of it Kopaka’s rage gave him the better of the conflict. One massive hand had close about her throat with a viselike strength, and though her own grip held his fingers apart, she had no recourse of retaliation.
Kopaka’s attention left her then, his other hand straying towards the discarded Kanohi, the mask displaying but the faintest fracture for all of Dernhelm’s valor. With a hoarse cry Dernhelm’s foot shot out, sending the mask of power skittering away from them. Kopaka’s rage mixed with Dernhelm’s cry of pain as ribs snapped under the weight of her foe’s rage. His focus now was fully on the ensnared shieldmaiden, and Dernhelm’s struggles availed her naught in evading his hold.
Dernhelm’s mind grew wane and the claw about her throat drew ever closer, her strength failing now as the weariness of battle and the malaise of injury settled upon her. The halls of her fathers beckoned, but an unease assailed her. Within this strange world, would her spirit be able to find its way? A new fear of death was kindled in Dernhelm’s soul, and with a frantic motion, her gauntleted fingers thrust into the Toa’s inconstant eyes.
Kopaka reared, crying out again in pain, and Dernhelm tore free of his grip. A vicious kick from the reeling toa struck her fully in the head as she escaped, and the helm of her secrecy was knocked away, an afterthought in so dire a conflict of survival.
The shield maiden crawled, finding her spear the closest weapon at hand. Using the sturdy ashen pole to support herself, Dernhelm managed at great cost to stand again, and turned towards her foe, golden hair shining in the light of the Nexus. Her grey eyes hard as she met Kopaka’s hateful gaze. She clasped the ashen spear firmly in steady hands, heeding neither the blood that leaked from her mouth, nor that which still oozed from her torn hauberk.
For his part Kopaka was in a fit of maddening rage almost as a caged beast, so great was his desire to destroy utterly and wholly this upstart prime. He took hold of his weapon, held in both hands, an ill sneer besmirching his scarred visage. His presence of mere moments ago was gone, drinking deeply instead of the all-consuming fury. With a limping eagerness, the Toa crossed their intervening distance, and brought the blade across batting aside Dernhelm’s defense and raking the blade across her hauberk.
The blow was erratic, lacking the control that Kopaka’s power had prior displayed, and the mail of the Riddermark held firm against the blade. Yet even so unstable and careless a blow was as grievous hurt to the injured shield maiden, and but the impact of the toa’s weapon send her reeling to the ground yet again. Dernhelm’s hands remained clasped on the spear and she rolled, away from Kopaka’s next attack.
A quick twist of her grip brought the broad iron blade up, striking hard at what Dernhelm’s mind placed as her foe’s neck. The spear struck true, the new prop halting Kopaka’s assault, as Dernhelm’s braced grip warded him at bay. A nearly feral growl escaped Kopaka’s mouth as he swept his blade into the offending weapon, rage making him heedless of the pain. Dernhelm’s spear splintered and tore asunder under Kopaka’s strength, leaving Dernhelm with only an odd length of wood for her defense. She rose uneasy, but held the pole as blade, awaiting the call to defense.
With effort, Dernhelm steeled her mind against the mask’s allure, and casting about herself found the Toa’s shield, discarded amidst the conflict just as her own armaments. Kopaka’s madness seemed now absolute and the Toa’s measured gait had been wholly abandoned as he hastily moved to collect his own blade.
With the speed of desperation, Dernhelm crawled to the discarded shield. Setting the Kanhoi upon the unyielding floor, she raised the Hau te Kōpae above her head, eliciting a cry of rage and tormented fear from her opponent. With her full might, Dernhelm brought down the shield’s edge, smashing metal against metal in a desperate bid to end her opponent’s sorceries. The Kanohi’s power held against her efforts however, and Kopaka collided with her, snarling. The two warriors struggled, weapons abandoned, scattered about them on a personal battlefield. Dernhelm fought, grappling with her larger foe as her strength allowed, but at the last of it Kopaka’s rage gave him the better of the conflict. One massive hand had close about her throat with a viselike strength, and though her own grip held his fingers apart, she had no recourse of retaliation.
Kopaka’s attention left her then, his other hand straying towards the discarded Kanohi, the mask displaying but the faintest fracture for all of Dernhelm’s valor. With a hoarse cry Dernhelm’s foot shot out, sending the mask of power skittering away from them. Kopaka’s rage mixed with Dernhelm’s cry of pain as ribs snapped under the weight of her foe’s rage. His focus now was fully on the ensnared shieldmaiden, and Dernhelm’s struggles availed her naught in evading his hold.
Dernhelm’s mind grew wane and the claw about her throat drew ever closer, her strength failing now as the weariness of battle and the malaise of injury settled upon her. The halls of her fathers beckoned, but an unease assailed her. Within this strange world, would her spirit be able to find its way? A new fear of death was kindled in Dernhelm’s soul, and with a frantic motion, her gauntleted fingers thrust into the Toa’s inconstant eyes.
Kopaka reared, crying out again in pain, and Dernhelm tore free of his grip. A vicious kick from the reeling toa struck her fully in the head as she escaped, and the helm of her secrecy was knocked away, an afterthought in so dire a conflict of survival.
The shield maiden crawled, finding her spear the closest weapon at hand. Using the sturdy ashen pole to support herself, Dernhelm managed at great cost to stand again, and turned towards her foe, golden hair shining in the light of the Nexus. Her grey eyes hard as she met Kopaka’s hateful gaze. She clasped the ashen spear firmly in steady hands, heeding neither the blood that leaked from her mouth, nor that which still oozed from her torn hauberk.
For his part Kopaka was in a fit of maddening rage almost as a caged beast, so great was his desire to destroy utterly and wholly this upstart prime. He took hold of his weapon, held in both hands, an ill sneer besmirching his scarred visage. His presence of mere moments ago was gone, drinking deeply instead of the all-consuming fury. With a limping eagerness, the Toa crossed their intervening distance, and brought the blade across batting aside Dernhelm’s defense and raking the blade across her hauberk.
The blow was erratic, lacking the control that Kopaka’s power had prior displayed, and the mail of the Riddermark held firm against the blade. Yet even so unstable and careless a blow was as grievous hurt to the injured shield maiden, and but the impact of the toa’s weapon send her reeling to the ground yet again. Dernhelm’s hands remained clasped on the spear and she rolled, away from Kopaka’s next attack.
A quick twist of her grip brought the broad iron blade up, striking hard at what Dernhelm’s mind placed as her foe’s neck. The spear struck true, the new prop halting Kopaka’s assault, as Dernhelm’s braced grip warded him at bay. A nearly feral growl escaped Kopaka’s mouth as he swept his blade into the offending weapon, rage making him heedless of the pain. Dernhelm’s spear splintered and tore asunder under Kopaka’s strength, leaving Dernhelm with only an odd length of wood for her defense. She rose uneasy, but held the pole as blade, awaiting the call to defense.
Quote:800 exactly according to MS word.
close us out 'paka!