01-08-2018, 02:05 PM
Kopaka kept his sickly scowl fixed upon the eyes of his opponent which glinted behind her thick helm. Yes, he knew that the heavily armored warrior he was fighting was a female; a rudimentary scan of her person using the Akaku had shown him that much. The truth of her sexual configuration was simply irrelevant to the Toa, and he therefore had no reason comment on it. Kopaka's Kanohi shimmered once again, taking the shape of the Matatu. Without averting his gaze, the biomech used the Mask of Telekinesis to call the super-cooled blade back to his grasp. It chopped through the air smartly as it returned to his hand, and the Toa took small satisfaction in the barely perceptible widening of the woman's eyes.
Their previous exchange had revealed much about Dernhelm's character, as well as her approach to combat. The female had a slight edge in raw talent, and Kopaka could foresee her turning his sword away with relative ease in an extended melee. The Toa, however, had never been one to rely on talent. Nor did he have any qualms about fighting a battle stacked in his favor. Rather than responding to the Rohirrim's challenge, Kopaka stood his ground and raised his elemental weapon towards the blank sky, whereupon it took on a bright, chilly gleam. The Lady was eager to exploit the opening, but she had witnessed magic with her own eyes at the hands of Greyhame and was wary of approaching the growing bolus of power.
All at once, a wave of scintillating cold burst out from the Ice Sword which spirited a thick, howling blizzard into existence within the already disorienting white landscape of the Nexus. Raging winds and blinding snow drove hard into Dernhelm's face, and even through her visor, she had to peer over the edge of her shield to prevent too much frost from getting in her eyes. Amidst the hoary squall, Kopaka returned his Kanohi to the Akaku, and called upon its power to spy the now defensive form of the Kingdom vagabond through the storm. Kopaka's words came ghostly and barely audible over the wind, and it was not easy to tell which direction they were coming from through the Lady's heavy helm.
"I do not usually bandy words with a foe, but you have piqued my curiosity. I do not see you as registered with any Imperial bounty, yet you attack our troops brazenly in the Nexus. This is usually the behavior of a newly summoned Prime..." Kopaka said softly. A slight deepening of the voice alerted the Rohirrim that the Toa was approaching, and in a gamble, she wheeled around and jabbed Hasuhyrne out along the rim of her shield. It bit something, and the sound of a sudden whirring indicated that Kopaka's shield was active once again. Pressed this close, the Lady could barely discern that her own sword had been thrust directly through one of the curious slats in Kopaka's shield, and its motor was struggling to crank it into a defensive mode.
She bit down on a shrill grunt as the biomech wrenched their grappled forms down lower, hunching into her and dropping his arm slightly. Her shield arm was twisted badly, and she was certain his own sword was poised to score a blow. Why then did he hesitate? Kopaka finished his thought.
"You are a newcomer to this world, yes?" he breathed, the sound very close to the left side of her head. There was an abrupt shift in his weight, and Kopaka knocked Dernhelm's feet out from under her with a sudden sweep. Éowyn landed hard on her rear, but was back up in a flash, just in time to hear Kopaka's retreat.
"It is as you say. I was spirited from the fields of Pelennor not more than a few hours ago. I–" Dernhelm began, but the Bionicle cut her off. His voice was distant again, hovering on the edge of the biting wind.
"Perhaps, then, your altercation with my fellow soldiers was in confusion. I am sure Camelot is familiar to you, and you seek it out for that reason alone, but I would advise against it. Aligning with The Empire is the smart choice for any warrior chosen by Omni." Kopaka said. The Lady knew this tone of voice; it had been the favored weapon of Gríma when twisting the will of her own uncle. Dernhelm would not fall to this venom.
"Save your bargaining, knave. Though this be a new world, Aragorn shall always be my King." she snapped, trying to keep her ears open for another cowardly blow.
"You know Aragorn personally?" Kopaka asked, sounding distant.
"All of the Rohirrim know the Last of the Dúnedain."
"How unfortunate."
Bloody, piercing agony spilled across her left abdomen.
Their previous exchange had revealed much about Dernhelm's character, as well as her approach to combat. The female had a slight edge in raw talent, and Kopaka could foresee her turning his sword away with relative ease in an extended melee. The Toa, however, had never been one to rely on talent. Nor did he have any qualms about fighting a battle stacked in his favor. Rather than responding to the Rohirrim's challenge, Kopaka stood his ground and raised his elemental weapon towards the blank sky, whereupon it took on a bright, chilly gleam. The Lady was eager to exploit the opening, but she had witnessed magic with her own eyes at the hands of Greyhame and was wary of approaching the growing bolus of power.
All at once, a wave of scintillating cold burst out from the Ice Sword which spirited a thick, howling blizzard into existence within the already disorienting white landscape of the Nexus. Raging winds and blinding snow drove hard into Dernhelm's face, and even through her visor, she had to peer over the edge of her shield to prevent too much frost from getting in her eyes. Amidst the hoary squall, Kopaka returned his Kanohi to the Akaku, and called upon its power to spy the now defensive form of the Kingdom vagabond through the storm. Kopaka's words came ghostly and barely audible over the wind, and it was not easy to tell which direction they were coming from through the Lady's heavy helm.
"I do not usually bandy words with a foe, but you have piqued my curiosity. I do not see you as registered with any Imperial bounty, yet you attack our troops brazenly in the Nexus. This is usually the behavior of a newly summoned Prime..." Kopaka said softly. A slight deepening of the voice alerted the Rohirrim that the Toa was approaching, and in a gamble, she wheeled around and jabbed Hasuhyrne out along the rim of her shield. It bit something, and the sound of a sudden whirring indicated that Kopaka's shield was active once again. Pressed this close, the Lady could barely discern that her own sword had been thrust directly through one of the curious slats in Kopaka's shield, and its motor was struggling to crank it into a defensive mode.
She bit down on a shrill grunt as the biomech wrenched their grappled forms down lower, hunching into her and dropping his arm slightly. Her shield arm was twisted badly, and she was certain his own sword was poised to score a blow. Why then did he hesitate? Kopaka finished his thought.
"You are a newcomer to this world, yes?" he breathed, the sound very close to the left side of her head. There was an abrupt shift in his weight, and Kopaka knocked Dernhelm's feet out from under her with a sudden sweep. Éowyn landed hard on her rear, but was back up in a flash, just in time to hear Kopaka's retreat.
"It is as you say. I was spirited from the fields of Pelennor not more than a few hours ago. I–" Dernhelm began, but the Bionicle cut her off. His voice was distant again, hovering on the edge of the biting wind.
"Perhaps, then, your altercation with my fellow soldiers was in confusion. I am sure Camelot is familiar to you, and you seek it out for that reason alone, but I would advise against it. Aligning with The Empire is the smart choice for any warrior chosen by Omni." Kopaka said. The Lady knew this tone of voice; it had been the favored weapon of Gríma when twisting the will of her own uncle. Dernhelm would not fall to this venom.
"Save your bargaining, knave. Though this be a new world, Aragorn shall always be my King." she snapped, trying to keep her ears open for another cowardly blow.
"You know Aragorn personally?" Kopaka asked, sounding distant.
"All of the Rohirrim know the Last of the Dúnedain."
"How unfortunate."
Bloody, piercing agony spilled across her left abdomen.
Quote:800 words on the nose.
C O L D