Jimmy stared down seventeen eyes, and felt all the anger and fury of an Asura lord denied. The young blade felt that the 'Awakener of Wrath' was aptly named as he felt his blood vaporizing in his veins from the emanating waves of this creature's ire, and thought he probably would have been stricken dead if it were not for Sammy's protective enchantment. Still, he understood where this hatred sprang from, since he had just stolen this creature's Black Scroll, and most likely disrupted a plan millennia in the making.
He gave a final glance to Sammy and saw she was being pressed hard by her now much smaller, golden clad Asurendra foe. While it's physical power was reduced, it made up for it with increased speed and skill and pressed the priestess hard under a flurry of blows. He had little time to follow their fight however as Taraksun began to rain fists, flames, and claws onto him.
Jimmy easily dodged the first volley with an easy forward roll, but his opponent was relentless as he followed the tumbling duelist with more strikes at his heel. The Asura lord even attempted to trap Jimmy by herding him forward before dropping a torrent of fire and lightning before him, but Jimmy easily saw this clumsy trap and managed to straighten himself and twist into an obtuse leap to the side towards a clump of rubble, easily evading the combined elemental strike.
Instead of landing and hiding into the rocks however, Jimmy threw some smoke pellets towards his goal, a rarely used tool in his vast pool of tricks. He then broke dropped free from his fall and drifted towards the sidewall hoping to distract his opponent for a split second to hide. When his feet struck the wall, he relaxed his weight impossibly in a maneuver only Martinez could replicate and did a featherlight windmill run backwards behind his foe. Jimmy took pride that his maneuver was perfectly executed, but his joy was short lived as a massive sword slashed downwards at him, sundering the wall as it fell. Jimmy barely managed to hop out of its path, but wasn't sure what was more disheartening, that the Asura could spot him or that it was now wielding weapons, escalating the danger considerably.
As Jimmy recovered from his last evasive burst, Taraksun towered over him, bristling with his deadly arsenal. Swords, both curved and straight, daggers, short and awkwardly held long spears, and even whips and a bizarre fork like weapon faced him.
"Your skill is as expected from a creature that would defy me, " thundered Taraksun in a heavily accented Vinraji common. "I respect your power, and offer you a place at my side once again if you surrender my scroll. Do not spurn my offer, I will not make it again."
Jimmy didn't give this 'generous offer' a second thought. While his situation looked hopeless, he knew that only the desperate attempted to negotiate at a time like this. Those in power would press their advantage, while those about to be crushed attempted to negotiate to stave off the inevitable. That was something he learned from his classes in Lower Lueders, specifically the teachings of Monte Nabisco, the great General of Grom. Though those lessons seemed far far away and Jimmy felt far from being in charge, he knew that he wasn't going to relinquish his edge, regardless if he wasn't completely sure what that advantage was.
The young blade simply bowed as if to prostate himself before the Asura Lord, but at the last moment he darted forward as he threw a pair of daggers into Taraksun's eyes. The Asura lord easily swatted the blades away, even as Jimmy attempted an insane slide straight towards and under him. Jimmy wasn't sure if he would be instantly torn apart by this audacious move towards his foe, but when he wasn't immediately slain, he twisted out of his slide and attempted an even more insane maneuver by clamoring up the creature's legs and then back.
It was a move that he saw mostly gnomes and the odd dwarf perform when they fought giants. It often ended up in disaster for the little attackers, but once in a while the little runt managed to scale his foe and deliver a reckless blow to the creature's head or neck. The odds were against him, but there was something about Sammy's enchantment that let him discard all his fear and even appeared to give him a near superhuman boost in battle. Jimmy wasn't sure how much this 'edge' was real or if it was simply a mind affecting trick, but when he discovered himself behind his opponent, clinging on a horn jutting from its back, he thought there might be something tangible to Sammy's enchantment.
Seeing his narrow door of opportunity, Jimmy slammed his rapier full force into a small leathery blue patch in Taraksun's neck. While his rapier wasn't specifically crafted to battle demons, it was well made, extremely so given his wealth and that his employers were dwarves. Any other blade would have bounced off, but this weapon was made for this. Though he wasn't a smith or a mage, he had this weapon constructed under his specifications and oversight and he had dispatched not only Hoaglie's enemies but the occasional supernatural threat as well. While he didn't give his weapon a fancy name, or even a fancy scabbard, he wagered only Galatea or Lord Franksada of the Crab's blade was better suited to this task, so it didn't surprise him one bit when it pierced even Taraksun's neck.
The Asura Lord screamed in rage and pain, as he shook madly in frustration. Jimmy attempted to hold onto his blade still piercing Taraksun's neck but groaned in disappointment when the creature's black blood melted the blade. Like a flea, Jimmy was thrown to the side like a rag doll. The young blade attempted to tumble and roll from the fall, but such was the power of Taraksun he slammed into the rocks before he could disperse the force.
Pain shot through Jimmy's back as he felt some ribs break, but he pushed himself to stand in an attempt to hide given this temporary break in the battle. His hopes were dashed however as once he again he found Taraksun towering over him, but instead of blabbering some ultimatum, he was immediately surrounded by a will draining darkness of despair.
You failed the world.
You failed your master.
You failed Chloe.
You failed yourself.
You failed Sammy.
Jimmy felt his mind in a vice, as the darkness surrounded and crushed him. To make matters worse, he felt an additional voice gibbering in his ear, echoing his own thoughts and reinforcing the 'truths' that Taraksun sowed. Was it the black scroll talking, or some deeper loathing he buried in his own psyche. Regardless, he knew what was happening around him and understood his thoughts were betraying him, but there was truth in them and each tiny truth gave the despair an edge as it pierced his heart and sundered his mind. Jimmy fell to his knees as he felt a pit of his own wallowing self-pity engulf him, dragging him downwards.
"Fight it Jimmy! Fight it!" shouted Sammy from across the room. Her voice was hoarse and laboured but it cut through the darkness like a beam of sunlight.
Jimmy wasn't sure if she used a spell, or perhaps he had put her so high on a pedestal that he would believe anything she said. It didn't matter how she did it, but Jimmy found the strength to pull himself off the ground and to confront Taraksun. The seventeen eyed Asura lord was seething with rage even as blood trickled down the side of his neck.
"Is that the best you got?" taunted Jimmy weakly as he looked for a way out of this impossible situation. The corridors in the chamber had already shifted, but there were ever growing cracks in the wall. Could they lead to freedom or more demons?
Taraksun seemed hesitant to strike, but lunged towards Jimmy with two of his free hands in an awkward attempt to grab him.
Jimmy easily ducked and hopped away from the clumsy grapple attempt but his situation didn't improve. The longer the fight dragged on the weaker he would get, while Taraksun did not seem to slow down. If he was to survive, he desperately needed a way out for Sammy and himself.
As the battle between the Asura lord and the duelist resumed, Jimmy noted that Taraksun was more subdued, more cautious in his attacks. Perhaps he was worried about destroying the scroll, but if the scroll was an artifact it couldn't be destroyed that easy…could it? If such a thing was possible, Martinez could have ridded himself of it ages ago.
After throwing a few more daggers in a flashy but ineffectual manner, Jimmy managed to feint right, then left, then resumed his original rightward movement. It didn't buy him much time, but it did give him an opportunity to retrieve the scroll and stab it. He wasn't sure what would happen but his dagger did tear the leathery fabric. For a brief moment he was overcomed with joy, he could just destroy this damn thing and though he would die, at least the world would be saved. His victory was short lived however as he watched in dismay the leather slowly knitting itself back together.
Jimmy heard a roar of frustration behind him and he barely had time to dash out of the path of that weird trident weapon as it narrowly missed him. Though his action seemed futile it definitely angered Taraksun. Perhaps the scroll worked its magic into even the Asura's lord's mind and it had an overbearing compulsion to protect it, or maybe the scroll simply regenerated too slow for him to properly finish the Armageddon ritual?
Whatever reason, Jimmy saw his opportunity and decided to take it.
"You want your scroll?" demanded Jimmy in a commanding voice as he stuffed the tattered scroll into his elaborate lacquered scroll tube before brandishing it before Taraksun.
Taraksun reached down but Jimmy hopped back. "Nu uh big guy. I'm not giving it up that easy. I have leverage and I mean to use it. I might not be able to defeat you, but you don't seem to be having much luck catching me right now. Which of course got me thinking. Why are you so insistent on having the scroll back immediately. I mean at this rate you'll eventually corner and catch me, but I'm thinking you need it to finish your ceremony, like you are on a timer or something. Perhaps something to do with the eclipse? I heard they don't last forever you know."
Jimmy grinned as he saw eight and a half brows furrowed at his comment. "Now…the way I see it, you can keep swinging at me and hope to connect or we can cut a bargain, not on your terms but on mine."
"Speak, but be quick,' spat Taraksun from nine booming mouths as he barely controlled his rage.
"Jimmy? What are you do…" cried Sammy from across the room. The golden armoured youth took advantage of her distraction and smashed her in the side with his blade. Though the man was comparatively small to Sammy, he possessed all of his Asura strength as the priestess was sent hurtling towards a wall as if a giant had smashed her. Jimmy did not flinch even as she smashed through it, partially collapsing the roof on top of her.
"Safe passage for my girl and I out of this plane, " he said as he nodded towards the collapsed wall. "Err..at least what's left of her. An oath to not pursue us, bound by whatever you Asura assholes find sacred. Also, a hundred astral diamonds, a man's gotta live you know. For that small price you can sow your terror and begin your reign of this shithole realm."
"A hundred astral diamonds?" roared Taraksun. An astral diamond was the highest currency of exchange used throughout the Great Wheel. One could buy you a small kingdom, with a hundred…well Jimmy and Sammy could live the life he always wanted.
Jimmy knew the price was high, but he doubt he would be respected if he asked for less. He waited tensely, awaiting another volley of spells or salvos of pitchforks or spears, before Taraksun reluctantly nodded.
Jimmy eyed the Asura carefully, before handing him the scroll case. As soon as Taraksun had the scroll firmly in hand, he quickly snatched it away as he launched fire, lightning, darkness, and a few flurry of stabs and slashes against Jimmy. Jimmy was ready though, but it didn't help him. He was too close, and though he dodged and weaved away from most of the attacks, a fireball caught him in the back and he was blasted painfully into a heap.
"Fool!" shouted Taraksun with glee as he unstoppered the scroll tube.
KABOOM
Taraksun was staggered and shaken as the tube exploded violently in his face. Jimmy smiled through the pain, that little tricked worked on Ulfgar and it seemed to have work on Taraksun as well.
While his mix of dragon powder and simple runes did little except stun the Asura lord, that was all Jimmy needed.
He launched himself towards the Asura lord, kneeing him in his vast stomach even as he stabbed his blades into its chest. That little triple blow did little except force Taraksun to step back, but Jimmy wasn't after easy points. As his daggers corroded, he vaulted himself up and he did what his master Martinez told him to do when faced with a vastly superior opponent.
"Go for the eyes."
Jimmy was a blur of motion as he kicked, kneed, elbowed, and most importantly stabbed Taraksun's remaining seventeen eyes. While the creature's blood easily dissolved his daggers, the eye fluids were thankfully not as caustic and he managed to poke them three or four times before having to draw a new blade. Taraksun immediately began to flail wildly under Jimmy's assault, but the young blade would not be stopped. He was a trained demon hunter, and by Koryis and Rawk, this was the pretty much the biggest demon anyone has ever faced.
After taking out a dozen eyes, Jimmy felt a brief glimmer of hope. He could do this, he could win!
His hope however was quickly dashed and stomped. While Jimmy was quick, he was too close, too exposed. One of Taraksun's massive claws eventually found their mark and smashed him to the ground. Jimmy felt multiple things in his body break, but forced himself up. Before he could recover however, a spear pierced his stomach pinning him to the ground as a blade descended and severed his arm from his body.
This was the end for him, but for some reason Jimmy was content. He was going to die with his girl at his side, while facing the biggest gawd damn demon anyone had ever faced. He can't imagine anyone battling a greater foe, save maybe when the Champions of the North faced down Yeehnoghu so many years ago.
"You will not die so easily," raged Taraksun as his remaining five eyes glared at Jimmy. "You will watch as I raze your world and everything you value in this world. You could have watched shivering in your home as I open Rovagug's tear on your world. With your skill you might have escaped, or at worst become a slave, but you will face the full fury of Taraksun. I will set Dretches and Manes to feast upon on your flesh, while keeping your mind alive with the darkest magic. You will feel your soul slowly shredded as I take…."
"Jimmy….or James the Blade if you like," gasped Jimmy with a cocky smile even as his life slipped away. If he was going to die , at least this bastard will know who took out thirteen of his eyes.
Though Taraksun threatened him with a slow death, that last taunt was too much for the "Awakener of Wrath". The Asura lord yanked out his spear with a terrible sucking sound even as he brought his blade down to cleave Jimmy in half.
CLANG
Instead of being cut in two, Jimmy was not only shocked to be alive, but confused as he saw a ridiculously well dressed man in the fanciest quilt armour he could imagine stand between Taraksun and himself. A gleaming scimitar impossibly parried and deflected Taraksun's blow. It was like a hero out of some ancient tale, risen to battle this great evil.
The Asura lord staggered back in confusion…and oddly enough, fear as the hero advanced.
"Nahbob take care of that man, he fought well but his battle is over," the hero said as he turned towards the towering Asura lord.
"Bravery! Valor! Glory!" shouted the hero as he charged his foe, bathed in a holy blinding light.