"Nahbob take care of that man, he fought well but his battle is over," Javindar commanded as he turned towards the towering Asura lord. The Prince of Ghata was immune to all forms of magical fear, but doubt weighed heavily on him. Against this monster's full power, he was like an ant to a lion. His divine power was already spent battling the Rakshasa lord earlier, and he lacked the holy blade Greyiron that Rina and the man in yellow had talked about. All he had was the magics of his servant and of those of that nature priestess Chloe strengthening him, which was woefully not enough when confronting one of the lords of Abaddon.
He was thankful however for this opportunity. A few minutes ago he was wandering these damned abyssal tunnels, lost and still confused at how Nymk how 'repaired' her neck. Luckily the clarion sounds of battle drew them here as he witnessed the Grommish hero being struck down and literally ripped apart.
While this was the battle he dreamt of, yearned for, the Prince knew he could not win it. He should retreat and meditate his divine energy back or perhaps retrieve Rina's blade from her drunkard before returning to battle, though he had doubts if even with those holy tools ready he could triumph. Regardless, he could not shy away from battle, especially after witnessing the sacrifice of this Grommish warrior who had neither holy vigor or blessed blade to guide him.
"Bravery! Valor! Glory!" shouted the hero as he reluctantly charged his foe, bathed in a holy blinding light.
The light was a nice touch by Nahbob though. While this nine headed monster, Taraksun if Javindar recalled his studies correctly, had multiple sets of eyes it wasn't too perceptive. Though Javindar had no divine energy left at his disposal, Nahbob's strategically placed cantrip certainly gave him the illusion that he did. It was also why he was using his scimitar instead of his favored Khanda, because Nahbob insisted it reflected light better. The Prince was dubious of this, but thought that this curved blade was likely as good as his shark tooth sword, especially when fighting a foe of this magnitude.
As Javindar jabbed and slashed at his opponent, Nahbob's gambit seemed to have paid off. Though Taraksun outclassed him in strength, speed, and especially reach, the Asura lord seemed extremely cautious against Javindar's 'holy' blade. The creature took extra precautions to avoid or parry the scimitar for fear of getting hit by it, when an all-out attack would have probably ended this fight immediately.
Seeing this weakness of his enemy, Javindar pressed his attack with dervish like fury. With shield raised high to block his taller foe, the Prince of Ghata recklessly charge Taraksun as his opponent rained fire, fists, and blade at him. Fortunately for Javindar, not only was the threat of a holy weapon keeping the Asura lord on the defensive but Nahbob's enchantment of speed and stone as well as Chloe's rituals of the bear, the bull, and of the tree's bark made him nigh invincible. He felt power surged through him like never before as he pressed his mock attacks, forcing his much greater foe to fall even further into a defensive shell.
Of course Javindar knew he could not win outright, but this fight wasn't merely for show. His efforts might buy his companions time to save the greviously wounded warrior, and although he did not catch the whole exchange, it appeared that the fallen Grommish warrior had interrupted a spell of some sort by Taraksun. Given that he had no plan of his own, that seemed like the best course of action to take. A classic delaying action, like the ones he'd seen his father used against the Horde, though he had his doubts the Sultan of Indra would ride down this foe with ten thousand camels like he did for his father.
Still, it required a careful balance. Javindar's advantage was that the Asura lord feared his 'holy' scimitar and had so far used his size and reach to parry or at least stay away from its path. While Javindar could strike back at his enemy with a shield bash or a pommel strike, he could not reveal his deception with a direct strike with the blade. The Prince wasn't sure how long he could maintain this illusion, but pressed ahead anyways, despite having no means of harming his foe.
After forcing an initial round of dodges and parries from Taraksun, Javindar had amazingly forced his much larger enemy into a disadvantageous position. He knew he could not press too hard, for if he did he would reveal his advantage, but he couldn't ease off the pressure, for that would invite a potentially lethal counter attack. Despite this delicate balance Javindar drove his attacks as he varied their strength and speed. Taraksun on the other hand threw up a barrier of steel and fist to counter, and even manage to erect some walls of fire and ice, but they were quickly brought down by Nahbob's counter magic. This melee was drawn out for longer than Javindar thought possible but during their exchange, to his surprise, he had slipped past Taraksun's guard and saw an opening in its flank. Partially this was due to his skill but most likely because of his druidic and arcane enchantments. He instinctively wanted to strike at his enemy's exposed ribs, but doing so would show that his blade was useless and tip his hand, however if he didn't strike would Taraksun take that as a sign of his inexperience, or would he suspect something was amiss?
Pride and instinct got the best of him and Javindar struck. It wasn't in his nature to be deceptive, especially not in battle, and he hammered his attack with all his might. However instead of his weapon simply bouncing off, it sliced deep into his enemy. Javindar stood back puzzled even as Taraksun raged from the blow. It didn't sear and burn the flesh like a holy weapon would, but it oddly cut the abomination's flesh that would turn aside even the sturdiest of magical blades.
Did he underestimate this scimitar? Did this blade possess some form of latent holy power locked away till now? And if it did, why was a Marilith of all things wielding it previously?
Javindar had little time to contemplate these questions as great spiked roots erupted from the ground. Taraksun was a step too slow to evade them, most likely still focused on the Prince, and found the thick vines quickly ensnaring his feet and lower legs. While the spikes did little to the Asura lord's thick bluish skin, they did hold him fast as long black arrows and magical bolts were loosed in rapid succession into his chest. Though most of the magical bolts dissipated harmlessly a few did strike true. The black arrows however caught Javindar off guard as they hammered through Taraksun's blue skin with each strike. Was Lady Nymk using a holy bow? Or was there something in this chamber that allowed his weapon and hers to strike Taraksun so easily?
Regardless of the reason, Javindar saw his chance and took it. He charged his ensnared foe and instead of deliberately missing his strikes or inviting them to be parried and blocked he slashed with deadly intent. At first he aimed at his foe's stomach and back, but when the Asura lord fell into a defensive posture with its multitude of deadly arms and weapons, he aimed at its wrists and its legs; each blow slicing through unholy tendons and sinew. He knew in his heart that he could not possibly defeat such a creature outright, even with its sudden vulnerability to their weapons, but he also knew his efforts could delay it, and that seemed enough. The Grommish warrior's aim was to disrupt its spell or whatever ritual it was summoning, and that seemed like a worthwhile plan to Javindar.
After two deep leg strikes, a sliced heel, three disarmed weapons, and two actually severed wrists, Javindar stepped back to catch his breath. Taraksun was flailing in absolute fury now. The Asura lord had already ripped the great thorned roots out of the stone and had cast them aside, scattering Chloe and Nahbob with his clumsy strike as well as a few well-placed pillars of flame. He then turned towards Javindar, and it was then that the Prince despaired.
Already several of its eyes had regrown themselves, and horrific stumps of bone were already regrowing out of his bloody severed stumps. While the monster was definitely impaired by its injuries, it was recovering….fast. Perhaps too fast for even Javindar to destroy.
Javindar discarded the fear and readied himself to charge once again, but this time Taraksun struck the first blow. With a speed which belied its great mass, the Asura lord leapt at the Prince, smashing down with two of his great clawed fists, a blade and a hammer. Javindar managed to block with his shield but it was sundered quickly, exposing his left arm to a cruel cut by one of its claws. Javindar's arms would probably have been severed like that of that Grommish hero before him, but his gold spun quilted armour saved his limb, though it was torn thoroughly in the process.
Ignoring the pain, Javindar suddenly drew his Khanda with his now free hand and slashed his opponent quickly three times across the arm and even delivering a blow to one of Taraksun's heads. Javindar felt each enchanted shark tooth rake across his opponent's flesh but was surprised to see that no blood or whatever black vileness that pumped inside this Asura's veins was drawn.
Taraksun roared in anger as one of his arms thrust its long claws through Javindar's stomach. While his quilted armour could handle most slashes and dull most heavy blows, the deadly claws of the Asura lord easily slipped past the quilting and pierced straight through Javindar's stomach and back.
Javindar meekly writhed as he was impaled and hoisted towards the largest of Taraksun's heads.
The Asura lord studied him briefly before barking in disdain. "This is what the finest blood of Vinraji has to offer? Worthless!"
Javindar was tossed to the ground in a heap. The Prince lapsed in and out of consciousness even as he felt the shadow of a large clawed foot raised above him ready to smash him into a pulp. Instead of crushing him however, more black arrows were loosed, and bolts of energy unleashed, drawing the Asura lord's attention, or at least that's what his limited perception felt had happened.
His mind flashed of images of shooting targets in his childhood, the war that reigned in the Khannate, his trip across the Great Sea with Whelp, breaking Tamasic tradition and trying fish for the first time, failing at defending the Baroness Stille, and finally of Chloe grabbing the Rakshasa's leg, setting him up for a blade through the brain.
Somehow the Bey of Ghatta managed a smile as the end drew near. He had fought his hardest, met unimaginable evil face to face on its own domain. There was nothing to be ashamed of….except for the failure. Javindar knew he had failed. He had probably failed the world. It didn't matter if there was no chance to win against this monster, he had failed….and he could not enter the divine circle knowing that.
Summoning the last vestiges of his strength, Javindar rose or at least attempted to as all he could muster was an upright kneeling position. The claws might have pierced his organs and through to his back, but his spine was still intact. He uttered the most minor of healing magics to stabilize his wounds before he drew Red Flight, the great legendary bow that drove the dragons out of the Red Mountain and all of Vinraji.
He nocked an arrow as he used his last remaining strength to draw the great bow.
In the shadows he could see Taraksun limping away from him, most likely towards Nymk, Nahbob, and Chloe, and he saw his chance. With a silent prayer he steadied his aim before loosing his arrow. The arrow struck the Asura Lord like thunder in the back, but instead of missing the spine, Javindar's aim was true.
All nine of the the great Asura lord's heads shrieked before it tumbled forwards into the ground with a heavy room shaking thud. It should have been a mortal blow, but somehow it kept writhing. A Lord of Abaddon would not die so easily. Javindar knew he hadn't killed it, far from it, but he delayed it for all the good that did. Oddly, Javindar was satisfied this time as his power waned.
"Bravery…. valor…glory…." He gasped in a whisper.
With his last strength spent, the Bey of Ghata fell to the ground with a smirk on his face. He wasn't sure if he had saved his world, but at least he had given it some hope.