This isn't doing my workload any good.
Sep. 21st, 2003 05:03 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sparkindarknessI suddenly want to finish this exciting combat arc. I want them back in a "normal" life situation again... preferably without too much angst... *sigh* might as well wish for a lottery win, right?
Anway, I don't like this one. It wouldn't flow. For some reason writing Rick's mind was weirdly difficult. I think he's sulking over lack of sex.
Ah well, Rick's PoV as the battle continues.
For several minutes we just stood, shouting words in the Old Tongue, the ancient words of the Naturae, words that resonate in all avatars of nature and its awesome power. The weather, land, plants and creatures were the swords we duelled with. The elements of the land were out weapons. And I was so kicking his arse!
The old man took yet another step back, nearly falling over as the grass gripped at him and the ground tried to throw him. Ain’t no way this guy was going to win this. The guy’s powerful, I gave him that, and he had a near legion of spirits who he’d convinced to follow him here - and you don't know how impressive that is. Most spirits will so not leave their home turf for any reason.
But his spirits were all foreign, shit, not only were they not from round here, they weren’t even from the same continent. They were confused and lost and really didn’t understand what was going on. To make it worse, the local spirit world was not feeling all that receptive, y’know? I wonder why that would be.
I grinned and took a step forward. The spirits bound to me advanced closer. This is their land, they know every trick, every place of power, every source of strength. The land answers to them, eagerly raises to their call, while jerking sluggishly and stubbornly whenever the foreigners tried to get anything done.
I walked forwards steadily, watching the invader stagger backwards in the teeth of an ever howling gale. He grabbed clumsily at a pouch at his belt and threw powder to the breeze. I tasted the air, and felt the herbal mixture that would calm the angry air. Big fucking deal. I changed my walk to a mad dance, one step walking, the next feet hitting the ground in a frenzied rhythm. This is a hell of a lot harder than it looks people, you seriously don't want to try this at home unless you're a professional break dancer or something. I think I'll remember that look of confusion on the old geezer’s face for the rest of life, right until the point when the Earth started shaking, moving to the beat of my dance.
See? Advantage number two for me. This guy was such a total fossil. He was using techniques that had been around for centuries. Shit some of this stuff was ancient when the druids and Native Americans first practiced it. My styles has been brought up to date, modernised, upgraded and fully Y2k compatible. With extra bonus of being completely unrecognisable to anyone who hasn’t realised that the new millennium's been and gone. Shit, for those who haven’t realised the last millennium's been and gone.
He was on the ground again, unfortunately he was too good to be pulled into one of the huge chasms being pulled open by irate Earth spirits. His own earth spirits were trying to calm the situation - at least they managed to save him being turned into under-soil fertiliser, but they weren't really doing much else really. Finally he managed to reach for a vial of some cloudy stuff out of his pouch. The minute he smashed it onto the ground, this freaky glowing brown liquid drained straight into the ground, waaay too quickly. The wave of power from it completely knocked me off my feet, and smashed a couple of dozen rituals I’d cobbled together and were getting ready to hit him in so many bad ways.
It took me a couple of seconds to be able to see straight and stagger to my feet again. Then I didn't have time to see anything, the old man knew how to take back the advantage, you had to give him that. The air was thick with some weird incense... I kinda recognised it, I even used it myself occasionally, though I’d upgraded to air conditioner upgrades. But I never used it often, it's a massive spirit boost but it’s usually really unnecessary - if you need this stuff to summon the spirits you want, or using it to make the spirits more powerful, then you probably shouldn't be doing that summoning. But then I’ve never really gone for battle tactics before...
Maybe I should, because this stiff’s really making a difference. The goop he’s dropped on the floor has sent most of my Earth spirits into torpor, meaning the battle for the ground is really not going well... My storm spirits are bedazzled by his herbal mixture, and are now fighting his that were on the ephemeral equivalent of steroids. Add in all the fucking rituals I just dropped and things are seriously not good here...
The old fossil grinned at me, fucking grinned! He threw an earthenware vessel covered in a weirdo combination of Aztec and Egyptian symbols at me. I jumped out of the way - what, do you think I’m stupid enough to catch it? It went off like a fucking grenade, a complete rush of Fire Spirits, Rage Spirits, Pain Spirits and even a couple of really nasty Disease Spirits as well... They scream out of the wreckage, utterly laying waste to everything around them before screaming off through the astral plane. That was one fucking mean talen! What kind of freak spends months making something like that!?
The spirit wards I’d managed to keep up were just plain blasted away. For a few seconds there I thought I was seriously screwed. But I’ve got some seriously good friends out there. Spirits of Life, Strength, Health, Healing and Medicine, did a full crusade to me, completely consuming me. I didn’t call them, I didn’t have to. This is my place, these are my spirits, my people, my friends. One second, utter agony, for a second, I was sure I was dead. For a second I’d lost. Then their power filled me, my body regenerated , the wounds closed and the burns cooled. A couple of Water Spirits rushed around me in powerful waves, deluging the fiery aftermath.
I lay shaking on the floor for an age. I felt the battle still raging around me while I waited for strength to flow back into me. I got painfully back to my feet and looked at the damage... Ok we were loosing, but not badly, and I was so not finished yet. I grinned at the surprised look on the older shaman’s face. He glared back, thick eyebrows making him look really pissed.
“Do not get cocky, boy. You cannot rely on chance and luck to save you forever more.”
I whistled softly and absently flicked a coin from my pocket into the air, it spun gently a few times before landing perfectly on edge on the tip of one finger. Tiny minor spirits of luck danced on the narrow edge. I grinned at him again.
“Why not? They don't seem in any hurry to go anywhere. But what about you old man? How many more tricks you got in them pockets? Strikes me the only reason I haven’t flattened you already is because of the amount of toys you’re carrying. What’s matter old man? Can't do this without artificial aids?” I sighed and looked at him all sad and sympathetic like. Seemed to piss him off even more. Goody.
“I guess it’s inevitable with age isn’t it? Walking sticks, hearing aids, glasses... viagra.”
He gaped, mouth opening and closing like a fish eating a hot curry. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone’s face go that shade of purple before. He had so completely lost it that he barely even noticed me take out my MP3 player, though I’m betting he wouldn’t know what it was anyway.
“You mock me child! Gods, why am I here playing stupid games with an infant?! Do you have any idea what important tasks you’re meddling in?” He took a deep, ragged breath and seemed to gain control again. His eyes jerked from point to point, seeing the inevitable, my spirits rallying, my power growing, his peeling away and weakening. Unless he had a hell of a lot more toys, there was no way he could win.
“I cannot continue this child. If I have offended you and yours, I will make amends later, but my mission here is too important to be delayed.”
I shrugged, whispered a few more words to the winds and watched the battle as it inevitably turned. Several of his runic earrings flared and fell to the floor, crumbling to ash in the backlash. The power in the air was choking now, the amount of energy we were both calling. But underneath it, I could feel something else... something greater, something stronger. Something darker. We weren’t the only magic users duelling... I wanted to find Darren... This old shaman looked even more desperate to leave.
“Surely you can feel the power, boy!? There is something out there in the darkness that is vastly more important than your wounded pride! Feel it!”
He was right... Darren was more important than this. I reeled in my power, let the spirits pull back slightly. He relaxed and matched me, shaking slightly, I guessed exhaustion, I wasn’t feeling all that hot either.
“Alright old man. You’re right. There is something out there more important than this duel.” He nodded slowly, tucking his long wooden wand behind his belt. “Darren is far more important. I can't let the rest of you Camaalis guys get him while I play with one.”
His head jerked up in shock. His hand darted for the wand, his mouth opening for a new chant. He was too late... just too late.
I pushed the play button on the MP3 player, my most powerful fetish. The night is filled with sound like a solid wall. A bass beat that could smash mountains drove the old man down. A guitar screamed with a daemon’s anger. The music echoed through the night, and riding through the enormously magnified sound rode an army of spirits. Spirits of Confusion, Anger, Thought, Mind, Rock n’ Roll, Heavy Metal and Pure Adrenaline. Spirits of Excitement, Exhaustion, Energy, Sensation, Ecstasy and Hate. Spirits of the All Nighter, the Mad Dance, and that indescribable feel of great music that makes your hair stand on end. They hit him with the force of a freight train. His wards just fried, no way he had anything strong enough to face these. I'm not sure you can make a ward that strong!
He stood, frozen for ages, completely still. Then he threw back his head, ‘till I couldn't see his face and he fucking screamed!
He screamed. It was unbelievable, half the city must have heard it! He screamed longer than anyone should be able to, he screamed so much I had to cover my ears against it.
Finally he stopped... Everything was so weirdly silent then... Then he fell. He didn't collapse or anything like that, he just, well, keeled over backwards. Didn’t bend, didn’t twitch, just a perfect backwards fall, like pushing over a statue.
I walked over to him, cautiously. One finger over the pause button on my MP3 player, though if I used it again it would take ages to charge up again, these spirits are greedy y’know. I didn't have to worry though, he was definitely out for the count.
Well, looked like it was one nil to our side. Now I just had to find Darren...
Anway, I don't like this one. It wouldn't flow. For some reason writing Rick's mind was weirdly difficult. I think he's sulking over lack of sex.
Ah well, Rick's PoV as the battle continues.
For several minutes we just stood, shouting words in the Old Tongue, the ancient words of the Naturae, words that resonate in all avatars of nature and its awesome power. The weather, land, plants and creatures were the swords we duelled with. The elements of the land were out weapons. And I was so kicking his arse!
The old man took yet another step back, nearly falling over as the grass gripped at him and the ground tried to throw him. Ain’t no way this guy was going to win this. The guy’s powerful, I gave him that, and he had a near legion of spirits who he’d convinced to follow him here - and you don't know how impressive that is. Most spirits will so not leave their home turf for any reason.
But his spirits were all foreign, shit, not only were they not from round here, they weren’t even from the same continent. They were confused and lost and really didn’t understand what was going on. To make it worse, the local spirit world was not feeling all that receptive, y’know? I wonder why that would be.
I grinned and took a step forward. The spirits bound to me advanced closer. This is their land, they know every trick, every place of power, every source of strength. The land answers to them, eagerly raises to their call, while jerking sluggishly and stubbornly whenever the foreigners tried to get anything done.
I walked forwards steadily, watching the invader stagger backwards in the teeth of an ever howling gale. He grabbed clumsily at a pouch at his belt and threw powder to the breeze. I tasted the air, and felt the herbal mixture that would calm the angry air. Big fucking deal. I changed my walk to a mad dance, one step walking, the next feet hitting the ground in a frenzied rhythm. This is a hell of a lot harder than it looks people, you seriously don't want to try this at home unless you're a professional break dancer or something. I think I'll remember that look of confusion on the old geezer’s face for the rest of life, right until the point when the Earth started shaking, moving to the beat of my dance.
See? Advantage number two for me. This guy was such a total fossil. He was using techniques that had been around for centuries. Shit some of this stuff was ancient when the druids and Native Americans first practiced it. My styles has been brought up to date, modernised, upgraded and fully Y2k compatible. With extra bonus of being completely unrecognisable to anyone who hasn’t realised that the new millennium's been and gone. Shit, for those who haven’t realised the last millennium's been and gone.
He was on the ground again, unfortunately he was too good to be pulled into one of the huge chasms being pulled open by irate Earth spirits. His own earth spirits were trying to calm the situation - at least they managed to save him being turned into under-soil fertiliser, but they weren't really doing much else really. Finally he managed to reach for a vial of some cloudy stuff out of his pouch. The minute he smashed it onto the ground, this freaky glowing brown liquid drained straight into the ground, waaay too quickly. The wave of power from it completely knocked me off my feet, and smashed a couple of dozen rituals I’d cobbled together and were getting ready to hit him in so many bad ways.
It took me a couple of seconds to be able to see straight and stagger to my feet again. Then I didn't have time to see anything, the old man knew how to take back the advantage, you had to give him that. The air was thick with some weird incense... I kinda recognised it, I even used it myself occasionally, though I’d upgraded to air conditioner upgrades. But I never used it often, it's a massive spirit boost but it’s usually really unnecessary - if you need this stuff to summon the spirits you want, or using it to make the spirits more powerful, then you probably shouldn't be doing that summoning. But then I’ve never really gone for battle tactics before...
Maybe I should, because this stiff’s really making a difference. The goop he’s dropped on the floor has sent most of my Earth spirits into torpor, meaning the battle for the ground is really not going well... My storm spirits are bedazzled by his herbal mixture, and are now fighting his that were on the ephemeral equivalent of steroids. Add in all the fucking rituals I just dropped and things are seriously not good here...
The old fossil grinned at me, fucking grinned! He threw an earthenware vessel covered in a weirdo combination of Aztec and Egyptian symbols at me. I jumped out of the way - what, do you think I’m stupid enough to catch it? It went off like a fucking grenade, a complete rush of Fire Spirits, Rage Spirits, Pain Spirits and even a couple of really nasty Disease Spirits as well... They scream out of the wreckage, utterly laying waste to everything around them before screaming off through the astral plane. That was one fucking mean talen! What kind of freak spends months making something like that!?
The spirit wards I’d managed to keep up were just plain blasted away. For a few seconds there I thought I was seriously screwed. But I’ve got some seriously good friends out there. Spirits of Life, Strength, Health, Healing and Medicine, did a full crusade to me, completely consuming me. I didn’t call them, I didn’t have to. This is my place, these are my spirits, my people, my friends. One second, utter agony, for a second, I was sure I was dead. For a second I’d lost. Then their power filled me, my body regenerated , the wounds closed and the burns cooled. A couple of Water Spirits rushed around me in powerful waves, deluging the fiery aftermath.
I lay shaking on the floor for an age. I felt the battle still raging around me while I waited for strength to flow back into me. I got painfully back to my feet and looked at the damage... Ok we were loosing, but not badly, and I was so not finished yet. I grinned at the surprised look on the older shaman’s face. He glared back, thick eyebrows making him look really pissed.
“Do not get cocky, boy. You cannot rely on chance and luck to save you forever more.”
I whistled softly and absently flicked a coin from my pocket into the air, it spun gently a few times before landing perfectly on edge on the tip of one finger. Tiny minor spirits of luck danced on the narrow edge. I grinned at him again.
“Why not? They don't seem in any hurry to go anywhere. But what about you old man? How many more tricks you got in them pockets? Strikes me the only reason I haven’t flattened you already is because of the amount of toys you’re carrying. What’s matter old man? Can't do this without artificial aids?” I sighed and looked at him all sad and sympathetic like. Seemed to piss him off even more. Goody.
“I guess it’s inevitable with age isn’t it? Walking sticks, hearing aids, glasses... viagra.”
He gaped, mouth opening and closing like a fish eating a hot curry. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone’s face go that shade of purple before. He had so completely lost it that he barely even noticed me take out my MP3 player, though I’m betting he wouldn’t know what it was anyway.
“You mock me child! Gods, why am I here playing stupid games with an infant?! Do you have any idea what important tasks you’re meddling in?” He took a deep, ragged breath and seemed to gain control again. His eyes jerked from point to point, seeing the inevitable, my spirits rallying, my power growing, his peeling away and weakening. Unless he had a hell of a lot more toys, there was no way he could win.
“I cannot continue this child. If I have offended you and yours, I will make amends later, but my mission here is too important to be delayed.”
I shrugged, whispered a few more words to the winds and watched the battle as it inevitably turned. Several of his runic earrings flared and fell to the floor, crumbling to ash in the backlash. The power in the air was choking now, the amount of energy we were both calling. But underneath it, I could feel something else... something greater, something stronger. Something darker. We weren’t the only magic users duelling... I wanted to find Darren... This old shaman looked even more desperate to leave.
“Surely you can feel the power, boy!? There is something out there in the darkness that is vastly more important than your wounded pride! Feel it!”
He was right... Darren was more important than this. I reeled in my power, let the spirits pull back slightly. He relaxed and matched me, shaking slightly, I guessed exhaustion, I wasn’t feeling all that hot either.
“Alright old man. You’re right. There is something out there more important than this duel.” He nodded slowly, tucking his long wooden wand behind his belt. “Darren is far more important. I can't let the rest of you Camaalis guys get him while I play with one.”
His head jerked up in shock. His hand darted for the wand, his mouth opening for a new chant. He was too late... just too late.
I pushed the play button on the MP3 player, my most powerful fetish. The night is filled with sound like a solid wall. A bass beat that could smash mountains drove the old man down. A guitar screamed with a daemon’s anger. The music echoed through the night, and riding through the enormously magnified sound rode an army of spirits. Spirits of Confusion, Anger, Thought, Mind, Rock n’ Roll, Heavy Metal and Pure Adrenaline. Spirits of Excitement, Exhaustion, Energy, Sensation, Ecstasy and Hate. Spirits of the All Nighter, the Mad Dance, and that indescribable feel of great music that makes your hair stand on end. They hit him with the force of a freight train. His wards just fried, no way he had anything strong enough to face these. I'm not sure you can make a ward that strong!
He stood, frozen for ages, completely still. Then he threw back his head, ‘till I couldn't see his face and he fucking screamed!
He screamed. It was unbelievable, half the city must have heard it! He screamed longer than anyone should be able to, he screamed so much I had to cover my ears against it.
Finally he stopped... Everything was so weirdly silent then... Then he fell. He didn't collapse or anything like that, he just, well, keeled over backwards. Didn’t bend, didn’t twitch, just a perfect backwards fall, like pushing over a statue.
I walked over to him, cautiously. One finger over the pause button on my MP3 player, though if I used it again it would take ages to charge up again, these spirits are greedy y’know. I didn't have to worry though, he was definitely out for the count.
Well, looked like it was one nil to our side. Now I just had to find Darren...
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2003-09-21 04:53 pm (UTC)(Umm, this line really confused me: I kinda recognised it, though I’d upgraded to air conditioner upgrades, but not often, massive spirit boost but it’s usually really unnecessary)
(no subject)
Date: 2003-09-21 06:17 pm (UTC)I hope to post again tonight... no guarentees though... ^_~
(no subject)
Date: 2003-09-21 07:39 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2003-09-21 09:10 pm (UTC)Besides - Metallica played loud enough can knock people out normally :)
Thank you... Rick's not usually the violent one, but he can fight if he has to.
(no subject)
Date: 2004-08-22 04:06 pm (UTC)granted, now mark's all kinds of intrigued. but he's never been very good with any of the aspects of shamanism. that was always more gabe's thing.
(no subject)
Date: 2004-08-23 03:27 pm (UTC)*shudder*
Rick: *shudder* Normally I'd teach for carnal favours... but sorry, nope.