11-04-2008, 06:34 PM
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Re: Immortal [Open]
The two stopped in their tracks when the bright light flashed. They might have been blinded had Mathias been a novice alchemist; the nighteye potions would have magnified the light. But because he knew his way around his mortar and pestle, their eyes rapidly adjusted to the light, and they were hardly stunned by it.
Acthaiyne noticed the magic immediately and scowled. Barriers. ‘We can play this game, if they want,’ he thought with a feeling of excitement. He always enjoyed practicing his Thaumaturgy against someone else’s magic. As Mathias identified the swordsman, Acthaiyne waved a distinct purple barrier toward him. This barrier moved with all the speed of the fastest horses, and was intent on sending the swordsman flying from his position and sprawling to the cobblestone ground. The barrier would then turn to wrap around the edge of the enemy wizard’s own barrier, and begin to push it out of the way.
Unless this wizard was an expert in barrier magics, Acthaiyne knew his own could easily push their shield aside. It served two purposes: one, it would leave them momentarily vulnerable, and two, it would display the caliber of sorcerer this enemy was. He was excited to see the level of spell mastery this man had, as it had been a while since a decent magic fight.
His mace-wielding friend was significantly less enthusiastic about combat. Mathias enjoyed it, in his own way, but he never found pleasure in risking his own life, or in taking another’s. As he charged forth on the swordsman, his next move depended entirely on the effect of the barrier.
If the barrier did knock the swordsman down, Mathias would rush to him, to accurately bring the full weight of his mace down on him with a pommel-swing. If the swordsman rolled or took to his feet, Mathias was capable of redirecting his mace’s momentum before collision with the ground, to swing with aided momentum for the next exposed spot. If the swordsman rolled, that spot would be his right hip, from Mathias’ angle; if the swordsman moved back and got to his feet, it would be his legs.
But if the warrior somehow managed to avoid the barrier, or if the barrier was negated, Mathias was content with a standing fight to trade shots in. He knew he had the advantage in a close-range fight; he was an armored, shielded enemy with close range, and his foe was unshielded wielding a blade too long for close-range maneuvering. He realized the swordsman would try to break away and keep distance until support could come, but he hoped his own support would aid him first.
And indeed it would. As soon as Acthaiyne saw the two engage, no matter the effect of the first barrier, he would shoot out his sword hand to form a much thicker, stronger barrier between the enemy wizard and his companion. The process of holding two different kind of high-energy barriers was taxing: one was a mobile, kinetic barrier, and the other was a static wall. Acthaiyne was unable to attack for the moment, but he hoped his assistance to Mathias’ would make up for it until he could dive into the fray.
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