Fruits of Labor: Malony VS Mute

A shrouded figure walked through the bustling city. Rain poured on his head as taxis zoomed by him. Other than the streetcars, the city was empty. No one was walking, and few were traveling at this hour. The figure strode to a tall building and glanced around. The hood around him made it impossible to distinguish his features. He stepped inside of the building to see that is was graffiti-smeared and cracked. He walked up a flight of stairs and opened a door on his left.

He emerged on the roof, once again in the rain. He stepped over a loose board and looked at the neon-painted city. He took out a pouch and turned to a flock of pigeons hiding in the dark. He opened the pouch and slung seeds along the bird shelter for them. He took off his hood. Long, blond hair fell down, and a halo emerged from the hood. Wings formed an irregular shape in his back when he was doubled over. He was an angel, known as Abel. A voice came from behind him.

"We never made closure, angel. Our last battle was cut short; it must be finished."

It was a woman, and her voice rang sweetly through the city air. She carried a weapon of her own, yet she was also cloaked. Abel's halo a portion of the air, and it illuminated her black raincoat that she was wearing. Fiery red hair flowed from her coat, and her small nose could be made out in the light. Even these small details hinted at beauty; but the rest of her could not be seen.

"Malony? 'Twas so long since I've last seen you. I suppose you've followed me here?"

"I have been searching for you since we last fought. I needed to fight you. You put up a fight that invigorated me, a fight that I craved for a long while. And I've waited far too long for you to postpone this any longer. We fight now, on this rooftop."

Beneath her hood, a pink tongue could be seen licking a pair of lips. Her muscles tensed, and the rain started to pour. Abel looked concerned, and he tightened his gauntlet and unsheathed his mighty longsword, the Herald. It was emblazoned red and gold, with a sleek handle. It was beautiful craftsmanship.

The shaded Malony smiled. She prepared a strike against the angel. The pigeons suddenly became frightened and flew off the roof.

OOC: Nice intruduction, as always I hope nothing will come between this fight.

BIC: Malony looked at the roof, which made the arena. The floor was totally made of concreat. She siged, becasue this ws not going to be easy. Concreat made it hard for her element, the earth, to be succesfull. Malony know she had to get out of there if she was to win this fight. Without her magic she was weaken.

"So, until I ge the area fixed, I guess I have to lay my trust upon you, Zintrana of perfection!", Malony was talking to her sword, her precious wepond which was way older that her 300 yers. The wepond was a magnificant peice of metal and helped her though many battles, and so it would to this time.

"Finally this story will get an end", she said to the Angel.
"Do you want it to end", he asked her.
"No, not really, but I want to continue", Malony tried to explain herself.
"Wery well then, let us get this going".

Malony's blue cloak still covered most of her elfish body. With her left hand she pulled it doen, and reveled her face. Abel looked et her.

"You are as beautiful as I can remember", he said and smiled.
"Ehum, thank you, I guess", Malony ws blushing, she never got used of coments like that.

Malony hold sword in her right hand, since it was light, adn could easily be hold by just one had. She liked to ave one hand free for others things. But then she changed´. Instead of prepare he sword for the battle, sje put it way, and pulled out her crossbow instead. Malony knew this fight was to be hard without magic, adn she wanted to hurt Mte quick so also he had a disatvantage. With the crossbow she had an arrow filled with the power of the eart. Abel saw that she was doing, but re4maind still, it looked like he knew what do to. When Malony aimed the wepond at him, he stills tod still. She aimed on his wepondhand, and the firet the arrow. Malony was very suprised, becasue Abel was just standing there without defending. The arrow hit its target and green torsn started to apear aroung his hand. They torn him but he show no signs of pain.

"Why", did Malony ask him.
"I choose a place that was much better for me that for you, you deserv this adtantage". he said, and it that moment he could not ignor the pain anymore. His face twirsted from the pain and he moaned quiently. Wiht teh other hand he got rid of the tirns, and got ready for an attack.

His hand wept blood onto the roof above the city. Malony's crimson hair turned a deeper brown as it was soaked. Abel contemplated her disability of unlevel playing field; how the arena held her at a disadvantage. But it was not a huge difference. For, even though Malony controlled things such as tectonic plates, earthquakes, mantle, and the masses, she weilded the power of plant and earthly life. Her power extended farther than the ground.

Abel stared into her eyes and thought his first move. She was a special person; an excellent fighter and a great thinker. Physical attacks come first. Abel came down with a hard swing to her shoulder. It was parried and countered with a stab. Abel dodged the narrow blade, and speared his own blade onto hers. He attempted to knock her sword away, but she drew away from him.

Abel launched himself up in the air, then came down with his sword pointed downwards. He saw Malony raise her blade, but it was held at a different angle than the attack called for. He spired his blade deep into Malony's shoulder. She stifled a gasp as the blade stayed erect in her torso. She grasped at the handle to pull it out, gasping for air, and Abel came forward with a swift kick to the hilt. It flew out of her shoulder and ripped her flesh, causing a nast wound. He rubbed his bleeding hand. The fight would soon become fierce.

OOC: Hmm.. you use a katana, right?

The wound Malony had recieved from the shaprd Katana was really nasty looking. If it could have stayed with just beeing a ugly looking thing on her bopdy, Malony would have been much happier; but it wasn't! The cut from the blade had caused her great pain and her blood was trickling out of her body. Soon the blue cloak that was upon her armour, purble because of the red blood. Unfortunaly to strike with the katana had hit a part where her Mithril arbour did not protect her very well; her shoulder.

"I got to have it improved later on", she thought.

Malony did not master any skill in healing, but the wound needed to been taken care of. With a pice of her rope, she made a temporare bandage and tied it hard around her arm to make the blood stop trickling.

Because of hte pain that ached slightly, she found it harder to think of a good attack. Malony knew who she was fighting against, they had met during two shorter battles before, non of then had been finnished. He, Abel, was an angel with a sea of abillities and sure was a hard opponent. Malony liked chalanges and find him more than worthy as an oponent. Not jsut his magic, but hes pchysical strength impressed her, this man was hard to beat.

Malony looked at Abel, who looked rather impatient. She guessed he wanted her to attack, the sooner the better.

"And so I will", she said quiet to herself.

Once again she pulled out her sword for in scabbard, and this time it would come to better use. As she pulled it out, Abel prepared his katana, in which he now held in left hand, because of Malonys recent attack. Both wariors came closer and closer eachother, knowing this would get fierce. The first one to try his lyck with his blade, was Mute. He had longer arms, and therefor a better range. But the atempt to hit her was not very good, and Malony could rather easy avoiv beeing hit. After a while they started to circulate aroun eachoter, both waiting for a good uppertunity to strike. Who would strike? Once again Mute took the charge and froced Malony back. Their blades met in the air, ans sparks was flying. Malony had to take small steps backward, or she would fall. Could he be strogner than her? malony did not want to acept that tought, and gathered her strength. With an explosive attack she foreced Abel back, and all he could do was top defent himself. Malony ws now in controll. She was glad she found this extra engery, and knew what to to. There. Noe she had forced him back so far, they had reached the edge of the roof.

"You got beautiful wings, Abel. Can you fly with them", she asked him, still forcing him back.
"I am an Angel, to fly are my life", Abel answered her.
"Then show my it now", Malony said, and while she said that she made a huge strike againkst Abels wing. Zintrana of perfection did not stop until it reacjed the bone of the wing. The wing was serious hurt, and soon became red of the blood. With a kick, Malny was able to kick Abel out of the rood, into the air, in hte air with a broken wing.

Abel spinned through the air, tearing the silence with disgruntled yells of pain. He was falling, his wing unbalnced. He spinned out of control, and cradled his wing in the air. He plummeted toward the ground, and his wings folded into his back, causing him to increase in velocity. He hit the cement and a blinding speed and cracked the earth, splintering his wing. He would not be able to use it during this battle. He lie there, gasping in pain, when he felt the crushing boot of Malony smash his ribs. She had jumped off of the building to land on him.

The air was filled with gravel and dust. Malony stood on Able's chest and tossed her hair back. It glimmered and clashed with the darkness around them. Abel spread his wings, which proved enough force to throw her off. But his wing ached and he could not feel the other. With great effort, he stood up and groaned in agony. There was a large crater where he had fallen. His wing was bent at an odd angle.

"You've changed, Malony. You're much stronger, physically and mentally. You've proven this to me. You...are a better person than when I last left you. But your heart is just as pure."

Abel faced her and gave her a soft kiss, embracing the young girl, and they shared a passion for a few moments. As the kiss ended, Abel grabbed her waist and tossed her body at the building he had just fallen from. She smashed into the foundation and bulleted into a subway turnstile, and hit the tiled floor and stopped a yard away from an oncoming train. The building she had crushed a hole into started to wobble, and it soon toppled to the ground with a roar. The sonic boom from the fallen building shook the earth. Abel soniced into the subway station and looked at Malony, who had just stood up, shaking. She had just been blown through a solid wall of concrete, and was unhappy about that. The fight continued.

Malony could not forget those moments full of passion. Who was he? That mysterious Angel she was fighting against? Did she even know him at all?. She caught herself looking at him. Even thoguh she had done much damage to him, he was still very attractive. No, she could not think thoguhts like that. She was Malony the maid, and he was her opponent, the opponent she was to destroy. With great efforts,she tried to get rid of all the thoguht concerting him as a person. She almost succed.

When she was back from her thinking she looked behing her, att the fallen builidng, which she had colapsed with the help of Abel. Only a really strong force could have done that. Then the pain once again remined her. This time it was not becaus of the wound made my the katana, but the great wound made my Abel, tossing her at that building. Her whole back was red and rubbed. Her mithril armour had did little use against concreat buildnings. Perhaps a soft pretective wall of platns could have slow donwn the impact, but there was no such things here in this murky place. Nor had she had time to summon.

Malonys whole back screamedc from pain, and she could no longer stand properly. Her magestic posture, and turned out in ti a bad one, as she now had to lean somewhat forward because of then pain. Malony started to think about her next attack. Now when she was on the ground, she figured out she finally could use her magic in a more pleasant way again. Malony was skilled with both sword and crossbow, but prefered fighting wiht her magic. She was conviced that magic would win against weponds in the long term.

Abel say Malony preparing, and firgured out she was not going to use her weponds.
"Is the maid of the forest going to attack me with magic?", he asked her.
"Yes, it looks like she is going to do that, and Abel is better of preparing to counter that", she said.

After she had said that, she summoned her powers for the first time in a very long time. She could feel how the earth was filling her, making her stronger and making her feel powerfull. Malony was glowing of a green shine and just about to make her attack. She raised her hand towards the sky, and concentrated herself. Then, like on a given comand the concrete pavement started to crack giving way for the tornplants tat were comming up from the ground. Before Abel could set himself in saftybecause he could no longer fly, and he could not run that fast to avoic the spiky that was growing with an enormous speed. In just some secons Abel was covered with green plants. They were squeezing him harder and harder och he became pricked witht hte needelsharp thorns.

Abel yelled as the thorns lacerated his skin and penetrated his being. They wrapped him, choked him, swarmed him, and relentlessly pounded at his flesh until the meat they were pulverizing was wet with blood. Soon the angel was no longer visible and the thorns had amassed him. All was silent, save the winding thorns that grew ever tighter and closed in among themselves. He was, Malony presumed, dead.

Malony knelt next to the mass of earth and plant and laid her sword down to honor the one she had killed. She had finally avenged her will. Abel was no more. She picked up her blade and turned to walk away, cloaking her self once more. She had walked no more than 5 feet when a resounding 'thud' was heard behind her. She quickly whipped around. The plants she had summoned from the earth were cut into thousands of pieces, all clean cuts as if they were being carefully dissceted. And Abel was nowhere to be seen.

He could not be seen; but he was alive, no doubt. Malony became nervous. She smelt his boiling blood, the blood of anger an vengeance. She knew the blood well. She could feel the disturbance in the air....She was intent on finding him...listening...

A vorpal slash.

She grasped her stomach as Abel's sword sliced through it, making a gash in her side that was unbearable. Abel was once again nowhere. She held out her arm and covered the wound to stop the bleeding. She quickly summoned a bramble of vines to make a bandage. She looked around, trying to find the silent killer. She got up to her feet and ran toward where she first detected the smell of blood and metal. She put her sword out, ready for another strike, when-

A fist cuts through the air.

She reeled over as if an explosion rocked her body. She flew backward into the air, frantically looking around at nothing, and he hit a brick wall. She had landed in the alleyway. It was dark, and Abel was on the prowl. Her eyes widened- there was movement-

The sound of his wings.

Abel had swooped her up and was instantly miles above the city; Malony was in his arms. He looked vicious, and she felt an odd sensation-like she was falling when she looked at his face. She closed her eyes and let the feeling encompass her. It was a good feeling, an invigorating one. When she opened her eyes, she turned to gaze at the angel, but he was just a speck in the clouds. She really was falling. But the speck was closer and closer. But it was not Abel-

The light that pierced her.

An energy beam slammed into her and sent her sonicing at the ground at an unimaginable speed. She blasted through the roof of a large building- an electricity plant- and she cratered into the concrete floor, shattering the earth. She had felt a greater pain than any other at that moment. But that was only the insult to the injury.

The energy that Abel had sent at her, causing her to bolt into the building, slammed into the electric reactor. Instantly, the building exploded and burst into flame. Every reactor in the building was flammable - and soon the whole complex was screaming in bolts of fury and fire. The city was woken during the night. The lights in every house flickered on, awakened by the noise. Far up above, Abel looked at the carnage, a sad look in his eyes.

When Malony woke up from her unconiousness she realised she was right in the middle of a sea of fire. In every direction there were just huge shadows of fire, and the smoke did it almost impssible to see. The heat was unbareble. Malony then felt the incredible pain that were filling her who body. She had not a singel part that did not hurt. She let of a scream, a scream filled of pain.

Malon ywas laying on her stomach but when she finally got up on her knees, she could see how wounded she was. Red buring wounds and blue bruises was covering her whole body. The only part that still looked as it used to look, was her face. With her last strength she succed to ignor the pain. She crawled low on the ground, searching for the exit. Meanwhile the smoke made her condition even worse, and she had to cough more and more but got less oxygen to breath. Malonys eyes were stinging, and she could not longer see. Now she had to rely only to her others senses, like the feeling..

... Malony was just about to give in, when she felt the wind. Then she knew she had to be near the exit. As she crawled through a flame of fire, she collided with something that feklt like a door. Malony could feel the air blowing in underneith the door. She had to get out. With her hand she searched for the doornock and there it was. It was made of matal and burned away the skin from her hand, but she was still abel to get out though the door.

Malony could not belive that she made it out though the buring house, and she tried to stand up. She walked ayaw from the burnign ruin, and after some seconds her legs could not carry her anymore, and she fell headfirst to the ground.

"What was that? Could it be? No, I can't, or can it?", Abel said to himself while looking at the spot where the movement come from. He decied to see what it was. It sure looked like a living thing. It did not take him long to reach the spot. There on her back with the eyes cloes lay Malony. Abel could not belive how she had ecaped from that inferno. He went down on his knees and took her hand. It was warm, but burn. He sat there quiet for a while, and then a tear was born an his eye. Abel had not cried for years, but now he did.

"Why are you crying, Abel", Malony said all of sudden and opend her eyes.
"You, you are alive?", Abel said and opend his eyes wide.
"Yes, but not for where long I am affraid", She anwserd.
"I never masted the skill of healing. Perhaps I should have done", malony had to stop because she started to cought violently. "But there in my package on the roof..I have.. I have a pation.. A potion I got from a very good friend. That could perhaps save me...", but then she said no more, and closed her eyes again. Abel looked at her face. Her body was torn, but her face had remain beautiful. Was she dead? He got anxious. No, she still drove some silend breath.

This looked like beeing the end for Malon, the maid from the forest.

OOC: How could he fly with his broken wing?

OOC: Good point. We'll just say he fixed 'em.

IC: Abel felt compassion for the girl and outstretched his hand. He let the power of the Seraphim flow through his arms and close the wounds. He felt her strength build back up, and her eyes opened. He, however, was gone without a whisper. His words trailed him.

"I hope this brings you closure."

Malony looked around and felt comforted. She let out a sigh and cloaked herself. As she wandered into the horizon, she heard a faint sound: the sound of his wings.

OOC: Thanks for a very nice battle Mute! I liked very much, but it could hve been a liiittle longer

Short and saweet, Malony. We'll do it again sometime soon.

~Mute