against Ramiel, Nuriel only needed great and anything less was just going to hinder her own abilities. Already she found herself having to withdraw slightly to avoid clashing with Isley.
With a scowl Nuriel ducked beneath a hammer swing just as Isley came in with a sword swing. Ramiel quickly spun, letting the blade clash against his heavily armored left pauldron. At that moment Nuriel seized her chance and shot forward with her sword. Unfortunately Isley spun back in at the same time and she had to quickly duck and roll left to avoid accidentally hitting him.
This was all the blunder Ramiel needed to finish the battle. With a quick dodge Ramiel caught Isley’s arm under his left. He twisted slightly, causing Isley to fall backward. Ramiel spun around, delivering a swift kick right to Isley’s face, then with a quick spin in the opposite direction delivered a well-placed hammer blow across Isley’s back that sent him flying and landing unconscious nearby.
By the time Nuriel had rolled back to her feet Ramiel was already on her. She felt the heel of his boot catch behind her own, throwing her off balance. She impacted upon the ground, her back flat against the stone earth. She looked up and saw Ramiel’s gauntleted fist coming straight down at her like a wrecking ball. Her Caliber flared as she threw her arms up to her face, but the impact came right at her chest with a tremendous crack, as if a sledgehammer had hit her.
Although her star-metal armor did not give way, the powerful blow resonated right through it and into her flesh, knocking the wind from her lungs. Her eyes went wide as the air tried to tear its way back into her chest. But down came another blow, and another, Ramiel’s fist like a wrecking ball upon her. She was vaguely aware of the ground cracking beneath her, and as the stars of unconsciousness began to pop before her eyes she could feel her body being driven into the earth.
The sound of Ramiel’s fist upon her chest was now tinny and sharp, the pain dulling as consciousness faded from her, the jolt and spasm of her body more real than the pain caused by each blow. Her eyes rolled up, briefly catching Ramiel’s face. It was twisted in anger, blood dripping from his torn chin, his one topaz eye and the other ruined one looking at her with a type of hatred she had never before seen directed at her. Her eyes continued their journey up and she became aware of Isley’s body laying upon the ground, but the vision was in a strange, obscure, duality and upside-down. The only thing that now seemed real was the voice in her mind telling her ‘just one hit to your face and it will all be over’.
But as that thought rolled in her head she became aware that the pounding upon her chest had stopped. There were voices. Ramiel was barking something, orders maybe? She was surrounded by gleaming metal and she felt her body being jerked around.
Presently Nuriel became aware of a buzzing pain in her wrists. Her arms were behind her. She tried to move them, but her wrists were bound. A vague notion that she was cuffed with runic bindings floated through her mind. She looked around, her eyes rolling in their sockets. There were bolt-throwers pointed down at her.
Suddenly she was jerked and she felt her legs being dragged. She managed to turn her eyes up. Ramiel had her around the collar of her breastplate. He had Isley in his other hand and he was dragging them both toward the tunnel. Nuriel moaned and tried to touch her face but realized once again that she was cuffed. Isley seemed to stir as well. “I…Isley…” she managed.
“Good morning, love,” said Ramiel as he dragged them by their collars. “Time for me to deal with this Celacia of yours.”
Nuriel closed her eyes and groaned. Her Star-Armor felt like a million pounds. She was winded and dizzy and fairly certain that could she remove her breastplate, her chest would be bruised up pretty badly. She concentrated on shining her Caliber, for that
With a scowl Nuriel ducked beneath a hammer swing just as Isley came in with a sword swing. Ramiel quickly spun, letting the blade clash against his heavily armored left pauldron. At that moment Nuriel seized her chance and shot forward with her sword. Unfortunately Isley spun back in at the same time and she had to quickly duck and roll left to avoid accidentally hitting him.
This was all the blunder Ramiel needed to finish the battle. With a quick dodge Ramiel caught Isley’s arm under his left. He twisted slightly, causing Isley to fall backward. Ramiel spun around, delivering a swift kick right to Isley’s face, then with a quick spin in the opposite direction delivered a well-placed hammer blow across Isley’s back that sent him flying and landing unconscious nearby.
By the time Nuriel had rolled back to her feet Ramiel was already on her. She felt the heel of his boot catch behind her own, throwing her off balance. She impacted upon the ground, her back flat against the stone earth. She looked up and saw Ramiel’s gauntleted fist coming straight down at her like a wrecking ball. Her Caliber flared as she threw her arms up to her face, but the impact came right at her chest with a tremendous crack, as if a sledgehammer had hit her.
Although her star-metal armor did not give way, the powerful blow resonated right through it and into her flesh, knocking the wind from her lungs. Her eyes went wide as the air tried to tear its way back into her chest. But down came another blow, and another, Ramiel’s fist like a wrecking ball upon her. She was vaguely aware of the ground cracking beneath her, and as the stars of unconsciousness began to pop before her eyes she could feel her body being driven into the earth.
The sound of Ramiel’s fist upon her chest was now tinny and sharp, the pain dulling as consciousness faded from her, the jolt and spasm of her body more real than the pain caused by each blow. Her eyes rolled up, briefly catching Ramiel’s face. It was twisted in anger, blood dripping from his torn chin, his one topaz eye and the other ruined one looking at her with a type of hatred she had never before seen directed at her. Her eyes continued their journey up and she became aware of Isley’s body laying upon the ground, but the vision was in a strange, obscure, duality and upside-down. The only thing that now seemed real was the voice in her mind telling her ‘just one hit to your face and it will all be over’.
But as that thought rolled in her head she became aware that the pounding upon her chest had stopped. There were voices. Ramiel was barking something, orders maybe? She was surrounded by gleaming metal and she felt her body being jerked around.
Presently Nuriel became aware of a buzzing pain in her wrists. Her arms were behind her. She tried to move them, but her wrists were bound. A vague notion that she was cuffed with runic bindings floated through her mind. She looked around, her eyes rolling in their sockets. There were bolt-throwers pointed down at her.
Suddenly she was jerked and she felt her legs being dragged. She managed to turn her eyes up. Ramiel had her around the collar of her breastplate. He had Isley in his other hand and he was dragging them both toward the tunnel. Nuriel moaned and tried to touch her face but realized once again that she was cuffed. Isley seemed to stir as well. “I…Isley…” she managed.
“Good morning, love,” said Ramiel as he dragged them by their collars. “Time for me to deal with this Celacia of yours.”
Nuriel closed her eyes and groaned. Her Star-Armor felt like a million pounds. She was winded and dizzy and fairly certain that could she remove her breastplate, her chest would be bruised up pretty badly. She concentrated on shining her Caliber, for that
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