towerofanimus | monsters in the dark

[This is where Nesir heads once they get the note. She guessed Ganondorf would be there and they would have to be prepared for whatever happened.

She had changed in the last week and a bit, she was more focussed, had wasted no time looking for anyone else. She couldn't afford to care about any of the lost souls of this place. She had fashioned a belt for her white suit, so she could hold all her daggers and she had her cloak on around her.]

I did be thinking you would be being here. Have you been seeing any monsters?

[ Ganondorf turned around hen he felt Nesir's presence. He noticed too she looked better prepared, more professional in a sense. ]

Nothing yet, aside from the usual ones.

[ No monster in this tower had managed to kill him in over a year, hence the evil king was not too worried about this 'game'. Although he had to admit, he was curious to see what Ruana's little game was exactly about. ]

Maybe she do just be trying to cause a panic. [Nesir shrugged] Or maybe she has new creations she do be wanting to be showing off.

[One of the shadows lurking in the dark tower seems faster than the normal fare, glimpses of it fleeting as it skirts around the room in dashes so quick as to render it invisible so long as the surroundings remain pitch.

And then, eventually, it breaks from the circle to head straight for Nesir-- or pass by her, rather, assaulting her with claws and fangs as it does. If she doesn't avoid the attack (or if Ganondorf doesn't somehow intervene), it will be as if she'd been struck thrice for each blow rather than once. That would only be a matter of perception, though-- each hit simply was just contained in a small enough amount of time so as to seem simultaneous.]

[She glimpsed something out of the corner of her eye. But that was all the warning she got before she was hit, she brought her knives up but she was knocked backwards from the speed of the blows.]

[[ooc: but consider the monster to have returned to the shadows after its hit and run if Ganon doesn't stop it!]]

[The monster's bite carries no physical venom, but the overpowering feeling of apathy that spreads after its fangs make contact might as well be just as insidious a poison.

Ganondorf is powerful, is he not? Rightfully the true king. There's no point in trying to fight-- it might be better to just stand back and let him take care of matters. You might only get in the way. But even that shouldn't matter-- after all, if somehow you both die you'll simply be brought back to life before dawn breaks anyway.

None of it matters. No need to bother struggling.]

[ Ganondorf may or may not have seen the monster before it attacked Nesir. The world would never know. Maybe he just wanted to see how her skills had improved and if she used the dagger he had made for her with expertise. Alternatively, maybe he just was not fast enough.

But at this point this didn't matter. The instant the creature managed to struck at Nesir, Ganondorf made raised his right hand, a wall of fire immediately appearing and surrounding the perimeter, casting a dim light within the shadows. Hopefully the monster would be trapped within the delimited area before it had the time to return to the shadows.

However, in all cases the King of Evil made no move to attack the creature, not yet. He was more than ready to defend himself, and maybe Nesir, if needed. ]

[The bite hurt but Nesir soon found that she didn't care, about the bite or the fight or... well anything really. Ganondorf could handle this, she sheathed her daggers and just watched, she couldn't even bring herself to be afraid of the wall of fire that was now surrounding them.]

[There is a second, surprising roar in the distance. Like a choked sob. Without warning, the ring of fire vanishes and all magic powers are sealed so long as the duo remain on the floor.

A blur of blue dashes through the shadows, growling.

The monster feels no companionship towards the monster that has already attacked Nesir, but competition for prey is still a chance for prey. It makes a beeline towards Ganondorf, long teeth showing through a snarl.]

[The silver blur stops itself, skids to a halt harshly, even, before it would reach the flames that blocked off its refuge. It would have snarled, the sound feral and speaking of a strong bloodlust hidden only barely by the apathetic mask.

But this is before the flames die, and before the blue-masked monster's cry resounds through the tower within a tower.

In response to Despair's choked sob, Apathy howls, long and deep and chillingly empty.

As the other monster beelines for Ganondorf, this one, too, sets its sights on a target: Nesir, to finish the job it started and secure a kill before advancing on Ganondorf himself.

It fades into a blur again.]

[Even when the second monster appeared and the fire went out Nesir couldn't bring herself to fight. What was the point, they were all going to die anyways. It didn't even matter. She just watched, not caring that the first monster was getting closer.]

[ Well that was just wonderful. Two of them now and the new one of them had the ability to disable all powers-- And by consequences his inhuman resistance as well as his immunity against conventional attacks were probably disabled as well. That most likely was the monster Ruana had mentioned could be a difficulty to him. Even even without powers, in a battle one-on-one Ganondorf was nigh invulnerable thanks to his sword expertise. Two versus one however; could prove harder.

As soon as his powers were sealed away, Ganondorf hit the back of Nesir's head with the non-lethal side of his sword-- Not enough to knock her out or harm her, but hopefully enough to make her realize that starting to fight back would be a good idea. ]

Snap out of it!

[ If she at least kept the first monster busy whilst he took care of killing the new one, they stood a chance.

For now, Ganondorf focused on the Crying Monster that came his way. The monster would be able to come surprisingly close to him, but before he could reach his target, Ganon's dual swords would attempt to block him, the King of Evil using them as a shield to try and repel the monster away. And would this be successful, you can expect him to strike at the monster in an attempt to slice it.

You don't change a method that works. ]

[The monster is fast, and it seems well aware of the danger that Ganondorf presents. It lets out a tragic howl, maneuvering in such a way that would make it very difficult to land a blow. All the while, the creature makes attempts to snap at him or swipe with large claws.

Never close enough to be in danger of getting stabbed or sliced at, the monster started circling him, growling as it did.]

[The poison has done its job well. If its prey will not fight back...

A savage bite to the thigh- the femoral artery- a blow to the other, sickle-curved claws rending and tearing-- powerful jaws clamp down on one arm, to rip through the flesh there and sever the brachial artery-- and one last slash to the carotid, at least the portion of the neck that can be reached around the collar.

From these bites now leak the same emotional poison that so strongly affected the girl before.

This all happens in an instant.

This manner of blood loss is quick and fatal, the onset of unconsciousness rapid. It would be only a matter of moments before Nesir bleeds out, and just as quickly as it'd thrown itself at her the first time, the monster backs off, reappearing opposite the other monster with Ganon at the center.

The air around it seems to ripple slightly-- it's hard to tell, in the shadows-- as it turns its attention toward the swordsman. It, too, begins to circle, hollow growl echoing around the room.]

Nesir stumbled at the hit over the head but she couldn't even feel any shame that he had let him down. The monster was fast and she hadn't even registered being bit or clawed until she was on the floor bleeding out.

Even then she didn't care, the poison affected her until the end and she died without a sound.

[ Ganondorf groaned when the girl died, that was just wonderful. Nesir, you're fired. Why do all the people working for him end up defeated right at the moment he'd have needed them. Speak about timing.

The monsters circling around him, the king of evil was on his guard, a sword in each hand protecting him on both sides. All of his senses were fully focused on the battle, on feeling the monster's presence and anticipating their attacks, so as not to let them take him by surprise. If he could kill one of the two monsters, he was assured to win the ensuing duel with the remaining monster, or so he thought.

He quickly reviewed what strategy he could adopt:

> Kill the Monsters.
> Survive till sunrise and kill the monsters once they either flee or are back at being their normal pathetic selves.
> ~~Run like a coward~~ Strategic Retreat.
> Die.

Needless to say, the last option was his least favorite one. For now, Ganondorf would focus on making this battle last hours, try to strike when given a chance and flee to another floor when the chance is given.

No offensive move on Ganondorf's side this turn, purely defensive. ]

[The Crying Monster itself seemed to be formulating some sort of plan. Though it normally preferred to hunt alone, it let out a long, mournful cry when Nesir collapsed, leaving it and the Apathetic Monster to circle Ganondorf.

It didn't mourn the girl. Instead, it seemed to be attempting to communicate with its fellow monster, to make sure that their prey didn't escape it. It had no desire to circle the man all night long, letting out a roar as it swiped the air between itself and Ganondorf.]

[Three short, guttural barks in return. There's still something hollow about the sound, but the Apathetic Monster bares its fangs in what would be a dangerous expression on a human.

While the other monster is here, Ganondorf is weakened.

While it is here, Ganondorf will not escape.

The strange rippling and flickering around the monster continues. If one could see clearly through the shadows, it would be clear that the distortions aren't a trick of the light or some other odd displacement. Instead they are spidery, thin runes, written in a black light, arrayed in patterns in the air around the beast, and hard to tell apart from the darkness that surrounds them.]

[ Communication and use of powers, heh? Fair game, after all these monsters had been given an advantage by the tower, and if he was the one in their position he would without the shadow of a doubt use his powers or allies at his advantages.

However, upon barely seeing the distortion in the darkness that were covering and hiding the apathetic monster, Ganondorf got a new idea. Obviously he had whatsoever no idea what the distortions were all about, but he easilly guessed they had to be either some sort of trick or an attack charging up. Seeing that gave him a new tactic, something he could use...

Meanwhile, this was probably something easilly missed, but as he was standing in a defensive position and slowly turning on himself to make certain neither of the monsters could reach him, Ganondorf had been moving a very short distance and by now his foot was laying over the dagger Nesir let fall on the ground upon dying.

Her dead body close by, the king of evil smirked and chuckled, staring into the darkness as if he could see the creatures. But he was no fool, he would not make the first attack and jump into their territory, where the creatures could easilly take advantage of the shadows. ]

[Growing impatient, the Crying Monster let out a snarl as it watched Ganondorf, pawing angrily at the ground as it continued to make a sound unlike a sob.

This monster didn't need to charge up any attack. In an attempt to get Ganondorf to do something other than attempt to slowly slink away, it created a large ball of fire in an instant, sending the attack hurling in his direction.]

[The Apathetic Monster snorts. Defiant though the king may be, his actions are nothing but passive and submissive in the monster's eyes. If he doesn't take action, neither does it-- not physically, at least.

The runes blink out completely.

The air in a large half-dome surrounding Ganon, on the other hand, opens up, circular gates bounded by the same black runes tearing their way into reality.

From each gate appears a sword, each blade pulsing with a dark light. They are shadowy, spectral, and have no corporeal form, but despite having no body to be affected by any physical obstacles in their path, the effect the magical blades would have on any physical being they strike is just the same as any material sword.

As the Crying Monster looses its fireball, the Apathetic monster spurs the multitude of swords into motion, converging to a single point not quite as quickly as the monster itself can move but rapidly all the same.

Your move, Ganon. Make it quick.]

[ Finally they attacked. Right as it all was beginning, Ganondorf made a quick move with his right arm and his right sword disappeared-- No magic here, only hidden under his super-long sleeve, leaving him with a free hand.

At first it looked as though Ganondorf was too slow to react. It looked as though the fireballs would hit him and fry him. And clearly, he hadn't seen coming the ethereal blades. The fireball was a classical attack, but that one was of a new kind and unexpected. Surviving this without any powers would prove to be hard.

At the very last moment however, Ganondorf stepped out of the fireball's way and out of the conversing sword's point. At the very same time he used his remaining sword to deviate the fireball's aim, to deviate it into a specific direction-- Deviating it with the intent to have the fireball cross the path of the Apathetic Monster. Did Ganondorf learn something from Link? Certainly. With a move from his feet the dagger on which he stepped on was projected into the air for him to grab with his free hand.

Within a split second following this he threw with all of his strength the dagger in the Apathetic Monster's direction, and subsequently had the missing sword get back into his hand. It was his tactic: to use their powers against each other and take advantage of the surprise to attack them. And attacking them was exactly what he would be doing now that they had revealed their assets.

However as this tactic worked on such a tight schedule, in spite of stepping out of the fireballs and sword's way, at least one sword would hit Ganondorf right into the left shoulder. Don't expect more than a pained wince on his face to show any sign of pain however. No matter how painful this might feel in this depowered body of his. But his left arm would be subsequently weakened. ]

[Moving fast, the Crying Monster attacked, seeing a weak spot the moment Ganondorf had thrown the dagger. If it hit, he would be sporting a large gash.

It showed no sign of slowing down, and the growling, crying monster returned to circling around its prey slowly.]

[The magic of the dimly lit violet sword feels tainted, perhaps corrupted by the same force that twisted these monsters from their original forms. It's a corrosive, draining energy that forms them, which Ganon may briefly feel the faint effects of before the swords (including the one in his shoulder) dissipate.

The Apathetic Monster appears its nature as the projectiles approach, seeming unperturbed by the redirected attack. Then, just like Ganondorf before it, it dodges at the last moment, darting to the side in an impossibly fast movement. The dagger, too, it avoids, for that had followed the same trail as the fireball, and with the light of the flames flickering brightly off the blade it was easy enough to see and avoid.

After its dodge it doesn't stop moving. Seeing the Crying Monster attack, it waits until its fellow monster has only just cleared the line of fire before it makes a running leap over Ganon's head, all at the same impossible speed so as to appear to flicker from one position to the last. It takes up its position opposite the Crying Monster again as it returns to circling, but the move wasn't just for show: because the runic swords are not quite as fast as it is, it's a split second before they appear, quickly tracing the arc the monster traveled in.

Naturally, they hang in the air only briefly before they once again crash down on Ganon.]

[ The King of Evil knew well enough not to allow the monster to bite him, he had seen the results with Nesir and he had no intent to die unable to fight-- Or worse, depending on the effect of this monster's bite. He would die fighting, or not. Right as the crying monster attacked, Ganondorf used his twin swords to shield himself and push back the monster, even if it meant allowing the apathetic monster to go ahead with its next attack.

The Crying Monster was obviously the weakest link in this battle. Besides he had been the one to disable his powers. If he could get rid of this one monster, maybe this would unlock his powers...

However this time Ganondorf didn't stand idle in the center, waiting for the monsters to attack, no. As the crying monster would be returning to circling the evil king, Ganondorf followed it into the shadows-- With the time spent in this battle his eyes and senses had well adapted to the darkness and the monsters, and from there one he would try and strike at the Crying Monster, slicing three times in its direction yet ready to use his sword backs to parry within a split second.

However as Ganondorf focused on eliminating the Crying Monster and preventing him from biting him, this left him open to the new attack from the Apathetic Monster. He tried to avoid it as he pursued the crying monster, but this time it was not just one blade that striked him, but three-- One in each shoulder and one in the chest. Needless to say, the pain's had to be awful and his scowl grew.

But this doesn't matter. If only he could remove the crying one, the odds would be in favor. Or so he thought. ]

monsters in the dark

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no physical action in this descript to allow Ganon a chance to react

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wow my kids are being so helpful in these threads

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crud, this completely slipped my mind

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