Post by Roxanne Lexington on Sept 15, 2015 23:00:32 GMT
The guild hall looked so nice for something that was owned by the most dangerous criminals Roxy had heard of in her misadventures. The redheaded sixteen year old stood in a rather nice entryway, people leering at her like she was their next meal. She was nervous, but she was resolute. She'd been invited by a friend of a friend who had heard of her secret magic training. She'd also left home just that morning without much of a chance to pack her bags, so the light blue, overly frilly dress was all she had. It seriously looked out of place, and even she knew it.
Roxanne wore a strong frown on her face, though she did feel the need to gulp from her secret nervousness. The girl with the strange hair looked at her with what was at best an amused grin, like she was a shark and Roxanne was a swimmer with her blood in the water. "You really think my father wants the likes of you in his guild?" Truth was unimpressed by what she saw. Roxy had been prepared for it, but it was still unpleasant.
"I know I don't look like much, but just you wait!" Roxanne frowned. "Give me a chance. I'm a strong wizard, and one who isn't afraid to do what she needs to to get the job done."
"Fine," Truth's grin became more serious. "But don't blame me if you get eaten alive out here. It's a dangerous world."
The same face, somewhat older, looked straight into the eyes of a middle-aged man. He was stuck in a chair, tied up in chains. She had her foot propped up on a crate, leaning on her knee as she watched him like the shark that had once watched her. "Look," Roxy frowned. "We're on a tight schedule, got it? I don't want to hurt you, but see we need information. You shipped off fifty crates full of uncharged lacrima. Where are they going?"
The Red Blades had need for those uncharged lacrima. Truth had big plans, and Roxanne was going to get her what she wanted. It was the first real chance she'd had since the girl who had 'welcomed' her to the Red Blades had taken her position as guild leader. She was going to impress the girl, just like she'd impressed everyone else over time. "I really don't want to have to hurt you or anyone else, but this is rather important."
Raven walked through the streets, looking strangely purposeful. And right now he did have a purpose. He'd caught wind of a kidnapping that happened recently. A higher up in a shipping company had been snagged from his home, and it was causing problems. So Raven had silently taken it upon himself to fix the problem. Something he felt he was good at doing. Without wasting time he found his way to where the kidnapping happened.
It was surprisingly clean. As if the man hadn't put up a struggle. Though, there were several scents that were still mostly fresh. And that's all he really needed. Which brought him to where he was now, making his way to the warehouses this company owned. That's where the scents led him. And so he was going to investigate.
But he couldn't just go in through the front door. He spotted some windows and hopped up into one and began creeping around quietly. He had is hand on the hilt of his sword so it wouldn't rattle as he moved. And his leather jacket, aside from the crimson scales, helped him blend in. Now all that was left was to find the hostage and free him... And hopefully avoid the gazes of anyone inside.
Post by Roxanne Lexington on Sept 16, 2015 4:09:48 GMT
"Don't just stand there. Teach him a lesson!"
Roxanne turned to look at the man giving her orders. Sure, she'd been insulted, but... "We already have his money! Who cares what he says?" The girl protested.
Jorge glared at her, before returning the glare to the man they'd just robbed. "It's about respect, girl. Whether you give it or not, you should demand it because you're a member of the guild. Now, teach him a lesson, or I will, and I know you don't want me to be the one to do it."
Roxy gritted her teeth. She'd dedicated herself to growing stronger and more prominent in the guild. She had to show Truth that she was, in fact, Red Blades material. She swallowed self-conciously before making eye contact with the now much poorer man who had just hurled insults at her and her guild. "You heard the man. You should show us some respect." She summoned a blade, holding it out in front of his face. "Fail to again and your punishment will be a lot worse than this."
"I don't have your information! I don't keep direct tabs on these things. That's for the people who work for me to-" The man was cut off when Roxanne placed a summoned sword at his throat.
"I did my homework, idiot," Roxanne didn't have time for his blame shifting. "Who's the low life scum here now? You want me to go after the people who work for you just to spare your sorry life? Tch." She rolled her eyes, placing the sword closer to his throat - close enough that it drew blood. "You spend hours every single night personally making sure everything in your district is as it's supposed to be. You even ignore your family for it."
"I-" She moved the blade just enough to cut him off, making him think better of his protest.
She and her teammates were in the middle of town. While unlikely, it was still possible someone could notice things were amiss and come investigate. If that happened, she wouldn't be able to take him with her and still escape. He was out of time, and she was running out of options. She moved the blade from his neck and placed it over his fingers pointedly. "Tell me everything. Now."
There was more than one person... So Raven had to be careful. Thankfully the warehouse was big, and there weren't too many people patrolling around. It also helped that he could move around on top of the stacks of crates if he was careful. Which is where he was perched currently.
He could hear one voice that stood out from the patrols. Female... dominant tone... And in a rush judging by how she was speaking. He moved to another crate, but knocked over the one he was moving from in the process. Silently cursing as the crash happened he circled wide instead of going straight for the voice. This worked towards his advantage however, as it drew most of the patrolling men and women to that spot, giving him free access to the rest of the warehouse.
Once he found a good spot to see the hostage he frowned. Sunglasses still covered his eyes, despite being indoors. But that didn't stop him from seeing how panicked the man was. Nor how the woman was holding the sword over his fingers. But with her guards elsewhere this was a perfect opportunity. So he lept down landing next to her and began pulling his sword. In one fluid motion it would come out, swinging horizontally at her.
Post by Roxanne Lexington on Sept 16, 2015 4:46:31 GMT
"To a pulp you say?" Truth raised an eyebrow, glancing at Roxanne, who looked none too happy for the beating she'd had to give the man. In his position she'd have thrown insults too. She knew what it was like to be rich and have people want what she had. The Guild Master's daughter smirked an almost cruel smirk, placing a hand on her hip as her attention was turned from Jorge to Roxanne. "Maybe I was wrong. You can do what needs to be done eh? Consider me impressed."
She spoke like she was already the leader of the guild. She made it no secret that she desperately wanted to usurp her father. Whether she wasn't strong enough or simply wasn't willing to actually move against him was up for debate, but Roxanne had personally come to realize who the more cunning of the two were. She couldn't help but respect the girl, despite how scary she could be.
"Thank you..." she nodded, hoping to whatever gods were out there that she didn't look like she'd been holding back tears. She supposed that in the end she'd helped the man. Jorge would have killed him and left him to rot. Plus, now his debt was settled, right? And Truth now actually kind of maybe respected her to boot...
"F-fine! Don't hurt me! I- I- It's all going to Grand City! Direct route! I was paid a lot of money to make sure it was fast! There's Templar protection and everything!" The man gulped, his fingers twitching a bit as he tried not to think of them suddenly being removed by the incredibly sharp blade.
Roxanne grinned. That was all she needed to know. And just in time too. She moved her blade, twisting so that she'd have a proper angle to block the weapon that had just aimed for her. The tipped crates had been a sign she had even less time than she'd thought. The lack of alarm alarmed her far more than anyone yelling.
She allowed a grin as she recognized the man who had snuck up on her so easily. "Flametongue, I'd say I'm honored to warrant your attention," she shoved the sword back before shifting backwards, creating distance between them. The blade she had equipped was giving her an impressive boost to her speed; it was the lighter of the two main weapons she used. A vigilante like him was a relief more than anything. It meant there was no backup coming. She chuckled, adrenaline already rushing through her veins.
"But I hear you've been sticking your nose in a lot of places lately. What, you disappear for years and just now come back? Your old guild mates were afraid you were dead. Well, I say afraid, but I suppose hoping is more accurate." Roxanne was a lot of talk. She was a lot meaner in words than anything else, especially while on the job. People feared proper villains. They got the job done, no matter what.
"I don't think we've personally met though. You might know me as the Hell Knight of the Red Blades," she greeted. She had an edge. Sure, her magic was part fire but the weapons were so much more than that. They were practically legends themselves despite the fact that she never advertised them for what they really were. "I suggest you leave before I have to teach you a lesson about barging in on a lady."
She was both stronger and faster than Raven had been expecting. And ready too. Though he supposed his little distraction probably tipped her off. No matter... He could still take them all down without using too much of his magic. He stood up straight and held his crimson blade low, like he was letting his guard down.
"Hoping is probably the more accurate term," Raven smirked as he slowly started walking forward. There wasn't a hint of fear on him, and every step seemed to scream of the confidence he felt. However, there was no magic in sight. Magic that Flametongue was famed for. "Can't say I'm surprised you know of me."
"The name Red Blades rings a few bells," He said stopping as he lifted and pointed his sword at Roxanne. He was only holding what probably should have been held by two hands with only one. "But I can't say Hell Knight rings any. You must still be low on the food chain or people would probably be talking about you."
"Teach me a lesson huh?" Raven tilted is head, the smirk fading slightly. He adopted a more defensive stance as his tone took on a more condescending form. "Then I guess you should start teaching me. Because right now all I see is the Hell Brat of the Red Blades."
Post by Roxanne Lexington on Sept 16, 2015 5:16:39 GMT
"I can do this on my own, you know!" Roxanne was practically seething as Jorge approached her yet again. "I've been doing just fine for the last three months! Why the heck do you insist on coming with me for every single job?!"
"Because you're soft, girl. You're strong. You have talent, but without my guidance you're nothing." Jorge smirked, rubbing his bald head with his hand. He'd just recently shaved his head and he had a habit of feeling the smoothness when he did. It was really irritating.
"Nothing?!" Roxanne stomped the ground, her arms straight out with her fists out turned in her 'angry rich girl' pose, as Jorge called it. "Just because I don't leave a trail of bodies everywhere I go doesn't mean I'm nothing! I'm stronger than you! Hell, I'm better than you! I can get the job done without all your bloodthirsty crap you creep!"
Jorge's eyebrow raised. A low chuckle escaped his lips. "See, it's how easily excited you are, girl. You're volitile. I kill people. You? You endanger more than your victims. You endanger everyone with your damn high horse you ride on. That's why we're partners, you know. We balance each other out nicely."
Roxanne couldn't help it. She smiled a bit as she crossed her arms. "Maybe. You're still pretty insufferable though. Still, if you want to come this time, you have to promise to not kill anyone unless things go wrong, alright?"
The chuckle turned into a full-on laugh. "Alright, Princess," That stupid nickname again. He knew she hated it. "If it'll shut you up about it for awhile, you have a deal. Now let's go before the trail gets cold or you get cranky because you haven't had your royal nap."
Roxanne's grin widened. Oh, this guy was a winner. "Name calling? Insults?" Her crimson eyes watched where Raven's eyes would be behind the sunglasses. She shifted her stance slightly. He wasn't using any magic; she was only using the minimum amount. She didn't need magic to deal with him. "I expected more clever from a has-been like you."
With minimal warning, she moved to attack. The swordswoman slashed from his right before suddenly appearing on his left, attacking from that angle as well. They had mere moments before her allies came to her aid. She wasn't too concerned; she had what she needed; she could make her escape if she needed to. "Dark guild enforcer to do-gooder who slays dragons?" Roxanne couldn't help but make conversation as she moved. Swordplay was her second nature to her. Almost as second nature as information gathering had become over her last couple of years. "You must be strong. Show me how strong if you want to save your man damsel!"
"Oh, I'm not here to save him," He said as he dodged the first slash. The sound of metal clashing against metal rang out as the blades collided, with Raven blocking. She was fast, and strong. But he had her on experience in combat. And that's what would ensure he won here. "I'm here to stop you."
It was a bluff, but one Raven played extremely well. He had been part of a dark guild at one point after all. And he'd spent years perfecting how to hide his feelings. Another minor edge he had in combat. He took a step forward and suddenly pushed, using his weight to knock her back. He then followed that up with a horizontal slash.
"Give me a reason to stop holding back... and I just might make you regret asking," Raven warned, though his tone was nonchalant. He really wasn't taking her all that seriously. And he figured she'd dodge, and prepared a follow up thrust for that. Just to keep her off balance. "Of course... You probably don't want to. You're planning to bail as soon as your friends show up. Which should be right about now."
Post by Roxanne Lexington on Sept 16, 2015 5:57:57 GMT
The building burned around Roxanne as she stood there, showing no sign of wanting to escape, herself. The mission was a rousing success. She should feel elated. She'd finally showed that idiot, Jorge, that she could make sure people feared them without ever really hurting anyone that didn't absolutely require it.
The feeling was hollow though. This guild - this rival dark guild, younger than even the reformed Red Blades, was literally going to be ash soon. She held no illusions that she was a good person anymore. She drank. She had been doing just about anything she could to disappoint her parents since she was fourteen. But ruining people other than herself... it was a hard thing to fathom. She'd pushed it back many times before, and she would again soon. It was just...
Before it had been only a few people, or rich fools who didn't need or deserve their money just like her own parents didn't. These people had been trying to make their own life free of Fiore's rules just like her. Just like the Red Blades. Were they good people? No. But... was anyone really? People were selfish. Her friends were selfish. She was selfish.
She sighed. Before had been practice. Now she'd displaced an entire guild with her small strike team. This was the real thing. She was only sixteen and she'd accomplished what the Templars themselves dreamed of doing all the time. Truth and her father would undoubtably be elated to hear the news. She would be proud to tell them. She just needed a moment to take things in, regardless of if it was stupid or not. Today was the day she joined the big leagues. Today was the day she left her doubts behind. She didn't have room to doubt. She was a full member of the Red Blades now. Jorge himself had told her that. There was no going back now that the trials were over.
This was her moment of triumph. There was nothing left of the girl who had run away from home three months ago. So... why was it she wanted a drink so badly?
Raven was both strong and fast, but she'd faced faster opponents. The sheer physical strength though - that was unnatural. He didn't even seem to be using any enhancement spells, as far as she could tell. There was usually some sort of sign. This was unreal. It was exciting. As he shoved back her blade and took his own stab at her, she used her speed to parry as she moved out of the way.
"I have lots of regrets Flame Tongue, as I'm sure you do too. Getting stronger because I take on more than I should? That's only ever done me good." Raven continued his assault, and Roxanne continued to prove she was his equal in hand to hand fighting. He had experience, she had natural talent.
"Don't think I'm backing down. I don't even need any of them to take you on." Still, she knew her orders, and she knew a clash of egos could easily cause the Red Blades to lose the relevant information they had. At least it was too late to change routes on the shipment they were after.
Roxanne requipped her weapon, going from the sleek, fast blade to the much larger claymore that greatly enhanced her own strength. She wielded it like someone three times her size. Yeah, it was still two-handed, but it didn't slow her down as much as it looked like it would. She used the weapon to slash at him, but also at the boxes to her right. With a single strike, she shattered them, causing an avalanche to fall around them. A quick change allowed her to move back out of range. She would escape going a different way than her backup. With luck he'd follow her; she'd already broadcasted the information to the rest of the group so it didn't matter. He couldn't catch them all. "Still, orders are orders, Flametongue. Even you know that." With that, she took off using her speed to help her along. She'd escape through the crowds, no problem. He was too much of a do-good hero to do anything to endanger the people around her.
Raven was about to take another swing when his opponent's weapon nearly tripled in size. But that wasn't the case... She was using Re-equip magic! He pivoted to stop his forward momentum, and braced himself for the impact of her swing. When it hit, he was pushed back slightly, but still held his ground. Even as the smashed box fell around him he was grinning.
As she flitted off he was left with two options. Chase down grunts who could only follow orders, or take out their leader making future operations harder. He wasn't compelled to protect the cargo like the Templars were. And grunts were easily replaceable. They were nothing more than extra bodies that could be sacrificed. Which only left him one course of action...
He jumped over the debris in one bound and took off after Roxanne. His taller frame, and stronger body, allowed him to move quite quickly. And now that he had her scent she wouldn't be getting away. Once outside he could see what she was doing. Using the crowds to evade him eh? He could work around that.
"Outta my way!" Raven shouted and held his hand into the sky. He was a lone dragon slayer yes, but he knew she needed to end up in templar hands for this to truly be over. So he held up his hand and shot fireballs into the sky. Between that and being a man with a drawn weapon, people were quick to move out of his way. "C'mon Hell Brat! You'll have to do better than this to escape me!"
Post by Roxanne Lexington on Sept 16, 2015 18:49:18 GMT
Roxanne stopped and spun as the fireworks went off behind her. Immediately, people started panicking. There was no way he was just going to give up the chase. Not until she gave him a good reason not to. Roxanne allowed that excited grin she got on her face when she was about to do something dangerous and stupid. She was a daredevil, and this guy... he was the devil she was daring. She wondered if she could escape a fight with a dragon slayer briefly.
Psh. Of course she could. People mostly ignored her despite the sword she was holding... likely do to the more dangerous-looking man in the crowd. Raven was right about one thing. The Hell Knight of the Red Blades was mostly unknown outside of the right circles. There was a reason for that; She was good at keeping below the radar, even in situations this drastic. Raven was considered a dangerous man in some circles. She could capitalize on that.
As the crowd cleared away, the redheaded woman requipped yet again, this time more than her sword - it was her Hellknight armor - fire aspected armor wrapped in flames and only rarely used. It would put them on much more even footing, though he might still have an advantage as far as the magic portion went. The grin persisted the entire time, even as the street cleared as the last stragglers screamed for Templar help.
"I was making this easy on you, you know," she shrugged, a third and more rarely used sword now in her grasp. It was the middle ground between her two favorite weapons. "I can do a lot better than you think. You want to stop me... come and get me, big guy." All she had to do was wait for the Templars. She could pin it all on him then.
As the crowed cleared Raven slowed to a stop. She was in armor now, and had a new sword. The only real clue he had about her abilities was the fire from her armor. Which was a poor choice on her part. After all... he might as well have been fire incarnate himself. So he took a ready stance. Out here he couldn't use much of his magic. And all he had to do was buy time for the Templars to show up.
Sure, he might have been in a dark guild at one point. But it was also known within the Templars who all went to Valland to put an end to that madness once and for all. And who stepped up to stop the dragons. And he was banking on those actions outweighing him joining Shadow Heart here. Plus, even if she wasn't known among the common folk, the Templars likely knew of her. She was too experienced to just be an unknown underling.
"You know... that attitude has been the downfall of so many would be powerful wizards," Raven said walking forward, his sword ready. The magic within him was just aching to get out, but he was holding it back in. "You're trying to prove yourself better than me. Only the truly weak have to prove their strong."
And with that he went in for a diagonal slash, but he was ready for her counter. He was purposely leaving himself open, his covered eyes locking onto hers...
Post by Roxanne Lexington on Sept 16, 2015 19:23:30 GMT
Better? Roxanne's grin didn't falter, though it might have changed form, from excited to cocky. She didn't need to be better. Better fighters didn't win matches. Smarter ones did, and this guy thought he was smart. Roxanne was smarter, that much she was sure of. He had assumed her armor was a bad choice. It wasn't for harming him; it was for protecting her.
The so-called knight actually laughed, her voice echoing throughout the now deserted street. "I don't have to prove a thing to a guy like you," she corrected him. "The strong only become strong because they're constantly tested. You know that." he moved towards her, moving to slash at her and leaving himself far too open for the same person from before who had attacked her.
The sword flipped up defensively, but the defense itself was a feint. He wasn't trying to hit her. He was trying to be blocked so he could try something else. Roxanne jumped backwards, escaping his grasp altogether. As she did, she actually swung around to hit the back of his sword, causing it to swing faster and further in the direction he'd been aiming it and throw him off balance. She knew better than to stay too close for the moment, though. "I said fight me, not dance with me," she chided, a frown on her face. "No swordsman as experienced as you leaves himself that open. You're not as smart as you think you are." She shrugged, looking momentarily more sassy than full of combat-fueled spite. "Besides, I don't do dances with men."
"The strong become strong because they're needed, not because they're tested," He corrected, quoting Draco. The strong were there to protect the weak, not take from them. In a world were you take from the weak, everyone loses. That's what he tried to teach Shadow Heart. And his words had fallen on deaf ears then. Just like they were going to now.
When his sword was slapped to knock him off balance he only grinned. This is where his experience came into play, something talent would never be able to do. He used that momentum to follow through into another swing. This time however, flames rand down the length of the blade. As the blade hit the ground he pushed forward, rolling with the momentum. Just as the tip of his sword was facing the ground the magic burst out launching him into the air.
But that was a bi product of what was actually happening. A circle sprang up under Roxy's feet, and the flames that shot out of the ground rose up as a solid wall around her. They were physically solid despite being flames, which was a little trick Raven was quite proud of. Then using his height he dive bombed right for her. "You're far too young and weak for me to do anything more than dance."
Post by Roxanne Lexington on Sept 16, 2015 19:52:16 GMT
Roxanne reached out to touch the flames, noting that they were, in fact, solid. The armor prevented them from burning her, which was the reason she'd put it on in the first place. His flames weren't useless, but they were about a step away from it. The Hellknight armor was originally made for devil slayers before they'd discovered the secret that made them modern devil slayers, after all. She glanced up to see Raven speeding down towards her. "Flashy much?" she asked the air as she requipped to the larger blade. The two impacted, and thanks to her strength, Roxanne was able to push him off, ignoring most of what was happening with any fire magic he used.
She had her own tricks, ones given to her through her acquisition of several powerful legendary weapons and armor from ages past. Her sword disappeared once more as she shoved Raven away, replaced with an entirely different weapon; this one could disrupt magic, but only in bursts. The sword pierced the wall of flames, and fiery cracks appeared in the wall before the entire thing shattered, returning this particular sword to its more mundane state. She raised it once more as she jumped back, switching to the speed-enhancing sword. "You sound like an old man," she grinned. "Youth and determination and all that," she shrugged.
Stalling was kind of lame. He was definitely stronger than her, more experienced too. She couldn't claim to have killed a dragon, after all. But dragons weren't her thing. Turning unfair situations to her advantage... That was something she was good at.
Templars could be heard shouting in the distance; they would be here even sooner than Roxanne had thought. That meant she was going to have to do a better job goading him into looking like the crazy one. "If this is all you've got, how did you ever kill that dragon?" she asked him, putting away the verbal kiddy gloves. She knew the story. "He must have been one sad excuse for a lizard, you know? I mean you've got strength but geeze even my grandma could have read your movements."
