"Shit." Ian slides to a stop at the sound of hooves and makes for any kind of cover nearby.
Aska follows suit quickly, "This doesn't work, fighting is our only option..." Her grip tightens around her weapon, preparing for the worst.
"Run! Run! Little mice, your souls are called into service!" Malevolent laughter followed the declaration, and the sound of hooves followed, closing on them. "You cannot hide!"
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Something about the thing's tone told him, that no matter how good they were are stealth, it'd find them. So he healed up as best he good and planted his feet for a fight.
Aska follows suit with Ian and uses her last prepared extract. Then she moves behind Ian hoping he will fair better than she did against the creature's attacks.
The thudering of hooves comes out of the fog and the two of you turn to face it, the sword sweeping down as the headless rider passes by, attacking as he does. The horse continues galloping into the fog, and sight of it is lost.
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"Do we go for the horse again, or should I try a bomb?" Aska asks quickly, trying to strategize before it makes a return pass.
Aska's question fall on deaf ears. She looks at Ian just as he collapses to the ground, blood pooling around him.
"Son of a..." Aska figures her best bet is going to be hitting the horse with a tangle bomb and the using the his recovery time to grab Ian's wand and try to heal him.
Aska's Tanglefoot bomb goes wide, but the reactionary movement to avoid it causes the horseman's attack to miss, buying seconds for her to act before the next attack comes.
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With little time to decide, Aska sticks to her guns and tosses out another bomb, hoping for more luck.
Aska's attempt succeeds as the the horse is rendered immobile, the substance of the bomb sticking to it and its barding, preventing it from running properly, which compounds as the horse founders, its legs being stuck together. The horse goes down with the rider still on it, and it has bought more time for her to act, as the headless rider has to attempt to extricate itself from its mount before the attack can be pressed.
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(26/23)
Aska thanks the gods for the few moments she's managed to buy. She scrambles for the wand Ian was holding just moments ago and attempts to rouse him with it. She has no chance of survival alone. "Come on big guy, we're not done yet...
Ian remains unresponsive.
Still partially within Aska's sight, there is a rush of air as the horse disappears, and the rider starts to regain his feet. The ominous chuckle sounds throughout the fog as the rider regains his feet. "You are clever mice... Very clever... So be it! I do not need a mount to claim your souls!"
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(5)
Quickly running out of options, Aska throws her last Tanglefoot bomb. Hoping beyond hope for just a few more seconds of time.
Aska hands shaking, she manages to get her bomb together and find it's mark. Now, she can only hope.
Hit square on, it manages to not be stuck to the ground, but it is still once again hampered by the bomb. "...The first thing I will do is sever that arm of yours.", it threatened, struggling with the restriction of the substance. For the first time, the voice is tinged with an emotion: annoyance. While it does move closer, it cannot reach Aska, just barely out of arm's reach.
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(13/3)
A rush of hope at her brief success. Aska turns once more to reviving Ian. Hoping that the Tanglefoot would restrict him enough to let her and Ian have a fighting chance.
A jolt of magic and Ian was awake. He shoots up into a sitting position and groans at the pain of recently closed wounds. Wounds that could open very easily. The scene in front of him brought reality crashing back and removed his pain, replacing it with fear. He scrabbles to his feet and reaches for his weapon, caked in his own pooled blood. With shaky hands faces the thing that nearly killed him. He manages a glance to his right at Aska, just as shaky and scared.
"Finally..." Aska voice cracks a bit. She wants to say something else; some inspiring "Fight to the last!" kind of thing. But she can't seem to find anymore words to say as they face down what may very well be the death of them. All that was left was to give everything she had into bringing down the opponent who stood before them.
The crackle of the Tanglefoot bomb's substance giving way to the strength of the headless rider's body was immediately audible as it closed the distance between itself and Aska, the voice's muffled echo immediately loud. "Now about that arm..."
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(13/6)
Aska falls back on an old battle plan. Moving into position for Ian to flank, and the swinging with all she's worth.
Ian slips around to the creatures other side, weapon extending into a deadly halberd. With a battle cry of "YOU FIRST!" he sweeps the blade low and then up at a dangerous angle.
Aska's attack misses, but Ian's swing connects solidly, dealing not-insignificant damage to the rider. Another silver arc flashed out, the attack coming angling towards her bomb arm.
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(23/9) ,
Aska is badly hurt, but has no time to stop. Either they bring this thing down or they die. She rallies herself for another attack.
Unfortunately, with the injury to her arm, her swing goes wide. At this point, Ian was their best hope of finishing this. So she did the only thing you could.
"That the best you can do? I know pixies who hit harder than you."
Ian maintains a safe distance and continues with large, powerful swings.
Neither attack manages to hit the headless rider, and he presses his attack, another exchange ending in his favor as he connects, the chill not only in the air but also coming from his blade as well, wisps of fog seeming to drift off of it, severely wounding her.
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(23/12) ,
Aska bleeds out quickly on the ground. Not the most glamorous of deaths, but she went down fighting. Not much more she could ask for.
Another miss from Ian as Aska falls, and the Horseman turns to him. "In death, you will serve." Some of the Tanglefoot substance fouls his grip and his attack is fouled for a few seconds, allowing Ian another chance to keep fighting.
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Ian continues to make ferocious swings. If this was his last fight then so be it. He'd be the mouse, backed into a corner, that fought for its life.
The exchange between Ian and the Horseman eventually concludes, his halberd joining Aska's on the ground, as he falls beside it. The Horseman gives them both a salute with his sword, as the fog is silent again. "...Two more souls to the call."
Minutes later, the infernal scream of the horse could be heard again as the rider rode off into the fog, in search of more souls to serve.
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