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Character of the Season
Frail in body but dangerously quick of mind, Nikandr is the sort of character who proves that curiosity can be just as perilous as any weapon. A necromancer, inventor, and problem-solver with more ambition than self-preservation, Niki approaches the world like a puzzle box begging to be opened, even when what’s inside has teeth. Blunt, dry-witted, fiercely independent, and carrying a history best left partially buried, he has a knack for making even failure feel fascinating. Whether he’s raising the dead, moving across Caido to King's End, or experiencing a hangover for the first time, Nikandr brings a wonderfully strange spark to Caido, and we can’t wait to see what trouble his brilliant mind wanders into next.
Congratulations, Niki!
Credits
Court of the Fallen was created in October of 2018 by Odd, Honey, and Crooked.
OG Skinning provided by Kaons, with functionality and many custom plugins made by Neowulf!
Who knows how Zavien found his way out here (explore reqs), but here he was, making his way through the extravagantly colored undergrowth with a healthy level of caution. He paused to glance around at his surroundings, trying to recall if that was the same tree he'd seen earlier. They were all starting to look the same, but he was getting a strong sense of deja'vu. His eyes narrowed at the strange curve of its trunk. That had to be the same one.
Turning to Hadama behind him, he sighed loudly. "I don't know if we're making any more forward progress. Do you think here will work?" It was a large enough clearing that they could probably have a good match without too many roots under their feet and the vines seemed high enough to avoid catching their weapons in. Despite that, he would leave it up to the Mer King to make the final decision.
Hadama would have liked to walk with serene confidence behind Zavien as they made note of the healthy growth and reduction in Void flora and fauna since the Oerwoud's cleansing. Instead he was quietly glad that the Dragoon was ahead of him and could not see the Tidebreaker's struggles with the low-hanging vines and branches that threatened the tall demigod's head every few steps, forcing him to keep ducking or risk a concussion.
As such, he was relying on Zavien to lead the way. Since gaining legs he had not been able to venture far into the Oerwoud due to the Void Guardian's threat over the region, so he was as new to the Tanglefoot as the Breaker.
And then there was the other reason for their journey today.
When Zavien turned around the former-Mer was standing with his trident in hand, considering the small clearing thoughtfully. It looked like one of the jungle giants had been removed recently - perhaps by the cleanup team that had cleansed the Oerwoud? - and left a hole that had not yet filled in. "This will do," he agreed after a moment, nodding his approval of the location.
He stepped into the clearing and spun his trident slowly, warming up his arms. "Did you have something specific to work on today?"
Glancing up through the treetops and vines, he could barely make out the stars above. Luckily, although he couldn't see it, the full moon provided more than enough light to see his friend. It was especially easy to see the expert ease with which Hadama worked through his warmup. Zavien gave him a smile, stretching his own arms above his head to loosen the tension that had built there during their walk. "Safrin tasked me to train with my sword if that's okay with you?" Cocking his head, he asked in return, "Anything you need to work on?"
Once he felt the blood flowing equally throughout his body, the Dragoon unsheathed his blade, twisting it to catch the moonlight. He took a relaxed stance, swinging his sword casually through the air as he said, "I'm ready when you are." 'Ready' was probably an overestimation. He hadn't sparred against the Mer King before, but he got the feeling that he would be an extremely worthy opponent. This wasn't going to be an easy bout, which made Zavien grin in anticipation.
The cool night air was not as cold as it was in the more northerly regions in Leafchange, for which Hadama was quietly grateful. He wore a sturdy vest in acknowledgment of the changing temperatures, but his arms were still bare as he began to warm up. Zavien's answer drew an approving nod from the Mer King, however, and he settled into a defensive stance with his weapon held in guard. "It is good to hear that you seek Safrin's blessing." Emerald eyes caught the moonlight and twinkled with a reflection of distant stars. "I am honored to help."
A slight shake of his head was the answer to Zavien's question. "Speed and endurance. But nothing specific." Training against the Dragoon's sword would provide all that he needed. It was enough to test their skills together, to learn how each other fought for when - not if - they found themselves shoulder-to-shoulder against the Void.
Once again Hadama found himself in the position of being tasked with making the first move; it was not his preferred style, but stepping outside his comfort zone was an important aspect of training, too. He nodded briefly, considering Zavien's weapon and reach, and then spun his trident so that the blunt end faced his opponent and struck forward with a simple but powerful thrust aimed just below the Dragoon's rib cage.
"Thanks! I thought you might like that part." He gave Hadama a large smile. Chuckling at the Mer King's own training goals, he shook his head. "That shouldn't be too hard to incorporate." Unless they decided to stand still, it'd be hard not to work on speed and endurance. And having seen the man fight before, he knew he'd be challenged in both areas.
His suspicions were confirmed when Hadama lunged forward with his trident. Stepping slightly to the left, he used his sword to guide the stab off to the side. Zavien grunted at the effort, smiling through the action. He tried to push the trident down as he moved to slide his sword up the weapon and towards his opponent.
Indeed, Hadama's approval would have been warmly felt through the Attuned bond if Zavien had access to it. His ghost of a smile would have to be enough, before it shifted back to his usual serene stoicism in preparation for their spar. He had no doubt that the Dragoon would make him work on his speed and endurance, regardless of the weapons they chose. Nor was he disappointed in their first pass as Zavien dodged with a skillful step, moving with an economy of motion that the Tidebreaker would have liked to admire if he had been permitted the time.
The other man's blade flashed beneath the starlight above as it maintained contact with the coral-and-gold trident, and Hadama reacted with speed that others often found surprising in such a large man. Rather than letting Zavien maintain contact with his weapon he dropped it out from under the sword and spun it around once more, even as he took a single step to the side to avoid the incoming blade. Now the starlit tines were descending towards Zavien's left shoulder, narrow-edge on though angled so the smooth, blunt side of the bottommost tine might hit rather than the sharp pointy ends.
12-02-2024, 05:47 PM (This post was last modified: 12-02-2024, 08:44 PM by Zavien.)
Zavien
Further proving his suspicions, Hadam moved with a level of speed that had Zavien chuckling in muted disbelief. His sword swiped through air with enough force that it was purely luck over skill that let him dodge past the counterattack. The tangs narrowly missed his shoulder with his overreached pivot. He let out a loud sigh along with another chuckle. "That was a close one! You're fast!"
Keeping a smile on his face, he pivoted again to reach out his blade. It was turned to the flat side to avoid injury as he tried to hit the Mer King on the thigh. His friend had done him the courtesy and he figured it was only polite to do the same, even as he knew Hadama had plenty of magic in his veins that would probably assist in his healing. Either way, he didn't like hurting friends.
It was good to hear that Zavien was enjoying himself, and even better to see that his initial appraisal of the Dragoon was correct. Whether by luck or skill or both the Breaker evaded Hadama's return attack. Keeping the trident in motion, Hadama bounced the tines back up when he cut through only air, taking a step back to open the distance between them once more.
Zavien was already turning the Mer King's miss into an opportunity of his own, however, and it was not as easy to escape as he had thought it might be. The sword arced in once more, this time aimed at his thigh, and Hadama reacted without finesse as he swung his two-handed weapon to meet the incoming blade on the haft, blocking with brute force in place of deft technique. Emerald eyes bright in spite of his calm expression, he followed through by stepping forward once more, attempting to use his size and strength to push Zavien back.
The block worked, causing a vibration to run up his arm and into his teeth. He tensed against the sensation, wincing slightly and making it much easier for the larger man to push him off balance. Zavien stumbled backwards, nearly tripping on a root in the dark, however, he managed to stay on his feet, hopping back on two feet like a rabbit. It made him laugh again as he regained his positioning enough to start a counterattack.
Rushing in, he tried to pull from his vast experience as a swordsman to even the playing field against the stronger, faster man. He moved in with a strike to the right, which he made into a feint, pivoting into a left-sided swing for Hadama's shoulder. Not that he expected to hit, but Zavien still tried his hardest, still using the flat of his blade in case.
Though it was gratifying to feel his defense succeed so admirably, Hadama was surprised at the bunny hop maneuver that Zavien used to keep his balance. A soft huff of sound escaped the Tidebreaker that might have been a laugh, though it was hard to be sure in the darkness and starlight. He was prepared for the Dragoon's next attack, however, eyes following the glint of steel in the night as the sword approached.
Hadama brought his trident around to the right to meet the incoming blade--
But Zavien shifted without warning, the sword flicking swiftly through the air as it changed trajectory. The demigod lost track of it for only a fraction of a second, but by then it was too late to reposition his own weapon. He grunted as the flat of the sword smacked into the muscle of his shoulder. He inclined his head briefly in acknowledgment of the successful blow and then swung his trident around low as he stepped back, attempting to sweep Zavien's feet out from under him.
He was so focused on the his opponent that he didn't notice the faint glow beginning to collect around the edges of the clearing as an audience assembled, drawing closer in response to the sounds of combat. The light was so low to the ground that it was barely noticeable at first, though as they came closer the shapes of sharply carved eyes and fanged smiles began to come clear.
It made Zavien smile to hear the Mer King's huffed laughter. It may not have been the most elegant dodge, but at least it brought his friend some humor. Maybe that helped with his next attack, which slipped past Hadama's defenses to smack against the merman's buff shoulder. He had to keep himself from hooting at the minor victory that he had not expected to land. The silent acknowledgement had his chest puffing slightly, distracting him from the next attack long enough to make dodging difficult. He was able to lift one leg out of the way, but the other was caught against the glittering trident. As he stumbled backwards, nearly landing on his rear, Zavien was able to catch his balance just long enough for a root to snag his heel, dragging him into the dirt.
Grunting at the impact, he laughed at his clumsiness. "Nice moves!" When his eyes moved up to find Hadama, a flickering of light drew his attention. It hadn't been there at the start of their spar, and Zavien narrowed his eyes suspiciously, searching for a source. And it didn't take him long to spot the floating gourds that had gathered around them like creepily carved spectators. Moving slowly, he refused to take his eyes from them as he made cautious motions to stand. "Ummm... Hadama? Did you invite them?"
Zavien almost managed to avoid the Tidebreaker's attack, but the Oerwoud was on the King's side (for this round, at least), and down the Dragoon went. When he didn't immediately pop back up to continue, Hadama stepped over to offer a hand, a hint of a smile lifting the corners of his mouth. "Your own moves are also nice," he rumbled, tilting his head to indicate the smarting bruise on his shoulder.
But Zavien was not looking at him as he spoke, and Hadama followed his friend's gaze into the shadows that now held lights of their own. That subtle smile disappeared, a slight shifting of his expression back into stoic solemnity as emerald eyes narrowed at their audience. "Indeed, I did not," he confirmed grimly.
A hissing giggle came from one of the gourds on the heels of his words, a rippling sound that spread throughout the gathered jack o lanterns and rose to a cackle before they floated, bounced, or rolled towards the two men from all sides!
Taking his friend's hand, Zavien smiled back as he rose to his feet, although the warm feelings didn't last long as his eyes scanned the newcomers. As much as he'd prefer to continue exchanging compliments, he wasn't sure how dangerous the situation had become. Should he be worried?
Apparently so; as they took that moment to begin their two-front assault. The gourds floated and tumbled their way, sending out tendrils of thorny vines and crackling fireworks. It threw Zavien into defense mode, pushing his back against Hadama's form to protect the Mer King from the onslaught of dangerous pyrotechnics aimed at his side. Completely unaware of the fact that they were an illusion, Zavien's instinct was to brush his finger over his golden dragon bracelet, activating his new shield. A glimmer of yellow light formed into the circular barrier, dispersing the sparks into flickers of color that faded into the night. As if they'd never existed.
Upon realizing that they weren't real fireworks, the Dragoon went on the offensive, lifting his sword to begin hacking through orange pumpkin creatures. There wasn't much time for words as he let the hum of battle course through his body.
They had certainly never practiced such a maneuver, but Hadama turned instinctively at the same time Zavien did so that their backs were together, guarding each other's most vulnerable spot. His jaw tightened subtly, chin lifting as the possessed vampire gourds went on the attack. Trusting Zavien to hold his own after the recent proof of their training, the Mer King moved straight onto the offensive. The three closest gourds were met with the bludgeoning force of his Gravity Spikes spearing through them, sending explosions of gory gourd guts in all directions. A few even splattered against Hadama himself, though his stoic expression never faltered.
As the second wave closed in he swung his trident in a sweeping arc to keep them at bay, ducking his head and squinting through the fireworks that obscured his vision, though he oddly felt no pain or heat from them. At least they were squishy as foes went, easily dispatched, and it gave him an idea. "Buy me three seconds," he called to the man at his back. "I will use my lunar blessing." The one that had once damaged an allogator while giving Zavien's sword that little extra oomph to strike true and finish the job.
