Patrollogs
(Kah's nightmare battle with Siofra)
[Sat Feb 15 2025]
At The Trove Barcade
This room is dominated by a sprawling, weathered bar. The bar's surface, polished to a high sheen, is inlaid with a mosaic of colorful sea glass, glinting in the dim, lantern-like lighting.
The walls, painted a deep, oceanic blue, are adorned with an eclectic assortment of nautical paraphernalia. Aged maps, and faded flags are interspersed with vintage arcade game marquees. The ceiling, draped with tattered sails and thick, knotted ropes, gives the impression of being below deck on a ship.
In the corners of the room, clusters of arcade games flicker and beep, their colorful screens casting a kaleidoscope of light onto the wooden floorboards. The air is filled with the clatter of pinball machines, the electronic melodies of video games, and the occasional thud of an axe hitting its target.
Behind the bar, a vast array of bottles is displayed, their contents ranging from craft beers to exotic rums. The bartenders, dressed in pirate garb, deftly mix cocktails, their movements punctuated by the clink of glass and the hiss of a freshly opened beer.
North/South: Restrooms
Northeast: Games
East: Axe Throwing
Southeast: Competitive Games
Down: Laser Tag
It is about 50F(10C) degrees.
Kah says "A war patrol?"
Siofra says "I canne tell-"
Sam says "Oh. "
Glancing around, the shadows of the Nightmare come deep, but they also reveal the true nature of Kah. Covered in silvery white fur that surrounds him, his pupils gleam golden, bright crescent-moons that impose over him as an Aura.
Novel nods back at Sam. "Sup? The hell is going on?"
Siofra pulls out the humbling 250,000 bolt stun gun to start, holding it at her side with two pops. "I dinnae. Hand cried 'contact.' Not sure yet."
Hearing more voices join the fray, but not near him ... Kah gives a suddenly feral grin. "This is going to be fun. "
Sam says "Yeh. This is in the nightmare."
Slowly, Sam pulls his crossbow tight. He exhales slowly, and narrows his eyes. "Wonder who we're up against."
Siofra gives dimpled simper and disrobes the parts of her garment that aren't meant to tear away.
"Whatever comes - Don't take it personal!" Kah calls.
With a nod, Sam replies. "It's venice. Ain't nuthing personal about it."
Slams the haft of his weapon against something that clangs and rings out with a mettallic rattle. Kah repeats this rhythmically, until the air fills with the sound of like the beat of a war-drum.
Siofra(Ailuropoda melanoleuca, or Giant Panda) hopes her belongings don't delete.
"I hear ... three of you? Four? Finally, a challenge" Kah growls out, his melodied voice carrying out into the shadow softly.
Narrowing his eyes, Sam looks between Siofra(Ailuropoda melanoleuca, or Giant Panda) and Novel. "Aight, this might be tough, if that is who I think it is."
Sam says "Use silver if ya have it."
Kah lets loose an enormous battle-cry - a primal roar that looks to deafen the ears!
Siofra(Ailuropoda melanoleuca, or Giant Panda) snarls ear to ear and claps the ground with her front paws.
Through the darkness of the nightmare, runic light glows red as a ring on Sam's finger, under the gloves he wears, glows red, as well as a human-looking fingerbone. "Aight. Leggo, then."
Novel drums his fingers against his thighs. "Are we all fucking stuck again?"
Novel says "I didn't catch that. What?"
Sam says "Patience! "
Siofra(Ailuropoda melanoleuca, or Giant Panda) stands back up to her full height, hands raised to square up to the darkness.
Stepping in front of someone, Sam lifts a hand towards Kah, and blood fills the tall man's eyes. "Aight, brace yerselves!" He lifts his knife, an oily, strange material, and crouches into a defensive stance after activating an amulet around his neck.
Stepping in front of Siofra(Ailuropoda melanoleuca, or Giant Panda), Sam lifts a hand towards Kah, and blood fills the tall man's eyes. "Aight, brace yerselves!" He lifts his knife, an oily, strange material, and crouches into a defensive stance after activating an amulet around his neck.
Long strides carry Kah toward the location of the people as he'd seen them last, even as a flash of red and pain strobes across his vision, leaving him unable to see! There's a grunt that comes from the giant of a man, and to the luck of those people, the weapon in the man's hand is tiny! Not the usual spear he might bring to bear and so disregarding it - all Kah can do is levy a heavy fist toward one one of the bloody and blurred shadows that looms in front of him. Thankfully, his vision isn't the only sense he possesses, using keen hearing and instinct to try and track his enemies.
Novel steps right on over to Kah, raising his wicked blade up, and down, viciously charging in and hacking at the man's side without any particular subtlety.
Siofra(Ailuropoda melanoleuca, or Giant Panda) gives a chuff. Whipping slices from her spine arc and pummel onto the shield before she pushes her legs off the ground and pounces with wild, roaring slashes.
It seems the lack of a true weapon for the larger man will be a deciding factor here, today. Kah growls in contempt at the tiny thing in his hand still and once more he can only swing his fist, deflecting hits from his shield as best he can while throwing ham-fists out toward the three people piling up on him fast, now. "Well, I did yearn for a fight! I will be sure to be more specific in the future!" His voice bellows out, but it holds only an excitement for the challenge of the battle at hand.
"All right, let's go, then!" Sam spreads his arms, and a sickly, dark light envelops him, after the jock staggers back from that blow. He pivots, and his knife clashes with Kah's shield, as the jock grins slightly. "I mean, we did wanna catch up, right?" He grins to Kah, though it's clear the blows have done a number on him already, despite some manner of supernatural protection shimmering from that amulet around his neck.
Novel sidles his way in front of Sam, pushing him out of the way and taking his place - his blade clashing against Kah's weapon noisily with clang and clang. He produces an exasperated sigh, "Can we hurry this up? Got things to do."
Siofra(Ailuropoda melanoleuca, or Giant Panda) continues to batter, beat, and tug at the shield- leverage the two hundred pounds she has as her spines whip without much purchase beyond a sting on Kah's arms.
Even as Novel, Sam, and Siofra(Ailuropoda melanoleuca, or Giant Panda) watch on - the minor scrapes and cuts that have slipped through seem to just vanish almsot as quickly as they come to the form of Kah. His step slows a bit but he doesn't shy from the fight, standing one against three as they all come crashing in to his defenses. His giant frame makes it easier to see them all, to shift and move to deflect and block incoming blows but it doesn't give him much room to separate from the pack that looks to take him down! He swipes another fist at Sam with a large grin of his own. "So we did. It will take much to wound me, anymore. Do not hold back!"
Stepping aside to let Novel take the brunt of the damage, Sam seems to take this moment ot reprieve to catch his breath, and sting his knife towards Kah, slowly circling around him. It would seem like the jock is taking his time, letting Novel adn Siofra(Ailuropoda melanoleuca, or Giant Panda) distract Kah while he searches for an opening.
Novel intercepts Kah's fist with his blade, grunting as his arms and muscles shake and twisting it aside to bash the pummel against his shield, shifting in place as he does his best to shove against him and back.
Siofra(Ailuropoda melanoleuca, or Giant Panda) tries to duck around and get a face full of shield. She paws at the bottom, an animal at the front door of violence, then gets her claws around it and pulls!
First Kah has to pay attention to Siofra(Ailuropoda melanoleuca, or Giant Panda), who rather than from the side or above tries to bypass the barrier of its defense from beneath and succeeds! Claws thrash across the skin of his exposed legs bared by the Shendyt that he wears and little else beyond his battle mask. Stepping back one foot to push and force Siofra(Ailuropoda melanoleuca, or Giant Panda) to retreat enough to retaliate, he brings that foot forward with a heavy shoving front kick in Novel's direction.
As Novel continues to be battered by Kah, Sam pulls out a field-aid kit, and, seeing they are in combat, just jabs what seems to be a very off-regulation dose of adrenaline into Novel's shoulder. He taps him on the back, and gives a thumbs-up. "You go, big man!"
Novel gives Sam a savage grin, throwing a feint - a flick of his blade towards Kah's face that causes sparks to fly and him to move around to one side, trying to get a better angle in the fight.
A bar scramble in the endless expanse of darkness, Siofra(Ailuropoda melanoleuca, or Giant Panda) tugs and tugs and tugs like a huge toddler helping her siblings fight an older man outside a 7/11, biting and scratching and chewing on the metal while she tries to roll around to his side.
Grunting with the continued barrage, Kah continues to hold his own like a bastion of unmoveable opposition, though even one such as him can only endure this kind of beat down for so long. As it is, almost anyone else would have long since been down and in the dirt, but Kah remains on his feet. Novel suddenly goes flying backward several paces without so much a look or touch his direction, but it opens up the air between him and Sam and another fist comes hauling into the man's defenses. All the while, Siofra(Ailuropoda melanoleuca, or Giant Panda) continues to rake and pull at the over-sized spherical shield as their claws continue to find soft points to rake and snag.
Staggering back, Sam places a palm on the back of his knife to block the harsh attack from Kah. He shifts, and, bringing the full force of his own strength: impressive by human standards, likely at least noticable by Kah's. He brings his knife, square in the side of that shield, trying to give Siofra(Ailuropoda melanoleuca, or Giant Panda) and Novel an opening.
Novel is sent sliding back with a grunt - and then there he charges in again, blade upraised, glinting black and swinging through the air as he barrels Sam out of the way, preoccupying Kah's attention with aggressive hacking.
As Sam strikes right, Siofra(Ailuropoda melanoleuca, or Giant Panda) strikes left, trying to force the ancient warrior to give quarter to one side or the other- but as soon as she leaps, she hits steel- she whips around to the side, and, same prospect- inhuman speed.
As Novel comes back in, Kah is there to meet his blow with a fist of his own. Flesh meets steel and doesn't yield! They clash, and the leather-thick hide of his skin barely shows dent but the trio of them continue to pound down against the man's defense. Still that shield keeps itself between Kah and Siofra(Ailuropoda melanoleuca, or Giant Panda), his expression only growing more frenzied, more excited the worse off he becomes.
Once Sam has some breathing room, he quickly attempts to regain his footing, coming back in with a strange mix of boxing and knife-fighting, trying to knock that shield aside... without success. He does seem to be enjoying himself, however, the blond breathing in the scent of battle with an appreciative grin.
Novel cuts and hews, bitching, "I'm missing the fucking thing I agreed to do with Ben." As he tries to draw Kah's back to the other two, so they can dig into him freely.
A too human giggle, two octaves lower, as Siofra(Ailuropoda melanoleuca, or Giant Panda) is suddenly silent on the other end of the shield- miming it to be directly obscured from view. Then a playful tap, a knife-digging scratch on the side of the shield piercing those of strong hearing around. Her whips begin to hit it in triplets, making a raucous, forcing presence and hitting a cacophonous beat.
Kah has no choice but to slowly be pushed back foot by foot, and step by step as he continues to carry against these three with determined resillience. "I am not stopping you, clearly!" Kah says with almost a laugh, shoving and pushing against each new incoming blow that clashes and dents against his shield, battering him again and again and again. His fist continues to parry and strike out at Novel now, as Sam and Siofra(Ailuropoda melanoleuca, or Giant Panda) continue to mercilessly wear him down.
A new trick, then, as Sam points his finger at Kah, and suddenly, the nicks and cuts that have been healing, they rip open as dark magic courses from Sam's form to Kah. He squares his feet some, seemingly focussing on wearing the larger man out. He doesn't speak, seemingly focussed on the battle.
Novel cuts in through the splay of blood, grinning like a maniac as it splashes on shoulders and chest, pressing in close with his body and form to keep him from snapping close at Sam.
Siofra(Ailuropoda melanoleuca, or Giant Panda) gets a face full of blood as the actively sutchering wounds flood back with a Tarantino spray. She snaps at it like violent pitbull looking for a young meal.
Once more Kah continues to move and shift with each strike, the battle coming down to the final, nitty gritty blows as the combatants and warriors focus all of their energy on conserving for their strikes and their parries. His fist lashes out at Novel yet again, trying to stagger him back and into the ground.
Using the room Novel creates for him, Sam's blade flashes, and it nicks onto... something of Kah's. Perhaps it's strong bones, perhaps it's fae luck. In any case, his blade skids off of Kah's form, and he grins wide, clearly impressed the man is still standing... and so are Siofra(Ailuropoda melanoleuca, or Giant Panda), Novel and Sam himself!
Novel keeps his weapon up, falling into a sort of rhythmic pattern - blade up, block the strikes, thrust in, interrupted by the poison coating his blade, and then flicking in with the dagger-tip, only intending to get a scrape on Kah.
In the war of attrition, it is those that can afford to rest that come to find success. With a burst of life, the exhaustion on Siofra(Ailuropoda melanoleuca, or Giant Panda) deepens, but the life of a level up returns- her bones reinforcing to strike harder- nailing less like triplets and now like eight-note kick drums.
Indeed, that inability to separate his opponants from each other easily leaves Kah slowly but surely slowing down, showing signs of growing fatigue and wear. Still, his shield remains in place dogged to the last as his fist comes hauling out toward the main focus of his ire for now.
Skidding back a few steps, Sam hits Novel with another needle of... surely that's medicine? Either way, it would seem Novel's fatigue is mitigated as Sam adds another injection. He grips his knife, perhaps preparing another offensive once the good stuff has filled Novel's veins
Novel roars as the crackhead's given more drugs. Surely, this is good for his health, as his body trembles with bulging veins and renewed, violent vigor against Kah, bringing his blade up - then down, with violent hack.
A bite. At last. A bite. Siofra(Ailuropoda melanoleuca, or Giant Panda) takes that chomp, rounding the shield like a fox and trashing and tearing with- pulling at the flesh like a chew toy.
Kah seems on his last legs, now! He throws another blow toward Novel, but mostly he just continues to force them to push forward, keeping himself behind that shield and almost demanding that they finish the job. "This has been a pleasant lesson" he breathes through ragged huffs. "Come and finish it!"
"GLADLY!" Sam steps forward, and once again tries to drive his knife with the palm of one hand, and an angry lunge towards Kah with the other. He nearly... nearly wounds the man's head, and he grins. "Likewise, by the way!" He grins, the anger clearly adrenaline, not malice driven.
Novel takes a deep breath, centering himself, taking his blade in both hands and flicking it around, his expression slightly thoughtful, now, as he focuses on something else.
Keeping the hold with her mouth, Siofra(Ailuropoda melanoleuca, or Giant Panda) slashes with both claws on Kah's raised shield arm, trying to pin it, trying to sandblast his hide-like skin.
As the three attack him once more, and yet he stands Kah can only laugh. His body heals itself of its own accord, regaining some of it's durability as many of those small wounds begin to simply disappear. He shakes his head, "I said finish it!" His grin turns feral and he barrels into their atrttacks now, doggedly pressing his own frame forward, claw-marks and cuts and nicks fading into nothing as he moves - siphoning the very pain and blood and sweat from the air around them.
Through Sam glove, a charred ring glows. He speaks, words laced with magic. "Bleed." Instead of the jock's usual snakes, a shadowy dragon surges towards Kah, rending his flesh and opening his wounds. Sam nods some, pulling his hand back, as if tugging the leash on that dragon's collar, and it fades from vision.
Novel starts to stagger under the repeated strikes, gradually growing weary, even Sam's drugs not tiding him over - "Gladly," He grunts back to Kah as he thrusts forwards towards Kah's shoulder, taking a striking to the forehead.
With a burst of the black heart underneath the thin hide of Siofra(Ailuropoda melanoleuca, or Giant Panda) 's fur, backlit by her spine, the lazy creature jumps more vicious into action- scrambling with energy- growling and chuffing as more flakes of umami blood (which, fun fact, she doesn't have the biology to taste!) flood her mouth. and her paws aim higher- climbing the warrior like a tree.
Kah fades out of the nightmare.
Kahs Nightmare Battle With Siofra 250216
(Kah's nightmare battle with Siofra)
[Sat Feb 15 2025]
At The Trove Barcade
This room is dominated by a sprawling, weathered bar. The bar's surface, polished to a high sheen, is inlaid with a mosaic of colorful sea glass, glinting in the dim, lantern-like lighting.
The walls, painted a deep, oceanic blue, are adorned with an eclectic assortment of nautical paraphernalia. Aged maps, and faded flags are interspersed with vintage arcade game marquees. The ceiling, draped with tattered sails and thick, knotted ropes, gives the impression of being below deck on a ship.
In the corners of the room, clusters of arcade games flicker and beep, their colorful screens casting a kaleidoscope of light onto the wooden floorboards. The air is filled with the clatter of pinball machines, the electronic melodies of video games, and the occasional thud of an axe hitting its target.
Behind the bar, a vast array of bottles is displayed, their contents ranging from craft beers to exotic rums. The bartenders, dressed in pirate garb, deftly mix cocktails, their movements punctuated by the clink of glass and the hiss of a freshly opened beer.
North/South: Restrooms
Northeast: Games
East: Axe Throwing
Southeast: Competitive Games
Down: Laser Tag
It is about 50F(10C) degrees.
Kah says "A war patrol?"
Siofra says "I canne tell-"
Sam says "Oh. "
Glancing around, the shadows of the Nightmare come deep, but they also reveal the true nature of Kah. Covered in silvery white fur that surrounds him, his pupils gleam golden, bright crescent-moons that impose over him as an Aura.
Novel nods back at Sam. "Sup? The hell is going on?"
Siofra pulls out the humbling 250,000 bolt stun gun to start, holding it at her side with two pops. "I dinnae. Hand cried 'contact.' Not sure yet."
Hearing more voices join the fray, but not near him ... Kah gives a suddenly feral grin. "This is going to be fun. "
Sam says "Yeh. This is in the nightmare."
Slowly, Sam pulls his crossbow tight. He exhales slowly, and narrows his eyes. "Wonder who we're up against."
Siofra gives dimpled simper and disrobes the parts of her garment that aren't meant to tear away.
"Whatever comes - Don't take it personal!" Kah calls.
With a nod, Sam replies. "It's venice. Ain't nuthing personal about it."
Slams the haft of his weapon against something that clangs and rings out with a mettallic rattle. Kah repeats this rhythmically, until the air fills with the sound of like the beat of a war-drum.
Siofra(Ailuropoda melanoleuca, or Giant Panda) hopes her belongings don't delete.
"I hear ... three of you? Four? Finally, a challenge" Kah growls out, his melodied voice carrying out into the shadow softly.
Narrowing his eyes, Sam looks between Siofra(Ailuropoda melanoleuca, or Giant Panda) and Novel. "Aight, this might be tough, if that is who I think it is."
Sam says "Use silver if ya have it."
Kah lets loose an enormous battle-cry - a primal roar that looks to deafen the ears!
Siofra(Ailuropoda melanoleuca, or Giant Panda) snarls ear to ear and claps the ground with her front paws.
Through the darkness of the nightmare, runic light glows red as a ring on Sam's finger, under the gloves he wears, glows red, as well as a human-looking fingerbone. "Aight. Leggo, then."
Novel drums his fingers against his thighs. "Are we all fucking stuck again?"
Novel says "I didn't catch that. What?"
Sam says "Patience! "
Siofra(Ailuropoda melanoleuca, or Giant Panda) stands back up to her full height, hands raised to square up to the darkness.
Stepping in front of someone, Sam lifts a hand towards Kah, and blood fills the tall man's eyes. "Aight, brace yerselves!" He lifts his knife, an oily, strange material, and crouches into a defensive stance after activating an amulet around his neck.
Stepping in front of Siofra(Ailuropoda melanoleuca, or Giant Panda), Sam lifts a hand towards Kah, and blood fills the tall man's eyes. "Aight, brace yerselves!" He lifts his knife, an oily, strange material, and crouches into a defensive stance after activating an amulet around his neck.
Long strides carry Kah toward the location of the people as he'd seen them last, even as a flash of red and pain strobes across his vision, leaving him unable to see! There's a grunt that comes from the giant of a man, and to the luck of those people, the weapon in the man's hand is tiny! Not the usual spear he might bring to bear and so disregarding it - all Kah can do is levy a heavy fist toward one one of the bloody and blurred shadows that looms in front of him. Thankfully, his vision isn't the only sense he possesses, using keen hearing and instinct to try and track his enemies.
Novel steps right on over to Kah, raising his wicked blade up, and down, viciously charging in and hacking at the man's side without any particular subtlety.
Siofra(Ailuropoda melanoleuca, or Giant Panda) gives a chuff. Whipping slices from her spine arc and pummel onto the shield before she pushes her legs off the ground and pounces with wild, roaring slashes.
It seems the lack of a true weapon for the larger man will be a deciding factor here, today. Kah growls in contempt at the tiny thing in his hand still and once more he can only swing his fist, deflecting hits from his shield as best he can while throwing ham-fists out toward the three people piling up on him fast, now. "Well, I did yearn for a fight! I will be sure to be more specific in the future!" His voice bellows out, but it holds only an excitement for the challenge of the battle at hand.
"All right, let's go, then!" Sam spreads his arms, and a sickly, dark light envelops him, after the jock staggers back from that blow. He pivots, and his knife clashes with Kah's shield, as the jock grins slightly. "I mean, we did wanna catch up, right?" He grins to Kah, though it's clear the blows have done a number on him already, despite some manner of supernatural protection shimmering from that amulet around his neck.
Novel sidles his way in front of Sam, pushing him out of the way and taking his place - his blade clashing against Kah's weapon noisily with clang and clang. He produces an exasperated sigh, "Can we hurry this up? Got things to do."
Siofra(Ailuropoda melanoleuca, or Giant Panda) continues to batter, beat, and tug at the shield- leverage the two hundred pounds she has as her spines whip without much purchase beyond a sting on Kah's arms.
Even as Novel, Sam, and Siofra(Ailuropoda melanoleuca, or Giant Panda) watch on - the minor scrapes and cuts that have slipped through seem to just vanish almsot as quickly as they come to the form of Kah. His step slows a bit but he doesn't shy from the fight, standing one against three as they all come crashing in to his defenses. His giant frame makes it easier to see them all, to shift and move to deflect and block incoming blows but it doesn't give him much room to separate from the pack that looks to take him down! He swipes another fist at Sam with a large grin of his own. "So we did. It will take much to wound me, anymore. Do not hold back!"
Stepping aside to let Novel take the brunt of the damage, Sam seems to take this moment ot reprieve to catch his breath, and sting his knife towards Kah, slowly circling around him. It would seem like the jock is taking his time, letting Novel adn Siofra(Ailuropoda melanoleuca, or Giant Panda) distract Kah while he searches for an opening.
Novel intercepts Kah's fist with his blade, grunting as his arms and muscles shake and twisting it aside to bash the pummel against his shield, shifting in place as he does his best to shove against him and back.
Siofra(Ailuropoda melanoleuca, or Giant Panda) tries to duck around and get a face full of shield. She paws at the bottom, an animal at the front door of violence, then gets her claws around it and pulls!
First Kah has to pay attention to Siofra(Ailuropoda melanoleuca, or Giant Panda), who rather than from the side or above tries to bypass the barrier of its defense from beneath and succeeds! Claws thrash across the skin of his exposed legs bared by the Shendyt that he wears and little else beyond his battle mask. Stepping back one foot to push and force Siofra(Ailuropoda melanoleuca, or Giant Panda) to retreat enough to retaliate, he brings that foot forward with a heavy shoving front kick in Novel's direction.
As Novel continues to be battered by Kah, Sam pulls out a field-aid kit, and, seeing they are in combat, just jabs what seems to be a very off-regulation dose of adrenaline into Novel's shoulder. He taps him on the back, and gives a thumbs-up. "You go, big man!"
Novel gives Sam a savage grin, throwing a feint - a flick of his blade towards Kah's face that causes sparks to fly and him to move around to one side, trying to get a better angle in the fight.
A bar scramble in the endless expanse of darkness, Siofra(Ailuropoda melanoleuca, or Giant Panda) tugs and tugs and tugs like a huge toddler helping her siblings fight an older man outside a 7/11, biting and scratching and chewing on the metal while she tries to roll around to his side.
Grunting with the continued barrage, Kah continues to hold his own like a bastion of unmoveable opposition, though even one such as him can only endure this kind of beat down for so long. As it is, almost anyone else would have long since been down and in the dirt, but Kah remains on his feet. Novel suddenly goes flying backward several paces without so much a look or touch his direction, but it opens up the air between him and Sam and another fist comes hauling into the man's defenses. All the while, Siofra(Ailuropoda melanoleuca, or Giant Panda) continues to rake and pull at the over-sized spherical shield as their claws continue to find soft points to rake and snag.
Staggering back, Sam places a palm on the back of his knife to block the harsh attack from Kah. He shifts, and, bringing the full force of his own strength: impressive by human standards, likely at least noticable by Kah's. He brings his knife, square in the side of that shield, trying to give Siofra(Ailuropoda melanoleuca, or Giant Panda) and Novel an opening.
Novel is sent sliding back with a grunt - and then there he charges in again, blade upraised, glinting black and swinging through the air as he barrels Sam out of the way, preoccupying Kah's attention with aggressive hacking.
As Sam strikes right, Siofra(Ailuropoda melanoleuca, or Giant Panda) strikes left, trying to force the ancient warrior to give quarter to one side or the other- but as soon as she leaps, she hits steel- she whips around to the side, and, same prospect- inhuman speed.
As Novel comes back in, Kah is there to meet his blow with a fist of his own. Flesh meets steel and doesn't yield! They clash, and the leather-thick hide of his skin barely shows dent but the trio of them continue to pound down against the man's defense. Still that shield keeps itself between Kah and Siofra(Ailuropoda melanoleuca, or Giant Panda), his expression only growing more frenzied, more excited the worse off he becomes.
Once Sam has some breathing room, he quickly attempts to regain his footing, coming back in with a strange mix of boxing and knife-fighting, trying to knock that shield aside... without success. He does seem to be enjoying himself, however, the blond breathing in the scent of battle with an appreciative grin.
Novel cuts and hews, bitching, "I'm missing the fucking thing I agreed to do with Ben." As he tries to draw Kah's back to the other two, so they can dig into him freely.
A too human giggle, two octaves lower, as Siofra(Ailuropoda melanoleuca, or Giant Panda) is suddenly silent on the other end of the shield- miming it to be directly obscured from view. Then a playful tap, a knife-digging scratch on the side of the shield piercing those of strong hearing around. Her whips begin to hit it in triplets, making a raucous, forcing presence and hitting a cacophonous beat.
Kah has no choice but to slowly be pushed back foot by foot, and step by step as he continues to carry against these three with determined resillience. "I am not stopping you, clearly!" Kah says with almost a laugh, shoving and pushing against each new incoming blow that clashes and dents against his shield, battering him again and again and again. His fist continues to parry and strike out at Novel now, as Sam and Siofra(Ailuropoda melanoleuca, or Giant Panda) continue to mercilessly wear him down.
A new trick, then, as Sam points his finger at Kah, and suddenly, the nicks and cuts that have been healing, they rip open as dark magic courses from Sam's form to Kah. He squares his feet some, seemingly focussing on wearing the larger man out. He doesn't speak, seemingly focussed on the battle.
Novel cuts in through the splay of blood, grinning like a maniac as it splashes on shoulders and chest, pressing in close with his body and form to keep him from snapping close at Sam.
Siofra(Ailuropoda melanoleuca, or Giant Panda) gets a face full of blood as the actively sutchering wounds flood back with a Tarantino spray. She snaps at it like violent pitbull looking for a young meal.
Once more Kah continues to move and shift with each strike, the battle coming down to the final, nitty gritty blows as the combatants and warriors focus all of their energy on conserving for their strikes and their parries. His fist lashes out at Novel yet again, trying to stagger him back and into the ground.
Using the room Novel creates for him, Sam's blade flashes, and it nicks onto... something of Kah's. Perhaps it's strong bones, perhaps it's fae luck. In any case, his blade skids off of Kah's form, and he grins wide, clearly impressed the man is still standing... and so are Siofra(Ailuropoda melanoleuca, or Giant Panda), Novel and Sam himself!
Novel keeps his weapon up, falling into a sort of rhythmic pattern - blade up, block the strikes, thrust in, interrupted by the poison coating his blade, and then flicking in with the dagger-tip, only intending to get a scrape on Kah.
In the war of attrition, it is those that can afford to rest that come to find success. With a burst of life, the exhaustion on Siofra(Ailuropoda melanoleuca, or Giant Panda) deepens, but the life of a level up returns- her bones reinforcing to strike harder- nailing less like triplets and now like eight-note kick drums.
Indeed, that inability to separate his opponants from each other easily leaves Kah slowly but surely slowing down, showing signs of growing fatigue and wear. Still, his shield remains in place dogged to the last as his fist comes hauling out toward the main focus of his ire for now.
Skidding back a few steps, Sam hits Novel with another needle of... surely that's medicine? Either way, it would seem Novel's fatigue is mitigated as Sam adds another injection. He grips his knife, perhaps preparing another offensive once the good stuff has filled Novel's veins
Novel roars as the crackhead's given more drugs. Surely, this is good for his health, as his body trembles with bulging veins and renewed, violent vigor against Kah, bringing his blade up - then down, with violent hack.
A bite. At last. A bite. Siofra(Ailuropoda melanoleuca, or Giant Panda) takes that chomp, rounding the shield like a fox and trashing and tearing with- pulling at the flesh like a chew toy.
Kah seems on his last legs, now! He throws another blow toward Novel, but mostly he just continues to force them to push forward, keeping himself behind that shield and almost demanding that they finish the job. "This has been a pleasant lesson" he breathes through ragged huffs. "Come and finish it!"
"GLADLY!" Sam steps forward, and once again tries to drive his knife with the palm of one hand, and an angry lunge towards Kah with the other. He nearly... nearly wounds the man's head, and he grins. "Likewise, by the way!" He grins, the anger clearly adrenaline, not malice driven.
Novel takes a deep breath, centering himself, taking his blade in both hands and flicking it around, his expression slightly thoughtful, now, as he focuses on something else.
Keeping the hold with her mouth, Siofra(Ailuropoda melanoleuca, or Giant Panda) slashes with both claws on Kah's raised shield arm, trying to pin it, trying to sandblast his hide-like skin.
As the three attack him once more, and yet he stands Kah can only laugh. His body heals itself of its own accord, regaining some of it's durability as many of those small wounds begin to simply disappear. He shakes his head, "I said finish it!" His grin turns feral and he barrels into their atrttacks now, doggedly pressing his own frame forward, claw-marks and cuts and nicks fading into nothing as he moves - siphoning the very pain and blood and sweat from the air around them.
Through Sam glove, a charred ring glows. He speaks, words laced with magic. "Bleed." Instead of the jock's usual snakes, a shadowy dragon surges towards Kah, rending his flesh and opening his wounds. Sam nods some, pulling his hand back, as if tugging the leash on that dragon's collar, and it fades from vision.
Novel starts to stagger under the repeated strikes, gradually growing weary, even Sam's drugs not tiding him over - "Gladly," He grunts back to Kah as he thrusts forwards towards Kah's shoulder, taking a striking to the forehead.
With a burst of the black heart underneath the thin hide of Siofra(Ailuropoda melanoleuca, or Giant Panda) 's fur, backlit by her spine, the lazy creature jumps more vicious into action- scrambling with energy- growling and chuffing as more flakes of umami blood (which, fun fact, she doesn't have the biology to taste!) flood her mouth. and her paws aim higher- climbing the warrior like a tree.
Kah fades out of the nightmare.