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[Dwarmin]

Bluff 6+3=9 vs Sense Motive 4+17=21

All the same, she seems to sense something in your expression, and her own slightly darkens.

"A trap for me? Unlikely. It looked like you were daydreaming when I started to shadow you. And I know you left those new friends of yours back on that rotted ship.

See, walking away means the same thing to these people, doesn't it? They don't care how the job goes bad-if you end my run, or I walk away. I signed a contract, and it's legally binding and all that. I do this for a living, Durham. I know the score.

I'd personally rather die knowing I tried, then live knowing I failed. Or most preferably, live and succeed.

You can still surrender you know. Maybe they just want to...teehehe...talk to you...?" She laughs nervously, her blades dancing hypnotically left and right.

[10+3]

The dance continues, on and on. But, the air is getting tense...

[freeformschooler]

"Surrender? And give up the chance to duel with a girl like you? Surely, you jest."

Durham, the first to break the circle, lunges toward Thrush's chest with his blade.

Roll for initiative and attack.

[Dwarmin]

Init Off

Thrush 3+1=4
Durham 6+5=11

Durham takes the first step of the fight, leaning into his blow.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Durham Attack 5+11=16 VS AC 17

His straight lunge cuts the air, but Thrush seems to dodge at the very last moment-Durham manages to cut her cheek slightly, a small line of blood over her placid features.

And before he can withdraw, a flurry of claws clouds his vision. His blade rises to parry.

A storm of steel.

*clang*!

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Thrush Attack 2+12=14 VS AC 14
Thrush Attack 2+10=12 VS AC 14

Damage=4+2

After a furious exchange, Durham steps back, and so does she.

He's grinning, confident-about to say something, when he winces-and feels a sudden line of hot pain spreading from his lower chest, where the womans claws marked him. Where did that come from?

Thrush doesn't seem to react visibly to your wounding. Apparently, this brings her no joy.

"...You're not looking so good. How about you lie down for a moment?" She taunts.

Spoiler: Our Hero (click to show/hide)

Durham Westfall
5/11 HP left
Status: Ouch
Effects: Endure Exposure (Immune to Morazins breath)
Wielding: Longsword/Light Wooden Shield

Spoiler: Thrush (click to show/hide)

Thrush (?)
10/10 HP left
Status: On top
Effects:
Wielding: Wristclaw/Wristclaw

[freeformschooler]

"Not a... hah." Durham grips his chest for a moment, breathing unevenly, then stands again. "Hah... not a chance."

AGAIN! Toward her chest!

[Dwarmin]

Durham wades back in, his face set in determination.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Durham Attack 5+20=25 VS AC 17
Confirm=5+13=18 CRIT
Damage=1d6+3x2=10

Claw and sword match blow for blow. Durham's shield barely fending off the seemingly wild, yet deadly canny attacks. Strength borne by desperation propels him further, though-and step by step, he forces her back.

An eternity passes in battle. Durham ceases to be anywhere but in the moment, striking as does any man who wants to live. Who has something to live for.

They both see the moment the fight ends, in their own ways. Thrush stumbles after a particularly heavy blow, just a bit, and Durhams blade has already begun it's centering strike, a slow fall to her midsection. It's a slow motion tragedy, played out for our enjoyment.

It strikes her dead on, and Durham uses the momentum to force the blade deep-until he hears the end come out through her back. The world goes black and white. For a moment, the pair is as close as lovers. Then he pulls back, withdraw Cat's Paw cleanly. Thrush's hood falls back as she looks up at him. Durham thinks he finally sees fear in her startled blue eyes. Her pretty, too young eyes.

"...Damn." She says, falling backwards herself. Thrush strikes the wall of the ruined tower and collapses against it. Her hands begin to spasm against the unfeeling stones, making sharp clicking sounds with the claws.

At first, Durham is wary of any further tricks-but it's clear she's all but finished. Her injuries would perhaps be survivable through magic, though there are many predators on these streets that make it unlikely she will ever find any.

"Rolled a hard six. Knew this would happen eventually. Deborah's...gonna be so mad...heh..." She says, seemingly to herself.

Then, she comes back into focus. Thrush looks up at Durham once more, though her eyes are glazed in pain. She speaks clearly enough, though.

"You won. Go ahead, Handsome. Set me free."  She says, closing her eyes, smiling slightly-and awaiting that long dreamed of stroke.

As stoke Durham himself sometimes envisions for himself, in his darkest dreams.

Spoiler: Our Hero (click to show/hide)

Durham Westfall
5/11 HP left
Status: Yay!
Effects: Endure Exposure (Immune to Morazins breath)
Wielding: Longsword/Light Wooden Shield

Spoiler: Thrush (click to show/hide)

Thrush (?)
0/10 HP left
Status: X_X
Effects:
Wielding: Wristclaw/Wristclaw

[freeformschooler]

"You forced my hand, Thrush. You fought well, but you forced my hand." Durham kneels toward the girl, blade still gripped. It's getting incredibly difficult to keep his smile. "Come on, I was bluffing. I don't know who paid you. There's a nice little lad back at the ship - a cleric or something, I don't know - we might could get you there in time. I'll even carry you."

[Dwarmin]

Her blue eyes slowly open, and she pauses to breathe one more time, than she thought she would have. Those eyes shift from bewilderment, to something like anger, toward incredulity. And maybe the tiniest spark of hope.

"Hmph...this figures...

Why would you do this...is this is a joke? Are you going to kill me now, Hero? Give me a little hope..and....cut..my throat...handsome? ...heh...no more than I deserve..."

In any case, her head dips all the way and she falls completely unconscious. Her claws cease their deathly tapping, and her breathing slows, yet does not stop. She's got a will to live, at any rate.

[freeformschooler]

Durham gently lowered himself to Thrush's level, hid Cat's Paw where no one could see and slid his arms under her back as she writhed on the old wharf wood. Carefully, he lifted her up, secured her limp figure against his chest and looked back in the direction of the ship.

Then he ran.

TWACK-TWACK-TWACK. At four or five miles an hour, his hard leather shoes made a ruckus with each step. He just hoped and prayed Anciano had not yet left to fight whatever inhabited the bottom of the ship. She didn't have much time.

Return to the ship ASAP.

[Dwarmin]

((Now we go back to the main party, finding exactly what they did in that time ))

[GiglameshDespair]

Konicek took a deep breath and released it. "Lets go then!"
begin the plan. Drop down with the gnome and head for the door. When we get there, turn and fight. When injured, have the gnome heal us.

[Chink]

"I don't think we should head down yet. Whatever that thing down in the water is, I don't feeling comfortable facing it unless the entire party is here."

[freeformschooler]

"I don't think we should head down yet. Whatever that thing down in the water is, I don't feeling comfortable facing it unless the entire party is here."

Just as Anciano said that to Konicek, a panting, sweat-covered figure entered the ship. He was still carrying Thrush in his arms. Oh, how the Human warrior would laugh at his weakness for doing this.

"CLERIC LAD! Where are you!? I need help!"

Durham's voice echoed throughout the aircraft's halls.

[Dwarmin]

((Since I'm still working on the big fight scene, I'll let some time wonkiness be permitted. Let's say Durham was only gone ten minutes. ))

[freeformschooler]

((Sorry, I don't remember how far it actually from the ship to the wharf ))

[GiglameshDespair]

"That was quick." Konicek commented.
"Very well, we will wait until he is healed before we move."