OOCTo graders: In this post Aventis will use strategies and moves that seem complicated on first glance but are honestly just slashes and pokes. I’m playing within skill level, I promise. c:He couldn’t believe his ears. His orders, according to the squirrel that commanded him, was to rush. Just rush at the group. Maybe in attempt to flee. It didn’t matter. There was a big issue with the plan, a huge, blue issue. “Are you insane?!” Aventis yelled to the squirrel. “We’re injured! And I lack a shield! We can’t spearhead this if we don’t have the head of the spear!” He complained. It didn’t matter. Either the squirrel didn’t hear him or he didn’t care. Aventis didn’t hear the command, but he didn’t need to. Archailist sprung from the tree, aiming himself at the ring of Yukmen surrounding the group. Shortly after, Cameron and Oriah both rushed directly at the Akalak, shields and weapons raised, forcing their horses into a gallop. Aventis took just a moment longer to start, but it was enough.
He followed his comrades closely, only a fraction of a second behind them, but a fraction of a second, as he already should have known, is still enough. It wasn’t long before they reached the vicinity of the Akalak, and because Aventis was the behind the rest of the group, he was the one chosen.
It only took a little bit of effort for the massive man. He knew what he wanted. He knew where it was. And he knew how to get it. He swung his massive paw at the group blindly, knowing he would hit one of them. And he did. All the squire felt was pressure. So much pressure. The hand was nearly as big as his entire chest, the gargantuan hand stretching from his left shoulder to his right pec, crushing his ribs against his organs as it tore him from the reins of his horse. He flew from his saddle, slamming against the icy ground with a thud, expecting only death from the Akalak, but instead found an opportunity.
The other squires had all but reached safety, just about to break through the ring that the squirrel squire had cleared, safe from the alpha thanks to Aventis being subjected to its hunger. He pushed himself off of the forest floor, he knew it’d all be over if he dared spend more than a second on his back. He felt his chest, checking for broken bones. Upon discovering, Aventis realized something. He had no choice but to fight the Akalak. If he ran, its powerful legs would catch up with him in a tick. If he got back to his horse, the Akalak would get there first, and there was no telling what it would do. But Aventis was lucky. The Akalak wasn’t hungry for him. It was hungry for his horse.
It was fanatic, jumping and pouncing as the shrieking Akalak grasped for its tender neck with its hands, ready to consume the poor beast, if only he could catch it. Aventis could use this.
He sprinted at the Akalak, who had grabbed the muzzle of his horse and was in the process of silencing it for good, but compared to the shrill shrieks and cries of the Yukmen in battle behind him, Aventis’ footsteps were a zephyr. There was no possible way the alpha could have heard him. It was stupid, it was stubborn, it was his only option. Aventis slashed at the Yukmen’s lower back, watching anxiously as it arched up to the sky, screaming in pain. It had not yet let go of the horse with its right hand, but its left hand was free. Aventis didn’t have much time. Quickly, with his lower left hand, which was free of encumberment, he located a shard of stone, a promontory protruding sharply from the same shoulder that held the beast’s free arm, pulling it down until his elbow was at a ninety degree angle. The Yukmen was stubborn and stupid, refusing to release his potential meal, but Aventis had him in checkmate. It was game over. And it was beautiful.
The Akalak’s free appendage shot out, stiff. It must have hurt him. He had a split second before he let go of the horse and his balance was compromised, and if it were compromised, it would not be in the young man’s favor. He had just a split second. Quickly, with his top left hand, he slashed at the monstrous Akalak with his shortsword, cutting a deep gash in the beast’s lower neck and down into his shoulder, quickly ducking out of the way and to the left as the beast fell to the ground. He had but a split second. Just a split second, no time to spare. The beast wasn’t far away from him, but that wasn’t the issue. He wouldn’t be getting up soon. What Aventis was worried about was his hands. His left arm was incapacitated, its tendons basically shredded by the one sharp blow of Aventis’ shortsword, but its other arm, presumably its dominant one, was free. That can be fixed.
Aventis ran towards the monster, ready to finish it off and escape to safety. That was not what Lhex had intended, for the squire was met once again with the claw of the beast. It had rolled over, using its arm as a gargantuan hammer, knocking Aventis in the stomach and throwing him mid stride. He had to step back a few feet, the force of the blow alone leaving him gasping for air. It took but a moment for him to catch his breath, in which time the massive monster to rise.
That is going to be the worst bruise of my life…In a split second.
In a split second, the Akalak was attacking again, the giant man’s chest and torso painted with his own blood. The creature, this time, swung its limp arm at him, using it as a wall of meat, following up with his remaining arm on either side of the Eypharian. Aventis had to think fast. Instantly, everything he learned with Ser Utis kicked in. No room for mercy in battle. Use your available weapons in any way you can. Defend yourself before you attack your opponent.
As fast as the Yukmen swung its mighty, muscled arms at his, Aventis’ own upper arms stuck out to catch them. The hands, both of them, sunk deep into the blades of Aventis’ weapons. It had become a battle of strength, the Akalak pushing against Aventis’ outstretched arms. Aventis, once again, didn’t have much time. Upon hitting the blades, the Akalak dropped its jaw, screeching directly into Aventis’ unblinking, unfaltering face. Aventis smiled smugly. He knew it would all be over soon enough, and he would have a brand new trophy to bring home.
“That all you got, Big Blue?” Aventis asked the beast, screaming back in its face as loud as he could.
His arms ached and would give out any second. Quickly, with his lower arms, he grabbed the Akalak’s skull, careful to maneuver his arms far away from the creature’s jaws. The Akalak, confused now, screamed helplessly, its enormous arms still pushing. Aventis bent its head back, ensuring himself safety from a bite, placed his thumbs just above the creature’s eyes. Without further hesitation, the squire pressed his thumbs against the open eyes of the creature, forcing himself to dig deeper and deeper still into the sockets of the poor beast’s skull. Blood, deep red, gushed from its eyes, marking both Aventis’ hands and the blue skin of the beast’s giant head.
The creature screamed a bloodcurdling scream, and Aventis jumped bag, pulling his weapons out of the beast’s hands and jumping back. The giant covered its face with its one good hand, howling in pain and stumbling on its giant legs.
Time to put Beastie out of its misery. Aventis thought to himself, smiling at himself, sure of his own abilities for the first time in a long time. It felt good. Really good.
The beast stumbled back a foot or so, opening an opportunity. Aventis didn’t hesitate.
He ran up to the beast once more, his arm outstretched. It all happened in an instant. The squire, set to kill, put all his force behind his aching arm and stabbed the thing’s forehead with the rapier, a small dot of blood visible on the beast’s wrinkled face just above where his right eye used to be. Aventis didn’t see it happen, his feet pounding the ground and distancing himself from the monster as much as possible, in case it got mad. But it had no opportunity. The blade pierced the beast’s skull, scratching its brain ever so slightly, but scratching it enough. The Akalak was a dead man standing. It wobbled on its legs, taking a moment before falling like a great oak, pounding the ground with its muscled body. As soon as it hit the ground, Aventis turned, incredulous. Slowly, cautiously, he approached the fallen animal. Bloody and tired, Aventis quickly located the promontory that had helped him win the struggle.
His stomach ached as he bent over, slashing into the meat that was the beast, freeing the bloodied rock from its body with his shortsword and retrieving it with one of his lower ones.
“ARCHAILIST.” He yelled, severely hoping he was not alone. Stone in his upper left and his weapons in his lower hands, he stood, hoping, waiting, but fearless at the same time.
“ARCHAILIST. THE REST ARE SAFE. WHERE ARE YOU?”
