Welcome to The Duality of Man, an original animanga role-play that features numerous supernatural creatures. Unfortunately, these various species have distanced themselves because of the war that occurred thousands of years ago, plaguing some with eyes that only see their dualism. While others meddle themself with their differences, two groups fight, each attempting to eliminate the other in for their definition of worldly peace. These two groups of the Terror Response Syndicate (TRS) and the Assembly of Phantoms (AP). With individuals fighting merely over their differences, it brings uncertainty to the outcome of this war.
We happily accept all role-players as long as they obey the rules and are capable of meeting our word count of 50. This does include those who are unfamiliar with this style of role-playing. The staff of The Duality of Man are willing to happily help those who are new to the role-playing world so they feel comfortable on site. Feel free to message the staff if you need help, they can be found here or in the site Discord and will gladly answer questions alongside calm concerns. If you have any suggestions we would love to hear them; guests may use the support board as a suggestion area as well. Should you decide to join, may I say welcome to the site and we all hope you enjoy your time here.
Yours Truely,
The Staff
season
Summer 2024
Heat has broken through into a glorious summer. The snow has entirely dried through the spring, leaving to the brilliance of the warmer months. Terror activity has risen as people are brought out of their homes, leaving the TRS in a position of consistent work. Each are attempting to maintain victory in the endless struggle for power.
Since the wonderful members of TDOM enjoy the site enough to play around on it, this thread is to assist with the site's tidying! Functionality is important and we want to make the site functional even if its activity will be minimal at best!
Snow gently danced from the mass of grey clouds above. A moderate cold existed in the air, but numerous tourists still marched through the open gates of the imposing ice structure. The entire castle was decorated in a fresh layer of snow, displaying winter's frigid beauty. After slipping through the crowded gates, Fritz wandered towards a less densely populated area near the gates. The reaper leaned against the icy wall despite the chilling cold that ran down his back. The temperature regulation charm was secured tightly around his left wrist in caution to his dominate hand being required to wield his weapon. Despite his new apprehension to temperatures caused by his species, the warrior still found himself mesmerized by winter's beauty. The delicate snowflakes drifting down from above, the manner clean snow sparkled and generally the oddly inviting solitude.
While he gazed above at the clouds, Fritz crossed his arms and remained motionless for a few moments. A soft sigh flowed from his mouth, the hero pushing off the wall and taking a couple steps away. Today, he was dressed in his TRS uniform which proved that he was on duty. The red accenting that popped against the darker colours of his uniform confirmed his seniority and skill as an elite hunter. Resting within the leather scabbard was the broad sword, his ally on a majority of these lonesome ventures. The expression on the reaper's face contained concern over the task he had been handed on this mission. Full-fledged hunters were expected to teach hunter apprentices in their craft, which was a duty that Fritz was not excluded from, however, this training was different. As his closest friend had promised, she managed to join the TRS which was something he frowned upon.
There was little choice in the matter of being Vashti mentor, and Fritz preferred considering he was already aware of his friend's stubborn attitude. Although, considering the impending stress of being both a hunter and an RCMP officer, the hero was genuinely worried about the brunette. Having to constantly rescue her from harm always tolled on the reaper's mental state since it suggested the concepts of failing to save her. The idea always frightened Fritz, his mind trailing towards it plenty of times when those silent moments ambushed him or after freshly saving Vashti. The warrior's blue eyes glanced at the entrance as he watched families filter into the tourist hub. Merely watching the numerous visitors was mildly concerning to the full-fledged hunter considering it provided the opportunity for disguisers to slither into the crowds of innocent people or other terrors that managed to discover an entry point.
The reaper's eyes narrow as he activated his soul viewing eyes, people's morals being revealed instantly before his blue eyes. There was a monochrome mixture as Fritz scrutinized the various individuals entering the ice castle. Although, the condensed mixture made the soul viewing difficult which resulted in Fritz's gaze trailing out from the crowded section. Watching caused the hunter to ease, his paranoid nerves settling slightly at the sight. Another sigh trailed out of his mouth, leaving in a white cloud of steam as the retreated to the comfort of the wall to wait patiently for his apprentice's arrival. Once again, the warrior leaned against the wall, occupying his thoughts with teaching plans for the time being.
It was as Vashti had thought, the work of being a Police Officer and TRS member were harder than she had once thought and though she had promised herself that if he had bothered trying to become closer with her that she would quit one or both, he had to her disappointed continued being stubborn on the subject which left her only one option. To keep her promise and so with the rough nights, she had somehow managed to keep up with police work as she slowly took on some apprentice tasks as a hunter in training. It had come as a surprise when Fritz had been selected at her mentor but she wasn't complaining, it meant more time with him and more time that she could prove to him what a mistake it had been to keep her waiting for all these years. She had returned home to change out of her police outfit so that she could put on her TRS uniform instead before placing her sword sheath on her TRS belt.
She had her cell phone in one pocket just in case the police station needed her and her wallet in her back pocket before grabbing her keys and locking her apartment behind herself. She would shove her keys into her left front pocket before walking down the stairs of her apartment and walking towards the Ice Castle. It only took her a few minutes to get there thanks to her super speed, she had noticed Fritz leaning against the wall and had slowly made her way towards him. Just because he was her mentor, didn't mean that she wouldn't try and drag him out on an adventure, As she would get closer, she would reach out her hand in an attempt to snag his arm in hers to somewhat hug him. They were on duty, yes, but there was one thing she wanted to do with him before the Ice Castle was gone and that was to take him through the maze and if he was foolish enough to not stay close to her, to possibly get him lost because it sounded like lots of fun. "Fritz." She answered with a grin on her face.
She couldn't help but wonder if Danika had mentioned him to be her boy friend yet, or any other TRS member for that matter. If anybody thought they were in a relationship, she had failed to correct him about the subject though he had yet to tell her about it if they had.
In silence, Fritz continued leaning against the frigid surface of the ice castle wall. His mind occupied with lesson plan thoughts alongside the protecting the various citizens that dubbed Lorsette their home. As he listened to the various passing people around them, their joyful laughter reaching his ears. It resulted in the reaper's eyes lingering at the crowd of ongoing people filtering through the front gates. Everything remained calm, although, similar to all TRS hunters, the reaper remained skeptical about how long the duration of tranquility would be maintained. Terrors and the Assembly of Phantoms were always keen of ruining the peace by filling it with horrified screams, death and combat. Another survey of his surroundings were taken, his blue eyes only flitting back towards the crowd when he heard the soft crunch of snow beneath foot.
Before the reaper gained the opportunity to speak a word, he felt Vashti's arm link with his. The action of looping her arm around his alongside the semi-hug in public caused Fritz to squirm. There were times when the hero disliked being pulled into hugs, although, it was oftentimes when a crowd of people were around. When his name was said, the elite hunter's struggle lessened as he sighed in annoyance.
"Vashti, let go. We're on duty and this behavior is not befitting for work," he began. "We have been given the task of patrolling a portion of the castle's interior which can be hefty. It's best if we get to work considering terrors getting inside this colossal structure is a horrendous problem to deal with. Finally, I am your mentor which means I expect you to listen to my orders, so try and cut back on the stubborn attitude."
There was an air of seniority to his voice, hints of command touching the tone. In this situation, Fritz was suppose to be the mentor which was a significant duty. Without properly trained apprentices, then the TRS was bound to suffer to the improper training. Once again, the reaper returned to struggling against the brunette's grip in a desperate attempt to free himself. Being randomly grabbed or hug was something of familiarity, but still remained generally frowned upon by the hunter whenever it occurred.
"Anyways, we should be getting to work. We have a lot of ground to cover and if we are not quick about it, somebody could wind up getting hurt. It's our job to protect people," Fritz insisted.
While attempting to squirm from his friend's grip, the elite hunter moves forward. His soul vision eyes shortly activate in order to assist in the detection of disguisers who could easily slip past the exterior guards should there be no undeads on duty. The concept of the underlying threat was always a concern for the hero, which caused his blue eyes to flit around for suspicious behavior constantly.
Vashti couldn't help but smirk when Fritz had squirmed in her grip, there wasn't a time that went by that she didn't find some amusement from this action, but it was just how Fritz reacted most of the time when she tried getting closer and she didn't want to lose her patience on him, there had been quite a few times that she had gotten pretty close even though she knew that her friend met well he had his moments of being super frustrating, not that she'd ever admit that to him, he already had enough on his plate to deal with as it is. As if his comment would encourage her to let go, the smirk on her face got somewhat smaller as it changed to a playful pout. "Aww come on Fritz, its not like anybody is going to judge." She teased him, though it seemed like she was all fun and games, she was being observant to their surroundings.
Fritz reminded her of what they had been tasked with doing and she rolled her eyes at him, "This isn't going to detour us from the task at hand you know." She corrected him as a matter of a factly. "No no no, you being my mentor means that you have a handful on your hands." She turned her head to cough in her elbow. "Its about time." She spoke before coughing again as if to cover up the fact she had said something in the first place. If he thinks I'm going to put him in danger, he has another thing coming. She wasn't about to promise that upon herself, seeing as they both knew she was reckless to begin with, so why promise just to break it later. "I won't lie though, that is adorable." She looked up at Fritz as she flattered him with her words.
Of course if you had learned long ago I liked you and cared for your well being, instead of keeping me waiting so long you would have come to see me become submissive long ago. Though this is so much fun, just keep going Fritz, lets see how long I can tease you before you see we were meant to be. There was a smile on her lips as she imagined their future together. She was pulled from her thoughts to Fritz trying to free himself from her grip, if he was going to play that game she would have to just remind him of the benefit of hanging on. She kept the smile on her face as he spoke, waiting for the perfect timing to let go, the action should come as surprise even if she had hugged him often. Fritz had tried struggling in her grip once more and as he moved forward she suddenly let go of his arm.
"Just the grounds right?" She asked before leaving him in the dust to check around the Ice Castle before suddenly stopping in front of him a few minutes later. "It is all clear." There was something she wanted to do and she'd be damned if a Terror or Phantom managed to ruin it for her. "Catch me if you can Fritzy!" She laughed before moving away from him to head towards the maze before entering.
The smirk that crossed Vashti's face towards his squirming only caused Fritz to struggle against her grip further. Close proximity was never truthfully a problem, but rather the reaper disliked being grabbed at times. There were moments where he remained passive, although, those commonly accompanied the hours where he remained off duty. In a crowded area made it particularly tense, especially on duty when terrors could be lurking through the groups of citizens with simplistic ease while a pair of hunters lacked focus to perform their job. The presumption towards the squirming being judgement based, the hero rolled his eyes. The opinions of other people were insignificant to him unless it was a constructive criticism or numerous rumors that had spiraled out of control. One was a positive input for improvement meanwhile the other was a fabrication of malicious intent or presumption.
When Vashti stated that her secret intent plan alongside the fact that his hands would be full, Fritz released an irritated groan. There was more regret sparking over the concept of giving the brunette the idea of joining the TRS considering her stubbornness and troublesome nature.
"Vashti, I am serious! Not listening to the person meant to teach you is a recipe for disaster!" The reaper exclaimed in a final gamble to cease the trouble.
Upon hearing the compliment, the warrior's eyes narrowed into a glare. It appeared that his friend was not keen on taking anything of what he said to heart. The concept was frustrating for any mentor since it suggested the possibility of foolish mistakes, which was a worry. The hero took his job of protecting others as significant since those feelings that remained fresh in Fritz's mind were still emotions he desired nobody to go through; the feeling of losing everything important. Thinking about it kept his determination sharp, resulting in his squirming increasing. Fortunately, freedom from Vashti's grip was granted which allowed the hunter to take a few steps away from the brunette; he did not desire to be grabbed again. His attention returned to his friend when the question was asked, but before he could answer, the woman hastily ran off at extreme speeds.
"VASHTI! I AM SUPPOSE TO COME WITH YOU!" Fritz shouted, despite being certain that she was already gone.
There was a vexation being created from Vashti's action, the reaper merely desiring things to progress smoothly. The primary concerns being any stray disguisers that managed to slip through the cracks considering he remained one of the few creatures that could view them. The irritation became obvious on Fritz's face as minutes ticked by, the reaper taking steps forward in search of both terrors and his apprentice. His blue eyes scanned his surroundings in hopes of finding her quickly by some miracle, but the search was shortly ended. When the brunette returned, Fritz narrowed his eyes and prepared to lecture her only to receive a meager clearance statement and his apprentice running off again.
"VASHTI! FOR THE LOVE OF THE GODS STOP THIS NONSENSE! WE HAVE WORK TO DO!" Fritz shouted immediately when his friend began moving away.
An annoyed sigh escaped the reaper's lips as he began possessing the temptation to merely leave his apprentice to wander in order to perform a proper patrol, but leaving Vashti alone was a recipe for trouble. After a few moments, the hunter gave chase, his concerns about the safety of the citizens fueling him forward. Today was definitely going to become an excruciatingly long day.
Vashti couldn't help but feel somewhat thrilled when she had glanced behind herself to see that Fritz had bothered following after her, though once she had entered the maze she hadn't slowed down to see if he had followed her in or not. Once she had felt like she had gone in the middle of the maze she had come to a complete stop so that she could listen for her surroundings to see if she could hear him mumbling, seeing as he likely would be doing so if he chose to follow her in. She covered her mouth with her hand, giggling to herself as she waited patiently for her friend to find her in the maze, hoping that he had a few losses while he searched her out. He'd better find her soon, else she would be upset having to leave the maze to go searching for him instead. Time seemed to be going by slowing, but Fritz still wasn't anywhere in sight.
Did he get lost in the maze, or did he chose to not follow me in? She thought to herself, feeling somewhat foolish for trying to drag him into the maze in the first place. This is what he gets for choosing to be so mean to me, by friendzoning me.... She thought to herself, somewhat stubborn before feeling bad over it. But than again, if he didn't follow me into the maze. He might be doing his job as an Elite hunter..... and he might be in trouble.... She sighed, waiting around for Fritz to find her was slowly starting to become less fun. Time continued to tick by, before she heard a scream coming from inside the maze. That is strange, is it a Terror or? She chose to leave her spot to search the maze for the one who had screamed. Once she found the source she couldn't help but sigh slightly to see it was just a little boy sitting in the corner because he had lost his mother.
Being required to chase after Vashti was something that was rather irritating to Fritz considering his mission was to train the apprentice. Instead, the brunette possessed the intent to force the reaper to give chase. Despite years of exercise, the trained hunter knew that his friend was faster due impart to her abilities and his hefty broad sword. Naturally, the weapon was weighed roughly between 2.5-3.5 pounds, but nonetheless it remained a weight that would be dragging at his waist. People were staring towards there direction in curiosity of what was occurring, but Fritz ignored them, opting to focus on following his apprentice. When the maze's entrance began rapidly approaching, there was a hesitation in the reaper's steps. Getting lost inside the icy walls was an extreme undesirable to his mission to protect people.
Before even a word could escape Fritz's lips, the brunette had already entered the maze. There was only a minor pause before an annoyed sigh echoed from his mouth and he entered. As he began running into the giant maze, the reaper's blue eyes flitted around as he wore an expression of displeasure. The deeper he walked into the depths, the slower his steps became as he attempted to solve where his friend could have disappeared to.
"Seriously, Vashti? Why did you have to do this of all things?" Fritz mumbled in a grumpy tone.
Trapped within the walls of ice seemed to progress slowly as the reaper moved carefully. The amount of footsteps that marked the snowy floor made tracking impossible, but Fritz found himself gazing at them sometimes. Seeing the human footprints were a reassurance that there were no terrors lurking the maze's corridors. There was always concern being in the tight spaces of the maze hallways because of a severe disadvantage he possessed. His sword provided distance, allowing him to use his height and strength as an advantage by not allowing the enemy to close, but it remained a close-combat weapon. In the numerous corridors, there was a lack of space to dodge or to force the enemy away from him. The concern was eating away at him, the fact that he remained alone making him slightly paranoid. Then when a loud scream filled the air, Fritz was startled from his thoughts and worked towards figuring out where the sound originated from.
The reaper ran through numerous corridors in his search, blue eyes flitting around at the various tunnels. As he moved, his soul viewing activated and he continued moving about the maze. When he rounded one of the corners, he noticed Vashti and a snuffed out soul. The hunter was quick to realize the little boy was truly a disguiser, hiding within the depths of the maze in an innocent disguise.
"VASHTI GET AWAY FROM HIM!" Fritz shouted as he closed the distance.
There was no hesitation as the hunter's hand reached for the sword's handle, drawing it from the leather scabbard. A disadvantage was held within the confining space, but choices were limited given the situation as he prayed for Vashti to move away from the disguiser.
Vashti had moved closer to the little boy, unaware that he was a Disguiser. Fritz had rounded the corner, she was somewhat happy to see him but she wanted to help this boy find his mother. To her surprise Fritz yelled at her. Wait what? She thought to herself, somewhat surprised to hear his demand, further surprised when Fritz had started the process of withdrawing his sword from the sheath. Is he mad that I lost him in the maze? She hesitated to move, finding realizing her mistake as the Disguiser had created a dark pulse. She withdrawn her sword, too slow as the dark pulse hit her and knocked her off of her feet. If I had known this damn thing was in here, I would have come in here sooner to handle it..... Ugh...... I still blame myself for not noticing the difference, this makes me so mad. She pulled herself up to her feet, unable to fight in this maze, but she'd be damned if anybody else got trapped in this maze when she wanted nothing more than to fight it in a bigger space.
She lifted the radio to her lips, "A Disguiser is in the middle of the maze, report towards the exits to help people get out and that no more have a chance to enter." She lowered the radio, waiting to hear for a reply back to her message. It seemed as if some scouts had eyes on the maze to see people were still entering in, so other hunters were on their way to post themselves in front of both exits. I can count on seeing these people sooner or later, if the Disguiser is still alive I'll just send them back the other way. A thought then crossed her mind, so she moved towards the Disguiser to try and slash at it before moving pass them to go through the passage, figuring it would be best for Fritz to take up the rear. It would give her a chance to find anybody still in the maze closer to the exit, over the entrance. "Can somebody look near the exit to see if people are still in the area? I'm moving in that direction." She pauses to glance behind herself, "With the Disguiser following behind me with Fritz." She radioed in, suddenly coming to a stop when she noticed a couple lost in the maze. She turned with sword in hand just in case the Disguiser was interested in crashing into her.
"Go through the next passage, hurry." Thankfully the couple didn't hesitate and they left, leaving them alone in the dead end with only one pathway to choose, she moved in front of it just in case the Disguiser felt the next targets would be fun to play with. I really wish I had a little more practice with these things.... I mean the others I know all about but how the heck was I supposed to know it was a Disguiser? It's not like I had a hint, other than Fritz yelling at me about it.
With a situation involving impending danger, Fritz found his adrenaline already pumping in preparation for the upcoming battle. Concerns were being generated over Vashti's close proximity to the disguiser who was hiding in plain sight. There was necessity in discovering the whereabouts of terrors, but the methods were unconventional and ultimately threw them into a predicament. Narrow passages and a creature capable of fighting a long-ranged battle to counter the close-combat style of a sword. The situation boded ill, requiring quick thinking to create positive results, however, even that appeared to be drifting out of reach when the initial dark pulse was released. A dark band shot from the disguiser, the reaper's brunette friend remaining in close proximity to the dastardly creature. The icy walls obtained minor damages, cracks appearing on the once pristine surface while his friend was knocked down.
Meanwhile, Fritz was forced to duck behind he corner he previously rounded, the remainder of the dark pulse slamming into the corridor walls. Specks of ice and snow erupted from where the attack collided, showering the elite hunter with the flacks. The sound of Vashti speaking into a radio managed to reach his ears, the reaper not taking any hesitation to cautiously step out from behind the wall. His blue eyes were hasty to notice the damaged section as a large chunk had been destroyed from the once sturdy wall. There was reassurance in Vashti not obtaining significant damage from the attack since it suggested the possibility of success through teamwork. Alas, the communication was lacking when suddenly the brunette had sprinted forward without even providing any hints towards her plan. The disguiser was quick to follow, likely finding a reason to eliminate Vashti who was radioing the scouts over him.
There was irritation found in the lack of information that Vashti had provided since it the running meant he would be forced to follow. Concern soon generated from the action as the reaper found himself thinking of the further disadvantage possibly caused by an extensive run, but Fritz ignored it. Once again, his closest friend had managed to get herself into trouble on the first day of her training. Each step was followed by the reaper and each passing second resulted in his concern over his friend's health increasing as he weaved through the tunnels. Eventually, he reached the stand off where Vashti stood a valiant guard against the creature, blocking it from a corridor. There was a grim air about the situation and the trained hunter found difficulty in attempting to figure out a plan. A sigh escaped the reaper's lips while he rushed forward, knowing the advantage to be lacking, but he possessed a strategy.
The slash towards the creature was hasty and did not possess the full horizontal arcing motion of his usual attacks due to the slender hallways. The pointed tip of the broadsword narrowly managed to hit point, forcing the disguiser backwards into the dead end momentarily. A moment was taken as Fritz's eyes gazed upon the snow laden ground, widening as a minor, although devious, method was discovered. Without hesitation, the warrior's broadsword aimed down to swipe the snow and ice towards the disguiser's eyes to push the creature back further. Thankfully, due to the smaller body the disguiser occupied, it was a simplistic task and the terror was forced to relent more space. In retaliation, another dark pulse was fired which forced Fritz to duck into the same tunnel as Vashti.
"You better give me an explanation, because running off without giving me a word isn't exactly communication," the reaper said quietly in an irritated tone.
The current situation remained a disadvantage in Fritz's mind, although, he was gradually piecing together how to transform the maze into their advantage. There was hesitation in the concept, since it required leading the creature around the corridors and forcing it to close the distance, which suggested a possibly grave circumstance if not enacted carefully.
Vashti couldn't help but feel proud that Fritz was following behind them, it would have been out of character for him to leave the Disguiser in her care after all. After she had sent the couple down the passage, she blocked the Disguiser from passing her just in case they had thought to do so. With the Disguiser's attention on her, Fritz had rushed forward to attack, forcing the Disguiser in the dead end. When the dark pulse had been shot out, she ducked farther in the passage to avoid getting hit by it, shortly joined by Fritz. "Playing hero." It was a simple phrase, not really having time to explain herself to him. "That corner isn't going to hold it very long." She whispered, "I'm interested in getting that Disguiser out of the maze. Among other things." She wasn't about to admit she tried getting him lost in the maze on purpose, she wouldn't have regretted it if she hadn't met the Disguiser.
However, she was somewhat happy to know that she had gone into the maze because if she hadn't, bystanders could have been hurt because they wouldn't have gone in until it was reported. "Get behind the Disguiser again. If it doesn't want to follow me, it runs the risk of going back the opposite direction." She whispered, not wanting the Disguiser to figure out what she had planned for it. Fritz may have been the mentor, but he didn't have the advantage. She wasn't skilled to attack a Disguiser, which meant if they wanted to take it down, Fritz would need his room to kill it. The deadend wasn't good enough. If she wanted the Disguiser surprised, she would have to go after it first. Without waiting for Fritz to reply, she rushed around the corner to preparing to slash at the Disguiser who still happened to be in the deadend. "Your delaying the inevitable." The little boy spoke, causing Vashti to hesitate slashing as she had previously planned to do. The Disguiser laughed and created another dark pulse.
Well isn't this just peachy..... She rushed down the other passage to avoid getting hit, taking a breath she rounded the corner to slash at the Disguiser again. How am I supposed to focus when it looks exactly like a little boy? She wasn't a fan, but slashing at the Disguiser left her no choice, but it didn't change the fact that she felt somewhat sick in the stomach for the forced attack. The sooner she got this damn Disguiser out of the maze, the sooner she'd be able to kill it, or at the very least, Fritz would be able to kill it.
Gradually the situation seemed to grow foreboding as Fritz inched further from the corner of the corridor. An explosion of ice showered through the air from the destruction and thunderous cracks echoed from the walls due to the abuse inflicted by the disguiser. When Vashti claimed he was 'playing hero', the reaper glared towards her as though suddenly reminded of his irritation currently aimed at her. Attention was given both towards the terror's wondering and the explanation his brunette friend provided in defense of her actions. Only a nod of affirmation proved that the elite hunter was attentive as he continued listening to the disguiser for a few more moments. Even managing to remove the disguiser from the maze seemed tedious considering it could always throw projectile darkness at them should it feel cornered.
"Yes, but if it figures out it has the advantage, it won't follow either of us out," Fritz responded quietly. "Disguisers are smarter than the other terrors. Stick to the radio and if you think of a backup plan, let me know. Because if it won't leave the maze, we may be forced to be distractions until somebody else comes since we can't lose sight of it."
There was calmness to the hero's tone since years of grueling battles had resulted in numerous instances of becoming a toy for the malicious. Constantly, the reaper was attempting to figure out a secondary plan should they be incapable of leaving the maze. When getting behind the disguiser was mentioned, Fritz was going to respond until Vashti rounded the corner with her sword prepped. Any loud arguments against the concept were held since revealing his apprentice's position would possibly create a bleak situation depending on the injuries. Slowly, Fritz inched closer to the corner, watching the display and noticing a fatal flaw, Vashti hesitated. Should they be required to battle inside or outside the maze, any hesitation could result in death, especially with an intelligent terror. Pondering continued as the reaper realized that allowing his brunette friend near the terror entirely could become a fatal flaw.
The original plan that the elite hunter possessed was dangerous, but enacting it was required. Risking the lives of other people, especially of the woman who remained his only friend, was not an option. Self-sacrifice was a notion that never bothered the mind of the ancient warrior, which was obvious by his willingness to take damage in order to protect those around him. When given the chance, Fritz rounded the corner and slashed towards the disguiser without hesitation. The terror dodged him, but the reaper made himself an obvious threat with continuous short swings aimed towards the menace with the guise of a child. Gradually, the elite worked his way around the creature and once they were back in the tunnel the led back the way him and Vashti had came he noticed the forming darkness.
Pulling away from the disguiser was not an option as several pointed objects formed and were suddenly fired. Instead, the reaper side stepped, avoiding the attack that smacked into the weakened maze walls, causing pieces to tumble with the possibility of blocking the path. Once the pieces began plummeting towards the snowy earth, the reaper sprinted forwarded, bringing his fingers up to create a high pitched whistle in order to gain the terror's attention. When the disguiser began following, the radio was hastily grabbed and brought to his lips.
"Vashti, go through the maze and evacuate everybody. I'm not allowing you near this terror if you're going to hesitate. That will get you killed, so get every citizen out of here, I'll be its toy for now," Fritz stated.
Before an answer could even be stated, the radio was deactivated, making it impossible for messages to be received or sent in order to maintain some stealth. Each running step reminded him of the weight in his jacket, the armor plates making themselves pronounced with the hefty nature of his clothing. A glance back confirmed the suspicion of projectiles possibly being thrown as he witnessed the formation of dark spikes. When the disguiser got prepared to throw them, the reaper ducked around the closest turn, pressing his back against the wall. The spikes were launched towards the corner, pain sparking in the elite hunter's left arm as the corner got demolished and he discovered he remained too close. Instantly, Fritz pulled further away from the corner, numerous gashes lining his left, leaving a slowly forming puddle on the snow. The intensity of the wounds were focused below the shoulder, the plates in his jacket providing protection.
"Awww, did somebody get hurt? Does this mean you're almost done playing? The disguiser chuckled, slowly making its way closer.
A deep breath was taken by Fritz as he ignored the pain, patiently waiting for the disguiser to reach the corner. Minor shifts were made in stance, the hero positioning himself to lunge out with his sword. The instant his blue eyes noticed the child terror at the corner, the sword was trusted forward in an attempt to finish the creature, but stopped abruptly. A grimace entered Fritz's face as he witnessed the creation of a small, black shield blocking his sword and the malicious countenance the terror possessed.
Vashti allowed Fritz words to sink in as she had rounded the corner to attack the Disguiser only to hesitate in attacking it. How could she attack it when it looked exactly like a little boy? It made her sick to the stomach, of course after it had created a dark pulse and she was forced to dodge before coming back out to slash at it anyway but Fritz had done it first and though the Disguiser had dodged it seemed to her that Fritz planned on taking this matter into his own hands. She had gone back into the passage to try and figure out how she would go about getting the Disguiser's attention again, glancing to see the fight between them. Fritz had side stepped the several pointed objects fired in his direction. He never ceases to amuse me.... but damn it Fritz, it still counts as showing off. Than his next action caused her blood to boil.
He had whistled and the Disguiser had followed him. What does he think he is doing? Does he not realize I can help him? That idiot! Fritz words interrupted her thoughts and she held the radio to her lips, waiting for him to stop speaking for her to speak. "It was only once..... I can help..." She waited for Fritz to reply and when she didn't get it she answered again. "Damn it Fritz, don't do this!" Still no reply. "Shit." she could have thrown her radio on the ground but she held a firm grip on it instead. She rounded the corner to follow after them. She could hear the attack hit against the passage wall and a phantom pain entered her arm. Angry flared her energy as it gave her the extra motive needed to take this Disguiser down once and for all. She was careful to keep her speed under control as to avoid running into a possible fight unprepared but being in ear shot of the Disguiser's words she found herself in a franzy.
A breath was all she took before she rushed forward, slipping in front of the Disguiser before kicking it with her leg with the intent to hit it against the wall that was just behind it. "YOUR MINE!" The action must have caught the Disguiser by surprise because she had managed to hit her mark perfectly. The Disguiser had launched spikes in her direction and she spun her sword in front of her to hit at the spikes with the intent of having them bounce away from her before rushing towards the Disguiser to slash at him once more. "Catch me if you can....." She answered, passing the Disguiser as she headed towards the passage once more. Fritz. How dear you get hurt on my watch. How dare you think it is right to give me such a foolish order. My life is meant to be there to protect others and you aren't an exception to this. I am good for nothing if I don't do this.
She glanced behind herself to see that the Disguiser had started following behind her. She rounded another corner and waited for it to catch up before attempting to slash at it again. It wouldn't matter if the attack hit or not, her goal was to have the Disguiser believe that she was there to only attack it, it wouldn't do them any good if it figured out that she was leading it out of the maze for more room. I hope the end of the maze is coming up, I don't know how much energy I'll have left if I keep this up. Distraction, it always made it easily for a person to not pay attention to their surroundings. She slowed down for the sole purpose of meeting the Disguiser once more to attack it before moving around the corner again. Seeing the exit in view had given her relief, but it also had caused her not to focus on the Disguiser from behind her who had started creating another dark pulse before firing it in her direction.
The dark pulse hit her and she was sent flying forward and out of the maze. She felt herself somewhat dazed as she realized she was on the ground and still had the Disguiser coming from behind her. She was slow trying to get up, energy was wearing her thin. It wouldn't be long before she wouldn't have any left. Get up. Get up Vashti...... Do it now. You aren't about to die here.... NOW STAND UP. It took a lot of effort but the desire to stand finally came and she slowly lifted her sword in the air with the intention of rushing at the Disguiser again. "Game over." The Disguiser answered with a smile on its face as it prepared to launch another spike attack.
The sudden block from the disguiser was creating a perilous situation for Fritz as a grimace settled onto his face. Pain was rippling through his damaged arm, the movements of the attempted lunge alongside the abrupt stop causing subtle irritation. The warm embrace of the red liquid dribbling down the length of his left arm remained oddly chilling due to the circumstances. Without fear marking his eyes, the reaper stared at his enemy for a few moments as he prepared to pull away in hopes of escaping the grim situation. The disadvantage in environment was already horrible and now Fritz had managed to trap himself into an interesting scenario. There was always solace, an escape route, which was something that the warrior believed even given the grim situation due to his steely determination.
There had to be salvation for the current situation he had managed to capture himself in. Surviving was a requirement considering even as time passed, there were plenty of people who needed rescuing, although, Fritz found himself relieved in saving Vashti. The broadsword was drawn back into a defensive position, the reaper remaining uncertain given the dire circumstances he managed to rope himself into. Unexpectedly, salvation arrived in the form of a long haired brunette who decided to disobey orders. Before the terror had the opportunity to strike, a harsh kick was given to the creature, sending it flying. The warrior's eyes widened with surprise over the display and shortly flitted to Vashti. It was obvious that the young woman was furious based on how she shouted at the creature, claiming it hers. The interaction passed quickly in front of him, his friend earning the disguiser's attention again before running off.
The reaper flinched as he found himself displeased with the current situation alongside the condition of his left arm. Wordlessly, Fritz continued forward, initially at a slower pace while his blue eyes scrutinized the horrible condition of his arm. Numerous gashes marked his flesh, obvious by the darkened splotch the tatters of his sleeve obtained. Pain continued biting at his wounds, informing him of the injury's level. Gradually, the elite hunter's eyes trailed towards the way Vashti and the disguiser had left with full knowledge that yelling was pointless. A deep breath was taken as Fritz began to run in the same direction, mild pains sparking in his wounds as he accomplished the task. That hesitation from his friend's prior attack weighed heavily on the reaper's conscious as he grew frightful of a similar situation occurring elsewhere. While he began sprinting, his body argued with insistence towards resting and recovering from the wounds.
Time was not available for healing since Fritz wanted to make certain his brunette friend would not meet her finale here. The reaper pushed himself, using his long strides to carry himself through the maze until eventually meeting the threshold that led outside of the icy structure. Upon leaving, the warrior found the struggle between Vashti and the disgusier who intended on ending the mere apprentice. Determination filled Fritz as he continued running, ignoring the pleads of his injured body while he drew closer. The grip on his sword was tightened while he swung the blade towards the creature with the intent of disposing of the terror before more damage could be accomplished. The initial attack succeeded as his blade ripped through the flesh, making a clean decapitation of the creature which shortly transformed to ash. The blackened substance coated his blade, Fritz slowly drawing back into a standing position.
His wound was screaming with pain despite barely being used, making the reaper's eyes wander towards it. The hero's breathing remained deep, the immense amount of running alongside the injury taking its toll. Immediately, his blue eyes regarded Vashti, his expression making his displeasure obvious.
"I gave you a job, you were suppose to do it," the reaper stated.
Afterwards, the blade was given a single shake before being returned to the scabbard where it would await patiently for the next actions. Despite rescuing him from peril, the reaper was not prepared to admit it considering the brunette had clearly placed herself in harm's way again, which was something he could never approve of.
The Disguiser was quick, too quick for her to react, even if it meant defending herself. A sword was swung at the Disguiser, cutting it in half before the creature slowly had turned to ash. She found herself staring at the ground, that had been her kill and he had stolen it from her. She refused to look at him while his words went into her ears, finding it very easy to let her temper run wild. She listened to him shake his sword before putting it away, looking up at Fritz with a grim face expression she answered him back. "Did you go in the maze to see it not empty? Of course not, you were too busy sacrificing yourself before following after the Disguiser that was meant to be my kill." She was still angry, not really at Fritz but his bluntness and the fact that he was blind to the fact that she cared about him deeply was frustrating. I hesitated because it had the nerve to look like a child.... Words were bound to come out, words that would be hurtful and hard to take back.
"I'm sorry I took you into the maze, it was a mistake that will never happen again." It wasn't the fact that she had ran into the Disguiser, it was the fact that he had followed her into the maze in the first place, had the nerve to steal her kill and for what, because she hadn't hit it in the first place? That was most likely the reason seeing as she always felt lower than him, as if he were better just because he had been hunting Terrors so much longer. As if on cue, her radio went off. A scout was reporting another siting of a Terror being spotted near the Ice Castle. I may not get a chance to kill a Disguiser today, but I'll be damned if anybody else has at that Terror.... It didn't matter that she didn't normally go out of her way to kill Terrors, it didn't matter that she mostly ran into them on accident prior to becoming an apprentice. Those Terrors were going to make a nice kill to soften her temper, a temper that had been first created with the Diguiser had appeared like a little boy and proved her to be weak in front of Fritz.
She raised the radio to her lips, permission didn't need to be granted, she knew she would be able to handle this Terror on her own and she'd be damned if Fritz proved her otherwise. "I'll be there." A conformation, not that she meant to make Fritz worry, but she wasn't thinking clearly, only having an interest in ridding the world of those horrible creatures. She would attempt to leave Fritz behind, walking quickly in the direction the Terror had been spotted, slowly letting her energy have time to come back so that she could start on her jog to get there quicker. She rounded a corner and the two Pipsqueaks were in sight. She raised her sword in the air to swing towards them but they had dodged out of her way. Either they are really quick or I'm too tired.... She thought to herself as she moved towards them again to attempt to swing at them once more, the faster she killed these things the faster she could move onto the much stronger Terrors.
Pain was erupted from Fritz's injured arm as it complained about the consistent use. Trickles of blood continued to flow down the length of his arm, dribbling off his fingers and marking the snow with traces of red. Rest would be required after the vigorous efforts taken towards defeating the disguiser and medic visits were likely to follow. The words were merely meant to linger, but instead he listened to the sudden rebuke from the brunette. The speaking of kills alongside sacrifice which cause the reaper to grow silent for a few moments. An irritated sigh escaped his lips as he regarded Vashti. There were obvious amounts of anger taken towards the actions the warrior had taken to protect those who were wandering the ice castle grounds.
"Hesitation gets you killed, plain and simple Vashti! This isn't some playground where you can do these childish things, the sacrifice is real! I understand that, it is why I work so hard to protect people. So instead of yelling at me over it, why don't you stop disobeying my orders and actually listen for once! It's not about some petty kill count, it is about protecting the innocent from those monsters! At the end of the day, whoever got the kill shouldn't matter!"
The blunt tone was continued and was edged with hints of anger over being required to explain the situation. Footsteps could be heard while a medical team approached, the wounded warrior already feeling and hearing the insistence to sit. The offer was refused, Fritz managed to shake off any hands to continue the conversation that was becoming important. The apology kept the reaper silent, causing him to merely stare at Vashti.
"There should be more to that. You shouldn't have ran off on your own instead of doing the patrol with me, that was childish and should you have overlooked something could have resulted in more injuries. Those actions are the ones that could get you killed, since lower rank hunters should work with the person they are assigned to, not run off. Next time you do a patrol with me, you are forbidden from running off like that and should you decide to, I will be forced to go to more extreme measures," he lectured.
Afterwards, he was tugged away by the medics who insisted towards tending to his damaged arm. The usual proceedings of medical work began, the warrior patiently allowing one of the medics work towards mending his wounds. A magic-less healing as requested solely for allowing the various medics to save their energy for any civilians. There was silence as Fritz awaited to be given a clear, time passing until he glanced to check on his apprentice, but she was no longer around. Instantly, the radio was turned on where the report about the pipsqueak was distributed again, resulting in the hero jerking his arm away from the medic's grip in order to hastily make his way towards the location. There was a complaint from the medic, but Fritz continued moving with certainty that his apprentice had managed to get into trouble again. As he rounded the corner, he noticed his apprentice in a duel with a pair of pipsqueaks which shortly resulted in him quickly slashing out at one of the creatures.
"Vashti, what are you doing?!" He shouted.
The swordplay used against the pipsqueaks consisted of simply blocks as the reaper took a defensive position towards the terror. Gaining more injuries was something Fritz desired to avoid, thus he merely watched and kept his enemy at bay while waiting for a response from Vashti.
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