860/Target: Dragon Us On

Target: Dragon Us On
Date of Scene:	26 October 2014
Location:	TARGET: The Rookery (TR)
Synopsis:	A stealthy miquo'te and a determined magical girl clash in the domain of dragons!
Cast of Characters:	548, 589

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Xau'ra Tayuun (548) has posed:
The night evening casts everything in darkness, for no moonlight can be seen and only the glow from time to time of dragon fire lights the evening star-lit sky. Things are rather peaceful here, beyond a young man with feline like features and rather athletic form moves easily over the rocks and avoiding detection as if he was seeing things in broad daylight.

He slides behind one of the rocks as soon has one of the spotlights swing over where he was and stays down low. His tail resting next to his leg flicking ever so gently as he waits for the bright light to move on. Then with a quick step sprint of his boots, with fleeting foot steps that land quietly even against the rocks, the male Miqo'te makes his way up the main guard tower.

He ducks around, using his more agile skills to hide from the light as it swings around, his feline-like ears laying back, as he pulls the brim of his hat down slightly. His gold eyes barely glancing over the brim of the hat as he waits. Then as soon has he can, he moves right back around and scales up to the door. With a flick open of the pouch, he goes to then unlock the door with lock-pick tools, then opens the door.

When the guard turns and looks, the dark furred twenty year old youth, moves quickly out of the guards sight and shadows his movements for a moment, long enough to take the needed card-key off him and also disarm him of the sidearm along his side.

Then with a tap on the shoulder, once the guard spins around reaching down for the lack of weapon by his side, Xau'ra uses it to actually pistol whip him, grabbing him by the shirt before he fully falls over and then lowering him down quietly. He then goes to slide the card in the keypad and stares at all the buttons, "...button button.. which are you is..." His hand guides over them, before he finds the one he is looking for and flips a few switches. Soon the spotlights all shut down, the defense weapons go offline, and the guards all fine themselves in total darkness.

Xau'ra then uses one of his knifes to stab the instrument panel a few times to keep it from being turned back up, then uses the handgun by throwing it at the window to shatter it, before climbing out and then leaping out onto one of the now-non-powered power-lines. Walking across with it on simple ease, at least until bullets go racing by. "So much hostility! You think I actually had done something wrong! Hahaha!"

This is also about the time that some of the guards get on the line to call in for assistance. Though as one of them takes aim, he finds himself having to suddenly avoid a few incoming arrows and having to quickly take cover.

Princess Paladin (589) has posed:
A felinoid young man is causing havoc at the Rookery! ...Thank goodness there was already someone here to protect the place, because though the call goes out, with the damage that Xua'ra has done so far, there are a lot of relays that will need to be used before the message is even received! What a happy Multiversal coincidence that a champion of the Confederacy (even if she is not known to be such) is here. Even if she is not recognizable as such to the troops in this fortress. She, infact, is dressed like a Japanese schoolgirl, and is, infact, exactly that. Miko Fujimoto wanted to see dragons. Real, live dragons. Preferably with the safety of thick walls and an army between her and them, but still.

So she came here, and has been marvelling at the assortment of reptiles in the distance for hours beyond her curfew. It's almost pointless for her to even have a curfew anymore. She can roam the entire Multiverse, but her mother still insists she come straight home after school? She fears her mother less and less as time goes on - and yet for some reason she keeps going back to her parents' house.

Why is that?

Her introspection is interrupted when the lights go out. She squeaks in surprise and sudden fear, her child-like awe at seeing REAL DRAGONS replaced with worry that maybe they are... Like... Attacking or something! But that does not seem to be the case. More likely an intruder. In the darkness, she has no trouble transforming unnoticed. As far as most in the Confederacy know, Miko 'summons' Princess Paladin instead of actually BEING her.

In short order, however, something superhumanly fast descends upon Xau'ra from directly above him, with only the very faint sound of fabric moving through the air to warn him. If he does not react to that warning in time, he is likely going to find himself being kicked from his perch by a high-heeled, armored boot aimed at the side of his head.

Either way, Princess Paladin then lands on both feet, folds her arms over her armored chest, and calls from the shadows, "Fool! Intruder! Quarrellous knave!" A long pink braid whips out to the side in a sudden hot, acrid wind. "You trespass upon the domain of dragons! You should know better than to tread where the great beasts sleep!" The wind grows and grows, deep and matching the beats of vast, leathery wings. Soon, the silhouette of a mighty horned lizard with a wingspan at least twice its own body length, begins to come up over a ledge nearby. As dust and volcanic rock are thrown every which way, the magical girl making the speech points a pink rod with a series of three gleaming jewels on the end at the intruder. "I am Princess Paladin," she announces. The dragon raises its head and molten light flows up his scaley throat, visible through segments in his armor. It builds until it tilts its head back, opens its fanged maw, and releases a mighty gout of flame into the sky that bathes the battlefield in a hellish light. "And either you shall be driven out of these Dragon Lands, or you shall be destroyed!" Pink eyes gleam down at the Miquo'te, even as her features are shrouded in deep shadow thanks to the dragon being behind her.

The dragon then takes off into the sky, leaving the smell of ash and smoke in its wake.

Xau'ra Tayuun (548) has posed:
Xau'ra picks up the sounds and he can spot her in the darkness as clear has day. His gift-- a curse-- of his race really. He only has enough time to bring up his arm guard resting against the loose chain mesh. The heel slams against the arm guard and knocks the young male Miqo'te right over.

He flips in the air and as he does, ignoring the glare from the dragons fire, even as it takes off. He lines up an arrow, "I come here for one reason and one reason alone, sweet heart." He draws back the arrow. "To bring this place back under Union control!" He then fires the arrow.

In that meer second, he has flipped himself around in time to land on his feet, as he tail flicks, before he starts to make a dash for the next guard tower, sliding between one of the other guard's legs and flipping them over as he goes and gets back up on his feet.

Princess Paladin (589) has posed:
The narrow pink scepter is moved into the path of the arrow with superhuman reflexes. Though the arrow breaks upon its surface, sparks fly from the impact that cause several painful points of heat to spring up on the few areas of exposed skin on Paladin's body. Like her face. It seems her own vision in darkness is also well above average, though she may be navigating via other senses as well. She chases after Xau'ra, heeled foot falls coming swiftly, with nearly mechanical regularity and precision. Small clouds of soot are kicked up in her wake, but her feet are light on the ground.

Another cat-person. She met one at the mall, as Miko. What was his name? Staren? She would wonder if there was some connection, but her magic compels her to follow her quest through to completion no matter what. There is no room for deviance, for doubt, for contemplation, if it does not relate specifically to completng her objective.

As Xau'ra runs to the next tower, Paladin swings the Sacred Scepter underhand, as though it were a golf club, and somhow cleaves a large chunk of rock out of the ground with the slender, ornamented rod, and her healthy but average-looking arm strength. A boulder comes flying after the Miquo'te. "Your reasons matter not! Your efforts shall be in vain!" Paladin calls out.

Xau'ra Tayuun (548) has posed:
Xau'ra uses a pole to swing himself around just as the bolder comes flying right at him. His boots landing against the fence line. "We shall see about that, you highness!" He pushes off with his foot and goes to land on the ground with a flip.

Once his foot touches down, he changes tactics quickly by putting away his bow which folds up on his backside and spring forward reaching for both of his swords in hands. As he moves in toward Princess Paladin, he has one blade backwards with the other forward.

The one he has resting on the back of the arm he strikes with first in a turn rotation, then as soon has his foot touches down, he comes in with the next blade with another quick strike of the other sword facing more forward, which was followed in again by the other sword being swung around.

It was quiet the effort of fancy foot work and swordsmanship skills.

Princess Paladin (589) has posed:
The cat man charges at her now, and Paladin raises the Sacred Scepter in preparation for melee combat. Her body acts on its own when the attacks come, moving with magically-imbued grace to defend herself. The initial strike slips through the magical girl's defenses, slashing across her left bicep, cutting tissue and drawing blood. That may impact her ability to fight with her left arm. The rest of the blows, however, are acclimated to quickly. Her reaction time speeds up to match her reflexes, and soon her Scepter is blocking or deflecting the uncannily skilled attacks. Princess Paladin then retaliates with a rather unconventional attack for a magical girl, attempting to press forward, moving in close, not giving room to dodge, and push her Scepter forward horizontally, with both hands, in an attempt to occupy and 'catch' the swords on the Scepter's length. It seems to have grown longer at some point. When did that happen?

If she can get close enough, Paladin simply tries to headbutt Xau'ra in the face with her forehead. Her fierce, determined expression never wavers, even if she's in pain - even if the girl inside of her knows nothing of combat and would be terrified if not for the power she wields in this form.

Xau'ra Tayuun (548) has posed:
Xau'ra blades meet the scepter with a clash of sparks. He grits his teeth, displaying those sharp canines native to his tribe, but she may notice that his gold eyes look more human then feline, or perhaps it is just they are super dilated cause of the darkness? Who knows!

Though she may also notice that though the fur is dark gray, its extremely short and his facial features are rather human, beyond the slight fur and the ears poking through the hat he wears, also the black band that goes over his eyes much like a raccoon's own mask.

As he tries to back away as she moves in, his black strands of hair and white strips of hair move effortlessly as he tries to get distance, but it does little as Princess Paladin headbutts him with enough force to knock him nearly off his feet. His boots scuff along the ground as he tries to regain his balance and shakes his head. "Well--" He looks at her with one eye open, "If you want to play dirty Princess."

The Miqo'te then drags his blade along the ground, "Then why didn't you say so!" He then flicks the edge of the blade to throw dirt up in her face, before he charges in to to give her a swift knee directly to the side.

Princess Paladin (589) has posed:
Princess Paladin took in the details of her foe's appearance, or at least what she could make out in the illumination of dragon fire, and now the low-light vision her magic grants her, near the start of the battle. Except as they might apply to defeating the opponent at-hand, they are of no consequence. Now, if some guy with cat ears and a cat tail were to come up to Miko Fujimoto... That might be more of an event.

Paladin? She just gets dirt thrown in her eyes as she is in mid-step to follow up on her attack, and then gets kneed in the side. Even with armor, the impact is felt. Flames of pain radiate through her ribs. She doesn't think anything is broken, but she is going to have major bruising there. Breathing hurts as she lets her breath out through her teeth.

"To achieve victory, any methods are permitted," she retorts as she raises the Sacred Scepter above her head, and then brings it down, unleashing a blast of pink magical energy directly into the ground that erupts everywhere around her, sending beams streaking up out of the earth, the rock, the ash... If it hits the enemy, great. It is also meant to give her time to clear her eyes, however. If she must, she can fight by hearing alone, but she is still human even with magic. She is visually-oriented, and will be at a disadvantage without at least SOME visual capacity.

Xau'ra Tayuun (548) has posed:
The blast impacts from the magic and the sheer force knocks Xau'ra right of his feet. He goes flying into the air and then tumbles down. One of his swords sliding across the ash and rock, as he then goes to roll back up on his feet, using the one he still has to help not only brace himself but slow down his backward momentum.

Those gold eyes look directly at her. Staring straight into her really. His tail flicks behind him. "Then may the twelve and Menphina forgive us both when this is over.." He had not killed anyone-- ever. Not even the guards he had knocked over were dead, just unconscious.

In away, Xau'ra hopes that the dear Princess here will not be his first and hopefully this battle will end with one of them running-- and neither dead. But from her words, it was going to be pretty obvious how this might play out.

Xau'ra sheathes the sword he has and draws out his bow as he makes a run for his sword. Three arrows line up his hand, three arrows along the string of the bow, as he slides across the ground, he fires all three arrows.

Once those fire, he goes to make the reach for his sword with his free hand...

Princess Paladin (589) has posed:
Paladin orients on the sound of Xau'ra's voice. She hears the regret in his tone. Her words, whenever she speaks, sound as though she truly believes them, and like there may be some truth to them - even if the listener disagrees with them. It is a passive magic, that makes inspiring allies and onlookers easier, and demoralizing enemies more likely. It does not control minds. It is a matter of calculated tone and passion. But it also means that when others are not putting all of themselves into their pursuits like she does - like she MUST as required by her magic - she can sometimes pick up on it.

She clears her eyes just in time to catch all three arrows on her Sacred Scepter again, getting more sparks to the face and arms. The blood is running from her left arm. If not for her magic, she might be able to apply very little force in that limb.

But she does not need muscle for this. She raises the Sacred Scepter above her head. It extends about a foot in length, and the three gem stones along its length glow bright with magic that gather swiftly upon the oval-shaped tip.

She brings the rod down, and with her sped-up reaction time, and the intense focus of this one moment, it is like the nimble, fleet-footed opponent before her is moving in slow motion. So is she, but it lets her line up her weapon, lead the target so that her aim is just ahead of him, and then she unleashes her attack right when he is about to reclaim his sword.

A beam of pink light streaks outwards like a laser, penetrating through just about anything in its path - even continuing on through the ground and into the distance if it misses.

"PENANCE BEAM!" the ruthless magical girl yells out.

Xau'ra Tayuun (548) has posed:
The male Miqo'te doesn't have time to dodge, though he does try too. The sheer force slams into his body, though against the deadly beam comes a white moonlight like glow that breaks out from the pendant around his neck.

Bending the magic in some ways to keep it from out right killing him, though it does tear some of the leather parts of his armor and sends him slamming into-- then through-- one of the near by boulders. For a moment things are quiet, before through the dust of ash cloud there is suddenly movement and from that movement comes down a rain of arrows from the sky.

Xau'ra himself walking out from the ashes, blood running down the side of his arm and at the edge of his mouth. His tail low to the ground with only the edge of it slightly moving.

Princess Paladin (589) has posed:
Quantity over quality seems to work out for Xau'ra this time, at least. Paladin still had the Sacred Scepter pointed at the ash cloud where she had last seen her opponent, ready to unleash her attack a second time if she needed to. The sound of arrows being loosed has her grunting in brief surprise and moving in a dance-like manner to attempt to evade the shafts raining from above. Some she is able to block in the manner she had the previous four, some she is able to evade through an acrobatic series of twirls, somersaults, and movements... But a number of them get through her defenses, and while some leave deep scratches and gouges thanks to her reaction time and reflexes, two go into her right shoulder - swiftly grabbed and torn out heedless of the damage, only to be replaced with another in her left shoulder - and one in her right leg. The shafts and arrow heads stay lodged in her body, grating against bone and cutting into muscle, even after she hurriedly strikes off the parts sticking out most prominently.

She is bleeding and hurting too. But whether blessing or curse, the same magic that forces her to keep fighting no matter how much her body screams at her not to also allows her to actually do so without sacrificing her abilities. Even so, she is going to be a bit slower with her right leg, a bit less able to exert force with her right arm. The arrowheads will catch and prevent fluid rotation of the joints if nothing else. Add that together with her other injuries, and she is definitely going to need to heal herself heavily when this is all over.

But for now, draws the Sacred Scepter back to her side, as though she were preparing to hit a baseball with it, or as though it were a sword. Magic energy gathers on the tip again, then extends both forwards and back into a bar-shape. Then that bar suddenly curves upwards from both ends, turning into a crescent moon-shaped construct of luminous yellow-white magic.

"You need not die here. But you will if you do not flee!" Then she swings the Sacred Scepter, and flings the moon-blade of magic... And then swings again, generating another blade, and another, and another! "Crusader's Crescent!" she calls out. But only for the first one. The rest are released with only noises of effort, and the innocent twinkling of magical blades that fly into the general area where Xau'ra was last seen, trying to cut through the enemy. As an Elite, he may be tough enough not to be simply sliced in half. Or maybe not. But the terrain is not quite as sturdy, and the ground is starting to crumble as boulders and earth and stone are all minced into chunks and pieces. A worrying rumble shakes the ground and the air.

Xau'ra Tayuun (548) has posed:
The blast comes to rip into him, tearing away further at the chain-mail armor, with the pendant's glow being the only thing keeping Xau'ra from coming to face the same fate as the world around him. His own wide brim fedora gets knocked aside. Once the blast clears, the male Miqo'te is crouched down, his leg armor torn up, his boots cut along the sides. The chainmail of his arms ripped apart and part of his human like chest exposed.

He slowly stands up, with both blades crossed, as he stares right at her. He should run, but he isn't ready to surrender just yet. Instead with a shove off whatever strength he yells out, "Menphina! Guide my hand!"

Then with a hard push off he leaps the distance between the two of them, before he comes in with the speed and foot work once more of his sword he showed earlier. Only this time, the blades dance with rapid reflex speed and he moves with several feints, even a hilt to the face if she isn't quick enough.

The opening comes when he brings down both blades in a hard cleave, an opening she can hopefully take advantage of...

Princess Paladin (589) has posed:
Paladin had acclimated to Xau'ra's speed before, but this sudden burst of even greater speed, agility, and grace pushes the limits of what her own magic can accomplish. She is unable to do much to protect herself this time. With both arms limited in their range of movement, combined with the burst of sheer ability from Xau'ra, she takes some painful sword strikes, one of them even slipping past her armored school uniform through an opening and into her chest cavity. She feels somthing important get damaged inside and she starts coughing up blood. Even the blows she blocked managed to do damage in some form, whether it was across the backs of her fingers, or slashing across her collarbone.

This is only the second time in her, admittedly brief, career as a magical girl thus far that she has been seriously injured like this. It's not something she has gotten used to. And the teenager inside of the seemingly grown woman, Miko Fujimoto, does not want to risk dying. But just like the last time, she realizes she does not have a choice. The magic will make her. If she seriously doubts her goal here, she might lose her magic and revert back to normal. And in her condition, that would be lethal.

So she holds to her convictions, even as dark blood keeps coming out of her mouth and the hole in her torso, and breathing is suddenly a massive struggle that only results in more coughing. Xau'ra is at melee range. If he were a little bit further back, but still within close range, it would be the ideal set-up for unleashing her ultimate attack. But with this many injuries she doesn't think she could prepare the attack and fire it without either being stopped in the process or avoided.

So instead reaches out, determination blazing within her, and tries to seize Xau'ra by the throat with inhuman strength and speed of her own. Then she tries to lean in close, faces almost close enough for a kiss, if the mouth of one was not disgorging blood and baring teeth savagely. Then she tries to slam the Sacred Scepter against the Miquo'te's belly, and release a piercing pink laser beam straight through him.

She barely manages to cough out the words of her attack. "Penance-*COUGH*-Beam."

Xau'ra Tayuun (548) has posed:
Xau'ra is grasped a hold of by Princess Paladin. Her fingers dig into his throat. His eyes look onto hers as he tries to break free from her grasp. Unlike most cat-people-- Miqo'tes.. Miqo'tes don't have claws and this is very much the case for Xau'ra as it is pretty obvious. "..you.." he manages to get out, "..are.. something.. else.. lady.."

It is also pretty obvious that he, like her, is in pretty bad shape and perhaps by the blessing of his own goddess is the only reason, once more, he survives which should be a death blow. The beam impacts, a moonlight glow flashes, and Xau'ra is flung back as powers meet, sending him up into the air and out the other side of the fence.

Thankfully in the midst of all the chaos of battle he already alerted Union that there was a problem and sure enough a group was there that quickly moved in to get Xau'ra out of here.

Princess Paladin (589) has posed:
As Paladin's opponent flies from her grasp, the mysterious power of the moon forcing her back a few steps as well, her hand continues to spasm, fingers twitching for several seconds before she manages to exert enough control to reduce it to shaking. The whole time, her lungs are filling with blood. She finally raises the Sacred Scepter above her head, and magic energy builds within. She points the rod at herself and unleashes a wave of magic that heals the most critical of her injuries. She stops vomitting blood. But she is going to need more time. Her magical strength is already fading with her mission apparently accomplished. The power only stays until her quest is done.

She will likely need to go to a medical facility to get the rest taken care of.

The cat man is already gone. But as she wipes her mouth with the back of her armored gauntlet, she gets out, "I salute... Your conviction."