Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
Why are you doing this?
Her question echoes in the quiet. It resonates above the sounds of their harsh breathing and it reaches him like ice. But Raum is already as cold and heartless as the dead and her words inspire nothing within him. Instead, he watches impassive and remain so, even when she charges.
He had been waiting for her, after all.
Raum’s nape arches in, though his eyes remain unyielding (concealing emotion, concealing his every thought), he readies himself for battle once again. He becomes a boxer upon his feet, the fleet footed Arabian blood keeping him light and ready. Nimble and spry, even as he tires with their battle. Their brief respite was over and Seraphina’s challenger is ready. He wears her words as barbs in his skin.
The Day Queen’s fury is a palpable thing. It scents the air and all begins to tremble. Across the pocked ground she charges, a silver bullet from a gun. And then, oh then, she trips! Seraphina stumbles forward, tumbling, and for a moment, for the tiniest sliver of a second, the Ghost believes her. But Seraphina is up fast, it is a wonder she stays upright, even with her planned feint. His momentary surprise is gone.
Raum’s opponent is low, low and his instinct is to get higher for her attack could only come from below. And, such as she is, Raum feared her offence might aim for the lowest parts of his body. Indeed, Sera lunges close, kicking out at his forelimb, but Raum, already alert, leaps laterally in a spook. It was a bid to clear his lower limbs from her attack. The air whistles by his cannon bone as her hoof strikes past – blessedly clear.
Yet Raum offers her no moment of respite. As Sera leaps backward, still facing him, still recovering from her low attack, the Crow seeks to take advantage of her lower positioning. Lunging forwards, gritting his teeth through the ache of his bruised back muscles. He could not keep the position long, but at least his hind limbs were uninjured and strong enough to propel him forward. Raum aims to keep pace with her, he rears up and surges after her as his forelimbs strike the air, bringing one down hard, aimed directly for Seraphina’s head (as she rises from her attack, he hopes). That forelimb punches down hard and, as it goes it changes, swift with magic. No longer is his forelimb that of a horse, rather, it is the broad arm and clawed paw of a grizzly bear.
Raum’s power is weak, tied into his emotions and short lived. But it is enough to change one limb into any living animal, it is enough that when his ire is riled, it changes to compliment his mood. A grizzly’s paw was designed for exactly the frontal attack he delivers and Raum swipes like a bear upon his hind limbs. He drives his bodyweight forward, into his rearing, slashing attack. His long, black claws beg for flesh and blood and bone.
When the Crow lands, his attack complete, his forelimb is no longer a bear’s but the slender limb of a horse once more. Fleeting is his magic at this level and weary it makes him. He staggers back, using his magic last had been a bid to keep his energy up to the end. But now, his attacks done, his defence complete, the stallion staggers back weary. His heart ricochets within his chest and his breath is heavy, heavy.
Upon his skull his ears lie, fine as spilled flutes and as sharp as broken glass. “A good fight.” He utters, those electric blue eyes glistening. “Thank you.” But there is no gratitude in him.
@
Summary: Seraphina being low aided Raum in sensing she was going to aim for a lower body part and so he leapt sideways to avoid her strike, blocking it completely. He then tried to take advantage of Seraphina still being low from her previous attack and having to move backwards, by lunging after her and rising up into a rear. He lashed out at her head since they were both still facing each other and one of his forelimbs, courtesy of his magic, turned into a grizzly bear paw, his attack mirroring a bear strike. He kept his magic until last as he knew it would wear him out.
Attack Used: 2
Attack(s) Left: 0
Block Used: 1
Block(s) Left: 0
Item(s) Used: Magic used
Response Deadline: 16/2
Tags: @
![[Image: x341oLX.png]](https://i.imgur.com/x341oLX.png)
You're one microscopic cog
in his catastrophic plan
in his catastrophic plan
