Friend or Foe (quest/mission)

[Liao Wei]

The grace of battle was certainly a fickle notion. Some would say that war is merely an extension of man’s avarice, perhaps the most destructive of all the sins, and that its existence is as graceful as a one-legged dancer. Others would see it as their art, a grand canvas in which clashing colours crash violently to paint a picture for the future, and to be a part of this grand scheme keeps them recorded throughout the ages. While this battle was but a minor raid, it meant everything to the lives of those involved. Fickle indeed, but incredibly significant.

What remained of the volunteer soldiers at the west had crashed into the last of the bandits, and amidst the carnage stood but three heroes - the stalwart, powerful Liao Wei; the graceful, swift Kaihime, and the villainous, greedy bandit leader. Plastered across this foes visage was an evil grin, which shimmered between his various facial piercing. He himself was a work of art, a collection of scrap metal and gold, all hooked through the human skin. His stature was not freakish - he was no taller than Shuohan himself, but the air in which this malevolence walked gave him that daunting presence. Unhooking his legs from his stirrups, and dismounting, he unsheathed his mismatched blades, and grated that pristine dagger along the rust of the larger sword.

“A young lil battle maiden eh? The boys and me will have fun takin’ turns on her, heh heh..” His laughing snarl was pungent, and his beady little eyes gave a piercing look at the young Kaihime, before finally turning to Liao Wei. “I’ll be takin’ your head an’ your armour old man, drop yer sword and save me some effort..” He pointed his dagger towards Shuohan’s longsword, and nodded, taking his first steps towards the pair.

“Your grubby little hands will be clawing the dirt beneath my feet, bandit. I’ll take pleasure in severing your head and feeding your carcass to my wolves!” Shuohan’s voice boomed out his resistance, as his stance tightened, and his sword was held prone, ready for combat. He broke eye contact once, to flash a look over at Kaihime, awaiting her reaction to this vile man's taunts.

[kaihime]

Kaihime's posture and facial expression remained the same, calm, cool and collected. "you talk big, can you back it up?" Kaihime sheathed her sword once more and drew her blades. She wasn't worried, one on one combat was her speciality, she would not lose. Turning to the remaining volunteer soldiers Kaihime gave them a reassuring head nod. "go help the others" Returning her steely gaze to the bandit leader Kaihime readied herself for combat. She relished in war, in battle she enjoyed a good fight.

((haha so shuohan is gonna fight him hey interesting sorry its short lol but not much for me to write ))

[Liao Wei]

Now was no longer the time of conversation - meaningless banter was far from Shuohan’s ballpark, despite his prowess at it; his skill was in the swift, silent execution of plan. Indeed, this was his moment to demonstrate that skill. As Kaihime stepped away to motion to her travelling volunteers, Liao Wei took the opportunity to begin this duel.

Ever stalwart, Shuohan stomped his foot forwards in a feint attack, which goaded the gruesome bandit leader into striking. The first move was predictable - a sweeping cross arc down upon Liao Wei’s frame with the giant broadsword, a blow so brutal that it would cleave a bear in two. Having feigned his motion, Shuohan took a leap backwards to dodge the attack, and countered with a horizontal slash towards the bandits neck. Deftly, the Wei officer was parried by the bandits off-hand, and pushed off balance to his side. This leader had certainly earned his position at the top of his hierarchy - but even the biggest rat was still only vermin.

Quickly our hero regained his composure, and dipped his head down to dodge a countering sweep from the bandit leader. Head poised, Liao Wei thrust back upward, delivering a large uppercut to the stubble ridden chin of his enemy, the gauntlets cracking against the mans jaw, and sending him stumbling backwards. In his tumble, he dropped his broadsword, and was left only with that razor sharp dagger. A man of honour, Wei gave his opponent a chance to rise, stomping his feet into the ground again, to prepare for the next attack.

[kaihime]

Kaihime watched on intently as the duel waged on between Liao Wei and the bandit leader. Watching the blade be thrown to the grown by the bandit Kaihime took the chance to permanently rid him of his second weapon. Left on the floor he may have been able to pick it up again, but in her hands he could not wield it once more. Lunging forward she wrapped her hand around its handle.

((haha sorry i know short but at least i mustered something up stupid bad seafood -_-))

[Liao Wei]

The body count grew in this new graveyard, the shredded stems of trees stained with a crimson coat from the fallen bodies of bandits and their prey. Anguished cries and blood curdling howls begin to dim down, and the clatter of steel soon became the only noises that filled the air. The peasants had shut their eyes and held their breath, the stench and sight of death causing them to cower further. Even they could sense that the battle was nearing its end, but even the last fallen soul would still cause them to shake and fear.

The bandit leader was one of the few that remained; just over a dozen of these villains still stood as a threat. Having lost his cleaving weapon, this enemy was decimated in strength, but still had potency through his cunning and guile. Liao Shuohan watched the man stumble to his feet, and aimed his next strike - but was cut short by the daring Kaihime, who took up the bandit’s weapon, and struck forward into the heat of battle. Stepping back and letting a smirk cross over his lips, the Wei officer eyed the slick movements of this warrioress with keen intrigue.

((Sorry for taking so long and the shortness, thought I'd give you a bit of time to battle it out))

[kaihime]

Lunging forward toward the large man that was the bandit leader Kaihime brought the broadsword she wielded down upon him vertically using her body weight to give maximum power to the attack. Having her attack deflected Kaihime used the backwards momentum it gave her to backflip, her foot meeting with the chin of the bandit leader.

Sliding in the loose dirt as she landed her flip almost effort-lessly Kaihime quickly reversed her momentum and ran forward towards her foe once more. The bandit leader regained his composure after her rather surprising counter attack and prepared for her next blow. Faking another vertical attack Kaihime slid along the dusty ground causing dirt and dust to be kicked into her enemy's eyes. Lunging out with a strong horizontal slash Kaihime felt resistance as her blade met with the man's thighs.

Lashing out in pain and frustration the bandit leader brought his blade down upon Kaihime heavily as she knelt upon the ground. Able to roll out of the way Kaihime managed to avoid the attack and distance herself from the man as he regained his vision once more.

[Liao Wei]

A wave of shock and surprise rushed over Liao Wei as he watched this battle maiden duel with the bandit leader. She dealt with his strikes and attacks effortlessly, floating across the dirt path as if it were an ice rink, her various flips and twirls part of that deadly dance routine that brought this criminal to his knees. Wound gaping, and blood flowing, the bandits last missed attack brought a gasp of desperation from his jewellery encrusted lips.

“You got lucky bitch.. Boys, finish that one off!” He spat this call down to the floor, and pointed towards Kaihime, his instructions being heeded by three surrounding grunts. The men rushed forward, hoping to cut down and surround their foe. Still watching, Liao Shuohan swiftly stepped in to even the odds.

Building up a sprint, he unsheathed his spear from the ground, and rushed towards two of his foes. The first he snuck upon, and struck fiercely at his temples with the butt of his spear, splitting the man’s skull, and sending his limp body crashing to the floor. The other saw his comrade dispatched, and enraged, swung his sword in a flurry of slashes, each of which caused Liao Wei to step back and swing the shaft of his spear to deflect. Roars of anguish followed every parried blow, until finally, the weakness was spotted, and the cries fell silent - off toppled the bandits head, for one deft swing decapitated this foe, and made the blood pool grow even larger.

Out to the east, Ma Wen-Wei and the others had routinely routed the ambushing bandits, the few left running in fear, as the big bear of a bodyguard chased them off in the distance, his footsteps rumbling, and his laughter bellowing out. The sadistic, it seemed, existed on both sides of the field. The fleeing troops however made it away, as the clumsy oaf that was Wen-Wei tripped and stumbled over a rock, causing a slight tremor in the dust beneath him. One battle had ended, but the struggle still raged on.

[kaihime]

As the third bandit came rushing towards Kaihime the head of the now decapitated foe that Liao Wei had defeated rolled to her feet in an almost unimaginable circumstance and coincidence. Smiling rather cheekily as she saw a perfect opportunity Kaihime kicked the head through the air sending it hurtling towards the now rapidly approaching bandit. She began to run after it and towards her foe immediately after the kick.

Caught off guard the bandit raised his hands and caught the hurtling head instinctively. Kaihime's lips curled into smirk as she realised her plan had worked despite the many other ways it could have unfolded. Almost immediately after the bandit caught the head and was still looking at it in shock, Kaihime's blade met the man's chest. Not bothering to remove the weapon as it was not hers she let the man's body fall with the weapon still embeded within his chest. She turned her gaze back to the bandit leader. "Tsk, Tsk, Tsk teaming up on a girl. What would your mother say" Kaihime taunted the bandit leader cheekily.