Warriors Duel

Osiris turned and looked at the druid. She had just asked him to a spar, one he would almost certainly lose. Voicing his concern, he spoke. "I don't believe I would last more than thirty seconds." She smiled innocently, as though she wasn't aware of the monstrous power she possessed.

"I won't use an iota of magic, promise." Osiris looked at her skeptically, wondering if this was even it was even possible for a druid to fight without using magic. He then considered how much time he had left to reach the Maw. On Dusk, he would probably only take five or four more days to reach the mountain range. Any other competition would probably take almost double that time, especially for those who travel in groups. This duel would take a minute maximum, though the recovery time might take sliiiiightly longer.

Deciding that the time this little duel would take was inconsequential, Osiris turned and put on his helmet. "Is that a yes!?" Sylixis chirped.

She seemed oddly ecstatic.

Osiris drew his sword in confirmation. Taking a defensive stance, Osiris readied himself, acutely aware that he was about to face a person with decades of experience. Then, Sylixis spontaneously shot forward, almost a blur. However, Osiris had been in plenty of battles in his time. Readying himself in the half-second he had, he moved deftly to the right. Dodging the thrust the druid delivered, he saw a devilish grin spread across Sylixis's face in the brief moment of leeway.

It seemed she was a creature that craved action; perhaps this was another reason she had begun travelling. This thought barely glanced at Osiris's mind as he was subject to a torrent of clashing blades. Each strike carried a force nearly four times that of his strength. He felt his bones vibrate after every impact. While they had not dived into the exact parameters of the duel, he assumed that as soon as one of them could not provide any opposition, the spar would end.

Being pushed further into a defensive position, he blocked and dodged as many strikes as possible. However, he could not evade them all, and occasionally he felt the druid's blade slam into his legs and arms. Each time, he felt his bones creak.

Osiris would not last another ten seconds if he let her barrage continue. Osiris had noticed that the druid seemingly knew where his feet were at all times; she could even tell where he was exerting more pressure allowing her to know where he was going to brace or attack. Not that he had any chances. In the moments he had to think, he realized that the druid's connection with nature was most likely to blame. Her connection with the earth below had been with her for her entire life. Picking up information from her surrounding through the grass and dirt most likely didn't take any magic and was probably akin to breathing. Enabling her absurd awareness.

However, he had devised a plan and had not been taking her blows idly. He felt his magic stir within him. While Sylixis had agreed she wouldn't use magic, he had made no such oath. Directing his focus, he imagined orbs of both burning fire and orbs of liquid ice encircling him and Sylixis. With his concentration split, he felt an increasing number of blows smite him. As a final touch on his spell, he imagined more orbs of water of varying sizes that would collide with the earth at shifting intervals.

In the next moment, his spell formed. Sylixis's blows halted briefly, granting Osiris a much-needed break. It seemed that the action-hungry druid was preparing to dodge his spell. However, what happened next seemed to stun her, if only a little.

Only a little was all Osiris needed as the globes of fire and water smashed together, a thick cloud of steam obscuring the clearing. The other orbs of water he had summoned smashed into the ground at varying degrees of intensity that acted to simulate human footsteps. The bounty hunter's goal was never to attack with magic; he knew that this druid had years more experience than him, and deflecting and dodging them would have likely been child play for the green warrior. His only option was to perplex and disorientate her, using her connection with nature against her.

Osiris knew this opportunity would only last a few moments until Sylixis adapted to her new environment. So, in the brief moment he had, Osiris lunged forward. While the fog blinded the druid, he was no different, so, as he was closing into the last place he had seen the warrior, he cast a small wind spell, pushing aside the fog.

Immediately, he saw that the druid had turned her back to him. Perhaps she believed that he would attack from behind and had turned accordingly. However, it seemed the druid had felt the breeze and turned. Osiris supposed years of experience weren't for nothing.

Although supernaturally fast, Sylixis still needed time to react, of which Osiris would give her none. In one fluid motion he brought his sword down onto her hand, knowing full well that a strike to the chest would probably just be shrugged off by the druid's regenerative ability. A druid's body was composed of plant matter and magic; any damaged tissue would be swift to regrow. So, Osiris reasoned that knocking her blade to the ground was the best course of action.

However, he may have swung too hard as he watched the druid's hand fly from her arm. Though, as he expected, the hand regenerated in almost a half-second. At this time, he had expected her to yield and had considerably slowed. However, it seemed Sylixis wasn't done just yet as she caught him with her newly regenerated hand and tossed him to the ground. In the next passing moment, Osiris watched as Sylixis's silver dagger flew toward him. Though not just any place, he watched in shocked horror as the blade made its way to the slit on his helmet.

Realizing the mistake she had made, Sylixis made a last-ditch effort to stop the deadly steel blade. Conjuring, a vine made of bramble. However, the dagger hadn't been crafted cheaply, shearing through the barrier. Considerably slowed it still made its way through the slit in his helmet, the razor-sharp blade plunging into his eye.

Osiris then screamed. One could not describe the pain he was in as he contorted and rolled upon the misted clearing. Sylixis acting as fast as she could, restarined him. She could not do anything If he continued to move around.

As the pained Osiris felt the vines ensnare him, he screamed louder than before. After such an event, everything was a threat; everything a danger to his life. Even as Sylixis whispered soothing words to him he still felt the pain. Even as Sylixis removed his helmet he felt the burning rivers of red agony stream down his face.

Then in one swift motion, Sylixis reached down, clasped the hilt of the dagger and pulled. Osiris screamed out something that sounded not one bit human. He screamed as he felt the nerves and muscles that held his eye in place were torn apart.

Then the Knight Slayer screamed some more...

Then Osiris, the legendary bounty hunter screamed some more...

Then, a small orphaned boy screamed some more...

Then through his blistering agony, he felt something cool and yet agonizing enter his hollow socket.

Then the most infamous bounty hunter in the Kingdom of Solic blacked out.