#1-6: Rune vs. Syrant

[Syrant]

Syrant pushes open a large sliding metal door to reveal a large old warehouse probably used to store things for a mafia long gone. Outside rain began to pour harder and harder, Syrant wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. Syrant removes both guns from his jacket and begins to check them.

"I hope he can find his way here."

With those words Syrant could hear the opening of the door on the far side. Syrant looks up to see a figure walking in from the rain.

[Rune]

His hair damply clinging to his forehead and water dripping silently from his cloak, Rune steps into the old warehouse. His swords are both sheathed under his cloak.

On the opposite side of the warehouse, there is a man silhouetted against the dim light from outside.. Rune hears a sound, almost imperceptible across the building. The other man is checking his guns.

Rune doesn't have any guns.

Swearing silently under his breath, he calls out across the expanse. The door behind him slides shut, ringing with a finality across the interior of the warehouse.

"What is it that you want?" His voice is cool, though loud, and it echoes through his surroundings eerily.

[Syrant]

Now the party could get started. Syrant turns to face the man and begins to speak loudly so that he wouldn't have to get to much closer to his opponent without yet knowing what he is capable of.

"I just want you to die."

Syrant had no need to continue this conversation anymore, his goal was to kill this man and he shall. Not completely sure of the weaponry this man possesses Syrant keeps his distance. With both guns at his side Syrant makes a quick draw attempt and opens fire on his opponent. Four bullets are fired one at the head, left leg, right arm, and one straight at the torso. Syrant's eyes carefully watch his opponent so not to loose track of him if he avoids the attack.

[Rune]

Right before Syrant's shots, Rune draws his swords. What happens next is entirely luck.

Rune drops into a crouch and rolls to his right as the shots simuletaneously ring out. The bullets aimed at his torso and left leg miss by only a hair, while the one aimed at his head is far above him. However, as Rune crouches and rolls to his right, he places his head in the trajectory of the shot meant for his right arm.

The bullet richocets off of the plate over his eye, and he completes the roll, coming to rest with his back against a large crate that blocks him from Syrant's vision - momentarily.

A dull pain running through his face behind the plate, he is obliged to take a moment of awe in light of his fortune. After the aforementioned, Rune moves into action again.

Moving through the labryinth of crates and darkness as silently as a shadow, he works his way to the wall. By finding an especially high stack of crates, he's able to climb from one to the other until he stands in the darkest corner of the warehouse, twenty or so feet above the floor.

Rune leaps from the crates to a metal girder, made of the same composition as the doors. The girders criss-cross above the dusty and damp floor below in normal architectural fashion, casting shadows into the already dark warehouse. Stealthily moving along the metal rafters, cautiously staying in the darkest areas, he maneuvers his way above and behind Syrant. Then, still as silent as a whisper, he makes his way to the spot directly above his opponent's head.

Rune performs an assassin's leap: silent and deadly, entirely unexpected, and with his blades both aimed at his opponent's head.

He reaches his target, gravity drawing the two scraptmetal swords down towards Syrant's skull...

[Syrant]

After losing sight of Rune Syrant begins to walk backward keeping his eyes on the side of the warehouse he lost sight of his enemy.

Lucky son of a...

Before Syrant could finish his though he is attacked from above. Syrant ducks and rolls backward barely avoiding a direct hit. Using the roll to return to his feet quickly Syrant runs backward and opens fire. This time four bullets aimed for both arms and legs of his enemy.

During this attack Syrant quickly runs out of room and slams his back into the back wall. Syrant stays next to this wall to hopefully avoid anymore back stabs and reloads. Suddenly Syrant realizes that Rune's last attack had slashed part of Syrant's right shoulder and was now being to bleed.

[Rune]

The bullets ripping through air, their intended victim instinctively jumping aside, the instantaneous sound of flesh and bone tearing as a shot forces its way through his shoulder...

Rune crouches again and rolls to his right, but is too slow this time, as one of the bullets rips through his left shoulder. He dodges quickly behind a crate and once again moves stealthily through the warehouse. This time, however, he has no plan of action, but is merely putting distance between himself and Syrant.

Pushing his back up against a very odd metal box, he touches his shoulder, assessing the wound. After taking stock of his situation and his injury, which isn't as bad as it first seemed, he begins to formulate a plan of action.

One martial artist with two swords is still nothing against a modern gunslinger. Then again, the mind is the most powerful weapon. This would be a battle of wits.

Slowly, a plan comes to mind.

Rune is on the move, leaping silently over crates and doging behind boxes with contents unknown, maneuvering his way towards Syrant's entrance. The challenging part would be staying unseen...

Rune removes a small flint stone from a hidden pocket inside of his cloak, and strikes it against the blade of his sword. The effect is immediate: a small spark touches with an old, dry, wooden crate, which slowly begins to burn, increasingly brighter and higher every moment. Not wasting anytime, Rune moves towards the one open door, and rushes outside. He slams the door shut and sticks one of his swords through the handles, assuring that the door will not be reopened. Sprinting quickly through the rain outside, he reaches the other side of the warehouse. He risks a peek inside and, assured that the fire is spreading dangerously fast, he slides the metal doors shut and once again places his sword through the handles, in the same manner as the other door.

The warehouse is windowless. The doors are both closed and, to all degrees and purposes, locked and unable to be opened. A fire is raging inside.

Rune runs away from the warehouse and crouches down, hidden from view in the tall grass. He waits to see what happens...

[Syrant]

After hearing the sound of a door slamming Syrant gets suspious. Suddenly Syrant sees the flames caused by Rune starting to grow. Acting quickly and calmly Syrant moves his way to the door now sealed by Rune's blade. As the flames got closer Syrant grew annoyed.

No one runs from me...

Syrant then took his guns a began to shoot at the henges, even though his bullets bounced off of the metal they still weakened them. Seeing that bullets wouldn't fully finish the job Syrant went to his last idea. Syrant moved as far back from the door as possible, avoiding the flames around him. He would attempt to slam the door with a last attempt to ram it open. Seeing that his right side couldn't handle it Syrant makes a full last ditch run at the door a leans into the door. Gritting his teeth Syrant makes contact, shattering the door, sword...and his left shoulder. Syrant tumbles to the ground and lies there a moment holding his now crushed shoulder. Finally Syrant returns to his feet still managing to hold both of his guns, only now his left arm was now dangling. Now Syrant was ready to find his still hiding oppenent and finish this.

My right arm is still plenty good to finish this fight.

Syrant turns back to see the warehouse now almost in total flames. With a sigh Syrant turns to face the open fields hoping Rune was listening.

"Why'd you have to go and do that now you have to kill you while I get wet?"

[Rune]

The battlefield has evolved.

Long waves of grass blow in the wind, rising to chest level, gently shaking as they're pounded relentlessly by the rain. In the midst of this peaceful, natural scene, a raging inferno of metal and flames, threatening to engulf the field. And two lone figures, moving slowly through the grass, seen from above as two insects alone on an entire planet, playing a dangerous game of chess. Move, countermove, attack, counterattack, defend, check, checkmate, die.

Rune winds his way toward the inferno and plucks the remaining sword from the handles, and then steps into clear view of Syrant. The moment is suspended, even the sound of the rain and the flames give way only to the wind, as time stands still in respect for the two fighters.

Not a word is said as Rune breaks the standstill, crouching down and moving through the grass, weaving his way towards his opponent. Smoke from the flames is beginning to overhwelm the field, causing any and all appearances of peace to be harshly broken and thrown aside.

Smoke that clouds the vision of both combatants, putting upon Syrant a great disadvantage. The martial artist, however, finds this to his pleasure, and allows a ghost of a smile to flicker on his cold features.

Finally, the attack comes, as he rushes from the smoke and strikes out at Syrant, attempting merely to graze him. He moves just as quickly back into the murky air.

The flames are too strong to be distinguished by the rain, and are growing increasingly faster through the field. The sound of the inferno, the rain, and the strong wind made the position of Rune indiscernable as his voice calls out from the smoke.

"Keep me entertained."

[Syrant]

With his visibility reduced Syrant was a sitting duck. Only barely managing to dodge Rune's attacks Syrant knew he had to attack faster. Suddenly the storm began to grow worse. Winds began to pick up, rain became harder, and lightning struck through the air. Just as the lightning struck the smoke lite up and Syrant could see Rune for a split second.

Got you.

Syrant began to walk sideways so that it might give Rune a better target. The storm with the smoke gave almost no visibility, but Syrant waited for his chance. Just then the lightning Syrant had been waiting for struck. In that split second Syrant's eyes spotted Rune moving throughout the grass. Without hesitation Syrant made a quick well placed shot right at Rune's chest.

[Rune]

Unfortunately for Syrant, even the grand lightning flash didn't provide enough visibilty for him to accurately aim.

The bullet missed Rune by a large degree, Syrant's supposed accuracy decieved by the smoke and flickering flames. Still stealthily moving through the tall grass, Rune approaches Syrant from behind, and slightly to the left. Then, in an instant of speed and style, he throws his sword at his opponent's back as he rolls by Syrant's side, then stands up and leaps into the air, throwing two well-placed kicks as he spins, one to Syrant's outstretched gun arm, and one to his head. The sword, by this time, may have lodged itself into Syrant's back, but Rune isn't sure. Either way, it's doubtful Syrant can dodge both attacks at once. He'll most likely have a scrapmetal blade imbedded between his shoulders, or he'll lose his gun and recieve a piercing blow to the head.

Martial arts are, after all, so much more accurate and dependable in an environment such as this.

[Syrant]

Knowing that the his bullet missed Syrant knows the only way he can win is to get in point blank range with Rune. Syrant searches around for his quick opponent. Just as he turns he can see Rune's blade flying at him. Barely Syrant side steps out of the way but then sees Rune in full view coming with kicks from above. Syrant bends his head sideways allowing the kick to graze off the side of his head, knocking him off balance and tumbling to the ground. The other kick makes contact with his gun, barely missing his good hand, and sends it to the ground.

"Got you!"

As Syrant falls he grabs hold of his second gun still clutched in his left hand. With Rune still falling Syrant gets one open shot at Rune's back at point blank range. No one could dodge at shot at this range. Syrant fires and tumbles to the ground and sits up in a kneeling position. He scans to see what has become of his opponent.

[Rune]

The shot tears through Rune's back, making a mess of the flesh on the upper-right side of his torso, but it luckily misses any major organs. As Rune lands, he uses his failing strength to spin wildly, aiming a deadly kick at Syrant's skull, too quick for the gunslinger to even react.

Blood flies and spits from Rune's wound as he turns, his face a grimace of determination and pain. In the same movement, he reaches down and lifts Syrant's dropped weapon, and brings his arm around to aim at Syrant's heart. He then drops the feigned kick, and stops the wild swing in an instant, with the loaded weapon aimed directly at his adversary's face.

"It's over."

[Syrant]

Syrant grins at Rune's words. It seems Syrant sloppy performance has nearly killed him. As this fight comes to a close the once dark environment has now begun to lighten up as the sun appears through the disappearing storm clouds. The once burning warehouse begins to sizzle out and the two warriors that seemed to cause all this chaos stand finished at last.

"So it seems."

Syrant stands up and puts his first gun back into his jacket.

"Your better than most people. We should fight again another day and time."

Syrant reaches and takes his gun back from Rune not showing any hostility.

"I'm bored with this fight now so I'll be going off now. You better survive until we meet again."

Syrant puts his last gun back in his jacket and walks off to tend to his wounds and to grow stronger from this new experience.

[Rune]

Rune stands, watching Syrant leave the battlefield, his hand clasped over the wound on his chest. The wind blows the remaining wisps of smoke away, slightly rustling the long, burned stalks of grass.

He silently watches as Syrant disappears, and then, gathering his swords - one in two fragments, the other undamaged - he leaves the battlefield.

~FIN~