Harrogath.

A location that for the most part Lucretia was fairly familiar with from her travels through her youth. Her clan when in trouble had often used the draugr to hide their presence; many not willing to fight against the undead without the aid of various covens or blessed weapons which on its own was a resource finite in the north. The crumbling fortresses rarely offering the shelter that people were hoping for unless you were truly desperate.

Amongst the blistering cold today there was one such woman that sought neither shelter nor to hide. No she came here to test her might against the undead that once upon a time she had feared with every fiber of her being. Some of the more cruel draugr were roaming the wastes so she did the same. Her preparations had her with a week or two of food; dried and tasteless but filling. Something that the wolven woman didn’t mind when testing herself like this.

The draugr were a horrible prey to hunt; many of them still retained the skill that they had in life making them quite the opponent if you were not strong or prepared. But lucretia was both. Even without her werewolf form the woman towered above most of them, her golden spear catching the light through the blizzard signaling her intent. She left a trail of undead in her wake torn apart by her brute strength alone. The blizzard’s wind whipping her hair this way and that creating an imposing silhouette.

Her desire to hunt took her to the crest of a sizeable hill where the blizzard’s intense wind and snow broke for a few sparse moments. Allowing her to see the gorgeous landscape that was her homeland. She’d slowly breathe out and let the warmth whip away from her face. She’d note that there were some tracks from draugr near the crest of it but she’d pause for a moment, taking out a length of dried meat to sink her teeth into. Mumbling to herself she couldn’t help but chuckle.

”Wonder what the other hunters would think of me now… Fighting undead as a werewolf.”

Finishing her snack before moving on, the woman’s black armor stood out against the white of the background. Even more so her heavy footfalls were barely muffled by the snow. It wasn’t hard to see she was coming or hear her either. With the wind going every which way it was easy for her to tell if there was anyone within fifty meters of her; living or undead. Though she was less fearful of the latter than she had any right to be.

Fighty bits:

Spoiler:

“Shit it’s cold.” These words left Sho’s lips as he found himself in a frozen wonderland. His breath could be seen as he shivered even with his winter outfit on. A puffy coat with insulated pants and a black beanie covering his head with some pink earmuffs to protect him from the cold. His gloves were jet black and tightly fitted to his hands to keep them warm and ready for action. His attire of course covered his leather-plated armor and his helmet hung from his belt in the back along with his beam saber on his left hip. Also, some winter boots were spiked on the bottom to keep from slipping on ice. He was here on personal business. A tall order for someone who just woke up from a coma not too long ago. He and Slim Jim, his wyvern, had made their way over to the frosty region to train. Slim Jim had dropped him off in this wasteland roughly a day ago.

Sho had been wandering on his own trying to find something worthy or someone worthy to challenge his skill as a fighter. The blizzard was beginning to slow down but Sho was having issues seeing a foot in front of his face due to the inclement weather. All he could do was hope that it would die down on its own. He did not complain or whine as he knew to get stronger he needed to brave the wilderness at some point. Training on his own could only get him so far. It wasn’t long before he stumbled upon an area devoid of life. Well, that’s what he thought at first as he stumbled upon a large area that was littered with corpses as if someone had been fighting here. Pieces of broken armor and rusty weapons lay all around the battlefield scattered from fighting. Along with broken corpses that looked lifeless, Sho hoped they stayed dead as he walked through the area.

As the blizzard broke for a moment Sho could see clearly that someone was standing on a hill roughly 25 meters away. They were wearing jet black armor, a large golden spear, and had white fur? Sho wasn’t really too sure at what exactly he was looking at, to be honest. Regardless he was on the defensive as he could tell that the fight was intense and there were a lot of corpses left behind. From the looks of it they were already dead, but dead dead. Now they were in shambles and pieces from extended fighting. Sho reached into his puffy coat pocket and pulled out a flask, it was filled to the brim with Fiore’s finest mixture. A blend of alcohol and juices that wouldn’t freeze even in the coldest of weather. This mixture was the key to Sho staying warm in this frosty weather. He took a swig of the brew before putting it back in his back pouch. He calmly approached the figure standing on the hill, no doubt they would have noticed his appearance in the area. Sho wasn’t sure if they were friend or foe so he kept his guard up. He was now 15 meters away from the figure, his hands at the ready to make any sudden movements should this being be hostile.

Stats n stuff:

Lucretia would be soaking in the scenery for a little bit longer while she contemplated where she should go next. One of the many fortress’ around here would make for a good base of operations after being cleared of undead. Maybe she could get into talks with one of the many covens or clans that made this place their homes. Her thoughts distracted her from her surroundings briefly; but she was ripped from her musings when a scent she didn’t recognize made itself known. Being about fifteen meters away.

She’d slowly turn her head; sniffing at the air as she homed in on where this scent was leading her. Her icy blue eyes eventually found the owner of the scent. His appearance was convincing enough that he wasn’t immediately hostile. If he had been there would be a weapon in hand and he likely would have been preferring to keep a sizeable distance between them. Either that or creeping up on her with the intent to try to stab her in the back.

The woman would slowly turn to face this new individual; sniffing still and wondering if there were anyone else around that she should be worried about. She’d raise a hand in a fairly casual manner before giving a small but friendly wave.

”Not too often you find another traveler through here that’s amongst the living.”

Lucretia’s posture was definitely friendly if not a bit guarded, but honestly who could blame her there. She’d eye the individual; taking in his appearance and scent. They were well traveled so there was a lot of scents that were unfamiliar to her but it just marked them as their own person. People that stuck to just one area would smell like that area obviously. There was a small pause and she’d figure that she’d at the very least introduce herself.

”Names Lucretia Von Wolfenstein. What’s yours?”

Sho raised an eyebrow as the person before he spoke. Sho assumed that this figure standing on the hill was a male just by the looks of the individual. Sure her voice was a bit deeper than your average woman but she was a big girl from the looks of it. She came off as friendly by the wave and tone of voice which Sho would return the favor. He didn’t wave but he did speak, “One could say the same about you miss.” He reached in his back satchel and pulled out the flask again because he could feel his body temperature drop just by standing here in the freezing cold. The blizzard was beginning to subside for the moment clearing up as the two spoke revealing the vacant battlefield littered with corpses and pieces of armor.

He removed the cap of the flask and drank a bit as Lucretia formally introduced herself. Sho kept a straight face even though he wanted to chuckle at her name. He did not want to anger the monster of a woman standing before him. At least not yet, things were going to be interesting, to say the least. But considering her wolf-like features it was a bit on the nose to have a last name Wolfenstein. He could finally put a face to a name. He heard rumors of Lucretia through the grapevine so he knew she was a strong contender. Just exactly what he was looking for out here in this frozen wasteland. Sho made sure to hide his need to make a joke at this very moment by introducing himself.

“Sho Shimura, I am out here looking for some action. By the looks of it, you beat me to the punch already. I had heard there were undead monsters out here but didn’t think I would find someone like you out here.” Sho took one more drink out of his flask before screwing the top back on and slipping it back into the pouch. He was plenty warm now and a wee bit tipsy but he was ready for just about anything. “How about you show me what you did to these corpses? Been a while since I actually fought someone.” Sho was very direct, maybe it was the booze talking but he was ready for a scrap. He didn’t make any sudden movements as he wanted to see what exactly this Lucretia was all about.  

Stats n stuff:

Lucretia cocked her head to one side as the other seemed to think that it was uncommon to find one of her kind here among the snow. The various packs of werewolves or other lycan types probably wouldn’t be as well known as their sociable counterpart that was standing a few meters away from what one could consider their prey if they so delighted in that idea. But lucretia considered her fellow man more than just a snack and would deign to keep it that way till one such battle claimed her life in the future.

”Spose so, not much out here other than the witches and the damned.”

For her the woman’s nature would keep her from catching the bitter cold so she wasn’t terribly thrown off of the other drinking in front of her. Though she had to wonder if she had ever heard of someone by this name. She’d scratch at her head with a frown; maybe she had? She wasn’t as well learned as her counterparts but the woman wasn’t about to make a big deal of it. It was a name that she hadn’t heard before; at least the second part. She had to wonder where he was from.

”Ah yeah the draugr, sorry bout that. But I’m fixin to clear out some of the forts around here, try to make it a lil safer for folks at least until the spring comes around. Nice to meetcha though Sho.”

Her demeanor and smile were friendly enough and she’d be leaning on her spear; but what came next she hadn’t expected. She’d blink a few times and then tilt her head slowly to one side. A stranger that she had just met asking to fight her? The woman’s eyes flicked this way and that; not in a distrustful manner but more to make sure there weren’t any undead sneaking up on them. She’d stand upright and grin ear to ear; was it what was in the flask that made him bold? Something else entirely? She’d give her spear a lazy twirl in her hand after a moment.

”Sure; good way of keepin warm. Mind you might be best that if the draugr show up durin our fight that we’d put it on pause to deal with em. Or just keep going while takin em out too. They can be a bit of a messy problem if not taken care of when they show up.”

Spoiler:

Sho listened to the words of the wolf woman not saying much at that very moment as he unhitched his helmet from his back and brought it up with one hand. He removed the earmuffs and beanie to place his helmet on his head. He looked a bit odd at that very moment, puffy jacket and puffy pants with a helmet on. Little did Lucretia know that his armor was snuggly fastened on his body under this big coat. The cold nipped at Sho but he did his best to ignore it as he put the cold helmet on.

“Well that sure is certainly nice of you to clear out these forts, maybe I could clear out some myself. At some point my mother is from these parts. And the pleasure is all mine, glad I met someone out here, not undead.”

Sho eyeballed the large weapon and figured he was not going to be hit by that thing. There was no telling what properties it held. He could tell from a distance it was a powerful weapon and from the looks of Lucreita she could wield that thang like nobody's business. Sho began to bounce on his toes back and forth preparing himself for a fight. He was warming his body up more than it needed to be. Lucretia only confirmed that she was willing to fight a moment later. A twirl of her spear even though it was lazy gave Sho the consent to fight.

“I bet we could take them out while fighting and best to not let them amass in numbers. Let’s get started shall we?”

Those words left his lips and he stopped jumping up and down and his left foot slid backward, digging into the snow. He didn’t reach for his weapon right away as he wanted it to be a surprise gift from him to her. The air about Sho changed in an instant as if a switch had been turned on. Nothing but a grin on his face as he prepared to engage the person before him. No matter how strong she was, he was determined to test his strength against a strong opponent. All he could hope for was resistance worthy to boast about. Magical circles appeared at the bottom of his feet, hidden by the snow. The only noticeable thing was Sho’s stance at that very moment.

His muscles tensed up as he pushed off with his right foot propelling him forward at his top lunge speed in an instant. A blast of snow could be seen as he left his position and went into a full lunge running across the field at Lucretia. She had roughly a second and a half to respond to Sho covering the 15-meter distance with a 12.5-meter lunge. In that split second Sho reached to his left and unhooked his beam saber, flicking it on. A loud electrical noise could be heard followed by humming as the blade ignited to life. Pulling it from his left side Sho imitated a samurai unsheathing their blade in an instant swinging it at the point of reaching his destination of being right in front of Lucretia. Blue light could be seen cutting through the air with precision moving from left to right aimed directly at her midsection. Sho wasn’t trying to kill Lucretia but he was trying to show that he wasn’t to be taken lightly.

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”People deserve places where they can be safe, even out here.”

Lucretia gave a small shrug of her shoulders; the woman was fairly large so the motion was incredibly overt. Her motion likely also showed off that yes she did indeed know how to tell the pointy end from the rest of the weapon. Though honestly that in itself wasn’t all too difficult.

"Yeah Sounds good to me."

Honestly she was glad that she had someone to fight that wasn’t these damnable undead. Some of them were close to people and could be reasoned with but they were far and in-between. With another individual to spar with she would enjoy this a lot more. Noting that he was raring and ready to go lucretia’s smile widened and well… Her body started to swell just as he pushed off of the ground.

Her body distended and grew, much more lanky but also much more muscular. Much more ready for combat. She was already a tall woman but this pushed the boundary of what was normal. Her reach grew and her feet slid to either side as her stance widened. She hadn’t pegged him for a close range fighter so the fact he was coming right at her was something she considered strange if not briefly.

She was gifted with a blur of blue light; one that would be difficult to avoid with someone springing forward so quickly. So rather than try to avoid the weapon and the power behind the blow she’d instead make one of her own. With every swing there was bound to be an opening somewhere and she was looking for it with using a good chunk of her spear to slam the thing down against her now opponent Sho.

Spoiler:

Sho would notice the transformation taking place mid-swing as the bestial Lucretia was now trying to slam her spear down on Sho. Due to being a downward movement, Sho would have time to carry his momentum to move to the right suddenly after slashing her midsection. There was a sizable burn mark where he slashed at but her armor held firm. Being light on his toes he hopped to the right to dodge the initial attack. Using his forward foot to shift his weight completely to the right, moving his body while hopping to the right to dodge the attack. Amidst the hop with his free left hand, Sho opened up his left hand causing a magical circle to appear in the palm of his hand. A black orb left fired out from his hand directly at Lucretia in its projectile form. He was still in relatively close proximity to Lucretia so this spell was sure to hit unless she moved suddenly. Which Sho was prepared for. The orb reached its predestined destination in an instant, where Sho closed his hand, causing the orb to expand to four diameters in size.

If Lucretia was caught in the orb’s expansion she would feel her strength and speed leave her body at that very moment. Sho was experimenting with his magic at this point. He too was unsure about what exactly he could do in a combat situation. The attack he fired was not malicious or meant to harm Lucretia but to lower her potency in battle so he could have the upper hand. After the hop Sho began backpedaled moving at his top speeds to gain a grasp of the situation. ‘What the hell is this transformation?’ he thought to himself while a grin reached from ear to ear. Little did he know the markings on his forehead were growing, forming blacklines going down his face. They were lengthening all the way to his cheekbones. Sho was moving backward trying to keep a distance between him and Lucretia. He was backpedaling, moving at 12.5 m/s. He wanted to see what exactly she would do in this situation.

Stats n stuff:

Spells Used:

It wasn’t surprising to her that Sho was capable of avoiding her attack, he was speedy enough to close the distance between the two of them in an instant so why should that matter too much to him to avoid an overt over the top swing? Her icy blue eyes however continued to follow his movements. His actions of casting so quickly and so close to her was invigorating. She couldn’t remember the last time she fought someone toe to toe when they had magic and she didn’t have much to speak of.

She wasn’t fast enough to dodge the projectile point blank or avoid the detonation of the magic itself. The woman felt her muscles get drained a bit and she felt her speed and strength slow. But it didn’t seem to matter to her too much. With the other backpedling Lucretia decided to follow suit by lunging after him , drawing her spear back and thrusting forward to try to slam her spear into his chest. She was clearly slightly faster than he was; her lunges capable of reaching a speed of 15 m/s. She had to believe that sho was a tough cookie if he was trying to fight hand to hand with a werewolf. Which meant to her that they were going to be able to throw fists or in this case sword and spear without much issue.

She had to wonder what kind of magic he was using; she wasn’t well versed on the stuff having only seen a few different kinds. It would be unfair of her to treat sho any different than anyone else that she had fought before even in a friendly bout. She wouldn’t kill him and he wouldn’t kill her. It was right after her lunge that she realized that he was smiling; were they both really enjoying this fight that much?

Spoiler:

Sho noticed that the spell had little effect on Lucretia she was showing no signs of slowing down which made Sho realize she was a lot tougher than she looked. Well she looked pretty tough to begin with this was just the icing on the cake. Her transformed state was truly something to behold. Sho moving at his top lunging speed backwards noticed she was a bit faster. Sure she had the speed to back up her power but the question posed was how nimble was she. How fast could she stop herself mid lunge? Could she stop on a dime and alter her direction in an instant? Sho was here to put it to the test. His grin now showing teeth as she bared hers. He was caught up in the moment lost in the euphoria of the battle. He was now even more determined to test her abilities. He had several questions too like was she a Werewolf? She had to be the full transformation only confirmed his suspicion.

That didn’t make him think less of her or anything along those lines. Just a conclusion he came to on his own no matter how obvious the answer might have been. His quest for power was never ending but he remembered he was in the Rune Knights and they looked down on people who weren’t normal by their standards. Sho wasn’t against the idea of becoming something other than human; it's just frowned upon in the Rune Knights. There were special cases of course that would arise that allowed the special classed individuals to be let into the Rune Knights. All of this occurred within his mind, while he focused on the battle in front of him. Lucretia’s lunge was only helped by the length of the spear. She was aiming dead center for Sho’s chest. Granted he wasn’t too worried about taking a direct hit as he was also wearing armor under his puffy jacket.

It seemed like an instant, maybe even a blur if you will. But mid lunge Sho hopped ever so slightly, his feet barely leaving the ground to activate the next trick in his arsenal. Magic circles appeared under his feet altering his own gravity in that very moment. With his back foot and his body moving in unison he turned to the left suddenly, side stepping the beast’s lunge. Sho was now moving to the left and backwards as she pressed forward. This would appear almost unnatural like who could defy logic like this? Stopping their momentum one way and moving so it was shifted in another direction. Sho took the beam saber and slashed upward at Lucretia’s mid section as she would move past him. This was all in the span of a single moment. He moved his body so efficiently to not lose any possible openings in Lucretia’s attacks. Unless she had the means to stop like he did. The slash would come as quick as his next motion, with his arm in the air as he moved backwards he followed through with an even more potent attack.

With his left hand he pressed his middle finger onto his thumb and made a flicking motion causing yet another magic circle to appear. A small blackish orb roughly two diameters in size left his finger and fired upon Lucretia at breakneck speeds. No doubt she would be reeling from his attack on his armor; this would just be the icing on the cake. As he backpedaled he closed his hand making a fist causing the orb to expand to its full size of eight meters before imploding on Lucretia’s current location. A loud booming noise echoed throughout the frozen wasteland shaking the impact zone.

Stats n stuff:

Spells:

It was safe to say that the transformation that Lucretia had was a powerful one that worked against the efforts of the de-buffs that Sho had placed on her. She hadn’t slowed down in the slightest and Sho would find those icy blue eyes locked onto him. Assessing his movements even as she lunged at him. She wasn’t sure what he was capable of but if he was trying to break away from her it was likely so he could use the magic he had to his advantage. Questions about her race and what she was capable of would likely have to come after the battle lest they wanted to halt it for a small chat.

She had never dealt directly with rune knights before but she knew of their disposition towards what you would call a ‘dark race’. Beings that often fought against the light. Even though she was a servant of the law and the light they would never entirely accept her without her proving herself. She found her initial spear strike missing as sho suddenly turned to the left. His momentum and shift in direction would normally be shocking.

But something told her this was just an ability she’d have to learn to deal with; it’d line up a bit with what he was capable of earlier. That dash… was that part of his magic or was there something in play with his equipment? Her mind raced as she was still within her lunge. She didn’t have that kind of magic to where she could just halt herself on a dime, no she had to physically do something in regards to that to change direction.

With him changing directions and the following suit of his beam saber Lucretia knew that he was still well within reach of her. She couldn’t stop her momentum forward but what she could do instead was reach out a grasping hand to swipe at her opponent. If he had the time to make an attack against her she had the gall to do the same while they were still in range. Though her attack was more likely to miss since she couldn’t adjust the angle too well. Something acceptable.

Two things happened in the same instance, her armor started to crumble and the blackish orb slammed into her position. The explosion rocked her body as she adjusted her bearings more to suit where sho had gone. Something that sho would likely immediately recognize without a shadow of a doubt was that the woman in front of her wasn’t too terribly bothered by the presence of his magic sapping her strength and speed.

In fact now that her armor was broken she seemed somehow a little faster than before. This being clearly evident as she lunged towards him again but in the case of him avoiding her again she had a plan. One that would require a little set up to truly be utilized properly. If he did dodge her, she’d just heave the assegai in the direction he was going. Even if it was up, backwards, or side to side. The weapon itself would snap back into her hand afterwards if this was the case.

Spoiler:

Sho slid backward in the mixture of ice and snow. The ground is soft yet hard at the same time. He stopped moving because his attacks landed and he now knew he needed to stand his ground. He clearly couldn’t keep running forever; he felt himself getting tired as he dashed through the snow. He was panting slightly, his breath freezing as it left his lips. He knew what he needed to do now, no matter the outcome he had to stand his ground against the beast that stood before him. A hand extended outward as Lucretia passed by trying to swipe at him to catch him off guard. Even though he was getting tired of moving around like that he stayed on his toes. He jumped backward two meters to get out of reach of Lucretia’s minor attack. The beast’s icy glare was taken into account as now her armor was broken. Sho smirked as he prepared himself for the onslaught of incoming attacks. He had one more trick up his sleeve that he was just itching to try out on someone. Lucretia seemed sturdy enough just from the constant barrage of attacks from Sho was a good indicator of that.

He took a deep breath as Lucretia changed directions and lunged at Sho this time she came faster than before. No doubt the breaking of the armor alleviated some weight, giving her that added boost of speed. As she closed in she seemed more sure that she would catch Sho this time. However, Sho’s plan kicked into high gear at that very moment as the words left his lips in a yell. “FUS RO DAH” The ground shook and the voice amplified into a booming noise as he yelled it. Those words held power due to the helmet he was wearing. The guy he bought the helmet off from told him about its power. Sho was skeptical about it but he bought the helmet anyways because it looked cool to him. If it had some added properties he was all about it.

If she didn’t dodge it in time, The initial blast would stagger Lucretia in an instant, halting her advance. The third word came as a boon giving the spell its kick. A blast came from the third word and it would knock her backward and have her body fall limp to the ground. Sho found himself being blown backward as well a few meters. He wasn’t bracing himself as well as he thought. It was made known to him at that very moment. He froze there in shock at what he had just done. Then his eyes focused on the cloud of snow kicked up by Sho’s helmet spell. “Lucretia! You alright!?” Sho was genuinely worried about her; he ran back towards her putting his weapon away.  This was only if Lucreita got hit by the spell of course.

Stats n stuff:

Spell:

The reaction speed that Sho showed to her was impressive and he knew how to handle his body well. She had to admit that fighting various kinds of people in this land was part of the reason she traveled here. She had come to Harrogath to sate her own desire to fight; even if that was against the undead that roamed the land. The fight was stretching on as the seconds passed and she noted that the blow that she had attempted against sho hadn’t even scratched him. A touch frustrating if she had to admit that she couldn’t even tap him once thus far. She knew she was faster, it was evident to her but he was being careful.

Then again she was sure that a single hit from her spear might do a little more than what she intended. The icy glare didn’t stop; it was fixated on her opponent and with him not even moving from the spot he did something that she wasn’t expecting. Standing his ground and with her closing in there was a brief instant that Lucretia worried that he’d get skewered.

But that was rent asunder as she found herself stumbling and coming to a halt on the single utterance of Fus, unable to dodge at such a moment and close range. The following pair of words however… She found herself blown off her feet. Weapon soaring out of her hand and tumbling in the snow along with her body. She crashed down in a heap on her back; temporarily dazed and staring up into the sky.

A few thoughts flashed through her mind; the fact that she was still fairly unskilled with the weapon that she toated around like it was nothing. It deserved more respect and a better fighter than what she currently was. To use it to slay undead felt wrong somehow; as though it wanted to ease into the flesh of the living in a better challenge. Gritting her teeth the woman considered this fact for a few seconds longer.

The woman slowly sat up; looking a little out of sorts and grasping around to try to see where her spear had went. The damn thing stuck out of the snow like a sore thumb and was a few meters away from where she had landed. With a small sigh she’d turn her head hearing the worry in the voice of her opponent. That trio of words had certainly taken off the edge that she had earlier. She felt a bit foolish getting stumbled like that but she also felt like the dwarven armor she had… Well had outlived it’s usefulness. Not once had it’s ability ever secured her to the ground which made it a bit of a moot point. Then again maybe the blacksmiths back home would be a little more willing to work with her now that she had a bit of a reputation to her.

”I’m fine. Just… a little stunned I suppose.”

She’d grimace a bit and slowly stand up, she felt the effects from that ability still sort of was affecting her making it a bit difficult for her to find the strength not to flop around like a fish. But thankfully whatever that helmet was capable of was shortlived. If sho didn’t stop her from picking her weapon up she’d test her grip with it; the hand that did so would be shaking slightly. She did take an awful tumble after all…

”Shall we continue or…?”

Even though the werewolf had gotten launched nearly twenty meters through the air and had landed like a sack of wet bricks she still seemed up for the bout. Though there was none of that Icy look about her from before. A more calm acceptance that there were still things in this world she hadn’t the faintest clue about. She was still willing to fight against sho but honestly with that entire bit she wasn’t even sure if he wanted to. It was better to ask than just assume with the way that he had reacted to her ‘injury’. In fact the both of them were still mostly fine; sho simply had cut her armor apart.

Lucretia felt like she could do better in this battle; that she could probably end up pursuing sho for far longer than he was capable of running from her. But the fact that stood out to her is that even though she physically was stronger than him that his equipment and ability to cast spells was what was keeping him safe rather than allowing her to strike at him. It was something that stuck out to her like a sore thumb. Her gaze turning to the spear that she had once again. Most of the equipment she had didn't have 'active' effects. Save for the assegai.

Another thing to consider was that she seemed to put a lot of faith in her own martial prowess. Which earnestly was part of the reason why she didn't really put too much faith in her magic. She had stopped using a lot of it a long while ago even if she was capable of casting spells. The icebergian part of her definately seemed to be focused on the idea of strength over magic...

Spoiler:

Sho let out a sigh of relief as Lucretia appeared to be okay. Sho wasn’t expecting all of that from just a helmet. He made out like a bandit with this helmet he only paid half the price of the saber he bought. It was surely something to behold. Sho finally let the bravado go and found himself heaving, gasping for air as he wasn’t taking breaths while moving and grooving like he was. He was activating spells like candy; he was the polar opposite of Lucretia. She clearly relied heavily on her martial prowess which Sho took into consideration. He favored using magic while fighting; there was no reason to not be effective at both. He trained hard and the fruits of his labor were showing. He was still really tired, exhausting roughly half of his magic reserves just playing keep away from Lucretia. But it dawned on him that he needed to train harder, sure he was able to keep away and keep striking but he was pouring a lot of power into that.

His mixture of martial ability and magical aptitude showed in this fight but a lot of things were made clear to him in an instant. Lucretia was clearly stronger and faster but Sho was just more nimble in this case. That might not always be the case he needed to become strong enough to stand his ground against any foe head-on. Though he wouldn’t just throw out tactics it just means he had more work to do.

Sho took his helmet off and clipped it back on his back belt. He ran his hands through his head, sweaty and unkempt from putting the helmet on. He fixed his black hair to how it was prior to putting on the helmet. “I think we should call it quits here.” Sho took a moment to catch his breath to explain himself. “As much as I would like to continue you clearly have more gas in the tank overall and you have beastly vitality. You went through some of my strongest spells I could muster. Sure against any ‘normal’ person that would be enough. But clearly you aren’t normal and I don’t mean anything wrong by that. It’s just that we are in different leagues. I am not where I want to be yet.”

Sho smiled and made his way over to Lucretia offering up a helpful hand to get her out of the snow. “Not to mention I kind of cut your armor up real good and sorry about that by the way I can pay for repairs the Rune Knights pay me well enough. I don’t actually want to hurt you but the funny thing is I don’t think I can even if I wanted to, at least not in my current state.” After possibly helping her up or her getting up herself he reached into his back pocket, removing the brew-filled pouch. He unscrewed it and took a big swig out of it. He offered Lucretia some after taking his swig and swallowing it, the warming brew going to work. “Here take some if you don’t want any I won’t take offense.”

“So tell me exactly what are you because you aren’t human. I heard rumors of beast-men but I never actually encountered one let alone fight one.”

The sigh of relief that followed her answer brought a curious glance and flick of her ear. The werewolf was definitely a tough cookie for sure but that helmet had laid her out like it was nothing. Though once the adrenaline of the fight seemed to end lucretia found herself worrying for sho more than the armor or the fact she had been launched so far. She hadn’t activated any spells because she didn’t have any to do so with. Every bit of this fight had been part of her martial prowess.

Compared to half of his potent magic abilities she had only really used about a third of her pool. With the way that her transformation worked and the way it kept her afloat it was something that she could just barrel through most of what he launched her way. She’d cock her head to one side as he said they should call it quits.

”If you think that’s the best course of action.”

Lucretia’s disappointment was quickly dissolved as he started to explain himself. He wanted to continue but she was able to get through his spells without much issue. His strongest spells. That word stuck out to her like a sore thumb. When she thought of strong spells she usually thought of the things that kon had used against her. Figuring that Sho was just being courteous during their fight by not using his stronger stuff. The woman pondered a bit at this information; comparing everyone to the strongest person you had fought would do them a disservice. While some would be humbled being put up against someone far stronger than them that would not always be the case. She’d bob her head a bit thinking over what he said.

”Oh you’re not wrong on the ‘normal’ bit. I wasn’t really aware of what you were capable of so I felt it was wise to treat you like I would any other person I’ve fought again. My master when I still studied under him told me ‘train like you fight and fight like you train’. Given he’s still alive to this day it’s words to live by. But with the way you’re going… you’ll definitely get to where you want to be. Maybe even higher than where you expect.”

The woman then would return the smile, letting her transformation end and would accept the assistance to get up out of the snow. Oh he had been worried about that armor? She’d glance down, noting that it had left her fairly bare in comparison to before. The dwarven heavy armor was a marvel for sure but once broken it stopped being useful; providing no benefits nor hindering her in any way. A pair of words caught her attention and a look of surprise crossed her face.

”You’re a rune knight? Its… really rare to see them out of Fiore. Even on jaunts like this. Oh. Ah. I’m only really that tough in my transformation sho. Out of them I’m just as normal of a person as you could expect.”

Aside from the superhuman physical traits it seemed. Comparatively without equipment lucretia still was a beast both in and out of her forms. She didn’t seem to treat the transformations as they were special in any right. That they were a tool to the job firstly but there was a small hushed tone behind some of them. Like she had begun to question herself at some point about them. She didn’t seem to be offended and would take a swig from it. Letting it go to work before handing it back.

”Appreciate it. I guess I don’t really bring much given yanno.”

She’d motion to herself and chuckle; though with his next question she’d blink a few times. A beast man? She’d rub at her neck; managing a small smile that was honestly more amused than anything.

”Ah. As much as I’d like to claim something like I’m human or just another beastman, what I really am is a werewolf. I don’t know what kind because no other werewolf I’ve met has even come close to comparing to me. Especially recently.”

She’d turn over her hands and frown a bit; truth be told the memories she had of the wolves back in Dahlia seemed like they were moving in slow motion to what she was capable of now. She thought she was hot shit back then but now all she could feel that was she had been a child playing in the grown ups pool.

”I’ve been told about other werewolves but the mage culture we’re surprisingly absent. At least overt ones like myself.”

Lucretia reverted back to her normal state while holding out a hand. Sho helped Lucretia out of the snow and handed over the pouch. She took a swing from it and handed it back. He noticed a bit of disappointment in her when he said they should stop, but that dissipated very quickly. Sho listened very carefully so as to not interrupt Lucretia. He was a sponge soaking up all the information he could at that very moment. Her initial words made sense to Sho he nodded as she spoke. “I appreciate the fact you chose to go wild on me really kept me on my toes. And train like you fight and fight like you train, sounds like something my dad would say. His saying was work hard, play hard. Those words never left me. Some good stuff to live by. And I appreciate that.” Lucretia’s words were a boon to his drive to get stronger

She seemed surprised by the fact that he was a Rune Knight this far out from Fiore. “Yep, well I don’t know how long. My thoughts and views haven’t really been aligning with the Rune Knights since I came out of that coma. I feel like I am just waiting for the next big thing before leaving them. And I have family in Iceberg, my mother was from Iceberg. I was just honestly passing through and I saw you. And if you fight like that in your transformed state I bet you fight just as well as if you weren’t transformed. Fighting style doesn’t change much from when you were trained, transformed or not. At least from what I have experienced.”

One thing that baffled Sho was the lack of magic being used by Lucretia that only added to her prowess. If she actually had magic this would have been a different fight altogether. Sho smiled at the thought of her having magic though. It would only make her stronger in the grand scheme of things. “A Werewolf? A curse yet a blessing at the same time. Especially if it gives you that kind of strength.”

Sho laughed amused at the idea of possibly becoming one himself but the issue was the constraints of the Rune Knights. Without some fame, to his name they would throw him out in an instant. He was informed that Werewolves were one of the races to not let in unless under special circumstances. Not that he was against the idea, of shedding his mortal coil in the pursuit of more power. “Ya, you don’t hear much about Werewolves in public. They tend to live in seclusion but here you are out and about like it's nothing. That certainly is something good. I would love to meet more of your kind at some point in the future.”

Sho whipped out his beanie and earmuffs that were put away and placed them on his head. He still wasn’t used to this cold. Seemed like it didn’t bother Lucretia, it was yet another notch on the possible Werewolf path in the future. Sho kept a pretty open mind despite being a Rune Knight. His easy-going nature and open mind let him make all kinds of friends, human and non-human alike. Sho walked over to the cliffside and ungloved his right hand. He placed his middle finger and thumb in his mouth and made a loud whistle, one that could be heard from leagues away.

”It wouldn’t be fair to hold back against someone. Especially on the first time meeting them. Disrespectful in my and many other cultures I’ve been told. Your father sounds like a wise man.”

Lucretia cocked her head to one side as Sho shared he wasn’t sure how long he’d stay a rune knight. That was a shame because she held the group in high regard even though she didn’t know many of those within it. Hearing that he had family in iceberg and had been in a coma… Well the woman pondered a bit.

”I fight till my last breath and further beyond it. Death has graced me with his touch after all.”

The boon that she was given after her altercation with the werewolf alpha known as shepherd was not lost on her. She’d fold her arms and thought about it for a few moments. Magic was something she’d have to look into if it helped sho like this so much, she hadn’t put as much stock in it. Finding that her own magic was keyed towards defense which limited her greatly.

”Aye. Werewolf since I was a babe. My mother was also touched in the same way. But… I don’t think this is a curse as much as a boon. Especially since…”

The woman hesitated a bit and turned to watch the sky for a moment; she could smell a lot further than her kin and she’d scrunch her face up a bit in irritation. Yeah she could smell some undead far far off due to the way the wind was blowing.

”...I don’t feel like I used to. I don’t feel like a werewolf anymore. Not in a typical sense. I can’t quite put it into words Sho but I’m not even sure what to call myself anymore. Werewolf just doesn’t ‘fit’. Even if it does fit.”

She looked irritated by that definition but when the other agreed with her that you don’t really see other werewolves well… The woman rubbed at the back of her head. This was the second.. Maybe third time that someone was willing to meet more of her kind.

”I want my people to stop being feared sho. I want them to be something people can look at and know they’re safe. That’s why I do what I do and that’s why I’m all over the place. So maybe after I start making changes you can meet more of them because they won’t be as afraid as we used to be.”

The cold that blew through the wide open area made lucretia grunt more in passing than in irritation. It didn’t bother her at all really; just the fact that she wasn’t expecting it. The woman watched the other go to the cliffside and with that loud whistle the woman flinched.

”Callin someone?”

“I appreciate that Lucretia and I agree it wouldn't be fair to hold back even in a sparring match,” Sho replied as Lucretia spoke again. Slim Jim was taking his sweet time coming so Sho had time to chat before leaving. “Ya I wasn’t a fan of death gracing me, considering I could have as easily died in that coma.”

Sho listened to Lucretia’s next words carefully as she was clearly leading onto another story. She turned to the sky as she spoke. Sho was moved by the woman’s words and couldn’t help but feel bad because there were so many like her out there, not just werewolves. Tons of races hid in seclusion due to how the world treated them. He never dealt with prejudice nor had any in his heart. He was so welcoming of people that he never stopped to notice the injustice that was being done around him. Even the Rune Knights were guilty of this prejudice. And they were pretty outspoken about their rules concerning other races.

“That’s a noble cause, Lucretia, I can't really knock on that. I have never dealt with prejudice due to my skin color and being the ‘norm’ for people. Maybe things could change for the better as long as people like you and me are setting good examples for those to follow. Maybe someday we will find ourselves fighting together rather than with each other. Not that I didn’t enjoy myself sparring with you, you just seem like someone I could associate with in the long run.”

He noticed her flinching probably due to the loudness of the whistle. She most likely had better hearing among other things.

“Yeah sorry about that, I am calling my buddy Slim Jim he should be here any moment.” It wasn’t long after that notion that a roar could be heard off in the distance. He knew that voice from anywhere. It was Slim Jim coming from doing whatever he was doing. He came in for a hard landing, kicking up snow and dirt alike. The beast landed pretty close to Sho, almost knocking him over.

“Hey boy nice to see you too.”

Slim Jim responded by licking Sho’s face. “This is Slim Jim and my ride coincidentally.” Sho walked around to Slim Jim’s back before hopping on. Sho grabbed the reins and tugged on them to direct Slim Jim towards the cliffside. “It has been a pleasure Lucretia von Wolfenstien. I pray we meet again on the winding road of life. Until next time!” Sho kicked at Slim Jim’s side causing Slim Jim to run off the ledge and dive downward before opening his wings and letting the updraft carry them off into the sunset.

[exit]

”It’s a figure of speech but I understand not everyone would want that.”

Lucretia shook her head; knowing that the way she was blessed was strange. She’d bite the inside of her lip and was wondering quietly to herself is she should have shared that. But sho seemed to understand where she was coming from at least. Never having to deal with the situation she was placed in and he even went so far as to offer to fight together with her. Hell even associate with her at some point.

”Maybe someday yeah. The worlds a big place and there’s a lot of problems. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel the same way.”

The roar brought her attention to the approaching wyvern. The beast was friendly and then hearing that the other had a ‘ride’ meant that their time together would be coming to a close. She’d bob her head in a nod; raising her hand that wasn’t holding her spear in a wave of farewell.

”You too Sho Shimura. We’ll meet again I’m sure of it.”

The woman watched the mounted warrior take off and after a few long moments of watching them fly away she’d turn to continue her trek through the snow. The wind catching her hair and billowing it behind her.

She still had many a fort to clear of the draugr after all…

[exit]