Job:

The Daemon Warrior did not travel all this way on Fang who was his Wyvern just to help people from the attacking dragons in this area. He came here to lay claim to a title reserved for those with magic dedicated to slaying these great creatures.  Truly, killing a Dragon would help his aspiration of becoming a Man of Legend. What could become more of the foundation to a Legend than a no-named Hammer-wielding man in armor slaying a Dragon? It was a tale as old as man, but in this story, the man would be without Magic of his own.  Just armor, shield, and weapon ready to kill this dragon, to raise himself in the status of Warrior and Claim his spot as a Legend in the Making!

Of course, his foundation turned out to be gaining the help of one Jin Takayama. He knew basically nothing about the man with him on this journey.  He only knew he would not be allowed to take on the dragon alone, they had forbidden them to travel out there by themselves to face the beast causing damage to the area.  It did not matter truly, that part of the tale could be left out when he returned home.

Knuckles tighten the pelts around his body as the cold air pushed against his body. Though the snowy plains and forest area was a sight to behold, beautiful beyond comparison to his home, he did not enjoy that it made his face hurt.  His hands were going numb.  He would adjust this he was sure of, but it was not to his liking.   The Daemon looked to his partner in this upcoming battle looking the man over, he was built and looked like a brawler one would often find behind a tavern, throwing punches with poorly wrapped hands for a payout of jewels.  Knux could not help but wonder if this man's fight style was all but the same as Jikan's. Fist supported by magic, he could not say for sure but figured he should ask.


"So Jin, before we confront this dragon, I think we should get to understand how each other fights. One look at me and you may as well know how it is that I do battle. I depend on my armor and shield to give me cover and take attacks for me while I dish out an overwhelming blow with my Hammer.  Though I have my guess as to how a man of your size and build must fight I want to ensure I know fully so that we may not interfere with each other's attacks.  "

Knuckles awaited the man to answer as they traveled by sleds pulled by timber wolves. The beast was fast and had thick fur which allowed them to handle the cold weather perfectly.  Of curse, he would have rather flown on the back of Fang with his supplies as per usual but did not wish to cause the people further panic by having a Wyvern fly over their town with Dragons nearby causing chaos.

WC:511

Jin lovingly stroked just above Toronbo’s snout as he shows a rare display of affection. They were off to the side behind a snow bank, well hidden from view of any surrounding villagers. The light-blue colored wyvern gave off a sound akin to a cat purring which elicited a slight chuckle from Jin, yet another rarity for him. Perhaps it was where he was caused such an out of character reaction. The behemoth glanced around taking in the snowy sights all at once. The woods and marshes that threatened to overtake the snowcapped mountains from below. The faint signs of movement from within that could only be made from the trolls that frequent the area. All of it was so familiar. For the first time in quite a while, Jin was home.

When he saw that there was a quest to slay a dragon that terrorized the lands here, he practically jumped at the opportunity despite his claim years earlier to throw away all aspects of his former life. The thought of his homeland destroyed bothered him much more than he would have cared to admit. He was happy to see that, despite the obvious damage, most of what was there years earlier remained. As Jin reminisced, he was nudged by Toronbo’s snout to remind him that they were not alone. Standing a decent distance away stood Jin’s partner for this quest. His partner was a man with eyes as red as his hair, draped in pelts around his body. Outside of his name, Jin knew nothing about him. He was a complete unknown but his help was a caveat to accepting this quest.  The man’s displeasure to the weather was obvious as he seemed to give a small shiver as he tightened what adorned him. Given that he grew up in this exact climate, the weather didn’t bother Jin as much. A small chill but nothing he wouldn’t overcome once the action started. Jin, sensing that it was about finally time to get to work, gave Toronbo the signal to go as he watched the wyvern ascend up towards the clouds. Once the wyvern was out of view, Jin moved towards his awaiting companion as they traveled the rest of the way by sled.

As they traveled, Jin listened as Knuckles inquired about their fighting styles, giving a bit of information in regards to his own. As he mentioned, it was plainly obvious to see how he fought with his hammer. Jin, on the other hand, could be a number of things. Based on his appearance, the first glance assumption of just punching things to death was technically true. His real power, however, was something else entirely. He was quiet for a moment as he pondered the question before speaking. “If you based it on how I look, your initial guess was probably correct. I specialize in hand to hand combat that is occasionally supported by magic. I can also perform attacks from long range but you won’t see me use them that often. The real application of my magic is enhancement…..but it’s better to show you than tell you.”

As a light blitz of snow begins to fall, the wolves continue onward before they suddenly stop; both of them arching their backs and starting to bark off in the distance. A low growl could be heard echoing. Jin got off the sled and looked around, becoming familiar with his surroundings once more. They were near a village, one surprisingly close to his original home. The smell of blood permeated the area, Jin instantly knowing where it came from. “It’s close. Probably killed some people from the neighboring village. It’s likely still eating.” He reaches into the bag, pulling out his mask and placing it over his mouth. Hearing the familiar click instantly shifted his mood back to being the cold, brutal warrior he is known for. He moves over towards Knuckles and quickly shoots a glance over towards the open field in front of him, a smile forming from underneath the mask. “Showtime.”

WC: 675

Knuckles nodded his head understanding what Jin was saying, it was clear that he indeed had the same fighting style Jikan used. This allowed Knuckles to become familiar with how things would likely go though he was not sure if Jin was as fast as Jikan. Ultimately it would not matter, these two would have to adjust no matter what.  When the sleds came to a halt Knuckles disembarked from the sled dropping his overcoat and drawing his shield from over his shoulder, and the hammer from his back. He dawned his helmet and moved forward on foot, he was ready to slay this dragon and bring its head in.  

Soon enough they would near the village, the dragon in site feasting upon the villagers. Knuckles looked to Jin giving him a nod. The dragon lifted its head letting out a roar and standing to its full.  Blue flames erupted out the mouth of the dragon as it pointed its head straight up as a show of force.  Knuckles had to admit that it was a bit nerve-wracking, but there was nothing to do now but to do it.  The Dragon was about 30 meters from the two at this time.  Knuckles would dart off to the right, swinging around to the dragon, he would bang his hammer on his shield making noise to draw the attention of the dragon to him.   "Over here you big bastard." Yelled the Daemon, it would not take long for the dragon to turn its large head towards Knuckles and start making large strides toward him. Knuckles cut his angle again this time running directly at the Dragon allowing Jin to get some free rein over how he would move. Knuckles fed mana into his hammer as he threw his weapon out forward, the hammer hurling through the air like a rocket, seeking its target without fail. The hammer slammed into the Dragon's head dealing S rank damage before it would start to lower about to fall to the ground, though as it did Knuckles reach out calling the Hammer back to his hand for more mana.

He had to admit the magic of the weapon came in handy, though he was certain he could not use it masterfully yet.  Before he knew it the dragon was upon him, looking unphased from the clean strike made to its head. The dragon pulled back its left claw and swung it at Knuckles, the adventure put as much of his body behind his shield as possible before being met with the large pawed attack. Knuckles would be swatted from his run and into the ground bounce a few times off the snow-covered ground like some ball a kid was kicking around in the yard.  His body would soon slide across the ground feeling pain in his arm as his shield was now bent and broken. It had taken the brunt of the attack but some had bled through to his armor and his arm.  With a groan he picked himself up off the ground tossing the shield away from his body knowing he no longer had the safety net, he hoped he had given Jin the chance he needed to cast his magic and land some good hits.

WC:542
TWC:1053

Spells:

Jin watched as Knuckles armed himself with his shield and hammer, the two of them embarking deeper into the village in a comfortable silence. As the two of them approached, they saw it; the massive beast devouring the remains of one of the villagers. Another village, just barely alive, managed to move slightly. The dragon, noticing the movement, quickly ends his life with its massive jaws. The two men exchange glances as the dragon notices their presence, wordlessly formulating a plan. In an instant, both men dart off in opposite directions. Jin to the left and Knuckles to the right. Knuckles would draw the dragon’s attention making the creature completely ignore Jin while it rampaged. As Jin briefly watches Knuckles and the dragon exchange blows, he gauges the dragon’s power. It wouldn’t be as easy as he originally anticipated it would be. “I guess I’ll have to use it after all. No holding back.”

Jin staggers his feet, shifting his weight equally between them. He brings his arms to a slight angle and clenches his fist. Slowly, he begins focusing his magical energy, the snowcapped mountains beginning to shake violently as he does so. His eyes become brilliant green in color as his hair and eyebrows rapidly flashes back and forth between their usual jet-black color to golden blonde. His body become more defined as a golden aura surrounds him. “More…” he mutters as his hair becomes more pronounced. Bio-electrical discharge flows through the now jagged flame-like aura. A deep guttural yell escapes from Jin’s mouth as a shockwave of power radiates from him. The dragon, fresh from sending Knuckles careening to the side, glances over at Jin upon hearing his yell. His attention now fully on Jin, the dragon lumbers towards him eager to overtake him. Hoping to repay Knuckles for allowing him to fully power up by giving him some time to recover, Jin charges towards the dragon.

As Jin nears, the dragon lifts its front claw up in an attempt to swat Jin as it did Knuckles just moments prior. Knowing full well what was coming, Jin skillfully dodges to the right and delivers a solid punch to the side of its head. The strike staggers the beast as it stumbles back, Jin not letting up his assault. He lets off a quick barrage of punches, all directed on the dragon’s head. A roar of pain echoes throughout the area as Jin continues to punch. Feeling the vibrations through his fists as each strike lands on the scaled beast, the intoxicating smell of blood being spilled, the threat of imminent death looming at the back of his head. This was what he lived for. This was such a fight he sought. Lost in his assault, Jin fails to realize the dragon’s tail move to his right side. The massive tree trunk-like tail smacks Jin from above, slamming him face first down to the snowy grounds below. The dragon, shaking its head from the initial assault, leans towards Jin as blue flames begin to flare from the corners of its mouth. With a roar, the beast opens its mouth and unleashes the full brunt of its flames towards Jin’s back. His heart felt as if it would come out of his chest, every nerve in his body screamed. Pain coursed through his body as Jin attempts to scream yet nothing comes out. Suddenly, the fiery assault stops, the creature lumbering off towards what Jin could only assume to be a counterattack from Knuckles. Jin lay face first in a now smoking crater, the jagged aura around him now dissipated. His hair, however, remained its golden state signifying that Jin remained conscious.

“Need to get up…” Jin replies, his back still smoking from the assault. Gritting his teeth, he wills his body up, taking a few steps to maintain his balance. “Guess I’ll have to use that too.” Using the adrenaline that coursed through his body, he places his hands to his right side. A bluish-white orb of energy begins to form as he begins to focus more of his magical energy towards his hands. “KA…ME…” he mutters as the jagged golden aura swells around him. All he needed was a few more seconds.

WC: 705
TWC: 1,378

Spells Used:

Lifting himself from the snowy ground Knuckles coughed seeing red cover the white under him. With a groan, he rose to his feet looking over to Jin as he was on the offensive side of things.  This was good, by the looks of things Jin's magic had activated.  He wasn't sure why he had blonde hair now, but it was what it was, he had no magic so his personal experience was just accepted it as you see it.   Knuckles would grin as he saw things going in their favor, he caught his breath and took a strong lunge forward making up the ground he had been tossed.  It was as he approached he saw the tail come over from the Dargon's back and slam into the man. Growing with anger Knuckles ran faster building up his momentum, he wondered what happened perhaps Jin had gotten tunnel vision? Shaking the thought from his head Knuckles focused, it did not matter why it only matters that it had happened and so he needed to step in much as Jin had done for him.

Watching the display of horror before him Knux let out a roar of pure rage escape from his lips, the yell not stopping the Dragon from his breath of fire, though Knuckles knew of something that would.  As he neared the back of the beast he swung with all his might jumping into the air as he did so to land a shot to the dragon's leg forcefully drawing its attention. Knuckles would land onto the ground and twirl the hammer into his hands before slamming it into the toe of the dragon on its right leg.  

Knuckles led the beast a few meters away from Jin, he was not sure if the man was getting up or not after than assault he had taken, if so Knuckles wished for the man to have the time to get up as Knuckles had got from Jin earlier.  The Dragon roared as he moved to trample Knuckles, though playing it smart the Warrior tucked and rolled between the beast's legs missing the chop by centimeters.  Once under the belly Knuckles rose once more to his feet, swinging his hammer into the belly of the beast causing it to stop quickly in its tracks.   The red-haired man needed to move however, the dragon looked as if it would fall at any moment. Looking back towards Jin he noticed the man at his feet. "Goodman. " He said softly, looking back to the dragon to feel the ground rumble as it stumbled back and forth.  

Knuckles moved to meet Jin, though he too felt the slap of the tail of the Dragon, however for Knuckles, it was a slap upwards into the air. The armor man's body went flying like a seal caught in an Orca whales game of who can slap the seal further.  As he went sailing through the air he heard the voice of the demon within. "Do you want to die, boy?  Did you not make a deal to use MY power to aid you along with your dream hmm? Use it, Knuckles Shi. For if you do not, your father will be right about you."  The demon taunted him, though its words struck true. Perhaps it would be foolish to simply not use what he had, this challenge called for it all.

His eye's glowed red as his Obscura flared into a manifested state, black wings grew and formed as he reached the peak of his ascension into the air.   The once limp body that hurled through the air, had quickly shifted into a demon-like creature who was very much in control. The wings opened wide and flapped twice allowing Knuckles to gain control of himself while in the air. Looking down he landed forward controlling his descent towards the Dragon in a controlled fall, he hurried as he did not wish to have Jin face this beast alone. The Dragon had shown that in a One on One fight he held the advantage.   Unknown to Knuckles at this time Jin was preparing a spell and was likely about to fire it.

WC: 694
TWC: 1747

“HA…” Jin mutters as he watches Knuckles engage the beast once more. His footwork, the movements with his hammer, all of it was graceful yet powerful. The strength behind his blows carried weight. There was a significant and sickening thud as each strike landed. Jin watched in appreciation, finding a common ground in a warrior such as him. He hoped that one day in the very near future that he would be able to test his own strengths against him. Nothing to the death mind you but just a competition between the two to see who would come out on time. As a ghost of a smile crossed his face at the thought, he sees the dragon strike yet again. Its tail, once again being the bane of the entire skirmish, strikes Knuckles once more. His near limp body is sent flying upward, prompting Jin to react.

"ME…” Jin begins to run at an increased speed towards the dragon, his eyes steeled at the task ahead. After sending his partner high into the sky, the dragon refocuses its attention towards the approaching Jin. The dragon attempts yet another strike with its tail, though this time it did not have the speed behind it as the last. Jin quickly dashes to the right, narrowly avoiding the initial strike. Seeing little room for error, Jin runs along the base of the tail, using all of his strength to leap into the air using the right side of the dragon’s back as a springboard. The orb between his hands grows bigger as it begins to crackle with the same intensity as the aura around him did.

“HA!” He yells as he releases the torrent of gathered energy from his hands. The beam rockets forward, striking the dragon on the right side of its body. The dragon roars in pain as it is sent careening through the burning remnants of a nearby building. A low, pained growl is heard as the dragon’s body comes to a stop. Jin lands not far from the dragon as the beam dissipates, leaving a putrid smell of burned flesh wafting through the air. The beast gave an angry yet glazed over look as it attempted to regain its footing. It quickly rises from charred rubble and roars so loudly that it shakes the trees. Shaking its head, its eyes narrow towards Jin as it charges forward, its mouth alit with flames. “Big bastard doesn’t know when to quit…” he mutters as he exhaustedly begins to charge towards the dragon once more. As he runs, he notes a small waver in the aura enveloping him signaling that his time in that form is nearly done. “Not much longer. Have to end this now.” He says as he pushes his body harder. Glancing slightly upward, he sees Knuckles slowly descending towards the ground with a pair of blackened wings. Silently wondering to himself just what else this man could do, Jin pushes it back for a moment and comes up with a plan.

As the dragon rears its head back to release the flames built up within its mouth, Jin leaps up at the last possible moment, just narrowly avoiding the barrage of fire. Quickly turning himself to face the dragon as he descended, he rears his right fist back as a gray magic circle appears behind him. “Hiken” he yells as he delivers a powerful punch to the dragon. The sheer force of the blow sends both man and beast backwards; Jin towards another downed building and the dragon towards a hopefully awaiting Knuckles. His hair begins to flicker from black and gold as his body smacks against the building. He slumps down, his vision slowly becoming blurred. “Finish it Knuckles…” he mutters.

Spells Used:

WC: 624
TWC: 2,002

Winds pushed through his crimson locks of hair, he could feel the chills more intense on the shaved side as he kept pace not even bothering to flap the wings on his back, simply only using them to guide him to target. Soon as glow erupted from Jin's body, a bright beam hurried to the dragon, he watched in excitement as Jin had charged the Dragon. Had he found another soul who at the start and end of their soul they were only a fighter through and through? Perhaps, only a proper fight with the man would allow him to test this theory. Knuckles would have to talk to him about it.  The impact of the blast then went off, the large beast sent tossing around, Jin flying back too.   "What a crazy Bastard, I like this guy, he's got courage"  

Knuckles' glow red hues scanned the village as the destruction of the town excited him more, it was the demon's powers affecting him more in the ways of evil.  Knuckles adjusted his flight pattern with a few leans of his body and flaps of his wings. He placed both hands onto the hilt of his Hammer, for a second he could have sworn lightning had arced across it, but perhaps he was losing it?  With the two attacks from Jin hitting Knuckles knew this was going to either be the end to the dragon or themselves.  The snow starting to settle from the air on his approach, Knuckles locked his eyes of the target, the dragon was slowly getting up and was charging flames within its mouth once more looking to send it to Jin's direction, but it would be too late as Knuckles arrived in time to deliver and overhead ax swing with his large hammer striking the beast in the center of his long face right near the eyes. The sheer force of the attack caused the head of the dragon to go down, sending the flames to the ground at its feet but quickly dissipating.  

With a loud roar of pain, it stumbled once more but quickly tried to recover as it snapped its jaws at Knuckles, the could stench of flesh evident on its breath as Knuckles twisted his body and flew forward escaping the attack, countering with another Hammer strike the side of the Dragon's head, behind the ear if it had them.  At least where he would assume a Dragon would have ears.  A low roar escaped this time, almost calm as the dragon stumbled out of the rubble its body caused from Jin's last attack back into the snow. Its body slammed into the ground with such force snow fell off roofs nearby as the ground shook.   Knuckles lowered himself to the ground, his breath rapid and chest matching it with lifts and falls.   He walked slowly over to the Dragon snout, stretching his left hand out to its snout feeling for breath.  

Content that there were not any signs of life Knuckles turned in Jin's direction stumbling as the black wings faded, and the glow left his eyes. He placed the hammer back on the small of his back once he reached Jin's location. Let's go get paid, and then after we rest let's fight.
With that said Knuckles extended his right arm towards Jin offering him it to pull him to his feet.  Knuckles would have offered both, but he could feel ribs broken, shoulder muscles ripped and stabbing pain in his back.  It felt like his armor had ripped apart and crushed his body in certain places.

Once they'd made it back to the sleds, however long that took Knuckles looked about for his furs and put them back on, he was freezing with all this metal on his body. He removed the helmet from his head showing dried blood on his forehead. He was eager to try this again, the thrill calling to him already.
WC: 657
TWC: 2404

As his vision slowly faded to black, Jin could only struggle to see spectacle that occurred in front of him. His eyelids felt as if they weighed a ton as he desperately fought to keep them open. In these fleeting moments, he felt more exhaustion from just trying to keep his eyes open than he did the entire skirmish. The second it seemed that exhaustion had won and the darkness would finally overtake his vision, the sickening thud of blunt force contact to flesh and the accompanying crescendo of pain would force them open. His vision cleared for the moment, Jin watched as Knuckles delivered the final blow to the beast. The blow, coming from the side of the beast’s head, sent it careening back into the rubble. The dragon, still determined to complete its near mindless quest for destruction, arose quickly and glared at the two. Its breathing labored, the dragon fell to the ground as its eyes glossed over. The resounding thud shook the mountains and knocked any loose snow to the ground.

“It’s done…” Jin mutters as his hair finally reverts to its original jet-black appearance. His vision finally gives into the darkness as he closes his eyes and relaxes. He sat there, for what seemed to be an eternity, before he could faintly hear approaching footsteps. Allowing just a fraction of light to pierce the comfortable void he saw, he sees Knuckles standing over him with arm extended. With a rare show of appreciation, Jin grabs the man’s arm and uses it to lift himself up. The two slowly make their way back to their awaiting sleds in a comfortable silence. He was battered and beaten but alive. As the two traveled to collect their payment, Jin could only stare at the surroundings. It was strange to be there again. Once vowing to never return to this place only to immediately rush back and defend it when the opportunity arose. He thought of the good times he had here, how carefree his life was back then. As he saw the remains of his old home off in the distance, he thought of his family. “I wonder if they would be proud of me?” he whispered.


WC: 369
TWC: 2,371