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Description
The smell of sea-salt wafted on the breeze, blowing over the large ship and creating a large bulge in the sail that flew high above our heads, sending us towards our destination. The ship rocked and floor boards creaked and moaned as we sailed over a rather large wave.
A woman stood across from me. Her hair was a nice dark shade of black, complete with purple streaks, a bandana strapped around her head. Her clothes flapped back in the breeze, and she stared at me with her eyes. They swarmed with an excitement, a longing for battle.
“It's a three count to the finish. You're not allowed inside the ship and the rest is fair play.” A rather muscular man stood sort of off to the side by the girl across from me, announcing these rules.
“So then is using an art other than a sword fair play? I just want to make sure.” I asked him, feeling that it would be best. I didn’t want to break any rules, and I wanted to make sure I could use my secret weapon, if need be.
The man stared back at me with a stony face, “Like I said, everything is fair play. Just don’t kill the other person.” I heard the woman across from me sigh, and my eyes darted to her.
“Aww. That takes away all the fun,” She pouted. I stared at her, my green eyes a bit laced with worry at her remark. It was sort of scary.
Jeez, Roxy. Someone wants me dead... I thought, adding aloud, “Oh, so you were planning to kill me, eh?” and my lips curved into a smirk for effect.
“Well, that was before he made the rule,” Roxy retaliated, her lips twisting into a grin.
The man, clearly ignoring us or just wanting the fight to get on before we reached land, held up an arm and called, “On my count!” At this, I stared right at Roxy, my smirk dissipating. She stared right back, with eyes that I could not define anymore. Normally it was a tad simple for me to anticipate my opponent’s moves, but she was hiding it all deep inside her. “Three, two...”
I shifted the sword I received earlier in my grip, making it more comfortable, so I would have full use of it. And then I smirked, ready for whatever Cap’n Roxy could dish out. “One. Go!” The man finished, but Roxy stood her ground, most likely waiting for me to make a move first.
Though, I wasn’t nearly as stupid as she apparently thought I was. Wondering, I glanced at the sun for a split second, discovering that it was just to the West, and so I looked to my shadow next, weighing my situation and what sort of height my power would be at. My shadow wasn’t too big, but it wasn’t too small either, so clearly I could use all of my powers to their highest effect. Ready to really start, my eyes darted back up to Roxy.
She was gone. I blinked, then again and twirled around, hopping back a few feet in case she was behind me and about to strike. When the sound of something sharp gouging into wood caught my ears from below, I looked straight down. A chill crept up my spine as I stared at the small arrow digging into the deck just centimeters from my right foot. “Well, that was lucky. Unless you’re aiming to miss me on purpose,” sweat collected on my jaw, “then I’m in real trouble.”
“I was trying to miss you, hun,” Roxy’s soft, sultry voice made its way into my ear, and for a moment I felt her presence right behind me, her chin lingering over my shoulder.
“Well, isn’t that pleasant?” I shuddered, pivoting around and attempting to slice that presence behind me, all the while making a slow descent into my shadow. That’s right, my feet were beginning to sink down into it, and this move was quite helpful when I was in a tough battle. Which I knew that’s exactly what I was in.
Alas, however, Roxy was no longer there. Back and away again, it seemed. She liked this fooling, it definitely gave her the edge. Though, she didn’t realize that I wasn’t afraid of her, not in the least, and I could hold my own. Plus, this fight was just a warm-up, anyway. So I wasn’t taking it too serious, which I don’t see any reason why I should have.
“See, this is why I don’t like fighting women,” I remarked smartly, “always there, but so far away at the same time.” I was down to my ankles in the dark abyss of my shadow. Apparently my smart remark didn’t take quite a fancy on Roxy, because a good few more arrows showered down on me from somewhere above. None contacted, and my grassy eyes darted up to the mast, reminding myself I couldn’t be intimidated by this woman; that was exactly what she wanted.
I slunk over to the sturdy trunk of the mast, so I could easily slip into its shadow if I needed to; such a nice ability, that. To be able to retreat whenever I was in trouble. This movement and me keeping my guard down must have angered Roxy more than she already was with me, because just then a stinging pain coursed through my body from my back. I felt a sharp object penetrating my soft flesh, and I almost directly knew that it was an arrow. Deciding to play with Roxy, I shouted an, “OUCH!” and blinking, I complained, “ow, that really hurt!!”
This remark didn’t sit well with Roxy either. Nearly seconds after I uttered those words, she thrust her sword through my back and with such force that it even felt it went all the way through my stomach, tearing every delicate ligament and muscle, possibly splitting a rib or two, and sending an immense pain throughout my entire body. I let my body slump forward and I choked, feeling blood run up my throat and tasting it as it attempted to leave my body via my mouth. But I swallowed it, cringing with distaste, and gripped my hand into a fist, letting darkness run through it temporarily, allowing it to dance madly with black static.
That accursed pirate withdrew her sword from my back as if I were just a slab of stone that weapon was stuck in, and though I couldn’t see her face I could tell she was smirking at me, being down on my knees and trembling in agonized pain, just about coughing up blood. “So, you’re a shadow user, huh?” she inquired, but she didn’t wait for me to answer as she concluded, “well, you’re gonna need a lot more than that to beat me.”
“I’m sure of that,” I gasped, feeling that blood that I swallowed earlier begin to flip my stomach in painful and disgusting ways. Bile built in my mouth and I reluctantly swallowed it with more blood. “Especially on this ship. But for now, I think I’ll take a quick break,” I decided and announced. I let my hands get sucked into the darkness below me that greeted me back warmly, I was quickly gone from all that above deck and into that perfect abyss that I had grown so absolutely fond of. It was a black and dank version of the ship all around me, except I could only step on the darkest parts, the ones that were lathered in light were unreachable by an invisible dark wall. I couldn’t exactly see Roxy or anyone that were standing out and watching our battle, but I did see dark patches that gave off a certain aura, and that aura told me that the dark patches were people, and who they were.
As I sat thinking on what to do next, panting and feeling for the wound on my back, I could hear Roxy mumbling something, from her position up on the highest beam of the mast. I couldn’t hear exactly what she said, but that made sense as she was pretty far away. I turned my attention back to the mast’s pole, and began climbing it, keeping myself in the shadows. I had to get up to Roxy.
Roxy was formulating a plan, I could tell by the feel I was getting from her. Her shadow darted upwards, and feeling how fast she was almost drove me crazy. I was screwed, there was no way I could catch up to her. ...Though, all I needed was to get into her shadow, and then I’d be set.
Partway up the pole, I realized I was stuck. The shadows didn’t connect, and therefore I’d have to withdraw from them temporarily to jump to the next. Glancing upward, I could see it was like that all the way up.
I felt Roxy’s shadow swing down to the bow of the ship. I racked my brain to try and figure out what she was doing. Had she seen me? Most likely. What was she planning?
I pulled myself out of the shadows and went for the next set, but I didn’t re-enter. I grabbed something from the shadows, but then attempted to steady my footing on the beam. Roxy’s feet pattered over on the bow.
“C’mon Dice!” She called at me, “What’re you waiting for??” I started laughing.
“I’m waiting for my back to stop stinging so badly so I can kick your ass!” I replied. My footing on the beam wasn’t working out too well, and I felt a burning sensation run repeatedly through my body, emanating from the stab wound on my back.
Roxy clearly grinned at me down on the bow. “How about I make your chest sting to take away the pain in your back?” An arrow came flying gracefully at me. Fortunately, it didn’t take my by surprise and I easily caught it before it hit me. Quick reflexes with that darkness, you see.
“How about no?” I smirked casually, my now yellowish cat-eyes turning in her direction. I gripped the arrow tightly in my fist, trying to figure out what I was going to do with it.
“You can’t answer my question with another question!” Roxy growled, firing a few more arrows in my direction.
I brought my hands together and made something a bit like a bow out of darkness, all in less than a split seconds’ time. I sent the arrow Roxy had shot at me earlier back at another that was coming towards me, and then grabbed another, rolling forward as to dodge the rest. I went too far, though, and had to grab onto the beam and quickly bring myself back onto it before I could do anything else.
Bad mistake on my part. Roxy vanished from her position and I was stuck trying to figure out where she had gone. Unfortunately, on Roxy’s part, I was beginning to feel the black static run through my veins more deadly than I had ever felt it before, signaling that my power level was sky-rocketing, and it was doing so quite fast. I ran over and buried my hand in the mast’s shadow, feeling for Roxy’s. Yeah, I could feel around for another person’s shadow without actually going all the way in. This was another neat affect cursed upon me. I felt her temporarily over by a shadow caused by a sail, but as quick as I felt it, it was gone again, just like that. This wasn’t a surprise, because I already knew she was fast. There was nothing I could do for now, and I thought for a moment before moving on.
An arrow suddenly dug itself into the mast, millimeters away from my hand. Blinking, I climbed over and grabbed it, ripping it from the wood. Now I had two arrows. A burning sensation greeted my back next, sending a whole new wave of pain throughout my entire body. I cried in pain, falling forward off of the beam. I would have made a hard landing on the deck had it not been for the shadow that I happened to fall on. Amen to that.
In seconds I re-climbed the mast and back up, appearing right behind Roxy and slashing her with my shadow-laced claws. Time for me to make a comeback. The woman pirate emitted a cry and fell forward, just barely managing to grab the beam and keep herself up.
Then I got on my knees and my lips turned to a cruel smirk as I leant down and grabbed her arm, gripping it tight. I sent darkness up my arm and from my hand into hers. Roxy winced and gave a rather satisfying shout of pain, her grip slipping. I heaved her up on the beam; I’m too nice for my own good, I could never let her fall from where we were. All the while I continued to let darkness drip into her and eat at her from the inside. As soon as Roxy’s feet touched the beam, she was down on her knees and almost writhing in pain. I pulled an arm around her, pressing my palm flat against her back, letting darkness pour into her. “Had enough yet? All you have to do is say the word.” I grinned.
“Never. I’ll burn in hell before I lose to some newbie.” Was her venom-laced response. Fair enough. She was right, to her I WAS a newbie; but she didn’t know me. She didn’t know what I had been through here in Loped, and she was going to find out... the hard way.
I kept my hand on her, delivering darkness through my arm. “Alright then.” I started sending the darkness in painful, short, yet strong bursts. I found her shadow, and then all at once I was gone again, pulling my attack from her.
Roxy stayed as she was for a few, getting her breath back, but she was back on her feet again and she got herself down to the deck, making sure she was away from all the shadows while she rest a little, but was entirely on guard.
From my position, I sent an arrow down on her, and she brought her sword up to block it. Perfect. Exactly what I wanted her to do. Now from my position, I sent one from below her, aimed directly at her gut. It wedged itself in her stomach and she fell to a knee, propping herself up with her sword. She grabbed that arrow that got itself stuck in her stomach and started to pull it out, but... it wasn’t going to happen. Instead, she snapped the tail off so it wouldn’t annoy her any more than it had already. “Y’know... you’re good... really good...” she mumbled.
“Cap’n... it ain’t that I’m good. It’s that, now. You’re screwed.” She couldn’t see me, but an evil grin twisted on my lips, my voice wafting up from her shadow.
I saw her face quickly analyze the situation, her eyes darted downward to look at her shadow, and from inside it I sent that grin in her direction. “No way...” her head snapped upwards, then she announced, “Hold on a minute... if I don’t have a shadow, you can’t hide in it!” True, that was true. But then I’d just have to keep her from getting herself in an area where there was no shadow, wouldn’t I?
I appeared behind her, embracing her from behind. “Oh, but you’re not going anywhere,” I whispered in her ear. I pressed my body lovingly against hers, sending darkness from my own body into hers, my ankles were still in her shadow, so if she got successfully away from my grip, I could easily slip back down. Roxy cried in pain yet again, and though I was sending so much of the black abyss into her, she started swinging around, trying to get me to let go.
I simply tightened my grip, my grin increasing, “C’mon, I’m not your ordinary newbie.”
“I guessed that already.” She gave a scream of sharp pain that made me jump as it was so sudden, and then something plunged itself into my ribs. I, myself, cried in agony, almost falling over on her, the shadows being my only means of support. Roxy easily pulled from my grasp, and so I slipped back down into her shadow. “Since it’s the afternoon, shadows are normally hard not to make. Now if you’re lying down, it’s a different story.” she did exactly that, laying down, her stomach bleeding badly, and her sword across her chest to guard herself.
New pain rippled through my muscles as I sat stiffly beneath her, unable to do anything about the fact that she had laid down. It was kind of nice, though, to be able to take a break now. Bile regrew in my mouth and I tried to swallow it down but more came back up, and to my horror, I began choking on it all. I finally let myself regretfully cough it up. I pressed a hand to my mouth to try and get myself to stop, but it kept coming out, mostly blood but a little bit of stomach acid as well. I felt the blood dripping from my wounds begin to turn in me worse than before, now I had almost two holes right through my body. I was in about the worst situation I could get in.
Roxy just continued to lay in her position, trying to figure out what she could do next, while I continued to cough and choke on my own blood. She muttered something I couldn’t hear and got up, facing me in her shadow. I looked up but didn’t respond to her getting up. I couldn’t let myself attack her. My whole body was burning. I knew I couldn’t come out of my shadow until I could use my Shadow Art, so I could finally get this over with.
“C’mon...” I heard her mutter. “Come out and attack me already...” I shook my head, spitting up more blood and immediately following, I wiped my mouth. I reached around to the arrow in my back and ripped it out, screaming another agonized cry. “...c’mon...!” she repeated above me.
“That’s easy for you to say!” I let my voice actually drift into her this time, drift into her head to confuse her.
“What the hell...?” She mumbled softly, blinking at me down in my shadow. I know she couldn’t see me, but she was staring right at me. I stayed in her shadow a moment longer, wincing and trying to find a way to temporarily patch up my gut. I then began chanting, letting the chant enter her mind like the remark from before. “What the fucking hell-?!” Roxy held her head. I could feel her fear.
My chanting continued. It was only a simple petrifying spell, and would only work for about ten seconds. Which was all I needed. Roxy stumbled backwards, but then froze completely. She couldn’t move at all, I could feel her delicate muscles try and force herself to move, but now she just stood there like a rock. I hopped out of her shadow, and cried, “Art of me-and-my shadow!” our shadows melted together, and suddenly I froze as Roxy was, but as soon as the spell wore off... I had complete control over her.
“What the fuck...?” she said, gaining movement again, she stretched, muttering to herself a bit. But now I smirked, putting my right arm out to the side, forcing her to mirror me with her left. Roxy blinked once her arm went out. I felt her arm muscles tug at my own and try to pull it back by her side. “What the fuck have you done?” She demanded.
“You’re my shadow now, Roxy.” I simply stated, grinning again. My head was spinning and felt light. I had to finish this soon, or else I would lose, and I didn’t need that right now. People were watching, and I was hard on winning this duel.
“You mean I have to do everything you do?” She asked, blinking again, “Or you have to do everything I do...?” I, personally, thought the answer to this question was obvious by now, but apparently she didn’t.
“Why don’t I show you?” I approached her, forcing her to mimic me and come back towards me.
“I’m guessing it doesn’t work both ways...” I shook my head at Roxy, feeling rather depressed that she would have to ask that and not come up with it on her own.
“Nope, it doesn’t.” I reached her, and took up her hands into my own. Her soft skin had been callused from all the hard work on a pirate ship, all the sword-fighting and other things she went through.
“This thing isn’t very smart, y’know. If you try to attack me, I’ll attack you as well.” She concluded. This was true.
“Who said I wanted to attack you?” I started, softly, “And I don’t know if you noticed this, but we’re not directly in the middle of the boat. If I turned and walked backwards, pushed you into the wall, and jumped backwards, I could have you fall of the boat, and I’d be just fine on it.” I pointed out.
“I thought you promised you wouldn’t kill me. And if you did that, you’d lose anyways. So I don’t think you’d be doing that.”
“No. I wouldn’t. I was just informing you that I could. And you know.” I thrust darkness into her from our touching hands. She yelped, and I felt her legs go weak and attempt to buckle from beneath her, but with me standing, she could do no such thing.
“Fucking... bastard...” she gasped. I smirked softly and leant towards her, her leaning back, and my lips touched hers, I let my tongue slide inside her mouth. She retaliated in the same fashion, as she was still being forced to do what I did. I felt her will to pull herself away, and as soon as my deep passion for a kiss from her had vanished, I pulled away slowly.
I still continued to deliver darkness into her bloodstream through our hands, “Give up yet, Cap’n? If you do I’ll let you cut me up with your sword however much you want, I promise.” my smirk sweetened into a friendly smile. I felt this odd lust for her building up within me. I wanted her. I wanted her to be okay, I wanted to be with her, I wanted her to like me.
“...No... I’m not giving up until I’m dead...” she was so stubborn like that. I knew the fight wasn’t going to be this easy anyway. Pain suddenly decided to start wracking me limb from limb and I held my breath as I stared at her, and she winced back. I wanted her... I longed for her so terribly that minute.
“...I’m not going to kill you, Cap’n.” I sighed. “Besides, we’re approaching Sakola. How about we call it a draw?” I winced and started laughing. “I’m afraid I don’t know how much longer I can stay on my feet,” I admitted, letting my head fall and I panted slightly. Since Roxy was forced to do what I did, I figured her face probably went downward as well, to see the deck below our feet. A thick scarlet liquid had pooled around both our feet, and I could feel it drip from me as if it were a small stream.
“How about you just forfeit...?” The pirate suggested. I started laughing and shook my head. She was right, I should forfeit. She clearly wasn’t going to, and if I didn’t, I’d die soon and lose anyway.
“Maybe I should...” I finally said, after a moment of letting more blood drip from my now numb wounds, and more crimson droplets fall freely from my mouth, “But... If I do.... you’re going to have to remember that I could have killed you if I wanted. You’ll also have to remember that you didn’t beat me by forcibly making me forfeit. No, I forfeited because..... because I didn’t want to hurt you.” A hint of sadness and love was in my voice, but I barely noticed it, as I looked up at her, smiling. It faded quickly, that smile, along with the spell I had put on her. Murmuring, “I forfeit.” I fell forward, colors quickly blending and melting together. She caught me just as my world went black.

Description
The smell of sea-salt wafted on the breeze, blowing over the large ship and creating a large bulge in the sail that flew high above our heads, sending us towards our destination. The ship rocked and floor boards creaked and moaned as we sailed over a rather large wave.
A woman stood across from me. Her hair was a nice dark shade of black, complete with purple streaks, a bandana strapped around her head. Her clothes flapped back in the breeze, and she stared at me with her eyes. They swarmed with an excitement, a longing for battle.
“It's a three count to the finish. You're not allowed inside the ship and the rest is fair play.” A rather muscular man stood sort of off to the side by the girl across from me, announcing these rules.
“So then is using an art other than a sword fair play? I just want to make sure.” I asked him, feeling that it would be best. I didn’t want to break any rules, and I wanted to make sure I could use my secret weapon, if need be.
The man stared back at me with a stony face, “Like I said, everything is fair play. Just don’t kill the other person.” I heard the woman across from me sigh, and my eyes darted to her.
“Aww. That takes away all the fun,” She pouted. I stared at her, my green eyes a bit laced with worry at her remark. It was sort of scary.
Jeez, Roxy. Someone wants me dead... I thought, adding aloud, “Oh, so you were planning to kill me, eh?” and my lips curved into a smirk for effect.
“Well, that was before he made the rule,” Roxy retaliated, her lips twisting into a grin.
The man, clearly ignoring us or just wanting the fight to get on before we reached land, held up an arm and called, “On my count!” At this, I stared right at Roxy, my smirk dissipating. She stared right back, with eyes that I could not define anymore. Normally it was a tad simple for me to anticipate my opponent’s moves, but she was hiding it all deep inside her. “Three, two...”
I shifted the sword I received earlier in my grip, making it more comfortable, so I would have full use of it. And then I smirked, ready for whatever Cap’n Roxy could dish out. “One. Go!” The man finished, but Roxy stood her ground, most likely waiting for me to make a move first.
Though, I wasn’t nearly as stupid as she apparently thought I was. Wondering, I glanced at the sun for a split second, discovering that it was just to the West, and so I looked to my shadow next, weighing my situation and what sort of height my power would be at. My shadow wasn’t too big, but it wasn’t too small either, so clearly I could use all of my powers to their highest effect. Ready to really start, my eyes darted back up to Roxy.
She was gone. I blinked, then again and twirled around, hopping back a few feet in case she was behind me and about to strike. When the sound of something sharp gouging into wood caught my ears from below, I looked straight down. A chill crept up my spine as I stared at the small arrow digging into the deck just centimeters from my right foot. “Well, that was lucky. Unless you’re aiming to miss me on purpose,” sweat collected on my jaw, “then I’m in real trouble.”
“I was trying to miss you, hun,” Roxy’s soft, sultry voice made its way into my ear, and for a moment I felt her presence right behind me, her chin lingering over my shoulder.
“Well, isn’t that pleasant?” I shuddered, pivoting around and attempting to slice that presence behind me, all the while making a slow descent into my shadow. That’s right, my feet were beginning to sink down into it, and this move was quite helpful when I was in a tough battle. Which I knew that’s exactly what I was in.
Alas, however, Roxy was no longer there. Back and away again, it seemed. She liked this fooling, it definitely gave her the edge. Though, she didn’t realize that I wasn’t afraid of her, not in the least, and I could hold my own. Plus, this fight was just a warm-up, anyway. So I wasn’t taking it too serious, which I don’t see any reason why I should have.
“See, this is why I don’t like fighting women,” I remarked smartly, “always there, but so far away at the same time.” I was down to my ankles in the dark abyss of my shadow. Apparently my smart remark didn’t take quite a fancy on Roxy, because a good few more arrows showered down on me from somewhere above. None contacted, and my grassy eyes darted up to the mast, reminding myself I couldn’t be intimidated by this woman; that was exactly what she wanted.
I slunk over to the sturdy trunk of the mast, so I could easily slip into its shadow if I needed to; such a nice ability, that. To be able to retreat whenever I was in trouble. This movement and me keeping my guard down must have angered Roxy more than she already was with me, because just then a stinging pain coursed through my body from my back. I felt a sharp object penetrating my soft flesh, and I almost directly knew that it was an arrow. Deciding to play with Roxy, I shouted an, “OUCH!” and blinking, I complained, “ow, that really hurt!!”
This remark didn’t sit well with Roxy either. Nearly seconds after I uttered those words, she thrust her sword through my back and with such force that it even felt it went all the way through my stomach, tearing every delicate ligament and muscle, possibly splitting a rib or two, and sending an immense pain throughout my entire body. I let my body slump forward and I choked, feeling blood run up my throat and tasting it as it attempted to leave my body via my mouth. But I swallowed it, cringing with distaste, and gripped my hand into a fist, letting darkness run through it temporarily, allowing it to dance madly with black static.
That accursed pirate withdrew her sword from my back as if I were just a slab of stone that weapon was stuck in, and though I couldn’t see her face I could tell she was smirking at me, being down on my knees and trembling in agonized pain, just about coughing up blood. “So, you’re a shadow user, huh?” she inquired, but she didn’t wait for me to answer as she concluded, “well, you’re gonna need a lot more than that to beat me.”
“I’m sure of that,” I gasped, feeling that blood that I swallowed earlier begin to flip my stomach in painful and disgusting ways. Bile built in my mouth and I reluctantly swallowed it with more blood. “Especially on this ship. But for now, I think I’ll take a quick break,” I decided and announced. I let my hands get sucked into the darkness below me that greeted me back warmly, I was quickly gone from all that above deck and into that perfect abyss that I had grown so absolutely fond of. It was a black and dank version of the ship all around me, except I could only step on the darkest parts, the ones that were lathered in light were unreachable by an invisible dark wall. I couldn’t exactly see Roxy or anyone that were standing out and watching our battle, but I did see dark patches that gave off a certain aura, and that aura told me that the dark patches were people, and who they were.
As I sat thinking on what to do next, panting and feeling for the wound on my back, I could hear Roxy mumbling something, from her position up on the highest beam of the mast. I couldn’t hear exactly what she said, but that made sense as she was pretty far away. I turned my attention back to the mast’s pole, and began climbing it, keeping myself in the shadows. I had to get up to Roxy.
Roxy was formulating a plan, I could tell by the feel I was getting from her. Her shadow darted upwards, and feeling how fast she was almost drove me crazy. I was screwed, there was no way I could catch up to her. ...Though, all I needed was to get into her shadow, and then I’d be set.
Partway up the pole, I realized I was stuck. The shadows didn’t connect, and therefore I’d have to withdraw from them temporarily to jump to the next. Glancing upward, I could see it was like that all the way up.
I felt Roxy’s shadow swing down to the bow of the ship. I racked my brain to try and figure out what she was doing. Had she seen me? Most likely. What was she planning?
I pulled myself out of the shadows and went for the next set, but I didn’t re-enter. I grabbed something from the shadows, but then attempted to steady my footing on the beam. Roxy’s feet pattered over on the bow.
“C’mon Dice!” She called at me, “What’re you waiting for??” I started laughing.
“I’m waiting for my back to stop stinging so badly so I can kick your ass!” I replied. My footing on the beam wasn’t working out too well, and I felt a burning sensation run repeatedly through my body, emanating from the stab wound on my back.
Roxy clearly grinned at me down on the bow. “How about I make your chest sting to take away the pain in your back?” An arrow came flying gracefully at me. Fortunately, it didn’t take my by surprise and I easily caught it before it hit me. Quick reflexes with that darkness, you see.
“How about no?” I smirked casually, my now yellowish cat-eyes turning in her direction. I gripped the arrow tightly in my fist, trying to figure out what I was going to do with it.
“You can’t answer my question with another question!” Roxy growled, firing a few more arrows in my direction.
I brought my hands together and made something a bit like a bow out of darkness, all in less than a split seconds’ time. I sent the arrow Roxy had shot at me earlier back at another that was coming towards me, and then grabbed another, rolling forward as to dodge the rest. I went too far, though, and had to grab onto the beam and quickly bring myself back onto it before I could do anything else.
Bad mistake on my part. Roxy vanished from her position and I was stuck trying to figure out where she had gone. Unfortunately, on Roxy’s part, I was beginning to feel the black static run through my veins more deadly than I had ever felt it before, signaling that my power level was sky-rocketing, and it was doing so quite fast. I ran over and buried my hand in the mast’s shadow, feeling for Roxy’s. Yeah, I could feel around for another person’s shadow without actually going all the way in. This was another neat affect cursed upon me. I felt her temporarily over by a shadow caused by a sail, but as quick as I felt it, it was gone again, just like that. This wasn’t a surprise, because I already knew she was fast. There was nothing I could do for now, and I thought for a moment before moving on.
An arrow suddenly dug itself into the mast, millimeters away from my hand. Blinking, I climbed over and grabbed it, ripping it from the wood. Now I had two arrows. A burning sensation greeted my back next, sending a whole new wave of pain throughout my entire body. I cried in pain, falling forward off of the beam. I would have made a hard landing on the deck had it not been for the shadow that I happened to fall on. Amen to that.
In seconds I re-climbed the mast and back up, appearing right behind Roxy and slashing her with my shadow-laced claws. Time for me to make a comeback. The woman pirate emitted a cry and fell forward, just barely managing to grab the beam and keep herself up.
Then I got on my knees and my lips turned to a cruel smirk as I leant down and grabbed her arm, gripping it tight. I sent darkness up my arm and from my hand into hers. Roxy winced and gave a rather satisfying shout of pain, her grip slipping. I heaved her up on the beam; I’m too nice for my own good, I could never let her fall from where we were. All the while I continued to let darkness drip into her and eat at her from the inside. As soon as Roxy’s feet touched the beam, she was down on her knees and almost writhing in pain. I pulled an arm around her, pressing my palm flat against her back, letting darkness pour into her. “Had enough yet? All you have to do is say the word.” I grinned.
“Never. I’ll burn in hell before I lose to some newbie.” Was her venom-laced response. Fair enough. She was right, to her I WAS a newbie; but she didn’t know me. She didn’t know what I had been through here in Loped, and she was going to find out... the hard way.
I kept my hand on her, delivering darkness through my arm. “Alright then.” I started sending the darkness in painful, short, yet strong bursts. I found her shadow, and then all at once I was gone again, pulling my attack from her.
Roxy stayed as she was for a few, getting her breath back, but she was back on her feet again and she got herself down to the deck, making sure she was away from all the shadows while she rest a little, but was entirely on guard.
From my position, I sent an arrow down on her, and she brought her sword up to block it. Perfect. Exactly what I wanted her to do. Now from my position, I sent one from below her, aimed directly at her gut. It wedged itself in her stomach and she fell to a knee, propping herself up with her sword. She grabbed that arrow that got itself stuck in her stomach and started to pull it out, but... it wasn’t going to happen. Instead, she snapped the tail off so it wouldn’t annoy her any more than it had already. “Y’know... you’re good... really good...” she mumbled.
“Cap’n... it ain’t that I’m good. It’s that, now. You’re screwed.” She couldn’t see me, but an evil grin twisted on my lips, my voice wafting up from her shadow.
I saw her face quickly analyze the situation, her eyes darted downward to look at her shadow, and from inside it I sent that grin in her direction. “No way...” her head snapped upwards, then she announced, “Hold on a minute... if I don’t have a shadow, you can’t hide in it!” True, that was true. But then I’d just have to keep her from getting herself in an area where there was no shadow, wouldn’t I?
I appeared behind her, embracing her from behind. “Oh, but you’re not going anywhere,” I whispered in her ear. I pressed my body lovingly against hers, sending darkness from my own body into hers, my ankles were still in her shadow, so if she got successfully away from my grip, I could easily slip back down. Roxy cried in pain yet again, and though I was sending so much of the black abyss into her, she started swinging around, trying to get me to let go.
I simply tightened my grip, my grin increasing, “C’mon, I’m not your ordinary newbie.”
“I guessed that already.” She gave a scream of sharp pain that made me jump as it was so sudden, and then something plunged itself into my ribs. I, myself, cried in agony, almost falling over on her, the shadows being my only means of support. Roxy easily pulled from my grasp, and so I slipped back down into her shadow. “Since it’s the afternoon, shadows are normally hard not to make. Now if you’re lying down, it’s a different story.” she did exactly that, laying down, her stomach bleeding badly, and her sword across her chest to guard herself.
New pain rippled through my muscles as I sat stiffly beneath her, unable to do anything about the fact that she had laid down. It was kind of nice, though, to be able to take a break now. Bile regrew in my mouth and I tried to swallow it down but more came back up, and to my horror, I began choking on it all. I finally let myself regretfully cough it up. I pressed a hand to my mouth to try and get myself to stop, but it kept coming out, mostly blood but a little bit of stomach acid as well. I felt the blood dripping from my wounds begin to turn in me worse than before, now I had almost two holes right through my body. I was in about the worst situation I could get in.
Roxy just continued to lay in her position, trying to figure out what she could do next, while I continued to cough and choke on my own blood. She muttered something I couldn’t hear and got up, facing me in her shadow. I looked up but didn’t respond to her getting up. I couldn’t let myself attack her. My whole body was burning. I knew I couldn’t come out of my shadow until I could use my Shadow Art, so I could finally get this over with.
“C’mon...” I heard her mutter. “Come out and attack me already...” I shook my head, spitting up more blood and immediately following, I wiped my mouth. I reached around to the arrow in my back and ripped it out, screaming another agonized cry. “...c’mon...!” she repeated above me.
“That’s easy for you to say!” I let my voice actually drift into her this time, drift into her head to confuse her.
“What the hell...?” She mumbled softly, blinking at me down in my shadow. I know she couldn’t see me, but she was staring right at me. I stayed in her shadow a moment longer, wincing and trying to find a way to temporarily patch up my gut. I then began chanting, letting the chant enter her mind like the remark from before. “What the fucking hell-?!” Roxy held her head. I could feel her fear.
My chanting continued. It was only a simple petrifying spell, and would only work for about ten seconds. Which was all I needed. Roxy stumbled backwards, but then froze completely. She couldn’t move at all, I could feel her delicate muscles try and force herself to move, but now she just stood there like a rock. I hopped out of her shadow, and cried, “Art of me-and-my shadow!” our shadows melted together, and suddenly I froze as Roxy was, but as soon as the spell wore off... I had complete control over her.
“What the fuck...?” she said, gaining movement again, she stretched, muttering to herself a bit. But now I smirked, putting my right arm out to the side, forcing her to mirror me with her left. Roxy blinked once her arm went out. I felt her arm muscles tug at my own and try to pull it back by her side. “What the fuck have you done?” She demanded.
“You’re my shadow now, Roxy.” I simply stated, grinning again. My head was spinning and felt light. I had to finish this soon, or else I would lose, and I didn’t need that right now. People were watching, and I was hard on winning this duel.
“You mean I have to do everything you do?” She asked, blinking again, “Or you have to do everything I do...?” I, personally, thought the answer to this question was obvious by now, but apparently she didn’t.
“Why don’t I show you?” I approached her, forcing her to mimic me and come back towards me.
“I’m guessing it doesn’t work both ways...” I shook my head at Roxy, feeling rather depressed that she would have to ask that and not come up with it on her own.
“Nope, it doesn’t.” I reached her, and took up her hands into my own. Her soft skin had been callused from all the hard work on a pirate ship, all the sword-fighting and other things she went through.
“This thing isn’t very smart, y’know. If you try to attack me, I’ll attack you as well.” She concluded. This was true.
“Who said I wanted to attack you?” I started, softly, “And I don’t know if you noticed this, but we’re not directly in the middle of the boat. If I turned and walked backwards, pushed you into the wall, and jumped backwards, I could have you fall of the boat, and I’d be just fine on it.” I pointed out.
“I thought you promised you wouldn’t kill me. And if you did that, you’d lose anyways. So I don’t think you’d be doing that.”
“No. I wouldn’t. I was just informing you that I could. And you know.” I thrust darkness into her from our touching hands. She yelped, and I felt her legs go weak and attempt to buckle from beneath her, but with me standing, she could do no such thing.
“Fucking... bastard...” she gasped. I smirked softly and leant towards her, her leaning back, and my lips touched hers, I let my tongue slide inside her mouth. She retaliated in the same fashion, as she was still being forced to do what I did. I felt her will to pull herself away, and as soon as my deep passion for a kiss from her had vanished, I pulled away slowly.
I still continued to deliver darkness into her bloodstream through our hands, “Give up yet, Cap’n? If you do I’ll let you cut me up with your sword however much you want, I promise.” my smirk sweetened into a friendly smile. I felt this odd lust for her building up within me. I wanted her. I wanted her to be okay, I wanted to be with her, I wanted her to like me.
“...No... I’m not giving up until I’m dead...” she was so stubborn like that. I knew the fight wasn’t going to be this easy anyway. Pain suddenly decided to start wracking me limb from limb and I held my breath as I stared at her, and she winced back. I wanted her... I longed for her so terribly that minute.
“...I’m not going to kill you, Cap’n.” I sighed. “Besides, we’re approaching Sakola. How about we call it a draw?” I winced and started laughing. “I’m afraid I don’t know how much longer I can stay on my feet,” I admitted, letting my head fall and I panted slightly. Since Roxy was forced to do what I did, I figured her face probably went downward as well, to see the deck below our feet. A thick scarlet liquid had pooled around both our feet, and I could feel it drip from me as if it were a small stream.
“How about you just forfeit...?” The pirate suggested. I started laughing and shook my head. She was right, I should forfeit. She clearly wasn’t going to, and if I didn’t, I’d die soon and lose anyway.
“Maybe I should...” I finally said, after a moment of letting more blood drip from my now numb wounds, and more crimson droplets fall freely from my mouth, “But... If I do.... you’re going to have to remember that I could have killed you if I wanted. You’ll also have to remember that you didn’t beat me by forcibly making me forfeit. No, I forfeited because..... because I didn’t want to hurt you.” A hint of sadness and love was in my voice, but I barely noticed it, as I looked up at her, smiling. It faded quickly, that smile, along with the spell I had put on her. Murmuring, “I forfeit.” I fell forward, colors quickly blending and melting together. She caught me just as my world went black.