Post by John Harding on Aug 24, 2011 18:31:48 GMT -5
Mily's scream pierced the air, and Jonah's soul, and for a split second his concentration was knocked for six.
NO!
His plan had failed miserably but the tribesman wasn't going to give up; he had to help her...but the axe was closing in fast. He hoped that Garret could handle things for the moment because the Akaiyan had to get past this current threat.
Jonah gained his focus just in time to avoid recieving a nasty death; he quickly stepped to one side, crouched low, and swept his sword around to strike at the axeman's throat as the thug's weapon passed downward.
Jonah's blow was well placed. The man was dead before he hit the ground and his weapon embedded itself into the mud. Jonah was very fortunate that the axe missed him like it did.
When he looked up, Jonah spotted the apparent leader of the band. He stood a good fifteen feet (4.6 meters) away with his sword hoisted up on his shoulder. He grinned showing his teeth. It seemed to Jonah that the man was excited for the fight and most likely did not believe that he would lose his life today.
The coach was just behind and slightly to the left of the massive warmonger. Jonah could hear the sounds of fighting coming from the other side of the coach. If he looked away from the man with the massive blade, he would see the archer standing back in the treeline with an arrow notched and the string drawn. He would probably also notice the upper part of the spearman's body showing past the edge of the coach. If he chose to look longer he might see more.
Post by John Harding on Aug 25, 2011 4:55:02 GMT -5
The outlaw leader's eager grin sent fury running through Jonah's veins. How could people like this live with themselves - stealing from others, scaring young children? The people of his tribe had named him Pureheart because of his vast capacity for kindness and compassion, so to witness the deeds of those with apparently no moral compass strongly agitated Jonah.
The angered Akaiyan sprang forward, extending his darkwood sword out to the side. This was going to hurt one of them and Jonah wasn't planning on it being him.
Should have gone home when you had the chance, thug!
The gap closed between them and the tribesman rained down on the despicable highwayman, harder than the current downpour; forcefully sweeping Percy this way and that, trying to pierce his opponent's defenses and hoping to make contact with a shoulder, knee and/or rib. He wanted to wipe away that grin and leave the bandit crippled, but not dead...yet.
"Ha, ha! COME AT ME!" The man grinned wildly as he maneuvered his blade back and forth, using one hand on the hilt and another on the flat of his blade. He was successfully blocking Percy's blows but was forced to take backward steps and never had an opportunity to parry.
"WHAT'S THE MATTER!? YOU'RE HOLDING BACK!" He stepped forward into a strike and forced the flat of his blade against Percy so that Jonah had to push against the fiend's blade as well. "You won't defeat me if you keep swinging for scratches and cuts," the man's grin still hadn't left his face and his eyes sparked with excitement and in anticipation of the scrimmage's outcome, "if you don't intend to kill me, then I'll be forced to kill you and--" the man paused. He had watched Jonah fight the other two men and had heard Jonah yell out after the girl screamed. "and then I'll have to kill the girl."
Post by John Harding on Aug 25, 2011 17:05:12 GMT -5
"Kill the girl."
Those words were enough to push Jonah to breaking point. The Akaiyan exploded with such ferocity that the bandit leader would be mad not to regret the words that just passed his lips.
The storm that was Jonah Pureheart was in full swing and the tribesman pushed back with all the strength he could muster, no longer caring if this goon remained alive or dead by the end of the fight.
The sadistic swordsman blocked Jonah's first few strikes with an initial look of victory in his eyes. His opponent had fallen for his taunting. However, the second strike to the left was too fast for him to block. Percy slammed into the man's ribs with a sickening shudder and a crack as at least one rib broke from the blow. Percy deflected the fiend's feeble counter and cracked down on his head. It was almost as if Jonah had gone up an entire level in his swordsmanship!
The man was not smiling anymore. Instead, a grotesque grimace covered his face and he furrowed his brow and snarled. With an unbelievably fast flick of his four foot blade, he flung Percy out of Jonah's hand. The blade traveled clear toward the treeline on the other side of the coach where it landed tip first--standing with the hilt up. Jonah wasn't able to watch and see where the blade went, for his opponent had followed through by raising the massive sword and bringing it straight down toward the, now swordless, man.
Post by John Harding on Aug 26, 2011 4:04:23 GMT -5
Oh no!
Fortunately, Master Farroh had trained him in hand-to-hand combat as well, but Jonah's opponent was still armed and dangerous. How was this goon still standing?
The hardy tribesman, now sword-less, attempted to duck to the side of the next attack and plant a powerful jab into the bandit's broken rib. His mind was racing. Jonah needed the outlaw down on his knees. If he could just get his opponent to buckle from the assault he could get a lock on his head...
Last Edit: Aug 26, 2011 4:08:05 GMT -5 by John Harding
The man had raised the sword high--just high enough to where its fall gave him enough time to dodge the would-be guillotine. His punch hit its mark perfectly and the man howled in pain, doubling over to the side.
Post by John Harding on Aug 26, 2011 18:26:55 GMT -5
Jonah quickly wrapped his arms around the bandit's neck and head, applying a great amount of pressure - enough to hopefully make the goon pass out or break his neck, whichever came first.
Due to the immense amount of piercing pressure that had just been applied to his broken ribs, the man was already almost ready to pass out. Once Jonah began to choke him, the man fainted from lack of oxygen and pain. If Jonah continues his vice grip the man will die of asphyxiation.
Post by John Harding on Aug 27, 2011 16:10:11 GMT -5
Jonah was satisfied with leaving the goon unconscious, he had more important matters to attend to. The adrenaline-fueled tribesman let the bandit's body slump to the mud then staggered towards the carriage, not even going to grab Percy.
GARRET?! MILY?!
Please let them be ok, he thought.
Jonah's heart was pounding - he had no idea what scene he'd find on the other side of the carriage, and there was also the threat of that archer. He stayed low and close to the carriage because it was the only defense he had.
"We're alright!" shouted Garret. "The archer is the only one left. We don't need to worry about him for now. Get in the carriage on that side. James is hurt!"
When he entered the carriage he saw that the driver, presumably named James, was leaning heavily against the wall on one of the seats. He had a shirt tied tight around his chest with a belt. Blood was soaking into the shirt and a broken arrow laid on the floor. The bloodied head of the arrow lay near it. "I was completely useless because of this rain." The wounded man mumbled, "I couldn't get a single spark out of my flint-lighters."
To Jonah, the man's speech was that of a mad man. He did not know what the man was talking about. He could hear Garret yelling at the archer outside, "Go on and leave us! Your leader and partners are dead and you can't kill us on your own!" "Mr. Jonah?" a worried voice spoke softly, "Are we gonna die?" Tears were welling up in her eyes and the stains of rolling tears already ran down her face.
Post by John Harding on Aug 28, 2011 13:54:22 GMT -5
Everything's going to be fine, ok?. The tribesman said to the little girl, in a controlled, calm voice.
Jonah looked at the driver James and worried that he might not last the journey into town. Garret's attempt at ridding them of their last conscious foe could go either way; in Jonah's experience not all bandit goons knew when it was time to quit and go back under the rock they crawled out from. He had to get this coach moving and Jonah didn't think James was in any condition to take up the reins.
Mily, I need you to be brave, ok? Can you look after the driver for me?
Garret, i'm going up into the driver's seat. I need you to keep a look out for that archer.
Jonah went for the door he'd come through, not knowing anything about the spear in the wheel - or that it may or may not still be jammed in there.