Artemis vs Venera

Artemisiana Aquiliga has challenged Venera Mars to a duel, and there is nothing I can do to prevent this.

Place: Southern Continent.

Description: You are nearly at the opposite end of the grasslands from the bridge. Far to the south, you can see the edge of a forest, over rough terrain. Getting there from here would be difficult, and you decide it's simply not worth the walk.

Time: 11 p.m.

Condition: slightly chilly, light wind, quiet.

Artemis: Light leather, leather pants, leather boots, and leather gauntlets. Red. Aurora Rod in her right hand and Mithril shield in her left. (Light Sorceress)

Venera: Elven silk, Elven silk pants, Elven silk boots, dark hooded greatcloak. White mithril broadsword in left hand, white mithril shield in right. (Ice Sorceress)

Artemis stood opposite Venera, her eyes glaring. It was now or never. A breeze slightly ruffled her hair.

Venera watched her carefully, studying her every move. She was as tough as she looked, her hand ready to draw the sword at any moment.

"I will vanquish you once and for all!" Artemis yelled as she pointed at Venera.

The Sorceress returned her cry: "You will be defeated again! Give up now while you still have your pride!" She dug her heels into the hard ground. "I will again defeat you, and this time the whole of Etrion will know!"

Artemis was not easily scared by Venera's mere words. She had remembered how the Sorceress had defeated her before, and she learned quickly from her mistakes.

The two of them stood across from each other, both waiting for the other to make the first move.

"Aiyaaaaaaaaaa!" Venera yelled as she drew her sword and charged Artemis. The red-haired Elf dove out of the way and grabbed for her rod. The sword missed her and landed on the ground with a thud.

Venera quickly recovered and pulled the sword out. Artemis dodged behind her and swung with the rod, sparkles of lightning flying from it. The Sorceress whirled around just in time to block the hit, but it was no good.

An electric shock shot out of the rod through the broadsword and zapped Venera. She screamed as she was blasted back five feet.

Venera lay on the ground for two moments before she opened her eyes again. It was fortunate for her that it was only a minor shock that hit her. Her hands were black with starch. Artemis stood over her, the Aurora in her hands. She knew no mercy at this moment. The Elf rose the rod high as a huge grin appeared on her fase. Venera let out a heart-piercing cry as Artemis swung at her with the weapon.

The rod struck Venera on the head and blinded her. She rolled away, holding her head. She could feel the warmth of blood on her hands. The images before her eyes spun in circles and waves.

The Sorceress caughed and looked up at Artemis. The red-haired Elf stood over her, once again. She was not one to give up, was she? Venera felt half dead as she lay on the ground, half tangled in her dark greatcloak. She moaned once and managed to get up to her hands and knees.

But this battle was not over yet! It was only the beginning. Artemis had worked out her physical talents and might have been stronger if that were the case. Venera was not one to rely only upon one talent.

She closed her eyes as she caughed. Artemis might have been merciless, but she had some respect for Venera. She did not attack while the Sorceress was still helpless. The Elf wanted a fair fight. (Just don't ask how slamming her in the head with a metal rod is fair.... Don't ask, I don't know.)

Venera took this to her adventage. She gathered most of her leftover strength and hummed. The Sorceress summoned the Power of Magick that had always been in her. Suddenly she felt more alive, her injuries not as painful. She got up all the way and looked at Artemis.

"What say we repeat history?" Venera asked.

"Defeat me once, shame on you." Artemis answered. "Defeat me twice, shame on me."

They no longer needed weapons. Artemis threw her Aurora on the ground beside Venera's broadsword. Magick was more powerful then physical attacks.

Venera rose her hands to the sky. "Oh great Gods of the Winter, hear me!" The skies echoed with low rumbles in the cloudless horizons. "Great Ice Queen, show this mortal your powers!"

Artemis backed away as the Sorceress began to glow with her light blue aura. Venera's cold lips chanted and sang, while her fingers danced in intricate designs. This was only a warm up. Every spell was not prepared this way. Still, Artemis froze in terror. (forgive the pun, please)

It was too fast for Artemis to see. A chunk of ice flew at her as she dared to blink. It knocked her to the ground as its cold surface touched her body. The Elf quickly recovered and formed a quick Reverse-Pentagram Shield around herself to keep the little hail-like chunks of ice from scratching and bothering her -- Venera had called up a miniature snowstorm.

The landscape soon turned into a snow-covered hill. It sparckled in the sun, temporarily blinding Venera. Artemis took this to her advantage.

"Oh Great Zeus," she creamed. "Lend me your power of supreme lightning to vanquish this evil!"

Venera almost burst into tears. Evil? Evil?! SHE was the one fighting for her life! SHE was the one who was trying to save her small village from starvation! How could she possibly be evil?! Was this the modern-day defenition to evil? Was who ever left triumphant the Hero? Was the one poor victim the corrupt? Little tears frozen into ice rolled down her cheeks. (Ah, gotta have one of those, don't you think? Every fight just HAS to have a profound moment, but I seem to have failed at making Artemis the hero. Now she just looks like a horrible, horrible person. She's not, really.)

Again rummbles of lightning came down from the sky. Artemis glowed with the green aura. Her fingers fazed in and out as lightning bolts and electric shockwaves passed between them. She opened her eyes and threw a thunderball at Venera.

The Sorceress might have been branded as the Villaness, but she was not going to give up! She was not fighting for her own reasons, she was fighting for hundreds of peoples lives! Venera dove to the ground and the ball missed her.

Now both were ready. Venera aimed her Ice at the Elf.

(The above was just a warm-up. To sum the fight up, the rest has been presented in condensed mode.)

An ice brick flies at Artemis. An excelent block from the Elven side by the Pentagram Shield. The hit did not go through.

Another attack. Three bricks in a row. Artemis had no time for shields. A hit on the cheek, right leg, and left arm. Could have been worse.

Artemis is no longer able to use her left arm. The Shield is lost.

Venera is recharging.

Artemis fires a shockwave at Venera. The Sorceress is unable to block. Her body is uprotected. The wave hits her, she is stunned!

Artemis throws two ball lightnings at Venera. The Sorceress is unable to block. Perfect aim. Both legs no longer in use! Venera falls to the ground!

Artemis throws a ball lightning in combination with a shockwave. At the same time Venera throws an ice brick and intersepts the attack. Equally matched, no damage.

Venera throws an ice brick. Artemis dives out of the way. Her right leg is caugh by the brick! That stings! She is momentarely startled.

Venera casts Ice. An ice crystal forms over Artemis and drops on her. Nice crunching sound. The brick shatters.

Artemis is stunned for 12 rounds!

Venera takes her time to recharge.

She is done recharging.

Venera casts Ice. A gust of wind lifts Artemis into the air. Ice surrounds her, suspending her. Brrrrrr...

Artemis casts Majorshock. The Ice block is nullified and she is free.

Artemis casts Elemental Defense.

Venera recharges.

Artemis recharges.

Artemis casts Thunder. A thunderbold hits Venera. The Odds 1 to 9. She is electricuted. Right hand no longer in use!

Venera is stunned for 15 rounds!

Artemis picks up her Aurora and limps over to Venera.

Artemis casts Major Shock. Venera is stunned for 20 more rounds!

"We end this here.... now," she breathed down at Venera. "I win."

Artemis lifted up the Aurora and aimed it at Venera's head. She swung and the rod struck the Sorceress' scull. Everything went black...

"I win...."

Everything was quiet now... Artemisiana's chest heaved as she stood over Venera's motionless body. She watched the blood ooze down onto the snow, colouring it red. The moons shone down, reflecting from that blood snow.

Artemis squinted to see if Venera was breathing. The snowstorm interfeared with her vision, blurring it. The Sorceress did not appear to be alive. (It is believed that all the spells cast by their casters disappear if their caster is dead. You figure this one out.)

Artemis looked up into the sky. Suddenly, she saw a blur in the darkness of the night. It was a tall figure, much taller then her. It was a man, she could tell by his stride. A man with long hair, for a ponytail waived in the wind. He was nearing her.

"Who's there?" Artemis asked, frightened. No one answered. The man came even closer. She could now see his clothing. He was wearing a leather tunic with elements depicted on it. Leather pants with the same elements complimented it.

Artemis gripped the Aurora harder, ready to fight more. She had ran out of mana, but not out of her physical strength. "Identify yourself!" she screamed, with more fear then she cared to show.

"Move aside, Elf!" the man said in a booming voice, his face still not visible. Artemis stood her ground, Aurora in hand. "I said move!"  he boomed again. She did not.

A hard blow to her stomach send her falling to the ground. The man walked by her, to Venera. He kneeled down, put his arms around her and picked her up.

"What are you doing?" Artemis screamed. The man glanced at her. He turned around and walked back into the storm that he came from. Artemis was left alone next to the red spot left by Venera.

This is one of the earlier battles. The rest shall be fough in GemStone style. Hope you enjoyed. This one is part of the storyline, but not as important, since Venera and the cloaked man do not play a big part in the story.

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