[Fortress of Death, Duchy of Grahm, Dalycon Union of Duchies]
(31th, Black Sea Moon (VII), 644 ASY)
"So, what are you going to do now?" Argus smiles at Daniel. Daniel clutches his heart in exhaustion. His ragged breaths heave his whole chest up and down. He had told Tyson to go to the teleportation spot to tell Angelica where Daniel went as the battle had caused them to move quite a bit from their original location. Daniel knows that Tyson's fastest speed is a kilometer per second. However, due to Tyson's exhaustion, he could probably only manage a kilometer every two seconds. The endpoint for the emergency teleportation spell is about a hundred kilometers away. Thus, Daniel needs to hold out for about a bit over six minutes. Still, when facing Argus, a single minute is an eternity.
"What else can I do but continue?" Daniel chokes out.
"What do you mean? You could always run," Argus responds.
"I don't think you understand my position. I can't outrun you, especially if you revert to your original form," Daniel heaves out.
"I cannot leave my post. That would be desertion," Argus deftly responds.
"Then, why aren't you stopping now? We are some distance away from that horrid fortress," Daniel coughs. He still needs time to regain his breath. He needs to keep Argus busy with words.
"Because my body is still there. I have not left my post,"
"Flimsy words Argus. Your mind is here. Thus, your soul is here,"
"Incorrect. My soul is not tied to my mind. My soul is still in my body,"
"Liar. I can sense your soul. It's right there," Daniel points at Argus' forehead.
"Fool…" Argus growls. He clasps his head together. A sudden burst of heat surges from his palms. Slowly, he pulls his hands apart. A brilliant green flame sticks to his palms. The heat becomes so hot as to singe the ground. Any normal person would be burned alive at this point. However, Daniel simply cools the surrounding air with alchemy, negating any effect the flame would have at this range.
"How am I a fool, when I can see through your lies?" Daniel calmly replies. He has gotten his muscles to stop screaming, but he is far from recovered.
"Because you fail to see the full scope. You are looking at but a single puzzle piece," Argus grins.
"Truely? Then we shall find out," Daniel smiles. He managed to burn two minutes on conversation alone. While fighting for four isn't very easy, it is certainly better than fighting for six. As soon as Daniel's words left his mouth, Argus wills the flames to rush at Daniel. This forces him to create a barrier of cold air. Though there are other more insulating objects, only air allowed him to keep a line of sight with his enemy. Argus, seeing that his flames have not affected Daniel in any way, starts to move closer. The heat increases exponentially with every step that Argus takes. After just three steps, the heat is unbearable for Daniel. Still, he stands his ground even as his clothes start to singe. However, as Argus takes his sixth step, Daniel suddenly jumps to his left. As he's doing this, a massive spike of rock and stone shoots out like a bullet at Argus. Argus tries to blast flame at is, but only partially melts the stone. A piece finds its mark and causes a small scratch on his cheek. Argus uses two pale fingers to touch the spot, now bleeding black blood.
"Intresting. I have never bled before. You have enlightened me to how that feels…" Argus smiles.
"Dully noted. Now, could you please do that again so I can keep hitting you?" Daniel asks.
"If you think you can make me do that again, then you are truly stupid," Argus growls, his eyes glowing a dark crimson. He once again clasps his hand. This time, however, the flame that comes out of his palm is colorless. Rather, it seems as if it is sucking the light from the surrounding area to burn hotter.
"|Hell's Fire|..." Daniel mutters.
"So you do know of it. It is quite a useful spell to know, though this is something different. I believe Xacont named it |Corrupting Flame|," Argus replied. Somehow, this name rings a bell in Daniel's head, though he quickly pushes it aside. Argus blasts the flame at Daniel, this time at an event longer distance. However, the flame is at least seven times as hot as it was when Daniel jumped last time. He cannot hold back this flame at all, so he dodges it. Using a burst of air to accelerate him away from the area of impact, Daniel flies across the ground coming at Argus. Argus blinks in surprise. He was not expecting Daniel to come charging at him. This small uncertainty gives Daniel the necessary time to attack Argus without him turning |Hell's Fire| on him. Hand outstretched, Daniel touches Argus and completely disintegrates part of Argus' shoulder by breaking their molecular bonds. However-
"Argh!" Daniel cries out in pain. This pain is different from the pain that he has gone through. Too sudden to be the gripping pain of soleless feet, yet not suddenly enough to be the pain of the heart. Instead, as Daniel instinctively boosts his body away from the source of pain, he looks down at the most painful area of his body. There, he finds a large hole inhabiting his abdomen. Looking over at Argus, he notices a large spike coming out of his shoulder. The tip is stained crimson, for obvious reasons. The ripples of pain coming through his nervous system nearly causes Daniel to faint as he tries to get up. Argus turns to look at Daniel.
"That hurt… You are truly insufferable," Argus hisses.
"I've been told that many times. Now, was that a natural spike or did you use alchemy?" Daniel snorts.
"While would I tell you?" Argus snarls. "You can only be so stupid."
"So it is alchemy…" Daniel mutters to himself after turning on his Alchemist's sight. He didn't have it active as the amount of energy that Argus put out would have blinded him.
"You know, there is a time and a place for pointless talking. Now is not the time!" Argus howls as he charges Daniel. Daniel deftly dodges. Argus loses his footing and tumbles a bit, falling to the ground. Daniel simply stands there staring at him, arms crossed. After a while. Argus stands back up, somehow even more irritated.
"I wasn't going to fall for that," Daniel shakes his head.
"Congratulations smartarse, you've made me incredible mad now," Argus roars. A magical incantation appears behind Argus.
"|Death's Flame| |Roar of the Ancients| |Denied Death Defied| |Reveal of One's True Self| |True Decay| |Spire of the One True King|" Argus casts a multitude of spells at the same time. Daniel forces an anti-magic barrier to appear in front of him. However, the seven feet of enchanted Tungston-Titanium that bound a fallen angel is blown away by a force that even the most powerful beast couldn't handle. But-
"...I have nothing to say," Argus speaks quietly. His face goes from shock to disbelief to finally admiration. The wall of metal had done its job and blocked most of the spells coming at Daniel. Though his clothes are in tatters, he is still alive. He is kneeling from the force of the blast and is in no condition to fight.
"It would be a shame for you to die here, but orders are orders," Argus sighs. "You remind me of my Master. You could have been useful to him. Instead, you choose to be killed." Argus walking up to Daniel and forms a longsword from thin air. Daniel coughs. Crimson dots the dusty sand.
"Already? That was fast. I guess |True Decay| wouldn't be stopped that easily," Argus shrugs.
"It's not |True Decay|" Daniel weakly replies. More blood drips from his mouth. He lifts his head and reveals a face full of tears. A quick glance at his mouth shows a tough bit clean in two.
"The pain then?" Argus asks. He raises the sword above Daniel's neck.
"Unfortenatly, not that either. |Eldrich Cannon|" Daniel spits. As soon as the blood touches the ground, a spire of red light illuminates the area, blocking out even the shining sun. A blast of force followed by a white light occurs right after. The force seems to ignore Daniel, but it takes with it a large portion of the earth and Argus is forced along.
"Plutarch, you lied to me-!" Argus screams.