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Post by iikagen on May 12, 2007 20:27:37 GMT -5
Two weeks blurred by from Iikagen's narrow escape from a the Yuu Yan archers. His days were filled with long treks across forested terrain, most of the time without him ever touching the ground. If there was one thing to be said about this Igni, it's that he was as comfortable in the treetops as a wild hog-monkey. It may have slowed his pace down as opposed to making the journey by conventional means, but thisway he was assured that there would be no trail left for any trackers to follow.
After putting several day's worth of untraceable distance between himself and potential Yuu Yan pursuit, Iikagen had deemed it safe to continue on foot. Food had come in the form of the nuts and the occasional berries growing from the trees and surrounding bushes, and he managed to cross a small watering hole along the way. After a week of travel he managed to wander his way into a small Earth Kingdom village buried in the woods. The place barely contained a dozen households, but it was suitable enough for his needs. The nonstop travel along with the scarce food and lingering injuries from his latest escapades had all but drained Iikagen of his strength. The villagers seemed frightened of him, but a few gems had earned their tolerance and he remained in a lodging there for the next three days while his wounds healed and he regained his energy.
He set out after that, well-rested and with fresh travelling supplies. On the forth day of travel out of that town, right around nightfall, he finally came across a sign of life in that pine-barren woodland. Iikagen walked into a clearing seemingly carved into the middle of the densely wooded area. The last map he'd consulted had told him he should have been close to the town called Zhy, but this certainly didn't seem to fit the description. The clearing was perhaps a hundred feet in diameter with a few visible trails leading to and from the area in several directions. And at the heart of this clearing was a shanty-looking building about three stories tall that was positively bristling with activity.
Iikagen looked upon the building quizically, his copper eyes looking over the structure as well as the rather shady figures making their way in and out of the front entrance. There were men that seemed from both the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom, all of them with a certain shady air about them. A smile crept across the Igni's face as he continued to draw closer to the building. It seems as if his wanderings had led him right to a bredding ground for rogues and outlaws. And by the sounds of the ruckus inside, they were having quite a good time inside.
Grinning widely, Iikagen picked up the pace and strode into the building. Immediately he was greeted by the light from oil lanterns, the smell of alcohol and unwashed bodies, as well as the sounds of rabble from a hundred different arguments. Now this was his kind of place! Spotting an opening at a bar that lined the side wall, Iikagen quickly slid himself into the vacant seat and drummed his fingers along the counter. Within moments, a bartended approached him and he said happily, "Fire whiskey!" The bartender nodded and began to pour the drink, while Iikagen looked around the room and absorbed the surroundings.
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Post by june on May 12, 2007 21:18:34 GMT -5
After a few days of travel, June managed to find a suitable resting location for at least temporarily that night. She had been unable to find any villages or towns for awhile and had been resorting to camping out in the wilderness for some time now. It wasn’t completely difficult or of a nuisance to June, seeing as how she would stay on the saddle of her Shirshu. But the huntress did really want a bed to sleep in rather than a hard saddle in the middle of the woodlands.
June directed her Shirshu casually near the large building with a simple pull of the reigns. The beast obeyed and slowly trotted to the building, stopping when June tugged at the reigns a bit. With a sigh, June jumped off of the saddle, landing on feet, and tied the wolf creature to a near by post. She then walked inside casually, looking around at her surroundings with a slight look of boredom on her face. It was nothing new to her -- the people, the smells or the atmosphere -- she always came to places like this to either gain money or just drink and have a good time.
The bounty hunter walked through the thick crowd of men and soon managed to get a breath of air when she reached the counter near the bar. She cleared her throat and waited for the bartender to come to her. When he did, she ordered some liquor, getting a flask of her drink, and took a swig of it. She sighed a little in content, letting the alcoholic liquid moisten her throat. It had been awhile since she could get a good drink and she was pleased with the taste.
While she drank, June thought of the rumors she heard about a wanted criminal that was accused of murder and had escaped from a prison not too long ago. She had seen a wanted poster and was able to remember the picture in her mind, but just a little. A large sum of money was given to the capture of him and June, being the greedy woman she is, had decided to keep a look out for him. So far, she had nothing, but she was determined to at least find a lead soon.
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Post by iikagen on May 12, 2007 22:00:56 GMT -5
The atmosphere of the rogue-infested tavern was something Iikagen hadn't experenced since his days back hom in the warriors lodge. Granted, the patrons that favorite haunt were not exactly outlaws like the ones that inhabited this place, but possessed the same spirit of careless fun. With a grin still plastered on his face, Iikagen turned back toward the bar for a moment to collect his drink and pay with a bit of coin he'd managed to acquire. He decided not to show his bag of gems in this place. As much as he enjoyed trying to fish for a fight by flashing his wealth, he decided that this crowd would probably give him more than he bargained for if his true value was discovered.
However, upon turning back toward the center of the room, and entering figure caught his eye by the door. Clad in black and with a gait that positively radiated power, a woman entered the tavern. Thusfar, Iikagen had only seen other men around this ragged watering hole, so the very fact that she dared to walk in unaccompanied was a testament to her confidence. His grin curved into something a little more impish, and he watched her walk all the way to the bar.
For a short while he was content to observe her from a distance, but he realized that his hunting instincts were going to get the better of him eventually. After all, during his entire experience travelling the mainland Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom, this was the first woman he'd ever seen that actually seemed appealing. So with one more sip of his fire whiskey, he hoisted himself up and casually strolled around the room once efore circling back toward the woman's spot at the bar.
On a hunch, he decided to try out a little test on the intimidating woman. With his steps as light as possible, not that he needed to be particularly quiet in order to sneak up on anyone -the rambling of the tavern made excellent background noise- he made his way directly behind her and stood perfectly still. He was in arm's reach of her, but he did nothing to alert her to his presence other than stare fixedly up and down her graceful form, counting how many seconds it would take for her to notice.
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Post by june on May 12, 2007 22:21:29 GMT -5
June was unaware that since she had walked into the crowded tavern that anyone was even watching her nor did she know that anyone even noticed her come in. She wasn’t exactly paying attention to her surroundings so much and mostly just cared about the drink she was nursing at the moment. However, after a few short moments, she did feel the presence of someone standing behind her. With a short sigh of annoyance, she reluctantly turned herself around.
June recognized him immediately as the man in the wanted poster she had seen a few days ago. She blinked and was at first tempted to try and capture him right there and then, but then she had a thought. He was most likely very skilled and seeing as how she didn’t want to start chaos in such a crowded area, she decided to play it casual -- at least until she could get him outside and use her Shirshu to paralyze him. With that planned, she arched her eyebrows at him, frowning.
"What do you want?"
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Post by iikagen on May 12, 2007 22:48:07 GMT -5
Iikagen was still wearing his trademark smile when the woman finally turned around to face him. It took longer than he'd thought, but he was still impressed that she possessed that sort of sixth sense that allowed one to feel another's watchful eyes. Up close the woman was even more appealing than from a distance. Her skin was as pale as Fire Nation royalty and her features were crisp and enhanced by strategically placed make-up. Iikagen also took notice of the skull hair pin and red snake tattoos. She was certainly not the average woman.
"What do you want?" she demanded of him. Iikagen thought he saw a hint of recognition in her eyes, but he figured that perhaps he'd just mistaken her surprise. After all, he wasn't quite the average traveller himself. She seemed a little annoyed by his presence, but that was something he was used to in recent weeks.
"Jour name, for starters," he replied, laying on a thicker accent than usual to his words. His eyebrows lifted up slightly, making the rows of dots tattooed over each dance with the motion. With a slight shift of his weight, he stepped one foot back and lowered his upper body into a deep bow, though he never broke eye contact. "I am Iikagen," he said, keeping his tone deep and resonating, "Who might'joo be?"
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Post by june on May 12, 2007 23:09:46 GMT -5
The bounty hunter watched the Igni carefully as he bowed and introduced himself, not taking her eyes off of him for even a second. She looked him over carefully, noticing the facial tattoos and the expression on his face. The large grin stuck probably stuck out the most. June cleared her throat and looked at him, her expression still the same as it was before, and crossed her legs.
"I’m June," she said simply then downed the rest of her drink quickly. She was going to need it.
June placed the flask onto the counter of the bar lightly, allowing the bartender to take it, then stood up slowly. She was still watching Iikagen carefully as she did so. She crossed her arms over her torso and gave him a slight smile. She decided that maybe seducing him just a little, with a bit of flirting here and there, would most likely get him to step into her trap.
"So, Iikagen," she started then placed her right foot in front of herself, "hmm well you don’t look like the average citizen at all." She held out a hand to his forehead, looking as if she were about to trace over his tattoos, but then pulled her hand away. This should be easy...
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Post by iikagen on May 12, 2007 23:47:22 GMT -5
"Hmm well you don’t look like the average citizen at all," the woman remarked, seemingly taking an interest in his tattoos. Iikagen's eyes followed her hand with a bit of amusement as she gestured as if to touch his face. He stood up straight from his bow then exhaled a breath, taking that opportunity to clench his stomach a bit and use his open vest to his advantage.
"Just as joo are far from de av'rage woman," he replied swiftly. He offered a slight chuckle and didn't bother to disguise his intent as he looked her over once more. "I didn't expect to see a single woman in here when I found dis place... but I can see jou're not de least bit intimidated by male company." The Igni leaned in a bit closer, putting his face uncomfortably close to hers. And though he hid the motion, he did manage to inhale the scent of this intriguing woman. Leather. Fur. Perhaps a hint of some scented oil or perfume. She had been riding recently.
Iikagen held his posture closer to her for a little longer, staring directly into her eyes as if looking for some hint of intimidation. His mouth was still stretched into a wide smirk. He doubted she would be too disturbed by his typically frightening appearance, but he did so love toying with the psyches of others. Besides, if it turns out she wasn't affected by his usual scare tactics, then that only meant she would make an even more desirable catch.
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Post by june on May 13, 2007 13:56:32 GMT -5
"Just as joo are far from de av'rage woman," he said to her.
June smirked slightly, watching him look her over a bit. She placed her hands on her hips and waited a few moments, switching to her right foot to hold her weight. June saw that her plan was working and she decided to keep up with what she was doing.
"I didn't expect to see a single woman in here when I found dis place... but I can see jou're not de least bit intimidated by male company."
"I am not. I’m used to it," June said and smoothed her black hair back a bit, smiling a little. June then watched as the Igni drew closer to her, their faces maybe about an inch apart. Despite the fact that June wanted to push him away and punch him, she kept a straight face, not looking angry in any way. She then smiled and gently placed her hand on his forehead and pushed him.
"Hmm let’s say we get out of here, huh? Get to know each other a little better?" June asked in a casual manner, walking forward to stand a little behind him.
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Post by iikagen on May 13, 2007 14:29:10 GMT -5
Iikagen allowed himself to fall back a step from June's light shove, still grinning at the fact that she seemed entirely unperturbed by his mannerisms. This seemed to be going well enough, and began going even better when she said, "Hmm let’s say we get out of here, huh? Get to know each other a little better?" She slinked her way past him, and the Igni's eyes followed her until his neck had reached its twisting himit and he was forced to turn around.
He certainly had a way with women... or so he liked to think.
"A most agreeable plan," Iikagen said smoothly, draining the last dregs of his liquor before depositing it on the bar counter and moving to follow her. However, after two steps, a large figure suddenly moved into his path and iikagen was forced to skid to a halt. However, the large man who was apparently backing up across his path didn't stop and bumped into him roughly.
"Hey!" the stranger blurted out, stumbling after the contact and turning around quickly to face Iikagen. The man's face was a little red and his eyes were a bit glossy. "Who's the wise-" he started to say, but stopped when he finally caught sight of the Igni. He spent a moment looking at the strange traveller before saying, "What are you supposed to be?"
Iikagen lifted a finger and began to say something, but the man stopped him by reaching forward and grabbing the hem of his vest. "You think those pretty little dots on yer face make ya tough enough to bump into me?" At this point, Iikagen became aware of a few men around him standing from their seats and taking an interest in their exchange. Ordinarily he would have loved to put the man in his place, but considering his already high profile in these parts, along with the chance to spend some private time with June, he attempted to diffuse the situation.
"No, good sir," he said, flashing a winning smile, "I merely-!" The large man didn't let him finish and hoisted him into the air over his head. Oh well... so much for diplomacy.
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Post by june on May 13, 2007 21:22:46 GMT -5
June immediately turned around once she heard the man speak. She frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. He was ruining her plan and June hated to have disturbances or any types of distractions while she was doing her work. After not having work for awhile, this was not the time to ruin her chances of getting a big reward. Before June knew it, Iikagen was lifted up into the air and over the man’s head. June growled softly to herself in anger and frustration. Without any warning, June took out her leather whip that was kept in her belt and swung it at his feet.
With that one quick move, the man lost his balance and fell to the floor, making him drop Iikagen as well. June glared at him as he rubbed his head for it took a hard hit to the floor when he had fallen. She was getting angry and was holding her whip tightly, as if she were about to whip someone else with it -- even though of course the whip was mostly used to tame and give her Shirshu commands. The man got up, giving a death glare to June, and growled. He was about to say something to the bounty hunter, but before he could, June interrupted him quickly.
"Don’t even try to start problems with me, buddy! I swear if you--" June was then interrupted.
"Hey! That guy is a wanted criminal! He’s worth a fortune!" A man shouted, pointing at Iikagen and then holding up a wanted poster that was kept in his belt. The tavern went quiet.
June’s eyes widened in shock as she couldn’t believe what had just happened; her whole plan was destroyed, ruined, done. Now everyone in the tavern would want to capture him and this thought was right. Everyone in the tavern looked towards Iikagen and started to draw in a little on him, but June was not going to let go of her ticket to a reward that easily. She snapped out of her shocked state and quickly swung her whip towards the Igni, letting it wrap around his neck tightly. She gave a small tug to bring him closer to her, her eyes looking at the large crowd.
"Nobody is taking him in, but me! I’m the only one who will be getting the money!"
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Post by iikagen on May 13, 2007 21:52:53 GMT -5
As the man holding uim up in the air was suddenly tripped, Iikagen managed to twist himself in the air so that he came down atop the larger man. His knee dug deep into the drunkard's gut, and he blasted the air from his lungs, putting him out of commission for the time being. He stood up quickly, and stared at June with a little bit of admiration. He expected no less, but was still impressed by that fancy whip usage.
June glared angrily at the man, and for a short moment, Iikagen was almost about to laugh. To him, at least, it seemed like June was defending him as if her heart was dead set on their supposed private time. He had always considered himself desirable, but she seemed to take a mere attraction to the next level. His dilusions were dashed in the next instant, though, when another man in the tavern stood and declared, "Hey! That guy is a wanted criminal! He’s worth a fortune!"
Iikagen's heart sank a little bit, not from the fact that everyone nearby suddenly bristled in preparation to sieze the bounty on his head, but because he'd actually been looking forward to some female company. His only real encounter with women on this continent had come in the form of some rather irrate nurses, and that had not been very pleasant.
His attention swivelled around the room, and he quickly realized that he was not going to make it by simply trying to run. There was far too much opposition between himself and the only visible exit. The only way out was through the mob.
In his momentary distraction, he suddenly felt June's whip loop around his neck and he was pulled in close to her. "Nobody is taking him in, but me! I’m the only one who will be getting the money!" she said to the surrounding men, though they still seemed just as intent to fight. Iikagen quickly worked his fingers under the coil of the whip around his neck and loosened its grip.
"Looks like we're in a bit'a trouble," he said quietly, managing a slight grin at the irony of the situation. "Jou're gonna have to protect jour prize if joo want the reward!" And with that he slipped out from the loosened whip and shoved June aside just as one of the men around them charged in.
The man had a bottle in his hand and raised it as if to smash it over the Igni's head. Iikagen dropped into a low crouch and as the man swung at his head, he grabbed his forearm and dropped to the ground. He rolled onto his back, pressing both his feet into the man's chest as he dragged him down by the forearm, and then kicked off hard once he'd passed mostly over him. The man was launched headlong into the crowd bhind him, and the spry Igni was already rolling backward onto his feet to meet the next challenger.
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Post by june on May 14, 2007 15:18:56 GMT -5
June watched as Iikagen took down one of the men that was in the tavern. The inhabitants of the tavern were getting more rowdy and before June knew it, everyone was fighting someone just to get their hands on Iikagen. This was not going well at all. June at first thought the whole lure in and capture plan would work and go by smoothly and easily, but because of Iikagen’s smooth move and that man’s outburst, it was completely ruined. Just perfect.
More men came after both June and Iikagen, while others fought each other to get to them. June tried her best to stay out of the way of most of the men, wanting to save her energy and strength to take down the Igni. Seeing what he had done, he was even more skilled than June thought so it was best that she would try to get to him first before anyone else could. The huntress pushed and shoved men out of her way, fighting her way through the thick mob.
As June tried to avoid most of the people, she was soon knocked to the ground by the elbow of a tall man. June growled and gripped the hilt of her whip tightly. The ruffian was just about to step on June’s stomach, but before he could even do anything, she lurched her whip, making it go passed his side, then let the whip loop around the leg of a chair. With a quick, but strong jerk, June was able to get the chair to hit the man in the back, hard. Once he was down, June ran off.
Well, so far so good.
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Post by iikagen on May 14, 2007 16:00:17 GMT -5
All around the tavern, fighting erupted. Many of those men blinded by the thought of claiming the bounty on Iikagens head began turning on those around them in order to try and protect their own claim to the Igni. Needless to say, this plunged the whole ground floor into absolute chaos. Those that were wise enough began fleeing the building. On the second and third levels, people were looking down on the scene from the edges of the open atrium above the ground floor. It seemed like they had been tempted out of their rooms that lined the upper levels, though none of them seemed to truly understand what the fighting was about. They merely enjoyed the showed.
Meanwhile, Iikagen found himself with more attention than anyone else in the bar. A man rushed him from the side, looking as he her were trying to tackle him at the waist. Iikagen lept and tucked himself into a sidelong roll, easily flowing right over the man's take-down attempt and sending him sprawling to the floor. In the next instant, a man attacked from his front, holding some kind of truncheon in his hands. The Igni only grinned and feinted a quick step toward the challenger. The man swung his club down and diagonally in defense, but Iikagen had held himself back and the attack missed. Before the man could recover or backswing, Iikagen swung out his left foot in a leg kick the the back of his knee. He pulled back his hand in preparation for a punch that woul have put the man down, but suddenly flashed down across his vision and he suddenly felt a pressure against his neck.
Someone behind him had apparently found a broomstick and had looped it under his chin. Iikagen immedately grasped at the shaft to keep it from crushing his windpipe as he was pulled back a little off-balance. The man he'd just been fighting, as well as another rushed in while he was seemingly at a disadvantage.
Despite the situation, Iikagen actually grinned. As the two men charged, he kicked up off the ground and used the man behind him to support his weight. He left foot swung up and came down hard on the collarbone of one man, likely breaking the bone from the force of the axe kick. He right immediately followed with avicious roundhouse to the temple, and with both feet clamping on his head Iikagen gave a hard twist of his lower body and flipped the man sideways into the path of the man beside him. The two tangled up and fell to the ground. At that point, another man charged and Iikagen lifted his legs up again to planted a hard mule kick into this one's chest.
The force of that kick caused the man holding him to topple backward and drag Iikagen to the ground with him. Iikagen quickly realized that the ground was definitely not the best place to be among a crowd full of ruffians who would not hesitate to stomp him into a puddle. Throwing his heab backward into a reverse headbutt, the Igni felt a bit of pain as iff he'd hit the man's teeth, but he also heard a painful grunt and felt the pressure lessen. Siezing that moment, he wrenched the broomstick forward out of the man's grasp and swung it in a hard circle around himself. Men who had been charging in gave pause and in that moment he kick-flipped back to his feet with a weapon in hand.
Looking around quickly, he could see that the tavern was littered with the bodies of fallen. Man had actually fled or simply taken to hiding along the edge of the room. Apparently after seeing Iikagen and June actually fight, the bounty stopped seeming so appealing. The Igni grinned, though. Despite the fact that his heart was racing quickly and a bead or two of sweat was forming on his brow, he was having quite a fun time.
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Post by june on May 16, 2007 15:33:15 GMT -5
Bodies were falling bit by bit in the tavern at a rather quick rate. Iikagen was taking down most of them men while June was trying her best to stay from most of the men, but was failing at this point. June was breathing heavily, though still had enough energy in her to last much longer. She made her way near the back of the large room, staying by the bar for a few moments to catch her breath quickly. Her break was over in a matter of seconds when another ruffian came at her.
June leapt out of the way, going towards the right of the man. The glass bottle in his hand smashed onto the counter of the bar; while he was distracted, June elbowed him in the back of the head then kneed him in the abdomen. A groan of pain escaped the man as he went to the ground, clutching his stomach. June gave him a look of disgust then sent the tip of her boot to his face to knock him out. Just when the man was down, two new opponents appeared.
Both men charged at June to have her crushed smack in the middle between them, but June was smart enough to jump over the counter of the bar for some protection. She ducked, noticing a frightened bartender underneath with his arms over his head and his eyes closed shut as he shivered in fear. June rolled her eyes at him, muttering out the words "how pathetic" as she did so. This one second of lack of focus now made June regret it once she was grabbed over the bar.
One man had June by her collar, her toes lifted off of the wooden floor. The other slowly approached from her left side, then charged at full speed. Thinking fast, the bounty hunter grabbed the forearm of the man that held her against her will then gave a sloppy kick (in her opinion) to the man charging at her who was soon on his back. The heel of June’s boot jammed into the stomach of her captor, making him drop her to her feet in an instant. June smirked.
Taking advantage of the situation, June gave a quick, but strong strike to the man’s throat then made a run towards the door. It was time that she got her "secret weapon" involved to end this.
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Post by iikagen on May 16, 2007 20:39:03 GMT -5
Iikagen stood with the broomstick in hand, a sadistic grin plastered on his face and he eyes practically glowing with an inner fire. There were half a dozen men forming a crude circle around him. Some had managed to procure knives and one of them held a dao in one hand, but not all of them still seemed to have their hearts in the fight. The crafty Igni didn't miss that sign, though, and with a whooping yell and an unnecessary spin of the broomstick behind his back, he scared three of the men into running away.
A chuckle passed from his lips, and he gave an inviting nod to those who remained. One of them men remaining step forward with his knife held in a reverse grip. Iikgaen swivelled the end of the broom around in a teasing gesture and then jabbed it forward in a thrust at the man's head. His opponent ducked slightly and grabbed at the stick with his free hand. However, Iikagen wisely lifted the stick up away from his grasp with a quick twist and then smacked it back down on the man's knuckles. The man yelped with pain and withdrew the hand, and a moment later Iikagen whacked him again on the top of his skull. The Igni followed it up with a spinning back kick to the man's chest that sent him rolling backward over a felled chair.
The sound of shuffling feet to his back alerted Iikagen to his next danger, and he quickly side-stepped and swept the broom handle in a downward cross-parry. The broomstick caught the extended hand of the man who had thought to stick a knife in his exposed back and turned the point harmlessly aside. Then, with lightning speed, Iikagen reversed the flow of the broomstick and chopped at the inside of the man's knee. The leg tuned out and nearly buckled, but still he stood. He grabbed the broomstick with both hands and pulled up hard, hitting the man squarely between the legs. The sound he made was quite humorous, and Iikagen was smiling when he finished the combo by uppercutting the man on the jaw with the other end of the broomstick.
That opponent fell away after the strike, and Iikagen found himself left against the man with the dao. By the way he held the sword, he was apparently no novice with the weapon. Iikagen grinned slightly, and raised his eyebrows provocatively at him. The man gave a slight shout and charged forward with a deft horizontal slice. Iikagen backstepped, but the man followed. He launched a series of cuts and stabs, most of which Iikagen avoided, but some he was forced to block, and those left gashes in his broomstick. Eventually the man set himself up for a powerful overhand cut while Iikagen was in mid-step and couldn't dodge. Still grinning at the man's skill, the Igni held up the broomstick horizontally as far out in front of him as he could. The dao contacted much closer to its guard than the man intended, but the force was still enough to break the stick in two. IIkagen pulled his head back to avoid the blade, but then changed his direction in the wake of the attack.
Pushing off his back foot the moment he touched the floor, he snapped one hand forward and threw the piece of wood in that hand while the other man's sword was still low. The piece of the broomstick gaught the man right below the eye and he growled from the pain. Iikagen charged in and caught the man's rising sword arm. However, he still allowed it to lift up, though he guide it up and over his head as he stepped around the man under the sword. Then, in a maneuver that was characteristic of the Igni fighting style, he kicked off with his feet and threw his legs up in the air. A twist of his hips later and his legs locked around the other man's throat while he was practically horizontal in the air. Iikagen locked his feet together to secure the hold and then, just as the burden of his weight was forcing the man to tilt, he threw his upper body forward in a sharp roll that twisted the swordsman's torso forward and forced him almost into a frontflip to avoid having his windpipe crushed.
The headscissor takedown broght Iilkagen's opponent to the floor with a thud, and he tride to flail with his sword hand. However, Iikagen was still holding tight onto that wrist in order to keep the sword at bay, and delivered a final strike to the man's temple with his free hand to finish the battle. With his last opponent gone limp, Iikagen stood up and disengaged himself. He glanced around the room, surveying the devastation left by the brawl that had encompassed the whole ground floor of the tavern. Bodies lay askew, with several of them semi-conscious and crawling towards the exit. However, what caught his eye was June, still doing battle with a pair of ruffians.
He watched her with mild interest, but as he did so, he also reached into his pocket and pulled out his blowgun. The bamboo tube had a small cylinder of a rubber-like material around its middle that had several darts pressed into its malleable surface. Iikagen picked one out and looked at its tip. It was still dark with the sticky black residue of the Igni's infamous 'sleeping poison.' It hadn't been used in a few weeks, and was probably ineffective. He could still see June man-handling the to guys who were tried to sub-due her, and only grinned as he took out a small wooden phial that was sealed with a cork. He popped off the seal, stuck the tip of the thin dart into the phial and swirled it around to give it a fresh coat.
Iikagen casually recorked the phial, slipped the dart into the blowgun, and raised it to his lips just in time to see June make a dash for the door. With the practiced hand of one who's done it a thousand times, Iikagen quickly took aim and fired just as she reached the threshhold of the tavern's entrance. The dart struck the bounty hunter in the back side of her shoulder, and Iikagen grinned with satisfaction as he started after her, pocketing the blowgun.
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