Re: Rough night. (Dom runs into Whitney during his training)

[Dom Rivera]

"Just a spellbook, never leave home without it," Dom explained as he continued skimming "I found that reading it during lulls in my training helps me learn the spells a little better."

Dom continued peering at the oncoming sunrise, "What does Reese have you do for your training?" he asked, turning to Whitney.

[WhitneyJezebel]

"Read...study the different arcana and paths. Right-- right now I'm reading about Acanthus," she said quietly. "He-- he took me to a small town a few-- miles away to read the auras of people there, but that's-- that's the only time I've been out of his house. Being a mind mage doesn't really-- really call for physical strain."
She pulled her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, glancing out at the dim morning light.
"I don't really like-- going outside all that much."

[Dom Rivera]

"I need to be outside," Dom said "just to see the sky."
He focused more intently on the sunrise, "since starting training I've been spending more and more time outside, it feels good, you know."

He turned to look at Whitney "have you gotten good at it?" Dom asked, "reading auras I mean."

[WhitneyJezebel]

"It's one of the few things I've been able to learn so far," she said, blowing a curly lock off her forehead. "Although, to tell you the truth, aura reading is very beginner. There are other things I could be learning."

[Dom Rivera]

"All in good time," Dom said calmly "your training sounds much more thought oriented than mine."

"I know you can do it," he added, "after all, we need someone to figure what is going on through Issac's head."

[WhitneyJezebel]

"That's a very good point," said Whitney with a small smile. "Yea, I haven't really gotten out much. That town is the closest and--well, there's lots of kids around. I don't enjoy going there too many times out of the week."

[Dom Rivera]

Dom nodded, keeping his gaze outside watching the sky change colors.
There was movement just behind the treeline that caught Dom's attention, reminding him lf why he was in the forest to begin with.
"Looks like its time for me to go," he said to Whitney, keeping his gaze fixated on the source of the movement.
"Thanks for patching me up, Reese, I might need it again soon," he laughed, while he went for his cane an started for the door.

[Dom Rivera]

Dom walked out into the early morning air, he took in a deep breath and started toward the forest. The movement he saw began to take off deeper into the forest.

Yeah, lets go further into the forest Dom thought to himself most likely to a place you already set up in your favor.

As Dom neared a clearing in the forest he found the man standing in front of him.

"Its quite rude to keep people waiting," the man said quietly "given your performance this night, I'd say that you still have a long way to go in your training."
"Sorry, and don't worry, this will be the last time we meet tonight."

Dom drew his sword and ran towards his opponent lunging forward with a thrust. The man didn't even flinch, all Dom heard was a whisper and then he felt his sword being pulled in a different direction.

"Altering Magnetism?" Dom asked as the sword was wrenched from his grasp, "time to improvise then."

Allowing the sword to be pulled away, Dom raised his fists. He came forward with a quick left jab towards the man's face, who in turn, moved his head. As the man's head moved away from the jab Dom replied with a right cross hitting the man in the face. The man fell to the ground and Dom readied to deliver a kick, but just as he was about to he realized that he couldn't move his legs. In fact Dom felt much heavier than before, and his legs were firmly rooted to the spot.

"Good to see you picked up on the magnetism," the man said cooly "you should also know that a force mage can manipulate gravity, and various other things." The man turned back and leapt up into the trees.

[Dom Rivera]

Dom heard the man snap his fingers and the gravity seemed to return to normal. With a quick guess, Dom determined that the magnetic pull that ripped his sword from his hand had also been called off. In order to save time he chose to create his own magnetic pull and call forth the sword into his own hands. However, his lack of practice sent the blade sailing another 15 feet from the intended target. Still need to work on that. Dom then turned to look into the direction that the man had gone Of course... fly away into a tree where you can't be caught. Grumbling Dom began the steady climb up into the tree.
_____________

When he found branches that could support his weight Dom slowly stepped out onto reaching limbs. There again he found his opponent, kusarigama in hand, swinging the ball and chain around.
"Having fun?" The man called out.
"Just you wait!" Dom quick stepped as gingerly as a cat to close some of the distance.
The man swing the ball and chain Dom's way, seeing the incoming missile Dom swung his free arm out to intercept.
The ball wrapped itself around several times before the chain tightened.
"Heh," the man chuckled "too bad, kid." Just as the words left his mouth, the man sent another charge of lightning through the chain.

Dom, however was anticipating this and as the charge had left and began to influence the lightning. Giving a great heave on the chain, Dom pulled back, breaking his opponent's concentration. Taking advantage of the break Dom sent the surge right back into his opponent.
The man began to shudder and shake and then... Fell from the branch.

"Oh, not go-" the chain went taut and ripped Dom from his position, as he crashed through the branches he saw a black mass rush past him. Sure enough, the man had regained control over himself and began to levitate. He then let go of the Kusarigama and let Dom crash into the forest floor below.

[Dom Rivera]

Dom got back up to his feet shakily, leaning against the trunk of the tree that he had recently fallen from. He quickly, but clumsily, began to untangle himself from the kusarigama and let the chained weapon fall to the forest floor.

Dom then reentered the clearing and began to turn around, looking for his opponent. Then Dom saw a flash of light, and a lightning bolt arced from the canopy on the far side of the clearing barely missing him. Dom darted to his left as another lightning bolt struck right where he had been standing, then another flashed his way landing inches behind him leaving a smoldering crater. Then another bolt arced its way across the clearing and struck in front of him.

"Don't bother moving," a voice called out from up in the canopy "Next one won't miss." With that there was a rustling, and from the canopy above the man floated gracefully down into the middle of the clearing, his black cloak fluttering quietly.

Dom took a quick step back, and as he did so the man snapped his fingers and a wall of flame erupted from behind Dom. "Nowhere to run," the man said as he snapped his fingers again. This time the wall of flame began to extend and curve, eventually becoming a fiery ring that surround both combatants. Amazingly enough the flames did not spread, nor did they leap to high so as to set the trees ablaze. Dom covered his eyes in order to adjust to the change in the light.

"Now its just you and me, boy," the man chuckled "nobody will come to interrupt our little bout. Sure your little friend from the cabin may see the light, but she might attribute it to the rising sun. Either way she will not come." The man stretched out his arm and there was a clinking sound as the kusarigama flew over the wall of fire and into his palm.

Dammit Dom thought to himself as he sheathed his sword. "Well, I guess its time I pull out my latest trick." As he finished the sentence Dom jumped into action, he quickly called forth a series of fireballs that launched from the fire wall and soared directly to the man, who extinguished them effortlessly. Dom looked on forlornly as he watched his attack fail, but he didn't slow. Dom launched forth another barrage, and another, and another each flight failing. But as the last flight was snuffed out, Dom began to run forward, unsheathing his sword. The man only watched as Dom sprinted his way. As Dom neared he heard the man's fingers snapping, and then an explosion of flame appeared right in front of Dom. The heat and power of the flames knocked Dom back a few feet, where he noticed that he his clothes were singed, and the mid calf section of his right leg was smoldering. he quickly grabbed a hand full of dirt and snuffed out the embers. Whitney, I'm not sure how good your range is with hearing thoughts, but I could really use a hand here.

The man killed the pillar of flame that was between them as quickly as he called it forth and began to walk towards Dom.

[WhitneyJezebel]

Dom's thoughts were barely a whisper in Whitney's mind as she continued to sit on the kitchen counter. Reese must have gone back to sleep. He didn't usually have to trouble himself when she wasn't screaming while awake so whenever he could get some sleep was fortunate.
She sat up straight as she heard the thoughts echo ever so quietly in her head. At first she thought it was another one of her episodes coming on, but then when she recognized it as Dom.
Hardly conscious of what she was wearing, Whitney hopped off the counter slipped sockless into some sneakers by the door and bolted off the front porch, heading in the direction of Dom's thoughts.
It wasn't hard to find him. The stench of smoke and the static feel in the air was a dead giveaway.
"Dom!" she cried, then spotted the other man. His aura was glowing with power she'd never seen before and she nearly had to shield her eyes because of it. For a fleeting moment, whoever was attacking Dom had noticed her presence, distracted, caught off guard.

[Dom Rivera]

The man turned his head towards the sound of Whitney's voice and began casting.

"Shit," Dom said under his breath "Whitney! Get down!" As he spoke he got back up to his feet and began running towards the man.

The man let off a bolt of lightning in Whitney's direction, Dom tried to make a magnetic well in order to alter the bolt's course slightly.

As the bolt arced its way towards Whitney it was pulled towards the man's right and struck into a tree next to Whitney.

[Dom Rivera]

Dom looked up as he saw the masked man's bold miss it's intended target and then raced towards him summoning flames into his right hand he lunged for his opponent.

[Dom Rivera]

The masked man darted backwards, easily avoiding Dom's attack. "You're not getting away this time!" Dom then fired a pillar of fire towards his opponent burning the trees behind the masked man.

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