Neradnal Ill'Koresh -- A Fallen Brother

[Lollercide]

"Should time have allowed it, I would have once called you Brother," Hano spoke to the dark armored figure before him. Standing before him in the dark and dank hell that had become of the house of rest for the noble and dead; The Necropolis. Like often times in the valley, it was storming. Rain poured down on the two armored men while the thunder deafened their words.

Words weren't important anyway. They were too set in their ways and their arrogance and they both likely knew that it wouldn't end until blood was shed.

Bane Slayer's runes burned brightly. Brighter than it ever had before and as it did, Hano could feel Torm's might wrapping around him. Entering his being and pulsing through his body. Sharpening his sense of justice and dulling his emotions... All but his rage, his fury.

In this heightened state he could feel the sins of his Fallen Brother, and they began to weigh down on the Paladin as if they were his own. He grit his teeth and clutched onto the hilt of his blade as the divine within him stirred in rage. Masses of undead crept from the bog and slowly began to surround Hano.

"Neradnal... What you've done. What the Ill'Koresh have done..." He hissed. "What you, and they did to the people, the children ... to Nulinus ... what they took from Tamryn." Hano slowly raised his blade into a combat stance, his eyes burning with righteous fury behind his helm. "You will pay for these sins. For Nulinus and for Tamryn. I'll show you the might of the Loyal Fury that you abandoned so long ago," Hano roared, as his divine aura turned the mass of undead around him into ash, leaving only him and Neradnal there in the Necropolis.

And the battle began.

[Lollercide]

Battle against The Fallen One.

Hano cried out to Torm as he lifted his blade and began his charge. His boots clashed against the dank and slimy stones underneath him as he charged forth while bringing his blade over his pauldron, determined to take the advantage of initiative. Despite the downpour of rain and his head jolting with from each step, his eyes were locked down on his target; Neradnal.

Neradnal responded by casually raising his halberd overhead and pointing its sharp butt towards Hano while shifting his right foot behind his left. Hano could swear that Neradnal was grinning behind his helm, but regardless of this, Hano continued by meeting him with just as little hesitation.

All of those years of martial training and yet Hano charged into this defensive stance, leaving himself open. Hano swung Bane Slayer from over his shoulder using his strength and the centrifugal force behind the motion to deliver a powerful blow against the Fallen Paladin. Too hasty.

Neradnal took a single step backwards and jabbed at the Paladin's blade with the butt of his halberd, easily guiding the blade away from him. Taking advantage of the zealous paladin's mistake, he swung his halberd around and dropped the bladed end down on Hano's shoulder -- The powerful halberd cut through his plate pauldrons with ease, burying itself in Hano's shoulder. The paladin refused to hesitate despite his cries in pain.

Shifting the hilt of his blade from his right hand to his left, Hano, brought his right hand to the mid-section of his blade just above the hilt. Wrapping his fingers tightly around the blade, he thrust it into Neradnal's side. Hano struggled with his blade, trying to push it in deeper to maximize the damage, slowly driving it in, centimeter by centimeter.

After a long moment in silence in watching the paladin struggle, Neradnal began cackling from behind his helm. Lifting his halberd from Hano's shoulder and quickly turning the halberd's pole in his hand, he hooks the back of Hano's neck with the halberd's beak. He pulls Hano to his knees giving the hablerd a sharp tug, forcing Hano to let go of Bane Slayer. The blade free of Hano's grasp slid out of Neradnal's side and hit the ground, exposing the wound... Or in this case, the lack thereof -- Barely a scratch, not even a trickle of blood.

Hano searched his mind for how this might be possible, franticly trying to reach for Bane Slayer only to be pulled back to his hands and knees by another sharp tug from Neradnal.

"Come on, Hano, join us.. Together we can save this land," Neradnal spoke while dragging Hano across the ground with his halberd -- The beak digging into Hano's flesh like a cruel barb, forcing him to comply with the direction he was being pulled. Dragging the Paladin in a few circles before pushing on his halberd and letting the beak slide out of Hano's flesh, releasing the Paladin. Launching Hano a few feet, tripping on a rock and rolling on his side.

Hano went straight for his blade after regaining himself from the launch. Though he moved quickly for his blade, Neradnal gave no motion or attempt to stop Hano. It seemed he wanted Hano to grab his blade and wouldn't strike him until he did.

Hano crawled to his blade and wrapped his fingers around its hilt, standing up to face Neradnal. As soon as he turned, Neradnal plunged the butt of his halberd through Hano's chest, tearing through his right lung and narrowly missing his spine. Neradnal quickly retracted his halberd, letting the Tormite choke on his blood.

Kharhaz's words echoed through Hano's mind as he came to realize that his lung had been punctured. "Remember your darkest hour, Hano, because it will be the most important." Hano lashed out, despite his lack of oxygen and the wounds. Blinded by his impending death and loss of blood he swung his God Blade around in blood lust.

"No.. No... Tamryn.. He must pay for what he's done!" Hano screamed within his mind as the blood poured from his chest and shoulder, all being washed across his armor by the rain. A bubble of blood burst from his lips as he fought the urge to inhale.

"He'll pay!" Hano thought, continuing his barrage of frantic swings and thrusts. Neradnal danced between each one, returning the Paladin's failed strikes with successful ones, laughing to spite the Paladin's efforts.

It wasn't enough, it wasn't enough. He could barely scratch the Fallen Paladin, and Hano's time was almost at its end. "Give me the power.." Hano begged to his God in silent prayer as he staggered away from Neradnal, unable to fight any longer. He was quickly running out of breath and was unable to draw on more without drowning in his own blood. "Give me the power... Judge this dying man before you. Judge me worthy of wielding.."

In a final plea, he expends his last breath to cry out the Loyal Fury's name, drowned out by the gargling of his own blood.