[center][h1][b]Dirty Bastard & Cultists[/b][/h1][/center] [@JerkChicken], [@13org], [@fetzen] [hr] This was it, just when he expected it would happen. The man sneezed and wrinkled his nose as the scent of pollen filled his lungs. He could feel the power that was coursing through him fizzle and leave him, like a drink that's gone flat. Truthfully while he expected to be hit by the deterrent as he reached Tex, he wasn't expecting Tex the one to be hit for the sake of dispersing the pollen. Of course, even if he was expecting it, there was still the issue if he could manage getting through this fight without his powers. At least Tex was out of the picture. The woman managed to trip him up successfully. He scarcely had time to do anything else but use his staff as balancing aid. Using the flexibility of the bamboo, he used it to spring back rather the stumble. Much to his annoyance Smit summoned yet another cultist. He narrowly avoided getting clocked by the cudgel. It was annoying, he had two people with equal reach that were going to poke at him while he also was trying to take care of the cudgel wielder from getting close. He rushed down the cudgel user with his staff as he kept striking the limb which held the cudgel. Eventually his arm was beginning to turn into limp spaghetti which allowed him to acquaint his staff to the man's face. His staff deflected the knife, which in turn was thrown at the spear user. He methodically attacked her as they were equal in reach. The man was focused on doing strikes on her limbs. The legs to if not trip her, than slow and make her movements wobbly from fatiguing them. Same logic went to her arms which he focused on more. It seemed as if he was attempting to disarm her, which was true. He wanted to temporarily take her staff whose solid oak material would be useful for what he had in mind. [hr] The man with the cudgel got smacked right in the nose. He collapsed on his back, grabbing a broken nose that bled freely. The next to go down was the spearman going backing up the woman with the quarterstaff. Keln was his name. Smit watched as the knife bedded itself in Keln’s neck. He fell to his knees, grasping desperately at his neck. He pulled out the knife. It was a useless attempt to save himself. His death came soon after. Keln took his last breath. He had been a good lad. Always followed instructions and attentive to orders. Smit had high hopes for that one. Now those hopes were gone. The man with the cudgel stood back up, his balance unsteady. Meanwhile, the woman with the quarterstaff was struggling knock the man’s strikes away from her feet. Fortunately she was granted a reprieve. Having finished binding the dazed Tex, the third spearman jumped in to aid her. He slapped away the bamboo staff with the butt of the spear. Twirling the spear back around, he did a quick jab for the gut followed by a slash. Smit shook his head. Things were not looking good. The man didn’t even appear to be breaking a sweat. Tayla should have been here. What was she doing? Smit turned his gaze upwards in time to see two clan members hurrying down the steps. “Where are the others?” He asked, trying to keep the worry from his face. The two clan members looked to one another. It was the female deterrent user who answered. “Dead.” She said. Smit’s face paled. “And Tayla?” He asked. “She’s...” The woman hesitated, causing Smit’s anxiety to spike. The woman looked upwards, clearly concerned. “She’s still fighting.” The woman said at last. “Ordered us to help the rest of you.” “She’s fighting alone?!” Smit asked in shock. The two nodded. Several loud bursts came from above. Smit tore his attention away from the two clan members and towards the commotion above. Cursing, Smit looked back to their target. His mind was made up. “Go help them!” He ordered the two. To the deterrent user, he said. “Hearing and sight deterrents didn't work. Likely magic is touch or smell. Already tagged him with pollen. ” He ran past the two and up the stairs. “What about taste?” The female deterrent asked behind him. “Probably not.” He called back. [hr] "Idiot! You shouldn't have pulled it out." He said as he watched the young man in such a dumb way. It was weird saying that to an enemy that was going to harm him. But something about it just made him blurt that out loud. Also, unlike his other comrades upstairs there was certain unwillingness to fully embrace the killing of the cultists. Perhaps it was a foolish hope, but he was aware of the nature of their corruption. He was hoping that perhaps if they move swiftly enough and kill the seed the cultists would return to their damn senses since the Insight was helping them go nuts and corrupting them. Perhaps there were some who were irredeemable, but all he saw was mostly small fry who could still turn it around should they regain clarity. Whatever it was a complicated matter and no doubt it would be complicated by his allies who were probably way less merciful. The man smirked at the news of the the woman fighting the others by herself. Good, it was the least he could do. She might be strong, but at least she wasn't being aided by underlings. Unlike this man her whose abilities consisted of deterrents and lackeys. Not to say it wasn't a bad strategy but there seemed to be some sort of power difference between the two. Likely a strong individual warrior backed by someone who was better at managing and analyzing things. His strikes were seemingly starting to wear away at that woman. He would have been victorious were it not for the other spearman intervening. And now was he taunting him or just overconfident? All that unnecessary motion with shifting the spear to the point again. The man punished the spear user heavily. He cracked him on the hands with his staff and pushed it forward to shove him away. He would then retreat to re-engage the woman again. He would hit the back of her ribs with a sideswipe and moved in close for a palm strike to a nerve cluster that her out for the count. The man would drop the bamboo staff and kick the wooden quarterstaff into his hands. It was heavier and stiffer, but the weight and its solidity was what he needed. Damn he needed to finish this up for everyone's sake. Even with his great stamina, he wouldn't be able to fight forever. "Hey don't run away you coward!" He yelled at Smit. "You're not going anywhere!" One of the spearman said as he was running up to skewer him. He had let himself get too distracted by Smit and now it was too late for a proper defense. The vagrant would jut out his staff in a last minute defense against the spearman. The staff would deflect the point away from a much more devastating point, but due to the lateness instead of being deflected safely away instead the point found itself slicing into his upper arm. Of course the spearman would also find himself receiving a painful thrust of wood into his throat straight into his jugular notch. "I guess I should congratulate finally wounding me. I'm still gonna kick your master's ass once I finish with you all." He'd say coolly. The man he had strike was unable to speak as he was coughing and it seemed the hit was hard enough to trigger a gag reflex. He'd run to the stunned Tex and dodge the deterrents' thrown knives and the cudgel user's swings. "Dammit Tex is down and he's taking the wine! Are we sure he isn't taste user?" One of the deterrents said in anger. "Prepare the deterrent for it regardless!" The other one would say. Meanwhile the man had already taken the top off and was consuming the alcohol inside. The remaining weapon users closed in on the man. The cudgel user's attack would find itself denied by the staff yet again. The spear user would however be more successful in skewering the wine skin and pulling it away as the liquid spilled everywhere. A little bladder filled with Liquid Ageusia would be thrown and pop right on the wound. The man would wince as it hit and he felt the effects of it enter his body. He grit his teeth in response and refused to swallow any of the wine in his mouth, even if was feeling super dry in the mouth from the deterrent. "Good job you hit him!" One of the cultists said. The man in turn would quickly spray wine in the faces of the spear and cudgel user.