[h1][u]Ciara Ventura[/u][/h1]
[i][color=gray]Acendia, Room 103 Fountain[/color][/i]
[@Nanaya]
[hr]

[b][i]"The righteous indignation of a paladin, and the hunger of an Umbralist... though, that's not quite been confirmed yet, has it?”[/i][/b]

Ciara's head jerked up, staring at the professor as she pressed her sword against his midsection.

He knew about the duel?

Near immediately, her eyes narrowed, her lips curling into a snarl.

[b][i]“Even so, it's apparent that you fight with a temper, with voracity - and in that respect, you would have many things in common with that death cult regardless.”[/i][/b]

A small gasp escaped Ciara's lips as she felt the sting from the professor's words. She narrowed her eyes, furious.

But nothing could have prepared her for what came next. If the professor’s words were a stinging slap, the sounds rattling in her mind after were the maddening element necessary to disarm her. She pressed a hand to her head, wincing, her breath coming in ragged gulps, as the screams of the damned tore at her mentality. 

Like touching a hot coal, the tendrils withdrew from Professor Alto in an effort to make the maddening voices stop. Before latching on once again in greater fury. Ciara growled and cursed, failing to prepare against the thorns and vines that assaulted her once again. She felt blows against her barrier once, twice, and the third blow, landing at the elbows, broke through.

[b]“AAAARGH!!!”[/b]

Ciara stood there, gulping air and hissing through her teeth, as the thorns and vines cut across the muscles of her inner elbow, severing muscle and creating large gashes.

The pain did some good, though. It snapped her out of the mental hellscape she was privy to.

Ciara dropped the sword, wincing, her eyes glaring hot at the professor. Quickly, shadows picked up the sword, holding it aloft in front of her, ready for his counter attack. Shadows reached out with tendrils, feeling the limbs of the professor, so she could ‘see’ his moves in the dark.

She could almost [i]feel[/i] that cruel smile on the professor's face as he took a step forward. There was a rush of sparks as his sword met her own, and she parried against him at every turn, blinking through the pain she felt.

[b][i]“...I have a remnant to attend to…”[/i][/b]

[b]“Remnant?! Damn you, professor! That's not who I am!”[/b] Ciara shrieked, mustering all her anger, burning her throat.

As the thorns struck again, Ciara was ready this time, and melted into the shadows. She reappeared behind the professor, and slashed at his back with the sword held in her shadowy grip. When he would turn, she would disappear once again, and reappear behind his back, and slash again. She would continue to repeat this with increased hunger, fervor and speed, desperate to break his barrier. She continued until she became a blur, appearing and disappearing with dizzying speed around the professor, careful to avoid Iraleth as she did so.

She had something to prove now, didn't she? Duel be damned, she'd go all out on the professor. She had to now. He dared to associate her with [i]them[/i].

As she moved, she began to pant. It was getting hot. Unbearably so…