Duel:Nadya vs Sealbhn

##### Date: 6th December 2008

Sealbhn nods to Nadya as she instructs him to begin, holding tight to the staff still. The walking stick is lifted lightly off the ground, the feathers that adorn the top catching lightly in the breeze. As his eyes fall closed, the staff descends as well, kicking up a light cloud of dust on impact. In a motion that seems to take all of a few seconds, a circle is drawn to close the man in. Small details finished, the staff is raised at a horizontal angle, a few words uttered at a lowered breath. Once they roll from his lips, the shaman merely watches. Spirit after spirit rising from the ground below their feet, they seem to be of the deceased that had died on this very soil ages passed. Motioning to Nadya, they make their way toward the Druid. Meaning to spiral around her if at all possible, once doing this, they will then attempt to hurt her in anyway that they can manage...Scratching, throwing objects around them, anything at all. Unless she is able to find a way to disperse them quickly and effectively. Until this time, the shaman waits, watching silently.

Nadya presses her lips together gently as she awaits Sealbhn to begin, green eyes studying the timid human. Her glove-covered hands clench open and shut in anticipation and her brows furrow as she notices his lips move. A slight smirk crosses the Bard of Earth's lips--ghosts, spirits and other things that go bump in the night were something that she was becoming very familiar with because of her husband's occupation. Unafraid of this enemy, Nadya stands tall and pulls a strange looking bottle from out of a pocket on her robes. The cork is quickly pulled free and the contents are sprinkled in a circle around her, effectively warding her from these spirits--at least while she remains in the circle. Every drop of the bottles contents is used in completing the circle around her, and the bottle is tucked away back into her pocket. Wouldn't make sense for the Bard of Earth to litter, after all. Her green eyes twinkle slightly as they refocus back on the Druid Hopeful as she smiles impishly, a hint that she is working her magic. Several large vines as tough as leather sprout from the ground at an alarmingly rapid rate--one vine in each cardinal direction. The vines slither towards Sealbhn, trying to wrap themselves about his legs and then work their way up his body, constricting him like a snake would. The vines are dark green but have several beautiful blood red flowers on them, if Sealbhn remains caught in the vines for too long he could find himself inhaling a lungful of some lovely hallucinogenic gases.

Sealbhn is focused intently on what Nadya is doing and doesn't quite notice the vines for the time being, a foolish miscalculation for the shaman. Though a whisper on the wind alerts him too late, the mother had tried to warn him. Finding himself caught up in the thick vines, he lets out a small gasp, the plant extensions wrapping tighter and tighter about his frail and meek form until he seems like he may be snapped in half entirely. Of course, this could not happen too easily, his body is much stronger than it appears. The spirits as they notice their summoners ailment, race over to help. Trying their best to free him from the ensnarement, which has thus far proven a snug fit to his slender body. Having dropped his staff accidentally in the commotion, the man must rely on his powers of energy manipulation alone. Peridot colored eyes set on Nadya, he sends out his will, fingers tightening and loosening before they are too taken over by the floral prison. If he is able, the will of the shaman will reach Nadya. If it is successful, she will find that her aura is solidifying around her in a prison of its own design. If it is let to do so, she will surely suffocate. All this he hopes to accomplish before the effects of the hallucinogenic gases take his senses.

Nadya bites down onto her lower lip as she notices something strange begin to form around her, blowing her concentration completly. She may have some talent, but she still had much to learn. The plants that keep Sealbhn cage begin to wither away before the gas is expelled, starting with the flowers and decaying right down to the roots. Sealbhn is gently lowered to the ground as the vines sag down to the earth. All of her attention is devoted to finding a way to escape the solidifying aura before she runs out of air. Beginning to panic, the black-haired woman falls into a low crouch, pressing the tips of her fingers into the earth. The ground beneath Nadya's feet opens up suddenly into a gaping hole, swallowing the Bard up within its depths and then closing. Several feet away, the ground reopens, having transported its controller out of danger, for the time being. Heart racing slightly, the woman rises to full height once again after picking up a fist full of earth which she grips tightly. Her eyes narrow slightly as she attempts to regain her concentration, her eyes drift about the area looking for something she can use to her benefit. A grin takes her lips as she finds something and dark green eyes seek out Sealbhn's form once again. Creaking can be heard from within the branches of a tree that hang above, if the shaman bothers to look, he will notice that the trees are growing down towards him at inches per second. However, they do not grow in a natural way. The branches and twigs are mutated to have grown so that each edge is rigid, jagged, or sharp. If Sealbhn doesn't react quickly, he might find himself trapped within the clutch of the out of control tree, being prodded and cut by this normally still plant.

Sealbhn appears surprised as he is lowered, though the drop was in a graceful manner which left the shaman thankful. Though a frown spread across his face at the whithering of the vines, he was quite delicate and caring of anything with a spirit after all. Gaze fixed on his staff, the man bent to retrieve it, platinum locks falling from where they rested at his back to billow downward over his shoulders with the movement. As his stance was righted, the strands fell to graze his hips. The creaking was noted however, looking up it was noticed that the tree was indeed growing to reach him and at a very fast and sharp pace in fact. Lips moving in a silent chant, a bubble builds around his form one that is reinforced as his staff is raised above him. Bringing the tree limbs to a staggering halt, one that then would begin to move once the energy was noted. Though to curve toward the air itself. Sprinting out of the way, he managed to dodged the attack for now. Slender fingers move toward his pocket, a talisman of some sort having been procured. With a flick of his wrist, the item floats in the air with the help of spirits of course. If the talisman is let to land on Nadya, it will render her manipulate her spirit. Causing it to bring harm to her body, cuts, bruises etc... That is only she is unable to avoid.

Nadya tries to avoid the floating talisman, but it would seem she is out of her handy potion and at a loss for how to stop the talisman. She tries to dodge it and push it away from her neck, but ultimately it latches around her soft flesh. A shriek is given as lacerations begin to appear upon her tan skin, blood oozing down her expensive clothing, ruining them forever. A violent amount of energy erupts from the Bard uncontrollably as more wounds appear on her lithe frame, causing the earth to shake and the plants to grow wildly. Various animals from rats to foxes begin to scurry through the shaking area. Everything caught up in this torrent of magic seems to be moving towards Sealbhn, to claw, scratch, bite or do any sort of damage they can to the man. Nadya struggles with the talisman, fingers gripping about the chain of the magical item. Her eyes close tightly as she tugs on the chain, out of instinct. Several words are muttered and finally the chain snaps free. She falls backwards to the ground once she is free, breathing heavily. However, even though she is free and no longer being harmed, her magic runs rampant and is on the attack with Sealbhn as its target.

Sealbhn frowns as he had hurt Nadya, it was not something that he particularly wanted to do. However, she did ask for a test of his skill. He would also offer to heal her after the duel was through. His peridot gaze widens at the wave of flora and fauna crashing toward his slender self. Darting to the side he attempts to get away from the first set, falling to land on his knees. Though this puts him right in line the be pummeled by a few oncoming critters. Cuts form over his face and arms as they claw their way over him. The shaman finds himself unable to struggle free without having to hurt anyone else. So in a last ditch attempt, calls upon the spirits that still swarmed the battle field. One swoops in to clutch the mans extended and bleeding arm. Bringing him to float in the air above all of the wreckage until it is cleared. After this, he is lowered to the ground. Gathering up the talisman again, a hand extended to Nadya. "I-I'm s-sorry for all that..." He frowns, "M-may I heal you?"

Nadya pushes herself to her feet, the area coming to an abrupt calm when Sealbhn is lifted into the area. A gentle shake of her head is given, she had quite a skill with healing herself, "No, but I appreciate the offer. I think you should probably get yourself cleaned up too. The only thing that is left for you to do is talk with Phantasmo. He can pretty much always be found right here at the Grove."