#anywhere

"You have too heavy a hand, and your people suffer for it."

The twining chain seems stuck to his fingers now. It's responsive, reactive, but not.. not dumb

Does Nadeen yet hold the end of the chain?

She does

He looks at her, willing her to see him. Bruised and rattled, but not beaten. Not yet. Does she meet his gaze?

She does.And for a moment, she looks like she might be tempted to have him hung with the chain. Could she?

Harkson draws his blade "I warn you, woman! You will find no mercy if you pussh this"

A finger opens, and a small item rolls free, rattling across the floor towards her.

"I am Baroness Derynwydd Truthbranch, and I will fight for my claim." She draws her elegant rapier.

Small and wooden, and hand carved, with many sides. Some sluagh treachery?

She recognizes the wood work.. and he can see her sigh even if she doesn't make the sound, and she mouths 'Get ready'

"Then let us dance!" The Balor says chanting, "Let us fight. Let the battle take flight!" wind runner cantrip unlocked

And he rises

Sparrow grins. He might play in the skies, but she was born to them.

Symon is crouched, tense.

And the chain goes slack just as the foot is almost out of his reach

And he strikes! Not with power as a troll, but with treachery! Having cruelly whipped the chain from the Baroness's tender hands, he does a two-fold maneuver - whipping it up to try to wrap around the Baron's foot as he rises into the air! And at the same time, a failsafe - He flings his long, dextrous, sticky tongue after it as well.

Derynwydd notes her foe fumble and flip towards her.. as his leg is bound "Damn it!"

She does not indulge - no, she's deadly serious now. As he struggles, she strikes - a clean thrust at his shoulder, to weaken his sword arm.

The blade sinks into his shoulder, the sluagh's distraction leaving him open, and Derynwydd is too good with a blade not to find the right spot at such a chance!

SLASH

Well, THRUST

"Ah!" he slashes and...the sheen of his blade is.. missing. He cuts at her foot..fighting offensively. a light cut on Sparrow's foot. For a flier hardly a threat at all.

And the poison he uses, well, normally it might give him an edge, but there is no such venom on the blade now

Sparrow bobs and weaves and dives.. she only closes to strike. More like a sparrow hawk. A raptor on the hunt vs a fat Balor duck.

"Let go of me you miserable little shit" He snaps at the sluagh

And gets a gash across hsi face

Another lancing jab, bicep. If he can't hold his blade, he can't really fight, can he?

Symon would, maybe. But the chain is wound around with his tongue now, and the tongue around his leg, and if the chain won’t release the slug, the slug cannot release the leg!

And there it is, the attempteed switch of his now bad arm, to his left

"Why isn't .. why aren't you slowing down?" Another slash. His strategy seem to prefer high chance of a shallow cut than a true blow.

"Why should I be?" And she IS quick, her style centers on deadly speed. Jab.

"I... " he looks at his scabard.. there's a note in it .. 'Siv Waveborne was here. F-U, hugs hugs kiss kiss'

"Away from me!" He gestures to the sluagh and casts "Powerflow... spell begone"

And the cantrip to send the boy away goes horribly horribly wrong!

She gives him a slash on his other cheek to match the first. SHE will fight this duel. His personal crises are not HER problem.

Symon's tongue comes loose. the chain however springs at him...he turns to protect his face, only to LEAN into the rapier.. what was meant to be a chastising slash instead goes through his eye!

and the balor's mein blinks out... and his mortal frame starts to fall

"To me chain, to my hand, coiled reserved... my command" Nadeen calls

And Symon lunges forward, free and yet - grasping once more for that chain!

Sparrow dodges the chaos, avoiding being mired or drug down.

“Shadows rise and shadows creep, hide the chain from Varich’s reach!” He hisses, trying to call up shadows to hide the chain as it falls...

and down the balor falls, his comatose body hitting the cliff side.. and probably going to die for real

Sparrow lands, sword still ready. "I claim victory." She looks at the other fae, cautious - not sure yet who is friend or foe.

And.. the hold's fire dims, then roars! It has been claimed, and seized. While the oath to claim has not been given, the hold seems to see that as a formality. Derynwydd feels a rush of .. an old memory, and the heat of the bale. A tie to the Chimera that serve as they bend to their new mistress' will, turning on those who served the old lord. Derynwydd may not know who her enemies are, but the hold.. does

It has been lifetimes since she has claimed a Bale... but yes, she knows the feeling.

Banners with balor symbols seem to melt, and reform into Liam and Truthbranch shapes!

And yet, it is all lost on Symon and Nadeen, as his shadows seek to obsure.. but she manages to get hold as it was coming to her. he grabs the other end... and a tug of war...which, she barely wins

"This... belongs.. to House Varich" Nadeen says as Symon loses his grip

The Baroness raises an eyebrow. "What belongs to House Varich?" Cold.