Alain tensed when he noticed the Malaki's brandished weapon. In the Malaki's hand was a previously disregarded bone axe, which was left sheathed in favor of the Malaki's typical Runka. Alain, however, regarded the weapon with more fear than the polearms Malaki were typically armed with, partially due to his experiences with seeing Clara's path of destruction on numerous occasions. While his sword was excellent for parrying and quick thrusts, an axe would be used on pure offensive, one which his thin rapier would be incapable of deflecting. Until this encounter, he'd always managed to keep from being the actual target of such crafts, due to such disadvantages. In this case, the best he could do was make the Malaki's target smaller. Realizing this fact, he turned to face the Malaki at his side while it charged forward with a force Alain knew he could not block.
Just in time to make a narrower path for a blade that flew by his ear.
Alain didn't have time to consider the fact as the Malaki's charge began to slow, and the six horns that were lowered for the offensive raised as the Malaki searched for the source of the blade. He raised his maw, revealed a set of many pointed teeth as it found that source. Moments later, though, it stopped, gripping it's arm and passing its weapon into its other hand.
At that very moment, while the more experienced telepath behind Alain reached into its mind, he thrusted his rapier toward the unaffected arm crossing the bull's torso. The Malaki, noticing this, brought in its defense just in time for the blade create a gash along its arm, and then clash against its axe, letting out a screech as blade slid against bone. Alain brought his sword back to just barely deflect the axe after the beast's counter. The beast's remaining speed left him no time to think of his next move, and another hit flew directly into his path. The two weapons clashed into a light, but frantic pace, both owners beating past different kinds of pain, searching the other for weakness.
Alain shifted his foot and fell back a step due to the offensive of the axe, trying to buy time for him to track the beast's sudden movements, but also leaving his stomach unguarded. The beast, one arm hanging limply at its side, let out a primal roar once more, thinking it had victory at last. The beast's running adrenaline and rage fought the pain as Diana's Infliction caused it to slow with the addition of another injury to its weapon wielding arm. Alain's blade met its axe once more due to the speed decrease, with the axe just barely missing Alain's exposed stomach. He grimaced in pain as the blow sent staggering backward from the blow, with his exp
ression deepening as he kept his eyes focused on his opponent. The Malaki drew its arm back for another blow.
“Duck!” came a nearby, familiar voice. Alain, bearing with the pain, allowed his body to lift back into an awkward sommersault, just in time to fall back from the Malaki's swing. The steel axe he'd seen so often whizzed past him, followed by a horrid wail as the combination of axe and Infliction caused it to die seconds later.
Alain quickly rose back to his feet, just barely completing the acrobatic motion he'd still yet to master in practical use. His breath came in short puffs, while the owner of the axe moved past him to retrieve her weapon. He looked to the Malaki, shuddering with its last breaths due to the axe embedded into its chest. Alain turned back, remembering the difference between speed in its blows.
“Thank you.” he said to the telepath nearby, before releasing a deep breath he didn't know he as holding.
“How about you take care of the injured next time, Alain?” Clara snickered in response.
“Your performance seems a lot worse than it used to be; You must be out of shape.”
“Don't worry, my performance in other areas will be just fine.” Alain said, not missing the intended double entendre.
“You'd better--” she began with a laugh, which came to a dead stop as she noticed more enemies coming up not far away. They just kept coming, headed straight toward their goal, but not yet seeming to notice the group.
“Help the others, Alain. We'll need to be out of the sight for this one.”
Alain followed her gaze, and then approached the unfrozen Zephyr and used all his body weight to move the Reaver from atop the Rutilius. Given the time to finally take in the gravity of Rutilius's injuries now that he was unfrozen, he held his jademine vial out.
“Do you have anything more powerful?”