A Night of Surprises {Erebus}

[Ashton Kay]

Everything was a bit of a mess after the battle. It was safe to say that Ashton hadn’t been the most stable as of late, even with his time spent talking to Camila. To put it simply, he was lost in his emotions and couldn’t quite pull away from them to think sensibly at times. There was an anger beginning to mix within his chest. A byproduct of all the grief and guilt that had filled his mind and heart in the last few weeks. However, that byproduct was only directed at two things. The first being himself for being so selfish and cowardly. The second was rather obvious, the government dogs known as the prefects.

Ashton was never one of the battle front members to hold a prejudice against any prefect. Normally, he’d give anyone a chance to prove himself. Lately that just wasn’t the case. Any prefect to just look at him the wrong way or catch him in a bad mood would normally instill some sort of argument or fight. He had sent quite a few to the nurse’s office and he had to get patched up quite a few times as well. After all, he was still human. Granted, a human with superpowers but none of those powers enhanced his health or sped up his healing… really health improving at all. Unless you count the ability to avoid frost bite.

That anger was at its peak tonight. For some reason it seemed as soon as the rest of the students went to bed and the waning gibbous moon rose high overhead he just couldn’t keep his thoughts from returning to the battle. Instead of doing what he normally did, talking to a friend or taking his anger out in the training room he decided to blow off some air by talking a walk. So, he roamed around the school halls. His fingers trialing along the lockers creating a spreading sheet of ice over them. Getting a little energy out that way was helping slightly. Only slightly.

Turning the corner he caught sight of a figure. His eyes narrowed slightly as he saw the glint of a prefect badge in the distance. “And here I though tonight was going to be boring,” The corner of his mouth turned up in a half smile, a dark look entering his eyes before he sent a wave of condensed moonlight to the prefect, aiming to knock him off his feet in one smooth motion. With another flick of his hand he sent a sheet of ice crawling rapidly across the floor, just in case the prefect managed to escape his moonlight. “I really hope you’re better than the last waste of space prefect I found.” He called, leaning casually against the lockers and awaiting a hopefully comical reaction.

[Erebus Ryder]

Erebus had been having a pretty quiet night overall. Nothing had been happening, leading to him being somewhat bored. He stretched a bit, placing his hands behind his head causally, his long, dark cloak flowing along the ground. He had been wearing it the past few night just for the hell of it. It wasn't really something he couldn't cast away easily if push came to shove, he just didn't like not blending into the night. The school uniform was too bright for his likes, it meant that he couldn't hide as easily from those around him, leading to a somewhat uncomfortable feeling at night. He pulled up the collar a bit absentmindedly, thinking a bit before hearing a voice behind him, though faint it was still not one he recognized.

The young swordsman turned around, blinking in the direction, only to see a beam of moon-like light aimed straight at him, quickly maneuvering to his left, ,catching the ice just a moment too late, finding himself sliding a bit before summoning a sword, plunging it into the ice and steadying himself, letting out a sigh. He took a moment to get his bearings, shifting into a more relaxed stance, the long-sword still in his hands as he pulls back to his full height, looking at the student before him curiously. Why had he attacked so suddenly like that? His charcoal eyes glanced over the redhead, keeping an odd air of calm for someone that had just been attacked, almost as if he had been through it before, which is what people who didn't know what he went through before would think.

Then again the only person who knew was Tyri.

He stayed silent after sizing up his possible opponent. Taller and obviously could control ice and moon energy, the boy was also fairly muscular from what the eyes of the swordsmen could tell. He was definitely well toned, but Erebus's muscles were hidden under his thin frame as well. He let the sword shatter of of existence, standing steadily on the ice, his combat boots not moving as he balanced perfectly on it. He kept his arms crossed, a neutral, almost bored expression on his face as he looked at the boy before him, not the least bit intimidated by the sudden attack.

"And to whom do I owe the pleasure of being attacked by? It's not every day that I'm on patrol at night, well it is every day that I'm out at night. But it's not every day I'm attacked," he stated, his voice sounding just as bored as he looked. Really, the student before him didn't threaten him at all, he was fine as it was. He was confident in his abilities and knew he'd be able to hold his own, especially at night. It was his strongest time of the day after all.

"Now I suggest you stand down. I doubt you know what you are getting yourself into by attacking me."

[Ashton Kay]

A sneer crossed Ashton’s face as he watched the prefect catch himself on the ice. It would have been so amusing to see the scum of the school land on his blank face and maybe break it. Now, that would have made Ash’s night. Yet, instead the red head watched as his attack was avoiding which only succeeded in pissing him off more than he already was. His body was itching for a fight, his blood boiling under his veins. Maybe he wasn’t in the right state of mind for most things but fighting was something that he was always ready to do and could always do efficiently.

His gaze was even as he watched the prefect and listened as his spoke. He simply blinked in response to being asked his name. If that punk didn’t know who he was then it was clearly his loss. And even without Ash’s answer the kid still continued to talk. His words were so damn meaningless and pointless. Not to mention cheesy. Ash never thought he’d hear someone say an idiotic line of ‘You don’t know who you’re messing with.’ Didn’t those guys always get their ass kicked? Come to think of it they did. Ash guessed that he’d just have to carry on that tradition and beat that calm look out of the prefect’s eyes.

“It’s funny,” A smirk spread across his lips, stepping away from his position near the wall and cracking his knuckles. “The last punk who said that to me ended up in the infirmary.” He smiled a bit as his eyes began to glow a bright silver color once more. “The thing is, I really doubt you’re measuring me up correctly or else you’d be running the other way.” His words ended with a small, dark laugh coming from his lips. His left hand clenched and spikes shot up in every single direction from the ground under the other boy’s feet. His other hand came up and as his fingers spread several blasts of moon light started attacking the air around Erebrus.

It would be quite something if the kid managed to dodge the ice and the beams. Ash might even need to color himself impressed. Maybe. Probably not. In fact it might just piss him off even more. Only time would tell. The sneer that had previously taken up the space on his face fell and only left a grim and serious look in its place. For once in a long, long time, Ash was out for blood. And he sure as hell was going to get it one way or another. Whatever happened, Ashton at least hoped the waste of space would put up some fight and wasn’t just made of words so tonight could be a little fun.

[Erebus Ryder]

The young swordsman stayed silent while the red haired boy spoke, his calm gaze staring right back at the taller boy. Was he scared? Not at all, it wasn't like he was a stranger to combat. Despite his relaxed stance he was ready to move in a moments notice, his eyes scanning over the boy as he awaited him to stop talking. What was he looking for? Any hint that he was going to attack out of nowhere. He noted the smile as he finished the words, however, that's not what caught his eyes as he jumped to the side just before the place where he had been standing was laced with spikes of ice.

the entire time his eyes didn't leave his opponent, noting the raise in his hands as swords materialized in the air around him before converging into a point in front of him, the swords making a wall quickly in front of him, the blades acting as a shield, the young boy sliding along the floor for a few feet from the force of the jump he had made, forming swords in his hands. "You ever think to size up your opponent before taking him on? Makes you look like someone who just wants his ass kicked when you don't." He waited for a break in the beams of moonlight, watching as it scattered off of the polished swords.

As soon as the break came the swords parted, a flurry of thrown swords coming from Ryder, who was throwing them much like someone would throw knives and with about the same amount of effort. Right as the flurry of six thrown swords was finished, the boy dashed forward with an inhuman speed, using the night's effects on him to his full advantage. "Do some research next time before attacking a random prefect. Not all of us are incompetent fools." He slashed out quickly with his sword, the single blade aimed to simply scrape into his skin, not aiming to outright kill him, having learned to pull his strikes in his training. No need to kill anyone anymore, in his eyes at least.

[Ashton Kay]

There were few people on Ashford that adapted to combat as well as Ashton had. While he hadn’t come from a past of war or even one with more than the average chance of getting beat up at school, he did take to the skills quickly. Training every day had toned his muscles, sparing gave him practice with his powers, and the battles had honed his skills. As he looked at Ryder’s defense his eyes were calculating, his anger, pent up emotions, and the adrenaline in his system only adding to his powers and state of mind. Now, besides that and the added strength provided by his lunar manipulation, Ryder’s words were pissing him off beyond belief.

“Please. I know who I can handle and who I can’t, you clearly don’t.” Ashton said, his voice leaking with venom as a wall of ice sprouted in front of Ashton, protecting him from the onslaught of Ryder’s swords. He watched as the ice splintered in places and the swords dug into the frozen water but with each impact he thickened the ice, allowing to creep along the swords. “Might want to take that advice yourself,” He said as the ice wall dropped, another shield of solid ice along his arm. In a flash his arm was up, blocking the impact of Ryder’s sword, the ice forming along the sword and surrounding it within a matter of milliseconds.

With Ryder’s weapon buried within Ash’s ice, he moved swiftly and opened his palm in the direction of Ryder. A second later a condensed beam of moonlight shot forward, aimed for Ryder’s chest. At the same time his tore his other arm away, the ice dissolving and in hopes the sword getting yanked away in the processes. With his free hand he directed a wall of ice that sprouted along the other side of the hallway, nearly a foot deep, and ice beginning to creep up the side of the walls. “Wanna find out how long you can dodge light?” He questioned, shooting off several more beams of moonlight in Ryder’s direction.

[Erebus Ryder]

Teh boy blinked a few times as his sword was simply caught by solid ice, his mind trying to process the fact for a moment, shattering the sword himself not even coming to mind before it was nearly too late, the other boy raising his hand. This was just enough of a telegraph and indication for him to shatter the sword himself, sidestepping the blast in a fairly quick manner before a blade materialized in, replacing the one that he had just lost within milliseconds. His eyes glanced back at the wall of ice, now realizing he was trying to close him into an arena of sorts, which in turn only made the young swordsman grin. "You really know how to show your opponent a good time. Here I was expecting you t-"

He was cut off as the sudden barrage of light started his way, his reflexes kicking in and helping him avoid most of the damage, though the majority of the beams managed to at least clip him, causing him to wince a little from the impacts. He created another shield of swords, this time forming them along his arm to act as a makeshift, old fashioned style shield, holding them in front of him to deflect the rest of the beams. He sighed a little, at the rate things were going he was not going to last long against the kid, ranged combat was a weak point for him. Sure, he could barrage people with swords, but that was slower than, say, a beam of light or a blast of wind.

How was he supposed to handle the situation being presented to him? He was cut off from any escape route and was being held at range by a moonlight-beam-happy ginger. He sighed inwardly, hating the fact he was being forced into combat when he thought he had escaped it for the most part. "Okay, I lied, this is boring. Seriously, keeping your opponent at a distance is cool and all, but when that's all you're doing it gets boring. Now if you want to continue then do so, but at least make it an interesting fight. At this point I'm losing interest in any of this, then again I never had an interest in it to start."

He kept the shield in place, noting the chill in the air, somewhat hating all the ice. It was only going to get colder, and sure he could handle cold well but that didn't mean he could handle it anywhere near as well as someone who manipulated ice. He had a feeling he was going to need a nice hot shower to warm up when everything was said and done.

[Ashton Kay]

Snorting, Ash merely shook his head at the kid, “Pretty big words for a boy hiding behind a shield.” His normally green eyes were blazing with silver as a few beads of sweat began to trickle down his neck. Ash was well versed in his ice manipulation but his lunar manipulation was another story. He so rarely used it in fights he couldn’t build a tolerance. Yet, even as he felt the effects he didn’t show a single ounce of it. He merely threw his shoulders back and kept his chin up, proud and cocky as ever. “And at a distance? What do you call me blocking your little sword trick just a sec ago? Or did you already forget to try to spare your inflated ego?”

He rolled his shoulders before he sprayed both his hands outwards and upwards, the ice surrounding Ryder mimicking his movements. The ice sprang up in an assorted arrangement of jagged edges, all aimed for Ryder’s open sides. What a silly move only creating a single shield which would only be effective on shielding him from one side, meanwhile ice could still attack you from all sides. Not to mention if Ash felt like being careful enough he could use the ice walls surrounding Ryder to reflect the light and hit Ryder from his exposed sides. However, Ash didn’t feel like taking the time to calculate those angles at the moment.

Even if the moonlight was being reflected, Ash’s ice was a bit too hard to bounce off a few swords strung together if Ryder managed to cover his ass in time. If Ash had put enough force into it, it should at least knock Ryder back a few feet. Taking a moment and feeling rather confident that Ryder would be a tad bit distracted for a few moments, Ash focused on encasing the walls in a solid foot ice. ‘Three sides down, one to go,’ The red head thought as the ice continued to thicken over top of the school’s concrete walls and the one he had already established behind his opponent. It was truly only a matter of time now.