"It ends here fellow thief!" The skeleton pirate sent his sword forward in a straight thrust, and the black aura about the sword suddenly coalesced at the tip and shot out at Mike.
Mike, largely uncaring about the approach of the blast, continued his pathetic limp at the door. Even if he had bothered to try, the strike simply came too fast, and to evade such was impossible for him at his current level.
It all seemed to be the end for Mike Thawnfield, the skeleton pirate at least was certain of it.
The piercing aura attack came at Mike almost instantly, it would seem like only his entrails would reach the door when crimson chains burst from his shoulders and nullified the attack, to the skeleton's surprise.
The skeleton pirate was shocked by this. The chains were a new phenomenon, and it had not anticipated them. Any item capable of nullifying radiance was deserving of caution, and the pirate was wary.
Mike got to the door. It was thick, and large but with nothing but the slight slits at the sides that indicated it was a door. He struck it with his radiant reinforced arm, and it didn't even budge, it stood unshaken and unmoving.
"That's tough." He said letting out a throaty exhale. He turned to the giant skeleton who was the bane of his current circumstance, and then he fell, sprawling on gold.
His chains curled overhead his shoulders almost like they were curious and worried about him.
"What is this? You have given up? Well, to leave this room, you'll have to defeat me, and see, you have a bit of advantage. I want to die. I am tired of being trapped in this plane half dead. I am sure you lack awareness on how it feels. So be glad, I am only doing as much as the temple compels me to, nothing more. So come, get up before I make a swing at you." It said and then chuckled, arcing its giant bony arm.
To Mike, this was strange. Though he could not understand the undead horror, something about it seemed amiable, perhaps it was that it took a pause in actively trying to kill him, or perhaps it was its friendly voice.
Mike let out a wry awkward laugh in response—it was a terribly sad thing. He immediately felt the skeleton's mood change, and its countenance toughen.
"You have entirely given up, haven't you? Pathetic. To think I gave you a chance. Die without dignity you swine!"
Its white sword arm moved like a flicker of light three times, releasing swift spears of radiance.
Mike's body would have turned to mush, and he would not even have made it far, if not for these strange chains that were anchored to him due to reasons beyond his knowledge.
The chains swung about hitting the blasts and nullifying them. There was no resistance, no struggle, and the decidedly powerful blasts disappeared like they had never been there.
"Hmmm…" The skeleton groaned. The red balls of light in its sunken sockets shrunk, and it stood ruminating.
Mike stood. He suddenly let out a wail when the pain from his quickly deadening flesh got to him. The infection from the cut was almost at his elbow, and though he was overflowing with radiance, he could not heal.
'I would have to cut this.' He grimaced, and with a sudden downward movement of his left hand heel, he cut off the infected part.
"Oh, want to continue gambling boy?! That is the spirit, that is the way!" The skeleton roared in excitement that Mike was slightly aback.
Sounds of twisting movements reached Mike's ears as his hand swiftly began healing itself. Muscles regenerated and overlapped, and bones grew in place until his hand was whole.
"You know what? In the spirit of this fight, and having me cackle, I will let you keep my coat once I lose, I know I will. I can see it in your eyes. That fire, the will to survive. Come at me with it."
Though Mike had no idea what it was saying, he stormed at the old creature like its words were a cue to attack. He wailed, and from nowhere in his mind nor in the scope of his will nor intent, a double-edged sword materialized from his radiant aura, a crimson thing—like a weapon drunk on blood.
He held it in his free hand and found it overly light in his grip, and then he thrust his left arm to the side releasing a gentle blast of wind that shifted him to the right and slightly out of sight, and then he spun like a tornado, bringing with him a sharp slash.
"Heh Heh! I have to defend myself after all." He parried the strikes easily by holding up his black sword diagonally.
CLANG! CLANG! ZZZZT! ZZZZT!
"Hah! Hah! Hah! This is so fun. Today is a good day." The skeleton pirate said with so much joy in his voice.
Mike moved like a cat, he circled about the man, booming from side to side with jets of wind, his feet utterly light, and almost barely touching the floor as he moved for openings to exploit.
Aside from being scary tall and horrific looking, it turned out that the skeleton pirate was a master swordsman, and despite Mike's rigorous attempts, he parried every strike without breaking a sweat.
Mike grinded his teeth in frustration. He was meters away from his adversary, crouching like a beast, when it said with its eyes signaling with its movement,
"Why don't you use the chains?"