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From: "Brian Macleod (Macleod@**.Temple.EDU)" <MACLEOD@********.BITNET>
Subject: The End
Date: Thu, 12 May 1994 11:21:58 EDT
++++++ DOWNLOAD: Videofile05.11
Paris, nighttime, alleyway. A dark fog hovers through the night. The silence
it generates is all encompassing, save for the sound of a pair of footsteps
approaching. The mist brightens momentarily as an automobile passes along the
main road. A glint of light is reflected off of the blade of a sword and, sec-
onds later, its owner parts the opaque vapors with his presence. It is Arrow-
smyth, adorned in solid black, Tai Chi broadsword in hand. He stops, sensing
another's presence.
A: "ORION!! Show yourself, your end draws near."
>From the shadows steps Orion Antilles, garbed similarly in midnight shades, his
full-length leather trench flapping in the slight breeze.
O: "My life has already ended, I merely seek revenge."
A: "Oh what high and lofty goals we seek, my foe, were that your swordsmanship
skills be so high."
O: "For your sins you shall die tonight, Arrowsmyth."
A: <chuckles> "Come, Antilles, my sword seeks your Quickening."
Arrowsmyth opens the contest of skill with a swipe at Orion's legs, which Orion
deftly parries, then ripostes with his own strike. Arrowsmyth sidesteps the
blow, slicing back once more and catching Orion across the thigh. Orion gasps
in pain, hobbling back a foot. The wound is merely a superficial one. He
stumbles slightly as he finds himself against the brick wall of the alley.
Arrowsmyth, like a shark imbued with the scent of blood, dives in for a killing
strike. Orion calls his own bluff, quickly rolling out of the way of the
thrust, and Arrowsmyth's blade lodges itself a clean inch into the concrete.
Without hesitation, Orion slams Arrowsmyth's torso with his own, and his now
swordless opponent lands a meter away on his back. Orion strides toward him,
raising his sword for the finishing swing.
A numbing metal-on-metal *CLANG* reverberates through the alley as Arrowsmyth
grasps a metal pipe from the littered floor of the roadway, bringing it between
him and his opponent's sword. He counterstrikes with a blow across Orion's
kneecaps, toppling the near-victor to his hands and knees in pain. Arrowsmyth
rises and delivers a sharp kick to Orion's midsection, causing the warrior to
howl in pain. Orion's screams of agony continue as Arrowsmyth's metal-clad
boots batter his ribcage again and again. Once certain that his enemy has been
downed, Arrowsmyth goes to his still-stuck weapon and procedes to work its way
out. Orion rises unsteadily to his feet and lurches in Arrowsmyth's direction.
He strikes out towards the back of Arrowsmyth's neck, but the swordsman ducks
at the last second and now Orion's sword is fixed in the brick wall. It is not
in deep, however, and soon both combatants' weapons are freed. They dive into
the fray of battle once more, and soon they become an intertwined tangle of
blades and limbs. The viewer has difficulty deciphering who is who in the
swirling mass of black. The battle becomes more pitched as they wear on, but
neither man is able to attain the upper hand.
Arrowsmyth is backed up against a dumpster in the alleyway, and Orion swings
down vertically. His foe sidesteps the killing blow once more, and uses the
butt of his sword to pummel Orion's weak shoulder (yes, the same one which had
been injured twice in the past week). A tearing sound is heard and blood
quickly seeps forth from the rip in the trenchcoat. Orion cries out in pain,
stepping backwards several feet. Suddenly, he pauses and a strange light
seems to pass across his eyes. He hesitates momentarily, then raises his
Katana once more. A certain confidence exudes from his stance, almost, but
not quite, arrogance, more of a certainty than anything else. Arrowsmyth fans
his blade in anticipation, then dives in for a lethal strike. Orion rolls
below the swinging broadsword, bringing his own up to slice Arrowsmyth's off
shoulder as he passes. He recovers and gets to his feet once more, and now it
is Arrowsmyth who wears the grimace of injury. The two swordsmen square off,
and Arrowsmyth swings around once more for a decapitating stike. Orion drops
to one knee, bringing his sword up to parry the blow. He then retalites in-
stantly from his position, slashing across Arrowsmyth's legs and bringing them
eye-to-eye. Despite his best efforts, the assassin cannot find the strength to
raise his sword again. He is barely supporting himself on one arm.
Orion gets to his feet, and brings his sword up, preparing to finsh the battle.
O: "For the murder of Quade Slanstar, I find you guilty. For destroying my
life I also find you guilty, and for murdering Megann McKinney, I SENTENCE YOU
TO DEATH!!!"
He swings the sword down, cleaving Arrowsmyth's head from his torso. He steps
back and the wind begins to howl around him. Trash begins swirling everywhere
as does the still-present mist. A blinding light engulfs Antilles, and small
surges of lightning begin to fly. One such bolt searches out the camera and
zooms near-- *****CAMERA FEED TERMINATED*****
+++++END: Videofile05.11

Disclaimer

These messages were posted a long time ago on a mailing list far, far away. The copyright to their contents probably lies with the original authors of the individual messages, but since they were published in an electronic forum that anyone could subscribe to, and the logs were available to subscribers and most likely non-subscribers as well, it's felt that re-publishing them here is a kind of public service.