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=EC 2021= Sky Arena

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7/24/2021 22:00:58   
  Starflame13
Moderator


 The sun burst over the horizon, waves of blue rolling out after it to subsume the pinks and yellows and oranges of the dawn. Its golden rays slid across gilded armor and threw sparkling motes of light from the edges of shining weapons, both marking the fighters that moved amidst the throngs filling the streets of Bren. Shouts and laughter rose to a fevered pitch, growing louder with each newcomer that filtered into the enlivened city. From strangers to old friends, visiting dignitaries to lowly cutpurses, lone travelers to entire families - all within were drawn by the Arena’s call.

Under the excited babble hummed the siren song of power, drawing the crowd irresistibly onward. Onward, through the gleaming city gates, across twisted streets of shops and inns, past grimy alleyways and grand courtyards and the houses that stood between. Onward and over the final bridge, footsteps guided along the age-worn cobblestones of Supplicant’s Way. Onward, until the Complex itself stood before them: a looming gateway that swelled to fit the tide of hopefuls and spectators that surged towards it.

Here, the horde parted. Many streamed toward the stands, shoving and jostling against each other in the hopes of achieving better seating. The hopefuls instead found themselves alone. Whether by seasoned officials, finely honed instincts, or by unseen magic itself, the Arena tugged them forward to their fate - a destiny written in bloodshed and carnage. A chance for one to stand victorious. A hope, however slim, of earning the Boon.

All that stood in their path now was the arena itself - and the greatest fighters this world had to offer.

The ceiling gave way to open air in the halls of this arena, bathing the competitors in warm golden sunlight. Strains of faint music reached their ears, fading away before any melody could be recognized. A light breeze flowed about them, tugging the hopefuls gently forward upon a delicate glass floor. Mages, their blindingly white robes long and billowing, milled about the open entrances - but gave neither word nor glance to those approaching. They merely stepped aside to give entrance to the open atrium beyond them: an empty expanse at the full mercy of the capricious wind.

Inspiration. Awe. Allure. Ruin. Nothing lasts forever but the beauty of the Sky.

A high, clear chime rang out - the strike of a mallet on purest metal - and the mages lifted their arms skyward. The edges of the glass expanse glowed, and the entire floor that the fighters stood upon began to ascend. It rose smoothly until it reached the level of the raised stands surrounding it - though the cheering of the crowd seemed muffled and distant. Sunlight alone reached them unimpaired, illuminating the glittering plane.

With a shrill screech of the wind the sunlight itself splintered. Slivers and fragments flew across the arena in a dazzling, dizzying dance of light. Fractals of radiance clashed together with ringing peals until the air itself shook with the force of their reverberations. The light grew brighter, the collisions louder, but the breeze itself was loudest of all as it laughed and threw the shards about those who stood suspended in the heavens above.

Then the light flared, and the splinters coalesced into prisms of smooth glass. They floated several inches above the floor, catching at the sunlight and casting flickers of color across the arena. The only sound left was that of the now-gentle zephyr, it’s soft murmur merely adding to the scene’s radiant, unearthly beauty.

A second chime rang out, and the mages from below announced the combat, their individual voices merging together into a single harmony. “And so begins the Trial of Daybreak. Fight or Die, adventurers, but let the Elemental Championships begin!”
AQ DF MQ AQW  Post #: 1
7/27/2021 18:02:19   
  San Robin
Modzerella


 Adam looked up, putting his nose in the breeze. The scent of hearth fires, different kinds of produce and… ugh… human waste laid heavily upon it. He was close… After many months of travel, he was almost at his destination, the place he would finally be able to realize his dreams: Bren.
This was not Adam’s first time to travel far from home, but it was by far the most important as it could potentially be life changing… or Life Ending. But what’s life without risk?!
With a new skip in his step, Adam finished the last bit of his journey and at dusk he finally arrived in Bren.

He had been to cities before, but none quite like this one! This city was bigger than any he had seen, buildings larger than the average you would find on Lore and a weirdly large amount of inns and pubs. Adam shrugged. It must be because of the competitions that take place here! Tourists need some place to sleep and get their food and drinks!
At the thought of that, his tummy started to grumble. It had been a while since he last ate, so it was about time to grab a bite to eat and a sip to drink! And so he entered the nearest Inn! (Had that always been there?)

Entering the inn, Adam immediately noticed the scent. It was pleasant and clean. The scent of wooden furniture from the seating area and an aromatic scent from the kitchen. His mouth watering at the whiff of it. This was absolutely the right place to be! The second thing he noticed was that it was relatively quiet here, a handful of patrons and a neat looking woman tending the bar. She had the air of a nice and caring person around her. So Adam approached her.

“Greetings,” he said. The bar lady looked up “Well if it isn’t one of the clawkin folk! we don’t get many of ya over here! What can I do ya for?”, she said with a bright smile. Adam was pleasantly surprised, this lady knew of the clawkin! “The wind has carried me here. To your strange tribe. buildings of unnatural stone, quite curious.”, he said. The bar lady looked at him for a second. Perplexed and not quite sure what to say before she regained her composure. “Well, I’m happy ya managed to find yer way to our beautiful city! Do you need something to eat or drink?” That same bright smile. This lady was not easy to mess with. Adam smiled. “Some food sounds awesome! And do you have any good moglinberry juice on tap?”

A few minutes later Adam sat at a table, with a deliciously aromatic vegetable stew and a big pint of Moglinberry Juice. halfway through his meal, the bar lady decided to sit with him for a little bit. “So what brings ya here to Bren?”. Swallowing the bite he had in his mouth, Adam smiled and answered “I’m here to enter the Elemental Championships!” Clearly the lady had not expected this answer and he immediately noticed that she was sizing him up. “I’m stronger than I look, I promise!” He smiled. “Not so much my physical strength but I have other qualities!”. The Lady smiled back at him, she knew far too well that appearance isn’t much to judge on, especially when it comes to the championships. Last year was another strange cast of characters, among which was a rock floating in a water elemental… such a weird thing to witness. “Well, I hope yer going to do well, sugar! Eat up! Yer gonna need the energy for tomorrow! It’s on the house!” Adam’s eyes widened in surprise, he did not expect such kindness! Usually it’s the opposite after he messes with people! But he would never turn down a free meal! The lady went back to work and Adam ate his meal which seemed to taste even better than before (everything tastes better when it’s free!)

Later that evening, after a great meal and some pleasant conversation. Adam decided to ask the lady, who he had now learned was named Evelynn, if there was any room left at this inn.He stood up and walked to the bar “I’ll be right over” called Evelynn from the other side of the seating area. “I just need to clean up this table and I’ll be right over, sugar!” A minute later she showed up, a tray full of empty plates and tankards carefully balanced on top of each other. “Let me just put these in the kitchen and I’ll be right with- OOP” she tripped. Plates and tankards went flying off the tray. she instinctively recoiled waiting for the inevitable crash of porcelain and the heavy tankards. A crash that never came.
Before anything could hit the ground, Adam had caught it all and nimbly put it on top of the bar. “B-But how?!” Evelynn stammered. Adam smiled “Like I said before, I have my qualities, one of them is that I’m swift like the wind” Evelynn had to laugh, yup… she never should’ve judged on appearance to start with, she knew that much. Regaining her usual bright self she started smiling again “So what did ya want to ask me?”

Luckily there was a room available at the inn, one that Adam insisted on paying for, since it wasn’t his way to get everything for free, especially when it was from a kind person.
After a good night's sleep in a comfortable and clean bed, Adam headed downstairs and had a great breakfast! Evelynn was cleaning cups and plates from the patrons that had already finished. He stood up and walked to the Bar to pay for his breakfast, only to hear that breakfast was included with his room. Adam had his doubts about this, but decided not to fight it. He smiled at Evelynn “Thank you for the welcome to your beautiful city and the great meals you delivered! Can you point me to where the championships take place?” Evelyn told him the shortest route and Adam set out to go to the place where his dreams might come true! As he walked out the door, Evelynn called one last thing “Be sure to survive, Sugar! I’ll be waiting with a fresh meal for ya!”. Adam smiled, nodded and waved one last time. On to the Arena…

hours later.

Adam stood in front of a door. Just beyond it was the first Arena. The first step to his destiny! Any moment now the door would open and he would have to fight people he had never met. All with strange and awesome powers! He trembled. This was SO exciting!

The door opened.

Adam stepped inside. Looking around in awe at the mages that surrounded the Arena, the crystals in the sky and the absence of a ceiling. He noticed that there were 4 other people in the Arena with him. Some relatively normal, others tall and weird. next to him was a young looking human boy with a funny looking hat. Across from him was an… Elf? male? Female? Adam decided he needed to ask that when he got a chance! Next to the elf person was a strange huuuuuge lizard! and next to the Lizard, a very tall, very scarred old lady! What an interesting bunch!

A chime sounded. The mages raised their arms, the arena started to move!
The wind around Adam started the blow, screech, the storm in his head seemed to be outside as well now! Filling him with energy, filling him with hope and purpose! He was there! The place he wanted to be! HE WAS READY!
And then it laid down. from a harsh wind to a gentle breeze. The whisper of hope, his dreams closer than ever.

It’s time.
Let’s see what became of the arena first!
And with the force of the wind in his feet. Adam jumped up!
Soaring, scouting, wondering who of this weird bunch, he’d be fighting!
AQ DF MQ AQW  Post #: 2
7/27/2021 23:40:52   
markthematey
Member

Rey had his back to a wall in some forgotten alley of Bren’s many bustling streets. The damp corridor offered no refuge from his assailants that now cut off his only exit in this tight walkway where the sun couldn’t reach. The three pursuers grinned with a grim satisfaction that they’d finally caught up to their prey, who was slowly withdrawing. His eyes flicked left and right, looking for some way out of the predicament as his rear met the embrace of the cool stone wall behind him, giving no room left to retreat. Rey raised his hands submissively.

“Now folks, let’s not be too hasty, I know that I may owe you nice lads just a few coins but I’ll have you know-” Rey cut himself off. The strongmen didn't seem to be listening. They took a few smug steps. One wore a wide leer curled across his face, his toothless maw twitching with anticipation. The silence echoed out between them. The sound of their blades coming out their scabbards droned out as the front one spoke, “A few coins might not be enough to pay this time around.”

“It’s not my fault I’ve been cursed,” Rey retorted matter-of-factly shifting his hand to a shrug, still keeping them up. The gap-toothed bandit rolled his eyes and continued forward. “Once I enter the Championships I’ll pay you back twice-fold, buuut if you want it now… The first payment is right above ya,” Rey nods up and points up above them. The three hesitated and glanced up. At that moment, a grey orb fell out from the shaded clothesline above them. It tinked on the ground and rolled towards Rey. It laid still for a moment. The bandits gave a slow, awkward gaze at Rey. “Uh huh… must’ve mistimed the fu-” BANG! Black smoke erupted and engulfed the alley within seconds.

One of the three yelped, “Don’t let him get away!” but Rey had already passed by them in the confusion. He burst through the smoke into the bustling street. Passersby stopped to watch the commotion but the noise of the smoke bomb scared many. Rey saw a mix of confused, shocked, and fearful gazes all confront him, and grimaced Didn’t really wanna make a scene out of this but here I am.

Rey gave a modest wave. “Nothing to see here folks, just a fine lad like myself going on with his day.” The angered cries from the backstreet then called out. “... And that's my sign to leave,” Rey remarked as he lightly strolled away into the crowd. As soon as he got through the initial wave of people, he quickened his pace. With a simper on his face, he started running through the crowded streets. A momentary distraction wouldn’t keep them off his tail for long. Rey glided up the roads, passing pedestrians with relative ease as his angry pursuers fumbled out of the alley behind, spitting a slur of curses.

Rey took a breath of relief, confident in this lead. “Catch you after the Championships!.. or not,” He continued his sprint up the streets of Bren and approached the arena itself. The way was lively, all caught up in the excitement of the upcoming competition. Many shops had doors wide open, greeting strangers from far off lands, all there just to see this yearly event. Large bright signs welcomed any and all to each street vendor and shop alike. Rey cut through multiple alleys and hid amongst other street-goers.Another close call added to the bard’s tale that’ll be sung about me one day.

After some time had passed, Rey grew more confident that the goons had surely lost him by now. Munching on a loaf of bread he just bought, Rey waved goodbye to the baker and continued now calmly towards the arena. Nothing ‘bout this place reminds me of the deserts. The sun isn’t beating me with heat, don’t got half a dozen bounties on my head, and people here are actually glad to have a chat!

Rey tossed the rest of the bread into his pack as he came closer and closer to the gates. He sauntered past the guards who paid him little mind. A coy smile was enough to let them know that he was an entrant to the competition. The grand gates towered over Rey. The sun glistened off the doors and imposed his shadow upon it. His shadow was dwarfed by the arched gateway before him. Rey hesitated, the air tasted stale and the world slowed. A wave of nervousness washed over him. The world grew still as a grim fear grew in the pit of his stomach. I got this, all we got to do is walk straight ahead. Rey steadied himself, forcing his legs to move forward. His hands pushed the doors open and Rey moved ahead mustering his confidence for the challenge before him.





The first step taken into the arena was overwhelming. The crowd’s roar in the distance, the sun's hot gaze, and the possibility of a god’s boon. All of this created an incredible sense of awe and infectious excitement, heightened because he was at the center of it all. Hundreds, possibly thousands of people had come to cheer him on. It nearly whisked Rey’s worries away. Relaxed, the next steps came easily. “To think, I was nearly shaking in my boots just a minute ago,” Rey scoffed at himself. Waving to the audience, beaming brightly, and with a little twirl, he finally turned to size up his opponents.

His eyes glanced over a smaller elf-like dwarf person but barely recognized them as he immediately locked onto the large blue dragon that had just entered. He hadn’t seen one in person before but it did look peculiar with it’s many mechanical parts. “Note to self, avoid the dragon,” Rey muttered sarcastically. The figure to its left also did not inspire confidence. This tall menacing, scarred woman also seemed like a tough foe. If everyone here was normal, I guess it wouldn’t nearly be as interesting, Rey joked to himself. Looking to his left, the squirrel-like person was the almost the most normal looking one there.

Rey puts his hands up towards the squirrel in shock and gestured towards the cyborg-like dragon, as if saying “We have to fight that?”

A chime rang out as the floor started to rise and Rey was caught slightly off guard. He quickly stabilized and readied himself. He takes out his long straight ornate dagger in his bronze right hand and looks around one last time. The sky’s breeze gently brushed Rey’s skin and the sun shimmered off of the brass arm.

The lights coalesced and prisms were erected all around them. They floated just barely off the ground and a curiosity took over him. If i'm gonna fight with these all around, might as well figure out what they do, Rey pondered.
A second chime rang out, The crowd went silent. Rey’s stance as if he was ready for a light stroll as a synchronized voice spoke “ And so begins the Trial of Daybreak. Fight or Die, adventurers, but let the Elemental Championships begin!”

At the sound of that Rey meandered up to the nearest prism. Not paying too much mind to the other combatants immediately. First, he flicked it. A slight ring chimed out softly, but the prism didn’t move. With his open hand, he shoved it slightly, which gave slight resistance but made it warble a decent amount. Doesn’t seem to do too much, spinning the dagger in his hand he stabbed it deep to the hilt. A crack split the prism and it etched its way up. The moment it reached the top, the prism started to shatter and burst out in every direction. Rey jumped back and his eyes fixed on the shards coming in his direction, freezing them all in place, with one only inches from his face. The sharp tip glistened from the reflection of the sun. “Well... didn’t expect that,” Rey laughed to himself. Walking out of the way of the frozen shard, he released them as they whizzed past harmlessly.

Standing in front of where the prism was, Rey spoke, dagger in hand.

“Time to put on a show.”
Post #: 3
7/28/2021 15:20:35   
Apocalypse
Member

The coliseum loomed large, a towering monument around which Bren blossomed. Each year it brought splendor to the city and its people as the Lords themselves graced their faithful with their presence and, to the champion, a boon.

But on this night, bathed in its moonlight shadow, Crail felt no favor fall upon him.

His body kneeled in a neighboring alley, harbored in an oppressive darkness hidden even from the stars’ twinkling light. It was here that the mind of metal within him decided to rest for the evening.

Rest…

C.R.A.I.L. had no need for rest. Not in the mortal sense of the word. There was no need for the loss of consciousness, much less for bedding or comfort. All that its machinery required was a place to remain dormant for some span of time. It had no concern for earthly needs. It had no concern for its host.

The vartai’s organic eye glazed over as the alley blurred in and out of obscurity. Every single waking moment - in a life where every moment was waking - Crail could only peer through that viscous window. He was powerless as the sun’s fading warmth gave way to the blanket of night and the throngs of people dwindled until the streets were empty and silent.

Silent…

Why was the village silent?

Where were the nocturnal patrons, clinking their tankards and belting raunchy songs of their joys and envies? The taverns stood vacant, and the places of revelry abandoned.

Where were the families, their candles idly burning in window sills as the children were lulled to sleep? Frost coated their darkened windows, and the accumulated snow threatened to collapse their roofs.

Where were their raiders, their warriors, their protectors? No songs of conquest carried through the streets, nor did the village square burst with their celebrations.

What had transpired here? What travesty had befallen his people? The docks lay intact, but no ships were anchored in their harbor. The village lay deserted, but there was no sign of struggle or catastrophe.

Where was the khan to lead them into triumph and glory?

Where was his brother by steel?

A spark of light wrenched Crail from his illusory prison. His body remained locked in place, but his singular eye watched as a creature of energy teetered in place, buzzing a flurry of indecipherable sounds as it did so. A diminutive figure, its brightness made it difficult to discern any features, though it seemed to mimic the mechanical parts of his own twisted body. Crail collected his scattered thoughts from that waking dream as he tried to discern what twirled in place before him. ...a loch’lom? How had the guiding spirit found him here, so far from their home in the north? The elemental being’s dance only grew in intensity as it tried to establish contact to no avail. Ignoring a lock’lom was to invite ruin, but the vartai could not answer. He strained to give life to his voice, but his vocal chords remained in their slumber. His mind thrashed within what consciousness he had left, but his body remained dormant. The only response the loch’lom received was a hiss as the logika emitted a cloud of mist to dispense the superfluous arcanic energy.

Either accepting this as a dismissal or considering the vartai unfit for further intervention, the loch’lom departed, skittering down the alley and out of sight. Crail would have let out a sigh if he could. It was tiring. So...very...tiring. Day by day, night by night, to have these opportunities dangled before him and then watch them pass by. The temptation of surrender was all too alluring, but the warrior knew that tomorrow would be another battle. Perhaps it would even be one he could win. Ceasing his futile struggle with the artificial intelligence, Crail’s eye glazed over once more as his consciousness drifted between the city of Bren and the place he once called home.



A sparkle of sun.

A forest of glass.

The kiss of the gentle breeze.

Crail had but a moment to experience these pleasantries before that false mind whipped his neck first left and then right, his vision blurring from combatant to combatant in rapid succession. Too fast for the vartai to follow, but not for C.R.A.I.L. Never too fast for C.R.A.I.L. It had already chosen their target: a giant of a woman bearing the scars of a hundred battles. Feet scraped against glass in a horrific cacophony as the metal abomination pivoted towards the mind of metal’s chosen foe and made its calculations.

Scars are an enemy’s failure and resolve made manifest.

Eyes of wisdom left neglected shape the flow of bloodshed.

Strike down the fiercest foe, and so too shall you strike fear into the hearts of those who remain.

A seething rage boiled within Crail. Not only was his body warped but his very mind defiled as that false life within sifted through his own thoughts and instincts, twisting them for its own purpose. The logika’s heavy steps pounded against the glass, threatening to crash through the barrier as the machine barreled towards the giantess. A worthy foe that should be challenged for the honor of the fight, not for quick removal to assure self-preservation. C.R.A.I.L. raised an arm towards the woman and spewed forth a stream of frost towards her face. The vartai sensed the artificial mind’s intentions: an attempt to blind the enemy long enough to close the distance. A craven's approach...dare he pursue the cowardly path!?

Crail held onto that rage that burned within as his form tore through the prismatic glistening of this forest. He could not do anything to alter this chain of events, at least not yet. But when the time was ripe...he would remind C.R.A.I.L. how the vartai spilled blood.
AQ DF MQ  Post #: 4
7/29/2021 23:03:21   
roseleaf320
Creative!


 “Oh gosh, I’m so sorry, I’m such a clutz!”

Pie stuttered under the glare of a gruff man as his mouth twitched, sweet-smelling drink dripping onto his silk trousers. The cherry garnish that had made Pie smile when xe’d walked in rolled lazily from the counter and landed on the floor with a subtle and satisfying plop. Pie laughed sheepishly as the man crinkled his pointed nose. Xe’d just stepped into the tavern, noticed how pretty the man’s drink looked, and suddenly… onto the table it went. Just my luck you blame it on me!

The tavern keeper, a young man with blond hair, slid a new drink towards them in a gesture Pie sheepishly realized was an attempt to aid xem. “See?” Pie’s voice was an octave higher than normal as xe pulled xyr limbs in to seem as small as possible. Xe gestured towards the replacement with an open hand. “It’s all the same in the end- drink up!”

As if following Pie’s movement, a gust of wind blew from the open door towards the drink. No, not again… With the man’s attention turned towards catching his treat, Pie turned and dashed out through the doorway. Guess I’m not getting my morning tea after all. As the door squeaked shut behind xem, xe heard the soft plop as xyr quick escape blew the second cherry onto the tavern’s tiled floor.

Phew, that could have gone badly… Pie bent down for a moment to catch xyr breath once xe’d gotten a fair distance from the tavern. Xyr bad luck had struck again! It had probably been knocked by xyr cloak somehow; that happened all too often with this big thing. Its thick leather made for good protection in the winter time (and the ruffled edges around xyr neck and legs always felt stylish), but it wasn’t good for moving around small or crowded places. It would sure come in handy today, though. Today! Today was the Championships! Pie shook xyr head and stood, enjoying the tiny clinking sounds of xyr headband as it moved. It was time to get moving and focus!

“Oo, hey, cotton candy!” With a flash of movement, Pie caught the flying confection in xyr hand as it drifted through the air towards xem. Its pastel pink and blue disappeared from the sunlight and into xyr waiting mouth, and Pie smiled as xe relished the pure sugary goodness. Such a stroke of creative genius… Pie had missed the strange confection ever since the traveling fair passed through xyr village a few years ago. All the oddities and craftsmen that could pass through a port town, and not one of them had thought to make a traveling cotton candy stand. But here in Bren, someone had even done that! It was as good as Pie remembered, so perhaps xe could spare a few coins to– Pie screeched to a halt, xyr slightly-puffed-out cheeks frozen mid-chew.

The stand was run by a dragon.

Not totally unexpected; the river Pie’s town sat on led straight to Bren and often picked up competitors coming from further away, so Pie had seen all sorts of strange creatures. What unsettled Pie more was that the dragon was angry. It was perched atop the machine used to make the confections– an entire shining black dragon, scales and all. Compared to the sizes Pie heard dragons could get to, this one seemed rather small, but it still struggled to fit its entire body on the machine, its tail and back legs hanging from the corners. Pie might have giggled if its obsidian-black eyes weren’t glaring directly at xem; if it didn’t seem to be getting off of its perch to move towards xem.

Like a machine restarting after a failed shut down, Pie unfroze rapidly, opening xyr mouth and stammering out an apology to the dragon that may or may not even speak xyr language. “Sorry, this was yours, that was so rude of me, here let me–” Pie opened xyr mouth wide and thrust xyr fingers in, fishing for the stolen sweets only to feel the last of its sticky texture dissolving. Oh. Duh. Shoot. Xe slowly stepped backwards once, twice, and the beast followed Pie’s movements, its head low to the ground. “Uh, so maybe we could figure something out, I’ve got some coins on me, we can just…” xe trailed off, realizing the dragon was not about to answer. Either it had swooped in and claimed all the candy for itself, or it was a really, really mean shopkeep. Its eyes were intent on Pie, its stance anything but friendly. Well this isn’t too good, huh… Pie felt as if perhaps the Championships had already started, and xyr two competitors were an angry man with a fancy drink and a dragon with cotton candy.

Before xe could turn and test xyr speed against the predator, it looked away abruptly, towards a human-like figure who slowly stepped between Pie and xyr cotton candy competitor. The figure wore a dark, hooded cloak like the reaper of death might– or a man trying a bit too hard to be mysterious. They made no noise, but simply faced the dragon as it cocked its head and stared at them. Pie stopped xyr retreat and joined in the staring, trying patiently to adhere to the bizarre silence for an uncomfortable amount of time. The dragon’s large stretch, showing off its full line of spikes, was rather fun to watch now that Pie realized xe was probably safe. “So… is this thing yours?” It’s not my fault the thing got mad, the candy flew right to me...

The figure abruptly turned to Pie, revealing a gaunt, pale face and pure white eyes. He paused, flustered, before finally speaking in a deep, smooth voice. “Yes…” He spoke slowly, as if choosing his words took an immense amount of thought. He sounded genuinely concerned for xem, his tone fluctuating enough to reveal a hint of panic. Hey, I’m not helpless! Pie shook off xyr apprehension from the initial standoff with the dragon and stretched xemself as tall as xe could manage. Even then, xe only came up to the man’s shoulder. Xe masked xyr slight frustration with xyr normal cheerful tone, and the feeling would fade entirely soon enough– after all, genuine concern for xem was much better than anger.

“I’m just fine, thanks for popping in though! I’m Pietersite, but you can call me Pie. What about you!” Pie stretched xyr arm out, casting a broad smile at the brooding man.

He seemed to still be gathering his thoughts, and Pie briefly wondered if he had some kind of hearing issue before he responded hesitantly and offered his hand and name. Pie took his hand in both of xyr’s and gave it one big shake, attempting and failing to be gentle like xe’d been taught. “Nice to meet you, Milo! She’s a cutie over there.” Pie pointed xyr thumb towards the dragon, who was currently sitting behind the man. Its head reached about the height Milo’s did, and its eyes continued to glare at Pie.

“His name is Peregrine.” Oops. The dragon probably wasn’t too happy about Pie calling it a she. “And he is not cute at all. He is fearsome.” Well, cutie was probably a stretch to begin with, but it sounded like more of a compliment than “scary” or “angry.” Dragons probably thought about that differently.

If the dragon wanted candy… yeah, Pie would be able to fix this. Pie hastily pulled some coins out of a pocket inside xyr thick cloak, spilling a few onto the ground as xe scampered over to the stand. A flustered lady looked up at xem from under the safety of the countertop. “Thank you!” Pie slammed the coins onto the counter and grabbed three sticks of cotton candy. Xe thrust two out to the odd pair and addressed the cloaked man. “Here, I think your dragon was looking for this. He has good taste.”

The man shook his head and held his hand up. “No, you have it, you deserve it after that scare. I don’t really like cotton candy all that much. But, thank you.”

Awwww, who doesn’t like cotton candy? “C’mon, breakfast is the most important meal of the day, you gotta eat up!” Pie grinned, biting off a generous helping of the fluffy sweet from xyr own stick. Xe held the two up in front of Milo’s face and twirled them around. “You can take an extra one to eat later in the stands.” Or for Peregrine.

The man furrowed his brow and the edges of his lips curled upwards slightly into a confused smirk. “Well, I can’t argue with breakfast.” Of course you can’t! He took a stick from xem and held it awkwardly at his waist, and Pie had to stifle a giggle as xe absorbed the sight of a sickly man in a black, mysterious robe holding a fluffy pastel rainbow treat on a stick. “I won't be watching though, I’m afraid,” the man continued. “Not one for big crowds.”

You don’t seem like you’re FOR much of anything, Mr. Reaper man. But Pie didn’t say that out loud. It took many years and lots of motherly guidance to realize that some people found some comments rather rude. Might be best to make a joke and move on instead. “Oh, well, I’ll be there if you want to watch me. I’ve got some pretty good tricks up my sleeve.” Pie pulled out the edges of xyr cloak, revealing pockets which held xyr bladed cloth strings and two glimmering, bladed boomerangs. Xe winked at the cloaked man. “You’re in for a treat.” His lips turned upwards at this, and for a moment he seemed innocent, almost young, though the wrinkles laid in his brow had caused Pie to assume otherwise. See, you just need a laugh! That tended to be a common trend with people.

A clock tower’s bell rang out, and Pie startled, realizing the sound meant xe was almost late. Xe wasn’t sure entirely how entering the Arena complex worked, but the last thing xe wanted was to be locked out. “Crap, I gotta get going. Wish me luck, Milo!”

“Of course,” xe heard him say, overlaid by a soft growl that seemed more like a weird purr than an actual angry dragon sound. Though, Pie had never heard what exactly constituted an angry dragon sound vs a dragon purr, or if such a thing existed. I hope they enjoy the candy, at least a little bit… good luck with your candy-stealing dragon, Milo.

Pie could just skip the Championships and stay here. There were so many interesting beings to meet, so much cotton candy to eat, xe thought as xe took another bite of xyr treat. But if xe did that…

I must be the one to find the Jade. And to do that, I have to go through with this.



An entire arena full of crystals. Crystals that Pie had never seen before, that, as far as xe could tell, were either augmented with strong magic or entirely magical themselves. Pie debated tapping one with xyr hammer, but decided magical crystals probably weren’t the safest thing to hit with a metal rod. But even restraining xemself from touching the crystals, Pie’s excitement rose at the bright, open environment. This is just the right spot for me. Pie reached into xyr cloak, which fluttered in the swirling winds, and released the strands of cloth tipped with elaborate metal points. Xe grinned as xe watched them fly around xyr waist, xyr blood-sister’s meticulous stitches making blade and cloth seem like one unit. I hope Corinna’s watching- I promise your help was worth it!

The chime interrupted Pie’s thoughts, and the mages’ voices brought Pie’s grin even broader across xyr face. Xe clapped xyr hands together as the mages finished. A positive attitude was step one to a positive outcome. Let’s do this, Pie!! Pie weaved leisurely through the large crystals, xyr eyes locked on the sharply-dressed human standing across from xem. He seemed both relatively undaunting (compared to a giant, a clawkin, and a… whatever that thing was) and like the kind of person Pie could have fun with: curious, and loaded with knick knacks. He’d done what Pie had hesitated to do, and Pie watched as the crystal stabbed by his dagger shattered outwards into tiny pieces– Which froze, midair, before scattering and dissolving into the ground. Was that his doing, or a mechanic of the crystal? Pie wasn’t sure which one xe’d rather… but either way would be interesting. Xe cupped xyr hands around their mouth and called to him, hoping xyr voice wouldn’t get lost in the winds. “Hey, blondie, what was that?”
Post #: 5
7/29/2021 23:33:39   
draketh99
Purple Armadillo
A gentle roll of thunder, the light patter of rain. A soft pelt of bear’s skin underneath, the warmth of a lover to either side. This lullaby of the sky twisted and twined alongside the most simple of life’s comforts.

“Plains’mother, please! Please you’re needed!”

Levanna lifted herself to her knees as a hand shook at her shoulder. She murmured in displeasure as she wiped the sleep from her eyes. Just as the haze had been lifted from her sight, she was met with the panicked gaze of La’ceele. Levanna allowed her own gaze to soften as she rest her hand on the young woman’s cheek.

“What is it that has you so worried, dear?” The graying Plains'mother asked.

“The Ilvari,” La’ceele began. “They’re approaching our southern border!”

Levanna’s hand slowly drifted from the young woman’s cheek as her own face hardened. “Foolish of them, to raid under the Storm Moon.” The elder reached out and grasped her ironwood staff from the edge of the bedding. “Awaken any with pole-arm training as well as the coven. We’ll demonstrate the might of The Three if the Ilvari so desire.”

La’ceele quickly rushed to her, grabbing onto her arm and vehemently shaking her own head. “No Plains’mother, they’re not raiding!” Levanna’s footfalls stopped abruptly as she turned back to face La’ceele, her eyes narrowing. “What do you mean, child?”

“They bring iron war machines, they intend to raze the very earth we stand upon…” With this, La’ceele let her words trail off as she found herself unable to meet Levanna’s gaze.

“You’re sure of this?” The Plains’mother asked.

La’ceele nodded assuredly.

Levanna let out a deep sigh. She cast her gaze down at Mavaan and Aleia, incredulous that they could remain asleep yet contented to see them remain so peaceful. “Awaken the coven and tell them to prepare the Fruit of the Plains.” She began, addressing the young woman once more. “Tell them I am to bear the Spark of Life immediately.”



Glistening gold and fervent orange hues of the setting sun bathed the city skyline of Bren. Levanna sat among her newly completed camp, gently petting a worn bear pelt blanket. Her face held stern as her gaze never left the bright colors of the setting sun.

“Do you find me a fool, coming so far and getting my hopes up once again? Perhaps I am. But I would prefer this to being a fool with no hope at all. After all these moons, hope may be all that stands between myself and madness.”

Levanna let a heavy breath escape her chest.

“Our village has grown peaceful under my careful watch. No longer warriors, they now are free to be mothers, fathers, teachers and farmers. While I am thankful they may lead such a peaceful life, I am afraid I was not woven from such a cloth.”

A tear rolled down along her cheek as she gripped tight onto the bear’s pelt.

“Still, I wish you could see them all now. You would always go on about your wild dreams of peaceful days. I do not believe we’ve quite found those days. I just wish I could see your eyes light up at the progress we’ve made. I wish I could take your hands and walk you through the sprawling roads of this city ‘Bren’. I wish I could hold you and show you all that I’ve seen.”

The sun slowly finished its decent behind the horizon as night overtook the land. Levanna stood, doused the small campfire at her side, and slowly crawled into the tent she had fastened for herself.

“Well, it’s time I turned in for the night. These ‘Championships’ begin early tomorrow. Wish me luck, you two.”



Large, heavy drops of rain splashed against the large stone altar. In the center, Levanna stood with her arms stretched out and her face to the sky. Three women circled her, their chanting falling in tempo with the lightning crashes of the surrounding storm. Each woman stood at the edge of the altar, facing her and holding onto staves made from dark, gnarled branches.

A small distance from the altar itself, a crowd of men and women surrounded and echoed the chants of the coven. With each old name invoked, their voices began to crash like thunder and hum like lightning before a strike.

As the chanting began to rise to a crescendo, the center of the coven approached Levanna, she placed a finger to her forehead, then to her heart. Before backing away, she handed the Plains’mother a scarlet red fruit.

Levanna took the fruit and nodded knowingly to the old mother. She closed her eyes and waited. Old names danced through her mind as the ritual went on. Some names familiar, others long forgotten. Her heart began to race. The chants grew faster and faster. She clenched her eyes shut as she listened for the names she knew would mean her part in the ritual had arrived.

Finally, she heard them. “Visalis”, “Sive”, “Rasht’ya”.

Levanna quickly bit into the Fruit of the Plains, swallowing a chunk as the scarlet flesh dripped from her lips and chin. She took as powerful a stance as she knew how and shouted to the sky.

“Struck Viper, allow me to thrash with life’s first cry! Sky keeper! Fill me with life’s breath! Thunder Jackal! Let my death be consummate when it is finished! I call upon my mark of the Plains’mother as a covenant with The Three! I vow to bear the Spark of Life until it is taken from me!”

With her final cry, the stone beneath their feet rumbled. Sparks began to dance around their feet. The energies of the earth itself began to arc and crawl across the ground.

Levanna felt her hair stand on end.

And then,

flash.



Flash.

The brilliance of the arena nearly blinded Levanna as they rose into the sky. Large crystals caught and refracted the sun in a thousand hues of radiance. With a deep breath, she calmed the trembling in her legs and eyed her opponents. A beast of the trees, a silver eyed man, a small creature cloaked in the essence of the elements, and- some form of metallic abomination.

“And so begins the Trial of Daybreak. Fight or Die, adventurers, but let the Elemental Championships begin!”

Levanna drew her Ironwood Staff and cast her gaze along her opponents once more, attempting to see if any would act. Just as her gaze turned to the abomination, a blistering stream of frost stung at her eyes. She roared angrily as she clenched her eyes shut, dropping into a low crouch and counting the creature’s footsteps, lashing out with her staff and hoping to catch it at the knees.
DF  Post #: 6
7/31/2021 17:43:44   
  San Robin
Modzerella


 As Adam soared over the Arena, he realized a few things: Someone may have asked him a question, there’s shards scattered across the Arena and- they are apparently explosive. But… How did the boy that was previously next to him, prevent himself from being harmed?

Meanwhile the Lizard and old scarry lady had started fighting. The Lizard had attacked from the get-go. They seemed fun… maybe Adam would poke it a bit to see what would happen!
Where there was a pressing silence coming from the Lizard and the Lady, the young boy and the Elf were a bit more chatty. Did they know each other? How curious.

Adam landed, a 3 point landing just as he had practiced all these years. Effective? No. Looking cool as heck? Oh yes. He smiled and looked around, the boy and the Elf were approaching each other by the looks of it. While the Lizard is storming the lady! Adam knew one thing for sure…

He wanted to know what the elf was!
“Hey you, Short elf person! What the heck are you?! A boy or a girl?!” Hmm maybe not the most tactical way to ask for him, but he just had to know! The short elf tilted xyr head “I’m a snack!” xe giggled. Adam Smiled at xem “I’m going to poke that big lizard thing to see what it does! I will be back later to try a bite!" he said, already running towards the big lizard “I’ll save some for ya!” he hears the snack-elf say. He smiles again and gives a wave. Shortly after that he had a clear line of sight on the Lizard-man-thing.

Now what should he do? He could use some of his power to throw with extra speed. But he had no idea how or IF it would work… Maybe it’s best to first poke around a bit! In a fluid motion he reached inside his pouch, took out a dagger, swiftly grabbing it, bringing it back to behind his head and throwing it as hard as he could, aiming for the side of the big lug’s waist!
AQ DF MQ AQW  Post #: 7
7/31/2021 23:29:23   
markthematey
Member

Rey was on guard; though his stance was completely relaxed, his eyes darted to watch the other contestants make their first move. The breeze felt stale on his lips and the air tasted drier than the desert’s just for a moment. Let ‘em make the first move. Standing still he watched as the two most threatening opponents beelined towards each other. A sigh of relief escaped as the furred person leaped into the sky. Rey raised an eyebrow, as agile as a cat, well, er’ i mean a squirrel? I’ll ask what they are later. Another problem that seemed to deal with itself for the time being. While he turned to face the remaining competitor, they called out in the distance.

“Hey, blondie, what was that?”

Huh?!. The light hearted tone and honest curiosity that came from them made Rey pause, then almost giggled. I mean... might as well meet a friendly face before we fight to the death Jogging across the arena with no urgency, he slipped past a few of the many prisms. Each prism floated and had the sun’s glare glistened off of the. Rey paid mind to stay out of the battle beginning to his right, using the prisms to break a direct line of sight deal with it when the time comes. A slight whisk was heard as the furred creature landed near the elf-like person. Rey couldn’t hear their short exchange but the squirrel was gone almost as quick as they arrived. Rey shrugged, cupped his hands and shouted while moving, “Just a little trick of mine, I got plenty more if you wanna see!”

“Hey me too, wanna show ‘em off a bit?” The short figure pulled out gem boomerangs. “Name’s Pietersite, but you can call me Pie.”

Now closer, Pie’s features could be seen much easier. Rey had seen Dwarfs and elves before but Pie seemed to stand in the middle. The boomerangs made for an interesting, almost childish weapon at first glance but certainly could be deadly. Rey, interested in this small fellow, flashes a welcoming smile, “Nice to meet ya Pie!”

Tipping his hat he continued, “Names Rey, sure you got an interesting story or two to tell. How about we share a few afterwards…” He rolled his shoulder and stretched his throwing arm, “but til then. We got a competition to finish.” He flipped the engraved stiletto dagger in his hand, holding the blade. Rey winked and threw it. It glided with a whistle through the air, aimed towards Pie’s throwing arm.
Post #: 8
8/1/2021 14:40:04   
Apocalypse
Member

A bellow filled the arena as the giantess reared back from the underhanded assault. She dropped low into a crouch, adopting the defensive position as the logika closed the distance. Crail buried the hatred rising inside him. Fortune had delivered unto him a foe formidable in presence and strong in instinct; one worthy to cast him into the eternity of the Great Frost. And yet it was not Crail Verglasson, brother in-arms to the Khan Geir Splittree of the northern vartai, with whom she would grant this honor. Nay, it was with the soulless shell of steel that the giantess did battle. With every act it defiled his name and brought further shame to his people. Such is my punishment…

His thoughts were disrupted as ice sprung from his left wrist, spiraling outward and coalescing into a shimmering blade of immaculate ivory. Four feet long and sharp as a razor, glimmering light danced along the length of the sword’s edge. A beautiful blade. A graceful blade. Far too elegant a blade for mine self. The vartai craved the familiar feel of the Twin Fang in his palm, of the might and power it commanded. It tempted him to defy and rage against the mental shackles imprisoning him. It was futile to do so now, even with the heavy loss of energy it took to conjure the Edge of Absolute of Zero. The mind of metal must have anticipated a quick and decisive victory to risk summoning it so early. The logika reared the blade back, swirls of mist trailing in its wake...

...and the giantess lashed out, a viper among the vibrant labyrinth.

The wooden staff cracked against the logika’s knee with staggering force. Prism glass gave way beneath her might, shattering into a spray of cyan dust as cryonic energy burst from the break. A burning fire laced up the leg from the crushing blow in a splintering helix. The vartai welcomed the pain, embraced it as the logika was sent stumbling past the giantess in its charge. Like cobwebs being pulled from his mind, he could feel his senses become sharper, his thoughts running freely.

It made him feel alive.

C.R.A.I.L struggled to salvage the situation, spinning on its heel to swipe out with the blade; a wild stroke for the meticulous machine that haphazardly targeted the giantess’s neck. Blood pounded in the vartai’s ears. The mind of metal had not been prepared for the counterstrike and was rapidly losing control of the flow of battle. The logika could not afford to make any more mistakes, to waste any more arcanic power. If it did, it would not be at the reins for long. Crail's heart was a drum of war, beating hard and fast in anticipation. Soon, his time would be nigh.

Something hard clanged off the back of the falling logika’s body, but neither mind of flesh nor metal paid it heed. Both were far more focused with the crystal pillar that they were crashing towards.
AQ DF MQ  Post #: 9
8/2/2021 22:59:11   
roseleaf320
Creative!
When the fluffy clawkin leapt into the air and addressed Pie, xyr heart nearly leapt with delight. Sure, Pie was here for the fighting competition as much as the next being of questionable origin, but xe much preferred a deep, heartfelt conversation to a physical fight. How lucky that, even in arenas meant for death, xe could find others to talk with! Although xe did find the clawkin’s question rather silly. Sure, Pie’s figure was a bit ambiguous (xe liked it that way), but why did xyr gender matter so much that it was the first thing on the clawkin’s mind? Perhaps it was better than just assuming. Pie felt “boy” and “girl” were both too narrow. Xe didn’t really have time to explain that here, though; there were much cooler things to do. “I’m a snack!” Much more fitting. Though pies are normally more of a dessert… oh well!

The clawkin seemed to accept this answer— not only accept, but answer back with a joke in turn, saying they’d come back later to try a bite. I like this one. Xe called as the clawkin ran off towards the other two fighters. “I’ll save some for ya!” Pie hoped the furball was good enough in a fight to make good on their words.

Across the arena, closer now, the human boy waved to Pie. “Just a little trick of mine, I got plenty more if you wanna see!”

Pie smiled, remembering how xe’d used the same word earlier with Milo. You’re already speaking my language. “Hey, me too, wanna show ‘em off a bit?” Pie reached into xyr cloak and pulled out a boomerang with a gloved hand. It caught the light of the arena, its sides shimmering with Pie’s chosen assortment of crystals. Out of the two, this one was more colorful-- its centerpiece a large pink and green fluorite jewel Pie had bought from a northern traveler two years back. Xe angled it so the stone’s central focus shone light towards the boy. “Name’s Pietersite, but you can call me Pie.” Pietersite-- the Tempest Stone.

As Pie approached the boy, xe noticed his eyes glinted with an unnatural silver sheen, like moonstones. Pie appreciated the interest it added to a face otherwise smooth and relatively normal. He couldn’t be past his twenties. “Nice to meet ya, Pie!” His accent was thick and southern; Pie figured that made it cooler to listen to. His long fingers curled around the brim of his hat, a rather expensive-looking felt with an elegant triangular clasp. Some sort of gold alloy, perhaps? Pie was always more interested in the jewels than the metal that held them, and xe was still far away anyways. “Name’s Rey, sure you got an interesting story or two to tell. How about we share a few afterwards…” Afterwards? Pie’s excitement dropped slightly, wondering if the boy-- Rey-- would cease talking entirely now that they’d been introduced. He was certainly ready to start combat. With a flick of his wrist and an odd catch of the light, he brought a shining dagger up and threw it towards Pie in an impressive straight line. Nice to meet you too, Rey. I sure hope that isn’t all you’ve got.

Pie grasped xyr cloak and pulled it in front of xem like a hawk flapping a wing, bright red silk tails tracing its movement. The dagger bounced against it with a thunk, leaving a heavy crease, but no puncture wound. Pie let out the breath xe’d been holding. Thanks, Skalf, you really treated this thing. I’ll have to stop home after this to buy you a pie. “What, you can’t talk while fighting?” Pie taunted. The crystals would make it rather hard to hit Rey from a long distance… but Pie realized a better idea just before xyr hands let go of the boomerang, a gust of wind sending it flying on a curved path towards Rey.

What if I just hit a crystal instead?



Post #: 10
8/2/2021 23:22:24   
draketh99
Purple Armadillo


 The crackling of wood strained, the scream of glass shattering. Frigid and broken shards pelted Levanna’s face. Exhale. She pivoted off her back heel and stepped into both strike and follow through. Inhale. She willed her eyes to open despite the sting of the frost. The glimmering lights of the arena struck her mind in a bright, painted blur. Levanna shifted her weight to her front foot, kicking off the glass floor and spinning herself into a standing position just beside the frozen abomination. Exh-. A dizzying flash of blue whirled out from the abomination’s arm. Levanna spun her staff upwards. Ironwood creaked and groaned as the frigid blade cracked against gnarled bark. Crystalline shards erupted forth, pelting against Levanna’s skin as the gleaming blade shattered against her staff. Levanna gritted her teeth and hissed as a cruel frost crept along the length of the ironwood and bit at her hands. Exhale. With a second twirl of her staff, Levanna whirled about and struck the ironwood down onto the small of the creature’s back.

The arena echoed as iron struck steel, iron giving way. A resounding CRACK broke out as the ironwood staff splintered in two. Levanna paled and retreated off her back foot. The broken half of her staff clattered to the ground. Bile slowly rose in her stomach as she marveled at the strength of this monster, at the hide of such a creature that could shatter iron.

Her free hand instinctively rose to her chest. With a sharp pull she ripped a fang from her necklace. Holding the tooth out in an outstretched fist, she began to murmur the old names. She gripped down until blood began to trickle from her fist.

The Plains’mother raised her gaze to mee the frozen machine. “If one of us is to die here,” she began in a voice thrumming with the growl of thunder. “In accordance with the old rites, I demand your name.”
DF  Post #: 11
8/4/2021 17:37:48   
  San Robin
Modzerella


 Adam watched as his dagger went for the waist of the giant lizard. It was in the middle of a fight with the old scarry lady and had just taken a tumble. Adam’s intended target shifted. Instead of hitting the creatures’ side it hit its back! Clanging off, not even causing it to flinch.

So daggers don’t work on it, or at least that part of it, the sound of metal on metal was another thing he noticed. Adam had to think of something else…
What about those weird crystals that were floating all over the arena?! He saw the strange boy blow one of them up before, but was that a power the boy had? Or something that was innate to the crystal? One way to find out! Once again reaching for his pouch and throwing a dagger at one of the crystals that was farthest away from him, an explosion as the crystal shattered into a thousand tiny pieces.

“Excellent,” he thought to himself. So these could be used to his advantage. But the question remained: How much force is needed to make such a crystal explode? Is a touch enough? Or does it have to be hit with a brute force of sorts?

Adam stopped to think, none of the contestants seemingly heeding him any mind. The storm in his head raging like always. so hard to focus. So hard to think...


”Think Adam, THINK!” A young Adam sits on the ground. His head in his hands. Trying to think of a solution to his problem. He had spent the entire day exploring the forest that was near his tribe but had gotten so caught up in the exploring that he lost track of time. Before he realized it, it had gotten dark. While making his way back to his tribe he stumbled and fell into a deep crevice and now he was here… stuck, all alone in the dark. Luckily he had been able to break his fall with a well placed gust of wind. But how could he make it back up? The walls were too steep and too smooth to climb and DEFINITELY too high to jump! Unless… a small idea started forming, the storm that’s usually in his head laid down as it usually does when he focused on his favorite thing.

What if he could somehow control the way the wind blew… what if he could create gusts of wind just below his feet and boost his jump?! He focused, feeling the wind around him controlling it to go down, feeling the breeze around his feet. NOW! He jumped. The wind was blowing around him, higher and higher, almost like he was flying. The wind… it was always there to get him out of a tough spot...


THAT’S IT! The wind! Maybe he can blow one of the crystals towards the giant lizard creature person thing!

Adam took a big breath and unfolded his fan, positioning himself in such a way that he could send one of the crystals towards his target in a straight line. Bracing himself so he could put all his force behind this blow and with a wave of his fan, he summoned a big gust of wind. Blowing away the crystal. Slowly but surely. 5 feet… 10 feet. 11 feet? hmmm not too far, but at least it didn’t explode! Another blow could do the trick! A deep breath, a wave of his fan and the crystal went soaring again straight for the lizard!


AQ DF MQ AQW  Post #: 12
8/4/2021 23:23:02   
markthematey
Member

Tyrannus flew as it had hundreds of times before, a life of practice making the throw an effortless task. Relearning the motion with his mechanical arm had been difficult, but over the years this too had become intrinsic. Rey knew it would either hit its mark or force them to react. Immediately after the blade left his hand, Rey ran towards the left of Pie, closing the distance between them. The smooth glass flooring gave just enough traction for Rey’s worn leather boots to grip onto it. His left hand snaked his belt, palming a cloth bag of caltrops into his hand.

The blade’s elegant flight was directly on target, but to Rey’s surprise the leather cloak wasn’t just an accessory. Pie deflected it, sending the dagger spinning off to the right; rebounding off the glass floor, a sharp clang rang out as a small dent formed in the smooth glass floor when the hilt ricocheted. While it reached the height of it’s second bounce, Rey closed the distance and locked his eyes onto it. Didn’t expect that to work, gotta have backup plans. Tyrannus immediately stopped it’s wild spin and floated motionlessly out of Pie’s view. Rey moved farther left, until the stiletto dagger was almost behind Pie.

“What, you can’t talk while fighting?” Pie provoked, brandishing xyr boomerang. The ornate gems were finely cut: jewels Rey would have stolen in a pinch in the past. Rey was about to open his mouth when the boomerang left Pie’s hand. The throw itself was normal but the boomerang jetted towards Rey at unnatural speeds. Caught off guard, Rey instinctually froze it just for half a second. It jerked to a stop and restarted its motion at full speed just long enough for Rey to slide out of the way, brass hand holding the hat in place. They either got a hell of an arm or something ain’t right! Gliding a few feet, Rey quickly pushed off the ground, regaining his balance.

The boomerang continued its arc with terrifying speed, but Rey noticed something: it wasn’t going to hit him in the first place. Catching his breath, Rey chuckled “Lass, if I fight and talk at the same time like that, I might end up throwin’ like you~” CRACK As Rey turned he already knew what had happened. A wall of shards met Rey’s eyes. Me and my big mouth A blanket of needles approached in a deadly wave. With a sharp gasp Rey’s eyes widened, capturing as many in his view as possible; a painting of glass edges formed as Rey pulled on their magnetic fields, freezing them.

A pain sliced through Rey's calf, a shard made a deep gash across the side of it and blood began to flow. He hadn’t time to worry about it because the sound of footsteps came from behind. Spinning around, Pie was approaching fast. Rey hopped to the left, releasing the frozen shards towards them. The quick motion made a pain shoot up his leg. Rey grunted, “I ain’t against talkin’ but that trick was a bit tyrannus, don’ ya think?” With a grin Rey unfroze his dagger. Like a sparrow that had found it’s prey, the dagger darted directly towards him; with Pie in it’s way.
Post #: 13
8/6/2021 0:06:36   
Apocalypse
Member

In quick succession, the giantess shattered the crystal blade and struck the logika upon its back with her wooden staff. The force of the blow further knocked the vartai off-balance and propelled him towards one of the glistening pillars. C.R.A.I.L. pushed off their right leg, reigniting the agony of the previous injury. Crail’s vision blurred as his knee burned with a thousand pinpricks of white-hot needles burrowing deep into its tissue. He almost did not register crashing into the pillar, barely avoiding a headlong collision as his armored shoulder slammed against it. The impact sent the pillar reeling ahead while the logika clattered across the translucent floor. Metal screeched and cried against glass as Crail came to a halt. Before him, the pillar came to a standstill just shy of another monolith, sunlight refracting through its form as it wavered ahead...



A light wavered ahead.

Crail opened his eyes, face half-buried in snow. He clawed a hand forward, fingers digging deep through the red-stained blanket surrounding him.

His fault…

He gasped, inhaling the frigid air and a mouthful of bloodied snow. His blood. The taste of iron filled his mouth as his throat constricted from the sharp bite of cold. He coughed. He retched. He let his head fall back onto the freezing bedsheet and his eyes close. This was the fate he had earned.

His fault…

Around him lay the dead. Splintered spears and shattered shields permeated the snow banks amidst the scattered bodies. Great vartai berserkers bearing their primal forms and ferocious raiders still within their sleeker ones lay intermingled with a host of human invaders that had perished far from their home. Crail took another ragged breath, inhaling a mouthful of fallen frost with it. Memories of the ambush drifted through his mind as he lay there, but the wretched image of the thunder-split crown worn on their cumbersome armor burned brightest above all.

His fault…

He could rest here. The blood loss would be sure to take him if the scavenging winter wolves did not get to him first. The vartai relaxed his hand, fingers splaying into the snow. It would be easy. Crail Verglasson had led the vanguard of the khanate to ruin but despite his failure they had still slain more than twice their number. Perhaps the Great Frost would deem their deaths worthy and consume them body and soul.

Not yet...

Light flashed from beyond his eyelids.

Crail opened his eyes once more. Before him darted a sputtering sphere of light. The vartai let out a sharp laugh and winced as his entire body wracked from the pain. How cruel it was for a loch’lom to come to him at this hour of his ultimate defeat, to mock him in his humiliation. His eyes followed the spirit’s movements as its form flitted through a myriad of shapes - a bird, a sword, a ship - before lurching out of his vision.

“What...else...have you...come..to take...from me?”

Crail received no answer. He turned his gaze, snow and ice coating half of his face, to follow the spirit’s movements. The loch’lom was already but a faint glow in the distance, hurtling down the snow-ridden path from which the vartai vanguard had come. These guides were rarely ever blunt in their messages, but this one was all too clear: Crail was not permitted to die here.

Not yet...

He pushed against the hard ice and slippery snow. Bones groaned as if to collapse beneath the weight, muscles tightened as if to snap under the strain, and every fiber of his being was alight with the ache of a body threatening to fall apart. But he rose to his feet. Death was too kind a mercy for his failure.

On instinct his hand reached out and found the grip of his Twin Fang, its head buried deep within the chest of the enemy commander. The armor had warped around the battleaxe where it had split the chestplate asunder, but the vartai wrenched it free in one deft motion. Crimson droplets trickled around the contours of the Twin Fang’s runes and down to the ivory blanket below. His eyes followed the history of the weapon, the history of Crail himself. They detailed
his rescue from fearsome blizzard as a child, his adoption and training by the previous khan, and his rise as the khanate’s champion underneath Geir Splittree - his foster brother and chosen leader.

Crail watched the last light of the loch’lom fade away into the darkness ahead, back towards the village. It beckoned him, tempted him to return home. To crawl back to the khanate with his fangs filed and his wings clipped. Such an act would bring shame to the khan for entrusting the vanguard to him.

The vartai turned his back on the pathway home as he began his long march through the building snow. He could not return to the khanate, to Geir.

Not yet.



A step forward and Crail was transported back to the arena, the iridescent snowfall replaced by the glimmer of the arena’s many monoliths. The mind of metal had him staring down the giantess as she clenched something tight within her palm. As her gaze bore down on him, she did the unexpected.

She asked of him his name.

Crail, son of the Verglas.

Crail, khantate champion sworn to the great Khan Geir Splittree.

Crail, exile of the frozen sea.

So many names, but he could give her none. That infernal false mind within him refused that courtesy. Instead, it clunked with its science and its machines as it barreled towards the giantess with nary a word. His knee screamed in protest with every bound, the bones within rattling as if loose in their sockets. Crail bit down on the pain, using it to peel away the remaining layers of haze from his haunting vision. He would need to be alert for when C.R.A.I.L made its mistake. The logika slammed its feet onto the gleaming ground as it came to a standstill, the now polished and smooth axehead of the Twin Fang already formed around his hand.

Crail yearned to spurn himself forward, to lock himself in martial combat with the foe who respected the old rites. Instead, he could only watch as C.R.A.I.L. lashed out three times with the Twin Fang, his rage feeding his focus. The first loosed the blade forward like an arrow with its artificial sorcery, striking the giantess in the nose with the stop of the axe. The second whipped it by the chain into an encroaching pillar of glass, shattering it in a tempest of glittering shards that rained down upon his metallic form. The third sent the head of the axe crashing down towards the giantess again, this time seeking to split her skull. Each blow struck from a distance, each swing a craven attempt to survive until the battle was over, not to earn a deserved victory.

May the rites you respect in turn respect you, for you shall find none from this perversion of metal.
AQ DF MQ  Post #: 14
8/7/2021 7:23:13   
roseleaf320
Creative!
As the boomerang-- I’ll name it Fluorite!-- traced its curved path towards Rey, Pietersite quickened xyr steps towards xyr chosen partner. Chocolate-brown eyes watched intently as the boomerang froze in midair and Rey jerked backwards. They took in the details of his face as his expression remained unchanged; lips pursed in concentration, eyebrows turned upwards in alarm. But not one feature of his face betrayed surprise at the boomerang’s sudden stop in time. So this is your trick, isn’t it? Somehow, Rey was able to stop time-- in a small area, for a short moment. Sick… What a fun playmate!

When the brief moment was over and Fluorite moved once more, Pie’s eyes followed it. Xe knew the real spectacle was not in Rey’s face, as his lips yelled a joking insult, but in the exact way the crystal beside him would react when the boomerang hit. The clang of metal against stone shook Pie’s eardrums. Xe was used to the gentle clinks and scrapes used for shaping; this was much louder and more violent. Pie’s brief worry over whether the gems had been damaged was easily forgotten as the prism burst into hundreds of tiny shards. They danced for a moment in the sun’s light before freezing abruptly, their jagged cuts refracting light at countless angles. The few that escaped Rey’s time field seemed random-- a max limit? A mistake? Two runaway shards scraped against Rey, drawing blood. Pie pursed xyr lips and pushed aside xyr initial instinct to stutter out an apology as Rey grunted. I knew coming in that there would be a lot more blood than just this. Fluorite clattered to the ground a short distance away from the pair; Pie only needed to change xyr angle slightly to aim to pick up the toy before getting in sparring range of Rey.

Rey ducked out of the way of the sunlit fractals and released them from his grasp. Pie was closing the distance towards Rey, but that meant running towards shards now flying through the air once more; but that was simple enough to get through. Pie pulled xyr cape upwards, level with the top of xyr head as if to shield xymself from a storm. It’s raining shards! Meanwhile, Rey regained his voice. “I ain’t against talkin’ but that trick was a bit tyrannus, don’ ya think?” Halfway through his sentence, Rey’s grimace flipped into a grin, and Pie’s eyebrows furrowed with confusion. He was clearly in pain only seconds ago, so what reason would he have to grin so fiercely?


Too late, xe remembered a glint by their feet, before xe had begun running, that wasn’t pointing where it should have been.


A sharp sting erupted as the blade that had fallen from Pie’s cape shot past xyr thigh. With the cape pulled around Pie’s right to block the hail of crystal, the blade easily severed the thin leather of Pie’s leggings. Pie inhaled sharply through gritted teeth and stumbled as the cut threw off xyr steps. Xe managed to catch xemself from falling and groaned, partially out of pain and partially out of annoyance. Xe knew xe couldn’t be mad at Rey for doing what they were all supposed to do, but.... Xe strained to maintain a hint of teasing in xyr tone. “Ow!” And you say I’m the one with dirty tricks? Pie’s boomerang was forgotten now, and as the initial pang of the dagger began to fade into an ache, Pie did the first thing xe could think of. Using the last of xyr stumbling momentum, xe dropped to the ground and slid straight towards Rey’s legs. Xyr words bubbled with laughter despite the stress, as if xe were playfighting with a sibling. “You’ll pay for that one, Rey!”
Post #: 15
8/7/2021 22:45:20   
draketh99
Purple Armadillo


 A sickly haze drew up around the Plains’mother. The ground under her feet grew hauntingly cold. Fog slowly crept up from the soil, ensnaring her before continuing on to devour everything. The world had drifted away. Levanna was alone. The mist coiled its way around her mind, her senses, her soul. It filled her lungs and chilled her to her very core. She tried to cry out yet it choked her. She tried to scream, yet no sound would answer.

Levanna dropped to her knees. She felt the soil, the fog, and all of the emptiness all leech away the warmth from her beating heart. Anguished realization rooted into her mind as she felt her own life drift off into the emptiness.

Just as she felt herself spirit give way, as the soil itself threatened to swallow her; two glowing, golden eyes pierced the vast nothingness before her. A slow panting echoed in the cool wind. Heavy footsteps pattered along the chilled earth. A growl rumbled so low it shook her own chest.

“I am the storm’s fury. I am that which rends the earth asunder. I am death’s consummate. I am the devourer of life’s final breath.

Who are you to demand covenant with me?”



CRACK

The swirling veil of a crackling fog split apart. The head of an axe piercing into her focus bludgeoning her face. Her vision blurred for little more than a moment. The arena before her now tinted by a red haze as the taste of copper tinged her tongue. She grit her teeth as she felt the spark of the Thunder Jackal’s strength coursed through her veins.

Levanna locked eyes with the flailing contraption. The warm trickle of blood down her face only heated her temper. “Are you little more than a monster with no name, then?” She howled. “Then I shall put you down like an animal.” The creature continued to thrash, its axe shattering one of many gleaming pillars and showering itself in a blizzard of prismatic shards. That was a backswing. She thought to herself, her instincts electrified. Without missing a beat, the creature launched its axe towards her head once again.

Prepared this time, Levanna ducked and sidestepped the blade. Metal screeched against glass as Levanna dropped the remaining half of her staff to the ground in favor of grabbing onto the creature’s chain. Lightning rushed through her veins and arced along her arm as she ripped the metallic beast back towards her. Golden eyes narrowed and tracked her prey as it stumbled towards her. She wound back a fist and-

CRASH

A bright flash of sparks erupted as her fist stuck down hard on the creature’s forehead.
DF  Post #: 16
8/8/2021 17:20:41   
  San Robin
Modzerella


 Perplexed, Adam looked as the lizard thing shattered the crystal without any apparent effort before continuing attempting to hit the old scarry lady again! Is this thing unbeatable!? His dagger didn’t leave a scratch, the Pillar didn’t do a thing and its strength is on a whole different level! What was left to do? Adam was fast, but didn’t have enough strength to go toe-to-toe with that creature!


”GET UP, YOUNG ONE!” Odon shouted at a young Adam. The old grizzled warrior had been training Adam in the way of the blade and had just beaten him for what must’ve been the hundredth time that day. “If you put even a fraction of the effort you put into your training with the wind into your sword practice, you’d be the strongest in the village!” He sighed “But at this rate you wouldn’t stand a chance against even a run-of-the-mill sneevil!”

Adam groaned, sword practice was SO BORING! And Odon was like the strongest warrior in the entire tribe! Of course he couldn’t beat him! Especially with something as heavy as a sword! He wished he could just go back to training with the wind… but the elders insisted that he’d also learn to defend himself with other weapons if the time ever came that the wind wasn’t available. Joke’s on them though… Wind was everywhere, they just didn’t know where to look for it! “Lore to Adam!” Adam looked up into the displeased face of Odon. “I said to go into the forest and collect some firewood! Use your sword to chop it if necessary!” Adam looked at him in disbelief. “You want me to chop wood… with a wooden sword?!” The old Warrior grinned “Practice, young one! Now go!” Adam grumbled, but eventually got up, picked up his sword and headed into the forest.

After a while of his futile attempts at chopping wood with wood, Adam sat down and let out a big sigh “What a bother” he said to himself. Then… There was a rustle in the bushes. “Really, Old man?! You’ve been spying on me to see if I kept training!?” Adam said more annoyed than anything. But what came out of the bushes wasn’t Odon. It was a gorillaphant! Oh no! What was that thing doing this close to the village?! Adam had left all his equipment there! All he had was this stupid sword! The gorillaphant started charging. Adam took a swing with all his might, but the sword snapped in half at the contact with the beast’s tusks!

There he was - defenseless, half a wooden sword and nobody around to hear him. Surely it was the end! NO! It couldn’t be! He had so much left to learn, mysteries of the wind to uncover! He felt the wind blow around him, the storm in his head once again clearing as it had before. The wind… it can be gentle and playful, it can bring life and fill the sails of ships. But it can be ruthless, destroying anything in its path, blowing down buildings and forests. The wind… it could cut through anything with enough force.
An idea came to Adam. Cutting. Wind. He focused on his broken sword, he imagined a blade of wind forming around it, a blade that could cut through near everything, just like the wind. Adam took a leap and slashed!


Another flashback… But he knew what he had to do, even though he dreaded it. Adam opened his eyes. Just in time to see the old lady punch the giant creature right in the forehead! Now was his chance! Adam took out his dagger and started sprinting. Leaping at the lizard creature as it was reeling back from the blow to its head and falling to one knee.

“RABID SQUIRREL STYLE!”

He formed his blade and clung onto the creature’s shoulder. Giving a quick glance at the old Lady “Hi! I’m Adam! Wow! You’re like SUPER old! Anyways I’m going to stab this thing now!” He slashed at the scales that covered it. A dent! Another slash! And another one! Finally the scales gave way and the creature started bleeding! “So you can bleed!” Adam exclaimed. “I started to think you were unbeatable!” He focused again, preparing for another slash. But… naturally by now the creature had noticed him slashing at its shoulder. Adam gulped as he saw its huge hand coming for him as he was mid-slash.

“Uh oh.”
AQ DF MQ AQW  Post #: 17
8/8/2021 21:47:28   
markthematey
Member

Pie’s sharp breath and yelp told Rey his diversion had worked. The blade whistled as it flew to its intended target; with a flick of his hand, Rey plucked Tyrannus from the air. A red splash of blood whipped off as it came to halt. The words “Sic Semper Tyrannus” seemed to glow beneath to red smears. Sorry Pie, if I played each game straight, I’d be long dead by now. The smell of blood exuded from the dagger. Rey never liked that smell and avoided it at all costs, nonetheless it didn’t seem to be avoidable here. He had come here with the hope to rid his life of it forever.

Pie stumbled as they were hit, their stride broke for just a second but they were upon Rey. Starting a slide aiming for his legs, “You’ll pay for that one, Rey!”



“You’ll pay for that one, Rey!” the ginger girl called, chasing him with a twig they found just outside the house. She had the biggest smile he’d ever seen, a big gapped toothy grin that had been burned into Rey’s memory. She was always smiling when they were together, Rey smiled as well. Together since they were real young, together through the thick and thin, Rey and Chloe. Life had been so care free and simple then.

“Catch me if ya can, you big ol’ doof!” Little Rey taunted, “I’m faster than a jackrabbit and smarter than one too!” He turned to run away jumping over the flower bed, but he heard the back door slammed open. Mama was there and she looked terrified; though not Rey’s true mother but he loved her as such. Her crystal blue eyes were frantic. Mama tried to show a calm demeanor but her fear eroded from her.

“Kids! Kids, come quick!” Rey stopped, prompting Chloe to as well. They sauntered over, exchanging a puzzled look. “I don’t have time but some very bad people are coming… You remember the dry well by the road? I want you to run there and hide for the day… I love you both and I’ll find you tonight.” Mama pulled them into a tight embrace, “Run now, quickly! I’ll find you! I promise!”

Rey was shocked and stood still with fear for a few seconds. Chloe pulled on his arm, tears forming before turning and running. Rey sprinted to follow, he didn’t even notice when the log caught his foot. The ground was approaching fast.




The ground was approaching fast, and Rey blinked. A wave of recognition hit him: he was about to hit the floor, hard. Son of a-! Instinct took over as he began to tuck for a roll. Rey’s hat spun off from the motion, flipping upside down and skating across the glass. His leg roared in pain and he collided with the ground hard on his back. With his breath forced out, Rey released an empty cough. In the scramble, he had dropped Tyrannus, but he still held the caltrops. Rey’s thoughts swirled but the battle wasn’t over yet. Stumbling to a stand, he shifted the weight from his now screaming, bleeding leg.

Pie was still recovering from the wild slide themselves but had already turned to face Rey. He released the caltrops in an arc around Pie. His eyes saw the slight warbles around each one, The slight magnetic fields everything had, he could see. Making each wave still was natural and created the “frozen in time effect.” When the caltrops were in the right spot to make a small cage of dangerously sharp stars; each held still in the air.

“You can make me pay if ya catch me, ya big ol’ doof!”
Post #: 18
8/10/2021 11:43:02   
Apocalypse
Member

Before the logika, the giantess stood transformed.

Eyes of calmest blue turned to tumultuous gold.

Strength of body made manifest.

Skin alive with the kiss of the storm.

The mere sight of her filled Crail with a fathomless fury.

Her words were lost against the pounding of blood in his ears. His vision saw only red as the Stormkissed wrenched upon the chain, pulling both man and machine forwards with supernatural might. The taste of ozone brushed his tongue as the logika stumbled towards her and into the awaiting strike. Her fist was a blur, a flash of flesh and crackling energy crashing into his skull with the force of a hammer. Sunbursts exploded across his sight, and the vartai fell to a knee.



The vartai fell to a knee.

A howling thunder tore at his eardrums. All around him, battle screamed to the symphony of steel and storm. Before him stood the commander of the enemy, a human donning a decorated shell of armor emblazoned with a thunder-split crown. Crail glanced upwards towards his face, but caught no glimpse of the man beneath the eagle-shaped helm.

He pushed against the snow, Twin Fang aching to cleave the dastard’s head in twain. The vartai had hardly moved before something slammed into his shoulder, grating against his scales. A second and third followed in quick succession before a fourth erupted a seething lance of pain down to the bone. The vartai collapsed to his knee once more, sinking into the snow as the enemy commander snorted.

“No rest, no quarter!” the commander called out to his men. The sword in his hand blazened to life with a constellation of azure bolts. He raised the blade overhead. “Slay them all, but tread no further! The Storm Below the Waves awaits their khan.”

Geir...

Veins surging with rage and fire, Crail bellowed into the relentless storm.



Crail bellowed into the Trial of Daybreak.

It was faint, muffled by the metal contraption binding his jaw shut. But it was his roar, his voice.

The time was his and his alone.

Free from the thoughts and running mind of the false life, Crail clambered to his feet. His fingers flexed as he rose to his full height, feeling the tightening of muscles deep within their prison of steel - such a familiar sensation made alien unto him. He yearned to bask in this moment but could not for it was only borrowed.

His hand moved to the steel silencing him. Fingers found purchase just at the edge of his mouth and in one swift motion, tore it free. A spray of blood followed the metal as it clattered to the arena’s floor, and with it a handful of teeth ripped loose from his mouth. The biting pain went ignored as Crail sucked in a breath, tasting unadulterated air for the first time in a decade. The blood accompanying it only made it sweeter.

When he spoke, his voice was hoarse and low, but carried a weight to it; a rumble in the mountain above. “I...am he who was birthed from the verglas.”

He reached up, shoulder wound stinging with every movement. Yet he was grateful for the pain, for it was all his doing. Crail inhaled again as he grasped the scruff of whatever assailant had leapt onto his back during his fugue. The werebeast had sought to interrupt his duel? Then so be it - he would be blessed with the vartai’s fury as well.

Crail’s voice grew, the cascade of rocks collecting ice and snow into a flurry as he hurled the werebeast at the Storm-kissed. Her form still danced with the power commanded by those wearing the thunder-split crown. “I am the champion who brought naught but ruin!”

A quivering hand reached out to the nearest floating pillar. Arm of mine, do not falter now. He held it firm and with a mighty swing, catapulted it towards the giantess and her ally. His words became a crescendo, an unyielding avalanche as the mountain itself fell upon those who dared conquer it.

“Robbed of mine victory, stolen of mine life!”
.
Crail staggered towards the next pillar as he spoke, his wounded knee threatening to buckle beneath him with every step.

“Even mine death was plundered from me!”

The vartai caught sight of the other two combatants - a half-breed and some boy playing soldier - and hurled the glittering monolith at them. If that drew their ire, then perhaps they would endeavor to set him free.

“If you have heart to kill what was forbidden to die...”

Twin Fang lashed out on its long chain, ensnaring another pillar as the vartai swung about on his feet. It gleamed in a chromatic array as it came barreling down on the giantess. Crail roared as he bounded after it, his wounded leg hampering his gait.

“...then come bathe your steel in mine blood!”
AQ DF MQ  Post #: 19
8/11/2021 23:17:53   
roseleaf320
Creative!


 Pie couldn’t stifle a laugh as xe slammed into Rey and felt the boy tumble behind xem. It was just like when xe would play with all the other village children in the Fountain Plaza; all the siblings that filled in when Pie had none of xyr own. Since xe’d grown older and the children increasingly younger, this was the first time Pie had gone all out in a long while. Fluorite whistled towards xem as xe slid, recovered from its’ impact with the prism. Pie caught it solidly in xyr hand despite the blade across its side. Ever since Lan brought me the one from his toy store, these things have never done me wrong.

“You can make me pay if ya catch me, ya big ol’ doof!” Pie turned towards the voice to find Rey up on one knee, recovering from the fall. Rey’s smile was gone, but the light in his voice was still playful, and accompanied by the tinkling sound of metal toys coming from the small bag he grasped in his hand. Your turn, Rey. What are we playing with now? Pie would always take turns during games with children, especially when xe was much older than them - i. It was more fair that way. Pie couldn’t resist using the familiar pattern here-- even though xyr trainers had insisted that real combat didn’t have any turns. Rey’s turn was loosing the bag and tossing a dozen or so caltrops towards xem. Pie curled into a ball and covered xemself in xyr cloak, expecting the tools to patter onto xem like raindrops. After a moment of stillness, Pie remembered Rey’s ability to suspend things in time. Xe sneaked a glance upwards and confirmed that, instead of falling onto xem harmlessly, the caltrops had stopped midair. Yeah okay, that’s kinda cool, but now it’s so easy for me to just-

“...then come bathe your steel in mine blood!”

Pie was only so good at concentrating on the task at hand. Xe had tried to ignore what xe assumed was the dragon when it began yelling, but it was just becoming too much. I know this is a fighting competition, but wow, do you have to be so loud and edgy? No one wants to bathe in your blood. Pie glanced away from Rey-- who frankly seemed to be doing the same thing-- and towards the source of the voice. Xe barely got a proper look at the three other competitors locked in combat, however, as xe quickly noticed the pillar moving much too fast towards xem from the dragon’s direction. The caltrops! If the pillar reached Pie’s little ceiling of caltrops, it might just barrel through them, but with sharp metal colliding into fragile glass, the metal might win despite its smallness. Pie flung xyr boomerang with one hand, hoping to burst the crystal before it got close enough to hurt xem. With the other hand, xe grabbed xyr cape and attempted to brush away the caltrops blocking xyr escape. Xe met more resistance than xe expected, finally pushing enough away with a gust of wind sweeping xyr cape to let xem roll away as the pillar shattered. Sharp scratches opened on Pie’s cheeks and neck as the strongest shards flew towards xem. If xe had been only a foot or two closer…

Xe lifted a hand to xyr cheek and gingerly wiped warm blood from above xyr eye. It seemed like three cuts; eyebrow, cheekbone, and neck. Pie faintly remembered the time xy cut xyr fingertip on a sharp edge of kyanite-- of the many times something like that had happened. They always stung a surprising amount, and xe would have to clean the wound several times over to make sure no dirt or dustings from the stone had gotten into it. The way these wounds stung, in an almost pulsing pattern that made xem acutely and weirdly aware of xyr heartbeat, felt similar. Xe pushed the fear from the blast out of xyr mind. I can take this; I took those accidents fine all the time. I just wish there was some cold water to dump on my face here…

Fluorite bounced to the ground beside xem, and xe picked it up with a bloodstreaked hand. Pie caught xyr breath, still laying on the hard stone. Xe dragged xyr head across the floor to look over at Rey, his body sideways in xyr vision. Their gazes met, and both glanced over to the mech dragon that had interfered with their playtime. Pie smiled at their unspoken agreement as they nodded at each other. We really are similar. Xe forced xemself to stand, very carefully, despite the lopsided sting in xyr face and leg. “Let’s get this thing.”

They took off in sync, but Pie’s feet quickly faltered as the knife wound in xyr thigh protested against the sudden movement. Pie gasped in pain as blood seeped down xyr pant leg. This was nothing compared to what could have happened… xe had known, had been told over and over that xe would be hurt, that this was dangerous, so why was a single knife scrape rendering xem so useless? Why am I such a wimp? Or perhaps idiot was a better word. No magic to xyr name, just a tendency to be lucky and a set of shiny tools. That was why Pie’d ended up in a normal trade village to begin with. Maybe that was why xe felt the need to pursue the Jade of the old folk tale. I’m more than just an ordinary jeweler. I’m here to prove that. And my wind ancestry must count for something. The Wind Lord must sense something. Even if it didn’t show.

So Pie had no choice but to keep going, the wind making xyr heels ever-so-slightly lighter. Perhaps it was a sign.

Xe pushed away the alarm bells of xyr leg, running across the glass to catch up to the rest of the fighters. The squirrel from earlier seemed tired but determined, recovering from some kind of push from the older woman and turning to throw something towards the mechanical foe. Pie hadn’t taken much note of the woman before, as she had quickly engaged with the dragon-mech at the start of the fight, but Pie felt a pang of affection for the features that echoed those of xyr mentor. The dragon was still facing away from them, its focus on the woman as he charged towards her. Within its back, Pie noticed the layer of glass protecting a glowing blue core. Now’s my chance! Pie took a running start and leapt towards the moving dragon, propelling xemself into a twirl as xe willed the silk-stranded daggers decorating xyr cape to break through the glass. Blunt force with a boomerang was tempting, but all Pie needed was to impact the right spot, and the metal on xyr ties was sharper. Destroy the centerpiece, ruin the work. The wind propelled xyr momentum, as if the arena felt xyr plea-- or perhaps xe was just really lucky today. C’mon, Wind Lord, notice me.

Post #: 20
8/12/2021 10:34:55   
draketh99
Purple Armadillo


 Levanna raised her fist to strike again, yet the strength she summoned would not come. A bolt of searing pain struck across her forehead with her next heartbeat. Her vision blurred as she tried to focus on the frigid beast before her. Amidst the intoxication of the power she now hosted, Levanna felt the hot trickle of blood that ran down her face. The sensation served as a sobering reminder that she’d already suffered a blow to the head. Growling, she took two steps back from her opponent in order to have but a moment to steady herself.

As she retreated, another of the arena’s combattants lunged at her opponent. The strange squirrel had the audacity to mock the age of a Plains’mother as he passed. She bit down on her pride and allowed the chattery thing to pass. Levanna took two more steps back. Yet this new distraction earned her no respite.

The frigid contraption had exploded into yet another fit of rage. It had even torn the very steel from its face and cast it aside.

“I...am he who was birthed from the verglas.”

Levanna’s chest tightened. It could speak now. The creature’s movements no longer seemed as cold nor as desperately calculated as they had been just moments ago. Whatever this thing was- whoever this thing was, they were trapped within themselves.

A strange sight wrenched Levanna from her realization. The verglas spawn had lifted the large rodent and threw it straight at her. She forced down a chuckle as she caught the thing by the scruff. Before she could address this potential new ally, the verglas spawn had thrown one of the gleaming pillars at them both. She threw the chattery rodent to the side before falling to her back in an attempt to avoid the projectile. Lightning struck through her once again as she struck her head on the ungiving glass floor.

Searing white pain flashed just behind her eyes as she heard the verglas spawn continue to speak as he launched another pillar elsewhere in the arena. He shouted of a life stolen, of a proper death denied.

Levanna struggled to her feet, her gifted strength threatening to leave her should she falter. She took a sharp breath and returned her focus to her opponent.

“If you have heart to kill what was forbidden to die...”

The verglas spawn ensnared one final gleaming pillar. As he spun it came rocketing down towards Levanna. The dancing colors of refracted light flickered across golden eyes.

Exhale.

Levanna slid her foot behind her, keeping her focus on the shining glass.

Inhale.

She shifted her weight onto her back foot, dropping her stance into one low and anchored.

Exhale.

Levanna roared with the might of a storm as she thrust forward. A loud crack echoed through the room as her fist met the glass pillar. Bolts of pain arced through her arm as she felt the glass give way. A second, more shrill cry echoed out from Levanna as the followthrough of her strike shattered the pillar into a raging storm of prismatic glass shards.
DF  Post #: 21
8/12/2021 14:36:02   
  San Robin
Modzerella


 The hand grabbed Adam in the scruff of his neck. Uh oh. Being ripped loose from the creature’s shoulder and brought back.brought back and thrown at full force toward the scarry old lady! “CatchmecatchmecatchmeOh the wind feels nicecatchmecatchmecatchme!” He shouted. Just in time the Lady caught him. Just in time the lady dodged out of the way of a crystal that was thrown by the Lizard creature! Shortly after she tossed Adam to the side.

Adam looked up. He was tired from using this many skills in such a short time, but the storm in his head whipping up once again, he just HAD to say something! “Thanks for catching me! You’re nice! WOW! You have even more scars than I thought! Now that I see you up-close you have SO many of them! The warriors in my tribe always say scars are trophies of battles they survived but I always thought they just really suck at dodging! You must also be really bad at dodging! Is that because you’re old? Because you’re like SUPER old! Anyways, what’s your name?” Adam Smiled at the scarry old Lady.

But she seemed focused on something else, Adam followed her gaze and saw a crystal flying their way. Yet another thing thrown by the Lizard creature. “Wait, why are you punching it?! DOOOOOOODGE!” He yelled as he started sprinting away from the crystal but he tripped... Falling, sliding, clattering up, trying to run more. But it was too late.

The crystal shattered. Adam felt the blast, he felt many shards enter his wind sense, he knew that if he didn’t defend he’d end up with severe damage. It would mean the end of his journey, the end of his dream!

NO! He hated using this skill because it drained him even further but it had to be done! WINDSHIELD! The usually gentle windsense that’s around his body at all times started blowing like a raging storm. Enveloping him in an armor of wind. Just in time as he had been feeling the shards pierce his skin. He felt them leave his body, blown away by the massive force.

Exhausted Adam fell to his knee. That skill always took SUCH a toll out of him. But there was no time to rest. The Lizard had started charging at the both of them. “I may be exhausted” thought Adam, “But I still have some fight in me!” He turned around, Grabbed his dagger and flung it at the creature. Going for the shoulder he had jumped on earlier, knowing the scales could be pierced. “WIND! GUIDE MY DAGGER!” he yelled as he used his focus to give the dagger a boost with wind energy.

Apparently he wasn’t the only contestant going for the creature! Shortly after, the snack-elf jumped towards the creature as well. Twirling through the air and slinging blades at it. “Majestic!” Adam thought, as next to him the old scarry lady also started charging towards the creature! And was that a glimpse of the human boy?

3 against one. That’s just rude.
But… y’know… might as well make it 4 against 1!
Adam smiled and grabbed his dagger, collecting his energy and running towards the creature. “I’m going to stab it in its ankles!”

Chaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarge!
AQ DF MQ AQW  Post #: 22
8/13/2021 20:42:06   
markthematey
Member

Thoughts racing, Rey started the next plan in his head. The initial trap had been laid and Pie stood in it. He fiddled with the latch and with a satisfying click it came undone. Grabbing his blanket, he wrapped it around his hand, I’ve always had to be resourceful, sorry to do this to ya blankie. The dusty old blanket drooped low, nearly wafting against the glass floor. Rey opened his mouth, but was cut off before a word could escape.

“...then come bathe your steel in mine blood!” Those words rattled the arena and stole Rey’s attention. Problems always snuck up on Rey when he wanted it least and this was no exception. The roar seemed distant but Rey turned none the less, The dragon was in a fierce fight with the other competitors and Rey released a sigh of relief before he noticed the giant pillar soaring towards them.

A sharp gasp escaped and instinct took over. The pillar made contact with the ground, a surge of shards and glass daggers erupted at a lethal speed. Rey tossed the blanket in between the shard and him and froze it immediately. The shards impacted the make-shift blast shield, many bounced off the floating sheet but a few toar through. Unprepared, Rey couldn’t react quick enough to stop them.

Rey gripped his ribs as blood began to flow from a deep cut. On one knee, Rey scoffed at himself. This is what I get for ignoring problems again. Rey’s right sleeve had a large tear, exposing his brass arm, the upper of which now contained a large dent. Rey grimaced at the thought, I coulda been down an arm… He shook his head, he didn’t have time for this. He released the blanket and the caltrops, his eyes starting to feel strained from constant use of his ability.

Rey glanced at Pie, also recovering from the attack. A determined look he hadn't seen before painted Pie’s face. Their eyes met and he was sure they shared the same thought: “That dragon is going down.”

The two took off in sync. Exhaustion from his wounds ached in his muscles but he had much more to give before he was down for the count. He whispered Tyrannus’ name and it flew towards him. Twisting, he easily caught it and continued his sprint. The blade always flew towards his heart; dangerous yet predictable. Pulling up his sleeve, he exposed the rest of his brass arm. It glistened off of the sun, the brown metallic gleam shining as if it was just polished. Why am I going towards the Dragon?! Rey almost couldn’t believe his own actions. From the corner of his eye he then saw Pie, bleeding and in pain but still running forward. This small elf-like dwarf running towards a beast of a person, the beast Rey chose to avoid, to fear. Rey looked within himself, I can’t be shown up now can? Rey twisted his metallic wrist and a device flipped out of the top of his forearm. As he pointed it above the dragon, a grappling hook shot out of it. I pray to the deserts this works!

The hook flew and the head stopped mid-flight floating over the dragon-like being. His eyes had just stilled the head alone. Rey yanked his arm back and the rope started to retract as Rey jumped, propelling himself in the air.

Rey ignored his screaming muscles, the strain on his eyes, and his own thoughts yelling at him to get away. He didn’t know why, but he was here, 10 feet above a dragon, his dagger in his hand, and no clue what his plan was. Looking down he noticed a large blue sphere and he had found his target. If it looks importan’, it probably is!

He grinned, a stressed one, the act filling himself with false confidence. As he began to fall, he yelled a battlecry, pointing the blade towards the enraged dragon's sphere.
Post #: 23
8/14/2021 21:01:25   
Apocalypse
Member

Two behind and two before, each an enemy striving for the title of champion.

And all of them were descending upon Crail.

Behind him, their footsteps were soft and light - fitting for creatures of their size. They came to this tournament to fight for their gods, and yet feared the vartai enough to set aside their duel to eliminate him. Crail scoffed, a spout of deep scarlet falling from his mouth and further blemishing the ivory plate covering his chest. What god would choose such flighty champions to constitute their will?

Before him the werebeast traded words with the Stormkissed, seeking her aid. The caitiff who had struck him in the back possessed not the courage to face him alone. If one lacked faith in their own abilities, how could they expect such conviction from the gods?

The giantess herself remained unyielding as pillar and vartai alike came crashing down upon them. Poise. Power. Within her flowed might and serenity - the eye of the storm. Here was a paragon worthy of the gods.

But she wielded the thunder of that thrice-damned crown. For khan and khanate, she could not be permitted to leave this place.

In a trance, the giantess channeled the lightning within. She understood the heat of battle, nay, the thrill. The space between breaths, the rest in the heart’s beating to the rhythm of war. Where life and death lay together as lovers, each unwilling to pull away from the embrace of the other. This was the triumph of battle, the glory of combat where blood was shed and lives extinguished.

The only moment where he truly felt alive.

With a deafening roar, Crail barreled towards the giantess as she split the pillar with a singlular strike. The glistening fragments erupted in prismatic arrays as the blizzard of shrieking shards enveloped him.



A blizzard of shrieking shards enveloped him.

The ice and snow pelted the vartai, crystals careening off his scales. Crail bellowed, his war cry cutting through the din of the storm and across the deck of the ship. The soldiers of the thunder-split crown cowered in response, the movement of the violent waves and the weakness of their wills overwhelming their spirit. The only one of their number to stand strong against him was the ship’s own captain. He was tall and broad, with a long braid of hair whipping in the tempest. Blazing tattoos of lightning bolts ran all along his limbs before coalescing into a vibrant crown upon his bare chest. If the frigid air discomforted him, his stoic face betrayed no sign of it. He stood planted with neither storm nor fury budging him an inch.

Good.

It would not do to slay a craven. His khanate could not be avenged by the beheading a sniveling recreant lacking any morsel of defiance. The Great Frost only welcomed those who burned with the thrill of battle. It would be satisfied with nothing less.

The wood splintered beneath the pounding of Crail’s feet while the wind buffeted his advance. His knee screamed in protest, burning pins and needles digging in deeper with every step. Around him the thundering soldiers gathered the last shreds of their confidence and rallied against him. One standing behind the captain offered the aid of a dagger, its steel cleaving through the hail and snow. The blade found its mark in his left shoulder, biting deep between the scales. Crail grit his teeth through the pain and forced himself forwards; it was far from the most egregious wound he had received this day. Two more struck from behind in rapid succession, their blows landing upon his armored back. These were accompanied by the clittering of glass, the remnants from some unknown source clattering to the deck as one of the offenders clung to him in vain. Crail laughed through a mouthful of blood, raising Twin Fang high above his head. A flash of lightning illuminated the runes of his life upon the steel, the ones engraved by both of the khans he had served in life and pledged himself to until death- a ballad approaching its final verse.

With the tastes of iron and burnt skies upon his tongue, Crail cried. “Come, then, Come!”



“Come, then, Come!”

The vision dissipated with the storm of shards. Images of the captain and his soldiers were replaced by the Stormkissed and her conspirators. What remained of Twin Fang was raised high above him, the stygian steel scrubbed clean of any markings in the name of perfection. A blank blade forged to hack and slash, not do battle. All the history it contained...erased.

A stabbing pain born from no mortal wound raked at his insides. The vartai swallowed it, burying it as he propelled himself into battle. Crail ignored the enemy on his back as the others swarmed around him.

“Strip what remains of this mortal shell!”

He swirled his arm about his head, Twin Fang hanging heavy on its chain. It careened through the air with all the grace of a winged boulder in flight. The steel tumbled end over end in a vicious revolution, edge and cheek both eagerly hunting for their prey. He cackled and howled, the arena itself seeming to rumble beneath him. The artificial mind had failed- the vartai would see his death before the logika saw its restoration. He cried out to what heavens stood watch over this floating battlefield.

“Return unto me mine death!

The logika had lost.

Geir, await me in the throne of cold. May the Great Frost return me unto you, mine khan.

He had won-

Mine brother...
AQ DF MQ  Post #: 24
8/14/2021 21:43:18   
markthematey
Member

Rey grit his teeth and held his breath, maintaining the tight smile that held his conviction together. Adrenaline rushed through his body as he fell. Bracing for impact he pointed his dagger, which had been bound to him since birth, towards its target. Hopefully the earth lord likes a little reckless abandonment! Tyrannus plunged into the plating above the core, the glowing blue sphere eradicating a cool aura just below.

Crack- The plating held study just for a second before shattering in its entirety. An icy wind blew out gently. Barely holding himself from falling, Rey winced at the crisp air that licked his face and dried his eyes.

Below he saw the sphere, the core, in its entirety. A metallic blue core for a mechanized dragon. It looked like a large deep freezer. Rey exhaled, his breath just barely visible. I don’t know what this is but if it looks important- Rey was preparing to stab the core when a sudden jerk from the dragon sent Rey tumbling off the side. He held tight to the blade as he tucked and rolled off the side.

Cursing under his breath, he regained his footing. The rush numbed the pain coming from his side and leg but it still gnawed at the back of his mind, just a little longer, I’m not down yet.

Rey scanned the area, trying to formulate a new plan of attack but his eyes stopped on Pie. Pie was on the ground gripping a devastating wound, blood oozed out in a constant flow. A pang of grief struck Rey’s heart, a stab that pierced deeper than any other blade had. He froze, unable to react and the world seemed to slow around him. Memories echoed in his head in a maelstrom of regrets and mistakes. Pie had reminded him so much of a dear friend but he didn’t even realize it until now. Not again… Chloe, I’m sorry,

His vision faltered and he was back in the cursed field by the well. The decision he made then, he could never forget.



“Hide by the dry well!” the words from his adoptive mother echoed through his mind. Chloe and Rey went right to the well and hid in the tree line close by. The air was still and their breath was heavy. They waited in anticipation.

Neither of them spoke as night slowly approached, they both trusted their mother and would not accept any other alternative.

A figure appeared on the road, a woman wearing a familiar garb. Rey knew something was off, the way it walked, its posture, it wasn’t her. Before Rey could stop her, Chloe was already running to it, with a cheerful yelp she nearly skipped to it. Her happy calls slowly tapered off and replaced with a scream.

Rey turned and ran, too cowardly to face it. Too cowardly to stop it. He cursed himself, he cursed the thing out there, he cursed the world. Curse… curse. That was it, he was cursed. Rey was cursed. Rey cursed the curse. The one that stole family after family. The one that drove him from home to home. The one that prevented him from living happily.

He ran from the curse; he ran and ran and ran….

Rey had always hated blood.



Rey blinked and he was back on the battlefield, Pie was still lying there before him. The behemoth of a woman and the engineered dragon both were close as well. His mind yelled at him to run, his legs almost did but he was tired of running. All he did his whole life was run.

Rey grinned to himself. No more running, no more pity. He had a goal and he was going to reach it with his own hand. He stood up straight and took a deep breath; then he ran.

Pie was only 20 steps away but that didn’t stop it from seeming endless. His legs wanted to falter and wanted to stop but he didn’t let it. Determined, Rey reached xem and stopped.

He kneeled down and his mind went blank, he didn’t know what to do next. He didn’t have a plan this time. Exhaling, he relaxed and touched xer shoulder. He said the only words that came to his mind.

With a cheerful smile, Rey almost laughed, “Pie, you gotta make it, we got stories to share, don’t we?”
Post #: 25
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