Angelcynn: The Myrcian Conflict - Act 4

[Shin]

Even Serge began to win

Esclabor grumbled as Serge was announced victorious, glancing over at Nelon - who appeared incredibly calm about the matter. "Maybe he's not as bad as I thought... but Shaggy's going to wipe the floor with him." Esclabor muttered quickly, clearly having underestimated Serge's prowess. 

The next match was quickly sorted, with both Bob and Shaggy entering out into the arena. Bob towered over Shaggy, the muscle-bound brute making the vagrant appear incredibly feeble. Bob raised his arm the air, his thick muscular arms covered in scars and tattoos. Shaggy shuffled forward, perhaps not even realising what was happening. "Bob returns for his fifth tournament, will he claim first place this time around?" the announcer called out, the crowd uneasy in their applause for Bob. "Or will Shaggy, a completely unknown newcomer come out victorious? Only time can tell!"

Letting out another roar, the crowd went wild as the battle began, with Shaggy quickly circling around Bob before making his first strike. As dishevelled and as vacant as he appeared, the man's lance work was phenominal, deflecting Bob's own attacks with frightening ease. "Stop it you filthy little rat!" Bob roared, letting out a grunt as Shaggy struck him in the ribs. "Why... can't I hit you!"

Shaggy didn't even respond, or even acknowledge his opponent beyond his attacks - his eyes weren't even focus on him, simply staring upwards. Forcing Bob against the wall, Cass and her friend could feel the impact of the brute as his back bumped into it. Shaggy had left him with nowhere to go. A final well placed blow across the chest was enough. Bob let out a groan, slumping to the ground. The crowd went silent, in awe of the filthy man that had felled a threatening foe. 

Spoiler

Shaggy selects his Steel Lance!
Bob selects his Steel Axe!

Cass cheers for Shaggy!
Adele stays quiet!
Alain cheers for Shaggy!

Esclabor cheers for Shaggy!
Nelon stays quiet!
5 members of the crowd cheer for Shaggy!
5 members of the crowd cheer for Bob!

Shaggy @ Steel Lance
30/30 HP
9x2 Atk, 100% Hit, 9% Crit
Skills: Pursuit, (!)Advantage

vs

Bob @ Steel Axe
37/37
21 Atk, 0% Hit, 0% Crit
Skills: Thug Life

Bob can't actually win!
Shaggy is victorious!

"The winner is... Shaggy?" the announcer gasped, looking to her two guards as if she needed confirmation. "Shaggy is the winner! He shall face Serge during round 2!"

Esclabor sat back in his seat, crossing his arms smugly as he looked down at his unwitting fighter, who only stared back up like a vegetable. "Told you that he was good, the man's got a lance arm that could stop a battering ram." Esclabor remarked, patting Nelon on the back. "Ceirch and I picked out a real winner."

Royal Reassurance

Owen's last few sentences had Graham's full attention, it wasn't clear what had changed but the young noble had taken some comfort in Owen's words. Letting out a subdued laugh, Graham looked up at Owen. "You're right, Owen... maybe I need to try to have more faith in other people. Jeeves was always saying that I couldn't spend my entire life alone. I'm always so afraid to reach out to other people, it's hard to know what they'll think of what I say." he replied, relaxing his posture a little. "If I've got people like you to go to for advice... maybe I'll be able to learn. I've spent so long living in my own little world, I need to take my first few steps into the one that I share with everyone else."

Thwomp bowed his head, his terrifying features contorting into an almost childlike smile. "Thwomp happy to help, Prince Owen." Thwomp replied, putting one of his hands behind his head. "Thwomp know what it like to be different from others, it hard at first, but there ways to reach out."

Rhyme Time

"They normally spend the entire evening there, it shouldn't be too hard to catch them at the Golden Experience." the young man replied, somewhat sceptical of Sidney's unusual curiosity. The musicians were slowly making their way away from the stage, they had most likely finished for the evening. "You're dressed the part, getting into the bar shouldn't be hard... if you really feel like you need to talk to him, it's best to do it there or try and catch him on the way there."

Delaying Paying

The store owner nodded, crossing his arms and straightening his posture. "I have no issues with that. I would not be able to start work until tomorrow morning regardless." he replied, stepping away from his counter. "If you are able to come in tomorrow, I can get started right away. Shouldn't be more than a few days to get it finished, your armour's design isn't too difficult to work with."

Third Wheel

Decima appeared as on edge as ever, not only had her fears been almost confirmed but Angus was looking to voluntarily meet Nona. "I see, Nona's inside, I'll knock first." she replied, bringing her hand to the door to knock. Tapping it three times, she called out to her sister. "Nona? Is it safe to come in? I've got Angus with me." Decima asked, waiting for her sister's reply.

"Decima, I could be getting changed and I'd still say yes, there's nothing to be embarrassed about with Angus around." Nona replied, her tone as jovial as her reply. Shaking her head, Decima eased the door open, walking through and beckoning for Angus to follow.

Nona was sat on the bed casually, her legs crossed and her arms stretched out against the bed behind her. "Angus, how good to see you." Nona chirped, giving him and Geoffrey a playful wave. "Did the meeting with Queen Ethel go well? I hope you didn't get too bored listening to all the royals around you."

Edited March 19, 2017 by Shin

[Nanami Touko]

Cass was smugly confident that Serge was going to go through with winning a few more rounds. He wasn't extremely dependable, but he knew how to fight. Now, when Esclabor's "man" came out onto the field, Cass had to stifle a laugh. "That's your fighter? Really? I'm trying to remain cordial, but it looks as though you've just brought in a poor slummer to fight for you... Are you sure he's going to be alright?" Without getting much more than a smug grin back from the overly confident man, Cass couldn't help her own smile. "Well then... Let's give him all he's worth. Cheers for the hobo! Here's to a surprise win!"

Yet it wasn't much of a surprise, as the match began, and quickly ended, Cass jumping in her seat as the hulk of a man collapsed against the wall. What in the world... He fights like a demon! He... What's wrong with him? He looked... Empty, staring up at the crowd. Cass didn't exactly know what to make of that, as Esclabor started cheering about his choice. His and Nelon's choice. Yet the baron remains silent when his man fights? Something's off here.

"Nelon," Cass began, eyeing him. "Why didn't you cheer for your man? Surely you couldn't have been that confident... I realize you were quiet last round, but this is quite the different situation. Would you care to explain? I find it weird, though I might be losing myself in the excitement..." There's something going on here. A homeless looking man, dragged in from the streets, defeats such a brute with relative ease? I've seen crazy things on our way here, but I can't believe this without explanation...

Edited March 20, 2017 by Nanami Touko

[Vestige]

"Incredible..." Was all Alain had managed to say as he watched Shaggy brutally embarrass Bob in front of the entire crowd. By comparison, Serge's match had been far closer--and only because of the amount of supposed inexperience Steve had been fighting with. "Maybe I should have taken Serge's wager after all. I hate to say it, but it seems like Sir Thomas was right about that keen eye of his. Serge will have more than met his match in the next round," Alain mused. 

Cassandra seemed suspicious of the Barons though, particularly Baron Nelon. It was true, Esclabor had said that Nelon would be instrumental in Shaggy's victory--but what that was even supposed to allude to was hardly clear. In so much as he was aware, the Baron was no mage--so it couldn't be that Nelon was channeling some spell. And besides that, Nelon seemed like too honest of a man to employ such trickery. He looked to the Barons, curious if they would offer some sort of explanation to the Princess or wave her suspicions away.  

[Dandragon]

While he had said nothing, Serge had been confident even Shaggy wouldn't be able to hold himself against the large brute Bob. But he watched on, and too his surprise, and horror, he saw Shaggy dodge and deflect every single blow from Bob with ease, while striking him back with so much speed. And this wasn't good for him. If he had to face that, there was no way he could even hope to hit him, much less win. Maybe he was going back to the Crew broke, after all.

Serge shook his head. No. He thought to himself. This was no time for doubts, and no time to worry. There had to be something he could do. There was just no way someone like Shaggy could just do that against a hulking man without a scratch. Even Apellon, who had lifetimes of combat experience (according to Apellon himself, anyway), had gotten hit. There had to be a way to fight him. There had to. He needed to prepare himself. He needed to practice. He needed...He needed a miracle.

[Ether]

Serge's match had been rater close, the two swordsmen exchanging blows fairly evenly, though Serge managed to win out in the end, even giving a rather cheesy thumbs up as he noticed them on his way out. While it wasn't exactly odd for Escablor to be more expectant of his own man than of Serge, he did seem to be entirely against the mercenary, even when faced with a different opponent.

"I'm surprised that you seem so down, Escablor. What you think of your own pick compared to Serge aside, there seems little reason to want him out before facing your man at all, no?" She asked, half ribbing the Baron, but also a bit curious. Still, soon enough the Baron's man would be revealed, receiving a chuckle from Cass... it was short lived, as the disheveled man made quick work of the brute across from him.

"How curious. Well, I'll give you your eye, Baron Escablor. There was clearly something there for you to see. He seems an odd sort though, doesn't he?"

[riariadne]

"Hmm, well thank you very much for your assistance, you both. I'll be trying to attend to that now." Sidney gave the younger man a knowing nod before slowly weaving through the crowd, but keeping her focus on the musicians, and specifically Ferdinand. She knew the Golden Experience would have plenty more people than she'd like to encounter, but trying to talk at the stage would bring far too much unwanted attention too, so she stopped them instead along a relatively quiet street, tapping the green-haired noble on the shoulder.

"What are you up to?" she spoke accusingly. "I saw you notice me, and the comment you made. Was that terribly necessary? And yes, hello Ferdinand, it's been a long time, and as you seem to already know I'm still not interested."

[Shin]

Silent Viewing

"I was focused on Shaggy's lance work, princess. Military technique varies between various nations, Raewald and Wyke both appear to have different methods in their education." Nelon replied, sitting himself upright as soon as Cass addressed him. "When Baron Esclabor and I found Shaggy, it took some time to comprehend his technique."

Esclabor patted his friend firmly on the back, catching him by surprise. "Baron Nelon managed to sharpen him up a little. He'd been out of work for a while, but a few pointers from the top of the class was enough to bring him up to speed. They're both pretty quiet, no wonder they got along so well. You'd be surprised at what he can manage, Lady Herman." Esclabor added in. "You should have been there for Ceirch's knighting. I think we got a smile out of him afterwards, the rest of us celebrated more than he did."

Shaggy looked briefly up at Cass' group before departing, staggering back towards the locker room. Bob, however, had been dragged away, most likely to receive medical attention. The next combatants had entered the arena, a tall dark skinned man wearing a turban and a significantly smaller robed individual. Abdul bowed his head as he took his place opposite his foe, but his opponent didn't return the gesture. Instead, they dropped their robe to the ground, revealing a familiar figure. A dark haired woman with a sadistic grin on her face, none other than Arteria herself. She glanced up at Cass, giving her an unsettling gaze. 

"It appears there was a mix up in our registration, Ither is a woman!" the announcer called out, the crowd cheering in anticipation of the next battle. "Abdul hails from a faraway land, can his foreign skills contend with this unknown fighter?"

Spoiler

Cass cheers for Abdul!
Esclabor cheers for Abdul!
Everyone else remains neutral!
3 members of the audience cheer for Abdul!
7 members of the audience cheer for Ither!

Abdul @ Scimitar
33/33 HP
7 Atk, 61% Hit, 68% Crit
Skills: Gamble

vs

Ither @ Null Edge
39/39 HP
15 Atk, 86% Hit, 11% Crit
Skills: Vantage, Tagteam

Abdul attacks!
(34 61)
Abdul scores a critical hit! (25/39 HP remaining)
Ither strikes back!
(26 98)
Ither deals 15 damage! (17/33 HP remaining)

Ither strikes!
(4 99)
Abdul takes 15 damage! (2/33 HP remaining)
Abdul counters!
(15 58)
Ither takes 14 damage! (11/39 HP remaining)

Abdul goes for the ki-...
Ither activates Vantage!
(84 46)
Ither finishes!

Abdul's first strike was an impressive one, his unusual stance getting the better of Arteria. Her eyes widened as the blow struck her side, a stream of red blood pouring from her side. "So that's how you do it... how interesting. I would love to experience such a blow a second time, if you don't lose your arm before I'm done with you." she cackled, looking Abdul in the eye.

"What kind of monster are you?" Abdul stammered, horrified at his foe's admiration of his attack. Lunging forwards, Arteria returned with an attack of her own, clearly aiming for lethality as she struck his shoulder. No matter how many times Abdul struck her, she wouldn't falter, always retaliating and carving into him. Panting and clutching his side, Abdul appeared ready to try and end the match with a finishing blow. However, he never got his chance.

"Too predictable, it only took a few tries to figure you out." Arteria lectured, having driven her blade right through his middle and out his back.. "I'll save you a journey home, maybe you'll be luckier in another life."

Blood dripping from his mouth, Abdul reached forwards, his sword falling from his grip. Abdul collapsed to the ground, his chest fluttering as he gasped for air. Shaking the blood from her blade, Arteria smirked, walking back towards the locker room. The crowd was horrified, there were only a few claps and weak cheers, the brutality of Arteria's last attack was too much for the soft Raewaldean crowd.

"Ither comes out on top with a vicious display... this may be a good time for a reminder of the non-lethality policy." the announcer called out, watching as Abdul was carried away by a group of attendants. "Perhaps one of Lilith or Octon will stand a better chance?"

-

Forgotten Friends

Ferdinand stopped as Sidney tapped his shoulder, his entourage pausing with him. The young man politely lifted Sidney's hand from his shoulder, placing it down gently. "Oh my, a fan? I'm rather touched." he charmed, his face blissfully ignorant of Sidney's ire - either that or he had a fantastic facade. "And one who knows my name, how wonderful. Perhaps we may have met in our youths? I have to apologise, but I can't put a name to your face... you remind me awfully of someone... was it Montana? No, that can't be. Last I heard she was in the depths of a dungeon somewhere..."

Another member of his band stepped forward, another foppish young man dressed not too dissimilar to Ferdinand. "Groupies again, Ferdinand?" he jibed, nudging his friend in the side gently. "Save some girls for the rest of us, can't have you charming them all."

[SB.]

Claire's mind raced as Constance spoke of her history with Malaphar, overflowing with possibilities. "How did you help him? If he already had the world, then..." What else was the wizard after? No matter her answer, it was still a relief that the elderly mage appeared willing to help. Claire wondered if she'd misjudged her earlier, although it was perhaps still too early to tell. 

Constance's warning of Malaphar's mastery of magic did little to shake her, at any rate. "He can still use his world magic while badly injured. Once he's inside, any wounds he suffers seem inconsequential, meaning that magic - or countering his magic, is the best weapon available." Claire paused afterwards. While she'd agreed to tell Constance what she knew of Malaphar, Claire herself didn't know what Constance knew. She felt like she knew a lot about him, but at the same time frustratingly little. "What exactly do you want to know about him?" This was likely the fastest way of getting her up to speed, she figured.

[Nanami Touko]

"That's all, is it...?" Cass was still suspicious. They'd been here For just the day... To meet this man off of the street and get him up to such a level was unfathomable to her. It wasn't like she knew, all of her training had been second hand, at best. Maybe military training was just that good? She sighed. But then, an idea~ "So If I ordered the both of you to cheer your loudest for Shaggy in his next match, what would you think?" Quiet. Nelon was always quiet. That had to be something to do with it... Shaggy had looked up at their group one last time before walking off, and if that wasn't the reason, then Cass had no idea what could be going on. Either there was some other trick, or the man truly was some savant of fighting.

She had no time to think on it. The next round happened in a flash. She'd began to cheer for this Abdul; her experiences with foreigners had been rather pleasant, meeting Rashid along the way to Raewald. Yet as soon as this Ithir dropped their hood, she quieted. The stare helped little. Cass shrunk in her seat. "Why are you here?"

Cass had known that she could show up. It had been a promise! She'd even invited the woman and her brother to the wedding, albeit in a facetious manner. But to be here in the arena, why now? Was she just venting some urges? Abdul didn't last long, and his end was vicious. Non-lethal... Not for long. Cass stared down Arteria as she walked off, her eyes not leaving the bleeding specter for a moment. A desperate hand searched for Adele's arm, clinging onto it tight-- perhaps too tightly. Yet the princess flashed a momentary smile, before clasping a hand over her mouth. I shouldn't be here... But I don't want to leave.

[Dandragon]

His eyes were widened when 'Ither' had taken off their cloak, and even more so when Abdul was stabbed through the chest by Arteria. Why? Why the fuck was she here? Was it because of Cassandra? Or was it because of him? No...No that would require Apellon messing with him. It had to be for Cass. It had to be! And yet...Now there was a chance that Serge would have to fight her, if he got past Shaggy. And he didn't think Octon or Lilith would be good enough to get past her. Things were not looking good. At all.

And as Arteria walked back in, Serge was silent, as her footsteps echoed on the stone floor. Silent, until words found his way outside of his mouth. "You killed him..." In truth, Serge was in no position to talk. He had prepared himself long ago to step into the Wyke Arena, a place that was filled with far more death than the Coliseum was, currently. And he had already slain several brigands and bandits. But this...This was different. "You murderer! You killed him!" He quickly turned around to face her. "Is the kill really all the matters to you? Does nothing else matter to you and your brother?!"

[riariadne]

Well, I feel slightly less forgetful if he can't recognize me right away either. Sidney gave a bitter frown, and vicious glares at the bandmates' insinuation. "Your song... was it not meant to be something familiar? You said it might be to some of the crowd. What was it supposed to be about, then? I'm not sure I believe you that it was all a big coincidence, especially because you smiled when you spotted me."

[Vestige]

The last match had been shocking, but the fight that followed was even more so. And for all of the wrong reasons. "This woman hounds us at every turn, it's honestly starting to become rather irksome." He scowled, and bit at his lip. It seemed the final match of the first round would be between Lilith and Octon--and the winner between the two would face off with Arteria in the following round. Phenomenal, so I've brought a woman to her death...

But, if he was to be hiring her under the pretense of a bodyguard, then surely the matter or life or death was to be expected. He sighed, nervously tugging at his shirt's collar. What to do... what to do... Was there even anything that needed to be done? He'd wanted to test her, and Arteria was perhaps the best test of all. And he figured, that Lilith had likely seen for herself what had become of Abdul. If she bowed out, that would be her choice--and he wouldn't blame her for it. And if she pressed on, well, that would be of her own choice as well. 

[Juliette]

"Tomorrow it will be, then," Freya agreed. "Hopefully this will be a good way to be better positioned for battling." Waving, she exited the store, and paused to think about her next destination. Wherever Prince Owen is, I need to talk with him about funding and otherwise. The castle seemed at least a good place to start, rather than scavenging the hundreds of other places in the city he could be at- even if he wasn't present there, then maybe she could find out where he was instead.

Freya goes to Tytila Castle's entrance

[Jotari]

"Where did you meet him?" Constance asked sharply. She ignored the girls question. It would be best to get as much information as possible before revealing her connection to Belial. "What did you do for him? How old does he look? From the way you speak I take it you'd been to his world already. Did he let you leave willingly or did you escape? How did you manage to injure him? Do you know how he's manipulating the events of this current war?"

Edited March 21, 2017 by Jotari

[Xinnidy]

"I believe you can, Graham. I would watch you grow out of your world if I could, but my calling has me busy with this war... I will do what I can to save Wyke, and your father. I'm sure your sister will try her most for him too, you're family." The prince paused, letting the words sink. To Owen, it was great to see Graham this willing to speak his problems --a very rare case, for sure. As sheltering of his feelings as his armor is to his body, it was hard to get a read on Graham even as a childhood friend. To find out his words could still provide comfort despite everything was more than comforting, as a friend.

"The pleasure is mine, Thwomp. I planned to visit to learn how things work here... maybe catch a glimpse of Raewalden swordsmanship. We don't have establishments quite as complex as this in Wyke." They had the barracks and a few academies... but the swordsmanship taught was either lacking, or only effective on horseback. At least, it felt that way to the prince! "Never I had thought this visit would take such a turn, though I'm not complaining. What were you two practicing, if I may ask?"

[Shin]

Cool as Ice

Arteria passed Serge in the locker room, grinning as the mercenary shouted at her. "He fought well, but he died in such a dull way. A waste of my time, there are many more I would have preferred to toy with." she rasped, visibily bored and unaffected by Abdul's defeat at her hands. "Serge, the kill means nothing if it has no meaning attached to it. I could kill you right here and now and all it would serve to do is make my brother short one plaything."

Sitting herself down on one of the benches, Arteria began admiring her weapon, her eyes running from the hilt towards the edge. "Perhaps the Princess will cower in fear as I cleave into the flesh of her allies... or maybe she'll relish in the beauty of her own loss." she muttered, lost in her own mad ramblings.

Octon passed Serge as he left to enter the arena. The young man had been wildly enthusiastic when he had been with Abdul, but there was a new harsh determination in his eyes. Gripping his sword, he stepped out into the arena. Lilith rose slowly, looking over at Arteria. "Friend of yours?" she asked, passing Serge to make her own way to the arena. "You've got a vagrant to worry about first, it's not guaranteed either of you will make it to the final."
 

Win to Lose

"I'll cheer so much that Serge throws in the towel just stepping into the arena." Esclabor replied, smirking as Cass issued her challenge. Even after Cass' demands he seemed overconfident in his fighter's ability - and whatever aid Nelon had provided. "Ceirch came top of his class, makes sense anyone he teaches or instructs does well. Just wait and see, Princess. I heard that Serge was picked up at the Dank Codger, he's definitely not a wimp, but you can only crawl so high from the gutter without help."

Nelon nodded his head obediently. "I shall do my best, Princess. If Serge is able to find a viable strategy, it should be possible for him to succeed. However, as motivated as he may be, I am uncertain he can devise one in such a short amount of time." he replied.

Both barons were stunned by Arteria's brutal execution of Abdul, neither of them having seen her swordplay at work. "Who is that little bitch..." Esclabor gasped, his bravado completely knocked back. "She just gutted him, right there and then... perhaps it's a good thing Shaggy was such a cheap investment."

Octon and Lilith stepped out into the arena, the crowd's response still rather weak as they recovered from Arteria's brutal display. Lilith looked up at Alain, giving him a confident nod as she got into position. "Here's Octon, I think this is his second time, will he manage to get past the first round this time?" the announcer called out, a hint of uneasiness present in her voice. "Or will the newcomer, Lilith, put him in his place?"

Spoiler

Cass cheers for Octon!
Esclabor and Alain cheer for Lilith!
Nelon and Adele stay neutral!
5 members of the audience cheer for Lilith!
5 members of the audience cheer for Octon!

Lilith @ Steel Sword
32/32 HP
10 Atk, 90% Hit, 12% Crit, 18% Luna, 18% Adept
Skills: Luna, Adept, Distraction

vs

Octon @ Steel Sword
31/31 HP
8 Atk, 56% Hit, 2% Crit
Skills: Overdrive

Octon attacks!
(23 93)
Octon deals 8 damage to Lilith! (24/32 HP remaining)
Lilith counters!
(63 83 27)
Lilith deals 10 damage! (21/31 HP remaining)
(40)

Lilith goes in again!
(47 43 36)
Octon takes 10 damage! (11/31 HP remaining)
(69)
Octon retaliates!
(32 99)
Lilith takes 8 damage! (16/32 HP remaining)

Octon attacks!
(45 42)
Octon somehow deals 8 damage again! (8/32 HP remaining)
Lilith counters!
(89 85 47)
Octon takes 10 damage! (1/31 HP remaining)
(22)

Lilith goes in for the kill!
(85 19 84)
Lilith deals 8 damage! (0/31 HP remaining)
Octon's Overdrive activates!
(76)
Octon attacks with a renewed energy!
(42 35)
Lilith takes 13 damage and goes down!

The battle's start was rather sudden, and it was rather obvious that Lilith had Octon outmatched. Her strikes were cleaner, her footwork was better, the young man was struggling to fend her off. However, despite the clear mismatch, Octon's attacks glanced her a few times, even as his wounds grew more severe. It had barely been a minute and Lilith's flurry of strikes had Octon gasping for breath, blood trickling down his face.

Lilith smirked, as terrifying as her next opponent would be, this match's outcome was clear. Or at least she thought it had been. Slashing across the man's chest, the swordress was very much surprised to hear metal on metal - he'd blocked her blow. Pushing back with his sword, he sent Lilith staggering backwards, raising his blade for an attack of his own. It had almost been too quick to see. Stepping past Lilith and cutting across her with a single slash, Octon turned around, only for his opponent to drop to the ground - knocked out cold. The crowd cheered, although Esclabor looked noticeably displeased.

"And Octon claims his first victory! Will he be able to stand against Ither? More importantly, will he be able to stand after Ither is finished with him?" the announcer proclaimed. "We're moving on to round two, and with some excellent contestants, it's anyone's guess who will come out on top!"
 

You shall not pass

Tytila Castle was on a far different level to Hull's own, the towering structure making Freya's own location seem small in comparison. Two guards, armed with spears and clad in slate gray armour, stood at either side of the large wooden door. Putting their spears across it as Freya approached, it appeared that she wasn't entirely welcome to set foot any further.

"Our apologies, but we are under strict instruction to not allow anyone in unaccompanied by a member of nobility." one announced, unmoving from the spot. "It is nothing personal, but there is no telling who you are. Security comes first!"

The other guard was perhaps a little more understanding, or at least he recognised Freya's armour. "Oh? You're one of the visitors from Wyke, right?" he asked, lowering his spear slowly as he turned to his comrade. "She might be looking for some of her own people, gotta be some nobles she reports to. We saw a pair head out the doors a while back, two women, no clue where they went though. Word is that we got one of your guys studying at the Academy, maybe they went to go see him?"

"That's quite enough gossip, you're on duty." the first guard lectured, still keeping his spear in position. "Might as well tell her what colour underwear you've got on."
 

Devil's Mask

Ferdinand chuckled, giving Sidney another sly smile. "My songs often remind people of things they've done, it's the beauty of music... anyone can relate to it. No song sounds the same to two people, they'll both get something different from it." he soothed, a small group of people gathering around the pair. Letting out another laugh, he stepped back from Sidney, running his hands through his green hair. "It must have been a trick of your eyes, I smile for my music and little else. As with my songs, people often attribute the meaning they want to what they see, wishful thinking, maybe?"

The people around them nodded agreeably, either accepting his sentiment or simply admiring his choice of words. "However, if you're still curious, you would be more than welcome to join my group at the Golden Experience." he offered, extending a hand. "We're always looking for individuals with an interest in the arts, perhaps you might be able to find your place in the Tytila musical scene?"
 

Iron Pants

Graham nodded his head, smiling for the first time in perhaps weeks. "I understand Owen, as soon as I'm strong enough to help you, I'll do my best to be by your side." he replied, interrupted by a ringing of a bell. Turning towards the far side of the hall, Graham looked down nervously. "That's a sign for us to go back to our quarters... I'll get in trouble if I spend too long getting there."

Thwomp looked on as Graham hurried away, the young man's armour clunking as he ran. "He good person." Thwomp commented, listening to Owen as Graham disappeared from sight. "Thwomp is lucky to train in Raewald, we have more places and things than Wyke. Thwomp try to teach Graham to use head instead of body. When opponent bigger and stronger, you need to think about winning. Sometimes, big people forget things they learn when little."
 

[Nanami Touko]

Nelon and Eclabor were far too confident despite things. Whatever their secret was with this Shaggy, it was up to Serge now... Not that Cass was sure that she wanted him to win. If he defeated their drifter, all that was left for him was a duel to the death with Arteria. Would he be able to survive her? Cass had, through sheer luck, and the odd sword she'd been faced against. Maybe Arteria had even let her win... "H-Her name is Arteria," Cass manages to speak up as the round went, the crowd's bravado with her. "And she's going to kill everyone she goes up against, if they give her the slightest chance to do so." Someone should... Should stop her. Someone should! Some, one...

The hand clutching onto Adele started to shake a bit, as Cass remained sat in her seat. Her mind was telling her to move but her body wasn't listening.Are you this twisted, Cassandra? She's going to kill these people. She's going to kill Serge! And you're not even going to try and stop her? Cass couldn't answer that as she bit her lip, the next round starting.

A thought did pass through her mind as the match went on, ending with her cheering for Octon. This was Alain's fighter, quite a dashing one at that, but if there was one thing Cass could do from the stands it was pray that she lost this round, to not have to lose her life... Though, that meant this Octon would be the next to go. So someone still dies... The match ended in Octon's victory, sealing his fate, sparing Lilith's--

"I can't watch this anymore," Cass started, getting up from her seat and trudging on towards the entrance. Surely there would be something to be done! Disqualify her for killing the entrant, get into the back and talk her out of it, something... Talk her out of it, fat chance of that.

"You! You there!" The entrance to the arena was sparse, not a soul around save for the main attendant. "Disqualify that Ither or let me into the back! I must speak with her!" Cass grabbed her shaking right hand as she spoke, trying to get it to stop shivering.

[Dandragon]

Serge grit his teeth even more, his fist becoming tighter. Were the people that ran this thing just going to do nothing? This was supposed to a non-lethal arena! They had to drag her out. They had to get rid of her! And Abdul...Even if he had been iffy on hiring him, it didn't mean he didn't care about the fact that he was dead. However, before he could spit more vicious words at her, Lilith had snapped Serge out of it.

And Lilith was right. After her match with Octon, it was on to the next round. And the next round was him and Shaggy. As much as he hated it, this wasn't the time to focus on Arteria. Not yet. Now was the time to continuing thinking about how he was going to fight the seemingly fatigued man. As the two combatants stepped out, Serge began to, once again, reflect on the match between Bob and Shaggy. Shaggy had made the first move...Bob couldn't hit him no matter how much he tried...What else was there? Serge was thinking harder about a fight than ever before. There was so much riding on the fact that he got past him, and he couldn't afford to lose, even if Larissa had said she was going to do something about it, too. Come on, Serge. Use that damn brain for something once in your life! He thought to himself.

He sighed. Getting angry about it wasn't going to help him at all. He had to calm down. And so he closed his eyes and breathed in deep. Again. And again. And again, until he was able to reflect once more on the match. Shaggy had struck Bob first...And Bob had his attacks parried each time, if he didn't outright miss... Shaggy struck him in the ribs several times...And Bob got cornered against a wall...And...And... The image of the fight was slowly reforming in his mind. He had watched the entire fight, as that was what would decide his opponent. But was that really all he remembered? His memory wasn't picture perfect, was there something he missed?

It took a moment, and as the announcer called Octon the victor, the image of Shaggy looking up at the audience flashed in his mind. And before he could even groan in frustration, it sparked something in his memory. Was Shaggy looking at Bob? Suddenly it all came back to him. The vagrant man had looked up when the match started, he remembered his head tilting up a bit. He had barely watched his opponent as he danced around him like a trained professional. This disheartened Serge a bit more. What chance did he have against a guy who didn't even need to look at him to fight him? There had to be something. Something he could do.

The door opened, and in walked Octon, which meant his time for thinking was nearly up. Serge opened his eyes and looked at the brightly haired fighter, though he was unable to see his face. He wanted to talk to him. He wanted to comfort him over Abdul. But Serge was too invested in winning to do so. He sighed once more, to himself. "I guess I really am selfish, huh Emmet?" He mumbled to himself.

Edited March 23, 2017 by Dandragon

[Juliette]

The guards' familiar vigilance was not unexpected to Freya, though it was inconvenient. Still, at least one of them was willing to talk. "That's right, I am Princess Cassandra's guard, Freya. I was looking to speak with Prince Owen, however." Two women probably means Cass and Adele. Is Owen the type to visit the Academy? It must be a better lead than nothing. "Maybe that's a place to start. Where is this Academy located at?"

[Ether]

Why... why was she here again? Of all places why was she here? Why wouldn't that worthless, psychotic bitch just disappear already? Adele grit her teeth, only vaguely registering Cassandra squeezing her arm, until she moved to leave.

"Cassandra, stop this madness, you need to stay away fro-" She was already gone. Starting off after Cass, Adele caught the Princess near the entrance, demanding to be let below to speak with the monster.

"Cass, stop this. I agree that wretch should be sent away, but why do you insist on speaking with her? You would do best to keep as far away as possible from that... thing."

[Vestige]

Lilith's match with Octon had left a bitter taste in his mouth. Her very step exuded confidence and every word of hers was colored with wit but when push came to shove, she had failed. He'd been very lax in his criteria. Just a single victory would have made him satisfied, but it wasn't to be. Perhaps for her sake, it was for the best. Losing the first match meant she would live beyond Arteria's sword. More time to loiter among dregs, I suppose.  

"Well, I suppose I've had enough 'entertainment' for the evening then," he said, standing up from his seat. His announcement was followed by Cassandra's own proclamation. It was apparent that she was distraught by Arteria's sudden appearance, and he couldn't blame her. He might have had half a mind to follow after her, but Adele had gone in his stead. It was just as well, the less of a reason he had to dawdle in the arena, the better. 

"I know she means well, but somebody ought to tell her that we're not in Wyke anymore," Alain said to the remaining two nobles. It was likely that Cassandra had gone off to voice her concern over Arteria's blatant disregard for the meaning of "non-lethal" but Lilith had told him enough for him to understand that such a desire was mere folly at best. This wasn't the first time someone had decided to forgo the rules, and it likely wouldn't be the last. 

"Anyway, I ought to be going now. I held my tongue before but seeing as I'm out of the running... good luck to you and your man Sir Thomas," he said, clasping his shoulder.

"Perhaps Shaggy can do a service to us all in the final round," he mused, departing the stands. 

[SB.]

"Hrmmm..." An irritated noise escaped Claire as Constance hurled out question after question. ...No, it looks like my initial judgement of her was correct. But as things were, she was stuck with her, leaving a slightly flustered Claire trying to sort through everything she'd been asked.

"We met him on the shore of Magonsaete; he was probably waiting for us. He split our party into smaller groups, accompanying one himself to deal with some cultists. He never told us why, and it wasn't until they reached them that his intentions became clear." It wasn't yet clear whether or not Constance had, or could be trusted with, any knowledge the elixir. The detail had been deliberately left out of Claire's explanation. "As for his age, I'd say that he looked around thirty years old - maybe forty at a stretch. His world was, erm,"

Claire paused not only for air, but to consider how best to describe the situation. "I don't think he tried bringing me to his world in the first place. He left us on our own briefly, and then came back injured, demanding healing. As a group, we'd already decided we wanted answers from him, and after he threatened us I tried finishing off. It didn't work. Several of us were pulled into his world, although he seemed surprised to see us. We managed to barely survive, and it seemed as though he couldn't maintain his power. We reappeared with the rest of our group, who had no idea what had happened to us."

In the end, Claire was still unsure of how many of them knew what had transpired there, or even what it looked like. It meant little though - the mage had her doubts that any of them would have been able to shed some light on their situation."And, uh, was the last thing you asked?" By this point, it had long slipped her mind.

[Jotari]

Constance begain fiddeling with the ring on her finger. "So it was a third party that injured him. Interesting. I wonder who that might be." She spoke lowly more to herself than the girl. "The last thing I asked was what he was doing to cause this current war. But I assume since you met him in Magonsaete you're clueless on that front. I'll have you answer just one more thing for me, then you may question me as you like. What is your name?"

Edited March 24, 2017 by Jotari

[Shin]

Official Business

The attendant looked at Cass dismissively, not visibly affected by her emotional plea. "Sorry, girly, I ain't the kind who takes demands from fancy pants who squirm when they see blood. We get an odd death here or there, but everyone knows it's a risk, even when people are told to be careful." he replied sternly, unbudging in stance. "The waitin' room's specifically for participants, an' the only person who makes calls like that is our manager... and he don't like bein' told what to do either."

Lost Angel

Esclabor nodded firmly, taking Alain's free hand and shaking it. "Shame about your girl, I thought she'd win for sure. Can't be helped though, that Octon surprised us all." Esclabor replied, giving him a confident smile. "If anything her loss saved her from dying to Cass' girlfriend... well, the slightly less sane one. Got a good show out of her too, feel free to invite her back for Ceirch and me if you have time. Drinks will be on me after Shaggy's taken first."

Nelon didn't seem too thrilled with the idea of that, sinking into his seat as if he hoped he would disappear. Esclabor laughed, shaking his head. "Hey, we're both survivors of Nona, Ceirch. You can survive some good company, there won't always be a chimney for you to escape up through." Esclabor added, patting Nelon on the back. "I'd be more afraid of the Princess if I were you, she's mad enough to go prance around a foreign nation trying to find her insane friend."

Turn Left

"It's not far from here, maybe two hundred yards or so down from the castle gates." the second guard replied, pointing his free hand in that general direction. "Guarding nobles is never easy, they always think they can do what they want and everyone else will follow... but at least it's work. Mind you, your Princess is a real fruit, a smidge too close to her friend if you catch my drift."

Sunset

Octon shot Serge a determined glance, walking past him to face Arteria. Pointing at the woman, he took a deep breath, ready for his declaration. "Even if I die in doing so, I'm making sure you suffer as much as Abdul did when you killed him." he proclaimed, unflinching against the seated psychopath. "Just because you don't value life doesn't mean that the rest of us don't, I'll be ready to-..."

Arteria yawned, clearly uninterested by Octon's speech. "I don't bother pretending to be right or just, my little champion of justice." she replied, stifling another yawn. Her mouth curled into a cruel little smile. "Call me foul or vile, disgusting or inhuman... but it doesn't change how much your friend squirmed and gasped for air when he died."

The young man couldn't even find a response to her, clenching his fist, he visibly held back the temptation to strike the woman. Glaring at Arteria, he sat himself down on the opposite side of the waiting room - where Shaggy had been standing, completely ignorant of the heated atmosphere.

[Nanami Touko]

"I am not squirming because I see blood! I'm squirming because you're all going to let people die without reason! This is a sport, not a battlefield. What's wrong with you?" Cass took a step back, dejected and disarmed, not by the man's demeanor, but by how strikingly similar it had been to her own only a month ago. What's wrong with me? Adele caught up to her, but she'd already looked defeated by the time she got there.

"Because she's here for me. Not for this... I could leave, but she would simply follow me. So if I can't get in to speak to her right now... Then I'll have to watch, and wait. I'm sure I could muscle my way in, but we're not in Wyke. Even if we were... It would not show well on me. And it hurts to learn that so late." She sighed, turning to Adele, confusion more than anything apparent on her face.

"So... Let's just... Go back. And I'll do my best to see this through." Were it not for the queen's good graces, and how well they had seemingly gotten along, Cass would have less care for the rules of this state. As it stood, losing that ground with her would not only hurt herself, but Owen as well. Cass couldn't afford that over something like this. So this is what Wyke costs, is it? The lives of a few commoners shouldn't bother me so much... But I suppose that Emily's death changed things. With a huff, she started back towards the stands.