Sasha
@yipeeXD

Sasha grimaced slightly, watching relieved as Amelia was carried away by Jarvis. the girl didn't appear to be seriously hurt, probably just concussed, and Sasha closed her eyes in relief, until lazarus said something was bothering her. Was she that easy to read?

She looked to him, and then away, pondering what to say. She seemed to start at least twice, opening then closing her mouth, before saying softly, "I remembered something. I don't know if it's a good something or bad something. It was before I came to the guild, when I was being trained by my old Maker master. I think...that I have had Second Origin unlocked. For years" She spoke softly, not wanting to be over heard.

It was easier telling Lazarus then she thought, easier on herself, and she felt some tension disappear, but Lazarus was right. it did feel like there was pressure on them all.

Time Lord

Time Lord gave a slight smile and said "knowing things is my job, Shujin." he said, mildly pleased that he had caused such a reaction from the maker mage. "As to why you should help me, I need to go there. If...I suspect that the event 100 odd years ago occurred there. And if it did, I can replay the last moments, and figure out just what happened. I just need help getting there, because I won't be able to find it without fairy tail blood, and sadly, I'm not descended from any Fairy Tail Member" He said, truthfully

tidius
@t2wave

Tidius smiled at the girl, and crouched don, looking around Ariel to the little girl. "She just seems shy. Hi there, little one. I'm Tidius, but you can call me Ti if you want" He said in a kind voice, trying not to appear threatening, wanting to put the girl at ease, curious about what was happening.

An argument

There were hushed, but still angry voices outside the room Amelia was in, an argument that was clearly in full swing, as Jamie finally said "you can't treat her as a child forever Jarvis! Maybe if we'd taught Sam how to defend herself she might still be here! Amelia is strong, and I'm not going to apologize for letting her show that strength: if there was any danger do you really think I'd let her in? she's fine, nothing more then any of us would get on a job! Now I have to find Mithera, before Melina finds out I let her get kidnapped!"

There were footsteps, then silence.

Jarvis stood there for a moment, his expression blank. Jarvis shuddered and looked away, taking another moment before entering the medical room again, seeing Amelia awake. He glanced to the door, wondering if she had heard their argument, before approaching the bed "are you okay?"

@floodtalon@Caits

Zephyr Hardt

Zephyr chuckled at Mikey saying that he couldn't bet and at Ryan's saying that he wouldn't bet. "Well.... I'm sure there are way, just more secretive one. Although the chances of betting even happening in secret are somewhat slim due to the fact the games haven't happened in a while. Yet that raises the next question." Zephyr said focusing his attention onto Ryan, with a look of curiosity. A look he has probably received many times. "What exactly have you been betting on recently?"

@Oblivion666@Caits

"That's quite simple really. Whenever anything happens that people feel can be bet on, everyone who wants to bet goes to one person whom a I shall not name. Like the airship for example. I was betting that it wouldn't crash once it started going down and others bet it would crash. I won that bet, so I collected my money. Betting gets very fast paced and confusing with this system, but it really gets your adrenaline going." Ryan explained with various exaggerated hand motions. He looked quite ridiculous with his cowboy hat on during the explanation.

---

Eyes scanning as he strode through he crowd, Dornae was quite aware of the looks he garnered. Yes, unfortunately, even despite the return of the Grand Magic Games and the good that the newly arising Guilds were doing, people still seemed to think of mages almost as subhuman in some respects. Still, dirty and accusing looks were far better than ones of hate or aggression. After all, just 7 or so years ago, his walking through the crowd with anything clearly magical would have gotten him lynched, or at least apprehended by the King's men. If he was lucky, he'd be hidden from society before being added to the defense force, if he was unlucky--as he often seemed to be--then he'd have been imprisoned and made to live the rest of his life behind bars. Granted, that was still better than being hanged or burned at the stake, though it was not much better.

Making sure not to meet anyone's eyes unless they met his first, Dornae made his way into the collisseum that was the Tournament's place of residence. Even knowing he had missed the whole first day of it didn't really bother him as he wasn't there just to watch the challenges, though they did help in his decision by allowing him to guage their skill and, quite possibly, their ability to cooperate. Beyond the challenges though he was looking for the feel of the Guild through the members who were watching and the way the crowd reacted to their presence. In short he was looking for the demeanor of the Guild as a whole, and the way that they influenced those around them, but outside of their circle.

One might not think that such things gave much away about a group of people, let alone the individuals in that group, but Dornae had always had a knack for picking up on subtle cues and this was just that.

Climbing up through the internal workings of the structure, Dornae made his way up to the stands, eventually exiting to see the crowds. It appeared he had just missed the end of an event. Hopefully they weren't done for the day or he'd have to actively follow groups of Guilds, which would be difficult because there was surely more than one and he couldn't be in more than one place at a time. Plus, once they diverged they'd be heading to different locations so it would be difficult to make sure he knew how to find each and doubly as hard to properly observe their group dynamic if he couldn't see them.

His thoughts interrupted by the sun peaking from behind a cloud, Dornae's arm rose to shield his eyes even as he squinted. Peering about he found a spot in the crowd and sat himself down a row above a man with short hair, dressed in white and black.. Finding the man's attire to be rather flashy, Dornae raised an eyebrow for a moment before turning his gaze back to the rest of the crowd. He wondered who the whale fellow that had stopped that airship from colliding with the ground was. While he was not particularly interested in meeting people who were likely celebreties, he figured that anyone who associated with the man was likely to be either important or equally as honorable. Then again, it was just as possible that the whale mage only saved the town because his Guild was located in it, or specifically for the publicity. After all, while Dornae did not like to admit that such people could belong to the same race as him, they did.

He'd have to make a point of weeding people like that out of his search for companions, if you could call them that.

Then again, it was hard to say. People had surprised him before, just, it wasn't terribly common and considering his luck he was more likely to find a bunch of Dark Guilds here than he was to find people he could deal with for the months to come. Regardless, he needed allies now more than ever. Especially if he was to ever accomplish his goals. That more than anything else, is what drove him. It would sure be interesting to see where that drive led him.

@Crimson Raven

As perplexed as she was by the demon's turn of phrase, Cecilia accepted his gift with a grateful smile. ”Thank you very much. If this is how you normally treat people, you'll make a lot of friends in Frenzy Plant. Take...care?” Now a little less stressed, the young knight returned to her route to the repairs tent, mulling over the words of Argus.



”He's not in our guild actually, just a friend.” The fully-armored Ruby Knight approached. With his helmet off, it was easy to see that Zander was appraising Argus, trying to observe the exact weight of his worth at a glance. Magnis' comment, coming from a man experienced with evil, had not gone unacknowledged. While he did not seem overtly pleased by the new arrival, he at least did not attempt to skewer him with his messer, which was doubtlessly a step up from some people. ”Argus Leandros, you said? Are you as all-seeing as the mythic Argus from lore, I wonder...? Regardless, how may I be of service? Frenzy Plant doesn't get many visitors; usually, whomever new people we encounter are clients, adversaries, or potential new members.”

At that moment, the announcement from the arena resounded throughout the Crocus streets. Every guild wizard in the park perked up their ears to see how their champions had done. Zander was pleased to hear that not only had Xyster performed well, but actually outdone Nash, who she had been hoping to claim a part credit from. [color=E0115F]Hm, not bad at all. Though this does have echoes of yesterday, when we got third in the preliminary round but lost the official duel. And I must say, Sheldon does seem to favor Phoenix Wing. It was to be expected, really; they are the most popular.



So, that was it! A splendid display of effort by Amelia, though ultimately futile against Luna, had captured the win for Phoenix Wing! Fleo leaped around atop her great pillar of dust and cavorted. Her guild was doing so well! Now, however, it was time for the main event. As amazing as the view was up here above the Doma Flau and, indeed, the world, it was beginning to get a bit lonely. Fleo had been somewhat disappointed that Amaya hadn't accepted her invitation to join her. Ah, well. It was time to make a dynamic entrance!

A little bit afraid inside but eager for a heart-pounding thrill, Fleo approached the edge of her dust pillar and stood like a statue, arms raised. Closing her eyes, she allowed the fierce wind to topple her over the edge. Instantly she was plummeting downward, and -unable to suppress her excitement and terror- belted out a constant scream on the way. Down, down, down she fell, and when she could make out the individual people in the arena's vast crowd below, she cried out uselessly into a wind that tore the words out of her mouth, ”Dust Craft: Angel Lift!”

The streaming dust behind her formed into a single massive glider wing, with protrusions that wrapped around her arms and waist. Her screams turned into exultant whoops as her momentum slowed, and she turned the lazy circles of a buzzard as she drifted sedately down. Spotting the familiar purple shape of Dalton the cat, and expecting her friend Nolan to be nearby, the dusty woman locked in on that position, and drifted like an enormous drab butterfly directly into Enma and Marlene. The glider wing erupted into a spray of dust that blanketed everything in a ten-foot radius. ”Hey there, folks!” she greeted as she literally dusted herself off. The sight of Enma made her wonder if she hadn't accidentally injected herself into a volatile situation. ”Uh...awkward silence!” she bubbled, trying to defuse the tension.



At Ayame's beckoning, Nero leaned down to listen to her, though not without a trace of nervousness about more potential clobbering. A twinge of relief arose when it appeared that she'd be communicating with him verbally instead. When her suggestion passed his ears, however, he crossed his arms as he smiled. ”Nah, you keep yours. It's true ya don't talk much, but it's better than not at all. Not having something kinda makes you aware of how much ya miss it. Plus, if I just took yours, we wouldn't get to go on an adventure today!” As she stepped back, he aimed a light punch at her shoulder, not even forceful enough to hurt a kitten. ”Experiments? A think of the past! The Law of Manifestation is tried-n'-true, ready to grant anyone's wishes. But I do appreciate your trust. Makes me feel all cuddly inside.”

The next instant, however, he went sprawling. Nero had been leaning on Eve a little for support and not fully standing on his own weight, and after Gabriel's shove gravity took its full effect. ”Agh!” he uttered, caught completely off guard, as he tumbled. Since he'd been shoved from behind, he fell face-first, and was unable to withdraw his arms from his friends in time to keep him from crushing his glasses beneath the weight of his own head. He shrieked wordlessly and rolled over. The frames had been bent, but more dire were the freely bleeding gouges cut into his face by the pieces of glass, one of which remained stuck in his skin. Whimpering in pain, he reached up and gingerly pulled the glass shard out, prompting a fresh spray of blood. All the while, Gabriel was shouting at him his perceived faults. ”My...my face!” he cried, again ignoring the blue-haired man—which would doubtless spark even more punishment. ”It's ruined! They'll all hate me now!”

His bloody face buried in his hands, Nero staggered to his feet. His thrashing made it clear that neither Ayame nor Eve should attempt to come near. When he spoke again, his voice was reverberating with something else, making a normally upbeat and nasally tone grinding and sinister. After a moment he removed one dripping hand and pointed a finger at Gabriel, trying to cover his face with the other hand. It did not cover his left eye, the pupil of which had seemingly vanished. ”All I wanted was to be left alone! You just couldn't take no for an answer, could you!? And now look what you've done!” He turned the hand upward, revealing the shard of glass, now held between his fingers, and started laughing. ”I'm gonna KILL you!”

The dark mage hurled the shard of glass at the asshole's chest. Of course, with his lack of physical ability, the fragment itself wouldn't do more than bounce off his clothes. On contact, however, it would infuse him with a super-charged Law of Embodiment and turn the man who'd shown up out of nowhere and ruined him into a statue of glass. Nero rushed forward, raising a leg to kick the statue over and shatter upon the ground. There was only a fraction of an instant to stop him. ”Rest in PIECES!”

Jamie wouldn't be walking long before he ran into Master Fraquar. The Master of Rider's Blade stopped when he saw Jamie's determined expression and only moved so he would walk alongside the Phoenix Wing Guild Master.
"Is everything alright Master Jamie? Is Miss Averyonna well or is something else bothering you?" He asked, his tone concerned.



Amelia groaned and touched her head where Luna had hit her, only to wince.
"I'm... not really sure. I might be fine but I feel like I've just run two marathons nonstop... or something like that." She said, collapsing on the bed. While she had heard the argument between Jamie and Jarvis, or at least the last part of it, she felt like bringing that up would be a bad idea. Putting her arm over her eyes to block out any light, she continued."I lost us the event didn't I?"



"In all events like this, corruption of officials is unavoidable. I remember bribing a few to cause some... accidents to happen with certain people." Jack said, her voice dropping a bit as she spoke of her past. Shaking her head, she looked over at her Master, her expression puzzled." But if that spirit was what it said, it should've finished her off quickly. Either it was lying, holding back, or something was wrong and it couldn't fight at full strength. Is it possible it could be stronger then it let on?"

@Joshua tamashii

Rose headed to the infirmary as she looked inside seeing Jarvis was there " Jarvis, can I have a minute alone with Amelia...I have to tell her how sorry I am for doubting her when it came to her volunteering to participate. Just with her nature and what I know of her personally, I let my worried mother side come out and doubt the amazing abilities she holds." she said " you should have seen her Jarvis, I never thought she could fight like she did and it made me proud and amazed to see how strong she truly is, she dis the guild proud and I am honored to even be her guildmate and I hope she can forgive me for doubting her strength." she said to him but she made sure Amelia heard everything.

She listened to Amelia before smiling "actually you and me.Luna both got the same high score, that right there is a win in my book."



" I don't like speaking of my life before Phoenix wing cause I feel I don't deserve to speak of my village. If you wish to hear my tale I can tell you it. However first I wanna hear what you think my past holds and I will tell you if your right." she said pulling her hair into a ponytail before she quickly scaled the tree they stood under, sitting on a branch above him.

@Caits
The girl stayed behind Ariel, but did peek around to look at Tidius. His tone was soft and inviting. While she didn't say anything she did appear to understand. Even so she didn't move from around Ariel, content to observe what the man would do next. There was an odd calming aura about her.

@Lugubrious
@hatakekuro
@Zarkun

Marlene Evangeline

Marlene coughs several times after accidentally inhaling Fleo Plector's dust as she lands beside the three... only thing was, it seems that she came along at the wrong time. The Crystal Maiden looks at Fleo as if she was kinda crazy, all while still holding Dalton in her arms.

"Um, yeah, hi there..." Marlene answers awkwardly herself, "Uh, it appears we're in a tight situation here ummm... can you come back to us later before you possibly get smashed by Mr. Oni here?"

"Good to know, nobody was asking that but still, appreciate the honesty." Argus said in response to the masked man's comment, not overly bothered by it since it only made sense. He was a shady looking character, and there was nothing he could do to change that. He would always have to work harder than most to gain people's trust, and while that sucked, such was life.

Argus then turned towards the second voice to speak out, a slightly intimidating individual dressed in a strange looking red armor. The man's talk of some legend went over his head, as Argus had only chosen the name because he remembered reading the two words somewhere and thought "hey, these sound good together, let's go by that". Either way, before he coukd respond to the man, a voice rang out, reminding him thatthe first Grand Magic Games in a 100 years was going on right now. In Argus. opinion, that's a tradition that should've stayed dead and buried, but then againm he had a heavy bias against fighting for the amusement of others. It hit a little to close to home for him, as would be shown by the expression of disgust that crossed his face at the unwelcome reminder.

After the announcement ended, he responded to the armored man's inquiry.

"Count me down as a hopeful new member, I've been doing mercenary work solo for a while, but decided that it's time I join a guild so I can start taking bigger jobs, as well as making some friends along the way. Seem to be off to a great start on that second one, aren't I?" Argus chuckled a little at his jest, commenting on Magni's instantenous distrust of him. "Anyway, can I assume that you're Zander? I was tokd by a miss Cecilia Lenin to come to see you about joining the guild? She said I'd haveto challenge someone of around C rank and challenge them to some form of duel, right? If that's the case, then I'm ready wnen ever you are, just find me an opponent."

Argus was just about to leave it at that, but then his eyes swiveled back to the giant whale man that was standing around, still much too curious to let his questions go unanswered. "Also, can someone tell me what's with the giant whale man, I mean, does no one else find that just the tiniest bit strange? He's awesome though, not dissing the guy in the slightest, but this just isn't an everyday thing . . . is it?" Argus had been very isolated for most of his life, and while his years as a mercenary had helped him learn more about the world, there were still a lot of things he wasn't completely sure of yet.

@Lugubrious

@Invisible Man

@Lugubrious@Lmpkio@Zarkun
ENMA AND DALTON

Chill...CHILL?! How in the ever loving hell could he chill after the entire yokai community was insulted straight to his face?! A red aura glowed with intense killing intent and his hair began to float as if wind was blowing through it. It seemed like his fangs and horns were growing and his pupils turned into white holes surrounded with a vivid red. If there was a lesson to learn from this it would be to never anger an oni, especially one as short fused as him. He wanted to grind their bones into dust and then turn that dust into nothing, but they were apart of Nolan's guild so he had to hold himself back as hard as he tried. Not to mention that if he attacked them then his guild surely would've been disqualified from the games and he couldn't afford that to happen. Still the blood in his veins ran wildly and being told to 'chillax' only made things worse rather than actually apologizing. "I ought to-!"

He stopped mid-sentence as a dusty woman landed in between him and Marlene. He was so caught off guard that his rage subsided in that instant and that red aura disappeared. The dust floated into his mouth and Enma coughed a bit. Wait a minute...Dust? A woman that wears bandages? "You are Fleo Plectar I assume? Nolan has told me about you and that squad he denies leading." He held out a free hand for a handshake as the humans called it. "The name is Sengoku Enma. I'm an old friend of Nolan's."

Dalton popped out of Marlene's grip and landed in a seat next to Marlene."Wait wait wait! Are we just goin' to forget that this guy was about to go and paint the town red just now?! Like it never happened?!" The Exceed said with great exasperation.

James glanced up from studying his magic at the Exceed. "Oh yes, I'm sure you're excited to be mulch if you're bringing it up again, Exceed." He returned once more to his studies, muttering the occasional spell to himself to help memorize it for practice later.




"If she wanted you to know that, she wouldn't have left your guild in the first place."




"If the spirit really is that of War, then he was clearly holding back to prevent himself from destroying the city. It certainly warrants more looking into in any case." Over hearing Ryan, Jack turns a withering glare on the gambling man. "It is also a foolish addiction that can put you in the debt of very dangerous and unsavory individuals."

Master Jamie
@Joshua Tamashii

Jamie let out a frustrated sound as Fraquar joined her. "Amelia is fine" She snapped, impatiently, "As for what is bothering me, that's not of your business" Jamie replied snappily, continuing to walk, a hurried pace, not in a particularly chatty mood.

"I have things to do, Fraquar"

Jarvis

"I imagine you used a lot of magic" Jarvis said softly, but didn't get to say much else as Rose entered. "Games Master Sheldon thought it quite honorable that you stepped in when Sasha couldn't participate" He said softly when Rose had finished talking, "I know she was amazing, but it still doesn't mean that it wasn't dangerous" he said softly, keeping his tone neutral

Tidius
@t2wave

tidius smiled at the girl as she peeked around at him. He held out his hand, palm up so that the girl would have the control, seeming to appear quite young in that moment, a unspoken message of trust. "I have a few toys, if you want to play with them, little one. No one is going to hurt you here, that's the last thing that we want"

Gabriel
@lugubrious

Gabriel let out a frustrated sound. All he had wanted to do was help, and then to just be ignored when he was trying had pushed him over the edge. Maybe it was feeling like his was nothing in the guild, making him feel inadequate, that had pushed him to this. Gabriel didn't know. All he knew was that he was being attacked with a shard of glass.

A bad feeling rose over Gabriel, and a blur pushed him aside, sending Gabriel sprawling, frantic he scrambled to look what had happened. Rat, his rat, his friend, his spirit, was entombed in glass, no, he was glass. And the crazy, demented, fool of a man was rushing towards Rat to destroy him.

Logic told Gabriel that Rat would be fine, that you couldn't kill a spirit, but his heart clenched, and he rose, tackling Nero to the ground. "YOU DEMENTED BUTT FACE! TURN HIM BACK, TURN HIM BACK, DAMN IT! GIVE ME RAT BACK!" he shook Nero, his expression dark, all he could think off was that Rat had sacrificed himself for Gabriel, and that Gabriel didn't deserve it, didn't deserve such loyalty from his spirits. "TURN HIM BACK, NOW!" tears threatened to spill over Gabriel's suddenly full and stinging eyes, his voice breaking

Lazarus

He nodded. "I think we need to pay close attention to the battles today, especially whoever is fighting from our guild. To make sure nothing bad happens." He sighed.

Shujin

He frowned, clearly toying around in his own mind. He made a short grunting noise before running a hand through his hair. "Fine. After the games." He reluctantly stated. "But be warned, I am a dangerous man. Please do not cross me." He said monotonously.

@Caits
Looking at the hand for a while the girl eventually reached out and accepted it. Ariel didn't seem to be particularly worried by this man so she didn't see much reason to be either. Stepping out from hiding she surveyed the room curiously. Unlike the last spirit this ine seemed much less initiated with the world. Something a little more expected if she were actually something completely new.

Ariel herself was still rather confused. By now she had no idea what she could do. Likely Tidius was similarly noting the broad reach the woman's unique ability seemed to grant her. "I'm beginning to wonder just exactly what I am. Isn't something like this unheard of?" Maybe it would have been better to stay quiet. But she'd started to become accustomed to Tidius' presence, even if it could potentially be a bad thing. To some extent she was too engrossed in the experimentation and discovery.

Fraquar sighed and followed after Jamie, looking rather amused.
"I might as well follow you so that you don't blow up a bit of the town if you get into trouble. Then again, with your powers, I doubt I would be needed anyway." He said. He had a feeling Jamie would ditch him somehow, most likely a barrier, but he at least want to try and help. He knew that Phoenix Wing's guild Master didn't trust him, possibly even hated him, for having attacked Amelia in the past. But, amends had to be made, even if one side didn't want them to be.



"So I only got the points because I took Miss Sasha's place. Not for how I did." Amelia said, sounding a bit upset. It was disheartening to hear that that was the only reason she had earned any points was for taking the place of another. Even though Rose's praise and apology were nice to hear, she was still disappointed in herself and understandably upset.



"The people we should most likely check are Master Jamie or their ace, Jarvis. After that, we could check with Master Fraquar. He was in charge of getting information on her magic, so he might know something about her magic." Jack said before glancing over at Ryan as well."You should stop while you're ahead. Build up a big enough debt with the wrong people and they will use it against you to make you do things for them. Trust me, it can happen and the right leverage will be all they need."



"Let's see here. Chances are, something traumatic. Your village might have been attacked when you were young. After that, seeing as you're still alive, you were probably captured. But from there, it's hard to say. Maybe your captors abused you and used you as... well, let's just say a toy. If not, they probably sold you." Joshua said, thinking."Of course there is always the possibility of rescue. Possibly by the Aurora person you bring up from time to time?"

Master Jamie
Jamie really didn't want someone following him, and defientely not someone from another guild. He looked to Fraquar, unable to think of a good way to say get lost without sounding rude. "I control my powers well, thank you very much. I don't destroy buildings" Jamie quickened her pace, heading to where he had picked up the trail of Mithera, the same alley where Damian had seen Trinity's bow. Mithera had flown off, probably to try and get help, and Jamie wondered if there was an easier way for her to shift besides food.

Michael
@oblivion666@floodtalon

Michael frowned. Betting sound like it could be a massive risk, and it just didn't seem worth it. Why risk your money? He imagined that t hings could get very violent, if it went out of control. "Seems too risky" He said softly, frowning slightly as he saw his messenger spirit, Hermes, zipping through the Arena. How did Hermes come here? As far as Michael knew, he was the only one who could summon him. Hermes seemed agitated, and Michael watched the spirit, clearly searching.

Sasha
@yipeeXD

Sasha gave a soft sigh, as Lazarus didn't even comment on her speaking about second origin. She just nodded, "The games Master seems to be very watchful, despite being strange" she said softly, trying to push the memory out of her mind, to just focus on the games.

Time Lord

Time Lord nodded, pleased that Shujin seemed willing to help. one down he thought to himself, uneasily, "Thank you" He said, giving an almost evil looking smile, "And don't worry. I'm a dangerous man as well" he said, walking away, through the stands, satisfied that that had gone better then he thought it would. He seemed to hesitate on the stairs, wondering.

tidius
@t2wave

Tidius smiled at the girl as she took his hand. He rose slowly, keeping his hand in the girls. "This is one of my labs. I figure things out in here, and try to make sense of them" He told her, looking to Ariel as she spoke. "Magic is strange, and there isn't a rule on what is unheard of. there's lots of difference magics, and as I said, you seem to be able to differentiate the magics within you. Why should that be strange?" He said

Jarvis
@Joshua Tamashii

Jarvis grimaced, cursing his stupidity. He should have said something else, but he hadn't been thinking right. He opened his mouth to speak, before closing it, thinking on what to say. "No, Amelia. You would have gotten good points anyway. You got extra points for taking Sasha's place. You fought well" He tried to choose his words carefully, but he wasn't too sure if he was just making things worse.

Grant Vs Maddox Battle part one

The second day had been full of intensity. As the names began to flick across the screen, the Games Master was dancing, and grinned, shouting, "Grant from Iron Engima! AND Maddox from Phenix Wing B! GET READY TO RUMBLE!" Games Master Sheldon ushered those not fighting out

The red-haired mage made his way down to the arena when his name was called. Guess I will be fighting in these Games, he thought, putting his hands in his jacket pockets as he stepped out before the crowd. Maddox wasn't a super-famous mage, but he was certainly known thanks to Phoenix Wing's natural publicity and some of his own feats he's done in the past. After all, he is Blink, the fastest man alive according to the Weekly Sorcerer. Grant from Iron Enigma, Maddox wondered, looking over the crowd and scanning for their reactions to the fighters' entrances. I can't say I know the guy. I suppose I should let him show off a bit and get the crowd pumped up. Also would serve to figure out what he can do...

Grant Vale was about a minute late onto the battlefield, and he was grinning like a child who had just been given access to a mountain of candy. Not acknowledging the crowd, the wizard walked to almost the center of the battlefield before speaking, directly to Maddox. "You know, I've heard about you before. 'Fastest man alive', according to Sorcerer weekly, one time. Certainly a big boast, but one I doubt I'll dispute. Speed was never my game." He chuckled softly, something clearly up his sleeve. "I also remember that you destroyed a guild a year or so ago. Was a bit of a shame really, a lot of Iron Enigma's income came from them. They had a lot of need for information, something we've always excelled at providing." He cracked his knuckles, and blood dripped from his right hand to the ground. "Even so, things about you are pretty scarce, sadly, and we tend to avoid operating too close to powerful "light guilds"." Grant made air quotes before dropping his hands to his side. "So, I'm going to revel in the one chance I have to beat the hell out of a Phoenix Wing Mage." He chuckled again taking a half step back, preparing himself for when the start of the fight was announced.

Oh, he seems ornery, Maddox thought as Grant gave a malicious introduction. He was quick to notice the blood coming from his hands, despite having not noticed any wounds on the guy prior to the blood. It was clearly a hint as to what he could, just a subtle one. "Don't like Light Guilds, eh?" Maddox commented, before letting out a sigh. "Well, we all have our dreams and aspirations. Now probably is your one chance to beat the hell out of a Phoenix Wing mage." A smirk played on his lips as his red eyes met with Grant's gaze. Maddox was returning the taunt. "But I can tell you it won't be me."

He glanced over to the stands, seeking out his guildmates. He had to ensure they could see and feel his confidence. After looking to Master Jamie specifically, Maddox gave the master a nod before returning his attention to Grant before him. "I'm ready when you are," Maddox declared, though he kept his hands in the pockets of his leather jacket. "Let's put on a good show for the folks that gathered here, yeah?" Once Grant would also agree he was ready and the fight would begin, Maddox began his assault. That is: he began casually walking towards his opponent. With his hands still in his pocket, the red-haired mage approached Grant at a mild pace. While this may not be the start the crowd would expect, given it wasn't even close to being considered "fast" and wasn't remotely exciting, Maddox did have a plan. He was physically strong and a skilled martial artist. Once Grant would be just outside his kicking range, Maddox would lunge forward and deliver a kick to the solar plexus, a blow that if successful would leave the Iron Enigma mage on the ground fighting for air. A simple and boring tactic, but Maddox figured this guy would put up a fight instead.

Grant smiled a bit. "Oh, so you can see into the future?" He chuckled, not bothering dropping into a combat stance. "But, let's give the audience quite a time." He looked up at the crowd, finally acknowledging them, before looking back to Maddox, watching him approach. He made no movement to attack or approach himself, just watch. He was relaxed, but ready to move. Once Maddox launched into the kick, a magic circle appeared in Grant's right eye just before his body sprung into action.

For Grant, as Maddox's kick came towards him, the world slowed down to a stop. He watched, almost from a disconnected standpoint within himself, Maddox's kick land. The pain was dulled a good bit, but Grant still felt the blow, the wind being knocked from his lungs, and being unable to breath. He fell backwards, unable to control his limbs as they reached up and over where he was hit, and he fell onto the ground, gasping and coughing. After long seconds of the uncontrollable torture, slower than it had happened, it began to reverse. Backwards towards the very moment Maddox launched his kick. Just before it reached the apex of its return to the present however, Grant broke free of the trance, twisting his body as the world began its return to normal time. For half a second, though this one a full one to Grant, time continued its acceleration to match the real world, and during this time Grant would seem to move much faster than he would've normally.

As the phenomenon ended, Maddox's kick went wide as Grant slammed his hand into his chest, palm open, throwing Maddox back and leaving a magic circle on his body. During the attack, Grant had spoken two words, quietly, but loud enough for Maddox to hear as the blow was landing. "Link bodies." As Maddox was forced either into a slide across the ground or a flip to avoid being on his back, he would catch a glance of Grant wincing slightly, but only just. "And so! Let the fight, truly, begin." Grant called out to his opponent as he shifted into a combat position, clearly deciding whether to attack now, or let Maddox attempt another strike.

@Joshua Tamashii@Caits

Ryan nodded half heartedly as he thought about how much money he was going to be making after the Magic Games. You could see the dollar signs in his eyes as he dreamt about the big mansion he would buy. It was much more likely that he would just end up losing it all in a bet though.

Lazarus

She had sigh almost reluctantly. He didn't want to discuss the second origin. He had no desire to gain access to it right now, and although it was true, Sasha may have had it all this time. It didn't matter. "What makes a wizard strong is their heart, not their power." He looked down. "I learned that the hard way Sasha." He glanced onward at the first battle of the day. "Easy win for Maddox, no question."

Ayame wasn't so surprised by the reaction of Nero. Of course he wouldn't use her voice. She was always with him so it would be annoying for her to always be quiet. Ayame warmly smiled at him for considering Ayame too. She was however a little surprised when they suddenly came falling at her. She could just barely move away from the two falling mages and immediatly came to check if they were alright. The next thing she knew was Nero going insane about his hurted face. It didn't look pretty and it was indeed mean of the stranger to push Nero just like that. Of course he would get mad at him and nothing was to be done about that. Ayame had never seen Nero act like this before and saw a completly other person in front of her right now. It made the girl quiver in fear before the curse mage. Something was off, was his face that precious to him? Ayame could barely tell he was trying to use a curse on the boy. Luckily the curse was instead on the summon of the boy that had appeared out of nowhere. Still it was straigh out not okay to break the statue like that. Ayame quickly jumped in between and stretched her arms out. One look in his eyes could tell this was serious business. Ayame ducked away a little in fear of the curse mage but still kept standing on the same spot with her arms hugged close to her chest and her eyes averted away from the ones of Nero so that she at least wouldn't grovel in shame before him instead of stopping him.