The sentinels were pacing, 4 of them draped in back cloaks, each with the power of a demi-god were walking up and down Dynamo's chambers they were restless just like their master was, they were watching the seats fill and receiving info of all the tickets being bought to this tournament. The numbers were off the charts, the tournament would not start for another hour but noise of the crowd would make you think the final battle was already underway. Dynamo finally gave his nod to lead sentinel who was clutching his sword tightly in anticipation. It was time to gather the combatants in the lobby, the sentinel was on his way without hesitation. The other 3 looked out the window to see 3 million in the seats around the massive stadium. Using portal magic the tournament would be broadcast to at least 14 million more and that was just in this realm.


The lobby was beautiful, it looked like a VIP palace for the gods. It was placed high above a tower that neighbored the coliseum with the lobby itself placed within perfect view of the large stadium along with the beautiful skies and mountains that surrounded it. The room was also fitted with a portal mirror which gave the lobby's guests a perfect view of any battle which was on at the time, which is what the combatants will be using to see each other fight The room was filled with many fruits, wines, cakes, and roasts that would only be fit for a king, Dynamo was a greedy promoter but he treated his participants with luxury.



Like a crack of lighting all 8 were summoned to the lobby right in front of the buffet table, as always the sentinel began to speak.

Welcome, challengers you have all been summoned here by Dynamo's grace. You have been selected by Dynamo himself for your impressive fighting abilities. Fight with honor and bravery and entertain our loyal crowd. Please enjoy the food and wine that has been provided by the Battle City Council and take some time to relax here. In 30 mins the first round will begin, I'll let you know who will be facing each other very shortly. If you have any questions please direct them to me or any other of the Reugulators.......Good Luck.

All 8 combatants began to look around as the sentinel walked back towards the lobby entrance to stand guard.

How will this chapter in the tale of tournaments play out?

Instant transportation was not something Imogen was accustomed to, and thus, upon arrival, her first reaction was a sharp intake in breath, a gasp of surprise at the sudden change in surroundings.

The location itself was awe-inspiring enough. Every stone was polished, every column carved to intricate perfection, framing the beauty of nature in the background. No temple of her homeland could possibly have matched such luxury, such craftsmanship. The whole structure towered around her, intimidating, a constant reminder that Imogen was now part of something far greater than her own small wars and feuds.

But in spite of her surprise, her anxiousness, she did not waver in the slightest. After that first gasp, that first moment of awe, there was nothing. Her mind snapped shut like a steel trap, her face becoming calm and collected as her eyes roved back and forth, taking in each of the others stood around her. In half an hour, she might have to kill any of them. Thus she would survey them carefully, searching for details and mannerisms, anything she might be able to use.

Imogen herself was fairly unassuming. She wore simple blue robes, tied tightly around her for ease of movement, outlining her lithe upper body beneath the cloth. Her thick red hair and fierce eyes were certainly eye-catching- but in a room full of giants and winged men, she appeared rather mundane, as if a spectator had somehow wandered into the lobby. There was no aggression in her now. But the massive bundle of cloth floating behind her cast a threatening shadow, its form distorted by the edges of the many scabbards hidden within.

Not all of the newcomers were as surprised as her. One, a lumbering mass of raw muscle who referred to himself as Gonad, was already strutting about as if he owned the place. Imogen glanced away, struggling not to blush. He was certainly impolite, but... one did not achieve that kind of muscle mass through a quiet life. But though this earned some degree of respect from her, she could not help but voice her disagreement with his words.

"Brother Haste may be a valuable ally, but do not forget Sister Patience, O warrior." Her voice was quiet, but crystal clear, each syllable delivered with precise, formal diction.

Summoned slightly away from the others Drallinix stood in silence. The lich had no need for food, drink, or even breath so as he was summoned he merely stood watching and waiting. His head turned to the side taking in each of the combatants as he saw them. The lich made no sounds as he watched the others go about their business. His massive sword the Lichblade hung from his back in a scabbard, yet even so the blade emanated a feeling of cold to all around it. Drallinix crossed his arms before himself watching the others his right hand coming to rest on his left elbow as his left hand rested upon his right ribs.

As Drallinix watched one of the other men in the room referring to himself as Gonad spoke and began to make crude motions and actions. Even as a lich Drallinix was royalty and this show of rudeness in front of himself and the women present disgusted him. Clearing his throat Drallinix spoke for the first time. "Show some etiquette and stop acting like a beast, lest you be slain like one" Drallinix's voice rang out. It was a cold voice, barely more than a whisper yet deep and firm. As he spoke the very air around him seemed to become colder as his amethyst gaze focused upon the other man.

After his sentence Drallinix would remain silent simply standing as he watched the others. He picked up a goblet of wine and slowly sipped it, the alcohol having no effect on him, he merely did so for appearances. After all if his opponents thought him nothing more than a man all the better for him. As Drallinix sipped his wine he waited for the fights to begin or for his fight to be announced, whichever came first.

One moment Nicoli had been kneeling on a soft mat, fully garbed in his Veiled-One gear, the cowl of his cloak pulled low. The next he was kneeling in a splendid hall full of light and the presence of others, sounds and smells came to him, the voice of some creature explaining what was happening.

Strangely, Nicoli didn’t feel the anger he thought he would of. Rather a deep passion blossomed inside the normally cold man. It was far and between when the man known as D’Angelo had a true challenge. He rose from his kneeling position, pushing back his hood, and let his dark blue eyes survey the others that had been summoned around the table.

He reached out and grabbed a vine of grapes as he slid his goggles over his eyes. He did not bother to pull his cloak about him, allowing the various weapons he wore to be seen. He turned a full circle and surveyed the rest of the area they were in.

“Impressive. Our host is most gracious.” He spoke to no one in particular, but he recognized that events such as this demanded a certain amount of etiquette. Which, apparently, the lumbering oaf pissing in trees clearly lacked. He clicked his tongue against his teeth, and went back to the food.

Olu had a smile on his face as he was laying on his side, being fed berries by 2, ebony skinned beauties who's body was like that of a goddess. This was a common activity Olu was usually engaged in until that time of the day came when the special dance of the virgin was going to take place and Olu would be entertained with that of a young virgin girl dancing until she removed all of her clothing (Basically this was a strip show....but more happens :D ), only for Olu to take her virginity away after the dance, if Olu felt she was worthy for his loins.

With the gyrating going on, Olu smiled, watching that ass move until he suddenly appeared in another location and heard a voice welcoming him and obviously others in the lobby. Summoned here? for his impressive combat ability? Olu thought for a moment about the fact that where he's from, he is the best warrior that no one could best, he is a Demi-god but since he was summoned with others, it was possible, Olu would finally have a challenge.

Olu was still laying on his side while looking out at the grand scenery outside, wondering what kind of place this was. His attention was disturbed when the aroma of urine hit his nose along with the food that was near, making a terrible combination. He heard others speaking as two individuals, one who looked like dead warrior and another which is a young pretty woman, all who Olu was a little curious about.

Olu heard another individual speaking to himself about the host. With this and everything else going on, Olu looked at Gonad, realizing this guy was musclebound baffoon but he looked about as tall as him. He wondered what abilities and skills this guy had as Olu started chuckling while laying there next to the fountain nonchalantly. He grabbed his long 6 and a half foot sword and stood up showing his 7'4 physique and the black skinned demi-god walked over to the table.

Olu sighed "I was going to entertain myself by taking another young virgin's virginity but....I guess this will be of some entertainment for me as well Hmhmhmhmhahahha.." chuckling at the sight of the others and grabbing an apple.

Norvandell sighed as he ordered another drink from the bartender. Nothing was offering him a challenge as a mercenary these days. Most jobs he got were either weak demons terrorizing even weaker villages, or the occasional so-called shrine priestess trying to "cleanse" the area. A quick swipe with his blade was all it took nowadays to complete his contracts. The drink was finally made and slid across the counter to Norvandell, who caught it midway and began to chug it down. His usual drink invigorated him as always, but now it was starting to taste of dissatisfaction. He wished a challenge would come soon.

Closing his eyes, he pondered what he was to do with his life. He grabbed some coins from his pocket and said, "Here, keep the change." as he dropped them onto the counter. When he heard the clinking of coins hitting the ground rather than the counter, however, he noticed something was amiss. He opened his eyes and found himself no longer at the bar, but at some sort of grand lobby. Sunlight filled the area, and there was food and drink aplenty. Before he could even begin to wonder what was going on, there came the announcement.

Challengers? Battle City Council? Norvandell began looking around, noticing the other 7 individuals, most of which were male. Not paying any attention to the others making a fuss about themselves, he went over to the buffet table and picked an apple from the table. He gave it a quick sniff to attempt to detect any poison, then decided it was safe to eat and took a bite. Perfectly juicy and perfectly crunchy, just to his liking. Looking back at the others, he began to examine them more closely. If he was to gauge the situation, he was in a tournament with 7 other combatants, all of which were of equal or perhaps even greater strength than him. There were clearly some who were warriors, and one who could be defined as a rogue. A woman warrior was quite rare, even in his home, although to be fair, the more powerful women he knew tended to be witches.

All in all, he did wish for a challenge. Perhaps he would get one from them.

The food, the guards, the competitors. Nicoli realized that this tournament was quiet the ordeal, yet he had never heard of it before and he was curious as to what the qualifications had been for him to be selected. He also had to wonder what the host of this tournament was going to receive? No one ever did anything for free, there was always some ulterior motive. He plopped another grape in his mouth as he thought about these questions.

As he chewed the grape he brought his left hand up to his goggles and pressed a button, a blue lens appeared over each eye. There was no reason not to gather any information he could now. Information was valuable and anything he learned could potentially be used later, especially if these were all of the combatants. He turned slowly as he ate another grape, letting the magic of his goggles reveal what information they could. The blue lens specifically made magical energies present. Nicoli wouldn’t be able to get much information unless he took the time to study each aura, which he wouldn’t. A quick run-down was all that was needed for now.

He turned about, eyes passing over the hulking poorly mannered Gonad. The man appeared a simple brute with an impressive stature. Nicoli didn’t see a single magical aura about the man. He was surprised and based on pure appearance assumed he would be the easiest to deal with if he was to be his first opponent.

Next he came across the female, Sirena, and the multitude of swords that were strapped to her. Nicoli recognized each weapon for what it was, but why she had so many he couldn’t say. Even to carry such an amount had to elude to a certain amount of physical strength beyond what was normal. Like the barbarian before Nicoli didn’t see any magical auras around the weapons. Which meant that the women was really carrying them and there weren’t lightened with magic somehow. His gaze moved on.

The came to rest on what Nicoli thought was the most interesting of the bunch, Drallnix. The man was even larger than the barbarian and clad in thick and heavy armor. The ethereal purple eyes certainly spoke of some form of magic to Nicoli and when he looked upon the Lich with magic his whole form radiated it. His gaze lingered most on Drallnix as the magical items he wore became apparent to Nicoli. Again, he could discern anything specific about them, but the fact they were magic meant that special attention would need to be paid to them if he had to fight that towering mountain of metal.

Continuing to look around he came next to Olukayde. Nicoli was certain that this …thing, wasn’t human. What he was though Nicoli couldn’t say, his appearance was completely foreign to him. Like the barbarian and armored man Olu was incredibly tall, much taller than Nicoli. It was a competition of giants it seemed, where him and the girl were certainly outclassed based on physical perception. Nothing became readily apparent to Nicoli’s blue tinted vision and so he moved onwards.

A man with wings was next, at least he looked like a man to Nicoli. He was around a similar height as Nicoli but based on appearance he was much skinnier, though Nicoli deduced it probably helped for flight, assuming the wings were for more than show. He made a special note of the blade he wore, it was the only weapon he could see and then moved along and continued to gather what information he could.

Rin did not find his presence in the area worth pondering. He was here and clearly for a purpose.

He did not partake in the offerings, like some of the others had, but merely stood off to the side against a wall in a meditative position. Rin was not the most approachable of individuals, a trait he'd had since youth. Serious to the point it was off putting for some, it was a surprise to many that Rin was actually engaged. While still young, the engagement wasn't a surprise to most, given the seriousness of both parties involved. He'd behaved as an adult in many aspects since the age of four, focusing on developing his place in the world and trying to make an impact within it. This is what he found fascinating, rather than the childish whims some of his siblings had indulged in. While they played, Rin began to develop himself as a person. It was why Kisaki, his twin, had the best relationship with him. She was equally serious.

Rin focused on not dwelling on the fact Roku, his fiance, was not with him. The two rarely separated, both working together closely for years as enforcers for their village. In many aspects, Roku was probably a stronger fighter than he was. She had far more physical strength than he did, which seemed like it could play an important role in this competition given the rather imposing size of some of the other combatants. However, Rin had fought against larger, including his father who was even more imposing in terms of size than any of the others here. Of course, that was only in size, as the boisterous nature of his father and constantly friendly demeanor quickly eliminated any fear he could have exploited.

For now Rin would wait until the first round was announced. That was what mattered. The rest was just a formality.

Dynamo was stirring in his chair, half a pint of blood just sprayed across the window of his viewing room. It was the preliminary 'warm up' matches, a warhammer wielding chaos dwarf had just busted open the head of a fire mage. He was cheering and chanting unholy verses of rune magic to curse the soul of the man he just killed. The crowd were entertained but were just even now even more excited for the first match of tournament. He summoned one of his sentinels to pass on a message: start the first round.

Dynamo approached the microphone outside his viewing room and addressed the screaming crowd. The arena staff were cleaning up the body parts from the last few warm up fights, their thirst for blood wasn't even close to being satisfied. Dynamo needed to give the people what they wanted....

My friends from around the world! I bring you drama of the realms, the excitement of the realms, the honor of the realms, the ultimate expression of life and death in front of your very eyes....I give you
BATTLE CITY

The crowd roared as Dynamo fed them the lines they had heard the last 11 years but he knew how to sell a fight, it was his business and he was the very best.

Nowww, I give you are first match, which will take place on our very own home coliseum! No tricks or special conditions. Just a good old fashioned fight till incapacitated or death! I summon the first two combatants for you Nicoli D'Angelo VS Sirena Imogen!

As soon as the lead sentinel heard the announcement, he approached the fighters and summoned two portals in the middle of the lobby, one was for Sirena and the other for Nicoli, the moment they stepped into them they would be warped to the coliseum grounds 40 feet away from each other and the battle would begin immediately.

The other 6 will be able to watch the entire thing as the battle unfolds.

The sentinel snapped his fingers loudly.
Let's not keep the crowd waiting, enter the portals please.

Nobody even seemed to be paying much notice to Imogen, and her words fell on deaf ears. Honestly, she wasn't surprised. Out of all the people in this room, she probably looked the least threatening. She didn't mind being looked down upon, it made for a rather nice change, but it was a shame that she wasn't able to speak with them. Perhaps some among the gathered fighters had led lives similar to hers, and would have insights to share, stories, wisdom.

She considered approaching them. But how does one even approach a warrior from another world entirely? For all she knew, they might speak some strange language, or engage in cannibalism as a casual daily activity. Some of those present certainly looked capable of it. So instead, she shied around the edges of the lobby, avoiding the food, feeling generally a little awkward. Maybe she'd be able to talk to them once the fights started, and discuss or comment on the unfolding battles. Whoever these people were, she was certain they'd have some sort of opinions to share on the art of combat.

But, as it soon turned out, she would be one of the first to fight. She looked around, uncertain as to exactly which one of these strangers was Nicoli. Given the sound of the name, probably one of the smaller ones.

Either way, she showed no hesitation in stepping towards the portals, walking swiftly and confidently right up to the first. The cloth bundle containing her blades floated along beside her, matching her pace. But as she walked, she reached out to it, tugging on a small concealed thread on one side, and it began to unravel, revealing the weapons inside. Gleaming steel slid from ornate sheaths, as the cluster of blades unfolded into an airborne formation, arraying themselves all around her. The cloth and the sheaths she'd leave behind, stepping up to the edge of the portal surrounded only by her swords.

Imogen hesitated before entering, however, her confidence wavering a little, and glanced towards Nicoli (should he have advanced at this point). With one small hand, she brushed her red hair aside as she tried to meet his eyes. "I... I should ask, what fortune brings you here? So far down the road of pain?" There was genuine curiosity in her voice, and a hint of sadness.

At last, the announcement for this tournament to began had been sounded. Norvandell readied himself for the fight. However, unfortunately, he was not chosen for the first match. It was the swordswoman and the rogue instead. What a pity. Still, he supposed he could use this time to watch the two slice each other to pieces. Perhaps even learn a few things himself. There was a mirror displaying the coliseum in real-time as well, which made things quite convenient.

After the two entered the portals into the coliseum, however, the ridiculous-looking barbarian decided to lower everyone's standards of him even lower than the ground by speaking gibberish that was apparently supposed to be some language similar to Norvandell's. While Norvandell did somehow manage to understand him, he wished he didn't. I'm not getting paid enough for this, Norvandell thought. Hell, I'm not even getting paid at all!

Considering the appearance of the barbarian, though, he supposed he could respect the man as a warrior. Just not as or for anything else.

Nicoli was still using his magical lenses to gather what information he could from his potential enemies when the host of the gracious tournament announced the first combatants to grace the field. He popped another grape in his mouth and smiled coldly when his name was spoken, though the man had combined his first name and title rather than his proper name. It was only slightly annoying to the proud man.

He dropped the empty grape vine on the table as a portal appeared before him. His eyes darted to the other portal and where his opponent was standing. He watched as she stepped towards the portal before her, an impressive display of weapons being revealed as the simple cloth fell away. What was even more impressive was the fact that they all floated about the air around her. He clicked his tongue against his teeth and looked towards his own portal.

As an afterthought he activated one of the charms in his left boot. A moment later his face would be hidden behind an inky black mask that swirled with dark blood reds and deep oceans blues. He removed his cloak and folded it up nicely before setting it on the table.

He heard his opponent’s voice and cocked his head to regard her, a foot raised to step into the portal. D’Angelo regarded her in silence and then simply stepped into the portal without answering her.

Nicoli did not offer a verbal answer, barely acknowledging Imogen's question at all. A cold, piercing look accompanied by silence was all she received. For her, however, this was as much an answer as any words he might have spoken, telling her all she needed to know about her opponent. This man whoever he was, did not care.

The reluctant killer, the freedom fighter, the hero: none would turn down a chance to know their enemy, not as an opponent, but as a human being. The one who rejected this was one of two things: either too weak to accept what they were doing, or too far gone to even be bothered by their actions, which she suspected was the case with Nicoli. But it didn't matter. Neither kind would fight with honor, and neither kind would be granted any kind of mercy before her blades.

Imogen glanced back at Gonad, with a sorrowful smile. "I thank you for your tale... but I fear the Robey Man and I would not go well together at all. Farewell, O warrior."

Then she turned towards the portal, and leaped through.

***

She arrives in the arena mid-leap, the swords moving in tandem with her. The katana and the zweihänder float vertically in front of her, like a pair of bodyguards, protecting their mistress. The khopesh and the urumi hang behind her, close by. The scimitar and the rapier are to her right, the claymore and the estoc to her left, all of them pointing forwards. The two hook swords she carries with her own hands, each angled downwards and slightly away from her body.

Imogen's face is no longer sad or soft, but focused. She is aware of all of her blades, with perfect clarity. They are extensions of her, controlled almost by instinct, the fingers she will use to pick apart this broken man.

Nicoli looked left and then right, his visage hidden behind a dark inky substance. The charm that provided this magic was the first a Veiled-One received, it was that charm from which they received their name. It also served to dehumanize them before their enemies, a blank face made it impossible to tell one Veiled-One from the next. Sometimes the psychological effect was enough to halt lesser warriors, though Nicoli didn’t think it would matter against any of the opponents at this tournament.

He watched the swords hover around his opponent through blue-tinted goggles. He didn’t see any magic emanating from them, which drastically lowered the options of what it might be, chi or telekinesis being the most likely. Of course what it was didn’t exactly matter to Nicoli, he couldn’t effect either source of power in anyway. He was more worried about the cutting power of those weapons and how many could be brought against him at once.

“If you quit now I will not kill you.” He spoke in a cool, hard voice.

He reached into his pouch with his left hand after he spoke and pulled out a small ceramic ball and held it before his eyes for inspection, his right hand rested on his utility belt, fingers drumming against it as he decided on his course of action. Any good battle was decided in the first few moments, where any miscalculations could prove fatal. He believed he held the advantage at the moment and would try and capitalize off of what he knew.

He would wait for the girls reply before acting, provided her answer was a no he would begin to walk forward at a casual pace. This was purely business for D’Angelo.

With a quiet tap, Imogen's feet come to a soft rest on the hard earth of the arena. There she stands, knees bent, her weight on the balls of her feet.

Nicoli's question comes unexpectedly. Does he, perhaps, prefer not to kill, when such avoidance is possible? Or is he simply seeking an easy victory? Interesting questions, but not ones she has time to answer while facing him down in a deathmatch. Imogen is a warrior, she will not give in to mere threats, and will never let an opponent snatch away victory with so little resistance. She has certain rules, boundaries, a sense of honor- but when it comes down to it, she is a fighter, trained her entire live to do battle.

"We all die eventually," she tells him, her voice barely loud enough for him to hear, "and I would not die a coward." With that, the matter is settled for her. All that remains is to begin the fight, and with her refusal, it does not take long.

The moment Nicoli takes his first step forwards, she strikes. Three of her swords- the rapier, the claymore, and the estoc -fly straight through the air towards her enemy, thrusting forth like great steel arrows. The first is aimed at his head, the second towards his midsection, and the third for his right thigh. They move in unison, and should reach him at around the same time- provided their flight goes unchanged. For Imogen is focusing, particularly on the claymore, ready to give them additional commands.

Nicoli got his answer, which was solidified as the three of Imogens swords shot forth as if they were fired from a bow. Nicoli immediately identified which of three weapons were headed at him, their trajectories obvious as they oriented on specific places on his body. Questions were being answered quickly as he tried to determine the limits of the girl’s technique.

He resisted the urge to pull out his own weapons, it would be a fruitless gesture. Battling animated swords would only serve to tire him out. What he needed was a way past that defense, to get within striking distance. It was settled, Nicoli acted quickly.

He sprinted forward at the weapons as they came towards him. His body surged, adrenaline coursing through his body, pushing him to his limits instantly. The ceramic ball he had held in his left hand was tucked away with the roll of his wrist, a little sleight of hand, his right hand dipped into another pouch and came forth with a healthy pinch of a rusty red colored dust.

When the three weapons were within a foot of striking their mark Nicoli dropped to his knees, throwing his body back in an impressive display of agility to let the three steel arrows shoot over the top of him. The speed at which things happened were fast, impressively so, to the onlooker it would appear Nicoli had simply dropped to his knees for but a moment and then snapped back forward and on to his feet where he would run forward to continue and try to close what had been a forty food gap between the two.

During his sliding movement he had taken the moment when he was bent over backwards to watch the swords and see if any quickly turned themselves about, it would provide a good indication on how quickly his opponent could react if he saw anything. Regardless, his goal was a rather obvious one. Get close.