Raviel seemed to appease his opponent and waved him a cheery goodbye. What a nice guy. Maybe he'll keep a lookout for him in his travels. He'd like to know more about his fighting style. It was certainly unorthodox since he was a mage, but Raviel couldn't really say anything. He was, after all, a physical fighter as well aside from being a teleporter. He made his way down south and was surprised to see two people roughhousing.
Until he realized that the person on top was actually trying to beat the other guy up. There were even two unconscious guards there.
The man underneath pleaded for his help through the painful slamming of his head onto the pavement. He shook his head as he recognized that it was one of the students of his Academy. "Hey- Hey!" He called out as he ran closer to the two. He then grabbed the other student by the collar and muttered something under his breath so that he could concentrate his magic around himself and the student only.
He teleported himself and the student two meters away. Using the jarring moment for anyone not used to teleporting, he pulled the student back and then turned to face him, placing a firm hold on his shoulder. "What do you think you're doing!?" Raviel called out in disbelief. "You shouldn't attack anyone with magic. Especially a bystander! That's one of the rules of our school." He reminded the guy and kept a firm hold on him should he decide that he wanted to attack Raviel as well.
Faye Nisval
Faye smiled as they decided upon a very iffy plan, though a plan nonetheless. She looked towards Tibrus who offered to acquire the things that they need. "Three pieces of small, circular object of any material. Just so we can communicate." Her communication rune was far from perfect, but it worked so long as they were within Zauberheim and not any further. She doubted their job would take them outside. "Of course, we need the gift for Sir Juan as well so I can plant it on him if we're going with that idea."
"How about the Radiant Church? We won't look too suspicious if we meet there." She suggested before looking at the time. "So shall we meet again in thirty minutes and start our plan?"
Varjan appeared to have snap back to reality with your words. But before he could respond, the doors to the shrine flew open. "Varjan! There you are!" A woman stormed in. She was blonde with green eyes wearing a simple yet elegant garb. Her beautiful face was marred by her angry expression.
"What are you doing here?! What are you doing to that poor girl?!" She demanded from Varjan. "I let you out of sight for just one moment and you're off causing gods know what?!" The quiet and peaceful domain of Aylama broken from this one furious woman. "Release her at once!" She angrily ordered Varjan.
"Mom, it's... this isn't what you think..." Varjan tried to explain as he let you go.
"I don't want to hear your f***ing excuses!" Varjan's mother rebuked as she violently pulled him away from your side. "Go home and prepare for your next match!" She practically shrieked at her son. Varjan said not a word, doing as he was told and quickly exiting the shrine. "What happens if you're caught off-guard in the tournament because you're not ready? Stupid boy..."
The mother then inhaled as she calmed down. Now with a earnest-seeming smile on her face, she addressed you. "Sorry about that, my dear. I saw him holding you, are you hurt? What did he do to you?" She asked with concern. "Worry not, I shall make sure Varjan is disciplined properly."
"It seems too easy a reason used, however, and I find it most curious. Perhaps we can talk further at a tavern close by and share a drink, if you're willing?"
"The offer is appreciated but I must decline." Tozen replied. "My vacation is coming to an end and I'd like to enjoy the festivities Razelia has to offer while I can. Who knows? This might be my last venture here. Take care, Sir Kazudain."
------
"Learn your craft boy, it can't help you if you can't use it."
"I'm. So. Sick. Of HEARING THAT!" Zeen yelled to the leaving Vuldur. "You think I haven't been trying to learn?! You think I'm just some phony magician?! You think it's my fault I'm not as magically attuned as you?!" The boy got off the stage to face Vuldur.
"You think I'm insignificant, don't you? You think I'm just a nobody who can't change anything like all those idiots in Seraph Academy." Zeen accused the Beastkin. "You know what? I'll show you. Let's duel, Beastkin. Right here, right now." The boy challenged Vuldur. It was probably not his wisest decision though he was a little too enraged for any wisdom to show.
Meanwhile, all this commotion was attracting a few people. Kazudain and Maldur included.
Zev'jul tried another melee attack and was caught in your trap, getting electrocuted by the lightning around you. And with a powerful slash, the mimicking sorcerer was knocked to the floor although, not reverting to his original form just yet.
The referee went over to your downed opponent and hesitantly checked him. "Zev'jul is down! Princess Lisiathus is the winner!" The referee announced. The audience roared with cheer for the princess of Razelia. Even your brother joined the cheering, clapping his hands loudly. Meanwhile, Zev'jul reverted to his original appearance moments after he had recovered.
"A fine fight, Miss. Truly the Princess of Razelia." Zev'jul complimented you as he got up and dusted himself off. "Your skills may need refinement but I have no doubt that you can win this tournament with relative ease. Unless of course there is someone here who is equal or more to you in skill and ability. Is there such a participant in this tournament?"
Both the Wood Elf were awed at your performance. How you leapt and evaded your opponent's attacks. Primera did not react fast enough and you manage to take her bow away. She was also not fast enough to react to your solid punch which sent her to the floor some feet away.
The referee went over to your downed opponent and checked her. "Primera is down! Hisana is the winner!" The referee announced. What audience there was delivered a soft applause at your victory before exiting the hall. The Elf you beat said not a word as she got up. Completely ignoring you as she made her way out of the hall.
"Yo!" A familiar voice called out to you. "Remember me? We bumped into each other, remember? Sorry about that." It was the black-armored warrior who took your gold while he was screaming about the end of days. "Nice fight with Zevvie though. Too bad he's not the one I know and sometimes love."
"The name's Keith by the way. Keith North. Super Merc who REALLY doesn't want to be here." The warrior mercenary introduced himself. "Say, you wanna hear a secret?"
Thessir's attacker was pulled away by Raviel but did not heed the Beastkin's words, too clouded with rage to even hear anything.
The student shook off Raviel's hold on him and lunged at the Beastkin, sinking his teeth on Raviel's right ear to inflict pain and to make the Beastkin flinch. After the bite, the student punched Raviel right in the face and knocked him to the ground. The student was then on top of the Beastkin and continued throwing hooks and punches aimed at Raviel's head.
Meanwhile, Thessir was allowed to recover as his attacker shifted his attention to the Beastkin and did not pay the Rogue Elf even a sliver of mind. Basically, Thessir was free to save his savior. He, of course, needed to be careful about it. There was no telling what this rabid-like student could do.
"Get me the list of items you need and I can procure them within the hour. Where do you want to meet after this?"
"How about the Radiant Church? We won't look too suspicious if we meet there. So shall we meet again in thirty minutes and start our plan?"
"We are all in agreement then? I shall see you all later."
------
Night had fallen and after Athos was given the accessories to be planted on Juan de la Cruz, Athos instructed the three investigators to the warehouse. While Athos would monitor the person, it would be efficient to also investigate the warehouse activities while they were at it. They were told to gather any evidence they find and see. They will be invited to the Luminous Citadel again sometime tomorrow.
The warehouse itself appeared to be nothing remarkable. It was just an inconspicuous building sitting on a large plot of land and quite some distance from another building. There appeared to be no one guarding or patrolling the warehouse which made it even more unremarkable. However, the three knew better so they must be careful in approaching and entering these private premises.
But how will they do that? That is up to them to decide on a plan of action.
Well, the turnabout worked though the problem had yet to abate. He had initially thought the fellow was a decent warrior but it seemed the guy had little luck holding off the blonde one's temper tantrum. He looked about to see if any guards were en route.
Well, if you want something done right you gotta let suckers distract 'em first.
Thessir quickly shuffled off into a nearby alleyway where he took shelter in the building's shadow. From there he lined up three knives, one in his left hand and two in the right.
"You, sir, are in despirate need of a lesson or two in sportsmanship."
_ Following his words which rang out to the blonde menace were three knives in subsequent order. Tossing with his main hand he quickly flit the extra knives to the main hand, one after the other until all three were issued forth. His aim was for two of the knives to meet their mark on the young man's back and for the third to strike the meat of the leg on the side closest to him.
While he definitely did not expect his attack to fell the aggressor it was sure to hurt and with any luck it would take his attention off the beast-kin for long enough for him to teleport to safety, just like how he teleported the two of them off Thessir himself.
In short order Thessir himself used the corner of the building to cut off their line of sight of him. Out of sight he sank into the shadow and vanished from the spot, emerging in a different alley well apart from where he previously was. His distance from the two hadn't grown or shrank, he had simply maneuvered around them so they would no longer know where he was. A simple tactic to mislead the blonde one and create an opening for the beast-kin while keeping himself well out of harm's way. This way he didn't even have to use is signature spell either, saving him some extra skin he was sure he'd rather spare in the next fight instead of out there dealing with hooligans.
At the refree's call the princess let out a sigh of relief, happy that her strategy had worked. She truly didn't expect that her first opponent in the tournament would be one so skilled. She winced at the sorcerer's question about the other opponents, as one already came to mind...
"Well, there is this one boy, he's arguably the strongest student at the academy. Truthfully, most of my preparations for the tournament were made with him in mind. I do appreciate the compliment nonetheless, sir." Politely replied Lisianthus.
She paused for a moment, as if pondering something. She was admittedly curious about the man's magics. "I beg your pardon, Sir Zev'jul, but I'd like to know more about your magic. Despite the magical expertise here at the academy, I've never seen mimic magic quite like yours. You copied my appearance and techniques to quite the cue, indeed even my voice."
--Hisana--
--Practice Halls--
After gracefully landing on the ground, Hisana looked at the Wood Elf as the ref declared her the winner. She continued to stare at the student who looked right passed her as she made her out of the arena. It seemed that her lust for violence was not sated. However, her train of thought was broken by a familiar voice.
Hisana turned to see it was the armored man who took her stolen wallet after bumping into her before registering. Suddenly, she remembered how she wanted to gut the man. However, not was not the time nor the place for that. There were too many eyes on her here.
She wasn't sure who this "Zevvie" person was, but after hearing this man who was apparently named Keith North talk about some sort of secret, decided to humor the man.
"A secret? Hmm...I suppose I'll lend an ear. Perhaps you could tell me about it, along with the wallet you clumsy stole from me?"
--Enishi--
--Warehouse--
Enishi made his way to the warehouse along with the local architect and fox mage. As they stood her pondered what there plan of action should currently be. Though, he also still had Hisana on his mind, who was still at large.
Obviously, being an outsider, he for now should follow the lead of Tibrus and Faye. He then turns to Heatherman for a moment.
"Heatherman-san, is there anything particular about the layout of this building to note? Secret passageways, hidden doors, added surveillance?"
Disappointed but far from insulted, Kazudain had bid the General a respectful farewell before the pair departed from the Practice Halls themselves. Walking around the Northern parts of the Kingdom the pair sauntered with a casual pace. Some, mostly children, pointed towards Maldur before going on their way. The rest merely went about their business, passing by Kazudain and Maldur with wary a thought. That changed when the pair heard a commotion further up the road.
Curious, the pair investigated only to find a young boy facing an older Wolf Beastkin in apparent anger.
"Well, this is certainly interesting, isn't it Mal-" Turning to the cat beast, Kazudain found only an empty spot. Looking back he saw Maldur approaching the boy from the side as he declared a challenge upon the Beastkin.
Kazudain shook his head ruefully. "What am I going to do with him." He swiftly followed.
Maldur meanwhile without preamble waltzed right up to the boy and nudged him in the arm with his nose, groaning a greeting. The nudge was soft enough not to knock the boy over but it would certainly surprise him considering his current state of mind. Turning to find a very large feline beast that could stand just under your chin would also be a very surprising thing indeed.
Kazudain would come up to Vuldur's side, shaking his head at his companion. "What am I going to with you Maldur. Forgive him, loyal companion he is, the cat beast still does what he wants." Upon turning to face Vuldur, Kazudain perked up a little.
"You're from one of the Northern tribes are you not? I've not seen many venture this far south in a long time." He caught himself with huff. "Forgive me, I forget my manners. I am Kazudain, and my large companion there-" He gestured to the large cat-beast. "-is Maldur. What be your name good sir?"
--- Warehouse (that night)---
The afternoon following the meeting had gone by rapidly without much note. Tibrus gathered the various supplies for Faye and grabbed extra in case they were needed. The walk itself to the Warehouse was silent, but comfortably so. The street they walked was well lit though not many others ventured this road so late. He turned to Enishi when addressed.
"I'll both show and tell you." He jerked his head to the side. "Follow me." Tibrus led the pair down a slightly thinner side street, cutting into a pair of alleyways before coming to an open space with a large tree. Fireflies danced about in the air around the tree. Its branches doing nothing to block the moonlight from shining upon a set of seats where the Architect soon sat. He gestured for the others to follow suit. He then pointed to a small passage way behind the tree.
"That path there will go straight to the right side of the warehouse." His voice was softer now, if only a little.
"For your question boy there are a few, but there is one thing to be done first." He looked to the pair equally. His voice became even softer.
"We need to be hidden, any sound dampening or muting wards as well as attention misdirection wards will do. Even better if it can work in relation to being within distance of this tree as the area of effect. Here-" He pulled out a small bag, filled with multiple pieces of cloth, stone and metal, all the size as requested by Faye. "-Here are more materials to weave your craft."
Before he could respond, they were interrupted by a woman storming into the church. She seemed to be Varjan's mother, her simple but elegant garb meaning she was likely of wealthy status. It all happened far too fast for Seleth to get a word in edgewise, but she immediately didn't like this woman. Aside from the fact that she was obviously upset with Varjan for nothing at all, she dared to cause a scene in this holy place! The Church of Aylama shall not be desecrated or acted upon in such a manner! Hmph!
"I am fine. I've had worse during training." Seleth replied coolly. She couldn't stand it. This woman just rubbed her entirely the wrong way. She almost wanted to smack her, but that would be unbecoming of a priestess. Besides, it wasn't likely to solve anything. For some reason, she was deeply concerned about Varjan. She didn't entirely know why, either. "He was here, seeking sanctuary and was simply asking me of the Goddess teachings." Straightening herself, Seleth leaned her spear against the pew. She wanted to talk more with Varjan. Rather, for some reason she felt she needed too.
"Allow me to introduce myself. Seleth Thenri, priestess of Aylama. Your son seems to be quite interested in the scriptures." Oh dear, what was she saying? Was she really going to be doing this?! "If possible, could you allow him to come back sometime? I would be quite thrilled to spend more time with him."
Raviel flinched when the student went on to bite his ear and then punch him square on his face. Raviel was surprised when it didn't stop there as he landed on his back and the student began to continue to punch him just like he did with the earlier guy. But Raviel managed to put his hands up to deflect the punches so they wouldn't hurt him too much. He couldn't even cast a spell to teleport himself to safety thanks to the relentless attack.
Though it would seem that the mysterious stranger had attacked the student and so Raviel used the chance to teleport out to safety. He held his ear which had been bleeding and then staggered backwards. This was one crazy student. He wondered what came over the student, but he wanted nothing to do with it further. So he had teleported himself to a closeby hiding area so that he could take a breather. But he kept an eye on where the student is in fear that he may attack civilians.
Faye Nisval
Faye followed the three, though she seemed to be walking down memory lane instead of simply following them. Oh dear Aylama, it had been such a long time since she's walked down these streets. Shops she had known to be there have disappeared - closed down years before. She wondered for how long. The fox stopped close to the warehouse when Tibrus pointed to the path.
"This will be our communications in case we get separated." Faye explained as she took the three metal spheres and then rubbed them between her two palms and then closed her eyes. She muttered an incantation and a dull blue light emanated from her palms but it was covered by her hands so they wouldn't be spotted.
When she opened her hands, the metal spheres corresponded to each color - blue, green and yellow. She handed the blue to Enishi, green to Tibrus, and she kept the yellow one to herself. "Just tap them and speak. It will magically send your words to the mind of the other two." She then fitted the sphere onto her ear.
"I can muffle your boots, but I can't do much else." She said with an apologizing tone. Faye bent down and then began to write runes onto their boots and muttered her incantation. She then stood up again, not even bothering to do so on her own shoes as she found no need for it.
"Allow me to introduce myself. Seleth Thenri, priestess of Aylama. Your son seems to be quite interested in the scriptures. If possible, could you allow him to come back sometime? I would be quite thrilled to spend more time with him."
"Oh don't be mistaken, my dear. Varjan is allowed to visit the Radiant Cathedral anytime he wants." Varjan's mother replied. "It's just not the time, Miss Thenri. He has a tournament to participate in and he needs to be ready. After the tournament, he can visit and talk to you as much as he wants." She continued sternly.
"Well, it's been nice meeting you, Miss Thenri, but I have to be going now. I am a busy woman." Varjan's mother then took her leave. "Ah, as a priestess of Aylama, can you please pray for my son?" She made one last request before leaving.
Zeen was caught off-guard by Maldur's sudden approach. "Wha?! What the hell?! Who the hell are you?!" He jumped back from the tiger. "What in the name of--? Is that a tiger?" Zeen frantically tried to make sense of what was happening.
He then saw that there was a man talking to his Beastkin opponent. "Hey! Hey! We're in the middle of a duel here!" Zeen called out Kazudain and the Beastkin. "Don't you dare think that you can just ignore... me..." Zeen trailed off as he realized what was happening, or rather, jumped to a conclusion.
"I get it... I get it... I'm not 'worth your time' right? 'No need to waste precious time on some nobody like me', right? 'Just ignore him', right?" Zeen accused the two men. "I won't forget this..." He snarled before running away.
Nothing more happened in the rest of the day though Kazudain and Maldur felt this was not going to be the last they see of that boy.
"I beg your pardon, Sir Zev'jul, but I'd like to know more about your magic. Despite the magical expertise here at the academy, I've never seen mimic magic quite like yours. You copied my appearance and techniques to quite the cue, indeed even my voice."
Zev'jul chuckled. "A lot of people like to know about my magic. That includes myself." The sorcerer replied. "I'm afraid I cannot answer your question, Princess. All I know is that I can do it for as long as I could remember and that no one else can do it. At least for now." He continued. "I've... theorized that it may be a magic unique only to me but there's nothing concrete."
"Anyway, I won't take much of your time. Besides, I've been looking forward in seeing the festivities with my friend Galmore. It's been nice fighting against you, Princess Lisianthus." Zev'jul bade farewell. "Do be careful in your next matches though."
"A secret? Hmm...I suppose I'll lend an ear. Perhaps you could tell me about it, along with the wallet you clumsy stole from me?"
"Yyyeaaahhh... about that wallet." Keith sheepishly began. "Okay, apparently that belonged to a guard. And he saw me playing with it. And then I got arrested. And then I was bailed out by this lady. And now I'm here to see you on her orders. And-- I'll explain that later."
"The secret is that you're going to be fighting this boy named Varjan in your next match." Keith revealed. "'Who's Varjan?' Well, he's a pretty big deal. Like, a really big deal. He's a Seraph Academy student who almost aced every subject he's in and straight up beat the snot out of some teachers in some demonstrations." The mercenary explained. "And I'll bet that stolen money he's going to beat the tar out of you too."
"And that brings us back to that lady who bailed me out. You see, there are some people here who know you, I'm not one of those people by the way, and they would like to enlist your services to protect some... special assets." Keith offered. "Of course that means you're going to drop out of the tourney but hey, there's a lot of moolah waiting for you."
"Okay, that got a lil' confusing." Keith then summarized. "What I'm trying to say is, don't you think you'd rather be getting paid with lots of money rather than getting your ass trashed in front of an audience?"
Keith then looked past you and spoke again before you could. "Welp, your answer's gonna have to wait. Don't wanna be seen by the bobbies." The mercenary then hastily left. "If you're in, just don't come at your match tomorrow and hang out at a cafe or something. I'll find you then."
"Argh!" The student flinched from Thessir's attacks which allowed Raviel to escape.
The student looked around him, trying to find his prey and paid little mind to the knives sticking out of him. "Come out and fight you cowards! You dare insult me and attack me! Yet you run and hide?! Spineless! A rat has more courage than you two!" He hurled taunts at the hidden Thessir and Raviel. "Cowards! You've only barks and no bites! Come out and fight! COME OUT AND--"
*THONK*
The student fell to the ground unconscious. An armored, knight-like person knocked him out with a solid blow to the neck with a sword's hilt. "Damn it, Orne. Who did you get into a tassle this time?" The newcomer asked the unconscious student apparently named Orne. Without another word, the armored man threw Orne over his shoulder and walked away. "Let's get you fixed up. What am I gonna do with you?"
He did not seem to notice that Thessir and Raviel were hiding nearby and saw the whole thing.
Your family had congratulated you on your first match. Your father was particularly proud of you that you managed to beat a fighter with an unknown magical power. Your brother even moreso though your mother mostly ignored you. Friends from your school joined in too, citing that they knew you could do it. After a small celebration of your victory, the next had come as well as your next match.
You were called once again to the practice halls of Seraph Academy for your next match. The outside arenas were apparently not going to be used yet. Like the last match, your audience was many and they eagerly cheered once you entered the hall. However, you noticed your brother was surprisingly absent from the stands. You only see some family friends and some of your adoring fans.
"Hey Lisia!" Someone suddenly poked you in the ribs from behind. "It's me, your cute little brother!" Indeed, it was Lutz who had snuck up on you. "Are you nervous, sister? This might be only the second match but your first opponent definitely gave you a run for your money. Who knows who you will be fighting this time."
The next day had arrived and Keith's offer was still available to you. You had been called back to the Academy's practice halls for your next match.
You stopped before you entered your assigned practice hall. You needed to make a decision now. Were you going to accept Keith's deal or not? If what Keith said was true, then you will be facing this Varjan boy who, according to the mercenary, would be a formidable opponent to fight in battle. Such a fight would certainly test your limits and get anyone's blood boiling.
On the other hand, you might find yourself in a rough one-sided fight with you on the receiving end. You did not really know this Varjan and in one or two moves, you could be completely humiliated with a whole audience as witness.
The next day had arrived as well as the second round of matches for the Grand Academy Tournament. Kazudain and his companion as well as Thessir were called to their assigned practice hall in Seraph Academy. Turned out, the practice hall they were assigned to were one and the same. Thessir would be facing Kazudain and Maldur. The audience in the hall were not many and could be counted on one hand. One should not expect a loud round of applause after this match.
"Fighters!" The collective attention of everyone was called by an adult human male, a Seraph Academy staff and the match's referee. "This is your second match for the Grand Academy Tournament. I assume you all know the rules by now but I will reiterate again just in case." The referee declared. "Both fighters will duel until one of them is incapacitated. All spells are permitted in the fight but! Fighters must not have augmented themselves before the match. Any blessings that needs to be cast will be cast during the match itself."
"Now then, on this side we have a fighter named Kazudain who will be joined by his animal companion, Maldur." The referee introduced Kazudain and Maldur. "And on this side we have Thessir. A Rogue Elf student of Seraph Academy." He then introduced Thessir.
Yesterday had some tense moments for both Seleth and Raviel but after their situations have passed, the rest of the day went normally.
The next day had arrived as well as the second round of matches for the Grand Academy Tournament. Seleth and Raviel were called to their assigned practice hall in Seraph Academy. The practice hall they were assigned to turned out to be one and the same. Seleth and Raviel will be fighting each other for their second match. The audience in the hall were not many and mainly composed of other Seraph Academy students.
"Fighters!" The collective attention of everyone was called by an adult Elf female, a Seraph Academy staff and the match's referee. "This is your second match for the Grand Academy Tournament. You should all know the rules by now but I will reiterate again just in case you don't." The referee cleared her throat. "Both fighters will duel until one of them is incapacitated. All spells are permitted in the fight but! Fighters must not have augmented themselves before the match. Any blessings that needs to be cast will be cast during the match itself."
"Now then, on this side we have Seraph Academy student, Seleth Thenri." The referee introduced Seleth. "And on this side we have Seraph Academy student, Raviel Husk. A longtime participant of the Grand Academy Tournament." He then introduced Raviel.
The three investigators, with their magically-silenced feet, arrived at the right side of the warehouse. The windows shone light out of them and there were sounds of activity coming from inside. Peeking through a window yielded a limited view since boxes and crates blocked some of the view.
What could be seen was an armored warrior barking orders at the workers inside. "Ruff! Ruff! Ruff! Get it, guys? I'm barking orders at you! Hahahaha! Now get back to work!" The workers carried various boxes around and they notably wore protective gear. "Hey, HEY! Don't carry more than one of those! That's sensitive stuff!"
There were also some chemistry stations that could be seen but the view was too limited to see anything important. The investigators will need to enter the warehouse and maybe hide behind the boxes to get a better look. Or they could climb to the roof and take a look at any openings there. Maybe both?
Vuldur nodded at the approaching man as he gave mention of the northern tribes, at least he could see he was a Northerner. He gave a sigh as the boy ranted at them, in a way he saw himself in him. Hot headed and aggressive, nothing he could tell him would change much. The beastkin simply glared at the boy as he ran into the crowds. He turned his attention to the elf and said I am Vuldur, born in the North and raised there. I appreciate you're help but that whelp could have been taught a lesson today." if the elf said nothing more Vuldur turned and returned to his local tavern to find a comfy place to sit and drink the night away.
Seleth frowned, but didn't say anything as Varjan's mom left. Sighing, she lifted her spear and rested it on her shoulder. Some people just didn't know the meaning of the word 'respect'. Humph. Well, she was slowly learning it herself after all so she supposed she should't be saying too much. But leaving something like this left a bad taste in her mouth. Turning away from the door, Seleth walked to up to the meditation chambers, saying a brief hello to the head priest before settling into meditation for the evening.
It was difficult to get her mind to settle. The words of the knight she faced wouldn't leave her head. An omen? Some sort of...sign of something to come? Perhaps it was the rambling of a mad man, but whatever the case was she couldn't just shove the issue out of the way. Plus, there was the rest of the tournament. She had passed the first round, but...was it really because he had gone easy on her? She put everything she had into that battle. Was she really that weak?
The rest of the evening passed in relative peace, thankfully.
Soon enough the second day of the tournament dawned. She hoped her opponent wasn't someone like Varjan, but her hopes were quickly dashed when she arrived, only to find herself in the same room as Raviel. Oh wonderful. She was going to lose here. She'd need to keep her distance from him, if she recalled what he was capable of correctly.
"Hmph, I'm surprised." Seleth said as the referee started the match. She meant that in a good way, of course. "I didn't think I'd be fighting you here. I suppose I should congratulate you on passing your first match." Hefting her spear, Seleth immediately waved the relic, several of her illusory doubles forming quickly from the spell. "But try not to make this too easy for me."
Walking back into the practice halls Kazudain felt that yesterday's odd meeting could have gone better. On the one hand Maldur should have waited to see what was going on and on the other he should have stopped Maldur from doing what he wished as he knew he could stop Maldur, but didn't.
Oh well. They would meet that boy again no doubt. He did agree with Vuldur, about the boy needing a lesson of sorts. What that lesson was he wasn't entirely sure, but he had a feeling it dealt with not jumping to conclusions... Until he spoke with the Northern Beastkin again he wouldn't jump to any conclusions himself.
At the moment he and Maldur had entered the halls for their next bout. This time it seemed they would fight an actual student of the Academy. Let's see how they do.
"To a good match young man." Drawing his sword he kept it at his side, ready to move when needed. Maldur remained silent, eyes on the student Thessir while his body coiled, waiting and ready.
--- Warehouse ---
His body may not have been as spry as either Faye's or Enishi's, but he was able to keep pace and not hunch over for breath. Gazing through the window Tibrus took a quick glance around, taking note of the chemistry stations and the protective gear worn by the workers.
"Must be something dangerous in those boxes to wear such gear. Or something they don't want contaminated." He spoke with only a whisper, loud enough for only his companions to hear. There were many chemicals that needed such precautions, for such an amount to be here and he didn't know about it... He slid back down to the ground with a crouch, motioning for the pair to follow. He motioned to Enishi.
"Now would be a good time for those familiars lad." He pointed upwards with both a finger and chin. "There are plenty of rafters and supports to let a bird fly about and give a different perspective over those large crates. And if you can handle more than one at a time, a bird can keep an eye on a rat as it scurries from the ground or climbs the crates." He turned to Faye next.
"With both carrying your seals we can move to another spot around for another viewpoint." The whole time he spoke low. While it didn't feel right doing this, this whole situation didn't feel right.
It was well and good that the man did not make any more moves and Raviel bowed out of the scene, leaving the two odd people to their own devices. It wasn't like sore losers didn't exist so he wasn't particularly worried. He had to get his body fixed up properly. He was pretty bruised and battered and he wanted to feel good for the next match. So he went out to look for their doctor in Seraph Academy, explained why he was like this and got healed up - and then reminded that he should be careful next time. He obliged.
The rest of the day passed by with nothing interesting happening.
Raviel walked up to the practice hall to see who his opponent was going to be, and his heart dropped at the sight of Seleth on the other side. Oh. Great. He was hoping that maybe he could have a fighting chance, but then again, right off the bat with the first match, he wasn't very lucky. Well, he'll have to see how this one will go. He was luckier last year, at the very least. Maybe next year then. He gave her a lazy wave as they were being introduced.
"It was ninety percent luck anyway." Raviel said with a small shrug before getting into position, putting two blessings on him. Enhanced Durability and Enhanced Magical Resistance. "For your skill, I had no doubt you would advance to the next round." It was good that Seleth decided to talk first instead of charge straight into the fight. He had ample time to prepare. "Ha! You were always good with illusions and the likes." He whistled before clapping his hands and opening them - his conjured bo staff appearing and he took hold of it. He waited for her next move to see what she'll do. He tried to keep track of where the real Seleth was based on her positioning earlier. He wondered if he could sniff her down.
Faye Nisval
Faye followed Tibrus and took a peek as well. Boxes, chemistry stations - it was like they were making something big and shipping them out. She couldn't see the ingridients that were laid out, which would have been useful, which also meant that they needed to get a closer look. Her eyes trailed to the man giving out orders. His armor was definitely something and she wouldn't be surprised if it had been enhanced to resist magic as well.
She internally groaned at his joke though. Good armor. Maybe good fighting skill. Not so much mature thinking, that was for sure.
She crouhed down with Tibrus and then waited for his orders. It seemed to be a brighter idea to talk with him first as he seemed to be the smarter one - the 'planner' - in the group. While he isn't versatile in magic, he had the brains to make up for it. "Understood." She said with a nod but waited for when Enishi would release his familiars, actually curious as to how he'll be able to do it.
The two fighters have cast their first spells. Seleth has conjured illusory doubles of her to try and confuse her opponent, Raviel, who has empowered himself after which he summoned his weapon, a bo staff.
However, neither fighter had made the first move yet. The small audience this fight had watched intently. The air was tense as Seleth and Raviel waited for each other to make the first offensive move, their eyes looking and anticipating any move the other would make. There was none so far though.
But sooner or later, one of them must move. There can only be one winner in this match after all.
Nilfrenda was a wandering Elf fighter who had left her homelands and forsook the Twins to pursue fame. Indeed, she had found fame. Enough fame to be invited to this tournament in the Razelian capital of Zauberheim where she would test her mettle against the students of Seraph Academy. She was to be an outsider opponent who could introduce new things to the competing students in the tournament.
After defeating her first opponent, a bespectacled Human student who fought with a wand, her next opponent was this Beastkin Scaled One named Gamora, another outsider invited to the tournament though she was not exactly an 'outsider'. Gamora had been part of Seraph Academy's staff for quite a while now, serving as a security officer for the school. However, she was still invited to participate in this year's tournament to test her skills against those of the students' she protects. In fact, she had defeated a water-wielding student for her first match.
The two have found each other to be their opponents for the second round of matches. "Fighters!" The collective attention of everyone was called by an adult Elf female, a Seraph Academy staff and the match's referee. "This is your second match for the Grand Academy Tournament. You should all be familiar with the rules by now but I will repeat again just in case you are not." The referee cleared her throat. "Both fighters will duel until one of them is incapacitated. All spells are permitted in the fight but! Fighters must not have augmented themselves before the match. Any blessings that needs to be cast will be cast during the match itself."
"Now then, on this side we have an outside participant, Nilfrenda Alveari." The referee introduced Nilfrenda. "And on this side we have Seraph Academy security officer, Gamora." She then introduced Gamora.
"Everyone shut up!" The armored man suddenly ordered. "I think I heard something."
It appeared that even the quiet whispering was enough to alert the head of this clandestine operation, or at least make him suspicious. "Ragnar! Take two of the guards and check the outer perimeter. Look for anything that might indicate a presence of unwanted trespassers." He ordered. "Me and the others will check the boxes."
"You're not the boss of me, Keith!" The one named Ragnar retorted.
"Just do what I say, Rags. We're all in this together thanks to that woman and that woman put me in charge here." Keith replied.
The sounds of many footsteps was heard throughout the warehouse. The patrols will be coming soon and the investigators must find a way to stay concealed. Or they can forgo stealth for a more direct approach.
From a wandering hero to a security officer, Gamora still has little idea as to how she found herself partaking in this tournament. She didn't even bother signing up on her own, for she was content with her job in protecting the students and keeping peace both within and beyond the walls of the Academy. And yet the higher ups simply invited her in anyways just so she can test her mettle against the very students she swore to protect. In any other situation, the benevolent turtle would've declined as she would never come to fight a child or student for any other reason, unless another child was in danger or under harm. However, this would be one of the only exceptions she'll be willing to take. After all, it's an official tournament and they're only fighting for practice. It's agreeable to say the least.
Gamora's first opponent was an uphill battle against a water-wielder. Considering she wields fire as her primary arsenal, by all means he should've beaten her. However what he didn't have was incredible durability and strength to counter the turtle's own. Nor did he have a super durable shield that could deflect most of his water-attacks. Now with that fight being placed in the bag, it was time to face the next challenger. As the crowd cheers as she enters the arena, the bouncy turtle couldn't help but to wave her arms in the air and smile at the guests as the referee announces her presence.
"Huzah!" Gamora yells as she strikes a heroic pose, "I, Officer Gamora, am ready to fight the next challenger! Who shall test my shield of mettle next?"
At the opposite corner, she spots her opponent - a female blonde elf wielding a rapier blade. She looks to be an outsider, someone plucked from the streets to challenge against the other students to prove her might as well. And unlike her previous opponent, she's way more fire-friendly. Now she'll be able to use her full potential in this battle. The turtle lady strikes another battle pose, lowering her stance towards the ground and clenches her fists.
"You there! Worthy Challenger!" she calls out with a challenging grin and beckons her with a simple hand gesture, "You better be ready! Cause I'm not holding back this round!"
Yesterday's encounter went well enough. It wasn't ideal but it was as clean a disposal of a raving loon as they were going to get. As for him it ate up time he could of been shopping in. As it was he managed to get only some of the ingredients he wanted before the shops all closed for the evening. Luckily for him a fair number of stores of a less legal variety open up when all else closes. As a creature of the night these were always the most opportune hours for acquiring the crueler ingredients for his alchemy. He was going to have a long day tomorrow so he wanted to have something more in his back pocket for what was to come.
The next day...
Hoo boy, he sure was peeved. Not only was it the same arena again but this time he was up against not one but TWO opponents... And one of them was a bloody tiger! If there was one thing he liked less than being stuck in a room with no exits and multiple light sources while being outnumbered it was animals. They didn't like him and he liked them even less. Given his history with bats it was no surprise he cared so little for large furry monsters with sharp fangs and claws to tear at him with.
"Oh joy! Now I can be slashed AND bitten at the same time!" He gave a false cheer with a forced smile, his voice dripping with sarcasm though it was hard to tell with the accent. He looked back over his shoulder to the announcer, a frown plastered well across his grim colorless mug.
"You suck." He dryly remarked. This was not going to be a fun day for Thessir, perhaps even less so than the last bout. He stuck his hands in his pockets and turned back to his two opponents. He was now slouching, his hat casting a dark shadow over the upper half of his face. Taking in a long breath he let the air escape in a drawn out sigh.
"Nevir mattir. Let's make this quick." He spoke with a grumble. As he spoke he drew his hands from his pockets. Opening a slight gap in his coat with one hand he reached inside as though he were going to withdraw something from it. He would be pulling nothing from his coat however. Instead, from the shadow cast by Kazudain's leg, his hand silently rose up with a dagger slickened with an ink-black poison clutched tightly in his grip. With a quick drawing cut he attempted to slice through both his boot and the Achilles tendon in the leg opposite from the tiger. This would cripple the man's mobility and deliver the poison into his blood stream in one fell swoop, making the remainder of this fight all the easier. After delivering the cut, however that may have resulted, he withdrew his dagger from the shadows and from the coat in one motion. The dagger may have been dripping with blood. Or it might not have.
Given how the officials decided it would be such a super idea to let someone bring an additional fighter into the ring, not a small one either, he figured the only way to go with this was to play dirty and even the playing field himself. The poison he was using was a fairly deadly paralytic, the extract from a snow white tree flower's pollen which happened to hold a numbing effect on exposed tissue. While ordinarily problematic if fairly benign when exposed to bare skin when introduced to interior systems this paralytic effect can cause great issue as it will shut down organs for a fair duration. This was something discovered when folks of the region it's found in discovered to their misfortune that breathing this pollen lead to numbness of the lungs, claiming lives even before it was weaponized by the less morally upstanding folks of this land. Being introduced to the blood stream would lead to a a numbness traveling up the veins in his leg, making it's way to the heart where it's effects would really shine through in the worst of ways.
She'd need to be careful here, Rav was not an opponent she could underestimate or take her time with. She needed to end the battle swiftly before he had a chance to do anything crafty. Not charging in head on was likely already a mistake, come to think of it. Tch, she'd revise her battle strategies later once this was over it. Time to get serious then.
Without another word spared to her opponent, Seleth closed the distance between them along with her clones, shuffling their positions a number of times in the process to hopefully confound Raviels more mundane senses. Seleth herself approached from the side, intending on using the sharp point of her spear to knock Raviel upside the head. Her clones would approach in a similar fashion from all sides, but they wouldn't be for attacking, but definitely for distracting. They were designed to be a double edged sword that a person had to deal with. Leave them alone and even if Rav hit her, he'd get a nasty debuff that'd make this fight easier for her.
Lisia greeted her brother with a soft pat on his head and a warm smile. "Lutz, you know audience members aren't supposed to be on the fighting stage..." Said the princess with a kind but stern tone. Though, her brother brought up a good point. Her last opponent was stronger than she initially thought. Lisia deduced, however, that the man may have simply been holding back. She can't imagine all of the first rounders were on HIS level.
"Right you are little brother. But, worry not. I told you that I came here to win, and my skill and our family's heirloom will surely see to that!" Replied the princess confidently. "At any rate, please return to the stands. Mother and Father would be displeased at your behavior. And besides that, I have a match to win!"
Lisia then turns to the other side of the arena, anxiously awaiting her second opponent and for the referee's signal to start.
--Hisana--
--Practice Halls--
Hisana stood silently, as she was reminded of Keith's offer. Fight an apparently truly powerful foe, or drop out of the tournament for a chance to line your pockets. While she really had no reason to believe Keith's words, there were some things to be considered.
Due to the restrictions and regulations of the tournament, she knew she couldn't let herself go all out. At that point, her true carnal nature would show, and she doubted that she could hold herself back at that point. Also, while the thought of money did little to entice her, the job itself did.
Apparently, whoever freed the mercenary was aware of Hisana's true nature and had use of her services. This means that Hisana would have more freedom to roam and to be more "lethal" in her methods.
She ultimately decided to drop the match and leave the school grounds. Keith had piqued her interest. That, and she still wanted to have her little way with him as well. Hisana felt that she could eventually fight this Varjan boy on her term eventually.
As for Enishi, she was certain she would run into him sooner or later~
--Enishi--
--Warehouse--
Silently touching his hands together, orbs formed in both of Enishi's hands as he prepared his casting. The orbs formed into a rat and a small bird. The bird flew in through the window, so as to distract the guards from Tibrus and Faye. In the commotion, the rat would scurry amid the crates for a more grounded view of the warehouse.
Enishi then whispered into the orb given to him by Faye. "Faye-san, Tibrus-san, I was thinking of spying from the rooftop. Perhaps we can survey more of the compound from more than one viewpoint?"
Nilfendra remained stoic in her position within the arena. Her left hand holding firm to the upper half of her sheathed rapier, recently dulled before the tournament to remove the edge. She had no intent to kill, the strength within the steel was plenty enough to incapacitate. Being aware of the rules from the last roung she knew not to bolster herself until after the round began. So she stood silent as the referee announced to the crowd, Nil preparing herself at the cusp of bolster; prepared at a seconds notice to empower before no matter how fast her opponent initiated after the start of combat.
As the start of combat began a torrent of heat ripped through her body, surging energy faintly sparking off the surface of her pale skin. Within a flash her right hand took hold of the hilt of her rapier. Noticing that Gamora didn't initiate Nilfendra left her hand on the still sheathed rapier. With a slow draw the bolstered steel rapier came lose and hung at a downward angle. Knowing she wasn't in a terrible rush she had time to empower her senses. One by one her senses boosted, getting her her vision her eyes faintly flashing a silvery blue. Though knowing her opponent she decided to avoid her bolstering her sensation of touch, not caring to make the heat hurt without even touching her.
Hearing Gamora call out she simply nodded in understanding. With a quick flicking flourish of her rapier she held the hilt to her chest and gave a respectful bow. She then straightened herself out, sweeping her left foot behind her right she angled herself with her right side with her Rapier facing Gamora. There she remained poised and ready. Against an opponent with such strong defenses it would be unwise to strike first, patiently await an opening.
Raviel eyed the clones as they charged forward and he quickly lost track of his opponent. He cursed under his breath and prepared his stance. They charged at him all at once and he did not know where he should strike. But he sure as hell knew that he shouldn't get hit by anything. They may be clones but who knows where Seleth was, and he did not want her to get the first hit in. He swept his staff around him in an attempt to stave them off.
Raviel teleported away from the center of that mess, so that he wouldn't get hit but he wasn't exactly sure if one of the clones managed to hit him. He managed to get a good distance between them and then muled over on how to tackle this certain problem. He was never good against group-to-one battles.
Faye Nisval
Faye's ear twitched when she heard the armored man call out that he had heard something and the clambering of feet towards them. She muttered a curse under her breath as she began to weave wind magic between her fingers. The beastkin didn't turn to Enishi when he asked about surveying from another viewpoint. "Go. Quickly." She silently said and then urged Tibrus to crawl backwards. She then pressed her hand onto the wall beside them so that it would activate once the guards exited. It was to mute the sound from inside so she could take the two that were headed towards them.
Once they rune was activated, she would cast a magic that would pull the two towards them. It was time to get up close and personal now. She didn't know how well they could fight but she wanted to get this over with and there was no way they could conceal themselves. Even her runes cannot turn them invisible. She just hoped Tibrus would also have some form of attacking other people, or at least to defend himself.
The second round of matches had begun and two fighters would find themselves facing each other this day. One was the Crown Princess herself, Lisianthus who was just done sending her brother back to the audience. The other was the outside competitor Vuldur who had quite the incident yesterday with an upstart mage.
"Fighters!" The collective attention of everyone was called by an adult Human male, a Seraph Academy staff and the match's referee. "This is your second match for the Grand Academy Tournament. You should all be familiar with the rules by now but I will repeat again just in case you are not." The referee cleared his throat. "Both fighters will duel until one of them is incapacitated. All spells are permitted in the fight but! Fighters must not have augmented themselves before the match. Any blessings that needs to be cast will be cast during the match itself."
While Kazudain and Maldur stood by for the moment, Thessir made the first move. The Rogue Elf used the darkness in his pocket and the shadow of Kazudain to cut the latter's tendon with a dagger poisoned with a paralytic.
The attack was almost a success. The knife managed to indeed cut Kazudain's heel but it was not deep enough for the poison to work immediately. However, Kazudain could already feel his muscles having difficulty moving. He will need to maximize the time he still has before the paralysis settles in completely. Fortunately, Maldur was still a hundred percent capable and can carry the fight for his master in the worst case scenario.
The fight goes on, with Thessir with the advantage.
Seleth made the first move when she and her clones rushed Raviel, intending to put him in a 'lose-lose' situation. However, the Beastkin student attempted to get the first strike in, swinging his staff around to perhaps hit one of the oncoming Seleths or at least stave off some of them if they were inclined to evade.
Raviel hit two of the Dark Elf's clones and attempted to teleport away but the true Seleth managed to hit Raviel on the head before he could teleport, sending the Beastkin dazed and stumbling a few feet away.
Seleth had the momentum and she could very well keep it up. Meanwhile, Raviel has mostly recovered from the first hit of the match and could respond. Perhaps take advantage of an opening or pull out a trick from the sleeve and catch the Dark Elf off-guard.
The two fighters have assumed their combat stances. Gamora had gestured to come at her but Nilfrenda did not accept the offer, preferring to remain in her stance and let Gamora to make the first move and perhaps create an opening.
However, neither fighter had made the first move yet. The small audience, mostly composed of fans of Gamora, watched the fight intently. The air was tense as Gamora and Nilfrenda waited for each other to make the first offensive move, their eyes looking and anticipating any move the other would make. There was none so far though.
But sooner or later, one of them must move. There can only be one winner in this match after all.
You had accepted Keith's offer and forfeited your match with Varjan. Leaving via the north gate of Seraph Academy, you saw Keith waiting for you on an unremarkable corner. He sat on a barrel in an attempt to blend in. Emphasis on 'attempt'. "I knew you'd make the right choice." The mercenary waved at you. "Okay, that was a lie. I just always wanted to say that."
"Anyway, as for your down payment." Keith got off the barrel and opened its lid, revealing that the container was filled to the brim with gold coins. "Looks shiny and nice, right? We're actually supposed to split this but you can keep it all. It's going to be worthless in the near future anyway." He said. "Let's get to a more secure place so we can talk details."
Keith brought the barrel to its side and began rolling it. "First order of business though, what's your opinion on drugs?" He asked you. "You know, the stuff that helps enhance the magical abilities of a person? Or I guess you can include meth and coke there too."
Faye's silencing spell affected the warehouse as intended so when Enishi's bird familiar flew in, the ones inside all bought the ruse. "It was just a frigging bird. False alarm people, you can all continue working." Keith announced. "Ragnar? Nah, he'll figure it out sooner or later. Don't bother."
However, Ragnar and the other thug would find themselves in a quite different situation. The two of them were pulled into the investigators' position by Faye and found themselves in a fight. "KEITH! We have intruders! Keith?!" Ragnar attempted to alert his allies but he found that the people inside the warehouse went about their business as if nothing was happening. "What the-- Argh! It doesn't matter!"
