After a bit chatting with the other trainers, Xander and Sei decided to head off. It was getting late, and the two needed to rest at some point in the night if they were going to be ready to face off against the Arena tomorrow. That being said, the silver-haired youth couldn’t help but take notice of someone else also seeming to make their way off from their group. For a moment, he couldn’t tell what about her felt so familiar, but after a closer examination, he realized that she was the other trainer that had been fighting in the square earlier that day. He hadn’t gotten the chance to get her name (or that of the other dude now that he thought about it), but seeing as he now had a chance to do so, he might as well take it.

With a slight skip in his step, Xander trotted over to the older woman, waving her down to stop her before coming to a stop a little ways away, one hand dropping into his pockets as the other reached out in greeting, hoping that this handshake wouldn’t end in him getting assaulted by another slobbering Reishund.

“Hey there! I saw you battling earlier today and just wanted to compliment you on the way that you and your Mythari fought. You guys must really be in-sync to move about the way you do!”

Sei floated leisurely behind him, eyeing Kiyo up with a lazy glance before turning his attention away to observe the rest of the crowd, letting out a hissing yawn as he stretched his wings upward, settling them down only after a small set of pops and cracks could be heard from his back.

Kiyo had made a number of introductions to the group, greeting people with the sense of propriety and reservation that was required of someone in her position. This typically resulted in those unfamiliar with the noble Lifanite customs--that is, almost everyone--simply thinking that Kiyo came across as cold and indifferent when in reality she was simply obliged to act in a certain way due to her station - and doubly so in public when a member of the Elite Triumvirate was present. After she was done, Mythrael above her swooped down to walk alongside her in the new space. The two, though not outwardly exchanging words, could very easily be seen to be having a mental conversation, and so it took Kiyo a second to actually notice when Xander bounded up to her and extended his hand in greeting.

Kiyo was taken aback for a second, but then shook his hand gently and bowed in the traditional Lifanite greeting after withdrawing her hand.

"A-ah, thank you. It was nice to get back into the swing of battle after so long. I am Reijin, Kiyo--may I ask your name?" She responded while reaching out to Sei with her mind.

"Would you like to see a new school of magic? I know that your kind are most appreciative of the secrets of magic, just as my Mythari was."

Mythrael looked on impassively, seeming to judge its lesser cousin and his trainer with not disdain exactly, but something close to that. It did not even reach out with its mind as the creatures so often did, instead focusing internally on what it was that Kiyo had spoken about with him earlier.

“Pleasure to meet ya, Ms. Reijin,” Xander said, quirking the eyebrow at her bow for a moment before some tingle of a memory dredged up from the back of his mind. Something about other places tending to have a custom of bowing to greet people. Seemed a bit weird and round-a-bout, but Xander was nothing if not accommodating, trying his best to replicate the bow himself if a tad clumsily. “My name’s Xander and the moper behind me is my partner, Sei.”

The ‘moper’ in question only gave a slight hiss at his trainer’s jest, keeping his attention more intently focused on Kiyo as she spoke inside of his mind. At first, the Lifanite received little more than vague feelings of cautiousness mixed with curiosity from the Mythari. However, after a look toward her Mytharel, Sei righted himself in mid-air to better address the woman.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t curious, though comparing me with your friend here isn’t something I agree with. He seems a bit dull. . . lemme guess, strong silent type? The voice was projected so that all involved parties could hear, though Xander was left clueless as to what else had been said between Kiyo and Sei.

“I’m not sure what you’re talking about Sei, but you need to stop addressing strangers like that. I swear you need to get a handle on whatever weird hormonal balance thing that’s making you act like a jerk.” Xander grumbled as he ran a hand through his hair, violet eyes meeting reptilian indigo, the two seemed to converse something with mere non-verbal communication before Sei finally relented, sparks of electrical energy being the only signs of his own distaste for the scenario. “Sorry if Sei can be a bit. . . much at first. Ever since he’s evolved, he seems to find any reason possible to pick a fight or start beef with someone else. Lemme tell ya, ms. Reijin. . . it’s been frustrating to deal with. . . to say the least.”

"Hah, no, simply very curious and contemplative. He takes after my disposition, I suppose, just like you seem to take after Xander. You seem to both be more instinctual and impulsive than calculating and logical--have you tried asking Xander to learn Searsinging or Windspeaking? They are very fluid and fast schools that I feel would agree with your temperament. Nothing like my magic of Shadebinding, I'm afraid." Kiyo replied to Sei, nodding her head gently as a gesture of respect. She then turned to Xander to continue speaking, while Mythrael looked intently upon Sei.

"I've been led to believe that in their inchoate stages Mythari can be... tempestuous. Are you a Stormcaller, perchance? They certainly seem to draw some aspects of their personality from the magic that they are introduced to--Mythrael is certainly more of the "strong silent type" as Sei put it!" Kiyo replied with a small laugh. She found Sei more endearing than frustrating, but that was just because her siblings had been a handful and age had mellowed her significantly. The level of responsibility that she had at home was so significant that going on her Rites and getting to have little conversations like this one almost felt freeing by comparison, and meeting a Mythari and unlocking its potential to become a Mythrael so soon after meeting it had made her extremely happy.

"Perhaps he just needs some release in the form of a battle? Sparring can end up being a very pleasant exercise if one has pent up tension, perhaps you'd like to test your mettle in battle? I'm always happy to get the chance to further delve into the intricacies of magic and see how well I can keep up with you younger folk." Kiyo offered, her Mythrael nodding alongside her in agreement. She gave it the mental equivalent of a nudge to stand back and it did so, leaving her plenty of room to summon two of her other Natrelmon: a Lotulia and a Zeruo. She gave Xander an appraising look, up and down, before indicating for him to choose which of them he'd like to battle if that was something that he decided to do.

In the meanwhile, Kiyo summoned forth a globule of Quietus from her Shadebinding magic and made it dance around her fingers idly. She did so partly just because she liked the feel of the magic, but also to pique Sei's interest in her esoteric and secret magic. Few mages in the world, perhaps numbering in the tens, were actually capable of the art--and while the Sha'ed were natural masters of it because of their form they were even less known thanks to their reclusive nature. She could feel the same spark of curiosity that her own Mythrael had had somewhere deep within Sei, but whether or not it manifested as something approaching conversation was really up to his temperament. Given what Xander had said about him, Kiyo wasn't sure he'd actually come out of his shell for a while... or unless he gained a new respect for her during a sparring session?

Sei’s gaze flicked between Kiyo and her Mytharel as she spoke, offering no tangible response to her query. There was a faint sense of consideration and anticipation with their telepathic link, however, one that grew more pronounced as she brought forth her strange magic for his inspection.

Meanwhile, Xander’s thoughts had immediately focused on the older trainer’s offer to spar, the excited glint in his eyes being all the answer she’d need. “Yep, Stormcaller and Invoker to be specific. Not too shabby at either of em too, and almost entirely self-taught to boot.” Xander held his nose rather high at that statement, as it was always a point of pride for him. However, he didn’t let it get to his head too much, squatting down to look over the choices of opponent for Sei. While part of him wanted to go against the Mythrael, it seemed a bit too large an obstacle for a sparring session. While Sei could learn a lot from such a battle, the same couldn’t be said Kiyo’s partner. Wouldn't be very fair on his end.

“I’ve got a Lotulia that recently evolved, but I’m not too great at utilizing grass type moves so I think facing off against this little guy would be good.” Xander pet Kiyo’s Lotulia as he spoke, gently stroking their petals with a grin.

“You seem a bit tougher than Lili though, don’t ya, little guy? He can’t even say hi to Sei without freezing up or hiding.”
Kiyo's Lotulia gave a little flourish of its petals at Xander's touch, Kiyo smiling appreciatively as he did so. She gave him a moment to admire the natrelmon before stepping back, turning around, and walking twenty feet away from Xander. Lotulia hopped in front of her, ready and eager to begin, and Kiyo turned her gaze to Xander. She focused for a second, taking in a long breath through her nose, and held it before gently exhaling.

"I am quite skilled in a variety of magic. Is there any preference of yours on what I use? I always participate in battles with my Natrelmon--I find it is the surest way to both bond with them and advance my own studies. I could never expect a being like Sei to respect me unless I could demonstrate my skill in a very... visceral way, after all. I am sure that Sei is quite eager to let out some of that tension and angst?" She queried, beginning some of the traditional Windspeaking movements that would allow her to channel the wind magic more effectively. Even as a passive exercise it was something that she was really beginning to appreciate for the clarity and limberness that it seemed to offer her--regardless of whether or not she would use it in the battle. The change from her largely formal study of magic, and then practical application within the war, and then return to solely academic practice had taken a toll on her that she hadn't expected. Now that she was easing into combat with magic once more and getting used to using something more than just her muscle memory she had already felt her control grow. She was quite sure at this point that Lotulia would not even be necessary in the battle for her to win, but quickly wondered whether or not that thought was somewhat conceited--after all, she knew nothing about Xander's combat capability other than his note that he was entirely self-taught.

“Nah, use whatever you see fit. Me and Sei have plenty of experience fighting strong trainers, so you could say we’re pretty adaptable.”Xander chuckled at the grass type’s little showing before getting up with a bit of a stretch, cracking his neck a bit to help him loosen up as while keeping his gaze locked on his opponent, an eager smile on his face as he started to bounce from one foot to the other. Sei took the honors of warning any people nearby of the coming duel, making a lazy lap around the battlegrounds before descending to the ground in front of his Trainer, arcs of electrical energy sparking off him as he psyched himself up along with Xander.

It has been a while since I’ve had a good fight, so hopefully you’ll be able to give me one. Sei declared to the Kiyo and her partner, eyes narrowed as he let himself drop to the ground fully, disabling his Levitation to allow his Aura to fully spread out.

“Well then. . . let’s get started, shall we? Sei, give her a bit of the early morning special.” Xander spoke in a low but confident tone, his eyes taking on slight luminescence as sparks of crackling energy flowed him his fingertips. Without a word between the two, Sei immediately darted forward, launching himself about 8 feet into the air with a powerful downstroke of his wings before racing to a point 3 feet in front of him to his left. As he flew the short distance, an electric yellow light could be seen gathering in his mouth, arcing threads of electricity building until he spat out a burst of lightning towards Kiyo and her Natrelmon. This bolt instantly split into four distinct beams that hurtled towards the pair at surprising speed due to him making use of Variable resistor to speed up the attack at the cost of power. Not only that, but one of the beams also broke into 4 beams of its own 10ft away from that target as he activated lightning torrent, sending a total of 7 blasts rocketing towards the Lotulia.

As this happened, Xander wasn’t just twiddling his thumbs, focusing his mind for a moment before sending a pulse of energy through his bond with Sei. The dragon type’s eyes took on a brief purple glow as the silver-haired youth used them as a conduit to cast a Celestial Curtain of Diminish 10 ft away from his current position along the ground, creating a 6ft wide sigil in order to dissuade or take advantage of, any possible follow-up attacks from the two in response to the assault. A solid opening move, though Xander could help but wonder if he should’ve had his Natrelmon go for a full course instead of the taste. No, going full offensive with what he knew about Kiyo didn’t seem like a good plan. Windspeakers were dangerous foes and not to be underestimated, less you wanted to quickly get battered around like a rag doll. No, the two needed to keep their guard up and their defenses at the ready.

As the fight began, Kiyo's change in attitude was immediate and noticeable. She fully intended to get up close and personal with Sei, eager to teach the rambunctious Natrelmon a lesson in the stuff of powerful and correctly applied magic, and moved immediately. Lotulia had been commanded to instead focus on supporting Kiyo rather than attempting to be the star of the show, and immediately fired a Giashock directly at Sei's position before moving out in an arc to the right to try to avoid the bolts of electricity that were forming in Sei's mouth. Xander did not explicitly know (though he may have worked it out thanks to Kiyo conversing with Sei) that she was a telepath, and might not have been aware that Lotulia could simply be given commands mentally like Xander could with Sei--but many trainers who used a Mythari or its evolutions forgot that other non-Psychic Natrelmon were simply not capable of reacting with as much secrecy and speed as telepaths could. Kiyo was cognizant of the fact that the arcs of the Electric-type moves could change, and brought up the well of magic within herself to prepare to use a Wall if that ended up being necessary. Cut off from her Mythrael, she could no longer exert herself as much as she had done so previously when battling Selim, so Kiyo elected to use a strategy that would potentially end the fight very quickly.

She brought forth a large amount of wind magic within herself, moulding it and allowing it to build within her, as she began the process of using Vacuum Aura. Simultaneously, she dashed straight towards Xander in what could only be described as a sprint, bringing the excess magic to her fingertips in preparation for the next stage of her assault. Lotulia simply continued to move in the manner that Kiyo had described to him mentally, getting further and further out of Sei's effective range as it did so. The advantage of flying was very significant against Lotulia's typing, which was limited to the ground, so Kiyo resolved to pressure Sei enough that most of his time would be spent dodging. Kiyo managed to move about five feet forwards by the time the Celestial Curtain had gone up and continued to move apace towards Xander. The wind energy was building quite significantly by this time, and his lack of formal study might have meant that he did not know precisely what was happening--but his Invocation could tell him that it was a fairly powerful Windspeaking spell, and one that he had not seen before in the battle between Kiyo and Selim.
Xander clicked his tongue as he saw the Lotulia avoid the opening volley, merely offering a faint sense of caution to his partner through their link as the Stormcaller immediately started to backpedal away from the approaching Windcaller while Sei merely flew up about 2 feet higher, the Gaiashock fizzling out into non-existence as the Diminish effect that struck the projectile took hold. As such, a violet rune painted itself upon the Lotulia, a sign of Invocation’s Prismatic Seal taking effect. Dealing with the approaching Kiyo wouldn’t be as easy, unfortunately. She was prepping something big, but he wasn’t about to simply let her do so unimpeded. No, if she wanted to close the distance, he was going to make her work for it.

Violet electricity arced around his body with great intensity before launching forward in the form of three Overloaded Crackles their course leading them to hit the windspeaker, small traces of arcing electricity dancing across Xander’s form a sign of him having overloaded one of his spells. In particular, he had overloaded Superconductor in order to fire off an offensive deterrent as he backed about three feet away from his previous position. However, that wasn’t the only spell that he cast, thanks to Sei up above taking the focus to launch an assault of his own. Sei’s form would become hidden as a large 15ft wide Storm cloud centered on his current position appeared above the battlefield, another case of Xander taking advantage of the Stormcaller’s ability to Overload spells. With the large storm cloud up above to hide Sei’s movements, the Lotulia would be unable to properly deal with him, plus the number of attacks the two of them could call down definitely gave him an advantage in the next few engagements. . . provided he could disrupt whatever Kiyo had planned.

Sei, you have my back, right? Xander thought as he mentally marked the areas where the Storm flashes would fall, (one directly behind Kiyo’s current position on the off-chance he did manage to stall her, one about 2 feet in front of her, and another 2 feet beyond that one, creating a line of havoc that would hopefully hit her before she could get to him. Meanwhile, Sei was watching from overhead, flying so that he was directly above his Master in the cloud with perfect accuracy thanks to his use of Psychic Aura, preparing to make use of Psychic shield so to cover the Xanite’s offenses should the need come for it.

Of course. It’s me we’re talking about. If she tries something, I’ll be sure to stop her in her tracks. You just get ready to hit her with those redirects and stormflashes if she tries to pull any fancy moves.

Kiyo's continued momentum propelled her forwards by another foot or so as she continued to take her step and unleashed the Vacuum Aura that she had been building up. If she were fighting with Mythrael she'd have been able to use one of the most classic Windspeaker techniques and knock Sei into one of her walls--but she had had another plan. Xander had not counterspelled her magic as it had built up, so it was unfortunately too late for him to do that. Xander happened to be just barely at the edge of its range, Kiyo's single step not sufficient to keep up with his own stumble backward, but Sei was unfortunately within enough range that he would forcibly be drawn in along a linear path until he reached melee range of Kiyo. Thanks to her forward momentum the amount of distance that he'd actually travel was somewhat diminished, but as soon as the spell's effect finished she used the effect of Soaring Gusts, moving herself and Sei in a diagonal line to the northeast by seven feet and then immediately following the movement up with a With the Wind on Sei, slamming him directly down into the ground. All of this took space in about a second, and without Mythrael's help, she was unable to follow up with another spell in rapid succession. She had planned on counterspelling Xander's Stormflash, but thanks to her own exertions she had conveniently been able to avoid the initial onslaught with her deft movement.

Her own momentum continued as Sei was slammed towards the ground, and she made a sharp left turn with her right foot digging the ball of her right foot into the ground and using it to pivot slightly and lean into her next step, turning her direction sharply towards Xander. She was cognizant of the spells he had cast, which lingered in her periphery, and that the surge of energy on his behalf was the result of him casting the more powerful versions of Stormcalling spells, known to academics as "overloading" them. Though she factored them into her plan, there was little that she could do about them in that instance as she was recovering from her barrage of earlier spells--she would use her movement to make it difficult enough for Xander that she would have time to take a breath and unleash another barrage of spells. Kiyo was currently of two minds regarding her stratagem: should she focus upon Sei or Xander? Sei would have just taken a solid chunk of damage from being forcibly introduced to the ground and would likely be weak enough that Kiyo could pressure him, but the closer she was to Xander, the less he would actually end up being able to do within the battle. Focusing Xander meant leaving Lotulia to, largely, fend for itself... and Kiyo was simply not confident enough in its abilities to be certain that it could best the typing and aerial advantage that Sei had if it came down to that.

As Xander settled into his new stance, a sudden gust of air raced past him as Kiyo’s spell took effect, ripping some debris from the earth and Sei from the air before she quickly cast another spell to dodge the crackles heading her way. Xander cursed as he redirected the bolts, splitting the cluster so it assaulted her from three directions(one chasing her exact path of movement, one moving forward another foot past where she had been before turning left, moving till it was perpendicular to her then right in order to get at her side, while the final one actually turned the other way and raced towards Lotulia instead, not wanting to allow the grass type set up time.

Meanwhile, Sei barely avoided eating dirt as he activated his Ethereal Scales the moment he felt the With the Wind take hold of his form. With added help from a timely use of Levitation, he managed to avoid getting slammed into the dirt by mere inches. The Mythari was quick to start backing away from the Windspeaker using the improved speed of Levitation to get him out of close range with her via shooting 10 feet into the air, wanting to slip back into the storm cloud before attempting another attack. To further his chances of success, a quick Psychic Shield was summoned in front to repel any further assaults

While Sei attempted his escape, Xander continued to pressure Kiyo, marking another set of Stormflash locations(One centered on her exact position, one set behind her about a foot out of range of the first, and the last set to the left of her current position to further the range of the initial Stormflash.) After directing the continued effects of his spells, Xander took a breath as he readied a Counterspell for whatever Kiyo attempted to use to keep Sei in her space, specifically the one that she tried to slam him into the ground. He had considered trying to box the woman in with another Diminish Curtain, but given the current situation, getting Sei back in the air was much more beneficial to this current exchange.

“I have to admit, Ms. Reijin, you’re really keeping us on our toes.” Xander allowed himself a small chuckle but didn’t relax his stance, violet sparks arcing off him every now and again. “But I’m far from done. Swear to Seiryu himself that I’ll get a hit on you at least once.”

"Calling Seiryu's wrath upon his chosen family does not typically end well." came the reply, a mirthful and dry chuckle in Xander's mind, as Kiyo elected to focus her attention on Xander. Sei's usage of his Ethereal Scales to prevent her from slamming him into the ground had been unexpected, but Kiyo knew that Dragon-types had very limited access to that kind of magical power and that it would be the only time he was able to diminish the effect of one of her spells in such a fashion. That made him a more attractive target, but with Xander now being aware of the power of Vacuum Aura it was unlikely that he would allow Sei to get into a position to be affected by it again, thanks to Sei's ability to simply fly out of its range. Xander, however, had no such protections--and Kiyo could make use of the fact that he had not kept a continuous stream of movement as she had. Now, she was well within his range and her momentum would allow her to actually lay a hand on him. She took the briefest instance to draw upon her well of magic once more, feeling the tingle of the wind energy within her fingers, before making her move. In an instant she moved seven feet, reappearing directly beside Xander, and carried her forward momentum into an open-palmed strike directly to his left cheek. Even if he managed to react to the instantaneous shift in movement, there was virtually no time for him to react to the strike--and it Kiyo's open palm was imbued with silvery-white energy indicative of the energy of the spell Windborn Weapon. The strike wouldn't knock Xander back, but it would hurt quite a bit--and it opened the path for Kiyo to unleash another quick succession of her Windspeaking spells. She immediately cast Soaring Gusts, directly beneath the pair, and shot Xander five feet up into the air--and immediately used With the Wind to slam him back down into the ground. The combo was one that Windspeakers were well-known for, and was also the reason that many people's first thought of them involved no small amount of expletives.

What Xander did and how he reacted to her present gambit would strongly affect what Kiyo chose to do next. She was safe from Xander's most recent volley of spells and had just executed a stratagem that she was confident was going to be successful, but that was no reason to lower her guard. She had seen men and women killed for underestimating the skill of the West's magi in the War, and it had certainly ingrained into her that one should never assume their opponent was down and out.

Lotulia, meanwhile, simply continued along its arc, knowing that Xander would likely be too preoccupied with Kiyo's assault to actually redirect the Crackle towards it, and watched out for anything that Sei might attempt. In an effort to grant itself some more freedom of movement, it used Dormant Life to create a seed just behind it and fired a Gaiashock at it in order to blossom it into a sprouting plant. Lotulia couldn't do much other than stack up Lifecharges at this point, unfortunately, due to its limited typing--but that was absolutely fine. Kiyo was more than capable of fighting on its behalf until it could fend for itself.

Fu- Xander couldn’t even finish his thought as Kiyo suddenly appeared before him, his focus on trying to back-up Sei making him lose track of the woman’s proximity to himself. He didn’t even have time to attempt a block before a palm strike was launched right into his face, throwing his head back and causing him to see stars. The next thing he recalled was a sensation of rising then -CRACK- he was quickly brought back into the moment by the shooting pain of his entire body being slammed into the ground, knocking the wind out of his lungs in a sudden rush. He lay on the ground grabbing at his chest as he flipped himself over, heaving in a desperate to get air back into seemingly unresponsive lungs for a moment until he seemed to suddenly remember how to breathe with a rush. A growing line of red stained his silver-white locks, the warmth flow of blood barely being felt as his brain tried to come to terms with the rattling it had taken.

Sei, upon seeing his trainer in such a state, immediately abandoned his position in the air to zip down to the ground to stand before the woman with a threatening growl, wings flaring as his eyes narrowed, tailing whipping about like an angry serpent. As he touched down, an emphatic thread of consciousness opened up between Xander and Sei, causing the latter to wince as he took on a portion of his Master’s pain, if only to allow him some amount of focus.

Xander did come into a somewhat clearer state of mind thanks to Sei’s actions and used all of his gather wits to try and cast a spell with Sei’s help. Raising his hand up, a Wall erected itself between Kiyo and the two, as feeble a measure that proved to be in their protection, while Sei focused on completing the casting for a Shimmering bolt. In truth, both Xander and Sei knew that these were token gestures at best, but neither of them wished to give up while they still had the strength to stand.

Kiyo's forward momentum continued through the maneuver, and it took a few feet for her to be able to suddenly stop herself--by which time Sei had swooped down between her and Xander and the pair had made what could only be described as a last-ditch attempt to stay in the fight. Kiyo easily sidestepped the shimmering bolt, twisting her body to the left and bringing her right foot back in a 90-degree arc, and though she could have counterspelled the wall she elected not to as its placement could prove useful to her. The fight was not completely over yet, and she was not sure that she could actually land another strike on Xander without potentially doing some serious harm (nothing irreversible, of course, but she had no desire to inflict more pain upon him than was actively necessary) thanks to his inherent stubbornness, and it seemed that Sei followed suit. After escaping the same gambit by mere inches less than a minute prior, Kiyo would have thought that the dragon would have attempted to keep its distance, but she admired its tenacity and loyalty in the face of what was essentially certain defeat.

"Would you like to continue, Sei? You may forfeit now if you wish to avoid further damage to yourself or Xander." Kiyo projected into his mind, taking a few seconds to actually catch her breath and recover from the previous exertion. Lotulia simply continued along its arc, waiting for Kiyo to give it another command, though its little mask showed some concern at the fate of Xander. He seemed to have taken the crash down to the ground quite badly, and there was some blood, but Kiyo assured it with a thought while she awaited Sei's reply. In case Sei elected to continue the battle, she summoned the same well of energy as before in the form of Vacuum Aura. She doubted that Xander would be able to muster the energy to counterspell it in time, but she would be happy to be surprised--it would mean that he was still in the fight.

Kiyo took no other actions, but remained ready and waiting for a response. She did not wish to seem improper by going on the offensive against someone both significantly younger and less experienced than she was, especially in the middle of Toran. The Reijin had no love lost on them in this city to begin with, thanks to the East-West and North-South divide, and it would be fairly easy to public opinion to turn on her if she callously struck someone down even though a battle had been agreed to.

Thanks for the offer. . . but his favored children or not, I do believe Xander made a promise to Seiryu to get at least one shot on you. . ., Sei began, eyes gleaming with an excitable frenzy as he pressed his wings back against himself, offering his master a quick glance as they got back up to their feet, allowing himself a deep breath to steadying himself giving his neck a good crack. Violet eyes shone with an intense drive as he took a stance once more, a similar expression of battle frenzy emanating from them as he spit out some blood. And we fully intend to keep that promise. Thanks for the break tho, hope you don’t end up regretting giving it to us.

Xander, being privy to his partner’s trash-talking, couldn’t help a slight chuckle at their own expense. Barring a miracle, there was no way they were coming out of this on top in any way. But like hell if they weren’t going to give it their best shot anyway. With that being said, they both leapt into action as soon as they could with Sei launching himself into the air and Xander quickly backpedaling to get out of range. While Kiyo did have the correct assumption in believing that Xander didn’t have the mental ability to cast a counterspell effectively, that responsibility was instead passed over to Sei as he watched overhead from a vantage point of around 10ft up again, hopefully back in the cover of the stormcloud as he sent out arcane disruptor to cancel out the building spell. Sei made sure to move about 3 feet to the left so as to not make himself an easy target while hidden within the cloud.

Xander, meanwhile, hustled to try and get back about 6 feet away from where he’d been, launching out a Crackle towards Kiyo while focusing this set of Stormflashes directly in the path he’d taken, forming a 6-foot long blast zone. He knew this likely wouldn’t be enough to properly get out of her range, but it was the best he could do.

While their enthusiasm was refreshing, Kiyo was not of the mind to allow her opponent's newfound strength much in the way of time to actively manifest. As Sei spoke she took a moment to prepare, tensing her muscles in preparation for a quick release, and rested her weight on her right foot, extended behind her. The very instant that Sei moved Kiyo dashed northwesterly, one step and then another, beginning with her left foot and ending the second on her right. She turned that momentum on the ball of her foot, pivoting slightly to the right, so that she had a direct line of sight towards Xander, and used With the Wind to dash past him, just off from the path behind him as he was attempting to backpedal. As his foot hit the floor, Kiyo outstretched her palm in the same maneuver as before, but this time waving a finger in a straight line and causing a searing blade of wind energy to impact him directly, and then using another With the Wind to send him careening directly into the Wall that he had made prior. Trainers were more of an unnaturally durable sort than most humans thanks to the proclivities that they shared, but this was simply more punishment than most people could take and still be able to stand. Xander would crash directly into the wall and as it shattered he would slump to the floor, largely unable to take any more punishment, and by all standards of reasonable combat the battle would be over.

As soon as she heard the telltale crack of a wall falling to pieces, Kiyo made her way over to Xander and placed a hand gently on his back, while reaching out with her mind to Sei and her own Mythrael.

“I’m going to take him to the hospital. Mythrael will show you were to fly, Sei, unless you wish to teleport with me?”

Kiyo asked, barely waiting for an answer before she recalled Lotulia to his relic vanished with or without him.

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About thirty minutes later…

---

Xander had, thankfully, not needed to be admitted to the hospital. It was a matter of an Abjurer chanting for a solid couple of minutes and a cursory check-up before the pair were free to leave, Kiyo taking care of the details and payment as a nurse escorted Xander to the door, where Mythrael and Sei were waiting for their respective masters. After another couple of moments, Kiyo exited quickly behind him, patting him on the back tenderly as she reached behind him.

“You did quite well for someone who’s only self-taught. It was an honour to battle the pair of you. Would you like to grab something to eat, or something like that? There is a particularly good restaurant here in Toran that I would be able to secure us a table at if you are interested in eating. My treat.” Kiyo offered, returning her hand to her side and giving him a respectful bow.
Xander woke up in the hospital with quite a few painful bruises, but nothing stung as much as his Ego. To say that the young trainer and his partner had gotten utterly demolished was an understatement and it was disheartening how easily he’d been taken apart in his first battle. Still, he wasn’t about to let something like a loss keep him in the dumps for too long. Once he had gone through all the usual check-ups to make sure nothing too serious had happened, he was let off with a pat on the back and a slight wave.

Seeing Sei waiting outside cheered him up a bit, giving the Dragon a scratch underneath his chin when he felt a hand on his chest. Listening to Kiyo with a hand in his pocket, Xander tilted his head in thought for a moment, before shaking his head with a grin.

“Thank you for the offer Ms. Reijin, but me and Sei are going to need to get our beauty sleep if we’re going to be ready to face the Arena master tomorrow. . . though after that spar, I think we’ll probably need to do some training beforehand to properly prepare.” While it was mainly in jest, it was clear from the way that the young man’s hand clenched that he wasn’t completely alright with the conclusion of their bout. But after taking a breath to settle his nerves, he returned Kiyo’s bow with one of his own before recalling Sei back into his relic. “See you around on the passage and hopefully I get to fulfill my promise next time we meet up? Don’t think I’ll be satisfied with myself until I do. . “

With that said, he waved goodbye to the noblewoman before making his way down the dark streets of Toran to his hotel. As he meandered, however, a strange feeling coursed through his body, a dark warmth that seemed to emanate from his veins. It was enough to stop him in his tracks for a moment, and as he looked skyward, his gaze couldn’t help but be drawn to Indolu’s silver visage, hanging overhead like a shining spotlight in the dark night.

“. . . It’s probably nothing.” He pushed doff the feeling of unease with a shake of his head, despite the warmth not vanishing as he continued on his way to the nearest hotel. In fact, the more he tried to fight it off, the more it seemed to warm its way into his mind. Almost as if something was calling to him. . .

Indolu shone brightly overhead, the soft glow of her light slipping through the forest canopy to illuminate Xander and his Mythari trekking through the forest surrounding Toran. And yet, the light didn't seem as bright as it should be so deep within this leafy demesne, the shadows growing long and ominous beneath the moon's gaze, hiding the wanderers from Indolu's watchful eye as they descended further into the forest.

Xander honestly couldn't explain what he was doing here, wandering the forest in the dead of night. After the events of the day, he had reckoned he'd be much too tired to do anything so stupidly adventurous. . . and yet, he'd felt a strange restlessness within his core as he laid in his hotel bed. A tugging at his subconscious mind, urging him towards the forest with an almost incessant drumbeat. It wasn't until he found himself and Sei out the door and walking upon the city streets that he realized that this beat wasn't all too dissimilar to that of a heart. Perhaps it was his own, because the farther the two traveled, the louder and faster the beat seemed to get. . . and the stronger the pull became. Somewhere along the way, the pull gained another feeling to it: heat. A burning sensation that travels through his veins, but it didn't hurt, not exactly. If anything, it seemed to invigorate him, pushing him to move deeper and deeper into the darkness and shadow despite a voice in the back of his mind trying to talk some sense into him. For a moment, he thought it might've been Sei, but one looked towards his companion as they floated by his side was all he needed to confirm that they felt a similar drive as well, and the glimmer in his reptilian eyes showed that he was becoming eager for whatever was coming.

It had been about an hour, maybe an hour and a half into the trek before something in the air changed. For a moment, the two looked at each other in confusion to been down what it could be, only for them to both reach the same conclusion simultaneously.

Silence

This deep in the forest, this late at night, there should be a veritable cacophony of noises from the native Natrelmon that prowled the forest at these hours; but right now, it was so dead quiet that one could hear a pine needle drop. It seemed that even the wind had ceased to blow, as not a single tree made a sound in this dark night. It was as if the forest was holding its breath. it was in this silence that the smell hit Xander, subtle at first, but soon reaching and almost cloying intensity. He couldn't quite identify what it was exactly, but it brought to mind sensations of singed fur . . . and blood freshly spilled. It wrapped around him and Sei in a heady shroud, and with it, the mental drumbeat in Xander's mind seemed to crescendo, almost deafening in its intensity. . . and then it stopped. Once more, complete and total silence reigned over the forest. But this time, a presence could be felt. Something was watching of them, of that Xander was certain.

Sparks crackled to life around his fingers as he cast his eyes around him, a violet glow encasing his irises as he pulled on his gift of Truesight in an attempt to find whatever was out there. Blood rush through his body in a heated rush of adrenaline, making every breath a struggle to steady as he and Sei fell in a circling formation, each one watching the other's back. Sei deactivated his Levitation, hovering in place with the strength of his own wings in order to extend his Psychic Aura as far out as he could. Whatever it was that had called them out here, Xander wasn't going to let it do as it wished. Not without a fight, at least.

Xander had found himself in a clearing, somehow, directly beneath Indolu's cold and prideful gaze. One could not normally feel the presence of the goddess within her rays unless by design or peculiar circumstance, but tonight Xander would find himself in both. Her presence was faint but curious, watchful even, though it was not her magic that had brought on the queer compulsion that had brought this innocent soul out into the woods, and as she impassively gazed down upon the land the true reason for the circumstances at hand would make himself known. An almighty, bloodcurdling howl resonated through the trees and the undergrowth, shaking them with its ferocity, and as it reached Xander's ears that restless energy coursing through his blood would be ignited once more, this time to the point of tangible physical pain. His veins constricted, his vision swam, and the same pulsing and pounding as before thrummed within him as the fire grew in intensity.

For a second, Xander might think it would drop him to his knees. Thinking was difficult--but obeying that frenetic urge building within him to rip something to shreds and consume its flesh would be so easy. It would build, and build, and build, his focus narrowing further and further until all at once the pressure was gone and only the fire remained. Standing before Xander, then, was the black wolf Unotori. The first thing that one would notice about Unotori was that his fur was unkempt and yet somehow sharp, or perhaps even malicious. It made little sense to think about the idea of a creature's fur having inherent malice, and perhaps it could not be understood except by those who saw it, but the thick tangle of fur coating the wolf was somehow bent towards rending flesh--and in this moment, it was Xander's flesh it had in its sights. Unotori's muzzle was pocked and marred with scars, the scent of carrion and an overwhelming stench of blood and singed fur and the memory of Xander's first fight billowing out from it in grunts and huffs and wild gasps that almost made the pounding in his head come back and--

--and then the wolf's yellowed eyes locked onto Xander's, and there was that pocket of calm clarity once again. The red mist settled, and with another howl Unotori announced his presence proper, sharp thoughts poking their way into Xander's mind like little knives. Unlike the benign (if sulky) utterances of Sei, Unotori's telepathic communication was like wearing a crown of thorns digging their way into the soft folds of Xander's brain, wrapping themselves into him as if they were a coil of barbed wire.

"You would be no challenge, child. Why did you respond to my call if not to fight?"

“Th-That’s. . .” Xander attempts to speak failed him as the presence of the creature bore down on him, filling his mind with thoughts of violence and bloodshed. It was nearly impossible to form coherent thought for a second as something within him reacted to Unotori’s presence. Sei seemed similarly shaken by the black beast’s presence, his posture shrinking down in its presence as if to make himself unnoticeable. Xander, however, only fell down part way, forcing his breath to gain some semblance of calm. Flashes of memories flitter in his vision, but he pushed them aside, for now, focusing on the looming threat before them. “That is something. . . I would also like to know, Unotori.”

“I guess something inside me was. . . drawn to you.” Xander gave a dry gulp as he brought his gaze up to face the wolf-like monster before him. As he did so, he felt a sharp pain in his hand, his fist having closed tight enough for his nails to draw blood from his palm. With the pain, however, came another surge of emotion. A twisted hunger that he felt coiling within as he felt his blood thrum with power, the droplets of crimson ichor that squeezed through his clenched fingers gaining violet incandescence as a familiar, yet unnerving feeling wormed its way through him. “Fuck. . . been a while since. . . I’ve felt s-scared enough to use this.”

The flow of blood grew stronger as Xander’s fist clenched tighter, the memories returning of the first and last time he called upon Blood magic way back when. Even now, it was a hazy recollection of crimson-tinted thoughts and instinct, but the longer he stood before this monstrous figure, the clearer they seemed to become. . . and he wasn’t quite sure he wanted that.

Sei, meanwhile, seemed to get over his initial fear after seeing his trainer stand up to the beast, and while it’s posture still remained low, a small hiss came from the Dragon-type as it crawled in front of Xander, clearly ready to protect it’s Trainer if the need arose, tho it was clear from the way that the Mythari shook that it was still absolutely terrified of Unotori.

Unotori's laugh was something guttural and unhinged. It escaped his rancid maw in heaving howls, the gravelly undertone offset by the sheer intensity of its high-pitched braying. Unotori's head cocked towards Indolu as he laughed, and the goddess looked away, her interest in the situation gone. All that was left of her presence was the pale shaft of light, and the mad wolf howling at her seemed to taint even that. Then, all of a sudden, he stopped. Unotori's eyes focused intently on Xander, the rabid madness suddenly overcome with a burst of crimson lucidity. Unotori closed his jaw thoughtfully, his heavy left paw slightly pressed forward into the dirt. It almost looked as if he were ready to lunge at Xander, but the sudden calm on his face indicated that violence was not something that he was currently pondering. With a great sniff in Xander's general direction, he padded forward lightly, before nodding to himself and stopping.

"Ah, yes... You have claimed my magic as your own. That is why the call took you." Unotori started, his words taking on a smoother, less abrasive tone as they resonated within Xander's skull. The revelation here would likely not hit Xander for a second or two, but it was clear that Unotori was referring to his blood magic. But Unotori had said his magic--as if he were the one who created it, or at the very least, held dominion over it in the circles in which he traveled. If Xander could muster up any of the effort required to think through Unotori's obsessive compulsion that was driving him to lash out with every last drop of power that he could muster, that would be something that he would want to consider very closely.

"And yet you eschew such power. You ignore the fire in your blood. No more."

Unotori's voice lowered to something harsher and darker than before. Brimstone yellow became fire and blood crimson, and patches of his black fur seemed to clump up together as if matted and clogged with blood. The frigid moonlight seemed to shrink away, warming up with the intensity of the energy, and then Unotori lunged forwards with a speed unlike anything Xander had ever seen. Before he knew it, the wolf's jaw had closed around his right arm and Unotori's yellowed teeth had sunk deeply into his flesh. Strangely, the sensation would not hurt--at least not physically--but instead, it was as if knowledge and desire and fire were flowing into him. Though he had the entire night been feeling like his blood was aflame, none of it could have prepared him for this sensation. His entire body was scorching him from within, the eldritch power shifting and coursing through his veins and searing his very soul, until it all settled within his heart and something within him changed.

Unotori consumed his meekness and his weakness, and replaced it with fire and blood. He marked Xander as a Thrall of the Archmage, and as he released his jaws and sprung back that same laughter, this time filled with a satisfied malice, echoed into the heavens above and through the circle of trees around them.

"My knowledge is yours, and your blood is mine. Fight to claim your glory, to claim the eternal life that awaits you at the heart of my magic. Steel your heart and fill yourself with rage and hate and envy for those who naturally have what you must work for! Rend the flesh of the living and consume their fragile hearts, take and take and take until something stops you, and then take from it as well!" Unotori's words echoed in Xander's mind. They were not just a conversation, but a command. They were something to be followed, something etched into his veins, something that he could suppress but could never truly ignore.

"You must have questions, young one. Now that you are mine, I will answer them... until one more worthy heeds my call."

The last thought Xander had as he saw Unotori preparing to pounce was simple. Gotta protect Sei. As such, in the small moment between the creature’s movement, the blood around his hand flared to life as he prepared to defend his friend, but before either could take a step, the beast was on him. Fangs sank into flesh and before Xander could comprehend what had even occurred, his entire body was set alight. An indescribable fury of heat and knowledge surged through his soul, burning pieces of him away in a twisting maelstrom of pure, unfiltered power and replacing them with . . . something else. Something different. . . something. . . more. He couldn’t even scream, the intensity of this sensation was so intense. And he wasn’t the only one undergoing a change, as Sei himself twisted and turned along the ground as the shifting power taking hold of his Master manifested within him as well, the faded coloration shifting along his scales changing from violet and yellow to a dull crimson and pale tan.

After what felt like an eternity, Unotori released Xander from its grasp, causing him to fall to his knees, his body shivering as it felt almost like he was going to explode from what had been forced upon him. The monstrous command that the Wolf laid upon him coiled around his mind like a constrictor, the sheer pressure of them causing a fierce headache as he reached up to grab his head. This movement, however, brought to his attention new addition to the patchwork of scars that he carried upon his body: a tattoo-like seal that covered the entirety of his right arm in some kind of black tribal markings that seemed to pulse every so often with an undertone of crimson magic as whatever spell Unotori had cast on him settle into place.

“Wha-. . . What do you mean that I’m. . . I’m yours.”Xander surprised himself not only by the fact that he was able to reply to the Natrelmon after that experience. . but by the anger that backed it up. Even now, he could feel the bloodthirsty tumult of rage that had been drawn out by the beast swell in a crescendo as part of him wished to lash out at the beast. It took all of his will to hold himself back from the rash action, though that didn’t stop his magic from reacting to his emotions. Sparks of lightning and flame flickered over his form as he worked himself back into a standing position, not wanting to remain on his knees any longer than he had to. A look towards Sei showed that the Mythari was similarly shaken by the experience, and like him, seem to be barely resisting a new found aggression as it dug its claws into the earth. “What . . did you do to us?”

"Those who master Blood Magic may use the blood of another for their spells, and now I may use yours no matter the distance between us. We share a bond of blood, and some part of me shall remain in you for as long as you live. Your knowledge of my magic has been expanded, and I have consumed the weakness within you so that one day you may become strong enough to face me." Unotori responded, his interest in the situation clearly waning. His magic was affecting Xander deeply, and he could sense that, but Xander was simply not strong enough to pose a threat to him at this level. In order to emphasize that point, Unotori slammed his left paw into the ground. The newfound sigil on Xander's right wrist would begin to leak blood, causing him a moderate amount of pain, and the droplets seemingly vanished as they were released only to coalesce within Unotori's mouth as a great, wicked scythe. Though before he'd not have known the magic, Unotori's new knowledge would allow him to know precisely what it was--a manifestation of the Reaper's Harvest, except made from Xander's blood and bound to Unotori.

Then, as Unotori withdrew his paw, the scythe simply disappeared, stored somewhere within his great frame for another time. A few seconds of silence passed, with the black wolf becoming increasingly disinterested until his ears pricked and he looked up into the sky. With another great howl, the relative calm that seemed to have descended upon him for his meeting with Xander vanished, and he pounced through the air towards a target that Xander could not sense. As Unotori left, a few parting words made their way into his mind:

"Fight! Rage! Consume! Let the fire in your blood take over, and one day we will meet again!"

And with that, Unotori was gone. All that was left was Xander, his newfound magic, and a smoldering core of anger and bloodlust within his heart that he would never fully get rid of.

Xander and Sei took sometime after Unotori’s departure to gather their wits and come to terms with the results of the encounter with the almost mythical Natrelmon. Sounds of life and creatures began to fill the forest once more when Xander finally got himself under some semblance of control. The anger and bloodlust still bubbled beneath the skin, but it had fallen down to a much more manageable level now that Unotori was no longer there to stoke the flames. But unlike before, when the feelings had no target or direction, merely just a bubbling cauldron of violent, now. . . now his anger had a target.

“Sei. . . ya heard the fucker. . . You feeling angry?”

Pissed. was the curt reply, the Dragon-type’s mental tone coming out slightly deeper and more distorted than before.

“Ya feeling like you want to hit something?”

Definitely.

“Something like that Unotori’s lousy muzzle?”

Now you’re just reading my mind.

Xander gave his companion a grin, the familiar smile now tinted with a darker edge as the cores of his eyes burned. Looking down at the mark on his arm, the Xanite’s fist clenched tight as he summoned forth rivulets of blood, only releasing tension as it spun around his hand, elongating and solidifying into a blade of crimson red energy. He gave it a few practice swings, his movements wild and frenetic, less like a style spawned by training as it was something born through wild, animalistic instinct. As he did that, Sei unleashed some of his newfound abilities on the nearby trees, scouring their surface with hard impacts and blood-stained gouges, working out every aggressive thought they possessed at that moment as they got used to the power given to them, letting it fuel their savagery until both felt more at home with their new selves.. Or at least, as at home as they could. Even as their attacks came to a halt, the bloodlust continued to resonate with them both. And with it, more anger, frustration, and rage directed towards the one who’d cast this fate onto him.

“He wants us to Fight? Fine, We're born fighters anyway! He wants us to Rage? I’ll be sure to get into a proper frenzy when I use his own magic to hand him his ass. And as for Consuming shit. . he can go screw himself on that one.” With a final growl of exertion, Xander lodged his blade into a tree, letting rivulets of ichor fall freely from him as he turned back to Sei. “Because if e thinks I’m going to turn into some psycho cannibal killer because a fuckin shadow wolf told me too, then he’s got another thing coming. We’ll face him again, alright. . . doing things our way, not his, because like hell am I going to let his ass win like that. Gonna take more than a love bite to corrupt my soul.”

“Ya hear me, you bastard!!!” Xander screamed to the forest, knowing that the Natrelmon was long gone by now. “Next time we meet, you better bring your fucking A game!!”

With that said, he and Sei once more traveled through the woods, ready to face the trials of the Arena and more than that, prepare for their inevitable rematch with Unotori.

Xander challenged Kiyo to a spar, got his ass kicked up and down the block.

Xander meets Inotori, who decides "You're kind of a fucking loser kid. . . I'mma change that." he then turns Xander pumps up Xander's innate blood magic with a dash of Pyromancy on the side for good measure. Also gave him a tattoo/"You're my bitch" mark. Xander takes issue with this, but can't do anything about it due to being a weak little bitch.