Fantasy For my Family

[Cyrionessa]

The stars began to rush down to the earth. I call on the Cosmos. I call on you my brothers and sisters. I CALL THE STARS' FALL!!!!! And with that, the stars rained down from the heavens, past the Red Giant, down towards Valk. Their light and brilliance filled the arena with not just blinding light, but heat.


----


Cerys saw that Ryrax was entranced and knew that it was her job now. "...kid...you don't want to be here when this goes down...." Straining a bit, she managed to lift Rudd and take off for the infirmary. The farther they were away from here, the better.

 

[HilgenHoffer]

Odom threw up his arms to shield his eyes. Even though he could not see, though, his ears were overwhelmed by the screeching stars. Their normally docile voices cried out of war and death and pain, full of all the anger and sorrow that poured out to them from Estelle and the man of fire. The polyphony was overwhelming, and as fearful as he was of the consequence, he refused to move. He stood up, bracing himself in a deep stance to keep his balance, and opening his inner ear to all of the amazing sounds around him.

 

[Ixidor92]

There was some kind of inhuman roar from the center of the center of the arena. He tried to draw up more power, to break the damnable binds holding him back. Yet even as he drew upon more power, he felt it draining faster than it should. How? How could his power be blocked so completely?

 

[Ninja_Onions]

As the stars fall, then let the sun fall with it! RAIN DOWN YOUR FURY OH HEAVENS OF MIGHT AND MANA! As the phrase came to completion, the Red Giant dropped to match the stars fall, matching their speed and mixing it's energy to strengthen the spells together as one. The sky's blood color in turn followed the massive orb as it traveled toward the earth.

 

[Twizinator]

Ryrax stood, viewing what may well have been a vision of the end of the world. "Hehe...hehehe...kahahahaHAHAHAHAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" His laughter was loud and downright insane, a crazed expression of pure glee on his face. His arms were outstretched as if daring the skyfall to attack him. His hair and clothing whipped behind him as the air was displaced by the cacophony of destruction.

 

[Cyrionessa]

As the entire chaotic explosion hit Valk, he would have realized a pain like no other he had before. Then, suddenly, he felt his ability to expend mana decreasing lower and lower. Finally, only a tiny trickle of mana seemed to be coming out as his mana circuit was mostly sealed in the blazing glory of the cosmos.


Estelle lowered her arm and felt blood trickling from her eyes, nose, mouth, and ears. The world around her swayed and suddenly she was falling back into darkness. Justice..... That was her final word before the blackness took her.


----


Cerys threw Rudd onto a stretcher and dashed past the shocked medics back to the arena. When she arrived, all that she could see was her friend lying in the center of the arena unconscious. Ryrax was glorifying at this destruction. And it was then that Cerys realized that she was crying and that she had been crying this whole time.

 

[Ixidor92]

As the spectacle unfolded, no one paid attention to any movement besides what was directly in front of them. No one saw the flow of mana around the area . . . not until a hand was laid on the shoulder's of each Naejor mana riser


"That's enough."


Gravity in the area seemed to double. Triple. Quintuple. Everyone in the area would feel heavier as their access to mana was completely removed, and in the center of it, stood Estelle and Gerza. The heavens stopped falling, everything returned back to normal, and the clan head picked up his daughter in his arms. Multiple men came in with stretchers, pulling both Gerza and an unconscious Valk onto them before carrying them away. Festivities were declared over for the day, even though it was barely past noon. Such an event had not happened in centuries.

 

[Cyrionessa]

Cerys watched Estelle's unconscious body being taken away. Her friend was now in even worse shape than that first time. There were tears still rolling down her face as she approached the maniacal Ryrax. Swallowing, she wrapped her arms around him from behind tightly. There was no other reaction that she could think of at that moment that would be appropriate for what she had just seen. Cerys buried her face into the muscles of his back and didn't move.


----


Inside the infirmary, the medics looked over both Estelle and Rudd. "....the boy is already well on the mend...." One of the older medics shook his head. "No wonder this almost killed Estelle. She split up her mana between herself and two other people." He placed Estelle in between the beds of Rudd and Evynne. "We'll have to keep the original source close to make sure that the mana infused into those two will stay alive. I doubt that Estelle will wake up for quite a while. I'd give the other two no more than a day before they wake up." The other agreed and left the three resting together. Gerza's frail body was being worked over tirelessly by more high-ranked medics. Hours passed as they worked and they almost lost him. Finally, they barely got him to stabilize enough to allow him to rest on his own.

 

[Twizinator]

Ryrax was broken of his reverie by the embrace from behind. He was breathing heavily as he calmed down. It took him over a minute to acquire any semblance of calm. He turned his body around to face her (not an easy task because of how tightly she was hugging him) and returned her hug just as tightly. "That was quite the show, wasn't it?" he asked softly as he let a hand caress her back to calm her down. "I never would've guessed those two Naejor were capable of such impressive destructive might. If what they did fails to take Valk down a notch, nothing will."

 

[Cyrionessa]

"Estelle and Gerza could have died doing that. I've never seen Estelle lose her cool. Ever. What Valk did finally pushed her overboard." Cerys shook her head, looking at the massive damage done to this arena and probably the area surrounding it. "...and what of the Heads? What will they do when Estelle and Gerza can get up and walk again?" Cerys was gripped with an immense fear. She'd never heard of anything like this in all of her years and now her friend was caught up in the jaws of the House Heads. The situation had turned from bad to worse in her eyes.

 

[Twizinator]

"I will speak with them," Mythia said from near the arena's entrance. "There were many mistakes made today, by Valk, Estelle, and Gerza. However the only family head I forsee an possible issue with is the Trevastos head..."


"Perhaps I can help there," Oliver said, having just arrived to the chaotic scene. He looked around in awe, and was momentarily confused when he saw Cerys and Ryrax embracing so tightly but he decided he had better things to think about at the moment.


Mythia nodded, recognizing Oliver from previous years, and the two left briskly. Ryrax and Cerys were alone once more.


"Beats me," he said with a shrug once he was sure they were alone. "You're talking to the wrong person about family heads and their authority." Ryrax never had been one to obey his superiors. Only Mythia could honestly claim to be his master. "I'm honestly just surprised everyone lived through this. The amount of mana that surged through this small area..." another crazed grin curled upon his face, "...incredible. Damn near insane."

 

[Ixidor92]

<three days later>


Aatron gave a shout as a kick sent his opponent flying clear out of the ring. An arm cleared the sweat off of his forehead as he looked off into the sky, the crowd cheering at the result. It had been three days since the . . . incident. Aatron still wasn't entirely sure what had happened, only that the clan heads had been talking every day since then. There had been a brief appearance to announce the continuation of festivities, but the heads all had stand-ins watching over their proxy. Of the four at the scene of 'ground zero' only Rudd had been seen at all since the incident, and even he hadn't been seen very often. Valk had been taken to the estate of the Trevastos, where no one had revealed his health or what might be happening in there. The two Naejor clan members responsible were both in critical state, even after three days of non-stop attention. As he walked off the arena, Aatron couldn't help but wonder what state the tournament would end up in when those two woke up . . .


------------------


"GU-HAAAAAAAA!"


Valk bolted upright, his arms clawing at the air as his breath came in short gasps. He slowed down his breathing with effort, each breath labored. He tried to force himself to his feet, he was shaky and covered in sweat. A quick look around revealed that he was in his room of the temporary estate. A hand went to his side as he stood up, drawing a hiss through his teeth. When Valk looked down, there was wrapping over most of his torso, and along several patches of his arms as well. What had happened? The last thing he remembered--


Right.


That man.


He had been fighting him, and pushed entirely farther than he had ever expected, then--


Then?


Valk pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to sift through the haze that was his memories at the end of that fight. There was pain . . . and . . .


Right, the b*** from Naejor. She caused some kind of starfall. Hurt like hell. He would make sure to--


Valk froze. Something was wrong. Something was horribly, dreadfully, completely wrong right now. He brought one of his arms up in front of him, and channeled lightning through it. A few sparks flew over his skin, enough to be considered barely more than static electricity. Valk's eyes widened as he pulled more mana through his channels. He could feel what was happening within his body, but refused to believe it. He finally just pushed as much mana as he could through his arm, all he could muster. What came out was finally a respectable show of lightning . . . but where was the rest of it? Valk's breath was quickening as he spread his legs, the loose dogi over his top being shrugged off. A primal shout could be heard throughout the estate of Trevastos, and likely beyond, as he taxed his mana circuits to their very limit, channeling out from every pore in his body. In his last waking memories, this had caused him to essentially become a human lightning bolt, enough to char a small army of fell ones or mana risers. As it stood now . . . Lightning coursed over his form, singing a few spots on the floor and walls, but it wasn't nearly enough. This was barely enough to defeat a C-class fell one! Where was the rest of it?! What happened to the channel that was wide open?! The one he reforged over the course of four years to become what he was!?! . . .


No . . . not what he was . . . what he had been.


Another shout broke through the house. Valk dashed across his room, it was plenty large enough to do so. But it took him way too long to reach either side. His speed wasn't even half of what it had been. He punched the floor beneath him in anger. A small indent was formed in the tatami floor, and scorch marks from the incidental lightning, but the destructive force from before was gone. It was gone, and that b*** had stolen it. Another indent joined the one he had just formed as Valk punched the floor again, accompanied by a few drops of water. It took him a few seconds before he realized that they had actually come from his eyes.


"Stop son. This is unsightly."


Valk's eyes bolted open as his head turned to face the entrance of his room. Of course the man standing in the doorway was the Trevastos head. Valk's father. The servants and guards outside were all gone. It seemed this would be a father-son conversation alone.


"It's gone . . . that B*** from the Naejor stole it away!"


Valk hit the floor another time


"Does she have any idea--"


Valk was interrupted as his ribs suddenly felt like they were hit by a truck. He flew through one of the walls, flying into an empty room. As he coughed up blood, he looked at his trajectory and realized his father had actually kicked him.


"I told you it's unsightly. Think of your position."


Valk coughed up another fistful of blood forced himself up on to one knee. Lightning coursed along his fists instinctively as he tried to force himself to his feet


"She stole it . . . I'm going to KILL HER!"


Valk did something then that he had never done in his life. He flew at his own father in a fit of rage. He had never raised a hand against the head of the family in his life. His siblings yes, not his father. The Trevastos merely closed his eyes as the fist collided with his chest. For a second, nothing seemed to happen . . . then blood erupted out of Valk's arm. He let out a scream and fell to his knees. Where was it? The power that had made him feel like he could topple a god? Now he couldn't even leave a scratch on the man he had strove to rival in power.


"So--"


The Trevastos head paused for a minute


"Valk."


That caused the young man to freeze. His father never used his name unless it was extremely important. In nearly every meeting, he was clan head first, father second. When he called Valk by name, that meant he was speaking as a father first, and clan head second.


"Think of what caused you to be in this position. Why are you lying in front of me right now?"


"That b*** stole my power-UGH!"


A massive hand gripped Valk's shoulder, which he could easily tell was on the verge of breaking


"And why did she do that?"


"How on earth would I know?! I've never hurt the b*** in my li-AUGH!"


There was a crack as Valk's shoulder fractured


"What happened to the son I once treasured?"


Valk could barely hear the man over his pain and the tears that were falling, but something in him felt warm, despite all the pain. Why?


"I remember a young man, who had six other siblings. All of them had more training and raw power than he did, so he worked tirelessly to change it. For four years, he did something as reckless as re-forging his own mana circuits to make that possible. I'd like to see that young man again, because I haven't for several years now."


Tears still fell from Valk's eyes, but for a different reason than before. The grip on his shoulder lessened, and the Trevastos head stood up.


"Some healers will be here shortly to expedite your healing. In the meantime . . . I suggest you find what path you take next. Continuing as you have will both shame our family and end your life."


Valk's father left the room, leaving the man lying on the floor and wracked with pain. But as he fell on his back, something changed in his eyes . . . a spark that coursed through his entire body.

 

[Twizinator]

"Eh?"


"Y-y-y-you h-h-heard me! I-I challenge y-y-you to a d-duel!"


Ryrax just stared as the young woman, who couldn't have been older than eighteen, issued her challenge while thoroughly shaking in her boots. Literally, he could see her legs shivering. She barely came up to his belly button, she was so short. She was clearly a Maveret, judging by the short sword strapped to her waist and round shield hanging on her back. She stared up at him with deep green eyes, wide with fear, and her auburn ponytail quivered in her discomfort.


"You clearly don't want to do this," Ryrax said bluntly with a raise of his eyebrow.


The girl hesitated. "Um...father said to challenge you," she said weakly. "He said if I could beat you I would prove I was strong..."


Ryrax groaned. Another glory-seeker? Yet it didn't quite seem that way. "Why me? There are plenty of strong fighters...more your level, too." He really didn't have time for this. Why wouldn't people just leave him alone? He had things to do.


She shook her head energetically. "N-no...he said to watch out for the Mad Wolf. He said to stay away from you, that y-you would kill me." She took a deep breath to gather her courage. "That's why I must fight you."


Ryrax gave a bark-like laugh. "That's the shittiest logic I've ever heard. I've dealt with so many glory-chasing upstarts I could cover the wall with their names. Or I could if I remembered any. Run along now, girl. Surely you've got fights scheduled, go worry about winning those." He turned and got three steps away before she spoke again.


"...No, I don't..." She said quietly and sadly.


Ryrax stopped in his tracks, slowly facing her again. "What?"


"I don't have any fights," she said with a look that would put a begging puppy to shame. "I'm the youngest and weakest of three siblings. My older brother and older sister are fighting. I'm...supposed to cheer for them." She sighed. "P-please, fight me?" she begged.


Ryrax suddenly got it. She wasn't looking for glory; she was looking for respect. "Fine," he said with a nod.


The girl's face lit up like the summer sun. "R-r-really?!" she said. It was a humorous mix of emotions: she was still afraid of the guy but happy he accepted. She shook off her moment of glee for a serious expression. "Okay. I'll find an arena, Mad Wolf, and th-"


"Ryrax," Ryrax interrupted. "I have a name and it isn't 'Mad Wolf', it's 'Ryrax'."


"The girl blinked. "Oh...sorry. Ryrax. I'm Silia. Come on!" she said, grabbing his hand in her excitement and dragging him to an arena.


-----


"Winner, Oliver!"


"Winner, Oliver!"


"Winner, Oliver!"


Oliver sighed as his victory was announced once more. Honestly he was starting to get tired of hearing it, as if it was a grand announcement. His success was no surprise, after all, why make such a big deal after every one?

 

[Cyrionessa]

Cerys sat beside Estelle's bedside in the hospital, in between her and Evynne. Her eyes studied the other woman carefully; what could have been so horrible that Estelle, of all people, would lose it? What could Valk have possibly done? She saw one of the other medics kneeling over Evynne, constantly running his mana up and down her body. His face was so serious but Cerys could not bring herself to ask.


She glanced back at her friend, whose porcelain skin was even more white than usual. Estelle looked as though she was at least at peace with what she did, judging from the expression on her face. Suddenly, the medic yelled for one of the others to come to him and Cerys turned back to look. Her eyes widened and a grin came onto her face. Evynne's eyes were barely open; she had returned to consciousness.


Cerys looked around for Rudd but he definitely wasn't in the room. Quickly, she stood, muttering that she'd go find him and took off out the door. Her eyes scanned the crowds as she tried to find the guy but she wasn't having much success. Her feet took her towards the arenas, hoping to find him there since he was probably still fighting matches.

 

[HilgenHoffer]

Rudd was not at the arenas. He had fights scheduled, but due to the incident three days prior, they had been postponed. He would not fight until the evening.


He was in his room, the window open and the door closed. Wearing only loose trousers, he sank further into his stance, eyes gazing far beyond the wooden walls as his arms rose and fell before him. He shifted his rear leg, turning in his stance to face the opposite wall, where he'd pushed the bed as far out of the way as possible. A large saucer of water sat half-filled upon the mattress. He blinked the fresh water out of his eyes, and tasted salt on his lips where it had mixed with sweat. He spun into a thrusting kick, holding it before him and turning again to face the window.


Rudd had never been much good at the monk's meditation techniques. He tried, but he just couldn't settle his mind when he was sitting still. All his life, he had worked the plows, or the shovels, or the oxen, or the hay bails. He could only focus when his body moved, so he moved it. He thought of nothing, looked at nothing, said nothing. He could hear nothing but his own breath and footsteps, feel only his own sweat and the floorboards under his calloused feet.


The form continued until he reached the last step, bringing his hands down to rest in front of his chest, settling into his stance. He closed his eyes and breathed deep, letting the negative energy flow out of him. When he opened his eyes, the saucer lay on the bed before him, and he splashed his hands in it. He cupped his fingers and took a drink, before splashing more cool liquid on his face and hair. It felt good.


His mind went back to the events three days past. He had been rash, foolish--he did not really want to kill the other man. But he had wanted to hurt him. He had never wanted to hurt anyone so badly before, and that was why he meditated now. Strength was not for killing men. It was for defending them.


For defending Evynne.


Rudd shook his head, dark locks flipping back and forth before he threw more water into his face. He did not want to think about this anymore. He knew that he couldn't have done anything. How could he have known what was going to happen? Even if he had, he couldn't have interrupted the fight. From what he had been told, it had lasted less than a full second. His eyes retreated into his head until his skin wrinkled, and his temples began throbbing with pressure. He wasn't ready yet; he needed to do another form.


Turning back to face the opposite wall, he sank into a stance, hands wending through the air like carp in a lake, and his eyes sank back into the distance.

 

[Twizinator]

The judge brought his arm down like an axe, signaling the beginning of the duel. Ryrax slowly cracked his neck, his one uncovered eye staring unblinkingly at the slight girl before him. He wore a half-grin of amusement and was totally relaxed...the opposite of his opponent. Silia was bent into a defensive stance, her left arm holding her shield between Ryrax and the rest of her body. Her right hand pointed the tip of her short sword at Ryrax, the tip poking just past the edge of her shield. She'd shifted her body a bit sideways, to minimize the targetable surface area from Ryrax and to make the shield the center of her targetable body. Her stance was near-perfect...however, she was tense, stiff as a board, and Ryrax knew it.


"Loosen up, girl," he taunted calmly. "Don't lock up your joints. Keep limber and ready to spring into action at a moment's notice."


"I know," she replied tersely. She didn't want a lecture from her opponent, and especially from this guy. He was so calm it was infuriating. It didn't help that he terrified her. He was like an animal toying with his meal, with the knowledge that he could kill it and consume whenever he damn well pleased. Oh, how she wished to wipe that grin off his face!


Ryrax licked his lips slowly and deliberately. "Well then, as the challenger, you should make the first move."


Silia forced a smirk. "No, please, go ahead." She'd always been better at reacting to action than initiating the fight herself.


Ryrax chuckled. "Fine." He dashed straight at her, his sword in its sheath. He intended to fight her bare-handed?


Silia blocked the first punch, deflected the kick, and dodged the spinning elbow. She bobbed, weaved, parried, and blocked for what seemed like ages. Surely he had to stop eventually. Nobody could move like that without losing their center of gravity, right?


Then she remembered who she was dealing with. The mastery of PK gave Ryrax unparalleled maneuverability, especially in the air. She remembered this moments too late, as he twisted in the air in a way that gave gravity the bird, flicking his heel straight up into the bottom of her shield. Suddenly she was defenseless, her shield arm above her head, leaving her left side totally open. She tried to dodge but it was futile: his shin came crashing into her side, just below her ribcage...or it would have, if he hadn't stopped less than an inch from impact.


"Heh. Take this seriously, would ya?" Ryrax goaded with a teasing smirk. "If I'm gonna take the time to teach you, ya could at least have the decency to try to learn." Silia growled in annoyance, lashing out with her sword and shield. Ryrax dodged every attack by a hair's width, all the while taunting. "Close!" "Try again!" "Whoops!" "Not quite!" Each goading quip irritated her more. With a roar she launched at him, but he'd been waiting for it. In the blink of an eye, he had stepped into her guard, standing inches from her, his middle finger of his left hand pressed against her forehead. "Calm down," he said calmly, and pushed. Her center of balance was too far forward because of her attempted charge, and she stumbled backwards, landing hard on her backside. Some laughter could be heard from the stands.


"Get up," Ryrax said with a beckon. "You haven't even landed a blow."


Silia grit her teeth, fighting back tears of embarrassment, as she stood. However, she had apparently listened: her stance was less rigid than before. Ryrax's grin widened: he'd been slowly replacing her fear of him with frustration and determination to hurt him. "Come on," he said with a beckon of his first two fingers. Silia charged, new fire in her eyes.

 

[Cyrionessa]

Cerys gave up gave up on searching for Rudd and just started looking for a Vejta. Her eyes darted about till she spotted a guy who had been in the Vejta hall the night she and Estelle had visited. The black hair, green eyes, and dark clothing definitely had made him stand out in the crowd. "Hey. You." Her eyes locked on him and she approached like a woman on a mission.


"....yes...?" He looked warily at her. He'd heard what she did to Karza.


"Go find Rudd and tell him Evynne's awake. Don't breathe it to another soul except for the Vejta head, because we can't have too many people barging in at a time like this." Cerys saw that he wasn't moving. "......don't make me tell you twice, Mister...?"


"Soren." He raised an eyebrow. "I'll go tell him. He's probably off by himself again, meditating after that fight. That's all he's been doing since he got up." Soren turned heel and started walking back to the Vejta estate. A few quick questions to the others confirmed that Rudd was meditating. Again. Soren sighed before pushing open the door.


"Rudd. Cerys, the cat lady herself, just told me to get you because Evynne's awake."

 

[Twizinator]

A hush fell upon the spectators as they processed what had just happened. Silia's assault had been noticeably different: before, all of her attacks were handicapped by her fear of Ryrax. Even in offense, she had been on the defensive. Not this time, though. Determination had gripped her as she'd launched a barrage of attacks at Ryrax, deliberate and intense. Even when Ryrax counter-attacked, she was able to defend without interrupting her offensive. Granted, Ryrax wasn't taking this seriously at all, but the fact that she had just landed a shallow cut to the man's right cheek caused a tense silence to take over the arena.


Silia stood at some distance, her defensive stance free of rigidity or tenseness. However, a bit of anxiety came upon her as Ryrax stood neutrally after her attack landed. He gave a small *hmph* in mild amusement, wiping his right thumb over the cut cheek, and licking the blood off leisurely. "Congratulations," he said calmly, "you landed a blow. Are you prepared for the consequences?" he asked, a wild smile covering his lips.


Silia swallowed hard, but stood her ground. "You know, since you stopped your attack earlier," she said, keeping her voice steady, "technically this means that I drew first blood."


Ryrax blinked as he realized she was right. He threw back his head and laughed "BAHAHAHAHAAAAAA!" He lurched forward to glare gleefully at her, his back hunched as he was coiled like a spring, preparing to pounce on her. "Very true! Let's see who draws second!" With that, he flew off the ground straight at her, and attacked with kicks, punches, knees, elbows, and even the occasional headbutt.


Silia grit her teeth as she realized that Ryrax was now taking this moderately seriously. He had been playing before, but she could tell that if any of these blows got past her guard he wouldn't stop them from connecting like he had that kick earlier. Even so, she ducked, weaved, and deflected his blows, all the while lashing out with slashes and stabs. None of them were missing by more than half an inch, but a miss is a miss. She knew that if Ryrax hit her, it would spell the end of the duel, he was so strong. If she was to win she had to land a decisive blow soon before he landed...well, anything, really.


Silia saw her chance, and after dodging a particularly fierce kick, slashed at Ryrax, willing the sword to slice him. He retreated backwards just out of range, yet as he landed a fair distance away from her, a red line on his abdomen indicated that she'd somehow struck him. Silia blinked; he'd dodged that, right? She'd put all her strength into landing it but he dodged, she saw it happen. Yet why was he cut?


Ryrax glanced down at his stomach and ran his hand over the wound, using ice artes to stop the bleeding. "Judging by your expression, you thought you had missed," he said to a confused Silia. "You channeled your mana through your blade, allowing you to hit me."


Silia blinked and stared at Ryrax in shock. "What? I've never been able to use my mana like that...using a weapon as the focus for mana was something I could never do..."


Ryrax smirked. "You just lacked desperation. I find it to be a rather potent catalyst for unlocking a warrior's potential. See how it allowed you to extend your range? Your lacking ability to control your mana stems from a lacking need to do so. Something I can fix rather easily."


Silia flinched as Ryrax's aura exploded from him. She shivered as it hit her that he wasn't going to hold back anymore. Her eyes widened further when he drew his blade. He was taking this very seriously now.


"Now the REAL fight begins," Ryrax growled menacingly. "You have two options left to you, girl: harness your mana and strike me down with it, or die."


Silia adjusted her stance. Calm down, she thought to herself. Killing isn't allowed in duels. He's bluffing. She had her doubts about that, however, as he charged at her faster than before, black blade at the ready. She could see now that the rumors and stories she'd heard were true. Ryrax was destruction, brutality, and violence given human form, and he was aiming all of it at her now as he rapidly closed the distance...

 

[HilgenHoffer]

Rudd's trance was broken by words as his leg began to fall from above his head. It crashed on the bed, splintering the frame.


"What?!?" He stumbled, comparatively gracelessly, towards his dark-haired cousin. "Where? Where is she??"


Soren almost grinned at his sudden change of attitude. Almost. "Infirmary. I was told to keep it hush-hush. See what I do for you?"


Rudd smiled in spite of himself. "You're the best, Soren. Help yourself to my share of the ale tonight." And with that, he was gone. Soren was always amazed at the inconsistency of Farm Boy's physical abilities. When he was unmotivated or confused, he seemed to be no more than a disciplined man. But when he focused, he could move like no one he had ever seen. Well, almost no one. He still couldn't hold a candle to the headmaster.


Rudd ducked past head and shoulder, stepping on toes and throwing people into spins as he rushed through the crowds towards the infirmary. "Sorry! Sorry!" he apologized to people he had left far behind as he stumbled towards the large wooden doors. He came to a dusty halt in front of them, heels digging into the dirt, and thrust them open. The sounds of ringing hinges and wood slamming on stone echoed throughout the room. "Evynne! Evynne, are you--" his breath caught in his throat as he saw her sitting up in front of Estelle, rubbing her eyes beneath a tussled bob of brown hair.

 

[Cyrionessa]

A few medics surrounded Evynne, checking her vitals and testing her reflexes. The grave look on their faces said volumes. ".....Evynne....." The lead medic, Coran, sighed. ".....please.....close your eyes....." Evynne complied in a bit of confusion. He sighed again and touched her finger tips. "Can you feel anything?" Evynne shook her head. He moved to her wrist and touched her wrist. "Can you feel anything?" She shook her head again. The medic close his eyes, dreading to continue. How wide-spread was the damage? He kept going until finally he got some feeling up near her shoulders. His eyes widened. ".....this shouldn't be possible.....It should be worse than this...." Coran looked over at Estelle's unconscious form. "No wonder Estelle's still unconscious. She caught off her mana and sent it to this girl to minimize the damage." Coran looked back to Evynne. "....child, the damage could have been worse but the damage is still done. You have massive nerve damage in your extremities.....and I fear that your mana conduit may have been damage as well...." His hands glowed a soft light as he swept them over her torso. ".....child....there's no easy way to say this...." His eyes were filled with sorrow. ".....I'm not going to say that you will never be able to use your mana again.....but I will say that it is highly unlikely." Coran motioned for the others to begin taking care of her as he went to kneel next to Estelle's bed. ".....So this is why you nearly killed yourself taking away that Trevastos kid's full ability to manipulate his mana....you wanted him to pay for what he's taken from her.....even if that meant sacrificing yourself for that cause...." Coran looked over to the now stable form of Gerza. "Even Gerza felt the need for justice....." Coran's next words could barely be heard by anyone but they were still audible. "......you just took away probably ten years of your life force for justice.....Estelle, how could you....?"

 

[Twizinator]

Everyone in the stands were at the edges of their seats. Silia was fighting for her life against the Mad Wolf. The judge was intently focused, preparing to stop the match at a moment's notice should Ryrax go to far. Yet, it seemed he would not need to. So far the only one to sustain injuries has been Ryrax. His body was now riddled with shallow cuts, and every rapid mid-air movement sprayed blood across the arena. Not that he seemed to care: his trademark, chilling smile was ever-present on his face as he fought the inexperienced young girl.


Silia had no time for thought: she was only alive because she was so intently focused on the man before her. Each scything kick, each brutal punch, each slash and jab of his sword...every attack Ryrax launched she only narrowly deflected, dodged, or blocked. She didn't even think she could have survived half of those blows...she could feel the mana surging inside of her. She was only standing because Ryrax had been right: her desperation was acting as a catalyst for her growth as a mana riser. The wounds on Ryrax had not been made from direct steel-to-flesh contact. Every cut on Ryrax's body had been caused by mana.


Defense was another issue, however. Ryrax was escalating the ferocity and frequency of his attacks, and Silia was having a tough time keeping up. At this rate he would overpower the slight girl, and she knew it. Her eyes widened slowly as each attack grew closer to striking her. Suddenly, after a particularly unorthodox mid-air sword combo, Ryrax's offhand came flying at her face, tight fist ready to cave in her skull. With a short cry of desperation, Silia brought her shield against it, and a resounding *CRACK* echoed in the arena. Ryrax flew backwards, colliding back-first with the wall and bouncing off, landing on his face in the dirt.


Ryrax coughed harshly as he stood, his left hand mangled. "Finally, you remembered to channel mana into your shield, not just your sword," he said with a laugh, as he inspected his hand. It resembled a gnarled tree in how the fingers were contorted unnaturally. He grit his teeth, and after a moment of focus, groaned with pain as he used PK to realign his fingers so they were properly in position. "Your shield utterly destroyed my hand. Congratulations." He laughed again. "You're improving rapidly, but enough playing around. You can improve on your own now that you see how to utilize your mana." He sheathed his sword and turned on his heel, slowly making his way to the exit.


Silia was dumbfounded. "What? Come back here! Our duel isn't over! I still have to beat you!" Ryrax laughed in reply, without turning around or even breaking stride. This made Silia mad. Was she just entertainment for him? That superior attitude of his infuriated her. She had been winning, albeit just barely, and he was just going to walk away from the fight? She refused to win in such a dishonorable fashion. She needed to defeat him by her own hand if she was to get any respect. "Fight me, you dog!" she shouted in frustration, and charged.


Silia blinked as Ryrax's heel cut across the air, sending her shield careening across the arena and embedding itself by the edge into the wall. She brought down her sword but he brought the back of his hand across, shattering the blade near the hilt. Impossible...had he been holding back this much the whole time? She didn't have time to thing about that as he swept her legs out from under her, and pounced. She was helpless as he sat on her waist, using his hands to pin her arms. He snarled, baring his teeth an inch from her face, and she froze in fear. The judge started forward but it was too late; he could kill her now instantly. Yet, he didn't. After a glance and a curt not to the judge, the official hesitantly stopped. He took a few seconds to steady his breathing, his chest heaving as he calmed down. "Don't attack an animal from behind if it's faster than you," he growled warningly. His long hair was disheveled, hanging like a weeping willow around his head, the strands tickling her neck and nose. "You can continue just fine without my help, girl," Ryrax said, quiet enough so only they could hear, and more calmly than she had been expecting. "Unlocking the mana is the toughest part. Now that you've got access to it, you can refine it how you like, and all by your own doing. However," he grinned, "If you're really so desperate for my guidance, I'll be in the forest outside the Vejta sector by dusk tonight. Come, or don't. It's up to you. Just know I will not be a lenient teacher. If you want to survive, I recommend staying home tonight."


Ryrax's grin took on a hint of gentleness, and Silia realized that, circumstances notwithstanding, she was pinned to the floor with a young man on top of her...granted, he had about a decade on her, but still. "You've got incredible potential, girl," Ryrax said, "and you'll grow stronger than I in time if you apply yourself. Hold your head high and take pride in your ability. Your sisters and father be damned; I say the only person you need respect from is yourself." With that, he stood, and strode again, hands in pockets, to the exit. "Besides, I don't hit girls," he said, leaving the entire arena in stupefied silence. His hand rose from his pocket and he held it aloft to say goodbye. "Much better things to do with 'em than hurt 'em. I forfeit."


Silia stood, and the judge cleared his throat nervously as Ryrax disappeared from sight. "Winner: Silia!" he announced, and the crowd exploded into cheers and applause, several shouting and expressing their impression of how well Silia had fought against 'that crazy Vejta bastard'. Silia couldn't help but smile at the complementing crowd. She felt a bit warm, however...that's when she realized she was beet-red in the face. She didn't quite know why, but one thing she did know: she had somewhere to be come sundown.

 

[Ixidor92]

Aatron was about ready to leave the arena for the day, perhaps right a letter to Faora, when he was called by another of his family


"What is it Cross?"


"You've got one more match for the day, arranged by the heads. It's against Oliver."


"Oliver? That man who has been on a winning streak?"


"Yes."


Aatron spun the naginata once in his hand, marching back towards the arena.


"Very well. I'll see if he truly is skilled enough for that title."

 

[HilgenHoffer]

Rudd walked slowly up to where Evynne was sitting, and knelt down beside her bed. "Evynne . . ."


The girl opened her eyes and, seeing him, smiled brightly. "Rudd!" She actually fell out of her bed hugging him.


He panicked. "Evynne! You're hurt! You're supposed to be resting!" He wrapped his arms around her, though, as much to protect her as to return her affection. It felt good, as much as he was worried. They had never been so openly close before.


She laughed at him. "Didn't you hear the doctor? I can't hardly feel my arms or legs. I don't hurt a bit!" Whatever she was really feeling, her smile did not waver. Rudd smiled back in spite of himself.


"Most people wouldn't call that a good thing, you know. Can't plow the fields if you can't hold a hoe."


She kept smiling, but she held him tighter. " . . . I can't feel you. Hug me tighter." He did, and she sank into him further. "That's better." She let the warmth fill her up.


That's when the doctors ran in. "Evynne! What are you doing out of bed? You need to be resting!" She sighed, and released Rudd from her frail grip.


"They're right, you know." The young farmer helped her up, tender worry pouring out of his eyes.


"I know they are. But I . . . I needed a friend. Thank you, Rudd. You make the fear go away." She reluctantly sank to the bed, but as the doctors hurriedly herded the muscular farmer's kid to the exit, she smiled at him. "Bring your fiddle next time!" she teased at him. He found himself smiling again as the doors began to close.


It was then that he realized that Estelle was lying unconscious in the room as well. He caught one of the doctors by the sleeve, pleading, "When Estelle wakes up . . . please let me know. I owe her my thanks." The physician nodded his head distractedly, muttering something vaguely affirmative as he bustled off with some indistinguishable serum sloshing in his palms. He then turned on his heel, stirring the dusty ground, and walked back into the raucous crowd.


-----


Odom's ear twitched. Just one of them. Had someone said his name?


"Odom Maveret and Cerys Xevren, report to Arena 2."


He grinned wildly. The fun was about to begin. But first . . .


A blond figure could be vaguely seen soaring haphazardly through the air towards the Maveret armory. As he tumbled over himself, he pondered. What weapon would be best for fighting a cat?

 

[Twizinator]

Oliver sighed as he stood next to the inner wall of the arena he was in, waiting for his next opponent to show up. Another Maveret? They always disappointed Oliver, thinking too much about their weapons and not enough about their actual bodies. Not one of them he'd faced in the past few days had been able to stand a single blow; they didn't seem to think about the defense of their physical bodies, leaving a plank of wood or slab of steel to stand between them and death. They called such constructs "shields". Oliver had yet to find a shield that didn't shatter like sugar glass against one of his punches. Whoever this Aatron guy was, Oliver could only be optimistic that he had some semblance of skill, otherwise the young Layfaire would be crestfallen at his lack of strong opponents. What was the point of winning if it wasn't an exciting fight? He could gain little honor or glory from smacking around the small fry.

 

[Ixidor92]

Aatron walked into the arena, stepping up onto the platform where he would face his next opponent. So far, most of his opponents had been lackluster, each skilled in their own way, but lacking the conviction he desired. This 'Oliver', whomever he was, had defeated several others. Perhaps he would have his first memorable match this day. The ribbon wrapped around his naginata swirled a bit in the wind, as if in anticipation of his opponent.