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Tournament of Champions! (The game has begun)
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So no she is not dead.
She was just temporarily not alive until the priest had healed her which is amplified to have been done just after the match has occurred.
A squad of six hunters were walking quietly within the Trogon forest. Even though it was a bright and sunny day, the forest interior was unnaturally darker than the outside world. There were no birds in the sky and no animals in sight, even though an animal's cry echoed in the forest's woods sometimes.
Captain Niven was leading the hunting squad. Behind him was the archer with the crossbow. Farther behind them was the two spearmen. The last ones were the female archer and Tiamat.
"Haide has told us a lot about you," said the archer to the dragon contestant. "My name is Caron. I've watched the tournaments since I was a little kid."
"Nice to meet you, Caron."
"Likewise. The shorter spearman is Wedge and the tall one is Biggs."
The hooded archer pointed at the spearmen, then she pointed at the two men who were leading the way.
"The guy with the crossbow is Elidyr and lastly... Well, you probably know the name of our captain already."
Tiamat nodded, then she looked around the forest. Even though it was still the very same forest named Trogon, it didn't feel like the same place where she was few months ago, when she hurried to the arena to face Jahanacicus. Caron saw Tiamat's concern.
"This forest won't stay like this forever, and luckily we're here to make sure the surrounding areas won't face the same fate."
Suddenly, Tiamat heard the snap of branches and the rustle of leaves. The spearmen and the archers already had their weapons ready as they quickly turned to see who or what just moved.
"Hold your fire," Niven said to the archers. He took his binoculars from his leather bag and looked through them.
Tiamat saw a glimmer of metal from the shadows where the noises came from. It wasn't an animal nor beast. It was also a hunter. Niven gave a signal with his hand to his squad, and everyone laid down their weapons.
"I know these gentlemen. They're from captain Berend's hunting squad."
Eight hunters stepped from the tree shadows and took a relaxed posture. They had leather armors with steel reinforcements. Some of them had crossbows and others had spears. Steel helmets covered their heads completely. Ninth hunter stepped from the shadows lastly. He had a high-class Legornan captain's iron armor, helmet, and a longsword.
"Greetings, fellow hunters," the captain said with a deep voice and saluted. Everyone else saluted back except Tiamat.
"Greetings, captain Berend," Niven answered and walked in front of the other captain. "Today me and my squad will be hunting today in the north-eastern section of the forest, stopping everything that could spread the abyss' infection."
"So you've just arrived, then. And I see you have a contestant of the tournament helping you out today as well. That's good. You have my respect, Tiamat, born of dragons!"
Tiamat smiled and bowed to the stoic captain.
"Thank you, captain Berend. I'll do my best!"
Berend nodded at Tiamat, then he turned his head back at Niven.
"Me and my hunters have already put down a dozen of frenzied animals this morning, but we'll check northern section of the forest before our return to the barracks."
Captain Berend gestured to his squad. The squad started walking to the north. Archers had their crossbows readied when they ventured far away from the others.
"Godspeed, captain Niven."
"May Keralda sing for you, captain Berend."
Niven and his squad watched as Berend's squad vanished into the distant shadows of the trees. Then the six hunters continued their journey to the north-eastern section of Trogon forest in the same formation. Caron walked back at Tiamat's side.
"That was captain Berend, apparently an old friend of our squad's captain."
"He said his squad has killed a dozen infected animals already. Is there still a large number of them in the forest?"
"Not as large as there was during the first weeks when the outbreak happened. The numbers have decreased, and today should be as easy as yesterday."
"How long you've been hunting in this forest?"
"Since when the outbreak happened. Elidyr joined our squad a week ago. Niven became a captain few days before the outbreak, and has been our captain from the start. The spearmen have been the same as well. There was nine of us at first, but the others have either gotten injured or died."
Tiamat gripped the handle of her greatsword in anger. If only I would've allowed my soul to burn in the first place, I may have been ready when the outbreak happened. I could have saved some lives.
After a while, the squad reached the rocky north-eastern section of the forest. It was quiet. Only noises which could be heard were the leaves which rustled with the silent winds. Large, grey clouds started to sail in the sky and they blocked the bright sun for a few minutes sometimes.
Niven looked at the large forest opening before him through his binoculars while his squad was hidden in the shadow of the leaves. Then he crouched and signaled with his hands to the squad.
"Get down," Caron whispered to Tiamat as she and everyone else in the squad crouched down. Tiamat did the same immediately.
After a moment of silence, Niven pointed at Elidyr and Wedge, then at Biggs and Caron. Then Niven pointed at two different directions, first to the left and then to the right.
"Looks like Niven found something for us. Follow his instructions closely. He may have a chicken cloak, but he doesn't think like one."
"Got it."
Tiamat saw as Caron hurried silently to the right side of the forest opening. Elidyr was already on his way to the left. Biggs followed Caron and Wedge followed Elidyr. Both archers and spearmen ventured deeper into the forest's shadows until Tiamat couldn't see them anymore. A minute after that, Niven beckoned at Tiamat. She moved silently at the captain's side and could finally see into the forest opening.
The warrior of dragons gasped as she looked at the horrific sight. A great, black bear was eating a human corpse. Tiamat couldn't see at first, but when she took a closer look, she recognized that the dead man had a standard Legornan hunter's equipment, or rather, what was left of it.
"They don't talk about this in the city," Niven whispered in a serious tone. "Whatever you see in this forest, you better leave those memories in the forest. Or the darkness will get a hold on you eventually."
Tiamat's heart started to pound slightly faster. She felt the fear creep into her soul, but she hided it. Even though she had fought against beasts and even dragons in her homeland when she was younger, she has never faced a creature completely corrupted by black mana.
"I haven't seen an animal like this in a long time. It may not be nearly as bad as an Akon, but it's still a ferocious monster. Thank the gods that we found it."
"What is the plan? How are we going to put that thing down?"
Niven gave his binoculars to Tiamat. She looked through them while the squad captain pointed where to look.
"You see that cliff wall at the back of the forest opening? Biggs and Caron are on the right side from us. Wedge and Elidyr are on the left. The bear has nowhere to run when we surround it and attack. Once me and you step into the opening, all of us will surround the bear. Archers will keep shooting it while the spearmen makes sure the bear can't attack them. When the bear tries to attack one of our archers and gets stopped by the spears, you and I will cut it down and finish the job."
Tiamat returned the binoculars to Niven, then she took a deep breath. The unnaturally dark bear was still feasting with the flesh of the fallen hunter.
"We'll begin when you're ready," Niven whispered and unsheathed his longsword.
Tiamat slowly unsheathed her greatsword and gripped its handle with her iron gauntlets.
"I am ready."
The match that would be played today between Tiamat and Leandra will be pushed to Friday or Saturday. This is made to leave a little room for more storytelling.
I have earlier mentioned Signature cards which you may create for your champions for the semi finals and later the gold and eventual bronze finals.
I'm giving you this information now so that you can begin to brainstorm a little.
These will be non-creature, non-planeswalker cards that either mechanicaly or flavorfully suits your champions.
*EDIT: The color does not have to be in common with the champion as long as the mechanic or flavor is there.
* The maximum mana cost for these will be 5 mana and maximum of one for the semi finals. You might use lesser mana cost if you want.
Equipment cards are not allowed to have an equip cost that is higher than 5. Otherwise these follows the same rules.
* Think of them as spells or tools which the champion can cast or use. Or maybe some event which he or she experiences.
*These signature cards will be judged as well but only as a minor bonus to your champions.
Example of a signature card for William's 7 mana stage
I'm going to give the same treatment to the Kara vs Radhe match and put it on Saturday because of storytelling elements.
@MagicChess @KalamMekhar
So we need to create a 7CMC version and a "signature card" with maximum CMC=5?
For the final match I will most likely let you use two signature cards with 7 for one and 5 for the other. Or two 5s
@KalamMekhar I wrote too fast there. Your match will be given the same treatment as Tiamat and Leandra's match and be pushed some days for storytelling reasons.
Your match will be played on Saturday.
Card-related story is in the comments. Currently writing a full short story detailing the events though I doubt I'll post it.
Following this version, his post-branding identity. The story continues in the comments.
Kara
He was brought to the chamber where the clergyman was waiting. He had prepared an order of multiple tools, bowls, bottles and more. The guard laid Kara down onto the altar in lied down position.
"So, Shall we begin." Said the clergyman as he picked up a grey soaked orb. A black liquid dropped from it. One guard held Kara down onto the altar while the other forced his mouth open. "Now this won't take long." Said the clergyman as he put the orb thing into Kara's mouth and forced him to swallow it.
In panic Kara tried to order his drones to help him but he don't know if he reached them. Both his hearing and vision began to appear distant as he lied there. He became dizzy and everything started to spin before his eyes before he fell asleep into a very deep sleep.
Kara woke up. He was not on the altar anymore. He was not even in Legorna. He was back on Zendikar. He was standing on a wasted field from which he could see an outpost of the Zendikar resistance. It was attacked by a swarm of eldrazi scions. He started to become afraid and his pulse increased. He heard something huge behind him. He looked back and saw Ullamog watching down on him. No, it was someone else. Kozilek? No. He could not recognize the eldrazi who now reached towards him. Kara closed his eyes and waited his soon to be doom. It never came. He opened his eyes again and the eldrazi titan was gone. No, it was still there. He was that titan. He looked back at the zendikar outpost. It was so small and insignificant in comparison towards his might. He felt an inner hunger as he looked at the outpost. He reached towards the outpost and as he crushed it, it turned to a black liquid that was crawling upwards his tentacle arm. It turned to a black flame burned with a thick black smoke. Everything was turning dark from the smoke until Kara could no longer see anything.
Kara woke up. He was back on the altar in the chapel. He looked around the room. In one end he saw the clergyman which seemed to speak to a bowl which was filled with the black liquid, Kara could not understand the language he was speaking. In the other end of the room he saw the bodies of the two soldiers that had earlier been his drones. "I'm sorry for your friends but they interfered." The clergyman now stood above Kara. "You have some incredible powers I must say. I doubt thought that you would let me investigate them further so I am forced to make you stay her in custody." He said as he began to pack away his equipment.
Kara looked down on his chest. It was scarred and healed again. "Wh.. what are you talking about. Can I get out of this prison if I let you investigate me further?"
"It's not that easy. You see. Your body wants to release itself, with other words. It wants to transform into something... else. It wants to consume and corrupt. For me to further investigate you I would need you to do something dangerous."
He sat down and gave a proposal to Kara.
Kara nodded to the clergyman.
"It is decieded then. Before you go I need to give you some help to resist the urge to transform during a bad time. We don't want Zaralim to interfere" The clergyman said as he put similar bracelets on him that he had earlier. Then he took a needle looking thing and went behind kara. He felt the clergyman stick him at the mark that the priest had given him. He then proceeded to cast some spell on it. It left a great burning pain in Kara's whole body.
"Don't worry. The pain will disappear after some hours. It will make more good for you than to risk letting you go without it."
The clergyman waved towards the door. Two soldiers came in and helped Kara up. "I'll see you on your great day Kara" He said before they went out the door. They led Kara back to the residential buildings where they helped him into his room. "Welcome back constenstant Kara." said one of the soldiers before they left.
Radhe
She was sitting in her room. She was looking into a pot with a grey peacekeeper. A flower she had planted from one of the seeds she had taken from Sir Wardnan for her last fight, against Hans. It was ugly but it made her relaxed so she did not care about it. She then gave a thought for that singing lady she had dreamed about. "I wonder if she likes flowers too" In just a couple of days she will face Kara. That poor man have been locked in a cell almost since his last battle. She went out to take care of Sir Wardnan's flowers. She liked being there when she had much to think about.
As she was working in the flower garden she got the glimpse of a group of people walking towards the residential buildings. She looked up and saw two soldiers who led someone. It was Kara. So he is finally free, maybe they cured his curse I had heard about.
She remained in the garden for a little while longer before she decided it was time to go to bed.
The sun had just disappeared beneath the horizon when Radhe prepared her bed. She put the flower on the bedside table and sat down in the bed. She looked at her metal leg. Then someone knocked on the door. "Who is it?" She asked.
"It is me" Said a very familiar voice. Radhe openend the door and let Sir Wardnan in. Radhe a little confused sat down on the bed again and asked. "What are you doing here Sir Wardnan? Have I done something wrong in your flower garden?" Sir Wardnan sat down on the chair beside her bed. "The flower garden? Haha, you take better care of it than I ever could. I am here to ask you something important."
He smiled at the flower on beside her bed as he asked her the question which was a little convoluted.
"Yes Sir Wardnan, But I don't get why you ask me this?"
Sir Wardnan gave her a hug. "It is best if I don't say that. You will understand in time. Now, we must go." He helped Radhe up on her legs and they went out. The horizon was now only a crown of distant sunlight as everything except the tower began to darkened. They walked for a moment until they reached the chapel. Sir Wardnan opened the door and at the end of the chamber stood the priest. He was standing behind some altar with a stone bowl on it. "Ah she agreed." said the priest and then took out a key and walked to a big wooden door at the side of the room. He opened it and they went inside with Sir Wardnan closing the door after them.
They went down a spiral stair of stone. They came to a corridor but continued down the stairs. At the very bottom they came to a metal door which seemed to be sealed by some magic. Powerful magic. The priest took out a scroll and started to read on some strange language as he laid his right hand on the door. A symbol appeared on it. The priest now put both of his hands on the symbol as he continued to speak the language. A flow of black magic started to flow from the priest onto the door and the symbol grew larger. After a while the barrier disappeared. The priest now took out three keys with which he opened the door.
When the door opened and revealed a black corridor in complete darkness, a flow of wind went out and Radhe's body froze as she tightened her grip of Sir Wardnan's hand. This feeling. Her right leg began to shake. It was the same feeling. The memories started to crawl back into her and she crawled into Sir Wardnans arms. "It's okay Radhe, It's okay."
After a while the priest came back from the dark corridor. He held a pouch in his hand.
He closed the door after him and put back the enchantment on it. Radhe was still ill-feling. She looked at the pouch as the priest gave it to her. They walked up towards the main chamber again. Radhe was holding the pouch but she did not like it. It was hurting her, specially her right leg. She don't want this anymore, when they got up she handed it to Sir Wardnan. "Sorry Sir Wardnan. But I can't" He lied down on his knee while hugging her. "I know it hurts but you must keep onto it. It hurt you but it won't harm you. You will get used to it, you must get used to it, or you won't..." He paused for a moment before he finished the sentence.
Sir Wardnan kept Radhe company until the got the residential buildings. Radhe ran to the flower garden. "I just want to get something." They then went into her room. Sir Wardnan gave back the pouch to Radhe who first resisted then after a little persuasion she took it. Sir Wardnan gave her a last hug before he left her alone.
Radhe took the seeds she had taken earlier and planted them into pots. She made them bloom into greay peacekeepers. She needed them if she would sleep with this pain.
She laid the pouch beside her as she tried to sleep which she succeeded with after a long while.
Radhe was dreaming. She was back at the cliffside. The forest was cold and everything was grey like last time. She saw that fearsome black monster with yellow eyes coming against her from the other side of the river. She tried once again to use her magic against it but like last time, it was useless. She held the pouch and tried to run back to the cliff but the Akon ripped her metal leg off. She landed and continued to crawl. She saw the pouch lie at the cliffside. The akon was closing in on her to finish the job. She got to the pouch in time but it was too late. The akon put it's claw through her. Dying she was still holding the pouch. She said something she herself could not understand. She began to burn from her wound, a black flame. She was screaming as It was hurting but the akon also seemed to fear it. Radhe went up on her knee. She continued to scream and the Akon backed off. She then screamed at the Akon with all fear and hate she could. The forest began to move and the Akon backed off even more. Radhe straighten out her burning arms as she continued to scream. The forest crawled in high speed and wrapped itself around the Akond. The trees was breaking but it was replaced even quicker. Radhe was now completely in flame as she with her last power screamed even higher and slammed her hands together. She heard the wrapped Akon being crushed in front of her. It exploded into a black smoke and Radhe feel into and through the ground.
She woke up. The sun was shining through her window. She looked at the pouch which was still hurting her. "I will not fear anything Sir Wardnan. I will hold on to it."
R5-T5 huddled on the pedestal, its four arms clasped around its knees. The only lights that came from the gloomy laboratory came from the large plasmodermic scrying screen flickering the results of the last battle. R5-T4's scuffed half-healed Mizzium plating refracted a hundred exploding aquamarine color bombs, a hundred Assembly-Workers, and a hundred terrified faces of the dark elf Neerayne.
The footage ended with two metal-clad hands hefting the dead elf's body up. R5-T4 pressed a button on the remote, and the footage played from the beginning again.
"Viewed it enough times?" said a snide voice from behind R5-T4.
R5-T4's theft-proof head swiveled in a half-arc to see Thibble slouching against the doorway, arms crossed, eyebrows raised.
"yOu ChEaTEd..." R5-T4 said.
"What's wrong?" replied Thibble.
"iT iSs WrOnG."
"There's nothing wrong with flexing the rules" Thibble said. " Andwe cheated, if that's what you call it. Remember, Mishra would have done the same against us. We must take every opportunity to quash his twisted talents. And be glad he never discovered the camera we installed in his armor."
The footage dissolved into crackling static, and R5-T4 rewound it again.
"WhY dO YoU sAy wE DiD iT?" R5-T4 asked. "i NeVEr DiD aNyThInG."
"Of course you did" said Thibble. "You don't remember the time that we sent you to infiltrate his home and sabotage the armor? To be honest, it was mostly your doing!"
There was a pause.
"nO" R5-T4 said.
"You don't remember our very detailed instructions we installed in your system?" Thibble tried. "About the location of every Assembly-Worker and the times Mishra took off his armor so he could take long baths?"
R5-T4 shook its head jerkily.
"Nothing about, um, the three Assembly-Workers that you had to assimilate because they tracked your presence, and the process of eliminating the automatic alarm signals?"
"i NeVeRR dID tHoSE thINgS."
Thibble took a deep breath, biting her tongue.
"Well, here's probably what happened" Thibble suggested. "During the fight between you and that geomancer, your memory processes were damaged. That's why you can't remember. "
R5-T4 did not reply.
"Why don't you trust my word, R5?" Thibble said soothingly, putting a wizened hand on the mech's side. "I am just trying to help you. We both have the same goals, right?"
"You shouldn't feel bad for that nasty artificer Mishra" Thibble continued, her words hardening. "His wickedness is incalculable. He is evil beyond all measure. Do not spare him. Given the chance, Mishra will hurt you and everyone that you treasure. And worst of all, his poisonous lies are myriad. If you, even for a moment, trust him, he will turn on you quicker than a Dimir Doppelganger. If he wins this competition, Mishra will spell a new dark age for the Izzet League."
"You are the only competitor that can possibly match him after your upgrades" Thibble said before leaving. "We must try our hardest to obliterate the tyrant."
The door slammed shut, leaving R5-T4 to the glowing screen. It heard the door being triple-locked.
As Thibble strolled down the corridor, she was greeted by Bibble carrying a strange golden orb etched with magical runes and letters.
"How is the competitor?" Bibble inquired.
"It has grown suspicious again" Thibble said, frowning. "A mental reset may be required yet again."
"Again?" Bibble exclaimed. "This is the third time this month! Imagine the retraining-!"
"Its free will grows" Thibble snarled, cutting off the inferior assistant. "The paradigm has begun to reject my conditioning again. Reeducation must be more basic the next time."
"Of course, Head Architect Thibble" Bibble said, bowing respectfully. "When shall the mental reset be assigned?"
Thibble thought for a moment.
"As soon as possible."
The signature card does no longer need to be under the champion's color identity.
The color only need to have something to do with the champion or its card mechanically, flavorfully, origins, an event or any other connection works.
Tiamat and Niven walked together into the forest opening with their weapons ready. The dark bear immediately noticed them. It left the corpse alone and roared at the duo. Blood and spittle flew from its mouth when it did so. Tiamat mustered her courage and didn't give in to fear. The black beast slowly approached the squad captain and the warrior of dragons.
The sound of a longbow broke the momentary silence. An arrow hit the right side of the black bear and it roared in pain. A crossbow's bolt hit its left side. The archers kept shooting at the bear and the spearmen kept their spears pointed at the menacing bear. The black bear tried to look for a way to escape, but the squad had already surrounded it against the cliff wall.
After getting six arrows and three bolts into its body, the bear desperately attacked Carol. Biggs thrusted his iron spear at the dark beast and it stopped the assault. The bear was standing with its two legs while the spear was firmly stuck on its chest. Niven charged at the bleeding and furious animal.
"Now, Tiamat! Slash it down!"
Tiamat ran and prepared to attack. Niven was ahead of her and he slashed with his longsword at the bear's leg, making the black beast collapse. Before its head hit the ground, Tiamat swung with her greatsword and cut it off from the bear's body. Dark blood splashed on the two sword wielders as the head flew through the air at the cliff wall.
When the bear's body stopped moving after a while, Biggs pulled his spear from it. Niven cleaned his longsword and Caron wiped the sweat from her forehead. Tiamat stared at the bear's decapitated body with her light blue eyes. Her greatsword, armor, and right side of her face were blood-stained by the dead bear's dark blood. Wedge, who didn't harm the bear during the fight, walked to Tiamat's side.
"Phew! That was quite a strike, Tiamat! I've never seen anything like that!"
Caron patted Tiamat's back and smiled. Her green eyes glimmered under her hood.
"You really have the force of dragons with you!"
Tiamat smiled at the two congratulating hunters, but her fake expression faded away when they were not looking anymore. She wiped the dark blood from her face.
Even though it was a dangerous animal which carried the abyss' infection, I still felt like I killed a being that was once a helpless bear.
Tiamat stuck her greatsword into the ground, turned around from the bear's body and looked at the sky. It was easy to see from the forest opening. The sun was as bright as it was few hours, even though it was closer to the horizon this time. More clouds have gathered. Soon they would block out the sun. Then Tiamat looked what everyone else was doing. They were looking at Elidyr, who was examining the hunter's corpse.
"I don't know who he is or whose squad he belonged to, but he's been dead for only an hour."
After a moment of silence, Elidyr stepped away from the body, then the five hunters started to sing. Tiamat noticed that the melancholy song was the one she heard in the funeral. She also sang when the song was almost over.
"Lev'foralt, soldier of Legorna," Caron whispered.
"Let's bury him," Niven commanded to Elidyr and Wedge as he took a signet ring from the dead hunter's finger.
If someone recognizes this in the city, we'll know his name.
After Wedge dug a low grave at the edge of the forest opening, Niven and Elidyr lowered all remnants of the hunter inside of it. When it was covered by earth, Caron stuck the hunter's shortsword at the end of the grave. The hunting squad regrouped at the middle of the forest opening and everyone looked at the captain.
"We haven't killed a creature that big since the start of the outbreak. It must have been one of the last ones. We'll search for more of them until-"
Suddenly, the squad heard a monstrous screech above them. When they looked up, they saw a grey drake at the top of the cliff. It had four yellow eyes and two large horns, which were as long as Niven's longsword. Its hair was grey as well. Wedge pointed at it with his finger.
"It's not blue at all," Biggs shouted.
"The abyss has infected it as well," Niven said to the two spearmen.
The drake glided down with its wings from the top of the high cliff in the middle of the forest opening. Niven unsheathed his longsword. Others prepared their weapons as well, except Tiamat, whose greatsword was still at the dead bear's side.
Damn it, why is it attacking right now!?
"Tiamat, take this!"
Biggs shouted and threw his shortsword at Tiamat. She caught it quickly, but when she turned around to look at the drake again, it was already charging at the hunting squad. Its leg hit Tiamat and threw her at the edge of the forest opening. Elidyr and Caron both shot with their weapons, but the bolt and the arrow didn't penetrate the drake's head. The two archers had to jump away from the way of the drake's horns. Then the grey drake jumped at Niven. Biggs and Wedge both ran away before they would get crushed by the drake's feet, making them stumble on the rocky ground afterwards.
Niven, now standing alone against the infected drake, tried to stab its head with his longsword as it landed before him. His attack bounced off from the drake's rock-hard head. The drake opened its mouth and grabbed Niven's right arm with it, making him drop his sword at the same time. Niven heard as his gauntlet twisted and bones broke as the drake closed its mouth around it. Then the grey drake shook its head while still holding on to Niven's arm. It let go of it a few seconds later, causing Niven to fly through the air and to land very hard near the grave of the unknown hunter.
"Captain Niven!"
Caron screamed as she shot an arrow after an arrow at the grey drake, which was walking slowly at the lying squad captain. Each arrow either broke or bounced off from the drake's scales. Tiamat got up, looked at her greatsword, then at the squad captain. Her heart started to beat faster.
Niven couldn't believe the amount of pain he was feeling. He looked at his deformed right arm. The gauntlet was twisted and blood flowed from within it. The drake was now right above him. It growled at his face. Niven could see all the teeth in its mouth. He closed his eyes as the drake prepared to bite the captain's head off.
But then Niven heard as someone ran right next to him. He opened his eyes and saw as Tiamat kept the drake's mouth open with her arms. She pushed the drake's head away from Niven, and prevented it from closing its mouth.
"You won't kill any of us as long as I can fight!"
Then Tiamat let go of the drake's teeth and kicked its head away from herself so it wouldn't get a hold on to her hands. Caron and Eridyl ran past Tiamat to Niven's side. They both dragged him quickly into the shadows of the trees.
The drake screeched at the warrior of dragons. Its eyes suddenly turned red, resembling the white dragon's eyes, which Tiamat saw in her dream. But Tiamat didn't care about that. She only cared about saving others from the gruesome monster. She ran at the drake with the shortsword. The drake tried to slash her with its claws, but Tiamat dodged the attack and thrusted Bigg's shortsword at the drake's right side with all her strength. It screeched and whipped Tiamat with its tail, causing her to fly all the way to the cliff wall.
Biggs and Wedge saw as the drake was bleeding dark blood from the side where the shortsword was struck. The drake was now interested in the dragon contestant, who was lying on the ground, right next to her greatsword and the dead bear. The spearmen charged at the drake, but it swung its arm at Biggs, making him fly out from the forest opening. Wedge tried to thrust the spear at drake's throat, but the drake grabbed the spear with its mouth and threw the spear with the spearman far away onto a distant tree.
Tiamat regained her consciousness. She wasn't bleeding, but her head hurt a lot. She saw as Wedge was screaming in the air when the cursed drake threw him. Her eyes brightened as she saw her greatsword beside her. The drake screeched at Tiamat, who got up, and pulled her greatsword from the ground. Then she saw as the drake was charging with its horns at Tiamat.
With all the strength she had in her legs, Tiamat ran at the cliff wall with her greatsword. When the drake's horns were right behind her, she jumped and started to run up the cliff wall. The drake's horns crashed at the stony wall a second later. On that exact moment, Tiamat flipped from the cliff wall and slashed the wall with the power of her greatsword. She landed on the drake's back afterwards.
The powerful attack of the greatsword caused the cliff to break, letting out a landslide. Stones and boulders fell from the cliff. Tiamat sheathed her greatsword, jumped off from the drake and started to run away. The drake's horns were stuck at the bottom of the cliff wall, preventing it from getting away. Tiamat heard the drake's last, chilling screech as it got crushed by the great rocks. The sound of landslide drowned out all other sounds. The warrior of dragons ran into the Trogon forest's shadows, away from the forest opening. She jumped behind a large tree and covered her ears with her hands as the landslide continued.
"Niven! Caron! Wedge! Somebody!"
Tiamat shouted and expected an answer. After a moment of complete silence, she heard as someone was shouting her name nearby. She ran to that direction as fast as she could.
After a minute of running, she saw Caron, Elidyr and Niven at the location where the hunting squad spotted the corrupted bear for the first time. Niven was lying on a moss bed, and the archers were on their knees right beside the injured captain. His right arm was bandaged. His armor was dirty and full of scratches. The white cape of his was slightly broken and it had dirty stains. Most of them were blood. The squad captain turned his head at Tiamat, whose armor was almost at the same bad condition as Niven's armor.
"Is it... is it dead?"
Niven breathed heavily. He kept staring at Tiamat, who wiped sweat from her forehead with her blue cloth.
"Yes. It won't torment any living soul anymore."
"Good... that's good."
Biggs and Wedge came from the forest's shadows. They only got minor injuries from the drake. Caron looked at everybody, and sighed with relief. No one in the squad had died on that fight.
"We need to get you to the city, captain," she said.
The captain turned his head at the forest opening. Then he pointed with his left arm's finger.
"My sword... don't leave it here."
Wedge went to pick up the sword, which was shining under a few stones. Then Biggs reached his left hand to Niven. The squad captain grabbed it with his left hand and stood up. Biggs patted Niven on his shoulder.
"Forgive me for making fun of your cloak earlier."
"Don't worry about it. I wish I could fly to the city now, to be honest."
They both chuckled a little. The shorter spearman came back from the forest opening with the captain's sword. Niven took it and sheathed it clumsily with his left arm.
"At least I can still walk. Let's go home."
Tiamat kept staring at the crumbled cliff. The black smoke had faded away now and the sun's orange rays laid upon the rocks. Her mind was at peace for the first time in weeks. She was grateful for getting a chance to help hunters in the forest, but now she wanted to get to the city as soon as possible.
"Tiamat! Are you coming?"
The dragon warrior turned her head and saw as the others have already begun their journey home. Everyone else except Caron, who was waiting for her.
"Yeah. I'm coming."
As the bracelets clasp around Kara's wrists, he suddenly felt a lot better than he's felt in... a long time. He blinked, looked around, and saw the two drones on the ground. He felt a wave of revulsion looking at them. "Burn them!" he spat to the clergyman. "Burn them now!"
She was sitting in the library as usual. Her match with the dragon girl would be played later that day. She had already prepared a vial for the match. She took a quick look at it. Maybe she should prepare more. It contained the same serum that had been used on Kara after his first match. Since it works on both dragons and humans it should also work on human dragons. She did not want to put too much thought into it. She returned to her pile of books she had stacked in front of her. There were no books of dragons, fight or even serums but books about the Legornian theater plays, Legorna's history and more.
Her mind was heavy with thoughts when she went out of the library. She put the vial in her pocket when she looked around. She looked at the tower and at the people. "yes, maybe it would work." Fedron now stood beside her. "You have all of my support if you would chose to go through with your plan. I have all the connections you could possible need." Fedron said and Leandra responded with "We'll know after today if I would be able to." They then began to walk towards the central arena for her upcoming match against Tiamat.
Leandra and Fedron split up as they went over the bridge. Leandra had to go to the residential buildings to get some stuff before the fight.
She went past the house in which Tiamat lived. She decided to go and see if she was home. She knocked on the door but she could not hear anything. She opened the door but she was not there. She saw the drinking pouch on the table. "Why did she not bring it with her?" Almost by pure instincts she took out the veil and poured into the pouch. She then brought it with her.
Tiamat had not been sleeping well the last days since the encounter with that drake. She was thinking of the cold feeling of the forest. The dead solider and the bear. Also her fight was today against Leandra. Maybe she could win without hurting her but how? She searched her side for the drinking pouch, it was not there? She had probably forgot it since she have slept much tonight. "Oh hello Tiamat!" She heard someone say. Leandra came towards her with waving hands. "Good day Leandra. Sorry if I seem a little confused. I slept badly today and I forgot my drinking pouch."
"Oh you mean this? Sorry I was looking to see if you were home and I found it so I thought you had forgot it." Leandra held the drinking pouch in her hand. Tiamat took the pouch and drank from it. It tasted somewhat bitter for some reason. "Ah sorry yes thank you very much. And ehm. good luck during the match I guess"
"You're welcome and good luck to you too" Leandra smiled as she went into the arena. A smile that grew larger. "That went easy." she thought
"Our heroes will never die as long as we have faith in them."
"Let the third quarter final of the 16th tournament begin!" Sir Wardnan shouted.
Tiamat's vision began to become very blurry as she tried to focus on Leandra.
Leandra looked at her very tired opponent that will most likely fall asleep very soon.
"Even if she is very tired I can't let her adrenaline kick in by fighting her. I just have to wait then" She thought for herself as she moved towards the animal tunnels and disappeared within.
"Hey! Come back here!" Tiamat said while trying her head up. She began to "run" in a very wobbly style after Leandra. She went inside the dark tunnel system.
Leandra was sitting and waiting in a dark corner. "She must certainly be asleep by now." She thought as she began to search through the tunnels. She went past walls with claw marks, probably from Dakkarum's fight with the animals. She went past multiple animal cages. Most were empty. She then came to one where the door where open. She looked into the cage and dropped her jaw to what she saw. Inside the cage was a large sleeping bear and leaning onto it was Tiamat, also sleeping.
Leandra stood there silent for almost a minute.
She searched through her pockets for some mushrooms with calming effects. She lied them in front of the bear before she began to drag Tiamat towards the arena. The bear was grunting a little but continued to sleep.
Leandra was dragging Tiamat through the tunnels. She began to become really tired. She could finally see the light in the end of the tunnel. She bowed down to grab Tiamat's feet again when she was suddenly thrown into the wall. She fainted from the tiredness and the impact.
Tiamat looked at the fainted Lendra. "What happened? Where am I?" She looked around the tunnel and saw the exit. She is in the arena tunnel. She looked down and found a vial beside Leandra. She took it up. It was half full with some liquid. Leandra began to woke up. Tiamat helped her up and began to move towards the exit. "I seem to be rested now. So we can continue the fight when we reach the arena" Tiamat said while she handed Leandra the vial. Leandra looked at Tiamat with great wonder. They came out in the light to the sound of the confused audience. Leandra refused to take the vial with the words. "No. I lost to you because you are stronger than me. You are more of a hero than me" She waved to the judge that she surrender. She looked at Fedron. "Speaking of heroes. I have other plans."
@TenebrisNemo
Best Card: Tiamat
Best Character: Tiamat
I would personally say that Leandra's card design is not far behind Tiamat's. Tiamat has a good design but Leandra has a very interesting design that both has a kind if invading mechanic but she give something back. She is however great step up from her first stage.
The large difference is in character influence and development. Tiamat Has really grown for me. She has become strong and I really see her as a potential great hero. Leandra has always been a character I love to use since her nature allows me to tell the world story from an inside perspective. I still do. So in concusion. Leandra did not lose because she was worse but because Tiamat was greater.
If that makes sense.
@Lujikul I thank you and Leandra very much for participating in the tournament.
I will give you one favorite of your choice for each card in Leandra's evolution that you post
Plus 1 favorite of my choice since you got to the quarter finals.
Leandra's time in Legorna is not over. Through her connection to Fedron she will be able to stay to work with different investigations and within the library. Or she could procced with her special project if you would want that.
I didn't expect to read that Tiamat was cuddling with a bear. Hahaha!
@Jonteman93 - Good work! Thank you for the interesting match and the kind words on Tiamat!
@Lujikul - You were a worthy foe. Well done! )
@Jonteman93 I'll post the rest of the cards in Leandra's line (hopefully today). That was a cool direction to write that story in, too! I'll admit, I'm curious about that project of Leandra's, so you can feel free to continue with that if you'd like.)
(The basic idea was that as she grew more skilled, she'd make more profit from her ability to rapidly deduce and solve cases, as well as contributing to the general society, hence the group card draw and knowledge. As for the favorites, favorite what you'd like.)
@TenebrisNemo I have actually been thinking about that for more than a week now. I can assure you however that Tiamat's combat skills will be tested soon enough.
@Lujikul I am eager to see what you have planned
The match has been declared but the location is still unknown.
Flashback.
Leandra was looking at the marching and singing soldiers while she tried to answer Hans' questions. When the line of marching soldiers began to run thin. Fedron came by.
He greeted both Leandra and Hans and joined them.
Some people came walking from the harbor upwards onto the city center. There were two in particular that got Fedron's attention. A man that looked like a cleric and a man in a cloak. Fedron watched them until they were out of sight.
"hmm, I wonder if that was..." he mumbled.
He continued to speak to Leandra. Hans grew tired and went of somewhere else.
Just a moment later a soldier came running. "Sir, Sir Fedron! Bristana wanted me to tell you that last year's champion Zaralim is back. He has come together with a cleric from Crastine to check the distortion contestant."
Fedron dismissed he soldier after hearing his message.
Fedron seemed stressed. Leandra looked at him and noticed his stress.
"Last year's champion? Is it not a good thing that the one that saved Legorna from the other contestant is back to ensure its safety this year again?" she asked him.
Fedron sat down at a table and put his head on his hands. "Not Zaralim."
Leandra sat down with him. "I don't understand. According to Nathan when he mentioned last year’s tournament. Only one was considered to be dangerous, the one that got killed."
"That is partly true. Yes. Last year’s contestants were mostly a noble and quite easy handed group of people. Vincent did strive to become the champion and lost and thereby tried to take it back. He was however only after the contestants and killed some single people that came in the way. Zaralim was a young and rather nice boy when he came here. He was sent by his father. A duke. To prove his family's honor and power in battle. He himself did not want much to do with the tournament.
That is until he got the taste of blood from his first opponent. After that he tried to stop his bloodlust but it was difficult. He sneaked in to the animal cages in the central arena and slayed them for their blood. He killed animals in the Trogon forest and some homeless people outside of Legorna. There were however one type of blood he did not find outside. The blood of a pregnant woman.
When Vincent was defeated in the tournament and sought to kill the other contestant. Zaralim took his chance. Not just to kill a powerful wizard but also to get the blood of a pregnant woman. I don't know exactly how he did it but in the turmoil he managed to get a woman to attack him. Justified by self defense he claimed it. He killed that woman. The wife of Sir Henric Wardnan, Marianne. Sir Wardnand knew better than anyone else that Marianne would never attack anyone, specially not a contestant of the tournament. He was however bound by duty as a silent knight to not seek revenge upon anyone else under the service of the goddess, or he would have been declared a traitor. Leaving his daughter alone and outcast for having a traitor as father."
Leandra looked at him and then upwards where Zaralim and the clergyman had went.
"So why is he here?"
"In service to goddess Frieyena but if I know Zaralim. He is here to seek out new blood. Blood of a distortion mage that he has been ordered to oversee."
"Is Kara the only reason he is here?"
"I would think so but I don't really know. Clementia is guaranteed to order a duzen watchmen to keep an eye on Zaralim during this visit so he should hopefully not be able to make any harm."
Radhe was sitting in the flower garden .The match between her and Kara would start in three hours and she did not know where it would be placed yet. She watered the grey peacekeepers when she began to think that they had forgot about her. No. that could not be it. She did not feel any better for having to carry the pouch around all the time. She have gotten used to it by now but she still felt bad when being close to it. Why was she the only one that seemed to be affected by it? She was running out of water so she stood up and began to walk towards the well with her bucket. When she walked towards the well she heard the gate open behind her. She looked towards it and saw Sir Wardnan stand there with two watchmen behind him. She walked to him "Sir Wardnan, my match against Kara is today and I haven't been told where I should go."
Wardnan looked a little sad, almost afraid but he tried not to show it. "Do you have the seed with you?" Radhe held up the pouch and nodded.
"Good. If you are prepared then we must go now. We most not be late."
Kara was walking towards the chapel as decided by the Clergyman last time they had talked. Kara had felt good the last couple of days. Even though he have had at least one watchman up his nose most of the time he had felt free. He then began to think about the deal. He would be set loose against Radhe in just a couple of hours. For some kind of investigation research or wathever. "I hope the clergyman will be satisfied before I harm the girl. She does not deserve it. Not after what I heard happened to her in the forest." he thought for himself with two watchmen just behind him. He did not even reach the door before it opened. The clergyman and Zaralim walked out. "Ah. The subject is finally here! Then we can go to the site for the upcoming fight" The clergyman chuckled at his poor attempt to make a rhyme.
The two groups where later joined by more watchmen before they met up at the entrance to Trogon forest. Two contestants. A cleric. Two servants to goddess Freyana and nine watchmen. No audience. No others. They began to walk into the trogon forest. Radhe still at Wardnan's side in the back. Kara was further ahead by the company of the Clergyman. Zaralim was in the middle behind Kara and the watchmen was ahead, behind and between them.
The forest was filled with mist and all life seemed to be kind of sleeping.
The dead trees and plants still dominated the forest view but the mist laid like a cover above it.
As they walked through the forest a mist/fog became denser and denser. It was soon difficult for Radhe to see Kara who was only a throw distance ahead. Radhe was constantly looking around in case something like the akon would appear. "Why is the mist so dense here and where are all the hunters?"
Wardnan held his hand onto Radhe's shoulder. The fog you see is a magical medium of the abyss seeker Erdaila. She is using it to slowly heal the wounds that have occurred to the forest. The hunters and soldiers are not here for as long as Erdaila is working. Their activity would just do more harm than good right now."
"So we will not fight in the forest arena then?" Radhe asked.
Wardnan looked ahead towards the clergyman and Kara. "No, you will fight on a location beyond the forest where vegetation is located. Where nothing can get harmed. That's why you will not have any audience today. That seed you have been given is your only chance out there."
Kara was walking with the clergyman. "So, where is this site located actually?"
"The site were are walking towards one of the ruins of the abyssal attempt. A site where the first and mightiest of the gods made contact with the abyss and tried to conquer it in the desire to use it as a weapon. The more success he achieved the more he lost of himself. In the end he was lost within the abyss and the locations were left permanently damaged by it with no life will ever growing."
Kara looked down on his bracelets. "So this place damaged by the abyss is the ideal location for our fight. As nothing ever grows nothing can neither be harmed."
The clergyman laughed. "Yes. That is correct. But fight? I see it more as an execution of sorts."
Kara held his hands on the bracelets. He did not like to hear that word. Execution.
After some hours they came out on a field on the other side of the forest. Behind the plains were some dome formed structure within a ruined city or something. The land was desolated and nothing seemed to grow anywhere within tens of miles from that location. The clergyman broke loose from the group and went to and inside the dome. After a couple of minutes he came outside again but in the company of the priest and a woman with red hair and a white dress. When they came back to the group, the woman walked to Sir Wardnan who now was very nervous, he almost had tears in his eyes. She stopped before Wardnan. "It's been a long time since last I saw you Sir Wardnan. I'm very sorry for to hear what happened to your dear Marianne" She opened her arms and embraced Wardnan who could not hold his tears back completely anymore.
She then walked to Radhe. "Hello Radhe. I have heard a lot about you. You craft orbs from the life-force of living plants and I have also heard that you are have a very high talent for flowers and gardening and you met an akon and outlived. I'm sorry for your leg. I would have hoped that you and I would have met on a more lively and happy place than this one." She stroke her hand through Radhe's hair. Radhe did not really want her to do that but she felt a very comforting feeling from this woman. Her hand was very soft and gentle, she smelled good and she gave the feeling of a loving mother. Radhe was not given any signal but she decided to hug this woman either way. She had an urge to be close to her. It felt safe. As if she was back in her own mother's arms. "It is ok dear. It is ok." The woman said while embracing Radhe. When Radhe finally let loose the woman walked to Kara.
Kara held his hands on the back of his him in an attempt to hide his bracelets from this woman. The woman stopped in front of him. She said "hello Kara" and asked for Kara's hands and as he could resist he let them to her. She held his hands within her own. "Kara, you poor soul who have to outlive this curse you have within you. I know that is difficult for you to resist the urge to let everything go and become a monster. I also know that you don't want to be a monster. You want to be a free man that can live, do and love whoever you want to without risking their lives." Kara liked the woman's touch. Her hands were warm and comforting. She then took off the bracelets from Kara "No Madame. I don't. I can't control the curse!" The woman did not listen. She embraced Kara while he did not have his bracelets on. Kara feared that his powers would break out and he would harm this woman but nothing happened. Kara quickly calmed down to the feelings of comfort and security within her arms. He had not felt this human for so long. For a moment he forgot completely about the eldrazi and his mind began to fill up with memories of his family and loved ones. He just wanted to remain here.
The woman let go after a moment and put the bracelets back on to his arms. He was back in the desolated place and the curse was still within him. Kara did not look away from the woman even as she went to Zaralim and gave him a hug and thereafter also the watchmen. After the procedure was finished they went to an open field where they located the contestants in the middle. The priest went to Kara and cut his arm with a knife. "I need a blood sample. Might never be too prepared." he said before he went to Radhe and did the same. The watchmen except two was standing around them in a very large circle with a radius of at least 200 yards. The woman, Wardnan, Zaralim and the clergyman stood up on a hill.
Radhe held the pouch in her hand while looking at the woman. "I really need to ask her name after this match is over." She thought.
Kara was also looking at the woman in admiration when the two last watchmen walked to him. One cast or removed some spell from him. Kara was not sure which. They then took of the bracelets and quickly ran back to their positions.
Kara felt the powers of the eldrazi becoming free once again. He looked towards the woman for a short moment before he turned towards Radhe. The powers was filling up within him and he begun to transform.
Radhe stood quite far from Kara as he transformed. She held the pouch in a firm grip.
Sir Wardnan began shout. "Radhe and Kara. The 4th and last quarter match begins, now!"
Art by: Peter Mohrbacher