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(Is Squrturglus from Gwendolyn now, or would he not have that division anymore?
Note for everyone: I authorize all of you to use my character without any problem for events during the Tournament of Champions.
Actions and reactions. That the events of one character is allowed to be affected in some way, major or minor, by the actions of another character or events of the world.
Direct through interaction or indirect through reaction.
Storyline cards.
After she had visit the market and made her way back home she stopped as someone shouted "Help! Someone please help! Aeryn!" She turned around and saw Gorchi come running towards her, from the wrong direction, with Graagdord unconscious in her arms. Tears were pouring from her eyes as she approached Aeryn. "Aeryn. Please help Graagdord. Help him." She cried. Aeryn took Graagdord in her arms. Her stomach got cold as she realized. Graagdord was dead. - written by Jonteman93
The Funeral
Aeryn looked at Graagdord and Gorchi with indignation. It was not the first time that Aeryn had a dead man in her arms and the feeling of helplessness always prevails. ''Why did Gorchi come to me? Just because I was the first to be chosen or just on your way?'' Aeryn thought as she struggled with the killer's sense of frustration and possible anger.
''Graagdord is dead. I know you already knew that, Gorchi, '' said Aeryn, filtering the tone of her voice. ''I really don't have much to do. Perhaps a shaman will help. Knowing your opponent little, the biggest problem must be in your soul.''
''No, no, no. No ritualism.'' Gorchi shouted angrily, who soon stopped himself when he saw that he caught the attention of the few who were passing by on the streets at that time. ''I didn't want to accept death, but we are Goblins and we have our rules and beliefs. Graagdord was a warrior and will be buried as a warrior ... and a great friend.''
Aeryn thought to herself again, "I can't believe I'm going to do this."
"I will help to make a decent burial for him," he rolled his eyes as he dared to offer help. Gorchi smiled awkwardly. "I know a place on the coast that looks perfect."
Two hours later, Aeryn rests Graagdord's cold body on the grass near the Kiserova coast. Gorchi was furious. While Aeryn comforted Gorchi, Aeryn's guide, Renain dug a small, clumsy hole to bury the little goblin.
''That will not remain like this. I'm going to fix that [expletive] ahhhhh because Graag was careless [expletive]. '' Shouted Gorchi.
''I didn't think it was difficult to make a hole'', breathed Renain.
''Besides, I have a softie in front of me. [bad language]. Let me do it. '' Gorchi took the shovel hard in Renain's hand and started digging fiercely. The force was so great that the hole was ready in moments. ''Ready. So easy, pompous sir. ''
Moments later, when the sunset reached its end of the cycle on the coast. All present were silent to revere Graagdord's departure.
''Say something''
''What?''
"Say something, Aeryn. I can't do it'', Gorchi whispered.
Aeryn didn't know what to say.
''Well, ah, Graagdord, the dear warrior goblin is now in his final rest. He, ah, has lived well with his partner Gorchi and will have his soul accepted ... wherever he is. His fervent manner infected those around him ... ah, I ... Rest in peace, Graagdord, '' Aeryn finished.
''Breathe well and think about what you will do with her. Don't let anger and revenge prevail, but I won't judge you if you go after her. Make the best decision, Gorchi.''
The silence reigned for a few more moments, where only the pleasant sound of the sea and the birds nearby echoed in the hearts of those present, especially Gorchi.
@TerryTags
(In case you don't mind. If you already have an idea of resurrection or someone else from the tournament, just let me know that I delete it without any problems. I hope you all like it.)
Thank you for the excellent funeral for Graagdord! Like @MonkeyPirate2002 said, though, I'm pretty sure resurrection is not possible because of the abyssal dark magic used in his death by Niran's violin of doom. Graagdord's girlfriend, "Torchy" Gorchi, is heartbroken and angry about his death, but she will try to keep from seeking revenge at this time, thanks to Aeryn's help.
Squrturglus was... skulking around the city in its humanoid disguise. The said slime had the appearance of an effeminate, or androgynous young boy who had a fair skin, with a long green hair, jade-colored pupils, along with simple commoner's everyday attire. But they were also shrouded in a simple dark green cloak. All despite it was in the midst of day, surrounded by busy peasants and soldiers alike as they were just briskly walking on the street.
'We believe this experience is indeed very liberating. Weself never playing pretend before, but it is surely a good feeling to not feared by them delectable humanoids. Most of them at least. Who would know that that mysterious merchant had a preserved corpse of a shapeshifter in his buyable-wares. Humanity's cunning knows no bounds eh? This is simply marvelous!' The slime-in-disguise was whistling some merry song that they just heard recently from some random street musicians.
After a while walking, they noticed a tavern named 'the Dragon's Den', and decided to go there to test their new senses of eating, smelling, and drinking the sustenance of those humanoids.
There was no suspicion whatsoever as they went inside and approached the main bar because the place was bustling with many customers for the obvious reasons.
"We would like to have a mug of ale, miss bartender." They beamed a smile.
"Hey, aren't you a bit too young to drink, girl?" The chubby bartender raised an eye.
"Weself have money, see." Squrturglus placed shiny gold coin on the bar in response, still with a smile. And the bartender just narrowed her eyes, quickly swiped the coin, and prepared the beverage. As the wooden mug is placed on the bar, the slime-in-disguise quickly drank the alcoholic beverage like no tomorrow.
'Such exquisite taste, sweet and fruity! We start to regret why we've never tried to obtain a sense of taste. Doesn't matter, this shall be added in our future plans too: Testing delicious humanoid food and drinks!' Squrturglus burped, but they quickly reverted back to their usual smile.
"Enjoying your drink, hm?" Asked another feminine voice, somewhat sarcastically.
"Of course we do. After all, it's a nice change of pace, Jelene-san." The slime-in-disguise slowly turned their head towards the newcomer.
Jelene frowned. "So you already know a lot about us humans and another planes too, I see." And she also took a mug of the usual beverage and took a gulp.
Slowly, the slime-in-disguise leaned forward to the rogue samurai, and whispered. "We are older than you humans could imagine, we were already there even before the elder dragons came to Dominia, the world that is now known as Dominaria. We were exiled in there because we were considered as "massive failure" by our creator. But we've learned a lot in our undying existence, such as taking away the essence of the Blind Eternities from the ascended, or you all colloquially called as the "planeswalker sparks". We are here in this world just because we are curious. So please you all do try to stop us, but you all know that all of you carbon-based organics will only become our sustenance."
Jelene gulped her ale and turned backwards, not sure about the carbon part but she was very well aware about the inherent threat. "... Wow, that's a deity-level threat there. But I believe you are too late because there are already another... supernatural forces who will raze this world too. Just add it into the list of "impending dooms" that would befall this kami-forsaken world. At this point, nothing can faze me anymore, you... overgrown piece of goo."
"Such lowly insult. And it doesn't matter, Jelene-san. We are already aware about this Moktaractus event too." The disguised slime still smiled her signature creepy smile.
"Good luck, Jelene-san, because you're going to need it." And they simply walked away from the main bar to the outside.
"... Why in all damnations must you sell a shapeshifter's corpse to that arrogant slime thing, damn it Janus." Jelene muttered and gritted her teeth in her frustration.
'I'm really gonna give him a talk now.' Then gulped the rest of her ale and hurriedly left the tavern. Leaving her bewildered tournament guide, Varys, who shortly came there to look after the rogue samurai after she left the tavern.
"Well, more free time for me I guess." He muttered as he scratched his head.
(For the previous parts of the flashback, go to the first part of the flashback, then go to the second part. Also, since this part is really long, it will be posted over two comments.
It had been fifteen minutes, and neither Akuma nor Nilani had moved. The rain started to get heavier, but both Nilani and Akuma didn't move. Both of them sat quietly, listening to the other. Finally, one of them spoke-
"Akuma, I'm here for you. Don't worry!" Nilani comforted her friend.
Akuma looked to Nilani. She had stopped crying, but her eyes were still sad, yet hopeful.
"I don't get it." Akuma said.
"You don't get what?"
"You seem perfect," Akuma sighed.
"Me?"
"Yeah. How do you have such a perfect heart? You're a gifted enchantress, yet you don't use it to hurt anyone. I murdered someone."
Akuma seemed on the brink of tears again.
"But, you spared-"
"But how can I justify saving one's life for killing another?" Akuma interrupted. The samurai paused to wipe a small tear from her eyes. "Nilani...I broke my oath...what if it's here where I'll pay for what I've done? I don't want to die. You've never hurt anyone, have you?"
Nilani looked troubled.
"Nilani?" Akuma asked, sensing her friends sudden change in attitude.
"Yes?"
"This isn't something I wanted to share. But, I trust you. You know why I devoted my life to helping everyone? You see...I killed someone too."
Akuma gasped. "You?"
"Yes," Nilani started, "This is the whole story:
- -
- FLASHBACK -
- -
All of Nilani ached. It had been two years since she had been kidnapped, and she could barely stand. The power of the poison Mystus was giving her started to last longer and longer every time. Yesterday, she found that she had fainted due to the intense pain.
It's not going to be too long until I die like the other girl did. But, I can't escape! It hurts me to do anything, let alone get out of these chains and get past Mystus. Still...I've been practicing my magic without him knowing...but even then, he's more powerful...
Mystus entered the room and handed her another small bottle.
This time, he slammed the door and walked away. He had forgotten to lock it...
Nilani quickly dumped the contents of the bottle under her mattress and pretended to scream as if she had drank the poison.
This is my chance! The poison from yesterday will have less effect on me.
On the other side of the door, Nilani heard someone step inside the house. Nilani quickly, and quietly cast a barrage of spells on the handcuffs, aiming to break them open.
Nilani paused, as she was tired, and heard two people sit down outside of the room.
"Have you finished it yet?" an irritaded female voice asked.
"No, not yet, your majesty" Nilani heard Mystus say.
Is this...the red queen?
"I've been patient with you. You're failing me, Mystus. You promised me you'd finish the poison by now. It's been two years and you've failed to make this special poison."
"Your majesty-"
"Don't give me excuses! I need them to die! All of them in that little village! You captured the strongest of them, and you've failed to win for two years," the queen said.
"I could kill her with magic! Then-"
The Red Queen interrupted again. "I've studied Nilani's magic. She cast a spell on the village where if she dies, her protective enchantments can come to life and make it near-impossible to penetrate the city."
"Impossible! That girl is weak. I easily overpowered her in seconds," Mystus said.
"She doesn't know her own power. When she was born, she cast the spell unknowingly. It was when I ascended to power. She can't control that power though. She doesn't knpow how to reverse her own spell either."
Wow. I did that?
"So, how would the poison be any different?" the mage pressed.
"Because there is a loophole in the spell. It can protect against swords and magic. Unfortunately, it can't work against poison because the people are having the poison themselves."
"Why do you want the village so badly?" Mystus asked again.
"Because there is a powerful stone hidden beneath its grounds. It increases the power of any magic by an immense amount. It could make me unbeatable. Now it comes to my point, you've failed to create this poison, so you have three more days. Or else, you die."
Nilani heard Mystus cry a little bit. At that moment, one of the chains snapped. Nilani went back to work quickly, still listening to the conversation.
"Please..." Mystus begged, "I need more time. Just a little. My family needs me."
"Then try harder!" The Red Queen returned harshly. Nilani heard a small explosion followed by a scream from Mystus.
"I've got more important things to do now," the queen said as she turned and walked away.
I didn't know Mystus had to go through all that...still I need to escape. I won't die. Maybe Mystus might be spared too! Who knows?
The other three chains clattered to the ground. Nilani grinned. Just as she readied a spell at the door, she heard it fling open. There was a flash of blue light and a loud bang, then Nilani felt herself fly across the room. She started bleeding profusely on the back of her head.
"I'm sorry," Mystus sobbed, "I have to do this...I must make sure my family survives."
There was no joy in Mystus's face anymore. Only resentment and fear. Nilani felt magic drain out of her, then saw her own spell fly at her. Nilani threw herself to the side, and dodged the attack.
I have to do something...
Another attack soared towards the enchantress. Nilani felt Mystus's emotions turn to rage. Nilani dove behind her table. It exploded in front of her.
"This is the magic you're capable of!" Mystus roared, "You're a faliure! You cast an enchantment when you were born, one that is destroying my life! Now, it is time that you pay for what you've done!"
"If you kill me, won't the queen kill you?" Nilani asked as she dodged another attack.
"I don't care what the queen wants anymore. My family needs me. If I need to run and live, I'm fine as long as I can help them. Killing you is what would buy me extra time to escape."
Nilani hadn't stopped bleeding. She was starting to get dizzy, and she felt another blast of magic throw her against the wall.
I'm stronger than this...I have strength today that I haven't had in years. I can survive!
Nilani mustered up the courage to cast her own spell. She had been practicing every day, no matter the cost, no matter how much it pained her. Nilani quickly created a ball of light, then waved her hand, causing it to slowly expand. It took the from of Mystus himself.
"Do it!" Nilani commanded, "Now!"
The invocation launched a beam of light at Mystus. He created a shield. The golden light connected with the blue shield and it seemed like the magic was even. That was until Mystus's shield suddenly faded. The beam crashed into Nilani's captor and exploded. Then. the invocation attacked again.
"No, no, no! Stop!" Nilani yelled. She tried to unweave the spell, unsuccessfully. It crashed down on Mystus and then exploded, blowing destroying the room and the house Nilani and Mystus were in.
No he can't have died! His family! What will happen to them?
Nilani found Mystus amidst the endless rubble. He was dead.
Oh no! I...I killed him. I- I'm a murderer. No! He tortured me! He tried to kill me! But at the same time, his family needs him, and I killed him. Why because of my own incompetency. Shouldn't I feel happy? Why do I feel sad for him? He nearly killed me every day for two years! I'm a murderer...is it possible for me to redeem myself?
"It's been two years," Nilani said to herself, "And this is how it ends... Murder..."
- -
- END OF FLASHBACK -
- -
Drip
The sound of falling water woke Niran from her slumber, only to see nothing. Everything around her was pitch black, making it impossible to even see her own hands. Niran was suspended in midair, as there was no ground to stand on. Her surroundings were filled with total silence, except for one monotonous sound.
Drip
Niran looked left and right trying to find something, anything, that could show her the way out of the darkness, all to no avail. Eventually Niran resigned her search and closed her eyes, instead focusing intently on the sound of steady drops of what she thought was water.
Drip
Drip
Drip
A warm light gently fell onto Niran’s eyes, stirring her to wakefulness once more. As she opened her eyes Niran was greeted with the sight of a comforting light from above.
Drip
Niran began to reach for the light, yet as her hands rose slowly to touch its warmth, the light dimmed and grew colder, leaving Niran alone again. Desperate to hold onto the light, Niran fruitlessly clawed with her hands as if she was attempting to climb the air.
Drip
Just as the light snuffed itself out, Niran examined her hands and noticed they were drenched in blood. The blood ran down her arms until it reached her elbows before collecting into droplets and falling to the ground.
Drip
Slowly, Niran cocked her head to see below her. She was only able to get a glimpse of the ground underneath her before her world went dark, but in that single moment she saw something so sickening that it shook her very core.
Drip
Without any warning, Niran was pulled to the muddy ground. Twelve hands appeared out of the dirt and held Niran down. They were cold to the touch and covered in filth, along with a stench that smelled of rotting flesh. Niran tried to break free from her captors, but failed as there were too many hands. Gradually Niran sank through the mud, unable to escape the hands that pulled her down with them. Niran screamed for help, but it was quickly muffled by hands covering her face and her lungs filling with blood. Soon, breathing became more and more difficult as she sunk deeper and deeper into the ground, until finally she was buried alive.
Niran woke up once again, her eyes darting around as she gasped for breath. No longer was she in a pitch black room, Niran was back at the courtyard. However, everywhere around her was covered in a dense fog, and the buildings in the distance looked… wrong. People passed by Niran, minding their own business, yet everytime Niran looked at their face, she saw they had none. Unsure of where to go, Niran noticed her violin, or what little remained of it, lying on the ground shredded to pieces. She went to pick the pieces off the ground, but then heard a familiar voice in the fog.
“My master has shown interest in you…”
Niran swiftly turned around and saw Malkhan standing in the distance. He smirked, then vanished as he ran into the fog. Niran chased after Malkhan, doing her best to keep up with him. After pursuing Malkhan through all manner of twists and turns, Niran hesitated ever so slightly when he jumped through a much denser patch of fog. With a quick breath, Niran leaped into the fog, and came out to see…
A dead end.
Confused, Niran looked around the alleyway, but could not see any trace of where Malkhan went. However, Niran quickly lost interest in Malkhan's whereabouts when a young lady ran right past her, whispering something into her ear.
“Look at what you’ve made me do.”
Niran swiveled around to look at the lady just as she disappeared into an alleyway that was not there originally. Without thinking, Niran pursued the lady through the fog, knowing it was Cirrina. However, as soon as Niran entered the fog, Cirrina disappeared from view again, arrogantly laughing at her. Then she appeared again from a different direction, then disappeared, laughing all the same. And again, and again, and again, each time moving faster and faster. Eventually, Niran was surrounded by a swarm of her mentors, laughing and jeering as they disappeared and reappeared without any indication.
“Pathetic. I do not see why anyone would ever want to love you.”
“You may wallow in your guilt, killing that goblin, but you are still that same miserable murderer.”
“We let you in because you are useful to us, and nothing else.”
“You will never be more than an instrument for someone else to play, will you?”
Niran covered her ears, but it proved futile as the insults passed right by any physical barrier and cut straight through her mind. As they continued to humiliate Niran, she fell to the ground and cowered, silently praying that this torment would end.
Suddenly, the jeering stopped and was replaced with silence. Niran slowly rose up and scanned the area for any sight of Cirrina. Rather than finding her, Niran instead saw two passages open up right next to each other as the fog began to recede. Each passage was guarded by a figure, one motioning to Niran to enter through her gate on the right, while the other on the left stood resolute, with no emotion showing in his face. Upon getting closer to the two gates, Niran could make out who was guarding them. On the right stood the urchin, bruised and beaten just as Niran saw her, silently pleading for her to enter the gate. Ignoring her pleas, Niran looked to the left and gasped at what she saw.
“Pan.”
(To be continued)
"You see?" Nilani said, "I never meant to kill him, but it happened. Now, I've devoted my life to helping others."
"What about the spell?" Akuma asked, "The one you lost control of?"
"Yes. That..." Nilani responeded, "I've never tried using that spell again. I lost control once...what if it happens again? I'm not perfect by any means. I don't want to hurt someone like I did before. It seems odd, yes, that I entered a tournament where we fight, and contestants have died. I need to prove to myself that I'm better than my past...that I can control my powers and use them for good. I just fear that I'm not good enough..."
Akuma looked at her friend empathetically.
"Don't worry, Nilani. I'll always be there for you."
"You will?" Nilani asked.
"Yes," Akuma smiled, "And I'll make sure you master your spell."
"You'd do that for me? You're the best friend I could ever have!" Nilani exclaimed.
They both got up from the bench. It was still raining, but it didn't bother either of them at all. Both of them walked back silently to their lodgings, arm in arm, peacefully.
------
@Jonteman93 Here is Nilani's new signature card (There will be more story bits about this particular piece of magic):
This should also give insight to Nilani's future colors, if she's able to get that far.
Once this becomes an enchantment, it is NOT a creature. It still retains the copied creature's power and toughness so that when you invoke this, it has the same p/t as the copied creature. I also made the p/t on this 3/3 for some flexibility instead of forcing it to always be a copy of something to be useful.
I hope you like it!
“Pan.”
Niran stood shocked at the sight of the zombified corpse, who looked no worse for wear despite having been assaulted by an Arkan. The revenant stares back at Niran with cold, dead eyes, filled with an insidious hatred for the girl. Niran shivered, but quickly regained her resolve and took a step forward. Niran took a look at the right and saw the urchin acting more desperate than ever, banging against a formerly invisible barrier around the gate she was stuck inside. Niran quickly realized the two weren’t the gate’s guardians. They were the gate’s prisoners.
Niran hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to do, whom to trust. However, her pause was only for a brief moment, as Pan slipped into the shadows and disappeared from the gate’s entrance. Without a second thought, Niran tore through the gate’s defenses with ease and rushed to find Pan, much to the urchin’s dismay.
As Niran flew through the passage, the streets quickly transformed into the dimly lit and dank prison, filled with tortured screams. Its labyrinthine tunnels proved to be difficult to navigate, as Niran could barely keep up with Pan. Every so often, Niran could spare a look into one of the endless cells of the prison, and saw gruesome transformations take place as abyssal ichor spread throughout the cells. It showed no mercy to man and beast alike, corrupting their very bodies to serve its own sinister purpose. Strangely, the tendrils that formed from the ichor ignored Niran and Pan, too engrossed in tormenting its victims. Pan took a sharp right, disappearing from Niran’s view. Niran pushed herself to reach the crossways, only to halt in her tracks as she looked to the right.
SHRRK
A large blade, connected to a skeletal tail, pulled itself out of Pan’s chest and vanished into the unlit corridor. Niran could not make out the creature that attacked Pan, but noticed glowing red eyes staring back at her through the darkness. The beast slowly backed away, vanishing into nothingness, leaving Pan to succumb to his abyssal wound. Niran began to run to Pan, but froze as the revenant slowly stood up to face her. Pan’s eyes glowed the same red, and his wound bled the corrupting ichor, snuffing out whatever torches they came into contact with. He began to move haltingly, ichor drenched step by step. He smiled and reached for her, not out of want for aid but out of desire for Niran herself. Fearfully, Niran backed away from the creeping Pan, until she crashed into a figure that was suddenly behind her. Niran slowly turned around, and noticed a kneeling Gorchi, who seemed to not have noticed Niran’s intrusion as she held her hands to her face, quietly crying. Niran tried to comfort Gorchi, but as she huddled down to rest her hands on Gorchi’s shoulders, Niran saw the desiccated corpse of whom she wanted to see the least. Graagdord.
Graagdord’s head creaked as he turned to face Niran, his face frozen in fear.
“Whhhhyyyyy…” Graagdord croaked stiffly, the rest of his body unmoving. Niran stood up abruptly and panicked.
“Graagdord, I-I-I’m so sorry! I never wanted you to die! I never meant for any of this to happen, h-honest!” Niran bawled.
Suddenly, Gorchi ceased weeping and arose, her torch lit with a pitch black flame. She stood tense, ready to strike. “Lies.” Gorchi sneered.
“Gorchi, please! I wasn’t in control of myself, you have to understand!”
“LIES!” Gorchi turned around and swung her torch, now roaring ablaze, at Niran. Niran attempted to dodge the torch, but was lightly burned with a searing cold. Gorchi’s eyes were no longer normal, and instead were covered with a black sclera and glowing red irises, as if Gorchi had become demonic in nature. Gorchi lunged in for more swings and Niran dodged again and again, suffering another chilling burn each time. With each swing, Niran was forced to move away from Gorchi, and closer to Pan. Frantically, Niran searched for some kind of exit from the two surrounding her, until she noticed a familiar wooden object suddenly held within her grasp. Looking down, Niran saw her violin, no longer torn to pieces but instead in perfect condition and brimming with abyssal energies. Instinctively, Niran put the violin to her shoulder and prepared to play the instrument, but rather than creating a somber melody out of thin air, Niran was only able to produce a single sound.
Screeeeech.
The two assailants froze right in their tracks and shuddered violently. Whereas Pan merely fell to the ground and returned to death from whence he came, Gorchi underwent a far more torturous endeavor. Her body continued to spasm and convulse erratically. She began to float upwards as if possessed, screaming as her body and mind were forced to endure a pain no creature should ever have to suffer. Gigantic skeletal limbs began to painfully erupt from her body, revealing a monstrosity inside the poor former contestant. Amidst the chaos, one of Gorchi’s own limbs accidentally crashed into Graagdord’s corpse, pulverising his body into nothing but pulp. Gorchi continued to scream in agony until she no longer could, as her face melted away, leaving nothing left except for an ashen skull with crimson eyes. Her ribcaged burst out of her chest as her spinal cord shifted gruesomely into a cold, black pillar seemingly made out of a metal of some sort and covered in runes. Niran fell to her knees as she watched what had once remained of Gorchi float further up to the ceiling; its body being forced to stretch backwards as the weight of the pillar pulled it down. It rose further up, destroying the roof of the prison and revealing a warm and gentle light coming from the sun. The monster reached for the sun with two of its hands, causing it to dim as it was covered by the same ichor that corrupted the prisoners. Niran could only watch in utter despair as the godlike being snuffed out her one source of comfort amidst the tumult. All that remained was a bitter red hue that reminded the world of what once was taken for granted.
“No…” Niran said despondently. She knew it was her fault for bringing the monster to fruition, but there was nothing she could have done to prevent its coming.
Hearing Niran’s low cry of despair, the godlike figure stared down at her, its mere gaze burning Niran’s mind.
(Art by: Ching Yeh; Background by: ShadeBlade)
Despite having succumbed to turmoil from the monster’s stare, Niran could not look away. Even as it began to reach for Niran’s temple, Niran was completely motionless. Gradually, the burning intensified as the hand got closer to Niran, until it made contact with her head. Without a moment’s notice Niran blacked out from the pain, with one simple message ingrained into her mind:
C̷̹̺̭͆́̅̀́͠͝r̸̬̳͊ȅ̶̦͖̺̖̜̇̀̔̑͘͜a̴̗̝̯̻̺̎̆͝t̷̡̗̤̳̣̲̭̍̄͜͝i̷̧̥̰̰̮̝͙͊̂̏̊̈́̈́o̷̻͙̭͜͝n̵̨̫̥̮̐͋̈́̔͐͝ ̴̨̩͖̣͓͊͗̈́̉͒̂͠͝i̵̧̖͙͔̯̰͙̩͋̓͂̓͒͐̚͘s̸̻̼̈̇̾͊͐ ̸̫͖̌͆́̑͛P̸͖̹̳͎̰̫̹͑̿̓̋͋͝a̶̦͆̃͒͛i̷͖̓̀̄͌̊́̕n̶͚͚̎̀.̶̧̤͍̱̥̩͙̼̏͑̈́̅̕ ̷̺̦͔̓̎̾̄̀̅C̵̢̣̬̯̍̓r̷͈͗̾̄̂̓͠͝ͅe̵̳̩̘͓̱̹͝a̸̡̻̰͗̎̏͝t̸̪̱͈̥͙̋͠i̷̧̨͚̤̱̼̠̼͌ǫ̷̳̜̩͑͜ǹ̵͍̟̤̥̳̈̂͜ ̸̫̳͍̪̹̣̖̠̐̚i̷͖͕̝̩͚̙̹͐̎̕͝ș̵̨̗͈͉̫̀͊̉͐͗̈͝ͅ ̸̺̙̰̱͊ͅà̶̫͇ ̴̨͇̤͒̿̐́̉B̴̹̘̼͎͙̔̇ų̴̰̹̲̃̊̂͌̓̊̈́̑r̷̢͉̬̹͔̈̊͋̇̾̀d̶͕̟̩͋é̸͔͎̹̑n̸̨̺̩̳͔̋̌̓̔̔̇.̴̢̢̭̹̟̗̗̱̋̋̅̋̈̇͊
̷̢͕̝̥̦͍͈̈́̇͊͋̓L̷̢͚͙͕̝̄̊̓͂́ĭ̴̦̻̓̀͘͜ͅf̶̡̲͎̰̬̝̖̎̒͑̀̍̆̀e̸̡̯̯̥̬͎̗͉̽̓͒̃͆̏ ̵̣͈̓͐̈́̀̌̅̊̚b̶̨̯̱̪̞̥̙̘͌́͂̀̓̏̑r̶͖̲̙͎̫̾̚̚i̵͈̗͕̜̽̈́͋̚͝n̴̲̰͚̮̑͌̍̏͒̓̕̕ͅg̸͇̜̋̓̊̀̿͝s̶̢͇͂́ ̶̪̬͍̯̈́͒̍̑͊́ơ̵͍̱͛͛̅n̵̗̏͘͝ļ̵̹̩̜͕͚̗̬̓̑̔̋̐̀͐ÿ̵̧̛͚̻͈͖̳̳́̎̉̐̀͠ͅ ̷͉̼͇͖̭̐S̸̯͒̑̐̿̉̔̚t̵͔̔͗̃̌̕r̴͎̓į̸͎̘͔͔̰̰̋̿̒̔̀͠f̴̲͈̉̚͜e̴͖̲͒.̸̥̰͓̂̂͋͐͗̐͝ ̶̭̞̯͓̺̝͙̞͋̈́͝L̴̡̜͇̇̅̅̏̉͜į̴̧̣̯̝̟͇̌̀̏́̚͘̕f̵̲͙̗͉̅̈́̒̊͝ȩ̸̣̯̲̼̹̫͚̓̐́̒ ̷͈͗͊̎͆͊̐̊͜b̴̨̜̦̑̇̈́̔̐r̶̺̥̼̘̦͚̰̀̈́̀͝͝i̷̥͕̪͎͌̐̍n̵̨̡̧̤͚̰̍̊̎͗̓̒͜͠g̶̡̘̒͗͊͊s̵̫̰̝̝͚̒͝ ̴̹͕̥͉̀͂ṏ̵̭͙̜̳́̽̆̚͝n̴̘͔͙̻̭̩̤̾ļ̸̹̦̩̃́͠ÿ̸̺̀̈́̽ ̵͙̩̗̇̄̀̈́͒͛̏͘S̴̟̞̩͑͐͊͒̂̕͝u̵͈̿̾̈̊̅̈́͑͘f̷̭̰̽͛f̶͎̱͓̺̝̺̐̉͌͑e̷͈̝̤̺̜̬̗̦͂r̴̤͖̄̓͒̄̊i̵̢̧̟̜͓̮̗̽̂̒͗̀ͅn̸͖̲̳̰̝̂͊̈́͐́͒̎̚g̶̠̅̍.̶̨̝̝̹̹͎̠̓̃̋̓̃̅̕̚
̶͙͙̱̝̳͎̇̾͐̍D̵͇̅͂ḛ̴̺̩͈̯͙̞̺͌̽̀̿͐̉ǎ̷͖̟̞͓͇̹̳̀͑͐̍̀͘ẗ̶͔͔͇̲́̔̀̑͝h̸̛̦̒́̑̀͐ ̶̜̳͔̜̲̫̈́ͅd̸̹̝̙̺̖̒͋̅͘o̷͔̫̔̔͠e̶͎͕̭͔̖͋̈́͛͜s̷̘̄́͆͒̉̕ ̵̫͈̘̺͚̓n̴̡̬͎̙̏̽͠͝ͅơ̶̮̾͆̑͂̊ẗ̷͇̖́͂͗ ̷̺͑̆s̴̱̞̭̍̑͐̐̓͊̈͜ͅơ̵̘̖͚̰̟̰͋̋͐l̷̯̦̺̳̼̳̖̓́̑̊v̴̍͛̍̽́̕ͅe̵̥̖̰̘̭͚͔̅̍̂̏̈́̓̌͝ͅ ̶̡̫͎̩̙̈́̀́̐̿̓̒Ĉ̵̡̢̢̝̝̱̙̭͒́̈́h̸̛̼̞̗͓̳̒̾̽̇͛ͅă̷̱̳̾̂̒̄͆͠ŏ̵̖̗̪͓͙͍̏̅̽̔͑͜͝͝s̸̢̛̲̺̊̌̂̍.̷̡͚͇̻̂̓̅̄͆̿͌͝ ̵̼͈͍͋̇̋̈́̍̽D̶̡͉̤͆̊̀̉̇̽ẻ̷̗̠͕̩̜̺̖͕̂͛̕ą̴̛̖͎̭́̒̅͘̕̚t̸̻̣̲͚͑̋͂̊̋̚̚h̶̹̤̣͚͇̱̦͈̓͋͋̉̈͗̒̑ ̴̨̓̏͊̇̽̎̑͜d̸̡̛̬̹͉o̸̝̗͖̩͊̽͆́͝ẻ̶̢̛̻̗͖̄͐̓ͅṣ̴̛̥̬̯̼͇̈́͐̔̎̄͆̆ ̸̛̝̱̲̟̞̺̞͉̏̆̐́̊̚͝n̵̹̖̮͉͓̰͋̎͊͜o̴̤̫̫̟͉̦̩̅͆̈̅̍ͅţ̷̥̲̥͇̬́̉̒̄̕͝ ̵̘́̋̽̀͋̓s̵̞̦̫̩̠̞̤̦͊̀̔̇̚o̶̞̖̞̼̟̐̽̿̽͠l̴͎̦̉͠v̶̨̼̻͉̹̝̿͐̌̿͛̂e̸̹̦̬͎̯͉̓͂́͛̑̊̅̋ ̸̙͙̏̎̉̐̿̈̍͑M̷̝͙̟̀̇̄̚a̵͎͔̫̣̣̐̉d̵͍̘̈́͊̍n̶̨̂̄̄̍̏̔ȩ̴͖͓̙͚͓̠̊͊̈́̚s̵͎̞͂͆̒̈͆̈́͝s̴̯̣̺̫̘̒̃͘.̶̨̪̜̓̄̏̎͂͂͝
̶̫̀̀P̷̪̙͖̺̯̝̑e̶̛̥̭̼͔͍ȧ̶̛̩͆́̀̇̈̂c̵̺̰̣͊̏̎̆e̴̡̺̩̜͐͗̈́̽͝ ̴͙͔͖͖̺̩͕͐̾̐̏̈́c̷͖̥̠͗̋a̴̢̻̤̹̹̗̼̐̓͜ǹ̶̡̬̲͋̈ ̶̮͇̜̻͂̈́͝ͅǫ̶̢̱̻̮̳̲̌̀̇̿͆̄͘͜n̴̗̠̦͛̏͊̈̇͠l̶̨̧̹͕͎̠͂̐͊͂̎͝y̴̱̞̪̘͉͆ͅ ̷͍͆̂̎̅͂̏̕b̷̨̲͉̈́͊͒̒ḙ̶̱̙̞̻̤̑͗͂ ̷̛̩̯̪̖̀̀͑̄̋͊̊b̷̗̟̦͖͙̀̊́̀r̴̟͈̳̻̳̻̹̀̉̾ơ̶̱͚̘̰͛̈́̂̒͠ų̵̧̖̯̟͎̗̼͑g̵̘̳̲̬͙̯̲̬̀̿h̷̹͔̩̥͖͛̐̾t̸̡͖͍͈͈̟͚̭̄͌̄̎͝ ̷̡̜̮̖̠̖̠͊̔̋̂̐t̸̡̢̛̬̦̪̬͚̔͗͐ͅh̸̡͕̮͔̦̱̐͜r̶̜̊̑o̷͉̙̬̻̻͕͊̀̆̏ṵ̵̤̺̱͊̔̾̿̽̐͜g̵̱̍̂͠h̷̛͙̠̟̑̂̿̕͠ ̸͉̼̣̙̞̞̼̔̎̃Ơ̶̡̠̮̪̪͕̞̑̈́̂͐b̶͇̂l̶̛̝̗̞̙͕̑̓̌̄̎͂͠i̴̘̯̲͆̈͊͑̐̓͑̕v̷̢̙̪̆͗͗̒̒̑̕͠i̶̳̾͋̈͊͛͗o̸̖͉͓̺͗̂̉͋͑̈͘n̷̛͎̖̲͇̾̾͑̾̇͜͝.̴̡̛̺̋̅̓ͅ
̴̪͑͂̅̉͑̅̒͠ͅͅS̷̠͉̅́̕h̶̨̭̮̪̻̟͗o̶̧̹̜͙̗̤̳̖̎͗̈͆w̴̳̓ ̵̖̙̅͑̎t̶̨̨͔̼͇́̂͛̿̓̆̕ḧ̵͕́͂̇͊͗̽͐ͅe̴̪̪̰̬̺͐̾͑̒͛ ̸̬͍͉͔̃w̴͇͚̻̌̆̄o̶͎͍̰̍͑̄̂͑̏r̴̰͙̘̖̼̳̝̿̔̏̏̉̏̀̉l̷̦͚͎͚͐́̋̔͝d̸̨͚̦̖̋̋̑̉̌͑̄ ̶̩̯̮̮̥̭̈̓̀̂̎̉̽̚O̵̰͙͓̪̐̒̔͠b̷͙̎̀͐̉̚l̵̼̂́́̌͠i̵̲̲͉̮̣͝v̶̩̥̌̇̽ì̷͛̿̈́͒͜o̷̡͙̠̥̊n̴̨͔͔͙͊̅́̕͠͝ͅͅ.̴̱̽̀̈́͗
̶͙̥͎̱̑͒̐̀͠S̸̨̟͛̊̔̈̿͂̽̕h̷͕̓̅̍̆o̷̢͈̻̠̤̎͊͛̃̊͂͘͜ͅw̵̮̖͉̖̄͗̍ ̸̪͖̔̂ͅt̶̥̖̑̔̏́ḩ̶̝̭͖͓͑̚ẽ̵͚̳̉͛̐́͘͠͝ ̵̡̛̫͓͇̋̽ẃ̴̹͓̼͜ő̶̘̠̝̻̍r̴̳̓͐̕͝l̵̫̞̜̬̟̥͖͒̎̔d̶̦̉̽͌̄ ̴̯̯̜̲̹̖̥̋̈͆̈̍̕͘͘M̵̡̻̱̃̔̈́͆o̶̧̨͙͈͉̐̈́k̷̛̥̮̙̯̟͎̎̉̋̂͌̒ṫ̸̮̱̰̬̿̔̃̕͝a̵̡͇̹̳͓̱̎̉͜͝ͅr̶̨̥͕̦̜̈́͐͗̕a̶̻͐̽̓͠c̷͕̑̿̓͜ẗ̶̺̬̲͕́̉͑ǔ̷̪̏̾̍̈́͠s̴̹͖̩̘̩̋̉̓͒̈́̅.̴̧̼̦̥̯͓͊͜ͅ
Niran rose right from her bed, startled awake, in a dimly lit room covered in stone with a single window for light. Looking out her window, Niran was relieved to see that what she envisioned in her vivid nightmare was just that: a nightmare. Yet something felt off about it, as though it was an omen of ill things to come. Niran decided that it was best to not dwell on the events that transpired within it for now, and instead figure out where she was. Examining the contents of the room she slept in, Niran found a letter on a desk addressed to her. Pulling herself out of bed, Niran picked up the letter and read it as best as she could.
Greetings,
You have been chosen as one of my loyal disciples. We have been watching you throughout the weeks since the tournament began. While you have potential to become a valuable asset within our organization, you have proven yourself too unruly to be allowed on the streets without arousing suspicion. Until you can prove to me that you are not a risk to us while on the street, you will be forced to stay inside our base of operations.
For your first task, meet me in the mess hall before noon. Instructions on where it’s located is within this letter. Do not be late. I will not be pleased.
Pontiff Cralmarov
P.S. Do not even think of attempting to escape. I am always watching.
Niran struggled to comprehend the entirety of the letter, but from what little she knew, she inferred she was wanted at the mess hall, wherever it was. After reading it, Niran examined the window to the outside. Inscribed on the inside was a powerful protective rune, usually meant to keep thieves out from influential noble homes, that was modified to keep Niran from escaping. Niran grimaced, not wanting to play the puppet for yet another master, but turned around and walked down the hall anyway. After all, the best chance she had to survive was to follow the master’s orders.
Little did she know, outside of her window sat not just any urchin, but the one inside her nightmare, silently watching Niran exit the room.
Storyline cards.
Name: Aeryn Nox Lockhart
Age: 24
An unexpected visit (or not so much)
Aeryn was polishing Nyrea with the reluctance that only a magic sword could demonstrate. The day was clear and it lit up the balcony of his cabin well. Renain never disappointed with his breakfasts.
"Aeryn, Aeryn ... '' Renain shouted, running awkwardly past the gates of the camp. '' I have a surprise for you. I think I found some friends of yours at the port, '' Renain gasped with difficulty when he got close to Aeryn. ' "They are already coming. I preferred to come to the front to warn you."
"And who are these people?", Aeryn asked.
'' We are just a minute to catch our breath ... They said they are your subordinates. They had the same ring that you take ''
Shortly after the explanation, two knights, a woman and a man, entered through the gate. Aeryn recognized both of them quickly, not sure if she would be happy with their presence. They were really his subordinates. All captains, regardless of rank, have their '' arms '' to support missions.
"Aeryn, she thought she was going to escape us," shouted Maycon, Aeryn's left hand. "I know you wanted to be alone on this journey, but that's not how a partnership works."
"I say the same," added Marian, the right hand of Aeryn's patent. The name Nyrea still has importance and relevance for the School of Knights and the Cavalry of the Kingdom. After more than 100 years without a bearer it would not be surprising that the legendary sword bearer would be chosen, '' Nyrea was leaning next to a small staircase outside the balcony. She shone in greeting the knights.
Aeryn scratched the back of her neck with an embarrassed smile. Their team was important, but since the promotion they haven't had a mission together. Their visit could only indicate one thing, Aeryn's kingdom already knew of its feat in the first fight and she was afraid of more people and royal knights to appear in Kiserova.
Renain was stretched out on the floor tiredly.
'' I shouldn't have run so much. You two can't stay long, uff, here at camp. This place is just, uff, for fighters. ''
'' Don't worry, pompous old man, '' laughed Maycon. "We are leaving and we will pull Aeryn for a beer and maybe train a little later."
'' I already know a local here, '' said Aeryn until she was happy to see them. ''We will''
The three knights passed through the gate towards the market. Renain was stretched out on the floor to rest. He just hoped that no other fighter would see him in that situation.
Scale of patents (everyone has two support knights - right hand and left hand. These knights can also resign and seek their promotion in the cavalry.)
3rd Captain of Kingdom's Cavalry - 2nd Captain of Kingdom's Cavalry
Royal Captain of Kingdom's Cavalry - Elite Captain of Kingdom's Cavalry
(I don't know if anyone else suffers from it: write in your natural language (mine is Portuguese) and then translate and check if the phrases are fittingPlus it was also technically my error because I thought Squrturglus belongs to @CassZero. Because they also said that anyone can use their character for storytelling purposes. Well, I suppose my attempt to gain foothold in the tournament is kind of crashed.)
"Oh!" Said Barrett, looking up. "It's you. What can I do for you?" Akuma bowed.
"I've just realized," She said. "I have no idea how to deal with someone using two swords! And my match is less than a week away!" Barrett set down the sheaf of papers he was reading and stroked his chin toughtfully.
"That does seem like a problem. Fortunately, I may have a solution. Follow me." He stood up and Akuma followed him out of the room, out of the building, and onto the street.
"So," Barrett said. "Two swords, huh? That would mean your opponent is Jelene, right?"
"That's correct"
"You're from the same place, are you not?"
"We are, but she surely wasn't trained by a samurai. At least not any that I know of." Barrett looked over at Naku Tsuki, where it was stuck through her obi. "Can you wield that blade in one hand?" Akuma thought about it for a second.
"I suppose so, but it would be difficult. I wouldn't be able to do it for very long."
"If everything goes right, you shouldn't have to. If Jelene is smart, she'll draw the fight out, waste your energy on a tight defense, then overwhelm you with attacks when you grow tired. Your best option will be to finish the fight as quickly as possible."
"I see" Akuma visualized the battle in her head. Two swords, huh. Lost in thought, she almost missed as Barrett stopped walking. He grabbed her arm and pulled her back.
"You should really pay attention more, Akuma. You could be attacked at any time."
Barrett led Akuma into a gym of some kind. A fencing match currently held everyone's attention. Barrett walked up to a man among the onlookers and spoke to him briefly before leading him over.
"Akuma, meet Gus. He's an old friend of mine and the owner of this fine establishment." Akuma bowed to Gus, and he bowed in return. He turned to Barrett again and asked
"I take it you're here for żyletka?" The corners of Barrett's mouth turned up.
"You'd bet I am." Gus led the duo into a back room and took down a darkly stained oak chest from a shelf. He opened it and took out a short sword, about two feet of blade, slightly curved, with a beautiful red dyed scabbard. Although an unfamiliar style of weapon, Akuma could appreciate the craftsman ship. Gus took Barrett aside again briefly, before giving him a pat on the back and going back to the fencing.
"What's that?" Akuma asked. "It's beautiful" Barrett nodded.
"It sure is," he said. "This is the sidesword I wore throughout the entirety of my time in the Czwyien Military. It's named żyletka, which means razor blade. After I retired from the military, I had no use for it, so I gave it to Gus for safekeeping. Now I will teach you how to use it." Barrett led Akuma into a side room, seemingly used as a secondary sparring location. With the skill that comes from many years of repetition, Barrett reversed the sword in his hand, and flicked the scabbard off, catching it in his other hand.
"Attack me." Akuma looked at him quizically.
"I worry for the durability of your blade, should you block, but if I must-" She cut herself off with the sound of steel on leather as Naku Tsuki leapt from its sheath. Akuma felt it connect with Barrett's blade for a split second before the trajectory changed and it was stuck point first into the floor. Akuma looked in amazement.
"How did you do that?!" Barrett smirked.
"I used your momentum against you. By using the arc of your attack, I was able to redirect the velocity downwards. From there I could've used your inability to strike in order to step in and kill you. Luckily for you, I'm not your opponent." Akuma nodded.
"I think I get it."
"If Jelene comes at you with two swords and you have one, you'll never be able to deflect both. One will find its way through your guard and take you out. You'll be on the back foot the entire fight until you mess up and Jelene finds an opening. However, if you have two swords, it's a different story. See if you can figure out which hand she's more proficient with. When she attacks you, go for the main hand with żyletka. She'll have higher control with that hand, so a lighter and more precise parry is required. On the offense, however, you should attack her main hand with your Naku Tsuki. That'll leave only her clumsier other hand to try and stop the quickness of the smaller blade. This fight isn't going to be like any of the others. It'll be over fast. Only one exchange will be enough to call it. You have to be exceedingly aware of six key positions. The four swords and the two of you. I hate to say it, but you may have to end up getting hurt in order to win the fight. If you know you must win, then you have to be prepared to do whatever it takes. Understand?" Akuma looked over at him in amazement.
"You never cease to surprise me," She said.
"Good to hear," he replied. "Now, we train. By the time we're finished your reflexes will be sharper than, well, a razor's edge"
Akuma wrested Naku Tsuki from the floor, and settled into a ready stance. This was going to be a long and painful day. But hopefully, It would all be worth it...
---
It was a quiet afternoon. The sun was covered with fluffy white clouds and the ground was still damp from rain the night before.
Nilani spotted another girl sitting under a large tree. "Efilia! Right? Did you get my message?"
"Yes," Efilia responded. Her voice was calm and soothing, unlike Nilani's.
"So, you're willing to share what happened with me in the dungeons?"
Efilia nodded slowly. It seemed like just thinking of her battle terrified her.
"Well, in the moment, everything went by really fast. There were rotwings chasing me, so I ran deep into the tunnels of the prison dungeon-"
"No! The crazy things after that!" Nilani interrupted.
"Yes," Efilia responded, a little irritated, "I'm getting there."
Nilani nodded.
"So, as I went deeper and deeper underground, everything got scarier. No prisoners acknowledged my arrival. Many of them were dead. It was also quite cold and creepy down there. I could see some cells where bones lay, as if no one had come down in ages. Finally, as another rotwing flew towards me, I came to a stone wall."
Efilia shuddered.
"If you don't want to continue, that's-"
"It's fine. You need to know this. After all, you will be fighting down there soon..." Efilia continued, "The wall was actually a door. I knew this quickly, as I could sense the magical properties of it. I tried to open it many times, but it didn't work until the rotwing died in front of it. Death opens the door. I went inside. There wasn't much else I could do, right? After all, there was no way I could overpower pan or his creatures. I wish I had never come through the door. What laid inside was another door, but great, malevolent power seeped through the door's magical seals. The other rotwings died at the door quickly...I never felt so alone... That power- I knew there was something horrible about it. Something evil. Something sinister. I think by opening that door, someting horrible was released into the city."
Efilia paused again. All of a sudden she was trembling.
"I'm scared, Nilani..." the vampire said, "Something's coming, and I assure you it'll be worse than death itself."
Nilani put a hand on Efilia's shoulder. "The contenders...we can look out for each other. You, Akuma, me, Brynn, Aeryn, maybe even Niran too! The others...I'm not too sure about, but I assure you they'll help us if some danger comes around."
Efilia looked at Nilani. "You always assume the best out of people. Nilani, if there's one thing I've learned from all my years, it's that some things just don't turn out that way. Niran is on the brink of madness, serving who-knows-what? And Squrturglus...I know they're up to something as well. Jelene is conflicted, she's intertwined with both demons and angels, and that never ends up well."
"I mean, I used to be like that, but if you can't believe in someone, how can everyone come together? I believe that this world could become united. Everyone just doesn't believe in or trust the other, so there's a divide between the kingdoms. I just wonder if there's any way I could help close the rift between the nations...build that trust...after all, after what I've done before, I know I must help."
Efilia looked quizzically at Nilani, then resumed talking.
"That brings me to my next point. The divide between the kingdoms in this city could lead to their downfall. You see, my theory is, the magic leaking through the magical seal is a sign that the magic holding back whatever's inside is weakening. It is most likely that Septhis lies behind that door and Septhis can unleash the Moktaractus- a catastrophic event. It can be stopped, but it takes lots of effort to do so, and it requires everyone to stand together. It's also possible that the Moktaractus is just a spell that leads to the return of Septhis, a corrupted being. It could be something else too! There are many theories on Septhis, and there's legends about the Moktaractus. I have no idea what's true though. But, I'm certain that whatver is happening, it doesn't bode well for Kiserova at all."
Nilani looked at Efilia, the young enchantress was shaken. "Thank you, Efilia. Your information was very helpful."
Then, Nilani walked off, leaving Efilia alone.
I must investigate further. Does Squrturglus have a hand in this? I must find out more, but how?
Also, to signify Akuma's training with Barrett:
Niran silently roamed the halls of her new home, examining the map on the back of her letter every now and then. While the sun’s position was close to noon, it wasn’t THAT close, giving Niran about 2 hours to kill. Using her spare time, Niran wandered about, taking whatever opportunity she could to pull on doorknobs. Unfortunately, none of the doors would budge, leaving Niran in the dimly lit halls. After an hour of futile exploration, Niran grew frustrated with her predicament. Doors upon doors upon doors, and yet not a single one of them has given me ANY clue on where I am! Niran thought angrily, having been unable to open yet another door. She walks over to the next door and grabs its handle, ready to be disappointed once more. That is, until she hears the sound of flesh being cut.
Intrigued, Niran carefully leaned close to the door and put her ear right next to it. The noise was cold and methodical, without a hint of malicious intent; it was more like the sound Jeraph made when he worked on his projects. Quietly, Niran attempted to open the door, and was thoroughly surprised by the result: The door wasn’t fully closed. Slowly, Niran opened the door to see a figure working on… something. He was cutting it open in various places, filling it with a dark, viscous substance, then stitching it back shut. Something felt familiar as Niran watched the liquid being injected into the thing, but she didn’t know exactly what it was. No, she couldn’t know what it was; her mind halted all thought whenever she tried to ponder it
Perhaps, I shouldn’t know?
W̷̞̘͈̰̠͉͛͗̓͜͝h̷̡̡̡͉̘̜̪͔̜͚̮̖̘̺̾̏͑̾͆͂͊̐͌͠͠ǻ̵̗̞̂̾̐̎̎́͆̿̔̿̚͠t̵͚͖͎͕̎́ ̷̧̗̣͕̥̜̥͈̼̮͎̂̆̿̾̍̾̚ą̷̺̌̓͆̀͌͑̑̋͆̇̌͝͝ ̷̡͓̲̫̖̪̺̫͕͒̐̒̀̊ͅf̶̧͓̆͆ͅơ̷̧̡̮̪͖͎͎̬̅̒̏͐̔̽͌̃͆́̀ͅó̶͉̽̓̾̑͐̀̽͘̕̚l̶̨̮̪̺̫͖̓̄͂͗̎͗̆̀̊̓ȉ̸̢̼̤̰̯̼̗̗̝̳̖̪͇̜͂͛s̶̨̩̰͍͎̲̺̰̩̦̣̓̄ͅͅh̶̨̙̫͌͒̑̽̂̾̊̽͐͊͝ ̷̛̳͈̗̥̆͂̅͋́̉͋̑̆͑́͛͂̀t̵̡͈͇͚̺͈͒͂͜͜ḧ̸̥̜̻͇̞̆̆̃̿̉͑͆͐̎͋ǐ̵̖̰̱͙̩̪̱̭̬͙ͅņ̵̧̫͍̮̩͈͓́̈́́̓̎͐̉̓̑͠͝ͅǵ̸̼̱̲̦͎͓̟͍͚̾̓̄͋ ̴̣̼̏͋̌̏͛̉̐̀̂̊͗̇͘t̸̨̰̭̘̝̻̎̑̈́̾͑͐͜͝ơ̷̢̗̲͉̠͕̞̭͂̌́̈́͐̏̏̑̂͝͝ ̶̲͎͈̫̣̺̟̀̂̐̍s̴͙̪̫̳̭͎̘̲͎̈́̃͂͂̏̂͊͝͝ą̶̭̞̭̹̘͖̿͛̽͂͂̎̄͒̆͒́̍̈́͠y̵̨̛̬̺͓̬̮̼̙͖̿͒̔͆̓̓̓͌̌͂̆͐̄͘ͅ.̵̜̲̬̹̻̥̲͎͖̮͍͔̈́̂͂͌̆̍̎͛̽̀̊̈́͑̅̎͜͜ͅ
̴̧̢̞̹͈̞͉̘̺̱̭̤̜̄̂̂̽͘͜͝͝A̸̛̰̠͚̩̖̯͓̱̙͙̜͉̟̔͑̓̑͜l̴̡̞̻̯̗͕̽́̕͝l̸̨̨̺̦̬̝̠̥̩̓͋̍̈́̆̑̔͜ ̸̡̢̠̯̜̗̀̐͝k̴̨̧̢̤͔̻̞̹͎̖̟̳̩̊̾͘n̴̡̮̫̱̤̲̟̭̤̳̟̻͙̉̄̾͛͘ͅò̶̧̡̪̞̹̞̖̤̘͕̦̍̒̎̄̋͂́̚ẅ̸̧̨͚͍͉̹̤́̂͛̔͋͘ͅl̴͙̘̿͒e̵̛̥̠̒͐ͅd̶̨̟̣̫̠̮̈g̷̺̃͗̓́͛̓͊͂̉͆ẽ̵̻͓̤̣̱̘͔͙̪̖̂͗ ̷̧̤̬̥̭́i̸̲̪͍̜̯͐̃͛́̕s̴̙͇͍̟̬̻̰̰̓́̄͌̓̀͒͝͠͝ ̸̨̛͖̮̲̼̜̳̱͍͍̹̹͕̥̈́͑͜e̶̪̬̠̠̺̲̭̦͎̳̖̲͎͋̂ͅq̶̦̰̫̩͔̞̝̦̹͖͛̀̎̇̽͒́̇̂̓͆͛ǘ̶͈̗̄́̅̔̓̃́͑͆͋̆́͝ą̷͖͔̟͎̻̣͇͗͒͆̃̾͝ḷ̴̅́̈̆̒̒͌ ̷̛̛̣͙̲̹̦͒̑̈̍̾̇͒͂̆̽̈́̚̕u̷̢̨͕̠̥͍̗͔̎̄̓͋͂͑͂̑̅̚̚͠͝͠ņ̷̙̗̟̳̬͚̮̩̻͚̳̈́͋̉̉̈́̋͒̈̈́̂͜͝d̵̖̤͉̪̜̞͙̝̰͎͉̃͛̎͂͗̈́̃̃̚͘͝ę̷̧̪͎͎̟̦͕̼̺͚̲̝̉̈́̌̈͊̌̕̚͘͝͝ͅȓ̴̡̢͕̹̮͔̰̣͋̌̅̓͜͝ ̸̧̢̞͕̪͔̱̮̳̂̔͂͒̕̚ț̶̛̼͎̫̦̙̼͍͖̘͕̪̦͉̃̓͜h̴̡̧̤̭̙͙̲̘̫͍̜̀͊̉͋̎̽̿̏̏̕͝ę̴̖̤̖̙̄̑̂̈́̎̇̈́͂͜ ̸̨̪̪͖̙̞̳̘̠̟̯̠̹̹͕́̈́̽̃́̌̈́̀̈́͝͝A̴͇̦͆̋͋̓b̵̨̡̮̟͈̱̯͈̮̖̅̈́̋̔̍ỹ̷̡̧͔̰̼̣̦̰͖̩̬̊̽̆̔͊̄̄͊͝ş̶̘̣̽̈͂̐͊ş̴̭͇͕̠͔̼͇̲͓̫̑̈́̍͊͊͐͐.̷̜̬̟̹̮͐͘̚ͅ
̷̠͈̘̯͠D̷̫͚̏̂͑̋͜ǫ̸̛͈̤̞͖̼͍̱̠͔̤͒̂̉̓̐̓̿̿͘̕͠ͅ ̶̛͔̱̔̈̄̐͐͒͑͋͝n̶̡̢̛̤̠͖̑͒̃͋̉͆͊͝͠o̷̖̮͍̖͔̘̯͉̦͐̈́̿̽̂́̉͘̕͝ͅţ̸̘̠̼̤̳͓̥̯̩͉̉͋̏͒̀̀̾̑́ ̶̨̛̺̞͚̊̄͌̐̑͆͌̀̂̎̿̑͠͝ͅl̶̢̡̛͖̭̺̖̥̹̩̱͙̗̹̆̒͝ͅͅe̵̽̀̊̆̈́͌̆̈́͋̈̚͝͠͝͝ͅt̶̨̹̬͍͕̣͍͙͍̤̭̯̊̅̏̂̈́̅̄̇̋͋̆̽̚͘͜͝ ̵̢̨̡̬̥̣͔̮̩̦̙͕̎͒͌͑̄̏̓͘̚a̷̧̡̡̘̹͛̎͊͒̍͆͂͘̕n̵̡͙͔̰̈́̆͋͘y̸̛̛̺̍̊́͛̈́̊́̐̄̉͘o̷̘̐͛̚n̷̰̪͙̙̙̳̫̒͒́̎̀͂̌̂̽͑̕̚͝e̶̙̒͗̈́̽̑͐͊̔̂̒̀̚̚͜ ̷̰̟̟͍̮̪͇̜̣̲̪̲̻̦͐̉͒̑̔̿̑͒̓̽̚t̴̡͖̮̬̟͈͖͔͎̞͍̋̅̾͋͋͗͆̍̎̿̈́̕͜è̵͇͚͔͖̚l̴̨̧̧̝̮͔͇̓̀͛l̷̨̛̬̙͍͍̤͕͉̦͊̈̾̎̕ ̸̧̮̠̞͔̥̼͕̪̲́̔̀̓͊͛̕̕͜ͅy̵͕̦̭̤̙͓͊̎̍͐̕͝ơ̷̟̘̆̃̀͒́̈́̋̾͗̏͠ͅu̷̢̨̹̣̻̰͎̟̻͕͙̺̓̌̈́͑͒̿͜ ̶̨̡̨̛̭̝̘͓̲͙̖̯̝̼͈̈́̈́̏̍̇̀̋̆̀̑̽͒̚ȯ̸̢̤̮̜̐̾͊̈́͐̃͗̇̊t̴̛̳̹̙̮̝̤͚̂̈̃ͅḩ̴̨̡̹̜͎̞͚̼̤̼̰̥̥̦͆̈́̈̽̏́͐͆̿͂̾̚̚͝͠ę̸̨̢̘͚̰͉̱̼̜̦͚̩̋̈̈́̈́͆̓̅̏̂͂̽̈̚͜r̴̨̥͎͕̪̭͌̑̉͑̒͠ͅw̴̧̘̣̰͙̝̺͚͖̺̔͌͑̓͑̏̇̚i̸̢͉̮̘̺̠̭̖̣͙̽̓̅͂̔̽̏͝s̶͇͈͈͔̟̖̮͚̰̅̌̑̀̂̈́̒͗́͑͗̓̓ẻ̷̲̗̙̼̦͍̆̅̽̎̄̔̕̚.̷̢̛͚̫̩̳̩͖̹͐̄̀͑̔̓̀͝
Niran clenched her head for a split second as an all too familiar voice invaded her mind. In that mere moment Niran lost control of her body, causing her to stumble through the doorway. Falling to the ground, Niran looked up and saw a more visceral picture of who was inside the room.
The figure in front of Niran tensed up as he heard the commotion she made, dropping his saw. Slowly, he turned to look at Niran, all the while she felt an innumerable amount of dread weigh her down, preventing her from escaping. He scowled at Niran, his face full of disdain as he took a foreboding step towards her, his bloody hands clenched into fists. Immediately Niran’s senses kicked back in as she bolted down through the hallways. No longer was she interested in discovering the secrets of the building, Niran now just wanted to get as far as possible from that man. She briefly glanced behind her and saw the man step out of his chamber. He looked ready to give chase for Niran, but then he rushed back into his room after looking back in it, with a glint of concern in his eyes. Whatever it was, Niran did not pay any attention to what concerned the man so deeply, and continued on her run to the mess hall.
Niran entered the mess hall, observing her surroundings. The mess hall was of a grand size and bright, unlike the cramped and dim halls Niran explored earlier in the morning. On the walls hung lavish tapestries depicting all sorts of historical events, some Niran vaguely recognized, while many others she had no clue. Out of all of the tapestries, one of them stood out to Niran the most. It depicted a once shining kingdom succumbing to destruction by meteors and, more importantly, shadow. Homes and civilians were enveloped in shadow. Not even the king himself was spared from the dark forces, as the once proud king who led the fight at the forefront died not gloriously on the battlefield, but instead pitifully in his own room. He reached upwards for help, but was unanswered as dark flames consumed him, leaving nothing but a husk of the former king. Is this the true power of the Abyss? To destroy entire kingdoms and wipe them off the face of the earth? Niran shuddered at the thought. Her violin remained silent.
Niran looked away from the tapestries, instead gazing at a long table covered in a variety of foods, each more exquisite than the last. Sitting on each side of the table were several figures wearing black robes, silently sitting without touching even a single scrap of food. Niran noticed two particular individuals within the group. She saw Cirrina, looking ever so high and mighty, but she also noticed someone else, wearing much more detailed robes, indicating he was in a position of higher power. Next to where he sat rested a staff made of polished ebony, carved in such a way as though a snake was twisting itself around the staff. Niran did not know why, but the staff screamed of abyssal energies. Niran continued to examine the figures sitting at the table until her eyes reached the end. There, in a large and beautifully detailed throne, sat an extravagantly dressed man with an ornate glass holding the finest of wines. Looking up from his wine, the man smirked at Niran. He did not need any introduction, for she already knew who he was: Pontiff Cralmarov.Edit: (To be continued)
Storyline cards.
Name: Aeryn Nox Lockhart
Age: 24
During your life: (between 20 and 23 years old)
The Third Mission
The cavalry troop is ready for its next mission. The horses rode calmly through the forest. Aeryn was in the back row, a little behind Casimir who slowed to keep up with his friend. This time the mission was overseen by a Royal Captain of Kingdom's Cavalry. From afar she saw the captain shouting orders. Aeryn was not well that day and just wanted to get away to think.
"Is everything okay, Aeryn?" Asked Casimir. '' I thought you were going to enjoy going out for a while. I understand that what happened on the last mission was not easy, but the wounds will heal. '' (The second mission has not yet been written.)
'' Everything is fine, yes. I'll be fine. I just want to finish this mission soon, '' Nyrea gleamed in a wistful tone.
A few hours later the sun showed that it was going to disappear on the horizon. Aeryn was not yet well enough to go on that mission and sometimes she got lost in thoughts getting behind the cavalry. Casimir, being a good friend, stayed behind the prank on Aeryn's horse to push when needed. They were far from the cavalry, but not far enough to lose sight and stop listening to the captain's scolding.
Casimir, Casimir, come with me little man.
A melodic and feminine voice from the forest penetrated the young knight's brain. No one else could hear, and totally mesmerized he changed the cavalry route and started to follow the voice and a specter among the trees.
She quickly found Casimir away from the group and started to follow him. Seconds later she came across only a cave and Casimir entering it. Casimir's horse when he saw Aeryn got scared and ran away.
In the dark of the cave Aeryn screamed for Casimir. To see better, Nyrea glowed red in Aeryn's hands. That form of Nyrea brought terrible feelings from her last mission. She took a deep breath and moved on. Nyrea felt the sword's discouragement and frustration.
Aeryn knew about Casimir's curse and his angelic wings. He was not an angel and that shape ate at his head because he was not a member of the divine clan. In the past few years he had managed to use his wings without succumbing to the madness of the curse.
The creature's voice echoed to Aeryn in a charming, feminine tone.
'' Such a beautiful specimen. I've never seen a human with angelic powers like that, '' the creature laughed when she saw Nyrea. She recognized that power and finished speaking. " For your new boss, I order you to kill this girl."
Casimir smiled and used the moment to drive the sword between her ribs. Nothing fatal, but it made Aeryn cry out in pain. Nyrea turned blue and with some runes that fell from Aeryn's gauntlet, it generated a spectral wave of the sea pushing Casimir. The runes disappeared and Nyra cast a faint shadow of despair for her bearer.
(When I made the Casimir card [fifth page], I hadn’t seen wings in art. So I made it his curse.)
"They are marching, they are coming. For what, one could ask? For the tournament? Are they bored and want something entertaining to do? For the contenders? Are they so afraid of a few strong individuals so they have to send an entire army to feel safe? Is it because of the Ovan people? Are they worried about the peasants revolting? Is it Gwendolyn? Is it a representation of the military might that they can muster just for show? Or is it for me?"
The children were called for by their parents to keep out from the road from the north. The water in the mud was shaking back and forth as they came in a long formation along the road. Horses were neighing, soldiers were singing, drums were beating, officers were shouting and a dragon was flapping with its wings.
Four thousand men, four hundred horses. eighty captains, five brigade generals, one dragon, one general commander Ferrun.
Like a the form of a a mile long snake, they marched through the Kier outskirts on their way south. Through farmland, open fields and thick forests they marched. Beside long rivers and wide lakes they marched. Through the southern Medirnian forts they marched and over the border.
Commander Ferrun has finally arrived in Vosanova.
"An army requires much food. When there is not enough to feed both soldier and peasant, the weak and unarmed will starve.
Hunger brings out the survival instincts from anyone unlucky enough to be too weak. They will desperately seek what they need so that they may survive. They will seek strength. They will seek an opportunity. They will die fighting, not starving. Even if they are used as mere tools."
—————
There were two guards that always stood at the entrance of the prison dungeon. Nilani knew she’d have to distract them. This was the most essential part of her plan.
Okay, first I’ll cast an enchantment close to some trees nearby. All I need to do is cause an explosion when I get close. It needs to be large enough for both of them to be alerted too. Then, I’ll run inside quickly and get out of sight from the guards when they return. If all goes well, they won’t know it was my enchantment that caused the explosion and I won’t be caught.
It was morning at the moment. The skies were still cloudy like the day before. Nilani hid behind a tree nearby the prison dungeon. Her hands lit up as she touched the tree bark. She murmured a few words then walked towards the prisons. Nilani tried to act as casual as possible.
Just a few moments later, the tree exploded with a loud bang. Nilani winced. Dust flew everywhere shrouding the golden light of the explosion and Nilani herself. The enchantress heard loud stomps and clanking armor directly afterwards.
Yes! Now, I can sneak inside.
Nilani ran at full speed into the place where she would soon fight for her life. She walked down the dark corridor, creating a golden light to brighten the path ahead.
“So this is the prison dungeon...”
“Calm down, Nilani, calm down,” the enchantress said to herself.
It had been a long time when Nilani finally reached the end. It was just like Emilia had described. There were broken bars, dead prisoners, and bones scattered on the sides of the hall and in the empty prisons. Those who were alive seemed to be near insane and the air was chilly. It definitely made Nilani feel terrified. At the end of the hall, there was a door.
Efilia was right. It didn’t seal itself again...
Nilani also noticed something shiny on the ground. It looked like a trail of some sort. Nilani looked back where she had came from. The trail was still there.
What’s this? Tracks from a slime like Squrturglus? Blood? No. It can’t be. This is shinier. This place is getting creepier by the minute...
Nilani slowly opened the door. She heard a scream from behind her, so she quickly slid inside and shut the door from behind her. All of a sudden, voices crashed through her head.
Nilani...we know you well...we’ve been watching you...you with you’re little friend- Akuma. It’s a shame your story together will have to end.
Akuma? What?
Why, it was a foolish decision even to come here, young enchantress. It’s not your fault...if the officials wanted contenders to battle here, it’s only natural that their curiosity will get the better of them. You see, Efilia opened the door and something powerful will come in return.
Powerful? What does that mean?
Nilani suddenly felt herself get weaker and weaker. It was as if a magical force was draining her powers. I’ve got to get out of here. Nilani struggled to walk over to the door. As she touched it, she felt a strong burning sensation on her hands. The enchantress created a faint golden light to examine it. There was a liquid like substance that coated the bottom of the door. It was shiny, just like the trail Nilani had seen before. Nilani’s hand was also badly burned.
What is this?
The enchantress waved her hand quickly, transforming the golden light from her hands into a small invocation that resembled a soldier. It wedged the door open, but the odd substance seemed to affect the invocation as well. She saw her magical guard flicker, then disperse leaving a faint golden glow behind. Nilani ran back the way she came, and closed the door. When she was about halfway there, she found a prisoner in the middle of the hall. He laid on the floor face down.
Is he...dead?
Nilani gasped. “Did opening the door cause this?”
Nilani continued onwards. She was feeling quite sick now. As she got close to the entrance, she heard the distinct sound of armor clanking and boots hitting the ground. The enchantress quickly hid behind a rock as two prison guards approached.
“Did you hear? There’s a rumor that an army has arrived in Vosanova,” one said.
“An army? Are they coming here?” the other asked.
“ Four thousand men, four hundred horses, eighty captains, five brigade generals, one dragon, and one general commander Ferrun,” the first informed, “They could be coming here...I’m not sure though. But, I’m sure Kiserova isn’t ready to handle something like that right now.”
They continued to walk deeper into the prison dungeon. Then, Nilani ran back to her room as quickly as possible. It was sunset now, NilNi had been there for hours. When she entered her room, she looked out her window.
I thought this tournament was just a competition where I could learn to become better as a mage and recover from Mystus’s death. Now, I feel like I might never be able to see my family again...I’m scared- battling the ooze, an approaching army, Septhis and Moktaraktus! I need to stay strong. For Akuma. For my parents. For- for myself. But how? My hand hurts horribly from that liquid and I feel like I’m going to lose myself in all of this. Maybe I should just sleep. Maybe things will be better tomorrow?
I doubt it. This nightmare has barely started. Still, I can’t leave. I must prove myself. I must succeed.
With that, Nilani got into her bed early and went to sleep.