You Are What I Taught You (Closed)

[Philomel]

As the young red-haired man - younger, at least, than Philomel - stepped onto the huge sandy field, the faun found her lips twisting up into a wide smile. There he came, through the portal and into the world that the Ai'Brone monks had so ingeniously created, dressed in a fine deep red drakescale chestpiece, covering his torso. His lose hair itself rested on strong shoulders and tucked into his belt was hide and plynt barbed whip, offering pain to be expected. Overall he was the appearance of a new warrior, ready to face the world with the possibility for greatness, and Philomel had every intention today to test that potential.

She stood in the doorway to the massive dome arena, marvellously framed by the brilliant white sunlight of the outside world. The sand around her was depressed in many places where the pacing of Veridian had already spoilt the fine flatness of the floor. He himself was now poised at the edge of all, tense as he waited near the wall where the benches began that had once provided seating for the thousands of watchers in this great place. Together, fox and faun welcomed the alchemist with open hearts and an eagerness for battle.

"Mr Aimaparapoiitis," she greeted back, curtly nodding her head back but never taking her eyes off him. Still, her smile remained on her face as she started to move.

One hoof, then the next over the sand and towards him, leaving the entrance with the wide world behind her and closing in on him in this empty, silent arena. Because of the way it was designed, with that create semi-hemispherical roof, her soft hoofsteps made echoes with the volume of thunder around them. Now it was no longer silent, just as it should be. Slowly, she pulled Nameless down from where it rested on her shoulder and began to adjust and check her armour. Hands slid smoothly and practised over her crimson young dragonscale half breastplate, the titanium chainmail that hung beneath it, the drakescale pauldron and titanium bracers - except all the while not taking her eyes of the alchemist.

"You have come, which is good," she sounded pleased. "Veridian, I and my other companion thank you for agreeing on it. Truly, we hope to offer you a good fight as well as a test, to see for yourself how mighty you have become."

Coming to a stop fifty metres from him she gestured around her to the grand dome, letting Nameless droop its point to rest it on the sandy floor.

"This arena I have been made aware, is based on one from an ancient world, for a species of being who were devoted to their pegasi mounts. As you can see through the windows above," she pointed to the windows, where a peek of the huge mighty branch could be seen, and beyond that the vast sky, "It is suspended. We are therefore limited to where we can go ... unless you can fly, my alchemist friend?"

She tilted her head, then found herself grinning, "You have options. You can either face me alone, or myself with Veridian. Or, one at a time. We could go in rounds, see how good your mettle is against just Veridian - he is apparently eager." A giggling huff from the golden eyed fox comfirmed it. "Or ... you have a the choice of facing against my other darling, who you cannot see just now. If you choose the rounds, he would also wish to challenge you. If you do not choose ..."

Philomel shrugged. "Well, we will just all attack at the same time. That would be the final choice."