The test of The First Evolution (closed)

[Ailnea]

Within The Citadel, secrets lay hidden. Beyond a door, plain as any other, is a place that is neither an Arena, nor a healing room, though it boasts both. Beyond is the secret Monastery of the monks of Aibrone. Whether they alter reality to make their arenas, or teleport their guests to areas matching their wishes remains a mystery to the outside world. Some claim they alter reality, others claim to have proof they teleport participants to places far away. Whatever the truth, this monastery was as real as any other building beyond the Citadel.

No Outsider had ever set foot in the Monastery, no outsider had ever earned permission to trespass upon the monk's home.

Within the Monastery, the monks studied, and trained, practicing their arts, honing mind, body, and soul, each seeking to become more than what they were. It was the very secret that made the monks so dangerous, for not a single monk was human, or elven, or any other of the assorted species found upon Althanas. They were at one time, perhaps, but not now. Now they had evolved beyond what they were, their bodies changed and altered by the evolutions they sought.

Such was the case, but in one case, it was not. A young blond Nun followed a tall Elder Monk through the halls. To look at her, was to see a common, yet still pretty, human woman. But not even the monks, able to identify even the most obscure of species, knew what she truly was. She looked, and acted human, and in every conceivable test, passed as human. But there was something about her, a strange energy, that told them she was not.

The Nun had no clue as to these suspicions about what she was, and if she did, she would be just as mystified as the rest of the order. So she was watched with wary gazes as she entered the inner sanctum, where The Elder himself meditated daily and lead the entire order.

"Ailnea, glad you could make it on such short notice." The Elder said. He was blind, having lost his eyesight through evolution decades ago. Yet his other senses had become so finely honed, that no one could tell the difference between him, and anyone with sight.

The Nun bowed to The Elder.
"What may I do for you today, honored Elder?" Ailnea asked, her blue eyes looked at the elder questioningly.

"Say yes. As you no doubt remember, about one week previously, you underwent The First Evolution. Yet no indication as to your changes has been seen yet. For this reason, Akim wishes to train you personally. Yet he is always so hard, because of the past. That is why I wish to have Onox train you under my discretion." The Elder said.

Ailnea started in surprise. The Elder had a reputation for never training anyone, and Onox seemed so distant to everyone. She wondered why they suddenly had a change of heart.

"What's going on that you wish to train me?" Ailnea asked.
"Nothing you need concern yourself about child, just say yes." Onox said, smiling as he stood next to the raised platform upon which The Elder sat. The room was bare, completely, having no comfort or detail of anykind, which was exactly how The Elder liked it.
"Yes Elder Rekasheen, I would honored if I could be trained by you both." Ailnea said, using The Elder's name to signify complete trust in the pair.
"Then Prepare yourself for battle dearest, you have only a few days before your opponent arrives in our halls." Onox said.

Elsewhere...

A monk of Aibrone ran breathlessly up to Teric Bloodrose, Grandmaster of the Dajas Pagoda. He stuffed a letter into the man's hands, and ran off again on other errands. The Letter would read as follows:

"Dear Teric Bloodrose,

We have been reviewing your battle record within The Archives, and feel confident that you can handle a special task that we feel you are uniquely qualified for.

Before you ask yourself, 'Why me?' or bother us with the same question, let me remind you that you are the Pagoda's greatest warrior, and as Grandmaster, few there are that can withstand your blades.

As always, we promise that Death shall not find you within our walls.


Yours,
Elder Rekasheen, Leader of The Monks of Aibrone."

[Bloodrose]

Three days ago Teric had received a letter, and not a waking hour had gone by since that time where the old warrior didn't pull that simple, folded sheet of parchment out of his pocket to re-read it. The paper was plain, the handwriting non-descript; even the wax that had sealed the letter closed was unadorned with mark or insignia. It was all very unremarkable, and in no way outwardly expressed the weighty seriousness of a personal invitation to the Citadel by none other than the top Ai'Brone monk himself...

"Elder Rekasheen, Leader of The Monks of Aibrone."

The Pagoda Grandmaster had spent hours staring at that signature during the ferry-ride from Scara Brae - where Teric had been fulfilling his bi-monthly obligation of showing face within Dajas' walls - to Radasanth. The rocking, unsteady motion of the boat on the water had been a physical parallel to the churning uneasiness roiling in Teric's gut as he tried to decipher the letter. He'd probably read the message a thousand times by now - picked over every individual word with the finest of combs - and still the veteran didn't know what he was doing back in Radasanth so soon...

"We have been reviewing your battle record within The Archives, and feel confident that you can handle a special task that we feel you are uniquely qualified for." The letter opened, and that one sentence comprised almost the whole message. The rest of the letter, Teric had decided when getting off the ferry a couple hours ago, was empty reassurances - bland filler to lengthen the message and distract from the completely cryptic task at hand.

"...a special task that we feel you are uniquely qualified for."

Teric kept coming back to that line as he climbed the Citadel steps for the second time this month - his stride stronger and steadier than it had been before. The last time he'd climbed these steps he'd been in shambles - so drunk and exhausted that he'd blown off the Ai'Brone entirely and humiliated himself. It was strange really, because if personal invitations from secretive Orders weren't mysterious enough, they were doubly so if you'd slighted that Order anytime in recent memory...

The Citadel's front lobby was a hive of activity as usual. Fighters, warriors, and soldiers - some in traditional battle attire, some in mix-matched armor, and some in nothing more than loincloths - milled about restlessly as a veritable army of monks recorded names, selected opponents, and led the waiting mob one by one into the mysterious arenas that awaited them. It was approximately noon, and as he waited for a monk to notice him, Teric surmised that perhaps he should have waiting until mid-afternoon before making his way to the Citadel. He could have met Pembleton for a late lunch - possibly even made a swing through the Bazaar to browse around for a couple hours...

No, Teric shook his head, reprimanding himself as he waited, better to find out what this is about before the curiosity kills me.

"Grandmaster." A portly young monk with a bald head smiled and greeted the waiting veteran. "Back again so soon?"

"Yes." Teric cut straight to the point. "I got this letter you see. I'm supposed to meet with Elder Rekasheen, I think."

"Yes, of course. Right this way." Was the answer Teric could already hear in his ears, but instead his eyes noted only a puzzled expression that darkened the Ai'Brone's face like a storm cloud. The monk and the warrior stood there, frozen for a couple of moments as neither spoke. The puzzled look on the bald man's face seemed to deepen, and then he reached out his hand.

"May I see this letter? Please, Grandmaster?"

"Of course." Teric didn't even need to reach into his pocket - the folded square of parchment was still in his hand from the last time he'd read it coming up the steps. The veteran handed the letter to the befuddled monk freely, and the bald man unfolded the letter to curiously scan the page.

"One moment." The monk stated simply, and then he was gone. Teric started a bit, surprised at how suddenly the monk scurried off. The robed man made like an arrow for a group of older monks, displaying the letter and pointing back at Teric in a manner that appeared quite serious. The older monks, three of them in all, seemed to take a moment to read the letter, and then they all moved towards Teric - the oldest taking the letter in hand.

"From whom did you say you got this letter?" The old man, designated spokesperson for the group, questioned.

"I... uh." Teric stammered, confused. "Elder..."

"That's alright." A deep voice rolled like thunder from behind Teric. The Grandmaster turned his head and was confronted with the shoulder of a man nearly seven feet tall. "I'll see to the Grandmaster, Brother Gerran."

"Yes, Onox." There was an instant, jarring change in the monks standing in front of him, and Teric watched in complete confusion as the four turned and fled instantly, leaving Teric with the largest monk he'd ever laid eyes on.

Seven feet tall and probably outweighing the man in front of him by double, 'Onox' was an older man in impressive physical condition. Judging by the wrinkles around his eyes, he could have been ninety years old, but the girth and mass of his muscle made the rest of him appear about twenty-five. He cut an imposing figure, and Teric could instantly surmise why the other monks didn't mince words when the larger monk deigned to step in.

"I suppose you know why I'm here." Teric guessed.

"Of course." Onox smiled. "Follow me, please."

[Ailnea]

OOC: Permission to bunny Bloodrose granted

IC: Onox lead Bloodrose deep into the citadel, deeper still than most battles commonly took place.

"Wait here one moment." Onox said, and disappeared around the corner.

Teric would hear the following conversation, though whether it was intentional for him to hear it, or an accident was unclear.
"Onox, has he arrived yet?" came an androgynous voice.
"Yes Akim, he's arrived, he's on his way to the testing hall right this moment." Onox replied
"You know, don't you? Of all of us, you always seem to know everything that's going on." The voice apparently named Akim replied.
"Yes, I know. I also know how it will turn out, which is why I'm not worried that it was you in fact, who had The Elder invite our fellow Grandmaster here from the pagoda." Onox said.
"Well, you do know then. I also know that harlot cannot stand an equal chance against his blades. It would be a shame if we forgot to resurrect her." Akim replied.
"Akim, I will not take veiled threats to kill my student lightly. I know how you feel, but the past is the past, and it is not her fault our vaunted powers are fading throughout the entire order. Now let's get into the arena and wait for Bloodrose." Onox said, a note of anger in his voice.
The sound of their fading footsteps filled the air.
"Interesting things one hears in these halls." an ancient man said next to Bloodrose. His steps were utterly silent, and it was entirely possible he was a ghost.
"Nevermind our personal problems, puzzles for those that fancy themselves clever. It is regrettable that you were caught up in monastery politics. But come, let us continue on to the Arena." The ancient man said. He walked with a hunch, and had no eyesight. Yet despite having no eyesight, he moved about perfectly, as though he did have eyes.
He stopped before a door and opened it. He gestured at it as though it were the door Teric was to enter. Then he himself stepped backwards into deep shadows and disappeared entirely.

Inside the door, Bloodrose would find a stadium, and it was filled with monks.
Onox would be standing on the far wall, along with an assortment of other monks of differing ranks. One monk looked only to have been elven at one point. Whether it had once been male, or female was entirely uncertain, as it had an Androgynous voice.
"I told you so Akim. He's here." Onox said, shouting over the dull roar of crowd.
The androgynous elf glared at Onox.
"I can see that, I'm not blind you know." the elf replied, allowing bloodrose to match a face to the voice.
Onox tapped a gong to silence the crowd, but the roar only grew as the throng stood.
"SIT!" Onox roared a second later with such force that even bloodrose would feel a very strong urge to sit down and be quiet. Everyone else in the arena sat and remained quiet, even Akim.
"Wait, what am I sitting down for, I am Grandmaster!" Akim asked himself

Onox waited for Bloodrose to enter the Arena. In it sat a lovely young woman with blond hair and blue eyes. She had been sitting in a meditative trance since Bloodrose entered. She was his opponent, and she was also a Monk of Aibrone.

The Nun's eyes opened as Bloodrose entered the arena, and she stood in a single fluid graceful motion.

"Greetings Grandmaster. I am Ailnea, and I shall be your opponent. You shall be my test, for no one yet knows what my unique powers are. I am honored that my superiors think so highly of me as to test me with a living legend." the woman replied. Her voice was lovely. Yet her words showed her innocence in certain matters bloodrose knew about, provided he listened to the conversation in the hallway.

Onox rang the Gong.
"Fight!" he called out, and the crowd set to cheering and jeering both sides equally.
Ailnea bowed to Bloodrose again, and though she moved closer, she was not yet close enough to strike, for she bore no weapon.

[Bloodrose]

Teric had entered the arena slowly, almost hesitantly - the conversation he'd overhead in the hallway replaying over and over in his ears. First he'd been summoned to the Citadel with a strange letter written by a man many of the monks didn't seem to know. Now he was here to fight someone who apparently would not "stand an equal chance against his blades", and whom at least one monk was prepared to not resurrect after the fight. After hearing those things, and stirring them into the pot alongside the mysterious circumstances surrounding his summoning, Teric wasn't at all sure he was going to enjoy what was in store for him...

Upon stepping out from under the protective walls and ceiling of the entranceway, the Pagoda Grandmaster found himself standing in a wide circle surrounded on all sides by grandstands of waiting monks. Hundreds, if not a thousand, brown-robed men and women sat silently watching as Teric strode more towards the center of the ring, his eyes scanning the crowd for threats. At the northern end of the grandstands the warrior's eyes found Onox, the only monk still standing. Letting his eyes wander downwards, Teric found his opponent meditating directly in line between Onox and himself.

What is this? The veteran found himself thinking as the young blonde rose and turned to face him. Not a day over eighteen by the looks of her, the girl was homely at best and a little on the weighty side to boot. She appeared to be unarmed, but the heavy brown robes concealed a great portion of her body. There was enough room in those folds to hide a knife or a wand, but there was a level on innocence in the girl's voice as she spoke that betrayed something very unnerving about her...

"I'm supposed to be some kind of test?" Teric posed the question to Ailnea after she introduced herself, his question lingering in the air even as Onox's order to fight echoed above in the grandstands. Ailnea bowed and moved forward, and Teric started to wonder if she was even going to respond.

The mercenary's hand went to his sword reactively, but Teric didn't draw the deadly white blade. Instead he started to tread backwards slowly - not quite matching pace with the advancing monk, but keeping enough space between them to allow her a chance to draw a weapon or answer his question.

Judging by how the day was progressing thus far, Teric had to wonder which would be more dangerous...

[Ailnea]

Ailnea pulled up just short of getting close enough for him to do something.
"As I said before, no one knows what my powers are. Two weeks ago I evolved. Yet I have not shown any signs of what my powers are. This is disturbing, because without knowledge, there is no power. Grandmaster Akim was kind enough to volunteer to search out a worthy opponent. Akim's challenges are always a bit difficult, but I know it's because he only wants the best and believes I can do more."

At Ailnea's last words, Akim rolled his eyes.

Ailnea cracked her knuckles and her neck. Then disrobed, revealing a skin tight yellow leather bodysuit underneath. She had a very nice body, and a very nice set of muscles. She threw her robes and gold medallion off to the side, letting her hair flow freely. She was much prettier without the volumnous robes on.

"Now no more fleeing like a coward!" she commanded. She concentrated. and burst forward toward Teric with a surprising amount of speed. She was too well trained to let the surprise register, and simply took it in stride.
"Well, now we know." She said as she came to a stop, letting her forward momentum propel her leg forward for a kick to Teric's midsection. She was moving faster than an ordinary person could move.

[Bloodrose]

Evolved? Powers? Teric's brow furrowed with confusion, his wary eyes narrowing as they tracked Ailnea. The nun stood just out of reach, and seemed to make a point of taking her time removing the baggy brown robes of her Order. Underneath was the most lubricious and unintentionally revealing combat attire the mercenary had seen in some time. The brilliant yellow leather hugged the woman's body like a second skin, leaving little to the imagination. In an outfit that tight, made of that material, the Grandmaster was surprised Ailnea could move at all.

Teric sighed, resisting the urge to roll his eyes as the yellow-clad nun led off with a typical challenge to his courage. Why does everyone insist on taunting their opponents? The grizzled old warrior thought as he reactively turned his hips and widened his stance. Ailnea moved fast, but Teric was faster yet. As her leg came up in a mid-section kick, Teric dropped his elbow to his hip and leaned his shoulder into the blow. By the time her leg connected with corded muscle and bone, Ailnea probably would have been better off kicking a stone pillar.

At least a stone pillar wouldn't counterattack...

"Don't waste my time with insults." Teric replied dryly as he absorbed the blow. He just spoke - not really caring whether or not she heard or understood him. The nun's kick left a dull ache in his arm - one that might have been worse had the mercenary not had time to ready himself. Overall it was a small price to pay, especially for the opportunities it left an experienced warrior.

Teric's instinctual reaction was the grab the leg that had just struck his arm, and then use his free hand to aim an open palm into Ailnea's face. The heel of the palm could do some nasty things to the human nose, and the Grandmaster had to wonder if it would serve the young woman right to be broken and bloodied up a little. In the end, after that hair's-breadth second of hesitation, Teric opted to grab for the kicking leg and use his back foot to kick the nun's other leg out from under her.

[Ailnea]

Her foot throbbed a little, as she lay there on the floor.
She couldn't believe how quickly he reacted.
"I hope I'm that fast someday."

She jerked her feet back and rolled to her feet.

The crowd had increasingly grown to favor Teric, but there were still a few holdouts in the crowd that favored Ailnea.

She was glad the bodysuit wasn't new, or she might have difficulty moving, but she had worn it for so long and stretched it so much, that it was surprisingly loose, for being skintight.

She moved in close, a little more cautiously, and decided to go for an uppercut, from the jaw, straight to the nose. she made the fist, drew it back, and at the last second, went for a right hook instead of an uppercut.

[Bloodrose]

All bunnying approved by Ailnea for the duration of this thread.

Teric backed off, satisfied with the fact that he'd connected with his opening counter. There was a part of the mercenary that hoped the ease with which he'd sat her down on the arena floor would discourage Ailnea from continuing, but the nun wordlessly rose to her feet and pressed forward. She's persistent, at least. Teric admired begrudgingly, readying his hands for another martial salvo. His sword still hung at his hip, safe in its sheath where the razor-edged blade could do no harm.

"Humph." Teric moved with Ailnea's feint, rearing his head back to avoid the expected uppercut. When the upwards punch didn't materialize, and instead transitioned into a right hook, Teric shot his left arm straight out, angled slightly upwards to intercept the nun's arm at the elbow. The crux of Ailnea's arm met the mercenary's upper arm before her punch could land, stopping the blow in its tracks. Eager to still prove a point without causing his foe too much harm, Teric wrapped his hand over the top and then back around under Ailnea's armpit - essentially wrapping his arm around her's in a crude arm-bar maneuver and then pulling to the point of threatening the young woman's elbow with hyperextension. The Grandmaster's free hand grabbed Ailnea by the shoulder, securing her in a move meant to bind her up and stall her from continuing the fight.

"What are you trying to prove?" The older warrior barked, his tone authoritative. He was shouting, his voice carrying over the crowd to the ears of all the assembled monks. The question was half-meant for Ailnea and half for Onox - the Pagoda Grandmaster hoping the older monk would answer just as readily as the nun might. "I get the distinct impression I'm being used here, and I don't like it. A fight I can understand, but this is something else! This isn't a fight, it's a punishment. I can break this girl in half at will, and you expect her to fight me?"

Silence reigned for a moment, and Teric tugged a little harder at Ailnea's arm to emphasize his sentiment before continuing.

"If you wanted to see the full extent of her evolution, why not give her someone closer to her own skill level; not someone who will end this fight in thirty seconds?"

[Ailnea]

Onox remained stone faced, as Akim stepped forward.

"Why murder a peasant for experimentation? Besides, we all know you can be beaten Bloodrose, you're not a god, or really anyone special. Sure, you've gained a reputation and rule the pagoda uncontested, but those things matter little. Remember, with the proper strategy and execution, anyone can beat anyone else. I could even beat the elder if I so wished."

Onox looked at the crowd, waiting and wondering what was going to happen next.
"leave us." He ordered, and everyone left, except for Akim, Bloodrose, Onox, and Ailnea.

The same old man that guided Bloodrose to the arena walked in.
"I've seen quite enough. Akim, leave." The old man said.
"Yes honored elder." Akim said, as he walked out, glaring at Ailnea and Bloodrose all the way.
There was something, sinister, in his gaze.

"It's so shameful to see an outsider caught up in Monastery politics. No need to battle on. Things of greater import are happening, and both of you must leave, or Akim will kill you both. Do not take him lightly, he evolved the powers of the mind, and even now, it is all Onox and I can do to keep him from controlling ours. He could convince you that you have already died, thus causing your body to shut down, so great is his power.

But you have asked questions, and they shall be answered.

First, The Order itself seeks to become more than what we are born as. There are places beyond Althanas that defy description, higher planes, and grander existences. We seek to evolve high enough to reach those places, and leave this one. Thus, the term Evolution. It means to to become more, to change, to develop, to expand one's abilities.

We really did need to test Ailnea to see what her abilities were, and thus I originally sought to match against other monks, but Akim is hard to resist sometimes, and he managed to convince me that it was my idea to summon you instead. He used you, because of your skill and reputation. He hates Ailnea. And the reason goes back eighteen years, before she was even born.

Ailnea, I'm sorry I never told you, but before you leave the citadel you need to know about your mother." The Elder said.

"Leave? Mother? I, Elder what's happening? I though Akim liked me." Ailnea said, clearly panic striken.

"No child, he hates you. See, your mother came to the citadel, on the day of your birth, already appearently in labor. We were closer than a midwife, and so she came begging for assistance with delivery. We're not heartless, at least most of us aren't. We took her to a healing room, and after many hours, you were born, but in the process, your mother died. This wasn't as disturbing for us as it is for other healers. We bring our guests back to life all the time, and thought she would be no different, but your mother, who may or may not have actually been something other than human, had a mysterious energy that blocked ours. We tried, but every time, were defeated. SO defeated, we had no choice, but to let her remain dead. We debated your fate, but one of the reasons we kept you, was because of your mother's unusual energy. We were hoping that by watching you grow, we would come to understand this energy, but you have not shown it, at least not to our knowledge. As for what caused Akim to despise you so, ever since your mother's energy blocked our own, our powers have been slowly diminishing. Thus Akim's hatred. We're losing all that we are, and that frightens Akim so much, that he blames you, thinking that if you hadn't been born, your mother wouldn't have come to the citadel, which means our powers never would've begun to fade.

Don't blame yourself though child. It is not your fault. Everything has it's time, everything has it's season, and ours has come to an end, then so be it. Akim does not see it that way. Worry not about Akim's deeds though. Worry about your own future. We will give you a measure of gold from the treasury, but flee with Teric. Though Akim sought to use him to punish you for your very existence, we shall use him instead to help you flee." The Elder said.
"But, I've never been outside the citadel, I don't know how to survive in the outside, it'll eat me alive! There are monsters and mercenaries and all sorts of evils out there." Ailnea protested in tears.
"And yet you're safer with them, than here. We have blocked Akim at every turn, and can block him no more. Flee child, flee for your life." The Elder said.

Onox returned Ailnea's medallion and robes. They were heavier, as the pockets were filled with gold. Ailnea took one look at the medallion, and looked at Onox with a sense of wonder. There was a new glyph on it.
"Your glyph, I'm you're apprentice, you're choosing me?" Ailnea asked.
"I couldn't think of anyone more deserving." Onox said.
"Any questions?" The Elder asked.
"Where do I go?" Ailnea asked.
"You will know in due time." The Elder said.

[Bloodrose]

I'm all too well aware of the fact that I can be beaten. Teric grumbled internally as the monk called Akim took his flowery, if not subtle, shot at him. Only weeks ago the mercenary had fallen in this very place - a victim of his own recently self-destructive nature. Drunk, high, and exhausted, a broken Teric Bloodrose had stumbled into a fight with none other than Madison Freebird, former Pagoda Warrior, and lost. It had been a disgraceful affair, all in all, and was part of the reason that Teric had been so surprised to receive the letter from the Ai'Brone elder in the first place.

"This is just fantastic." Teric muttered after letting the monks keep talking for a brief time. He'd released Ailnea's arm shortly after the monks crowded around to watch the fight had shuffled out of the arena - it having become explicitly apparent that the fight wasn't going to continue. Akim - the grumpy old bastard who was apparently behind the whole deal - hadn't looked pleased on his way out, and Teric wasn't a big fan of things he was hearing about him now that Onox, the Elder, and Ailnea were away from his prying ears.

"It is unfortunate that you were dragged into our politics." Onox informed the mercenary matter-of-factly. "Normally an issue such as this would have been resolved without the help or interference of an outsider, but as you may have surmised, this is not a normal issue. Ailnea has become the physical representation of a great schism forming between members of our Order. Akim's hatred for her is so great that he will stop at nothing to see her destroyed - and you were meant to be her destroyer."

"And yet perhaps Akim's machinations have backfired upon him." The Elder chimed in, drawing the attention of everyone still standing in the arena. "By involving our esteemed Grandmaster from the Pagoda, Akim hoped to see Ailnea completely decimated in a trial by combat. Yet, having failed in that, Teric may prove to be Ailnea's greatest aid once she leaves the Citadel grounds..."

"Now hold on just a minute." Teric interrupted, jabbing a finger at the Elder accusingly. "I may have ended up a pawn in some larger game by coming here, but my involvement ends at the Citadel steps. I came here to fight, and now that part is done and over with. I plan to be on the first ferry back to Scara Brae by sundown, and I don't plan on giving this Akim character a reason to come after me by interfering any further in your business."

"If you truly just came for a fight," The Elder retorted calmly, "you would have killed Ailnea moments ago and have already left to be back on your way to the Pagoda. I think your conscious prevented you from shaming Ailnea in front of her peers, and that same conscious urges you to help her."

"You don't know the first thing about my conscious!" The veteran blurted in response, visibly angry. He had his jaw clenched, his finger still pointing fiercely. Teric tried for a moment to think of something else to say, but it dawned on him that the monks were not going to listen to a word he said. They seemed to have it stirring in their minds that he was going to help Ailnea to safety, but Teric had no such plans. If, after leaving the Citadel today, he never saw Ailnea again, the mercenary didn't feel he'd be any worse for wear.

"I'm leaving." Teric declared, ultimately. Checking his person on the way towards the door, Teric verified that he still carried everything he'd entered with. Behind him, as he marched up the tunnel back to the arena entrance, one could just barely make out a soft voice murmuring...

"Follow him, child."

[Ailnea]

Ailnea ran after Bloodrose, fear gripping the woman's soul. She had never truly understood the phrase "between a rock and a hard place" until now. She had to flee outside with all the bad things where she might get killed at any moment. If she stayed inside, she would definatly be killed sooner or later.

"Wait! I've never been outside the citadel's walls. I don't know what I'm doing out there. Won't you take pity on little me?" Ailnea pleaded as she chased Bloodrose down.

Outside, she froze in fear on the spot.

"It's so big. How can anything be so big? Stories do not match the truth. It's far too big out here, surly the sky will fall at any moment, what's holding it up to prevent it from doing so in the first place?" Ailnea cried. Tears began to stream down her face, as a genuine fear of the outside took over. She wanted to flee back inside the citadel, where she would be safe from the horrible sky. She turned back, but spotted Akim coming down the hall looking for her.

She felt a shiver of fear. What should she do? She was hopelessly, helplessly trapped! She wanted to breakdown and cry.

She felt something unseen touch her, wrap itself around her neck and try to kill her. She realized Akim was trying to kill her as he stood there on the steps looking at her. Ailnea grasped at her neck trying to stop the choking, as gasped and stuggled for air.

Suddenly it broke off, as he was called back inside.

Instinct took over, and Ailnea fled the citadel grounds. Someday she would get stronger, and she would return.

"Hey, umm, Teric? I've never been outside. I want something that's more comfortable for traveling. In the monastery, I just ask and I get it. Is that also how it is out here? Also, why did Onox stuff my pockets with gold? Sure it's pretty, but it's worthless otherwise." Ailnea asked. She had a million and one questions about the world outside, but held back long enough for Teric to at least try to answer a couple.

OOC:
SPoil request:
The unspecified amount of gold Onox gave Ailnea. Please give it specification.

[Bloodrose]

Ailnea's whimpering voice followed Teric like the mewling of a newborn kitten as he hastily made his way to the Citadel exit. His strides were long, powerful, and stubborn - carrying the black-clad mercenary through the twisted, convoluted halls of the complex at a fair pace. The nun kept following doggedly, her fear almost palpable on the air. Resolute in determination, Teric kept his brow furrowed, his eyes locked straight-ahead, and his feet moving as he made to escape from not only the young woman behind him, but also the dark fate that undoubtedly hung low over her head.

Exiting the Citadel across the wide flagstones of the common lobby area, Teric was greeted by the brilliant sunshine of a Radasanth afternoon in early summer. The air was still crisp with a hint of cold, but the beating sunlight warmed the skin with its touch and banished thoughts of the spring thaw from the mind. In this part of the city the air smelt like a mix of commoner and industry, the aroma of baked goods wafting up from the bakery just outside the Citadel steps mingling with the faint stink of coal smoke from the factories down by the waterfront. It was a familiar smell, and one Teric relished even more once he realized that Ailnea had stopped dead in her tracks just outside the archway that bid enter to all those seeking combat inside the Citadel walls.

Good luck to you. The mercenary thought as he slowed his stride to a more comfortable pace. He started down the wide stone steps in front of the Citadel with a renewed sense of hope - confident that the monk, Akim, would have no qualms with him at this point.

One, two, three, four... The wide steps passed under Teric as he took them one at a time - two footfalls per step on account of their width. As the distance between them opened, Teric could make out less and less of the noises Ailnea made behind him, and by the time he reached the bottom of the stairs, he would be free of her forever...

Hurried, scuffling footsteps rushing down the stairs behind him brought Teric to a cringing halt - the same way nails on a chalkboard can bring a shudder to the spine of any soul. Ailnea, apparently, had broken free of the debilitating fear that has paralyzed her at the tops of the stairs, and she ran to Teric's side like a small child in need of guidance.

What? Teric silently inquired of some higher power in the sky above him. What do I have to do? Can't I just for one second get back to my life, and not have to worry about some 'wet behind the ears' greenhorn? The mercenary had an almost impulsive urge to turn and shoo Ailnea away like a stray dog that had wandered to close. Perhaps, if she put up a fuss, a kick to the ribs would send her scurrying away in search of a friendlier target, and he could be left alone. The only thing tempering that urge, however, was the sheer, unadultered innocence in the young woman's questions. It was painfully obvious that she didn't understand a single thing about how the world outside her tightly controlled Citadel life worked - and that if someone didn't help her, she would make easy prey for anyone of loose moral character wandering the streets of Radasanth.

"Look." Teric sighed. "You want clothes, you go the Bazaar and you buy them. That's what your little gold coins there are for - out here you exchange those for things you need. Think of it as a barter system - you want a new shirt, it costs you a certain number of those shiny round trinkets."

Ailnea gave him a strange look, but there was a glimmer of understanding there - or at least Teric hoped.

"The Bazaar is that way." Teric pointed down Gregory Avenue towards the downtown area. "Stay on this street until you see a blue tent pitched by the side of the cobblestone drive - once you pass the tent you are in the Bazaar. Good luck to you."

Leaving Ailnea gazing questioningly down the street he'd indicated, Teric turned and walked off, satisfied that he'd at least helped a little before abandoning the nun to her fate.

[Lord Anglekos]

The test of the First Evolution
As you requested, a quick judging. If either of you wish more notes or explanation upon your scores, please PM and I'll try and answer your questions as best as I can. And now, onto the judging.

Alinea's scores are first, Bloodrose's is second.

STORY

Continuity: 4.5/6
I pretty much understood what was going on here, but it could have been portrayed much better on both of your parts.

Setting: 3/6.5
Bloodrose, you did a good job in painting a good picture in my head of the arena and the Citadel itself. Could have done better, judging by your other writings, but good job nonetheless.

Pacing: 2/4.5
BS, your score was hurt by Alinea's here. It would have been better had it not been brought down by his/hers, as she/he tied their actions into your writing as well.

CHARACTER

Dialogue: 4/6
Alinea, in the beginning I quite enjoyed your dialogue. However, as the thread progressed, it grew worse and worse until I couldn't believe that such things were actually being said. Bloodrose, yours was better but still not at the level I've seen from you before. Alinea, your score was also hurt by your Mechanics, which in turn affected your Clarity.

Action: 3/8
I especially liked post number 8 from you, Bloodrose, and threw in an extra point for it. It was simple, yet elegantly written. Bravo.

Persona: 4/6
Alinea, you barely gave me on your own character, and the points I gave you were for the interactions on your NPC's. I suggest applying more effort towards Ali herself.

WRITING STYLE

Mechanics: 2/7
I could find only a couple things wrong with yours, Bloodrose. There were a couple in post 2 and 10, mostly. Alinea...again, if you want specifics, please PM me.

Technique: 5 (for both)
Neither of you really were exceptional here, but neither were all that bad either. It was, above all, an average thread in this category.

Clarity: 1/6
Bloodrose, some things I had to reread due to the intricacy of them, but otherwise it was fine.

WILDCARD: 5 for both. I usually like seeing David versus Goliath matches, but this one was nothing spectacualar.

Alinea: 33.5/100
Bloodrose: 60/100

Bloodrose is the winner!

Alinea gets: 140 EXP and 200 gold, including what Onox gave her.
Bloodrose gets: 2300 EXP and 600 gold.

[Taskmienster]

Exp and Gp added!