A new type of workout

[Starstrangler]

“Four hundred and three…four hundred and four…four hundred and five…”

Thick breath intermingled with the count flowed from a thick figure steadily rising and falling in pace as a long haired woman sat absorbed at her desk. Before her sat an ancient tome filled with charts and summaries, alchemical values and quantities. It was already the second day of searching, half a shelf’s worth of books were strewn about the room on any flat surface, and it looked to be much longer. The woman was an alchemist, Genine Lear, well reputed among small time alchemist traveling the land and it was for her that Galen found himself in Radasanth. He would go to any length, deal with anyone, to make himself better. He’d told his story and she agreed to try to help, more for challenge and scholarly interest than for monetary gain.

The weather had been miserable, a week straight of rain, and so Galen was restrained to exercising inside. It was almost all he did, currently on one handed pushups, keeping chatter to a minimum and taking sparse breaks for food. It amazed Genine his near inexhaustible energy and fervor for self improvement. More than once it struck her if it wasn’t for his ailments he would have been quite attractive. Though she didn’t mind the sight of him, the noise intruded her mind and distracted her.

“Why do exercise so hard? What else do you do?”

Not even pausing, Galen turned his head towards the woman as his eyes combed over her face. At first he thought she had been criticizing him, but he could not see any scorn or malice. Normally, he would have just continued in silence, but he needed her help and did not do well to be rude.

“The point of exercise is to strengthen the body, and so that is what I do. What else would you have of me?”

His answer was what she expected; she’d lived long enough in her life to know that men were creatures of habit. However, he made the mistake that she could only have hoped for, men only allowed themselves to be told what to do if they didn’t think there was anything they could be told.

“You’ve heard of the Citadel haven’t you?”

The reply was unexpected, and it caught him unawares. The way he phrased it left him little way out, and he did have a passing curiosity about the fabled place. Not saying another word, he got up, put on his coat and hat, and left. He could do with a break from the stuffy library like confines anyway.

((open, opponent can create the arena)

[The Puppet]

The sun had already begun to fall on day. Number 14 had traveled far in search of someone in need of his services, but he had not yet found someone. Feeling spent the puppet decided to find a cozy spot down some dark alley and turn in for the night. He did not like to stay at the human’s inns. He did not trust their kind having had many bad run-ins with their arrogant race.

His mind quickly fell into a series of dreams including wonderful flowers, mighty trees, and all of nature’s other magnificent creatures. He was drawn to its beautiful realm knowing that he was connected to it like a boy to his mother. After all, it was from nature’s oak that he was carved.

“Look at that,” he heard someone exclaim from behind a bush. He couldn’t be sure, but he thought the voice sounded childlike.

“Whoa,” came another voice, also childlike, “who would have left something like this out here?”

14 was about to call back when he felt a strange sensation. “Aaah,” he cried out as he was lifted into the air by his feat. He snapped awake and found himself starring face to face with two small boys, both looking terrified. Enraged that he had been once again mistaken for a common toy, 14 screamed, “Let me go!” Scarred to death the boy holding him let at and took off down the alley way with the other nuisance close behind him. “Oof,” the wooden creature croaked as he crashed into the cobblestone street. “Why I’m going to,” he started but never finished as he took off running after the boys.

He chased up and down the alleys as the boys cried in terror at what they thought was a possessed toy. They ran up and down streets dodging in and out of corners. Finally, seeking refuge, the boys ran up the steps into some important looking building. 14 was not about to let them escape without teaching them a lesson, however, and continued the chase into the building.

14 slowed his steps as he strained his ears listening for the pitter patter of little feat running through the hallways. He crept along looking up and down every passage way hoping to find them darting around the corner. “Ah ha,” he spat out as he saw a shadow turn a corner, “I have you now.”

He turned the corner only to come face to face with a violet curtain. 14 found himself take aback by a strange sense of foreboding, but curiosity swelled inside of the puppet as he heard the sound of wind howling behind the cotton barrier. “Well something went through here” he said leaping toward whatever was waiting for him on the other side.

Bam!

The puppet tumbled into the deck of a ship stuck on the side of a rock. In fact, there were several ships stuck on the sides of rocks. Some were grand warships; others were small pirate sloops. The rocks were surrounded by a thick heavy fog which no doubt had lured the unsuspecting sailors to their deaths. Their skeletons remained hanging over the edges of their boats, lying still along the rocks, or floating around in the seas brutal waters.

When 14 had regained his feat he whispered to himself, “What magic is this?”