Knights VS Monsters

[Enigmatic Immortal]

(Closed to Silence_Sei and Zerith)

Jensen paced back and forth in front of the office to Sei Orlouge, his mind racing with words and thoughts. Never before had he contemplated what he was about to ask. Such was the magnitude of this thought that Jensen didn’t even have the ability to chuckle away his nerves. No, this was way to serious to take in a joking fashion. He had to be diplomatic, suave, and above all else, sure of what he was about to do.

With a deep breath he entered into the chamber of his lord and found Anita toiling away at the paperwork as she scribbled more and more notes on the field of paper as she smiled to Jensen. The immortal smiled back with a generous wave before looking to see Sei smiling to him. His two little girls quickly stood up to see the knight and the smallest one, Emma, waved furiously to Jensen. He waved back, tossing her a peppermint candy he usually held on him for Azza as he placed a gentle hand on Ella’s hair, ruffling it.

When he looked to Sei he was all business, and the immortal gave him a long look before he was about to speak. When he did he was clear and concise and full of determination as he thought of the words a fraction before they left his lips.

“Sei, there is a moment in a man’s life where he defines himself in the crucible of battle. Blood being shed, bones being snapped, and lives ending in an instant are traits that can define a person into who they will be. I’d like to be the person who’s bones remain intact, blood still flowing, and life in decent affairs. This is why every Saturday Zerith and I both go to the Citadel and challenge legends of old. No doubt you heard of Ramah and even heard of the Storm Herald from Willie, but I bring forth to you a challenge that I think needs a more, stern, soft spoken hand.”

“You’re pathetic, Immortal,” Anita teased from her seat, grabbing more paper.

“And you’re an over glorified secretary,” Jensen sassed back. “Problem?” She shook her head giggling. “Good! So, Sei, I come to you,”

“Wishing to ask for my assistance in tackling a big one. Is that it?” Sei telepathically voiced. Jensen cringed a bit before nodding his head. The mute took a moment before he replied. Jensen began to speak rapidly in a begging fashion.

“Look man, there’s this team of fighters at the citadel going through people like clockwork and beating them down shouting about how they are unstoppable! I watched a couple matches and its got my blood stirring like crazy, but they won’t fight unless it’s a three on three! I asked Willie but he punched me, and I asked Steph but she’s training with the Oracle of Water today! My dad won’t do it ‘cause he’s hung-over and the Orcale of Fire is a dick! Ta’gaz won’t go because he’s training with Tobias which knocks her out and Adolph is on a date with Aislinn! That leaves me with nobody else because Azza’s to young!”

“Zerith wants in on this to, and he’s just jonesing for a chance to blow his load on some warrior face. It’d be best not to deny him his ability to blow his load. That’s not cool, that’s being a cock block! You’re not a cock block are you Sei?”

“Mind the children, Ambrose,” Anita said quietly.

“Is a cock block a rooster blocking something?” The little Ella asked innocently.

“Yes!” Sei and Jensen both spoke at the same time as the immortal smiled slyly.

“Come on Sei, what do you think….will you do it?” Jensen said, showing his best puppy eyes.

[Silence Sei]

Sei closed his eyes and sighed. Normally, engaging in the citadel was something best left to the people who wanted to fight there. Yet here was Jensen Ambrose, pleading with the Mystic in front of his daughters that he needed his help. After all that the enigmatic immortal had done for Sei, the Hero of Radasanth could return the favor. Besides, the last time Jensen and Zerith went to fight a legend, they both came back worse for wear. If such a trend kept up, he'd have no soldiers to fight the wars.

"I'll do it," Sei said with a nod. Jensen tried to hide his excitement, but let a little girl-like jump escape from his body upon the acceptance. "I'll have to go get my things in order, but I'll meet you there in a few moments. Why don't you gather Zerith up and start heading that way?" Sei could fly, an advantage neither Jensen nor Zerith had in the ways of travel. The red haired warrior nodded and left the office, leaving Sei with his daughters.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Emma Orlouge, the middle child of Sei's family asked, "Jensen has a tendency of, you know, dying. It's what he excels at. By agreeing you might as well have put your head in a guillotine." Anita nodded in agreement with her little sister, still scribbling down the pay roll she had to do every week for the Ixian Knights.

"Papa's going to do it whether we beg him to or not," Anita spoke, Sei responding to the comment by getting up and walking around the room, gathering his various equipment. By the time he was done, his three daughters had lined up from tallest to shortest. Sei planted a kiss squarely on each of their heads, every single one of them saluting the leader afterwards. Sei began walking out of the door, stopping in the doorway for just a minute, a grin on his face.

"You know, I'm not sure why I'm bringing the lance too, but you never know, huh?"

[Zerith]

During the entire trip to the Citadel, Jensen had practically skipped happily the entire way. Although the immortal insisted he just had a little extra bounce to his step because he was excited to wipe the smug grins off of the team of fighters they were going up against, Zerith knew exactly what Jensen was doing. The Knight of the Apocolypse was skipping, like a girl around Emma’s age, and was just a little embarrassed of expressing his more feminine side. Either way the immortal managed to make the halberdier laugh, which was something Zerith hadn’t done often since joining the Ixian Knights, or since Zevernus died. Yet the warder was quickly becoming better friends with his comrade, and although he wasn’t aware of it, Jasmine had confided in Stephanie that she hoped her husband would find something with the immortal that he lost just before Siela was born.

***

“Is nobody else going to say it?” Jensen asked as he looked to both the general and the telepath with eyebrows raised. He huffed and turned back around to stare at the surroundings of the chamber the monks of the Citadel had brought them too “Fine, but I know we’re all thinking it. “I bet Remi would get a kick out of a place like this”.”

“Cassandra Remi isn’t here, so don’t go and get all of your hopes up, Jensen” Sei replied with a chuckle. The immortal did have a point though; the place certainly carried that charm someone like the Gisela Reaper would appreciate. Dark stone walls surrounded the three of them, and on one large table stood a monstrous chemistry set. Tubes and Flasks were connected to each other through complicated and intricate means. Liquids of various colours lay in various places, some only being in existence because they were a combination of two other ones. Two were even held over open flame, the sound of them boiling made it feel like someone had just been busy at work and had to leave in and hurry.

Zerith approached another large table and delicately tried to lift something off it with his left hand. “Still, this place has her name written all over it,” he turned slightly, showing the other two the strap of what appeared to be leather he held in his hand. Sure enough, there were at least three others, more than enough to convince the Knights that someone was once another person’s guinea pig at one point or another. Next to that table stood a small tray, filled with shiny metal tools that the halberdier didn’t recognize. However, he did know what a knife looked like, and there was more than enough to make his stomach feel uneasy.

“Who cares if she tries to show her face her?” Jensen blurted out. His face was quickly covered in a grin as he made a fist. “If she does, then that’ll just give us a perfect reason to mess up that pretty face of hers.”

“I call first dibs on bringing the pain!” the prince exclaimed. It was no surprise to either Sei or Jensen for their friend to say such a thing. After what that bitch’s father tried to do to his daughter, to his family, Zerith didn’t trust anyone with the name Remi in the slightest. It was out of respect for Sei that the halberdier didn’t snap Cassandra’s neck with his pair hands. Though both the mute and his bodyguard wondered just how much of the noble they knew died on the inside that day.

“Whenever you two are done,” it was Sei who decided it was time to get things back on track. “Now that we’re here like you wanted us to be, Jensen. Where are our opponents?”

[Enigmatic Immortal]

That was a point of contention Jensen wondered himself as they all looked around the pseudo laboratory. Despite the several experiments and the bubbling vases and low lighting, the enemy wasn’t anywhere to be seen. Well, Jensen thought they weren’t anywhere, but when a chuckle echoed in the vast chamber all three began to look around frantically.

“So it does seem that Sei Orlouge would hire himself the Gisela Reaper for personal gain. I am shocked the hero of Alerar would stoop to such low levels.” The voice had a tone of arrogance that matched the suave charm in the demeanor the male voice spoke. It was still all hard to pinpoint in the vastness of the cavern. Jensen turned his head to the side and thought he saw something move in the shadows, but there was nothing to be seen.

“Hey, shaddup and come on out and play in the light!” Jensen called outwards, feeling the beat of his soul begin to boom. The chuckle grew louder.

“Oh, but I am a denizen of the night, the light just isn’t my shtick,” There was the tisking sound of a tongue being clucked as the voice moved locations. Whoever it belonged to was freakishly fast, or good at throwing their voice. Either way Jensen just pulled out his newly formed fighting gloves, feeling the studded mithryl gems over each knuckle. He grinned as he let out a low rumbling chuckle. “I can hear your heart racing, Jensen Ambrose, and I can hear the heart beating of your comrade Zerith. I feel honored that I will make a fool of the great Sei Orlouge, one of his finest generals, and his personal bodyguard all in one evening’s fight.”

“Strange that,” Jensen chuckled louder. “All I can hear is the diarrhea coming out of your mouth. You coming to fight or talk us to death, cause if I wanted that I could listen to Stephanie bitch about her day and get the same workout.”

Sei and Zerith chuckled to that as the immortal began to dance in place. There was silence, then there was the sound of something else dripping to the floor. It was constant, almost like a ticking clock. Zerith quickly stepped back, face full of alarm.

“What the-” He said in alarm. He let the grains of sand build upon his outreached palm as he held his halberd in the other hand. All three companions looked up as one and Zerith’s eyes went wide as he covered his face, a large grainy hand of sand coming from the rafters and snatching his body up like a giant on a playground. The general’s screams were muffled as his body disappeared into the shadows of the ceiling rafters, and the Sei turned to Jensen, both nodding at once.

The immortal sprang into action as the Lord of Ixian Castle drew his Gemeni blades rushing after the sound of Zerith. With loud hysterical laughter the immortal danced forwards, feeling the tugging of the leather gauntlet on his hand as he clenched his hand into a fist, hearing that satisfying grind of the fabric meshing with itself. He looked to the cavern wall up ahead and pointed to his left, jumping in the direction as his feet nimbly carried him in the rhythm he heard pulsing in his brain. Sei nodded to him taking the other path and his fate was no longer known.

He turned the corner sharply, eyes growing wide as he found his prey. An axe as large as his head came swinging and it took a shrill cry of mirth as he bent backwards feeling the wind pass his stomach as the weapon bit deep into the side of an experimental vat. Water gushed outwards in a high pressure as Jensen twirled back to an upright position, shuffling back and forth as he giggled like a school girl.

“I am known as Jarmel Bloodhoof,” A deep, powerful voice boomed to him from the shadows. Two large horns pierced the light as a bull like humanoid entered into Jensen’s vision. He pulled the axe back, holding it in his two hands as Jensen gave him a look of appraisal only warrior’s could give. They both looked to the other and it was clear on their faces. Neither one thought much of the other.

“They call me Jensen Ambrose,” the immortal said. “The loudmouth, obnoxious, sensual, sexy, and ever so suave Enigmatic Immortal. Come dance with me, Caramel Bloodcunt, I wanna see your moves!” Jensen flipped invertedly forwards bringing his heel downwards in a heavy axe kick. The minitaur easily lifted his axe up blocking the blow. What he didn’t expect was Jensen to see saw off the blocked blow and bring his other foot up in a violent flash kick. The crimson life force flew out of the stunned beasts mouth as Jensen let out another shrill cry of laughter, landing on his feet in a kneeling position looking up.

He didn’t expect to find a hoof slamming into his chest knocking him upwards and backwards as he slid on the ground. Lifting his legs upwards he felt the momentum shift his body into a roll, kicking his legs up and planting his hands as he pushed off the floor and stood on his feet again.

“I underestimated your agility,” Jarmel admitted with a sly grin.

“And I underestimated just how ugly one person can be,” Jensen replied with a similar grin. “Shall we continue?”

“Yes, let’s!“ Jarmel cried happily. Jensen giggled riotously, rushing forwards leaping into the air pulling his fist back.

[Silence Sei]

Sei ran through the corridors, his initial shock from Zerith's disappearance starting to fade. As the sound of Jensen's laughter began to reach his ear, the mute was slung from the ground into the wall. Luckily, the mute always managed to cast Mystic Protection before going into the thick of battle. As such, the sounds of struggle were quickly drowned out by glass breaking, seemingly from all around the halls.

As the glass shards that had formed around Sei's body shot throughout the area, the mute smiled. Maybe now this mysterious benefactor would be injured enough to show his face. Such a fate was too good to be true, as Sei was pulled up into the air, slamming against a rafter.

The mute felt the pain jolt in his upper back and he winced at the fact that somebody had so easily avoided his trademark spell. The mute caught a glimpse of Zerith's weapon sparking in the distance, closing his eyes for just a moment to send a Mystic Protection spell onto the weapon itself (which Sei assumed Zerith was still holding).

The Mystic was released, sent dropping to the ground like a bag of bricks. Sei reactively spread his butterfly wings as a result, the appendages catching a wind drift and saving the telepath from a rather gruesome fate. His foe expected this however, and threw him back up into the rafters, causing the warrior to cough out a tiny bit of blue blood from the impact this time.

"And who is this warrior who hates light so much that he'd stay away from a light based warrior?" Sei asked, trying to goad his foe into revealing himself.

"Ryoki Nishoba," the same voice from before plainly said, taking a step into the lighted area of the corridor. All the mute could make out where black loafers of some sort.

"Funny, you sound way too masculine to be her. You should really take something for that." The mute was stunned at his own clever wit, perhaps his mind felt he needed to balance out the crude tongue of Jensen Ambrose?

"You conceited fool, you're going to die here -because- of Ryoki Nishoba. I know what you did, Sei Orlouge, know all about how you killed her. I'm going to rather enjoy tearing you and your Ixian Knights limb from limb."

"Problem there is you're going to have to defeat us. That's not going to happen." Sei grinned as two long vines of seaweed began to sprout from the top of the ceiling. The figure took another step, revealing a long black trench coat and what appeared to be a tuxedo.

"Your Octopus' Garden spell. I know how it works," the man said plainly enough, "The flaw in your strategy is that you casted it too far away from me."

"The vines weren't coming for you..." Sei spoke with a grin, allowing the strands of seaweed to grab each of his wrists and squeeze. Within a half of a second, boulders began to crash through the roof, Sei pulling off a series of back flips from his now dangling position in order to avoid them. Several of the rocks went into the darkness, and the Mystic could have sworn he had even heard a grunt of pain from his strange enemy.

"This might be more fun than expected. Zerith, Jensen, status report."

[Zerith]

Suspended in darkness, Zerith’s screams were cut short as the gigantic hand that held him captive squeezed. Pain surged through his body as the air flew out of his lungs and left him breathless. For those few seconds, the warder swore he could hear his ribs crack underneath the pressure. Soon dizziness followed and the prince could barely identify the sounds of both Sei and Jensen fighting in the distance, somewhere still in the light. Unfortunately, the same couldn’t be said for the halberdier, and now he found himself alone in the dark. He wasn’t completely alone though, apparently his only companion in the black abyss was the one that was trying to kill him.

“You humans are so fragile,” a deep voice spoke in a hoarse, gravely tone to the noble. It sounded muffled, as if his assailant’s mouth was full of something. “I could snap your bones in an instant, how powerful could any weapon of yours be compared to that?”

“P...put me down...and I’ll show you,” the halberdier managed to squeak out as he tried to breathe. In his right hand Amenzanil sparked with anticipation, the blade and electricity leaping and arcing across it makes their hunger for retribution known. As he tried to fight off passing out underneath the pain, somehow the warder managed to gather enough strength to lift his halberd and grasp it with both hands. Although he couldn’t really see anything around him, it didn’t take a genius to know when something was wrapped around you and crushing you. So Zerith did the obvious and plunged the weapon into whatever it was surrounding him. He felt the natural resistance of whatever it was give way to the titanium, and immediately the grip around him weakened entirely as whatever held him captive let go. After that, the prince plummeting down from the rafters and back into the light.

The fall down to solid ground was much shorter than the warder expected. So rather than land gracefully on his feet like he had hoped he would, Zerith stumbled and fell flat on his back. As his spine crashed into the stone floor, he gasped and relished the ability to breathe in all the air he wanted. His personal victory was short lived though, as he quickly heard the crash of something else landed on the floor, something new and just as deadly as whatever the mute and the immortal were fighting against. As he slowly climbed back up to his feet, cursing all the pain that came with the movement, nothing could have prepared Zerith for what he saw before him.

Piled up in front of his sapphire eyes stood a towering pile of sand, it was as if people had merely taken a bunch of shovels to Fallien, dug a hole, and left the by-product of their work here in the Citadel. Although it seemed like nothing extraordinary, the whole thing just felt unnatural. “Just a pile of sand?” Zerith wondered, confused and lost. Thankfully his curiousity would pay off this time, as upon closer inspection the halberdier saw that the miniscule grains were tumbling down the mountain, but climbing up?

“Some have called me the Hourglass of Demise or the Sands of Ruin,” the same deep voice echoed against the stone walls as Zerith helplessly watched the pile of sand move and act like it was all connected to one mind. Without warning a large, giant hand rose from the peak, a thick muscular arm following it as it rose into the air, made a fist and came crashing down beside the halberdier. “Others have given me more simple titles, such as The Sandman...” it went on as another arm appeared and did the same, slamming down on the prince’s other side. Then Zerith’s mind was blown away as not did the sands merge and form a large, humanlike head complete with eyes, a nose and a mouth. But a chiselled torso and a pair of legs much thicker than any tree the noble could have imagined. The sand had turned into a behemoth, standing even taller than Ramah did and made the warder feel like just a tiny insect. As it spoke even more sand spilled out of his mouth, answering Zerith’s intial question of why the voice sounded so muffled. “Yet in the end, names mean nothing. As either way you will die, just like the countless others have before you. Your number will join theirs and soon you will be so many you will outnumber the sands that compose ME!”

The attack was sudden, as the Sandman swing with a devastating right hook. Yet Zerith managed to duck just in time, feeling a few grains of sand fall off the monster and onto his him. His reaction was immediate and followed his instinct, as he unleashed a battlecry of his own and charged the abomination before him. As soon as he could, he leapt into the air and raised his polearm above him only to bring it down and cleave into the shoulder of the arm that attacked him. Whatever this thing was, it had made it clear it didn’t want to bother with names. So Zerith oblige and went straight to work instead.

“Just getting started, Sei!” Zerith called out to his friend when asked. “Though I don’t know how I’m suppose to kill whatever this thing is!”

[Enigmatic Immortal]

Jensen laughed as his fist pulled back and thrust forwards into the Minotaur’s chin. Blood dripped down the side of the beasts mouth, but it never stopped grinning as it easily stalked forwards, letting the immortal get his fun in. When he over extended his fist he felt the warrior’s hand grip his arm and like with a bellow of spent strength Jensen’s body lifted upwards and sailed outwards towards the experimental vat that was hit by the axe prior to the start of their engagement.

He felt his jacket flap against his skin and he balled himself up twisting his body, but the speed he flew was just to powerful as he slammed into the vat knocking the whole thing over with a loud metallic groan. Jensen’s body ached as he let out a gasp of pain, lifting himself to his palms as he looked at the creature laughing to itself as it stepped forwards.

“Doing fine,” Jensen said to his mystic compatriot as he lifted himself upwards to his feet, dusting himself off and feeling the growing aches of pain from his collision with the metal tank.

“Confident words, human,” The beast taunted. “Let’s see how fine you are when I begin to hack you into little pieces.” Lifting his axe upwards the bull like humanoid charged forwards, muscles rippling with anticipation as began to bull charge at the immortal. The knight laughed as he held his ground, lowering his stance before leaping upwards and corkscrewing in the air at the last moment to land on the charging bull’s back.

“YEE-HAW!” Jensen laughed as the minotaur angrily thrashed about, rushing towards a wall, and turning to slam itself into the stone. Jensen slid like water off the beasts back, rolling to it’s stomach as the beast collided with the wall, creating a loud quake and fissuring cracks. Before it could land Jensen began a series of rolling combination punches, kneeing the beast in the gut and preparing for his uppercut. When he hit the beast with the last kick to the stomach he turned back and then leapt forwards hitting the dazed creature just under the jaw clamping his mouth shut and pushing with all his might upwards, spinning as he did so getting lift on the larger foe.

It stumbled into the wall, groggily coming forwards as it grabbed hold of its axe and swung it haphazardly. Jensen easily slid backwards with a quick burst of speed, looking behind himself to see Zerith back on his feet and attacking. His Halberd cut through the flesh of the sand like monster, but as the sand fell to the earth like a bucket of water exploding outwards, the grains reformed into the entity and a new hand grew outwards grabbing the general by the collar and tossing him towards the immortal.

“Pay attention!” The bull shouted as it body checked the immortal with its full weight. The motion caught the immortal completely by surprise as he flew awkwardly forwards, his toes dragging along the stone floor as he flailed his arms around wildly.

“SHIT!” Jensen and Zerith shouted as one before colliding into the other, toppling them into a weird tangled fleshy ball. They fell upon the floor and the world spun as Jensen grabbed his head and cursed violently. Zerith woozily placed one hand on the floor to re-orientate himself as the two chuckled to the other.

“What the fuck is that thing?” Jensen asked thumbing the Sandman.

“An eyesore,” Zerith grumbled. “Need help, or should I just assume I got to handle all three of these things by myself.” Jensen chuckled helping his friend up with a hand. Jarmel swung his axe forwards and Jensen had to push Zerith away as the two rolled to the sides. The axe bit into the earth deeply as Jarmel easily pulled it out, looking to the immortal.

“You lose your head to easily in battle, fly.” The Minotaur taunted. “You think a few hits mean I’ll be down, but-” The minotaur’s face turned to shock as it stumbled forwards, Zerith’s halberd slashing a bloody cut across its back. It turned angrily to retaliate, but the immortal already retaliated with a flying jump kick hitting him square in the spine. Stumbling forwards the beast lost himself and Zerith swung his blade again, cleaving into its chest making it scream loudly in pain.

“Here comes the fun part!” Jensen shouted jumping forwards and lifting himself upwards, twirling and kicking the beast several times in the air rapidly. He connected four times on the jaw of the Minotaur as it fell back each time a hit connected. Jensen fell on the floor after spinning and looked to the beast with smile, coming back up with a one last violent roundhouse. “One more for good measure!” He shouted with glee, snapping his heel deep into the beasts jaw.

Down the beast went as it fell on the floor, angrily snarling as it spat blood and tried to clear the cobwebs forming in its spinning mind. Jensen went to push the advantage but was met with a thick grainy hand as the Sandman punched the immortal from halfway across the arena. He spun like a top woozily before slipping onto the floor in a funk as he touched both hands on the cool surface to connect with reality.

Shaking his head like a wet dog he rose back to his feet, laughing hysterically as he pulled out two throwing knives and rushed at the sand creature. Easily the Sandman launched out another hand to meet with the immortal, but to his surprise the Halberd of Zerith cut it clean in two. Now the immortal laughed like a jester, screeching with hysterics as he leapt forwards at the sandman with weapons raised high.

“Fool,” The gravelly voice spoke as it receded into a pool of sand, drifting away quickly towards the rising Jarmel. The beast slammed one hand into it’s head to psyche itself as Zerith stood next to Jensen, both brushed up against the other’s back with weapons held at the ready.

“You both can’t stand up to me!” Jarmel shouted angrily. Jensen giggled as Zerith lifted two fingers up, taunting the beast to come and get them.

“Only one way to find out!” Zerith replied as Jensen shouted once more in glee.

[Silence Sei]

"Clever," the third contender's voice said, taking another step into revealing his form. Now that the rocks had stopped, Sei could asses any damage that his spell had done. He looked at the man's face, a sheet of a face highlighted by two yellow marbles on each side of the nose. What should have been pupils were slits, and orange hair slowed downwards onto the man's shoulders. The sunglasses he had been wearing now had a lens knocked out, giving him a very comical look.

He took the glasses and tucked them into the pocket of his tuxedo's coat. "I didn't expect you to just hang there while you dodge an attack meant for you. I guess I underestimated you. Ryoki had warned me I would."

"What is with you and Ryoki? What was your relation to her?" The mute asked as the vines from Octopus' Garden released their hold, slinking back into the crevices from which they came. He glided gently to the ground, looking at his opponent as he made clicking sounds with his tongue, hinting at the overly long canines from his overbite. A vampire.

"My name is Wetzger. I am one of the Vampire Lords of Lavinya. I am also....was also, Ryoki Nishoba's lover. She had told me all about you, wanted to be more like you. Yet you killed her without questioning her intentions. For that, my team mates and I will make sure you suffer." He clicked his teeth again before stepping into the shadows once more.

"Ryoki was killing innocent people. What I did there, I did for the good of Lavinya." Sei's eyes shifted around the hall, trying to get a bead on his opponent. He sheathed his Gemini Blades, instead opting for the weapon currently tied around his waist. He unfurled the kusari-gama known as Dahlios rather quickly, spinning the scythe of the weapon around while still trying to locate his foe.

"She was the only one of us that had a genuine problem with feeding on the cattle!" Wetzger shouted, obviously enraged at Sei's heroic outlook on that situation.

"Zerith, what's taking you so long?" Sei said as Wetzger entered a self righteous monologue about the mute's former girlfriend.

I'm fighting a bull and a guy made out of sand, cut me some slack here Sei, Zerith sent his thoughts to say, obviously too locked in combat to say them out loud.

"Sand?! You've got a halberd filled with electricity and you're fighting a being made of sand?! Do I have to spell out what happens when lightning hits the ground at a beach?!"

"Pay attention!" Wetzger shouted, using his fist to make his point heard. The blow slammed just short of Sei's face, causing another Mystic Protection to shatter around him. The telepath grinned and slung his kusari-gama, wrapping the bladed end around his foes arm, and the weighted end around his own.

"Can't disappear if you're stuck with me. This evens the playing field a little." The glass from Mystic Protection shattered, and would have normally caught Wetzger point blank in the face. Yet, because the chain of the kusari-gama was directly connected to Sei,. and by proxy the vampire lord, the undead king was safe from the defensive spell.

"Not thinking to clearly, are we Orlouge? You're trademark is no---" Wetzger was cut off by a fist to the face, causing a bit of his lunch to spill out of his mouth. He turned back to the telepath, a look of sheer rage on his reddened face, and let out a hiss not unlike that of an angry cat.

"Oh, go hiss yourself...." Sei retorted, sending another punch towards his foe...

[Zerith]

“I’d wager that it would be something similar to what would happen if I hit you with a lightning bolt! So you should consider yourself lucky that I can’t test the theory out. Now with all due respect, Sei, stay out of my head and let me fight!” Zerith snapped back at the leader of the Ixian Knights. Yes, he did look up to and admire Sei Orlouge at times, but the halberdier was quickly learning that there were times that he would have preferred Sei to say a mute. Having his intelligence mocked was something Zerith didn’t tolerate, not even when it came from someone of higher rank.

Just then, Jarmel charged at the two knights, unleashing a bestial roar as he brought his axe with him in a vicious swipe that intending to cut both men in two. Jensen continued to laugh, the adrenaline rush being a thrilling experience to the immortal. Pushing off the warder, he leapt into the air, flipping over the cleaver and grinning as he felt the wind from it brush against his jacket. When he landed at Jarmel’s side, he only remained grounded for a moment. “Yeah! That’s how daddy works his magic!” he exclaimed before he leapt into the air again, sending a devastating spinning kick to the back of the monster’s skull, his heel crashing into the back of the beast’s cranium.

Jensen’s quick thinking saved Zerith’s life, so it was only fair that he at least tried to return the favour. When Jensen pushing against him, the prince pushed back and also jumped. Though the momentum pushed him backwards and out of the axe’s reach, the halberdier knew Amenzanil’s lethal range was far superior. Grabbing hold of the base of the wooden pole, the noble thrusted toward Jarmel with one hand while still in midair and watched at the electrified speed towards his opponent’s torso like a bullet. With this attention fixed on Jensen, there was no way the Minotaur saw what was coming. The halberd struck its mark perfectly, the sharp tip punctured Jarmel’s abdomen and gave him an shock he would definitely remember.

“What’s wrong?” the warder taunted, “Are we too much for y-“

The last word was ended abruptly when something collided into the halberdier with the force of running into a wall. It was the Sandman again, taking the initiative and coming to his comrade’s aid, although now he appeared to be only a head atop a pile of sand. A single limb stretched outward like a tentacle from the center of the mountain and it was that which crashed into the prince, knocking him off his feet and pinning him against a wall. “Arrogance only leads to a quick death,” he spoke ominously. “I’m going to enjoy burying you alive in me.”

“Well I’m sorry to disappoint,” Zerith countered as he lifted his halberd again, “but I’m afraid you’re just going to have to settle with gradually being turned into glass instead.” He brought the blade down again, and it easily sliced into the Sandman just like last. This time the halberdier watched in awe and the enchanted metal did it’s work and fulfilled Zerith’s promise, scorching the severed limb and turning the only the parts it touched into glass.

Just like that, the warder was free to resume the fight again. Except now he knew what he had to do against the Sandman. Instead of taking on the impossible, he had changed the encounter into a battle of attrition.

[Enigmatic Immortal]

“Zerith behind you!” Jensen shouted as the monstrosity of Jarmel charged into the halberdier, shoulder beating him to the ground as Zerith’s body rolled forwards. His Halberd left his fingertips and in that second the Sandman rolled over the shaft of the blade absorbing it into itself. Jensen ran forwards, doing a few cartwheels and flips as he arced his body to hit Jarmel in the back of his thick bull head. The beast staggered as Jensen came back around with a violent flash kick, his feet barely touching the floor.

When he landed again he dashed backwards, avoiding Jarmel’s cloved hoof that attempted to repeat the cheap shot he had performed earlier. With a quick twirl on one leg Jensen was about to bring his foot back into Jarmel’s exposed temple, but something lifted upwards, and Jensen’s foot felt like it kicked through dense water thwarting his attack. He looked down to see the Sandman rolling upon itself in circles, keeping close to Jarmel’s feet.

Jarmel’s fist came flying outwards and Jensen went for a back flip to avoid the attack, but his feet felt weight as the Sandman covered his boots burying the bridge of his feet. Jarmel’s fist knocked a tooth loose as it connected, the immortal cursing loudly as he was ripped violently out of the sand, his toes aching to be bent so awkwardly as he soared in a twirl hitting another vat tank shaking it as he stumbled into himself.

The Minotaur let out a violent war cry, raising axe overhead as it charged forwards, swinging the blade overhead and arching it downwards in a violent vertical slash. Jensen had but scant seconds to pull one of his throwing glaives out and toss it as he jumped pitifully to the side. The glaive twirled in the air, the almost inaudible soft whistling noise cutting the air as it ran against Jarmel’s nose and up to his eye before skidding off and into the distance.

The beast bellowed in rage as it thrashed around, swinging his blade wildly, breaking the vat nd causing pressurized water to explode into the beasts stomach. The force felt like being sucker punched in the gut as the mighty beastman bent over. Jensen giggled as he scrambled forwards to his feet, rushing at Zerith to regroup. The Sandman had reformed and was taunting the down Zerith, hitting him with repeated spikes of sand that rose from his feet and into the air in a six foot gap.

“Break it you bastard, and I’ll kill you!” Zerith said angrily, but Jensen could see the soft glint of a trick of his sleeve in the way his eyes twinkled. The Sandman however didn’t see it, and easily lifted the Halberd out and was prepared to snap it when something extraordinary happened.

The Mystic Protection Sei had cast upon the staff protected it from harm, sending glass shards deep within the sandman, but that wasn’t all. Enraged and sniffing the blood, Jarmel lost himself as he rampaged forwards, creating a form of shield for the immortal and the halberdier. His back was raked with shattered glass, and Jensen easily rushed forwards laughing with hysterical glee as he uppercut the beast with a full fist of hate.

The Sandman had retreated, bellowing in agony as red splotches began to litter the sand he was formed of, the Halberd easily being lifted back to Zerith’s hand.

“Thanks Sei!” Zerith called as he joined Jensen in defeating Jarmel.

[Silence Sei]

Each time Wetzger's fist pounded into the soft skin of Sei's cheek, the mute thought that he was on the verge of passing out. Likewise, every time Sei had planted a hard hit on his opponent, it felt as though the telepath was hitting a bag of flour. Each fighter was giving it everything they had, with neither of them making any progress into seriously hurting the other one.

As the two fought, Sei could feel the ground sliding around his feet, as if some sort of grains were shifting past the Mystic's form. Wetzger's next punch cause the Telepath's face to fly to the side, watching as the Sand Man formed his body, blood still pouring from where the other Ixian Knights had dealt their damage. The mute's eyes widened in panic, but he did not waste a second in delivering another fierce punch into Wetzger's face.

Of course, Sei could feel the pull of another force as soon as the blow had found its mark. The Sand Man was already forming into the first half of his name sake once more, attempting to pry the telepath from his opponent. Sei could feel as his bones try to pop out of socket from the force, shifting his gaze to find the mostly formed Sand Man right beside him. Below the waist of the strange warrior was nothing but constantly flowing grains of sand, but above the waist was free for an attack.

With his spare hand, Sei threw a punch at the sternum of his second foe. The fist would find nothing but air, the Sand Man caving his stomach in to match his lower half, the grains of sand constantly shifting around Sei's hand. The mute bit his lower lip, delivering a message to his General.

"Zerith, Can this sand fellow be harmed in his physical form?"

I think so...why?

"Much appreciated," Sei retorted, activating the emei piercer in his ring finger.

The Sand Man gasped as he looked down, finding an extension of Sei's light magic jutting up through the sand that had formed around the mute's fist. Judging from the shocked expression on the transforming foe, Sei could assume that he had hit something vital in the man's physiology. A grin formed across the telepath's face while the Sand Man deformed into a pile of his name sake once more, though where he disappeared to, Sei had no idea.

He turned back around just in time for Wetzger to lay another punch into him. The whole event had happened in a matter of seconds. All of these opponents were good, and incredibly fast. Sei growled a bit before throwing another blow into the man's face.

"I know you didn't make Vampire Lord with just strength and speed. What other abilities are you hiding?" Sei asked, before he began to feel an extreme amount of heat upon his throat.

Sei's eyes shifted downwards, to his neck. He could feel the skin melting off of the bone, the strands of muscles snapping under extreme heat. His neck was on fire, and it was only now that Sei had realized Wetzger had the telepath in the palm of his hand. The two glowing red pupils of the vampire dimmed down, and Sei fell to the floor, gasping for the water he needed to cool off. The water that would never come. Wetzger untied the chain that bonded him to his foe and began to walk off with a snicker.

"Wait....give me one reason..." Sei slowly spoke to the man, who paused to listen, "Give me one reason to stay here.....and I'll turn right back around..."

"A reason?" Wetzger asked, a slow chuckle forming into a maddening laugh. He turned around and slammed his foot into the ribs of the dying Mystic. Sei silently screamed as speckles of blue flied out of his mouth. "How about so when you 'turn around', I can kill you again? To hell with you Sei Orlouge, and to hell with your metaphors!"

The last thing Sei had seen was Wetzger turn back around and walk off, presumably to go after Jensen and Zerith. Yet the undead opponent of the youngest Orlouge had no idea that by gloating over his victory, he had now sealed his fate. The magics of Sei's spell weaving slowly welled up in his body, ready to make their move...

[Zerith]

With the Sandman out of the fight for the time being, the immortal and halberdier found that they easily had the upper hand against Jarmel. Jensen fought as he usually had, a constant flow of quick movement and endless stream of maniacal laughter. He would rush forward and deliver a quick series of punches and kicks, then quickly jump back or retreat before the monster could figure out where he was being attacked from and respond with a furious swing of his axe. The knight’s sharp tongue would come next, uttering numerous insults and criticisms to the Minotaur while Zerith would take his turn and take a swing or two with his halberd. Together, the system they were using was paying off. The large cuts and bruises that covered Jarmel’s angry exterior were all they proof they needed to show for it.

Roaring loudly, Jarmel lost himself to his rage. His face turned into a dark shade of red as he tried to take in as many small, quick breaths as possible. His expression showed nothing but anger, and even made the scowl’s Cassandra Remi made to Jensen look like a slight smirk at best. Although neither one of the knights knew it, the Minotaur anger only made him that much stronger physically. All he needed was to probably land one blow on either one of the two men to kill them, much like how Ramah did on that first outing the two friends shared to the Citadel. Now a few months later, Zerith and Jensen had become quite a team, and both knew that as long as they had Jarmel all alone that this fight wouldn’t last much longer.

But sure enough, that’s exactly when things changed.

A sudden impact into his back sent the warder stumbling forward and to his knees which was followed by a punch to the side of his head that knocked him down to the ground. “Looks like I finished Sei off just in time to save you, Jarmel.” The halberdier’s newest attacker commented. “I must say, I’m quite disappointed in you. This one doesn’t look like he can cause any trouble.”

“Easy for you to say, Wetzger, you weren’t fighting two of them at once!” the Minotaur shot back defensively; apparently the vampire had struck a nerve. “I was fine without you anyways, I can deal with these humans.”

“I think not,” his comrade answered. “Now that I’m here, I can’t take care of the r-“

“Sorry, but you’re going to need more than cheap shots to beat us!” the prince interrupted as he climbed back to his feet. Reaching his right hand out to where Amenzanil had fallen from his grasp, Zerith only had stretch out with his mind to make it suddenly fly up off the floor and back into his hand. It was an unexpected side effect from a test the monks of the Citadel did on him in a encounter, but the discovery he had could move objects with his mind proved to be quite a blessing. Once his halberd was back in his hands, he quickly took a swing at Wetzger. Yet just as he was about to watch the titanium blade sink into flesh, all he saw was a black blur for a brief instant and then the vampire disappeared. Immediately after that yet another strong blow into the noble’s back knocked him off balance, then there was another black blur and Wetzger suddenly reappeared in front of him again and delivered several punches into Zerith’s gut.

“I have more than enough strength to kill you,” the vampire lord said in a calm and collective tone as he grabbed his new opponent by the throat and easily lifted him off the ground. “I’ve already killed Sei, so you shouldn’t be any sort challenge for me,” Wetzger finished before he threw the warder into a wall across the room, separating him from any help of Jensen.

[Enigmatic Immortal]

Jensen went to move and run towards Zerith’s location, but Jarmen Bloodhoof’s axe nearly clove him in twain as the immortal was pushed back, the towering beast stepping to be the wall in the way of his friend. Jensen felt his chest heaving as he looked to the beast, realizing that he was hitting a point where the minotaur was un-phased except by the most fiercest of attacks. It was not helping matters either that the beasts strength seemed to grow with its rage, and even the merest backswing could cleave the knight in twain.

Jensen flared his teeth in a demonic leer, giggling as his body adjusted to begin another complex dancing rhythm of avoidance and counter attacks. Jarmen’s hooves seemed to be stomping as he stepped forwards, his muscles bulging with sweat and adrenaline as he narrowed his eyes and snarled his hate. Red was all the beast saw, driving him forwards to push the immortal into a corner where his agility would mean little, the few strikes Jensen did merely agitating the bull.

That was the first problem Jensen realized he was having.

The second came in the form of droplets of sand, tiny grains cascading from the ceiling rafters as it tracked Jensen. The immortal knew the Sandman was trying to get a lock on him so he could descend and trap the knight for Jarmen to finish him off. With two psychotic, esoteric opponents the immortal began to ponder just exactly what the hell he would do. He was running out of energy, his endurance slipping, and one wrong move would turn this into a handicapped match instead of the three on three. He jumped onto a platform where a boiler was resting, pressurized water swirling inside as the little alarms began to whirl into life creating an obnoxious claxon cry.

The lights that had dimly lit the place in a greenish yellow glow shifted suddenly to blues and reds, casting the laboratory into a panic like state as sirens began to blare. Several vents began to hiss as containment tanks leaked out steam from the sides, the occupants falling to the floor dead without the life support systems. The immortal was surrounded by noise and events, the rafters yawning in a metallic groan before it collapsed into the main fighting area separating Zerith and Jensen by destruction alone. Jarmen lost his footing as did Jensen, both collapsing to the side violently into tanks. The sand pricked his neck and Jensen rolled to his right as the Sandman followed after him, Jarmen slowly returning to his feet with a weak shake of his head to knock the cobwebs out.

Attempting to capitalize on the downed foe, the immortal rushed forwards in the wake of the tremors, eyes lit up like a child finding their birthday wish. Jarmen lifted himself up in a surge of aggression, flexing his arms outwards as the shaft of his axe became a temporary staff. He slammed the metal into Jensen's gut, hitting his body harshly into the air. Jensen recoiled as if he had hit a wall, arms flailing outwards as he let out a guffaw sound, followed by painful, wheezing giggles. Jarmen took the flat edge of his blade and hit Jensen square in the torso, lifting the immortal easily into the air where he flew towards something that glowed a dim blue.

He landed in a backwards tumble, legs and arms spread outwards as he rolled to an abrupt stop hitting a pressurized water tank exploding the gasket and shooting water out above him. His face tingled with the boiling contents of the vat, and he weakly pulled himself forwards, his fingers touching the soft scarf of Sei Orlouge. He looked to see the Mystic was in worse wear than even Jensen, the faint blue light emanating from the Mystic.

"Ya, okay," Jensen said getting up and patting Sei twice on the chest. "You take a fucking nap and I'll handle bullwinkle and sandy vagina," Jensen let his hysterical insanity build up again as he woozily stepped into a half trot to meet with the enemy again.

How do I fight them? Jensen thought. Dammit, what would Sei tell me? What would Ta’gaz say? Jarmen let out a violent roar as he came back on the attack. Jensen ducked a violent horizontal swing, and found an opening in the Minotaur's defenses. He spun in a circle, bringing as much momentum into his roundhouse kick as he could bringing his heel down on Jarmen’s exposed temple. With a wail of terror and the sound of a bag being ripped open and grain falling out, the Sandman descended from the rafters, creating a barrier between the immortal and the target, his foot kicking sand instead. He pulled before it could wrap around his ankle and flipped backwards, breathing heavier as he realized he was running out of options. He had a few more minutes tops to find a solution, and find one fast.

A god damn sand creature, and a fucking minotaur! How the hell more awkward can you get? Jensen thought dully, before his eyes lit up in a violent idea, his lips curling in mirth as he let out another cruel chuckle.

“I’m Jensen mother-fucking Ambrose!” The immortal screamed as Jarmen brought his weapon to bare. The beast watched as the human charged him, fingers pulling out two throwing knives as held them up at his chest, crossed over his breasts. He let spit fly out the side of his mouth, hysterical laughter of one who suddenly gave into madness echoing in the beasts ears. Jarmen sized up the knight’s run, and came up with an attack plan. Easily the Sandman created another wall as Jensen charged, and the beast let out a mighty roar as he put everything he had into the swing.

“I’m the enigmatic Immortal, pal! I don’t need a god damn fight plan! You never stood a chance to begin with!”

Jensen hadn’t known that during his charge Sei had landed on the floor behind Jarmen, and when the bull pulled his arms out in the swing he exposed his ribs to the Mystic, and that was all Sei needed as far as openings. He took his lance from his back and lifted it at the right height, charging and impaling Jarmen Bloodhoof in the side, so the beasts swing faltered as it let out a confused, high pitch whine similar to a bovine. The Sandman fell into a pile of grains as it swiftly shifted away, leaving Jarmen alone as Jensen ran right at the beast with maddening laughter. Jarmen still was not out of the fight as he pushed Jensen aside with a mighty backhand, but it came from his weakened side and did nothing more than brush the immortal away.

Jarmen fell backwards as the immortal slid next to Sei, coming up just into a hunch as he breathed heavily, lips parted in a twisted smile. “Let’s keep it classy now!”

[Tobias Stalt]

Headache and a half, coming right up. As a basic judgment, I'll be scoring you guys as a quest. If I had to pick a winner in this one, though, it'd be a close tie between Sei and Zerith, and I'd give the edge to Z, just because I felt it was slightly more compelling. No victory bonuses here, though, so just take that as bragging rights.

To be honest, the story element was a bit weak. I was able to glean where they were and what was going on, but could not get a firm grasp on why. The thread smacks of a "Let's beat up on some folks and distinguish ourselves." Hey- there's nothing wrong with a shameless, self promoting thread, but at least tell a good story in the process. The best heroes come from humble backgrounds and all that.



Story: 5
Setting: 6
Plot: 6
Action: 7
Communication: 6
Persona: 6
Mechanics: 5
Clarity: 6
Technique: 8
Wildcard: 4

Final score: 60

Silence Sei gains: 950 Exp and 50 Gold
Enigmatic Immortal gains: 1,500 Exp and 60 Gold
Zerith gains: 600 Exp and 60 Gold

Congratulations!

[Lye]

EXP & GP Added!