Round 2 Veteran: Zack Blaze Vs Hysteria

[Silence Sei]

Fight starts tonight at 12:01 Central Standard time! Fighter Vs Knight! Flames against Shadows! Begin!

[Hysteria]

The ground was soft underfoot. Hundreds of years of fallen leaves and plant matter had turned the forest floor into rich dark soil covered with a small layer of semi decomposed leaves. Talen walked slowly through the immense trees, lost in a world of sensory bliss. For the youth, cursed with darkness within, he felt a particular clam by the material perceptions that constantly hung around him. Others, born only to this world didn't see it. The brilliance of colour, the wonder of light. Some made the mistake to assume that he hated the light, in truth often he could not stand its brilliance.

The tree's dwarfed the young man easily, climbing easily a hundred metres above his head. Each step through the huge scene was punctuated by a crunch of leaves beneath his boot. A slight breeze caused Talen's cloak to sway behind him, his bare chest visible as the clothing hung slowly around his shoulders. The youth body was lean and pale. Muscled enough to do the job but not the bronzed warrior that many came to view as the ideal. His hair was likewise underwhelming; short, black and messy.

The youth had been wandering for some time, finally reaching something to where he was supposed to meet his opponent. There was a clearing, if it could be called that. The five metre spread of crass and leaves in between the trees had more room than outside it where two metres was the most distance between the huge tree trunks. Talen glanced around, finding little of interest except for a fallen log. Talen plopped himself down on it and waited.

The Talen that was sitting on the log was much different to the Talen of yesterday. It had been a slow transition for the youth, a gentle calling from something outside himself. The goal of the youth had always been clouded by shadows, but even he didn't realise that it was obscured from his sight as well. Talen closed his yes and inhaled deeply. The Magus cup was something of a test, a search to find something more than himself. Something worthwhile. The last battle had been short but full of promise. This one he hoped would be even better.

[Zack Blaze]

The image of the ground flashed in his mind over and over again. He had all but claimed victory over Kyla Orlouge, legendary warrior and daughter to the Dragon of Drantrak. Her body was supposed to have been splattered on the ground after he had shoved her off of the building they were fighting on. Instead, there remained only a small pool of blood and nothingness where a deceased Kyla Orlouge should have been. The thought that the girl had once again escaped his grasp filled him with anger.

So, he ran. He ran so deep into the woods, so concentrated at the idea of feeding Kyla Orlouge her teeth that he did not realize where he had arrived. There were massive trees all around his form, a testament to just how small Zack Blaze really was in the world. He could hear the hum of insects as they buzzed around the forest. Bushes rustled as he turned his head from side to side trying to pin a form to the sounds. His rage had blinded him to the goals of his employers, and he was now too far in the green arena to stop.

His eyes settled on the form of a boy upon a log. Zack smiled, and his body began to shake with anticipation. He was in front of Talen Shadowalker; one of the Ixian Knights Nine Generals. The Nine were the best knights that the Ixians had to offer, and Talen had been a member since the initial formation of the famous group that now all but conquered Corone. Zack jumped up and down, the corners of his mouth almost linking his ears together.

Talen was one of the Nine. The same as Kyla Orlouge.

“Shadowalker,” Zack said, his fists engulfed in flames as he spoke, “I’m going to give you about three seconds to tell me where Kyla Orlouge is. If you don’t, we’re going to see just how well as shadow can burn.”

[Hysteria]

Talen let himself release his breath slowly. The question remained unanswered, washing over the youth like any other sound in the forest. Blaze huh? Talen let the question hang for a few more moments, feigning ignorance to the clearly rushed demeanour of Zack. If Kyla had entered the same tournament before him then it was likely that she had lost to Blaze.

“Blaze.... it is odd how small the world can be.” Talen remained sitting on the log, letting the silence hang around his words, “You know it never ceases to amaze me.”

Talen's cloak lifted up into the air and split in two. Each half wrapped around the youth's respective arm from shoulder down to hand. The boy cleared his throat as if nothing had happened.

“I do not plan to let you, someone who seems so focused on some abstract idea of power that you would roam the streets seeking some sort of kingdom of fighting. One that is little more than a punk with two fists and no purpose.”

The tinge of anger in Talen's words were half directed at Zack, half at himself. The darkness cloaking his arms hardened, turning into black metal. From the encased limbs spikes lifted from the surface, turning each limb into a spiked monstrosity. Talen's eyes flicked up, his normally calm pupils ringed by blue cut into predator slits. His mouth twisted into a wolfish grin and even his skin seemed to darken slightly. Talen's hands struck the log underneath him and lifted himself easily into the air. With a flick of his legs unfolding he was standing on the log and looking down towards the street fighter Talen lifted up a hand and gestured Zack forwards. The youth would not let his journey be interrupted by a shadow of himself.

“Come Blaze, and I shall show you true power.”

The youth's pale form was surging with power, his muscles straining as more flowed into his little form.

[Zack Blaze]

The form of Talen that now towered over him sent chills of both excitement and fear through Zack. He had already bested one Ixian Knight, and now he would get the chance to take out another. The prospect of Talen Shadowalker crying like a little girl before him brought a smile to the street fighter’s lips. He tightened his knuckles while Talen told him to bright it on, his fiery fists already to set the shadow ablaze.

“Oh, I have a purpose, Shadowalker,” Zack hissed through clenched teeth, “and it involves adding a little bit blue to your palette of black!” His fires roar, and the red around his fists grew even brighter. He sent two uppercuts into the air, the flames that were once being held now released. The fires ran across the ground like two giant dorsal finds across the grass. Embers sparked onto the green clearing, and the small speckles of orange left dormant started to ignite as well.

The flames slammed hard into their target, as they had managed to navigate around Talen’s extra ‘limbs’ and into the log the boy had rested on seconds before. The fires showed no mercy as they quickly turned the wood to ashes, and their black smoke billowed up towards Talen’s long form. Zack knew if he had rushed towards the youth directly, it would only end with one of the black spikes Talen and conjured through his heart. Instead, Zack had decided to draw the master of shadows towards him, so they were on the street fighter’s terms.

His body began to cackle with electric prowess, his fists now released into open palms. If Talen was dumb enough to push himself through the smoke and towards Zack, the bare knuckle warrior would lunge at his neck and send enough volts to send a normal man to the ground through Talen’s Adams apple. If Talen chose to remain in the smoke, then he would no doubt suffocate within the darkness he so loved. It would be an ironic end to someone as strong as Talen Shadowalker.

Zack licked his lips and waited like a tiger prepared for passing antelope.

[Hysteria]

Fire and smoke. Darkness was a little different; its effects were never quite as direct. Flames licked and cracked their way across the log under Talen's feet as the youth's cold eyes lifted up towards Zack. The growing smoke was of some concern, more than the flames if he didn't act. Talen was not used to being the one that could not see his opponent, but it was obviously the street fighter's intent. Talen closed his eyes and focused. Slick runs of darkness dripped from his skin. Dark shapes, twisting and flowing over each others stumbled into humanoid shapes. Three shadowy versions of Talen ran towards Zack. The original Talen just blinked out of existence.

Talen never moved in a straight line around an obstacle; he flowed and the plan was set. The three dark illusions of Talen exploded from the smoke one after another towards Zack. Dark limbs mirrored Talen's perfectly, moving with silent malevolence towards their target. The real Talen's body twisted back into existence behind Blaze. Darkness pooled in the air for a moment and then Talen was there. Dark hair whipped back from his face as he exploded forwards across the leafy ground. The youth noted with an abstract thought the crunch of leaves under his footfall, but he didn't pause or let it disturb his pride. One, two three steps and the youth closed the four metres in a blink of an eyes, his right arm tipped with dark claws pointed towards Zack's back like a spear. His left hung low by his side, ready for the inevitable attack that would follow.

The youth's mind was focused, cold and hard as he moved from the natural and passive personality to that of the battle hardened child. It was a necessary flip, one that would allow him to win. Talen, like water and like shadows, moved against the path of least resistance. A flowing constant, waiting for the break in the wall before charging, he flicker of light before advancing.

[Zack Blaze]

Zack had expected Talen to come out and face his defeat like a man. He did –not- expect three versions of the youth to be coming at him from three different directions at three different points. Zack stood in the clearing, his eyes shifting between each of the quickly advancing targets. He bit his lower lip, prepared to curse at the Thaynes for giving him such a tricky opponent when he noticed something. The ground below the Talens lacked any shadows.

They were fakes. So where was the real one?

Zack’s ears nearly twitched as he heard the crunch from behind him. He quickly dropped to the ground in reaction to the sound, unafraid of what the shadow illusions might do to him. His instincts served him well, as a claw struck out where he had stood just seconds before. He smirked as he shot his hand out in the air, hand opened. His hope was that he could grab the clawed hand of Talen before the boy had time to counter.

If he could make that one grab, he could fill the youth with more electricity than if he bit into a live eel at dinner time. It was a gambit that Zack knew would leave him open if the assault missed, but the payoff was more than enough to offset the consequences. He just hoped that if Talen did counter, it would not be with something that would finish him off in one blow. The blaze was still able to burn, and no shadow was going to snuff him out that easily.

[Hysteria]

There was some thought. A brief twang of conscious that dragged Talen to a painful conclusion. It was only for the tiniest of moments, a passing flicker in a stream of consciousness. It was this plan that made Talen let Zack grasp his outstretched hand.

The pain was intense. It felt as if streams of fire were coursing through the metal of his gauntlets, dragging their terrible lines through his flesh. In truth it wasn't far from it as the electricity danced through the youth's arm. Talen's next action was by a mixture of reflect and force of will. While his right was grasp by Zack, Talen grabbed Zack's own. The dark metal gauntlet wrapped its fingers around Zack's forearm. Perhaps it was the pain, the success of grabbing Zack's arm, or the smell of his own burning flesh, but it was then the youth's resolve to stay quiet faded. Talen let out a roar of pain, his screaming lungs punctuating the, until now, blissful silence of the forest. The singing of Blaze's lighting was a foot note to the youth's chorus. The once calm blue eyes were now wide with pain and anger. Both mixed in equal parts and were plainly visible across his feverish face.

Electricity surged through both Talen's limbs. Admittedly it was but a tingle in his left compared to the torrent in his right. It was then the boy made his movement and played his trump. Talen's back exploded outwards in a flood of darkness. Twisting tentacles of black writhed through the air in a matter of moments. The eight limbs, black and ominous, like the power Talen controlled, lashed through the air wildly. Talen's clenched teeth managed to utter a word after his scream had died down.

“Check.”

The youth's shadowy limbs twisted around their owner. Each lashing repeatedly towards Zack in a feverish flail. The air whipped and flicked, and the youth focused on not letting go. The plan was simple now, hold Zack still and hopefully beat the crap out of him. Talen wasn't one to plan too far ahead, he was flying by the seat of his pants now.

[Zack Blaze]

The first whip-like blow was cushioned by the leather of the youth’s jacket, though it ripped the clothing, as well as the white undershirt underneath, asunder. The second blow felt similar to taking a baseball bat to his spine. He could feel the welt left by the attack swell up almost instantly, Zack producing a loud scream that rivaled the roar of the mightiest tiger. The third blow almost broke the street fighter’s back.

By the time the fourth blow came, there was nothing to strike at. The area where Talen had held Zack in place was now filled with the emptiness of air. The youth had managed to use his teleport stone to phase out of his predicament, and now he was above the mute, feet at the ready. There was a good fifteen feet between the two of them, though Zack’s weight amplified the velocity of his fall. He reared his legs up, prepared to lay into his smaller foe with a series of quick kicks.

His hope was to floor Talen, to keep the shadow in place. If he could do that, he knew he could beat the brutal Ixian. The wind that whipped around his injury revealed that Talen had drawn a decent amount of blood across Zack’s back. The entry wound hurt, but the blood slightly cooled t when exposed to the crisp wind. Zack closed his eyes and hoped that his gambit against Talen would pay off. If not, the warrior would be at the mercy of the boy.

“Eat this!” Zack yelled towards his opponent. It was not the most clever of lines, but it seemed befitting of his situation.

[Hysteria]

The moment' Zack's disappeared his grip on Talen's right arm was released and the limb feel to the youth's side side limply. The pain was dulling slightly but Talen had mentally forced himself to keep his mind on the problem at hand, rather than the hand problem. The charred mess that would be under the soot covered metal would be enough to turn the boy's stomach, while the other arm barely felt out of sorts. Talen's body was not normal, in fact nothing about him was. The shadow energy that comprised his form rushed in to fill the damaged flesh. It had healed the very minor damage in his left arm almost instantly, but his right would take longer.

The healing was enough at least to allow Talen to focus on more important things. The briefest of time had passed after Zack's disappearance and Talen was moving onto his fall back plan. Teleporting was not just something Talen could do, it was something had planned against. A dark aura burst outwards from his small frame. The aura, tiny amounts of dark energy peeled from the surface of the youth, filled the air around the boy. It acted much like an extension of his body. An expanded central nervous system hanging in the air able to detect anything moving through it.

The murmur of darkness engulfed Zack, instantly telling the youth that his opponent was above him. The move was close to Talen's heart, one that he had often made against his own opponents. In fact his last battle in the Magus had gone just that very way. The youth didn't move, his black tentacles swaying softly side to side in slow rhythm, blades of grass caught in some imaginary breeze. Talen waited, moments stretched to hours before he acted. His face flicked upwards towards Zack at the street fighter’s attempted smack talk. A grin was plastered across the boy's pale face as his eyes peered out from his dark fringe. The youth's didn't respond to Zack with words, rather he disappeared.

The body's body left a slight darkened haze where he had been. A moment later the youth was falling through the air towards Zack. His legs and the nefarious tentacles on his back reached towards the street fighter. The youth was ready to pin the man and unleash the pain he had been inflicted on him four fold.

[Zack Blaze]

His feet hit the ground hard. Piles of dirt and grass flew up in the wake of Zack’s feet. Before the youth could even process exactly what was going on, he felt something hit him hard of the back. He was brought to the ground by Talen and the shadow warrior’s ability to out-teleport him. His mouth filled with the coppery taste of the ground, his back injury rang with the feeling of several bags of bricks being dropped on it. He tried to push himself up, flip around and once again put himself in an advantageous position.

That’s when the whip session commenced once more.

Zack let out a chorus of yelps each time the shadow tendrils laid into his back. He could feel the mists of blood as they spurted out of his injury. He winced and tried to catch his breath. Each time he inhaled, another loud crack filled the air and sent him involuntarily exhaling once more. He could feel each blow slowly crack the bones in his back more and more. The pain was unbearable, and Zack Blaze found himself in a position he could not think his way out of.

He had one final gamble to play; his ace in the hole. He figured that Talen would do the same thing again should the street fighter attempt to teleport out of the beat down. Instead, Zack used the stone’s ability to teleport the sword at his hip above the young Shadowalker. The hope was that Talen would be so engulfed in his sadistic rage that he would not notice the blade’s disappearance. Even if he did see that the weapon was gone, Zack hoped it would be too late by the time he realized it.

For thirty feet above the two warriors, the blade simply known as ‘The Sword’ came down, tip first, towards Talen’s right shoulder.

((Bunny approved by Hysteria))

[Hysteria]

The jolt of landing on top of Zack sent a river of pain up the youth's arm. He instinctively grabbed it with his left to stop further jolts. It was fortunate for the youth that he had additional limbs in which to repay Zack. As the tentacles began to rain down on Zack the youth felt more than a little proud of himself. The youth's volley of strikes slowed slightly as he felt the resistance of his opponent start to dwindle. His victory in his sights Talen felt a sudden shiver down his spine.

The dark aura he was projecting outwards felt the sword shoot towards him. The aura was some fifteen metres, but the sword had gathered impressive speed. The boy reacted with his own inhuman reflexes. His tentacles and legs pushed themselves into the ground and Zack and Talen's little form was sent flying through the air backwards. The boy moved in a blur, but the sword was faster. The blade caught the youth's outstretched leg, slicing neatly into his thy. The youth hit the ground hard sending himself and blade skidding through the leafy ground in a cascade of dirt and plant matter. The air filled with fine plant particles brought a damp earth fragrance to Talen's nose. The sort of one that is received when sent face first into the ground during football, a local game Talen had played in his younger years in Scara Brae. The youth had little time for reminiscing and pushed himself to his feet with the help of his shadowy appendages. Talen's face was calm, passive even as he stood there, still clutching his right arm. A trail of blood running down his left leg showed where the sword had struck.

The youth's body started to glow, a dark energy rippling outwards form his skin. The wound on his leg knitted closed, the only mark remaining was the torn pant leg and trail of blood. The boy let go of his damaged arm, slowly lifting the damaged limb and flexing his hand slightly. The wound was still there, but for now he could move it again. The effort had nearly expended the youth's formidable healing prowess, but he considered it worth it, even if it was just for appearances.

“That really itches.” He said, lowering his hand and turning his eyes to Zack.

[Zack Blaze]

He heard the sword make contact, but knew it was not in the desired area. He could even hear Talen’s magic stitching the wound back up rather quickly. Zack smiled as he continued to lay prone on the ground. The street fighter’s mind told his body to push his form off the ground to no avail. He could tell that Talen injured his back to the point that the young and ambitious Zack Blaze was now somewhat paralyzed.

He looked as the blades of grass blew in the wind, his eyes closed in anticipation of Talen’s final maneuver. When one did not come, Zack let out a small laugh, puddles of blood oozed from his mouth as he cackled. “You don’t get it…do you…” Zack tried to speak loud enough for the shadow warrior to hear.

“The sword wasn’t meant to kill you Shadowalker. It was meant to stop those stupid tendrils.” Zack snickered once more and his head shifted to keep his nose from the inhalation of his own blood. “I… won that in the LCC. It’s not a normal sword. Makai.”

The last word would not make sense to Talen, but made perfect sense to Zack. Behind the Ixian, a large, black Ogre appeared from out of the woods, picking up the sword. As soon as he obtained the weapon, the eight foot giant launched himself towards Zack with a might jump. His landing beside the boy caused a small crater to spear in his wake, and literally jettisoned the street fighter up a few feet. The tree trunk like arm of the foul smelling beast wrapped around the waist of his master. The duo then turned to face the man who had so soundly defeated Zack Blaze.

“I just wanted to make sure you couldn’t follow me. ….This isn’t the end Shadowalker, not by…a long shot,” as Zack spoke the final words, he began to cough up more pools of blood. “Makai, let’s go.” The demon spawn obeyed quickly, his knees bent as he jumped into the darkness the trees provided. Zack was too weak to continue the battle, but even he knew when he was beaten. His body jerked each time his ‘slave’ landed on another piece of ground, his form similar to that of a little girl’s doll. Makai would take him back to Misery Business headquarters; get the young man’s body healed up. The whole trek through, Zack had come to realize something.

His enemy was not just Kyla Orlouge; but all of the Ixian Knights.

[Max Dirks]

This wasn't the best writing I've seen out of you two. It seemed rushed and clearly neither of you proof read your posts. Since Open Office came out, I don't think I've seen writing on Althanas with so many spelling, grammar and usage errors. Since you are veterans, I'll limit commentary to areas where your scores differ. ZB is Zack Blaze and HY is Hysteria.



Zack BlazeHysteriaNotes

Story
3
4
ZB: Although I appreciate your attempt at continuity between rounds, the "Zack runs into the woods to chase Kyla" did not meld well with the "Talen's here to prove himself" motif.



Setting
4
4



Pacing
5
4
HY: Mechanics hurt you here. While the battle moved along at a brisk pace, I kept finding myself having to re-read portions of your posts because you omitted or misspelled a word. Please proofread a bit more thoroughly in the future, my good man.


Communication
4
4



Action
3
4
ZB: While it's certainly not powergaming, your usage of Zack's LCC trinkets was suspect. Your posts were anticlimatic without a bit more explanation of what the trickets are, how they work, and how you obtained them.


Persona
4
4



Mechanics
3
3



Clarity
4
3
HY: "The moment' Zack's disappeared his grip on Talen's right arm was released and the limb feel to the youth's side side limply." Um what? Unfortunately this wasn't the only omitted word that caused me trouble.


Technique
4
4



Wildcard
5
3
HY: Since the battle was incomplete, I took your posting delays into account in the score.

Total
Total
39/10037/100



Zack Blaze wins!

Zack Blaze advances to Round 3!
Hysteria is very much alive in Round 2 of the Redemption Bracket!

Zack Blaze earns 2475 EXP and 47 GP
Hysteria earns 825 EXP and 44 GP.

[Lye]

EXP & GP Added!