Death Cant Save You (Open)

[Lloyd]

Open Battle, Preferred up to lvl 3 combatants. Ciato if you accept we will finally meet.

"Ar-are you sure young Orlouge?" One of the hooded monks working at the Citadel said, his jaw quivering as he could only muster those words. Giving off a vibe of pure terror as Lloyd walked towards the giant door. As he passed by the monk Lloyd let his narrow gaze meet the monk's frightened stair, this was more like candy to the twisted Orlouge. "You know... This will be one of the largest battle grounds I have ever constructed."

"Good, now leave and send word to any who wish to show their metal. Let them all hear of this chance to kill an Orlouge." Lloyd said as he turned and then began to lean against the big stone door, seeming to not have a care in the world. "Be sure to inform my father of my challenge." He said as he jerked his head to the left. From the direction he turned to look a figure emerged out of the darkness. Tall, pushing eight and a half foot, and muscular the figure towered over the small mystic. This man was completely decked from head to toe in some sort of leather body suit, and on his back was strapped a great sword taller than he himself.

"Sir, y-yes sir." The monk said before quickly turning tail and making for the exit.

Lloyd kicked off of the door and turned to face it, behind this wall was his play ground. A replica of the lost labyrinth that once stretched under the Red Forest.

The door opened, and with a flash of purple light the cold stone passages. The passages plenty wide for Lloyd and his friend to move freely within them. Fog covered the ground, and only darkness can be seen above. The two entered the arena and than began to bide their time until a worthy opponent appeared.

[Ciato Orlouge]

"So the little pup thinks he's going to become the alpha now, does he?" each word spoken by Ciato Orlouge dripped with a malicious venom. Lloyd Orlouge was one of the 'Feral Fencer's own children, and much like the alabaster bastard himself, he sought to one day defeat his old man in combat. It seemed the jealousy of elder genetics was a heriditary trait in all naturally born Orlouges.

"Yes Father," Amy Orlouge, Ciato's 'favorite' and most vicious child nodded, "he sent a monk of Ai'Brone here to deliver the message. I took the liberty of making sure he wouldn't ever have to utter our family name again." Amy parted some of the pink bangs from her eyes, her unpolished nails still stained with blood.

"I hope you did not kill him, my dear?" Ciato held a glass of Berevar brandy between the fingers of his right hand. His eyes followed the swirls of the liquid as he jostled it around its glass prison. "The last thing I need right now is the entire Citadel looming over me while I make sure Lloyd learns his place.

"I did not," Amy's black heels clicked upon the floor of the Citadel as she wiped some of the crimson liquid from her 'claws'. She looked to her father, a bruise just under her right cheekbone; the only resistance the poor monk of Corone could muster against her overwhelming strength. "I simply removed his teeth and sewed his tongue to his bottom lip. It was not as fancy as Lloyd's tools, but I feer I got the job done well with just nails and some piano wire."

"That's my girl," Ciato smirked as he approached the door that belonged to his child. His white teeth reflected the torchlight as the door to the arena opened. Instantly, the feet of the two vicious murderers were enveloped with a mist. The Mystic's nostrils flared at the stench of stale air. The atmosphere was chilled, the perfect temperature for a corpse to remain unhindered by the elements. On each of his sides were to stone walls that snaked straight before jutting out in opposite directions. "A maze. How quaint. Remind me to lecture Lloyd later on how to build a proper arena."

Ciato extended his brandy hand, which Amy quickly took into her own, downed, and through out past the doorway. The shatter glass echoed through the labyrinth as though dozens of windows were simultaneously smashed. Ciato's grin formed into a full-on smile as he heard this. Lloyd created a battleground in which he help the advantage against his old man, it seemed. Ciato reached to his side and unsheathed his blade as the metallic 'shing' reverberated through the halls. He began to step down into the arena, his daughter tasked with guarding the exit.

"Also, make one more note," Ciato said as his voice echoed back towards his cruel offspring, "have me remind Lloyd that an Orlouge always works better at a disadvantage."

"Yes, Father," was the response of the walls, a voice that once belonged to his heir.

[Lloyd]

A crash sounded all around Lloyd as he rested against a wall not far from the entrance of his arena. A reverberating sound of glass breaking rang in his ears. Hands in the pockets of his jacket under neath his black cloak. A cynical smile plastered on his face along with a emotionless thousand yard stair. "He must be here..." Lloyd whispered under his breath. "My father..." He finished as he withdrew one hand from his jacket. In it one of his surgical scalpels gripped like one would a fine dagger.

Off just to his left stood his eight foot tall zombie. Strapped in full leather the monster looked as if he wore a black body suit. He grunted to his master's words and reached for the large great sword he wore on his back. The sword itself was wrapped in worn linen wrappings all but the sharp tip.

"Well Blunder, why don't we be the gracious hosts he is promptly wishing for." Lloyd said as he turned and began to walk toward the entrance of this dreaded maze. Fallowing groggily behind his zombie stepped with sword in hand. Hostility between the Mystic and his father was more like a write of passage rather the genuine hatred. Lloyd only wished that his father would take interest in him instead of his sister, Amy.

Lloyd's blood starts to boil every time he lets his mind lay on Amy. He was just a unique as she and in his opinion stronger. What was so special that he would care more for her than he. A subject always at the foremost of his mind.

Then he heard it, a sharp twang of metal scratching metal. Now there was no question in this troubled youth's mind. There was surely an opponent within the maze, less just round the corner. Overcome with anxiety Lloyd rushes to the corner of the maze and peered round to watch the entrance. He was stunned to see his father unsheathing his fine blade, feet planted firmly in the mist of the maze.

"Your here," Lloyd said softly to himself. His father really accepted his challenge, Ciato Orlouge. Some hear the name and quiver but not Lloyd. He relishes every thing he hears of his father, savors the thrill of his father's exploits. Yearning to be his tool, craving to be of worth. Eyes locked on Ciato, Lloyd raised his scalpel to his face. Slowly he sticks out his tongue and slides the tip of his scalpel across it. Forking his tongue out of complete excitement. The blood started to pour from his mouth as his tongue ached. With blood steady dripping from his mouth Lloyd was back and recollected himself. This was a fight he had to remember that.

Stepping out into view of his father the young Orlouge spat out a thick stream of blue blood. "So it would seem that you got my message. My invitation..." Lloyd hissed past gritted teeth. Blunder still out of view and in the next adjacent corridor.

[Ciato Orlouge]

"You have no right to summon me to the citadel, boy," Ciato pointed his rapier towards his son. A growl resonated from his gut as he looked on at his spawn. Though he stood alone, there was a stench of death that always permeated around the younger Orlouge. The idea that his child was alone made Ciato's stomach churn. The 'Surgeon of Slaughter', as Lloyd was known by most, was not one to try and fight alone. Something about this situation made Ciato uneasy.

"To think that you even have the slightest bit of skill over your father is atrocious, and you will be punished for the discretion, Lloyd Ransom Orlouge." Ciato leaned back and spun his swords tip around in a circular formation,which caused the weapon to whistle through the air. "Though your mother is no longer with us physically, she will also be here, as the instrument of your defeat."

The alabaster bastard soon heard the sound of metal as it scrapped against stone. He could see sparks of orange and blue fly out from around the corner Lloyd just turned from. Suddenly, the cold of the arena was nothing compared to the pride that warmed the Mystic's body. It seemed as though his other child got bored waiting by the door.

"Dear brother," Amy spoke from behind the deathly doctor as she stepped out behind him. In the girl's hand was a mace with a redwood handle. Each spike on the ball of the weapon seemed to be made of diamond, and the ball itself made of prevalida. "Did you know that every year, more than thirty zombies die from exposure to the elements in labyrinths? Please, for the sake of your undead, don't leave your zombies unattended in your mazes."

Ciato snickered for a moment before dashing towards Lloyd, his hope was to skewer the boy straight through the gut. Amy just revealed what her brother was hiding, and though the Orlouge patriarch knew his daughter did not harm the undead abomination, it was just a matter of time before his son called upon the aid of his corpse ally.

[Lloyd]

"Hroarrrr!" a deep moan echoed in the dark corridor Blunder had retreated down. Like any creature when put in a situation their primeval instinct takes over, survival. The moan stopped and then the loud clunk of the zombie slamming his weapon against a wall.

"Oh sister of mine. Your not on my agenda today." Lloyd said over his shoulder to his loving sister. "If you would like you may go play with Blunder." His tone almost condescending. "Im sure he is waiting for you." Amy, simply shrugging her shoulders. Lloyd lifting his hand up to his shoulder and lightly flicked his wrist, saying 'Be off then', and returning his attention to his father who seemed to chuckle at Amy's comment.

Eyes locked with his father, a man who was not to be toyed with. Known to kill on spot and renown for his lack of passion. Lloyd knew this to be true, admiring his father for the demon he is. Challenging him was wishing for death but if he did come out a victor... Now that would be interesting.

Ciato broke the calmness of the mist first, kicking it up as he started to dash forward at his son. Bastard in hand he lunged at his spawn with intent to pierce his gut. Lloyd knew his father would dawdle long and instinctively as one of 'The Litter' could. His right arm was equipped with a gauntlet housing two three foot long retractable claws. Like a flash he tensed his arm and the length of the claws launch. Extending his arm up and quickly diagonally he caught his father's sword and repelled it back and to the left.

"Quick to kill father, just as I expected." Lloyd said as he took tree steps back and let his arm rest and his claws retract. "But seeing as I know you and I know of your talents I have something else in mind." The shadow surgeon hissed as his eyes flickered with deception. "After all, we have this big badass maze to enjoy and it looks like I already have a monster hiding within." Like the deceitful young pup he was he turned and began to run past his sister and down the opposite direction of that his zombie had taken. Hopping that he would separate his two kin, Amy after his pet and Ciato in hot pursuit of himself.

[Ciato Orlouge]

Ciato's body was flung to the right (Lloyd's left) as his son countered and mocked him. The nobleman gritted his teeth as his child took off down the maze. The quiet once again took control as Ciato and Amy stood in the labyrinth. The pale swordsman noticed his daughter shiver from the slight chill of the arena, though it could have just as easily been the thrill of the hunt that gave her goosebumps.

Ciato shivered in return, from both.

"So it's divide and conquer, is it?" Ciato sheathed his weapon and walked to his daughter's side, "Are you up for making this a little interesting, 'Maimy Amy'?" He parted some of the crimson hair from the girl's face, and saw the smile underneath that looked more like a wolf with fangs barred.

"I take the zombie, you take Lloyd, and the first to kill their quarry is the winner?" Amy bit the bottom of her lip hard so that a gush of azure spurted onto her father's chest. Ciato nodded and took the hand of his daughter before he drove the claw like nails of Amy into his forearm. Speckles of blue fell upon the girl's face and Ciato released her hand. This blood rite was something Shadow Mystics passed down to their kin. The battle was now as much of a rite of passage for Amy as it was for Lloyd.

"According to Mystic Tradition, I now see you as my equal," Ciato explained and grabbed the face of his daughter. He squeezed her cheeks hard, his nails nearly embedded in her face as they stared into one anothers blue eyes. "Do. Not. Disappoint."

The girl nodded as she followed the path that Lloyd's undead ally took off to. Mace in hand, Amy scrapped the large weapon against the stone walls once more. It would only be a matter of time before she found the living corpse, and then she could have the joy of re-killing it. Ciato watched his daughter disappear into the mist, which seemed to get thicker the deeper into the maze one went. Lloyd would be able to beat a hasty retreat should his tactics not work against his father.

Ciato closed his eyes and swirls of darkness began to envelop his hand. the shadows circled around one another and they thinned out as they grew from the Mystic's palm. By the time the shadows had finished their vortex, Ciato held in his hand a pitch black long sword. He swung the weapon around several times to make sure he had an appropriate feel for the weapon. It was heavier than his rapier, but still managable in combat. He made several curved swipes through the air and the slashes themselves formed very thin lines, almost like a spider's webbing. This would help prevent any escape attempts the 'Surgeon of Slaughter' might make.

"Now, Lloyd, let us play a game of catch, just father and son," Ciato shouted into the darkness, and received his own echo back as a response, "I catch you, and you try to catch whatever limbs I sever off your body."

The alabaster bastard laughed as he walked opposite his daughter, into the thickness of the fog that consumed the arena.

[Lloyd]

Minuets passed as Lloyd traversed the fog covered corridors. Leaving only faint footsteps behind as he continued to make random turns in this labyrinth. Each time he turned he made sure to spit against the opposite wall than the direction he took. His tongue still bleeding and his blue blood easy to notice if he needed to fallow the ‘bread crumbs’ back to the beginning.

“Are you back there father!?” Lloyd yelled as he stopped and rested against a wall. He had put some distance between himself and his father, but like any well informed combatant Lloyd knew this wouldn't help him for long. His voice echoed down the long hallways not completely alluding to his location just hinting, his goal to try to play mind games. “I know you can hear me!” He yelled again still huffing and puffing as he leaned against the wall. Lloyd moved his cloak and jacket away and plunged his hand into his satchel fondling all that is in it. First he gripped his ball of thread next a sheathed needle, then he found it. Lloyd removed from his bag a bottle of pure alcohol. Quickly and with one clean toss Lloyd emptied half of it across the width of the hall where he sat. Then Lloyd moved just to the next turn in the maze and sat down to continue to rest and wait for his father to show himself.


~~~~~~~~

Blunder groggily moved through the darkness continuing to slam his big sword on the walls as he hobbles. Mindlessly he walked, his left shoulder shattered from Amy smashing it with her mace. “Gruuuggee” The monster growled as the sound of confident foot steps could be heard fallowing him. Blood on the ground from his wound made for a nice trail right to him. The monster didn't know… but that's the brains of a zombie for you. He stopped dead in the middle of the hall, his great sword now starting to unravel. The foot steps behind the monster stop as he did then silence. Only the deep moans of the decaying warrior is heard.

Breaking the tension Blunder made one last loud groan and contorted his waist wile swinging his mighty weapon at the figure behind him. There was plenty of distance between the Mystic and the zombie, this wasn't a kill move. No this was a display of power, a display of death. At the end of his swing the end of his great sword smashed into the wall of the maze. With a loud crash the sword cratered the wall sending pieces and debris into the air. Recovering the monster took two large steps forward and swung again at the Mystic now in range to strike and cleave the figure in two.


~~~~~~~~

Lloyd crouched against a corner of two joining corridors waited for his twisted father to catch up with him. There was no doubt in his mind that his father was stronger then he was himself. Ever since he was a child Lloyd knew his father was one incarnate of death, a bringer of chaos and defiler of dreams. He both feared and respected his father for this. Growing up as a one of ‘The Litter’ Lloyd’s only purpose in life is to become a weapon, a weapon for their father.

Today you will see me father. For the first time ill show you the power I can offer you. After all im your weapon just waiting to be unsheathed. Lloyd though to himself as he waited.

[Ciato Orlouge]

Ciato’s footsteps were slow and deliberate, as though any contact with the ground could be a trap. The pale Mystic’s eyes darted around, his sword firmly gripped in hand. Lloyd’s voice echoed down the halls, but his father gave no response to the jeers. Ciato was a seasoned veteran, and knew these kind of tactics quite well. These were the same type of strategies the alabaster bastard would apply when he fought his own brethren. It seemed as though Lloyd wished to follow in the elder Orlouge’s footsteps in more ways than one.

If Ciato Orlouge were more of an emotional man, he would cry.

Instead, the quiet sound of his feet upon the ground stirred up feelings of rage within the notorious nobleman. The chill of the maze caused bumps to appear all over his skin, and he could see his own breath as he slowly exhaled into the darkness. The shadows were a place where Lloyd Orlouge lived all of his life, but Ciato Orlouge was a master of the craft.

The labyrinth grew colder the deeper he ventured. He would every so often take his blood and paint a letter upon the granite wall. He sneered as the particles grinded into his skin, but it would help the sadistic heir know how to get out of the chilled environment later. He sucked in a deep breath, the cold air a painful feeling upon his teeth, and began to scrape his blade against the walls once more.

“Ten more seconds, Lloyd,” the Orlouge patriarch’s monotone vocals were aided by the acoustics of the arena, “Ten more seconds before I grow impatient with your little game.”

As Ciato rounded a corner and arrived at a point with two conjoined corridors, he could hear the sound of shattered glass in the distance. Only a few feet away from his son, Ciato smiled at the fractured crystal echoes. “It seems as though Amy already got bored.”

~~~~

Amy jumped back as the rocks attempted to flatten her small form against the ground. The favorite daughter smiled as she brought her own weapon down upon the chunks of wall. The zombie intended to show off his power to the girl, so it was only polite to return the favor. An Orlouge was nothing if not considerate of others, after all.

When she smashed the piece of wall, there was no debris left any bigger than one’s finger. The pellets flew off in every direction, a few even found a home in the sadistic Orlouge’s hair. She looked up from her ‘kill’ just in time to see the sword swung at her form.

“Lloyd should teach his zombie’s better,” she mused as the weapon stopped inches from giving her practically no waist line. The air around the girl shattered, and dozens of glass pieces floated into the air before contorting into something far more sinister.

Little figurines began to surround the girl and spin in a circular motion around her. The people of glass danced around her as if there were a special tune playing just for them. The figurines were all different shapes, sizes and genders, and each was completely made of the crystal that shattered seconds before. “Do you know what these are, Mister Zombie?” Amy tilted her head and her eyes remained open, never blinking, “These are my trophies. Everyone I’ve killed I make sure my Mystic Protection crafts a figurine of them. I’m currently at sixteen kills for the week, so this is kind of a memorial to those that felt the cold head of this mace.”

The zombie did not seem to understand, and instead, lifted its sword back up to swing once more. Amy reached her free arm out and flicked one of the small dolls with her ring finger. The glass that once compacted the figurine shot outward towards the face of the undead abomination, and fifteen dancing marionettes were left twirling around the girl’s form. “After today, Mister Zombie, I’ll make sure you’re added to the collection! Won’t that be fun?!”

She tilted her head the other way now, her eyes still wide open, “Won’t it?!”

[Lloyd]

“My game…” The young and tormented Orlouge said just loud enough for his father to hear him. Then silence as his presence disappeared back into the mist of the arena. Lloyd was conflicted, was it time or wasn’t it? His father was only a few short lunges away, but there was always his cursed shield. Granted Lloyd also inherited that from his father but timing is everything.

Lloyd sat against the maze’s wall waiting for his moment, his perfect chance. The troubled Orlouge watched his own breath as he slowly exhaled, it billowing out of his mouth like rolling smoke. He intently watched as it formed vague shapes before dissipating and vanishing from sight. Gripping his scalpel with his strong hand he simply relished the thought of cutting the flesh of his maker. Sitting in complete silence Lloyd paused anticipating that sound, the slight sound of his father stepping into Lloyd’s puddle of alcohol.

Seconds passed before he heard anything each feeling longer than the last. The breaking the tension the sound of Amy’s mystic protection rang through the halls. Balls.

~~~~~~~~
Blunder grunted loudly as he withdrew his sword from the near the girl. The zombie’s half decomposed eyes groggily examining Amy as the air around her shattered. Glass figures started to form and dance around her like a tribute to her bloody accomplishments. She trying to explain nonsensically to the zombie, regardless what she said he could not understand her.
Blunder in all his eight feet of might reared up once again and began to swing his sword. He wasn’t directly intending to strike the girl, rather like before he hit the wall but opposite the first one. The weight of his sword and force his body could muster caused once again the wall to splinter and shatter everywhere.

As his sword made contact with the wall Amy flicked one of her prized possessions at the zombie. As the figure soared through the air at the beast it shattered and glass shards spiraled with deadly intent. But as they soared so too did the pieces and dust of the wall. Not completely deflecting it but stopping the majority of the glass shards. The rest pierced through the vail of rubble and splintered into Blunder.

“Hrooaarrr” Blunder let out a loud yell as the blood spewed from his left side where the shards penetrated his cold and already dead flesh. Pushing his body once more he grabbed his blade and slung it now at the small Orlouge frame. Through the now fading rubble cloud he wasn’t invisible but more of a blur to the untrained eye.

~~~~~~~~
“Ha ha!” Lloyd let out a billowing burst of resounding laughter as he heard the destruction from the other battle. One, now two craters left by his beast in this darkness. Though he was still sure his sister was still alive and proudly running the fight, Lloyd was proud of how well his beast was fighting.

Then he heard it, the faint footstep in the puddled liquid quickly fallowed but another. This was his moment; Ciato was in range for Lloyd to make his first of many strikes. Quickly rolling out into the corridor he was certain his father was Lloyd launched his scalpel at his father with assumed deadly accuracy. Not much but enough to break his own protection, everything was going according to plan.

[Ciato Orlouge]

Amy snickered as her opponent swung once more. She jumped back several feet to allow both her and her figurines some space from the attack. Rubble and debris spiraled towards her like small stone birds that sought a worm, only the worm was a snake. She swung her mace left and right, wielding the weapon as if it were a one-handed sword. The large weapon made its own craters in each side of the maze wall, and a cloud of dust quickly rose from the granite onslaught.

“This has been fun, Mister Zombie,” she spoke through her veil of brown cloudy stone fragments, “but I think it’s about time we take you out of the equation.”

She did not know if the monstrosity could see her small form, but she quickly began to run, her heels an ominous click against the stone floor. She ran towards her foe with as much speed as her petite body could muster, a smile plastered across her features. When she arrived inches before the undead creature, she quickly scaled the mound of rubble in front of him and leapt into the air. She easily passed over the larger warrior but spun around so she faced his backside.

She landed and gave a quick bow to an invisible audience. Her figurines were still in their circular dance around her. With her free hand, she flicked two more of the crystalline dolls and sent even more Mystic shards towards Blunder. Her mace hand at the same time swung towards the beast’s legs. Her father taught her to always take out the base of a bigger foe, and it was a lesson Amy currently took to heart.


~~

Ciato heard the glass of his daughter’s Mystic Protection shatter and it brought a smile to his face. The sounds of repeated strikes against stone proceeded the trademark shatter of his race which caused the nobleman to snicker.

“She’s toying with your creature, Lloyd!” He announced and started to turn around. As he did so, he heard the whistle of metal through the air. His eyes darted towards the sound and saw a sharp, small scalpel soar towards his shoulder. Ciato moved his blade behind him as a unique smell began to fill his nostrils. He looked down to find that his feet were submerged in a puddle of liquid. No doubt one of Lloyds tricks.

The surgeon’s tool no longer concerned him, as it stopped itself from contact easily. He looked back up from the direction the weapon had been thrown. He could make a faint outline, though it could have just as easily been a trick of the labyrinth and the darkness. The air that surrounded him broke apart much like what happened to Amy moments before. The glass from Mystic Protection compacted, through it resembled more of a transparent glass snake than tiny figurines. The long line of sharp shards stood there for a moment, as if it awaited an order.

“Find his right arm,” the alabaster bastard told his creation, “and make sure to rip the tendons apart. If he wants to play sneak attack, we’ll just have to flush him out.”

The glass reacted as soon as its master finished his explanation. It darted towards the direction the scalpel (which was now on the floor in the alcohol puddle) originated from. At the same time, Ciato pointed his sword, Asterodeia, forward and thrust in the same direction. His ambition was that Lloyd would either get it by the glass, or run out of his hiding spot to be run through by his father’s blade.

[Lloyd]

Piss! Lloyd thought as he quickly rose to his feet and launched himself into the main hall which his father stood. His scalpel had done what he wanted it to do; now his feet had to serve him just the same. The sound of his glass cutting through the air cursed the surgeon’s ears; Lloyd had forgotten how effective his father’s shield actually was. Lloyd watched as with anticipation as the shards of glass soared directly at him even turning in midair as he rolled trying to avoid them.

Now crouched on all fours Lloyd traced the course of the shards and timed it accordingly. Swiftly the rain of glass turned and focused on his right arm. As they were to strike him, the young Mystic pushed off the ground with all his limbs enough to resemble a frog’s leap. He only evading the shards long enough to reach deep into his satchel and grab both of his remaining scalpels, one in each hand. Even so his father’s attack was as stubborn as he was and turned once again to strike Lloyd.

The glass shards took a long arc to redirect itself giving Lloyd only seconds to react. Though the air in the labyrinth was chilled heavy beads of sweat dripped from the young mystic’s brow as he kicked off the ground once again this time only to get the desired momentum at his father. With all the force he could muster Lloyd let one of his scalpels fly with a great flick of his wrist. But this was all he could do to avoid his father’s shield as its shrapnel seemed to hit their mark.

But nothing happened, no blood, as if they were all absorbed by Lloyd himself. Instead just like his father and sister alike his Mystic protection was activated and a glass shield around him formed. Lloyd watched as his scalpel was easily noticed even in the faint light of the maze. His father was truly a monster of a man as his beautiful sword swiped his scalpel in midair.

“Choke on this!” Lloyd yelled seeming taken over by malicious impulse. His glass was shattering and with it came his twist on his heritage’s power. All the shards of glass crumbled to near dust and began to rotate rapidly around Lloyd fast enough to create and outward force. Lloyd knew his magic well and knew that this was his best chance to wound his father. Using the extra outward force the young surgeon let fly his second scalpel this once fly at least twice as fast as the others, but aimed well lower than his father would be expecting. It soared directly toward his father’s Achilles heel; it would be plenty sharp to pierce his father’s boot and still make the desired cut hopefully immobilizing him or at least hindering any major movements.

Without waiting for any visual confirmation Lloyd like the rat he was scurried into the darkness further down into that labyrinth, leaving the same markings behind as before.


~~~~~~~~~~~

Blunder had lost track of the nimble Orlouge, his simple minded existence was nothing compared to presence of a mystic. A sharp pain overcame the zombie as Amy’s spiked mace brutally shredded and broke his right leg. With his decomposing flesh now stuck like gum to her mace she continued to lift the giant of his feet and onto his back. His bone now exposed and his vision blurred he awaited his final moment in this world never to see again. His performance against Amy was poor and Lloyd would see little benefit to reanimate him ever again.

[Ciato Orlouge]

While Ciato saw the scalpel fly towards his foot, there was little that the Mystic could do to avoid the blow. He quickly shot his hand downwards as the small blade punctured the top of Ciato’s hand. He raised the injured appendage and sheathed his sword. The medical tool did not hurt yet thanks to the adrenaline that pumped through the pale warrior’s body but Ciato knew that any moments his natural endorphins would stop.

He grabbed the scalpel and screamed into the darkness of the maze while he pulled the makeshift weapon out. The scalpel pierced the back of his hand well enough for the elder Orlouge to see some of his veins from the pool of blue blood that seeped out from the wound. He growled as he once again removed his weapon and placed the smaller blade in his vest pocket.

“At least I know it’s sanitary,” Ciato thought aloud through growled hisses, “I’ll make sure Lloyd gets this back two-fold.”

He rubbed his injury as he wandered further into the darkness behind his son. He could hear Amy’s harlequin like laugh grow even fainter as he felt his own body grow colder. The chill that began to take him was reminiscent of a meat locker to the point that the alabaster bastard questioned if that was not what this arena was once used for.

“It was a nice trick, Lloyd, using your own Mystic Protection against mine,” Ciato spoke loudly so his son could hear, “I would applaud but such an action would hurt at the moment. How about you just show yourself and let your old man shake your hand?”

And rip out your tonsils…


((Amy and Blunders fate will be revealed further down the thread...))

[Lloyd]

The young Orlouge stopped short just half the length of the hallway or so Lloyd had thought. He stopped dead in tracks, his white bangs he inherited from his father flicked out as he did. Heavy hearted he stood fearing his father no longer; a switch flipped within Lloyd. The mystic clenched his fist releasing his iron claws form his gauntlet. They too stood salute like their wielder, finally ready for action.

Lloyd turned in the darkness and as silently as he could began to run back towards Ciato. Like a true born murderer he emerged from the shadows and mist only moment before striking at his father. Ciato wasn’t ready for an assault so quickly, fully expecting his son to flee he simply wasn’t ready.

Lloyd slashed down hard and fast with his claws catching his father’s blade as he parried. Then again and again Lloyd slashed at Ciato, each with the same result. Ciato was a shadow Mystic after all; the shadow of the maze was truly his domain. Caito blocked and dodged nearly every single one of Lloyds hits, minus the one or two that managed to rip and tear at his shirt.

Lloyd said nothing as he attacked, his actions spoke louder than his words ever could. He was not going to stand down to his father, not now nor ever again. The two clashed then both stepped back a few paces. Recollecting themselves as the both lurked just barely visible to each other.

[Ciato Orlouge]

The two Orlouges stood fifteen feet from one another, their eyes locked in a contest of wills. The breath of father and son appeared and vanished in small white clouds as both breathed heavily. The elder Mystic’s wound began to ache in the cold, though the lower temperatures did a good job in keeping his azure blood from pouring out. It was obvious to the alabaster bastard that his son was just as stubborn and determined as he was. Lloyd would not back down.

Ciato stood straight up and threw his sword to the ground. The son looked upon his patriarch with a raised eyebrow, unsure of what ruse the elegant swordsman had planned. Ciato rolled his shoulders and took one final deep breath into the cold night before finally taking a bow.

“Well done Lloyd,” Ciato said as he gave applause to his offspring, an action that caused his injuries to hurt further, “The victory is yours today. You fought hard and proved that you could equal your father on the battlefield. I hope you are satisfied with your results. Can we take our leave of this wretched place now?”

In the end, this was Ciato’s biggest ace in the hole. He knew that as a murderer, Lloyd would not be pleased unless the elder Orlouge was stricken down by the surgeon’s claw. By announcing a forfeit, the father sullied his sons win, and while the younger of the two could boast of his accomplishment, he knew better than to do so. Ciato could see the scowl upon his youngling’s face and could not help but smile.

As the patriarch savored this moral victory, Amy approached her family members. Rather than bring the zombie Blunder back to them in pieces, the visceral vixen instead rode atop the shoulder of the beast. The large zombie growled to nobody in particular as the lither girl straddled the back of the corpse’s neck like a little girl on a piggy back ride.

“You’re minion is pretty spectacular, Lloyd,” Amy said with a bittersweet smile on her face and a tilted head as if she were ready to be her brother’s next opponent, “are we done here now or what?”

[Lloyd]

Lloyd relaxed his shoulders and stood up at attention, he had won the contest even if it meant his father gave it to him. Regardless he was happy, no longer would he be in his sister's endless shadow and no longer would his only friends be his dead monstrosities. Now Lloyd didn't mind spending time with his creations but the prospect of family bonding was a pleasant change from the loneliness. Lloyd dropped his guard entirely and made it clearly visible to Ciato as he strolled over to his father. Solitary drips of blessed blue blood leaked from his fathers hand, a wound that Lloyd had given him.

"Please let me see your hand." Lloyd said as he grabbed for his dad's wounded hand. A slow stream of blood began to run onto Lloyd's hand as he looked over the wound. It want anything that he wasn't prepared to reconstruct. "May I?" Lloyd asked, Ciato knew what he planned and gave the slightest of nods. The young mystic reached into his satchel and pulled out a needle and thread and quickly sewed up his father's wound.

"Thanks for this opportunity dad, I appreciate it. From now on you have me in your arsenal." He said when he finished healing his father. "Please i only wish to be a use to you. Lets get out of here." They were all at an understanding and all left the arena as a unit, a family.

[Ciato Orlouge]

“Yes, dear Amy,” Ciato said as he moved his eyes over to his daughter, “Lloyd and I are done here.”

He shifted his gaze back towards his son with a wince as the boy performed split second surgery upon his father. The stab of the needle brought with it a reminder of how badly the Orlouge patriarch’s hand stung. He waited calmly as his child patched his injured limb up and finished with the snip of a thread. He moved his fingers around once the younger Mystic was finished, a smile on the features of both Father and Son.

“Superb craftsmanship here, Lloyd, I assume you used the same techniques on your servant there?” Ciato asked to which his progeny nodded. The chilled mist of the labirynth began to fade as the wooden walls of a blank citadel room replaced the stony interior of Lloyd’s battlefield. He heard the door behind them slowly creep open, and heard the footsteps of the Ai’Brone as they approached the maniacal black sheep of the Orlouge clan.

“Lord Orlouge,” a voice came to Ciato’s side, a young man dressed in white robes with a freshly shaved head. He smelled of fresh daisies and rain water. As the stranger began to speak his next words, he found himself at a loss for words, mostly because it was hard to speak when one just had their jugular cut by a scalpel. The youth’s eyes widened as he reached towards the fountain that spurted crimson all over the nobleman. Ciato merely sighed as if he were in the middle of a small rain storm.

“Thank you Lloyd,” he said as he turned towards the exit. The other monks were much more concerned with their fallen brethren than they were with the Orlouges now. “I knew if he spoke another word, I would end his miserable existence myself.” He rolled his shoulders and felt the familiar tinge of pain in his hand yet again. “As far as you being a use to me, a carpenter has need for good tools.”

He motioned for his children to follow as he walked out of the room while several more monks rushed into said room. “And you two have proven yourselves worthy of being my the tools with which I can work with skill…”

[Philomel]

Thread Title: Death Can't Save You (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?27981-Death-Cant-Save-You-%28Open%29
)
Judgment Type: Full Rubric
Participants: Lloyd vs Ciato Orlouge



Plot: 18 --- 21

Story- 6/10---7/10

Lloyd: In terms of story, you do have a good clear line of narrative throughout, with an obvious direction of where you want to go. Blunder in this thread was written very well, and added an extra layer with his own storyline. Your only weakness, however, is that your mass of enthusiasm (see Clarity), although really good to have, sometimes gets the better of you and the reader becomes lost in action and information before things are truly resolved. There seems to be so much going on in this tale in terms of Lloyd that at times the simplicity of his desire is lost - the eagerness to prove himself to his father. Especially in the middle, from posts 4 to 8, you become a lot more concerned with the fighting, and though in a battle this is important, it does nothing to help you in terms of Pacing, Clarity or indeed a good clean Storyline. Try simplifying things, even your actions, and this will really help to put across the main purpose in this piece.
Ciato: Story for you is strong in this piece, for the most part. You have a clear beginning and a definite ending for your character, and used Amy well as a secondary life-line to bring the plot around to where you wanted it. One concern, however, is that at times you explain your powers and actions perhaps too greatly, such as in the latter half of post 10, disrupting the general flow of the piece. This can be assisted, though, by a careful read through, making sure your actions are all clear, precise and clean enough to allow the next writer to take over for the narrative. Well done anyhow, overall.
Ending: One thing that was a little confusing, and perhaps unnecessary, was the death at the end of the monk in Ciato’s last post (post 16). Yes, this death has significance in terms of Lloyd proving his usefulness to his father, however in terms of Plot it did not add much. Overall it was rather unclear as to why it occurred, why Ciato was okay with it - he says, “I knew if he spoke another word, I would end his miserable existence myself” when all the monk said was “Lord Orlouge.” A little inconsistent here). In general you needed to expand on this a lot, or grant it a post in itself.

Setting- 5/10---7/10

Lloyd: Certainly with setting you have a very clear and original idea, and you use it to your advantage for your character in hiding around corners and so on. However, with only a brief description in the opening post, which really should be a set up for the rest of the piece, you miss a good opportunity. With the labyrinth also, there was larger room to really go to detail on trying to hunt for Ciato for a couple of posts. You did use it well in terms of plot later, when you had Lloyd turn and run away, causing Amy and Ciato to have to chase him, however a lot more description could have existed. Trying adding colour, light, emotion to your setting in every post and you will really expand your writing here.
Ciato: You did mention walls of stone in the first post, giving an idea of what the labyrinth was made of, thus constructing the architecture from your outest. Also in post 1 you had an excellent description of setting with the use of, “His white teeth reflected the torchlight.” This not only uses the actual physical nature of the scene, but also the lighting, which is a very good use of such and gives the reader an, admittedly odd, but deeper idea to form a picture with. Throughout the piece your use of setting is somewhat stronger than Lloyd’s, however there is a tendency for you to become overwhelmed with the action here and lose the first initial power that you had at the start. Try to keep up the strong images, and your setting will be near perfect.

Pacing- 7/10---7/10

Lloyd: Pacing in general was well done, from beginning to end, but there are points where you rush. This occurs in the main body of action, from posts 3 to maybe 9, where your enthusiasm makes clarity lack somewhat. Action and energy did remain high, which is really good for a battle, especially one with a lot of fighting such as this, yet you did have opportunities to slow down, such as when Lloyd ran away. Try using long words, and pieces of description here to vary the length of pacing for these moments of tension.
Ciato: Pacing was, to put it simply, strong. Though it did have its weaknesses, such as post 8 in concern with Amy definitely could have been expanded upon and explained more, more or less you keep up with the same constant pacing throughout, which fitted in with your battle needs.



Character: 18 --- 20

Communication- 6/10---7/10

Lloyd: Your speech of Lloyd is constant from beginning to end in terms of tone, language and accent, which is a particularly good starting point. At times you do have very short pieces of speech, such as “Haha!” in post 9, that in particular does not add much to your overall plot. If you want these to stand out, and add a pause to the action, it would better to see a sentence around them, perhaps something defining, or even a thought that would add to Persona. This is not to say that you are strong in Communication, however, as you have Lloyd using jeering such as “I know you can hear me,” in post 7, but more of these sort of things would be good, scattered throughout each post instead seemingly randomly. Some posts lack them entirely, which is inconsistent for Lloyd’s character in times of tension. Just try to think how exactly how your character reacts, and get inside your character’s head. In this section, and also Action and Persona, there is perhaps some development to do with Lloyd’s character, and I would encourage you to try writing a solo for him in order to explore him more. Blunder, on the other hand, is very clearly different to Lloyd and the other characters in this piece, with a distinctive simplicity in his dialogue, so well done here.
Ciato: Similarly to a judgement previously done with Tobias Stalt, you have a clear, distinctive use of rhetoric for your character, using such terms as, “So it's divide and conquer, is it?” in post 6, whereas Amy is a definite different character with more dirty and heavy words and phrases. This distinction makes Ciato more prominent in terms of his gentlemanly presence, with slight lags in his tone when he is angry, or otherwise bloodthirsty, which is perhaps right for the situation. In general, it would have been good to see a cleaner balance between Communication, Action and Persona for you, as you seem to rely greatly on the former in particular, but this is just something to think of for future threads.

Action-6/10---8/10

Lloyd: As mentioned lots in Story, you are good in the energy of your actions and following them through - however, for Character, for Lloyd, there does not seem to be much defining him from the next fighter. You are good at writing blows, drawing swords, retreating etc, which is a good start for a battle or for any character, but there is a certain lack of a personality behind these. Perhaps a type can be identified, in terms of a desperate brawler-type but beyond this it is hard to find an action that could be described as “Lloyd.” In this case, really, it would be helpful for you to try to find a habit for Lloyd, such as tapping his foot, or a grin, that would not only add to your character but help to define him in some way.
Ciato: In Action you are defined and clean, writing Ciato’s movements with precision that reflect his personality. There are certain points of very good descriptions, such as in post 12, where you write that Ciato, “screamed into the darkness of the maze.” For these defining moments a strength of character can be seen, as well as necessary actions for plot, which is powerful and very good. Perhaps some Persona could be relied on more for Character, instead of Action, and a couple of actions may be good be transferred over to thoughts, but this is just a suggestion. Overall, very good here.

Persona- 6/10---5/10

Lloyd: Post 7’s ending has a really good defining thought process going on in Lloyd’s mind that strongly opens up the reader to the idea of Lloyd’s Persona, which is an extremely good place to build from. Throughout this thread, you begin construction of a character, who has desires and wants that are defined from the outset (though maybe somewhat lost in the action, see Story and Clarity), which is really good. For this thread Persona is definitely your strongest in terms of Character - however, there is still capacity for development. What could be good is a suggestion, or even obvious telling of Lloyd’s emotions upon seeing his father and his sister, or his connection to his zombie. Try just adding in little pieces here and there to these personal relationships.
Ciato: Definitely for Character your strong points are in Communication and Action, with Persona somewhat lacking, unfortunately. Amy does have a good strong personality, as Ciato’s companion here, and Ciato’s is suggested in the heat of the tension and the rise of the climax. he does have hints of Persona, when painting letters in his blood on walls, in post 8, but more of these examples would help. A more obvious approach, perhaps, would help here, with clear defined feelings of the alabaster mystic appearing, which would help to improve your writing.



Prose: 18 --- 19

Mechanics- 6/10---6/10

General: Both of you had spelling mistakes in this thread. They were not common, and particularly obvious, but they were present, with more near the beginning than the end. A simple method of checking these just before you submit for judgement is doing a proof-read or use a spell-checker to help you.
Lloyd: Aside from spelling mistakes, there are a few moments where you do not give a new speaker a new paragraph, which is a commonly accepted rule for speech. Lines of action are fine to follow dialogue, though neater maybe to put them on their own paragraph if there is lots to follow (see post 7 in particular). You also have a couple of paragraphing issues, such as in post 9 where you need another push of the enter button on your keyboard, and in post 11 where it would be good to stretch out your larger paragraphs. Sentence structure is more or less fine, however more commas would be good to break up your larger ones and make it easier for the reader to follow the plot. In general, good here. Just watch your spelling.
Ciato: All in all, you are good with Mechanics. There are a couple of spelling errors in the latter half of the thread, but none to worry much about. Paragraphing was well defined, and set out well, though perhaps think about adding new lines with new lines of speech for neatness. One thing that was a weakness, however, was a lack of commas in places, such as the following from post 12: “The medical tool did not hurt yet thanks to the adrenaline that pumped through the pale warrior’s body but Ciato knew that any moments his natural endorphins would stop.” This line leads at least 1 comma as it consists of more than 2 clauses (one before “but” as this is a conjunction). In these places, reading back the sentences to yourself would help you to figure out where to place the punctuation. However, pretty good all around.

Clarity- 5/10---6/10

Lloyd: In terms of Clarity you do have a portrayal of clear points of action, showing what blows go where, which is a very good basis in battles. However, beyond the single actions, your writing does tend to become overwhelmed with much of the plot of the piece, and some things become unclear. Such as in post 1 you state, “...for Lloyd and his friend to move freely within them” without ever mentioning before this point whom Lloyd’s “friend” (presumably his zombie familiar, Blunder as it is revealed in later posts). This is not only confusing for the reader but also for your opponent who may not be sure of whom you are speaking of. This is just one example - overall it is hard to follow up some of your points, of where Lloyd is going next in the labyrinth. It is great to see your enthusiasm for the fight, that is obvious in the fast-paced way that you write, but it would be good to slow down at times and explain clearly what you mean.
Ciato: For the most part you did have a clear line of plot in your writing - however, similarly to Lloyd you did sometimes let the overall plot hide your actions. Also, in plot 8, you mentioned “... and dozens of glass pieces floated” where Lloyd had only spoken of debris in the post before, therefore this is an unclear use of objects that did not get into the thread obviously. As they become an integral part of Amy’s actions later, it would be good to explain where these pieces came from, whether from magic or other. Yes, sometimes magic can be over explained, and you have a couple of examples of this as mentioned in Story, however, each action needs not to leave the reader confused. Try going through your posts when finished, just to make sure all points add up.

Technique- 7/10---7/10

Lloyd: For this section, you do have a good use of adjectives in your writing, which sets you off in good stead. Certain points give highlights, for example in post 9 with, “half decomposed eyes groggily examining Amy” which not only uses language that reflects Blunder’s zombie, dull nature, but also is a good piece of description. Other linguistic techniques could be used by your good self, such as simile and metaphor, yet you are off to a strong starting point. Try to be experimental a little, and don’t fear about trying new things.
Ciato: There are some particularly strong uses of description in your posts for this thread, including a piece of alliteration in post 14 with use of, “the visceral vixen.” Such things as this really help to add to a piece, making it more alluring to the reader. However, this is really the only definite use of such in this piece in terms of your writing, therefore it can be said that more of such techniques can be used.



Wildcard: 5 --- 5

Wildcard points go to the relationship between Ciato and Lloyd here, which starts off as something of a rivalry and a proof of identity, and then goes on to develop to acceptance. In particular this shone at the beginning of the thread, and was detailed well there from the letter, so well done.
One concern that I did have in this thread when reading it was that both of you use bunnying, describing what the other character does. Without a note anywhere saying that this was permitted, it is hard to judge in this point, however since both of you did it I am not going to stress too much in the assumption you had permission. Just, in future, a note at the start of the thread always helps the judge, so please include this.


Final Score: 59---65

Ciato Orlouge (http://www.althanas.com/world/member.php?16278-Ciato-Orlouge) Wins!:


1375 EXP!
100 GP!

Congratulations!


Lloyd (http://www.althanas.com/world/member.php?17501-Lloyd) Receives:


375 EXP!
95 GP!

[Lye]

EXP & GP Added!