Along the Rocky Coast

[Otto]

Not many people know what an unformed Citadel arena looks like. I guess for the first few visits, you're too busy fixating on all the interesting ways you could wind up dead within the next five minutes. Details like choosing what kind of sand you want to bleed out on don't feature high on your list of priorities. So you end up walking into a pre-fabricated room, either some stock design the Ai'Brone wheeled out when faced with indecisive lambs, or something your waiting opponent has already selected. Today, I looked to be said opponent.

It's really nothing special. You walk into a black room, onto some textureless floor that feels just strong enough to stop you from falling through. Like a hair's-breadth stone veneer that should crack at the touch of your little toe. And I mean black, too: you can't see a damn thing, except yourself. You light up like you're under the midday sun, but everywhere around you is the same matte pitch, stretching into an apparent infinity. I tried to see how far it went, once. It upset the monks, and I got bored after a few minutes anyway.

I paced slowly across the uncomfortable ground. "No big drops," I informed the darkness. "I'm sick of falling to my death."

The void took it under advisement.

"Fought in Fallien last week," I continued. "And I've had enough of Berevar to last me a lifetime. I can go to the Corone countryside any time I like - so long as I don't mind getting waylaid, robbed, and left in a ditch. I don't like forests..."

I was probably boring the poor abyss as much as it was me. Better settle on something soon. Some place I hadn't fought before, somewhere challenging.

I stilled my legs and spoke slowly. "The shore. Make it rocky and hard to move about."

It took a second for the process to start, but it was startlingly fast once it did. The blackness softened and greyed, then started to diverge - a dull sky lightened above, with a swelling morning sun on the horizon. The ground underfoot shifted; I almost lost my balance, and had to fling my arms out while I adjusted my footing. The flat ground bulged, roughened, rose. Dull limestone boulders sprung up around me, seconds old but apparently weathered by the ages. Each one was a couple of metres across at least, but pitted and uneven. You wouldn't want to get wedged in the gaps between them, either. I was sure the crabs would enjoy nipping my heels while I waited for whoever I was fighting to finish laughing and finish me off.

The final details swam into focus. A calm, iron-grey sea stretch out flat to the west, where thin streamers of cloud twisted up ambitiously towards the sky's zenith. Gentle hills sloped up towards the east and cradled the rising sun, silhouetted against its brilliance and casting quickly-retreating shadows out onto the surf. The air was clear. I smelled seaweed, salt, lime, and mild decay. It was an immeasurable improvement on Radasanth's middens and dockside strata of spoiled fish, but then most things were.

"Thanks."

It wouldn't make any difference what I said to the Ai'Brone, but I felt slightly better for showing manners to the people who might just have to bring me back from the dead.

I did one final check of my weapons. I had neglected to bring my entire arsenal, lest I clang like a pot and pan merchant on a treadmill. I had my large warhammer, a beautiful dehlar and steel mix on top of a gleaming Akashima redwood haft. The blunt end would make short work of any helm I had to bash it, and the reverse spike should be up to most other tasks. I had my pila; two-metre long spears with big metal shanks and hardened steel tips. One had a (relatively) soft iron shank; it would bend after getting lodged in someone's shield or body, and become a useless dead weight they then had to deal with. The other had hardened steel all the way down, so it was reusable. They made decent handheld spears, but even better javelins; the sheer mass behind them could pierce plate armour with a direct hit. I had by oak round shield. So long as I didn't end up facing any pole-axes, I was confident it would hold out. I had my steel mail coat and iron plate extremities. And I had my dagger, in case things got nice and intimate.

Weapons are just another form of tool - you choose the right one for the job at hand. Any soldier worth his salt knows this, and that the key to survival was adaptability. I reckoned I could handle anything that came through the door, short of a dragon... and I was working on that little problem at the moment, too.

I took out my iron-shanked pilum in my right hand, and clenched the shield's grip in my left.

[The Muri]

A rocky beach, crashing waters. The smell of salt and the sound of waves rubbing against the shore. It was a lively seaside. Provoking much more challenges than the one I first woke up on my first day here on Althanas. I found myself scrambling across rocks and jumping boulders. Didn't take long to find my opponent, yet another challenge found here.

I jumped on top of a tall mound of rock. He was a new species I found, but one I've heard of plenty times. An orc. He looked sturdy and powerful, maybe even more powerful than I... unlike me, he wore mounds of armor. As gruff as I heard these strong brawlers were. The thing that caused me to frown were his weapons. I was completely fine with swords and knives, pistols and crossbows... but a hammer? I had no idea how those worked. This one would be a challenge.

At first I my frown stayed where it was... then I smirked. I loved challenges.

I stood up on the boulder, many of a feet away from him, and waved. "Hey, there!"

As the waves roared several yards down, I felt the sun beating down on us like a man with a sizzling whip. I was happy I only had my purple shirt and arctic leather jacket on. Neither reached down beyond the top of my stomach. Unfortunately, grey sweat pants with pink shorts over them wasn't the best apparel for a trip to the beach. Neither for leather boots and steel leg plates. I also had a backpack and heavy greatsword hanging on my back, with a sword, pack of serrated knives, and various pistol like weapons hanging off the belt on my waist. I pushed the portion of my hair, dyed purple, behind my ear. I could manage this heat with my levels of endurance, but it would still be tough. I had two things hanging off my arms. A chain bracelet I refused to part with, as well as a black leather wrist cuff with sharp steel pikes. Black never does good in the heat...

I signed and pulled my hand to my crosspistol, hanging on my belt. I already felt the sweat beads gathering on my body. I didn't want to waste too much stamina right now, and I had the perfect perch to shoot from.

[Otto]

OOC: tried to minimize bunnying, tell me if you want anything added/changed/removed. You're also fine to bunny Otto in your posts a bit if it makes things easier for you :)


She looked short. She also looked like it wasn't a problem for her. She didn't cling to the boulders like a jittery kitten on her first visit to the Citadel - whoever she was, she had poise and confidence. She also had her hand on something at her belt.

I thought it best not to rush things. No doubt I'd find out what that little surprise was in short order, anyway.

"Hail!" I called back. A gentle seaborne breeze tore at the words, but we had no problem hearing each other despite the distance. I estimated the gap to be about forty metres. I started to prowl; not towards her, but in a wide circle around towards the mainland. It'd do me good to get used to the terrain and keep my legs warmed up. "Otto. And you?"

"Kaida!"

Kaida... the name didn't ring a bell. She looked too comfortable for this to be her first dance under the Ai'Brone's supervision, but the Citadel was so busy these days that you could come here for twenty years and still not meet all the regulars. I knew, because that was precisely my story.

I was getting white dust all over my boots as the abrasive limestone sloughed off against my heavy tread. The tide must have been out during the night, because the rocks up this end were bone dry - but you could see, further up the beach, the neat watermarked line where the waves could reach to when they wanted. There were other clues in the sodden tangles of seaweed trapped within the crevasses around me, which must have been deposited by recent tides. While I looked, a little blue crab poked itself out from under a rock to see what all the ruckus was about. It waved a pincer at me; ever a good neighbour, I waved back.

I had always been taught that it was bad manners to keep a lady waiting. "You're all set, then?" I queried; professional courtesy. I saw her nod, and smile. She looked more than ready.

It was time to find out what sorts of toys Kaida had brought with her. Besides, I was eager to share mine. I readied my shield and began rock-hopping my way towards her.

[The Muri]

This orc appeared too heavy to jump from rock to rock, yet he was doing a good job. It only boosted my excitement! I pulled out my crosspistol and aimed for the leaping orc. I knew that his shield would make things difficult, so I devised a plan...

I crocked the small crossbow and aimed for his head. If I knew anything, it was that he would lift his shield to block it. While, he did, I would be using my own speed in swiftly crocking my hand held crossbow again. This time, I would aim for his foot.

The winds of the beach allowed me comfort against this heat, yet the heat still marched on like an army. Hopefully, my opponent wouldn't be that one man army - although I was still looking forward to the challenge, of course...

I was a crack shot, although my head and body were both faster than my weapon. I was still looking out for the perfect gun for me, a girl's best friend. Guns were so rare though, I knew I wouldn't be finding even a flintlock anytime soon. Until then though, I had my crosspistol. Hopefully, even this thing wouldn't let me down.

[Otto]

Ask me what the chances are of accurately hitting the foot on a moving target, and I will laugh. So imagine my amusement when this Kaida shot my leg out from under me.

"Shit!"

I was mid-stride in a precarious position, and I'm lucky I didn't end up wedged face-down with my arse in the air. My right arm flung out wildly; the pilum braced against a rocky shelf and I managed to steady myself, even as the iron neck sagged. Limestone dust scraped off to sizzle up my sinuses, and for a moment, I couldn't smell the ocean. My foot sang with pain. I gave it a cursory glance; the iron plating had dented, but still held. Then I lifted my gaze to my spear, and sighed. The metal was horribly bent, as it was designed to do (just not in these circumstances). As a weapon, it was now next to useless.

I still threw it at Kaida.

She was reloading. It wouldn't take her long, not with a weapon as small as that. The upside to that was a lack of firepower - the reason why I didn't have a quarrel bisecting my footsie.

I rose up in time with the crashing surf, mirroring its angry roar with one of my own. I hurled the pilum as I would a throwing axe rather than a spear, whirling menacingly through the air while I seized its steel-shanked brother in hand. Best case scenario, I'd hurt Kaida enough to impede her... at the worst, she'd just lean out the way to avoid my heavy missile. I would buy a little more time and distance, regardless. I did my best to match its path. Though my foot protested, it was powerless to resist my commands.

[The Muri]

I noticed the object fly towards me like a giant boomerang. It flew so fast, even I didn't have the time to dodge it.

*BANG!*

I found myself flying in the air with it. As blood flew out of my mouth, I realized that this guy was ridiculously strong. Luckily for me though, I landed on a large enough rock, and on Calcator to provide a smooth surface, I didn't get scrapped. I instantly pulled myself, annoyed upon realizing I dropped my crosspistol. I pulled my hair behind my ears and looked upon the orc with his damaged foot, "Guess I deserved that..."

Another gust of wind blew, sending my hair flying into my face again. I pulled it back again with one hand as my other zipped open a packet on my belt. I then pulled out one of my serrated throwing knives. I tossed the steel object up and caught it once. I then smirked, I'll get you for that, Otto!

With my enhanced strength, I tossed the knife at him, aiming for his upper chest. "Gotcha!" I whispered.

As the knife made its maiden voyage, I decided to get up close. I started to carefully jump from rock to rock, getting closer and closer to the orc. One hand already had another knife in it, and I made sure my free hand was close to my knuckleduster katana. I was focused mostly on Otto, and my going was... for once in my lifetime, slow.