A Return to Form

[Artifex Felicis]

[Open to One, for a fun little battle.]


There was something soothing about coming back to the Citadel after a long time. There were a lot of memories that jostled in his head from the place. The towering pillars of ice and stone, his arms ablaze with magical fire as he choked the life out of the arch mage trying to stop him. An entire battle field built out of broken blades and ancient wars, his opponents armor gleaming in the setting sun. A woman, with poison and blade and undead strength, biting into his neck in a forest so deep they were under water. He licked his lips, his body remembering how the tables were reversed soon after and how the monks had to peel him off.

“Some place extravagant.”

Those were the cat boy’s words to the monk, who nodded with a thoughtful look. The monk, with a young face and hair graying before his time, had grinned after a moment. His magic worked quickly, and Leon was whisked away without flourish.

His feet hit the wooden boards with a soft thump, and his eyes watered in the bright sun. His hands groped out carefully, grasping at a wooden rope thicker than his arm. His eyes adjusted after a moment, staring out into a distant horizon, thick wooden plank after wooden plank ending in a sheer cliff face. Massive stakes, larger than any tree Leon had ever seen, driven into the earth and supported the huge bridge across the deep valley. Ropes stretched out, connecting the wooden planks to form a wide bridge that at least four horses could ride abreast comfortably.

He turned, tails swishing and confirmed that there was no end in sight the other direction. His paw produced a satisfying twang as he strummed one of the thinner ropes, connecting some of the planks to the boards he stood on. Small bells, wind chimes to ward off some spirit or other, played their soothing accidental melody in the wind. It was enough for Leon to keep his armored jacket on. The cat boy snorted, chuckling as he tapped a foot on the bridge and took it all in. He shrugged, twisting his body and tying both his sword in its sheath and his spear to the rope wall with yarn. They were old friends, but never did play nicely with one another.

“Or they could take the valley,” He grinned at his words, looking over the edge and into the abyss. The only way to cross the massive bridge was through him.

[Ashla]

Long story short, Ayleth wanted power. How does one get more experience, aka, power? The Citadel.

Ayleth stepped into the arena in hopes of being challenged, but beating that challenge up at the same time. She was almost always taken back by the scenery alone that the Citadel matches provided. Ayleth stepped onto the wood beams of a massive bridge. The wood barely creaked as a bird flew past, twittering a song. The clear, beautiful sky only had one or two bright, puffy clouds. At the left of the humongous bridge, a large waterfall thundered. The noise of water gushing down into the valley far below muted Ayleth's footsteps. She smirked, the water access would be of good use...

The young woman titled her head at the... interesting... cat... thingy up ahead. The Icebreaker bit her lip, Althanas had all kinds of weird faces. This feline with unusual arm muscle was no exception. Ayleth moved her arm, clothed with her gauntlet, down towards the hilt of the Hail Storm's Daughter, her hand in a half sword made of damascus.

"Hello," Ayleth spoke in a calm, firm voice, "The name is Ayleth."

Ayleth was dressed in her blue shirt, black pants, and had her usual armor on as well. The leather gauntlets, with Eiskaltian claws and delyn plates, were already mentioned here. She also had shoulder and leg plates made of steel. Below her shirt, dark blue all except the lighter blue front, steel chainmail was hidden beneath. A bottom layer, a black undershirt, provided comfort. The black haired woman remembered her steel dagger, strapped to her leg, and smiled. She felt her masterwork crosspistol, the Parvabow, bounce against the other side of her waistline. Icebreaker was well prepared. She readjusted her position, her black boots thudding lightly against the bridge, and continued, "And you are?"

[Artifex Felicis]

“The pleasure is all mine, Ayleth,” The cat bowed before her, arms spread with in a flourish. His body moved with an almost unnerving grace, bending with an almost comical disregard for how his center of balance should have toppled him over. It was the small benefits of his tails providing the leverage and ballast he needed.

“I confess I haven’t heard of you before,” he stood back up again, turning his back to the girl as he pulled the jian from its place along the rope wall. They twanged as its weight was lifted; the blade weighing more than most warhammers and subtly enchanted to be nearly weightless in the wielder’s grip. There was a casual air about him as he face her, one paw holding the still sheathed weapon above the handle.

He hopped back and forth on the balls of his feet, body limbering up as the blood flowed. They were slow, careful movements for him, just a bit slower than most of the men and women he had seen in his life. There wasn’t any reason to rush, and even less to show off just how quickly he could move. These little vacations to the citadel were always more entertaining with a fair fight.

“Not that I’ve heard of much lately,” Leon admitted, grinning with an embarrassed look. There were too many teeth in the smile. The blade twirled, catching the light and dazzling. His body was loose and ready for a fight. It had been too long since he had properly hunted. “Though I suppose I might have if you had done anything worthwhile. Are you here to try and make a name for yourself then?”