(5) Titanium Storm v (20) A Few Good Men

[Ashiakin]

Round One starts at 12:00 AM EST on Sunday, April 30th and will last two weeks. Good luck!

[Cyrus the virus]

It wasn't long after another tournament loss that Luc Kraus again found himself wondering. It seemed that regardless of how well he did in battle, the winner of each fight was either predetermined, or decided in some manner the mage didn't understand. He had pounded Storm Veritas, the chain smoking wreck, and even though Luc had only suffered minor injuries, he had somehow found himself in the loser category.

Yet another of this world's mysteries, he thought, gazing into the night sky. The stars were hiding behind a veil of thick clouds, though Luc could pick out some of the shining orbs if he looked carefully.

"How many times have I been fucked by the people who create these tournaments?" He wondered. "If they're going to hide the real reasons for deciding the winners, I should know how they do it... I demand to know how they do it!"

And as he sat there, his thoughts lost in a sea of doubt and suspicion, Luc realized that he had never been so curious. He began to wonder about his existence, about why he was Luc Kraus... And then he shook it away. It was far too deep a topic for a shallow man like Luc to get into, far too intimidating, and he just wanted to forget about the Serenti.

So he got up and looked over the edge of the cliff to examine the Central Valley below. The light of the moon painted the ruins an even more pale color than the stark white they already were, so bleached from years of harsh weather. They were fallen towers of forgotten wizards, and collapsed barracks of warriors that had long ago died. The ground, once a green ocean of healthy grass, was now a wasteland of dirt. Scorched, dead dirt that didn't offer him any tales.

Luc could only imagine the battle that had happened here, the screams of the dying and the clashing of metal. It chilled him.

He suddenly felt powerful as he stood there, a hundred feet above a land that was once full of life, the sole survivor. But as confident as he became in that moment, thoughts of the Serenti once again returned. How had he gone from being the dominant victor, to somehow being the loser?

"I'm going to find out what's going on," Luc declared, memories of his 'loss' to Storm flowing through his mind. "Fight with me as you have against me, Dan, and we cannot lose," he said, his eyes scanning the valley below for any sign of life.

[Ayithe Solete]

A light mist gradually moved across the night sky and patched the reflective moonlight. While many rocks and ruins sat silently in the shadow of the night sky the moonlight would often highlight them up for a few breath moments as they escaped through the gaps in the sky. Lay uncomfortably upon a rock was Ayithe, having to make do with the rough surface of broken stone. Using her arms as a rest she lent her head down and stared into the grey mist which managed to hide the remaining few stars that she was trying to view. This was an unnatural place for Ayithe to be staying, which clearly indicated her desire to be in this tournament. She hadn’t been in a fighting tournament in a long time and it was in her blood to do so, this time she couldn’t pass up the chance to fight in combat once more. Her entire body tingled as she got more and more excited, the grin on her face just wasn’t going to be wiped off without a good reason. She chuckled to herself and closed her eyes already imagining her opponents, wondering what they were like, wondering what they could do.

It was one big rush, almost a sign of an erotic nature to her as she almost wriggled with nerves and excitement. All for the fact someone was coming to fight along side her in a battle for being crowned champions of the Lornius Corporation Challenge.

Champions… Ayithe thought to herself, taking a deep breath she sat up quickly and looked around her. Although lying on show she didn’t feel vulnerable enough to move, it may have been her desire to simply fight, or she was being highly ignorant to what was around her in favour of being over confident. Lifting to her feet she almost skipped as she moved across to a crooked leaning pillar which hardly looked safe. Even though, Ayithe came to a stop beside it and leaned carelessly against its crumbling mass. Watching the bits fall as her shoulder rubbed against its surface, she proceeded to wipe the dirt off herself, everything seemed so old and weak. Even the surface wasn’t the smoothest of plains to her moving on as various parts would just break up and crumble under her feet. Although a little unsure of this since Ayithe was quick on her feet she didn’t feel the need for such concern at the moment and turned her attention to her oncoming partner, the old wizard. Approaching her he wore a scaled cloak which managed to cover most of his body yet it took his hat to cover his face, which was shadowed out of view from Ayithe’s moonlit eyes. She watched him, waiting patiently as he walked slowly towards her location. Although unsure of why he had asked her to join him in this tournament as long as she was in it, she had little care in the world, now she was in her element and she was going to make the most of it while she was here.

[Slayer of the Rot]

"Ah, the LCC. How many years has passed now, since I'd first seen the posters? I believe three. I'd always wanted to participate, but I'd always seem to miss it..."

The wind whipped violently at his coat tails as though it was trying to pull him back and away from the edge of the tower, the night sky black and featureless and blotted away by clouds. And why wouldn't it? After all, his senseless killing was something that had to be throwing off the natural balance of things. The man that hung out into the open, knuckles white from the death grip he had on the slayer's shoe was the true definition of a nobody. The last thirty years of his life had been devoted to the back alley and to the little tin cup, the beard sprouting from his chin gnarled and tangled with knots and snares. Dan stroked his clean shaven chin silently, still reading the flyer calling warriors to Lornius.

'Tournaments have long been an excuse for the spilling of blood.,' Addramalech added to his lists of positives, his voice rumbling in his head like a drawn out, far off thunder clap. 'I know, the Cell in particular. These humans hold me in such a low position, yet see themselves as clean as saints. They are certainly no better than me when it comes down to the murder of others. All of Althanas thirsts for blood, no matter how fervently they deny it.' The man dangling at his mercy let out a rough, scratchy whimper. His voice had been lost hours ago to his terrified screams. The slayer scowled, glancing down at him, realizing that he'd foorgotten him. "Haven't you ever wondered what it was like to fly?" Pulling his foot back in sharply, he rapped the man's wrists painfully against the egde of the tower, and smiled satisfactorily as the fingers went limp, and the man began to plummet throough the Radasanthian night to the ground below. "That fool mage Kraus would make a perfect team mate. If he gets in the way, I can always kill him again."

"He'll never know." The slayer's lips moved not as his own, but as the extension of the being he was now sharing his body with. Before, the titan couldn't manage such a thing, but recently, his power had begun to return. Dan turned away from the edge of the building and strode confidently away, just as a jagged chorus of screams reached up from the street, drowning out the impact of the homeless man that had just tumbled down fifty stories. "When the cat is away, the mice will play," he replied, shortly before a deep, sinister laugh burst from his lips.

______

The slayer chortled in half a response to the geomancer's words as he crossed his arms over his broad chest. This was certainly one of the least favorable places that Lornius had to offer. An arid wind tore roughly at his body in a desperate attempt to pull him free of the ties that bound him to the ground. Mother Nature's cracked diseased skin stretched for quite a ways into the distance before deeply dipping into a valley, populated by little than crumbling ruins of a people forgotten by all. The very life had seemingly been seared away by the hot sun above, as though the ball of fire had leaned down and kissed the surface of the planet.

"Hmph, those gathered here these days are little but children seeking fame. Perhaps we'd have some sort of miniscule trouble against Ravenheart and Tulfreid, but I'll have to exert little effort to kill those that have been sent to us today." His eyes were hidden behind dark glasses, but it didn't take much wit to see how cross he was. It was difficult to put into words exactly how much he hated these dusty, dry places, how much the heat managed to stoke his anger.

'Amusing. Look at how much trust he places in you. Turning his back to the one known for a Radasanthian Slaughter? A man who could easily remove his spine with his bare hands?'

'A blind blood trust. Frankly, I'm surprised that anyone can give their trust to others these days. Even family cannot trust. I happen to remember a certain father falling under the sword of one of his sons.'

The slayer stepped up beside his partner, and lent his sharper eyes to the scan. "It would be foolish enough for them to come, anyways. A look at the match ups posted all around Lornius should have been enough to send them back under the rock they crawled from...aha." His gaze picked two people up, shuffling across the desolate dirt; a boringly brown haired women with the common tight and revealing clothes most women warriors wore, and another cloaked and wearing a wide hat, his gait slow. "Hmph, disappointing. I was hoping for something that would actually make me break a sweat. Those two may not even do for a warm up." Powerful legs sent him sailing off the edge of the cliff they stood on, and a wide sweep of his arm forced air pressure to throw him back into the cracked stone of the valley's walls, where he dug in his feet to ease his descent. Shards and chunks of stone cascaded down the face and landed before he did, and as he did, another lunge of his powerful legs sent him easily over thirty feet of dry land, to set him within walking distance of A Few Good Men.

"Welcome to the Storm, insects," he said, flashing them a smile.

[Bleed American]

Gwydion caressed the ground with his staff before punching another hole into the ground with it. It was amusing, the land was so bare and dry that it took a very small amount of effort to destroy it. It would hopefully be somewhat useful in the match that seemed to be teetering in his opponent’s favor. The sun was down now and the moon dimly lit up the surrounding area with an eerie glow while the stars hid themselves.

He could see the outline of his associate, slim and curved, very attractive. However, he wasn’t here for pleasure, it was a business trip. He came within talking distance of his partner. He hadn’t known her long; actually they had just met at the LCC. He could remember the day easily; it was only a few days ago. A small smile grew across his face as he recollected.

- Several Days Ago -

He had walked through a towering gate and entered the island from the docks. It had been a long journey by boat but there was no other way. The Lornius Corporate Challenge, a tournament he had heard of but never experienced. He was prepared and ready, thriving on the activity he quickly made his way to the registration area. He saw her from across the room. She was attractive, but look worried. He decided to speak to her and it paid off. He confirmed that there was something very wrong. Her previous partner had failed to show up and it was the last day of registration. She needed this tournament, not for money or fame but for her family. Fortunately, Gwydion had also needed a partner and he commented on how they would make an excellent team. Their friendship started there, a caring old mage and a young female warrior.

- Back -

“Hello Ayithe.” His face returned to its usual serious form.

“Welcome, Gwydion.” She smiled, Gwydion relaxed.

“Are you ready?”

No response. He knew they had a rough battle ahead of them, their opponents had valuable reputations but Gwydion was confident in their own skills. As long as they could hold on they had a chance. Already a plan was being formed in Gwydion’s mind; he looked back to Ayithe and could tell she was thinking the same thing. There was only one way to take a team like this down.

“I wonder…”

His sentence was interrupted as the question he was just about to ask was answered as if his opponent could read his mind. He came crashing into the earth only 50 feet away and leaped into speaking distance. It was quite and impressive entrance compared to Gwydion’s but a good entrance doesn’t win you battles… most of the time. He looked powerful; he carried a monstrous sword and some sort of weapon Gwydion had never seen before. He spoke. It was just a few words of mostly ignorant garbage with hello thrown in. He had no idea how powerful Gwydion’s team was except for maybe a few rumors. He and Ayithe were not widely known throughout Althanas yet but winning this tournament would certainly change that. This tournament could turn them from ugly, insignificant caterpillars to butterflies but the first step was winning this battle. It would be hard but he had a good feeling. He looked back to his partner and this only encouraged the feeling.

“Let us commence then.”

[Cyrus the virus]

Luc chuckled just a bit in response to the Slayer, one of few men who the mage considered to be his friend and ally. He managed to catch a glance at the huge man as he bounded forward and leapt from the cliff. A moment later Luc heard the resounding crash that was undoubtedly his landing, and he could even hear the footsteps that followed, despite how far away they had become.

Of course he would turn his back on the man in trust. He would trust him with his own life, regardless of the changes Dan had seemingly undergone since their last encounter. They had a bond that was established through past battles, a bond forged in the flames of hatred and determination, a bond that even Luc, in all his untrusting and unloving glory, acknowledged. He would turn his back to Dan, a man who could kill him in a single blow, as many times as possible. It felt good to trust.

"After the Serenti," he said to himself as he watched Dan tear across the ground below, effortlessly clearing several feet with each step. "I didn't want anything to do with these tournaments anymore. I beat the Veritas idiot and my army defeated Drax Piston's, and yet I somehow did not advance. I was sick of it."

Luc moved to the edge of the cliff, where he observed Dan as he made contact with two small figures in the distance who were obviously their opponents. The battle would break out in any second, knowing him.

No rush, Dan could handle himself.

A breeze picked up and blew Luc's hair into his face. He instinctively wiped it away as his cape flapped behind him, and his emerald eyes once again looked to the sky. An eternity of knowledge and experience lay up there, he knew. "I'm glad you convinced me to try one more time, friend," he said. "You've changed quite a bit, but you're still Dan."

He felt a little better, a little more resolved and loose. Luc, already at the edge of the cliff, leapt into the air and was picked up by the wind. He soared at the others quickly, getting to them in only a few seconds and landing next to Dan with dramatic flair. The mage was just in time to hear the final words spoken.

"Fine," he expressed in a hurry. Whipping out his flame dagger, Luc slashed in a wide arc, using his power over fire to create a large stream of flames that reached for the two enemies. He didn’t want to waste a moment. There were battles to be won.

"The brunette is mine!" He exclaimed to Dan, and the battle was on.

[Ayithe Solete]

The approaching combatants certainly made themselves noticed as they crafted their paths down the mountain side to the ground not far from Ayithe’s position. The first was rather plain, appearing in what seemed to be a suit all neat and tidy, not the greatest gear to be fighting in but Ayithe knew appearances were deceiving. Having herself needlessly put down before battle and underestimated just because she was a girl, she remembered it well. Those few years back had immediately surfaced as she faced her opponents who were currently drawing their weapons. It was her last battle she had thought one on one with a man called Gideon or more commonly known as, Fallen Angel. She remembered his pure belief that he was unbeatable, his ability to be so convincing with his words and his fluent movement when he attacked and defended from her attacks. Ayithe battled somehow to victory that night, but not before he broke her hand and then collapsed from loss of blood. The thought made Ayithe tense her hand, although fully healed from that day she could still feel the pain knowing full well she wouldn’t forget him. Something about him taught her more lessons in that one battle than she had learnt in all her past battles together, it had made her a better fighter and more conscious to the world around her.

I guess I should thank you, where ever you are…

Ayithe never saw him after that, he disappeared behind a veil of black crows which flew off into the night sky for him to never return.

The second was also a man, and bearing only a dagger he must had something else up his sleeve. A magician perhaps as he dressed accordingly for someone who was to use magic, but that image had been created in her mind through a view of wizards wearing little to no armour but basic clothes. Although the way he sailed to the ground through the wind gave her little doubt. The first part of the battle had started, the battle of words, the fact her first opponent had referred to them as insects gave her the impression that he believed he was clearly higher up than they were. That would be his first mistake though, Ayithe refused to believe she was a walk over to anybody and quickly reached for the first of her disk blades. Taking it in her right hand she took a step backwards preparing for a possible rush then took her second in her other hand while staring deeply towards both her opponents. Her eyes moved directly into the view of the suited man, having a sword as big as that was for more than just show and Ayithe decided she may have to make a move for him as she poised herself for battle.

Ayithe’s choice was decided for her as the second man leapt forward and shouted out at the top of his voice, while creating a wide arc of flames which flew towards Ayithe and her partner Gwydion.

“The Brunette is mine!”

Ayithe reacted immediately and dropped into a roll to avoid the swooping flames which scorched the ground around her. It seemed more like a move to separate them into one on one battles but Ayithe had little time to think now as she remained in a crouched position glaring towards her now main target.

“Picking on the girl are we…?” Ayithe replied in reference to his comment. As she closed her eyes for a breath moment of thought. Opening her eyes she quickly dived to her feet as she made a move towards his left flank. Pacing her run to arrive quickly by his side as she held her first disk blade in a tight grip ready to strike at his chest.

[Ashiakin]

A Few Good Men defeat Titanium Storm due to activity and Titanium Storm withdrawing.