Tean Registration: Tveir Valka Seula

Out of Character:

A team of Xaul (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?p=135983) and Epsilon (http://althanas.com/world/showthread.php?t=17872). I'll start.

Xaul Knofker, once a simple farmer, soared through the never, twisting and turning as the god he shared a body with directed him to their goal. That star on the right, Xaul. Straight past it and on to cause mourning. You know, I think you might actually win this one, with my help. The god Resheph, lord of war, death, and pestilence, chuckled as he rode his avatar further through the void. “Shut up, Resheph.”

At the rasp that hissed from between Xaul’s lips, Resheph let out a bark of laughter. Oh, so you can talk! And here I was thinking that you had lost your tongue in that last fight.

“We both know that they all died, Resheph. You got your sacrifice, and I wasn’t touched. The victims got their closure, too.” Xaul shuddered as he remembered the beautiful horror of the rapists and murders, all eight of them. For someone to so boldly, so brazenly walk into their midst and slaughter them… it had been unthinkable. Xaul, to them had been unimaginable. He flashed between targets, slicing into them one by one, letting them all die slowly as he gloried in the ichor that had soaked the room. The fight had never even started. Xaul had stepped into the little hovel that the gang was using as a hideout, and the slaughter began.

Closure? Closure?!? Is that all you want to remember, little Xaul? Do you really want to forget the magnificent deaths, the blissful massacre? Three degrees right, ten down, follow that creature ahead. Have I taught you nothing?

“”I see it,” muttered Xaul, turning to follow the god’s directions. Trailing behind the neon blue squid-like creature, Xaul continued. “You have taught me everything, and that’s the problem. Who was I, before you came? Who is Xaul Knofker, the man? What is he now? LOOK AT ME, DAMNIT!” Xaul stopped, whirling to a floating mirror that had appeared seconds before. “You say that this is a realm of dreams and fantasy, one where perception is everything. Why do I still look like this? Here, I have only to think, and the riches of a thousand nations fall from the sky, dismissed with but a thought. Is this my self-image, then? Is this who I really am, now?”

Xaul’s image in the mirror stretched and laughed, the sound echoing and warping into the voice of Resheph. Does it matter?

“What?”

I said, does it matter, boy? Resheph leered out of the mirror at Xaul, easily manipulating the other. Why do you need to know who you are, when it makes no difference? If you knew that you are really, truly my avatar, that you are the murder and butcher that the Kounnar makes you, would you stop? Would you give up and rush back to the Banir, and beg them to end it? Would you take your own life? No. You and I are more alike than you think, and I know that you will go through with this. As long as there’s even the slightest chance, you will keep fighting, just as I want you too.

This time Resheph’s laughter was loud enough to fill the entire reality, rasping against Xaul’s mind. The image of the god stepped back from the mirror, motioning to Xaul. Come on through, little Xaul. We’re here. Staring through the mirror, Xaul could see a mass of ruins in the middle of a forest. With a shrug, he stepped through, landing easily in the Garden of Secrets.

“Is this the place, Resheph?”

Bet your life, little Xaul. Bet your life. Welcome to the Garden of Secrets, where they got fun and games. They got everything you might want, honey, if you know the names. Wait here, by the portals, for a little while. Everyone has to come through here, little Xaul. Watch, absorb, analyze. You know the drill.

Epsilon sat passive in the cockpit of his ship, the Ekigin. The slim, needle-shaped fighter cruised along at full sublight speed, flying steadily towards the star system ahead. The Esper did not man the helm, and the Ekigin adjusted its course of its own accord. Instead, Epsilon was deep in meditation. It was a daily ritual, to release himself to the universe and from his own body for a time. His consciousness stepped from the bounds of his mortal shell and Epsilon opened himself to the cosmos.

It never ceased to amaze him how utterly vibrant even empty space was when viewed through unfettered psionic eyes. Scintillating beams of power curled and twisted through the vacuum, each one a connection in a web so intricate and vast that it defied the human mind’s feeble attempt at comprehension. Epsilon had named it the Ley Web after he had first witnessed it from the Gemyndi complex.

For a time, the Web was silent, and Epsilon drifted through the silver-blue matrix, content to wonder at the Web’s ancient strangeness. And then it began to speak. Not in words, at least that he could understand. The Ley Web passed him visions, impressions, emotions, from places all over existence. It was these visions that had nearly broken him, back when he had just become an Esper. The Ley Web did not adjust itself for his humanity, and sometimes he saw things not meant for human eyes.

What he saw today, though, was unlike anything he had ever seen. Floating in empty space was a disc of metal whose surface rippled and flowed like quicksilver. Epsilon floated before it, curious. Suddenly, lines of blue fire appeared on the surface, slowly scribing a word into the disc. Althanas, The Garden of Secrets, it read. As he watched, the word faded and an image appeared on the liquid metal. Massive mountains whose dark peaks covered the land below in shadow. A valley deep within those mountains, and a primeval forest hidden within that. Deep within the forest, a clearing that was filled with mysterious light and ruins of an unknown purpose. The scene radiated power, a gathering of forces the likes of which were entirely foreign to Epsilon. What is this place? he wondered, Could it be another dimension? He tentatively reached out with his mind and, with the gentlest of touches, tapped the quicksilver mirror.

Instantly, Epsilon was gripped by a power of terrible force. His mind was dragged immediately through the disc before he could begin to react. He fell from the quicksilver mirror onto one of the basalt pillars of the ruin. Literally fell, because his mind had been reunited with his body in the transit. Epsilon turned a quick somersault mid-fall and landed on his feet.

He looked around, taking in his surroundings as he had been trained to do. He stood atop a low rise of similar basalt pillars on the fringes of the ruin he had seen before. A great clearing stretched between himself and the treeline, and more of the pillars were scattered with small copses of trees across it. He could sense many other beings around him, some human, some not. They appeared suddenly, probably from portals like the one that had brought him here. One of the travelers in particular caught his mind's eye.

A thin shade of a man, who seemed to be made entirely of shadows. His skin, his clothes and his eyes were a deep black. Even the man's aura contained black. It's core was a deep, inky void darker than outer space. It writhed in chains of glowing red at the center of the man's being, churning wildly and just barely constrained.

It was also utterly evil.

Epsilon was not one who normally thought along such black-and-white lines, but nothing else could describe the loathsome feeling that the black core emitted. The sheer force of it made the Esper rock back a step. Coercion leapt into his hand, pulled from his belt by telekinesis, and Epsilon faced this stranger.

"Who are you?" he called, "What is your purpose here?"

Ooooh, I like this one. Resheph’s voice echoed through Xaul’s head, drawing his attention to the newcomer. The man was of less-than-average height, with neat but nondescript clothes. He moves well, and probably fights just as well, seeing as how he’s here. Speaking of seeing, do you think he can see through that mask, or is he blind?

If your divinity would shut up for more than a thought, I might be able to find out. Xaul often grew tired of having the bloody-minded and slightly insane god in his head. He stepped forward and was about to speak when Resheph piped up again.

You did notice when he drew his weapon, right? He didn’t touch it. Magic, maybe mind-magic. You and I both know how you fare against ranged attacks. That one mage nearly killed you, and me too!

Xaul remembered the mage. She was before the Kounnar, before the Banir. A necromancer as well as an elementalist, she had decimated the child population of three towns in her quest for eternal youth and beauty. She was responsible for almost a quarter of the normal scars that covered Xaul’s body. Xaul was responsible for the scar that separated her head from her body. Well, that was your fault. Remember that? Remember that I wasn’t the one driving at the time? If you hadn’t gone rushing in there in my body and slaughtered everything, we might have been a little better off!

Resheph took on a soothing, conciliatory tone. Shhh, little Xaul. It’s past now, right? It may have been my fault, but that was then. Now, you have me locked deep inside, and I am powerless! You do what you want, little Xaul. Go fight in the tournament, and spill some more blood for your pal Resheph, eh?

Xaul rolled his eyes at Resheph’s antics. He had long ago become used to the god’s mood swings and silver tongue. Good. Fine. Good good good. Now, will you shut up and let me answer the stranger’s questions?

But of course, you won’t hear another peep out of me.

Xaul stepped forward once more, holding his hands out to the sides and displaying their empty palms. “My name,” he said, clearing his throat, “is-”

Oh, Xaul?

Xaul broke off suddenly, rage and annoyance etched onto his face. His Kounnar began to activate slightly as his emotions got the better of him, and glowing red sigils appeared all over his skin. Any sensitive in the area would be able to feel the dark god stretching his limbs further out of the cage that Xaul had built in his mind. “WHAT?!?!??! WHAT DO YOU WANT?!?! I have spent too long caged up with you, Resheph. Too long by far! Now,” panted Xaul, calming down, “I’m going to give you a choice. Either you stop talking for once in your existence and let me be normal for a change, or I’ll get one of these fine beings to banish you! Which will it be, your godlyness?”

I’ll be good, I’ll be good. I just wanted to remind you to not talk to me out loud in public, much like you just did, if you don’t want to be taken for a crazy person. Xaul could hear the smirk in Resheph’s voice as he withdrew slightly, allowing Xaul to deactivate the Kounnar.

With a visible effort, Xaul composed himself. Unclenching his fists and separating his jaws (which he had been grinding together), he turned one more to the masked stranger. Mentally checking that Resheph was firmly sealed within his prison, Xaul threw another couple mental walls up, trapping the god even more firmly. “My name,” stated Xaul once more as he let out a long-suffering sigh, “is Xaul Knofker, and I am here for the Grand Prize of the Tournament of Champions. Same questions, stranger.”

As the man stepped forward, Epsilon sensed something strange. The dark void within the stranger pulsed rhythmically for a moment in a quick cadence. Almost a speech-like cadence. Epsilon probed a little deeper, and the man's thoughts entered his mind.

/If your divinity would shut up for more than a thought, I might be able to find out./ Before Epsilon could even begin to make sense of this strangest of sentences, the void pulsed again, a longer series. It's communicating with him? What sort of being is this, that he can contain such a black presence? Epsilon's gloved hands tightened slightly on Coercion's grip. Just in case.

The pair, for he was dealing with two beings now, continued their discussion as the man in black approached. Epsilon began to catch soft sounds that might have been words from the void-presence as he concentrated, but the being was shielded from his consciousness somehow. As he continued to ponder the bizarre situation, the man before him stopped and held out his hands in a gesture of peace. Epsilon lowered Coercion to his side as the man spoke in a rough voice "My name is-" he began, and suddenly something snapped within him.

A flare of rage flooded the man, and the red chains strained as the black void-presence surged against them. A burst of sickening energy struck the Esper, and he instinctively snapped Coercion out to it's full length and dropped into a protective battle stance. Sigils, their lines glowing a bloody red, outlined themselves on the man's skin as he screamed.

"“WHAT?!?!??! WHAT DO YOU WANT?!?! I have spent too long caged up with you, Resheph. Too long by far!" Epsilon's pike crackled with energy, as he prepared for an attack by the madman before him. But this was ignored entirely, and the stranger took a deep breath and continued speaking. It was clear to Epsilon that he was not the target of the speech, but instead the man was speaking to the void within him.

"Now, I’m going to give you a choice. Either you stop talking for once in your existence and let me be normal for a change, or I’ll get one of these fine beings to banish you! Which will it be, your godlyness?” Well, now Epsilon had at least a name for the presence, if nothing else. Nothing else but questions for this man. What exactly did he mean by 'god'?

He was distracted from this thought as the stranger gained control over himself again. Resheph, if he assumed correctly, was slowly pulled back in by the chains, clenched tighter than before. As they tightened, the bloody runes faded from the black skin, and Epsilon sensed mental walls being erected around it. The stranger visibly relaxed, let out a deep sigh as if he had performed this particular scene a few times too many, and resumed speaking.

"My name is Xaul Knofker, and I am here for the Grand Prize of the Tournament of Champions. Same questions, stranger.” And now a name for the original face.

"I am Epsilon, Esper of Gemynd." He lowered Coercion and released the energy charging it, though he did not return it to his belt. "I do not know why I am here, nor do I know of any Tournament." He looked down from the top of the pillar to where Xaul stood, and decided for the moment that it was still best to keep the advantage of height. "What sort of man are you, Xaul Knofker, that you contain so vile a presence?"

“What sort of man am I?” Xaul giggled slightly as he pondered the question. “A man that would rather not have the presence released upon the world. I have this Being-“

God.

“-This god, excuse me, possessing-“

Actually, go with Being. I like the sound of it.

Xaul cleared his throat, trying to keep the conversation moving. “Ahem. I have this annoying psychotic freak of a spirit who may or may not be a god possessing me. We were both-“

Well, you don’t have to get all huffy about it. That kind of thing matters, you know. How would you like it if I called you a-

Xaul cleared his throat again, louder this time. “Ahem. We were both dying, and now we keep each other fueled. For my part, I believe in him and give him sacrifices, while he-“

And you’re damn miserly with those sacrifices, lad. I don’t know why you try this morality crap. I keep telling you, the best way to have fun is to get a fresh corpse and a hammer. Then you-

“While he gives me the power I need to do so.” Xaul’s voice got briefly louder as he tried in vain to ignore the god. “I dare not release him, for we are now locked together, and to loose Resheph, lord of war and pestilence, upon the world, would mean my death immediately, along with the deaths of many, many others eventually.”

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Fun times!

“And now, Epsilon, I believe that an idea has come to me. The prize for-“

Oh, and you forgot ‘Master of the Bones’ and ‘Emperor of the Black’ when you recited my titles.

“Piss off,” Xaul muttered to Resheph. “The prize for winning this tournament is a single wish, something well worth fighting for,” said Xaul with a flourish. “The thing is, it’s a doubles tourney, and I seem to be without a partner. Would you-“

And what am I, chopped spleen?

“Ahem. Without a corporeal partner. Would you be interested in the position?”

Out of Character:

My apologies...my house has been literally crawling with relatives these past few days. I shall be more expedient in the future, when the calendar is freer.

Epsilon said nothing as Xaul attempted to explain his dual nature as the void (or rather Resheph) pulsed repeatedly. Though Epsilon could draw no words from the demon-god's presence, he was able to discern Xaul's thoughts in response. Extrapolating from the man's replies, it was simple to see that Resheph's words did not please Xaul in the least. Epsilon's smirk went unseen behind the gleaming silver mask as the Esper watched Xaul argue with himself.

The smirk vanished when Xaul was finally able to discuss tournament. A wish? Quite a powerful prize, but I wonder who intends to grant it? At the very least, Xaul now had Epsilon's full attention. He carries a burden heavier than any I have known. Singly responsible for containing the wrath of a god, his pain must be unbearable. That must be his wish. He looked down toward the black-cloaked man, the demon-vessel.

"Xaul. I have no desire save to return to my own home, but your cause is a worthy one. I will help you in this Tournament. However..." Epsilon raised Coercion again, channeled his power into the shaft. Immediately, the psychoconductive spear crackled with blue-silver energy. "It seems extremely unwise to enter combat beside a stranger. Show me the extent of your powers and your god's."

Epsilon whirled the pike about himself, the basic blade-dance calming his mind and centering his senses. His combat implants centered a psionic lock on Xaul's life-signature, and Epsilon smiled. Coercion's tip left a glowing trail of psionic energy, weaving a glowing cage about the Esper.

"Come, Xaul Knofker. I would test you."

Man wants a fight. Points for bravery, less for stupidity. What are you waiting for?

Xaul stood silently, staring up at Epsilon. The motion of Coercion was mesmerizing, but Xaul ignored it, trying to make the esper understand the dangers of such a challenge. He sighed, the soft exhale containing all of the sorrow and exhaustion he had accumulated. At heart, Xaul was a good man. A kind and fair man, even. But now, with Resheph, he was no longer. Now, he reveled in the slaughter of anything that moved, and he did not want to kill Epsilon. The man seemed compassionate, and Xaul did not want to deprive the universe of such a person.

“It is a terrible thing indeed, to let strife and fear and hatred run their course,” whispered Xaul, staring at the ground. “But the dogs of war do howl and bay, and call the fated to their end.” His hands crept to the sheathed Drshil and Haingre, fingering their handles absently. “This is not what I wished, not what I wanted to be, my friend.”

Xaul looked up now, tearing loose the chains that held Resheph back. The power of the god flowed into Xaul, and a sullen bloody light suffused the area as the Kounnar fought to keep Resheph from taking over Xaul’s body. Drshil and Haingre leapt into Xaul’s hands, awake and hungry. Even Xaul’s voice began to change, warping into something evil and vile, without a trace of humanity. “But this is what I am meant, what I am destined to do; to kill without remorse.”

A giggle escaped Xaul’s lips as he dropped into a low stance. He could feel his katars rising from their slumber, could feel Drshil beginning to snake its cold fingers of agony into all nearby. For now, they would only feel a slight dull ache, but that would change. Xaul could smell Haingre, the awful smell reminiscent of a charnel house. The blade hungered, and would soon consume all that it touched.

Xaul circled the base of the pillar that Epsilon stood upon; the mad giggle continuing even as he spoke. “Little shiny face wants to play, won’t come down to play? We’re gonna bash it up, lash it up, take you out!” Xaul stopped giggling, staring at Epsilon. His eyes blazed with madness, and a death’s head grin had stitched itself onto his mouth. One final laugh emerged, and then Xaul shot from the ground. “Looks like I’ll have to come up and play!” Drshil stretched out, moving in for an uppercut as Haingre prepared for a diagonal slash downwards.

As Xaul murmured to himself, Epsilon pondered his strange opponent. There were two weapons at his hips; katars, if his lessons on ancient weapons proved correct. Dangerous at close range, and close range only. Though it was impossible to know what other surprises Xaul had hidden in his voluminous greatcoat, he appeared to be strictly a close-combat fighter. The memory Epsilon had spied on previously lent credence to that analysis, and as far as the Esper could predict it would be a simple battle if he could keep Xaul at a distance. Thankfully, he had not abandoned his perch on the hexagonal pillar, so the advantage of terrain was already in his favor.

Then Xaul released Resheph, and everything changed.

Epsilon watched as Xaul, of his own will, it seemed, shattered the bonds holding back the demon within. The red chains shattered, and Resheph flowed out and spread through Xaul's aura. An evil power, blacker than deep space, radiated from him and washed over the Esper. Epsilon reacted immediately, slamming sterling walls around his consciousness, sealing out the vile influence. Just as Epsilon began to fear that the demon had entirely broken free, it was checked again by the red rune-chains, this time engraved directly into the man's dusky skin. Epsilon's mask gleamed bloody-red in the light as Xaul drew his katars.

As soon as the spiked katar cleared the sheath, Epsilon's muscles began to ache. Just a slight change, barely noticeable, but to someone trained to know his body and its limits as well as Epsilon had been, it was immediately apparent. Perhaps some sort of magical effect? I will have to be especially cautious. The Esper was wary as the possessed man circled the base of his pillar, giggling madly and speaking as if crazed. Epsilon stopped his kata and raised his spear just as Xaul flung himself upwards, the spiked katar spearing upwards while the sinuous one drew back to slice down.

"You will not touch me." he said. Epsilon made a half-turn to the right and brought Coercion down to knock the spiked katar wide. His movement took him out of the path of Xaul's lunge, and before the second attack could be delivered Epsilon lashed out with a telekinetic strike aimed to catch Xaul in the midsection and slam him back to the ground.

Xaul screamed with delight as Epsilon blocked his strike and retaliated. The telekinetic strike caught him, throwing him to the ground. “Ooooh, speedy fun ride,” whooped Xaul, landing on his blades and cartwheeling to the side. The grass went brown and lifeless where Haingre touched it. He cackled loudly, surfacing briefly through the sea of madness that gripped him to speak. “I don’t have to touch you, shiny face. I just have to distract you from what’s behind you.” Xaul whooped again, doing a backflip simply for the hell of it.

The sane Xaul, the inner core of the man was glad for Resheph’s silence, but he knew that the God was really whispering a never-ending litany of praise for blood and murder in his ear. The mad Xaul, the outer Xaul, couldn’t care less. Even if he could hear the god, he would agree.

Sheathing Drshil, Xaul palmed a throwing knife, keeping the sliver of metal hidden in his hand. He lunged forward, not at epsilon, but at the pillar the Esper stood upon. Twisting, Xaul rebounded off the pillar to land on another close by. He turned, crouching and gripping the edge of the pillar with his ‘empty’ left hand. Completely still, Xaul slowly licked his lips as he stared at Epsilon. “Shiiiiiinyyyyyyyy… Shiny shiny shiny boy,” he crooned, rocking slowly back and forth. “Shiny boy have pretty colors inside? Shiny boy shiny inside?” Xaul froze, only his lips moving as they stretched into a smile with no trace of humor in it at all. “Let’s find out!”

Xaul flicked his hand out, releasing the throwing knife as he launched himself towards Epsilon. Soaring through the air with his arms and legs spread, Xaul screamed, the awful battle cry sounding more like a feral animal than a man. Xaul stared at Epsilon, drawing Drshil once more, and suddenly went limp. His arms and legs dropped, and the possessed man completed his flight in a manner reminiscent of that of a thrown sack of potatoes. Even the sound escaping from Xaul’s lips broke off, leaving the area quiet with the echoes of insanity. Then, just as suddenly, Xaul burst into motion once more, swinging his katars in a brutal X as he kicked backwards off the edge of Epsilon’s pillar. “Hello, little boy, shiny toy,” hissed Resheph through Xaul, whispering the words in the man’s ear. “We’re the nightmare you’ll believe in, send you crawling up the wall, tears of blood running down your face.”

Epsilon brought Coercion back before him as Xaul flew screaming to the earth below. Still cackling madly, Xaul seemed to regain a bit of his previous demeanor as he said, "I don't have to touch you, shiny face. I just have to distract you from what's behind you." Epsilon could sense nothing in that direction, though he gave up a fraction of a second to make another mental sweep of that area. He returned his attention to his insane opponent.

Xaul sheathed the spiked katar as Resheph pulsed wildly and continuously beneath the man's skin. The litany of madness and bloodlust pouring through Xaul's mind forced Epsilon a mental step back, to avoid being overrun by the god's mental presence himself. Raising another psionic blockade to shield himself, he noticed that the obscure pain in his muscles ceased as soon as the katar was covered again. So the pain is caused by that weapon. he noted, It is a formidable effect, if it increases with time. He must be plotting something if he's stopped using it after such a short time. Then Xaul charged forward again, but the angle was entirely wrong for an attack.

And it wasn't one. With his awful grin still stretching his features, Xaul leaped up and rebounded off the middle of Epsilon's perch, using it only as a foothold to gain access to another column nearby. For a moment, the pair considered each other in total stillness, broken when Xaul began entertaining Epsilon's vivisection out loud. The Esper's jaw clenched tightly, as the words brought back memories of his years in the Gemyndi labs. The scientists there had been just as keenly interested in the insides of Espers, and were not choosy if the Espers found out at the same time.

The flicker of a throwing knife proceeded Xaul as the man launched himself from the pillar. Epsilon delivered a quick mental slap that knocked the knife away, but the man that followed it, limp as a ragdoll, would not be dealt with so easily. Epsilon called his power, concentrating it in fractions of second as he had been trained. Blue-silver energy flared along his arms, condensing into a second skin of pure energy that was a solid as steel. As the katars slashed inwards, the found themselves sliding off the Esper's armored arms in a spray of blue sparks. Xaul kicked backwards off the pillar, his attack thwarted.

"Whether that is your goal or not, you will not touch me. My power is my armor and my shield." Epsilon stated, staring madness in the eyes. "But it is also my sword, and I could not ask for a keener blade." The Esper drew his power forth again, and his left hand plucked a trio of throwing knives from mid-air. As Xaul fell back from the pillar, Epsilon flicked the knives one after the other towards the man. Fully expecting the knives to be deflected or dodged, the Esper used the time to draw on a different power. This time, energy flowed not out of him, but in. As Epsilon pulled power from the air, the temperature around him began to drop. Frost gathered in the air before his left hand, minute ice crystals swirling in a tempest around the Esper's closed fist. Epsilon took a step forward to the edge of the pillar and thrust his hand out toward Xaul. His hand snapped open and released a blast of frigid energy that roared at the man with a sound like wind across the wasted tundra.

Xaul struggled through the waves of insanity that washed over him, surfacing more and more often. His voice fluctuated and faded in and out as he spoke, waging a war within his own mind. “Ohhhh, that’s rich. Goal power armor shield sword!” He dodged out of the paths of the knives that Epsilon had summoned, his roll taking him straight into the path of the cryokinetic blast. The energy caught Xaul right in the cheat, knocking him to the ground. A harsh laugh escaped his lips, turning into a wracking cough as Xaul clawed his way to sanity. The Kounnar faded slightly, but the hellish glow of Xaul’s tattoos could still be seen through the ice encasing him.

“St-stop me, shiny…” Xaul’s whisper carried, his voice almost normal. “You… see... myabilties. SeewhatI… can do.” His words were stilted, changing pace and volume randomly as Xaul fought down his bloodlust. “Talk… medown. Hurt me… Throwme… an… anchor. Somethingto use as a… focus.” Having said his piece, Xaul stopped trying to hold himself back, gathering his strength to shut down the Kounnar cold, without any blood sacrifice to sate Resheph.

A whoop of glee burst from Xaul as he slid back into his Kounnar, the insane Xaul once again in full control. He threw himself against the ice, and loud sharp cracks issued from the frigid cage. “We used to be so close, shiny funny man.” Xaul’s voice was once again tainted and evil, Resheph’s influence taking its toll. “But now, but now you push me away. You’ve become so cold, so frigid…” Xaul flexed his body once more, shattering the ice. “Und merke bald ich bin schon lange kalt,” he chuckled, standing slowly. The words came from Resheph, but they described Xaul quite well.

Epsilon gritted his teeth as the energy blast stuck Xaul in the chest. He would have to end this quickly. If the man rampaged much longer, the Esper knew that he would be hard-pressed to hold him of as before. Xaul's thoughts were growing more and more chaotic as he struggled against the ice that sheathed his limbs and torso. Resheph's influence was growing stronger. It seemed that Xaul had realized the same. Epsilon watched as Resheph was forced briefly back down and Xaul struggled to speak normally. The demon-god fought the crimson restraints, blurring Xaul's speech as he called for Epsilon's help.

Epsilon drew up his powers as Resheph broke out of the temporary restrictions and the tattoos blazed again. The Esper thought quickly as Xaul thrashed, cracking the ice around him. I'll have to restrain him again if I'm to have a hope of calming him. So Epsilon threw his own strength behind Xaul's final efforts to shatter the icy bonds, and as Xaul dragged himself to his feet, the Esper gripped his arms in telekinetic fists and hoisted him into the air.

"Xaul. Listen to me, Xaul." Epsilon kept his voice calm and steady as he stared directly into his opponent's bloodlust-crazed eyes. "Look at me, Xaul." He seized the man's head with another psionic grip, forcing eye contact. Or what amounted to it, since the only feature Epsilon's face possessed was the black sigil that represented his name. "Fight it down, Xaul. You have the strength. Focus on my mask, Xaul, and force it down. You don't have to succumb. Fight it, Xaul." He kept up a quiet, calming litany, trying to bring his pseudo-friend back from the brink.

Xaul left the earth, giggling and laughing like a schoolgirl. "Wheeeee! Fly! Way up high in the sk-" Just then, Epsilon seized Xaul's head and wrenched it down, forcing Xaul to look directly at the man's mask. "Xaul." The esper's voice was low and calm, somehow piercing the fog of lunacy that gripped Xaul. "Look at me, Xaul."

It was hard not to. The symbol on the other's mask seemed to grow, filling Xaul's vision as his healthy self, his pure self, clutched at it. He was drowning, this inner Xaul, drowning in the vast madness-flooded plain that was Xaul's mind. The purity of the sigil was a breath of fresh air amidst the pressing stench of the Kounnar. The words of Epsilon floated through the air, bringing a cool breeze of balance, of order. Deep inside his mind, Xaul inhaled, and smiled.

He stepped forward, the inner Xaul, coming up behind his other self. This Xaul was bent double with laughter, and attached to each of his limbs was a long black-and-red cord that lead to...

"Resheph," said the sane Xaul. "Not now, not to Epsilon. You'll have plenty of blood later, Resheph. Plenty of lives to claim. For now, wait."

The crazed Xaul's head snapped up, his face and mouth stained with the blood of the hundreds that Xaul had killed. The strands connecting him to the stained cage that held Resheph jerked once, and the tainted Xaul held back, waiting on its master. Why should I, little Xaul? Puny Xaul? whay should I stop, when you can't make me?

"Because we need him. Because you need me, and you have to let me take full control again sometime. Do you want me to leave? To run, to hide myself away and never again be seen by anyone? End this, Resheph, or you shall never again have a single soul given up to you." Xaul's words were quiet, his manner calm as he moved towards the tainted one. the creture growled threateningly, shuffling away as Xaul drew a mind-blade, a dream sword. "This is my head, Resheph, not your playground. End this."

Make me. Do you hear that, Little Xaul? MAKE ME!

Xaul sighed, a single word dropping from his lips. "Fine." He surged forward, his blade tearing through the puppet-strings that held the tainted Xaul. Kicking his monstrous self to the ground and placing a boot on his throat, Xaul hurled the mind blade at the cage, at Resheph. The sword twisted in midair, fusing itself into chains that wrapped around the cage. Screaming, Resheph withdrew, pulling himself back and removing his influence.

I won't forget this, boy. And I never forgive.

"Neither do I, Resheph. You taught me that. But I am the master of my body, for now. Remember that." The inner Xaul, the mind Xaul faded away, moving his focus to the outside world, and regaining control of his corporeal body. He looked at Epsilon and nodded as well as he could. "I'm back, Epsilon. Let me down, we're done here." Xaul smiled sadly, pretending he could not hear Resheph's final retort.

For now, Xaul. Who knows what the future holds.

Epsilon kept his eyes locked invisibly with Xaul's as the man fought his demon down. His eyes looked deeper than the eyes, into Xaul's head and the battle raging in the man's psyche. Epsilon watched as Xaul argued with a Resheph-twisted version of himself. He watched as the pair fought for dominance, and watched as the sane Xaul overthrew his tenant. For the first time, the demon-god's voice was audible to the Esper, and he began to understand the depth of the burden his friend was carrying. As the mind blade's chains bound Resheph again, Epsilon stepped out of Xaul's mind and saw the bloody tattoos fade to grey on the dusky skin.

"I'm back, Epsilon. Let me down, we're done here." The man smiled softly, almost regretfully as Epsilon released his friend and lowered him gently back to earth. At the same time, the Esper dispelled his psionic armor and retracted Coercion before clicking it back into it's holster. He sighed to himself, berating his decision to force this combat. Nevertheless, it was worth it for the both of them to learn that much about the other.

"We should leave this place." the Esper said. "And find someone to heal you. My powers do not extend in that direction. And, if we are to be allies in this Tournament, I think there is much that needs to be discussed. Starting," he said, as the pair began walking towards the ruins and the portals therein, "with how in the Allsoul's name you became the way you are..."

When they later entered the Tournament of Champions, their team was known as Tveir Valka Seula. A pair of men, cast aside by their respective worlds, just trying to live their lives as best as they could.

Just Two Wandering Souls.

Judging

Good day. I’ve read over your entry and on the whole I enjoyed it. Below is my score, some of the logic behind it, and some comments for future improvement of your writing. For the record, while I have read and commented on the entire thread, the judgment reflects only the first 2000 words which is roughly the first two posts.

Story: 3.75/5

From this brief sample I got a very clear impression of the back story and personalities of the characters. You gave clear reasons as to why these two noticed each other among the many in the garden. The setting was only thinly described but you both made good use of what was there. It was a little difficult at times to picture the action especially during the scene with the jumping off pillars and going limp. Both of you had a good sense of pacing and managed to ramp the action up and back smoothly.

Character: 4/5

Talking to yourself is one of trickiest things for me as a writer so I had to tip my hat to the interplay between Xaul, and Resheph. All three had a distinct voice and for such a small sample each was showcased well. The Esper as an eavesdropper and internal critic to all that was icing on the cake. The action scenes were solid if a little difficult to follow at times. Mad rage versus graceful precision makes a good contrast of styles. Even considering that Xaul was weak against such powers, the esper seemed a little too untouchable to me. I would have liked to have seen Xaul get in at least one good shot.

Writing Style: 3.5/5

On the whole, it was a solid bit of writing. On the technical front, you both use complex sentences. That leads to many commas where you don’t need them and several missing commas where they were needed. Spelling was good as was word choice.

I liked the twisting of well known phrases like “That star on the right, Xaul. Straight past it and on to cause mourning.” Phrases in a foreign language without an eventual translation is a pet peeve of mine. I would avoid those in future as it fights clarity in the narrative. Still, knowing it was not crucial to understanding what was going on so that is a minor point.

Total: 11.25/15