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Hero, Don't Kill The Demon King! Chapter 1: Lives Not Yet Thrown Away


Nanami Touko
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Huh. She'd seemed... flustered. That wasn't an emotion he expected from her. He'd have to keep that in mind. A little bit of teasing back and... His train of thought was quickly cut off by her pushing back at him, leaving his face a bright red. "Ha... I suppose it is. I'll uh... Keep that in mind. For fighting. I mean. Can't say I uh... have many other situations where I need it. I'm sure that's more of a problem for... Well, the General I suppose. And others! Whoever." Man it was a good thing that she was facing his back not his face right now...

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Jade heard Lavinia enter the main room and close the door behind her, and in instinctive curiosity turned to the bathroom's adjoining doorway. The zombie couldn't see anything, obviously, as was typical for inns with this sort of setup, the bathroom's door was constructed to face the wall, rather than into the main room directly. Privacy concerns, and everything. She waited a few moments, to see if the vampire would come into sight, perhaps dragging a chair to sit in as they spoke about whatever she'd had in mind, but the sound of metal hitting the floor rung in the fact that Lavinia would be taking Jade up on her somewhat foolish invitation. The zombie turned her gaze at this, peering down now at the surface of the water, looking somewhat bashful. Even if she couldn't see anything, it wouldn't be right, staring out the doorway like that. One piece, two pieces... almost a dozen pieces she heard fall--the archer was incredibly well armored, wasn't she? No, she mustn't get so distracted, she'd been asked a question, hadn't she?

Pushing her hands against the bottom of the tub, Jade raised herself up and slid backwards, till her hips arrived at the bend in the basin, and she leaned against the rising slope now in a more sitting position than the prone sprawl she'd been in earlier. It would be only necessary, after all, for this arrangement to end up working out.

"Uh, hmm. Well. Yes, I suppose I still feel temperatures, though not like I felt them while alive. It's much more, muted, I guess? The hots aren't really hot, so much as, hmmm. I could put my hand in a fire, and it would just feel like the gentle warmth of a sunbeam. Nothing oppressive, just enough to know--" it was there. A sunbeam, really? She was using that as her choice of comparison for innocent warmth when talking to a vampire? Embarrassed at her blunder, Jade hugged her knees to her chest briefly, burying her face up against them, even though Lavinia wasn't yet there to look at her with disapproval.

"I'm sorry that was... it'd be like there was a cat sitting on it or something. That's what I should have said. A-Anyway, similarly, pain isn't so severe at it used to be either. No sharp piercing feelings or rough scrapings, they've all been replaced by more of a... dull tugging sensation than anything. A faint notice that something happened, but without any urgency or agony."

Jade fell into silence, just in time to hear the final rustlings of folded fabrics, followed by faint footfalls coming her way. She didn't turn and look, not right away, not until they were almost on top of her in fact. But she did eventually, and was surprised to find the vampire's body was not the marble statue of perfection she'd been envisioning. No, her canvas was painted with scars, including some ringed ones that looked unhappily familiar. A slight wisp of a wry twist took the zombie's lips as she turned to look at her own right hand, where every finger sported a similar marking just above the first knuckle. She should probably say something, but what?

Uneasy silence on her part, but Jade made sure to give Lavinia ample room as she slipped in on the other end of the tub. She nodded at the expression of thanks, then froze slightly at being passed the buck about which topic to begin things with. The slightest glance to the sidetable she'd brought in provided an easy out though. "You don't smoke, do you? I'm such a fool, I should have prepared an extra pipe in case you did..."

Edited by Balcerzak
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"Noooo, no no no~ It's very important for you too, Bladen~ Why, look here..." Asami slowly ran her hands down his shoulders, running the tips across his stomach, the definition not as hefty as she'd thought for a sword wielder, but the makings of a strong warrior definitely there. Alas, as she'd leaned forward to caress his blossoming muscles, her chest found itself pressed against his back, her breath on his ear. "See~? You're just as strong as they are, you know... You'd got to keep this body in shape, right? We're all counting on you just as much as the general, or Lavinia... Besides, I'd hate to see all this potential go to waste, not being taken care of properly. Shall I help you? I'm rather flexible myself." She left a giggle to sneak into his ear as she pulled back enough for him to, perhaps, relax, fingers gently resuming their prodding, digging and massaging. "I can be as rough, or soft, as you want..."


The sounds of contest and battle were echoing into the waiting room of the arena, someone likely challenging their gauntlet at the moment. The bald, scarred, eyepatched zombie overseeing the front desk took a glance over at the new visitors and-- "Oi, oi oi oi oi! Wha-- G, General? Nessraya!?" There was only one succubus with hair like that, her look indistinguishable from that of their country's head of warring state. "What, are you... Gods, be gentle. Er... Right..." The other two looked to be dragons... Newts? One was missing wings, maybe she was young... "Th-This is the, town's arena. We've got a gauntlet of fighters that live here in town, that take on challengers. You win, you get gold. You lose... Your pride's the only thing that's really on the line. But, you're the general of the whole country... I can't imagine we'd give you much challenge." He'd be sweating if the undead could sweat.

"You two, though, er, you two look like you'd fare better-- or, rather that you'd get more of a challenge out of this. You all lookin' to sign up, or just wanna watch?" Dragons could probably put on a good show, even if they were young.

"We're here to fight! I wanna work up a sweat and knock some heads. Uh, without killing anyone, of course..."

"Don't worry about that. There here arena's non-lethal, we've got the best healers available, and matches stop before someone can lose their head. Well, unless you're undead, then we let that happen, but that's not the norm."

"R-Right!


Someone this human knew... A werewolf? The clerk furrowed her brow, sighing. "There's more and more of you humans, I'm gettin' tired of it. Look, I'm gonna help just this once, so listen close, okay? Just need to crack out a bit of Jezebel's old magic..." The elf slid her finger through the air, drawing a small symbol, perhaps a rune, and then snapped her fingers. Both Marina and Agni's hair began to turn white, until they were as snow colored as their undead guardian. "Werewolves have tails. Tails that they don't keep hidden... Just keep a hood on her-- and you too, mystery man, and say they're vampires, if anyone asks. Best to wear gloves too, keep up the illusion... Alright? That said..."

She looked towards the Siren, the only one she was happy to see, "what can I help you with today, miss? Oh-- right. When you want the spell to turn off, just say, 'Dye, die.' Like, hair dye. Don't repeat after me or you'll turn the thing off, just remember for later." Hopefully they appreciated her being such a good samaritan.


"I don't smoke, no, and I don't mind if you do. It has no effect on me, and the smell of pipes tends to be pleasant... By all means, Jade." It was rather amusing to see the merchant so awkward, perhaps this had been too forward a request? Lavinia was enjoying herself either way, and they did have business to attend to. "Cute... I'm surprised to hear that you can still feel warmth, or pain, but that your senses haven't dulled completely is a good thing. Relish the feelings while they last." It was heartwarming, in a way, to know that for other undead, the removal wasn't instant. When Lavinia had awoken that morning, all those years ago... The dull sense of, nothing... Was probably the most alarming.

"Right, my adorable friend," she chuckled, "business. I had asked you to take us through to Tepel, originally, but the purpose of that hasn't been laid bare yet... As Marina may have mentioned, she is the hero the church has called upon to rid the continent of all of, us. She had a moment of weakness in her encounter with Nessraya, and accepted talks of peace and cooperation. Thus..." Lavinia adjusted herself a bit, arms resting on the edges of the tub. "Marina is going to be aiding us in removing some of Vaia's turmoil. We hope that this, in turn, allows the people to believe the truth that we know-- that Marina is willing to stop her crusade and aid the country, perhaps even going as far as to help us stop the church."

That was the gist of things, hopefully simply enough for Jade to follow. "To that end, I'd like to request your wagon and services for a bit of a longer period... Perhaps your assistance in combat, if you're feeling comfortable enough. You are quite the shot with that gun. Tepel is our first stop on the way to Mixoco, where Ex-Captain Ithraxl is stationed. He's garrisoned the town into somewhat of a fortress, and sends men out to ravage the country... Some of those men found you just yesterday, as you are unfortunately aware. If you're willing to come along with us, you will be paid, and protected, of course." Lavinia couldn't help a bit of a smirk as she spoke. "I could, of course, find my own wagon, horses, or even a more seasoned merchant-made-fighter to come along with us, but... Our meeting, and your having Requiem, out of anyone we could have run into... Perhaps destiny is too strong a term, but the coincidence is rather strong. I'd like for you to stay with us, if you're willing, Jade."

Edited by SnakeMomMelissa
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She looked at Gabriela as she started going in the direction opposite to where she had point, "O-oh. Haha," Marina nervously laughed as she followed along the siren's trail. Maybe she could count on her confidence.

Only a few minutes and they entered the tailor. As Gabriela greeted, Marina only nodded nervously, the woman's sudden idea of her cover seemed a lot more fake as she so openly pointed out her identity as 'a werewolf'. Agni's attempt at greeting her scared her for a brief moment, Oh no I didn't tell him, ohgodohgodohgod... But he quickly corrected himself. Bless this man. She nodded to his question, "Yes, actu--"

Next, an interruption from the store clerk, an elf. This one was easy, thanks to all the time she spent dedicated to Elder Scrolls. What she DIDN'T want was her identity being so quickly shut down. Fear built up, not wanting something like what happened with the dwarf again... Until the elf (named Jezebel, Marina had assumed from her words) suddenly used some magic. Feeling some sort of oddity, she soon noticed a bit of hair caught in her vision, going from it's usual blue color to something brighter. White?

Say they're vampires, a phrase that brought a moment of serenity to Marina, as she gave a bow in thanks, "T-thank you, miss... I greatly appreciate your kindness."

Right, what they were here for. Marina soon raised her hand, quickly lowering it down. She assumed it'd be better if she just let Gabriela speak instead of her.

Edited by Silver Gallade
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Jade nodded in response to hearing Lavinia's views on smoking, and had begun to reach for her pipe to take a puff when something else the vampire said caused her to pause. Relish the feeling while it lasts. So that meant, Lavinia didn't feel anymore. Didn't feel anything?

A frown on her face, the concerned zombie rerouted her arm, bringing her hand to rest on the top of her companion's where it rested atop the rim of the tub. "Can you not feel this, even? How long did it take, before..." Jade bit her lip, wondering how many years she might have left.

The sober news also had the effect of evaporating most of her unease and uncertainty about the situation, or maybe that was just a byproduct of Lavinia herself being so at home with things--treating everything so matter of fact. Once they'd gotten to talking, it was almost easy to forget they were just casually naked in a tub together. It was unlikely she'd feel awkward again unless someone made it awkward, and that didn't seem to be either of their intents. So settling back into her end of the tub, pipe forgotten for the moment, Jade listened to the rest of the vampire's story.

The additional details about the general purpose of Marina's reconstruction travels, and the specific thorn growing out of Mixoco that needed to be removed, helped to fill in several missing pieces for the merchant. Then came the renewed offer for a shared purpose, and Jade nodded and smiled.

Leaning forward a little, lips slipping into a bit of grin, she began, "You realize this is the part where I'm bound by merchant's code to try to haggle with you over precise terms, don't you? But," she paused and shrugged her shoulders. 'Strange coincidence' was certainly right, but even without it there was something about this that felt... genuine. "I was hoping to relax and settle into a good mood, and excessive business talk would probably spoil things. Can we leave it as 'Definitely interested,' and worry about the details some other time?"

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"Oh come now good Sir... look at little ol' me~ I may be a General but I'm not exactly what one would call intimidating, hmm?" Nessraya replied with a gentle giggle... it was always amusing seeing the local's astounded reactions to her presence... well, it was better than riots and pitchforks, she could only hope that Ithraxl hadn't managed to drum up much, if any at all of that by the time they got to the territory he had holed up in.

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"'Course I'm going to participate!" She wouldn't have bothered coming otherwise... Well, maybe to watch Taliyah or Bladen, but she wasn't going to turn down a chance to stretch her wings either. She could use some non-lethal training after several days of life or death fighting, too. "You mind if I go first Taliyah? It would let you see what you're up against. Though, you seem pretty eager yourself." It was a little weird to see the lizardgirl so eager to fight after how blatantly green she'd been a day ago, even if it was just glorified sparring.

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Asami's hands drifting down his chest caused the young Fallen to flinch, not quite pulling away, but clearly unsure how to handle the situation. He could feel her pressing against his back, the warmth of her breath standing out from the warmth of the steam around them, and the heat of her words, teasing or not, and he knew he was powerless to escape. She'd pulled back, for now, but the teasing wasn't done, he knew that. What could he do?

For now, respond. Give himself time to think while he autopiloted the words. "Hardly as strong as them. They're established fighters, in their prime. I'm still a fledgling that wasn't allowed to leave the nest. Just because I snuck out doesn't make me strong. Pretty sure most people would just say it makes me stupid. Or foolhardy if they're being polite." He squirmed slightly, as she continued to dig into his back, her words still floating in his head. "B-besides..."

He reached behind himself, snagging one of her hands, twisting so he was facing her. "W-what would you even do if I said ok? If I took you up on your offer? If... If..." He stared into her eyes, searching for confusion, lust, worry, any of the feelings that he was feeling because of her words. But she wasn't going to stop teasing him if he didn't fight back, right? She'd faltered before. Maybe this was the right move after all. Not ignoring her games. But pushing them right back at her... "What would you do if I just... kissed you?" He hesitated for a long second, long enough for her to pull away if she wanted to, not wanting to force this on her, and then leaned in for the threatened kiss.

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It was a little bit annoying that the shopkeeper saw through Gabriela's lie that quickly, but it was her own fault, she did completely forget that Marina didn't have a tail. It was pretty impressive though, how she managed to turn the hair of the two humans white, just like that. Gabriela hoped that they actually listened to what the shopkeeper said, especially Agni, since he has a bit of a rebellious streak, and it's no secret he wasn't fond of monsters. The elf woman seemed friendly enough otherwise and seemed more than happy to help Gabriela at least, and she was happy that it was so easy to see that she was not of human birth. 

But, would this woman really want to help Marina after what she did earlier? Certainly not, right? Luckily, Gabriela had already thought up a plan that would be a surefire way to get some good clothes, provided Marina would play along. "Yes, thank you!" she smiled at the shopkeeper. "I want to test my skills in the arena, but my current clothes won't cut it. I would like something suited for battle, but still be pretty cute. What do you recommend?"

Edited by Michelaar
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Well, the werewolf excuse was fairly short-lived. Should have remembered they had tails... though, to be fair, Agni didn't think of it either. It was just unfortunate.

The shopkeeper was willing to do a favor as thanks for the information Agni shared, presumably. This was fine. Great, even. "I suppose they are the closest... white hair will do." Smart thinking on her part, surely she was eager to meet the general. "If you don't mind terribly to wait for them to choose their clothes, I'll take you to meet General Nessraya like you wanted." Agni supposed he could put in a good word, for Marina's sake.

Not that his word meant much to Nessraya, but, eh...

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Marina eyed Gabriela as she made her request. She thought about it; maybe she could follow along. Her clothing was 100% not for something like fighting in the arena, maybe the tailor would be willing to help her out as well. Marina bowed again, slowly,

"Me too, please, uh..." She thought a bit, "M-Maybe something that would hide my... frame?" A small thought, something Marina could try to take advantage of. Maybe something that didn't completely fit, rather than her perfect-fitting old garb would help her feel safer and less tense around others. Something more her speed. "O-Oh! And with a hood too!" Then realizing she spoke too much out of turn, she backed up to Gabriela, and kept herself quiet again.

Then Marina gave a small look of confusion as she listened to Agni's words. She already knows? Did he tell her? No. No way, he's smarter than that, and she shook off the thought as she turned her attention back to the shopkeeper.

Edited by Silver Gallade
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"I see... Then let us relax." Wouldn't a merchant want to hammer out the best deal for themselves while the option was available? If she wanted to leave it at that, so be it... Now, for the rest. Lavinia chuckled and linked fingers with the hand gently resting on her own, shaking her head. "I can feel this just fine. You're right here, each finger, how they're shaped... Let me be specific." Lavinia let go of Jade's hand and looked up at the ceiling, getting her statements in order. "I can... See, touch, taste, smell and hear, but a few of these have degraded over the past century. Taste... Has become a bit muddled. Really, blood is what I taste most of the time, and each race has their own unique flavor~ It's silly, I suppose, but the blood of, say... A minotaur, will remind me of steak before any well cooked piece of meat will. Something I can still taste quite well is salts, and so I favor dried meats quite heavily." Hopefully this wasn't too shocking to Jade, Lavinia had been around for much, much longer.

"Touch, sight, hearing and smell are all about what you would expect. I can smell your pipe quite clearly, but... Temperature has stopped mattering. I don't feel heat, nor cold, it's... Like a gentle numbness at best. Now, to quell any worries, this began the moment I awoke as a vampire. We are both undead, but we follow different rules... Your senses may last, dulled, forever, or slowly begin to disappear. I cannot say, but you don't have to worry about reaching such a null spot like I have. One thing we do seem to share though, is... A lack in feeling pain. That's quite the dangerous one. I will still die if you lopped my head off, were I unable to receive treatment quickly enough, but I wouldn't be able to tell right away. Isn't that funny? Someone could drive a sword through my heart, and my immediate reaction would be, 'oh, what just shoved me?' It's a good thing we both stick to ranged combat... It's safer this way." She'd taken to the spear for a while, but a disregard for her own safety had driven Thesephine up the wall. Demands for bows were made, and... She could still be useful like this, so it wasn't too much of a hindrance.

"I hope that does clear things up. I should have avoided mentioning taste, though... It's been a bit since I last had the chance to properly feed. I'll have to see if Geoffrey has some stores once we're finished here... A properly hospitable inn should have some blood on ice, right~?"


It really was so much fun to tease with the kinds that just sat there and took it. She could do this, he was being so obedient, just a few more minutes and-- "Eh?" Wait, what? This wasn't in the script! "B-Bladen?" Sure, he looked pretty embarrassed, but where was this sudden confidence coming from? "Mikon! Uh... If, you uh, t-took me up on, that's, d-don't be silly, I, you... I'm, j-just playing around, of course-- Hawa?" If he KISSED her? Oh no. Maybe this had been the wrong idea... Maybe Agni would have been a better target for this sort of nonsense? It wasn't like she didn't want him to do something like that, it sounded fun, he was cute, but this was just a game, right?

... Right?

"Ah... Mm!" A gentle flinch as their lips collided, eyes wide, staring, still staring as the moment passed. "Hwaa... Ah... Uhm... Y-You. That, we... But, I, mmm... Uhh..." All the steam let out of her engine, Asami's ears ended up flopping, as a bright red spread up her cheeks. She kept moving her mouth like she wanted to say something, but words weren't working. Not wanting Bladen to get the wrong idea, she grabbed his wrist to hold him there, but... Maybe he knew what to say instead!


"You're welcome... Clothes for battle that are still fairly cute? Hmmmm. Coats, probably. Not too long, don't want to get in the way of your knees..." While momentarily lost in thought, Jezebel's ears perked up at Agni's request, smirking a bit. "Trying to woo me on a date, are you, human? I'm afraid such a promise won't make me that easy." Tongue poking out in jest just a moment, she paused to think. "Bring her by if you can? I just wanna see her magic, really. They say she's the strongest mage that Vaia's seen in decades... I'm just, really curious, you know?" Hopefully he was fine with that. "How's'abouts this, you do that for me and I give your lady friends a discount... And stay quiet about this Marina name." An eyebrow cocked, and a smirk met Agni.

"As for you, miss Siren," she began, wandering over to a clothing rack and fishing out a medium length overcoat, with little frills, save for a gently furred hood, and a light, silver trim, "this do alright? Blue's a good match for almost anyone, especially a dark blue, and just a bit of dazzle helps a look."


"Aye, don't try to play me for a fool, general... You might look frail, but you could melt a man down to his bones with a flick of your wrist. Don't think anyone in northern Vaia doesn't know about how strong a mage you are." Something about her heritage, but truth mixed with rumors at some point, and the real reason was lost to word of mouth. Whatever was the reason behind Nessraya's abhorrently powerful magic, it was still a thing, and she couldn't pretty eyes her way around how tough an opponent she'd be. If she were to challenge the arena, some veterans would need to come out of retirement.

"As fer you two, if you wanna go first, entrance is over there. Left heads into the waiting room for challengers, right is the stands... From the sounds'a things, the last challenger is almost done. Which means, soon as the boys are all healed up, you can give it yer all. Sounds good, right?"

"Sounds great!" Taliyah was still pumped, tail wagging a bit against the ground. "You can go first, Xalrei, I'll watch. I'm real excited to see you in action!" Without giving the dragon a moment to respond, she'd dashed towards the entrance and ran up the viewer's stairs.

"Real excited little thing, ain't she..."

Edited by SnakeMomMelissa
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Woo her on a date? Hardly the intent, but Agni supposed that could be worked with. "Merely offering the chance to meet her. I'm glad we are on the same page..." One way or another it seemed like she was intent to keep lips sealed in order for a chance at seeing the general's magic at work. Whether Agni's persuasion was effective or not, he counted his blessings.

The fact she had paid attention to Agni's namedrop was alarming, but as long as she was good-willed... "I suppose I can't say no to such a demand, now." As long as she remained well-intetioned...

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"Ha." Bladen couldn't help but smirk slightly as the fox seemed to melt slightly, though his cheeks were still bright red. The fact that she was grabbing onto his wrist meant that she didn't seem to want him to leave, despite the protests before the kiss. Reaching up with his free hair, he gently rubbed one of her flopped ears. "I know I'm an easy mark, and you're still going to win most of these probably. But... Heh. It's nice to win one too." Dropping his hand back down to his side, he settled down next to her, still keeping his eyes on her face, not anywhere else. "I... That was nice, right? I mean, it was nice for me. I... I hope it was nice for you... I'm... I'm sure that after this, you'll just go back to teasing me. But I'm ok with that. Especially if occasionally it means I get to do this." The blush had somehow turned even more red as he said this, and he finally gave up, turning his gaze back to his feet.

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Listening intently, Marina kept mind of her idea of an outfit for her. It worked. At least, it should've, she's still not in the place to be complaining about anything. Especially not clothes; she had very little options in that regard. As well, it brightened her mood that someone looked Nessraya in such high regard. In spite of their conversation the night before, she hoped that it'd brighten the succubus' mood as well.

Also a potential discount? Agni how did you--

It was then that the tailor revealed she caught wind of her name. Everything sunk immediately. She wanted to speak out, she really did, but what could she say? What if it's just like with Thesephine? What if my word doesn't mean anything to her? Marina let out a small sigh, turning away slightly and retreating behind Gabriela even more. No, stop. No problems today. Just get some new clothes, go to the arena, let off quick steam, return these to Jade, and just take a moment, and she soon started repeated these things in her head.

And she tried looking on the bright side. Jezebel still attempted helping them, maybe things will turn out fine, and Marina is just overthinking things.

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Gabriela looked at the outfit the elf had selected. It was even more fashionably cute then she had expected, while still looking quite battle-ready. "Oh, this is just lovely! You have quite a taste, miss! The measurements seem accurate enough too." Gabriela then turned around to Agni. "Oh, Agni, thank you so much! Thanks to you, we'll get a discount, right?" she gave a wink to Agni, and noticed Marina had huddled up further behind her. It seemed she was a bit afraid of the shopkeeper, but Gaby couldn't fault her for that, considering Jezebel didn't seem in the best of moods to have 2 humans in her store. "Well, how much will it be? No bags required!" 

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"I'll put on a good show!" Xalrei promised the speedy lizardgirl. Hopefully Taliyah had managed to hear her as she made her mad dash up into the stands. Just what had she missed outside the armoury that would've raised Taliyah's spirits so much? Now wasn't the best time to think about it, but it would definitely eat at her if she didn't get some answers. Not unlike the cursed blade on her belt; though, that would happen regardless of how well informed she was.

Thinking about it, it probably wouldn't be a good idea to bring it into the arena, what with its demands for slaughter. Probably shouldn't have brought it to the arena period, but it was a bit late for that. Before she headed off herself, Xalrei turned to Nessraya. "Are you heading to the stands too or are you going to wait in the waiting room? Either way," She removed Requiem from her belt, holding out the cursed sword to the general. "Can you hold this for me while I fight? I doubt I can bring it in, so I'd rather leave it with you. Jade would kill me if I lost it, or at least make me pay for it, and I don't want to risk that more than I should..."

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"Heehee~ Mmm, you've got me. I do hope you don't have anyone too sturdy though... long, protracted engagements are never fun, hmm?" Nessraya replied with a giggle, smiling further as Taliyah happily skipped off to the stands. Turning towards Xalrei as she was addressed, Nessraya took requiem with one hand, giving the dragonewt a smack on the rear in the same pass.

"I think I'll go to the stands with Taliyah... I do hope you put on a good show for me, dear Xalrei." The General concluded, parting from Xalrei as she moved towards the stands at a more measured pace than their excited lizard.

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Jade hadn't expected Lavinia to twine their fingers together, but it was gentle, calm, and came with explanation. The merchant was still a little embarrassed, her ignorance was causing laughter after all, but on the whole things could have been so much worse. And her voice was pleasant to listen to like this, so she let her continue without interruption, even though a couple bits there were interesting enough to consider interjecting. When the archer had finished, Jade nodded and slowly spoke, "Fascinating."

It was true, of course, she was learning a lot. Maybe it wouldn't have been necessary had circumstances been kinder, but given the hand she'd been dealt Jade appreciated getting this information now. There was a bit of melancholy about the situation, but nothing insurmountable. Though hearing the vampire wonder if there were frozen blood in stock was a different sort of sad feeling, and perhaps one she could rectify.

"Umu," Jade murmurred a little at first, then pulled her legs in and turned around in the tub, showing her back to Lavinia. Glancing over, she put a hand on her shoulder and began to explain the idea that had slowly started to form. "I hadn't got around to truly fixing up that hit I took int the fighting yet, the arrowhead's probably still in there but it's such an awkward position, you know? Digging it out would surely get some blood flowing, and--I'm not sure how appetizing it'll be, but... I'm at least room temperature, and if the bath's been helping out any, probably better than that, which has to help the taste, right? If you're willing to help me out, you're more than welcome to it, and if it isn't enough... well," Jade paused, and looked down into the water. "Wouldn't want you to go hungry after you started, so you could finish up somewhere more traditional, if you like."

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Bladen, was... Painfully new to this, it seemed. It wasn't like she was any better at receiving this kind of affection, but to see him fumbling so much after landing the critical hit... At least she could giggle about it. When he'd went for her ear, she'd expected more to follow, but it was just... Awkward gentleness. "You don't... Get around girls much, do you?" She couldn't poke too much fun, again, she was terrible at catching, and he'd managed the courage to even go as far as he did... Still. "It was nice, Bladen. I wasn't expecting you to kiss so well~" Really, she hadn't been expecting any of this. Gently taking hold of his hand and holding it a bit tight, she leaned against his arm and smiled.

"You, wanna... Go on a date, somewhere? They've got some stores around here... An arena, some good places to watch the clouds float by. What do you say? Mind getting seen in public with me clinging to your arm~?" Maybe he did, but that would be kind of cute, in itself.


"I said I'd give you a discount, so just one gold... And what can I do for you, miss Cianna?" Maybe it was how scared she seemed, Jezebel couldn't bring herself to be upset at this hiding little girl. "Unless this is for you, in which case, come try it on... I got that feeling that was it, what with the Siren asking for a coat. With those wings? Honey." A little roll of her eyes, she smiled and placed it on the counter. "You'd best keep your end of the deal little human, I wanna see her magic in person~"


Xalrei was off to the waiting room, leaving Taliyah to burst through the audience doors and get out onto the stands, hanging off the edge, feet on her toes, barely not falling into the arena herself. "Oh, man, Nessraya I can't wait! She's gonna be so cool!" Taliyah did, actually, almost fall into the arena, catching her hands tight on the bar and leaning herself back. "O-Okay, I, wahh... Might have to calm down, just a bit... Still! I'm so excited! I hope I can do well, too... I wanna impress her."


"I... See." Lavinia had been quite surprised by this sudden turn of situation, but... Not against it, per say. The offering of blood was a bit odd, though. Lavinia managed a chuckle as she picked herself up, stepping out of the bath. "A moment then, Jade." Wet feet made their way to the door and creaked it open slightly, kneeling down against her pile of armor and clothing. A small pouch was acquired, as Lavinia returned to-- "Oh. Wonderful~" Jade had her own knives prepared, Lavinia picking up on that would be effective enough in slicing through her flesh. "I run into small wounds that require this sort of attention all the time, so I keep a bit of needle and thread on me. Thank you for having the other important piece ready though, Jade." Finding herself back in the water, Lavinia sat on her knees, inspecting Jade's shoulder a moment.

"Though, pardon me, your offer is lovely, but I won't be licking up the blood off your back. If your neck is free when I'm done, I hope you don't mind~" She had standards, after all. It would seem rather feral of her to do something like that to a new friend. Even an old friend... The neck or arm would do, she shook her head to perish the thought. "Now, let me see..." Mmm, it was definitely there. Nothing too deep, a gentle bump in her shoulder. "This might hu... Oh, right, it won't. Hah~" Carefully slicing into her next to the protrusion... Lavinia was quite surprised by how thick and dark her blood was... It was nearly violet in the room's light. She blinked in surprise, admittedly, she'd never been this close to a zombie's blood before, but...

"I could spread you on toast," she remarked, nearly losing in in laughter. "Sorry, sorry! Ahh, mmm... Sit still, just a moment." Fingers getting into that meat, Lavinia took hold of the arrow head and gave it a few hefty tugs, prying it free from the bone. "Goodness... Someone really wanted you dead with this. Rather deep in there..." Tossing the little bastard out of the tub, Lavinia messed with her pouch for some tissues first. Luckily, Jade's blood wasn't running very much, leaving their bath mostly free of discoloration. "Now that you are free of all metal implements, allow me to stitch you up~ This is a bit of a nostalgic feeling... It's been a while since I've worked on someone else. A bit, calming..."

Edited by SnakeMomMelissa
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The arena certainly was bustling with excitement for the matches that will begin. A peculiar attendee slowly made her way up the stairs to the audience stands. A woman in foreign looking armor and a pair of dark horns protruding from her forehead. She got near the top of the stairs, but kept near the corner of the staircase to keep somewhat hidden. "Good, I made it." Ayane gripped her fist a bit, she felt her blood rise a little bit. She had heard that Aensbrook had the only arena in all of Vaia, a haven for strong warriors to come and prove themselves. A perfect place for Ayane to settle her blood a little. The town also had a lot of people, so maybe one of them saw that witch she sought out. "...as soon as I settle my blood I'll ask around." With the plan set she continued to watch.

Edited by TheRoon
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Come try it on, Marina perked her head up slightly as she heard the elf speak. It was for her? She popped back out from behind Gabriela, and walked up to the shopkeeper, taking the coat from her with a head bow. "Um... If possible, could I also get an outfit along with this as well. I've been borrowing this--" And she began putting on the coat. "I'll need a pair of gloves as well, please," The last ones were unfortunately... non-existent at that point.

Buttoning it all the way up, she did a few stretches. How did it feel? Smooth, almost like it was handmade for her. Not at all tight, and it even did a good job of hiding her physique. Last but not least, she threw the hood on top of her head. Looking at Jezebel with a soft, shy smile, looking to Agni and Gabriela. "How do I look?"

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"H-Hey! Don't do that!" She swatted at Nessraya's hand, a fresh blush on her face, but the succubus had already moved on. If she was going to show off for anyone it was going to be for Taliyah, not the dumb succubus... She shook her head, forcibly dispelled the blush, and moved herself to the waiting room, somehow feeling a bit spurred on by Nessraya's frisky encouragement.

Once there she was instructed to trade her weapons over for the arena's own, to avoid tampering and promote fairness, which was something the dragonewt could get behind. There wasn't much of a wait after she'd done the swap, the other challenger had apparently finished and exited without her noticing; she just had to wait for the other fighters to be healed up...

Rounds 1, 2, 3, & 4.

Xalrei leisurely walked as she entered into the arena proper. As she scanned the stands for Taliyah, and Nessraya, she stretched her arms and wings in preparation for the gauntlet that she was about to take on. Just as she spotted them, her attention was torn away by the clanking of her first opponent entering the arena. A dwarf by the looks of him, clad in plate mail with an axe in hand. She drew her own to match him and changed him, not intent to wait the minute it'd take him to reach her. Her axe crashed into his armor, a solid hit, and she quickly slid away from his counter, slamming him twice more before he could swing at her again. This time he'd caught her mid-swing and the axe strike connected, Xalrei grunting in pain before she smashed her axe into his chest for the final time and he finally fell.

Next up was a vampire, judging from cloak wrapped around their body. From what she could see of his face it looked like he might be an older looking vampire so maybe this one would put up more of a challenge? Unfortunately not. Xalrei had traded her axe for her lance for the better grip, but otherwise, her strategy remained the same. Hit fast and hit hard. His shuriken in return for the stabbing she'd given him nearly bounced off her scales; compared to the blow from Galahad it was hard to even see Trevor as a threat, his shuriken more annoyances than anything else. She finished the fight with another stab and a jab from the back end of her lance, toppling the vampire with only a few scratches to show for it. And even then they were quickly healed away.

The third fighter to step out didn't seem to have a weapon at first. A... werewolf, it looked like, though with a very apparent kitsune heritage; he was nearly a werefox! As she charged him, lance in hand, she realized that he did indeed have a weapon. It looked like the weapon Jade had used against the bandits and wights. A pistol, or something like that. She'd never been the target of one before so this was bound to be a learning experience. A painful one, as it turned out to be. The bullet tore through her scales like no other weapon! As she stabbed at the werewolf again she tried to disarm him, but he wisely shifted his stance to take the hit rather than let her disarm him. She tried again, but he'd caught on at that point, rolling away from her stab and shooting her again for the failed attempt. She was angry now and more than done with the pain from his bullets. She charged again, this time using her wings to push her forward until she collided with the sharpshooter. She wrestled his gun out of his grasp and knocked it away with her tail as she kept him pinned. The round was over. She stood and brushed herself off as the healers got to wounds. How something so small could hurt so much was beyond her, though it made her reconsider how threating Jade could be...

As she thought about that, the fourth opponent stepped forward. A huge sword on his back, hair blond and spikey, more pretty than handsome, and dressed in black. If not for his ranking within the arena bracket she might have underestimated him. Had she done that, it probably would've been the end of her run in the arena. After just one exchange of blows she could tell that the elf's sword wasn't just for show. It was slow, but heavy enough to make her attempt to parry it almost entirely ineffective, the sword crashing into her despite her attempt to redirect it. She disengaged, beginning to circle him as she rethought her strategy. There was no way she could redirect the momentum behind that thing. Her only option was to be quick and dodge out of the way. Somewhat concerning was the cocky look he was giving her, as if he'd figured out a way through her defenses. Better to end this quickly then. She suddenly lunged at him, stabbed him in the abdomen, then propelled herself backwards and out of his swing with her wings. She dove at him before he could recover, giving him another stabbing as she ducked past a panicked swing and pulled his leg out from under him with her tail. Before he could manage a swing from the ground she had her lance at his throat. It was a sound victory for her.

She was starting to feel like she could go all the way, until she caught sight of her next opponent. A blatant mage and likely a powerful one if he was so high in the arena bracket. Surely this was going to be her hardest fight yet...

Edited by Ursali
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This little lady was smarter than she let on, and it made Gabriela more than a little cranky. It wasn't until the sass when Gabriela's hotheadedness truly came out. "Listen here Jezebel, I don't want another word out of you, just serve us, and think about groveling at the feet of the general later, or else i'll show you just how sturdy these wings are." Gabriela looked pretty angry, and put her hands on Marina's shoulder, while staring at Jezebel.

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The samurai kept her eyes on the fight silently, with an almost deadly focus. There was a wide variety of opponents. The dwarf and elf were fairly standard, despite the elf hoisting a sword too big for his own good. Then she noticed the vampire and werefox, which made her raise a brow somewhat. The fox, or rather kitsune to her mind, was something that was fairly common in her homeland in one way or another. But one thing that was a little less common was dragons, and she had her eyes on one right now. A dragonewt. Not quite the genuine article but more or less the direction that was on her mind.

The girl's movements were rough, she could tell she didn't have traditional training. At least not in the way she did. That said, her fighting style was very rugged and blunt. She overpowered her opponents through brute force rather than tactical prowess. It was an honest fighting style, one that reminded her of the oni. "...mm." That only made her blood rise more, the thirst was coming...

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