Masquerade Part 2: Army of Darkness

[algae]

"A wall? ...Kind of? Is it really that bad?" It would have been an understatement to say that the sword wasn't the most well-made weapon out there, but destroying it so casually still seemed more than a little wasteful. The book was another matter entirely. I've poured more money into this thing than I've had in months, whatever it does to undead had better be worth it. That was an issue for another day, though, especially since she wasn't completely broke on leaving the building. As for what to do with it... Clothes that weren't covered in dirt, blood, and sword-holes would probably make for a good start, so she went searching for a shop, having ignored everything that looked even remotely expensive during the walk yesterday.

[riariadne]

Valha followed Tristram and his silly horse to the boxing arena, smirking childishly the whole way there. She watched intently as Lanos fought valiantly, cheering for him as he won and fluttering down next to him after a successful clear. "Huh, can't have you be showin' me up too much, can I? Watch- I'll win the whole thing too, so be sure to keep an eye on the whole thing!" She handed her money to the man at the entry and made her way in, steeling herself for fighting.

Fight!

The first fight started off innocent enough- Valha weaved around Carl and punched at him, moving out of the way of the only swing he made that was really even close to her. Three of her hits left him out for the count. Her next opponent found it similarly difficult to make contact with her, and four punches took him down, too. Huh, what a bunch of jokers. Her third opponent was a step up, the crowd chanting for the man- Dwayne, she heard. She whiffed her opening attack and he landed a strong hook to her torso, but a strong punch to his face sent him to the ground afterwards.

The fourth opponent was different, being much smaller than the other foes, and even herself. Not very often I get the height advantage, I guess... Regardless, he was also very muscular, so she couldn't quite call it a size-advantage, and even a single punch looked like it would be brutal for her fragile bones. She took a much more reserved approach, not darting in as she did before but rather fluttering away from him, only striking when he drew close. After what felt longer than the other three rounds combined, she finally knocked down the menacing foe, smiling with confidence.

The last opponent was a woman, the Iron Sheikah, who was just barely taller than her, and as Valha quickly found out, almost as fast. What was more, she seemed to shrug off the hits she took soon afterwards, and her accuracy was up to par as well. Two hits from Sheikah sent her reeling, but she pounded her fists together and threw her hardest punch yet, knocking the woman to the ground. "Hey, I did it!" She waved at the excited crowd, flying a quick circle around the ring before landing at the entrance again, delighted to be handed five times her entry fee and a small shield depicting a roaring wyvern. The little harpy flew over towards Lanos and Tristram. "What do you think? Told you, I'm the strongest! Huh, didn't really tire me out that much- you wanna head over to the weapons arena now?"

[Xinnidy]

"Huh? A-alright..." Maja wasn't too keen on having to stay guard after her last attempt to convince a guard. She eyed from the corner of the alley still, to check whether any guards were coming, and with the road clear she only hoped none would show up. If he's not here... where would he be? Could he have lived outside the city? Or maybe he's at the arena, like I thought?

As for Kadin himself, he stopped in front of a peculiar manse, tired of soul from searching what he wasn't even sure about. He rested as a ghost could, finally willing to disperse the thoughts that haunted him through the night. His conscience no longer could bear the exhaustion. He sunk close to the floor and gazed at the sky. Nothing... It will never be solved like this. I don't know which fate is worse. With an inward grunt, he reconsidered his thoughts-- was there really no other option? Would he need to be that selfish again? I can't believe they even agreed to have me follow. I always asked a lot of their trust... that's right, I was already selfish. Gods, I don't even know what happened to Maja. The least I could do... Once again, he eyed his surroundings, spirit in motion. ...I shouldn't abandon them. No matter what happens, I will not regret it more than this agony. However, before he decided on leaving, Kadin stopped himself to look at the manse once again. Whose was this? I can't remember... Iu... Iuliana's? I think so. The fact his memory was still slow to return after spending the morning in the noble's rung was fairly frustrating to the spirit.

[scorri]

Trist shook his head as the two harpies obliterated the arena he had failed so miserably at. "Well, you two certainly know how to handle yourself." As Valha mentioned the next arena, he shook his head in amusement. "And have plenty of stamina, huh? Alright, lets head that way." He lead the harpies out of the arena, and then caught up to them after swinging up onto his horse. They arrived at the weapons arena, and he left his horse tied up again. "Good luck again." He headed up into the arena, expecting to be shown up here as well.

Edited December 17, 2014 by scorri

[Nanami Touko]

Coy

Makin sighed, and fully turned around to look at Raith, a smile on her face but her hands on her hips. "So, I ask you to take a ride on my back, but that's too embarrassing or whatever, but sleeping on me because the ground is too cold is just fine, eh?" She cocked her eyebrow, and made her smile coy, turning to slither off towards the prospect of clothes. "Fine," she said, not adding anything else onto that. She didn't mind. And if that was when people got to learn about the two of them, well, so be it.

"Angus?" she said, suddenly, as she spotted him walking about with a woman she didn't recognize. Well, not that surprising to run into someone I know, here, with how big out group's gotten. She glided on over and waved, crossing her arms. "So, what're you doing today? I didn't know everyone's favorite resident archer found himself a date," she joked, glancing at Meredith with a smile. "I'm Makin. You are?" she asked, extending a hand to shake.

Concentration

Vriska furrowed her brow a few times, as she searched through the noble's livings. She kept hitting some really strong sources of magic, not really sure who they were, but she couldn't find anyone that resembled how Kadin had felt. Was he just too close to a source of magic? She sighed, breaking her concentration. "Hey, Maja, we might have to look for him on foot. I... I think he's here, but, I can't quite find him. There's a lot of strong interference. Sorry." She stood, and shrugged. "I tried. Let's get walking. If guards start chasing us, run." She started to walk off into the livings, hoping the ghost would out himself after seeing them, or something.

Meanwhile...

Blond hair fluttered in the wind as a woman that looked to be in her late twenties stepped out onto the balcony of her lavish abode. She sighed, and leaned into the railing, looking out at the street. "It's warm..." she said to herself, fluttering the words out without much noise. She closed her eyes, and started to think, about nothing in particular. But a weird sensation hit her mind, and she opened her eyes again, looking down near the gates of her manse. "Is... Someone there?" She didn't call out, merely questioning the air around her. What a familiar feeling... But it couldn't be, so, no matter~

Gentlemen, Start Your Engines

The man at the counter graciously handed Vesta her bag of gold. "Jus' makin' sure you know, I never doubted you. Seen some real weird stuff these past two days. Figured you were just gonna keep it comin', and you sure did! Have fun, little girl!" He guffawed, and waved her out, happy to see such young people putting up such strong fights.

Meanwhile, past him, the crowds were already roaring for another fight, as a certain elf had walked out into the ring, swinging his sword around, just waiting to get started. He was most certainly more skilled than the poor fighter that had just walked out to fight. "Too bad Valha isn't here to watch... That'd certainly make me fight harder, if only a bit~" Ingverd lamented fate for a moment, before taking up a fighting stance. "Alright, 'Tim the Strong'. Let's see if you can touch me, even once."

[Vestige]

Raith thought about the implications of what Makin had just said, and found himself chuckling. There was no denying that she had brought up a compelling point, one that he wasn't ready to contend with, so he didn't! "Details, details," he said, dismissing her question with a swift wave of his hand. Despite that, she had agreed to his demand, and that in and of itself was something he found to be quite humorous. What a selfless snake you are. "Y'know, I was just kidding," he said, trailing after Makin.

The walk had gotten a bit quiet, with Makin leading the way, and Raith lost in thought, mostly about Alicia. The arena match in the morning had left him physically drained, and the revelation that came afterwards had left him emotionally drained. There was way too much going on all of a sudden, and he suspected things would get a lot more eventful after Ertel decided to set his "revenge" into motion. Makin had abruptly broken the silence, and Raith tore himself from his thoughts, to look over at what exactly Makin was fussing over. He noticed Angus, and his more noteworthy traveling companion: some woman he'd never met, who nonetheless looked a tad familiar. He couldn't put a finger on it, but she was of course, the same woman who had been acting as Cedric's guard earlier in the day.

He gave a slight nod towards Angus, not feeling particularly keen on making any remarks about his so called, "date," at least, not at the moment. He let Makin handle the pleasantries, and slunk back a little. Returning, mostly, to his own thoughts.

[riariadne]

"I told you I'm the strongest!" Valha boasted, flying alongside the horse and looking at it as they made their way to the other arena. The crowd here was much larger, and she became excited simply at the sight of it. "Awesome! Oh, but it looks like someone's about to start, doesn't it? I'll watch 'n see who I'm up against!" Valha followed the elf up to the stands, and to her surprise the other elf she knew well was the one who had just begun. "Hey, Ingverd! Good luck!" She waved excitedly from her spot before sitting down once again.

[eclipse]

"I'm, uh, Meredith," the startled former-guardslady-turned-incompetent-arena-participant spat out. "And I assure you that I'm not dating him!" she continued.

[Oersted]

"They weren't that tough," he said as he walked along the horse. On their way to the arena they happened to pass by Burke's shop. It was a nice coincidence since he wanted his sword for his rematch against Marius. "Go on ahead, I need to get my sword from the blacksmith's. I'll catch up later."

"Heya Burke," Lanos greeted as he entered the elf's shop. "I'm here for the sword I dropped off yesterday."

[charlie_]

"Wow, I'm offended." Angus laughed. "Hey boss. And Raith." He hadn't noticed her companion at first, with how quiet he was being. "Meredith is the one who Cedric assigned to come with us to Karstell. She seems alright."

[Xinnidy]

"You think he's here?" Maja's face brightened up as she looked at Vriska, ecstatic to hear the words. She couldn't wait, and had every intention to trust Vriska's sense once again. "Alright, let's go." She followed suit, hoping they wouldn't encounter guards even more, and actually taking care of her steps.

----

Oh, I think I was right. Kadin met eyes with the councilwoman, whom seemed to have detected him... sort of. Still, considering how he was formless at the moment, that was quite remarkable --though not out of the norm for Iuliana, as Kadin's memories came back ever so slightly. Still as adept in magic as I remember, then... The thoughts brought a smile... figurative smile back to him. In fact, Iuliana was a very close friend! It was reassuring to remember his ties with the council weren't as confusing as Marius led him to think.

Though he was considering to take form, Kadin hesitated --Would Iuliana think ill of him now? Not to mention, a dead friend would be showing up in broad daylight, in front of her home. No, think of what you just decided. If I distance myself now, I will continue like this... I might already be dead, but I won't have all the chances in eternity to find out...

Mustering his courage, Kadin slowly materializes, taking a step back from the gates and gazing back at her. "...Iuliana. It's been a while." He speaks softly, crossing his arms behind his back, trying not to make any brusque movements --not that the situation wouldn't be alarming enough as it is, to any normal person.

[Nanami Touko]

Kidding

Whether or not Raith was kidding had no bearing on Makin now; he was going to be resting on her whether he wanted to or not. And if that embarrassed him, well, all the better! He'd been way too cool about this sudden relationship, and she'd been turning red here, there; almost everywhere. She had to get him back somehow. But first, Angus, and this Meredith. "Are you? Ready to fight nasty, terrifying, deadly monsters, the likes of which the world has never seen before?" she asked, in an almost dry tone, as if that was the most normal thing ever. "I'm the boss, Makin: a naga, as you quite obviously can see. I hope we can work well together, Meredith. Too bad, though... Maybe you can get lucky on the way, Angus." Makin winked, but laughed, hoping it would be taken as a joke. If not, well, there would be no point in pressing further, so better to test the boundaries sooner than later. "Anyway, I've no problems with having you on board. Raith and I were just going around doing some shopping, to get warmer clothes for the trip. You know it's on a tundra, right? Better get something cozy." She knew she sure was going to. No revealing clothing from her; parkas and hats and mittens and every warm thing you could think of... If she could find a store selling that sort of stuff in the middle of Felson's spring.

Audience

"Eh? Valha!?" Ingverd suddenly questioned, turning his attention away from Tim and towards the crowd. He was sure he'd heard her voice! That shout was loud enough, but where-- There! Those wings, waving, he'd be able to tell them apart from anyone, even at this distance. He smiled, and saluted with his free hand--

"Hey, pretty boy! Stop flirtin' with the crowd before you even do anything!" Tim came in fast with his axe and, well, he missed. Ingverd took a quick step back and easily dodged it, smirking.

"If you can't hit me while I'm distracted, I think I'm free to do whatever I want, eh? Besides, now that I know lady love is watching me from the stands, there's no possible way I'd lose to some slow oaf like you~ I think your boss is the only guy who'll even give me trouble, now!" He smirked, glowing with confidence. Tim was not pleased by the goading, but there was little he could do. Another missed swing, and two quick jabs from Ingverd. His gloating was founded. "Surely there's more than you to offer here... Honestly."

Perhaps there was! But not within the next combatants. James went down almost as swiftly as his monicker, and Eric, lance or not, fell rather quickly. "I'm not even breaking a sweat, here! Come on, that can't be all--"

*KLANG* *KLANG*

Thunderous footsteps rang into the arena, as Havel stepped into the frame once again. But Ingverd wasn't scared, not in the least. "In all that armor, with that giant thing, you honestly think you have a chance of hitting me? Don't make me laugh." His armor was tough, Ingverd would give him that. And whenever he managed to get that giant shield in the way, it meant even less damage-- BUT! Ingverd had the stamina to last, and eventually, sword battered and chipped, Havel fell.

Ingverd wiped the sweat from his brow, sighing. "Well, that was a challenge, in its own way... Who's next?"

"A mage!" shouted the man that had just jumped into the arena, tossing a blade of wind at Ingverd. He jumped to the side to dodge, and then lunged at the mage, who probably wasn't expecting such a counter! Two swings, and he was down.

"I said, who's next? I didn't think they'd let the crowd fight... No way you could've been a part of the arena's fighters, hah~"

He got a bit of a break this time, the arena obviously not expecting Marcus to fall so quickly. So when Troy flew in, Ingverd was more than rested, and his lance jabs were more than easy enough to spin around, until he got close enough to knock the fool off his dragon. It was child's play from there. Meaning, the last obstacle between him and fighting Marius was this man on a horse, who had just rode in. "Hmm." Ingverd didn't want to take the last arena fighter as just for show, so he started fast, getting in a quick swing, before taking one back. It stung a bit, but it'd take far more to take him out. He swung again, and the man seemed angered, and empowered! He took another swing into the elf, who took it as best as he could, before swinging back hard enough to topple him off of his horse.

Ingverd panted for a moment, before sighing again, and pointing his sword into the crowd, right at Valha. With a smirk, he lowered it, and blew a kiss at her. "Right there!" he shouted, "there's the woman I love! I can't lose, not as long as her eyes are on me!" Most of the crowd cheered (most of that cheering women), but he knew who he was looking at. "So? Anyone left?"

"Yes, boy. I am." Marius had already hopped into the arena, a silly grin plastered onto his face. "You took them out pretty well, and you're quite the show off. You won't disappoint me, right?"

"I'll do my best, Mr. Captain of the Guard. Here's hoping I can live up to Maja, eh?"

Marius almost lost his smile at the bitter meeting yesterday, but held it up for the show of the arena. "Yes, let's!"

Pick up From Drop Off!

"Eh? Yeah, you're that harpy... Hold on." Burke actually had to go into the back for this one. He'd been letting it cool, as he'd only finished his work. He brought it back out, a new sheen on the edges, making it look almost regal, if not for the, at a glance, chaotic design. "Here y'go. It sure was a piece o' work, I'll tell ye. Don't think I could do much more to it, gotta say. You'll need t'find yerself a real master blacksmith, er the person who made it, t'get it lookin' better'n that. Maybe some metal worker in the next town over, 'r somethin'. Bau Berg. Have a good'un, kid."

Let The Search Commence

"I think he's here. No guarantees. For all I know, he's sulking in some corner of the Lower Rung..." Vriska sighed, and hoped to the great Gods of this world that she didn't have to go back there until they were leaving. Anything to keep myself away from there, honestly... At least, for now, there were no guards, so the two walked along, unimpeded.

Chance Encounter

"K-Kadin?" Iuliana wiped her eyes, wondering if what she was seeing wasn't just some trick of the light, or some memories floating back into her head... No, from all she could tell, this was really happening. She rushed back into her house and out the front door, down to the gate, not daring to open it or get any closer. "Kadin, you're... You..." Her face was mixed with sorrow, agony, happiness, and confusion. "You're dead. I... I can tell that much, but... Why are you here?" She couldn't help herself. She had to ask, right away. "Did you really do it?" She meant what he had been accused of by the state, but... There was no way, he was always so kind, so nice, so caring of all the citizens, that... Poison, it just didn't fit. "Maybe I'm just going crazy-- are you even really here? Hah. Talking to a ghost... I'm talking to a ghost!" The gravity of the situation took a moment to hit her, as she realized she'd asked all of that before even realizing that he was, in fact, an ethereal being right now. She almost reached out a hand, but caught herself, and stopped right there.

[spoiler=Days Gone Past]"So, we're going to need guards stationed here, here, and here, just to make sure nothing happens during the concert. Getting some music played for the citizens every once in a while is necessary. It's rejuvenating." Iuliana smiled at Kadin. "You're going to have to go and talk to Marius about all this, I know, but, please. Make sure it gets done. Even if it's in the Upper Rung, I don't want any accidents happening."

"Alright, alright... You always worry, Iuliana. Nothing will happen, I'm sure of it. Just like all of your plans, this will go off without a hitch, alright?" Kadin smiled back. "I'll make sure Marius gets a note of how many guards you need for this. He might not be happy about it, but, I'm sure a few drinks will smooth him over. He always did think that having guards at these events was a bit over the top, hah."

"Well! Marius has plenty to spare, if he can spare time to drink. I'm sure he brings some of his boys along with him to do so, doesn't he?" She smiled a knowing smile, not bothered in the least.

This council, they were actually friends, not just colleagues that got together to work. At least, the three of them were. Domitia and Laurentius weren't strangers, but they weren't as close as these three, and they probably never would be. Kadin, Marius, and Iuliana. Responsibilities aside, they could always make each other laugh and smile.

"Truly, he's such a lazy worker. But, he gets his work done, so I won't complain about it. I wish I had the aptitude to laze about my job, and still get it done as competently as he does, hah! Imagine how nice it'd be to be able to relax, knowing that all your work's done to the best of your ability? I find myself stressing sometimes... It's a good thing I have Sophia waiting for me at home, after these hard days. I wish I knew how Marius did it."

Iuliana felt her stare turn towards the floor, and her smile wane a bit. Kadin was talking about his wife, of course, but that was just him being him; he meant nothing by it. Besides, it was Iuliana's own fault. She'd waited too long. "Yes, well, perhaps Marius is simply a genius in disguise. I'd love to know his secrets as well, so if you manage to wring them out of him in your drinking session, then share them, would you?" she asked, rather nonchalant.

"I'll make sure to, Iuliana. I'd best break it to him now, rather than later. Better to get started on the ale early and finish late then drink into the early hours of the morning! Best of luck with the rest of your planning." He waved her off, and departed.

But those were better days, she thought, as she stared at this empty form of the man. If she could turn back time... If she had been there? She didn't know... This just felt wrong.

Edited December 19, 2014 by I have opinions

[eclipse]

Meredith was relieved that her new boss seemed to have a sense of humor, albeit a terrible one. "It's nice to meet you too, Makin!" she replied cheerily. "And thanks for the warning! I'm not one for shopping, but it's better than freezing out there. I'm going to gear up for the upcoming trip, Angus. What were you going to do now?"

[riariadne]

Valha watched Ingverd dismantle each opponent who stood before him with seeming ease, being sure to pay careful attention as she did so- she would be facing these same foes soon, too. She squeaked quietly with joy when Ingverd called out to her, flushing red and clasping her hands together. "This guy looks real tough! I wanna fight him, yeah?" she told Trist excitedly. "Maybe I can use Lanos' sword with the strange edge or somethin', get the upper hand there. I think he just went to go pick it up, got it fixed up 'n improved or somethin'."

[scorri]

Trist grinned and shook his head. "Not sure I'd want to go up against him but... Hey, if you want to, you go right ahead. Maybe with how quick you are, you'll be able to beat him." He wasn't entirely sure that he was going to do any more of the arena, but at the same time, he didn't want to look like a coward or lazy in front of the rest of the group. He quietly sighed. Ah well, maybe he'd go up against that dragon after all.

[Oersted]

Person who made it huh... Lanos mentally repeated. He was kind of glad Isabelle had tagged along now, maybe she knew who the maker was or could at least point him in the right direction. And if all else failed he'd just wait until they went to Bau Burg. "Thanks," Lanos said as he left the elf to his job. It didn't didn't take long to return to the arena and it took even less time to find Valha. "Hey," he greeted Valha and Trist as he walked up to them. He glanced down into the arena and was mildly surprised to see Ingverd about to go against Marius. He shouldn't been though, Vriska had gotten that far. "So Ingverd made it to Marius? Were his matches entertaining?"

[riariadne]

"Hey Lanos! Yeah, he was pretty amazin'! Lots of 'em couldn't even hit him, yeah? He's real fast, maybe even more than me now. I think he's gonna start soon," Valha summarized to him quickly. "So this is the owner guy, right? I was just tellin' Trist I wanna fight him, he looks way tougher than the rest of 'em here! What do you think? Oh, you just got your sword back, right? Can I borrow it to get an upper claw there?" Edited December 20, 2014 by Reinfleche

[Nanami Touko]

Careful Planning

Marius was a good fighter, Ingverd could tell that much from his stance. And he was using a sword now, not a lance-- probably because Maja won his lance off of him, but surely he could find a suitable replacement... But he hadn't. That meant he was just as good with a sword as he was with a lance, Ingverd surmised. He and Marius took a few moments to size each other up, but Ingverd was the first to strike! He dove in, and got a pretty good hit on Marius, but, the man was paying careful attention! Despite taking a step back getting hit, he had been ready with a counter, taking a swing deep into Ingverd's shoulder. He cried out, and jumped back himself, but not before dragging his sword across Marius' chest in counter. He was far faster than the man, but definitely not as polished, and it showed.

"Heh... Gods, that stings... You're good, old man. Definitely not lost anything with that age, of yours," Ingverd taunted, trying to keep calm, despite his arm hanging there, after taking such a deep slash to his left side.

"And so are you. Though, I doubt you're as young as you look, elf, so maybe those old man comments should wait. I'm only fourty two." Marius grinned, and, despite getting hit twice, showed no signs of wear and tear. He'd definitely taken hard hits, but he shrugged them off well.

"And I'm only twenty five, so I think I'll keep them coming, old man!" Waiting around would signal a loss for Ingverd, no matter what; he'd bleed out and have to concede. So, risky as it was, he charged in again, aiming for where he'd already hit. He got in a clean hit in the same spot, but Marius wasn't falling for the same move twice, and Ingverd's movements were already sluggish from the hit he'd taken. As Ingverd was jumping back to reset his stance, Marius sliced him clean across the chest, sending him sprawling, and receiving immediate attention from the arena clerics. He groaned, and sat up, as the deep chest wound was quickly mended by the surrounding magics.

"Well--" he paused to cough and breathe, that slash having knocked the wind out of him, "I'd say that's your win, old man. Damn, how embarrassing... Couldn't match up to the little magic girl. You didn't let her win, did you?" He asked that with a bit of a laugh that he'd managed to eek out, taking another deep breath, and finally sitting up.

"She used a weapon that channeled her magic. I wouldn't exactly call it a fair match up, were I to compare it to your near broken sword. Perhaps bring something a bit flashier, next time. Something to match your attitude," Marius chastised in response, but he smiled at Ingverd. "Nevertheless, your boasting wasn't empty. You did a good number on me. Just don't think your speed will guarantee you a win, every time. Keep practicing."

Ingverd smirked, and pulled himself to his feet. He was glad he'd worn old clothes, today. Instead of retorting wittily to Marius, he simply made a small salute at him, then at Valha in the crowd, and walked towards the exit.

"Bright future for that one, to be sure," Marius said to himself, before moving towards his stand again.

[Vestige]

"Someone seems pretty keen on playing matchmaker," Raith coughed out. Though, he hadn't meant to speak, he managed to, by some lapse of continence, blurt something out anyway. The implications of his statement probably wouldn't be understood by the present party, but all the same, he was treading into dangerous territory. The keen observer would notice the slight curl on his upper lip, but her otherwise managed not to give much way in terms of expression. Moving to other matter, the guardswoman-turned-mercenary-for-apparently-only-one-mission-but-not-really since she's joining us on the pretense of guarding Cedric's son from danger forever and for always, introduced herself as Meredith. Meredith, huh? That's a nice name. She was well framed, and it was apparent just by looking at her that, despite her cheery demeanor, she was certainly trained for combat. She had medium-length brown hair that served to contrast her pale complexion. Put under the right kind of lighting, she might even look a little ghostly. Speaking of ghosts, his mind began to wander, trying to recall where the group's own resident ghost had been. He hadn't seem him in a while, but that said, he hadn't exactly been keeping track of him. I'd rather he continue to make himself sparse...

[Oersted]

"Yeah, that Marius and he's really strong. He even beat me," he added in, though he mumbled it. He wasn't exactly proud to have lost to Marius. "But you can probably beat him if I almost did." He was kind of surprised Valha wanted to borrow his sword, and kind of hesitant to give it to her since he'd funneled so much gold into it, but he was glad to assist her however he could. "Yeah, if you think it'll help you win you can borrow it."

And then Ingverd's final round started. The elf went down in two hits and Lanos was kinda glad Marius had won, if only because it meant he wasn't the only one who'd lost to Marius other than Vriska, but at the same time couldn't deny that Ingverd was more skilled than he was.

[riariadne]

"Hmm, sounds fun... well, thanks, Lanos," Valha spoke to her fellow harpy, taking his sword and hugging him, smirking. "I'll be sure to win, yeah? Watch 'n learn!" She fluttered down to the arena's entrance and handed the man at the entrance her fee before patting the now-exiting Ingverd on the shoulder. "Hey, you did awesome. Rough luck with the end, yeah? We can talk when I'm done, I'm too excited right now! Cheer for me!"

More Fighting

Valha readied her plain iron sword when her opponent entered. "Let's give this a test, huh?" The first fighter, Tim, proved no challenge- two swift cuts brought him down with ease, his own hit not coming close. "Ha, good old Saul knew I could rely on this."

James and Eric proved slightly more worthy of her time, each scoring a hit on her, but neither was enough to significantly impact her performance and they both fell rather easily. What could have been the first obstacle appeared in the form of Havel, but Valha smirked and drew her Armorslayer. Two brutal hits sent him collapsing, his own attack being off-balance due to her crushing blow. She switched back to her normal sword for Marcus, and he went the same way as Tim had.

Troy appeared soon after on his dragon, and again had she been ill-equipped he may have posed more of a challenge. However, she drew the Wing Clipper she had taken as a trophy before, and outmatched the other flying foe in an aerial clash. Last out of the standard foes was Murray, briefly distracting her by way of his horse, but it proved not to be enough- three swings, three hits, and he too was defeated. She waved to the generally rather pleased crowd before looking up to Marius and waving at him too, grabbing the Wing Clipper briefly before remembering she had borrowed Lanos blade for a reason and readying it instead.

Edited December 21, 2014 by Reinfleche

[Sandalphon]

Vesta rubbed her shoulder, pleased at the performance of her new weapon. It was definitely very efficient at being choppy and swingy-like, she reckoned, but it was also quite heavy. She thought about her predicament, thinking that this new adventure she would be delightfully trotting off to would be severely impeded by irritating muscle pains.

She had noticed a sauna attached to the inn earlier, and figured that getting disgustingly sticky and sweaty might cure what ailed her. She slowly dragged her sorry hide back to the inn, making a mental note not to get lured in by the siren song of the gambling parlour this time around.

[scorri]

Trist shook his head and sighed. "She's just as good with the sword as she is with her fists, huh? Is everyone in the group as good at fighting? Makes me think I won't be adding much if you are..."

[Bluedoom]

After a horrible loss at the weapons arena, Ferdinand decided to check out the punching arena to see if any of his comrades were there. Sure enough, he saw Angus, Makin, Raith and another woman gathered near the punching arena entrance. Who was that woman, though, was she an acquaintance of theirs? He decided to join in on their little discussion... whatever it was about that is.

"Oh hello everyone! I take it you had your go at the punching arena?"

[eclipse]

"Ask Angus about it," Meredith said weakly to the newcomer. "I guess you're part of the group, too? My name's Meredith. Who are you?"