Fire Emblem: Wretched Whispers, Act 2: Warpath

[Grace]

Taking the practice sword in hand, Diana carefully entered the stance that she had been taught. Just have to make sure that I bend my knees and keep my position firm... She oriented the sword with the edges facing parallel to her stance. While doing this; Diana said, "If there's one thing I've picked up on, it's that trying to block incoming attacks with the edge of a blade is not only unwise due to cutting into the blade and dulling it, but also due to additional recoil as the metal does not bend as easily that way." Diana then waited to see what Dervas thought of what she had presented.

Edited November 14, 2014 by Curly Brace

[Ether]

So from the sounds of it she was mostly support, then. Celestia wasn't overly opposed to that, she supposed, and with the sheer number of dark mages on hand in comparison it made sense that it would be the centrepiece, really.

[scorri]

Taima rushed to get a spot that she could watch Sheikah from, not wanting to miss a single moment of the match. Thankfully, she managed to find the perfect spot just in time. With a grin, she leaned forward, ready to see her boss show off her fighting skills.

[Xinnidy]

"You're new to the spell? Well, try to get as much a feeling as you can, if you want to go through with it..." Magali was somewhat surprised, and concerned, that Melanie was trying to pull something that seemed that advanced. "Don't over-strain yourself, we can put a good show without pushing you to the limit." She moved her hands to hover around two of the spheres, trying to get a feel for the spell, and how much she could alter it herself. She gave an intrigued glance to Mina when she heard the suggestion. "Weaving? Well, that depends on how well Melanie can hold the spell, then I'd be fine."

[Nanami Touko]

"Non! Je suis fine! Hnn..." Mel smiled, even though it was getting increasingly hard to keep the spell still. Her arm was even starting to tremble. But she wasn't about to give up! She controlled this magic, it didn't control her! "I-I will keep eet still long enough pour vous to dance eenside, and zen, switch wis Mina...! I will only collapse eet after you are bose finished, okay? I can do zis..." She tried her best to control her breathing on the spell, taking a few deep breaths.

[Xinnidy]

My, she's still very determined about magic~. "Alright, Melanie. Do your best." Magali cheered, though keeping an eye alert to the girl. She turned to Artemis. "Now is a good time for the enchanted fire. I would love it for increased effect~."

[riariadne]

Challenger

Sheikah gripped her fists together, imbuing them with magic power. I think the flier said this is legal... She moved in close towards the first opponent- Tommy, apparently- and gave a rough jab. The man seemed a bit caught off-guard, but managed to land his own hit, causing her to stumble a little. She managed to get in another hit to knock Tommy to the ground, but he recovered after six seconds. The third hit he didn't come back from.

Her next opponent was a darker-skinned man who seemed much stronger than her previous foe. She again got in the first hit, but this time got a lucky strike at the side of the man's head and sent him to the ground instantly. "Are you okay?" she began, but a few moments later he was healed and shrugged at her before making his way out. The third opponent suffered a similar fate, Sheikah a bit surprised at her success. The fourth man, however, was much quicker on his feet, and while he didn't take her first blow well, his own was quick to follow and she just barely managed to avoid a hit. The two exchanged punches after, and a third hit from her managed to win the round.

"And we've made it to the final round, folks!" the announcer spoke excitedly. "Our challenger's small size hasn't seemed to work against her, and she's made it to a bout against the Minor Circuit champion, Rocky! Let's see them give it their all, ladies and gentlemen!"

Don't get scared now, Sheikah, you made it this far! Despite her assurance, Rocky managed to dodge her first strike, though she managed to avoid his own hit as well. Her return strike hit fiercely, but after a nine count he stood back up, ready to keep going. The two circled each other before Rocky unleashed a ferocious punch that knocked Sheikah to the ground herself. Just gotta... hang in there, she encouraged herself, hearing the roar of the crowd dimly, and the announcer.

"Seven! Eight!"

Sheikah pushed herself to her feet at the sound of her own "nine!", pounding her fists together and circling her opponent again. He struck towards her first, but stepped aside and landed a strong uppercut to his stomach, sprawling to the ground. "Eight! Nine! Ten! We have a winner-our challenger!" The crowd erupted in applause at one of the closest matches of the day, Sheikah raising her hands high, still dazed. She felt the healing overcome her, much nicer than that which had healed her previous minor injuries, then wandered into the locker room, collapsing next to her belongings with a huff. "That... was hard," she managed to state weakly.

Grace

"If you are alright with it, then." Mina eyed Melanie carefully as she struggled to continue controlling the spell. "Do not push yourself too far for a show, Melanie. Magic can bring madness when driven too far, and I would not wish to see that happen to you. Just speak your mind if you are having difficulty."

Bar

"Boss, huh? You some sorta mercenaries?" the barkeep asked, leaning on the counter. "Lady Deriyenn sent a messenger to rent out a whole buncha rooms for two nights recently. Those supposed to be you guys, then?"

Advising

"A good plan to have," Dervas agreed. "Your stance is not bad, but you could be a bit more assertive with your positioning. The way you are now, you seem a bit passive. Actively defend your allies with good positioning and then continue your strong fundamentals, and you'll find your defensive lines stronger ones for it."

[Nanami Touko]

Melanie sighed through her struggling, but continued to hold the spell in place. "I-I am 'aving a bit of difficulty, ben... I should be fine. Eef I can not cast ze spell now zen 'ow good will I be een battle? I 'ave eet 'eld now... Juste, ehm, I will not 'ave to move ze spell during ze performance, oui?" She seemed to finally have some control of it, even if it was straining her. As long as she didn't have to move it, she figured she could do this! S'il vous plait say non...

[Bluedoom]

Wolfgang raised an eyebrow at Mina lecturing him. I doubt I'm younger than you, young lady. He thought to himself, sarcastically. " I understand what you are saying, and you probably have more experience in dark magic than I've ever had, however I'm still confident in my abilities, and the more time we spend planning that which is better off being practiced, the less we are prepared for the show. Who knows, a new idea might spark in the middle of our practice session!" he replied to the priestess.

[scorri]

"Hey, you did it though! I knew you could." Taima grinned at her boss and collected her gear. "I think I might come back tomorrow though. Try out the World Circuit, see how far I can get. For now though, time to relax. What about you?"

[eclipse]

"Sounds like us," Peter replied dryly. "Ah, a proper bed! It'll be great for my old bones! Not like the other young'uns, who seem to be able to spring back from the brink of death with nary a hair out of place!"

[Refa]

Artemis looked at Wolfgang, clearly bemused by his actions. He always seem so inspired whenever talk of magic came into the equation. Maybe I should be more like that, she idly thought before Melanie started with her part of the act. Wolfgang and Lugos followed with their portions, and Artemis was mesmerized by what they had managed to do. As Magali prompted her, it was now her turn to make some fireworks. Turning around to Magali, she smiled and said, "Is there ever a bad time for enchanted fire? Should be no big deal for me, but if anything's wrong, just shout it at me. I'll get the message eventually." Chanting the necessary words, she consecutively lit all of the dark orbs on fire. Not being used to focusing multiple flames for a prolonged period of time, she initially staggered a bit. However after picking herself up and relaxing a little, the whole exercise seemed much easier overall. It's no big deal. I've got this.

Edited November 15, 2014 by Refa

[Percivalé]

Vale had started to panic, albeit vaguely, when he realized his mind had started to wander again; and that this had meant he started straying off by himself in the town without speaking to--well, anyone. He knew he had a tendency to do things like this. Admittedly it was nice getting lost in himself sometimes. Never one for crowds, he'd think, and shrug to himself. Well, it wasn't quite that he didn't want to be social. It was much different. He didn't know how to explain it, actually.

He found the inn eventually like a tumbleweed finds its resting place after spreading its seeds across the vista. He remembered seeing--some of the other guys headed in there, but he couldn't exactly remember. Perhaps finally he could get to know some of them better. Casually he sauntered in with his mind on a nice drink and somewhere to just sit, at least, because he was still quite tired.

[Grace]

Diana pondered for a moment. "So something like... this?" Diana dropped the hilt of the sword down to her hips, and opened her stance slightly. I am not sure if this is quite what he meant, but I could be entirely wrong about that...

Edited November 15, 2014 by Curly Brace

[Xinnidy]

My, if willpower alone made a spellcaster, you'd be well beyond your years, Melanie. Magali was a bit envious of the girl. "Well, you're doing fine enough... Artemis? Well, I don't know how much I can do if the fire is on the spheres, but... here, free them a little." She moved her hand closer to the flames, pulling them with some of her own magic (should Artemis follow her advice), trails of flames now following her hands, she made a spin. The flames danced surrounding her, giving her a form of 'flame spirit' beauty. "Something like this..." She danced around the spheres, zigzagging past them as the flames reflected the black and purple energies. She put her hands around one of them, and the fire met the sphere and was expelled in many directions, giving a show of light. Albeit the flames caught herself, Magali's own magical veil was strong enough to cause no apparent damage to her or her cloth. "I can make do with this, now. How are you faring, Mina?"

[riariadne]

Tired Victors

"Ha, thanks for believing in me," Sheikah mumbled appreciatively, standing and picking up her own belongings slowly. "What about me... jeez, I dunno. That was a real tough run for me, and the guys you were fighting look a whole lot tougher. I think I just wanna relax for today."

Mystic Command

"Planning is not to be undermined by rushing into practice," Mina spoke sternly to Wolfgang, watching Magali intently as she made an impressive showing combining the dark and fire spells. "Hmm, reserved but graceful... I suppose I should try for a different angle, then," she reasoned, raising her own hands once more and moving the charged flux sphere around herself. She moved in rhythm with it, slowly increasing her pace along with the orb's, hovering it between her hands at times and leaping over it at others before materializing an inky black blade and slicing it through the sphere, dark and electric magic dispelling from it. "That is perhaps not the perfect way to utilize the Shadowblade spell you were thinking of... perhaps it could be accentuated by the light spells or something similar," the priestess suggested, her own breath picking up a bit after her showing. A wave of her left hand dispelled the sword of darkness, but even after her hand glowed with power through her glove until her breathing slowed. "I am sorry for losing control somewhat there... even for me, working with so many spells at once is not easy. I will have to train harder for the future."

Refreshment

"Welcome aboard, then," the innkeeper spoke jovially. "Name's Cara... I've been working here for a while now. You don't look that old, really, but if rest and ale's what you want it's what we've got." She waved at the newcomer, smiling. "You with these guys, too, from the looks of it? I'll get a round," she greeted him, surely enough fetching another glass of beer quickly.

Defender

"Hmm, better," Dervas spoke approvingly. "Just simple stances and positioning can help nearby allies more than you'd think. Enemies can be forced to make worse attacks, and allies can move more readily. It is a simple matter of learning how to adapt better like this that can help the others in your company."

[scorri]

"Eh, it's what I'm good at, you know? Taking hits. You've got your magic and your leadership and all that. I've got getting hit in the face." She chuckled, clearly at least slightly joking. "Well, time for relaxing then. Where were you thinking of heading now?" She didn't really know anywhere in the town to go, so she figured she'd tag along with her boss for at least a little longer.

[Nanami Touko]

Mel watched with renewed vigor as Magali spun herself between the orbs and the fire, completely mesmerized by the show... And then Mina started her own, and she watched it entirely, almost clapping at the end. Though, something confused her... "Mina, I sought you said you did not 'ave your tome 'ere? Was zat more of your, ehm... Blood casting, you said eet was? Fantastique, eizzer way~" Mel questioned and complimented, but having paid little attention to her own spell for so long, she had lost her hold on the orbs and they started moving in on themselves. She noticed, and quickly held her hand out to stop them, groaning at the added pressure it had given her head. "M-Magali, move, s'il vous plait...!" She could hold it long enough for the dancer to get out of the way-- or so she hoped!

[Ether]

"Geez, pay attention, Melanie." Celestia noted with a frown, sending bolts to light to strike the circling dark orbs away from the dancer before imploding them with a bit of a flicker, as the light spell detonated.

"Blood... casting? What's that?"

[Nanami Touko]

The strain was relieved almost immediately by Celestia, who blasted her sphere away, letting her collapse onto the floor, panting. "Sank you, Celestia... I am so sorry about zat. I got caught up een your dancing, Magali, et vous aussi, Mina, donc... I stopped paying attention for too long. Eet will not 'appen dans le performance." She offered a tiny, embarrassed smile. Celestia was confused on the blood casting, and to be honest, Melanie didn't understand it entirely, either. "Ben, she uses 'er blood for 'er magique... Mais, zat ees all I know, haha. I do not actually know 'ow eet works."

[Percivalé]

"Yeah, I'm with them," Vale replied. He waved at the trio he recognized as part of his group; he hadn't personally spoken much to them before, but he remembered working with them at least--an improvement! Of course he especially remembered the one that gave him the sword in the last skirmish... err, or that he took it from. Either way. Ivan, it was? He remembered hearing his name before. "I'm Vale," he said to the bartender. "I'm a relatively newer edition actually, I guess you could say. But I like this group so far." He proceeded to sit down with them, waiting for Cara to serve his beer. He turned to the others. "Sorry we haven't really gotten a chance to formally meet yet. How're the three of you holding up?"

[eclipse]

"Oh, hi!" Peter said, somewhat surprised by Vale's presence. "Finally, a nice town with proper beer and a nice bed! I'm getting too old for this. How 'bout you?"

[Percivalé]

"Too old, huh..." Vale pondered this. "Is there really an age limit to the kind of work we do?" He wondered aloud, shrugging.

"I'm thinking about the same," he said in response to Peter's question, "about the town, anyway. It's one of the better places I've been in a while. I'm tireder than usual lately for some reason."

[riariadne]

Relax

"Ha, well... glad to have someone so good at taking hits with us," Sheikah spoke awkwardly. "Where to relax, huh... there's a fortune teller around, we could crash at the inn, take a look at some of the stores, maybe even go sightseeing at the palace a little bit."

Pacts

"It is... nor literally using my blood, strictly speaking," Mina begun to explain. "It is just a dangerous method of using spells without tomes, and is named such to dissuade people who wish to pick it up without knowing what power that they tamper with... it is straining, painful, but mastery of such a skill is incredibly powerful. Still, many foolish casters have gone mad or died in the process." She smiled at the other comment Melanie made. "You got caught up in my performance? I trust it is up to par, then?"

Legend Past

"Bonvale's a good spot after some rough work. My brother was a mercenary once, so I'm used to seeing all kinds of types," Cara told Vale understandingly, handing him his drink. "It's a rough life out there, mercenary work. What brought you guys to be working for Irska? A lot of people aren't too confident in us. Your boss must be a hell of an idealist, or trying to cash it in real big, or something like that." A fifth man entered the inn, this one unfamiliar to the party. He sat down heavily at the bar. "Ah, Borvan. You're here pretty early. Things getting to you with the war?" She reached behind the counter, fetching a particularly strong drink for the old hero.

"Hmmm... I'm not answering that. But thanks, Cara," Borvan grumbled. He stopped to actually take a look at his company at the bar. "You a bunch of mercenaries, probably? Not too late to back out of it, you know. Battlefield's not forgiving... surely you could find another place for your talents."

[scorri]

"Well... Not sure I have much to buy, to be honest. Don't really need new equipment or anything. Guess we could go to the fortune teller though... Dunno, lots of those I've seen are just fakers, you know? Tell you about how you'll meet the love of your life and end up rich and happy, all that junk. Telling you what they think you want to hear, not the actual future. The palace could be interesting?" She shrugged. "Dunno, is there something you really want to do or what?"