Children Of Infinity (IC)

[The Unites State-Of-Minds]

-Le Snip-

Arogisl felt the walk from the auditorium seemed to pass much quicker then the walk to, most likely an error in perception on his part. The aspirants had collected weapons the students brought on their person, and he was surprised how many there were to present. The academy should be more then safe enough to go without, and it seemed obvious that their possession would at the very least be restricted. Nevertheless, there was little else to think of during the walk, as the halls grew less decorated and emptier then the ones before. The one noteworthy event of their journey would have been the use of vertical transports if not for the fact that such feature were particularly common of megastructures; so much so, in fact that even for his relative lack of experience with such things that his awe of them had long passed.

The many turns of their path gave rise to a hint of doubt within his mind. A map of some sort would certainly have to be among the first of items he would seek out once settled in, as he was sure that he would otherwise find himself unable to properly navigate his way to and from the dormitories. They stopped, seemingly at random, in front of one of many identical doors; an inscription above read A-23. This, as confirmed by the words of the aspirant, was to be their quarters.

"A-23. Floor 173. A-23. Floor 173." He repeated the phrase a until he felt it had made some impression upon his memory, although he would have to later write it down to improve his recollection further then a day. Having no belongings on his person to leave behind as all excess items had been placed within his luggage, there was nothing to do but await their departure. Noticing Brightshield had already claimed a seat within the common area, he walked over to take one for himself. Picking a seat at random, he paused before it, looking toward Brightshield.

"Mind if I were to join you?"

[Zarkenis Ultima]

As he sat near the window, basking in the rays of Antagon's sunlight that trickled into the room, the white-haired aspirant noticed one of his assigned recruits approaching, one of the recruits placed under his care that belonged to a family of nobles. Observing him pull out a chair from under the table, Arcander decided to take his feet off the table, sitting down in a less informal position out of respect for the others. The last thing he wanted was to inconvenience anyone else who wished to sit down, after all, and he was comfortable enough sitting down normally in any case. He was, however, slightly surprised when the younger student, Arogisl, asked him if he would mind having some company. He understood the merits of respecting an elder, sure, but he had assumed that by now the students would know that they didn't need to be so formal with him, though he did appreciate the thought put into said respect.

"Of course not, feel free to sit down if you want to." He said, shaking his head and making a dismissive gesture to further illustrate his point, smiling as he always did as he addressed one of his charges. He'd rather have them feel comfortable around him than have them treat him as if they were his subordinates, after all, since that was not the case, he was their guide, not their master. "I suspect that we will not be staying in here for too long, since we are yet to pass through the armory on our way to the Silver Games, but if you want to sit, then by all means do so." He explained. "Is there anything you'd like to talk about?"

[The Unites State-Of-Minds]

-Snip-

Upon receiving a positive response to join Brightshield Arogisl seated himself, his rigid posture relaxing for the first time since his arrival. It was a comfortable chair, significantly more so then the cushioned benches of the chariot, somewhat mitigated by the heat of sunlight but not excessively so. He would have been content to sit in silence, but the Aspirant asked if he had any inquiries for what time remained before it was time to begin the silver games, and his own curiosities aside, it would be rude of him not to reply. Straightening his posture enough to indicate his attention, he shifted his focus toward the aspirant.

"I suppose I do have a few questions, namely if there are any maps of the area available to students. While I'm sure there is plenty of time to become familiar with the layout of things, I happen to not be the best when it comes to spatial orientation. I would hate to have to ask around for directions to the library every time I wished to read something new."

[Zarkenis Ultima]

Hearing Arogisl's inquiry, Arcander thought for a moment. He had personally never needed a map, as he was perfectly content with following his fellow students, trying to find his own way around or even asking for directions repeatedly, even if some reactions were less than pleasant, but he supposed that not everyone was as comfortable with such things as he had been, and so, he focused, vaguely recalling being told something about maps for recruits being available at the faculty office on request during his training as a future guide. Remembering all of this, he slowly nodded at Arogisl.

"Yes, indeed, there are maps available to recruits who have a hard time finding their way around the Academy. I understand perfectly why that is, to be honest, this place is enormous. I got lost in these hallways several times myself." The golden-robed man said, chuckling slightly before continuing. "Anyway, there are certainly maps available. I can fetch one for you after the Silver Games if you would like." He offered the recruit before him. "Or I could show you where to request one, if you would prefer that. I don't mind one way or the other." He stated.

[Zarkenis Ultima]

After Arogisl had taken him up on his offer, Arcander glanced at the others and noted that those who had to put down their extra baggage had already done so. Soon enough, Aressa spoke, calling everyone so that they could depart from the common room and head towards their next stop.

And so, once again the students took to the hallways of the student floor, eventually reaching a wide open area with several large rectangular tables laid out around the place. Large windows were present as well, allowing the bright sunlight inside the area. On the wall opposite to the hallway they group had entered through, a sizable flat screen sat embedded on the wall, regularly used to display the news or some other pertinent information, though it was often left inactive. On one side of the room were a pair of staircases for transit between different floors, present on all of the other floors as well but mostly used for transit between adjacent floors, since it was rather impractical or outright impossible to get from one floor to another in a timely manner, depending on the distance between them, as the academy building was quite large.

Another thing to note was that there were quite a lot of students present in this area, mostly silver robes for obvious reasons, though there were a few gold robes as well. Many were simply sitting and eagerly chatting away among themselves, evidently not too concerned with the Silver Games, or perhaps intending to stay here for a while and then go and observe. Many more were standing around or speaking with their guides about various matters, and a few were listening and watching the screen at the end of the room intently as it displayed information about a peculiar archaeological discovery made by the Phantom Blade's researchers and historians on a planet just a couple systems away from Arcadia and the Antagon System. Curiously, there were even a handful blood robes in the room as well, conversing with some of the other students, recruits as aspirants alike. Most likely acquaintances from before who were surprised to be reunited, or something of the sort.

"This is the floor lounge. There's one on every student floor, and you're all free to come here whenever you have nothing else to do." Aressa told her charges as she stopped at the entrance for a few moments for them to look, before motioning for them to continue following her. "However, it's not our destination." She stated afterwards, guiding them to a large door that stood on the wall that was across the room from the staircases. Once again, the golden-robed woman stood in front of the door, stretching out both of her hands in front of the door this time. "Aressa Alistar." She pronounced, stating her name once again, before moving her hands in opposite directions. After a moment, the door opened up from the center and retracted into the walls, allowing the students to go through.

This new room was rather different from the previous ones. For one, it was larger still than even the lounge, though it obviously had nothing on the landing platform, let alone the auditorium. It was big as a warehouse, and in fact, that was more or less what it was. To the left and right of the entrance were enormous sealed containers embedded on the walls, each of them bearing the Silver Hand on them, as well as a sucession of characters that served to identify each container and differentiate it from the others. There were some students in here as well, though fewer than those outside, and most of them were together in groups in front of some of the containers, all of these groups headed by one or two aspirants, much like the gorup currently led by Aressa. On the far end of the room, opposite to the entrance, was what could be most accurately described as a weapons rack, containing all sorts of different melee combat weapons for the students' use.

"This is the armory." Aressa explained as she walked into the room, glancing left and right as if she was trying to find the right container. "Here, those of you who did not bring their own weapons to the Academy will be able to pick one for your training, sparring matches and whatnot. It's also here that you will pick up your armor when it is needed, and where you will return it when it is needed no more." She stated as her gaze locked onto a container in particular. Almost instantly, she turned towards it and walked up to it. The container's inscription was "A-23", the same as the one above the door of the group's dorm. Walking to the side, the aspirant spotted a white button on the polished dark gray surface of the container and pressed it, causing the vertical lid to open outwards, revealing the contents: Several armors, each of them identical except for the light patterns. All of them were black like the void between the stars, with what appeared to be silver cloth adorning the armor, though closer inspection would reveal that it was not, in fact, physical, instead being a simple ornamental illusion of light. On the chest, the symbol of the Order of the Phantom Blade was present, while the one representing the Silver Hand Academy was visible on the back. The helmet, of a simple design, had a transluscent red cross at the front that also served as a visor. Lines of blood red light ran through the armor, glowing as they formed different patterns on each of them.

Aside from these patterns, the only differences were in the size of the armor, as each had been designed specifically for one of the students. It would likely take them little time to realize which one was for them, as their names were displayed next to their respective armors.

"Some of you may be unfamiliar with these." The Alistar stated as she stood in front of her own armor, one hand resting on her hip as she observed its spiral patterns converge around the symbol of the Phantom Blade. Though well maintained, it was slightly less... lustrous than the other ones, the use it had seen in the past quite noticeable, though in turn it gave the suit an air of magnificence, its slightly weathered appearance clearly a result of the combat it had seen along with it's wearer, Aressa. "I'll explain quickly: These suits of armor are programmed to respond to their intended wearer's commands, like this." She stated, and then snapped her fingers. Suddenly, the armor in front of her glowed for a moment and then began vanishing, becoming ghostlike at first and then disappearing altogether, only to appear in a similar manner around the golden-robed Aspirant, fitting her form perfectly, her gray eyes visible with a red tint through the red cross, though her own sight was in turn completely unaffected and unimpaired.

"Of course, it's alright if you don't want to wear it all the time." She stated afterewards, snapping her fingers once again, the armor disappearing as quickly as it had come, though it did not reappear in its place on the container, instead being stored in a Hyperspace Storage Unit. "However, I would advise you to keep it just a command away during class hours, as you never know when you'll need it." She recommended, before gesturing towards the suits. "Now go ahead, try them out. And feel free to grab a weapon as well if you need one. They're powered down by default, so you should have no trouble participating in the Silver Games." She said to her charges, before stepping back from the container and looking around. Arcander, she noticed, was nowhere to be found, likely staying behind at the common room or the lounge. She sighed to herself as she shook her head, expecting him to return soon.

As soon as everyone was geared up, Aressa led them out of the armory, out of the lounge and back to the elevators, imputting a different combination on the controls and activating the lift, which this time led them down instead of up. After several moments, the elevator stopped, and the students stepped out into a hallway which was swiftly crossed. A door opened before them, revealing what appeared to be a large stadium of sorts. They were currently in an elevated area, as the aspirants had said, and there were several smaller, depressed areas which served as arenas for the duelists. The stadium itself was of course also huge, huge enough to accomodate several areas of a size still appropiate for glorious battle between two Redemit warriors, no matter how young.

As they all stepped out of the elevator, Arcander walked up to them from the crowd that had gathered around the stadium.

"I signed you all up for the Silver Games as requested." He said, pausing to look at Niloofar. "Except for you of course." He added afterwards. Aressa nodded at him and motioned for the recruits to continue following her, approaching the crowds but not quite blending in, rather appearing as if she was looking for someone. However, after a while, she stopped, her gaze suddenly fixed on a single spot.

If the other students turned their gazes there, they would see what she was looking at. It was a man, not too old judging by his appearance, though he definitely seemed to be way above the students present in the stadium. His black hair, long and unkempt, certainly didn't appear to be something one would expect from a paragon of discipline, but his perfect posture and unwavering stance said otherwise. His eyes, unseen, were covered by a red piece of cloth wrapped around them. He wore a black robe much like the one worn by Augustus, with the Silver Hand on the back.

"Welcome to the Silver Games." The blindfolded man said, his voice level and calm. "Before we begin, I will pick two aspirants present to have a duel with one another as a demonstration." He stated simply, and then fell silent for several moments, seemingly in deep concentration.

"Persaes. Eleasir. Advance to duel area number six." He commanded, and two aspirants clad in their armor advanced towards an area in the middle of the stadium. They stood over two circular platforms just outside the arena on opposite ends, and soon they began descending. Moments later, they were in the dueling area. Once there, the two stepped forward, each walking about one third of the area they were in before stopping. They bowed to each other in greetings, and then, each of them summoned their weapons by calling their names. On the hands of the one who was called Persaes by the blindfolded man, a large energy glaive manifested. The one addressed as Eleasir, on the other hand, wielded a weapon a tad more peculiar. A sword by the looks of it, but what would be the blade was made of metal, and instead there were wide energy edges jutting out from it.

They let their arms, bearing their weapons, drop to the side slowly, and then waited.

At exactly ten seconds, the two of them leapt at each other so fast that a normal eye would hardly be able to follow. It was fortunate, then, that these were not normal people watching: They were warriors in training. And what these warriors would see was a total battle between two wills that was only less grand than the epic duels of myth and legend because the two who were fighting in the battlefield below were not as old as the ones portrayed by history, lacking the experience and battle hardiness of an older warrior, but in turn bearing a bright, burning flame within them, the flame of youth, glowing with fierce valor.

And with all of this fire's courage, they began their duel, slashing and swiping at each other with their weapons. Amidst the silence of the crowd, the only sounds were the clash of energy blades and energy shields, the striking of blade against armor... and something else. In that near-silence, those around the arena could hear whispers, the voices of the warriors quietly chanting arcane spells. As they fought, it seemed evident that, even though both fighters were faster than most of the new recruits present in the room, the one called Persaes surpassed the other one in speed, and was quite adept at using the longer reach of the glaive, though the other warrior in turn seemed able to defend herself well from the incoming attacks, her strikes austerely spread, but in turn bearing more potency. Suddenly, the glaive wielder revealed his magic, firebolts flying forth from his hands as he continued trying to break the swordswoman's defence. The truth was that she seemed more strained than before now, having to defend herself with wide slashes now instead of simple well-aimed deflecting strikes in order to account for the magic assault that had entered the equation. The battle continued fierce as ever, with the one called Eleasir making less and less attempts to strike at her enemy as time passed, more concerned with keeping up her defence, keeping a perfect concentration, though it became apparent that she was slowly being overwhelmed.

Then, suddenly, just as it seemed like the glaive warrior had made an opening and was about to deal a critical blow, the one wielding the sword suddenly shouted a word, finishing her chant, which had lasted throughout the whole battle. At that exact moment, an enormous gale descended upon the enemy warrior, slamming him against the ground with incredible force, causing the glaive to fly away from his grip and putting him in an uncomfortable position, something that the other fighter took advantage of immediately, pinning him to the ground with her knee on his back as she brought down her peculiar sword upon the other aspirant's back, causing an odd sound, like a sawblade cutting through steel, to be heard throughout the stadium. After a few seconds of this, during which the warrior on the ground had barely had a moment to struggle against his opponent's grip, the sound stopped, and the girl's sword suddenly deactivated itself.

Just like that, the battle was over.

"I would like to congratulate Shanath Eleasir for winning this battle." The blindfolded man stated, calm as always. The winner helped the loser up, and the two warriors shook hands respectfully, both of them knowing that, no matter the outcome, they had shown a great battle, an appropiate demonstration for the recruits that had seen them fight. The two retreated into the elevators on the sides of the battling area, and when they arrived back up, they were no longer clad in their armor, instead being just another pair of golden-robed young warriors, like so many others present.

"I will now proceed to pair up students for the first round of matches. Please listen carefully if you have signed up for the Silver Games." He said, and began speaking out names as if reading them from a list, though such was, for obvious reasons, impossible.

Aressa and Arcander glanced at each other in surprise. Strangely, most of the recruits under their care had been matched with each other. However, rather than an inconvenience, it simply meant that it would be simpler to observe them, and so, the two of them paid attention as their charges heard their names and heeded the black robed master's call.

"These will be interesting. The Akaion versus Tarembor one in particular. Did you see how those two were looking at each other?" Arcander remarked, looking over at Aressa, who also glanced towards him, her eyes betraying her lack of understanding about what her partner was referring to. She shook her head lightly. "No, I did not. What of it?" She asked, to which Arcander merely sighed. "That's so typical of you, Ari. But nevermind. Let's just watch." He said. She nodded, and the two turned their heads towards the arenas.

The Silver Games had begun.

[Esternial]

As soon as Aressa and Arcander turned to the arenas, a voice beckoned for their attention.

"Aressa Alistar?"

The woman behind them smiled faintly as they turned around, in her hand she held a letter. She was a new student and, like many others, wore the silver robes associated with one. Though she kept her composure, a trained eye could see a hint of discomfort reflected in vaguely flushed cheeks and a subtle tremble in her hands.

At the age of twenty-two, Ritz had already attended a year at a different Academy on Ophanim, but her parents had her transferred to the Silver Hand Academy; their first choice was simply nod good enough for their daughter. Ritz accepted her parents' decision and left her home and friends behind with a heavy heart.

The letter featured some information on the new transfer student as well the details regarding the transfer.

[Charmera]

Vyna listened to the instructions, noting the area she was to go to and the person she was fighting. She was both glad and disappointed she wouldn't be up against Jyn at the same time. Disappointed as her sister was a highly competent fighter and a good opponent. though she was glad that she was fighting someone knew, to find someone to test herself against. Especially as Mehran also seems to her to be quite an interesting individual, and his twin blade fighting style would be quite a sight to see in action. She moved towards the arena she was assigned, heading to the circular platform as the two aspriants had before her, standing on the circular platform and waiting, both for her opponent and for the disc to descend.

[Wolfenium]

Hands crossed with his shades on, Mehran looked as still and domineering as a statue as he observed the battle between the two aspirants. He seemed keen, as if waiting for his chance to step into the ring itself. On his part, he never expected his first show of strength to be this soon, though he was not one to miss a chance when it presented itself. Glancing at Vyna as they prepared to enter, he gave a ready nod, acknowledging the duel ahead. Stepping into the ring, he avoided the accusing gaze of his sister beside him. There was no hiding her disapproval of the tournament, stepping forward to question the aspirants.

"This is crazy," she complained to the guides, "we only just got here, and you're already going for a tournament? What happened to moderation? Do you people want to burn out your students at the first instance?"

-snip-

Stepping into the arena from the opposite direction, Mehran held his sheathed blades by his side, pulling off his shades as he laid it by the entrance. Facing the lady, he seemed utterly focused, his eyes burning with anticipation as he bowed to the girl in respect. Readying himself, he drew his swords in succession, crossing his blades horizontally in front of his eyes like a beetle's pincers. Waiting in anticipation as the blind referee counted down, he steeled himself for the duel to come. When the signal finally came, he fiercely unfurled his blades for a slash. Swinging forth, he was quick to go in for the kill.

Sitting at a corner with his blade, Eamonn did not appear interested in the trials of his fellow peers. Staring into space, he appeared deep in thought, waiting for the call to summon him to his designated arena. As Eamonn's name rang in the PA system, he quietly stood up to take his place inside the arena. Dragging his blade along, he appeared aloof and disinterested. But the lad was finally getting the fight he wanted. The only question was the identity of his opponent.

[Charmera]

Hands crossed with his shades on, Mehran looked as still and domineering as a statue as he observed the battle between the two aspirants. He seemed keen, as if waiting for his chance to step into the ring itself. On his part, he never expected his first show of strength to be this soon, though he was not one to miss a chance when it presented itself. Glancing at Vyna as they prepared to enter, he gave a ready nod, acknowledging the duel ahead. Stepping into the ring, he avoided the accusing gaze of his sister beside him. There was no hiding her disapproval of the tournament, stepping forward to question the aspirants.

"This is crazy," she complained to the guides, "we only just got here, and you're already going for a tournament? What happened to moderation? Do you people want to burn out your students at the first instance?"

-snip-

Stepping into the arena from the opposite direction, Mehran held his sheathed blades by his side, pulling off his shades as he laid it by the entrance. Facing the lady, he seemed utterly focused, his eyes burning with anticipation as he bowed to the girl in respect. Readying himself, he drew his swords in succession, crossing his blades horizontally in front of his eyes like a beetle's pincers. Waiting in anticipation as the blind referee counted down, he steeled himself for the duel to come. When the signal finally came, he fiercely unfurled his blades for a slash. Swinging forth, he was quick to go in for the kill.

Vyna had bowed to her opponent and drew her own blade at the same time Mehran had. A thin smile had been on her face before the duel began, but it quickly evaporated when Mehran had attacked in favour of a more determined expression. In response, Vyna had quickly moved back from him, dodging the slash and buying herself some room to move. Counterattack! Now!She didn't want to give him time to think, so she swiftly counterattacked with her own upwards slash to his torso, though less force was put behind it and more precision. Keep an eye on the second blade...

[Wolfenium]

Hands crossed with his shades on, Mehran looked as still and domineering as a statue as he observed the battle between the two aspirants. He seemed keen, as if waiting for his chance to step into the ring itself. On his part, he never expected his first show of strength to be this soon, though he was not one to miss a chance when it presented itself. Glancing at Vyna as they prepared to enter, he gave a ready nod, acknowledging the duel ahead. Stepping into the ring, he avoided the accusing gaze of his sister beside him. There was no hiding her disapproval of the tournament, stepping forward to question the aspirants.

"This is crazy," she complained to the guides, "we only just got here, and you're already going for a tournament? What happened to moderation? Do you people want to burn out your students at the first instance?"



Stepping into the arena from the opposite direction, Mehran held his sheathed blades by his side, pulling off his shades as he laid it by the entrance. Facing the lady, he seemed utterly focused, his eyes burning with anticipation as he bowed to the girl in respect. Readying himself, he drew his swords in succession, crossing his blades horizontally in front of his eyes like a beetle's pincers. Waiting in anticipation as the blind referee counted down, he steeled himself for the duel to come. When the signal finally came, he fiercely unfurled his blades for a slash. Swinging forth, he was quick to go in for the kill.

Vyna had bowed to her opponent and drew her own blade at the same time Mehran had. A thin smile had been on her face before the duel began, but it quickly evaporated when Mehran had attacked in favour of a more determined expression. In response, Vyna had quickly moved back from him, dodging the slash and buying herself some room to move. Counterattack! Now!She didn't want to give him time to think, so she swiftly counterattacked with her own upwards slash to his torso, though less force was put behind it and more precision. Keep an eye on the second blade...

Spotting her blade surging, Mehran tried to arch back for a dodge. Channeling his magic forth, the Xorshid cringed his teeth as her blade began scratching at the barrier around his armour, letting it slide past to give him an opening on her. Swinging his other sword from an upright position, he sent an overhead slash right down at her. Positioning the wrist of his first hand, he followed up with a second slash of his first sword, this time horizontally over her torso.

[Charmera]

Vyna had bowed to her opponent and drew her own blade at the same time Mehran had. A thin smile had been on her face before the duel began, but it quickly evaporated when Mehran had attacked in favour of a more determined expression. In response, Vyna had quickly moved back from him, dodging the slash and buying herself some room to move. Counterattack! Now!She didn't want to give him time to think, so she swiftly counterattacked with her own upwards slash to his torso, though less force was put behind it and more precision. Keep an eye on the second blade...

Spotting her blade surging, Mehran tried to arch back for a dodge. Channeling his magic forth, the Xorshid cringed his teeth as her blade began scratching at the barrier around his armour, letting it slide past to give him an opening on her. Swinging his other sword from an upright position, he sent an overhead slash right down at her. Positioning the wrist of his first hand, he followed up with a second slash of his first sword, this time horizontally over her torso.

Vyna first blocked the overhead slash with her rapier, using the hilt to prevent his blade from cutting downwards to her. She however had nearly had forgot to account for the other blade, and just before it moved too close to her body, she channeled her own magic and used it to send a strong gust of wind with her other hand to counter the movement of his arm. Damn, I've revealed part of my hand already, and that was a little too close for comfort. She then backpedaled a bit, using the room she had created to maneuver to his side and strike again, this time a lunge with the point of her blade in an attempt to stab. She knew she could not compete with his twin blades without taking advantage of her speed and maneuverability.

[Wolfenium]

Spotting her blade surging, Mehran tried to arch back for a dodge. Channeling his magic forth, the Xorshid cringed his teeth as her blade began scratching at the barrier around his armour, letting it slide past to give him an opening on her. Swinging his other sword from an upright position, he sent an overhead slash right down at her. Positioning the wrist of his first hand, he followed up with a second slash of his first sword, this time horizontally over her torso.

Vyna first blocked the overhead slash with her rapier, using the hilt to prevent his blade from cutting downwards to her. She however had nearly had forgot to account for the other blade, and just before it made contact with her, she channeled her own magic and used it to send a strong gust of wind with her other hand to counter the movement of his arm. Not waiting She then backpedaled a bit, using the room she had created to maneuver to his side and strike again, this time a lunge with the point of her blade in an attempt to stab. She knew she could not compete with his twin blades without taking advantage of her speed and maneuverability.

Shifting back as he regained his footing, Mehran swung a blade in the path of Vyna's sword, parrying as the swords buckled against each other. His arm radiating with a red glow, a sign of his magic, he applauded, "you fight well, Ayendor. However..."

Suddenly, with a burst of red energy from his arm, he used the sheer force of his barrier magic to try to force Vyna back. His other sword ready, he attempted to strike a slash at her when the opening appears. But Mehran did not know the full extent of her powers yet. Perhaps he could still be surprised yet...

[Charmera]

Vyna first blocked the overhead slash with her rapier, using the hilt to prevent his blade from cutting downwards to her. She however had nearly had forgot to account for the other blade, and just before it made contact with her, she channeled her own magic and used it to send a strong gust of wind with her other hand to counter the movement of his arm. Not waiting She then backpedaled a bit, using the room she had created to maneuver to his side and strike again, this time a lunge with the point of her blade in an attempt to stab. She knew she could not compete with his twin blades without taking advantage of her speed and maneuverability.

Shifting back as he regained his footing, Mehran swung a blade in the path of Vyna's sword, parrying as the swords buckled against each other. His arm radiating with a red glow, a sign of his magic, he applauded, "you fight well, Ayendor. However..."

Suddenly, with a burst of red energy from his arm, he used the sheer force of his barrier magic to try to force Vyna back. His other sword ready, he attempted to strike a slash at her when the opening appears. But Mehran did not know the full extent of her powers yet. Perhaps he could still be surprised yet...

Vyna was forced back by the magical barrier, her mind refocused and she projected her magic once again. Instead of concentrating on wind, she used her power to place a vector plate under her opponent, facing away from Vyna. It was rushed, sloppily made and far from her best work, but it hopefully had enough behind it to unbalance her opponent and send her back a bit. The plate would send him back slightly.

Vyna smiled as she hopped back again. "You want to end this so soon? The fun's just getting started Mehran." She replied cockily, she created another vector plate in front of her, though this one took about two seconds. She moved forward the plate accelerating her as she stabbed forward.

Now this is where it starts to get interesting...

[Zarkenis Ultima]

While gazing at the arenas, around which the students were gathering to witness and judge the newcomers and their battles, Aressa noticed a female voice coming from behind, calling her. "Yes?" She inquired upon hearing the voice. Turning around, she saw a student, a recruit by her robe, younger than herself but still seemingly a bit older than the rest of the students under her care. She appeared to be slightly nervous, something that the older girl could hardly blame her for, considering that she was a new student, though the golden-robed woman had somewhat expected most newly arrived recruits to be at ease after the welcoming ceremony.

The girl seemed to be holding a letter in her hand, offering it to her, and Aressa, assuming it would serve well to explain the situation in the absence of an explanation from the girl herself, picked up said letter and read it swiftly. Indeed, it explained the details of the transfer quite well, and the red-haired aspirant saw nothing wrong with it. It was even signed by the staff of the Academy, so she had no reason to doubt that everything was in order.

Her eyes stopped on a particular line. "Bathys?" She mused to herself, slightly surprised, before shaking her head and handing back the letter.

"Well, everything seems to be in order, so, welcome to the Silver Hand Academy, Ritz. My name is Aressa Alistar, as you know, and this is Arcander Brightshield." She said kindly to the new arrival, motioning towards her partner. "We'll be your guides, so stay with us. Since some of our other charges signed up for the Silver Games, we'll stay here until they conclude, so please be patient while we wait." She advised.

Arcander had also noticed the arrival of a new student and turned around to greet her, waving and saying hello as his name was called by his partner, his characteristic smile present on his face. "Welcome, Ritz." He said. He hadn't had the chance to read the letter, as Aressa handed it back instead of showing it to him, but either way, he had no reason to doubt that everything was in order if she didn't bring it up, and he had caught the girl's name from Aressa's words anyway, so he didn't really mind.

However, he was more concerned with Niloofar, deciding to deal with her complaints while the other guide spoke to Ritz. She seemed to be vehemently opposing the Silver Games, to a degree much greater than what Arcander thought reasonable.

"Calm down." He said as he turned to face her, calm even though he put more force than usual in his voice, expecting to be heard. He was no authoritarian, but he was aware of his position and he was willing to use it when necessary. "The staff of the Silver Hand Academy has no intention of 'burning out' the students of this institution at the first instance, as you claim, nor do we secretly plot to cause exhaustion and bodily harm to newcomers for some nefarious purpose. Those conjectures are more befitting of conspiracy theorists than they are of scholars." He continued, impassible. "Now, these students currently participating will have the whole day to rest after the duels, more than enough for them to recover considering they were deemed fit enough to be admitted to the Academy. They also have several measures set up to protect them from harm during their battles, and even still, should something happen, they will have access to all of the Academy's resources to facilitate their recovery." He explained calmly. "Lastly, and most importantly, participation in the Silver Games is voluntary. The only ones participating are those who wished to participate in the first place. They joined out of their own free will, thinking themselves able to handle it, and unless you can prove otherwise, we can only assume that this is the case." He stated.

"So, no, we're not crazy or ignorant of what 'moderation' is, and I sincerely hope you can see that. The last thing we want is for new students to be concerned about their safety or the Academy's ethics, after all." He concluded, having spoken calmly throughout his speech. The white-haired aspirant then fell silent and observed Niloofar to gauge her reaction, hoping that she would understand. He could certainly tell why she opposed these duels, and he knew that there was no changing that, but he could at least try to change her mind about the supposed insanity of the situation.

[Wolfenium]

-snip-

"I know..." Niloofar grumbled, at least able to see some sense in his words, "it's just..."

Peering at Mehran's arena, Niloofar was quite concerned for his safety. After all, what sibling would not, and she was not familiar with the Silver Hand to be assured of their safety procedures. Still, the only thing she could do was trust on Arcander on this.

"I suppose I'll have to take your word for it, Sir," she admitted, "nothing we can do now."

Shifting back as he regained his footing, Mehran swung a blade in the path of Vyna's sword, parrying as the swords buckled against each other. His arm radiating with a red glow, a sign of his magic, he applauded, "you fight well, Ayendor. However..."

Suddenly, with a burst of red energy from his arm, he used the sheer force of his barrier magic to try to force Vyna back. His other sword ready, he attempted to strike a slash at her when the opening appears. But Mehran did not know the full extent of her powers yet. Perhaps he could still be surprised yet...

Vyna was forced back by the magical barrier, her mind refocused and she projected her magic once again. Instead of concentrating on wind, she used her power to place a vector plate under her opponent, facing away from Vyna. It was rushed, sloppily made and far from her best work, but it hopefully had enough behind it to unbalance her opponent and send her back a bit. The plate would send him back slightly.

Vyna smiled as she hopped back again. "You want to end this so soon? The fun's just getting started Mehran." She replied cockily, she created another vector plate in front of her, though this one took about two seconds. She moved forward the plate accelerating her as she stabbed forward.

Now this is where it starts to get interesting...

Taken aback as the ground pulled him back, Mehran cringed as Vyna accelerated forward with her blade. However, instead of trying to get his footing back, he allowed himself to fall down, hoping the blade would miss while he powered up the barrier around his body at maximum for any impact. But unexpectedly, his leg suddenly hooked onto Vyna's ankle, causing her to fall down over him. To his bewilderment, his eyes met the young lady's just inches in front of him, her body sprawled over him in a very awkward position.

"A-Ah-" he stammered, losing his cool as his face turned rosy, "I apologize!-"

He would not be able to finish his apology for long.

[Estva]

Koren heard the instructions given to him, and knew that he was going to enjoy the learning experience from the fights. The spar everyone had seen was interesting, and he knew he could learn much from the duel regardless of victory or defeat.

Going towards a man shouting out the contestants, and whom was fight who, Koren learned he would be set up against Jynna, the incredibly built woman he had charmed on the shuttle, or at least tried to. She was exceptionally strong, very powerful, and he could tell just from looking at her that any attempt at close range combat without the use of magic would result in Koren's complete annihilation. Luckily, he was aware of how susceptible she was to his mental magic, and as far as he knew she was not at the level he was.

Some of the other combatants were already fighting, as he heard sparing and the occasional magical spell being used from the other arenas. Eventually, he found his designated arena and entered.

He entered the disk leading to the arena, and sat down. As Jynna had not yet arrived, he mediated and prepared himself mentally. He wasn't going to be able to fight her at close range, so he had to disable her ability to fight, and then strike with his combat abilities when she was weak, or really smash her with a kinetic blast. He slowly purged any thoughts of fear or nervousness from his mind, and prepared for the upcoming struggle.

[Charmera]

Vyna was forced back by the magical barrier, her mind refocused and she projected her magic once again. Instead of concentrating on wind, she used her power to place a vector plate under her opponent, facing away from Vyna. It was rushed, sloppily made and far from her best work, but it hopefully had enough behind it to unbalance her opponent and send her back a bit. The plate would send him back slightly.

Vyna smiled as she hopped back again. "You want to end this so soon? The fun's just getting started Mehran." She replied cockily, she created another vector plate in front of her, though this one took about two seconds. She moved forward the plate accelerating her as she stabbed forward.

Now this is where it starts to get interesting...

Taken aback as the ground pulled him back, Mehran cringed as Vyna accelerated forward with her blade. However, instead of trying to get his footing back, he allowed himself to fall down, hoping the blade would miss while he powered up the barrier around his body at maximum for any impact. But unexpectedly, his leg suddenly hooked onto Vyna's ankle, causing her to fall down over him. To his bewilderment, his eyes met the young lady's just inches in front of him, her body sprawled over him in a very awkward position.

"A-Ah-" he stammered, losing his cool as his face turned rosy, "I apologize!-"

He would not be able to finish his apology for long.

Vyna paused for a second, looking Mehran in the eyes and holding his gaze. Then her face turned red with embarrassment as she realized what a compromising position this was, anger and shame coursing through her mind. She almost leaped up, grabbing her blade from the ground with a shrill and rather undignified shriek. "You... you dolt!" She shouted, angry, both at her pride being wounded by this display of clumsiness in front of others. Just thinking of how this could look annoyed her."You did that on purpose didn't you!" She continued, pressing her blade against his chest armour, her eyes seething with rage and her face still slightly red with embarrassment.

Koren heard the instructions given to him, and knew that he was going to enjoy the learning experience from the fights. The spar everyone had seen was interesting, and he knew he could learn much from the duel regardless of victory or defeat.

Going towards a man shouting out the contestants, and whom was fight who, Koren learned he would be set up against Jynna, the incredibly built woman he had charmed on the shuttle, or at least tried to. She was exceptionally strong, very powerful, and he could tell just from looking at her that any attempt at close range combat without the use of magic would result in Koren's complete annihilation. Luckily, he was aware of how susceptible she was to his mental magic, and as far as he knew she was not at the level he was.

Some of the other combatants were already fighting, as he heard sparing and the occasional magical spell being used from the other arenas. Eventually, he found his designated arena and entered.

He entered the disk leading to the arena, and sat down. As Jynna had not yet arrived, he mediated and prepared himself mentally. He wasn't going to be able to fight her at close range, so he had to disable her ability to fight, and then strike with his combat abilities when she was weak, or really smash her with a kinetic blast. He slowly purged any thoughts of fear or nervousness from his mind, and prepared for the upcoming struggle.

Unfortunately for the meditating boy, his calm might be interrupted by a loud and enthusiastic. "Hi Koren!" From the girl on the other end, not normally so excitable, but she had gotten a really good first impression of Koren from their meeting in the chariot for some reason. She couldn't quite explain it. "I'm Jynna. We met on the chariot, remember?" She added, just in case he had forgotten her name.

Jyn didn't really have a plan at the moment. Though any which she came up with would likely be very straightforward and simple. She wasn't too sure what to make of Koren at the moment in terms of fighting ability...

[Estva]

Unfortunately for the meditating boy, his calm might be interrupted by a loud and enthusiastic. "Hi Koren!" From the girl on the other end, not normally so excitable, but she had gotten a really good first impression of Koren from their meeting in the chariot for some reason. She couldn't quite explain it. "I'm Jynna. We met on the chariot, remember?" She added, just in case he had forgotten her name.

Jyn didn't really have a plan at the moment. Though any which she came up with would likely be very straightforward and simple. She wasn't too sure what to make of Koren at the moment in terms of fighting ability...

Koren's meditation was interrupted by a loud, but friendly greeting from Jynna. She was indeed how Koren remembered her, and her physical power was pretty apparent just by looking at her and how she moved. Still, Koren was not intimated, but respected Jynna for her power.

He ended his meditation, and went to return the greeting, using his normal mental abilities to appear charming.

"Hello Jynna! I do remember you, it seemed we were about to enter pleasant conversation before the bard started launching his accusations. Are you ready for the duel? I'm quite excited for it, we can start heading down as soon as your ready."

He motioned toward the arena.

[Wolfenium]

Taken aback as the ground pulled him back, Mehran cringed as Vyna accelerated forward with her blade. However, instead of trying to get his footing back, he allowed himself to fall down, hoping the blade would miss while he powered up the barrier around his body at maximum for any impact. But unexpectedly, his leg suddenly hooked onto Vyna's ankle, causing her to fall down over him. To his bewilderment, his eyes met the young lady's just inches in front of him, her body sprawled over him in a very awkward position.

"A-Ah-" he stammered, losing his cool as his face turned rosy, "I apologize!-"

He would not be able to finish his apology for long.

Vyna paused for a second, looking Mehran in the eyes and holding his gaze. Then her face turned red with embarrassment as she realized what a compromising position this was, anger and shame coursing through her mind. She almost leaped up, grabbing her blade from the ground with a shrill and rather undignified shriek. "You... you dolt!" She shouted, angry, both at her pride being wounded by this display of clumsiness in front of others. Just thinking of how this could look annoyed her."You did that on purpose didn't you!" She continued, pressing her blade against his chest armour, her eyes seething with rage and her face still slightly red with embarrassment.

Upping the barrier magic over his chest, Mehran uncharacteristically panicked at the indignant girl's accusation. Stammering out more apologies, he blurted, "I didn't mean to! I concede! Calm down, Miss! I said I was sorry!"

Watching the scene from the stands, Niloofar merely sighed at the scene. It went a lot more differently than she expected. No less worse, but at least nothing serious happened. The only thing left to do was wait for the referee to restrain Vyna and vacate the two.

[The Starlight]

Ellyn walked over to her armor and looked at it for a second, before putting it on her with a snap of her fingers, like Aressa had done. When her name was called, she walked to her arena, waiting for Aris. This would be interesting. As Aris walked in, with his armor on, she bowed and then summoned her sword and spear with a word. "Shall we dance?" she asked with a slow smile.

[Charmera]

Unfortunately for the meditating boy, his calm might be interrupted by a loud and enthusiastic. "Hi Koren!" From the girl on the other end, not normally so excitable, but she had gotten a really good first impression of Koren from their meeting in the chariot for some reason. She couldn't quite explain it. "I'm Jynna. We met on the chariot, remember?" She added, just in case he had forgotten her name.

Jyn didn't really have a plan at the moment. Though any which she came up with would likely be very straightforward and simple. She wasn't too sure what to make of Koren at the moment in terms of fighting ability...

Koren's meditation was interrupted by a loud, but friendly greeting from Jynna. She was indeed how Koren remembered her, and her physical power was pretty apparent just by looking at her and how she moved. Still, Koren was not intimated, but respected Jynna for her power.

He ended his meditation, and went to return the greeting, using his normal mental abilities to appear charming.

"Hello Jynna! I do remember you, it seemed we were about to enter pleasant conversation before the bard started launching his accusations. Are you ready for the duel? I'm quite excited for it, we can start heading down as soon as your ready."

He motioned toward the arena.

Jyn nodded, her smile widening as Koren remembered her. Again, Jynna felt the man seemed quite nice and even charming, though she wasn't quite sure what made her feel that way... "Yup. I'm ready if you are," She replied. She moved onto her own disc, waiting for it to descend. Her armour clanked as she moved, the plates of metal making the girl look even taller.

Vyna paused for a second, looking Mehran in the eyes and holding his gaze. Then her face turned red with embarrassment as she realized what a compromising position this was, anger and shame coursing through her mind. She almost leaped up, grabbing her blade from the ground with a shrill and rather undignified shriek. "You... you dolt!" She shouted, angry, both at her pride being wounded by this display of clumsiness in front of others. Just thinking of how this could look annoyed her."You did that on purpose didn't you!" She continued, pressing her blade against his chest armour, her eyes seething with rage and her face still slightly red with embarrassment.

Upping the barrier magic over his chest, Mehran uncharacteristically panicked at the indignant girl's accusation. Stammering out more apologies, he blurted, "I didn't mean to! I concede! Calm down, Miss! I said I was sorry!"

Watching the scene from the stands, Niloofar merely sighed at the scene. It went a lot more differently than she expected. No less worse, but at least nothing serious happened. The only thing left to do was wait for the referee to restrain Vyna and vacate the two.

She held the blade to his chest still, gritting her teeth. "What do you mean you didn't mean to? You obviously tripped me on purpose so you could have me on top of you! You... You pervert!" She continued ranting indignantly, upset to have been embarrassed publicly. She didn't really believe the things she was saying, she was more trying to save face with some wild story and caught up in her own embarrassment and anger, adrenalin from the duel still coursing through her veins.

Once she realised she was creating a scene, she stopped, then sighed. "Right. Get up." She said. Stepping away from him and giving the other fighter room, her eyes narrowed and her grip tightened. "This is far from over."

[Escalan Corps-Star Island]

Kiri had watched the Aspirant demonstrate the armour and weaponry, but paid the most attention to the former. As her uncle had been the one to leave her her sword, albeit through curious means, she had never received armour and so only knew the theory behind it. Watching it disappear and re-manifest around Aressa's form was both entertaining and enticing. She had left everything except the clothes she wore and her sword behind in their common room, and she stepped lightly up to the suit of armour with her name on it.

She reached out a hand to touch it, and as her fingers brushed the glassy surface, another purple spark, stronger this time, flashed between her and the equipment. She grimaced as her hand tingled, hoping nobody had been paying attention. As others were beginning to leave, she snapped her fingers to place it in a Storage Unit. Walking along behind Aressa, almost giddy with excitement, she forced her nerves to calm, knowing she needed her focus for the fight ahead. Briefly listening to the greeting, she ducked her head, closed her eyes, and began a sort of meditation she had learned from reading and research. She cut it short as he could hear the noise of a duel in the background, but it had served its base purpose of calming her down.

Kiri raised her eyes to turn and watch. She was impressed by the speed; it almost matched what she had seen in old holos of knights of the Phantom Blade duelling those from the Heathen Hosts during the wars. She realised quickly that the training was impeccable and ordered, but gave the combatants room to factor in their own fighting styles. She noticed the female's chant for what it was fairly early: though she had no idea what the spell being used was, it was clear from her concentration it was in effect her trump card. When at last she stood victorious, Kiri made a mental note of her features— she liked the girl's agility and mannerisms with her strange blade.

As students began to take the floor, Kiri snapped her fingers again and turned to the armour. Scowling at its mirrored surface, she cautiously touched it again. Nothing happened. Kiri snapped. It disappeared. Two snaps. It materialised around her, fitting tightly but not uncomfortably. She pulled the helmet from her head as she waited, long black hair forming a sort of dark halo around her head. Shifting her weight from foot to foot, she tested the mobility of the suit. Good, but not as nice as she had been led to expect from the stories and accounts. She'd have to modify it later if that was permitted. But at least the colour-scheme matched her sword. She pulled it from where it hung at her right hip, testing its weight. Although she had practiced for years with this blade, she'd only taken on other enthusiasts in mock battles a few times, and then only in a sort of choreographed manner to avoid injury, seeing as none of them had had armour, and Aspirlacial had been the only one with a true sword.

Ilýcralad. The name, meaning "Joy", had been attached to the weapon when she found it, along with an explanation. Although the sword bore the colours of the Phantom Blade, it was of a different and older design, one her uncle had made himself while with the Lawless Orders before the war. Although never his main weapon— indeed, it was more of a short-sword to him given his height— it had seen service, though he had engaged a limiter, and told her not to disable it until she knew how to use it well enough to merit such action. The energy blade itself was straight, with a plain hilt and a practically mediæval form, but it was light as a feather and could punish an opponent. She unsheathed it, engaged the energy field, and tapped it against her armour, testing the resistance. She began a few practice swings, getting used to the heft of the blade while wearing the shielding.

Thus it was that by the tame her name was called, she was feeling both calm and prepared for what lay ahead. "Aspirlacial. MacÌomhair." She held Ilýcralad lightly in her left hand, blade off, as she walked into the nearest arena, holding her helmet under her other arm. Eamonn faced her across the arena, looking a bit disinterested but ready. She grimaced internally; he'd be a hard one to read. She bowed gracefully, sweeping her helmet back onto her head fluidly and engaging the fields on the armour. Still holding Ilýcralad loosely and off in her left hand, she crouched slightly and awaited his reaction.

[Sil Arion]

The walk back from the dorm was nice. Quiet chatter and an aura of excitement tinged with nervousness, while Aressa and Arcander lead the way. To the Silver Games.

Aris thought back on the dormitories. Wonderful as they were, he hadn’t a chance to find a roommate among his new family, little time as there had been. And there certainly hadn’t been to time to unpack furnishings and decorations either, let alone all his cooking supplies and wares. But, perhaps he’d be able to cook his new family a meal afterwards? He’d missed out on first afternoon tea-time and second snack-time due to the schedule. And a nap. Not that he regretted it. The ceremony had been simply amazing. Though his energy was a little low. Hm. He had to eat a lot after all, constantly casting Level One Energy Alter as he always did to boost his metabolism. ’Tis the price I pay for my weaknesses. He’d already infused another ration of produced energy in his gems while sleeping on the chariot.

But. It had been a wonderful day. And with the best part still to come.

Though the armor – he wasn’t the greatest fan of it. While it offered some protection, he’d never worn armor before, not once in the long night spent in the undercity, nor at Cathedral Delphi. A mistake on his part, then. One he would rectify with daily practice. His mobility would be hampered, but not greatly, and the armor’s shields allowed him better ability to grapple opponents’ energy weapons. A fair trade, I suppose. Enough to notice to bear in mind a need for future modifications, as maneuverability was one of his largest advantages in any fight, no matter the terrain or circumstance. But I’ll have to speak with Arcander. Later though.

all that, it was so smooth. Like ice, but warm, welcoming. He held up a gauntlet to his face as he walked, a bit marveled still. Form and function as one without a doubt, and polished like a dark mirror - shone clearly on its surface was his reflection, smiling back at him. So new, untarnished. Not quite a perfect match for him then, but it would be in time. Hellen likely would have berated him for his complaints, as the armor was clearly custom-fit for him, and of high quality. Emphasis on high. He shook his head, if a bit ruefully. It was quite beautiful. And thinking so much over his departed loved ones did no good. Hellen certainly wouldn’t have it.Focus.

Then they were there, descending the steps through great doors into a massive stadium, filled with recessed arenas. Dueling circles.

He paid rapt attention, watching the two seniors step down into one circle as the blindfolded master spoke. A polite bow, a flourishing of weapons, and they were at it. They were both quite skilled as he followed every movement, his eyes a blur. That he could see. Any mistakes made were small, subtle things he noticed. How the Eleasir might have done better to parry further outward in her second and fifth counterattacks, or Persaes leverage his weapon more fully in his ninth blow to give more power. How Persaes only needed three, at most five, more successive blows to defeat Eleasir if not for the finishing spell; really, only three more seconds, if that, to secure a different ending. Minor mistakes. Ones that would be learned from, and so better them as knights. And people. They were his seniors after all. But still comparable in skill to himself, even if their strength was greater. He wasn’t confident in his skill to defeat them alone in open battle, but match them. Yes. He could.

Then the master spoke again. A list of names that clearly was not being read, as there was none visible. How curious. He waited, watching the hundreds of other students gathered as the names echoeds throughout the stadium, quiet whispers and excited chatter mixing. Then he heard it.

Ellyn. A smile spread slowly across Aris’ face as he turned to her. I will fight you, my love.

Too, he heard Arcander’s comment to Aressa, eight spots to his left. Holding in his mirth at that was rather difficult, but manageable. If barely. Glad to be of service, seniors. Even as a source of amusement for the two. Though, it was curious how that happened. Perhaps he’d have the opportunity to speak with this master afterwards and ask how the pairings are chosen.

But right now. He needed to be aware of his opponent. Ellyn.

He analyzed Ellyn, eyes wandering over her form as he strode into the dueling circle, using the few seconds he had. Memorizing her body. Her energy. The length of her limbs, the sway of her hips, the swell of her chest, the set of her slender shoulders, her stance as her feet shifted. How she was just a tad shorter than he, but of similar build. Everything he needed to know for his instincts to act in the fight. The way her muscles moved as she turned to look at him. Oh dear. He met her gaze, resolute. Passion and yearning burned in his eyes, and hers mirrored his own and he felt further fire kindle in his heart. She wants this too! His smile grew into a wide grin.

This would be fun. Such excitement – he hadn’t felt like this in so long. Not even during the interview. Focus.

But there was a fight to win now.

Watching as she summoned her weapons, he noted there qualities. A straight sword and spear, very personalized, with matching appearances. And very beautiful. The former well suited for close combat, in stabbing and slashing, a full quillion and hilt long enough for a two-handed grip, but light enough to prove ably wielded in one alone. The latter well balanced for the thrust, similarly in one or two hands. And throwing. He’d have to wary of that. But how would she retrieve it? Perhaps a wind-user. Or telekinesis. Likely a fighting style like his own. Highly aggressive and heavily acrobatic, emphasis on mobility. And very adaptive. With the addition of the spear, more capable of solid defense though than his own, at the cost of its size. Longer reach as well. He would begin without his blades then. Just his body. The armor’s shields protected well against blades, but brute kinetic force was another thing. Disarm and target the weak-spots. He would be at once slippery and sticky and strike with explosive force, as fire – and end the fight swiftly. Like the fire his old mentor, the Blue Knight Ante di lu Vian, had said he was so filled with.

He could safely assume her endurance and energy levels would be higher than his own. Like with any other opponent. And I – I cannot kill her. Ellyn. He’d have to hold back. At least some. But not too much, otherwise he would dishonor his beloved, and she would be – displeased. He shuddered internally at that. Testing her temper was not in his wishes. And knew how anger affected oneself. It would take skill then. The one thing he had in abundance. Headmistress Ion had told him so, that last night at Cathedral Delphi. And she told him to be the best he could be.

And in the end, that is all one can do. It would be difficult. All his life before beginning his training, he fought to kill. For to kill was to live, and to live was to win for then and only then would his family live too. But not anymore. And he was glad for it – truly – he hated to take a life. No matter the dozens he took back on Akaea. He would have to strike a fatal blow without intent to kill Ellyn. A difficult task to be sure, something he wasn’t accustomed too.

Of course, he only had three years of training in his magic as well. If that. On top of his inferior endurance and energy. Level Two Energy Alter would help offset that by doubling his speed, strength, agility and awareness – all his natural abilities. Though he couldn’t sustain for long. If he wanted to be up and awake afterwards. Or at all well. He didn’t know what was after this.

So minutes. Maybe.

Indeed, he had several disadvantages. Even severe. But ones he could overcome. Statistics were not everything; numbers alone do not win a battle. And he had faced far worse, after all. For a moment, his gaze turned long, off into the distance as if staring at something no other could see. A flash of red. Shifting shadows, clicking and chittering noises in the background. Screams and corpses. He shook his head.

Now is not the time. Inhale. Exhale. Three deep breaths, then bowed his head. Focus. Closing his eyes, he looked inward, inside himself to the world he called his soul, a beautiful, breathtaking landscape filled with clean air and golden sunshine atop snow-capped mountains girded in white clouds, so high above the sea and forest and rivers below. He could feel it. The cool winds on his back. The sun on his face. The crunch of snow beneath his boots. The smell of the sea. The world singing to him its song; an ugly yet beautiful world. His home. His peace. His center.

He opened his eyes.

He would show her his best. And nothing less. Shifting from his standing position, he flowed through several basic stretches, testing his new mobility as he slowly bent over himself and performed a slow walking backflip to finish, accustoming himself to the shifts in weight, to the air. He was focused. He was ready.

He bowed, a flourish of his hands, one at his side, the other across his chest. “As you wish, kyria mou.” My love. He would show her all he was.

Ten seconds.

He mouthed the chant, unheard words from his lips. Energy Alter. He closed his eyes again. Looking inward, reaching. At his magical core. A pulsating, spinning orb of golden power, his life energy, small and frail, but bright. Like a newborn star, shining in a constellation of lesser, but no less beautiful stars – the gems in his blades, earrings and bands, his necklace, and the circlet on his brow, from which he drew threads of gold, pulling stored power into his core, gathering in his heart of hearts until a great swirling sphere of energy had grown, many times its original size. It flared and burned, cascading arcs of power surging outward.

Then he folded it once on itself, squeezing the star. Condensing it. Focusing the power.

And then released. Level Two. An exploding star. A supernova.

A wave of energy burst through his body, filling every cell, circulating inside the bounds of his body. His bones and muscles like steel, blood and heart of fire. His body a sword forged for war. His copper skin shone light from the inside, and his hair seemed alight with white flames, whipping in a wind that didn’t exist a breath before. He opened his eyes, and they were aglow, gleaming solid gold like twin stars. Burning eyes that fell on Ellyn, and a faint smile across lips red as heart’s blood.

Begin. He tensed. Then disappeared from sight.

[Wolfenium]

Upping the barrier magic over his chest, Mehran uncharacteristically panicked at the indignant girl's accusation. Stammering out more apologies, he blurted, "I didn't mean to! I concede! Calm down, Miss! I said I was sorry!"

Watching the scene from the stands, Niloofar merely sighed at the scene. It went a lot more differently than she expected. No less worse, but at least nothing serious happened. The only thing left to do was wait for the referee to restrain Vyna and vacate the two.

She held the blade to his chest still, gritting her teeth. "What do you mean you didn't mean to? You obviously tripped me on purpose so you could have me on top of you! You... You pervert!" She continued ranting indignantly, upset to have been embarrassed publicly. She didn't really believe the things she was saying, she was more trying to save face with some wild story and caught up in her own embarrassment and anger, adrenalin from the duel still coursing through her veins.

Once she realised she was creating a scene, she stopped, then sighed. "Right. Get up." She said. Stepping away from him and giving the other fighter room, her eyes narrowed and her grip tightened. "This is far from over."

"A-Ah. If you insist," blurted the bewildered young man, feeling bit relieved that she still intended to continue. Signalling the referee to retract his words, he stepped back to give Vyna some space as well. He almost went on to ramble in his defence, given how much she just maligned him in her agitation. But on hindsight, this was neither the time nor the place.

Strangely, rather than return to the fray immediately, the boy went back towards the entrance, dusting off his shades on the floor as he quietly put them on. This time, however, he was not wasting his breath with words, drawing his blades as he crossed them before him, his stance ready to take her on.

-snip-

Getting to his feet at the call, Eamonn dragged his blade like a lumbering giant into the arena, the black blade matching his armour and appearance. It did not appear like a conventional energy sword, with a reinforced steel alloy blade made for cutting. But as he summoned his energy, a bright red glow overcame the edge. Even then, there was doubt whether the energy-imbued edge was any proof that it was a true energy sword.

A quick glance at the peculiar shape of Kiri's blade, Eamonn's eyes could not help but narrow. He was sure he had seen it somewhere, but he could not identify the make of it off the bat. Glaring up at the cheery girl, Eamonn felt genuinely put off by her jovial smile. Nonetheless, he managed to muster at least some measure of manner, forcing his head down in what looked more than a nod than an actual bow.

"'Bhrón'," he uttered in a monotone, his sword slightly raised to the ground as he stood at the ready, "that is my sword's name. Rather ridiculous for a sword named 'sorrow' to be clashing with one called 'joy'. Did you come up with it?"

Something seemed to be up with him, as if he seemed to know more than he let on. Then again, Kiri's family were not strangers, and it would not be too hard to learn of them from any history tome. But for him to identify her sword seemed way too deep. It made him look unwittingly like a stalker. Had he looked more masculine, he might have easily came across as one.

[Escalan Corps-Star Island]

-snip-

Getting to his feet at the call, Eamonn dragged his blade like a lumbering giant into the arena, the black blade matching his armour and appearance. It did not appear like a conventional energy sword, with a reinforced steel alloy blade made for cutting. But as he summoned his energy, a bright red glow overcame the edge. Even then, there was doubt whether the energy-imbued edge was any proof that it was a true energy sword.

A quick glance at the peculiar shape of Kiri's blade, Eamonn's eyes could not help but narrow. He was sure he had seen it somewhere, but he could not identify the make of it off the bat. Glaring up at the cheery girl, Eamonn felt genuinely put off by her jovial smile. Nonetheless, he managed to muster at least some measure of manner, forcing his head down in what looked more than a nod than an actual bow.

"'Bhrón'," he uttered in a monotone, his sword slightly raised to the ground as he stood at the ready, "that is my sword's name. Rather ridiculous for a sword named 'sorrow' to be clashing with one called 'joy'. Did you come up with it?"

Something seemed to be up with him, as if he seemed to know more than he let on. Then again, Kiri's family were not strangers, and it would not be too hard to learn of them from any history tome. But for him to identify her sword seemed way too deep. It made him look unwittingly like a stalker. Had he looked more masculine, he might have easily came across as one.

Facing her across the floor of the arena, Eamonn remained almost emotionless, and the way he dragged his sword made him conspicuous already. As he brought it around to the fore, she could see the edge, but decided in one look she'd be better off if it didn't touch her. As he bowed stiffly and awkwardly, she couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for how stilted this must feel for him. As he spoke, she noted how flat his voice was as well, something she expected to hear but remained uncomfortable.

"Did I come up with it myself? No," Kiri laughed in response, spinning the hilt between her fingers. "If you can understand the name, I though perhaps you would recognise where it came from. Given that, it's funny indeed that yours is called "Sorrow"."

She paused for a second, blinking rapidly to clear her eyes. "Did you come up with it?" she asked, tightening her posture and readying her stance even further.