Children Of Infinity (IC)

[Wolfenium]

"You simply don't accuse a Viridian like him of disregarding life, just like you just don't speak ill of Lady Sylvalladine in front of a Phantom like me." Aressa said to the Xorshid, her voice stern, though it was not too difficult to tell that she said this partially to apologize for her partner's behavior. "Your brother will be fine, Niloofar. Arcander can heal wonderfully and the medics here are some of the best in the Known Universe, the only way they would have been unable to save him would have been if he had died down there, and that would have been truly impossible." She stated, hoping to comfort the concerned girl. "These accidents are very unlikely, but they are accounted for nonetheless. The people in this institution are prepared to deal with them." She said. Hopefully this would put her at ease. Aressa herself was concerned about the fate of the boy, but neither the statements she had made nor her trust in the Academy were a lie, and so she trusted that the Xorshid would live.

Her hand over her sore cheek, Niloofar admitted in a rather indignant tone, "I know... I know that... I just... I don't like doing nothing when incidents happen... It's grating..."

A quick rub of a tear from her eye, Niloofar clearly cared a lot about his well-being. Perhaps it was his adventurism that made her so protective, but she did not like taking chances with him. Sadly, there was not really anything she could do now. All she could do was trust in the academy to take good care of him, and wait for him to recover.

Outside the stadium, Arcander had joined the two medics who were taking away Mehran on a stretcher, navigating through the halls of the school. "Shirazi, how are you feeling?" He asked. "I'll try to heal you, but you'll still have to get checked on by the medics. Protocol and such, I'm sure you understand." He said, smiling in an attempt to reassure the student, and then began muttering under his breath once again, summoning the power of his magic in order to begin reversing the Xorshid's internal damage as he walked into an elevator alongside him and the two medics.

"Ah, I'm fine," Mehran went in an assuring voice, taking his shades off, "I'm just a bit disappointed at losing. A little longer and I could have worn her down. On hindsight, I should have hindered her movements with the barriers than focus on defence. I suppose that would have to wait."

Unlike Niloofar, Mehran did not seem overly bothered by the injury at all. Instead, his mind remained focused on the fight, and the hope for a rematch with Vyna. He was not incensed by the loss, nor did he blame her from injuring him. In fact, he seemed impatient to recover, though to he did have to concede to Arcander to put rest as his current priority. It was odd, but he seemed to enjoy the thrill of battle. It was not pure bloodlust, but it was a risky thrill, nonetheless.

[Charmera]

Elsewhere, the blindfolded man spoke to the noblewoman who stood alone in the blood-stained arena. "Child, it is through no fault of yours that this happened. Now, vacate the arena and rejoin your guides." He said, neutral as ever though his words were meant to comfort.

Vyna looked over to the blindfolded man, having been staring at the medics, Mehran and Arcander this whole time. She nodded, then paused before sighing. "I should have been more careful..." She muttered, walking over to the disc which had brought her down to this place and waited for it to take her up. All the while guilt and worry seemed to flow through her mind like poison. She bit her lip. "I need to go make sure he's alright, apologize to him." She moved towards where the medics seemed to be taking them, before noticing Niloofar and Aressa.

"You simply don't accuse a Viridian like him of disregarding life, just like you just don't speak ill of Lady Sylvalladine in front of a Phantom like me." Aressa said to the Xorshid, her voice stern, though it was not too difficult to tell that she said this partially to apologize for her partner's behavior. "Your brother will be fine, Niloofar. Arcander can heal wonderfully and the medics here are some of the best in the Known Universe, the only way they would have been unable to save him would have been if he had died down there, and that would have been truly impossible." She stated, hoping to comfort the concerned girl. "These accidents are very unlikely, but they are accounted for nonetheless. The people in this institution are prepared to deal with them." She said. Hopefully this would put her at ease. Aressa herself was concerned about the fate of the boy, but neither the statements she had made nor her trust in the Academy were a lie, and so she trusted that the Xorshid would live.

Her hand over her sore cheek, Niloofar admitted in a rather indignant tone, "I know... I know that... I just... I don't like doing nothing when incidents happen... It's grating..."

A quick rub of a tear from her eye, Niloofar clearly cared a lot about his well-being. Perhaps it was his adventurism that made her so protective, but she did not like taking chances with him. Sadly, there was not really anything she could do now. All she could do was trust in the academy to take good care of him, and wait for him to recover.

She walked over to the two girls, Niloofar in particular, remembering that she was Mehran's sister. She knew what she must be feeling, as Vyna was distraught when she had heard Jyn was nearly killed. "I... I'm so sorry about hurting your brother... I didn't mean to injure him. It just... happened." She said.

[Wolfenium]

She walked over to the two girls, Niloofar in particular, remembering that she was Mehran's sister. She knew what she must be feeling, as Vyna was distraught when she had heard Jyn was nearly killed. "I... I'm so sorry about hurting your brother... I didn't mean to injure him. It just... happened." She said.

Shutting her eyes as she looked away, Niloofar appeared desperate to avoid her. In her honesty, Vyna never meant to hurt Mehran. That much was clear, especially for a logic-defined Xorshid like her. However, part of her felt tempted to hit or berate Vyna for her carelessness, but she understood that was not the wisest decision, nor a helpful one.

"There's nothing to apologize about, Miss Ayendor," Niloofar forced a response, "no one expected this to happen. If you really want to make amends, go find Mehran once he's back up. I'm sure he'll say the same thing."

It sounded rather insincere, but it was a reply she knew was right. She did not want to force any blame of the girl just because she felt like it. That would just be cruel, and was bound to put her at odds with her brother.

[Esternial]

Shutting her eyes as she looked away, Niloofar appeared desperate to avoid her. In her honesty, Vyna never meant to hurt Mehran. That much was clear, especially for a logic-defined Xorshid like her. However, part of her felt tempted to hit or berate Vyna for her carelessness, but she understood that was not the wisest decision, nor a helpful one.

"There's nothing to apologize about, Miss Ayendor," Niloofar forced a response, "no one expected this to happen. If you really want to make amends, go find Mehran once he's back up. I'm sure he'll say the same thing."

It sounded rather insincere, but it was a reply she knew was right. She did not want to force any blame of the girl just because she felt like it. That would just be cruel, and was bound to put her at odds with her brother.

"Your brother's tougher than you think" Ritz said as she approached the other recruits, having observed the battle and it's bloody conclusion. Reckless, but tough. She elected not to voice that thought; Niloofar seemed agitated enough as is, and any comment on her brother's abilities might not go down so well. She could sense the disturbance, disrupting the steady flow of energy inside of her. Usually calm and serene like a babbling creek, the energy was coursing through her body like a rushing river. Uncontrolled. Unchecked. Without focus, a Redemit's life force reverts to a unbridled force of nature, impossible to wield.

With a warm, somewhat forced smile, Ritz placed her hand on Niloofar's shoulder, radiating a pleasant warmth from her palm that seeped into Niloofar, slowly spreading throughout her body, trying to dam in the flow and contain it. With her current abilities, Ritz could only provide a little push in the right direction, infuse the girl's body with a calm sensation that would allow her to regain her cool and focus, but only if she allowed it to.

It was a subtle influence that she exerted over Niloofar, one that others could only experience as the warm invisible glow Ritz seemed to exude from every pore.

No doubt, Ritz could give some brilliant massages.

[Zarkenis Ultima]

Arcander merely listened to the recruit speak as he continued his swift healing chant, holding out his hand over Mehran's wound, a soft green glow emerging from it, hovering in the air over the hole in the Xorshid's armor. Though the quick intervention by part of the medics had sealed the wound, preventing too much blood from leaking out, they had left some internal damage unattended in order to get him to a better place as soon as possible, as was normal. There was a myriad of miraclous equipment at the medical ward, after all. However, with Arcander's magic, said internal damage was quickly fixing itself with no need for any further intervention, leaving the battle-yearning young man healed. Indeed, he would probably been able to stand up at that moment, but it was more than evident that the two medics in green armor would not allow it. While the white-haired aspirant's magic was powerful, able to heal the Xorshid before the elevator had reached its destination, his comment about protocol was true. Not only was it required for the medics to check him to see if there was any damage left unattended, it was also necessary to send his armor off to be repaired by the engineers and analyzed to see what had caused the failure and prevent something similar from happening again.

"Well," He said upon finishing the chant. "I'm sure you will have plenty of chances to fight her again in the future."

The elevator stopped, the cylinder opening up, and out went the two medics who moved the stretcher on which Mehran was lying, followed by the Viridian. In but a few moments, they had arrived before a large door custodied by another medic clad in green armor, who spoke into a device upon seeing her colleagues. Moments afterwards, the door opened up, revealing a large, pristine white room. A reception was the first thing visible, an attendant present there, quite possibly the only person without armor on in the whole room aside from Arcander himself. Elsewhere, several hospital beds and plenty of medical contraptions were present, as well as several armored medics like the two that had just entered.

The medics placed him on a hospital bed, and then pulled over a large device, taking from it a rectangular object attached to the device by a hose-like connector. One of the medics pressed a button on the device, while the other held the rectangle over Mehran's body, a light coming out of it at the press of a button. He scanned Mehran with it, making sure that the light had passed over his whole body twice before deactivating.

"The Diagnosis Machine detects nothing." One of them finally spoke. "Your guardian's healing is remarkable, kid. You're alright now."

Arcander smiled, not at the compliment but at the good news. "Great, now we just need to send your armor off for repairs, but we can do that later. For now, I think I'll have you rest here until the Silver Games are done." He said, not wanting Mehran to suffer from any unforeseen consequence. Even if he did not seem to care too much about the wound, an accident like that could have repercutions in one's psyche and not just their body, and so, the tall aspirant did not wish to take any risks. "Would you like me to send someone to fetch your sister?" He asked out of courtesy.

Meanwhile, Aressa noticed the arrival of Vynaria and Ritz, and decided to take a step back and allow them to speak with Niloofar, hoping that perhaps an apology or a few kind words from one of her fellow recruits would serve to put her at ease more than her own words had. Though they were yet to become closer as a group, perhaps simply being addressed by an equal would help her, and it was with this in mind that she stepped back and thought of what to do next. Arcander was with Mehran, which made her feel calm about the whole thing, as she knew that her friend was good with healing magic and gentler than herself, but perhaps the recruits would also feel better if they were able to see their fellow student recover, which was certainly something to consider.

On the other hand, there were still a handful of recruits under her care who were yet to finish their duels, and so, she couldn't just leave them behind, though she could always drop some of them off at the medical ward and then return. She felt it unlikely that the recruits would wander off on their own if they didn't see either of their guides around, after all, and there was always the possibility that she would be back before they had even finished their duels.

Figuring that this was as good a plan as any, she decided to speak up.

"If either of you would like to visit Mehran at the medical ward, I can certainly take you along and leave you in Brightshield's care, if that would put your minds at ease." She said to Vynaria and Niloofar, though she was not planning to object if Ritz decided to tag along as well. Remembering the presence of another two of her charges, she turned towards them. "Akaion, Tarembor, if either of you sustained any physical wound prior to your romantic encounter, now would be a good opportunity to get that fixed." She offered to them.

[Charmera]

She walked over to the two girls, Niloofar in particular, remembering that she was Mehran's sister. She knew what she must be feeling, as Vyna was distraught when she had heard Jyn was nearly killed. "I... I'm so sorry about hurting your brother... I didn't mean to injure him. It just... happened." She said.

Shutting her eyes as she looked away, Niloofar appeared desperate to avoid her. In her honesty, Vyna never meant to hurt Mehran. That much was clear, especially for a logic-defined Xorshid like her. However, part of her felt tempted to hit or berate Vyna for her carelessness, but she understood that was not the wisest decision, nor a helpful one.

"There's nothing to apologize about, Miss Ayendor," Niloofar forced a response, "no one expected this to happen. If you really want to make amends, go find Mehran once he's back up. I'm sure he'll say the same thing."

It sounded rather insincere, but it was a reply she knew was right. She did not want to force any blame of the girl just because she felt like it. That would just be cruel, and was bound to put her at odds with her brother.

Vyna noticed the insincerity, but nodded anyway. Vyna wouldn't have blamed her had Niloofar berated her. She knew she deserved that at least for being so careless. Even though it was an accident, Vyna still felt guilty for hurting Mehran. "Right..." She said, pausing. "I'll do that I suppose." She grabbed her arm awkwardly, sighing. "Nothing to apologize about"... She thought, It was all my fault. I could have hurt him... I could have killed him if my sword was just a little to the right or left... She noted Ritz's presence, unsure about her, but assuming she was a newcomer to the group.

"If either of you would like to visit Mehran at the medical ward, I can certainly take you along and leave you in Brightshield's care, if that would put your minds at ease." She said to Vynaria and Niloofar, though she was not planning to object if Ritz decided to tag along as well. Remembering the presence of another two of her charges, she turned towards them. "Akaion, Tarembor, if either of you sustained any physical wound prior to your romantic encounter, now would be a good opportunity to get that fixed." She offered to them.

Vyna nodded. "I need to go apologize to Mehran himself. I only hope he's okay now..." She replied. She sighed, hoping what Niloofar said about Then she looked over to the two lovebirds, and she almost grinned. Her mind was taken from Mehran and the duel for a little bit, a welcome distraction. I knew those two wouldn't wait long before they confessed their love for one another.

Suddenly Vyna looked down to her hands, noticing they were lightly sprinkled with blood. Mehran's blood. Vyna wasn't usually squeamish, in fact she hardly ever batted an eye at blood. However the idea that she had inflicted a wound during a friendly competition almost made her sick.

I'l clean it off once I get to the infirmary...

[Wolfenium]

"Your brother's tougher than you think" Ritz said as she approached the other recruits, having observed the battle and it's bloody conclusion. Reckless, but tough. She elected not to voice that thought; Niloofar seemed agitated enough as is, and any comment on her brother's abilities might not go down so well. She could sense the disturbance, disrupting the steady flow of energy inside of her. Usually calm and serene like a babbling creek, the energy was coursing through her body like a rushing river. Uncontrolled. Unchecked. Without focus, a Redemit's life force reverts to a unbridled force of nature, impossible to wield.

With a warm, somewhat forced smile, Ritz placed her hand on Niloofar's shoulder, radiating a pleasant warmth from her palm that seeped into Niloofar, slowly spreading throughout her body, trying to dam in the flow and contain it. With her current abilities, Ritz could only provide a little push in the right direction, infuse the girl's body with a calm sensation that would allow her to regain her cool and focus, but only if she allowed it to.

It was a subtle influence that she exerted over Niloofar, one that others could only experience as the warm invisible glow Ritz seemed to exude from every pore.

No doubt, Ritz could give some brilliant massages.

"I-I know..." Niloofar griped, turning away from the new girl, "I'm just worried he might overexert himself."

As Ritz placed her hand over her shoulder, Niloofar could not help but feel a bit startled. She had barely known Ritz, and having a stranger lay her hand on her would have given anyone the chills. But there was a welcoming warmth emanating out of her, a soothing wave running along her veins. For a moment, Niloofar was starting to feel more at ease, after what happened earlier.

But something else was happening to her, as the ends of her hair started to glow with an aqua aura. It appeared luminescent, like a gleaming, clear sea reflecting off moonlight, almost beautiful to watch. However, the change did not went unnoticed, as Niloofar's eye caught a part of the glow. It was then she realized Ritz's trick, injecting foreign energy into her like a viper. Swatting the hand aside, she became even more aggravated then before with good reason.

"Don't touch me, wench," hissed the provoked Xorshid, a hint of aura glow staining her eye as it began to recede from her iris, "don't toy with me like that! You think it's funny tampering with someone's body without permission!?"

There were many things that could rile an ill-tempered girl like Niloofar, but it appeared that Ritz had gravely offended her in her attempt. While it had not manifested completely, her appearance had changed a bit. Her normally jet black hair and eyes partially taking on the aura hue, it did not appear to have manifested completely. But it was enough to trigger such a violent response, and one she would likely not forgive Ritz for in the near future.

-snip-

Even though it was an accident, Vyna still felt guilty for hurting Mehran. "Right..." She said, pausing. "I'll do that I suppose."

Fortunately, the Xorshid stopped herself short before she berated the girl further, facing away in a begrudged mood as she tried to restrain herself. As Aressa stepped in with the suggestion, Niloofar felt tempted to accept. Hesitation plagued her, as her eyes shifted to Vynaria. Gnawing her teeth as she forced her temper down, she mumbled, "excuse me. I need some alone time. Just tell me where the infirmary is. I'll visit when I'm... more at ease..."

With that, she paced off, unwilling to interact further. She was stubborn, clearly, and it would take time to open up. For now, it seemed best to leave her to her own thoughts. Any more interacts might only worsen her mood.

[Esternial]

"Your brother's tougher than you think" Ritz said as she approached the other recruits, having observed the battle and it's bloody conclusion. Reckless, but tough. She elected not to voice that thought; Niloofar seemed agitated enough as is, and any comment on her brother's abilities might not go down so well. She could sense the disturbance, disrupting the steady flow of energy inside of her. Usually calm and serene like a babbling creek, the energy was coursing through her body like a rushing river. Uncontrolled. Unchecked. Without focus, a Redemit's life force reverts to a unbridled force of nature, impossible to wield.

With a warm, somewhat forced smile, Ritz placed her hand on Niloofar's shoulder, radiating a pleasant warmth from her palm that seeped into Niloofar, slowly spreading throughout her body, trying to dam in the flow and contain it. With her current abilities, Ritz could only provide a little push in the right direction, infuse the girl's body with a calm sensation that would allow her to regain her cool and focus, but only if she allowed it to.

It was a subtle influence that she exerted over Niloofar, one that others could only experience as the warm invisible glow Ritz seemed to exude from every pore.

No doubt, Ritz could give some brilliant massages.

"I-I know..." Niloofar griped, turning away from the new girl, "I'm just worried he might overexert himself."

As Ritz placed her hand over her shoulder, Niloofar could not help but feel a bit startled. She had barely known Ritz, and having a stranger lay her hand on her would have given anyone the chills. But there was a welcoming warmth emanating out of her, a soothing wave running along her veins. For a moment, Niloofar was starting to feel more at ease, after what happened earlier.

But something else was happening to her, as the ends of her hair started to glow with an aqua aura. It appeared luminescent, like a gleaming, clear sea reflecting off moonlight, almost beautiful to watch. However, the change did not went unnoticed, as Niloofar's eye caught a part of the glow. It was then she realized Ritz's trick, injecting foreign energy into her like a viper. Swatting the hand aside, she became even more aggravated then before with good reason.

"Don't touch me, wench," hissed the provoked Xorshid, a hint of aura glow staining her eye as it began to recede from her iris, "don't toy with me like that! You think it's funny tampering with someone's body without permission!?"

There were many things that could rile an ill-tempered girl like Niloofar, but it appeared that Ritz had gravely offended her in her attempt. While it had not manifested completely, her appearance had changed a bit. Her normally jet black hair and eyes partially taking on the aura hue, it did not appear to have manifested completely. But it was enough to trigger such a violent response, and one she would likely not forgive Ritz for in the near future.

Though the response she got would warrant some distress, Ritz didn't seem that bothered by Niloofar's reaction. She seemed annoyed at the response more than anything. Niloofar's had a rather unpleasant personality, a lesson Ritz soon wouldn't forget - any vague feelings of compassion she felt for the girl were promptly stifled, substituted by the general indifference she felt towards most people. Her smile sank back into its neutral configuration, and Ritz' face assumed an expression that was truly blasé.

She let Niloofar chastise her as long as the hot-tempered girl felt like it before she turned away and left, drifting through the academy halls. The sleek and sober building stood in stark contrast to her ancestral home, rebuilt in a style reminiscent of Kaineroth. Despite its sheer size, it wasn't all too difficult to find what you wanted; the floor plan seemed designed for functionality, and there were plenty of directions available to avoid anyone getting lost, though it also spoiled any attempts to aimlessly saunter the hallways and discover where you'd end up, something Ritz enjoyed for time to time.

Though this time, she did have somewhere to be. Sort of.

The exterior of the top floor seemed more aesthetically pleasing than the rest of the building, with jets of water rushing up from fountains amidst a strictly pruned garden. A smile returning to her face, Ritz wandered the garden for a short while before she found a little oasis of calm. Though no longer truly on the top floor, she could see the small semicircular platform of green from the balcony, with a large tree stretching several stories up. Rather than take the stairs, the young woman instinctively leaped off the balcony, shocking several bystanders, as she threw herself towards the tree, finding her grip and slowly descending towards the patch of green that sat below the garden, offering a magnificent view of the sea surrounding the academy.

With a satisfied sigh she settled down in the grass, stretching herself out like a cat nestling on a warm couch, and closed her eyes. The warmth of the sun was gently caressing her skin as she emptied her mind, listened to the song of the wind and whispered silent words.

The life energy inside her began to flow outward, piercing through her skin and stretching out like solar flares from a vibrant star, invisible tethers that tapped into unseen forces and fed its core more and more. First contained within, but slowly spreading beyond it boundaries, the energy began to diffuse through her skin. A pleasant warmth surrounded her, like a cocoon of serenity, slowly becoming visible to the naked eye as she began to positively shine with the intensity of a distant sun. Vague but unmistakeable.

Peace of mind was a commodity to so many this day and age, and Ritz felt blessed to be capable of creating her own out of thin air.

[Estva]

Jynna grunted as she was forced back by the blast she had created, her attack seemingly blocked by some kinetic block. To make sure this attack wasn't a complete waste, she stomped down, sending a block of earth to hit Koren in the torso again. She again made an attempt to attack again, this time simply trying to hammer Koren into submission with several attacks, her massive ax coming up and down and up and down again, repetitively attacking him, hoping to wear him out or tire him. With each blow, Jyn's frustration grew. Normally she's fairly calm during a battle, but Koren's mental manipulation was getting to her, beginning to make her think less clearly than before. Her normally soft face and light expression were now furrowed in extreme concentration.

His kinetic fists had worked! They were blocking Jynna's ferocious blows, coming one after each other, but losing finesse each time. He tried to think of a way to move around, but he had to focus on keeping the attacks at bay as they were right next to each other. Jynna was getting visibly frustrated, attacking harder and harder each time, which foced Koren to dedicate more power to the fists each time.

Quickly, he put a kinetic force into his right leg, and deflected the next axe swing with his fists. Once the moment was seized, and as Jynna braced for another attack, he side-stepped and tried to sweep at her feet to knock her down, and then slam her with the fist.

[The Unites State-Of-Minds]

Aro felt uncomfortably hot in the armor, most likely a result of nervousness then actual heat retention by the armor itself. The few moments of observation before his name was called gave little opportunity to see the others compete, something he felt a tad let down by. Taking his place, he awaited the arrival of his opponent and the descent into the stadium.

As he descended upon the circular platform, a sense of calm began to wash over him. This was a place of combat, where he would test his own against another. The environment was not one of oppression, but of competitive spirit. He looked eagerly toward his opponent, although not one he recognized. Shame, he thought, as many of the others in his group had been paired off together. He felt somewhat disappointed at not having the same chance as they, but resolved that it mattered not, as in the end the chance to compete was all he could ask for. Mimicking the Aspirants shown before, he bowed in respect to his opponent, before taking the non aggressive stance he was taught to begin with. "Watch first, act after"

[Charmera]

Jynna grunted as she was forced back by the blast she had created, her attack seemingly blocked by some kinetic block. To make sure this attack wasn't a complete waste, she stomped down, sending a block of earth to hit Koren in the torso again. She again made an attempt to attack again, this time simply trying to hammer Koren into submission with several attacks, her massive ax coming up and down and up and down again, repetitively attacking him, hoping to wear him out or tire him. With each blow, Jyn's frustration grew. Normally she's fairly calm during a battle, but Koren's mental manipulation was getting to her, beginning to make her think less clearly than before. Her normally soft face and light expression were now furrowed in extreme concentration.

His kinetic fists had worked! They were blocking Jynna's ferocious blows, coming one after each other, but losing finesse each time. He tried to think of a way to move around, but he had to focus on keeping the attacks at bay as they were right next to each other. Jynna was getting visibly frustrated, attacking harder and harder each time, which foced Koren to dedicate more power to the fists each time.

Quickly, he put a kinetic force into his right leg, and deflected the next axe swing with his fists. Once the moment was seized, and as Jynna braced for another attack, he side-stepped and tried to sweep at her feet to knock her down, and then slam her with the fist.

Jynna grunted as her armour clanged against the floor. Pain hitting her despite the fact she was armoured. As he moved to slam her, Jynna quickly covered her arms in stone, and then blocked the punch. She then used the opportunity to counterattack and punch back at her opponent, hoping to push him back a bit to get some breathing room. She was beginning to feel the effects of Korens mind games, frustration and doubt creeping in.

[Estva]

His kinetic fists had worked! They were blocking Jynna's ferocious blows, coming one after each other, but losing finesse each time. He tried to think of a way to move around, but he had to focus on keeping the attacks at bay as they were right next to each other. Jynna was getting visibly frustrated, attacking harder and harder each time, which foced Koren to dedicate more power to the fists each time.

Quickly, he put a kinetic force into his right leg, and deflected the next axe swing with his fists. Once the moment was seized, and as Jynna braced for another attack, he side-stepped and tried to sweep at her feet to knock her down, and then slam her with the fist.

Jynna grunted as her armour clanged against the floor. Pain hitting her despite the fact she was armoured. As he moved to slam her, Jynna quickly covered her arms in stone, and then blocked the punch. She then used the opportunity to counterattack and punch back at her opponent, hoping to push him back a bit to get some breathing room. She was beginning to feel the effects of Korens mind games, frustration and doubt creeping in.

Koren's fists rebounded of the earthen defense, and Jyna moved in for the attack. Punching with one of her arms instead of launching an attack with her axe, the punch meeting with his kinetic fists. The hit was strong, and Koren was pushed back, as he did not want to spend too much energy on the block. This push-back allowed Jynna to continue attacking, as he tried to increase the frustration in her mind. Eventually, he put a lot of energy into a deflection, and then launched another bast at her axe, in an attempt to fling it across the room.

[Zarkenis Ultima]

Aressa looked at Vynaria and nodded at her as she stated that she wanted to apologize to the Xorshid for wounding him in battle. Surely Niloofar was not lying when she said that he would probably brush it off as an unfortunate accident and not blame her for it, so she was not too concerned about that, though she was disappointed to see how the injured warrior's sister reacted to Vyna's apology. She understood how one could feel when someone dear suffered an accident like that, but she firmly believed that lashing out at people who held no responsibility for the incident was not going to accomplish anything positive. On the other hand, it was clear that Niloofar was restraining herself in an attempt to give a polite answer, something that the golden-robed woman had to give her some credit for.

With zero amusement, the red-haired aspirant watched as Ritz' efforts to calm down the girl were met with a sudden outburst of aggressivity, something that managed to surprise even her, more so than the strange aqua glow that had permeated the Xorshid's hair and eyes for a moment. She had not expected such a seemingly disproportionate reaction to come from someone who hailed from an order of scholars, and certainly not towards something like that. She watched, rather frustrated, as both Ritz and Niloofar walked away from each other and the group. Having heard the latter's request, she took a couple steps in her direction before calling out to her.

"Floor one hundred. There are instructions on how to get to the medical area on the wall." Aressa said to the Xorshid, before turning and walking back to Vyna.

"Oh, this is going to be a fun group." She said after letting out a slightly exasperated sigh, before looking at the noble blooded girl before her. "Anyway, follow me. I'll take you to the infirmary so you can apologize to Mehran." She said, before turning towards the door through which Arcander and the medics had left earlier and walking towards it, heading out into the hallways and swiftly making her way to the elevators. Once there, she waited for Vynaria and whoever else had decided to tag along, before inputting the number 100 on the control pad of the transparent chamber. It did not take very long for the contraption to reach its destination, and once there, Aressa stepped outside, leading the way and arriving next to the large door of the infirmary in a short time. The armored medic stationed outside glanced at the two students that had just arrived, noticing the blood on the hands of one of them.

"That better not be infected." She said to Vyna, before speaking into a device on the wall once again, the door opening up swiftly, allowing them entry onto the infirmary, where they would see Mehran on one of the hospital beds, with Arcander sitting down on another that was next to the first. The white-haired aspirant glanced at the door and then at Mehran upon seeing the people who had just entered the room.

"Looks like you've got visits." He said cheerfully. "And it's two cute girls to boot. You're a lucky guy, Mehran." He added afterwards, joking around as if to cheer up the Xorshid. Aressa sighed, and put her hand on Vyna's back to give her a little push forward, prompting him to go towards them.

"Apologize already, or he'll make another silly statement before I can get out of here." She said to the recruit, though her faint smile gave away the fact that she, too, was only joking around this time. "Oh, and you might want to wash your hands. There's a restroom somewhere around here."

---

As Arogisl's last name was called by the blindfolded master, so too was that of another student, one that was, curiously enough, not from the same group, as had been the case with the other match-ups. Of course, it was entirely possible that he had caught a glimpse of her during the landings or the ceremony, or perhaps even heard of her or her lineage if he happened to know something about the Order of the Valiant Fang or foreign nobilities of the allies of the Phantom Blade. However, such was unlikely and the fact remained that this was likely the first time he would get to see his opponent in detail. The girl, called by her family name, Salasanger, strode forward boldly, a confident grin on her face as her hair fluttered behind her, eyes set upon the one who was to be her opponent. She wore the silver robe of the recruits proudly, and on her uniform, opposite to the sigil of the Phantom Blade, was the image of a fang, a claw and an eye inside of a circle, representing the Order of the Valiant Fang.

The woman, whose given name was Elsis, strode up to the disk in front of the dueling arena, and observed Arogisl intently, her confidence never seeming to leave her. He didn't seem like much of a threat, she decided, and though she was well aware that she was yet to see him in action in the battlefield proper, she was certain that she could defeat him. She was one of the strongest braveblood scions of the Valiant Fang, after all.

Swiftly, the descent into the arena began. A snap of her fingers, and as Elsis stepped out into the battlefield, one could see that her armor now covered her whole, the blood red light patterns on her armor ressembling tiny flames running all across her body, converging on her armor's chest, which bore the emblem of the Phantom Blade just like the rest. Quickly she strode forward one third of the arena's length, where she stopped just like the aspirants before her had done, and waited as the tedious pre-battle procedure began, bowing when appropiate and then summoning forth her blade with an ominous word heard of in the ancient legends and folklore of many civilizations throughout the Known Universe.

"Salamander." She uttered, and at once, in her hand, a large metal hilt appeared, soon followed by the eruption of a massive energy blade whose color and glow made it seem not unlike the earthen blood of countless planets, the magma that slept uneasily beneath the surface as it waited for an opportunity to blast through the earth. It was easily about half her size, though the one-handed grip with which she held it casually to her side seemed to indicate that she was able to use such a weapon easily without having to use both of her hands. Her other hand placed on her waist, she waited impatiently for the ten seconds to pass, tapping her foot on the ground until the blindfolded master uttered the word 'zero'. Even then, she showed some more restraint, continuing to stand still as she observed her opponent intently. Quiet mutterings soon reached her ears, and she waited for him to make the first move, eager to see what her opponent was truly capable of, wondering if he could give her a good fight.

However, soon the mutterings reached their end, and still nothing happened. No blast of lightning. No force impact. No slash in the air.

"Tch." The girl muttered, a frowning expression of annoyance taking over her gleeful confidence. Lifting an arm, she casually tossed her broadsword at her enemy, the large blade spinning and cleaving through the air as it flew towards Arogisl. And then, she herself launched off towards Aro, as if following the path carved by her sword.

Of course, Arogisl hadn't arrived at the Silver Hand Academy for nothing, and he was certainly able to sidestep an attack like that, however narrowly, even taking the opportunity to tap the blade with his own, further deflecting it and sending it away from its owner, in hopes that Elsis would find herself disarmed and yet forced to go through him if she wanted to recover her weapon.

And yet, right before his eyes, with but a thought from the braveblood, the sword vanished in thin air.

"SALAMANDER!" Came the enemy's roar, right next to him, and as he turned to look, he saw her with the broadsword in her grip once again, this time held with both hands. She was right next to him, and her black armor shone under the stadium's light as she raised her arms, swinging the large blade in an ascending motion, like a skyward cannon ready to blow up the moon. Aro was taken by surprise by this tactic, and so, was unable to block or parry or dodge in time, the blade coming in contact with his armor's energy shields, a shrill noise like a sawblade cutting through steel echoing in the air as her blade continued ascending, leaving a short-lived trail of searing fire in the air right in front of Arogisl's armor as golden and crimson sparks flew everywhere.

But Aro was not defenseless, and even though he had already taken the hit, his armor's energy levels dropping significantly, he decided to make the most of it. Twisting his body around to avoid taking any more damage from the Salamander's ascending path of destruction, he brought his own blade to slash at Elsis' exposed torso. The girl noticed, naturally, and with a grunt she took a step to the side and away from Arogisl, bringing her sword down like a guillotine upon Aro's own blade, sending his arm down from the sheer force of the impact, though not before the nobleman's sword had drained some of her own energy. Annoyed by this turn of events, the girl took her sword and raised it, swinging it in a descending arc this time, throwing subtlety to the air as she attempted to bring down what remained of Arogisl's defenses in a single strike.

However, she was unable to do this. The nobleman's sword, though much smaller, rose to meet hers, blocking the strike. The frown present on the face of Elsis intensified as she withdrew her blade and swung it towards her opponent again, and again and again and again. And though every time the energy blade of her adversary quivered violently under the sheer force of the blows it was blocking, and the ground beneath his feet cracked from the pressure, he still managed to block every swing with precision, even managing to anticipate and parry a few of them, forcing her to release one of her hands to deflect the incoming blade with her gauntlet so as to avoid further damage, even though energy still drained from her armor by doing this. Though she did not feel that she was going to lose against this opponent, his swordplay was something to be respected, she would grant him that much.

Thus, because she was unable to gain an upper hand with her blade, she decide to switch techniques. As she continued to swing her weapon at Arogisl, the two blades clashing violently under the light of the stadium and the unwavering gaze of the many students observing them, she also began to mutter an incantation under her breath, barely audible beneath the screeching sound of energy blades pressing against one another, though the nobleman would undoubtedly hear if he paid attention. Words of ancient power flowed through her lips, slowly but surely summoning forth the potential she held within herself to bend the energy of the world to her will.

Finally, as she neared the end of her incantation, she raised her sword once again, her right hand gripping the part of the hilt closest to the crossguard. And then, she swung in a descending arc, spelling the final words of her chant. Aro raised his sword to block against this brutal swing as well, but just before the two blades met, with a thought, the Salamander disappeared again, leaving Arogisl's weapon to clash with nothing but thin air. At that moment, Elsis reached forward, gripping Aro's shoulder with her right hand while the left was withdrawn as much as it could be. To any onlooker, it would be obvious what would happen next, and yet, there was hardly any time to react, for it only took a moment for her to attack.

"INFERNAL STRIKE!" She shouted, and her entire upper left limb was covered in burning flames, from her fingertips to her shoulder. At that moment, she released Aro's shoulder as her fist shot forward towards her opponent's torso, propelled forward not just by her great strength, but by a jet of flames shooting out from behind her elbow, increasing the power of the strike, which hit right in the middle of Aro's body, the sheer potency of the impact sending him flying swiftly towards one of the walls of the arena, which cracked under the force of a grown Redemit male being thrown against it with such speed. Indeed, though the armor had helped absorb some of the attack's force and minimize the damage done to Arogisl himself at the cost of some more energy from the shield generators contained within the armor, it would undoubtedly hurt quite a bit.

"Salamander." Elsis said casually after seeing Aro hit the wall, and began calmly striding towards him, one hand holding her blade off to the side and the other resting on her waist. "Is that it, then, Ignobilis?" She said, boredom in her voice as she walked towards him to deliver the final blow.

[Charmera]

Jynna grunted as her armour clanged against the floor. Pain hitting her despite the fact she was armoured. As he moved to slam her, Jynna quickly covered her arms in stone, and then blocked the punch. She then used the opportunity to counterattack and punch back at her opponent, hoping to push him back a bit to get some breathing room. She was beginning to feel the effects of Korens mind games, frustration and doubt creeping in.

Koren's fists rebounded of the earthen defense, and Jyna moved in for the attack. Punching with one of her arms instead of launching an attack with her axe, the punch meeting with his kinetic fists. The hit was strong, and Koren was pushed back, as he did not want to spend too much energy on the block. This push-back allowed Jynna to continue attacking, as he tried to increase the frustration in her mind. Eventually, he put a lot of energy into a deflection, and then launched another bast at her axe, in an attempt to fling it across the room.

Jynna's axe was suddenly pried from her hands by kinetic force, at which she grunted in frustration. She was starting to see red, her mind clouded. Mind... can't think... what did he do to me...? She had already forgotten to absorb the kinetic energy from his blasts twice. She gritted her teeth and charged Koren, her footsteps clanking against the ground as she moved, aiming to tackle him. As she did so, she gathered the earth of the arena to serve as a second armor and to increase the impact of her hit. If Koren dodged, she planned to grab him.

"That better not be infected." She said to Vyna, before speaking into a device on the wall once again, the door opening up swiftly, allowing them entry onto the infirmary, where they would see Mehran on one of the hospital beds, with Arcander sitting down on another that was next to the first. The white-haired aspirant glanced at the door and then at Mehran upon seeing the people who had just entered the room.

"Looks like you've got visits." He said cheerfully. "And it's two cute girls to boot. You're a lucky guy, Mehran." He added afterwards, joking around as if to cheer up the Xorshid. Aressa sighed, and put her hand on Vyna's back to give her a little push forward, prompting him to go towards them.

"Apologize already, or he'll make another silly statement before I can get out of here." She said to the recruit, though her faint smile gave away the fact that she, too, was only joking around this time. "Oh, and you might want to wash your hands. There's a restroom somewhere around here."

She nodded to Aressa. "Thanks." She said, grateful for her escorting her. "I'll... wash my hands after I talk to Mehran... if thats okay..."

Vyna looked to her hands again. Then cleared he throat as she sat next to the Xorshid, a look of concern and nervousness on her face. She looked Mehran in the eyes. "Im really sorry about what happened in the arena... I didn't mean to hurt you like that." She then sighed, wringing her hands. "I... also want to apologize for what I said. I... I was embarased and hurt. I didn't mean any of it... I'm sorry for that too. It's behavior hardly befitting a carrier of the Ayendor name."

[Estva]

Jynna's axe was suddenly pried from her hands by kinetic force, at which she grunted in frustration. She was starting to see red, her mind clouded. Mind... can't think... what did he do to me...? She had already forgotten to absorb the kinetic energy from his blasts twice. She gritted her teeth and charged Koren, her footsteps clanking against the ground as she moved, aiming to tackle him. As she did so, she gathered the earth of the arena to serve as a second armor and to increase the impact of her hit. If Koren dodged, she planned to grab him.

The axe was successfully flung across the arena, out of reach. Now it was magic vs. magic, something he felt was to his advantage. After Jynna recovered from his move, she gathered the earthen materials from the arena and bulked herself, forming a formidable juggernaut, and came charging towards Koren. He didn't want to risk taking on such a strong momentum, and he knew his personal abilities could not deflect the attack. So, in an attempt to escape, he blasted kinetic force into the ground to propel him upwards.

[Wolfenium]

Aressa looked at Vynaria and nodded at her as she stated that she wanted to apologize to the Xorshid for wounding him in battle. Surely Niloofar was not lying when she said that he would probably brush it off as an unfortunate accident and not blame her for it, so she was not too concerned about that, though she was disappointed to see how the injured warrior's sister reacted to Vyna's apology. She understood how one could feel when someone dear suffered an accident like that, but she firmly believed that lashing out at people who held no responsibility for the incident was not going to accomplish anything positive. On the other hand, it was clear that Niloofar was restraining herself in an attempt to give a polite answer, something that the golden-robed woman had to give her some credit for.

With zero amusement, the red-haired aspirant watched as Ritz' efforts to calm down the girl were met with a sudden outburst of aggressivity, something that managed to surprise even her, more so than the strange aqua glow that had permeated the Xorshid's hair and eyes for a moment. She had not expected such a seemingly disproportionate reaction to come from someone who hailed from an order of scholars, and certainly not towards something like that. She watched, rather frustrated, as both Ritz and Niloofar walked away from each other and the group. Having heard the latter's request, she took a couple steps in her direction before calling out to her.

"Floor one hundred. There are instructions on how to get to the medical area on the wall." Aressa said to the Xorshid, before turning and walking back to Vyna.

"Oh, this is going to be a fun group." She said after letting out a slightly exasperated sigh, before looking at the noble blooded girl before her. "Anyway, follow me. I'll take you to the infirmary so you can apologize to Mehran." She said, before turning towards the door through which Arcander and the medics had left earlier and walking towards it, heading out into the hallways and swiftly making her way to the elevators. Once there, she waited for Vynaria and whoever else had decided to tag along, before inputting the number 100 on the control pad of the transparent chamber. It did not take very long for the contraption to reach its destination, and once there, Aressa stepped outside, leading the way and arriving next to the large door of the infirmary in a short time. The armored medic stationed outside glanced at the two students that had just arrived, noticing the blood on the hands of one of them.

"That better not be infected." She said to Vyna, before speaking into a device on the wall once again, the door opening up swiftly, allowing them entry onto the infirmary, where they would see Mehran on one of the hospital beds, with Arcander sitting down on another that was next to the first. The white-haired aspirant glanced at the door and then at Mehran upon seeing the people who had just entered the room.

"Looks like you've got visits." He said cheerfully. "And it's two cute girls to boot. You're a lucky guy, Mehran." He added afterwards, joking around as if to cheer up the Xorshid. Aressa sighed, and put her hand on Vyna's back to give her a little push forward, prompting him to go towards them.

"Apologize already, or he'll make another silly statement before I can get out of here." She said to the recruit, though her faint smile gave away the fact that she, too, was only joking around this time. "Oh, and you might want to wash your hands. There's a restroom somewhere around here."

Lying on his bed as he stared at the ceiling, the serious Xorshid seemed serious and deep in thought. With bandages wrapped around his torso, he was, to everyone's relief, out of danger and recovering well. Looking over to the door as Aressa arrived with Vyna, he gave a reassuring smile to his opponent on his condition. Arcander's remark, of course, did not go unnoticed, giving a light chuckle as he joked to him.

"You flatter me, Senior," he joked, "though to be honest, I'm not that keen on girls past my age."

Vyna looked to her hands again. Then cleared he throat as she sat next to the Xorshid, a look of concern and nervousness on her face. She looked Mehran in the eyes. "Im really sorry about what happened in the arena... I didn't mean to hurt you like that." She then sighed, wringing her hands. "I... also want to apologize for what I said. I... I was embarased and hurt. I didn't mean any of it... I'm sorry for that too. It's behavior hardly befitting a carrier of the Ayendor name."

Hearing Vyna's apology, Mehran's expression naturally reverted to his usual seriousness. His own blood still over her, he could tell she was quite distraught over it. But his eyes showed no sign of discomfort or distress, a burning conviction in his eyes. Finally he answered firmly, "you have nothing to apologize about. The moment we stepped on the field, we've already wagered our lives on the line. As a matter of fact, I should be the one to apologize to you. I turned your duel into a farce by shaming you publicly, and even caused undue distress because of my carelessness. Of course, if you still feel the need to make amends, then allow me to suggest the solution. Fight me again when the opportunity comes, with every shred of will you can muster. I look forward to testing our mettle next time. I'm sure that's behaviour befitting of your house."

This was a man who enjoyed the clash of steel, with the chivalry and honour befitting a guardian of his order. Never a man to hold grudges, he was quick to dismiss his own injury to ask for another duel with Vyna. But a quick glance at the door betrayed a worry for him. He seemed to be expecting someone else, though he ultimately relented over any chance of her immediately appearance.

"Did anything happen to Niloofar," he asked the aspirants and Vyna, "I can't imagine her taking the scene well. Do forgive her if she gave you a hard time. She's impulsive, ill-tempered and outspoken to the point of provocation, but she cares a lot about our family and friends, and is unafraid to act if anything happens to them, or me."

[Charmera]

Jynna's axe was suddenly pried from her hands by kinetic force, at which she grunted in frustration. She was starting to see red, her mind clouded. Mind... can't think... what did he do to me...? She had already forgotten to absorb the kinetic energy from his blasts twice. She gritted her teeth and charged Koren, her footsteps clanking against the ground as she moved, aiming to tackle him. As she did so, she gathered the earth of the arena to serve as a second armor and to increase the impact of her hit. If Koren dodged, she planned to grab him.

The axe was successfully flung across the arena, out of reach. Now it was magic vs. magic, something he felt was to his advantage. After Jynna recovered from his move, she gathered the earthen materials from the arena and bulked herself, forming a formidable juggernaut, and came charging towards Koren. He didn't want to risk taking on such a strong momentum, and he knew his personal abilities could not deflect the attack. So, in an attempt to escape, he blasted kinetic force into the ground to propel him upwards.

Jynna managed to think fast enough to send a boulder of earth up after him, not realising the lack of her weapon put her at a severe disadvantage. She gritted her teeth as the mental influence became more strenuous, starting to become a serious drain on her combat abilities. Mind magic... thats what someone said on the Chariot... Why didn't I realise sooner?

Vyna looked to her hands again. Then cleared he throat as she sat next to the Xorshid, a look of concern and nervousness on her face. She looked Mehran in the eyes. "Im really sorry about what happened in the arena... I didn't mean to hurt you like that." She then sighed, wringing her hands. "I... also want to apologize for what I said. I... I was embarased and hurt. I didn't mean any of it... I'm sorry for that too. It's behavior hardly befitting a carrier of the Ayendor name."

Hearing Vyna's apology, Mehran's expression naturally reverted to his usual seriousness. His own blood still over her, he could tell she was quite distraught over it. But his eyes showed no sign of discomfort or distress, a burning conviction in his eyes. Finally he answered firmly, "you have nothing to apologize about. The moment we stepped on the field, we've already wagered our lives on the line. As a matter of fact, I should be the one to apologize to you. I turned your duel into a farce by shaming you publicly, and even caused undue distress because of my carelessness. Of course, if you still feel the need to make amends, then allow me to suggest the solution. Fight me again when the opportunity comes, with every shred of will you can muster. I look forward to testing our mettle next time. I'm sure that's behaviour befitting of your house."

This was a man who enjoyed the clash of steel, with the chivalry and honour befitting a guardian of his order. Never a man to hold grudges, he was quick to dismiss his own injury to ask for another duel with Vyna. But a quick glance at the door betrayed a worry for him. He seemed to be expecting someone else, though he ultimately relented over any chance of her immediately appearance.

"Did anything happen to Niloofar," he asked the aspirants and Vyna, "I can't imagine her taking the scene well. Do forgive her if she gave you a hard time. She's impulsive, ill-tempered and outspoken to the point of provocation, but she cares a lot about our family and friends, and is unafraid to act if anything happens to them, or me."

Vyna was surprised, not only by the forgiveness, but also the fact that he seemed eager for a rematch. Vyna smiled, feeling a little better knowing that Mehran was okay, though the thought of how close to death he had come plagued her slightly. "Of course, It would be hardly fair to deny you a rematch." She replied. "I'm glad to have had the honour to duel with you, Mehran, and I'd love the opportunity to do so again... though hopefully our next duel wont end... quite like this one did."

"As for Niloofar, she seems upset, said she needed some time alone." Vyna replied, her face falling somewhat "I don't blame her, I know what it's like to see a sibling get hurt..." She was referring to Jynna's near death at the hands of an assassin, who could still be out there...

[Estva]

Jynna managed to think fast enough to send a boulder of earth up after him, not realising the lack of her weapon put her at a severe disadvantage. She gritted her teeth as the mental influence became more strenuous, starting to become a serious drain on her combat abilities. Mind magic... thats what someone said on the Chariot... Why didn't I realise sooner?

As Koren soared into the air, Jynna launched a bolder following him. As he soared higher and higher, he felt Jynna recognize his presence in her mind. In one action, he used as much presence in her mind that he had to cause mass panic, before sending another kinetic blast towards the bolder shooting it back at her. As he fell he managed to soften the blow with another kinetic blast, but due to the previous distraction skimped the accuracy of it and landed a little too harshly.

[Wolfenium]

Vyna was surprised, not only by the forgiveness, but also the fact that he seemed eager for a rematch. Vyna smiled, feeling a little better knowing that Mehran was okay, though the thought of how close to death he had come plagued her slightly. "Of course, It would be hardly fair to deny you a rematch." She replied. "I'm glad to have had the honour to duel with you, Mehran, and I'd love the opportunity to do so again... though hopefully our next duel wont end... quite like this one did."

"Don' think too much about it," Mehran answered confidently, "just learn from your experiences and move on. Dwelling on your errors serves no purposes. Learning from them will."

It sounded a bit corny, but Mehran believed every word he said. Hopefully, it should set Vyna at ease. Part of him still worried about whether the girl might overcome that accident. At this point, all he could do was put his faith in her to try.

"As for Niloofar, she seems upset, said she needed some time alone." Vyna replied, her face falling somewhat "I don't blame her, I know what it's like to see a sibling get hurt..." She was referring to Jynna's near death at the hands of an assassin, who could still be out there...

However, hearing her answer, Mehran's smile faded quite a bit. Something about Vyna's words bothered him a bit, as she mentioned about empathizing with Niloofar's feelings. Still, he was not one to probe into other people's pasts. He would let her speak of it on her own time. If anything, he too had secrets, just as any person would.

"I see," he went, "at least she mellowed quite a bit..."

In his honesty, Mehran could tell why Niloofar sought some peace alone. Normally, she would have rushed for the hospital at the first opportunity, but Vyna's presence would have only worsened her mood, and what little patience she had would have worn thin, a matter that would not end well. But he was also mindful of Vyna's feelings, not wanting to upset her with such information. For now, he would simply wait for Niloofar to visit him later, when Vyna herself was well away.

[Charmera]

Jynna managed to think fast enough to send a boulder of earth up after him, not realising the lack of her weapon put her at a severe disadvantage. She gritted her teeth as the mental influence became more strenuous, starting to become a serious drain on her combat abilities. Mind magic... thats what someone said on the Chariot... Why didn't I realise sooner?

As Koren soared into the air, Jynna launched a bolder following him. As he soared higher and higher, he felt Jynna recognize his presence in her mind. In one action, he used as much presence in her mind that he had to cause mass panic, before sending another kinetic blast towards the bolder shooting it back at her. As he fell he managed to soften the blow with another kinetic blast, but due to the previous distraction skimped the accuracy of it and landed a little too harshly.

She gritted her teeth as she resisted both the fear and the kinetic blast, it was becoming hard to fight both the mental battle and the physical one, but Jynna had enough mental durability to keep herself from being effected too harshly. However, because she was strained from the attacks, her counterattack lacked some luster. Merely throwing rocks at her opponent. Damn. I need to end this... fast.

In her hands, she began to gather rock from the arena, chanting she began to form a large hammer of rock, so she was no longer disarmed. Also, quite sneakily, she secretly put a bit of rock on her axe on the other side of the Arena so she could manipulate it later...

Thankfully Vyna taught me that trick... I don't think I could have come up with it under this mental assault. Now at least I have a chance.

Vyna was surprised, not only by the forgiveness, but also the fact that he seemed eager for a rematch. Vyna smiled, feeling a little better knowing that Mehran was okay, though the thought of how close to death he had come plagued her slightly. "Of course, It would be hardly fair to deny you a rematch." She replied. "I'm glad to have had the honour to duel with you, Mehran, and I'd love the opportunity to do so again... though hopefully our next duel wont end... quite like this one did."

"Don' think too much about it," Mehran answered confidently, "just learn from your experiences and move on. Dwelling on your errors serves no purposes. Learning from them will."

It sounded a bit corny, but Mehran believed every word he said. Hopefully, it should set Vyna at ease. Part of him still worried about whether the girl might overcome that accident. At this point, all he could do was put his faith in her to try.

"As for Niloofar, she seems upset, said she needed some time alone." Vyna replied, her face falling somewhat "I don't blame her, I know what it's like to see a sibling get hurt..." She was referring to Jynna's near death at the hands of an assassin, who could still be out there...

However, hearing her answer, Mehran's smile faded quite a bit. Something about Vyna's words bothered him a bit, as she mentioned about empathizing with Niloofar's feelings. Still, he was not one to probe into other people's pasts. He would let her speak of it on her own time. If anything, he too had secrets, just as any person would.

"I see," he went, "at least she mellowed quite a bit..."

In his honesty, Mehran could tell why Niloofar sought some peace alone. Normally, she would have rushed for the hospital at the first opportunity, but Vyna's presence would have only worsened her mood, and what little patience she had would have worn thin, a matter that would not end well. But he was also mindful of Vyna's feelings, not wanting to upset her with such information. For now, he would simply wait for Niloofar to visit him later, when Vyna herself was well away.

Vyna nodded. "Your sister cares about you... which is good. Family is very important." That last part was as much for Vyna as it was for Mehran. Considering recent events involving her own family, it would be key to remember. I wonder if I should tell someone... one of the aspirants maybe She shook her head, shaking off the thoughts. This wasn't about her.

"Well, if there is anything else I can do the make it up to you, do let me know." She said, with a warm smile now. She put a hand on his arm comfortingly, but then awkwardly took it away as she questioned it's appropriateness and she didn't want to get too much blood on him.. "You fought well Mehran. You were a worthy opponent indeed." She said sincerely.

[The Unites State-Of-Minds]

Suffice to say, while attentive towards the battle, Arogisl was far more focused upon defending himself from the blade then the mouth of his opponent. A fact he lamented deeply as he flew back, propelled by the plume of flame which had erupted from her fist as it made contact with his armored chest. That is, until his body met the wall and all thoughts and analysis left his mind as quickly as the air left his lungs, leaving him slumped upon the floor. He coughed and sputtered as he gasped for air, the pressure of the atmosphere compressing his rib cage leaving him unable to properly refill his lungs, and thus far too distracted to make any effort towards further defending himself.

Managing to choke down a few haggard breaths and slightly ease his breathing, his mind immediately shifted gears at the returned flow of oxygen and returned to that of the battle. Struggling for breath as he watched her slow approach, he marveled somewhere in the back of his oxygen deprived subconscious at the confidence this woman displayed. While no doubt a warrior in her own right, the presumptuous attitude displayed by her ease in which she addressed taking him down betrayed either a lack of true battle experience or a lack of experiencing loss. After inhaling enough air to painfully choke out a few words, Arogisl placed a hand upon the wall he had crashed against and silently spoke the incantation.

An octagonal column erupted from the wall towards Salasanger, a craterous expanse left surrounding its base. While unexpected, the distance between them allowed for plenty of opportunity to evade the oncoming pillar. The pillar itself was not so much a concern as the lack of any indication a spell was being cast, as unlike her earlier use of magic, there had been no method of disguising the sounds of his invocations.

Having recovered enough to reengage in combat, albeit with somewhat more laborious breathing, Arogisl took the moment of distraction to dash forward, stopping but a few meters from Salasanger. Wherapon he laid his hands upon the ground and incanted the seemingly silent spell; another column erupting from the floor exactly as the one before it. Any concerns she may have had at still not hearing any invocation of magic evaporated as the second column streaked towards her, narrowly missing as she sidestepped the attack. However, the distraction was not enough to keep her unaware of the fact that Arogisl had bolted towards her as soon as she avoided the column, and her blade rose to match his own. Only to meet air in the place of steel, as rather then cross blades Arogisl had stopped short of meeting her and lept back, again placing his hands upon the floor, lips moving soundlessly.

Unfazed by the feint, Salasanger sprinted towards him, blade poised to come crashing upon him. Arogisl fired off yet another column, which Salasanger avoided with ease, growing ever more irritated that her opponent seemed to think that repeating the same technique would be enough to face her. Aiming for his torso, she swung the broadsword with all her might, only for it to meet another column dispatched vertically, the blade sinking a few inches into the stone before the force no longer carried it. Rather then pull the sword from the stone it merely disappeared as it had before, only to materialize within its users hand at the mention of its name, by which time Arogisl had retreated behind yet another column.

As far as swordplay went they seemed well matched, but that blade of hers was a real concern as it seemed to prevent the possibility of disarming her, or even to use its weight to knock her off balance. No, it seemed that in order to win he would have to defeat her directly. An unsavory prospect given his lack of room for mistake, as not only did her reflexes appear quicker then his, but she exerted a greater amount of force then he, leaving a test of strength winnable only through leverage. Impeding her movement was the surest way to improve his chances, but would require effort to bring to fruition. Faced with such a challenge that still left the possibility of victory excited him. A wild grin crossed his face as the adrenaline washed over him, saturating his brain in Epinephrine to both reduce the pain of his injuries and feed his affinity towards action.

[Zarkenis Ultima]

Out of respect for the conversations of others and in order not to upset the atmosphere, Aressa had stepped back and remained silent upon bringing Vynaria to the infirmary, simply replying to the girl's gratitude with a nod and a slight smile before watching her go off towards Mehran and apologize to the boy. If anything, she was glad that her apology was well received and the two recruits quickly turned away from the grim topic of the accident and potential mental scars towards more upbeat prospects like the chance for a rematch or the importance of the family. It spoke well of their mental fortitude, for one, and it made her confident that soon this would be little more than a curious anecdote. Not many could boast of having the failsafe malfunction during their duel, after all, however dubious that honor might be.

Eventually, noticing an appropiate opening, the scarlet-haired aspirant walked towards the two recruits, placing a hand on Vyna's shoulder. "Well, I'm happy to see that you two are on good terms despite the accident." She said to them, evidently pleased with how they had handled it. Sure, the elder Ayendor had certainly displayed much distress before, but she had been able to control it well despite everything. "Now, I have to go back to make sure the others don't wander off, so I will leave you in Arcander's care, Mehran. Vynaria, you can stay here with him, or you can head back with me. Either is fine, we'll all probably reunite after the Silver Games conclude anyway." She said, before nodding at the two recruits and Arcander. Aressa then turned around and walked towards the door, ready to head back to the stadium.

---

Elsis quickly went around the column that blocked her path in order to find Arogisl, but even though she was undeniably faster than him, those columns of his were still a complete annoyance, and rather tricky to get around. He was a crafty one, that Ignobilis, and that made the girl's blood boil. Why, of all the people she could have been placed against, did she have to be forced to fight against a coward? Certainly, nothing that Aro was doing was particularly dishonorable or worthy of reprimand, but the braveblood was still rather upset by it all. Feints and techniques were one thing, but what Aro was doing, at least in her mind, was nothing short of running and hiding. She would make sure to show him her disapproval by beating him to the ground, she decided as she continued pursuing him, wondering when he would run out of energy. She herself was beginning to tire, though she wouldn't admit it to anyone.

"This would be over by now if only you weren't such a hare." She muttered despectively. However, in her distraction, she almost failed to notice another column about to rise in front of her, only narrowly managing to stop her charge before the stone formation emerged from the ground, rising up into the air right in front of her, the rock almost touching her nose. She was dazed by how close that one had been, but only for a moment, and the next, her frown reappeared on her face as she took a step back and gripped the hilt of her energy broadsword tightly with both hands, ready to swing.

"Enough! HAAAH!" She shouted as she poured her strength into an horizontal slash, Salamander hissing as its energy cut through the air. And yet, rather than be stopped halfway through like before, this time the sword held by Elsis cleanly cut right through the pillar, causing it to fall off to the side quickly, leaving her opponent without cover. She stood on the stump that remained of the octagonal stone pillar and looked at Arogisl, who had retreated to the wall of the arena. Though her eyes betrayed anger despite the helmet that covered them, she smiled to herself. Here he was, cornered once again, like a wild animal. If only he would stop running and using his columns of stone to hide, then the duel would end in no time. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case, so she was more than ready to do whatever it took to put the swordsman in front of her down once and for all. Not literally, of course.

Eager to finish getting rid of his enemy's defenses, Salasanger jumped off from the broken pillar and began charging towards Arogisl. However, though he was cornered, he still had his blade and his wits to assist him, and so, once again, he placed his hand against the wall, speaking an incantation that couldn't be heard by anyone, which in turn caused another octagonal pillar to burst out from the arena's wall, headed straight towards Elsis.

"Oh no, not again!" She shouted with annoyance as she saw the pillar emerge from the wall and charge towards her. She was strong, certainly, but not enough to overcome the momentum of an enormous pillar of stone that was moving towards her, prepared to crash.

Thus, she decided to take a different approach. Without stopping her own charge, she took impulse and ascended with a mighty leap, avoiding being impacted, or worse yet, crushed by the stone pillar. Within a moment, she landed on top of the pillar, and began running down its length towards Arogisl, her tricky foe. Just how was he able to perform magic like that anyway? What kind of spells did he make use of that didn't require him to chant at all in order to be activated? What manner of foul trick- She stopped, not literally, but figuratively. She stopped questioning this, and remembered how, at the beginning of the duel, while she was waiting for him to make the first move, he muttered some sort of spell which had caused no noticeable effect after being cast, prompting her to initiate the battle herself. She remembered this and she understood what his trick was.

Her frown intensified once again as she understood the nature of his deception, which only served to further reinforce her opinion of him as a coward. Of all the people, truly, she had to be put against this one. No matter, she was determined to win and prove to him that his tricks were worth nothing.

"You cheat-" She spoke, but was able to say no more, as all of the sudden, a pillar burst forth from the ground beneath, shooting skyward and shattering the pillar on which she stood, causing her to lose her balance. She cursed silently as Salamander slipped from her grasp, and forced it to vanish with a thought only to summon it to her side a moment after by pronouncing its name. Gripping its hilt tightly with one hand as she tried to cause some manner of friction to slow her descent with the other, she took a deep breath, and at the moment of exhalation, she let out a battle shout and tossed her sword towards the ground, headed straight towards where Arogisl stood now. She then pushed herself away from the pillar in order to have some manner of control over the site of her descent, while the large energy blade spun as it flew through the air, narrowly missing the noble-blooded warrior and burying itself whole into the arena's ground except for the hilt, skidding to a halt several feet away from its intended target, who looked at the blade with worry.

"You ought to pay more attention!" Came a voice from above, behind him, and as he turned around, he saw Elsis descending towards him, broadsword already in her possession once again, tightly held by a two-handed grip that made her intention apparent. There was no time to dodge or summon another pillar to send her away now that she had little control over her own movement, and so, Arogisl only managed to react by bringing up his sword to block her attack once again.

And so he did, but this blade swing had been completely unlike any of the previous ones. Aided by the momentum from the fall and by her own strength, the girl's sword crashed into Aro's own blade with unprecedented force, sparks flying everywhere as the two energy constructs met, the sword which the nobleman held in his hands shaking under the stress, its light dimming greatly for a moment before recovering its usual glow, undoubtedly a solid evidence that even swords could suffer a good beating. And it was not just his sword that suffered, for Arogisl's very bones quivered violently under the sheer force and magnitude of the impact, the ground beneath him cracking much more drastically than before. The impact was such that, though he had indeed managed to stop the blow and avoid taking any damage from it, or at least losing any of his armor's dwindling energy, he couldn't avoid falling to the ground afterwards.

Seemingly defenseless, Arogisl was easy prey for Elsis now, and she smiled to herself as she raised her sword once again with her left hand, ready to swing it in a descending arc and finish off her opponent. But alas, he was a quick thinker, and a hasty caster, and so he managed to place his hand upon the ground before the blade struck him, sending off a column of stone, much smaller than before but still fit for the job intended for it: to stop Elsis, which the pillar accomplished by slamming into her torso as she was bringing down her blade, sending her away several feet and giving Arogisl some space to think. However tired she might have seemed, it was clear to the nobleman that it would be very difficult to win with just his transmutation magic, as he had seen just now.

But he was not the only one who had decided to use the full spectrum of his abilities to win the fight. From the other side of the arena, Elsis began casting, angered whispers of ancient fire and brimstone flowing forth from her lips. It would take her some time, but surely, she would bring him down.

---

Meanwhile, above the arenas, away from the violence inherent to the duels, a figure clad in a blood red shroud with silver outlines approached Ellyn and Aris, placing a calloused hand on the shoulder of the former, softly so as to avoid eliciting a disproportionate reaction.

"Hello." The man said in a friendly voice, and if the girl turned around to look at him she would notice he was one of the red-robed trainees. His face, of rough features and bearing a neutral expression, gave him a bit of a fearsome look, but his voice had betrayed no aggressivity, which he hoped would make up for it, knowing very well what kind of first impression others could get if they were the kind to judge too quickly. His hair was short, messy and of the color of fertile soil, much like his eyes.

"Sorry, I hope I'm not interrupting anything." He stated politely. "I wanted to congratulate you on your fight. It was quite a sight. You must be very tough, to take all that punishment and still come out on top, figuratively speaking." He complimented, before glancing to one of the arenas nearby as the crowd gathered around it cheered on the girl that seemed to be about to crush her opponent with a large energy broadsword.

"Anyway, I'll get to the point. Your name, as well as the shape of your sword, seemed quite familiar to me, though I can't remember why. Tarembor, correct? I was hoping you would shed some light on my confusion. Would you mind telling me where you acquired your sword?" The blood-robed man asked, wondering if the inquiry would be well received or if it would merely be dismissed.

[The Starlight]

Meanwhile, above the arenas, away from the violence inherent to the duels, a figure clad in a blood red shroud with silver outlines approached Ellyn and Aris, placing a calloused hand on the shoulder of the former, softly so as to avoid eliciting a disproportionate reaction.

"Hello." The man said in a friendly voice, and if the girl turned around to look at him she would notice he was one of the red-robed trainees. His face, of rough features and bearing a neutral expression, gave him a bit of a fearsome look, but his voice had betrayed no aggressivity, which he hoped would make up for it, knowing very well what kind of first impression others could get if they were the kind to judge too quickly. His hair was short, messy and of the color of fertile soil, much like his eyes.

"Sorry, I hope I'm not interrupting anything." He stated politely. "I wanted to congratulate you on your fight. It was quite a sight. You must be very tough, to take all that punishment and still come out on top, figuratively speaking." He complimented, before glancing to one of the arenas nearby as the crowd gathered around it cheered on the girl that seemed to be about to crush her opponent with a large energy broadsword.

"Anyway, I'll get to the point. Your name, as well as the shape of your sword, seemed quite familiar to me, though I can't remember why. Tarembor, correct? I was hoping you would shed some light on my confusion. Would you mind telling me where you acquired your sword?" The blood-robed man asked, wondering if the inquiry would be well received or if it would merely be dismissed.

Ellyn had been standing next to Aris, quite awkwardly. She wanted to speak to him, to let loose the hot gusher of love and joy, but there were too many people watching them, no privacy was to be had here. She opened her mouth, and then shut it again. Oh, how much she wanted to express everything! But now was not the time, and there would be plenty later.

Removing her helmet, she set it down by her side, letting her lustrous golden hair run free. Like a lion's mane, it billowed out behind her, and Ellyn fingered a hair, feeling its smoothness and softness. Her magic continued to return, and she set it to work fixing the rest of the bruises, lightly touching Aris to share the magic to him. She continued to watch the duels, noting each of her peer's skills and abilities as they revealed them, but none of the fights were quite as exciting as their's had been.

Feeling a hand on her shoulder, Ellyn started to whirl around, but then, hearing the friendly tone in the voice, slowed herself, turning evenly. She listened as the man he complimented her and responded with a shrug, "I have healing magic, and I was, luckily, for me, able to use them to keep me in long enough. But really, Aris should have won, and though it is a bit painful to admit it, I was totally taken unaware and so was outmatched. Without my healing magic, the fight would have been over quickly." Ellyn said, throwing a quick glance at Aris.

"Yes, Ellyn Tarembor is my name. I am the daughter of Teleren Tarembor, perhaps you have heard of my father. He is a smith, and has become quite famous on my home world for his weapons and armor. Perhaps the news of him has spread, and I am glad of it, for Father truely is a great smith. As for my blade, Dawnbreaker." At the sound of the sword, it appeared in Ellyn's hand, and she twirled it in lazy, slow circles. "He helped me forge it, teaching me the secrets of the forging of energy blades and armor. Dawnbreaker, I called it. Forged to be as light as the wind but yet strong and sharp, to fit my fighting style, as a normal sword and spear would be too heavy for me to wield effectively. Does the name of my father ring any bells?" she asked, looking up from Dawnbreaker back to his face.

[Wolfenium]

Vyna nodded. "Your sister cares about you... which is good. Family is very important." That last part was as much for Vyna as it was for Mehran. Considering recent events involving her own family, it would be key to remember. I wonder if I should tell someone... one of the aspirants maybe She shook her head, shaking off the thoughts. This wasn't about her.

"Well, if there is anything else I can do the make it up to you, do let me know." She said, with a warm smile now. She put a hand on his arm comfortingly, but then awkwardly took it away as she questioned it's appropriateness and she didn't want to get too much blood on him.. "You fought well Mehran. You were a worthy opponent indeed." She said sincerely.

For a man who had a knack for staying cool, Mehran could not help but shiver when Vyna laid her hand on his arm. It was not the blood that gave him the jitters; he hardly faltered when he was bleeding out on the arena floor with a sword in his gut. Rather, the warm touch of her hand felt foreign in a different way, as he looked away unnerved. Other than his mother and sisters, no girl had ever laid touched him before. On hindsight, he came across as a rather innocent boy, a stark contrast to his age and maturity.

"Ah," he answered, trying to keep his cool as she released him with a similar, awkward expression, "you too."

Out of respect for the conversations of others and in order not to upset the atmosphere, Aressa had stepped back and remained silent upon bringing Vynaria to the infirmary, simply replying to the girl's gratitude with a nod and a slight smile before watching her go off towards Mehran and apologize to the boy. If anything, she was glad that her apology was well received and the two recruits quickly turned away from the grim topic of the accident and potential mental scars towards more upbeat prospects like the chance for a rematch or the importance of the family. It spoke well of their mental fortitude, for one, and it made her confident that soon this would be little more than a curious anecdote. Not many could boast of having the failsafe malfunction during their duel, after all, however dubious that honor might be.

Eventually, noticing an appropiate opening, the scarlet-haired aspirant walked towards the two recruits, placing a hand on Vyna's shoulder. "Well, I'm happy to see that you two are on good terms despite the accident." She said to them, evidently pleased with how they had handled it. Sure, the elder Ayendor had certainly displayed much distress before, but she had been able to control it well despite everything. "Now, I have to go back to make sure the others don't wander off, so I will leave you in Arcander's care, Mehran. Vynaria, you can stay here with him, or you can head back with me. Either is fine, we'll all probably reunite after the Silver Games conclude anyway." She said, before nodding at the two recruits and Arcander. Aressa then turned around and walked towards the door, ready to head back to the stadium.

"Acknowledged, senior," Mehran replied, rubbing his arm where Vyna's hand was as a faint blush glowed on his face. He was unusually flustered for a level-headed scholar, as he tried to ignore the fuzzy feeling on his skin. Turning back to Vyna, he said, "you should go. Your sister should still be in the arena. I'm sure she needs you more right now."

[Estva]

She gritted her teeth as she resisted both the fear and the kinetic blast, it was becoming hard to fight both the mental battle and the physical one, but Jynna had enough mental durability to keep herself from being effected too harshly. However, because she was strained from the attacks, her counterattack lacked some luster. Merely throwing rocks at her opponent. Damn. I need to end this... fast.

In her hands, she began to gather rock from the arena, chanting she began to form a large hammer of rock, so she was no longer disarmed. Also, quite sneakily, she secretly put a bit of rock on her axe on the other side of the Arena so she could manipulate it later...

Thankfully Vyna taught me that trick... I don't think I could have come up with it under this mental assault. Now at least I have a chance.

Jynna was forming some sort of rock hammer, negating her previous disarmament. He had to keep her from rearming, and he had to act fast. Lunching a few kinectic blasts as distraction, weak ones of course in order not to drain his energy, he dashed over to the wall, as far away as Jynna as possible, as she was staying in place to build upon her stone axe.

Putting his back to the wall of the arena, he paused and stopped his kinetic fists, and began preparing a truly massive energy blast. In addition, he made it scolding hot, raising its temperature, and prepared to blast it.