trans_9 | Choose your destiny! Flawless victory! [Inevitable Tournament Arc]

No sooner did the Obs Deck descend to Arena Planet LXIII, and the crew allowed to disembark, than they were met by a veritable cloud swarm of cameras. Sleek, elegant things that might have been living, might have been machines, maybe were even magical... but were definitely nuisances as the swooped around to capture video of the crew at all conceivable angles, close up and far away. Their every move from this point on would be on camera.

In front of a small crowd of retainers stood what appeared to be a great circular orb whose only distinguishing features were a nose, and what appeared to be the most overblown mustache ever, which actually appeared to be supporting that two-foot-diameter orb at shoulder height to a tall man. Then the orb took a couple of steps forward,revealing that no, those were actually just really, really hairy legs. A seam cracked open on the creature, and in a voice loud enough to echo across the broad open plains without any need for amplification, it bellowed, "AND NOW! STRAIGHT FROM THE TRANSMIGRATION NINE VESSEL! OUR NEWEST COMPETITORS! FRESH TO THE STAGE OF BATTLE, BUT NO STRANGERS TO WAR--"

It went on like this for some time.

Under cover of this introduction, a small man that to all appearances seemed to be the love child of Richard Nixon and a particularly aggressive Furby stepped forward, and in a bored businesslike tone recited, "Welcome to the tournament. There will be one battle per day. The arena in which you battle will be determined by random draw. Our medical crew will perform all healing necessary and ensure no deaths so feel free to not hold back. Please refrain from accepting any bribes or favors from on-planet spectators--"

"--ARE YOU READY?!" the orb bellowed even louder than before, completely swamping the smaller man's recitation. "THEN STEP THIS WAY!"

And so saying, the orb and its procession began a clearly well-choreographed procession towards a large, medieval-looking fortress that hung dramatically just on the edge of clear vision. (Conveniently, this procession passed several large advertisements.)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Cursing, Crematia twisted and twirled, trying to dodge the unexpected lightning bolt. However, the bolt managed to tear through the tail-end of one of the wing membranes. Not enough to knock her out of the sky, but it is dangerously close.

Crematia lets out another angry spat, this time a spell of acidic fog in Crucible's direction -

but only to be encased with the fog herself.

Letting out pained, shocked shrieks, she folded her wings tightly and let herself fall through the fog. Fiery pain eat away at her scales, she spins around crazily until she feels she is safe out of the fog's corrosive reach. Spreading her wings she teleported again, this time on the strange cloud that could support her weight.

Realizing that the bronze is actually beating her with magic she bellowed in disbelief and rage, feeling betrayed by all this. Magic had been her domain! Aurican had the dragonstones, but the spellcasting might belonged to her and her chromatic kin!

Enraged at this realization, she bellowed again, this time her roar is brimming with hate.

Crucible takes some satisfaction in the result of the lightning bolt, though he knew it was far from over, and that every action would draw her ire more and more.

He knew it wouldn't take long for her to catch on in regards to his use of magic, especially once he sensed his spell turning redirect the acid fog that she cast in his direction. Now that, it seemed had caught her by surprise if the shrieks that reached him were any indication.

His gaze quickly picking up the new location of his great opponent, the disbelief and rage in her roar saying all he needed to hear.

"Something amiss, oh great Crematia?" He called down in his booming voice before he began to cast once more, making it quite clear just what he was doing, a massive vengeful black storm cloud coalescing in the sky between Crematia and himself lightning playing through the billowing cloud until it had spread to over seven hundred feet in diameter, sudden crashes of lightning and thunder echoing through the cloud strong enough to deafen lesser beings.

Crematia shrieked in rage, realizing that if she doesn't find a way to defeat the bronze soon, her defeat will be imminent.

She mutters a spell - casting the illusion of her still crouching on the cloud, she renders herself invisible. She flies in the opposite direction of the storm while the illusion roared and dived toward the dark clouds, straining to get at Crucible on the other side.

Crucible kept up his concentration on the storm, keeping a sharp ear out for any sign of Crematia breaking through the cloud itself as first acid rain began to pour down from the cloud followed shortly by bolts of lightning, lancing at the one within the cloud.

Knowing her use of teleportation previously he kept his senses sharp for any sign of her as he used the other clouds around to obscure his form from below, his breath weapon ready for any sign of his foe.

Not quite willing to face him head on, she allowed the illusion to disappear under the onslaught on acid and lightning. Instead she flies steadily higher, reaching to the very peak of the dark clouds. Willing herself for patience, she waits, looking for an opening, or the storm spell possibly wearing off in time.

This will require precise casting, speed, and a little bit of luck. Trying to something to possibly distract him, she made another casting, a mirror spell that allow three illusions of herself in various locations, all roaring and dodging e bolts this way and that.

Crucible kept up the storm for a few moments longer until he could no longer get a good idea of the location of his opponent, the cloud giving a final few arches of lightning before beginning to dissipate.

Crucible having used that time to gain some altitude above the storm himself, his sight locking onto Crematia as she broke over the the dissipating clouds with not one but three of her, two no doubt were illusions but which was which. Once more drawing on his power, lightning crackling around his snout as he let loose another spell one that he had used at range prior, lightning arching down toward the middle of the three great dragons before two separate bolts separated from the initial and arched toward the other two.

Crematia strained her wings, flapping harder and harder to gain altitude. Realizing her time is running out as the illusions start to fade away, she decided to take the next step and teleported almost directly above the cursed metal serpent. Fangs and claws ready, she falls directly on top of Crucible.

Crucible kept his gaze sharp on her and his surroundings, she was a cunning dragon when she needed to be he had little doubt. When she teleported he sensed her presence immediately above, closing his wings in and twisting in the air in an attempt her claws and fangs, roaring though as he felt her claws leave bloody furrows in his scales.

His head whipping up and around, lightning dancing around his maw before letting loose his breath weapon directly at one of her wings as the pair tumbled and fought.

Crematia inhaled deeply and let loose a barrage of flames as she slammed into Crucible, claws immediately digging into his flesh, tearing as much as she can. The evil serpent screams as lightning tears through the membrane of her wings, but she still clings on, determined to fight as long as it is possible.

She is barely aware that they are no longer in midair but falling, falling straight down to the rapidly approaching earth.

Crucible roared out in pain from both the barrage of flames, doing his best to twist out of the way of the majority of the powerful flame, though a near impossibility at this range. His own claws lashing out at the red, his bite trying to get hold on her neck.

His wings part in small bursts, trying to slow, or at least guide their fall, toward any speck of water that had been visible far below. His attention however fully on trying to free himself from the grip of the great red above, trying to spin them so that he were above.

It pleases Crematia of hearing his pained bellows. It pleases her greatly.

But her triumph is short lived as she realized just how strong her opponent is - she can barely keep her grip on to him. She was about to mutter another spell when jaws latched on to her throat, blocking both her voice and air. This time she is the one squirming, barely breathing through her nostrils as she tries to get out of his tenacious grip.

Crucible only grips tighter around her neck, he was strong, but so was she. His grip on her neck was strong, but still gravity proved a more and more immediate obstacle, no matter his hold there was little doubt that her claws would still do damage. The ground rapidly approaching even from the height at which they had began their tumble.

His aim at that moment was to twist until Crematia was beneath in their fall so that he could release and attempt to pull up. The closer to the ground they got the more dangerous for the both of them it would be.

Choose your destiny! Flawless victory! [Inevitable Tournament Arc]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

Really sorry about the delay with this, cold and busy uni not a good mix >.<

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

sorry for the slow! Lost the tag in the inbox

Not a problem!