[b]MONARCH VS ZINKO[/b]

Zinko smiled as the doors behind him closed with a heavy thud. He brought his arms upwards, and as thick, black arcane energy poured from his hands it coalesced, taking the form of a pair of curved scimitars of black metal, each of which he caught effortlessly in his hands. He brought one back and one forward, a true combat stance, the first aggressive motion Monarch had felt from him. In turn she brought her staff back behind her, held tightly in her intact hand, while her clawed augmentation was held forward, the scythe-like claws rattling as they tapped against metal.

"I hope you're ready to dance," Zinko said, almost singing the words in delight. "Because I'm not going to stop until you're dead, dead, dead!"

Zinko lept into the air with remarkable speed, twirling his body as he launched himself at Monarch, both blades held outwards, transforming him into a whirlwind of black steel. The attack was met with an equally aggressive one, as Monarch thrust her staff forward, a crackle of electrical and arcane energy colliding to release a bolt of thick, blue plasma, which shot through the sky like an arrow directly at Zinko.

His blades cut straight through the bolt, the energy torn apart and tossed in all directions, crashing against the ground with incredible force. A combined shot would knock most men out cold, if not kill them. She fired another but it was deflected just as easily, before she brought her staff down and fired one at the ground just as she leapt. Mona was thrown back, her position clouded in thick dust and dirt, and her vision never left it as she landed back on both feet, forcing her staff into the ground to slow her as she slid backwards.

The mad form of Zinko appeared again, almost launching himself out of the dust towards her in a long, straight thrust with his curved swords. Monarch brought her hand upwards, a clawed hand catching in the blades and throwing it upwards. As Zinko brought his other sword forwards she caught it with her staff, and then released an eruption of arcane energy from her staff, magic tearing into Zinko's flesh and throwing him off of her.

"You are faster than I had expected," Mona said, bringing her claw up to inspect the damage. His sword had cut deep into the metal, but it had hit nothing vital. She did not know whether that was a good thing or a bad thing, but brought the head of her staff along the cut and the metal resealed.

Zinko quickly recovered from the arcane blow, and kept his movements erratic and quick, his eyes fixed on Monarch. "The feeling is mutual!" he said in an excited tone. "But maybe it's time we acted with a more serious manner. I've waiting for this chance to fight you, since you're so adamant on finding out the true puppet masters." He smirked devilishly, teasing the woman. "But I'm not telling you!".

Monarch slammed her staff into the ground, and a trio of royal blue spheres materialised in front of her. She brought her staff around in a wide swing, and the arcane balls flew towards Zinko. He effortlessly avoided them, a simple step to the side that made her attempts look pitiful. Mona scowled.

"The darkness consumes all in due time, and my magic is no different. Void Art is the essence of darkness made reality by yours truly!" yelled Zinko. He stepped backwards and in a moment he was gone, his body was engulfed by a spiral of darkness, circling him like slithering serpents that snapped and hissed at the air. "Void Art: Shade Slice Cutter," he said as the shadows changed shape, twisting into a huge, crescent blades that hung loosely by his side, before they cut through the air towards Monarch, twisting and changing direction in erratic movements that were almost impossible to predict.

Surprisingly Monarch did predict them. She ducked low as one came at her at her waist, a horizontal slash that went over her head and crashed into the wall behind them. The second was swifter, a diagonal cut that dug deep into the floor. Rather than duck, Mona used her staff to push herself back into her feet and pointed the head of her staff at the floor, raising it upwards just as the blade impacted. A wall of arcane magic that flickered into view just in a moment took the blow, and as Monarch brought her staff down the shadows evaporated.

"You better be light on your toes!" Zinko mocked, creating more of the dark curved blades that started to swerve around his form.

In the flurry of the newly appearing curved blades of energy Zinko moved with frightening agility, flipping and cartwheeling as if he was more putting on a show than fighting, using the momentum of his acrobatics to hurl more shadowy blades. To Monarch it almost looked like he was teleporting with each step he took, vanishing and appearing in quick succession, before his dark, shadowy form appeared only inches away from Mona.

"Void Art: Nothingness Shower!" he shouted, his palms aimed at Monarch. Erupting from his hand came numerous smallish black orbs that shot towards the magitechnician, shadowy wisps that coiled through the air and homed in on the slender female figure. She backed up, hurling orbs of arcane energy to repel Zinko's erratic, searing bolts of magic which licked at her armoured clothing, enough to burn her skin even though not one landed a direct hit. They stung, and Mona could tell the burns were more than skin deep. She grit her teeth, forced into a defensive position as she searched for cover from Zinko's barrage.

As she turned on her heel, a shaded figure appeared before her, the sinister form of Zinko once again infront of her. Mona turned again and Zinko was there. He stood wherever she turned. There was no running from this, she had to fight back now. She summoned her strength and raised her staff to the air, taking a single bolt of energy to the chest that tore apart her armour. She yelled, forcing her staff down into the ground as sickly blue energy pulsed through it, forcing cracks to form in the ground. Mona was outmatched, but not for long, she thought, as stone spikes erupted from the earth.

"Soul Weaver Art; Command!"

Zinko's eyes widened a little as the spike rose straight through his chest, leaving him impaled. It was a decoy, it dissipated into a thick, black smog into the air. Monarch gritted her teeth as she then kept her guard up, waiting for the Jester to strike back. Out from the shadows, Zinko spun like a mad tornado towards Monarch. She caught the blades with her staff and mechanical arm, parrying them with practiced skill.

"I was almost killed there! A for effort!" he mocked as he pushed her back, swinging with savage efficiency, swinging his scimitars more like clubs than blades. Monarch blocked and deflected each blow, showing a surprising amount of speed and power that was clearly enhanced by magic, and every blocked strike sent painful shocks down Monach's limbs and it felt like she was being stabbed in the chest. She grit her teeth tightly, eyes flaring with magical energy as she tried to keep going. She needed to be more aggressive, and the moment she felt Zinko's offense faulter she lashed out, catching him with her mechanical claw with a powerful swipe. As she let down her guard, and Zinko threw out a lethal blade, something blocked the strike. A stone form, rugged and haphazardly held together with thin, almost electrical links of magic, that took the blow in its entirely and shattered. The stone spires that erupted from the ground from Mona's magic not a moment pulled themselves from it, assembling themselves in stout, vaguely humanoid shapes, each with a pair of glistening blue eyes and a stone-mawed face. For the first time since the fight started, Monarch smiled.

Zinko thrust a hand forward, touching Monarch's cheek gently, but channeled enough dark energy to hurl her backwards. His demeanour changed, the gleeful mage flashing a look of mallice and evil intent that Monarch had never seen before. His scimitars exploded with magical energy, and as the stone forms rose up around him and charged, he became a whirlwind of death. The stone figures hurled themselves at him, lashing out with blunt stone limbs and the sharp, blade-like jagged rocks that lined them. Zinko carved through them like butter, exploding in a ray of dark energy. Monarch watched and caught her breath, running her hand along her torso and limbs, a low blue light pulsing across her body. Her wounds began to stich themselves together, bruises fading and cuts sealing. She would still need to rest, and could do nothing to stem the growing exhaustion, but at least the pain had been numbed. She rested limply small, animated golems.

"It seems I underestimated you," he said, crushing the head of the last golem between his fingers. "I may have to look for alternative methods of taking you out, rather than confront you directly. Maybe if I forced you back to Ozalia by killing Tuscar? No, that's too boring. I'll have to think about this more." Zinko said coldly, as if he had become a completely new person. "I'll spare this time, Flo. Next time I'll make sure the void consumes you" He stated, sinking into the ground before vanishing completely.

The very mention of her father sent Monarch into a frenzy, and she thrust her staff into the ground again, the spot where Zinko stood erupting in rifts of arcane energy, rending and tearing anything and everything that dared stand in its spot. She yelled loudly, hurling bolts of energy until the spot where Zinko stood was left a smouldering wreck. It took her a while to calm down, and she wiped the swear from her brow. If Zinko was gone she had more improtant things to worry about. [i]Hope you're doing okay, Jax...[/i]


[b]XXXXXXX[/b]

The hired Mages and bandits had begun to flee, seeing the destruction and chaos that Darren's monstrous form had brought upon them. He gave out a bellowing deep roar, before lashing out once more, the crash of blades and arrows unable to pierce his hide, and the simple magics that they performed simply whisped away into harmless ether when they struck his shadowed form. Mages and bandits alike were tossed around like toys and dolls, thrown without much effort from the beast that was moments prior Darren. Those that remained scattered, running into the fog-covered hills, all wary to stay far away from the growing thunderstorm that appeared around the manor, most certainly Reynir's doing. Darren returned to his human form once the last of his foes had dispersed, and he smirked for a while until a sudden realisation hit him.

He frantically looked around to see it but only found torn pieces of fabric, scattered loosely across the battlefield. Darren sighed. "Well, I'll be getting a new jacket it seems." 


[b]CROSSBONES VS KAZAN[/b]

Kazan had waited for this moment for a while. Although he had thought Raldo's imprudent attempt to scare them by kidnapping the girl had been foolish, maybe letting Raldo steal Rita was not such a bad idea if it meant he finally got to prove himself better than this brute of a man. He looked the magitechnician in front of him, snearing at the crude mechanical gauntlets on his fists. How pathetic. Kazan clicked his fingers and the candles that lined the room dimmed and died down, letting them cast a soft, almost ominous orange glow across the room.

"I would usually fight with a ring of fire surrounding myself and my opponent, but it's all theatrics and rather heavy on my mana. and you're not the weakling type, for a Magitech user ofcourse" He smirked. "Do you want me to start? Or should I say ladies first?" Kazan said, a mocking sneer on his face as flames erupted from his hands. He just needed the big brute to buy the bait.

"Catch!" yelled Crossbones as he hurled a hefty, fist-sized rock at Kyzan.

Kazan raised an eyebrow. A rock, really? He smiled, wondering if this was in fact easier than he thought it was going to be. He raised a hand and, as the stone came within arms reach, a pulse of fire erupted from his hand and threw the charred rock aside. Or at least, that was what Kazan intended to happen. The rock exploded, sending shrapnel and fire in all directions. Kazan felt hot metal cut through his skin, and while the eruption of flame may have harmed anyone else, his magic was strong enough to resist the overbearing heat. It was not, however, enough to resist the enormous metal gauntlet that came crashing through the fire and the smoke, as Crossbones threw a vicious punch to the man's jaw.

It connected, throwing the frailer mage backwards and into the wall. Crossbones laughed, surprised that had worked as well as it had. He watched as Kazan pulled himself back up, a few cuts and grazes on him and his clothes, and an extremely bruised left side of his face, and motioned to his belt. 

Kazan rubbed the left side of his face, the bruise already showing.

"Ozalian Firebomb," Crossbones said, pulling another off of his belt and tossing it into the air, catching it with just as little effort. "Didn't think it'd be that effective, what with your magic all being fire based and all, but I think the surprised help.

"Well, at least now your little surprise attack won't work a second time now that I know what they all do."

Crossbones chuckled. "This one isn't a firebomb," he replied, as he hurled the orb which erupted, coating the entirity of the far side of the chamber in a thick layer of crystal-like ice.

Flames started to sear the ice from Kazan's arms, the frost that covered his sleeves turning to water and then steam in an instant. The flames across his form, previously orange-red, began to sear a hot blue. The ice around Kazan began to melt as flames whipped off of his body, intensely hot even from the other side of the room. He looked directly at Crossbones as he smirked.

"Pretty neat tricks, I admit, big man, but they don't even compare to my tricks!"

Kazan cracked both of his knuckles as he mocked his opponent, tiny sparks flickering from his form.  "Inferno Art: Blazing Blade!" he yelled, and those sparks coalesced around his hands to create a large, thin blade of blue burning flames that bit at the air around it. He pointed the tip to Crossbones, his smile growing a little wider. "Let's get serious!"

He rushed forward. Kazan thrusted the fiery blade forward to stab  Crossbones, but was met with a swift dodge. Kazan pushed forward with multiple thrusts in a flurry of fiery blade fury but each time Crossbones ducked and dodged with skillful and agile grace, something that surprised Kazan for a man his size. Crossbones kept his arms up, thick metal gauntlets protecting his face. "You move quite fast for a tinkerer, I'm impressed,"  he stated, taking a step back, only to release the sword and propel it forwards in a flurry of flames directly at Crossbones, a whirlling blade of fire moving towards him at incredible speed, ready to burn the magitech powerhouse to a crisp.

Crossbones wrenched another grenade from his belt, the weapon quivering in his hand and cold to the touch. He raised his hands high, pulled the pin, and hurled the weapon just in front of his feet as he threw himself back. The eruption of ice shielded the blow, even as a wave of searing heat cut past Crossbones' face, cushioned by the icy eruption and his own metal gauntlets. He groaned as he pushed himself back up to his feet, watching as the flaming sword returned to Kazan's hand. Crossbones emerged from the flames, frost, and steam, pulling twin pistols from his belt and raising them arms outstretched. He squeezed the triggers once, twice, and a dozen more times, firing a hail of iron bullets as fast as he could pull the triggers from the twin machitech pistols until the glowing blue clip depleted, fading to a dull grey.

Kazan brought his blade around in a flurry of motion and with supernatural finesse his blade met every bullet. They held in place, suspended in the air, and Kazan spent a moment ot line them up in a perfect vertical line before him. Crossbones quickly fumbled for a new power cell, sliding them both into his pistols which hummed with energy once more.

"Please" was the only word to escape Kazan's mouth before he brought his flame-coated sword in an upwards, striking each bullet and sending them back to Crossbones with the same speed and force that with which they had originally been fired. Crossbones quickly brought his arms upwards to shield his face, neck, and chest, many of the bullets pinging off of the impossibly sturdy material of his gauntlets, but a few found purchase, striking and cutting through his armour, leaving several grazed wounds and one more impactful shot in his lower side. Crossbones felt the uncomfortable sting and grit his teeth, silently thanking his armoured suit for cushioning the blow. It bled and would certainly be just another scar for Crossbones to add to his list, but it had hit nothing vital, and for that he was more than thankful. Pain kept Crossbones on his toes, but Kazan still stood strong and he could afford no weakness.

Crossbones held off his second pistol barraged. He knew Kazan would just respond with another sword strike in kind, and instead took a moment to analyse his foe. Kazan smiled and, knowing that Crossbones was trying to learn and analyse his style, swapped to a weapon in his arsenal that would make him even more difficult to read. Kazan dispersed the sword. "You seem to be holding out on me. Well then, allow me to show you something that's new and ready for a real run!" 

The flames around Kazan began to sizzle and burn even hotter, sending a wave of intense, overpowering heat across the room."Inferno Art: Blaze King Style" he called out as flames began to weave themselves his forearms and shins, creating blue flame like gauntlets and greaves. Kazan gave a confident smile to Crossbones, moving at lightning speed towards the larger man. As Kazan threw a left, a wave of searing hot fire blasted out, narrowly missing Crossbone's head. Crossbones was taken slightly by surprise but didn't falter, blocking each hit narrowly, feeling his hair singed and his skin reddened and burned just from being so close. He noticed that the speed and power of Kazan's combat prowess had not only dramatically increased, but more importantly he noticed that Kazan was holding back. If he thought he was going to get away with treating Crossbones in such a patronising way then he was sorely mistaken.

Crossbones waited, eventually forming a pattern in his mind. The way Kazan moved was fast, powerful, and unpredictable to most, but there was always a pattern. Crossbones parried and blocked, watching Kazan's every move with keen eyes. Strike, strike, step, block, strike strike, step, block, strike, strike, ste-

Kazan moved to his left and was met with an enormously powerful right hook, metal crashing into his jaw, the force made all the more severe as Kazan threw himself into it. Crossbones followed with a second punch, this time with his left hand, into Kazan's stomach. Another success! He pulled back for another, quick jab to capitalise on Kazan's stumble but met only air, and the sharp whiplash of fire against his arms. Still, his risk had paid off, as Kazan took a second to recompose himself.

"Are you going to keep treating me like a child or are you going to stop holding back? I'm not as slow as you think, and I can promise you I can take whatever you throw at me." Crossbones brushed off his arms, smoke gently falling from where the leathers and armour had been scorched and burned, and retook his combat stance. 

Kazan gripped his right side of his face, the pain searing through him like nothing ever before. He hadn't been struck with such a blow since he challenged his older sister to a mage duel. He clicked his fingers, creating a purple like flame as he rose it to the damaged side of his face. "This won't completely heal the damage your punch did, but it will at least nullify the pain just long enough for me to beat you down, old man." Kazan said with an annoyed and angered tone.

The way he held his hand covered his eye, obscuring half of Crossbones' form. He took the opportunity he needed, stepping forward and unleashing another monumental right hook to Kazan's face, his knuckle colliding with the back of Kazan's flat hand with a sickening crack, and knocking Kazan to the ground. "Then get up and fight!" he yelled.

Kazan looked at Crossbones, the rage in his eyes only building by the moment. He ignored the sudden pain in his hand, bones that he was sure were broken, and stood up to meet the taller man in front of him.

"You've got some nerve, old man," Kazan spat at Crossbones. Flames around him and Crossbones started to ignite with a blueish tint, slowly rising around them both, blocking off Crossbones' escape.

Both Kazan's hands burned with the blue flames. His magic power attuned with his rage at the moment Crossbones punched him a second time, and even as the punch connected, Kazan caught his hand, the silvery metal of Crossbone's gauntlets turning bright orange. "Full Siphoned state has been achieved, this won't end well for you, not one bit."

The flames circled both combatants until they moved to Kazan, engulfing him in a wave of blue fire that threw Crossbones back a few feet. "Siphoned Inferno Art: Emperor's Will!" Kazan shouted as a shockwave erupted from his form, sending sparks and cinders all directions, extinguishing every flame in the room. Crossbones was pushed back further than he expected, and his eyes struggled to adjust to the new darkness, before a searing, blazing blue light erupted where Kazan once stood. In his place was an armoured figure, a knight in bright white armour, engulfed in those same blue flames, with a wreath of smoke-laden flame that rested atop his head like a crown.

"Remember, it was you who asked for this" Kazan said, although his voice was twisted and warped like metal grinding against metal, cinders spewing from his mouth as he spoke. 

Kazan stretched his arms outward, cracking his neck as he did so, and even that sounded more like the twisting of metal than cracking of bone. "I don't use this spell as often as I'd like, so I apologise if I'm a little rusty. Five minutes should be all I need to make you whimper like the pathetic dog you are." 

His mocking was only an opportunity for Crossbones to close in, fighting through the flames that cut at his skin to deliver a powerful left hook into Kazan's chest. He lunged forwards but only met air where he was sure Kazan had been a moment ago, and suddenly Crossbones felt a sharp kick to his stomach, forcing the air from his lungs. Kazan stood beside him, his face obscured by the searing metal armour, but Crossbones could tell he was grinning.

Kazan followed up with a swift spin kick across Crossbones face, propelling him into the left wall of the chamber with enough force to crack stone, a testament to Kazan's strength and Crossbones' resilience in turn, as he pulled himself onto his feet moments later, battered and bruised but still standing. Kazan clenched his fist, every passing moment making this new, arcane form feel more natural, allowing him to properly adapt to the armour's power and speed. Kazan's palm aimed directly at Crossbones, blue flames gathering in a swirling vortex of vicious flames.

"Siphoned Inferno Art: Dragon's Fire Blast" He said, as a beam of blue scorching fire blasted forward towards Crossbones, enveloping the hulking humanoid form and burning him to ash.

Kazan laughed, pulling his arm back and looking at the sorry sight. watching as the billowing cloud of smoke passed to reveal the smouldering, burned crisp body of Crossbones. Or so he thought he would find. Crossbones stood, his clothing burned black, but an ethereal, blue shield of energy wreathed around his form, which shielded him from the brunt of the inferno before dispersing, and one of the lights on Crossbones' chest piece dimmed.

"Still alive, old man?" spat Kazan, his lips curling into a grin. "What? You don't have any more tricks up your sleeves to keep you alive this time."

To his surprise, the very same grin appeared across Crossbones' face, as he brought a hand across to toy with something on his gauntlet, and then brought the other hand across to press something on the other. "You really don't know who you're messing with."

"Then please, enlighten me."

"Engaging overdrive proceedures. Disabling limiters."

Crossbones slammed his knuckles together, and the faint lines like veins that ran down the lengths of the gauntlets shimmered and burst into blue light. The ground around him rippled and cracked, exploding with magical energy that released from him in waves, Kazan's only flaming form flickering from the pressure. He brought both arms back sharply and the metal panels along the back of the gauntlets pulled back, and as he thrust both arms forward the same metal panels moved with him until they locked in place. With it came a click-click like cocking a shotgun, and the backs of the gauntlets burst into more blue light, engulfing Crossbones' forearms in radiant energy that wisped backwards, igniting the small pieces of metal that lined the back of Crossbones' torso armour, and they too poured out blue arcane energy. In fact, every piece of technology, from his chestpiece to the mechanical parts of his very boots spurred into life, almost desperate to get a taste of the ensuing combat. Slowly Crossbones looked up from his own fists to meet Kazan, his own eyes bursting with the same power, and that smirk became a joyous grin. He laughed, cracking his neck in a display that mimicked Kazan's.

Kazan clapped. "I'm almost impressed."

"You have no idea," Crossbones replied, as he slammed a fist into one of the room's stone pillars, wrenching the entire piece from its base and lifting it up above his head. The entire building seemed to creak as one of its supports were removed, and again as Crossbones hefted the pillar like an enormous spear, hurling it at Kazan before throwing himself forward, flames erupting from the base of his boots and the backs of his gauntlets, sending him hurtling towards Kazan at incredible speed, his very size and strength carrying the force of a freight train as he threw another punch, not to make contact with Kazan, but for the arcane energy to carry out from his gauntlet, lashing out ten feet ahead abefore it crashed and exploded on contact with Kazan's form, who only just narrowly avoided the spear of earth that crashed into him.

The eruption send Kazan flying backwards with so much force the wall behind him collapsed, and the next one, as the momentum carried his form. He groaned in pain as he slowly picked himself up, only to feel a hand wrap tightly around his chest and lift him up, slamming him back into the next wall behind him, this time one of solid stone. Again and again, Crossbones slammed his body into the wall, before taking him by both hands and slamming him against the floor.

A an eruption of blue flame blasted free from Crossbones' grasp, and the twisted spiral of energy reformed across the other side of the room. From it emerged Kazan who stood holding his stomach as he panted heavily. He had underestimated the magitechnician. His right hand clenched tightly as flames burst forth, biting at the walls and floor, setting the very room ablaze.

"You think... You think you're better than... than me?!" he growled. "I am the head of the Pyros family, a proud line of powerful pyromancers, and for my family's honour, I will not let the likes of you beat me down. I'll turn you to cinder before I'm bested."

He slowly rose to his feet, his hand moving from its tight cluch on his wounded stomach. He grit his teeth as he spoke again. "Siphoned Inferno Art: Emperor Sun".

He spoke softly, but they made the very ground rumble with power. His right palm rose as more blueish flames started to gather, creating a burning blue orb inches away from his hand. The orb soon grew bigger, becoming a blazing sphere of blue-white fire as large as one of Crossbones' own oversized gauntlets. The room brightly lit up, almost blindingly so, as lashes of flame whipped out, enough to crash against Crossbones' own armour. "I'm not holding back anymore!"

He focused all of his efforts onto this one, volatile sphere of roaring flames, channeling every last piece of his mana into the orb. It grew hotter and hotter, and his smile turned into a full grin. "Now prepare to face my-"

Kazan could not finish his sentence. The light faded from his vision as a huge force struck his head, his senses shattering and his body giving out as he collapsed to the floor. The sphere of fire that previously rested in his hand shriveled into nothing as the back of his head struck the ground and he lay motionless, completely unconcious. Crossbones pulled a small handkerchief from his pocket which he used to wipe away the blood that now stained the front of his gauntlet. The energy that pulsed through his mechanical gear hummed and faded, and he took a long, deep breath as the exhaustion caught up to him.

Crossbones looked to the door ahead, the flames that once barred it flickering and fading. His companions were already up ahead, but they could need his help, and he had a job to do. He looked to the unconscious body on the floor and shoved him out of the way, set his sights deeper into the complex, and moved onwards.


[b]XXXXXXXX [/b]

Alfen was ready to hit Henry. "Just who do you think you are?" he barked. "Mona is an extremely skilled fighter. I doubt she'd lose!" Alfen was adamant and stood his ground, his fists clenched and muscles tense. He almost lashed out at Henry but managed to, just barely, keep is cool enough.

Henry sighed but grit his teeth, especially after seeing Anna's expression which had changed from optimistic determination to the grim realisation that she might suffer more at the hands of her bickering companions than the villanous society that threatened them all. Still she kept silent, trying to focus on the path ahead of them, but it was clear her strength was starting to faulter. Anna had always been optimistic and a driving force in the group, even if he had not known her for long, an the sign that she was losing hope was painful.

Henry opened his mouth to speak, but seeing this he held his tongue. "Fine, let's just focus"

Henry suddenly came to a sharp, sudden halt, almost having Alfen bump right into him, and certainly having the frailer form of the pixie bump into his back. It was Raldo, obscured just so by the dim lighting of the room not unlike that which Kazan once stood. In his hands were heavy chains which led behind him, and from behind his form peered a far smaller, slender female figure. Rita.

"H-Henry?" she called out, eyes wide in surprise as she saw her older brother there, lance in hand and clad in his shard armour. Her eyes glistened with recently dried tears, her clothes and hair unkempt. "Anna? Alfen?!"

"We've come to get you out, Rita!" Anna called out, for perhaps the first time her hands flaring with wisping blue magical energy. Alfen almost jumped back at the sheer intensity of it, surprised by how much power radiated from this tiny individual. What kind of secrets did she have up her sleeve?

"Are you okay?!" Alfen called out, which Rita responded to with a small, hesitant nod. "You didn't think we'd leave you behind, did you?"

"As for you," snapped Henry, his vision shifting from his sister to the tall figure that stood before him. "If you dared to lay a finger on my sister then I promise you that I'm going to take you to a very dark place, and I'm going to take so much pleasure in taking you there personally."

Raldo's response was delayed. He paused, looking back and forth between the three mages that stood in the doorway, barking and yelling at him. He felt the tug of chains in his hands at Rita struggled, but he quickly tightened his grip and pulled her back in place.

"You think you could scare me? A child scare me? I had looked forward to knockingthat smug look from your friend's face-" Raldo motioned towards Alfen. "But when Zyle said the little girl's brother was coming with them I decided I'd make it my personal duty to break every bone in his body," Raldo sneered.

"Why you-"

"You two," continued Raldo, barking to Alfen and Anna. "The training chamber is ahead. If you want to save your precious little girlfriend you might want to head there. My boss'll be waiting. He wants to deal with you two personally." Raldo's grip on the chain slipped and the form of Rita faded into an ethereal mist. Raldo's own grin grew wider. "Good luck finding her."

"Alfen? Anna?" Henry said, turning to face his companion. The two turned in response. "Promise me you'll find my sister. Promise me you'll bring her back safe, okay?"

"We promise," Anna said. "But don't you want to-"

"I need to teach this man some manners." Henry slammed his spear into the ground, arcane energy rippling from the cracks it formed. "If he hurt my sister then I refuse to let him get away for his actions. Today he dies."

"Big words from a child," Raldo sneered back.

"We'll find her," said Alfen. "We'll save her and make sure everything's set right."

HENRY VS RALDO

Raldo circled the armored mage, his eyes wild, almost wanting Henry to throw the first strike. Henry stood vigilent with both arms crossed. "So you're just waiting for me huh? Well, I'm going to enjoy ripping you apart, son of Reeve's Laana. I'll kill you and have Rita to myse-" 

"Shut up" Henry cut him off to Raldo's annoyance. "You don't even to get mention Rita, let alone talk about impossible hypothetical situations. I'm going to hurt you. plain and simple." Henry stated, uncrossing his arms. He walked towards Raldo, focused on the mage with an unwavering presence. The room itself was dimly lit and decrepid. Through the window you could just make out Darren's demonic form taking out bandit and mage after bandit and mage.

Raldo sneered, the Arachnid Stingers sprouting forth from his back as he readied himself for Henry's offense. Henry continued to slowly walk to the annoyance and inpatience of the Spider Curse Mage. Raldo leapt forward, motioning his body to turn to the left, the three stingers launching direcrtly at Henry. Hitting thin air, Raldo's eyes widened. "You should not be so hesistant" as soon as he heard those words, Raldo's face was met with a devestating punch, knocking him across the room. Henry's armor was a different shade than before; Glowing with a rather divine light this time,a white metallic coating over the shard armor.

Raldo's expression was a mix of anger, surprise frustration. He sneered as he stood up. "That was a lucky shot!" he shouted as he sprung forth, motioning all of his stingers to strike the armored Shardmancer. The stingers met with nohing but air once again. Raldo felt a sudden force in his stomach, a fist firmly planted in his abdomen. Henry's face was focused and determined. He followed with a shift uppercut, propelling Raldo into the air. He leapt up with a somersault and struck Raldo firmly in the chest with an axe kick, smashing him back into the ground. "You can't expect to win this fight, Raldo" Henry stated as he landed on his feet. "If you've hurt my sister in anyway? I'll make you regret it" he stated. 

Raldo slowly stood up, he didn't expect Henry to be a walk in the park that's or sure, but the power in his strikes thus far were more than what Raldo initially thought. "Don't count me out just yet, hehe" Raldo replied, the stingers from his back stretching further out than before, as each of them met in the center. The dark purple energy glowing, as a connection was made, a web like pattern showing itself. " Spider Curse Creation: Black Widow Cannon!" he shouted, as a beam of dark purple shot forth directly at Henry. 

The beam seemed to strike him directly, Raldo's expression was crazed and happy. "FINALLY! Rita's pathetic brother his done for." as the beam dispersed, there was no body of Henry insight. Raldo's euphoric grin quickly turned to confusion. "Where...is he?" he muttered, frantically looking around. "Behind you" was the words Raldo heard as he then turned around. in a matter of seconds, Henry had redirected the energy into radiance into the newly formed mace in his hands. Henry smirked, striking Raldo with full force across the face. Knocking out the Arachnide Mage in seconds. Henry looked over the hall they stood in. "This place is old. I wonder if this was one of the first guilds." He pondered. Henry's armor returned to its dark silver design, returning the room back into it's darkened form. As he left the chamber, looking back to the room both Crossbones and Kazan had already begin their bout. He felt an intense heat the closer he got, blue flames and magical energy both escaping out of the closed doors. Henry stood, blinking for a couple of seconds. "Guess I'll wait then" he said, not wanting to enter such chaos. 


[b]XXXXXXXXX[/b]

Alfen ran as fast as he could to the training chamber ahead, sparks erupting from his feet as his emotions took control, and he cared little as magic wisped around him. It seemed like forever since he had last seen Rita, and he feared what might have become of her in just the short time they had come here to save her, let alone what had happened since she was first kidnapped. He was focused entirely on her, ready for whatever lay ahead for him to take out. "We are close now, Anna," he said, turning briefly to the pixie that fluttered beside him, and he could see on her face she was just as determined. "Just one more hurdle and Rita is safe."

His words were honest, yet from what had transpired before, Alfen couldn't help but feel a tiny bit of doubt, something stuck with him and ever since he was unable to shake it completely from his mind. Anna clearly noticed this, and rested a delicate hand gently against his shoulder.

"We'll rescue her, Alfen. Don't worry," she said, forcing an uneasy smile onto her face in an attempt to comfort him.

The doors ahead were closed tight, Alfen just smirked as he lunged forward a powerful front kick to break the doors off their hinges in an impressive dislay of physical strength, only enhanced by the arcane energy that coursed through his veins. 

Before them was a disturbing sight. Rita sat, bound in chains, that led to the dainty hand of Minerle who cluched the ends tightly, keeping Rita firmly bound. "Looks like the runts of the litter finally made it" she sneered. "All the worthwhile fighters left behind, so all that's left is you two? How pathetic."

Rita's eyes opened wide at the sight of her would-be saviors. "Alfen! Anna! you don't have to do this! Run! Get out of here!" She pleaded, desperately wanting them to both be safe. 

A figure stepped foward from behind Minercle, Orus, with a pale figure clad in blue beside him who matched his paces. He remained silent as Orus spoke, his ethereal blue eyes watching Alfen and Anna with intent. "Greetings, Alfen Van Dragoon, and Anna Stasia, Your comrades are embroiled in their duels it seems, and they are all doing quite well. To be honest I was expecting Reynir, or maybe even Darren to come to the girl's rescue, but this is definitely a surprise, to see children stand before me. I'll leave these two in your capable hands, Zyle and Minerle. Take care of them, and quickly."

He wrenched the chains from Minerle's hands and dragged Rita with him, through another set of doors which sealed behind him, bound by ethereal chains of raw magic. Minerle and Zyle stood silently as Alfen and Rita squared off against them.

"Looks like it's the two of us versus the two of them," Anna said to Alfen, but a voice spoke almost immediately after her.

"Not quite," Minerle said, her thin lips curled into a smile. "But don't worry. Neither of you will be left out of the action." She looked over her shoulder to Zyle, who watched disinterested. "Please, if you will."

Zyle brushed a lock of white hair from his face as he approached, his form glimmering with every step. Alfen found it difficult to focus on him, as if his form were seperate from the visage he saw. The boy grit his teeth, pooling lightning around his arms as he unleashed a whiplash of lightning that scored across the room. Minerle stepped backwards, the lash of electricity narrowly missing her chest, but Zyle continued his slow motion forward until the very moment the whip touched him.

His form shattered like glass, but the razor sharp pieces still held power, and rather than clattering to the ground they transformed, shifting around the whip and coiling together into a fierce vortex of glistening blue shards, which closed the distance between Alfen and where Zyle once stood in an instant, as they reformed to the same, thin humanoid form hardly a foot away from Alfen. Zyle brought a hand up, gripping Alfen by the throat and lifting him up off of his feet, and as Alfen's vision faded to black, both of them vanished in a rift of arcane energy, carrying the faint smell of smoke as they were transported, leaving only Anna and Minerle left in the room. Anna looked on stunned, as she turned back to Minerle.

"Wha- what was that? Some kind of illusion?" she asked, her determined stand faltering for a moment.

"No work of mine, pixie," Minerle replied, as she playfully ran her tongue along her lips. "But if you want illusions, then I can give you illusions."