Fantasy A GAME OF SINS

[Wiggle]

Siegfried sat silently on his dark throne, the sounds made from tapping his fingers against the obsidian throne echoed in the dimly lit throne room. It was almost time for the Games, and this time, Siegfried didn't have a good feeling about it. Whether his time as King was over for now, or something else, he didn't know.


"VERDAMMT!" He growled, speaking his native tongue.


Siegfried was never good at waiting, and a few millennium of it was nearly enough to drive him insane. He leaned back against the unnaturally cold obsidian throne and stared at the giant blackened iron doors at the far end of the throne room, before looking around the room. There were six large pillars, all made from the same material as the throne, and red swirled within them, giving them a fiery look. Siegfried swore that they changed patterns when he wasn't looking, and he sometimes spent hours on end watching them. His gaze flickered to the shadowy enforcers who lined the walls, and a disgusted look crept upon his face. He didn't know what they were or what they did, and he hated the fact that they never moved, their white eyes always staring in one direction. Siegfried hated to walk past them, mostly because their gaze seemed like it pierced your soul, and gave even the most hardcore Sin the chills.


Siegfried shook his head, clearing the thoughts from his mind. He rested his gaze back on the black iron door and awaited the arrivals of the other Sins, which he had summoned to the throne room only moments before. Soon, they would arrive, and until they were all assembled, the games would not begin. Siegfried silently decided that he would partake more in this century's games rather than waiting for someone to challenge him or for them to take the other's out. Perhaps he would leave the castle more, or perhaps he'd even fight some of them. He shrugged and slid down in his chair, making himself seem smaller than he really was, pushing the thoughts from him mind. In reality Siegfried was nearly a giant, and towered over most of the other Sins. Both in height and in strength, and their hadn't been a Sin strong enough to oust him from the throne yet. Siegfried sighed and awaited the Sins to arrive in his throne room.

 

[White Masquerade]

"Dead Zone." Instantly the air around her began to fog up and sink. Though the fires of this special place in hell were hot, they powerless to combat the biting cold of her special skill. "Step back. Proper stance. Weight on back leg. Wind up. And..." CRACK! She sung her sword in a downward arc against the closed doors of the burning palace. It did not break, but cracks radiated from the very spot her blade struck moments before. "Square up. Stand straight. Grip the hilt with two hands and jab...." CRRREEEAK! Instead of cracks, dents in the metal formed and pieces of its surface now fell upon the scorched ground. Sarah stood back and took a moment out to admire her special handiwork. With each passing moment, the frigid air was making the door easier and easier to break through by the inch.


"Keeeeeeeeeeeeeee.." It was finally here. Finally time. It was just the noise she was waiting for; the complete solidification of the building's main entrance. " Walk back 20 paces. Crouch down. Lean forward with your left. Begin running. Pick up speed. Place length of the sword running down from left shoulder to left hand and...." CRRRASH!





Sarah had rammed a hole clear straight through the previously locked door. "Excellent," she breathed sheathing her sword and turning off the Zone of Ice. The place looked familiar....yet unknown. Though she spent many years looking at it from the outside, she had never been inside. That was until today. For some odd reason, the Grey Queen had felt compelled to make her way inside; it was like someone wanted her to be in there. It was like she needed to meet somebody. Looking around, a sparse setting met her view, complete with worn furniture, dusty chandeliers, half-torn curtains, and moth-eaten rugs. Yet despite the apparent emptiness, a soul seemed to be living here....


"I see..." Eyes now turned upon the throne and it all seemed to click into place; at least subconsciously. "So it was you then," she said to the man sitting upon it. "Why have you called me here," she continued while unsheathing her blade. "Did you think I'd be easy prey? Did you think I would peacefully succumb to the ways of a lecherous man, unable and powerless stop him as he walks on to me?" The woman's voice was starting to brim with a chilly anger. "You may be large," she hissed, "a giant even. But if you dare try lay a hand on me, I will cut you down where you stand." Her eyes cut through the air as they bored through the facial hues of the sitting man. "As the Grey Queen of Venice, I swear it."





Grey Queen of Venice....? What..? Why did I say that...?


....................





@Wiggle

 

[Wiggle]

Siegfried sat on his throne, one hand resting on Schadenfreunde. His face showed no surprise or anger due to the woman's destruction of his doors, mostly because he had done it before and knew they would reform within moments. This place was strange, no matter what was destroyed or broken, it always seemed to be fixed the next time you looked at it. She began mumbling nonsense and finally spoke up to where Siegfried could hear her in the large throne room.


"Why have you called me here," she continued while unsheathing her blade. "Did you think I'd be easy prey? Did you think I would peacefully succumb to the ways of a lecherous man, unable and powerless stop him as he walks on to me?" She said with a hint of anger. "You may be large," she hissed, "a giant even. But if you dare try lay a hand on me, I will cut you down where you stand." Her eyes seemed to bore into him, something that Siegfried found to be irritating. "As the Grey Queen of Venice, I swear it."


Siegfried stood, and literally towered over her, his muscles were rippling and looked to be as hard as stone and his barbarian type armor was nearly as black as the obsidian the throne room held and exposed his chest while his large belt protected the soft flesh of his belly. There was another belt of what appeared to be trophy skulls, from whom, it was impossible to tell. He wielded his large battle axe with a single hand with ease, and a scowl was on his face. He was not pleased with the way this woman spoke to him, and it showed on his face, and the icy chill that seemed to emit from her body wasn't helping either. Finally, he smiled, and began to laugh at her ridiculously stupid entrance, his long brown braided beard bouncing with each laugh. After a while, he calmed down and shook his head, causing his shoulder length brown hair to move.


"I could cleave you in two with one hand, woman. Don't make idle threats that you can't fulfill." He said, his neutral expression was back and he looked down at her. "I think you know why you're here, Sarah. You're a Sin now, just like I and the rest of those out there." He pointed his finger towards the newly reformed doors. "You're here because the games are staring again, and it's time to fight for the crown." He tapped the obsidian crown that lay upon his head. "If anyone is strong enough to take it, I have been King for nearly two millennium."


@White Masquerade

 

[White Masquerade]

Her gaze got even colder as the woman's eyelids drooped. This new man was now sitting on two strikes. First, he had laughed at her claiming that he could cleave her in two with one hand. Two, he underestimated her; he made the assumption that no one would be strong enough to wrest the crown away from the spot its been on for the past two millenium. "One more strike and you're out," she mumbled, sheathing her blade once more. It was rare not to kill someone with so much insolence on the spot, but what he had called her, froze the woman dead in her tracks: Sarah.


"Sarah...that is a familiar name...yet it sounds right. Tell me, do you know who I am?" This time her eyes weren't filled with rage at his arrogance, but with a curious, inquisitive gleam. "A Sin you say. And the rest out there..? That means there are more of you..rather, us, out there? Interesting." This thought led the woman to begin pacing up and down the castle floor with hands behind her back as she pondered a new-found position. "So. You are telling me that the only way to leave this hellish place, is to win that crown? Am I correct? And there are more of us here in these "games" that decide the winner? But that doesn't make sense. If you have already won, why have you been here for two millenium? Some things do not add up. I am under the impression that you are lying to me."


The woman walked forward towards the man, placing a hand on his armored belt. "Yes. You know some things, but you must not be telling me the whole truth. I am...conflicted, Giant. You seem to know me, yet your words do not fall in line with what you say. I have been trapped in this burning land, honing my skills for heaven knows how long...but for what purpose escapes me. I wish to carve the heart out of your carcass and hold it as a trophy for insulting me, yet without you I fear I may be lost and held here forever."


Sarah gripped the hem of his metal belt with more force. As ice began to coat its surface, she said, "I would like to be your partner from now on. It seems that would be the best position for now. You are the current King, so you must be of some use. There are others out there too from what you say, so joining you in arms would serve to whittle down the others until it's you and me left. Then," she whispered, moving her hand from his belt onto what she could reach of his chest, "I'll pull that crown of ebony off your cold, dead body." Removing her hand from his chest, she backed away slowly with eyes firmly on his. "Watch your words with me beast. I will not take kindly to anymore further insults. Now let us wait."





@Wiggle

 

[Fenn]

Skin shivered,half from excitement from the King's roar and the other from the sudden chill, Lethasis would come upon the icy woman during her most arduous exchange of the day. "Oh my." The horned-woman would raise her slender hand to stifle her giggling, finding the action of whittling away the obsidian door quite humorous, but not intending to reveal herself to the frosty persona. In fact, the narration of her attack, almost brought the woman to crippling tears, also the fact that she was maybe insane? She didn't really know, usually interrupting others before they could form or even think of the word to call her, often times with their heads rolling on the floor. Seeing the imposing doors nearly destroyed, the woman would slowly slither toward it, as silent as a shadow. Although she did also have a third of the mind to also yell "Crash!" along with the woman, she shyly lost her chance to.


Now she has been in this room many times before, it still had been quite some time, but nonetheless an enjoyable time. Having seemingly slipped by without detection, the black haired woman would too, felt the apparent barrenness admist the room. It was expected, and she quite enjoyed the mood of a King with not a country to protect, but himself. Now since she didn't want to be left out of the fun the two were having, she would quietly sneak behind the Grey Queen, as she referred to herself. It was only a fraction of a second, but the madness in the pale woman's expression was unmistakable, and quite dreadful. The sudden shift would had left the room feeling different to the current party inside.


Ignoring the King's silly attempt to show off his muscles to the pretty ladies, sure that he had now took note of her appearance in the room, Letha would cover the ice-like eyes - eye-like ice(?) of the woman, each with both hands. With a devious grin, stare penetrating the King, the svelte woman jeered,"Oh honey, you did fine job with the door really, but the crown. That crown will be taken by me, and I don't intend to share." Despite still radiating an air of confidence moreso arrogance, the female would abruptly yank her newly frostbitten fingers away. Little time had passed, however the period spent inside the Dead Zone must had made her extra susceptible to the freezing touch.


"Oopsie daisie." The woman expressed amusement at her dead fingers crumbling in front of her. Still composed, Letha answered that there was no leaving, as far as she was aware. Though the thought of leaving the place had crossed her mind multiple times, the decades spent here had proven fruitless of the endeavor. While this took the place, the rapid regeneration of her wounds was also occurring. Bones, tissue, and skin would begin to form appropriately, replacing her lost digits, yet still leaving the previous ones on the cold floor. The demon woman would promptly crush them under the sole of boots into dust, still staring at the two as if this was nothing out of the ordinary. Given their circumstances, it wasn't.
​

 

[Wiggle]

"Sarah...that is a familiar name...yet it sounds right. Tell me, do you know who I am?" Her eyes glinted with curiosity. "A Sin you say. And the rest out there..? That means there are more of you..rather, us, out there? Interesting." She thought aloud as she began to pace back and forth in front of the throne. "So. You are telling me that the only way to leave this hellish place, is to win that crown? Am I correct? And there are more of us here in these "games" that decide the winner? But that doesn't make sense. If you have already won, why have you been here for two millenium? Some things do not add up. I am under the impression that you are lying to me."


Siegfried watched her as she walked around, before stopping and approaching him once again, placing a hand on his belt.


"Yes. You know some things, but you must not be telling me the whole truth. I am...conflicted, Giant. You seem to know me, yet your words do not fall in line with what you say. I have been trapped in this burning land, honing my skills for heaven knows how long...but for what purpose escapes me. I wish to carve the heart out of your carcass and hold it as a trophy for insulting me, yet without you I fear I may be lost and held here forever."


Siegfried's eyes narrowed. and what she said had sparked his anger. He had half a mind to follow through with his threat, and end her participation in this century's game.


She gripped the hem of his metal belt with more force. As ice began to coat its surface, she said, "I would like to be your partner from now on. It seems that would be the best position for now. You are the current King, so you must be of some use. There are others out there too from what you say, so joining you in arms would serve to whittle down the others until it's you and me left. Then," she whispered, moving her hand from his belt onto what she could reach of his chest, "I'll pull that crown of ebony off your cold, dead body."Removing her hand from his chest, she backed away slowly with eyes firmly on his. "Watch your words with me beast. I will not take kindly to anymore further insults. Now let us wait."


That was the last straw for Siegfried. She had spoken enough, and he grew tired of her rambling and her air of arrogance. With an unnatural speed he moved forward, grabbijng her by the wrists and slamming her up against one of the pillars. The act broke several chunks of obsidian from the pillar, which later turned to dust. Siegfried's face was inches from Sarah's, causing flecks of ice to form in his beard, but the cold seemed to greet Siegfried like an old friend.


"No one leaves, not ever." Siegfried said. "Whoever you were, whatever you did condemned you to play....forever." He whispered the last word fiercely. "No one dies, no one decays, and there are no winners. If you die during the game, you're resurrected later and forced to play again, over and over until the end of time. Only the strongest survives and don't have to go through the entire process of remembering who you were and then forgetting only to repeat the process in the next one."


He dropped her, and stepped away, only to be greeted by another female Sin, who placed her hands on his ice covered belt.


"Oh honey, you did fine job with the door really, but the crown. That crown will be taken by me, and I don't intend to share." She sneered at the other.


She stepped away, looking down at her frostbitten fingers.


"Oopsie daisie." She muttered as they fell off, hitting the ground with a small thump.


In all honesty, they disgusted Siegfried. They fought over the crown like dogs over table scraps, and the games hadn't even began.

 

[Charming Mouser]

Iago had watched the entire exchange with mild curiosity. Sadly, he couldn't remember what had enticed him to come here, but here he was. He had arrived around the same time as the Grey Queen, but his entrance had been much less conspicuous. It was strange. He had watched the doors destroyed, then, when he had looked back to the vast, fiery plains one last time, the doors were somehow intact. It didn’t surprise him too much; he had seen far too many strange things in his time here, though his memory did seem to be in an odd haze.


He had passed through the door and a few walls, watching the show of bravado; the puffed up speech, and had been thoroughly unimpressed. The woman was powerful, undoubtedly. That could be seen from the manner she had entered the portals to this large room. She seemed to talk a very large game, however, and that is what didn’t impress. Iago moved with perfect stealth from one pillar to another. No creature under the heavens would have noticed his movement, especially not with all of the noise and excitement that was happening.


Already Iago had set several traps. Most of them would explode when they were triggered, and Iago had no doubt that they would be triggered with how these monsters moved around. Like a crash of rhinoceros. Iago seemed to remember hunting and killing a rhinoceros once, though he wasn’t sure when it was, or even where rhinoceros lived. For now, he wouldn’t let it bother him. He was sure that all would be explained in time.


In truth, what he wanted to know had already been partially explained.

"Only the strongest survives and don't have to go through the entire process of remembering who you were and then forgetting only to repeat the process in the next one."

That was a good thing to know, but, Iago now realized that it was probably a bad idea to have set traps. It seemed as if the games had not yet begun, or the foolish woman with the frozen body would have already been ripped in half by the massive, dark giant. He thought about the items that he had previously summoned, and in an instant, they were no longer where they had been. Simple enough.

 

[White Masquerade]

Sarah's pale face kept its serene look as she knelt down on the floor where the Giant dropped her, but streams of tears were flowing down her cheek, freezing up instantly. Though great, the force had not hurt her; it was the blow to her pride that hurt most of all. The way he lifted her up by the wrists, and slammed her against the pillar, was paramount to her being one of his tools..one of his many little playthings....and that...was unforgivable. "Three strikes," she mumbled biting her lips. "Three strikes and that's it," she continued to whisper through tears of shame. "Three strikes and you're out Giant." It was it this moment that all and any chance of a relationship between the two dissolved into smoke. She would be nice. She would play along for now. However, the moment his back was turned, the moment he placed his trust in her hand, the second he thought they were friends, ice would form and muffle the sound of his dying screams. She would kill him. They would never be friends. And this would never, ever change.


Rising to her feet, the woman's gaze fell upon the one that claimed she'd win the crown. You can have it, demon. My thoughts are now on something else..and it will demand all my attention. Sarah watched the girl squash her lost fingers underneath her boot while regenerating a near complete set of new ones. This proved to be one of the first things that sparked her interest, pushing her further down the road of vengeance. "Interesting skill," the knight drawled, motioning to the woman's new fingers. "May I introduce myself? I am the Grey Queen of Venice...also known I believe, as Sarah. If I may ask, who might you be? Though your features are harsh, you do not frighten me. Rather, your form peaks my interests, and I would like to become acquainted." @Fenn


Bowing low towards the giant now, she sang, "Apologies, my liege for my show of disrespect. I was merely testing you skill to see if in fact, you were worthy of being king. Suffice to say, they are not found lacking. You have my humblest adoration. If you will, allow me to be your blade so that we may work our way to the end of things together. If you'd like to keep the crown, you'll hear nothing from me. Upon further introspection, I have decided the title of winner no longer has any meaning to me. I am above such petty things." An imperceptible smile graced her lips. "I desire...something else."





Positioning. Along with the skill of a sword, it was another one of her best talents. She would admit, she could not beat the lumbering monster up-close, one-on-one, but in time, on her honor as a knight, she'd catch him and strike him down at his most unawares.





"So tell me my king, what is our first course of action?"


@Wiggle

 

[Wiggle]

Siegfried stepped away from the two, and faced towards the throne, studying it. He silent listened to the female knight and the sorcerer speak.


"Apologies, my liege for my show of disrespect. I was merely testing you skill to see if in fact, you were worthy of being king. Suffice to say, they are not found lacking. You have my humblest adoration. If you will, allow me to be your blade so that we may work our way to the end of things together. If you'd like to keep the crown, you'll hear nothing from me. Upon further introspection, I have decided the title of winner no longer has any meaning to me. I am above such petty things." She said. "I desire...something else."


Siegfried looked over his shoulder at the woman, with a sad look on his face and he seemed to be somewhere else.


"I deserve no respect nor adoration." He whispered softly, and for some reason he knew those words to be true. "I do not wish to keep the crown, nor do I wish to be King." He admitted, his loud voice echoing amongst the pillars. "I only wish to remember who I was, and to finally rest. I grew tired of this game many years ago, and eventually you will too. If you win, it's not the end, and it never will be. Sometimes I think losing is less of a punishment than winning is."


He turned his face back to the throne, and sighed softly before turning to face them. A look of determination on his face, he scanned the room for a moment, noticing something out of place among the large obsidian pillars and the shadowy enforcers that lined the walls. He smiled to himself for a moment, and decided to not call out the irregularity just yet.


"So tell me my king, what is our first course of action?" The female knight asked, her eyes on Siegfriend.


Siegfried turned his attention to her and raised an eyebrow before flopping, quite noisily onto the throne.


"We await the arrival of the others Sins, and then I shall begin the games." He said. "But first, I must ask our shadowy friend to show himself and join our company." He said, raising his voice. "It's not kind to hide and listen to other's conversation, Sin."


@Charming Mouser @White Masquerade

 

[Charming Mouser]

The rest of the scene unfolded, and Iago found himself more interested than before. The woman had gone from a show of full bravado to... humility? Something about this didn't sit well with Iago, and he could not find himself willing to believe this woman. He was sure that somewhere down in that heart of frozen stone, she still had her humanity, and queens, Iago had once heard, were as spiteful as any woman ever to exist, possibly moreso. This was especially true, he was certain, when they were shown to be more weak than they perceived themselves to be. Iago's thoughts were suddenly broken off by a few choice words.

"But first, I must ask our shadowy friend to show himself and join our company." He said, raising his voice. "It's not kind to hide and listen to other's conversation, Sin."

A smile found a way to the silent, murderous Sin's lips, if that's what they could be called. It was a very odd day, indeed, that someone, anyone, noticed him in his daily movements. It should not have come as a surprise, however, that the King, in his own domain, here for who, except for God and only possibly the Devil, knew how long, had noticed Iago's imperceptibly stealthy movements. He didn't like that he had been perceived, and yet it amused him. He would not be noticed again, if he did not wish to be, but for once, he had been caught.


For the first time, in a long time, Iago took a step, moving out of the darkness, and into the light, just behind and to the left of Lethasis. He was just as silent as before, his footsteps not daring to betray him. It could almost be said that you could see right through him, though he was certainly solid. His eyes glowed dimly in the light, a cool blue. He was tall, thin, and strangely solid in build. His outfit was all grey and black, with a silvery tinge to it, it was the silver that gave him his specter-like visage.


"I do not believe I have ever met a Sin who was kind, and have not yet made your acquaintance, so we could not possibly be friends." Iago replied, softly, though firmly, with a crisp dryness, like laundry on a clothesline during an afternoon breeze. His voice was pleasant, with a soft Spanish accent, though his meaning could not have been more clear. He would gladly kill each of them, were the opportunity given, and all of this was somehow conveyed in a mere 27 words, all having nothing to do with death.

 

[Wiggle]

Siegfried turned his attention from Sarah to the newcomer, and something about him set Siegfried off. He could tell that he was one of the sneaky types, one who preferred to hide in the shadows rather than fight an enemy head on. He was an assassin, and that was something that Siegfried detested, a man who stabbed or shot his enemies in the back was not a man at all. But in truth, none of them where men or woman, only male or female pawns in a game that none of them truly understood. Siegfried studied the male figure clothed in grey and silver armor, which gave him a likeness of a specter, which Siegfried found interesting. His face was also covered, which piqued his curiosity, but Siegfried didn't care enough to ask.


"I do not believe I have ever met a Sin who was kind, and have not yet made your acquaintance, so we could not possibly be friends." The figure said in a soft voice, which echoed loudly in the completely silent throne room.


This caused Siegfried to grunt at this, eyeing the man closely.


"Perhaps you are right, but one thing I am sure of is that you know why you're here." He said. "You're here to play the Game, which all of us are forced to do. I can tell that you're a sneaky fellow, perhaps you'll be the first to fall, or maybe you'll be the last." He said, turning his attention to the other two. "There is only three more Sins that have yet to arrive, and then I can begin the game."


Siegfried was suddenly interrupted as the large blackened iron doors opened, creaking loudly, and causing the Sins that occupied the room to turn and look. In strode a relatively short woman, who wore a bright, polished silver breastplate with matching pauldrons, elbow protectors, and knee protectors. On her hands were a pair of dark gray leather gloves, and underneath her armor was a light purple tunic that ended in a cloak like tail which started at the small of her back, went over her behind and ended at the bottom of her knees. The collar reached up just under her jaw, and was lined with the most brilliant red. Underneath her cloak-like tunic, she wore a dark purple pair of shorts that ended in a frilly white lace and her white boots where thigh high with polished silver shin protectors. Her heels clicked against the obsidian floors with each step she took and she carried a plain and equally deadly spear with a unusually long spearhead on it. The spearhead accounted for nearly a third of the spear's length, and was a polished silver too, just the exact same as her armor. The spear's shaft was completely covered in a brown oiled leather, and was accented by criss-crossing lighter brown leather strips.


The woman walked silently up the throne room's center, her bouncing grayish blonde was braided in two long braids behind her ears while the rest was free. She followed the blood red carpet that led to the giant obsidian throne that stood on the raised platform on the opposite from the doors, stopping beside Iago, and cast a glance with her hazel eyes between Lethasis, Sarah, and Iago, giving them each a acknowledging nod before turning to Siegfried. She slammed the end of the spear down on the obsidian floor and used it to support her weight. The spear was just a bit taller than she was, which made it perfect for close combat, more so than the large spears one would find with a pikeman.


"I don't understand why I was called here, but it was an urge that I could not refuse." She said in a soft but sure voice, a hint of a British accent showing itself as she spoke. "I assume you all have felt the same? Why are we here? I feel like I've been here for hundreds of years, doing the same thing every day. Perfecting my skills on horseback, with my powers, and my spear."

 

[Hell0NHighWater]

Her quiet footsteps echoed whimsically, an enticing beat that came as a small confort in a place that barely mirrored the tranquility of her own decor preferences. By some unknown force she ventured towards a set of splintered doors, feeling the need to be in a place such as this. It screamed danger, yet it was that promise of such that brought excitement shivering down her vertebrae.


Slowing her stride, she reached a hand out to feel the chipped work of the large set of doors. Her shrouded features remained stoic as she moved on from the sight before her.


Voices reached her ears, baritone mixed with a higher pitch that molded into a conversation that couldn't yet be cyphered by her at the moment.


Cautiously she walked inside the lage room. A throne immediately caught her attention, along with the giant of a man who seemed to hold any and all authority.


Eden's cloaked form stood quietly by the enterence as her steely blue gaze took in the new environment. Though it seemed hard to miss Eden's gaze drifted towards an outline of a person. A little voice in the back of her head gave her piece of mind enough to not give the other stealthy individual a second thought. Noticing the guards that stood much like overly excessive pillars, she move a hand quickly across the face of one. Leaning in to study the stone faced look of the giant before her. Narrowing her eyes at it, Eden rocked back on the heels of her feet while dropping her hand in the process.


Eden continued her personal tour of the foreign room pushing away at any and all feelings of deja vu that nawed at the subconscious of her mind. Figuring that no one had noticed her presence, Eden moved to the next blank faced guardian only to flash rapid hand signs in it's face.


Least to say she was drastically impressed by the beings resolve to stay bound without lashing out at her in annoyance.

 

[Fenn]

Letha stuck her renewed finger in her lips in a quite seductive manner. "Oh Sieg, you don't need to make such a show so soon before the games had even the chance to begin." She said as stray, obsidian debris from the shattered pillar had the honor of decorating her skin like punkish piercings of elaborate quality, only helping to accentuate her already rebellious personality. However, it was was short lasted as the stones absorbed into her skin, only to be fished out of her mouth with the delicate finger she had placed inside earlier.


Her slender frame wouldn't have the strength necessary to pulverize obsidian, unlike the King and his display of anger. Oh how dangerous, if she was a normal human, even the air pressure created from the force of the towering man would, at the very least, cripple her. This was to be expected from the reigning King, memories served that the Sins, including her, had been unable to overthrow the tyrant for ever since she had discovered her new life as one. However, as they were doomed to fight forever, it was not such a waste to try to take the crown. It was a goal, an ambition really. Siegfried seemed content with taking no further actions, but Letha wanted to grasp for more and grasping the crown would had been the first step.


Her attention turned to the woman whose tears became beautiful crystals. Beautiful by the basis that they were wept of her shame, how delicious those feelings behind the tear were. "Oh, acquaintances? I quite like you, yes." The woman answered ,"Hm, names.. names. Ah yes, you may call me Letha .. of unknown background." Hidden under her playful smile, were resentful feelings. Not much toward Sarah, but more toward her background, which she did in fact, know. The thoughts were bitter, and quickly left her mind. Realizing that she had zoned out for a bit, her eyes readjusted, clicking her tongue at her slight distraction. She was quite envious of a regal status that was a queen, but remembered that origins no longer mattered anymore. Still, it left her mind feeling disturbed, quite disturbed and almost crumbling.


Her eyes slowly wandered to the left of her, following Siegfried gaze to determine where the shadowy haze of the man moved. The sight was surely homely, peasant-like even, not that Letha was one to judge. Still, how interesting was the man's dainty steps, light as a lady she would relate. Letha maintained ease despite being unable to sense the man's presence in the room, not that she paid attention by any means. Who could when they had the choice of seeing the King's small rampage in front of their eyes, which while she had seen many times before, was still a sight to behold. She gave the poor-looking male not a second glance then announcing,"I'm quite thrilled really, to be able to fight, obliterate...hmm save for you friend."She would quickly turn at the wintry woman, smiling ,"Not until the very end."

 

[White Masquerade]

Her gaze lingered upon Letha as the last of her words left her lips. With a slight nod, Sarah accepted the notion that they were on common ground. Letha had not been put-off by the Grey Queen's complicated nature, and that raised her high above the others in the woman's eyes. The demon had listened to the Queen's request of cordiality, and her acquiescence had not gone unnoticed. She would now see this woman as an equal. "It is a pleasure Letha. Yes. May our battle be long and glorious." @Fenn





The horned woman was a curious being, able to regenerate lost limbs and absorb foreign material. Their battle, if it ever came to fruition, would be interesting to say the lest. It was as Sarah contemplated the future, that her thoughts turned towards the 3 newcomers inside the castle. One had come in unseen, another walked in with a palpable swagger, and the last waltzed on giving her attention more towards the stone statues lining the walls, rather than the matter at hand. It unnerved the Queen. She had special talents of her own that she would show off in due time, but that meant each and every other person did as well. It would be hard positioning herself into the best possible angle with so many unknowns across the board. Powers and techniques had to be exposed, she needed to know what she was up against if she wanted any chance at winning.


What brought these thoughts about, was the stealthy one the giant called out. She would definitely take this new-found craftiness into consideration as they fought. Though, through her failed show of dominance from earlier before, Sarah had inadvertently shown a few unique skills of her own to the other as well. At this, Sarah internally berated herself, promising not to make such a foolish mistake again. This was a game, and one she had to live in long enough to kill the King.


Her eyes eventually slid over to the Sin with the spear, but only for just a moment since close-combat was nothing she struggled with; no matter what other skills this lancer had, she trusted that she'd be able to handle them when the time came. It was actually this...fool playing with the gargoyles that gave Sarah pause. This new one seemed lax, acting as if they had not a care in the world. It made her wonder whether it was just an act to betray her true skill, or if the person really was as simple as they seemed... @Hell0NHighWater





No matter. With only one more Sin left, all things will be revealed.

 

[Wiggle]

Abigael sighed and turned her attention back to the giant of a man sitting in the throne. He was a massive being, and every bit of his frame rippled with hardened muscle and sinew, and in reality, he kind of scared her. There was no way she would be able to meet this bear of a man in close combat, she would have to be very crafty. She turned her attention from the man sitting on the throne to the others. One seemed to be wearing armor way more protective than hers, and seemed to have an arrogant air and a cold chill that radiated from her. She was certain of her abilities, which Abigael could respect. They all would need to be if they hoped to have a chance of winning.


Abigael's gaze flickered from the ice knight to the woman who appeared to wear no armor nor wielded any weapons, she was curious, and the horns upon her head intrigued Abby even further. Why hope to win if you had no weapons? Then the realization struck her that she could be a user of magic. Abby sighed and decided to allow one of the other's to take her out, surely Abby would be useless if she couldn't get in close to the woman to end her life. Abby then shifted her gaze from the woman named Letha, to the hooded figure which gave Abby the chills. He seemed to be a sneaky assassin type, which Abby would gladly end. She turned back to the other female knight to introduce herself, giving her a kind smile.


"I am Abigael, Madam Knight." She said. "I hope you fight honorably and strong in the coming game."


She took a breath and opened her mouth to speak again, but interrupted by a loud crash coming from the direction of the King. She turned to look, and saw that he had driven his huge battle ax into the obsidian floor, causing a large crack, which repaired itself a few seconds later. The silence in the room was deafening, and you could hear the individual breaths and heartbeats from each of the Sins. Siegfried stood again and looked over the lot.


"This is good enough, as I grow tired of waiting." He began. "Welcome, my fellow Sins, to the Games of Thoran'la. You all have fought in the past ones, many, many times. But you have forgotten, so I will explain again." He stopped and cleared his throat before starting again. "Every few centuries, we all fight to decide the strongest among us. The strongest is crowned King, and is in charge of starting the next Game, summoning the Sins and so on. In this tournament, you will fight each other until only one is left standing. The Last Sin standing is forced to fight the King, and if he or she wins, she keeps her memory and is crowned King or Queen. Those who lose are resurrected back in Thoran'la, stripped of whatever they remembered and are forced to fight and remember in the next one. You may fight each other one on one, or you may fight more. You may even team up, but remember, there can only be one winner." Siegfried picked up Schadenfreunde and rested the giant battle axe on his shoulder, and studied the group before him. "During the Game, you are forced into the human realm, and must live there until the end of the Game. There is only one battleground, and you may not leave or you will be killed by these shadow creatures."


Siegfried gestures to the shadowy enforcers that lined the walls. They were even taller than Siegfried, and where a solid shadowy figure, with eyes whiter than snow. They were armed with all manner of weapons from wicked swords to three headed flails and everything in between.


"There is one more thing before I thrust you into the human realm." He said. "I will also be joining you in the human realm, and if you wish, you are allowed to attack me before the Game's end, but it will not guarantee you the crown. Let the Game begin!"


Siegfried slammed Schadenfreunde into the ground, and they were all teleported into the human realm.

 

[Charming Mouser]

Suddenly all of them were hurtling through... the bright, clear blue sky. It was a magnificent day. In fact, it was the best day that Iago could remember having seen in any history, recent or otherwise. He didn't mind hurtling through the air, in fact, he relished in it. It was one of the few times where he was not completely in control of himself, and it didn't bother him a bit. The ground was still a decent drop below, at least 100 feet, he would have probably survived it even if he couldn't fly at will, or summon something below to dampen his fall, or even go through the ground, stopping any damage whatsoever. The main problem was the people falling with him.


Something whizzed past his head, though he wasn't quite sure what it was, and in an instant, he noticed a fellow contestant tumbling through the air, trying to catch her bearings. Iago was instantly in action, a repeating crossbow materializing in each hand, the tip of each bolt made of glass, with nitroglycerin inside. This would make a boom, at the very least, that would cause a great deal of discomfort. As he tumbled through the air, he took several shots at each of his opponents, leading them perfectly as he spun and fell. At least twenty bolts left the crossbows before everyone hit the ground.


When they finally did hit the ground, Iago would pass through, feigning toward a building. He would then come up, make a quick surveillance, and make an attack. Depending on how things went, he might even be able to take out one of his opponents before the first few minutes of the game were over. He knew he would have to be careful, however, if he was to survive. Each of his opponents was well over his age, and had undoubtedly run through the game many times.


He was setting traps, even now, as he spun through the air. Small creatures with explosives inside of them were crawling to the most opportune spots, mostly underneath parked cars, just waiting for the other Sins to descend. These creatures would attach themselves to the first demon that came anywhere near them, or simply explode when any of his opponents passed by. The battlefield would be a chaotic madhouse of little monsters, as well as explosions and arrows. It would more than keep the others busy for a time; keep them off balance, just the way he liked it.


This was his first time playing, though he was clueless to that fact, unable to recall anything beyond the past 90 years, or so. Even that was a hazy blur filled with hunting and death. He had been chasing and killing demons for as long as he could now remember, but none so powerful or strange as these. It mattered not, a demon was a demon, and he would hunt each of them down. He would take his trophies from these, whatever it might be. He was as confident of victory as he was of his next breath. It was not pride, but ultimate confidence.

 

[HawkBlood]

Athos awoke sitting under the shade of a tree in some random city park. His head throbbed and the bright sun did not help with the headache. He saw people at picnics or playing catch and the the noises annoyed him. All he wanted to do was go back to sleep. A faint wimper came from below and he looked down to see a large fox resting its head on his lap. A sentence of strange words came out of his mouth aimed at the dog and the word Haeund stuck out to him.


"Hi Haeund" Athos said to the large fox in a more common language as he petted the fox on the back. The fox gave a happy yelp and smiled at him as small sparks of fire flew off the fur that Athos was petting. Athos didn't find this strange which he felt weird about not feeling strange about it. The sparks only seemed to tickle his hand.


"Come to think about it what is my name?" He said out loud to himself. He spouted off a list of names. "Athos just seemed to feel right" he said looking at Haeund. Haeund gave another happy yelp.


Athos stood up and gave a stretch while yawning. He looked at his clothing and judged they were street clothes based in what people around him were dressed in. He long nylon athletic pants and a black hoodie with an underarmor shirt under the hoodie. He felt like he should be waring something heavier but just then his stomach loudly growled. "Let's find something to eat" he said to the fox. He started walking off towards the city following the scent of noodles with Haeund following at his heels.

 

[Hell0NHighWater]

The sound of an axe slamming into some obsidian flooring was not as kind on the ears as what Eden would have liked. In fact, she felt herself wince if only slightly. A small curse parting from her chapped lips before she was granted the opportunity to move away from the fifth statue she was now waving in front of. Eden knew she had been here a long time, longer then a lot of the people in this room yet she still held some childishness that was never kicked to the curb by age. Even so she was far from oblivious, knowing very well that another member of this little party could look over at her and see her making gestures at some statues. Attending to the focused part of the brain, she attentively watched and listened to what the King had to say. Though her mind did find itself wandering a few times. Mostly about the horrid interior design of this room. It just screamed a 'King of Hell' type theme. Stepping away from the statues behind her, she moved into a pocket of a lighter area about to ask about where in the human world they were being shipped off to when she felt as if oblivion were swallowing her whole and blinding her with a raging white light.


Eden felt as if someone had wacked her upside the head before dumping a bucket of ice water over her head. Staring at a blanket of blue to took her a moment to realize that it was actually sky that loomed above her. The heat of the sun blaring down on her, giving her a contradt to the pins and needle sensation going through her at that moment. She continued to lay on her back almost afraid to move. Finally pulling herself up into a sitting position she let out a long breath checking to see if she had any injuries. The only one she could find however was a small cut across her left cheek. Reaching for the bow and arrows that had scattered across the concreate Eden collected her items before staggering to her feet.


Standing still in order to let the dizziness pass, she carefully assessed where she was. Though the fact was she had no real clue. Large shiny vertal objects surrounded here, things she could only guess were buildings. Slowly guiding her off blalanced body towards the edge of the platform she stood on Eden leered over the edge. Her heart took a stright drive to the pit of her stomach, bright colors, noises, perception of height all invaded her senses. Disoriented she blinked before taking a step back actually fearing the result in falling off without a saftey line.


Eden gripped two arrows from where they had been placed in her quiver. The only option she had left was to go down manually and hope that she could muster enough upper body power to get her safely to the bottom of a 60ft drop. Without a moments hesitation Eden was scaling down the side of the building. Moving as calmly and quickly as possible, even if she was freaking out about everything on the inside....there was something nagging her to get down from these impossible heights.


"Vashiden."


Eden cursed in her native tongue, finding the decent to be harder then originally planned. Though by the time her feet reached solid ground she felt like her arms were going to fall out of her sockets. Yaking her hood down and placing her arrows back in her quiver, the brunette walked leisurely down the cracked sidewalks. Ignorong the glances of other weary pedestrians, she found herself doubfounded by the once dizzying spectacles from up high that were now center stage attractions down low. It amazed her how mobs of people would rush by her without a disturbance as to why she harbored weaponry or wore all black clothing. Furrowing her eyebrows she continued her journey trying to figure out what the squiggly writings ment or what that heavenly smell that made her stomach growl was.

 

[White Masquerade]

Sarah soared through the air far away from the group in tight cartwheels, as four blunt objects slammed into her back and exploded. Faster and farther she flew down towards the ground, until coming to a complete stop by smashing into a car parked in front of a clothing store. Before even having a moment to process what had just occurred, the vehicle promptly exploded, sending her flying into a wall on the other side of the street headfirst; landing beside the opening of a nearby alley. Gritting her teeth, the woman lifted her head to see a small rodent peacefully bounding its way towards her. It was a sight to see. The animal slowed to a standstill as it neared, seemingly checking if it found its master; much as a lost dog would do in search of its owner.


"Well hello th--"





BOOM! The blast propelled the crouched woman deep down into the unlit alleyway, finally rolling to pause at the foot of a dumpster overflowing with garbage. Her form was a complete and utter mess. Blood mixed with ice as her innards were exposed through torn pieces of flesh and chipped bone. The trails of red liquid met and swirled in a large pool that began to gather just underneath the arch of her legs. Curse him! Curse the man and his underhanded tactics. There was no honor in the way he fought, and that made Sarah absolutely sick to her stomach. Though she was vindictive and sneaky herself, each and everyone of her opponents knew where they stood with her, and if they didn't, she'd be sure to let them know. @Charming Mouser


"E-e-excuse me..are you okay..?" Sarah turned to find a man in tattered and dingy dress, wringing his hands while trying to peer at her broken figure. "A-are you alright..? I don't know if you're really there or not..or if it's my imagination..people tell me that I'm crazy and seeing things...but I don't...believe them..I know what I see.." The woman placed a hand on the ground in a puddle of water, pushing herself up to face him. "You are not crazy. I really am here laying in front of you. Those who would tell you otherwise are the crazy ones."





"Thank god! Thank you so, so much! I am truly grateful. Thank you. I'v always wanted to talk to one of you people. Please, what's your name? My name is Thomas. I live out here on the streets, doing anything I can just to get by. It's rough, but somehow, I'm always able to make it." The was studied for a bit before he got his reply. There didn't seem to be any sign of malice or evil intent coming from his behavior, so the Queen said, "I am The Grey Queen of Venice. Sent here from a special realm of hell for a special battle. On the way, I was caught by surprise from one of my opponents and ended up here as you see me now. Might I ask, what is this place? I am not familiar with these surroundings."





"Wow. A real live Queen! From Venice too! That is fantastic! It is an honor ma'am. This city you're in right here is called Tokyo. It's tall buildings and a lot of people and cars. You say you're from hell though..are you a demon..?"


Sarah scoffed at the question. "No. I don't know much about how or why I was there, but one thing is certain. It's a place I did not deserve to be. I will win this competition and find a way out and back into the realm of my real home. This I swear." The man processed this information and nodded, but his eyes were fixated not on Sarah, but the puddle in which her hand laid; it was frozen over. "What is it?" The Queen followed his gaze and sat for a few moments quiet, while the significance of what she was viewing danced around in her mind. "Thomas. Tell me what strange liquid is."


"It's water miss. You don't have that in hell? Ah...yes...you wouldn't. Sorry. It's a really wonderful thing. You can drink it, bathe in it, wash things with it, swim in it. It really is cool. Are you thirsty or something? You must be after spending all that time in a fiery pit! Here, take this." The Grey Queen watched as the man pulled a water bottle out of ruck-sack and hand it towards her. Seeing the effects of her touch, she motioned him to instead pour the substance down her mouth and into her throat on his own. As the the liquid flowed down her insides, it acted just as she hoped; it was freezing solid. When the contents of the bottle were completely empty, Sarah stood with renewed vigor as newly formed layers of ice jutted from her previously bleeding wounds. It was a beautiful revelation. If she kept this up..she wouldn't need the armor, she'd be nigh invincible, able to take even the most savage of blows.





"Thomas. Do you know where I can find more of this water you speak of?"


"Well you can buy it of course, but there's a ton of it free in the bay not too far from here."


Inside the woman smiled. The trickster and Giant were going to be in for a big surprise. In hell, she was just an annoying little gnat. But here, here in this realm, she'd be Queen once more.





"Excellent. Take me to it please."


"As you wish my lady. Please, follow me."

 

[Fenn]

"Ah ah...who should I kill first."


Letha pressed her index to her temple as she idly thought,"Hm actually I'm also a bit hungry. No no wait, what were we doi- Oh yeah I was going to kill something. Ah ah..." The woman was lost in her thoughts at this point. Not heeding to any disturbances, her cogitation prevented her from registering the collision with ax to obsidian floor. Letha would cover her whole face with her hand, eye closed, feeling how soothing the action was. The way her cold skin felt rubbing against each other made her unable to contain her manic laughter stemming from the image of everyone's mutilation by her own hands. The way the images crazed her arousal, her mind, and her hunger had become a strong anesthetic.


They warped. The air exhaled out of her nostril, through the gaps between her fingers at a faster pace as she made her descent. Yet, still not realizing the change in scenery, the svelte female made her fall without much movement or sound. Her state of mind was a complete silence, numbed of the air stroking her hair and being. Was this death? The woman would gradually open her eyes toward the vast blue sky, staring directly at the sun. However, in her eyes the sun was simply a mass of black radiation and failed to blind her by regular means. Not long after, the woman would come to full consciousness, her left eye wide open to take in her surrounding. Still immobile, the woman would begin to move her body to better adjust to the fall.


A swift crash through the roof of a lone apartment. The woman lost much options to move in the period of her oblivion. The fall decapitated her head, amputated her left arm, and left a hole gaping in her chest. Splinters from the roof riddled her body, piercing her skin and internal organs, leaving her unable to move. Broken glass left cuts and lacerations across her body, blood streaming into a puddle around her. Her body stayed motionless for the duration. Five minute passed, then the gradual regeneration of her lost arm took place. The wound closed and formed a nub that began to convulse into a new limb. It was by eight minute that the restoration of her left arm completed. Her new appendage flexed, reaching over her body to yank out broken glass and splinters, cutting her hand in the process. However, it mattered little as the holes and gashes quickly closed themselves.


It was twelve minute now, the headless body stood upright yet in a complete automatic state. The skull of her head was first to form, then oddly enough, the sensory organs would follow. Her new eye stared at her former head lying on the floor with its eye rolled back white. Smirking, the woman's attractive face was back to normal, as if there were no injuries in the first place. She would leave her head there, calmly making her way to the door outside. Her movement was interrupted by the rattle of the knob, its slow persistent turn. She met the gaze of a surprised elderly woman, whose eyes stared at the broken ceiling above her, failing to see the Sin. The pale woman would resume walking toward the door, her tongue caressing one of her incisors. The regeneration process had left her stomach hungry for nutrients, and how fortunate was one to present itself.


In one swift motion, everything above the waist of the old woman was gone, leaving the legs to collapse onto the floor, spurting a grotesque amount of blood on the furniture and wall. The demon woman's delicate face had deformed into a monstrosity. The hinge of her jaw opening unnaturally wide, chewing on the flesh and bone of the former victim who would travel down her throat without much trouble. Drool would drip on everything as she reopened her mouth to finish the rest of the meal, her tongue would lap up the pool of blood like a dog. Leaving the room, a thumb would wipe a trickle of blood off of her lips, her face back to its beautiful visage. The woman sighed from the somewhat subpar snack before walking down the steps.

 

[Wiggle]

A smile crept on to Siegfried's face as he fell, this was something he had down many times. Flashes of old memories from the previous games flashed through his mind as he fell, and the dark and light colored concrete, light, steel, and reflective glass of skyscrapers zoomed up at him as he descended rapidly towards the ground. He remembered one time he fell, falling through and a exploding a large zeppelin that carried a few humans, and then another time when he sheared through a building, causing it to collapse. This was his plan for this game, to try and land without injuring himself too badly. As a Sin they were capable of withstanding some things that would easily kill most humans, such as a long falls, getting hit by vehicles, and the such, but they were still killable, it was just very hard to do so.


Siegfried shook the memories from his mind and steered his body towards a large skyscraper, and grabbed Schadenfreunde. Siegfried pulled the double headed axe back and the sharp edges of the axehead, and the eyes of the two beasts etched into the head itself glowed a deep purple, and began charging to release it's energy. As Schadenfreunde charged, the purple light began to become almost blinding, preparing itself to release all the energy it had contained over the last few centuries. Siegfried smiled and swung the axe, sending a dark line of energy at the building, which sheared it in half diagonally, and continued through onto the next building, and the next, until connecting with the ground, creating a loud boom and throwing up debris from the road, cars, and street signs. The buildings sat still for just a moment and then started to fall over, creating an incline slide of buildings. Siegfried steered his body towards the building, which he connected with, feet first, and began sliding down it. He leaped from one building to another, and continued until he reached the last building. By then he was going too fast, and when he connected with the ground, he hit hard and flew through the side of a building and slid to a soft stop against the opposite wall.


There were several shouts, and voices inside the building when Siegfried crashed through, and they were all huddled around him. Siegfried shook the daze from his mind and stood up, and towered over the concerned people. They all went silent and some even gasped at the size of the giant man, and they all stood there in a small semi circle, and suddenly they began chatting between themselves in hushed voices. Siegfried grunted and walked over to Schadenfruende, which had lodged itself in a wall just a few feet from where he had landed. Siegfried reached up, and pulled the ax out without a hint of trouble, and walked over to the hole in the wall, and leapt out to continue to oversee the Games.


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Abigael closed her eyes as she fell, taking a deep breath, she hated heights, and this was no different. She shook her head, and forced herself to open her eyes, and try to find a way out of this. She began to search for something to slow her fall, and prevent herself from being killed outright at the beginning of the Game. She steered her way to a building, and prepared to use Lion's Tooth as a tool to slow her fall, and as she neared the building, she stabbed the spear into the side of the building. The spear creaked under the weight of Abigael and the force of the fall, but was ultimately successful in slowing and stopping an otherwise deadly fall. Abigael sighed and looked down, which was the wrong thing to do. She was still somewhat high up, which made her head swim and made her nauseous. She began to maneuver her way over to the nearest window to break it and get safely inside.


BOOM!





Something exploded about five windows over, causing glass to fly at Abbi, and opening a large superficial cut across her cheek. She gasped out in pain when another hit, and then another. The concussive forces of the explosions, launched Abbi from her position outside the building, and she fell towards the bay below. Lion's Tooth fell in the opposite direction, and Abbi tried to blindly reach out to grab it, which was futile. She fell and connected with the branches of a tree below, breaking her fall and saving her from any grievous injures. She reached the bottom and landed hard on on the plush grass, and laid still for a moment before checking to see if she had any serious injuries. There were none with the exception of a few large cuts, bumps and bruises, which was miraculous for such a long fall. Sighing, Abbi laid back against the tree, hoping that whoever decided to attack first or one of the others didn't come looking for her.

 

[White Masquerade]

"Haha! Wow! Yeah! I see what you mean!" Sarah sheathed her blade while placing both palms together, breathing in deep. She marveled at the thought of how good it felt to finally have company after all these years. Between fighting off aggressors, honing her skills, and many nights of no sleep, having someone here watching her train, was a wonderful and soothing balm on her aching soul.





"So that is how you parry a blow. The trick is to not only watch their words, but feet, hands and eyes. Only then can you really determine exactly which direction they'll be coming from. There are a few people that can get around this however..Those are the ones you'll have to watch. They are the ones you'll have to bring all your skills to the forefront with and trust things turn out well." The woman lightly rubbed her half-frozen wounds and sat down on the grass beside her new friend Thomas. "I am curious. In a such a large place. Why do you have no home? Is it lack of funds? Are you ostracized by the community at large? Or is it something else you're not telling me?"





The man laughed while scratching the back of his head. "No, no. Nothing crazy haha. I was actually doing very well for myself, until I started seeing...you all. I brushed it off and thought maybe I wasn't getting enough sleep..but when everyone I told said they didn't know what I meant, things went down real fast. Eventually they assumed something was wrong with my head and didn't want to risk associating with me. One by one, all my friends and family left, until I had absolutely no one at all. But," he perked up, "I am so glad that it was not all for waste. Look at me here actually talking with one of you!"


It was at this moment, that Sarah got a small glimpse of the person that she used to be. Touching her stony face with an icy hand, she whispered, "Thank you...Thomas." If only the kind words of one of her dearest advisers were listened to, maybe things wouldn't have turned out that way...Gerard. Yes. That was the name...How could I have forgotten...

CRASH!

​

Standing immediately with sword at the ready, Sarah stood up in front of Thomas, trying to get a good luck at what caused the disturbance. Was it the trickster again? Or it could have been the one making fun of the statues...Regardless, the Queen was prepared to take on anything that came her way. She let anything hurt her, or Thomas.


After running over to the spot, who it was caused the woman to slightly drop her guard. It was the spear-woman; without her spear. It was a few long moments of confusion before the woman with her back against the tree was spoken to. "Are you a fool, girl? Walking around in the open without your most precious weapon by your side? Really, you shame me as a fellow warrior, and yourself as a master of the Spear. Your blatant ignorance of the proper code of conduct, saddens and sickens me. It was truly fortuitous that you came upon me here and not the under-handed trickster. Soldier, if it were under any other circumstance, I would have overlooked your silly blunder," she breathed raising up her sword, "but at this time, I cannot. So ready yourself. Dead Zone."





Thomas looked on as the sword was unsheathed and raised with a swirling mass of icy fog gathering around his new friend. "Be careful," he silently prayed. Her wounds still weren't fully healed yet and they hadn't even had the chance to dive into the bay. Thomas was worried, but nonetheless, had complete faith.


"Come on miss Queen, make this quick."





@Wiggle

 

[Wiggle]

Abigael looked up at the frosty woman and sighed, her worst fears had been realized. She was here, without a weapon, and without a way to defend herself and worst of all, she was bruised, sore and tired from the fall. She hadn't realized how much it had sapped out of her, but she was sure that if it came to it, she would be able to still defend herself. She found herself completely happy that most Sins couldn't detect each other by some form of magic. Abigael slowly stood up, and wiped away at the drying blood on her cheek and sighed. If she was to die this early, then she would die standing up, just like the first time. Like the first time? Abigael's brow furrowed as a memory struck her, one of death, pain and sorrow and she felt a sharp burning pain in her throat. She shook her head to clear the memory from her mind and looked up at the ice woman, who had her sword drawn, and a, what Abbi assumed was a protective bubble of ice, swirling around her.


"Madam Knight, forgive me if I sound disrespectful," Abbi began, "but I'm a knight, just as you are. I'm also never without my weapon."


Abigael straightened up, ignoring every muscle that screamed in defiance, and held her right hand out and opened her hand. She looked as if she was waiting for someone to magically appear and place a weapon in her hand. She actually looked quite foolish, her right arm extended, with her hand open and waiting. From a distance, the sound of a car alarm blaring suddenly started, then the crashing of glass, then the sound of a tree falling, and before anyone could react, the ground to the icy woman's left exploded and Lion's Tooth appeared in Abigael's hand. She swirled it around in an elaborate display of spearmanship and dropped into a defensive position, and the blade of the spear appeared to be alight with a white holy fire. Abigael knew she couldn't get caught up in the woman's Dead Zone as she called it, and would need to make use of Lion's Tooth's full range of motion. She glanced from the woman to the homeless man and then back to Sarah.


"Why do you bring a human to our fight?" She asked. "Tell him to back away, I do not wish to hurt him and if he's injured, I will not have his blood on my hands."


She gestured with her spear for him to back far way, and resumed her position, awaiting for either the Ice woman to attack or for her to give an opening. Abigael didn't wish to cheat her way to win or to sneak attack anyone, she didn't like that, and neither did Lion's Tooth. The spear seemed to have a mind of it's own, and would sometimes burn Abigael's hands if she did wrong. Abigael shook her head and set her gaze on Sarah, watching her every move, like a hawk does it's prey.

 

[Charming Mouser]

@Wiggle @White Masquerade


The battle had settled down, becoming quiet for several minutes. That did not mean that nothing was happening. For some strange reason the Grey Queen had begun training. Iago didn't understand at all. He didn't understand why everyone wasn't attacking each other, but, since noone else was, he was simply idling, watching what they would do, and watching his back.


The Queen had recovered nicely from his attack in a matter of minutes, though she wasn't completely healed. The spear wielder had barely been touched, though all of his bolts had been perfectly well aimed. Truly, Iago was confounded. Nevertheless, he had watched for several minutes, allowing his minions to seek out more victims, as Iago wasn't sure exactly how many of them had been transported.


As the two prepared to fight, Iago made his prescence known, rising from beneath the earth. Two swords were in his hands. Contrary to popular belief, he was not only a trickster, but enjoyed a good combat. He was confident that the weakened one would pose less of a threat than the Spear wielder. He wasn't going to underestimate either of them, however.


Suddenly, a glowing, golden net was flying at the Grey Queen, a trident followed quickly behind. In a blur of speed that could barely be seen, Iago was upon the Spearwoman, slashing and attacking madly. When he was close to hitting her was the only time that he was not insubstantial, undoubtedly making him feel like an unhittable machine of whirring blades, and kicks, and blows. His blades and each of his attacks would pass through her spear, if it was used to block his attacks.


He was careful to consider the queen, however, as he knew the net and the trident would hold her for only so long, if they held her at all. Whenever there was a spare moment, a blade or an arrow would fly at her, as well, or Iago would simply take account of what she was doing, whether attacking or defending. The majority of his attention was focused on Abigael, however.


@Fenn


All thirty of the small, explosive rodents that Iago had conjured changed what they were doing after a minute or two of waiting. They began to actively seek enemies, moving up the walls of buildings that they could climb, and those they couldn't, they went from the ground floor, up. After around ten minutes of searching, four rats that were traveling together began to ascend the stairs that Letha was descending. If she didn't notice the rats, they would assuredly cling to her most vital areas; her chest, her head, her legs, and explode simultaneously. If she did notice them, they would do their very best to evade her, and attempt to do the same, or possibly just explode on the spot.


@Wiggle


As Siegfried oversaw the games, the majority of Iago's rats had noticed him, and were moving in stealthily to his position. They would dip and duck behind a trash can or a car tire, waiting for him to look away before advancing further. They were circling him quietly, waiting for him to move into position. Once he did, they would all latch on, or get as close as possible, and explode. Once these rats were gone, they would all be gone, and Iago would have to conjure more of them.

 

[Wiggle]

Abigael tried her best to block the masked man's attacks, but a sudden kick caught her off guard and sent her through the tree that she had been resting against only moment prior. Her head swam from the impact, but she shook it off and focused her attention on the masked coward who attacked her while her attention was somewhere else. She reached up and wiped away the warm blood that began flowing from her cheek wound, and smiled at the masked man.


"What's a matter? Can't you fight honorably? Do you have to use sneak attacks, coward?" Abigael taunted. "I'm willing to bet that you've also laid traps here whilst my attention was on the ice woman! How weak!"


She smiled at him and readied her spear to attack him, which she then followed through with. Her speed was blinding, and her spear was almost a complete blur as she twirled it around, performing slashing strikes, thrusting and wide sweeping attacks designed to caught her opponent off guard. Abigael was bound and determined to not go down so easily, at the moment, she didn't even care if she won the game or not. She only wanted to enjoy her time in a place other than the burning pit of Thoran'la.


Clang! Shrrrng!





Abigael parried the master-at-arms' attack, and held the blade of the training spear at the old man's throat.


"I yield! I yield." He said, lowering his sword. "Good job, my lady. You've seem to bested me at every weapon I could throw at you. Your skills with a spear are truly unrivaled in all of England. I'm sure even the King himself couldn't best you in a duel, even if he had a dozen of his best guards. Your father instructed me to give this to you after we were finished today. He said, "A Lady of the Emsworth Family shouldn't be using your common rabble spear forged by a farmhand. She deserves only the best craftsmanship and smithing.""


The old man turned and disappeared into the armory and returned with something long and wrapped in purple linen. He set it on the table that held a few training weapons and untied the leather strips that held it closed and pulled out a spear. The blade accounted for nearly a third of the spears length, and the entire shaft of the spear was wrapped in a fine tanned leather that was stained a deep brown. Across the brown leather shaft where criss-crossing leather strips of a similar color, and a golden lion's head was set where the blade met the shaft. Abigael gasped in surprise and took the spear from the man, and smiled at it. It was the perfect weight, length and was perfectly balanced for the small woman. The blade glinted in the English sun, and Abbi studied the spear's head. It was just as sharp as the sword her father carried. Abigael looked at the man and gave him the biggest smile, which he replied to with a loud laugh that echoed across the castle's yard.





Abigael continued her flurry on Iago, hoping that her strikes would create an opening of which she could take advantage of, and end the hunter's life.


--------------------------------------------------------------------


Siegfried sighed as he heard the scampering and chittering of the rats. In an instant, he slammed Schadenfreunde into the ground and the area exploded with the same purple light that Siegfried had used earlier. The rats exploded, and took a few cars with it, and threw Siegfried against a wall, knocking a few bricks loose. Siegfried sighed, and stood back up and turned his attention to the sounds of fight coming from a few blocks away. He lowered his body and leapt over a small building and ran until the sound became closer and more louder. He leapt again, this time grabbing the side of a building and began climbing to the top where he could watch whomever happened to be fighting.


Siegfried hoisted his large body up over the edge and onto the roof of the building and looked down. There were four bodies, three of them were Sins and the last appeared to be a beggar of some sort. Siegfried could make out Sarah, Iago and Abigael, and began to laugh. Sarah had found herself in a net, while Abigael and Iago appeared to be fighting intensely. The ground around them seemed to have been destroyed, while a few tree laid sheared in two. A smile appeared on Siegfried's lips and continued to watch the fight.