The pack has laid their tricks to undermine this world...A metaphor?...So you think I stay on subject more if I think through analogies?...Fine...Umm...almost like a candle lit at both ends, which will burn out first? the traditional or the new contender. A question that every generation faces at some point. Forge something new or rely on the old. Slow and tactful or fast and true. Both ways have embedded itself deep within the roots of people's psyche from era's past and slowly being drilled into the minds of the children of the new times...Well expect our False Heroes whose upbringing is quite interesting to look at..Hm? Yes I know most of their lives, some more than others for personal reasons but at least the basics...Yes yes the second trial is ready to begin, we could talk more of the pack as they fight or we could just let them show us themselves in this trial.
This city had not stopped shining since our packs arrived. Not being able to tell if this was natural or just the festivities bringing life to a place. They walked down a shallow street to get away from the hustle on the main road, Otto stopped, placing his hand on the wall then sat on the ground. Wilt and Orelia on either side of him make sure he didn't slam his head on the way down, Willabaar and Bee on either ends of the street, redirecting the people from coming down this path, Kyu and Silver who had been dragged along stayed with Wilt, seemingly handing him ingredients and pointing to a piece of parchment, all disagreeing with every line, Otto looking through blurred vision grabbed Wilt and yanked him close,
''Oi...I feel shit again...hurry up...we only hav-''
''A few hours yeah I know! Stop complaining like a child and wait! Ya want to die here from a overdose than in the ring?!''
Wilt screeched into the goliath's face before pulled the grip of in a small swing, sending Otto's arm into the wall he was perched against,
''Yeah...you're right...I'm sorry.''
Wilt prepares a small vial of powders and leaves, passing to the goliath saying,
"It's fine, just think about the moment. You stick with the plan okay?"
Silver saying the first thing in a while,
"Friends...If we need a place of reprieve, let us go to my residences. It's a quaint place, Not far from here. You can see it look"
Pointing the direction of the canopy above, dripping the remaining lumens of lights down on the city, Willabaar responded almost instantly,
''Aye that will work but I need to address something quickly. What would I ask a native if I were to ask directions to your home?"
Silver seemed confused but answered,
''Oh well if you ask about the Olde Bloom district...I live above the city's Botanist. The shop's name is 'Roots N all 'and is very hard to miss in the centre of the district. Around ten minutes from here''
Orelia looked at him, huffing to gaining the attention of the group before she spoke, arms crossed looking away,
''No chance am I leaving you alone right now, You will just get us in more shit before we get to the next round''
Willabaar looked up and shrugged as if she was not wrong,
''Fair enough, let us go my lady''
He bowed with grace a regality, arms aimed towards the way he wished to walk making her cheeks blush before stamping past him, Willabaar smiled and followed before turning back to the pack,
''We should not be long!! Get the Deialeaves brewing!''
Slowly fading into the crowds after leaving the narrow street.
The inside of The Forest's Crown was bustling once more with the sounds of cheer and song, only broken by the sounds of the door burning to small crisps, flying into the wall at the back, piercing a giant creatures skull clean with steam leaving through the cut, making it unnaturally crack with the smoke still hot to the skin, starting to choke the patrons, as the cloud evaporates and the people seem to regain their sight they notice nothing wrong and continue their merriment as we see out the back window, two swindily legs being dragged up like a fly caught in the spider's web being dragged closer for devouring, the red beams of nights setting sun hit we see in the shine this man was Hugo, the bar's owner being taken to his own roof by Willabaar, hand covering the old man's mouth before throwing him onto the rooftop itself, he tried to move quick but felt himself frozen solid with no muscle responding in the slightest noticing that Orelia had her hand raised, shining a beautiful white with threads of grey fraying it,
''Hugo Bluff...Your name is your key...Unless my will is satisfied your life will end neigh''
Hugo went to shout but to no avail realising all to late his name had been uttered within incantation by a Onomancer, a magical master of names meaning if he did not play smart he was over, Willabaar finally stood on the rooftop, wiping the dirt from his Gi before stretching the left arm with his right clasped at the elbow helping the crack come out before he walked closer and sat across from the old man legs crossed and hands on ankles,
''Bluff?...What a peculiar surname...Is that your birth surname?''
''n-NO!...It's Hollywin..Hugo Hollywin''
Willabaar moved closer, standing a mear foot way from the short elf with in his grasp,
''Okay master Hollywin. We have a few questions regarding a few things...let us first see if you will value your pitiful life shall we?...Ever been married?''
The old elf look deep with grief at the very uttering of the sentence before giving a weak response,
''Yes...I was married for three elven decades...She was my heart's only weakness..''
Orelia was saddened by this old man being forced to relive his joyful moments before his possible death, her hand started to falter before hearing a bark at her from Willabaar,
''Don't be that naïve girl!''
His sights now back at the barkeep with more rage than prior,
''Is that so?...So it's weakness to young demon girls was secondary?''
Willabaar said turning his attention to a small pouch, unbuckling it then turning back again eyes duller than shards of old era that have lost their lustre. The old man's eyes widened at the young Half-mix was now holding a small jar, purple and seemingly pulsing.
''Tell me everything you know about this natural lycan poison or your little heart break, will be the least of your problems...Or do I just run some tests myself? Need family members for consistent results mind you but from what you just told me that is no one except this bar...Sad really...Talk.''
He swallowed what seemed to be his pride as he replied, quivering tones resonating his voice,
''That...Th-That is a spore...Purple? i-I didn't know they could be purple?''
Willabaar turned to Orelia who nodded back at the half-mix before he let out a sigh,
''Huh...One...Your master has a mission for you''
In a click of his fingers the small elven shadow started spinning upwards and turning into the small shadow demon who helped Willabaar in the first trial whose head tilted before flying up and landing on the half-mixes head then spoke,
''Y-yes MY MasTER...How c-can I He-he-help you?''
Patting his head, passing him the vail containing the spore sac as he stares from all angles violently shaking the small bottle to the old man's dismay making Willabaar let out a childish laugh,
''Buddy please that could hurt us all...except you that is...Oh! That was it, One? Could you show our captive your impressive claws please?''
The small shadowy imp nodded several times before his small hands extended into bladed claws each around five inches in length and caressing the face of the terrified almost to tears old man,
'Now then...The knowledge you possess?''
The old man started sobbing as he knew he had no choice left, we see the crowd inside the bar all chanting about where the bar man had gone in what sounded like growing rage before the small man appeared, popping his small head out from the bar before taking orders with a smile, turning to face the window showing tears still streaming from his eyes that he wipes with his bar rag before serving with a false smile.
In the Olde Bloom district, sounds of a loud eruption of laughter from the third floor of the majestic beauty of the flower garden, adorned with the rarest specimens from far and wide, all trimmed and pampered accordingly. A piece of Eden carved into the landscape only disrupted by the fiery passion of the third floor, its natural aesthetics and culture is like shifting churning forest floor. Having managed to get the large man into a bed constructed from fine moss and herbs off all varieties giving off both sweet and sour fragrances, Though this did not seem to console any of the pack, Even Silver seemed wilted at this point preparing new wrappings, clothing and medicine for the Goliath while Kyu did his best to make sure to ease any of the discomfort felt by his comrade, Otto was shifting in and out of consciousness but weakly patted the fallen one on the shoulder before smiling and sleeping once more. Bee and Wilt were sat around the cooking circle preparing some meat that was armoured looking a little to much like the creature they fought for the goblin but not for the dwarf who was ripping chunks of with fury, they all stopped haring the door was about to open and they would finally find out what their friends had been upto.
The door opened with vigour at the the two comrades entering, Willabaar still smiling as he entered with Orelia following behind putting her arm on the doorframe to rest her head looking tired and stressed,
''I...Need...Black Bean Stew….no Thick Cloud or Sweet Sand.''
Wilt saw her eyes shining as he walked up and decided it would be best to agree with her demands, proceeding to prepare it Willabaar shout out,
''Oh Wilt If you are brewing, I'll take some steamed Deialeaves with Thick Cloud and three Sweet Sand scoops, much thanks!!''
Wilt huffed, passing him the mug before handing Orelia hers who decided to slump by the door itself. Kyu turned to Willabaar and spoke in a more panicked voice,
''So where did you go? Did you find out anything useful? Is there a cure? What abou-''
Willabaar slammed the mug down to interrupt the fallen one,
''Daedalus sake the bird has become a parrot! Ahaha!''
The whole house started to laugh once more including Silver, trying to conceal it but secretly loving the ridicule his new rival was enduring, Kyu not noticing and joining in with his unnatural laugh as usual,
''Leave the bird alone, he doesn't even know he is being laughed at. We should get back to something more productive.''
Wilt said nonchalantly, taking a sip of black bean stew, Getting a look from the group of different types of determination before Otto forced out what sounded like a crow cawing in the night making everyone erupt with laughter once more.
The sounds of merriment went on shortly as it then went bleak with all thinking of their respectively bouts upcoming, Bee turned to Willabaar still smiling and varnishing his staff and decided he might as well ask,
''So you got the old man in the first fight huh? Better make it to the semi final where I'll kick your ass and get revenge against that big fucking elf for beating Wilt to a pulp as well!!''
Wilt stared over the room, pulling a small shard of bronze from his pocket and throwing it at the demon saying,
''Think fast Bumble Bee!''
The demon saw from the corner of his sight, closed his eyes and smiled before easily collecting the shard in between his fingers,
''Wow the guy who won the whole first trial can only muster throwing some chan-''
Wilt spoke one word,
''Dust"
The second the word was spoken the shard in the demon's hand transmuted and twisted into shining dust, circling the face of the demon, trying to swat at it but to no avail,
''Keep talking shit Bumble Bee and I will stop your organs from working.''
Orelia smiled as she latent into the goblin as his fangs were shown from his twisted smirk, spinning his hands in a spiral pattern the dusts all started to combine together forming small golden bumble bees that made the demon scream before running to the firepit and sitting in it, hands wrapped around his knees as he rocked back and forth, Willabaar smiled before turning to the two,
Ha! Bumble Bee is afraid of bumble bees!! That is priceless!!
Willabaar laughed before making a serious face, grabbing the still chuckling Wilt who turned to face him,
''Wilt I know you have the most experience here but that Treevoar was not just big but he seems to have some type of natural skill similar to that of monks...You could be seriousl-''
The goblin began laughing even harder than he had prior to the half-mixes confusion,
''Well, is his majesty worried for me? I get it but trust me for once you pain in the ass...I got a plan...Ain't the first fucker that is four times my size i needed to beat.''
Willabaar smiled and nodded before turning to Silver,
''Well Bee may be talking big but you are his first opponent, correct Silver? Guess we finally get to see more about those vines eh?''
Silver taking in a breath responds by lifting the whistling from the old elven kettle lined with symbols, unfamiliar to all but silver as his vines wrap around the device like a serpent coiling around a mollusc as it ascends, pouring the steamed Deialeaves into the mugs of all around, while silver waves his hands conduction them,
''These vines are not mine they are from the earth...They will stay by my side until my soul is forgiven for my sins...But as for Bee I will not hold back and will fight at my strongest, you may have been the one to eliminate me in the group trial but that was for reasons.''
The demon had now exited the fire with his skin now a molten red, the patched gray areas now gone as he responded,
''Big talk for someone who didn't do shit in that round.''
Willabaar turned to Bee,
''What do you mean? He was blending in with the bark and healing...What else did you expect the healer to do in a group brawl?''
Kyu looks over confused.
"Calling a clerical caster just a healer is missing the point. You know true servants of their gods do more than petty miracles.''
Willabaar lifted his hand interrupting the fallen,
''Some are the voices of their deities in the sense they spread the holy teachings and heal all who accept...Then their are the voices of gods rage towards the imputent creations, The booming scream that kills those that god finds unworthy..''
He leaned in to the two healers and grabbed a shoulder each,
''This is why people hate clerics...God's will can be used in ways that don't involve the light.''
The debates continue into the day as the group all in turn take time to rest ready for the next day's events.
After the pack all woke and prepared themselves at the hour closest to midnight, heading down into the still bustling streets and stopping at some of the stalls on the higher and lower echelons with everybody buying something from some stall or other, Otto was walking up straight but still stumbled every other step seeing Willabaar walk down a shaded side street rather quickly, looking back at the goliath that he ushered to him with his hand, Otto came to the half-mix, staring at a circle drawn on the wall with magic, seemingly scarred into this old tree branch before he decided to break the silence,
''Uhmm...It's a circle...Ya like the circle?''
Willabaar smiled and tapped him on the shoulder before placing his left palm in the centre of the circle, closing his eyes and starting to let out a low pitch humming noise that started to reverb and shake the bark loose before the circle erupted into a small portal in the wall, inside stood a tall human, blonde in hair and blue in eyes now looking dead at the sight of the two in front of his store,
''..Who are you? Actually forget that how did you find me?''
Otto looked shocked before Willabaar responded,
''Quite simple...Using stasis magic on the wall was a good idea...But to someone who specializes in that school?''
The human's eyes filled with life again before smiling at them,
''Huh...guess you should have a browse of my wares while you're here, right? Good prices and rare pieces all year round...More coin though but if someone has the power to find my store then they should be flushed with Dragons and Titans correct?''
Willabaar leaned over the front with arms crossed across the oak dashboard and spoke much sterner,
''I have more Dragons than you will ever see...I only require three things for this bag''
Willabaar pulls out a fairly fat coin purse pulling out five shiny Dragons and dropping them back into the bag through his fingers to the human's enjoyment,
''Ah well if you need something ya can't find anywhere else then I'm ya guy...name's not important but my nickname is..Orso now don't go spreading that''
Willabaar smiled before pulling out the still pulsating vial of purple spores, making the humans eyes widen.
''Since your face tells me you know what this is I suggest you tell me the cure...as for the other two things, one will be a small bladed weapon, need something to start slicing people with...and the last would be...A goliath's dagger that has tasted the blood of enemies already. Can you provide the means I need Orso?''
The human took a look back to his wares on the back wall before paring his head out and looking both ways and whispering close,
''Spores eh? Nasty things to work with...No known cure I'm afraid but I do have something for someone who is unlucky enough to be infected if they want to go down in a blaze of glory? As for the blades I got a goliath's dagger and this serrated one, a shadowy looking Orc with one eye sold it to me a week ago...lemme grab them''
The human grabbed the serrated dagger with one hand before bending his knees and struggling hard to lift the goliath's dagger before Willabaar throws the bag to the human and asking for the boost as well before leaving not noticing the hooded man at the end of the street before they leave and he makes his way to the human still smiling and waving to him.
The narrow street faded to black as the vine filled cradle was lighten up by the locals flare and vigour as the two re emerge from the alleyway to re-join the rejoicing pack as the first lights of the new day start peeking through as the second trial of this event is soon to start and sure to be a bloodbath.
Now this is what most would call a true festival event, the skulls of weak little men who have never left their homes being crunched by the warriors and incinerated by the casters...Pity they have no way of actually standing up to the already battle hardened so once the second stages curtain is pulled back, this is where the true entertainment will finally begin but I still think this 'City'..blugh...does not know what they are about to unleash on their homes, this pack of feral beasts have already shown that they are willing to walk the deadly thin line of morality with smiles on their faces. Iron men standing against the old world letting the rot start to erode away, purified and refined into something worth keeping and cherishing, maybe not to most in this putrid world but this group does not care for the outer thoughts being protected towards them and smile through the pain and turmoil. Ha the younger generations know what they do, after all false heroes don't help anyone but themselves and their close comrades...I see why they have gained a horrid reputation but I wonder what will have to be done to take them down with their mentality of togetherness having already blossomed in this, the budding rose of the dirty sands.