FORTUNA CASTLE, 11:00 AM
"The military seems to be in a hurry…I wonder if that means…Honey! Gather the children and head for the bunker immediately."
"But what about the-"
"NOW!"
Upon seeing the drawbridge lower citizens began to scurry back to their houses. Usually, the drawbridge would be lowered every so often as the former king loved to travel around Perdita. Since his death, however, the only time the bridge lowered signaled an upcoming battle. The citizens of Fortuna were deemed by many to be "pampered citizens" as they had never faced the cruelties of war. Surrounded by a wall as far as the eye could see lay the extravagant Fortuna Castle. A total of twelve towers standing at 200 feet tall, the castle itself being 230 feet tall. In front of the drawbridge were always ten guards, two heavy units, and the rest light armor units, accompanied by a man in a cloak who appeared to be their commander, but may very well have had a different title. Atop each of the towers stood the blood-red flag of Perdita. Along with its golden star in the center, were three white stripes in a diagonal pattern. The gold star it adorned became its symbol hundreds of years ago when the state was first founded, as it was the very first state in Emovere. The three stripes were added on over time, one for each of its major victories over the past 1000 years. In the year 1205 Perdita was recognized for its efforts against the North, Acer. In the year 1509 Perdita, who had become a powerhouse by this point, led the charge against the southern country of Mortuus, allowing Perdita to gain five new southern states. By the year 1852 Perdita had officially become known as "Beacon" a title fitting Perdita as it had become the state of fame throughout Emovere, earning it its third stripe. Along with the major wins, most of the famous generals of the Emoverian military hailed from Perdita. The military has now long since disbanded, but Chancellor Cedric would not relinquish its title. Inside the castle were its two grand courtyards, a stable filled with many horses, a storehouse for weapons and supplies, and in the center laid the keep where the current chancellor positioned himself to watch over his self-proclaimed kingdom.
"Soon, very, very soon, all of this land will be mine. This land needs a leader with valor – one who would never cower like you have Olivert! Hmm. My first course of action will be ridding us of that disgusting town of Pauper, it's a stain on this country that needs to be thoroughly cleansed – including each of its citizens."
"Ah-hem. Sir" Interrupted a rather persistent woman in an extravagant bright red dress as she paced back and forth across the room. "Just a few more hours and they'll be making their departure Your Highness. Shall I ready the men?"
"With haste, Sharon. Those abhorrent, execrable, swine have besmirched the exceptional name of Perdita for far too long. I demand that the entire manor be inspected from top to bottom forthwith! I lust for the day that Menos is in my hand. A power believed to be able to put a man in the same echelon as the Gods and Goddesses. These imbeciles will learn that I, Cedric Magni, the greatest man to walk this Earth.
will have that power — AND THEN ALL OF EMOVERE!" The chancellor shouted as winced in pain.
"Please, your highness, you mustn't push yourself."
"For Ménos, I'll smile in the face of death if it means I am to never be taken by it."
As Cedric spoke, with each word the air grew colder and thicker. It was as though HE was death himself. Across the lands of Emovere, whenever the name Cedric Magni was spoken it was always accompanied by a trembling voice — one that could shake the heavens. Those who've been unlucky enough to be in the presence of, as deemed by the citizens of Fortuna, such a prestigious man have referred to him as Synkrousi's love child placed on this planet as a punishment for his birth. Cedric was someone who was enamored with death. The thought of a cold, lifeless body aroused him in the same way a fair maiden would entice a young man. The state of Perdita was a perfect place for him to call home as its claim to fame came about because of his actions in the many, many wars. His enemy's blood didn't just stain his hands, it made its way into his veins. Rumors would spread around that after every kill he would bestow a kiss on the lips to his fallen enemies. Cedric was also known to garner a long black robe that was thought to hide his aging body, but others believed it was hiding a much more troubling tale. He came into power after King Olivier's untimely demise and ever since many would agree he has taken Perdita to heights one could only dream of as it's now believed to be the state with the best chance of controlling Emovere.
"I will do whatever I must to get you what you desire — even if it costs me my life, my lord."
"And this is why I appreciate you the most, my invaluable secretary.
"Understood sir. Also, your 11:00 has just arrived."
"Let her in on your way out."
"Will do," Sharon responded as she walked across the room over to the door. "The chancellor will see you now."
"Ah, if it isn't the lovely Lily Mors. Please do take a seat. I believe we have much to discuss."
As one door closed, another opened up to the extravagant courtyard of The Council's Manor. Rows of vividly colored flowers lined the many paths. In the middle lay the same gazebo that Felichs had once encountered The Flowers of the Goddess enjoying lunch at.
COUNCIL'S MANOR COURTYARD, 12:00 PM
"The first time we met you studied me like a textbook. On our second encounter, you acted like you wanted to rip my head off. But after our third interaction now you wanna be best friends. What's your angle?" Felichs thought to themself as they leaned against the wall
Seconds turned to minutes as more and more participants of Tournouá Tou Ménos entered the courtyard. Those from all walks of life, salivated at the thought of receiving such a luxurious prize, despite not knowing how useful it would truly be. The ones who stood out the most were a man in a worn-out cowboy hat with rusted nails hanging from it who looked as though he had seen better days, unlike the sleek, silver guns on his hips. Across from him was a woman whose attire suggested she was from a period long before Eirini's existence as her amazoness-like figure stood out like her broad shoulders and strong, red hair. The dark red tattoos running up her arms and legs in diamond patterns suggested she may be from a tribe of sorts. In front of Felichs hummed a man who looked to be around their age, as he ever-so-gently strummed the strings on his lute while gazing at the clouds. His long, slicked-back, white, and blonde hair accompanied by the way his fingers danced across each of the lute's strings had more than a few women, and even some men, gushing over him.
"Ohhh my, I would've loved to have bunked with him! I haven't felt a man's touch since my husband went away to the war." The lady moaned as she bit her lip and firmly squeezed her breast.
"I would say to control yourself Beth, but even I'm finding it hard to keep myself in order. Something about the way he plays that lute of his, the soft melody coming from it, UHHNN, I can't help but be engulfed by the pure ecstasy that's brewing up in my loins!"
"A lot of…interesting people. This is definitely way more than I hoped AND expected! To think by the end of this they'll all be nothing more than corpses left to rot like this earth. I wish I had a way to cover my hair — I stand out like a sore thumb. I still haven't fully recovered, nor did I get much sleep last night. If anyone here thinks I'm worth taking out early it could spell trouble."
"So let me get this straight, someone who stood their ground against V, trembles at the sight of a few hundred competitors? You're a strange kid, you know that?" Fox chuckled as he too leaned against the wall and crossed his arms.
"Funny isn't it? The guy I just so happened to be looking for randomly appears. What? You put a chip in my brain to read my thoughts?" Felichs jabbed back.
"In your brain? Yeah, I think that's one place I'll gladly avoid."
"Oh? So, let me get this straight, the guy who's aligned himself with someone like V, is afraid to enter my mind? How amusing."
"Witty. You remind me so much of them to be honest. Are you sure you two aren't the same person?"
"Why does everyone say we're alike?"
"No, no not like that. While you two do have some similarities, I more so meant if you were actually them."
"HUH?"
"Did V not tell you? I'm surprised."
"Tell me what?"
"Nobody has ever seen V's face."
"NOBODY?"
"Nobody. Not a single one of us has ever seen their face. The closest anyone's ever gotten was when they fought Watson a few years ago. He struck their face, causing part of their mask to chip. It was only the eyes though and from what I was told, when that happened, the fight was over a second later."
"Well, that's telling, very telling. They hide their identity even from the people they've aligned themselves with. Just what the hell are you hiding?"
"Anyway, relax yourself, Felichs. Your competitors are savage animals and fear is the strongest scent." Fox advised as he made his way to the gazebo.
"Man where the fu-"
"BANG! And just like that, you're dead. No Menos for you." Rose sadistically announced as she giggled at the sight of the man jumping in terror.
"W-What the hell was that for?"
"Oh, that? A lesson. Don't be impatient just because the prize is so lustrous. Lose focus for even a second and you'll end up dead." Rose said, scolding the man as she made her way up the stage. "I hope the rest of you were listening because that's the last piece of advice you'll be getting."
"W-Wait. What do you mean by dead?"
"An incompetent one aren't we? Guess we can cross you off the list of potential winners. Dead. D. E. A. D. No longer living. Six feet underground, IF you're lucky to get buried. Do you get it now or do you need the dictionary definition? This is NOT a simple tournament — it's a fight to the death. So any friendships you may have made in your short time here should be cast aside because the only way Tournouá Tou Ménos ends is one last person standing.
Hundreds of beating hearts rang throughout the courtyard. For many the thought of murder hadn't even crossed their mind. Since the wars, murder has become less frowned upon, especially after five of the six remaining states opened up a bounty system. First started by Perdita in the year 1440, last to follow being Spes, was created as a way to thin out the number of wars. This way citizens would be rewarded for killing any non-citizen of a particular state without facing repercussions.
"W-W-We have to k-k-kill each other?" A lady in a brightly-colored green dress questioned as she struggled to get the words out of her mouth.
"I've never killed anyone before…not even a bug…" Another man responded as he dropped to his knees in agony.
"What? Did you imbeciles think you'd acquire a prize as grand as Ménos just by what — simple hand-to-hand combat where the victor is decided by knock-out?" Rose now laughed even harder as she mocked the participants.
"She's got a point. I mean I'm in the same boat as most here. I never wanted to kill anyone, nor have I ever. But to think that this was going to be a simple tournament was flat-out stupid. Maybe I don't have anything to worry about going up against the likes of these idiots. No. I can't think like that. Sure I've been in countless fights, but I'm not in the best shape and still have no control of this Wheel of Breath. Don't get cocky, Felichs. There's still a few above-average minds in this crowd of dumbasses."
"Rose, my dear…this is why I said to allow me to give them the run-around." Tournament called out, rubbing their aching head as they made their way up the stage. "Now then. I understand a lot of your fears, I truly do, but understand this is not what we wanted. We, the council, do not agree with unnecessary bloodshed, but each and every one of you do. In the past when similar competitions had been held the greed that rested deep in a person's soul would rear its ugly face. Humans can't lose. The mind won't allow it. While I despise it I also find it quite humorous. I've known many men throughout my time who were quite content with losing as long as they didn't come in last place. Which leads me to the question: is it losing that disgusts humans, or is it being at the bottom? This is why we can only have but one winner of Tournouá Tou Menos"
"S-S-So this is s-s-some kind of sick j-j-joke to you freaks?!"
"A joke? Freaks?" I'm not the one still standing here ready to enter Tournouá Tou Menos now, am I? Your lust to achieve something sought out by many has overtaken your fear hasn't it, my dear." Tournament questioned as they leaped off the stage.
"I-I-I"
"Shhh, I can see past that which the average man can. Your heart is tainted — black like the midnight sky. You are but another fool amongst the crowd of jesters…What gives you the right to question me? Learn your place in this world and maybe you'll see a few more days."
As they walked back onto the stage they continued addressing the participants. "Anyways, as I was saying before being rudely interrupted. Tournouá Tou Ménos is a necessary bloodshed, anything afterward would be uncalled for, which is why we want only one person to stand victorious. Think about it if we had this be a simple incapacitation, then based on repeated history, the victor would likely be hunted down. Fighting would just lead to more fighting despite the fact that it was already over. No matter what they had done, they would not be victorious — which is a big problem. The victor, while they can do whatever they please with Menos, has the power to save this country from further doom. We can not allow another tournament to go unfinished. Somebody must win. Now does anybody have questions?"
"I do," Felichs announced as they stepped forward. "The way you've spoken about murder it seems more so an option and less a requirement, so are you saying the victor doesn't have to have killed anyone?"
"And what would you do if there were only two competitors left?"
"Who knows, maybe we can take over tea and potatoes, preferably mashed."
"Just what are you planning to show us, my dear." Tournament thought to themself in amusement. "Well to answer your question, no, the winner isn't required to kill a single person. Before we leave each of you will be given a flower. This flower will be pinned to your body and when you die it'll wilt. And because we respect the dead, please try and refrain from going overboard — once someone is dead leave them be. We'll come to collect the body. By the way, that leads me to my second topic of discussion-" Tournament started to say before being cut off.
"Sal de mi camino, shit you guys stink!"
"A question I presume?"
"Yeah, a few actually. Can we leave at any point in time and if so for how long until we're disqualified? Speaking of time, is there a time limit? And lastly, I'm sure we're excused from these murders, but what would happen in the event someone from the outside got involved and they killed someone or were killed themselves? Also where the fuck is my guns at?"
"Two for two on great questions. Or should I say four for four-" Tournament started before once again being cut off by Rose as she jumped off the stage and stood face to face with Malum.
"It sounds to me like you're plotting something. Just know I have a vested interest in things outside of Tournouá Tou Menos — things that may require me to get a bit more… hands-on…if necessary."
"I'll say this one time and one time only, get in my way and it'll be the last thing you do."
"I'm soooo scared. Please Eirini, I beg of you, don't let the little ghost pepper burn me-"
Before Rose could continue, Malum grabbed her face and bestowed a kiss on her forehead causing her to stumble back.
"I told mi amor I'd never cheat on her, but sometimes an unexpected kiss is the best way to make a bitch shut up."
"Pahaha, it seems she's won this round, my dear Rose." Tournament chuckled as Rose stormed back up the stage. " Servus bring the young woman her belongings please."
A few moments later he stumbled through the door as he dropped the long, black box.
"AYE BE CAREFUL WITH THAT! Ughh. Never mind I got it." Malum protested as she snatched the box from Servus.
"As for your other questions, if you decide to leave you will be disqualified and if you killed anyone or were an accomplice you will be put on trial for your crimes. We're the council after all so we still have to hold the law in some regard. So, if you are caught killing a person outside of Tournouá Tou Ménos or someone is caught killing a participant, they will be treated like any other murderer would — except a bit differently than normal. Since we'll be in Inanis and not a citizen of it you'll be judged by us."
"What do you mean we're not citizens of Inanis? I thought it was a part of Emovere?" The man with the lute questioned as softly strummed its strings.
"And you would be right, BUT you forget, or maybe were never properly educated on the topic, after rejoining Emovere, Inanis kept its independence. It doesn't share land with this country, a border separates the two." Solid stated, stepping forward as the Sun's rays beamed off his head. "You will be fighting in my kingdom — treat it with the utmost respect. If you're going to destroy her with your clashes or weapons, then it better be beautifully destructive! WAHAHAHA!"
"You're kingdom? Ahhh but of course I'm in the presence of royalty. A man who stands so strong, as though he commands the winds itself on how to blow across his body! Ahhh just marvelous. But I must ask, surely you're not its ruler, correct? If you were, I would be puzzled as to why you would be here with low walks of society."
"What's a king if his kingdom has no people calling it its home? One day Inanis will be restored to its former glory. You though, I'm assuming you're royalty yourself?"
"Royalty? HA! Royalty doesn't even do me justice. I am the next king of Perdita! My Uncle, Chancellor Cedric, has said once I return with Menos my coronation will be announced, for I am the son of King Oliver himself. I am Prince Patel"
Upon hearing this the crowd broke out into commotion. Some were excited that a new king was set to rule Perdita, while others were perturbed that he would even announce such a thing knowing he was to compete in a deadly tournament
"What do you think, V? If the claim is true can we actually allow him to participate?" Fox questioned with a look of concern on his face.
"The boy chose this path himself. I say let him participate and if he dies, then he dies. It's not like that chancellor won't be the one pulling the strings even with this 'Patel' as king." Alba scoffed as she exited the stage, probably to look for a bite to eat.
"I agree with Mama! Besides, we got our own stuff to deal with — who cares about that soon-to-be dead Prince." An overly zealous Aster squealed as he clapped his hands together.
"We'll, it seems we have our answer. I'm not the boy's parent nor am I Cedric. If the boy's uncle wants to see good nephew die an honorable death then so be it. Besides like our dear Aster reminded me; we do have our own concerns to attend to, don't we?"
"Concerns? I wonder if any of them have to do with Watson's absence. I would say don't get yourself killed, but you're surprisingly good at that…no. No, I shouldn't worry about him, especially when I too, have concerns of my own, starting with Miss Green Hair. I can feel your rage pointed at me, although I don't have the faintest clue as to why. I have done nothing to harm you nor offend you." Mori pondered as he looked away from Malum and resumed his focus on the rest of the wandering eyes.
"Actually I have a question. Why was the destination changed and how will we be arriving there? Surely we're not to walk there, right?" Tempus asked as he plopped himself on the floor, seeming somewhat exhausted from standing.
"You can thank Father Time for that. While Tournouá Tou Ménos isn't timed per se, we don't have forever. The first plan was to host it in multiple locations with a rest period in between. However, when we factored in the
"Well, the biggest issues were transportation and time. We would have loved to change the scenery every so often and give every one of you a rest, but sadly neither of those could be attained. Then there's the likelihood that someone decides to push that button and start a war. As I'm sure you all have guessed by now, Emovere is on the cusp of yet another civil war. One of you may want to prevent said war, so by prolonging Tournouá Tou Ménos, we are denying one of you, of said goal. Now if that's all, let's get a move on then. The airship awaits. And please, do clean your feet before boarding — it's my personal ship after all."
Before another question could be asked a powerful gust of wind swept their thoughts away. As Tournament and their colleagues exited the stage it slowly opened up to what appeared to be a makeshift hangar. The airship was at least ninety-one meters in length. Upon landing four sets of stairs extended out from it and the participants made their way on board. Unlike a typical airship, this one resembled more of an actual ship as the participants made their way onto its deck. Above the deck was a large balloon with two nests atop it. Two swinging ladders swung down from the balloon to the deck and The Council made their way up to the nests.
"Let the games begin." Tournament muttered as their eyes dug a hole in Felichs' soul.
"I will get that damn Ménos — no matter what!"
As the competitors walked around, Felichs made their way to the side of the deck, watching as the propellers spun signaling their departure.
"In a few hours, we'll arrive in Inanis! For now, enjoy your stay onboard The Clover!" Tournament called out as their voice rang through what one could assume was flower-like PA speakers.
"Who do you thinks gonna die first? My money's on the negro. He looks a bit squeamish — probably never been inna fight." The man with the cowboy hat said as he too leaned against the side of the rail.
Felichs, per usual, said nothing as they studied the man now standing a bit too close to them.
"Eh? Don't talk a lot do we? Good. Looks like you know your place, boy."
"And if I didn't?" Felichs challenged as they grinded their teeth.
"HEEHEEHEE! All of y'all are the same — so easy to rile y'all up! Look, BOY, I only came over because I figured you had a little of me in you, but even if you did, it's only half. I spoke to you, but never told you to speak."
"Then how about you try getting outta my face before the cowboy learns how to fly?"
"So…I was wrong about you too. Seems my luck's all but run out then." The man sighed as he plopped himself on the ground
"Eh?"
"I been seeing you with that Tournament fellow, heck I even seen you ready to throw down. Saw you make the wise decision to back down on a few occasions too. It made me happy. Thought I found another thinker like myself, but to see something as trivial as a man of ilk calling a black man a negro got you all riled up is ridiculous. We're about to enter a deadly competition and something like racism can throw you off? Despicable. I never hated a man for the color of his skin, but where I come from they do. I had a friend who stayed in my home until one day when I had some people over and one of em said 'Let's go hunt us some of them dirty monkeys, shit had me so riled up I got into with em I did. Led to my friend coming to my aid and they held me back and killed him right in front of me. Where I'm from, they don't like you if your skin ain't right. Heard they held 'em up in the mines and force 'em to fight each other to the death for the chance at life — you could even call it that."
Felichs, clearly frustrated with themself, bit their lip causing blood to run down it.
"What's your name, boy?"
"Is this another one of those tests?"
"Nah, just feel it's better to tell more people your name so there's a better chance someone'll remember you when you're gone. Mine's, well I have many names depending on who you ask, but you can call me Surculus."
"Felichs. The name's Felichs. Although, I don't plan on dying."
"Nobody does," Surculus said as he picked himself up and walked away. "Who knows, maybe you'll be lucky enough."
"He may be strange, but he's right. I can't let little things continue to get to me, especially if Menos can help Mom. Ughhh, there's so much I still have to work on, but one of the few good things going for me is at least I have a plan. As long as I can find a way to get rid of the doctor and the sewer rat, then I should be able to buy myself enough time. I hate to have to kill someone who helped me, but I need to take down Mori. To do that though I'm gonna need to devise a plan to where he can't use those eyes. Once I take him out I can go for that pink-haired son of a bitch. He doesn't seem like much of a threat, but the sooner I get rid of him, the sooner one of my main distractions will be taken care of. After that, it should be smooth sailing with those damn eyes and thanks to that book I read last night on surgeries, It didn't seem as hard as I thought it would. The hardest part will be the amount of pain, but after everything I've been through I can endure a bit more pain if it means mom'll be healed." Lost in thought, Felichs hadn't noticed the two men arguing right in front of them.
"Whatta think you're doing? Wa-wait man! Y-Y-You can't-"
And with one quick and effortless swipe of her hook-blade, the man's head was ripped right off his body. The silence that had befell those on board was so powerful not even the wind could cut through.
"Maybe you'll learn in the next life not to disrespect someone, especially when they offered a simple resolution."
"Sh-Sh-She's that strong…wh-wh-who is this woman?" Felichs had tried not to say the words aloud, but the shock had overtaken their body causing the words to stumble out.
"What? Why's everyone looking at me as if I'm some monster or something? We've left that stupid manor — is it not fair game now? We were never told we couldn't thin out the competition before arriving, now were we?"
"H-Hey, sh-she's right!" A man nervously said, trying to sound as brave as possible.
"Oh shut up. You're spineless. Someone stepped on your foot a minute and you blamed yourself. You're about to be in a fight for your life and this is what you show the enemy? I saw every one of your faces when it was announced there'd be blood spilled. You all looked pitiful. All but one — you — with the green hair, what's your name?" The lady called out as she aimed her hook-blade at Malum.
Malum ignored the woman's request, instead, she gripped the gun tucked underneath her sweater.
"I've felt this before. It's like when me and Tournament almost came to blows. I wanna move but shit it's like as if the air just became ten times heavier than it was before. And even if i wanted to my legs feel like they're drowning in cement."
The woman, an amazoness-like figure, stood valiantly as her grip never loosened on her blade, not a single ounce of fear could be felt radiating from her either. It was as though the woman wasn't afraid of death — as if she almost welcomed it. If her lack of interest in bowing out didn't prove this, the smile on her face sure did.
"To kill someone so effortlessly. You must be used to this."
"Used to it? You could say that."
The chilling steel of the pistol warmed up with each amount of force being put onto it by her hand's anaconda-like grip. The two women's eyes continued to meet one another, never leaving one another's sight. Then within the blink of an eye, the woman's hook-blade was launched at Malum!
"I've never seen someone move that-"
DING
"Sh-She shot the blade…" The man continued in astonishment.
"Wh-Who are these women…"
"They're not human…THERE'S NO WAY THEY CAN BE!"
"You're quick with your hands I see."
"My woman says the same, maybe that's why she put up with me for so long."
"Sounds like a lucky woman. For now, I will rest my blade, but we're far from finished. Before I leave though, state your name."
"I prefer not."
"Well then," The lady stated before facing the crowd, " My name is Amanmai Duon'a! I could care less for your country or its wars — in fact, I hope to see it obliterated. You Emoverians have been a stain on this country for far too long and I must win Ménos to keep it out of your hands!"
"You dare disrespect my soon-to-be beautiful kingdom?! Such disrespect will not be taken lightly by you, foreign filth!" Patel screamed as he charged at Amanmai. "AHH?! M-M-My sword…"
"My lord, don't you think it's better to save your strength?"
"Amare? You touched my sword? NOBODY TOUCHES MY SWORD! YOU STUPID WOMAN YOU WILL LEARN YOUR PLACE!"
"I'm sorry my lord…I just believed…" Amare wept as she rubbed her reddened cheek.
"That's the problem with you Mors. You think too much when you should be doing as your rulers say. Your mother learned her place and you will too — no matter how many times I have to beat it into your stupid baboon-brain!"
"Tch, we may share a struggle but we don't share blood. Pathetic." Amanmai scoffed as she picked up her sword and walked away.
"Please forgive me, my lord."
"Ugh, forget about it. Use this handkerchief and bring me my sword this instant. AND IF YOUR FINGERS OR BREATH SO MUCH AS GRAZES IT YOUR PUNISHMENT WILL BE GIVEN TENFOLD!"
As the crowd slowly dispersed the fears and anger could be felt radiating off each individual. The heavy breathing had overtaken the once-refreshing oxygen. Eyes darting back and forth. Sweat running down each face. Minutes felt like hours, causing the frustration to grow.
"Did you see that V! Did you? Did you?"
"Yes, my dear Aster, I saw and I'm quite pleased. What say you Rose? Maybe she could take your title."
"My title means nothing to me, BUT someone as pathetic as her couldn't wipe my bow."
"Pahaha! It's always good to get in a good laugh or two, especially with the troubling times we live in. What's say you, Fox? How's your new friend doing? Seems you two were a bit chatty earlier."
"Honestly, I'm more impressed with you being able to hide your identity from us. Any reason you still won't show us who you truly are?"
"Brave question to ask, Fox. What's your play, V?" Solid thought to himself while watching on.
"I should find something to do, there's gotta be food somewhere." Questioned Alba as she tinkered with her ponytail and scurried to the kitchen.
"Pahaha! My dear Fox, it's nothing towards any of you. To be honest I'm just a bit insecure about my nose is all." Tournament chuckled as they sat down one leg over the other.
"V! Not everything can always be a joke. How can we trust that the same person who brought us together is still the same person who stands before us? You claim we're fighting for a just cause and that we're all family, yet you've treated us like strangers."
"I'll say this the most passionate I've ever seen you, my dear Fox. It seems our friend has rubbed off on you, haven't they? Well, if you must know the truth, it's simple, I choose not to and that's that. It has nothing to do with lack of trust or insecurities. I will show my face when I feel it's time. Until then, get ready, we're almost at our destination.
As the airship reached Inanis its landing was more than a bit rough.
"Apologies! Our pilot is a less than desirable one."
"Tch, apologies my ass. Now then, I should probably wait to get off. I damn sure won't be the first- BLEH! STUPID DIRT!"
"Sandstorm…it seems the others…won't be the only thing…we have to worry about."
"Now then, before anyone exits," Tournament yelled out as they leaped down onto the deck, "There's one more time you should all know. Tournoua is not a free entry. You may not be able to see it, but the state itself is not physically a part of Emovere. In fact, it was split apart a long time ago. So, if you want entry into Tournouá Tou Ménos, then your first challenge is finding a way through the forest and across the canyon that follows. Sorry about the sand by the way, Inanis has been having a rough sandstorm the past few days. Once across you will know you have reached Inanis once you find a giant golden gate. And lastly, you will have twenty-four hours to reach this point. Should you fail to do so, you will be disqualified. With that let the race begin — I do hope to see you all there."
"So there was a catch? I should've figured as much. So what's the plan Felichs? There's no way I'll be able to go around if the entire state isn't connected and even if there was a route it'd take too long by foot. But how smart would it be to pass through this damn jungle with this many people? I can't suspect anyone would waste time fighting, but there's always the chance. I guess that's my only choice. Alright, let's go."
Felichs made their way off the side of the ship as opposed to the multitude of others who ran down its stairs.
"Ira, hold on."
"Wh-Wh-What's the issue?"
"Here's your friend back and apologies, like I said before I just simply had to have you in Tournouá."
"Behind that mask, that smile of yours seems sinister, but many thanks regardless," Solis responded as Tournament walked away.
"It seems you've made a new friend. He's worrisome though, how will he fair?"
"Not well. I plan to help 'em escape then get back to the task at hand."
"Good. Also, I have troubling news. Gladius has been captured."
"Eh? Whadda mean captured?"
"I overheard it from those who call themselves The Council. The one who claims himself to be was approached by another and told him they've begun The Hunt again. Among those captured was a blind man."
"Then we ain't got time. We get Ménos and maybe they'll call it off in return for it."
"Are you sure that's wise? Giving those people a power like that might not be wise."
"We got no other choice. The Hunt needs to stop."
"Is e-e-everything ok?"
"Yeah. We need to go though."
"Ok. We're not f-f-following the crowd are we?"
"Only for a minute. Then we'll separate. Stick by our side and be quick on your feet."
"Got it! It's time to show your worth Ira. You can do this."
As the hundreds of participants made their way deep into the forest, the airship took flight once again heading for Inanis.
East Side Inanis Forest. 12:00 pm
"It's a good thing I took a mental picture of the forest, otherwise I'd probably get lost. Problem is this forest is huge and we only have until sunrise tomorrow to make it to the gate. Which sucks because I had planned to preserve my energy during the day, then make my big push at night. I'll have to just take it slowly and make sure every move is calculated. I don't needa be the first there, I just can't be late." Felichs thought to themself as they jogged through the forest, leaping over tree trunks and dodging hanging branches.
Inanis Forest was a large one, in fact, it was the largest known forest in all of Emovere. However many would argue if Inanis could even claim the forest as it wasn't technically a part of the state seeing as a large canyon separated the two. As history would tell it though, a history that is unknown to the common folk, this was Inanis' forest and Solid was very proud of it. As its last king and citizen, he took part in making sure the forest was protected and cared for daily even after joining The Flowers of the Goddess.
"Well, the one good thing is I'm yet to see any dangerous animals, just a bunch of deer and boar. Thankfully the boars aren't agitated either. The real issue is the silence — it's deafening. I haven't seen a single person. There's no way everyone is already at the gate so where are they? It's possible they're much further ahead and I'll catch up to them at night, I did take the long way into this damn forest. But something seems odd, SON OF —"
"HAHA! You thought you were the only one who figured night would be the best time to move? You must be a FOOL to think of the rest of us as well…FOOLS! I saw you drift away from the pack and decided to give chase, figured you were smart and I'll give you credit where it's due, you made the right choice. Except! You didn't execute your plan properly!"
"Tch, would you please shut up…You must love to-"
"I wasn't done talking, you FOOL! You will show me the utmost respect as I am the cousin to the cousin of our family's great uncle's fiance who, by the way, is soon to be Queen of Aidia! That's right you FOOL! The King of Aidia, Judas, is my relative! If you still dare to oppose me then so be it!"
"Oppose you…I didn't even-"
"I WASN'T DONE TALKING YET YOU FOOL! You will speak only when given the chance! Nobody speaks over Stuus! NOBODY!" The man said as he shook and scratched away at his head vigorously.
Felichs stared on as they too rubbed away at their now aching head but in a much calmer manner.
"WHY ARE YOU SILENT?! YOU THINK YOU'RE BETTER THAN ME?!"
"Oh? I can finally speak-"
"YES, YOU CAN SPEAK! SO SPEAK YOU FOOL!"
"I'm getting real sick of this guy…this is like a bad comedic scene or something…Look, dude, you confronted me, so I don't know what your issue is, but I think we both have more important things to focus on so how about we cut the chatter and get on with it."
"My issue? HAHA! He thinks I have an issue. Me? Who does this boy think he is?" Stuus seemed to talk to himself, but it was loud enough so Felichs could hear his muttering. "You FOOL! Clearly, you disrespected me by making me out to be a FOOL, so I say we settle this like men. Ready yourself!"
"Wh-what the hell is that?"
"Haha, and just like that you cower in fear! Afraid your pathetic life will be cut short! Well, you should be! My Scissor Blade was handcrafted by yours truly in the finest furnace known to man. It took me over two years to just learn the smithing techniques and then another two to master them! But once I did it was a few short days before I was able to craft this beauty right here — isn't she perfect?! Now then, I will give you but a mere second to grovel at my feet and beg for a merciful death…or else…"
"Do I waste time with this idiot or- SHIT! Guess I don't have any other choice!" Felichs thought to themself as they barely dodged the swiping of Stuus' Scissor Blade. They reached for their knife and swiftly parried the slashes.
"Ah-ha! So you at least have some essence of manhood even behind those feminine features — this is amazing! I've waited a long time to go all out with my beautiful Scissor Blade. All my life I have loved arts and crafts! Mother was enamored by my work that she made it her mission to make sure my room was always full of the finest paper and scissors money could buy! And now I'm going to turn you into a real-life work of art!"
Stuus continued slashing away at Felichs as they barely escaped each snipping.
"Not only are they sharp, that damn scratching of metal is irritating! I can't waste energy on this guy but if I keep playing defense ima expand just as much as I would if I attacked. This guy's clearly not trained and that's what makes him dangerous. His movements are harder to predict so finding an opening won't be easy, but if I can find one then whether it's one stab to the abdomen or slice to his neck and he's done for. I don't have to get the killing blow either, I could just leave him to die."
The unorthodox method of Stuus' swordsmanship, if he was even indeed trained, proved to be challenging for Felichs. It was through sheer resiliency that they were able to counter most of the hits, though a few did almost catch them. It was clear Stuus began to grow frustrated as the fire in his eyes engulfed his eyebrows.
"ARGHHHH! I'M NOT A FOOL!" Stuus yelled as he ripped apart his Scissor Blade. "Maybe we should take things up a notch! My scissor blades best feature: Scissor Blades! By separating the once pair of scissors, I now have two weapons to attack with!" Stuus cockily exclaimed as he rushed towards Felichs wildly.
The now two blades proved to be an even bigger task for Felichs as Stuus swung them with reckless abandonment. With his windmilling and side-swiping slices, they proved to be too much as they forced Felichs' back against the wall or to be more exact against a tree.
"Damn it! This couldn't have been his plan all along, could it? There's no way this idiot outsmarted me…SHIT! I got too damn cocky. I let his wild nature fool me into thinking he was just some less-than-average thinker. Shit!"
"HAHA! You FOOL! You must've thought I was dumb, didn't you? You thought I couldn't put together a strategy, huh? I'll have you know my cousin's, cousin's, brother is a part of the military and regularly called upon me to help defeat his foes! I am Aidia's most powerful asset! And now you'll be food for Inan- YEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOH! That was…dirty of…you…"
"What can I say? I'm from Pauper. The only fighting style we know is dirty." Felichs smirked as they looked down at Stuus grabbing their genitalia. "Now what should I do with you is the real question? Tell you what, leave me alone until we get to the gates and I'll let you live. But if you choose not to then I'll have no choice but to kill you!"
"O-Ok…I'll honor…your request," Stuus said, gasping for air, "But I will…have my vengeance…"
"Yeah, you and I both," Felichs responded before running off deeper into the forest.
"Hehe…I can't believe I fell for the oldest trick in the book. You dirty bastard, I'll remember- 'ACK! A-A card…ugh…I can still…"
"HAhaa! Good efforts. Good efforts indeed. But alas you were too foolish. I'll send notice to your mother, maybe now she'll find peace knowing her lying son is no more." Tempus said as he pulled his card out of Stuus' neck, "Now then, what to do about you, Felichs? You definitely did not impress me the way I thought you would, but even so, you're very agile and it seems morals don't apply to you. You're a peculiar one. Well, since I already reached the gate a few minutes ago I guess I can keep following you and see how things play ou-ou-ou-OUCH! Insolent birds, STOP PECKING MY HEAD! Whatever. I don't have time for this."
Creeeek
"Oh, ho, guess I need a good stretch after that sprint. Fine, fine. Don't get too far Felichs, I would love to play some more."
West Side Inanis Forest. 13:30 PM
"You two…are so fast." An exhausted Ira exclaimed as he tried keeping up with Solis and Nox.
"Nox! Think you can let 'em ride on top of yuh?"
"So now I'm a horse? Ugh, fine." Nox responded as he scooped up Ira on his back.
"Woah! H-H-Hey, can you talk to e-e-each other or something? It seems like you can when you l-l-look at each other."
"Yeah. Ever since I was a lil fella I was able to communicate with the animals. I told you, trust the friends Eirini gave us — they'll help when others won't. By the way, since you're touching Nox you'll be able to hear him too."
"R-R-Really? Thanks, Nox."
"As long as my brother trusts you then I will too. Speaking of, brother, when do you suppose we ditch these followers?"
"Eh? Y-Y-You knew we were being f-f-followed?"
Nox stopped immediately and threw Ira off his back.
"You mean to tell me you knew we were being followed and didn't think to mention it?" He howled as he slowly approached the boy.
"I-I-I'm sorry. I-I-I figured we were running that f-f-fast because of t-t-them! I sw-sw-swear I wasn't tr-tr-trying to set you up!"
"Nox! Calm yourself. I trust him. He's a young boy, not some evil mastermind. There's no way he's against us."
"Even so, I don't like that he didn't speak up."
"He said why he didn't, ain't that enough?"
"He's too indecisive. Too frail. I get he's a child, but I can't babysit two-"
"Two what?"
"Two children."
"I can take care of myself."
"Can you? We wouldn't be in this scenario if you could've."
"I c-c-can't understand you two, b-b-but I can tell you're fighting. Pl-Pl-Please stop. You two are brothers. I-I-It's my fault for not speaking up. If you w-w-want I can stay back and h-h-hold them off."
"Nah, we'll keep runnin' until we lose 'em. Worst case scenario we give 'em an easy path to Tournoua. Let's keep goin' you two. I'd rather not be out here at night, something don't seem right about this forest."
Center of Inanis Forest. 14:00 pm
"Mierda! These idiots won't leave me alone!"
"Mira, just hang back we'll handle this"
"No way, we'll surround her ass, take her out, then get the one she fought earlier. The less people we have to worry about the better. Now then, Domus, Timor, take to the left and right sides and wait for my signal. The others are distracting her so you two won't even be noticed slipping away. I'll give the signal, on my go, you two'll take her down."
"Got it!" Domus and Timor nodded in agreement before disappearing into the forest.
"Now then, I hear you're a part of that 'dangerous gang from Excitatur' Well let's see how true that is."
"There's too many of them to try using that Wheel of Breath thing, besides there's nobody to watch my back even if I wanted to. I can't keep running though. With the number of people gunning for me, I'll wanna preserve my energy as best as possible if ima make it to those damn gates. I can't waste bullets either, so I guess if those sparrings were ever gonna come in handy then now would be the time."
As two of the members of H.O.T. rushed Malum, she took a deep breath and readied herself, remembering all the times she and Viento had sparred over the past few years.
THREE MONTHS AGO
VINDICTA HIDEOUT
"Come on jefa, those guns are only gonna get you so far, tu necesitas armas de verdad."
Malum, on the brink of exhaustion, continued throwing her fist at Veinto's open palms, "I…I don't know…how much more of this…I can take…You're animal you know that? BESTIA!"
"Manten las manos arriba y golpea rapido! You're a small thing chica. You can't rely on your strength alone. You gotta be a quick thinker and hit fast and often.
CENTER OF INANIS FOREST
"Left side, right side — quick jabs. One to the face. One to the other guy's gut." As Malum took her stance she fired off two rapid punches in succession nailing both of her targets almost effortlessly.
"DAMN! This bitch is fast, but she ain't got any power behind those punches. We got this — ARGH!" Before the man could finish rallying the others, Malum fired off three more jabs at blinding speeds to the man's torso as he dropped to his knees.
"Just who the hell is this girl?"
"ARGH! DON'T LET UP! WE'RE TAKING HER DOWN FOR- UGH! DAMN YOU, YOU LITTLE BITCH!"
"Las perra más mala." The smirk on Malum's face grew wider with each strike. "Another swift hit should — SHIT! Can't forget about the others." As Malum attempted to attack the two men in front of her, another heavier-set man's fist came flying at her. Had he been faster his fist might've connected. "Afortunadamente él es un gordo! Keep a cool head Malum, you can take out the other nine…wait a…one, two, three, four, five, six, and this guy on his knees makes seven. Where the heck did those other three go?!"
"DOMUS! TIMOR! NOW!" Mira ordered.
The two men sprang from the trees and charged straight at Malum who, had she been one second earlier to notice, wouldn't be in the predicament she was facing now.
"SHIT! I got distracted! I needa make a run for it and — ACK!" Malum screamed in agony as Domus flew at her with a cocked-back lariat, while Timor took out her knees with a modified chop block that used his shoulder instead of his forearm.
Malum fell to her knees as not even screams of pain could follow the blood seeping out of her mouth.
"SHIT! How the hell am I gonna get outta this situation? My knee's shattered, I can barely breathe, and I'm outnumbered ten to one. I need help…"
"Well. It seems this little 'gang' of yours isn't so strong after all. Or maybe you're all the kind that needed each other so much that you forgot how to fight for yourselves."
SPLAT
"If you're gonna kill me…just get it over with…no point in kicking a stranger…when they're already down…now is there," Malum said, mustering up enough strength to spit blood at Mira's feet.
"Nah, I think I'll savor this moment. You know, ever since last year all I've had to hear about is 'Vindicta this' and 'Vindicta that' as if you guys ran Emovere or something. But now? Oh ho, now I can see it was all talk. You guys would never last a day in Sollicitus. You're just a bunch of spoiled brats from a privileged city who've been given everything in life." Mira protested as she slapped Malum across the face. "I hate your kind. It's people like you that try to be people like us. I bet if I dug enough I'd find out you came from some rich background and that your parents were fucking governors of the state or something. Just like you're about to be, I hope they're dead too. They deserve to rest in shit their whole life!"
Malum's body grew cold as each of Mira's words dug deeper and deeper into her.
"Kill me."
"Eh? Now you're begging for your death? You think that'll make-"
"Kill me, because if you don't…I'll make you suffer more than you ever have in your pathetic life."
"Make me suffer? Don't be ridiculous. Matter of fact," Mira cackled as she swung a bat across Malum's face, "You're likely to die anyways, so we're done here. Come on boys, let's make our way to those gates. Oh, by the way, if you somehow make it to those gates, don't. Next time I won't be so generous."
Malum lay on the ground as blood slowly ran down the sides of her cheeks. "Mama…papa…lo siento…"
"Well, well. And to think we let you lead us, jefa. I'll get Ménos since you're so preoccupied with minuscule tasks, then I'll take Vindicta to where it should be." The mysterious man said as he reached for Malum's gun and walked off.
EAST INANIS FOREST. 16:00 PM
"Something's not right. I know I've made progress, but there's no way with the size of this forest that I'm already near water. Something's definitely off, but I'll take it slow. If I feel even the slightest bit of unease I go in a different dir…ect…tion-tion- WHAT THE?! There's no way it's real…"
As Felichs slowly crept forward, just like the voice had told him last night, there lay a single boat on the river's edge.
Felichs furiously rubbed away at their eyes, "I-It's real…but why? I'm not going to some far-off land without my mom and I'm definitely not leaving when I have a chance to save her life! I just needa leave and focus on…wait a minute. If there's a river then there has to be an ocean nearby and if that's the case then I might be able to ride around and avoid the rest of this forest. On the other hand, this may not even lead to Inanis, but it's a risk I'll have to take. I'm still not fully healed and I can't afford to get into any more fights. Ugh. Hope this works or else I'll be fish food."
"HAhaa! So, that's the choice you've chosen to make? I didn't make you out to be the 'easy way out' kind of person. Hmph. No matter, I'll just head back to Inanis. Such a beautiful city. I wonder how it'll look after all is said and done." Tempus thought to himself as he watched Felichs sail away. "OH! I just remembered I need to contact Master Judas. Silly me, I seem to have gotten too carried away with all these side quests, but that just means the big bad guy will be super easy!"
"Hey, you! What're you doin' out here lil boy? There's no way a kid like you is entering Tournouá Tou Ménos."
Tempus let out a long sigh before responding, "Seeing as I'm in a giddy mood I'll give you a chance to rethink your decision to bother me."
"Eh? And what're you gonna do if I don't? You think a man like me is scared of some — UGH! kid…"
"I do say, maybe allowing just anyone to join wasn't the wisest of decisions, but then again if it allows me to rid this world of incompetent fools then I can't be so upset, now can I," Tempus grumbled as he pulled his cards out of the man's body one by one. "I really must find a more efficient way of killing them though. I'm dirtying perfectly good cards with their blood. Ugh, no matter, I'll have to procure some more from the shop before visiting Master Judas. HAhaa! I bet he'll even look to play a few games with me upon hearing the good news! Well then, back to work!"
As Tempus skipped his way back to Inanis. Felichs made their way down the river.
BLEH
"You know what…maybe this wasn't the best decision…" Felichs gagged as they leaned over the side of the boat and wiped the vomit off their lips. "Maybe fighting my way through would've been the better option…I wonder how mom's doing? I know Fox delivered food and medicine but still…I wonder if it would've been better to just stay by her side until her final moment. Then she could've died in my arms, maybe that would've been more peaceful for her too…I bet she probably wanted that. Did I actually make the right decision? If I die…and she's still alive…that'll ruin her…FUCK! What did I do? Why did I enter Tournouá? I-I should leave, yeah that's right, I should just leave and go back to Pauper! That way I can be by mom's side and cook for her and sing with her and hold her in my arms until…hold her…in my arms…until…I should just rest my eyes, just for a few minutes." Felichs began to doze off as the boat carried them down the river. The sun beat down on their skin, causing it to shine just a bit more than usual. Their head hung off the side of the boat allowing the water to run through their hair, releasing a few of its knots. A few white petals from a nearby tree fell onto their body. A big splash of water awoke Felichs as they yawned softly and stretched.
"Huh? That's strange. I don't feel as bad as I did before. Maybe all I needed was a few minutes of reeest…great…It's dark…Which means it's nighttime…Which means that was a lot longer than a few minutes…Well, that's just faaan-tastic. I wonder what time it is. Well it can't be too late and thankfully I didn't float out to the ocean, but damn it's freezing and I'm all wet – maybe this wasn't the best idea." Felichs rubbed away at their body trying to warm themself up as their night's chilly wind brushed against their body. "I'm not that far off from the shore and the current's going in that direction. Looks like ima have to swim for it…EH?! STUPID OWL! WHY DO THESE DANG BIRDS KEEP BUGGING ME?! WHAT DO YOU WANT???"
"Who, who."
"Who? You; that's who, you damn annoyance."
"Who, who"
"I'm…I'm going crazy…I'm arguing with a damn bird. Wait a minute," Upon further inspection Felichs noticed a scar on the owl's wing, "I know this bird. You're the same one who kept using my head as a nest, but what are you doing out here? Then again, I made you a dang nest at home and you still decided to use my hair as one, so I guess I shouldn't be much too surprised that you followed me; but why? Eh, whatever, I needa focus on swimming to shore-"
"GGRRRRROOOAAARRR"
"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!" Though the beast's roar seemed to be some distance away, the sound alone left Felichs frozen mid-jump as every hair on their body stood at attention.
CENTER INANIS FOREST. 20:00 PM
"Wh-What is that beast??? I ain't ever seen anything like it before?" The beast rampaging through the forest left Solis dumbfounded as he desperately dodged its onslaught.
"Whatever it is, this isn't something we'll be able to run from – we must take it down by any means necessary!"
"I have to do something! I can't let these two continue fighting on their own! Brother…please give me your strength."