open Bangcolt Arena! (Fighting/Sol) -RP-

[That One Techpriest You Used To Know 2,286]

Within a blink, he was upon her, and her body was poised to act.  Instead, she stopped.  A whispered gift from her infernal patrician passed her ears, and its advice was heeded.

 

Dashing to the side, the spinning blade missed her by inches.  Immediately, she prepared counter, winding back her rapier-leg and making to slash across his midsection.

 

Not having time to dodge properly after his strike, Agririon turned his body, and the blow bounced off the otherworldly material of his cloak. However, under the stress of the infernal blade, the cloak squeaked and started to fray, much to his displeasure.

 

Backing off to the outer range of his scythe, he performed a quick slice towards her throat followed by a twirl and an upwards strike, intended to create a shallow but painful wound across her stomach.

[Hazard Time 1,127]

Not having time to dodge properly after his strike, Agririon turned his body, and the blow bounced off the otherworldly material of his cloak. However, under the stress of the infernal blade, the cloak squeaked and started to fray, much to his displeasure.

 

Backing off to the outer range of his scythe, he performed a quick slice towards her throat followed by a twirl and an upwards strike, intended to create a shallow but painful wound across her stomach.

 

Carnelian growled at the protection his fabric gave him.  On any other pony, that would have drawn blood.  At least it did some damage, but there had to be a better way to defeat him than to hack away at his armor until it fell off.

 

This problem gave way to another soon enough.  With his scythe, Agririon had the advantage over her in range.  She could attempt to move closer to him, but his spinning attack confounded this option.  There had to be a better way.  She was fighting a spear with a dagger, and the conditions unfortunately favored the former.  Well, if he outranged her, then she'd just have to outrange him!

 

Dashing backwards out of his reach, she continued to back up.  Her pulse racing, she no longer bothered to keep her words of power to herself.  "Epistrephe!" she shouted, her rapier retracting back into her wrist.  Immediately, she stopped and placed her other hoof back over the cut.

 

"Kardiazitoni!"  Pulling her hoof width wise, a thin ribbon of blood followed.  When her hoof stopped, the ribbon pinched off into ten other pieces, each of which soon took a diamond shape, the edges razor sharp.

 

"You dance well for a stallion your age," she taunted.  With a wave of her hoof, she separated four of the blades from the others levitating before her.  "Now allow me to provide a challenge!  Psachne!"  With that shout, all four chosen blades took to the air and fanned out.  Suddenly, they turned a crimson red and began to spin.  A single pulse registered with them, and they focused in on it.  Turning back around, they descended upon Agririon from all four cardinal directions, seeking to bury themselves in his heart.

Edited June 27, 2016 by Hazard Time

[Literally Snails 2,307]

@@Unicorncob,

 

Mni planted a second hind hoof into the dirt directly beside his other hind hoof. He started to lean back as wind swirled around him until he was standing straight on both of his hind legs. The green aura around him became more firy and strong with each deep inhale and exhale.

[That One Techpriest You Used To Know 2,286]

Carnelian growled at the protection his fabric gave him.  On any other pony, that would have drawn blood.  At least it did some damage, but there had to be a better way to defeat him than to hack away at his armor until it fell off.

 

This problem gave way to another soon enough.  With his scythe, Agririon had the advantage over her in range.  She could attempt to move closer to him, but his spinning attack confounded this option.  There had to be a better way.  She was fighting a spear with a dagger, and the conditions unfortunately favored the former.  Well, if he outranged her, then she'd just have to outrange him!

 

Dashing backwards out of his reach, she continued to back up.  Her pulse racing, she no longer bothered to keep her words of power to herself.  "Epistrephe!" she shouted, her rapier retracting back into her wrist.  Immediately, she stopped and placed her other hoof back over the cut.

 

"Kardiazitoni!"  Pulling her hoof width wise, a thin ribbon of blood followed.  When her hoof stopped, the ribbon pinched off into ten other pieces, each of which soon took a diamond shape, the edges razor sharp.

 

"You dance well for a stallion your age," she taunted.  With a wave of her hoof, she separated four of the blades from the others levitating before her.  "Now allow me to provide a challenge!  Psachne!"  With that shout, all four chosen blades took to the air and fanned out.  Suddenly, they turned a crimson red and began to spin.  A single pulse registered with them, and they focused in on it.  Turning back around, they descended upon Agririon from all four cardinal directions, seeking to bury themselves in his heart.

 

Agririon remained silent. Unlike others, after combat began, he preferred the dignity and respect of clashing steel without taunts and words to sully it unnecessarily. There were a few exceptions- psyching out the opponent when he had the advantage of hiding spots and shadow- but in straight combat such as this, he avoided unnecessary words.

 

He crouched as the blades circled around him. He could see two of them, and could sense the other two behind him at right angles. he sidestepped the first two with a roll- not shaking them off him, no, but enough time to quickly slash into the first two, leaving behind shattered crystals that slammed weakly into the side of his cloak. The third and fourth, however, were more persistent- missing his timing with the scythe, the first one slammed into his cloak, throwing him off balance and creating an opportunity for the fourth dagger to come into contact with his body.

 

There was a blinding flash, and the blood dagger was no more; however, Agririon was sent stumbling back in an attempt to maintain his balance as the effect of the disintegration effect took its toll on his physical manifestation. He quickly recovered, however, and reengaged- outranged or not, he stepped into medium range with the scythe. Close enough where launching the daggers would be ineffective, but far enough where using them in close combat was too far away for them to be used to their maximum potential. Using a short spinning combo, Agririon was gunning to cause cuts to gash her arms and chest and hopefully begin bleeding her out while coralling her towards the rooftop's edge.

 

As he did so, a large, shadowy figure began circling overhead, who seemed to go unnoticed by Agririon... for now.

[Unicorncob 5,643]

Mni planted a second hind hoof into the dirt directly beside his other hind hoof. He started to lean back as wind swirled around him until he was standing straight on both of his hind legs. The green aura around him became more firy and strong with each deep inhale and exhale.

 

Jade tilted her head as she watched Mni standing on his hind hooves in the mud. Wind swirled around him, and green aura began to blaze with his breathing.

 

She crouched down, ready to move with the slightest move the demon would make. She had no idea what he was going to do, but she didn't want to take chances.

[Hazard Time 1,127]

Agririon remained silent. Unlike others, after combat began, he preferred the dignity and respect of clashing steel without taunts and words to sully it unnecessarily. There were a few exceptions- psyching out the opponent when he had the advantage of hiding spots and shadow- but in straight combat such as this, he avoided unnecessary words.

 

He crouched as the blades circled around him. He could see two of them, and could sense the other two behind him at right angles. he sidestepped the first two with a roll- not shaking them off him, no, but enough time to quickly slash into the first two, leaving behind shattered crystals that slammed weakly into the side of his cloak. The third and fourth, however, were more persistent- missing his timing with the scythe, the first one slammed into his cloak, throwing him off balance and creating an opportunity for the fourth dagger to come into contact with his body.

 

There was a blinding flash, and the blood dagger was no more; however, Agririon was sent stumbling back in an attempt to maintain his balance as the effect of the disintegration effect took its toll on his physical manifestation. He quickly recovered, however, and reengaged- outranged or not, he stepped into medium range with the scythe. Close enough where launching the daggers would be ineffective, but far enough where using them in close combat was too far away for them to be used to their maximum potential. Using a short spinning combo, Agririon was gunning to cause cuts to gash her arms and chest and hopefully begin bleeding her out while coralling her towards the rooftop's edge.

 

As he did so, a large, shadowy figure began circling overhead, who seemed to go unnoticed by Agririon... for now.

 

Impressive.  If the two of them ever decided to mend ties, she might have to ask if he really did dance, but that was beside the point.  With her four initial blades destroyed, the distance had been closed and his scythe was quickly coming to bear against her.  She only had a split second to react, and she was running out of space to dash to.

 

"Prostatepse meh!" she shouted, throwing her hooves out before her.  The remaining six blades congealed into a large hemisphere and blocked the scythe as chunks of crystallized blood chipped off the shield.  Both from the force of the momentum and her current stance, Carnelian was pushed off balance and stumbled backward before she regained her stance.  With another shout, the shield disintegrated and joined fresh blood in reforming her rapier.  She absolutely done with being put on the defensive, and she was going to take the fight to him.

 

Winding back her rapier-leg, she lunged forward into the close space around him where his blade couldn't reach and sent a stab straight towards his chest, intent on skewering his heart.

[J.R. 3,182]

@@Literally Snails,

The voice would pause once more for a good five minutes. All was quiet during that time until the same green mare from the bar literally rose up from the grassy ground to face him. ​"So it seems like we have something in common, hm? What's your story? Where are you from?"

[P-Jay 1,987]

Ironblade scrambled to her hooves. Her sword continued to spin in random, reckless slashes until she slammed the tip of it against the ground. Sparks flew as she let the blade come to a halt before levitating it again. "And you talk far too much," she grumbled, turning her head to focus on Hiero with her good eye.

 

Calmly, holding her sword in front of her, Ironblade walked around Hiero until she was facing the edge of the arena. She snorted. With a flick of her horn, her sword flew straight at Hiero's throat. She seemed almost relaxed compared to her earlier posture.

 

"Am I talking, or am I lecturing? Because if this were a talk...You'd be making interesting replies. Furthering the conversation." Hiero made a ghost of a smile, making that same bounce away, readying his blade once more. "You would do well to take what this old veteran says, to heart."

 

He raised an eyebrow as she assumed a focused stance, backing up somewhat when she looked dead at him. 

 

However. 

 

Once she sent her blade at him, the pose Hiero had assumed the last three times returned, as he readied his blade. Thrusting, with extreme accuracy, the two tips of the blades met, as Iron's began to slide across Hiero's blade's length, a horrible scraping of metal against metal being heard as he slowly--but surely--used his leverage to redirect the blade.

 

Aiming to slightly change it's trajectory, to be sent into the trunk of the dead tree. 

 

"Youngling, when you are pitted against an opponent with such an amount of dexterity, gambling on every strike, putting everything you have into every heavy swing...Is foolish. Analyze my style. Find a flaw in my pose." He explained, still keeping that gaze of his locked on her.

 

He had a flashback. When he was in this mare's exact shoes, being taught for the first time, in swordplay. On this very mountain. Recounting, word for word, what he was told, so long ago.

 

"...Utilize your strengths! Conceal your weaknesses! Take note of your surroundings! And above all, don't give up, unless absolutely necessary!"

Edited June 27, 2016 by P-Jay

[Dust and Memories 557]

Anette paused, thinking to herself. She had heard the name Caliber before, but when. The thoughts slowly came back to her as she focused on them. Someone she had met a while back, but hadn't really spoken more than a word to, in truth.

 

"He seemed nice enough, when I met him, though I suppose it's very hard to tell at a first glance." She picked up her faint smile once again,as she looked at Wilhelm. "As for fighting the universe, well, i've been doing that ever since I left the institute. I'm sort of used to it by now, in all honesty..." She paused very briefly, realizing she didn't know whether that was a good thing or not. Probably not. "But if it's for someone I care about, i'll gladly kick destiny in the teeth one more time, as many times as necessary." The smile never left, though she did shoot the briefest of glances outside, past the window. An astute mind, or anyone who had been watching Anette carefully would notice a significant change; of the four dolls that had been with her, only two, Nightmare and Hero, remained next to her.

 

"No, no; Caliber and I are friends. Generally speaking, one can't not be friends with somepony after you've shot Death and they've punched Death repeatedly in the face with a broken sword. At the same time." A faint, amused smile crossed Wilhelm's face. "Though I spent a rather long time in the hospital after I fought him in this Arena as one of its inaugural matches."

 

"Broke multiple bones, contusions from my withers to my haunch across my whole left flank, and too many experimental arrow variants lost. Eventually, I decided that I was best off sticking with normal arrows after those incidents, with my more technological weaponry being wholly unconnected to the old sword-and-bow standby."

 

As he finished that last sentence, the waiter set down the food with nary a glance at Wilhelm's bow. After all, this was Bangcolt -- expensive restaurants were foal's play even for the most boorish of ponies in an arena that paid in Roamish Gladiator amounts of bits, and Wilhelm breaking out a bow didn't come close to the waiter's worst incident. At the thought, the waiter repressed a shudder and moved quickly away from the table, leaving Anette and Wilhelm to their food.

 

Wilhelm almost noticed the disappearance of Glory and Heartthrob, but he wasn't specifically focusing on the dolls, and his attention was already divided between the food and Anette. Before he ate, however, Wilhelm lifted his water glass in a wing, gesturing with it towards Anette. "Cheers. To a..." Happy relationship? Peace and prosperity? Long and happy relationship? Should I make a joke? Um...

[That One Techpriest You Used To Know 2,286]

Impressive.  If the two of them ever decided to mend ties, she might have to ask if he really did dance, but that was beside the point.  With her four initial blades destroyed, the distance had been closed and his scythe was quickly coming to bear against her.  She only had a split second to react, and she was running out of space to dash to.

 

"Prostatepse meh!" she shouted, throwing her hooves out before her.  The remaining six blades congealed into a large hemisphere and blocked the scythe as chunks of crystallized blood chipped off the shield.  Both from the force of the momentum and her current stance, Carnelian was pushed off balance and stumbled backward before she regained her stance.  With another shout, the shield disintegrated and joined fresh blood in reforming her rapier.  She absolutely done with being put on the defensive, and she was going to take the fight to him.

 

Winding back her rapier-leg, she lunged forward into the close space around him where his blade couldn't reach and sent a stab straight towards his chest, intent on skewering his heart.

 

Agririon scowled as she blocked the attacks and closed the distance before quickly parrying the blade with the handle of the scythe, stepping back before, in a flash of light, the scythe disappeared and, in its place, became a pair of sickles more suited for closer combat. Using the curved blades, he caught the rapier blade and attempted to strip her of her weapon with a sharp yank before following up with a pair of diagonal slashes.

[Literally Snails 2,307]

Jade tilted her head as she watched Mni standing on his hind hooves in the mud. Wind swirled around him, and green aura began to blaze with his breathing.

 

She crouched down, ready to move with the slightest move the demon would make. She had no idea what he was going to do, but she didn't want to take chances.

"she's just going to let him do whatever he wants, isn't she? There's no reason Mni should have been able to prepare such an advanced technique if the dimwit used her time wisely." Tricis mumbled to herself, taking mental notes on her potential students.

 

The aura of energy around Mni's entire body densened around his hind hooves that were planted in the ground. He moved his other hoof from his mouth to the side of his body before he immediately shot down into the mud as if suddenly disappearing in water, all of this happening in a matter of seconds before he emerged from the ground again, shooting up high in the air behind Jade with a gigantic suit of thick, stone armor around his body that made him look like some sort of spikey golem. "Armor of Clay!"

@@Literally Snails,

The voice would pause once more for a good five minutes. All was quiet during that time until the same green mare from the bar literally rose up from the grassy ground to face him. ​"So it seems like we have something in common, hm? What's your story? Where are you from?"

"A hard question to answer." Snowstorm said as he sat in a comfortable position. He tried not to look too impressed by the made rising up from the grass. After all, he was supposed to be the cool one.

 

"I'll never know where I was born and I don't care. I was stolen as a hatchling by a warring tribe and raised to fight for them. I was never even told what tribe I was stolen from, not that I ever asked." Snowstorm explained. "I was raised in the north mountains by the Chaimore clan, a sniveling pack of brutes with no taste for artistry. I hated them." He said bluntly. He pulled the sword he had on his back out, still keeping it in its sheath while he held it in front of him. "Well, I suppose they're good at the more practical arts."

[Fractured 2,683]

@J.R.

"Congratulations, both contestants. The winner for the current match between Ice Blizzard and Ivory Star... Ivory Star!" The crowd roared emphatically, before fading away into the distance...

 

-----

 

@J.R.

Ivory Star heard the crowd. But her focus was locked on Ice Blizzard. He looked... crushed. Had she don the right thing? She took a step forward, then stopped herself. He had wanted this; to see the full extent of her abilities. And he had got them. And, though he looked just the slightest bit downtrodden, she knew well enough that this wasn't going to be the end. He would back from this soon enough, and seek to work even harder to win. And her...

 

She looked up, towards the artificial sky, with a small sigh. She needed to make a bigger splash here; her goal still hadn't been reached. Casting magic to build a portal, she prepared to jump through it, even as the arena faded back to its normal state between them.

 

------

 

@P-Jay, 

-snip-

Ivory Star looked to Raze, then Lektra, then finally over to Caliber, looking over all of them intently. It didn't take a genius to realize that things were occurring here, and that she had rapidly become a foreign entity here. The minotaur in the room, as most ponies would call it. But that was fine; She could always come back later, and right now, she could sense there was somewhere else that she needed to be, and something that she needed to do there. Forming a portal through a casual arc of her horn, she stepped through it, disappearing from all detection...

 

-------

 

@Orion Caelum

"...A happy moment, whatever the future may hold? Being alive, in order to see what's ahead of us?" Anette smiled warmly, as the glass she held in her own magic clinked against Wilhelm's softly. "And being together, long enough to make a second toast." She chuckled lightheartedly. "I think those are good places to start. And you can certainly do worse..." She stopped, as a somewhat particular and rather all around interesting story came to her. She lit up with a grin.

 

"Would you like to hear about the time Sleight Mist and I became pirates?"

[Hazard Time 1,127]

Agririon scowled as she blocked the attacks and closed the distance before quickly parrying the blade with the handle of the scythe, stepping back before, in a flash of light, the scythe disappeared and, in its place, became a pair of sickles more suited for closer combat. Using the curved blades, he caught the rapier blade and attempted to strip her of her weapon with a sharp yank before following up with a pair of diagonal slashes.

 

Unfortunately for Agririon, the rapier was a pure extension of her arm and could not be pulled from Carnelian's grip.  Conversely, Carnelian was dragged off balance, narrowly dodging the first slash and deflecting the second.  With a skip, she was back in a fencing stance and dashing forward.  Two slashes were aimed at his arms, an attempt to disable or at least make him drop his weapons, assuming the infernal blade could penetrate his cloak.

Edited June 27, 2016 by Hazard Time

[J.R. 3,182]

@@Literally Snails,

​"Interesting...with all the stuff that's happened I mean. With me however--long story short: I'm the Heiress of the Botanica Clan, and my family betrayed me on a false promise. So now I act for myself and seek to make sure Equestria maintains at least some of its naturality if no one else cares."

[Lektra Bolt 2,337]

Raze looked up at her. She's like me, in a way, he thought. He listened to her. Offering her services? From what she said before, she was an inventor... Just then, he remember something. He stood up, still dizzy.

 

"There is... one thing." He reached into his saddlebags, and pulled out a rolled up piece of paper. He unrolled it, revealing a very intricate hand-drawn sketch for a weapon of some sort.

 

"I knew a guy in Dodge Junction," he said, looking at the sketch. "Old guy, but a great weapons maker and blacksmith, one of the best I've ever seen. He took a shine to me and took me under his wing at one point to pass on some of his skills. We wanted to create something together, but not something ordinary. We wanted it to be a masterpiece, our masterpiece. So this is what we came up with." He showed the sketch to Lektra. On it were dimensions and constraints, along with various notes detailing what features would be on it. Overall, it was described to be a "gun sheath" for a katana.

 

"Unfortunately, he had some problems with family abroad, and before we could start building, he had to leave Dodge to care of it, effectively putting him into retirement..." He sighed. "But, we managed to get the design and sketch done, at the most." He looked at Lektra. "Before he left, he wanted me to finish it in his stead, and I promised him that I would, but... I've been having a hard time trying to get it right. I know the design works, I'm just not as good of a weapons maker as he was..."

 

He looked at Lektra. "So, I'm asking you... please, help me finish this. Somehow, I think this will help me take down the baroness, give me an edge. I'll explain more if you accept, and I'll pay you up front as well..." He bowed his head. "Please... help me out here."

I looked over the design and underlying math with an analytical eye as i listened to the story, holding it in my telekinetic grip. "A firearm that propels a sword. Crude, but surprisingly effective." I did some calculations as far as price goes. "I can make the mechanism pretty easily. This is a trifle to me and I usually make much better than this, but the customer is always right. I make what they ask for." I said this with a grin as Sparky and I did some math on price and material availability. Less than I thought, really.

 

"I won't be making the sword itself, so it should only be fifty bits for the highest quality. I'm a mechanist and enchanter, not a swordsmith. How's that sound Mister Raze?" Sparky displayed a magihologram of the finished shooting sheath for him to look over, displaying the firing. He would have to jump and catch the sword in midair to make the slash, but he probably knew this already.

Edited June 29, 2016 by bronislav84

[Jack Baker 698]

I looked over the design and underlying math with an analytical eye as i listened to the story, holding it in my telekinetic grip. "A firearm that propels a sword. Crude, but surprisingly effective." I did some calculations as far as price goes. "I can make the mechanism pretty easily. This is a trifle to me and I usually make much better than this, but the customer is always right. I make what they ask for." I said this with a grin as Sparky and I did some math on price and material availability. Less than I thought, really.

 

"I won't be making the sword itself, so it should only be fifty bits for the highest quality. I'm a mechanist and enchanter, not a swordsmith. How's that sound Mister Raze?" Sparky displayed a magihologram of the finished shooting sheath for him to look over, displaying the firing. He would have to jump and catch the sword in midair to make the slash, but he probably knew this already.

Raze looked at the hologram. Fifty bits? Not bad, in fact, cheaper than he expected, and he had that money on him right now. He reached into his saddlebags and pulled out his money pouch. He opened it and laid out the money in front of her on a small table next to the bed he was sitting on, then gave it to her.

 

"It's a deal," he said, with a small smile, then bowed once again. "Thanks again for doing this." He looked at his sword. "Don't worry about making the sword, the katana I have now should be more than enough. I'll probably just reinforce the blade and the hand guard on it, just in case."

 

He poked his head outside. No guards yet. He sighed.

 

"I... might need to lay low here for a while, if that's ok with you. S'pose it gives me a good opportunity to get to know you more." He smiled.

[TerminalObsession 250]

@@P-Jay,

 

(OOC: The sword would have actually fallen out of the arena. Iron walked around him so she was facing the edge.)

 

Ironblade shrugged with a noncommittal noise. "Well, charisma was never one of my strong points," she said, seeming totally unconcerned about the loss of her sword. "And don't worry about me finding your flaws, I have enough of yours for now. Of course, more is better."

 

She scuffed the ground with one hoof. With a snort, Ironblade kicked herself into a full, head on charge. Her horn never stopped glowing. Just as she neared the range of his sword, she kicked off of the stone floor to change course.Though she nearly fell over, that didn't stop Ironblade from firing a red bolt of magic at Hiero.

 

It was a simple telekinetic bolt; a spell any unicorn could use. Though not more powerful than Iron's hind hooves, it was still fast and would leave a nasty bruise.

[Lektra Bolt 2,337]

Raze looked at the hologram. Fifty bits? Not bad, in fact, cheaper than he expected, and he had that money on him right now. He reached into his saddlebags and pulled out his money pouch. He opened it and laid out the money in front of her on a small table next to the bed he was sitting on, then gave it to her.

 

"It's a deal," he said, with a small smile, then bowed once again. "Thanks again for doing this." He looked at his sword. "Don't worry about making the sword, the katana I have now should be more than enough. I'll probably just reinforce the blade and the hand guard on it, just in case."

 

He poked his head outside. No guards yet. He sighed.

 

"I... might need to lay low here for a while, if that's ok with you. S'pose it gives me a good opportunity to get to know you more." He smiled.

I counted the bits and then levitated them into Sparky's storage compartment to be put away. "A pleasure doing business with you. I'll be at my shop working on this then. I work off and on between other things, usually at night when other ponies are asleep. I would like to work all the time, but I settle for whenever I'm not sleeping or looking for potential clients. If you need me, I'll be in the area with all the other shops. You really can't miss it. It's the only one made of metal with a transparent aluminum door." I bowed and left the ward, signing out of the hospital at the protest of the doctors. They eventually understood they can't keep me if I'm fully healed, and they could check the printouts if they wanted to.

 

Sparky transformed into the wingpack and we flew off to my shop. This was long overdue and he had probably given up on it by now, but mister Will might appreciate it all the same. While away from the city, I'd finished the necessary enchantment and metal grafting to the weapon he commissioned me to modify.

 

@@Orion Caelum

 

Pulling out the firearm from my vault I deposited it in what I'd hoped was a safe spot for delivery. I also put the money away for safekeeping in said vault. I placed the delivery in his mailbox. It was in two pieces inside a box stamped with the Bolt Solutions logo, with instructions on how to assemble it for use. Messing with a mail delivery with a felony, so I wasn't expecting anypony but Will to find it.

 

I then went to work on Raze's request. I'd also gotten a couple of mail order requests as well and those had to be handled. A line was forming, so I might be here a while.

Edited June 30, 2016 by bronislav84

[Jack Baker 698]

I counted the bits and then levitated them into Sparky's storage compartment to be put away. "A pleasure doing business with you. I'll be at my shop working on this then. I work off and on between other things, usually at night when other ponies are asleep. I would like to work all the time, but I settle for whenever I'm not sleeping or looking for potential clients. If you need me, I'll be in the area with all the other shops. You really can't miss it. It's the only one made of metal with a transparent aluminum door." I bowed and left the ward, signing out of the hospital at the protest of the doctors. They eventually understood they can't keep me if I'm fully healed, and they could check the printouts if they wanted to.

 

Sparky transformed into the wingpack and we flew off to my shop. This was long overdue and he had probably given up on it by now, but mister Will might appreciated it all the same. While away from the city, I'd finished the necessary enchantment and metal grafting to the weapon he commissioned me to modify.

 

@@Orion Caelum

 

Pulling out the firearm from my vault I deposited it in what I'd hoped was a safe spot for delivery. I also put the money away for safekeeping in said vault. I placed the delivery his mailbox. It was in two pieces inside a box stamped with the Bolt Solutions logo, with instructions on how to assemble it for use. Messing with a mail delivery with a felony, so I wasn't expecting anypony but Will to find it.

 

I then went t to work on Raze's request. I'd also gotten a couple of mail order requests as well and those had to be handled. A line was forming, so I might be here a while.

Raze looked at Lektra as she flew off. She obviously didn't hear the last part of wanting to know her more.

 

"...Rude," he said softly to himself, as he sat up. "Doesn't she know when a guy's trying to hit on her?" He sighed.

 

Oh well, he thought. She was nice either way... and that was mostly business too...maybe next time.

 

He peeked his head out the door. Now, it seemed like a couple of guards had been stationed to various places around the facility. He quickly ducked his head back inside as he looked out the window. It didn't seem like a far drop down. He braced himself, and took a running jump out the window, landing with a roll, then proceeded to run out into the town.

@Hazard Time

As he ran, he heard something. Sounds of a fight? A voice cried out in a language he wasn't too familiar with... a feminine voice, which he knew he heard before.

 

He began running in the direction he heard the fight coming from, and hid against a wall. Slowly peeking his head out, he saw the aristocrat and Agririon facing each other. What he really noticed though was the aristocrat's weird powers.

 

...Blood magic he thought. The forbidden, demonic kind... so she can fight. At least she holds her own, I'll give her that much.

 

He thought about this for a while. He just made that deal with Lektra; maybe he shouldn't go in now. At the same time, Agririon didn't look like he was doing any significant damage to her, and it looked liked stepping in would turn the tables. After a minute, he decided it was time to lend a helping hand to his wraith friend, and quickly turned the corner, hooves on his katana, and dashed towards her, drawing it and going for a horizontal slash towards her chest.

Edited June 30, 2016 by The Sad Manikin Mask

[P-Jay 1,987]

(OOC: The sword would have actually fallen out of the arena. Iron walked around him so she was facing the edge.)

 

Ironblade shrugged with a noncommittal noise. "Well, charisma was never one of my strong points," she said, seeming totally unconcerned about the loss of her sword. "And don't worry about me finding your flaws, I have enough of yours for now. Of course, more is better."

 

She scuffed the ground with one hoof. With a snort, Ironblade kicked herself into a full, head on charge. Her horn never stopped glowing. Just as she neared the range of his sword, she kicked off of the stone floor to change course.Though she nearly fell over, that didn't stop Ironblade from firing a red bolt of magic at Hiero.

 

It was a simple telekinetic bolt; a spell any unicorn could use. Though not more powerful than Iron's hind hooves, it was still fast and would leave a nasty bruise.

 

Hiero smiled. She seemed capable, if not a tad reckless in her fighting style. It reminded him of how Abel's father fought...

 

He closed his eyes, briefly, as memories momentarily overtook him. On the outside, it would appear as if he had simply gotten a bout of drowsiness, fighting to keep awake...As per his usual, extremely fatigue-influenced personality. 

 

In the moment she swerved, Hiero, in his moment of self-inflicted distraction, didn't notice the feint, having moved to guard the front of his body...His attentive eyes, following her, as she moved--but his body, frail and ancient as it was--was too slow to react. 

 

The blast caught him in the side, and sent him stumbling, across the ground. It might've been because that Hiero hadn't been hit that hard, in ages, but he retreated quite a ways away from Ironblade...

 

He caught his breath, keeping a wary eye on Ironblade, as he recovered from the attack...Clearly, he wasn't used to taking damage. After all, unicorns didn't usually do training, to toughen their body--and the fact that his was an untold amount of years old, didn't help that fact.

 

"..." He broke out into an almost joyful expression. "...Youngling...I might have underestimated you..."

 

The sword at his side, seemed to almost intensify, in terms of otherworldly vibes. 

 

"...You may just be a prime candidate, to inherit Selene..."

[TerminalObsession 250]

@@P-Jay,

 

Ironblade allowed a triumphant smirk to cross her face, if only for a fraction of a second. She started to slow down a bit to keep from falling off the edge. Trotting, she circled Hiero, eye narrowed. "That was actually rather sad," she said.

 

Her horn lit up red once again. "But no matter," she said. Grabbing a nearby rock in telekinesis, she sent it hurtling towards Hiero's head. While he focused on that, her horn brightened, just barely. A pentagonal pane of red light, shaped like the blade of a sword, flew forward, hovering a few inches in front of Hiero's throat.

[Literally Snails 2,307]

@@Literally Snails,

​"Interesting...with all the stuff that's happened I mean. With me however--long story short: I'm the Heiress of the Botanica Clan, and my family betrayed me on a false promise. So now I act for myself and seek to make sure Equestria maintains at least some of its naturality if no one else cares."

"You made it sound like you had a plan to do that back at the bar." Snowstorm said as he put the sheathed sword back on his back. "This is a conversation we could have had at the bar, yet we're all the way out here with hoping around. Could I assume you're still interested in my offer, then? You brought me here for a reason, did you not?"

[P-Jay 1,987]

Ironblade allowed a triumphant smirk to cross her face, if only for a fraction of a second. She started to slow down a bit to keep from falling off the edge. Trotting, she circled Hiero, eye narrowed. "That was actually rather sad," she said.

 

Her horn lit up red once again. "But no matter," she said. Grabbing a nearby rock in telekinesis, she sent it hurtling towards Hiero's head. While he focused on that, her horn brightened, just barely. A pentagonal pane of red light, shaped like the blade of a sword, flew forward, hovering a few inches in front of Hiero's throat.

 

Hiero raised the mundane sword in front of him, sideways, as she attacked. His eyes closed...His horn beginning to flare with a purple aura. Which, seeing as beforehand, his magic signature was a deep golden, would come off as rather peculiar...

 

"...Sad, you say...?" He asked quietly, looking at her with that same, focused gaze. Although something seemed different. Something had changed. Was it...Perhaps the beginning spark, towards a deeper sense of power?

 

"...Well...I suppose I can make an exception, for this battle...I had originally planned on using standard magic. But since you find me so disappointing..."

 

His horn flashed. Three pillars of magic--roughly two feet in diameter each--were conjured at an instant, around him. Spinning at such a speed, that the rock, and conjured sword both, were likely destroyed. The spell that had acted as a shield was gone as fast as it appeared, leaving the old veteran where he was standing...Only, one of his eyes had changed color, to a deep purple. 

 

"Then I suppose I must get serious." The air seemed to vibrate, and crackle, around him, as he slowly shifted his sword to his side, to suggest such a ready pose, to strike at a moment's notice.

 

Without waiting for a reply, he began to sprint towards the mare at a speed, that compared to how he had been moving beforehand, would come off as rather startling. His blade already moving to attack horizontally, as he closed the space between the two, within mere moments...The blade itself, coating in a dark purple aura, to extend it's reach--and no doubt, it's potency to maim.

 

The slow but steady fighter Ironblade had been dealing with thus far, was no more, replaced by a seasoned fighter who radiated a vibe that suggested a power even beyond what he was showing...And was already frightening, as he was, now.

Edited June 30, 2016 by P-Jay

[TerminalObsession 250]

@@P-Jay, 

 

Ironblade froze for that fraction of a second, staring like a deer in a spotlight. As Hiero approached, she managed to snap out of it. Ducking rapidly forward, she rolled under Hiero's strike, though it clipped a few hairs from the top of her mane. As she rolled nder him, one of Iron's hooves latched onto his leg, yanking it at an angle that was awkward but painless. Her other forehoof snaked around Hiero's opposite shoulder and she yanked herself up, twirling to buck him in one side. Another conjured blade sliced at him from behind as she shoved him; Clearly, she was used to wrestling in close combat. Why, however, was anypony's guess.

[P-Jay 1,987]

Ironblade froze for that fraction of a second, staring like a deer in a spotlight. As Hiero approached, she managed to snap out of it. Ducking rapidly forward, she rolled under Hiero's strike, though it clipped a few hairs from the top of her mane. As she rolled nder him, one of Iron's hooves latched onto his leg, yanking it at an angle that was awkward but painless. Her other forehoof snaked around Hiero's opposite shoulder and she yanked herself up, twirling to buck him in one side. Another conjured blade sliced at him from behind as she shoved him; Clearly, she was used to wrestling in close combat. Why, however, was anypony's guess.

 

Hiero's attack missed, as he noticed her duck underneath, twisting to expose his ribs, in which she bucked at...But curiously enough, the hoof that wasn't holding his blade poised to block against the attack. Although it still hurt him, arms not being made for guarding, it still defended his ribs--which were even more frail then his arm was. In his blade's reflection, he noted the sword coming to slice at his opposite side, and once again, just like before, his horn--and eye--flashed with the same violently purple glow...

 

"...You're going to have to try a little harder then that..."

 

As as if guided by an otherworldly spirit, with the strength and swiftness of an earth pony, or pegasus, he spun, swinging his blade, which had been coated with the magic, to grow to an almost absurd size, to produce a weak--but still very effective--shockwave around his body. Aiming to deflect any further attacks, while to upset Ironblade's footing, mainly. Far too weak to do any real damage...It felt more like a wave of water, traveling in the air.

 

...Although, it didn't stop Hiero from lunging once more, after the shockwave passed through the arena, aiming to thrust the blade, directly at Iron's shoulder...