Flames of War and Passion (Razgriz x Ironic)

[Razgriz]

One has to wonder how far the reaches of space truly are. It seems limitless in its expanse, yet is defined as a finite area. From planets to asteroids, solar systems to galaxies, to even the entire universe in and of itself, the potential for life can reach that beyond even the most intellectual mortal's understanding. The life on one such planet, Praoamia, was a very interesting planet indeed. Lush tropics covered every inch of the world's surface, even the towering mountains that formed natural borders. The concept of 'civilization' in the sense of towering structures and advanced technology had yet to reach their world; in its place, the entire planet was that of a nomadic sort. Always following the animals and the resources, trying to simply survive. No 'nations' existed, only tribes. And even then, wars were few and far between; the prey animals were dangerous, and fighting amongst themselves would only serve to distract them from the true necessities of life.

The people themselves were built stoutly and brimmed with muscle, a necessary adaptation for the immense gravity of their world. Their lungs reinforced with natural carbon-weave to avoid having the delicate flesh ripped apart every time they breathed, the same for their bones having exceptional density. And for the most part, life was not too horrendous: The people of Praoamia were mindful of their impacts on the ecosystem, the chieftains keeping careful tally within their tribes so as not to take too much from the land. After all, there were future generations to consider.

But today was a joyous day, for it was that time within their society for the Purification, an event that occurred every one million moon cycles. And despite the unity of the world's people, this was the time where everyone was truly together. The time where the greatest task was given to a single worthy individual: To accept the embrace of Verath, Patron of the Eternal Flame, and burn the world clean of life for it to start anew. This had been done so many times before, and whoever was chosen got only the best in everything: Clothes, food, and women who would be chosen to survive the glorious event and pass on the next generation.

And that fate would fall upon the broad shoulders of Khrelan of the Plagnor tribe; as their chieftains have said, a lone burning ember would fall from the sky and land on the forehead of the one to be chosen for this task and mark them. Khrelan found himself being violently shaken awake one morning, only to be rushed and practically forced to look into the stream next to which they had set up camp. He quickly joined his companions in jubilation upon seeing the ember mark his forehead, and word was sent out to every other tribal chief. Their preparations began immediately, and Khrelan found himself being treated to something he had never thought he would experience. While every tribe member was treated like blood, this was something entirely different.

He was waited on hand and foot, not allowed to strain his body unnecessarily, not even during the hunt when he would try to heft the massive phothogs over his shoulders despite his strength and stature gifted to him by strong lineage and his people. The only time he received any exercise was among the chief's presence, in which he would test the young male's strength and endurance, and push it to allow Verath safe vessel. Every day, his body was rubbed down on every inch with healing oils and salves, and instructed to lie bare amidst the shamans as they chanted, to open the pathways for their great spirit to enter his body. This continued for quite some time before he was finally escorted by the tribal chief Harkthron himself along with the shaman of every tribe to the only rocky desert (and only desert at all) on the planet, aptly named the Plains of Verath for their scorching heat and lack of moving creatures. It was a journey that took seventeen moon cycles to complete, but once reached, the immense satisfaction could be felt by all.

Khrelan had heard the tales of Verath, and was truly in awe of such a magnificent spirit; and to think he was selected as his herald. It was far too great an honor. His featureless yet vibrat eyes stared out to the flat, barren landscape, deep in thought and excitement for what was to transpire. He then felt a hand rest on his shoulder as they rode their mounts towards their final destination. "I hope you appreciate this honor, Khrelan and Herald of Verath. You have been chosen by the Great Purifier for this task." said Harkthron, chieftain of the Plagnor tribe. "I will not disappoint Verath, chieftain. I have trained my body and mind for his embrace. May his light shine upon us all, and give back to the land what we have taken. For the Cycle." replied Khrelan, causing Harkthron to smile widely in glee. "Verath has chosen wisely." added Protnor, shaman of the Eastern Plains tribe, a comment followed by nods from the others.

At last, they reached the Great Circle: A natural mirrored-surface formation of obsidian glass, one thought to have been the sight of the first every Purification performed by Verath himself, the one that allowed the People to rise from the ash and live from the land born of his sacrifice. The circle of stone ran out for a short distance, and eventually they had to get off their horses. One part of this task was for Khrelan to walk across the scorching stone to the center, to feel the true presence of Verath. Something he did with no hesitation; even as the undersides of his feet blistered, cracked, and reddened, all he felt was joy. "Verath...I feel you. Show me your love, oh Purifier. Allow me to demonstrate my worthiness of being your vessel and bring to life your desire to renew this world." he said as he walked with arms wide open, staring to the Eye of Verath in the sky, feeling His radiance wash over him. He then laid down at the center, his back on the scorching surface as the rays of the bright orb in the heavens bombarded him.

And with that, the shamans and chieftain spaced themselves around the circle before taking one step inward onto the scorching rock, joining Verath and Khrelan in this glorious moment. And then they began to chant, the words empowering Khrelan and opening his body to receive the Purifier's embrace. The hot obsidian began to glow, radiating so much heat it began to boil the flesh and bone, and yet the pain could not be expressed. Not when so much joy could be had at this moment. And then Khrelan heard it: His voice.

"My child, you have done well. This land will benefit greatly with you as my vessel. Join with me, and let us renew the world. From your dedication, from your sincere desire for the People, this land will prosper. The creations following even more beautiful than before. Celebrate, for you shall give birth to a better People." said the whispery voice, its tone filled with love and caring for those who upheld its desire to let the planet survive. Tears of joy streamed down Khrelan's cheeks, sizzling on the superheated rock as he replied, "Yes, Verath! Take me! For the People! For the Cycle!" And with that, a cyclone of fire seemed to drop from the heavens and funneled into Khrelan's form. Flames soon erupted from open sores as his skin blackened and cracked but he felt no pain, only the energy of that which gave them life. His body became a veritable network of magma tubes, the red fire contrasting with the darkened skin; before long, the ritual concluded and he was born anew. "Khrelan...You have done it! Verath is with you!" shouted one of the shamans, the looks of glee apparent on everyone's face. Khrelan slowly stood up and used the obsidian to gaze upon his new form.

"Thank the Purifier...I am worthy!" Khrelan cried to the heavens; now he knew came the longest part: To stay here and focus his vital energies until such time that they could be unleashed and prepare the old world for its rebirth. The tales never gave a specific timetable, not that they were expected to. And after some heartfelt goodbyes, Khrelan was left alone.

Or so he thought.

About twenty moon cycles into his pilgrimmage, his meditation was interrupted by a strange, indescribable noise. His eyes, now a glowing yellow-orange, opened and looked to the sky to see what looked like a giant metal bird of some kind. "What on Praoamia...." he muttered; however, he could not finish his sentence for he felt a sudden onslaught of cold wash over him. And pain. So much mindbreaking pain! He screamed in agony, the sounds carrying for miles. His body writhed on the hot stone, the once pristine glass fracturing from the thermal shock and breaking apart. "Verath! I am your vessel! Give me strength and I will not fail you!" Khrelan cried; was this some kind of test? It had to be, but the tomes never spoke of this.

However, it soon became even worse for him; within his mind's eye, he felt the visage of Verath start to fade. "No! Verath! VERATH!" Khrelan cried out; and in a sudden surge of power, the flame erupted from his body, forever searing his form between normal and that of his Herald body. But it drained him, the strain of trying to hold in something as mighty as Verath too powerful for him to continue and he passed out.

"Praise the High King...This is the most effective substance for dealing with those that dabble in fire and he resisted for so long. Thank Him it worked." said one of the figures aboard the alien craft, the body hidden beneath armor and a hooded cloak. "Yes...His Majesty will be quite pleased with this addition to the tournament. He should fare quite well and give us a great spectacle, especially against that Orac captured by Ph'neei and his men. Activate the transport beam; and keep the cage as close to freezing as you can. If these vitals are accurate...Then we don't need that waking up anytime soon." And with a press of a button, Khrelan's unconscious form - along with a few shards of the broken Great Circle - was lifted onboard, his body materializing into an empty cage in the hold surrounded by cargo, supplies for the 'Retrieval Squadron' that set out to find specimens for these 'games'. Once everything was secured, the ship turned around and jetted off to orbit, quickly reaching superluminal speeds as they raced towards their home planet.

 

[Ironic]

In the cold vacuum of space, deep within the heart of the universe, stood a galaxy with radiant beauty, casting its immense glow to all over. This galaxy was known to be Obrion, home to many of inhabitable planets, containing unique and advanced species in many spectrum's. Luimba was one of the planets that spun around endlessly in the gravity of Obrion, but other than the resplendent image it gave off, was home to one of the richest civilizations in the galaxy, having as much power and control they wished. Luimbian's is the correct name for the species that inhabit this rich globe, leaving passerby's with a great sense of rapturous joy. With illuminating long luscious hair that resembled a solar flare from their lively star, it wasn't hard to tell that a Luimbian was in your presence. Though the beauty was a bonus, their home also held vicious battles, claiming the lives of many throughout the years, and more to come. For every thrice years, the King and Queen of Luimba held tournament games, so to speak, that would last for three months; to see who held the greatest power in the galaxy.

Luand'r , Queen of Luimba and Myand'r, King of Luimba, had carried on the tradition to hold the Luimbian tournaments, where all species from the universe would come together on their home planet and celebrate life and death, all while granting power and a single wish to the strongest in the galaxy. This exact tournament has been taking place for thousands of years, giving jubilation to many respected winners.

There came a time when Luand'r and Myand'r acknowledged the fact they they would indeed not live an immortal life, leaving them to face the option of bearing offspring in order for their civilization and tournaments to continue further on for more centuries to come. After countless of miscarriages and years of trying to have a young of their own, finally came the beautiful Princess... Koriand'r of Luimba. Nothing but love and nurturing was given to the young girl, teaching her from a very young age how to control and manipulate the powers she held. Luimba's held great power, including the ability of supersonic flight, survival in the vacuum of space, and supernatural strength, stamina, endurance, and durability. The only difference that the royal families had that the rest didn't was starbolt beams, eye blasts, waves, and bursts.

Growing up, Kory was taught that one day when she turned the ripe age of twenty-one, she would have to marry the galaxies other most richest civilization, Ghashian. The King and Queen both had a child three years before Kory was brought into the galaxy - Prince Tresdin. Never before had the two met, but on a scheduled day, a week before the tournaments will begin, the two will unite in marriage, holding the greatest and richest power that will ever exist in the universe. In secrecy to herself, Kory was never one for the idea of marrying a man that she did not know, let alone all for the selfishness of holding an immense power that could easily get chaotic and disrupt the natural order of life itself. She knew that if her parents ever knew of her secret thoughts, she would be given a 360 degree turn on how she is use to being treated, casted out into the cold and looked down from many civilizations, even after being buried in her dark and cold grave.

But she had to do it, sooner or later, regardless of the long term consequences...

---

There she stood, as beautiful as heaven itself. Her long auburn hair fixed in spiral curls, her eyelids casting a light purple shade of eye shadow, and her lips painted with a hue of blood red, glistening as the light shone on it. A long and fluffed out white wedding dress fitting tightly against her small framed body, showing off her elegant curves and feminine figure. A long white wedding veil cascaded over her face, almost shielding her identity if the fabric wasn't so transparent. Holding a bouquet of a mixture of purple and white Peruvian lilies, obtained from the planet Earth, she stood in her room, her heart racing in her chest as she knew the minutes were ticking when she would walk down the isle. Luand'r stood in front of her daughter, smiling slightly as she moved a stray hair from her daughters face, her eyes shining brightly with a hue of neon green.

"You're a beautiful bride, dear." Searching in Kory's eyes, Lua shook her head, giggling for a moment at a fond memory. "I remember when I was in this same spot about to marry your father, hands sweaty and heart racing." Looking up at the ceiling for a brief moment, she fixed her eyes back on her daughter. "Prince Tresdin will be one happy and lucky man." Taking her right hand, she gripped Kory's left, giving it a strong grip of encouragement and excitement.

But did Lua ever take into consideration what she was feeling? As Kory looked into her mother's own eyes, she wanted to tell her right then and there that she did not want to go through with this ordeal. She wasn't ready to be married, and she wasn't ready to settle down. Instead, she shook her head in agreement, trying to swallow the lump that was lodged in her throat, preventing her from responding. Maybe it was better off with no words to be said is response.

The castle altar began to fill up, sounds of chattering and laughing filling the air, setting a good atmosphere for the occasion, but too bad this did not reassure Kory. For a moment she grew thankful for her veil, making it so her mother could not truly see her face twisted with fear and hurt. Instead, she faked a smile, trying to hold her composer. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad if she at least gave the man a chance with her, but she was dead set in her decision, even at a young age of hearing this information.

Music began to lift up, echoing its melody and soothing sound against the castle walls. Lua looked out the door, seeing that everyone was getting in their proper places for the big scene. Happily, Lua took Kory into her arms and hugged her tightly in a warm embrace, stroking her hair softly one last time before departing, whispering the words 'I love you.' How ironic, because later on her mother would not feel love for her anymore, only disappointment and rage. Taking a deep breath, Kory peeked out of the door, seeing a long hallway that would lead her down the isle. She was too far away to depict the faces of anyone, but there stood a figure dressed in white There she knew that was the Prince she would soon marry, and her stomach instantly knotted up. Sweat beaded the top of her head, her quivering lower lip shaking so roughly that she was forced to bite it. Royal women began to make their way down the isle dressed in purple dressed, matching the shade of the flowers she equipped in her hand. Their hands coiled with their manly companion, each separating to their designated side as they finished walking down to the alter. Four woman and four men stood on each side, smiling brightly at the occasion.

And then her music began...

She felt as if she were about to hyperventilate, her breathing beginning to quicken in pace. "Calm down, calm down!" She muttered to herself with clenched teeth, forcing herself to walk forward, stepping out for the crowed to see. Heads turn as the beautiful Princess walked alone, seeing the faces of her parents sitting in the front row, smiling joyfully at their daughter. She felt as if she couldn't walk anymore, her muscles stiffened so much that she wanted to collapse before everyone, but she found a way to shake off that feeling, continuing to walk as she covered her fear in a thick paste of exaggerated glee. Scanning the crowed, she noticed the Ghashian species sitting along her kind, nodding and grinning at her, admiring her prepossessing beauty. Turning her glance ahead of her, there she finally could depict the facial features and form of the Prince. Indeed, he was handsome and well built, her eyes some what fascinated with him, but this was not enough for her to change her mind.

After what seemed like a lifetime of walking that damned isle, finally she stood there, starring up at the man before her as he extended his left hand, raising a brow as an open invitation for her. "You looked beautiful, my Princess." He muttered, showing his sparkling white teeth. Hesitantly with a shaking hand, she extended her right hand to be met with his, feeling him lift her up on the step to be faced with the Pastor. The music died down, and the rustling sounds of finding a comfortable position in the rough seats died down too, listening intently. Kory did not respond to him, but instead gave a quick smile, quickly looking away to avoid further eye contact.

"Dear family and friends, we are gathered here today in the sight of the union of Prince Tresdin and Princess Koriand'r in royalty marriage." He began to speak aloud, capturing everyone's attention and beginning the ceremony Kory dreaded. Words went into one ear and out the other, feeling as if she was in a daze... as if none of this was real. After he spoke briefly on the vows and their meaning, her turned his attention to Tresdin, clearing his throat before proceeding once more. "Prince Tresdin, in taking Princess Koriand'r to be your wife, do you so promise to honor, to love, and to cherish her in sickness as in health, in poverty as in wealth, in hardship as in blessing, until death alone shall part you?"

"I do." Tresdin said calmly without any hesitation, looking over at Kory as he grinned, but Kory refused to turn around and look at him, her eyes still staying straight ahead, unblinking.

"Princess Koriand'r, in taking Prince Tresdin to be your husband, do you so promise to honor, to love, and to cherish him in sickness as in health, in poverty as in wealth, in hardship as in blessing, until death alone shall part you?"

Oh no. This was her part. This is the part she has to commit herself to this stranger for the rest of her days! Her hands shook, making the flowers sway with the rhythm, pedals falling gently on the floor. Nothing but silence filled the air, making the crowed behind her whisper amongst once another, wondering what all of the hold up was.

"I...." She began to speak, the whispering instantly stopped, anticipation arising. Adrenaline coursed through her alien veins, her head turning to look at Prince Tresdin now. Her heart felt as if it was in her throat, about to come out of her mouth, but she swallowed hard, making that feeling wash away and replacing it with courage. "I do not accept." She spoke firmly, glaring at Tresdin as if this was all of his fault. There she took her bouquet of lilies, throwing them on the ground before her. Everyone gasped in unison, shocked that Kory would even do such a negligent action. How could she?

"Traitor! Harlot! Idiot!" The mean words consumed her ears, making her eyes search at each person shouting at her, their hands rising to the ceiling in exclamation. Lua and Mya quickly arose from their seat, their green eyes glowing, projecting their energy. With both of their face twisting in a snarl, the barked at her, showing their fierce teeth and exasperation.

"Kory! How could you! Do you know what you just did for your people and theirs?!" Mya casted his hands over the unhappy crowed, portraying the cause of her actions. "You will be punished!" For once in her life, Kory's parents yelled at her, along with threatening her. Her eyes began to sting, feeling the wetness of her tears stroll down her cherry colored cheeks. Tresdin walked away before her parents came in, disappearing quickly showing no trace of his whereabouts.

"I sentence you to the Luimbian tournament as punishment! You will be sorry that you committed this act of crime." Shaking his head, almost looking sad for a moment, he looked up at the guards, pointing at his daughter. "Shackle her up and put her in the cage in the cellar. Give her one meal a day and make her suffer. I will savor this." His voice was firm and assertive, not even giving Kory a second glance before him and his Queen walked away.

"You can't do this to me!" She cried aloud as two guards gripped at her arms, her wrists being bounded together by steel shackles. Her tears continued to flow down her cheeks, dripping down on the floor underneath her. The guards carried her away, allowing her to try and wiggle away, knowing well that she couldn't.

And off to the cellar she went until the day of the tournament...

---

"Yes... His Majesty will be quite pleased with this addition to the tournament. He should fare quite well and give us a great spectacle, especially against that Orac captured by Ph'neei and his men. Activate the transport beam; and keep the cage as close to freezing as you can. If these vitals are accurate... Then we don't need that waking up anytime soon." Jhasper's hard boots echoed against the metallic floor, his hands placed firmly around his back as his men scattered to do his requests. Traveling at intense speeds, the ship continued its journey to head back to Luimba.

"When we get back home, we need to keep his confinement just as cold as it is now." He spoke aloud as he took a seat down on a chair, running his fingers against his short auburn hair. Looking out of the window, stars and galaxy's whizzed past him, creating almost an illusion is his green eyes, until the ship slowed down, approaching the familiar sight of his planet. "Steady..." He reassured the pilot of the ship, landing down smoothly on the grassy plains by the tournament arena. "Be careful when you export him in the cellar, I don't want him to be waking up and burning this place up."

Two men grabbed each end of the portable cage, beginning to walk of out of ship and entering into the castle, going down a short flight of stairs that lead them to the cold cellar, glancing as they passed Koriand'r's cellar, hear head hanging low as dirt covered her body, her glowing eyes shining against the darkness. Right beside her was an empty cage, the place where Khrelan would reside at for a night with below freezing temperatures. Opening up the cage that Khrelan was in, one of the men grabbed a hold of him underneath his arms, quickly taking him and tossing him against the metal bars, hearing the reverberating rattling sound filling the cold musky air. "You two have fun in here." One of the men chuckled, the two exiting after they locked Khrelan's cage, closing the door that gave the cellar a small beam of light, now leaving behind darkness yet again.

Peering over to the cage right beside her, Kory glanced at the unconscious Khrelan, wondering what his story was about and how he ended up here. She couldn't help but stare at the man; being able to see in pitch darkness. His body looked... scorched, as if the men torched him and tried to burn him alive, but if that was the case, by the looks of his skin he would of died as soon as his body lit up in flames. Her heart felt heavy, knowing that someone has to bear the same amount of chaos and trouble that she had to go through, but she knew that she would later be fighting him, and therefore she needed to build up a hard outer shell, showing no emotion. After all, this eventful week made her already hard and brittle, leaving a sour taste in her mouth.

The lack of nutrition and water left her weak, her body filling brittle and defenseless, but she knew that rest would be her best option, at least giving her a tad bit of strength for the following day. Sighing softly to herself, she rested her head on the cold brick wall, her back placed up against it, the cold sending shivers down her spine. Her eyes closed, hearing nothing but the sounds of the man and her own shallow breathing.

 

[Razgriz]

Across a wide expanse the ship flew, its dangerous cargo in tow and the Luimbans eager to see him fight. It didn't matter if the creature understood why, only that it fought for the celebration of the natural world's one true rule: Survival of the fittest. That one golden law by which all of life was irrevocably judged. Sure, he might fuss, stomp his feet like a child having a tantrum, but he would accept his place. He should be honored to have been chosen. Who knew what kind of backwards way of life he was living to begin with, that was the thought in their minds.

Weakened by the cold and severance of his pact with the Patron Spirit, Khrelan slumbered during the entire journey. When he would awaken, the young Praoamian would find his body radically changed both inside and out. He didn't even feel his body be jolted around as he was transported to the cold underground, a place specially designed to hold him based on transmissions received and sent in flight. Only after the darkness fell did he finally begin to stir. The alien's mental musing of his physical appearance was not too far off; though it was not by heat he came to be this way.

His eyes opened slowly, the whites and pupils gone in place of fire-like glowing orbs, a low echoing groan leaving his throat; the markings on his body, resembling magma channels in their appearance, dimly flickered as he struggled to awaken. The light from them cast small blades of illumination, some of them falling to reveal pieces of his neighbor. His body shivered from the cold, his muscles aching for relief, for warmth. He slowly raised himself to his knees, eyes falling to see his hands. "What....happened? Where am I? Verath, is this a test? I have proven my obedience, my desire to fulfill the role of the Great Purifier. You had said so yourself...Why?" he spoke out to nothing. And no one answered; he could not hear the loving voice of the Patron.

Only after a few moments did he realize the company of his neighbor; the dark hurt his eyes, and with the little light his new form gave off it was difficult to see. "Excuse me...This place. Where is it? Where are we? Were you taken as well? What did that giant metal bird want with me? Why did it douse in light so cold it burned?" he then asked, unknowing just who it was he was speakig to.

 

[Ironic]

Mumbling sounds was lifted in her ears, not knowing if it was in reality or the dreams she was having. She was running, running away from her family, from the people, from everything. She ran in slow motion as an echoing sound ran around in her head. "Where are we?" was the words she could make out, seeing a black figure stand before her, unknowing who it is and who the voice belonged to. "Were you taken as well?" The figure seemed close, yet so far away from her. She tried to reach for it, wondering why it was questioning her of such things, until suddenly her body jolted, her eyes widening as she gasped, waking up from her dead sleep.

Peering over in the direction of the voice was the man, speaking to her and asking questions of his whereabouts. Clearing her throat that was dry and cracked, she managed to speak, though it was raspy and harsh. "We are in the cellar of the castle, forced to participate in the Luimbian Tournaments. I have no idea why they had chosen you to be apart of this." Her voice sounded unamused, already dealing with enough problems herself, why should she feel sympathetic for someone else? "If I was you, I'd suggest you sleep until tomorrow. That is when the battles take place."

Her body never ached like this before, the cold hard ground already began to take a toll on her body that was used to being pampered and treated like the royalty she was... well, used to be. "What happened to you? Did they burn you to death?" She left the question hanging in the air, unknown of his selected gift. Her wrists already were imprinted with the marks of her chains, so tight that they were beginning to slightly dig into her skin. Realizing what the man had just stated in regards to the ship, she couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle, shaking her head.

"A metal bird in the sky? I think you mean our high tech space ship. I assume your species lacks intelligence. I almost feel bad for you." Her stuck up royalty attitude began to show, already thinking of herself better than her neighbor. Funny how she never use to be this way, and it only took a weeks worth of confinement and torture to turn a sweet girl into a bitter aftertaste. Getting up gently, she checked to see if her food was served yet, and frowned to see that no food was there, taking a seat back down on the hard ground. Sighing loudly, she closed her eyes and rested her head once more against the wall, waiting to see what the man would say to her remarks.

 

[Razgriz]

Khrelan just narrowed his eyes as she explained, his words fleeing him at the shock of the revelation; a tournament? That was why he was taken from his home, from his sacred duty? A tournament? From her words, he realized that perhaps this person - from their tone and pitch, a female - and himself were not the only two in this situation. But that only left more questions: Why capture participants from different places? What was the purpose of all of this?

At the remark about his intelligence, he felt himself grow agitated; he also started to get the hint that maybe she was one of the people that had abducted him. Or at least, the same species. "Where I hail from, we do not have these 'ships', woman. The only metal we use is tipped onto our arrows and fashioned into hunting daggers." he then snapped back; he might not come from this world, but he was versed enough to recognize a tone of superiority.

Despite the cold light of his current cell, it was fairly obvious the news and her insult had struck a nerve; the orange-red marks on his body began to glow brighter, casting more light into the shadowy depths. His body shivered less and less, feeling warmer as the desire for freedom overtook him. "I will not stay here...I will find my way home and fulfill my duty as Verath's vessel." he grumbled in that same echoing tone as he shifted from sitting on his rears to his hands and knees. He then reached for the bars on his cell, fingers curling around the chilled metal; a grunt of pain emitting from his throat at the sheer temperature difference.

His mind subconsciously focused more of the heat to his fingers, making it appear like he was doing it on purpose as he tried to heat the bars enough to liberate himself. He realized just what it was he was doing and tried to put more fuel to the fire, so to speak. He grunted more and more, the exertion on his fatigued form increasing with what seemed to be minimal returns. Eventually, he could not keep it up any longer and slumped, his shoulders slouching and the bars reddened but no less weakened.

He then shivered and rubbed his arms, curling into a ball in an effort to warm himself up again. "This wretched cold light...It saps my strength" he said, eyes looking around to find the source. However, he then was bathed in light as the door opened and heard a voice, a male one based on the baritone nature and solid vocal patterns "Ah, so the walking fire pit is awake? And feisty too." Khrelan's gaze shifted to the shadows of a tall muscular being before, a practical giant. Koriand'r would see that it was Jhasper, commander of the ship Grebnak. "Who are you..." asked the Praoamian, to which the commander replied, "I'm the one that brought you here. Just thought I'd come see how my catch was. I have good coin on you to win your first battle, flame man. Better not disappoint." Khrelan lunged at the commander feebly, Jhasper stepping back to be just out of reach and chuckling.

"Spirited, are we? That's excellent. But fussin' won't do you no good. Tomorrow, you'll meet the rest and receive your 'badge'. We've quite the list of combatants for this celebration. Should be fun." Khrelan paused; what did this man mean by 'badge'? His gut told him it was nothing good, and the fact that he couldn't break free likely meant he was going to wear one himself. And with that, Jhasper grinned at Kori and said, "Your...former...Highness." before making his way back out, closing the door to once again put the world in darkness. Khrelan seemed shocked; he figured she was one of them by this point, but it sounded like she was royalty! "You....You were responsible for this?! What sort of sick pleasure do you get from taking people from their homes?!" he then tried to bellow, but it came out as more of a strangled yell instead.

 

[Ironic]

Kori couldn't help but glance at the man as he attempted to try and do something, seeing his body begin to glow slightly. Cocking a brow, she couldn't help herself but wonder of the strange neighbor. Well, now it was obvious that he was not burned, instead he had some sort of powers... Maybe from the bright star that provided many planets with light and warmth? She shook her head as he failed at whatever he was attempting to do, knowing that all he was doing was wasting his strength away.

A small light entered the cold cellar, making Kori squint slightly, the darkness already taking its toll on her eyes. Oh great, it was Jhasper, here to play with his locked up toys. Listening silently as he spoke to Khrelan, she at least got a small scoop of who he was and why they captured him, if t wasn't obvious enough. So indeed he was fire essentially, and due to it being so cold in the cellar he could not lite the glowing mixture of red, orange, and yellow flames. As Jhasper walked out of the room before adding a comment to Kori, her eyes sparked, giving off her green energy to show she was not pleased.

"Once I get out of here I will end you, Colonel Jhasper." Hissing at him, she heard the slam of the door, cutting off once more the little light that they had. Like a barking dog, Khrelan yapped at her, questioning how her people and herself find pleasure in this sick and twisted game of life. Rolling her eyes at his ignorance, she thought it would be best to explain a little bit to him so he would understand.

"Quit your bitching." She growled, stumbling to stand up so she could stretch her tired muscles before continuing. "Yes, these tournaments indeed are harsh when we have to abduct species from their home planets, but that is not the point." Almost feeling guilty now as she knew how the prisoners felt - now being one of them - she pushed that feeling away, not wanting to be as soft as a marshmallow. "The Luimbian Tournaments is where all species from the universe would come together on this very planet and celebrate life and death, all while granting power and a single wish to the strongest in the galaxy." Pacing the room, her shackles jingled as they banged against each other, the cold metal wanting to chill her to the bone.

"And yes, I am the Princess of Luimba, pleasure to be in the cellar with you." Sarcasm coated her wet muscle, her eyes gazing on the already broken man. "Look, I know you are hurt and you are in pain, but this is only the beginning. So I suggest you toughen up and prepare yourself for the worst." Contorting her body around, she stretched some more before finding a place to sit, crisscrossing her legs and wresting her binned hands on her thighs. Even though the two were already on bad terms due to her sour attitude, it was pleasant to be talking to someone in the same situation as her - well, similar, not quite the same.

The door opened once more, one of the Luimbian guards holding two metal plates of food, looking like mushy oatmeal with a tall glass of blue liquid, being the equivalence to Earths water. Bending down he slid the plates underneath each cell, not speaking a word or even an insult, then proceeded to walk out, not shutting the door as hard as Jhasper did. "Better eat up." She insisted before reaching and scooting her metal plate closer to her, gripping at the glass of blue liquid and gulped at it speedily. She needed something wet to coat her dry throat, automatically relaxing her worn down esophagus muscles.

"Just be thankful you're not dead... Yet."

 

[Razgriz]

Khrelan huffed, a small cloud of vapor puffing out from his breath as the icy radiation worked to keep his body sufficiently cool. This was not happening, though it really was. It was only his stubborn mind not accepting this, even when it was plan as day. He held his tongue as she told him why he was here, and what the true tournament's purpose was. That was all it was? A show of strength? Is that honestly what dragging others from their world was all about? Having grown up on a relatively peaceful planet, the only real combat being them, the large beasts that sought his kind as prey and those other beasts that the Praoamians hunted, he found it hard to believe that such brutality was a form of celebration. He didn't consider that his own kind's view of life might be just as well condemned by others, or that some might even call it worse.

He squinted as the guards came in once more, carrying what appeared to be a metal surface covered in tan-grey mush and a clear vessel holding a bluish liquid. On his planet, the water was colored green; it seemed to move like water, but perhaps it was something different. He dipped a digit into the mush and tasted it; a tad bitter, but it had texture and tasted very slightly like the quosum meal that his people used in times of great lack of prey as sustinence. It would fill him up, of that he was certain. But he wished for a coraberry's sweetness to counteract the alkalinity a little.

His appetite absent for the moment, he felt compelled to respond. "On my planet, I was already slated to die for the greatest cause my people can: Continuance. We all die, but my death was meant to be honorable and in complete solitude. Not a spectacle for others to view for their pleasure; and your people should be ashamed for hiding their bloodthirst behind a celebration. There is no reason to celebrate other than the gratification of such base desires. It is disgusting and foul." he then snarled at her, already having formed his opinion of her people's view on the world. One that might get at her as she had done to him.

Continuing to forego his food for the time being, but staring at it as if in contemplation, he then added "But if it is true what you say...Then I already know what I will wish for." That last bit was added with quite the dose of venom in his tone. Looking down at his hands, the burning palms held out and turned upward, he mentally prayed as he closed his eyes, "Great Patron...Please hear my cry. Give me strength to see this through. Give me the strength to make it through this ordeal. Let me make it home. Home so that I may carry out Your inescapable will."

He continued to pray, his ears having been silenced by the words that floated through his mind, for several minutes. Once he was done, only then did he start to eat his food. The liquid seemed...thicker...than water, but it was void of taste or texture like that which he was used to. It wet his throat, so he supposed that was good enough. As he ate, he felt his body re-energize more; the 'flames' covering became a little more vibrant than before, putting out some heat to - by accident - take some of the cold off of his fellow prisoner.

The night wore on into the day, and soon Khrelan went to sleep, deciding to heed his companion's advice and rest. As he saw no other way out of this, it seemed he was forced to comply. A temporary leash, that was better than death...For now, at least.

 

[Ironic]

Grinding her teeth together, she let the man speak out, lashing out his anger towards her, making her feel even worse than she secretly did. She grew up with the tournaments, never seeing anything wrong with it - It was simply just the circle of life - but now he was beginning to open up her ears to listen more in depthly. Was her people really hurting the lives of others, causing as much chaos and destruction that they just committed to her fellow prisoner neighbor? Why was she thinking so hard into this, it is what it is. Feeling her face flush red, almost unnoticeable with her orange pigment, her blood pressure risen. Her eyes began to spark, her mouth opening to say something to him, until she noticed his hands in a praying position, tuning her out after his last sentence.

She could only wonder what his wish would be, but she knew it would be bad, ergo she had to destroy him tomorrow. Taking her mushy food, she ate it slowly, thinking more on what he had said to her. Why was he chosen to die for continuance? Evidently he seemed religious, hence praying right before her. Was it because of that? Finishing her glob-like food, she gave the man one last glance, seeing his body glow dimly with a breathtaking shade of orange. Regardless of the light being dim, the heat it gave off was strong, warming her up even though they were a good distance apart.

Kori decided to bite her tongue until the morning, wanting to get him rallied up for the big tournament, showing him who really was in control here. Indubitably he would carry out his deed, instead it would not be for the reasons he wished for them to be.

---

Something touched Kori's body, gripping at her shoulders and shaking her slightly. Hastily her eyes opened, looking around to see what all of the commotion was. Jhasper once more, what a surprise? Accompanied with four other guards, he stood before her, retrieving his hands from her shoulders and crossing them against his chest. "Good morning, Kori dear." He smirked, some of the men behind him chuckling already. "Time to put on your battle paint, you've got a show to put on." Reaching behind him, he grabbed a badge from a guard, waving it in the air for Kori to see. "You see this? You know exactly what it is, and you know you're going to have to wear it whether you like it or not." Taking Kori by her shackles, he lifted her up to her feet. Kori couldn't help herself but let out a wail, her shackles cutting deeper into her fragile flesh.

The badge was a metal chest piece, in the middle engraved a symbol regarding which planet the species were from. Kori's symbol represented the tree of life; what else would it show? Jhasper took her arms and lifted them in the air, allowing her clothed chest to be shown to them. Unbuckling the badge, he wrapped it around her, locking it firmly in place before buckling it back up. Taking out a small device in his pocket, his index finger poked at a button, her badge illuminating the room with a hue of yellow. "Like I said, my bets on the fire pit over there." Using his thumb to point over the sleeping Khrelan, he snickered shortly before tugging at her shackles, making her follow them.

She wanted to know how it was possible to be treated with so much respect for one day, and then the next like dirt underneath shoes. "Keep talking, I'll show you all." Grumbling at the him, her eyes flickered once more, feeling her built up anger about to erupt soon. They began to walk over to Khrelan's cell, unlocking the caged door with an ancient looking key, hearing the approving click of the door being unlocked. Jhasper walked over to him, placing his firm hands on his shoulders, but instantly he pulled away, already his hands being burned from the heat.

"Get me a glass of Juian, Theodore." Jhasper commanded, Theodore quickly complying to his request. Shortly he arrive with the blue liquid, handing it over to Jhasper as he portrayed a cunning grin. He began raising the glass high in the air above Khrelan's head, savoring the moment. Slowly he tipped the glass, allowing the liquid to fall freely, showering him in the thicker fluid.

Kori straightened up her posture, watching as the torcher unfolded before her eyes, feeling bad for him, but only for a split second; dying out as quickly as the flames that once coated his molten body.

 

[Razgriz]

It took some effort, but with the cold light washing over Khrelan to prevent a breakout, it made it difficult for him to wake up after sleeping. Eventually, his eyes cracked open to be greeted with the same dim darkness he'd know before, his arms almost instantly wrapping around himself again as the chilling air made itself known. "This frigid radiation is aggravating" he grumbled, rubbing his hands along his upper arms to create friction. The ones who imprisoned him would regret this. He didn't know how yet, but he would make them feel his rage. It wasn't so much they had captured him that bothered him, but had insulted Verath by interrupting His grand design. And he felt moved to demonstrate why Verath was known to his people as The Supreme One, Patron of the Eternal Flame.

And as if to add to his fury, the light shone once more as the cellar door opened, making Khrelan shield his eyes from having sat in such darkness. And then he heard his captor's voice:

"My bet's on the fire pit over there".

He then lowered his hand to see the man in metal plating approach his cell and unlocking the door. Khrelan did not quite know how to utilize the fire within quite yet, but nonetheless he said, "I would advise against touching me." It was meant more as a threat of hostile action instead of friendly warning, but Jhasper just chuckled and reached in anyway, only being able to barely lay his hands on him. The orange man then gave a yelp of pain and sharply withdrew his hands, the surface reddened madly and covered with already forming blisters. Khrelan seemed noticeably shocked at this; was the heat from his form that significant? "Such is power of Verath" he then whispered, more to himself than out loud.

"Get me a glass of Juian, Theodore."

Those words snapped him out of his musing, the ember-like orbs gazing at the man again as he was handed a vessel of the same blue liquid he had drunk earlier, or so it had appeared. And before he could react, he felt the cold liquid splash against his flesh; the thermal shock was just like before he was captured, making him scream - the echoing of his voice even more prevalent - in utter agony. He tried to thrash, wipe the substance off of him as it sizzled and vaporized, but it was not enough. Khrelan lay heaving on the floor of his cage, his body curled up and shivering from pain.

"Amazing stuff, isn't it? Made from a berry whose juices are colder than the ice sheets to the North. Funny considering that's where it grows most abundantly. Has to be warmed quite some time before it's even drinkable...But as you can see, fire pit, it has other uses. You won't be burning me again any time soon...Behave, and I promise not to douse you anymore". Jhasper then stated before he chuckled again. "Alright, men...Slap it on him."

With the heat dulled, Khrelan struggled futilely as he was lifted; he then felt a sharp pain as the 'badge' was punched into his torso. On it rested a symbol of the rare fiery bird that nested to the East, what the Luimbians had named, adopted from Earth as, the 'Phoenix'. "Fitting for you, fire pit...Now come on, men. Let's get the rest. Ph'neei and Torac will meet us with the others." The young Praoamian was thrown back into his cage as the men went about into the next set of prison cells. They soon returned, shackles in hand. "Let's go, you two. His Highness does not like to wait."

Khrelan tried to resist, but eventually he was chained up and led like a dog on a leash; soon enough, he was being led into a chain-gang going out the opposite end of where they'd been held. His body was still too cold to try anything, so all he could do was let himself be le along like a hound at the end of a rope.

The small group arrived out of a tunnel, leading to a large arena; throngs of orange-skinned spectators, Luimbans wanting to watch the event unfold, cheered as the future combatants were led into the middle. Out of several other gates came other warriors of different breeds and builds, each wearing a badge like he was with different symbols to represent where they hailed from. Some seemed like him, enraged at their captivity, whilst others were more relaxed and for some even eager to be there. There must have been over fifty in total; how long had these people spent finding them, thought Khrelan. And what would happen to them now, he could only speculate. Would they all fight now, or would the battles be broken up.

Eventually, what sounded like the loud bellow of a rampaging phothog sounded high above them; the group of warriors turned their attention to the origin, seeing that it was a high balcony where the King and Queen sat in observation. Khrelan narrowed his eyes, staring in vindictive rage; what now, he pondered. No one would call attention to themselves like that unless they wanted to be seen or heard.

 

[Ironic]

Peering down on the floor, Kori didn't even bother to glance up, feeling too ashamed of herself. Her shackle strands tied up along with the person in front of her, looking something similar to a beefy Orc, not looking too happy or pleased with this tournament thing himself. Only one person will be standing after this battle, and that feeling shook her down to the very bone.... Only one... Death was something that now Kori feared, and the worse part of it was how it was going to happen and when. I was all just a crazy mystery, and it was eating her from the inside out. Khrelan was chained behind her, and she could hear the huffing and puffing he made, still probably feeling the aftereffects of the cold Juian that consumed his body. He didn't deserve anything that harsh, she had to admit.

As they continued to walk towards the tunnel that lead them to the open field of the bloodshed that has happened their for thousands of years, the roaring chant of Luimbians was heard, the sound intensifying as they continued to get closer. The light became brighter, her eyes stinging and wanting to close, shielding themselves from the now unfamiliar light. Already her feet ached from the lack of use due to being locked up in the cell for a week straight. She was weak, but if the weakness continued to take over, it would cause her to lose the battle, including her life, and that was the last thing she wanted to happen.

Stepping foot on the fresh soil, it was now visible to see the Luimbians as the gathered amongst each other, similar to a stadium. They encircled them into the arena, making it impossible to escape. Looking down at her badge, she could only shake her head in denial, not wanting to go through with this. She should of just sucked it up and married Prince Tresdin, but instead she had to be the rebellious girl she was known to be.

There was no sense in dreading the past now, because it was the future that mattered.

The guards arranged the captives to stand in the middle of the arena, being shown to all. A screeching sound called everyone's attention high above, where Kori's mother and father would sit as they feasted their eyes on such the occasion. Kori would be sitting there with her parents too, with her new husband, but obviously those plans did not go through. Prince Tresdin along with his parents stood there, a smug look on their faces as Kori felt their eyes stare dead onto her. The crowed began to silent down, nothing but silent whispers was all to be heard, ready for what the King and Queen of Luimba was going to announce:

"Behold, my fellow Luimbians and species who traveled far and wide to be apart of this glorious event," King Myand'r began to speak, pausing occasionally so everyone's focus would still linger on him, setting a hint of anticipation into the air. "Today was suppose to be an even more glorious event... My daughter, former Princess Koriand'r and her new husband, Prince Tresdin would be sitting here, celebrating the circle of life amongst everyone. As you already know, this did not go to plan." The crowed roared in "boo's", shouting and threatening the Princess below them. All eyes glared down at her, and she could feel the hate traveling towards her. Sickening. Why did he have to point her out like that?

"These games will be played in a course of six months. This will allow two opponents to battle out until one is victorious, allowing them to fight with the next, and so on and so fourth. I wish the best of luck to you all, and let the strongest of the galaxy win!" A loud bell was sounded, declaring that the arena's have started, and that they should all prepare.

Glancing towards her left, there Khrelan stood. Noticing the way his crisp face wrinkled up, she could tell that he was plainly not happy about this, and with his expression hate coursed his lava veins. "I bet you just want to end me, huh?" She muttered to him, keeping her head low as her knotted hair laid against her back, her skin covered in black dirt/dust spots scattered everywhere. " I don't blame you if you do. I would be better off anyway." Lifting her head up, she looked at Prince Tresdin again, a grin on his face as he waved nonchalantly at the situation, friendly and inviting; How repugnant, she thought.

 

[Razgriz]

Khrelan listened as the King spoke of his treacherous tournament, telling them all about his daughter's betrayal of her people and the length of the tournament. So, it seemed there was going to be quite the selection of events to be had here; the question was who was going to go and when. Six months...He wasn't sure what that measure was, but it sounded like many moon cycles. But then, was the cycle the same here as it was on his world?

Tresdin, meanwhile, put on a brave face for all the spectators here; but still, his heart broke for his beloved Koriand'r. Even if she did reject him as her husband, he still felt love for her. After all, life was so short; it did one little good to hold grudges like that. And looking back, he could see why she acted the way she did. She did not know him, nor really he her; even still, she was the single most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. Any man would be lucky to have her as a wife. But even if she did betray his love and her family...He couldn't bring himself to hate her. No, he wanted her to be liberated from this torment. Free to live as she would choose, even if she did not want to be by his side.

"My beloved...Fret not, for I will find a means to free you from your bonds." he mused, keeping his stance and smile the same in order to keep up appearances. He had to be careful in how he moved and acted; the King would not take kindly to someone - even of his stature - trying to question the Supreme One's will.

When she questioned him about wanting to end her, Khrelan could only turn and stare. Perhaps she could be of use; she was the King's daughter, after all. While he wouldn't do anything, the response from the guard's touching him then dousing him in that liquid ice told him that they were scared. On top of being locked in that freezing cage, he made a plan to use his abilities to the fullest he could at the moment. And boy would the crowd get the show to start off the tournament.

He counted under his breath, barely audible for anyone to hear, then made his move: He threw his shackled arms around the Princess, letting her feel the extraordinary heat from his body. His hands came up to grab her cheeks, the palms searing hot and would have burned her with boils had her flesh not been so resilient. "Make one move and I will reduce you to ash." he growled into her ear, before turning his attention to the King. "Here's the deal, you coward! You will release me from this prison and send me home, or watch as I kill your child! Watch as Verath's purifying Light relieves her of this mortal shell!" A collective gasp rang out as all eyes went to the King; Tresdin himself was edge, outraged that this plebian would dare threaten harm upon that orange-skinned goddess. His hands gripped the rail in anger, his eyes narrowing but his tongue holding still lest he show his true colors.

Khrelan, however, paid him no mind....And waited for their leader's response to his threat.

 

[Ironic]

"What is he doing?!" Kori's eyes grew wide, feeling her back be pressed up against his molten and cracked skin, his heat warming her up in ways she would of never thought. Sweat beaded at her head, combining with the dirt and making its way down her chin, dribbling off and simply evaporating. In this moment she was thankful for not being able to have such a resilience to heat. Gulping in fear, her head was directed towards her father who stood above, awaiting for his response in her situation.

Myand'r's face contorted with anger, how dare this imbecile demand to be freed. Obviously he had not known what soil he has now stepped foot on. "Don't you understand?" His voice roared through the stadium, deep and powerful; a true leader. "Death is suppose to happen. It is bounded on everyone - a fate that is unknown of when is it going to happen." True, indeed, his words was. Life itself is a game, you try to survive, you try to do the best you can for yourself, but in the end, it all crumbles down to nothing. The things you've accomplished and even the awards you earn will not go with you once you leave this life. Often, one question's his or her purpose here, but when the time is right, we all discover it.

"You're only making a fool of yourself. It is a dead give away that either my daughter will live through this, or fall to the ground in defeat. Even death I cannot save her from, so, why not throw her in the Tournaments and watch as it decorates a beautiful canvas of life in blood paint?" Silence filled the arena momentarily, until he finished his response, "After all, she does deserve this for her daunting actions."

The crowed cheered at his beautiful words, never once doubting the wisdom in his old locutions. This, however, did not go the way the Khrelan had hoped it would have, instead only made him look foolish and ignorant in the eyes of the Luimbians. Tresdin, on the other hand, did not roar or applaud to Myand'r's words, only shaking his head in secrecy. Soon he would act, showing how distasteful the King and Queens actions were with their own child. If he were the King around here, he would show them all...

Shifting uncomfortably underneath Khrelan, Kori took her elbow and motioned it harshly to strike his abdomen, quickly wiggling free from his shackled grip the second she felt his grip loosen around her. "Don't you DARE try anything funny like that again or it will be you who turns to ash underneath my feat!" She snarled at him, her eyes illuminating the bright beautiful green hue.

"But..." Myand'r shouted, the crowed going silent again, wondering what he had to add on. "I will allow you your request. I challenge you and Koriand'r to begin the battles, to give us a taste on how violent all of this can really get." A smug smile played his lips, his eyes casting down at his daughter and the man below him.

 

[Razgriz]

Khrelan just stared at the King, completely stupefied by his lack of empathy; just how far gone was this being? This planet? Was there no other reason for their existence than to be bloodletters? For the sake of entertainment, of all things? They were insane! Even if it was true that everyone died in the end, that didn't give them the right to abandon family like that! Sure, she might not have done what her family wanted...But one should only do things for the good of all, not just a few.

Regardless, he found his thoughts interrupted when the Princess broke free, doubling over as she slammed the elbow hard into his abdomen; the crowd cheered in response, eager to see something happen between these two. Khrelan's glowing embers for eyes narrowed in utter disgust as he challenged him to face his own daughter in single combat. He didn't even hear her threat, as his attention was focused solely on the ruler himself. It was here that he could feel the gaze of the crowd shift to him, demanding he give in. And as much as he wanted to go home...This wasn't the way. His head dipped down, hands clenching before he looked up to the King with a strange determination.

"No...I'll not be part of this mindless slaughter. This has to end!" he shouted, making the crowd gasp; no one ever defied the King. Just who was this stranger? First he made a fool of himself by trying to use a useless Princess as a hostage, now he speaks against the crown?

M'yandr as well seemed taken aback; however, a large brutish figure soon stepped forward, hair patches growing everywhere on its body. Its body seemed incredibly dense, like it was formed from stone. The horns certainly weren't sharp, but could result in considerable blunt force trauma if used as a weapon. "Stupid talking flame not brave. Xgno brave....Xgno crush Princess and get reward!" it bellowed in a dope-sounding voice, raising its chained hands to the air. The crowd erupted in cheering, glad that someone would want to start up the bloodshed.

M'yandr grinned, "VERY WELL THEN! Fellow Luimbians, I give you the first match of the day! Xgno in a deathmatch against Koriand'r! Guards, take the others to their cells! And give our eager competitor his weapon!" The others were ushered back through the doors leading to the cell rooms, and other guards released the shackles; through yet another entrance, some bulkier soldiers brought in the seized weapon that Xgno had on him before his capture: It appeared to be nothing more than a gnarled tree root, but upon grabbing it and slamming it into the ground - the impact cratering the dense Luimbian soil - it was obvious that this could serious damage.

And then came the fateful words, forcing Xgno into the death charge males of his species were very well-known for:

"BEGIN!"

 

[Ironic]

Kori's hands were now free, her chest piece lighting up to signify that though her hands were not bound, she was still bounded on the soil beneath her. With wide eyes, she watched as the strange alien charged at her, his gnarled tree root of a weapon going straight for her. Quickly, she jumped up, her ability of flight taking affect as she swiped out of his way. Anger coated his face, disgusted with the fact he missed.

"Xgno mad at Princess!" He gnarled, raising up his weapon at her. Kori took her hands, glowing green orbs flowing from her palms, and she tossed them at him, dodging every one and hitting the ground. She floated back to the ground, the dust acting like a fog. Squinting, she tried to make out where he was, until suddenly, she seen him break through the dust to have his weapon knock her in her abdomen. The force of the impact was so strong she flung backward, her back banged against the wall, leaving her form imprinted.

Her body ached terribly, blood already dripping from the side of her mouth. A smile of pure satisfaction crossed the beasts lips, swirling his weapon in his hand similar to a officer with his night stick. "Xgno gets what he wants..."

Kori grew infuriated, her blood boiling to levels she thought couldn't happen. Everything that happened in the past week was just about to break lose from the chains that was held in place deep in her form. Slowly lifting herself up, she brushed off the soil and some of the blood. "Oh, do not worry. You will get what you want." Her hands once again sparked that bright green, walking towards the man as she cracked her neck, the sound almost echoing. Curling her right hand in a fist, and ran towards him, punching him just below his jawline and sent the huge beast flying only to make a harsh thump on his back.

The crowed roared, all of this excitement almost being too much to bare. "Bow down to your Princess." She taunted, a mischievous smile playing on those sweet lips.

 

[Razgriz]

Xgno was confident that this match was won; being a primped little Princess, this 'Kori' would not stand a chance against his raw strength. The only way he'd been captured and taken here in the first place was through cowardice and sneak attack; on his planet, the males and even females were always direct. What better way to prove oneself than by going face-to-face, whether it be to secure a mate or lay claim to territory?

He marched forward, intent on striking the Princess into nothing more than a bloody smear; however, the suddenness of her next attack took him completely by surprise, and he was the one being knocked back. The impact forced the gnarled tree root out of his hand, the burly weapon skipping across the ground before crashing against the wall behind him.

"Bow down to your Princess."

Xgno heard these words and stirred, feeling his head throb in agony; his jaw had become disjointed and broken from the force of her blow. A cursory to his temple revealed that the impact on the crusty soil of this alien world had cut him, the tips of his thick digits coated in a film of the brownish liquid that was his blood. Seemed the Luimbians were every bit as tough as he'd come to expect. Still, Xgno would not give up. Not yet.

Standing shakily on his feet, he shook his head to clear some of the blurriness from his vision before glaring directly at Koriand'r. "Xgno no bow to Princess. Xgno alpha male on his world, Princess bow to Xgno!" he bellowed defiantly, the crowd cheering in appreciation for the warrior's continued resolve to fight. And with surprising agility for one his size, he closed the gap between himself and his oppoent with a fist held high to strike her down; however, he could not see all that well and his blow slammed into the ground just inches to the left of her. He would not falter, however, and swung his arm in a backhand style, the thick limb hitting the Princess with great force that would have just about crushed anyone else. He then leaped on top of her and grabbed her face with one large hand, slamming her head into the ground over and over again. "Xgno win! Die so Xgno can win, Princess!" he then roared, the crowd cheering even louder at the display of awesome brutality.

 

[Ironic]

The ground rumbled underneath Kori's feet, her eyes smeared with shock as she knew that his hands were just inched by her. She messed up, big time. Before she had time to react, the violent hit hurt her harshly, knocking the wind out of her and making her roll around the ground. The soil coated her orange skin, scrapes already coating her body. Her eyes looked up, her body aching slightly, until a black shadow stood over her, her face being covered by a large hand.

Bam! Her head began to slam repeatedly into the ground, everything seeming to go black. His force was hard and harsh, and she knew if she let him continue this she would die. Her digits entered into the soil, gripping at it tightly and feeling it leaving her fingertips. Bringing her legs up to her, quickly and forcefully, she kicked his abdomen, sending him on his back again but he brought her with him, his hand still gripping her head. She was surprised that he did not just crush her head in an annoying fly, but nonetheless she was thankful.

Curling her hands up into fists, her knuckles turning white from the amount of force, she struck his face feeling his disjointed and broken jaw move around. "I said bow down to me!" With clenched teeth, she snarled at him, her blows continuing. Her Eyes squinted, and as she built up the energy to use her eye lazers, she screamed a battle roar, and shot it directly at his face. Her hands gripped onto his shoulders, holding him down as she felt him wiggle underneath her, his face scorching and burning, essentially burning him alive.

"Xgno hurts! Xgna demands you get of-" He couldn't even finish the words that were still in his mouth, his hand that was gripping her had loosened its grip, falling to the ground. Closing her eyes, she got up from him, now feeling the blood from her face and the back of her head sear down her body, making a pile underneath her. Opening her eyes, she glanced down at his face, seeing it melt down to almost nothing. The stench entered her nose and wanted to make her vomit, but instead she turned her direction towards the people, and rose her hands in the air in victory.

Everyone roared in cheer, even though in the midst's of the roaring were "boo's", but either way, she won.

"And we have a first winner!" Myand'r announced at the crowed, clapping at her performance. "Very well done."

 

[Razgriz]

Trisden glared down at the scene, in all its glorious brutality; his hands gripped the rail so hard his knuckles blanched. Was his dear Koriand'r going to perish? It certainly seemed that way, given how the beast was beating her. And even as much as he wanted to save her, he needed to stay on the outside; there had to be a way to get her out of this. But he needed time. "Please, Kori...Hold out for as long as you can. I will liberate you from this somehow." he mused mentally, his teeth grit in anticipation. He was just mad that he couldn't do anything yet. But soon, he would.

However, it seemed that his wish would come true; in a spectacular display of might, the Princess turned her opponent's face to blackened sludge. Trisden let out a breath he didn't even realize he was holding, the King declaring her the winner of this first fight. He was so glad that Koriand'r made it through; though honestly, he should not have doubted her. She was incredibly strong, being of royal descent; and though she was cast out as Princess, she still had all the power characteristic of her people.

"Very good. Guards, you may escort her back to her cell. This tournament must continue! Let us bring out more contestants for the people to enjoy!" Myand'r called out, much to the crowd's cheering pleasure. Yes, there must be more, the King mused. Let the people see why this celebration of death was so important.

"Now then, since Koriand'r won with narry a scratch on her...." he started, completely overlooking the fact that she suffered several blows to the head and a shattering impulse to the abdomen, adding "I think we should have a fight that really shows the true spirit of battle!" He then raised his hands to the sky and shouted, "AND I KNOW JUST THE TWO COMBATANTS FOR IT!" It wouldn't be Koriand'r or that strange walking torch...Not yet, at least. That would be later if either of them survived.

"Now, this first contestant came to us from a great distance off, many light-years from here. From what my Collectors told me, it's a barren world, nearly devoid of life save for massively savage beasts. But there was this one little being that somehow survived the intense climate and competition for food. The world itself was a perfect example of survival of the strongest." Giving a dramatic gesture, he finalized with "Now, let us see how it fares in this next match". One of the doors in the side of the coliseum opened, revealing a tiny creature that seemed to hold no special significance. The crowd went deathly silent, perplexed at the sight of this strange thing before; would it really be able to stand up to something bigger than it?

Only time would tell.

 

[Ironic]

The crowed was still silent as their eyes fell upon the small creature, wondering if it was really capable of taking on a challenge such as this? Maybe the were underestimating it, maybe not. Unique it was, but nonetheless very eye catching.

"Next, comes the creature from a very hazardous planet, chemicals and gases causing them great difficulty in surviving. Due to this, competition is very well known, fighting for food and supplies that will help them. Who do you think will win? The beast that seems to overpower the tiny creature? Or the tiny creature? Looks can be deceiving..." And with that, the almighty kind sat down, popping in a piece of alien fruit in his mouth, chopping away with a sly smirk on his face, enjoying every second of this blood bath.

Trisden, on the other hand, was certainly not pleased with his actions. Leaning against the balcony, his eyes gazed upon the other two contestants, sighing in relief that Koriand'r didn't have to face another bloody battle. How was she doing now? Was she badly injured? Shaking his head, he stopped worrying in his head, knowing that she has the blood of a warrior coursing in her veins. She can conquer anything, and she will be just fine. His reassuring notes were keeping him positive through this.

The six legged beast tromped against the soil, the blood from the previous fight still coating the ground. It's scorpion-like tail swished against the air, the slashing sound following it as it swayed. It's head resembled something like a reptile intertwined with a lizard, but all of the different characteristics made this species unique.

He grabbed his spear tightly in his hand, his weapon being dear to him. Furrowing his brows, he stared at his opponent, a slight chuckle leaving his lips. "Am I really going to be fighting this?" His deep voice echoed, shaking his head at the humor of it. "Alright then, this should be quite easy."

He twisted his spear around like a baton, his actions breathtaking. "I'll go easy on you!"

 

[Razgriz]

As the beast before the tiny creature bellowed its triumphant - and premature victory - cry, everyone present would get what could easily be considered the surprise of the day.

"BEGIN!" shouted King Myand'r, eager to see how this battle would unfold.

At that moment, the once tiny creature began to shift, growing thicker and larger; eventually its transformation took the form of a quadropedal beast. What was once delicate looking flesh became a shining, silvery armored carapace and the apparent lack of a mouth transformed into jaws lined with what looked to be razor-sharp teeth. Thick claws grew from the digits at the ends of its sturdy limbs, covered in the same chitinous material that armored the rest of its body.

"Well now, this is spectacular!" bellowed the King; he would need to give the crew that found this creature a sizable reward. What a magnificent specimen!

The same could not be said for Tresdin; his eyes were wide with shock. "Where in the heavens did they find that...that thing?!" the poor man worried in his mind. The prospect of his beloved fighting either of these creatures was terrifying; if he didn't act soon, she could very well die. No, he could not let that happen! And so, he decided to take his leave...He needed to see Koriand'r. If only to make sure she was well, as her last fight was quite brutal for a starter.

And without warning, the strange creature dashed with lightning speed and seized the larger creature's throat, thrashing its head to rend flesh as the giant struggled to remove it. And all the while, its claws too bit into the six-legged behemoth's thick flesh, already creating fairly prominent wounds even though it still outsized the carapace-covered monster by a significant factor.

 

[Ironic]

The behemoth could only stare at the quadropedal beast, shocked at how it changed its form in the blink of its eye. He didn't know what to expect now or what to do. A fight that seemed to be an easy victory automatically turned into one where no one knew who would win. The six-legged creature continued to gaze his eyes on the formed species, until everything became a blur. The form was going in slow motion at him, but he continued to stand there, almost in a paralyzed state.

Suddenly he was found in the grasps of the quadropedal beast's hands, its deadly claws sinking into its flesh, pounding his head and tugging at it violently, as if trying to behead him. He bellowed, the pain scorching throughout his body.

No.

He wasn't going to make it end like this. He was victorious! Nothing could stand in his way. On his planet he was known as the best fighter of them all, he wasn't going to stoop down onto the level of a coward and a loser. It was his time to shine.

With courage and the will to live, his hands gripped at the wrist of the beast, digging his own nails into it as his spear stayed into his tight grip. The razor end shining against the sun's bright rays. He raised the spear high, gathering up enough strength to slam it down, shouting as he did so, the blade making gruesome contact with the creatures hand, slicing it off to have the claws loosen up around his neck, blood dripping from its new wound.

"I will not go down that easily, you bastard." He growled, his hooves kicking at the dirt, ready to charge as he took his spear and pointed it forward, aiming at its chest.

 

[Razgriz]

The beast continued to tear at what it could, its carapace-covered claws ripping and shredding the dense flesh of its opponent. It knew nothing of pride or skill, only survival. It knew that it was being forced to fight, and while it did not have objections to fighting, it also would not allow this creature to best it. That would mean certain death, and it had no intentions of dying. Not today, and not by means of the beast it fought in this strange area on this even stranger world.

On its world fighting was a constant: It always happened, be it for mates or resources. Its own kind - particularly the males - were largely ambush hunters and scavengers, feeding on smaller prey and only undergoing mutations such as this whenever its life was in significant peril, or when going after a female to reproduce. Much like the rabbit of Earth, the female would fight off any males she deemed unworthy of impregnating her; being far larger and much more aggressive than the males, these transformations helped ensure that their line was the one that was carried forward, along with the benefit of actually living to see another day.

As its clawed limb was severed, it let out a strange echoing howl as it fell to the ground and readied itself to fight again. A strange greenish slime oozed from the wound, and it seemed to have difficulty standing. However, as the monster readied to charged forward with the goal to run its weapon through the beast, it simply waited. The strange object could hurt it, but only from the hardened end. The rest was useless, only serving as a medium to carry the lethal tip forward. Once this six-legged enemy decided to charge, it would carry out its own attack. It would need to be patient though; one mistimed maneuver and it would wind up dead.

---

Meanwhile, Khrelan was back in the cold cell, chained like an animal and still being placed under the strange chilling light. What matter of savagery was this? Were these people so disconnected that they had to take pleasure in others' suffering? Putting them through such needless violence? What was the point of it all? There was no celebration of life here, only the end of life.

A rattling of chains soon brought his attention away from his musings; the door to the cellar was thrust open, and light from the outside washed in, forcing the alien to cover his eyes in agony. "Well then, that was a good fight, Princess! You might just make this interesting after all!" said one of her captors, forcing her back into her own cage. "King should give her a tougher opponent next time; she got off way too easy for what she did to her people." "Aye, she will...These rounds just weed out the weak ones." was the last vestige of conversation he heard before they locked her up and went on their way.

At first, Khrelan said nothing...But only because he felt there was nothing he could say. Even still, he wanted to help her, despite her earlier rudeness and hostility. He still said nothing, only watching to see her mood before trying to speak with her again. After seeing the glee in which these people acted, along with the clear evidence that she'd been disbarred from her family...He could understand why she was so bitter. Having come from a world where everyone was family, he could not have known the pain she was going through.

 

[Ironic]

Black blood began to seep out of the new lacerations on the six-legged species, panting heavily as its opponent gathered the strength to stand back up on its feet. Already, this battle would be a tough one. Hell, it was an unexpected one! The tables have turned, and what seemed to be an easy win turned into one of the hardest battles the beast had ever encountered.

What was that strength this species possessed? How was it able to shape-shift so quickly and effortlessly? The scorpion-like tail swayed back and fourth, its hand clutching on the weapon that dared to give the wild creature its new wound. Green was coated on the soil, still dripping to form a bigger puddle.

Blowing the dust from its snout, the hooves pounded at the ground while narrowing its eyes. This battle would end and the winner will be him. Taking a deep breath, it began to charge fiercely, bellowing as it galloped toward its foe.

If only it knew what the rival had in store for him...

---

... Who do these men think they are? Once before all of this happened, they were bowing before her as she made her way through the hallways. Now they're treating her like dirt, and never before had she treated them so rudely in her life.

Either way, she tried to shut them out, but in the process her mind was being conflicted with her own thoughts.

She deserved this, and she knew it. Kori messed up, hurting her kingdom in the process, but love is something you experienced and felt on your own. You shouldn't have to be forced to be in a situation you do not want to be placed in. And that is what she did, taking herself out of misery that awaited her in the years to come, always regretting marrying Tresdin. Maybe he wouldn't of been so bad of a husband...

The cell seemed more cold than usual, but the coldness felt relaxing on the new wounds and bruises. Sitting down in her corner, she brought her scraped knees to her face and wrapped her sore arms around them. Silently, she began to weep. No, she did not want sympathy from Khrelan as he sat in the cell besides her. She wanted to let the flood of emotions finally get a chance to pour of from her tear ducts.

It's so hard to try and be so strong in front of others when deep inside you can't even feel strong for yourself.

"Hey..." Muffling out the words, she snorted, trying to suck in the mucus that tried to exit her nostrils. "Sorry for being so harsh to you earlier. I should of known better than that." Using the back of her hand she wiped away the tears that strolled down her peachy cheeks. "I know it's a daft time to be saying sorry, but now I understand. All of my own selfish emotions made me bitter, and I should of had taken yours into consideration."

Exhaling, she snorted again, trying to suck up the remaining tears that wanted to exit. "I understand if you do not wish to accept my deepest apologies. I would hate my guts too."

 

[Razgriz]

The silvered quadroped tensed as the creature charged, ready to strike and finish this fight. However, in doing so, it left itself wide open: Strong this beast was, yes, but its own impressive mass would serve to be its downfall. The armored monster shifted its weight to the back legs, waiting for the right moment to pounce.

The crowd went silent, waiting in palpable anticipation for the reveal of who would be the winner; and right as the speartip came within feet of the creature's face, it leaped and cleared the impending danger. This alone made the audience cheer loudly, amazed by such a spectacular feat, especially given it was missing a part of its limb. Its hardened jaws then clamped hard around the top of the creature's skull, swinging its body down to mount it from behind.

It then gave one last bite, the chitinous teeth piercing the back of the monster's neck and clamping down hard so as to cut off the beast's ability to breathe. As this grapple continued, they were both forced down to the ground, the massive creature falling to its side as it tried to pound away at the quadroped's skull; however, this only served to make it clamp down harder, cutting off that much more airflow as it shook and and bit down again and again.

---

Khrelan held his tongue as the Princess apologized; while she should be apologetic for her rudeness, at least now he had a decent understanding as to why she lashed out at him. To be cut off from family, the ones who are supposed to have your best interests at heart and be there when needed, was a pain that could only be learned and never taught. Khrelan's people were steadfast in that they only had each other; everyone helped everyone. But seeing...this, made him realize that not all species had that mentality.

Hearing her apologize, however, made him re-think his own bitterness; this wasn't how he was raised. The teachings of Verath demonstrated that life in this plane was far too short to hold such grievances, no matter how hurtful. "No, Princess...Your apology is well-accepted. On my planet, we are instilled with the idea that all are equal. That the actions of one can affect others. Seeing now, with what had happened, I can begin to understand the source of your pain. Just as I was taken from my family, it seems you have been as well."

Turning in his cell on his knees to face her, his molten form shivering under the freezing radiation, he continued, "And besides, I too must apologize. I did not mean you any harm when I held you; I was desperate to return. I did not know why I was taken here, and truthfully I still do not understand. What exactly does this ceremony show? To what end does your King force these people to commit such divisive acts of brutality and bloodshed?"

 

[Ironic]

The equine-like creature smirked. He had this fight. It was easy to tell that the armored beast didn't have any idea what to do next. It just stood there, unblinking.

With a swift and quick motion, he aimed his spear into the direction of where he thought the chest would be, wanting to end this battle quick and effortlessly. But, the creature had other plans in store for him. It all seemed to happen so quickly. It leaped, hovering over the sex-legged creature, and next thing he knew, a sharp and agonizing pain rang throughout his skull and spinal cord.

Fear. Something new to the equine, rose into the pit of its stomach. He tried to suck in air through his large nostrils, but nothing could enter in to enrich his lungs. Leaving no other choice, he opened his mouth, gasping and gulping for the air. Still, nothing. A crunching sound rang throughout his head, the pain unbearable. Wetness was now underneath him. It was his black blood pooling around him. So warm and wet.

This was the end. It couldn't be. His eyes were growing heavy, not wanting to fall into the temptations for sleeping forever. He tried to move, but was pinned down, the razor-like teeth clamping on tighter. He tried to scream in pain. Nothing. His vision blacked out, a death raddled in the depths of his throat, his eyes glazed over. Another poor fighter defeated, while a victorious one aroused.

"Looks like we have an unexpected winner!" The king bellowed, his hands lifting up in exciting. The crowed roared, whistled, shouted. This battle would always be one to remember. It was truly amazing how the tabled turned rather quickly.

---

Koriand'r perked up. Did he really just accept her apology? She definitely didn't expect him to, after the fact that she was so harsh with him from the beginning. Shifting on the ground, she shivered, bringing her knees close to her chest to keep warm. The heat the was emitting from the man traveled towards her, making her temperature rise. Despite it warming her, she knew it wasn't enough heat to warm him up.

"That was unexpected." She murmured out, staring at the blackness that was around her. "Thank you for understanding and accepting my apology. No need to call me Princess... That is no longer my title" Ashamed, she looked the other way, twiddling her index fingers that hugged around her knees. "Koriand'r, or just Kori will be sufficient." Smiling softly, she looked back over in his direction.

Poor man. She wished that she had all of the right answers to tell him, what he was hoping to hear, but alas, she did not. "I told you before, the ceremony show's the purpose of life and death. My people take it in differently than you do. I'm starting to not understand it anymore either to tell you the truth. The only good in it is that the final standing warrior will be given a handsome reward." Shrugging, she sighed. It wasn't making much sense for herself either. "I do not know of my fathers intentions. He does as he pleases when he finds it fitting for the situation. We will just have to wait and-"

Her words were cut off, the guards stomping in again.

"Did you see how quickly that changed?!" One exclaimed, his voice full of excitement. "I know! I totally was going for the horse dude." The sounds of their chuckles and footsteps echoing in their cells. "I can't wait to see what this lava man will do to his opponent." They stopped at Khrelan's cage, fumbling through their keys to unlock it. Squeaking, the door opened.

"It's your time to shine, fella!" The male said, gripping at his forearm to tug him towards the door. Luckily, he wore something over his hand, preventing him any burns or it even burning through the material. It was needed when handling this character. "I'm putting my money on you, don't make me mad."

 

[Razgriz]

Only once the armored monster felt its opponent still within its grasp did it release its hold; stepping back, it slowly 'devolved' back into its unassuming and more energy-friendly smaller form. One of the loose limbs that made up its legs was shorter, but in this manner it would be able to regenerate the lost tissue. Before the guards could get to it, it limped over to its dead foe and...started eating it.

"Hahaha! You see, my compatriots, this is why we hold this celebration! To show the circle of life, and how only the strong survive!" KIng Myand'r shouted, making the crowd scream more and with greater intensity. Holding his hands up, the masses fell silent "And now, onto our next fight! Clear the arena so that we may meet the first combatant!" Once the creature was finished with its meal, it allowed the guards to herd it into a small but very comfortable looking box of some kind before it fell asleep.

---

Khrelan seemed quite pleased that this young alien female had opened up to him; he might not make her his friend, or even a true ally, but he wanted to show her some measure of compassion and let her know she didn't have to face this alone. If he was going to be stuck here, he felt it would benefit them both to be able to open up to each other.

"Well met, Koriand'r. I am Khrelan, twelfth son of the Plagnor tribe and former herald to the Spirit of the Patron Flame, Verath." he replied; of course, he didn't realize that Verath was still with him, only that the deity had gone silent to recover from the interruption of their ritual.

But it seemed he would be interrupted again, for the guards returned and started forcing him from his cell. "No! I said I would not partake in this savagery!" Khrelan shouted, struggling weakly against the brute strength of his captors. "Oh, you'll fight, fire pit...Or else our captain's going to have to 'persuade' you, hahaha." stated one of the guards, using his covered hands to force Khrelan along...And soon, they had disappeared, leaving the former Princess to her solitude.

---

"Yes, this one I have yet to discern its true nature...Its flesh burns with scorching fire and yet it can still move unhindered." added the King, causing the audience to murmur in speculation. "But nonetheless, we shall see how his resistance to partake in this tradition. And what ability it might have to fight!"

At this, Khrelan was thrown forcibly into the ring, landing face first in the dirt of the ring; he looked up, rising to his elbows as he saw a massive behemoth being dragged out of the arena. Blood pooled in many areas over the floor; just how long had this been going on, thought the Praoamian. He stood up and wiped the side of his face, his glowing embers of eyes looking around as the masses in turn stared back at him in silence.

"Well, young alien...Are you ready to meet your opponent?" asked Myand'r, to which Khrelan replied "No! I have said I will not allow this continue! I will not hesitate to defend myself, but I will not indulge your peoples' bloodlust!"