Legion (Episode 2)

With everyone settled in for the first match, the Tiefling enforcer, Daashar, steps out onto the sand of the pit and holds out her arms and hands in a gesture for quiet. As the room goes nearly silent, her voice carries over the entire amphitheater. "Runeblade! Bloodfight enthusiasts! Enjoy!"

Two robed combatants enter from opposite sides of the pit and toss off their concealing garments to reveal their near unclothed forms. Their hands and feet have been fitted with gleaming wicked claws.

Somewhere out of sight of the crowd, the rhythm of deep drums begins a slow cadence and the Deathdansers take starting positions.

Taj's eyes widen slightly, as she watches the combatants reveal themselves. "Oh MY!" She utters, while squeezing Jael's hand. "Bloodfight indeed. This is certainly shaping up to be interesting." She looks up and raises her hand to get the attention of any wait staff looming or passing by. "Another couple drinks, please?"

The two combatants whirl into action to the rhythm of drum in their deadly dance of seductive bodies, gleaming blades and blood. Midway through the match, Tajuri catches sight of two newcomers to the spectators in her peripheral vision. They proceed into the viewing seats and join Sanguinor and Streck: A light-skinned blonde with a brace of pistols and a slight figure in a white robe and wearing a blue and white mask.



End Scene

Scene 17: Dining For Two [Epilogue]

Immediately following the dismissal from the Council Chambers, after their initial assessment bouts, Killian and Natrix find themselves traveling the hall alongside each other.

Testing his arm and shoulder's flexibility after the Doc's healing of his injuries sustained against Radu in the fight, he glances over to Natrix. "Nice work out there. Congratulations. That cyberguy, Keltos, didn't even touch you."

"It feelsss like I'm jussst a vesssel sssometimesss, a puppet whossse ssstrings are pulled by Fate itssself," Natrix said grandiosely before adding with a chuckle, "but I'm usssually jussst very, very good at what I do. Are you fully regenerated? I may have... acquired a healing ssspell while no one wasss looking."

The fight really did feel like a blur to Natrix but she was back to herself now: observing, analyzing, and smirking to put others at ease.

The Fire Goliath looks over to Natrix. "I get that. I feel the same way sometimes. I often wonder how much of what I do is really my choice and how much is the will of my lord. Maybe they are the same thing and perhaps that's a sign of being a Champion Eternal. Your actions and their consequences are sometimes bigger than yourself." He rubs at his bicep and adds, "Good to know, if I need a quick recharge, but I think Doc put everything back in the right place."

"Let'sss keep that between usss for now. You never know when a sssecret will sssave your life. Asss for an Champion Eternal being a tool... I prefer a firmer grip on my dessstiny, thank you. I'd rather be a collaborator than a marionette, and I'm ssstarving. I might not have been touched but I ssstill worked up quite an appetite."

"The secret is safe with me." Killian promises. "I could eat as well. You think we could find something here in the palace?"

"I'd like to look around this place more, yesss, but I also want to explore the greater city and obssserve itsss ssshadow people. Keltosss and I visssited the docksss and a fine forge. Hmm. Let'sss poke around the palace firssst. No sssenssse wandering around the city on empty ssstomachsss."

When they next encountered palace staff, Natrix asked, "Excussse usss, but we're looking for sssome refressshment. Could you point the way to the kitchensss?"

The servant nods and motions for the two of you to follow. You wind through the corridors and up a couple flights of steps, before being guided into a room with a couple tables, smaller than the guest dining hall table, and chairs. The tables are placed near the outer wall with window looking out over the palace's south wall.

The servant leaves you there and continues on through one of two open doorways on the opposite wall and returns momentarily with another dressed in white and wearing an apron.

"Hello. We're famissshed. For me... What'sss the fressshessst meat you have? The fresssher, the better."

"Chicken. We could kill a chicken, if that would suite your palette, m'Lady?" The servant answers.

"Oh, no need to kill it. You can jussst bring it to me, thank you," Natrix replied with a broad, incisor-filled smile. "And I'd like to eat sssomewhere open air. What will you have, Killian?"

The servant nods and looks askant at the large Fire Goliath at Natrix's side.

"A large steak, beef if you have it, fire-grilled, medium rare, with baked tubers." He announces. "Oh, and a big tankard of ale."

"Medium? You don't strike me as the medium type, Killian," Natrix said with a chuckle.

"Do add some baked tubers and a small bottle of red wine, please. Ah, excellent accompaniment. Where may we wait for the meal? Remember, open air and preferably with a nice view."

Killian chuckles at Natrix' words. "I have to be in the right sort of mood for rare." He comments. "Though, I did ask for a Large steak."

At Natrix' wishes, the remaining servant guide the two Champions through one of the two doors opposite the one they had entered and they find it leads into a small balcony with a single table and two chairs.

After she thanked the servant, Natrix sat, sighed, and admired the view.

"Do you have anyone here with you, Killian? Anyone ssspecial? I can imagine the toll thisss training and our future quessst will caussse. Apart from the other Championsss, I'd rather not go through all thisss alone."

"I have few that earned my trust." The Fire Goliath replies to Natrix. "I have my steed, my demon of desire, and the Lady Kris Amani. Each are special in their own way to me."

"Have you no one?" He questions her in return. "I can not imagine that you do not have plenty of admirers."

"I do, fortunately. Dmetrio: a lover and a killer. And then there's my heart, Di'Nassstasssa, and her killer mind. The cold blood in her veinsss makesss my own blood sssing while Dmetrio makesss my blood boil. Though they would both sssay that I needlesssly worry about their sssafety here, it is good that we have othersss. All I have to do isss keep them from murdering each other."

Natrix chuckled, the sound of a rattle dancing in her throat.

"Ah, I can't forget my Gatekeeper demon, Kosh. It's quite the cryptic one when it's ready."