Gifted (Episode 3)

"Best finish our meals, sweetlings," Radu says to his Queens.

He dines and drinks, but not to excess - that would be for tonight, if all goes well. He eyes the room, wondering if they will be pitted against one another yet again, or what training might otherwise entail.

"Of courssse, Chamberlin. May we have sssome preview of what awaitsss usss?"

Lucian didn't say anything and instead make sure Useless had enough to eat before he assessed himself. Once he determined he'd be fine, his mind drifted to what they might do. Hopefully it wasn't the same exercise as last time. If it was, he wasn't sure refusal was an option and he disliked being beat up twice in two days. It was a bit much.

Chamberlin lingers when asked by Natrix to give me a brief idea of what to expect this morning.

"Several members of the Council will be meeting with you all in the courtyard to discuss tactics and assist with any training your may require. Afterwards, they will have an exercise for the entire group to see how well you can combine your various strengths and talents against targets of your missions."

"I ssshall prepare, Chamberlin, thank you. It will be good to pick the Council'sss brainsss and receive their advice. It will be even better to fight by your sssidesss, alliesss."

Finishing his meal and carefully pressing a clothe napkin to the edges of his mouth, Radu stands. "I am ready to see what trials await us. My sword arm grows restless with all this wine-lifting and chair-sitting."

"Lifting wine glasssesss and sssitting in chairsss work different musssclesss and flex different ssskillsss sssetsss, Radu. There may be more to our coming tussslesss than mere sssword or sssorcery."

"A fair point, Natrix. Nevertheless, I am ready to see what they have in store for us." He offers a hand to each of his queens as they rise from their chairs.

"Let us see if there are spectator seats for you," he says to them with a smile.

He looks over his shoulder to the empty space behind him. "Gehenna, do watch over them will you?"

Without waiting for a response, he heads out to where they are bidden.

Scene 4: A Test of Champions

With breakfast concluded, masked guides arrive to escort the champions to their appointment. They bid farewells to their various entourages and wind through the vast palace once again, finally arriving at a large iron portcullis.



With a gesture from one of their guides, the heavy protective barrier is lifted and they proceed forth into a large courtyard. The floor is tiled in several massive mosaics of sunbursts. The slightly domed roof over the area rises to a height of thirty feet above.

Standing in the middle of the central pattern are three figures awaiting their arrival.

Keltos quietly comments, "Master Fane, The High Priest of Slotar, Lady Cybrexia her mind cybernetically augmented, and Lady Nausica a self-proclaimed Dancer of the Blade…All here to teach us a lesson. Lets not keep them waiting shall we?"

Keltos walks forward to meet the trio center stage all the while taking mental snapshots of his surroundings and areas of dim light.

Never one to lag behind, Tajuri glides forth toward the three council members in the center of the courtyard. She takes mental notes of her surroundings as she proceeds. If this were soon to be the scene of a training exercise devised by their hosts, she wanted to e ready.

"A cleric, an artificer, and a ssswordssswoman. A potent adversssarial group," Natrix whispered as she, too, mentally reconnoitered the room. "Perhapsss it ssshall be three on three? I do enjoy a good threesssome. Or would thisss be a sssixsssome?"

"I welcome the challenge," Radu says stepping forth. He too looks to his surroundings, but stays some distance behind the others and letting them take the forefront.

"What shall our trials be today?" he calls to the trio before them.

Lucian had remained silent as he tried to take in what he could until Natrix's comment. "I think that would count as a sixsome, which sounds rather busy over all, no matter the context." When Radu spoke up, he saw no reason to echo the question and so waited for whatever the answer would be.

The High Priest of Slortar watches quietly as the eight champions approach. When they are within the edge of the central mosaic, he raises a hand to indicate they stop their progress.

"It is another day. Time to see how you can work together to accomplish an objective." He says simply. "Your skills and talents are diverse. Use them to your advantage." He gestures with both hands to denote the large space around them. "Never underestimate your opponents. Some of them can be quite cunning and your equals or betters in tactics and trickery. If you can do it, then do not assume they cannot."

"Predictability in your actions out there beyond the barriers of this city can, and will, get you destroyed. You can not always depend on the shadows or flying around like pigeons to accomplish your overcoming an enemy."

"Before we go any farther, any questions or observations?"

"So tell me, other than an assessment of our ability to work together. What exactly is the objective of this challenge?"

Keltos looks closely at each…watching their expressions for any unconscious signs that imply intent and veracity.

Keltos also once again assesses his surrounding light levels, and tries to recall any lore/history on Slotar, specifically the types of magic and strategies his/her priests are known to employ.

Lady Naustia answers Keltos' question. "Survive. Your objective in this exercise is to survive to walk out from this courtyard alive."



"There are eight of you. Therefore there will be eight rounds to our little game. If you survive at the end of the eighth, you may leave of your own accord and successfully complete the objective."


"Fail...and well..." Master Fane adds with finality.

"...And what is your role in all of this? To kill us?"

Tajuri stands at the ready. She glances toward Keltos as he exchanges comments with the three council members. Her eyes wander to Radu, as he stands between them. She raises one brow, but says nothing.