The Cyan Sages: Awakening

[Essence of Elegy]

The Acolyte Tournaments of Rhalla. A massive series of friendly duels between Acolytes from around the world of all elements and ranks. One might think that Acolytes had more important things to do than enter the games, but on the contrary, most Acolytes do indeed enter the tournament. Besides, there has not been any significant threat for over three years since the Cyan Sages, so only petty crimes remain, easily taken care of by standard military. Since the games are held during the last days of the Acolyte Council's office, the winner and next four runner-ups earn a place in the Council through both mental and physical struggle. The next five runner-ups earn a raise in rank (unless you're an A rank. You just get an incredibly vast sum of money, even though B ranks usually make it to fifth to tenth place). But most importantly is the glory of participating. Those who do play receive their share of fame and afterwards are mentioned across Oracknus.

But it's no joyride. Competitors are anticipated to engage in severe physical and mental strain. Battles sometime take place in labyrinths in which the fighters must solve frustrating riddles in order to get to one another. Other times they have to dodge boulders as one of them tries to take the other out. Luckily, there have been no deaths; you’re expected to be too tough to die if you take part. The gargantuan audience doesn’t help either, what with all the noise and pressure. It’s hard not to kill someone instead of knocking them out as you’re supposed to.

One might think that with all this tumult, there would be very efficient security. They’d be wrong. Only half-witted bandits plague the lands nowadays, and a couple guards are all it takes.

Precisely why Elrick chose to attack on the first day of the tournaments.

A single fatal blow and over half a million people dead. That would brand the message of the Cyan Sages to the Council’s minds. If they were lucky, King Reylus would die as well; that would be a weight off their shoulders.

Crowds of men and women bustled into the stadium from the four entrances, each located in the cardinal directions. Officials barked, attempting to settle the people into their seats (front row reserved for aristocrats). It was a sunny midmorning in spring, cloudless and not in the least hot. The abundant grass lazily waved in the slight breeze. The stadium was on the outskirts of Rhalla, and so surrounded in a meadow on one side and a few houses on the other. Contestants entered from a special door on the northeast side and into the waiting chambers, luxurious rooms lavished with foods and wines. The King already sat on a throne at the royal platform, closest to the stadium’s field and surrounded by A rank Acolytes, the ones who didn’t give a rat’s ass about the tournaments. Foreign kings sat on either side of him, also in thrones and guarded.

A couple stony hills stood rigid very near the stadium. On a ledge were Elrick, Zoey Redfield, and Marcus Grey, where they had a very good view of the happenings. On the other hill, opposite them, were Artemis Cain and Shinto Konoe, who were to make the first attack later on in the day. The air was colder up here, but no one minded. Elrick was used to the cold, both physically and spiritually. The noise from the crowds emanated to their location as a slight buzz. Elrick stared down, unblinking and still.

It would be soon, very soon…

[Grace Falls]

The cold breeze lazily flew past Shinto. It wasn’t a great deal, but it was irritating, very annoying. He stood on a stony hill, looking down at the stadium, such a pleasant view it is, innocent people making their way towards the seats, hoping to get the best look out. A grin marked his face, an urge of killing them all filled up his soul, hoping to wipe them off of the face of the earth, his earth…

It was very loud, as he eagerly looked over at the opposite side of the stadium. People shouting, screaming, yelling, noise was everywhere. He praised Elrick for choosing this day, so many citizens gathering for his event. Many lives will be lost. He didn’t really care about the other members of the Cyan Sages, only using them to get what he wants. But there were only a couple he regarded as comrades, and the others he didn’t give a damn.

Shinto looked at Artemis, his partner for today. They were chosen to tell the world the Cyan Sages are back. He was rather honored to fulfill this duty, which meant he was powerful enough to start it all off. Artemis was somewhat attractive looking, but the only thing that didn’t seem to Shinto’s likings was her emotionless heart. She rarely showed her emotions, only keeping a straight face, which Shinto didn’t find pretty at all. He believed girls should express their emotions, only hiding them makes them social outcasts.

“Why don’t you smile today? It’ll be pretty fun wiping them all out. Take joy in this Artemis,” he studied her. The Mark of Yggdrasil shined on his hands, as a plant of some sort started to grow rapidly in front of Artemis. The bud of the plant transformed into an exotic flower, facing Artemis’s face. “It’s for you, just an appreciation for doing this with me.”

Shinto once again looked at Elrick, waiting for the signal…

[nate_shuuya29]

Marcus's hair fluttered into his face as his clothes fluttered behind him. He was standing on Elrick's right. He looked down into the stadium. He hoped his only alive brother was there. He also hoped his parent's were there. He hated all of them. They all treated him horribly when he was a child. He wanted his revenge, and he was going to have it. He had been waiting three years. He was going to kill everyone who hurt and made fun of him. He sat down on the grass and ripped the grass out of the ground.

He turned toward Elrick and gave him an evil wolfish smile, "So, when are we gonna attack Elrick?" He reached his right arm back grabbing his blade's pommel, pulling it out. He held the sword in both hands looking at the inscriptions he had made on them. He had forged this blade years ago. This blade had killed his brother, and would kill the rest of the people who had hurt and made fun of him. He set his sword on his lap and grabbed the necklace that hung from his neck. He remembered the one who gave it to him. A rebel, one of the original Cyan sages who died in the last attack, the one who had taught him everything.

He looked back up at Elrick waiting for the asnwer. He was guessing Elrick was off in his own world, as always.

[Slackermonkey]

Masses of people yelled at the top of their lungs, the tournament having gotten them riled up. Morloc impatiently shoved people aside, attempting to locate a seat. He had been aware of what idiocy he would have to deal with, the organization of public events weren't always the best.

The bottom of his brown cloak fluttered, a breeze swiftly passing through. Morloc glanced around, observing the structure of the stadium. It had been his first time here, his first time out of Klax. Though he had been informed about the stadium, it still held a significant impact at first sight. He wasn't too sure what he adored about it. Was it the mere fact that it held a history of numerous years of fighting? Or, perhaps, the world outside of Klax just fascinated him.

A slight grin usurped him. At last, he had spotted a seat. He paced towards it, pleased with the fact he no longer had to run around aimlessly, and no longer having to deal with these people. He seated himself, proceeding to lift his hood above his head. It was time to see what the Acolytes were capable of.

[Athel]

Cidain sat on the edge of the balcony of the B West Dorm. The pale yellow sun was slowly descending down the azure sky. He just looked off into the horizon, deep in thought. Several things could have been running through his head; how he had gotten just barely passed his latest Alchemy test, how he had better be practicing for his hands-on combat assessment next week, what he would have for midday tomorrow. But right now, he was thinking about the Cyan Sages.

"Damn them" he said aloud. The "Cyan Sages", the Blue Souls, were currently considered the greatest traitors in history. They were violent radicals, spreading pain and anguish wherever they were. Merciless killing machines.

Cidain stood up from the balcony and strolled back into his room. He laid down on his bed, in a successful attempt to fall asleep. His consciousness slowly faded away, replaced by a wave of dreams.

____________________________________

OOC: Short post, I know. Not moving along much with the plot. Sorry.

[Andillexe]

As the two combatants battled each other for blood and glory in the arena before the cheering crowd, Mia sat in her usual seat in the very back of the stadium, on the opposite side of King Reylus, scanning for any potential threats. Sure, myabe if she were more ambitious she would try to participate in a fight for glory. But glory wasn't important to her. Being the unknown girl she was was slightly appealing to her. A gust of wind blew threw the stadium, kicking up dust and blowing hair into her eyes. She pushed her hair out of her face and kept looking about the stadium.

Mia had watched too many fights to actually become interested in rooting one of the warriors on, seeing as she thought they were mindless idiots with one thing on their mind: Fame. Well, two. Fame and glory. Morons. The stadium was overflowing with people screaming at the tops of their lungs, rooting on their favorite fighter to win them some money they had placed in a bet. She saw Blast, Rohal, and Darion (Mia rarely calls anyone by their first name. Getting emotionally attatched only leads to trouble) scattered about the place, looking for potential threats like her, but she guessed that she was more than likely the only one who ignored the fight completely to do her job. A few rows to her left, a man was walking (well, attempting to walk and knocking more people down than was necessary) through the crowd, trying to find a seat. Having located one, he proceeded to sit down and put his hood up in a very suspicious manner. Mia adjusted Trysvrn in her lap.

Just beyond the stadium, behind the king, were a few hills littered with large boulders and stones. Those hills concerned Mia, and she had asked the upper Acolytes if there could be any possible way for a few military personel to just guard them. The Acolytes started laughing and told her that she was way too paranoid. "I don't know why those rocks are so close in the first place," Mia huffed to herself, the crowd erupting with cheers and boos. She shook her head. "Maybe I am paranoid." Trysvrn got a few comfort strokes.

[Sean]

Today was the most awaited day of the whole year. Seanu held the Acolyte Tournaments of Rhalla to the utmost serious events. It was almost as if he had at least progressed to the 3rd round every year since he joined the Delta Battalion. Defeating opponent after opponent was what got him up to his A-rank status(recently given to him two months ago). That, and the fact that he completed most of his missions, save for only one. That night had major effects on Seanu's character. His soul seemed to grow darker and darker by the months. Still not very acquainted with himself, Seanu has since then regained parts of his soul.

The large walls of the stadium, towered over Seanu as they always did before. Three times he had competed in the tournament, and watched Acolytes fight countless battles. But this time was different. This time, every knew what he was capable of. His heavy blade, Arganax, would crush a person's dreams to become a hero. But that was not his intention. Seanu needed all the comrades he could befriend and less enemies he would have to confront later on.

Several other Acolytes rushed in the specialized entrance, brushing aginst Seanu's shoulders as if he was still a child. And yet he was. The youngest member yet to achieve an A-rank status, that was surely an accomplishment. Ready to enter the stadium himself, Seanu became hesitant. The hairs onthe back of his neck rose as he turned to look off into the far off distance. Something did not fit together with the view of the hills. Suddenly, an relieved look came over Seanu's face. Of course he would seem very nervous in this situation, but suspecting a herizon of random hills was not about to help that anxiety. With an overconfident smile, he continued on his way.

Upon entering the stadium, portraits of the previous champions decorated the high walls. In the far left corner was an empty space, specifically reserved for this tournament's champion. Seanu progressed to the lower area of the stadium where all the Acolytes awaited their battle. Although were were in the deeper part of the stadium, the load roars could be heard from the upper level. The cries soon broke out into laughter, applause and rarely dead silence. Seanu soon waited for his name to be called into the arena where he could simply win the hearts of the audience.

I was just a matter of time.

[Twilight_Path]

Artemis crouched in the dirt, waiting for her leader to give the command for attack. She had been ready for this day for many moons, and now that it had arrived, she was a bit eager to be off; her face remained impassive, however, for she did not desire to display the fleeting emotion for all to see. She shot a quick glance at the Sage who was to accompany her on the first wave of attack: Shinto Konoe. He seemed irritated by the slight breeze that stirred momentarily, but then he turned and looked intently at Artemis.

“Why don’t you smile today? It’ll be pretty fun wiping them all out. Take joy in this Artemis,” he quipped.

"... Joy?" Artemis mused aloud to herself. She trained her wide icy grey eyes on Shinto. "Truly, the pleasure is all mine."

A section of ground shifted below Artemis' feet, and she straightened up, well aware that Shinto was master of the earth. She watched the exotic plant that bloomed before her face with a very, very mild amusement.

“It’s for you, just an appreciation for doing this with me.” he said to her before turning his attention to Elrick. Artemis followed his gaze, her flat eyes watching Elrick's every movement. The Cyan Sage leader stood on an outcrop of the hill just behind her own perch, flanked on his right and left by the other remaining members of the group. Marcus Grey was examining his blade intently while Zoey Redfield stood patiently off to one side, and Artemis did not care to waste a minute more on either. She had eyes only for Elrick, as he was the only person in her life that she possessed an undying respect and admiration for. He had helped her through her training with the Acolytes, and she would never forget it.

Turning her face back to the stadium of Rhalla, Artemis cocked her head to one side, listening to the shouts and cries that sounded from the event. Her hand strayed to the pouch where she kept her friends; one finger wandered underneath the upper flap, caressing the deadly needles within. She laughed, a hollow and empty noise that lasted for a mere few seconds, and then voiced her thought aloud:

"It's finally time."

[Ubiquity]

“What a waste of time this all is. These stupid tournaments. Oh lets all battle it out and because I blasted somebody more potently than that bitch, I raise my rank. Idiots, and then on top of that, Elrick is here, along with those foolish followers of his, all planning to make things so damn complicated.” Sei mulled over what her next actions were, and grinned, it was just ridiculous amounts o f fun to sit and get ready for such destruction, the same kind that the Cyan Sages no doubt were planning to cause, but not if she did it first. “This really is a waste I swear, so much life, but for every life I take, that only adds so much more mass to my already large collection of spirit formalities.”

A snicker escaped Sei’s lips as she turned and walked from her seat in the many stands where the competition would be watched from and then walked directly towards the right side, as she raised her middle finger, and the bands that held her ring together broke apart, forming her heeded weapon of light and death. Already some of the onlookers were turning to her and questioning each other amongst themselves, of course wondering what this woman was doing, but only one of them was brave enough to actually approach her and ask what she WAS doing. “Heyy what the hell are you doing??”

Sei turned and thrust her blade into the man’s chest, tearing it up and splitting him partially in half. “Oh, me?? Killing many of you of course, don’t worry, it won’t take long.” Then the screaming started, not from the anticipation, but from Sei twisting around and massacring half the people whom rushed towards her and some whom were trying to flee as her weapon of choice extended itself and snaked around slashing people open and impaling others. Seigikana was laughing hysterically, as blood splattered on her face and she wiped it away.

“This is friggin great!!!! I just love the rush of death.” Finding that it was better to move some bit of attention from her, Sei vanished, merely causing the light to bend around her body so she would be invisible to the eyes of others, along with her energy. Merely because she couldn’t be seen, the crowd in the area she had been slaughtering somewhat calmed down, thinking that the worst had passed, then the left side lit up in a blinding explosion as photon energy smashed through the stands and literally evaporated people, or in other cases merely gave them the equivalents of something like 6th degree burns……..

[Regret]

Zoey was standing right next to Elrick squirming about getting restless.

"Gah... How much longer, it's so boring watching these amateur fights." She groaned with a pout.

She looked over to Elrick and Marcus. Doing nothing but standing there as she expected.

"Gosh you guys are so damn boring."

She looked to the other side where Artemis and Shinto are, hoping at least they were doing something remotely interesting that could preoccupie her time. could see at least they are having a chat and saw a flower rise from the ground over there. 'Heh good luck with Artimis, theres a long way to go before you even get her attention. ' She chuckled to herself, her so called "friends were always amusing to her, though she made it a point never to tell them.

Zoey did a couple of stationary squats.

"Is it time yet? Gosh damn, I'm itching to do something!" She whined again.

But as she went to do her 10th squat she felt the ground shake from massive power and promptly fell on her ass. "What the fucking hell was that!!"

She looked down to see a smiling demon looking girl after a huge light beam attack. Oh, Zoey was pissed beyond belief. She screamed down at the girl.

"HEY YOU FUCKING BITCH!! I WAS WAITING HER FOREVER TO DO THAT, BUT NOOOOO, YOUR BITCH ASS DECIDED TO GO AHEAD AND RUIN MY FUN!! YOUR GOING TO PAY WHORE!." Zoey screamed as she kicked a boulder down on her.

[Essence of Elegy]

"So, when are we gonna attack Elrick?"

Elrick didn't even turn his head, let alone answer. He'd already said once that they would remain stationary until the opportune moment arrived. Elrick was not one to repeat himself. He ignored Zoey's remark and Shinto's obvious failure to perturb Artemis. The time to strike was almost upon them, and Elrick knew it for certain.

The tournaments had already begun. The first two rounds ended rather quickly, but the third was a bit longer. The crowds were expressing their opinions through whistles and cheers as the two Acolytes blasted and slashed at each other. It was only the initial stage: a plain field covered in sand. The stages would become more tedious and perilous later on.

They wouldn't get the chance.

Elrick's hawk eyes detected a presence more powerful than the others. A young woman strolling around with an aura that screamed insane potency. She made a gesture with her hand, and some sort of ring turned itself into a blade, tearing apart a man and twisting around, massacring many others. After much delight, she disappeared, and to her left was an explosion, leaving nothing but ashes in its wake.

The fighters in the third round stopped, gaping at the chaos. The crowds began to scream in terror, scarred for life by the sight of blood-and-gore splattered corpses, with ripped and burnt flesh. They began to simultaneously attempt to exit the stadium, but with their mass and utter confusion they weren't able to make much progress. Only a dozen or so people escaped. Elrick twitched his finger, and the guards that he had possessed closed and locked the doors to the stadium with blank, dull faces. The portcullis dropped, and there was no way out.

The woman was most obviously Sei, and with her attacking, Elrick's plans were falling into place. Zoey had kicked a boulder down at the woman a few moments ago, which was a coincidence because...

It was time.

Elrick's right hand, wearing an obsidian gauntlet, closed into a fist. The guards he had possessed instantly died, their lungs, heart, and brain blackened with dark energy and collapsed. The sight of the guards falling to the grass was the signal for Artemis and Shinto to attack.

As he waited for them to do so, Elrick sent a telepathic message in the direction of Sei.

Your existence has been naught but convenient for us. Are you ready for the dagger to turn the other way, or will you simply run? I'm giving you a chance to do so.

[Andillexe]

A blast erupted somewhere to Mia's right, knocking her over slightly. "What the hell was that!?" she exclaimed, the people around her confused, a few bleeding from the shrapnel that had flown everywhere. She looked around the stadium, checking first to see that the king was alright (which he was), then looking for the source of the explosion. She didn't have to look far; there was an enormous crater a few rows away from her. Mia started running through the stands, knocking people over to see what had happened there (or, when questioned, if anyone near the explosion was hurt. In that case, she was rushing to help them). She looked into the crater, seeing nothing but rubble that had collapsed into the lower chambers, then looked around, trying to spot the source of this hole and commotion.

"HEY YOU FUCKING BITCH!! I WAS WAITING HER FOREVER TO DO THAT, BUT NOOOOO, YOUR BITCH ASS DECIDED TO GO AHEAD AND RUIN MY FUN!! YOUR GOING TO PAY WHORE!." came an infuriated scream from the boulders. Mia turned to see who was shouting and was met with a boulder flying right at her.

"Oh, shit!" Mia said, jumping out of the boulder's way. It flew past her and lodged itself in the hole. Mia pulled an arrow from her quiver and aimed it toward the rocky hills, trying to find a target. Instead, an odd looking, purple girl with red eyes appeared in front of her, smiling as if the explosion and flying boulder was pleasing her. Mia readjusted her bow so that it was now aimed at the girl. Bad move.

Before she knew it, there was another eruption of shouts, only this one didn't seem like rooting. No. It was as if the devil himself had arrived.

[Twilight_Path]

Artemis completely ignored both Zoey's curse-ridden shout and the evident chaos that had ensued when a woman caused an explosion of light to erupt within the tournament stadium. She was frozen completely still, waiting for the signal from Elrick... and then it came. Without even looking at her leader she felt the influx of darkness he caused by a simple gesture of his gloved hand. The guards that had once stood before the entrances of the stadium collapsed to the grass, and Artemis moved immediately, leaving Shinto behind. As she sprinted toward the dozen or so people who had managed to escape the virtual trap of the now sealed coliseum, Artemis briefly caught the mental message Elrick had sent to whomever had caused the explosion of light within the great structure.

Your existence has been naught but convenient for us. Are you ready for the dagger to turn the other way, or will you simply run? I'm giving you a chance to do so.

The teen allowed herself a slight smirk as she reached her first target, a middle-aged man with a curious mustache. She hovered for a split second just off the stranger's shoulder, placing one of her pale hands on his arm and whispering the last words he would hear in this life in his ear.

"What a pity humans are made up of sixty percent water."

The man gasped, and then his body began to take on a silvery-blue sheen. It wasn't long until the entire being was a complete statue of ice. Artemis quick-drew two of her thicker needles from her pouch and drove the instruments into the statue's torso, shattering the frozen entity immediately and sending each shard hurtling towards the rest of the fleeing audience. Horrified screams sounded from the helpless group as the deadly icicles buried themselves in human flesh. Several individual needles felled two of the survivors who had separated from the original body of escapees.

And so it begins... Artemis thought as one of her projectiles nailed a young man no older than herself in the throat.

[Slackermonkey]

An ear splitting explosion awoke Morloc from his semi slumber. He jolted upwards, his head immediately focused in the direction of the noise. Saliva oozed down his chin, which he would proceed to inadvertently wipe onto his wrist, far too subjected to the events before him.
The combatants ceased fighting, and the entire crowd was in a heavy uproar. He squirmed through the masses, shoving and pushing his way through. He observed as the guards locked the gates, which he responded to with a menacing frown.

"This couldn't be part of the event" Morloc thought to himself, remaining solemn unlike the frantic citizens rushing past him and shrieking with utter terror. The chaos continued to erupt through the stadium, appearing to show no end.Morloc would continue to peer across the stadium, though his concentration lay in his mind.
"Who could've planned this?", he pondered, as the destabilization of the stadium's participants' progressed at a steady rate. "Enemies of the Acolytes..but who would dare?"

Morloc's heartbeat rapidly pulsed, as the answer sprung to his head. He lifted his brown cloak with his left hand, intensely checking for his dagger, while locating his katana with the right. Both were concealed underneath the cloak, though he had not planned to use them, but these enemies were far beyond a minor terrorist organization.
He paced forward expeditiously, thrusting his cloak from himself. It wavered in the breeze before gently falling to the ground. The cloak revealed several scars that lay upon his arms, as well as his weaponry. Lifting his right hand, he placed his index and middle finger on top of his katana's hilt, while the thumb rested on the back. Desperate times called for drastic measures; at last he could see the power of The Cyan Sages for himself.

[Grace Falls]

Shinto was irritated how Artemis didn't even give him thanks or even the slightest hint of appreciation. Whatever, he didn't care now. Now he knows in the future, he doesn't want to be paired up with her again. It really didn't matter to him; destroying things by himself suited him better.

He looked down at the stadium as he felt an aura of some sort. It was an unusual feeling, something powerful but yet unknown. A young lady destroyed part of the stadium, killing numerous innocent people. This ticked off Shinto, he wanted to be the first to act and kill, not some mysterious girl. He also heard Zoey's rant, so immature, a girl like that has to keep her cool. She kicked a boulder towards the woman down there... What a child...

The Mark of Yggdrasil shined brightly as thick roots shot out from the ground around the stadium. The instantly covered all the exits, making escape futile. Screams were louder than before, people crying for their lives. Shinto clenched his hands as the ground beneath the stadium erupted; it was the beginning of a major earthquake.

The stadium started to shake, as big pieces of it started to fall off, crushing innocent civilians underneath. The earth split in two, as half of the stadium was swallowed into the abyss; of course it was the side where ONLY the civilians were, then quickly as it appeared, the two earths crushed against each other leaving an empty half. He didn’t want to destroy the Acolytes yet, this was only the beginning.The other half of the stadium was on the verge of collapsing; now the civilians were running into the open space. With Shinto’s other hand, he directed the roots to pick up every single one of them and crush them to death. This was truly a bloody mess…

Sweat started pouring out of Shinto’s head, drenching his face. He used way too much energy, more than necessary. This was probably the only act he could do for this attack, well at least until he regained his energy. His knees fell to the ground as the mark diminished its dazzling radiance. The roots sank back beneath the earth leaving many sized holes on the ground.

He knew at once he didn’t kill any major Acolytes or Artemis who joined the fight. The earth speaks to him who he killed, whispering gently into his ears. He sat at the edge of the hill, panting as he peered down into the wrecked landscape. Now he was going to watch all of this…