Two Guys, One Girl and a Battle Tournament (Lamia Tourney Topic)

[Zahn Skye]

Zahn sighed. He was finally able to relax after the rather stuffy speech by the Guild Master of Blue Pegasus. After having snuck aboard a boat just to get here he was worried that someone would've come to kick him off the island. It seemed a few Guildless mages had made their ways here, and recently Zahn had been hearing something about the ban on being Guildless being lifted.

Personally, I don't believe a word of it. Rather, this is just something the Council thought up to make us drop our guards. Still, this tournament is looking more interesting by the minute. That Guild Master...

Zahn grimaced for a moment. He'd heard of the Guild Masters. Every one of them. He knew the tales of their strength, and the mere fact they ran guilds was enough proof of their strength. After all, you don't control a bunch of people with differing desires and philosophies without at least a little power. However, even alone the Guild Master from Pegasus seemed to be on a whole different plane of existence than the mages participating in the event. Luckily the other two masters had sat back and just watched instead of speechifying. However, Zahn banked on their powers being monstrous as well.

How do the mercenary guilds put it... the difference between 'Heaven and Earthland'? I can see why the Council was worried about the Guilds and Guildless now... If there was ever any Guildless mages as powerful as the Masters the Council would fall pretty easily if they banded together...

Zahn sighed once again. All this negative thinking wasn't getting him anywhere. He was waiting for the two people he knew from Lamia Scale to join him on the island. He was sure they were there, but hadn't spotted hide nor hair of either. To be honest though, he wasn't exactly looking forward to seeing them. An event with fighting meant he'd have to show off his magic. Even if he wasn't fighting other people (although it was a competetion, so there was a chance two people who'd met would battle). He hated that. He despised his own power and always felt isolated from others because of it.

Kade's nice... but how's he going to feel about me when I tell him I am essentially a walking disaster area? Hell, Ren's already terrified by me, and she hasn't even seen my magic. When I show her I can bring bad luck what's she going to think? Although, to be fair, I haven't seen her magic either. Maybe we could be the same type? Now, that's a nice thought...

The Jinx mage's thoughts raced around his head for a while, and he took several deep breaths. No need to get worked up before the main event even began. The Guild Master's speech about being on guard since the island was fraught with perils had set him off, but the frenzy he'd worked himself into wasn't going to do anything to help his friends from Lamia Scale win this tournament. Better to relax while he had the chance.

After all, I wouldn't want to wear myself out if something really does go wrong later...

((I can post every day. Can't promise they'll be great posts, but I can do at least that much...))

[Kade Lazarus]

Tournament! It sounded fun. Not the sort of fun where he was jumping up and down like a little kid, he didn’t do that. He knew someone who would have loved to attend and act just like that. Why hadn’t he entered, come to think of it? Sure Zahn had expressed desire to participate as well, but that guy loved competition. Kade didn’t dwell on it much. He was wearing some khaki pants and a shirt, happy to be out on a sunny day. The weather put him at ease, but his travelling companion had a cloud of gloom around her. It wasn’t at all surprising, but he felt bad for her.

Jora spoke, and Kade watched Daedalus, silent and watching, along with Taiga. The last time he had dealt with the leader of Fairy Tail had been a disasterous day. He hoped not to run into anyone from Fairy Tail. It seemed as if the groups would be separate, which was good to know. He absolutely would not be able to behave himself. It made his blood boil just thinking about it, and he wasn’t even dwelling. “Ready Ren?” Kade asked. The young woman made a small noise which he took as an affirmative. She was really quite adorable, just in a pitiful way. He smiled at her then looked for Zahn. When he spotted the man and his epic coat he walked over. “Hey! Ready for some competitive camping? I think that’s my new hobby… or it should be, it sounds awesome. Right Ren?” he asked warmly. Zahn hadn’t really had the chance to watch the two interact. Most people didn’t. He could only corner her when she was alone. She snuck off easily when in a group.

[Ren Caverly]

While Kade had his own reasons for being cautious when watched, Ren’s ears were ringing.

Everyone else is welcome to watch through the Lacrima set up in your individual guild halls.

Ren was not okay. Her palms got a bit clammy and she kept rubbing her fingers over them, trying to dry them. She was safe inside her hoodie, wearing a simple camisole underneath. She had on fitted black jeans today, instead of her usual skirt. It did nothing to change her appearance. She still looked like a shy and fragile little figurine. She did not display confidence. She was almost shaking. Kade asked if she was ready, she just squeaked at him. Remember Ren. Kade is watching! People are watching. You have Lamia Scale on your neck. Y-you’re fine. You’ll do fine…. Just… fine… She tried to give herself a pep talk, but it wasn’t the most convincing speech, even in her head.

They waked up to the man with the comfy looking coat. She liked it, he looked safe and cozy in that outfit. Kade was bubbly as ever. There were a lot of people around. It was uncomfortable. She squirmed, looking down at her boots. Thick, heavy leather boots. They would keep her warm at least. She was not cut out for this. Kade started going on about competitive camping, and asked Ren if she thought it sounded awesome. That wasn’t the word she would have used. She shrugged her shoulders slightly, “It sounds… um… really weird…” she admitted quietly. Her hood was up over her head at this point. Too many people around. Absolutely too many people.

[Zahn Skye]

"Hello, Kade... and Ren? Huh. Hello there."

Zahn quickly pondered the implications of Ren being here. He was sure that Ren was not here, on an island full of people, by choice. The Jinx mage had heard the Pegasus Guild Master's speech clearly himself. The contestants were going to be watched, all throughout the tournament. Honestly, he was surprised Ren could form words right now. If it was him, heck, he didn't even have to imagine. He was here now as well. He barely managed to keep his cool, though he did easily greet his two team members. Something about having them here was a least a little comforting.

But the problem was never who I was going to be partnered with. It was who I would encounter and what I would have to reveal. My magic shouldn't be used around people I don't particularly have any grudge against. I can use it in sparring, sure, but usually there are rules in place and I'm super careful not to lose control of them. But here? On this island filled with peril and challenge? That's going to be a lot tougher.

Zahn sighed dramatically. He wasn't sure he was up to this. He didn't know what was going to happen, and he didn't really want to show off his magic. He always considered his magic like cursing something. He was just glad he never seemed to be able to use his magic against living things. He hated himself enough as it was. He didn't want to have to deal with the consequences of hurting someone else for a purpose other than fun. Hell, he seriously despised himself when he hurt someone on accident, there was no way he could live with himself if he did so on purpose. Shaking his head, Zahn tried to collect his thoughts and respond to his two companions.

"Competitive camping... I dunno. I'm with Ren on this one. Sounds a bit weird if you ask me."

Zahn looked over at their soon-to-be-competition ground. He hoped nothing would go wrong, but this was supposed to be a tournament. And it seemed to have started already. The other teams must be on the island by now.

"So, what do we do now? I don't think it'd be much of a competition if we just set-up camp and waited for something to happen... Granted, I'm not too keen on running into anyone else if we can help it... What do you think the Guild Master meant by needing teamwork to survive? Any thoughts?"

As Zahn fell silent he looked around the area, trying to make sure they weren't in any danger or being watched by something they hadn't sensed. No reason to drop their guards just because they couldn't see anything immediately in their vicinity. He would wait for his companions' responses before he would begin speaking any more.

[Kade Lazarus]

Kade didn’t find anything weird about the greeting, it was a friendly one. He beamed and enjoyed the day. He hoped it wouldn’t rain when they were on the island, or worse, that they might have a thunder storm. He didn’t need another reminder. “You guys are too serious,” Kade said with a wave of his hand. Sure it sounded weird, but that was part of the fun. It was something they wouldn’t get to do on a regular basis.

Zahn asked what they should do next and Kade looked around. “Well, she did mention us taking a boat to the island…” He wasn’t fond of being on the open sea. He didn’t get ill like some dragon slayers he might have heard of, but it still wasn’t his favorite. It wasn’t because he got sick though, it just reminded him of home.

Kade was looking around for the boat when he spotted someone with white hair. He was…. Yep, that was Kade’s blood boiling. His arms crossed and his face grew darker. “Oh look, there’s that boat,” he said, his tone completely shifted. He walked over to the medium sized boat that was going to take them to the island. He walked over, waiting for Ren to get nearby. He normally would have offered her his hand to help her board, but right now he was busy forcing himself not to seethe. At least when she got close enough he did put out a hand to help her, surprised when she took the help, awkward as she seemed to feel. He sat down in the boat, running his fingers through his hair and putting his bag next to him on the boat. He needed to chill.

[Ren Caverly]

Ren fidgeted at Zahn’s greeting. He was fine greeting Kade, but he had to question Ren’s name. Yes, it was weird she was here, could they move on now? Or better yet, not slow down and draw attention to it at all. She would be so good with this, like so perfectly fine not having attention drawn to her. She felt even the slightest thing.

Zahn had the luxury of hating himself due to his magic. Well Ren hated her magic too, or she had. She was working on fixing that. The reason she was the way she was wasn’t her magic though. It was her. She wasn’t good enough, she messed up. She wouldn’t blame her magic, it was what it was. Maybe she got this magic to reflect her own story, she didn’t know how it worked, she just knew that she would rather show her magic to a crowd than talk for a minute about her history. She didn’t respond to the greeting outwardly.

Zahn agreed that competitive camping was weird, which was nice-ish enough. It wasn’t a big deal. He asked about what to do next, and as per usual Kade was taking care of that. A boat. Yes, she did mention a boat. Ren was fine with that, except he apparently saw something he did not like. She could feel that familiar tension, it was strange for him. She was used to how he acted normally. “U-um… b-boat sounds good,” she said to break the awkward silence. She even took Kade’s hand when he tried to help her onto the boat. She waited for Zahn to sit down and decided to try and say something to him. “S-so… um…. Why did you… come to this?” she asked awkwardly, her hood still very much up over her face.

[Zahn Skye]

Zahn followed them aboard the boat, not mentioning Kade's change in demeanor when he saw a white haired... boy?

Hrm... can't really tell if that's a older or younger person. He looks fairly young, but his features are a little more defined than a child's. Plus, the aura he gives off...

Zahn rubbed his eye beneath his eye-patch as he sat down. Ren asked him a question that he didn't catch at first. When he finally worked out what the question was he smiled sheepishly. Wow, talk about uncomfortable situations.

"... I suppose because Kade asked me... I honestly expected something a little different. And I didn't think we'd have to show off our magics to a whole bunch of people."

Oops. He mentioned it aloud now. Damn, how careless. However weird he might be feeling about it, he assumed Ren must be feeling worse. He didn't know her backstory. He hadn't asked Kade, and he figured it'd be rude to pry anyway. However, one thing he was sure of was that Ren was uncomfortable around other people. Having dozens of sets of eyes fixed on him was bad enough. He didn't even dislike most people, he was just awkward socially and hated feeling like he had bad magic. Ren must be extremely shaken up.

"Sorry... so, guess we're off then. They said something about teamwork.  Um..."

Zahn shifted nervously. He didn't want to ask them about their magic or even tell them about his. This was shaping up to be a weird team dynamic already and he didn't really feel like making it any worse. He just feel silent after he spoke, trailing off and let his sentence die in his throat. A short while later, a boat ride filled with nothing but silence the three arrived at the island, near their campsite.

"Well, we're here. I guess whoever wants to take the lead in this event, feel free to speak up now."

Zahn was used to working alone. He could hunt well enough, and his magic was good enough to help him survive. If asked he could even use his magic to gather up some supplies, as long as no one asked him what exactly he could do with his magic. He almost wanted to ask Kade what the deal was with him and the white haired one they'd seen earlier but Zahn had a feeling he'd probably find out sometime during the tournament. He shrugged and looked at his two teammates.

Well, this is it...

Zahn demeanor seemed to indicate he was waiting for someone ELSE to come up with a plan. He had a few but didn't feel like sharing them. He needed to settle in first before he'd even think about suggesting something.

[Kade Lazarus]

They had a weird dynamic, indeed. Kade found it almost amusing. He let Zahn and Ren talk a bit as they stood around. Soon they were in the boat. His bag, his bow, himself. He put his hand to his chest, touching the vial necklace he wore. It was really a strange idea that they would be watched this whole time, but he didn’t really mind. He would rather it not require showing his magic though. It was pretty simple, except the basic hints. His body turned to light energy when he cast it. He would avoid his light dragon roar, of course, but with close enough scrutiny someone could still find him out. He hoped the people watching couldn’t see that close up.

The boat began leaving and he settled in. Ah, that familiar feeling. Zahn and Ren were having their awkward exchange, but then Zahn asked about leadership. That was almost funny. Ren was horribly shy and wouldn’t give orders to… anyone. Zahn was awkwarding a lot himself. Kade actually liked leading people. He smirked slightly, “Well I don’t see either of you jumping at the task… and its sort of my fault both of you are here,” he teased, “So I’m happy to do that. And neither of you will have to talk more than necessary. Sounds good, eh?” he said with a grin.

They all got off the boat and Kade noticed the campsite. He went over and looked for supplies. "I guess we should work on getting some wood, and fresh water. And shelter of course. I have a tarp if we want to lay that over any shelter we make," he added, looking at the two of them for input. "But first we should explore the area a little."

[Ren Caverly]

Ren awkwarded. And then a bit more. Then some awkwardness sprinkled over awkward sauce. Yeah, she was having a great time. Awkwardly. She asked Zahn about how he ended up here, and apparently Kade had asked him. That sounded familiar. Was Kade playing matchmaker with his life? Not romantically, just setting people up for… interacting… setting them up so that they lived life. Silly Kade. Clever Kade. She glanced at him, but didn’t say anything. He seemed deep in thought.

Then Zahn mentioned that whole… being watched thing. She squirmed. She was sitting on a boat, with two men. Men. Men. Men were scary, and she was with two of them. Not only that, but she was going off to some unknown place. Ren did not travel much. She liked to stay within the familiar shadows. This was just plain scary. She was a big girl though. She would deal. “Y-yeah… I d-don’t… really use magic around other people…” she admitted in a quiet mumble. This was going to be interesting. She was going to have to fix that today.

The boat left and Ren looked around quickly. Her movements seemed fluid enough, but uncomfortable. “Teamwork…” she repeated quietly. She didn’t work with other people. She took on tasks on her own, it was great. She didn’t have to worry about them getting hurt, or disappointing them. It was just better this way. Zahn asked about a leader and Kade decided he could do that. Well that was good, Ren didn’t say much, but she felt maybe now was a good time as they got off the boat. “S-sounds good.” There, leaps and bounds of progress. The campsite seemed simple and not all that helplful. Ren remembered being homeless. She was a scrapper, but she survived mainly in society. This was intimidating. She’d nearly died back then. She rubbed her arms as the anxiety rose.

Kade mentioned gathering materials, and a tarp, and fire. Does that include food? Should we get food? Are we going fishing? I can fish… Ren thought to herself quietly. Kade suggested they start by exploring and Ren finally pulled her hood down from her face. Her short blond hair, pale skin, and multiple earrings were suddenly cast in light. She blinked a few times to adjust to the light. She just stared at Kade.

[Zahn Skye]

Kade volunteered for the position of leader and Zahn sighed with relief, ignoring his companion's teasing. The less he had to interact with the other two the... well, technically it wasn't better. Better for him, possibly, but not for the "team".

If we're being graded on our teamwork, I'd say our group is coming in last to begin with... Somehow e'll have to fix that while on the island. Which will probably be hard to do if we don't communicate at all...

The Jinx mage's thoughts were interrupted by Kade explaining the situation and expressing an interesting in exploring around the site before doing anything else. Zahn thought it was a decent enough idea, but was really more pre-occupied by Ren. Along the way she'd revealed herself to be a lot more like him than he'd even believed the first time he met her. Shy, disinterested in showing her magic, and unable to refuse a request. That actually made it harder to talk with her, even though they seemed very much the same. Oh, well. Maybe the experience would draw the group closer together as friends...

But I'm not counting on it...

Ren stared at Kade while he continued his little speech. If anything, it was impressive how much Ren seemed to tolerate/like Kade Their leader did indeed have a pretty magnetic personality. When Kade had asked him to join the group, Zahn had agreed almost immediately. Sure he didn't know all the rules at the time, but something about Kade just made the Jinx mage want to hang out with him. Sighing again, Zahn watched for a few seconds as Ren just stared at Kade, then began to walk off.

"I'll go explore. I can handle getting the wood and water. Be back soon, I guess..."

The Jinx mage wandered off, losing himself in deep thought as he made his way around the woods, looking for a place he could start gathering up supplies without being seen. He probably couldn't avoid the prying eyes back on Fiore, watching him through the lacrima, but if he could avoid being seen by his teammates or the other mages on the island he'd be happy enough. Eventually he came to a small stream.

Heh heh... Guess every forest has wood and water to provide to people. Although, I have to say, this is pretty much the perfect place to be attacked. I'm alone, and if I get into a fight not only will everyone on my team come rushing here, but it will probably alert the other teams as well...

Zahn took a deep breath and unfastened his eyepatch, scanning the immediate area while casting his spell to "jinx" the environment into doing what he wanted. He caused some large branches to snap and fall and some water from the stream to run off into a nice little off-shot from which he could gather it up and carry it back to the others. He used some of his clothes as a bag to contain the water and tied the wood onto his back. He could've gotten the supplies normally, but he figured as long as he wasn't around anyone he'd use his magic. He re-fastened his eye-patch as he finished gathering up the supplies.

Besides, no one watching should be able to really tell what I'm doing, or what kind of magic I have just from those little tricks. I need the practice anyway, so I can fully control these powers I have...

Zahn began to head back to the campsite, supplies in hand. Hopefully Kade and Ren would be pleased that he'd gotten a pretty good amount of wood and water. He was feeling pretty pleased himself. He'd done the job of gathering the things they'd need pretty quickly and efficiently. Meanwhile, Zahn absentmindedly thought about the peril the Pegasus Guild Master had warned the competitors about. He picked up his pace.

[Kade Lazarus]

Kade was happy to be a leader, he liked helping people out, and in general he liked having authority. This wasn’t based on any self-importance, but in that he just enjoyed it. This allowed him to guide people and help them. He had been instilled with a need to help people his entire life. First from his human parents and then from his dragon father. He knew that he had a very makeshift team today, but he knew they meant well. It was alright that they were anxious, shy, self-conscious, and a bit of a mess. Kade liked them both, and he was happy to spend this time with them.

He took the leadership position and then suggested they explore and get supplies. The suggestion was quite specific to them exploring together. They would split up and get supplies if things seemed safe, but first they should explore. Well instead of that Zahn said he would go explore, and walked off. Kade sighed, “Alright, be careful,” he said casually. He knew that this place was apparently going to have trouble, but he didn’t want to be overly picky. It seemed like he just wanted to be alone for a bit.

“Well… he said he would get the water and wood… I guess if you want to stay here and get used to the area, I will also collect things. Actually, if you dig a hole in the ground, and fill it with sand that would be very helpful.” Ren looked at him, but made him a small confirmation. “Thanks Ren. I will be back soon.”

He headed off, getting some wood. When he returned, from another direction than where Zahn had gone, Ren had a large hole, filled completely up with sand. She had also cleared an area around a few trees. Kade had left his bag there and noticed a small bag she had brought was next to it. “Good job, Ren.” When Zahn walked up Kade smiled, “Thanks Zahn. I have a pan to cook water or food.”

He cleared a bit of land and started making an area for a fire pit, using the sand around there. Ren mostly watched. “Do either of you know much about building a shelter?”

[Ren Caverly]

Kade suggested they explore, and Zahn walked off. Ren watched this unfold without much reaction. Zahn wanted to wander off, okay. She could understand the sentiment. She wanted to be alone, but she always wanted and feared that, so it was nothing new. She was alone on an island with two men. Men. Again, it made her brain buzz. Worse though was that she was being watched. Somehow she was being watched at all times. She didn’t want to use her magic. Kade said something and she agreed with it. She was distracted. Oh, he was asking her to do something, she looked at him and agreed again. He probably hadn’t heard it the first time anyway. He thanked her and headed off.

Ren was left alone. Seeing the nearby sand and the dirt in this area. She was a small and fragile young woman who was incapable of digging a proper hole in the ground. It wasn’t like the ground was soupy from a downpour. She looked at her arms, her hoodie sleeves hanging over her hands like soft limbs. Ren bit her lip, looking around for who was watching her. She couldn’t see it, but apparently that didn’t matter. She was being watched, and she hated that, but she’d agreed to this. Ren did her best work when she was alone. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, listening to the air around her, reminding herself that she was alone. She would be fine.

Dark lines fell from Ren’s sleeves, forming what could have been shadowy black hands. She used them to dig out a hole, moving the dirt away and then using these shadows to bring over sand. Good, she’d used her magic, she hadn’t exploded, and she did the task at hand. She went about, feeling better, and clearing the nearby area. Eventually the boys returned, her shadows were by then gone and she crossed her arms awkwardly as she watched them. She got some praise which she quietly accepted. He apparently brought a lot more than she thought to. While he was making a sort of fire Ren moved about, finding some larger rocks for him. She carried them, her shadows wrapped around her arms within the hoodie. It was blocked from view, but she did that to carry over the rocks. As she finished gathering them he asked if either of them knew about building a shelter. Ren was trying very hard to stay out of her shell, which she normally hid in a shadow, in a chest, locked tight, at the bottom of the sea. She bit her lip again a little, “Um, n-no, I just… I never lived away from civilizations… B-but I can… move things around,” she said. She used her shadows for that, but it probably didn’t make much sense to them.

[Zahn Skye]

((MELODRAMA INCOMING!!!! Note; this is just give myself a reason to wander about later. Don't take this too seriously, XP))

Zahn received Kade's thanks graciously, nodding in return as he wordlessly set the supplies he'd brought back on the ground, dumping the water into the various pans Kade had brought to cook with. He smiled glumly, and spoke his first few words in a while.

"Well, no point in starving if we can help it, right?"

Zahn smirked as his own joke, though he wasn't feeling all that proud of himself. He saw his companions had done their fair share and was happy for them, but he was more worried about lasting through the night and making sure he didn't have to show off his magic. However, as Kade asked if either he or Ren knew how to build a shelter Ren murmured that she could move things, and hadn't lived out in the wilderness before.

How are those two things related... Unless... Wait, can she move things with magic? Is that what she's saying?

Zahn frowned, lost in thought for a good few moments before making a decision. These two were supposed to be his team. It was time he started trusting them. Otherwise, how could he ask them to trust him if something happened? He didn't want to do this, but maybe something good would happen if he told others about his magic and explained to them he wasn't just a depressing, anti-social heretic. Maybe he'd finally find people who could accept him...

"I'm pretty useless... I don't know anything about building something... but..."

Zahn paused and let his words linger in the air for a moment, continuing on when he was sure the attention of his friends was fully focused on him.

"... you move things..."

Zahn repeated what Ren had said, softly and to himself, while unfastening his eye-patch and holding out his hand. He opened his usually closed and hidden eye, revealing the glowing symbol for "bad luck" that had formed in his eye at a very young age. Over the years he'd gotten better at controlling his powers. He didn't even need incantations anymore to activate his spells. However, he still didn't have full control and he did not know what would happen if he used his powers here, in front of his teammates. He was nervous and his emotional state always seemed to influence his spells in some way. Still, no time like the present.

"Jinx..."

One simple word and Zahn used his power to hex the environment, carving out a small blade of rock from the ground that shot upward into his waiting hand. He caught it with relative ease, but his power fluctuated a bit, probably due to his nervous state and he ended up cutting himself a little when he caught the rock. A few drops of blood from his hand and a single tear from his glowing eye fell to the ground and Zahn gritted his teeth in disgust at himself. He'd failed again.

"This is what I can do. This is what I am. Sometimes, it is much more potent than this.... but it is always a disaster... and I always fail."

Zahn re-fastened his eye-patch and walked off to the edge of the camp. Taking a seat nearby to a large tree, he stared in the direction of his two teammates and crossed his arms, his sullen demeanor now fairly obvious. Whatever his teammates thought of him, he didn't want to hurt or scare them. It would be better if he was alone for a while, but he'd promised himself not to let his friends out of his sight. So he'd keep watch, and make sure nothing happened to the people who had decided he could come along with them for a good time. He was incredibly grateful to Kade for inviting him, and happy Ren joined them, but for now he was too confused to really get involved. Maybe once he cooled down he'd go over and apologize to both of them, and they could figure out a plan to win this competitive camping trip, but not right now.

[Kade Lazarus]

Kade didn’t have any problem with anyone’s magic. He only cared about what they did with their spells and their natural power. It was all in how something was used. He could have wasted his training and all of his potential, but he didn’t think he had. He thought he was doing something good, or at least trying to. He helped people, and even this competitive camping trip seemed like it was helping. Ren was actually facing her fear of… well, everything, and Zahn was socializing while being watched. This had to be good for something, right?

Zahn apparently had something to say though. After Ren’s confusing comment he wasn’t picky about what anyone said. Zahn apparently felt now was a good time to show them his magic. Kade mentally told Zahn that he was not useless, but he wasn’t going to interrupt. He pulled off his eyepatch and Kade identified the bad luck symbol. Well that was something. He looked serious, watching as a sword was brought to Zahn’s hand. Unfortunately it cut him, and Kade inhaled, that would have hurt. Zahn looked really upset, but instead of staying and talking, he headed away. He sat within view, but apparently trying to be on his own. Kade sighed, but to his surprise Ren went after Zahn. That was strange. He watched them for a moment before shaking his head and turning back to the camp site. He started making a shelter. He built a base and started using some twine he had to fasted sticks together as he built walls between two trees. Hopefully those two came to some sort of less awkward relationship.

[Ren Caverly]

Looked like it was bonding time now. Ren made some minor comment and now Zahn was showing them his. Ren was not nearly so brave. She even felt awkward with other people opening up. She awkwardly watched as Zahn revealed his eye. Bad luck. Ah… that thing that she felt she was to people she loved. Maybe it hadn’t been a slew of events that brought her to this conclusion, but she felt very strongly about it. She felt she was justified in this, but she also tried her best not to think about it. Seeing Zahn so nervous made her feel guilty.

When Zahn cast his magic, grabbing a sword, her eyes widened. That was actually pretty cool. Unfortunately he missed the catch a bit, cutting his hand and crying a little. Then he ran off. She bit her lip, looking torn for a moment before running after him.

“H-hey…” she said awkwardly. “Y-you hurt your hand… a-and I can fix that…” she told him nervously. “I c-can’t heal other people b-but when I fall, I fall a lot,” she added as a small explanation to her comment, “Wh-when I fall, and get scraped up… w-well it’s a good bandage. H-here,” she told him. She was visibly shaking right now as she put out a hand. She didn’t touch him, but from her sleeve came a dark shadow. It wrapped around his hand to keep the wound protected. A physical shadow. If he wanted her gone, she would probably run off immediately, but she felt that she should help if she could. And she could help for once. “D-does that help?”

[Zahn Skye]

Kade hadn't said anything after Zahn left, and for that Zahn silently thanked him. However, Ren had followed after him though she waited a short while before doing so. Zahn looked confused, and a little scared when the girl walked up to him. Was she going to tell him to leave, or that he needed to work together with them? Turned out, it was neither. Ren quickly talked about his injury, offering help. The Jinx mage looked at her quite helplessly. He didn't know what to say, so for the time being he remained silent. Then Ren conjured up a physical shadow, which wrapped around Zahn's hand and stopped the bleeding. Zahn's visible eye lit up with wonder.

... what? Her shadow? Is it alive... no... maybe. With a power like that, Ren could very well be one of the most powerful mages ever...

The young man looked at Ren earnestly and suddenly realized that she WAS just like him. On her face he didn't even see a hint of pride. Her magic was unique and interesting and she must have felt incredibly scared to offer him help. Yet, she did so anyway. She went out of her way to help him, even though she felt scared. A small smile flitted across Zahn's face. So, he was feeling sorry for himself for no reason...

"... it's wonderful."

The Jinx mage stood up, bringing himself to his full height and then bowed to Ren. However awkward he felt and however awkward Ren felt, right now he was in the Shadow mage's debt.

"Thank you, Ren. This... it helps. More than you might ever know..."

Zahn turned back and grabbed the small blade, almost as small as a knife, of rock he'd formed. He'd accidentally brought it with him when he'd sulked off. He picked it up the with bandaged hand, and taking a few small steps away from Ren he swung the blade, practicing a few moves. His hand barely hurt at all through the maneuvers and he smiled. He walked back up to Ren and bowed again.

"You really are amazing. I bet Kade is pretty sick of waiting for us though. We don't we head back to him, and start working out how to win this event, eh?"

Zahn waited for a second to make sure Ren would follow after him, then started walking back toward Kade. As he did so, he looked over his shoulder and said something to Ren.

"Falling down isn't a big deal. Those who fall, in fact, have more experience to impart on those who've never bothered to try to get up. The problem is when you don't try to get up, you end up dragging others down with you. Thank you for reminding me of that."

Zahn came to a stop in front Kade, a small smirk plastered on his face.

"I think I'm ready to win this thing, now. What about you, boss?"

Zahn still felt like he needed to go out exploring, but this time for a very different reason. This time, he'd leave Kade and Ren behind because he wanted to trust them to hold down the fort. This time, he wanted to leave because he finally found somewhere he wanted to return to. However, he'd come to respect Kade in the short time he knew him. If Kade wanted him to stay, he need only ask and Zahn would be happy to do so.

[PatriotArrow]

(Note: Encounters are intended to only take up a few posts at most, but have a possible impact on the direction the rp takes)

-ENCOUNTER-
Name: Giant Forest Boar
Type: Hostile
Info: An extremely large boar comes crashing through the brush suddenly, without any warning. It charges Kade, focusing on him without regard for anyone else.

There is nothing special about the Boar beyond it's abnormal size and aggression until destroyed, at which time it fades into black smoke.

Note: Kade did not smell or hear the boar approaching as he normally would have. Once the boar fades into smoke, a strange magical scent fills the air that only Kade can detect.

[Kade Lazarus]

The most shy and uncomfortable human beings to ever walk the earth, save a few other just as awkward humans, were over in a corner exchanging what looked like words. It looked like words, it might not have been, Kade really couldn’t bet on it. He was, after all, watching Ren and Zahn near each other. Those two were more than capable of just not talking. Something amazing must have happened though, because Zahn decided to walk back over, and he looked downright happy. Ren followed, but Kade wasn’t sure what her emotion was. As they came nearby he heard something. He didn’t hear it beforehand, didn’t smell it, but right as he caught sight of something. He also saw Ren’s expression change. That was weird… until it was painful.

He felt a large painful stab in his shoulder. Everything went black for a second, but his body spun around and he was knocked out of the path. He saw a giant boar rushing past. He hadn’t smelled it, and he hadn’t heard it crushing around? That wasn’t right. He could always sense danger coming, it was part of his training. This wasn’t right. He looked to his companions, but the boar didn’t charge them. Just him. He jumped backwards to avoid another blow. As it ran past him he threw an arm at the beast, knocking it to the side with a Blinding Block. It was thrown through the air and the area light up in brilliant light.

This should have given him time to rest, and his hand definitely stayed on his shoulder, hoping to rest for a moment, but as he was panting the beast seemed to zone in on him again. Or his general area. He was between the animal and his friends. He wasn’t fully convinced of either of their fighting capabilities, and the animal seemed wholly fixated on him, so instead of dodging he put both of his hands together, spreading them out as panels of light formed in the area, making a wall of defensive energy. The boar ran straight into the shield, and Kade backed up. His power was increased with his boost, and with his natural agility he jumped over the blockage, landing with a kick to the animal’s head. It turned to attack him again, but a serious of blows eventually slowed it down. His martial arts skills easily on display. He went for another blow, his adrenaline surging and his attack in full force, but then the animal faded into mist.

Kade’s punch swung through, his expression turning to surprise, and he just fell to the ground. He twisted to avoid landing on his stomach, hitting his back instead, with an “oomph.” He lay there, realizing the animal was gone, and just panted. His shield faded and he looked up at the sky. Well… that was weird.

MP 180/200(Blinding Block, Solar Panel)

[Ren Caverly]

Ren wasn’t good for anyone, and she wasn’t good. It was a war in her head to be positive. She needed to be, to improve, but if anyone thought well of her she couldn’t help but be negative to balance it out. Not that she was positive to balance out the negativity, but oh well. It wasn’t perfect, it was just Ren.

Zahn was apparently very grateful. Overwhelmingly so. She blushed and looked away, uncomfortable with being appreciated. He spoke very emotionally, and she just hid her hands in her hoodie, fidgeting a bit. He thanked her a lot, and said she was amazing. She didn’t look at him. It was strange. She didn’t know how to handle that. People never did that. She hid from people who might ever have tried. They decided to walk back to Kade, and Zahn started talking about falling. She fell a lot, she had almost been a dancer. That had a whole bunch of falling involved. Also in her personal life. She didn’t really want to think too much about his words, but she did.

As they reached Kade Ren noticed a large animal rushing toward him. Her eyes widened in surprise and fear. A moment later Kade was hit with a dangerous tusk. She gasped, a hand to her face, but Kade wasn’t down for long. He was apparently a better fighter than she knew. It was intimidating to a girl intimidated by a simple greeting. She didn’t really think about the fact that he must have been a trained combatant. She wasn’t. She was hardly a trained dancer. She felt increasingly self-conscious as his light spread in the area. He erected a shield in a moment. Her shield would have been dark and inky, and bad. He jumped and started fighting the boar. She would have engaged, despite her paralyzing fear, but she didn’t think she could without messing up.

The fight ended, and the boar disappeared. She looked around for it. That was… strange. She ran over to Kade. “A-are you alright?” she asked him, looking down at him. He didn’t seem particularly hurt, to be honest.

[Zahn Skye]

Almost immediately after Zahn started to speak to Kade a boar rushed his friend and blindsided the light-wielding mage, The Jinx mage gritted his teeth in anger and prepared to activate his mage, but Kade swiftly took care of the beast... which had somehow disappeared after being defeated. Zahn's mind raced, but he didn't have enough clues to put together any answers. He'd have to find out something after they took care of Kade.

Kade must be a hell of a lot tougher than he looks though... I thought the boar impaled him, but he seems almost unhurt and the fight's only been over a few moments...

Zahn looked at his friend compassionately. He wanted to ask if he was alright, but Ren had beaten him to it. Now, he wanted to know what the hell just happened.

"Looks like you're even more popular than we thought... That thing went straight for you. We were just as flat-footed as you were, and it never even made move toward us. Either it didn't see us as a threat... or it was after you for a reason. Also, the animal... no, it looked more like it was a magical summon... but whatever it was... do you think anyone on this island has any abilities like that? You know one of the other contestants, right? Could he have done this?"

The Jinx mage was full of questions, and his mouth couldn't keep up with his mind. However, at the moment all he could think about was how the Guild Masters had warned each of the groups that there would be danger on the island. He couldn't say for certain, and it would be almost treasonous to entertain the thought, but were they somehow behind this attack? Was this a test?

"... that boy you were eyeballing, with a good deal of hostile intent I might add, is in one of the other groups. I want to go talk to them, and see if they are behind this or are in the same boat we are. However, we did appoint you leader, and I wouldn't mind staying here until we're all sure you're perfectly alright. But... if need be... my magic is suited to recon and subterfuge. Give me the word and I'll be happy to hunt down whoever just attacked us. I'm sure there will be more attacks like this, and the worst case scenario is that they're going to be surprises each and every time. If we can't defend ourselves properly then we have to find the culprit and strike first. Whaddya say, boss? How do we proceed?"

Zahn stopped and inhaled sharply. He was worn out now. Too much talking. His body wasn't used to talking for an extended period of time, but at the moment he couldn't stop himself. More than anything he wanted to find whoever hurt his friend and make them HURT. Still, he understood that he wasn't calm and that at times like these, the leader was the best one to call the shots.

[Kade Lazarus]

He was surprised when Ren ran over to him, asking if he was fine. “Oh, yeah, I’m good. Nothing a little new skin won’t fix…” he said. It hurt, a lot, but it wasn’t like it tore any ligaments. He would heal up in time. He was sturdy. Zahn had his own concerns. Kade was popular, he chuckled, “I think I knew I was that popular,” he teased lightheartedly. He didn’t know why it went straight for Kade, but Zahn seemed more worried about it than anything else. Kade couldn’t say if he thought Ren or Zahn were threats… all he knew about Zahn was he cut himself on his magic, and he sent Ren to do jobs and she came back bruised up. She completed them, so that had to count for something. It didn’t mean he’d seen either of them actually fight anything.

Well, Zahn didn’t leave Kade much time ot think about this, because he kept talking. He seemed to be in a strange mood. And he mentioned Tatsu. Not by name, but he mentioned Kade knowing another contestant. He’d actually met two of them before, but he immediately frowned and stood up. Zahn asked if he could have done something like this, and Kade’s jaw tightened as he dusted himself off. Once Zahn had his fun talking Kade realized Ren was eyeing his fist, and that he had clenched it. He forced himself to visibly relax, but he still looked irritated. “I don’t want to talk about him. He doesn’t know how to pre-plan, and much as I don’t think you should underestimate your enemies, he’s a fool, and I do not want to talk about it,” he said darkly. His opinion on the matter was no secret.

Zahn still thought it might be Tatsu and Kade sighed, “Look… just leave him out of this. He’s dangerous and stupid. And… and…” he was getting tense again, “anyway! I am sure it is just the island. They did say that we might run into trouble. Though, you’re right, we shouldn’t just ignore it… we should investigate… I want to have a base set up though. So when we come back, if we can, we will have somewhere to survive. Does that sound good for everyone?” He looked at them both. Once he got a respond he went back to tying sticks together. He needed time to cool off anyway, and ignored his injured shoulder.

[Ren Caverly]

Things were getting messy. Zahn got upset, Kade got attacked, Zahn said things, and Kade was visibly angry. She’d never seen Kade angry. He was laid back and happy. She pulled her hood over her face with a small shadowy tug. She felt awkward, but by then he’d already seen her staring at his clenched fist. She didn’t like fighting. Or money. Or people. Or being alone. She felt so uncomfortable. What had this person done that was so bad? Kade tried to calm himself down and declined the suggestion to go looking. He wanted them to stay, build a shelter… and then maybe look? Well at least they had a set goal for now.

While Kade was trying things Ren scurried off to start setting things up. With Kade’s help Ren held things up that he tied. She used a shadow hand to dig out enough of the dirt that the walls he was making would fit in. She let Zahn work directly, but Ren just subtly did her part. It looked like they were building a cabin, just without a floor. “Z-zhan?” she asked him quietly. “Do you have a way too… um… flatten out wood? Or c-cut it? We could… use it for a floor.” She said that awkwardly. She didn’t like making requests, but she wanted Zahn to feel involved, and he was just as good to ask as Kade. She didn’t think Kade had the ability to cut things in half, but Zahn’s powers were fairly confusing overall.

[Zahn Skye]

Zahn was a little taken aback by the harsh tone Kade was using, but only a little. He figured that Kade has his own problems with "Tatsu". Best to drop the subject for now. He hadn't meant to make Kade angry, but the boar attack was still bothering him. He wanted to know what was going on. Still, Kade's idea about setting up some sort of base camp was a good one and Kade was their de facto leader. So the Jinx mage set about helping Ren making the base. The girl asked him if he could flatten out wood. The Jinz mage looked confused for a moment, and pondered if he could.

Hrm. My powers are mostly utility, but I dunno. Flattening out wood? Ah... maybe. If I empower my hex on the environment, then maybe I can.

Zahn smirked a little and prepared to test his theory. He wasn't used to showing off his powers in front of other people, but he'd come to this event to win and right now he was more concerned about his friends than being watched. He'd just have to go for it and hope for the best.

"I think so, yeah. Give me a moment and a little more space, but only a tiny amount."

The Jinx mage held out his bandaged hand and took off his eye-patch once more. His eye snapped open, and as it did so Zahn activated two of his magics together. His Empowering Hex would allow his Jinxed Environment spell to become even stronger for a short while. As he cast the two spells his eye glowed even brighter, a sign that his magic was a little stronger now. With a little effort he managed to take some wood and press it flat with his power. After he exhaled deeply. He'd been concentrating so hard he forgot to breathe, but a good deal of the wood they had was pressed flat. There were still some pieces lying around that were not flat and Zahn smiled sheepishly.

"... sorry. I couldn't get all of them..."

Zahn gave a curt nod to Ren and headed over to Kade, stopping just short of his friend.

"So... are you really alright? That wound looked pretty bad. If you're sucking it up because you don't want us to worry... Don't. You like looking after people, right? Well, why not let someone worry over you for once? You seem pretty strong, but you and Ren... you've taught me that carrying a burden myself while others offer help isn't strength. We need teamwork to survive this, right?"

Zahn stopped for a second. He was assuming a lot, but he didn't think he was in the wrong. His gaze was compassionate and much warmer than it had been at the start of the tournament. He was just worried about his friend. Now that he'd calmed down, he wanted to get his point across.

"I know you can fight. Saw it myself, but can you trust us to hold our own? That's teamwork too. I want to go check on the other groups. If they are behind this, well, I won't engage them. I'll come straight back here and we can fight them together. However, if they aren't and if the worst case scenario of everyone being a target has come to pass well..."

The Jinx mage smirked for a second. He thought Kade would like what he had to say next.

"We're being tested on teamwork. What better way to pull ahead in the competition than by working together with the other teams. That's teamwork too, right?"

Zahn tried to make it clear he was asking Kade for permission, not trying to lecture him. However, he didn't know how he came across. He only hoped he'd made his point. Still, he was a little worried about Kade. The other mage seemed to have been caught completely off-guard by the attack, even more than the others. While Zahn and Ren hadn't been prepared, it was apparently worse for Kade. He seemed like he had expected himself to be able to sense that attack.

"... and don't worry. I want to leave, because I think I finally have found a place to come back to. After this is all over, I'd... like to hang out with you guys again."

With that took another deep breath. Talking was not his thing. He waited for his companion's answer but in the meantime, he tried to collect himself mentally. He wasn't really used to such long-winded speech.

[Kade Lazarus]

Kade had all sorts of his own problems with Tatsu. He hated that the creature could get under his skin so bad, but he honestly could not keep his temper down when it came to that boy. Even Tatsu hadn’t seen Kade really fly off the handle, but he had gotten dangerously close. Things got bloody when Kade really lost control. And yet, he didn’t still actually kill anyone.

Kade was trying wood and Ren was saying something to Zahn. They seemed to be so productive on their own. It was actually really nice to see. Kade didn’t think of them as being helpless, but they definitely needed guidance. It was really cool for him to see them being productive without his guidance. He was proud. He saw Zahn flattening wood, which Kade thought would make a good floor. They might even have been pretty good wilderness campers if they ever wanted to do this for any longer period of time. Longer period of time, less randomly summoned monsters.

Eventually Zahn walked over to Kade and asked about the injury. He rolled his injured shoulder a bit and the pain showed on his face. Well it hurt, but it wasn’t dislocated or anything. It also wasn’t dripping blood. It was painful, but nothing serious in the long run. However Zahn had a lot to say about it. It seemed he’d been thinking about teamwork a lot lately. It was interesting to listen to the man talk when he actually got going. And man, did he get going. Kade found himself smiling more. It was funny, but not in a bad way. It was just… pleasantly amusing. The comments didn’t stop though. He was telling Kade about trust, and Kade could see his point. He probably would have seen it earlier had he not been so angry about Tatsu. And it wasn’t that he distrusted them about the boar, he just wanted it done fast. Apparently he really wanted to check on the other teams.

When the comments finally wound down Kade smirked, “Don’t worry too much about me, Zahn. I see your point. If you think its best to look into the other teams, I trust your judgment. Ren and I will have the structure finished by the time you come back. And thank you for telling me what you think. Its good to hear other people’s perspectives, especially yours. And really, my arm will be fine… I’m pretty sturdy. So, be safe out there, alright?” he asked.

[Ren Caverly]

Ren asked for Zahn’s help, something she really rarely did. She was thinking he might cut the wood, but nope, he had other plans. He literally flattened it. Well that was kind of awesome. Her eyes widened as he power pressed the wood together with his magic. He seemed to be increasingly comfortable with showing off his magic for the team. That was sweet of him. Ren wasn’t more comfortable, but she was more willing. The comfort was a long journey for her.

He apologized for not flattening all the wood and she started at him. It was probably very difficult to tell how Ren actually felt if it was anything besides discomfort or fear. She thought he was so strange right now. “Wh-what? B-but that was awesome,” she informed him. She wasn’t even stuttering out of awkwardness, simply because she was confused. Well he had other things to do. She just blinked. Well… she was fine with this she supposed. She started gathering the flattened wood and making it into a nice floor for them. It worked really well and she was quite happy. Yeah, she definitely liked his magic, however confusing he and it were to her.

Zahn and Kade had a talk, and then Kade came over. He brought more bound wood and helped Ren put them in the ground. They slowly made a little cabin. It was a bit short to be standing in, but it was spacious for sitting. He made sure to make an angled roof and threw his tarp over one side, tying it on for a door. When he asked her what she thought she said “Its nice… I like it…” He then went to cook and she sat nearby keeping watch.

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