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

by **Zahn Skye** Wed Aug 13, 2014 2:07 pm

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.

by **Kade Lazarus** Wed Aug 13, 2014 11:33 pm

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.

by **Ren Caverly** Thu Aug 14, 2014 12:03 am

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.

by **Zahn Skye** Fri Aug 15, 2014 12:13 am

Zahn nodded to Kade as he decided where to head off to. He didn't know where either camp for the other teams was but he'd have to make do. However, if at all possible, he would prefer to encounter someone from Blue Pegasus. It seemed like the Fairy Tail team would be hard to get along with, even without the presence of Tatsuma. They were known for being pretty hard to deal with, honestly.

So it's decided then. I hope to spy on Pegasus first, unless I run into someone. However, if one of the other groups summoned those creatures I'm going to have to figure out what to tell Kade. I mentioned not getting myself into any trouble, but I don't know if everything is going to go according to plan just because I want it to. Still...

Zahn looked back at Ren and smiled a little. She had said his magic was awesome, and it seemed like she'd been genuinely confused as to why he would be sad that he wasn't able to press all the wood. The Jinx mage walked off, heading deeper into the island, still lost in thought.

Seems like I've made some pretty good friends. Even though my sister cursed my existence, saying I was to blame for my family's misfortune after the war. Though, I suppose she had a point. After all, I could've fought...

Sighing, the Jinx mage shook his thoughts from his head. He'd have to calm down. He was after information. Angsting could come later, and right now he had friends who wanted him around. So, maybe instead of angsting he would look forward to returning to them in a bit, with good news. Or at least some news.

((Zahn will be back after Ren's next post. The talk with Kayoko will be set in between this post and the next post I make in the topic, for convenience.))

by **Kade Lazarus** Fri Aug 15, 2014 12:18 pm

Zahn was gone, doing whatever he felt necessary, and Kade and Ren were building a shelter. They’d put up walls, and packed the dirt back so that it would harden. Ren got dirt, Kade dried it with his light powers. They had a flat wooden floor, and Kade put the blankets he’d brought inside. He set up a fire pit with stones and sand. He then made an apparatus from sticks to burn. Ren asked him at one point if that was going to work. “Sure. I’ve lived on my own quite a while. I mean… I wasn’t alone, I have my Dad, but I was still surviving,” he explained. He’d have liked to talk more about it, but she wouldn’t really understand. Besides, they were being watched. He hardly remembered letting enough slip that she’d put the pieces together. It was a while back anyway.

“So, Ren… are you glad you came to the tournament with us? I know you normally might have run off somewhere,” he said politely. He worked on boiling some water, then asked Ren to watch the water for him while he went hunting. She obliged. It took him a while, wandering off on his own. He wasn’t partial to leaving her alone in the wild, but he was trusting her to handle herself. He returned with a few wild rabbits he’d found and hunted. They were easy prey for his spells. He returned and went to work readying them. They were on the fire soon, and Ren was just sitting there staring at them. “You feeling alright?” he asked quietly.

by **Ren Caverly** Fri Aug 15, 2014 12:43 pm

It would have been nice for Zahn to stay, but Ren supposed she understood. He wanted to do something, and he probably wanted to be alone. Being with people all the time was really exhausting. And being watched the whole time? Ren was happy enough to have a task. Usually she didn’t accomplish much. She was busy hiding from people and… helping people sometimes. She didn’t do a lot of household chores, because she didn’t mess a lot of things up. She barely ate, so it didn’t involve a lot of work.

The Lamia Scale pair finished their structure and Ren watched as Kade worked with the fire. She wasn’t good with fire. Fire was beautiful though, nothing like how people saw her power. She crossed her arms and watched as Kade poked at the fire and made it grow. “Is this going to work?” she asked. Kade said it was. He talked about having lived with his Dad. Ren knew about his Dad. Kade had said enough, once upon a time. His Dad was a dragon… like the others… but she didn’t tell anyone. She knew it was a secret. Except with Kotone, but Ren didn’t talk much at all to tell people that.

Kade asked if Ren was glad she came to the tournament and she glanced up from the fire for a moment, “Um… y-yeah, I think….” she said quietly. She figured it was better here, and they were alright. The water started boiling and he decided they needed dinner. He let her take over. Fire… she wasn’t good with that. She bit her lip and poked at it, moving the pot around a bit with the water. She was alone for quite a while, and it was getting dark. Watching the fire made that impossible to tell.

“You feeling alright?” Kade asked when he returned with some dead rabbits. She started at them. She didn’t like hurting things, at all, whatsoever. She supposed this was necessary though. She’d have rathered gone fishing. “Um… yes…” she said, finally prying her eyes away from the rabbits as they cooked over the fire. She wondered when Zahn would return.

by **PatriotArrow** Sat Aug 16, 2014 12:52 am

(Note: An encounter may be put off a post or three if it will make more sense for the story unfolding for your characters. Just make a note of it when you post.)

-ENCOUNTER-
Name: Mysterious Sighting
Type: Neutral
Info: From the corner of his eye, Zhan spots a shadowy figure in a pointed hat moving across a path between the trees. Before he can see it properly, however, the figure is gone, though a few wisps of an all-too-familiar smoke rise into the air where the figure was. Was this figure an illusion... or something more?

by **Zahn Skye** Sat Aug 16, 2014 2:39 am

((Meanwhile, I've been very busy today. Sorry for the late post.))

Zahn was on his way back to camp, no worse for the wear but eager to tell his companions the news. The other teams had been attacked as well. Plus, there was that mysterious figure he saw as he was leaving the camp. The only thing the Jinx mage could remember was that the figure was wearing some sort of pointed hat.

Which in and of itself could be a clue... But not one I can grasp. I need more information. The smoke was just like the smoke the boar disappeared into, but other than that...

Zahn grumbled to himself, a foul mood coming over him. He hoped to see Kade and Ren again, safe and sound. He had a lot to tell them, and this tournament was turning into something he couldn't have even imagined. Something big was going to happen... And the shivers down his spine told him it wasn't going to be all good. He prayed, silently, hoping everyone would survive what was going on. For right now he made his way, quickly, back to his friends.

"... if they're hurt, I'm going to find whoever is behind this... and may them PAY."

Zahn stopped a moment, taken aback by the edge in his own voice. He hadn't known he could make a sound like that. His voice was almost feral. It scared him. It scared him to think that the friends he'd just made might end up in danger, and soon. He rushed back to camp as quickly as he could. He'd let the others know about his encounter with Kayoko and all of the new information he'd gotten, as well as the figure. He only hoped he made it there without incident and that his friends were doing just as well as he was.

by **Kade Lazarus** Mon Aug 18, 2014 1:59 am

“So Ren… if you had to live anywhere in the world, where would you live?” Kade asked, out of the blue. He had to come up with some sort of conversation while they were waiting for Zahn to return. Also he had to work on getting the rabbits cooked. It was clear Ren wasn’t a fan of watching her food be cooked. He could understand, even if he couldn’t relate. It was why he was so awkward around animals, when he was. Pets were not his forte. He would never try to cook rabbit for or near Ambrose though. The man probably would have cried. Kade took good care of his pets though.

Ren wasn’t always good at answering questions, so instead of letting there be an awkward silence, Kade filled it. Maybe he could also encourage her to speak up if he answered the same question first. “There is this island… not Akane…” he said thoughtfully. It was near Akane though. Or… somewhere near there, he hadn’t gone looking. He didn’t want to be too specific though, knowing they would be heard most likely. “I don’t know where it is. But if I could live anywhere… besides the guild hall… I would live there. It’s a beautiful little place… Secluded, I think you might like it. Do you like the beach?”

by **Ren Caverly** Mon Aug 18, 2014 2:07 am

Kade was always such a chatty man. He was curious, and that wasn’t bad, but it rarely worked out with Ren. Astra had learned that the hard way. Being too friendly pushed Ren away. Being… there pushed Ren away. Ren pushed herself away. She was going to try though. He asked where she would want to live, and all she could think of was the guild hall. Yeah, that was definitely her answer. In her room. Not in Era. Anywhere but Era. Not… near her parents, or her past.

She was thinking about this when Kade said where he would like to live. An island. Not Akane. She knew where Akane was, but didn’t know why he mentioned that one. There were other islands he could have mentioned. Maybe he didn’t like Akane Island? She tried to focus and not be distracted. He began describing an unknown island he liked. Secluded, yes, that sounded like her. Well, it seemed like she had to pick someone besides the guild hall. “… I don’t know. I can’t live anywhere else. I haven’t. I mean, I did… of course… but never… on my own, and never well. I think if I lived anywhere else I wouldn’t be happy. Except maybe Cerulean town, if I had a house there. Possibly,” she mused. She was trying to play along, but it was hard. She put her hands out near the fire, pulling her sleeves back to feel the warmth.

by **Zahn Skye** Mon Aug 18, 2014 10:59 pm

Zahn returned, out of breath and slightly disheveled, but happy to she his friends safe. He had a lot to tell them.

"Kade, Ren! You guys are going to want to know some things!"

He practically ran over to the other two, not minding his surroundings at all. He stopped in from of the two, a grim look on his face.

"The other teams have been attacked as well! They don't know what's going on either, but I met a girl from Pegasus who said that the creatures they fought were just as strange as ours.I didn't see anyone from Fairy Tail. but I assume they had an attack too. I saw a figure as I was leaving, but when I tried to pursue they were gone. I figured I'd tell you when back."

Zahn took a deep breath and dropped to his knees.

"It only now occurred to me that you two might be in danger if I left so.... I... I ran all the way back..."

Zahn trailed off sheepishly. He wasn't used to admitting his fears, nor the fact that he was worried about someone else but it was true that he'd been scared that his only friends might be attacked while he was away. He blushed a little at the revelation but tried to quickly change the subject.

"So, anyway! What are we going to do? Do you think we should work together with the others, or just wait... wait, are you guys making food?"

The young Jinx mage hadn't even noticed the smell of the food until just now. Man, he really did get lost in his own head sometimes. His eyes shifted back and forth, looking expectant. He was hungry. His somtach growled and he grinned sheepishly. Well, there went the serious mood.

by **Kade Lazarus** Tue Aug 19, 2014 1:01 am

Zahn returned, and Kade was immediately smiling. He was glad to see his friend safe from harm. Apparently there were things they should all know. He perked up, ready to hear the news. Zahn returned to them and began to talk, except he looked quite grim. This was a tournament. Basically a sparring match without conflict. No one was in danger of dying. He felt sure that the guild masters would jump in if they felt their companions were in that severe of danger. This was not life threatening ordeal. It was a team building exercise, and although they lived in a rough would, he was not worried about that much.

Zahn mentioned that the other guilds were attacked. Kade was immediately glad that Fairy Tail had not been reached. Though the idea that they were attacked to… Hadn’t Zahn just been worried Fairy Tail had been behind all of this? Didn’t this lend more to his theory. He hadn’t seen them, logically... oh nevermind. He didn’t point this out. “Wow, Zahn… we are alright. Don’t worry about that. Rest. We have some water, and the food is nearly done. Its great that you care, I just worry you overexert yourself. We are safe for the moment… Do you think the image you saw might be watching us?” Zahn was immediately concerned with the food, Kade chuckled. “No, I don’t think we should work with them. It’s a competition from the guild masters. We’re being watched by all of the guilds. If we were in some sinister plot, they would bridge the oceans to get to us. I know Daedalus wouldn’t just let us rot if things were about to turn that sour.”

Apparently Zahn was just that hungry. He gestured to Ren to offer some food, and again said, “The food is nearly ready.”

by **Ren Caverly** Tue Aug 19, 2014 1:31 am

Zahn was back. Ren felt relieved. She wouldn’t have liked wandering around in the dark alone. Wait, no. She wouldn’t have liked wandering around alone. She would have preferred the dark. Sort of. No, ugh. It was complicated. Although her powers lent themselves to the dark, it didn’t make it a comfortable environment to her. TI was like how she was afraid of being with people, but that didn’t mean she actually enjoyed being… alone.

Apparently things were super complicated. Ren bit her lip. They others had been attacked. She didn’t want to be here. She wanted to be on guard, but then again, Kade knew what he was talking about. Surely he did. He was their leader, and he was used to living in the wild. That made sense toher, even while everything was very intimidating. “I’m glad you’re back,” Ren said quietly to Zahn when he noticed the food. It seemed like a far less stressful time. Honestly her expressing something positive at his presence was a huge deal. No one might acknowledge it, or realize it, but Ren affectively had a phobia of relationships. It was as extreme as a mild phobia, except she had reasons behind it Perhaps not enough reasons to justify this, but hey, it worked for her.

Kade offered some water and Ren poured some into a smaller bowl. They could use this to drink. Besides, it wasn’t like Kade packed an entire house in there. He didn’t have that kind of magic. “Was the… Pegasus girl, agreeable? Did they seem to want to work together? Was she worried?” Ren asked quietly. It seemed like if Zahn was this worried, maybe the others were too. Even while Kade was so calm.

by **Zahn Skye** Tue Aug 19, 2014 11:15 pm

Zahn spent a little time catching his breath, but then sat and accepted the water that was being proffered. He sighed and collected his thoughts.

"I don't know if we're being watched by anything but the cameras they set up for the tournament, though the does raise a few interesting questions. Granted, I don't have any enhanced snese so I couldn't tell you if someone was concealing themselves and lying in wait to strike. It isn't out of the realm of possibility at the very least, though I'd think they'd prevent me from getting to you if anyone was watching."

Zahn took another breath and sipped the water. He looked at Ren and a small, almost unnoticeable smile crossed his face.

"I think her name was... Kayoko? And yes, she seemed pretty agreeable. Though, it seems like all the guilds have a lot more pride than I realiz-..."

Zahn caught himself, but it was too late. He'd basically just flat out admitted he was a Guildless mage. Right now there wasn't anything wrong with that, but he'd gotten so used to having to look over his shoulder because of it he stopped himself on reflex. He sighed and continued, not wanting to dwell on more depressing thoughts.

"It seems like everyone has the plan to finish this competition themselves. Though, seriously, how does one camp competitively? I mean, I guess it is more of a survival test than anything else. Well, anyway, I suppose we'll just have to keep our guards up for the remainder of the test."

Zahn yawned and sat back, laying his back against the ground and starred up into the sky.

"I... I'm glad to be here. With you two, I think I can feel pretty safe..."

The Jinx mage quietly mumbled the last part. He was too embarassed to admit it completely out loud, so just saying it under his breath would have to do. He closed his eyes and decided to lose himself in his thoughts for a while, making sure Kade and Ren knew he was listening if they needed him for anything important.

by **Kade Lazarus** Wed Aug 20, 2014 11:10 pm

Kade didn’t think anyone cared about being a guildless mage anymore. Besides he would personally fight any council member who wanted to take Zahn in for that. He was here representing Lamia Scale and that was more than enough for Kade. Besides, since Zahn wasn’t an actual member of Lamia Scale… how hard was it to figure out? Perhaps the guildless, Blue Pegasus, or Fairy Tail wizards wouldn’t know, but anyone from Lamia Scale would know he wasn’t part of their guild. And then why would he be supporting them if he was affiliated with another guild? It wasn’t a big mystery, but Kade could understand Zahn being anxious about it, as evidenced by his awkwardness.

“We’re all pretty proud of our guilds, yeah. Our homes. At least I know I am.” He finished cooking and offered them each their food. He let his cool for a bit and then started eating. He made some conversation, though he noticed Ren was quiet. She was less quiet than usual, but still fairly quiet. That was fine, he was chatty enough for everyone. Eventually he went to sleep in the shelter, but offered to take a shift of watch. Ren wanted to take the first shift in the dark, which he found logical. She was the shadow girl after all.

The next few days were similar. No horrible fighting though. Kade hunted with his light arrows, and making traps. He was good at what he did, and that was survival. One day around lunch he was cooking some fish they’d caught and asked Zahn, “So, how are you enjoying our company so far?”

by **Ren Caverly** Wed Aug 20, 2014 11:44 pm

Ren listened to Zahn. A reminder of the cameras. She didn’t like those. He also seemed awkward about being guildless. It made sense though. He wasn’t with them, so he probably wasn’t with any guild. “I… got invited to join Lamia Scale, and I like it quite a bit.” There wasn’t much point to her saying that, but she did anyway. She just felt like opening up a little. It was strange. She still didn’t trust anyone, they would all go away in time, but for now… she was talking, even if just a bit.

He told her the name of the girl he’d met, and that she seemed agreeable. That was cool. She didn’t say anything though, it wasn’t necessary, and she wasn’t chatty. “Well… finishing what we start… is good,” Ren said quietly. Zahn yawned and seemed to mumble something. Ren didn’t hear it, but she saw Kade smile a little. Eventually it was bed time, and Ren took the first watch. She liked it. It was quiet out there, and she was happy to sit in the darkness. She was doing something tonight, watching out for her team. She didn’t have friends, but she did have a team. That was nice.

In the next few days Ren was quiet. Not completely quiet, but… mostly. It was her thing. She helped fish. It was something she liked to do, and could do in silence. She relaxed slightly, but kept to herself. She was more often alone and quiet than with the group, but it wasn’t by much. And by “alone” it was more… a few feet off, since they mostly kept in the group. When Kade asked Zahn how he liked the company Ren turned her full attention to him. How did he like it? She liked it… alright. This was the most she’d been with people in years.

by **PatriotArrow** Thu Aug 21, 2014 10:34 am

(Thanks for the jump. It'll help a lot with the tournament not lasting forever and a day.)

-ENCOUNTER-
Name: Rockslide?!
Type: Hazard
Info: From a nearby cliff, rocks suddenly break free of the cliff and race down towards the three Lamia Scale contestants. The rocks cause the expected injuries upon impact, and are of varying sizes and shapes.

Once the dust settles, the rocks disappear in a cloud of black smoke. Any injuries sustained from both this encounter and any previous ones are gone, appearing to have been some sort of extremely realistic illusion.

In the distance, the shadowy figure from before can be seen for a brief moment before disappearing into smoke.

by **Zahn Skye** Fri Aug 22, 2014 12:37 am

((So I guess the pattern is, event and Zahn angsts! Event, then Zahn angsts! XP))

A few days after their first brush with trouble Zahn had settled back down. He couldn't keep his guard up all the time. After all he was in the company of friends. He found he was much more relaxed than usual and even tried talking a bit more over the next few days, though it usually ended up with him getting embarrassed or shy and trailing off after his scatterbrained way of speaking snuck into his speech. Eventually, Kade asked him how he liked the Lamia duo's company and Zahn smiled sort of sadly. He liked it, but he hadn't expected to have to say it out loud. This was going to be hard.

"Well... I... um... I guess I kind of li-LOOK OUT!"

Zahn pushed Kade out of the way, throwing his friend behind him. He'd noticed the rocks flying toward them because he'd been facing that direction. Kade had been facing him and Zahn didn't have time to explain. He ripped off his eye-patch and glared at the rocks, throwing up his arms.

"JINX!"

The mage shouted out his command word. He could only jinx three of the rocks, not matter what shape or size, but he'd make it count. He threw his arms to the side immediately after and caused the rocks to collide with each other, and stir up a massive dust cloud. He tried to look around for the culprit, and was stunned to see the same figure he had seen before he left came. So, the person did come back. Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his back and blood leak out from his mouth. As he turned his head back he saw a small rock stuck in his back. The wound went pretty deep.

"... damn... it..."

Zahn, exhausted from the burst of power, dropped to one knee but suddenly the pain was gone. He looked up at the cliff-face and saw nothing wrong with it. The rock in his back had disappeared as well, his wound completely gone, and the dust cloud from the earlier barrage evaporated into a sort of black mist.

It was all an illusion?!

As he stood he became aware of his earlier actions. Aware that he'd thrown his friend aside, even though it was to keep him safe. Or, at least, that's what he thought he was doing at the time. How arrogant he was.

"I... I didn't mean..."

Zahn's eyes glistened, tears threatening to fall from his face. Not only had he screwed up, but he'd done so for no reason.

"I'm... sorry..."

Zahn walked off, furious with himself and depressed once again. He always failed when it really counted. He was going to ask Kade to join up with Lamia after the event was over, but now... would they even want a failure like him? Would anyone like to have someone around who messed up whenever it really counted? He said he'd protect his friends, but he couldn't even do that right. As he neared the tree by which he'd seen the figure he slammed his fist into it, snarling in anger at himself. He was so angry and lost in his own head, even if Ren or Kade were behind him, he wouldn't have heard them.

"How pathetic can you be, Zahn?! You can't even... protect them! Filthy, stupid fool! ... I thought... I thought I could do better..."

Zahn's voice seemed small, and weak. His eye pulsed. His power was seeping out, and his emotions were running wild. He was losing control. He tried to take several breaths, but just ended up clutching his head with his hands and trying to drown out the world. A nearby tree started to crack and the Jinx mage just starred at it, blankly.

by **Kade Lazarus** Fri Aug 22, 2014 11:53 am

Things really had mellowed out, it was great. Kade felt like they were actually just camping, sure it was with a pair of people he never expected to go camping with, but what did that matter? This was great for him. It was familiar. Ren seemed like she was functioning better, despite being watched. Sure she made sure to keep her hoodie on almost constantly, and he suspected that was due to them being watched, but it was still nice despite all of that. Kade was actually trying to ask Zahn a nice question, but before he got a full answer things started getting weird again.

Zahn yelled for Kade to look out, and pushed him back. Seriously!? What was with all of these things Kade couldn’t predict coming? It was a spell. It was so a freaking illusion spell. Except his mind wasn’t thinking all that clearly at the moment. He’d just gotten knocked back, and Zahn was using more powerful magic, and they were being attacked by an avalanche. His eyes widened when he saw Zahn injured, looking over to see Ren covered in a ball of darkness. She was probably fine, but Zahn definitely wasn’t…

Or maybe he was. Okay. Everything vanished and Kade righted himself, dusting himself off despite the lack of actual dust around anymore. He looked for anything, and saw the telltale signs of that illusion magic. Ugh. Whoever was doing this to them really didn’t want to let up… He would have said this, but Zahn was apparently really angry with himself. Like really angry with himself. “Hey, Zahn…” he tried, but Zahn was already walking off. Kade cast a small glance at Ren, who looked confused now that she was visible again. He sighed and walked after Zahn.

Zahn was yelling some pretty nasty stuff at himself and Kade waited until he was done to loudly clear his throat. He probably could have heard Zahn’s comments back from where he’d been earlier, with his improved hearing. Unlike with those annoying illusion spells. Unfortunately his friend had his hands on his head, and appeared to be breaking a tree. “Zahn,” he said loudly. He moved in view, cautious to avoid getting too close to the tree. “Zahn, listen. You didn’t mess anything up, and you’re not a fool, and you’re certainly more valuable on this team than you give yourself credit for. You helped, things don’t go as planned in a high pressure situation. Whether you did exactly what you wanted or not, you did absolutely nothing wrong,” he tried to sound as serious as he could. Zahn had a habit of going for the most negative response, but Kade didn’t think it was at all justified right now.

by **Ren Caverly** Fri Aug 22, 2014 12:01 pm

Life was nice. Nothing had tried to kill them lately. Kade liked getting food, Ren liked being helpful, Zahn liked being slightly awkward all the time. She liked him alright though. He certainly didn’t mean any harm. Sure his awkwardness made her awkwardness even worse, but there was always Kade around to smile and pointedly make things better. He was good like that. She liked him. They weren’t friends, because she insisted she didn’t have friends… in her own head. She didn’t insist this out loud, she was too shy. Oh well, point being, it was nice.

Then the world went about collapsing on them. Kade was trying to ask Zahn a question, and then rocks started falling. Again Kade seemed surprised by this. Ren had a guess about that. She knew he was a dragon slayer, and she knew from talking to Kotone that their senses were super charged. If he wasn’t reacting like a year in advance, something was weird. She knew he was very subtle about his reactions but… not at all? Weird. Still, things were flying and Zahn was trying to protect him and Kade. Ren’s first panic tactic was to use her personal shield, crouching on the ground in a thick mass of shadows. She could feel the rocks smashing into her shield, which was not right. She shouldn’t have been able to. When her shield went down… everything was gone. Including Zahn, because he was running away for some reason. He looked really upset too.

Kade glanced at Ren and she looked confused. What? Oh boy… she followed after, at a distance. She could see them but not hear them. Ren was sure she couldn’t be of any help in this scenario, so why get involved? She still cared though, so she remained close.

by **Zahn Skye** Fri Aug 22, 2014 6:24 pm

((I wonder if doing this will get Kade or Ren to open up? 3.3))

Zahn's eyes widened a bit as Kade came into view and he unconsciously backed up a few inches. He was scared of what Kade was going to say to him. However, it turned out to be fairly kind. Zahn's eyes just shifted away. He wasn't used to people, and he was certainly not used to being forgiven so easily. He disliked himself a lot, so he sort of believed everyone else didn't like him either. As such, he was always hard on himself. He starred helplessly at Kade.

"... Didn't I?"

Zahn wasn't coming out of his negativity as easily this time. He wanted Kade and Ren to like him. He wanted to be their friend, but the fact was he was always so scared of screwing up. Of failing. Especially at times like these. He didn't know about Kade, but even Ren had come away unscratched with relative ease. He'd tried to cover for Kade and though it seemed to be an illusion he'd still gotten it. Each of the three seemed to think the illusion was real before it ended. He looked at the tree that was starting to crack and sighed wistfully.

"... my powers require me to always be in control. To never make a mistake. I'm a walking disaster. I can hex my surroundings and cause 'bad luck' to whatever I see. Except people, though I suppose I'm bad enough luck I don't need magic for that. How am I supposed to get let you get close if I screw up and you get hurt?"

Zahn realized he was sounding pretty stubborn. He knew Kade was a good guy, and Ren was nice enough but he was being a little too negative even for himself. He needed to maintain control, lest his powers did go berserk. He took several deep breaths and turned his head away from Kade.

"What if I accidentally hurt you because I lost control? Could I ever be forgiven for something like that?"

Zahn didn't know what he wanted the answer to be. If Kade said yes, he'd certainly be happy. However, he'd still be scared. If Kade rejected him, he'd be hurt but he was used to it. It didn't matter either way. Zahn knew what he really wanted was to be scolded. He wanted to be told how terrible he was, because that's what he believed was the truth. Kade and Ren were nice though. He figured they'd try to accept their feelings. After all, they had accepted his...

"... I don't know what to do. I want to stay. I like... I like being with you guys. Talking to you. Learning about you and listening to what you think and feel. However, all my life I've been told that every bad thing was all my fault. When something broke, it was my fault. When someone died, it was my fault. I couldn't bear if anyone got hurt and... it was my fault. My mother figured my powers never really developed properly because of that. I should be able to hex people, but I can't... and I wouldn't forgive myself if I did. My family is all but gone. All of my siblings, lost in that stupid war... Except my sister, who really DID believe I could be responsible for the family and blamed me for all of our problems. Tell me, what in the world could be worse than feeling responsible for someone else's pain?"

Zahn stopped talking and sighed.

"I get that it wasn't totally my fault for what happened just now and I'm scared that you'll never talk to me again after this, even if I can understand why you wouldn't want to. I don't know what to do. I've just never had someone I can trust myself to be with... It might seem a strange to you, but I really do believe everything I'm saying and if someone gets mad at me for saying it I get hurt even more..."

Zahn looked back and forth, from Kade to Ren back to Kade again.

"... and with all that said, would you still want me around?"

The tree creaked a bit and the crack grew ever so slightly bigger. Zahn wanted an honest answer to his question. He, like the tree, felt like he was about to break.

by **Kade Lazarus** Fri Aug 22, 2014 9:00 pm

When Kade showed up Zahn seemed surprised. He always was. He never seemed to expect anyone to be decent to him. It was sad, but it wasn’t a deterrent by any means. Kade shook his head when Zahn questioned that he’d messed up. He hadn’t. Kade didn’t even see why the poor man thought he’d messed up. Nothing had had done was bad, even if it hadn’t been perfect. Why did so many people think they had to be perfect? It was beyond irrational.

Zahn talked about his powers, and never making a mistake, and being a walking disaster, and bad luck, and Kade just… wasn’t having that. He had to say something, even if it took interrupting Zahn.“You know what really sucks… when you have a difficult situation and you make it more difficult for yourself by imposing additional restrictions and rules and punishments. Ren is stronger than she looks, and I’ve been taking care of myself for a long time. And I bet she can tell you firsthand how not helpful it is to keep kicking yourself over nothing. You’re bad luck, but I don’t make my life on luck. I make my way in things, and luck is just the environment. Its your magic, but its not who you are. I use light, but I still exist at night. You will not hurt me… if I get injured, the world moves on, I heal. The only injures that don’t heal are the ones you keep opening up to remind yourself you’re supposed to be punished… but really you aren’t. You just… think you need punished… for some reason.”

But no… it kept going. Could he be forgiven for accidentally hurting Kade? “Yes. Of course. Mistakes are forgivable. They aren’t malicious. It’s the intention that counts to me.”

Zahn explained how he felt, about his family. How they were basically horrible human beings. Or at least, how his sister was. He’d lost a lot in the war. Kade lost everything beforehand. He didn’t want to explain that right now though. They were being watched. He suspected Zahn had forgotten that, and he didn’t want to upset the man by reminding him right now. “What would be worse… would be actually being responsible for someone else’s pain, Zahn…”

Not that Zahn ever stopped. He was a rambler, for sure. He said it wasn’t totally his fault… when it was not even a little his fault. So Kade finally kept his mouth shut, while Ren awkwardly stood there. She’d mumbled a few things, but remained mostly quiet. With that said… did they want Zahn around still? “I am sorry for what people have put you through… and yes, I still want you around. I think you need company, and I like having your around.”

by **Ren Caverly** Fri Aug 22, 2014 10:07 pm

Ren stayed back out of the close proximity of these two men. She was thinking of them more as individuals than generic men. Generic men were scary. These guys were also scary, but not intentionally. That helped. Zahn was really super upset and Ren felt bad for him. Her thin fingers awkwardly kneaded at the sleeves of her sweater while she waited for the exchange to end. Kade even mentioned Ren, much to her anxiety. Why did he have to think she was stronger than she looked? Could he maybe not draw attention to her? She looked around, knowing they were being watched and feeling awkward. He said she would know about kicking herself over nothing. Ren looked around some more, “Well… yeah…”

Kade had some good points as far as Ren was concerned. However there was something to be said about people who just couldn’t understand. She knew she was one of them. The boys had their conversation and Ren tentatively walked a little closer. “Um… Z-zhan…” she said awkwardly. Getting people’s attention was not something she liked doing. “If… it helps… um… m-my family left me… ‘cause… I guess… I wasn’t good enough. A-and… s-stuff… nevermind, that probably doesn’t help.” She really could not do this. She was awful at this. She didn’t trust anyone. She didn’t have friends. She was bad for people. She was too much like him to be helping him in any way. “But you really shouldn’t be alone. Being alone just… its sad too…”

by **Zahn Skye** Sun Aug 24, 2014 1:59 pm

Kade had some choice words of his own for Zahn, who just sort of starred at the Lamia mage throughout his speech. It seemed like Kade not only didn't mind Zahn screwing up, but appreciated him for just being around. Zahn didn't know how to react. He'd never felt like anyone really accepted him before. He fidgeted and just kept starring. Until Ren spoke up.

"Being... alone... is sad..."

Zahn weakly repeated Ren's words about being alone being too sad. So, they both understood him. Ren didn't seem to be afraid of him, even after everything he'd said. Kade had already professed and proven quite clearly his desire to keep Zahn around and on the team. The Jinx mage didn't know what to say...

If being alone is too sad... doesn't that mean I made other people sad? I try not to get close to people but look at how frustrated Kade is. And Ren... is trying to help me. Even though she must know exactly how it feels, she is still reaching out to me...

Zahn closed his eyes and thought about stuff for a while. No matter what he did, running off now would be wrong of him. So he had to stay, even if it meant screwing up again. His gaze shifted to the side nervously and he spotted a lacrima camera. He frowned. Did people really need to see EVERYTHING? His anger flared for a second, but then his mind refocused on what he wanted to do. He had to be sure. He had to ask one last time...

"... can I really stay with you guys...?"

Zahn, shy and awkward and depressed and negative and broken as he was wanted, very desperately, the answer to be yes. He wanted to find somewhere he knew he belonged. Kade and Ren seemed willing to give him that place and he wanted to let them. But he was still too scared to make the first step. So he asked the question he feared the most and hoped the answer was yes. He wanted to help them find out what was causing these attacks, and he wanted to know how to stop them and how to win the competition if only because he thought Kade and Ren deserved to win. But more than anything, he wanted to feel comfortable staying with his friends.

by **Kade Lazarus** Mon Aug 25, 2014 4:54 pm

It could be difficult to feel positive when you were talking to a wall of negativity. It wasn’t that Zahn was bringing Kade down, by any stretch of the imagination, but Kade wanted to bring Zahn up. Kade had been trying to work on building Ren up for a long time now, and he’d only had a few months since he met Zahn. He in no way expected to be responsible for Zahn having confidence and being happy, but he could at least be a friend and help the man out.

It was probably even more surprising how much Kade disliked a certain person, based on how patient he could be with Zahn right now. Actually he was patient with almost everyone. Especially the ones who expected you to be short with them. Ren tried to help, and Kade appreciated that. He knew whatever all had happened to her, it messed her up enough she rarely tried to reach out. So this was her reaching out, and that was great. Whoever won in this tournament… all Kade knew was he was proud of his team.

The fact that they were all being watched only caused things to feel more uncomfortable. It was bad timing. However Zahn being quite was what Kade was really focused on. Eventually the older male spoke. Asking if he could stay with them, really. Kade let out a sigh of relief.

“Yes. Of course. Please do. As long as you need. Yes of course you can stay with us,” Kade said, clearly relieved. “No one ever even implied we’d want you to leave. Right Ren?”

by **Ren Caverly** Mon Aug 25, 2014 5:24 pm

Comparisons could be made between Ren and a skittish forest animal. Like maybe a baby deer, or a rabbit. She certainly wasn’t any kind of predator. It was unnatural and uncomfortable for her to be pushing her own boundaries, but she really didn’t want Zahn to be so upset. People shouldn’t be upset if they didn’t do anything wrong. It was hypocritical, but at least it was correct.

Ren nodded, “Uh-huh!” she said with a bit more volume than usual. That meant that she really did want Zahn to stay. And really, no one had thought him leaving was a good idea except him. He was a lot like Ren, except he was more emotional. She kept her emotions more bottled up than anything else. He sort of threw them about on a display. It could be intimidating to her, especially since she felt as if she really should be helping him out. She didn’t know how, but she felt she should.

“Can, um… we… um… I mean, should we maybe go looking for… whatever is doing this stuff?” Ren asked nervously. Making a suggestion, about as foreign of territory as standing up for herself. Still, she thought the team might like something to focus on besides Zahn thinking he messed up, and them generally being upset. Happy team building exercise and all.

by **PatriotArrow** Mon Aug 25, 2014 11:28 pm

This is the final encounter. It might last longer than the others, depending on how you role play it out.

-ENCOUNTER-
Name: Revelation
Type: Neutral
Description: The shadowy woman appears before you, her features still cloaked in the black smoke. It's obviously a female, wearing dark clothing and a witch's hat. She sounds young, and her eyes are brown, as noticeable through the smoke as the glare accompanying them.

Her attitude is direct and forceful. She isn't overly rude, but she doesn't waste time with niceties either.

At first, she insists the group are fools and that they should leave the island now. If attacked, she will defend herself with terrifying yet nonlethal force, using a combination of S-rank wind magic and powerful sorcery, themed with the black smoke.

If the group insists upon working together as a team to beat her, she eventually drops the facade, the smoke disappearing completely to reveal a beautiful young woman with long green hair. She expresses pride in her old friends the guild masters raising such talented and smart young wizards.

If the group fails to come together as a team, she expresses disappointment, claiming that she thought the guilds were closer than this.

The group cannot actually beat her; she is as powerful as the guild masters.

Either way, she eventually admits that she was there to test them with powerful illusions to see how the guilds came together. If one of the characters has met up with another guild in a thread on friendly terms, she tells the ones that have done so that their willingness to work together with the other groups is what the games were supposed to inspire. She also introduces herself as Sonata Elswere, Sister of the old codger, Ranor Taiga.

After a short conversation, she tells them that the tournament is over early, because she is bored of games and the guild masters didn't tell her she *had* to make the tournament last as long as was announced. With that, she disappears into smoke again, promising to see them soon on friendlier terms.

by **Zahn Skye** Tue Aug 26, 2014 12:46 am

Zahn finally broke into a genuine smile. He was really wanted by someone. He was just about to respond when something extremely unexpected happened. A woman appeared right out of nowhere. Zahn jumped back, ripping off his eye-patch and casting a spell to make a pitfall almost on instinct. Something was very wrong here... A few seconds later, the woman was still standing there, as if nothing had happened. She called the group fools and demand they leave.

No... something about this is wrong. Totally wrong. She's acting like the pitfall isn't even there... so...

Zahn growled. He knew that if he was going to have any chance of beating the woman it wouldn't be alone.

"I'll back you guys up. It doesn't seem like I can take her alone..."

Zahn starred at the woman for a few moments, trying to feel his way into this fight. Something was still bothering him. She didn't seem to be using any magic, but the smoke billowing off her indicated something to Zahn he hadn't thought of before. None of them could defeat her. Not alone at least.

"... in fact, this is gonna have to be a team effort for all of us. This feeling. The Guild masters had this same feeling when they tournament started... Oh. So that's what this is all about..."

Zahn absently wondered if the woman could read his mind. After all, he suspected that this was more than just simple illusion magic. Kade seemed to believe he normally would've been able to handle normal illusions. The ethereal and ephemeral qualities this woman possessed as she stood before the trio convince Zahn that she had some yet unrevealed power. She was just here to play with the three.

"... I don't think she's even really here..."

Zahn mumbled the last part to himself. He wasn't going to attack her again. His previous move did nothing. He knew he needed help and he wanted to make sure he would be capable of helping his teamma-... no. He wanted to help his FRIENDS. He wanted desperately to be able to help Kade and Ren if they needed it. He wasn't alone anymore so it was time to stop thinking he was. Even if the future scared him, and the prospect of meeting new people and being hurt by them scared him, the thought of having real friends gave him enough comfort to last a lifetime. So he waited for Kade's instructions and made sure Ren was also on with them. After all, wasn't this just another test of their teamwork?

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