Iris Fenil's Story

It was a day like any other in the small town of Ivalice. The sun was scorching, and the sand even more so. Merchants called out their wares and mother attempted to wrangle children into the house to complete chores that had yet to be done. While children did their best outwit their parental units. Yet, around high noon their was something different about this humble place as the air seemed to buzz with excitement. Food merchants and trinket sellers moved their carts to the open town square, forming up around it as crowds of people began milling around, large grins on their faces. You see, today was the first tourney put on by the town given that there actually was a reason for celebrating. Rumors had been floating around that the Guild Foxtrot would be revealing the new members of the Guild to the public eye officially today. Just the name Foxtrot turned some competitors into enemies wanting to settle old grudges against certain members. For you see, the Guild isn't exactly welcomed by all given it's reputation for harboring once-time criminals, thieves and a certain button pushing merchant.

A two plumes of smoke spooked a few tourists as a large cart made it's way down the street bearing shimmering orbs, wooden staffs and even a wand that seemed to bloom flowers on command. Said cart was being pulled by two vicious-looking pack animals known as Camu. The bird-like creatures merely let out a small whistling call as people stumbled out of the way, one in a white feathery down and the other ebony. Clawed hoofs gleamed the ground as the cart finally came to a stop in front of the vast fountain of the town square. Two figures stepped down from the cart as bickering began between "Honestly, I am fine Iris. Don't try to be a big sister. Remember, I am older than you regardless of what you say.". A female voice responded in a shrill reply "It was only by six minutes! Honestly Ivan, you act like I nag you to death daily. I am just saying you really should have just let my piece do the work".

The taller man merely patted the shorter female head before smirking "Well, I haven't died yet. But please continue the nagging and remember that I would like desert lilies on my grave. Now move out of the way so I can set up. No, you can't help. Don't give me that look I saw you eyeing the protective bagel earlier." With a wave of a pale hand dismissing the younger of the duo who merely responded to the insulting comments with a rude gesture. A faint twinkle came from her hand as another plume of ebony smoke drifted around the ebony camu and once it cleared, the beast was gone. This was the magic known as Chessmaster magic, and it was Iris's hope to find suitable treasures to finish off the crown jewel of her chess set..a King piece. Shaking her head of her goal as she observed the set-up of the square. It was an exciting event to say the least, hopefully her new guildmates wouldn't cause too much destructive damage. Stretching her arms above her head as her crimson eyes caught a few puzzled expressions at her attire. So wearing a coat wasn't exactly normal in a desert environment, then again most mages weren't exactly considered 'normal' by the non-combative society. A faint grin appeared on her face as she recalled the flamboyant traveling outfit the Master had chosen since departing on his trip around four months ago.


Said grin faded as a small amount of irritation came from his departure the declaration that there would be no solo work on missions, partners would have to be chosen. Her partner wasn't the worst possible choice in the world, but their ideals did come to a clash on the occasion as the man had to need to repent for his past actions like a Camu needed water after a long trek. That along with his insistence that his membership at the Guild be kept a secret from the public. Apparently people aren't as easy to persuade that the former bandit did truly turn over a new leaf. She and Riku were not exactly bosom buddies, but didn't loathe the sight of one another. Acquaintances would be a suitable name for their relationship.

Flexing her hands as a smirk slid back on her face, the tourney wasn't a team-based event. So any tension between partners could easily be fix in a quick brawl in public without the fines of creating a disturbance, disturbing the peace and the eventual property damage. The silver bangles of her wrist jingled merrily as her hand came to rest on the spot that beared the Guild's insignia of a grinning fox's face. It paid to be in a guild as job offers were seen as better pay than solo work as a mercenary, treasure hunter etc.

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A few moments later…

Onyx peered down at the girl with disgruntled eyes narrowed at her with immeasurable precision. He had his arm tightly crossed and began to tap the ground with his foot, meanwhile his partner’s tail wagged at a slow rate, a sign that she was preparing for the lecture to come. ”Alright Liz… Do you mind going over the rules we emplaced five years ago?” After wracking through what seemed to be a head only filled with air, the girl suddenly perked up and began to wave her hand eagerly. ”Yes! Rule One, no sneaking into Onyx’s bed! Rule Two, do bathing with Onyx! Rule Three, no intruding upon Onyx while he’s relieving himself!”

”Then don’t disregard the rules if you know them.” Although it was uttered in a low-key tone, in Onyx’s respect, Liz considered it his way of shouting, to which she flailed her arms and rolled over to the farther side of the bed in retreat. The boy only sighed and shook his head in grief. ”Seriously, my heart can’t take it. Anyways… I’ll get the ingredients ready.” Their room was practically a large enclave, split up into smaller sections with their own specific uses, excluding the bathroom which was sectioned off by the only other door. Onyx sluggishly paced his way over to the kitchen counter and began the process of sifting through unorganized shelves for random cooking supplies. After ascertaining an assortment of ingredients, he diverted his attention to accessing the proper silverware. Onyx had eased his fingers around a drawer’s knob when his partner suddenly spoke up.

”It looks nice outside, doesn’t it?” He froze on the spot. The ebullient voice which was just yelping about was replaced by a nonchalant tone. The summoner slowly turned to gaze upon the comrade resting on her knees, her back to the boy as she gazed out the sole window. Rather than the usual dual-delineations of black, her hair was of a fluorescent pink, an almost blinding hue. Onyx could barely make out a sliver of the mask covering her face, ”Oh, it’s you Gamma. In all honesty, it’s the same view everyday. Nothing noteworthy about it.” The girl made a light chuckle before continuing on. ”How long have we been here? Two months. We would usually be moving on for the next town by now. But from the looks of it, you do not have any intent to depart from Ivalice any time soon. I wonder what has you so anchored to this town?”

The way she spoke was refined, with each word meticulously chosen, but there was always that tinge of lingering melancholy in Gamma’s voice. Onyx knew why she was so apologetic, but attempts he’s made to reassure her have failed. She was definitely the most puzzling of the three personalities. ”I wonder too… Not even I can muster a valid reason. I want to say it’s because of that guild, but it wouldn’t sadden me in the slightest if I suddenly dropped out.” The firm statement was nothing but the truth, FoxTrot was just something to do to Onyx. At least, that’s how he felt at the moment. The girl sighed and began turning her face towards him. Upon her rotations, the locks of pink transitioned into longer conglomerations of black. Liz’s stared directly into Onyx’s eyes, greeting him with an endearing smile, backed up by the glistening light shining through the window.

”Eeeeeeeeh? Was that Gamma just now? She should stop by more often.” The girl made a haphazard giggle to which Onyx only shook his head yet again. He turned around and lifted the lid of the coffee bean jar. His heart sank into his stomach at the dwindling reserves. The guy nearly dropped dead on the spot but managed to remain attached to the living world. ”Liz…”

”Yeah?” The familiar responded with a tilted head. Onyx suddenly spun around to face her and balled up his fist.

”We have to cook!”

”Don’t say that with such certainty!” She yelped and began to flail her arms at his abrupt declaration. ”And you don’t even cook coffee! Leave it to Will!” As soon as she mentioned their companion, they both began to look around the room for the little creature.

”Wil-?” Onyx was caught off mid-sentence as a flash of orange flew out of a cabinet and into his face, completely encompassing his vision. He held back thoughts of pumpkin stew and plucked the being right off. A pumpkin head, supported by an invisible body enveloped by a cape, and a pair of white gloves connected by nonexistent appendages, that was Will. It began to frivolously wave its hands in apology and wizzed off towards the arrangement of ingredients. ”Say, Liz. How about we grab some groceries before today’s tourney. You know how Beta is when she’s not fighting on a full stomach.” Liz grinned and leaped off the bed, accepting the proposal with alacrity. ”But before that… Put some proper clothes on. Now.”

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Liz jumped out of the shop’s door, parading about with the bag of chock full of coffee beans in hand. ”Drop it and you pay for a second one.” Stated Onyx who followed behind, slumped over as if he was sleep-walking. The constant yawns that left his lips would be able to support such a claim. His familiar whimpered and settled down from her procession. ”That should be almost everything on the list. Just another shop or two…” He looked down at the bag clenched in her hand and reluctantly held out his own. ”Girls shouldn’t have to carry around wares when a guy is present.” Liz tilted her head at her partner, then noticed what he meant. She gave the boy a warm smile and guided the bag’s plastic straps onto his arm. ”Your mother taught you a few courtesies, I see. Kinda nostalgic, right?” Onyx clicked his tongue at the girl’s reminiscing. ”Tch. Nothing nostalgic about those memories. The woman could’ve chosen any of our butlers to accompany her, yet she’d always drag me from practicing to carry her stuff. Worst part about it, pricings didn’t derail her at all. She definitely exercised her position in the higher echelons.” A chill ran down his back just thinking about the woman. He tugged on his scarf and motioned for Liz to follow.

”We’ll drop all of this off and then head out for the tourney after a meal. I feel sorry for Will, having to make breakfast with that sub-par supply of leftovers.” As the two strolled through the streets, merchants sold their wares and other pedestrians rushed to their jobs. All passerbys noted the insignias residing on their chests, a smiling fox which was superfluously intimidating. It’s as if the guildmaster wanted all members to get into brawls. ”Hey, today’s the first time we get to personally meet our partner? I wonder what she’s like. I hope she has a few spare plushies~.” Onyx would be lying if he said he wasn’t slightly interested in Seraphiel’s aptitude in combat. He only caught a few glimpses of her during the past two weeks, and made no attempt to reach out to her.

”I just wonder how Beta’ll react towards her. Hope Sera doesn’t mind cursing.” Liz suddenly linked arms with Onyx and began to yank him in a completely different direction. ”Cafeeeeeeeeeeeeee!”

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Red? Blue? Or perhaps purple.... Ah, to heck with it! It doesn't matter.

A hand reached up to his raven hair, rubbing the sore and bruised spot forming on his head. Green paint slipped between strands of his hair, between his fingers, down the back of his neck and the side of his face. He could almost swear it was blood if it wasn't luke warm. Well, that's was nothing new. At least he didn't need to go to a sick bay or anything this time.

As usual, Rikukazin had walked up to a stranger to offer his help. It was a pleasant enough looking elderly man, struggling with a ladder and a paint can out by the side of his house. He was clearly trying to paint the side of his house, so Rikukazin had walked up to him and openly offered his assistance. The man nearly fell over, clutching at his chest as he threw the paint can as hard as his pencil thin arms could throw. Surprisingly, that old man could pack a punch and the can hit Rikukazin square on the top of his head, knocking him down on his ass. He was presently getting an earful about how he wasn't going to be able to sneak up on him and slit his throat and how pathetic he was for making a man waste a perfectly good can of paint. The blue eyed young man listened patiently to the elder, standing up slowly as to not alarm him once again. Once the man's spiel was over, Riku bowed deeply and apologized, earning nothing more than a scoff, a curse, and more bitter words. The old man retreated back into his house, finally letting Rikukazin be.

He let out a long sigh, rubbing his sore head once more while bending at the waist in an exaggerated manner.

"Bloody codger.... Have mercy on a wretched soul would you?"

Nearly completely covered in paint, he needed a change of clothes, not to mention something to cover his face. Today was the 'all important tourney'. Rikukazin wasn't too eager to join in, having nothing really to gain from it. Though he may earn a decent reputation from it, hopefully enough to bring in more work for Foxtrot, but if he went as is not only would his cover be blown, he'd make Foxtrot's reputation plummet through the mud. Another factor was the woman whom is his partner. She wanted tourney money, so he felt obliged to join in. He wasn't going to win for her, not in the least, but she was greatly in debt and he wanted to help the people she owed.

The young man didn't take long to clean up and cover up the majority of his face, keeping a wrap around his neck as a habit more so than anything. He was beside the others gathering at the event, standing proudly beside the other guild members. This was the first time he's ever done that, and truth be told it felt very weird to him.

He wouldn't be surprised if some of the older members could recognize him, but it was obviously apparent that the newcomers had no idea who he was, looking at him questioningly. He didn't mind the stares though, at least they weren't judging him all that badly anymore. He rubbed the tender spot on his head, looking around a bit boredly. His mask was kind of stuffy...

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Location || Square
Chinese Zodiac || None ATM
Dialogue Color || #FF0066
Thought Color || #EDC9AF
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬"Would you like some water and a room to stay in, traveler?" A man asked, noticing the cloaked figure wandering the streets aimlessly, wondering if this person was indeed a foreigner. The way the stranger put themselves out there sure made it seem like it. His or her garb was marked with unfamiliar signs and even stranger pieces of jewelry peeked out of the cloth. And despite the figures small frame, a monstrously large pack was strapped to their back, and he could only guess that whoever it was, traveled from far away (and was freakishly strong). "You must be tired from what seems like a long journey.. here for the tourney perhaps?" He continued, hoping to strike up a small conversation out of the silent visitor.

However, the response he received was only silence, as if the person didnt hear him. He blinked, about to say something to catch their attention only to tense- startled by a surprisingly soft voice. "No thank you.." The figure pulled down the hood, allowing shockingly red hair to come tumbling out. If he didnt think of her as a traveler before he certainly did now for such crimson colored hair was rare in these parts, he could only imagine where she came from. "Oh a fanalis?" This certainly caught the girls attention, "Yes, you know of them?" The man only laughed, "Of course, it may not seem like it but I traveled quite a bit in my golden days..." He lingered off, remembering the power the clan oh so prided themselves in, "They are indeed fearsome people, their strength, speed, and hunting prowess so well known and revered.. so Im sure you're amazingly strong." He smiled nicely, "So Im assuming youre indeed here for the tourney... sadly I heard its only for the guild of Foxtrot-"

She suddenly cut in, "But I am of Fox trot," She blinked her bright red eyes, rather confused, "and Im not really a traveler, I just.. like to move a lot." She admitted (her fanalis blood craves to keep her in motion), "Ive actually been here for... 4 months now."

The inn keeper flushed embarrassingly, "Oh im sorry I didnt know.." She quickly dismissed it, not too bothered... Namid did find herself out and about, but until recently, she was designated a partner- nice man, so she had to eventually stop this nomadic behavior of hers. "Well, Im sure you need to get going to the tourney, its not too far from here.." He pointed out the way, "Good luck Miss!"

Namid smiled a surprisingly bright smile, before dashing off at break neck speeds- she had to get there before the first round. If she remembered clearly Rane was looking forward to it, and she had to admit it, she too wanted to see Onyx and Seraphiel do their thing, mainly because she wanted to be of the same caliber one day.

Shaking her head to clear it of any wandering and wishful thoughts, she found herself standing in the middle of the square... It was then that Rane decided to step out of the guild, and she could only wave, smiling a bit. "Rane." Namid called out, her voice not as soft as before but lingering with guilt, "Sorry If im late.. but I got her as quick as I could." She pictured herself causing a sandstorm as she raced across the desert, surely she could have been faster... since she didnt want to disappoint her partner. If she had to be honest, Namid had a huge amount of respect for Rane.. She found herself fortunate enough to even be partners with him, for he was strong and kind.. and she? Well, Namid always fears that she would drag him behind, so she would compensate her weakness by being there for him (and she hopes that was enough) until she got stronger, "Hopefully I didnt miss Onyx and Seraphiel's round.."

Tension filled the air as attendees held their breath as a large rope in the middle of the town square lit up with fire. Like the ticking of a bomb after five seconds the singular rope dissolved into a single gust of wind as a multitude of smaller ropes sprang from the air. Each thickly twined fiber latched onto nearby buildings as nearby assistants threw large fabric tarps over the make-shift tent, then simple lines were drawn into the sand forming three sparring rings. Or at least the lines appeared to be simple enough, but if one looked closer small runes could be seen. Said runes were able to dispel any wayward magic and act as boundary lines for sparring opponents, the effect of getting slammed into the barrier was unknown although it wouldn't be a fun experience.

As on-lookers were drawn away from the display as a raspy voice echoed throughout the square "Ladies and Gentlemen, if you would please avoid contract with the areas before you as only those competing in this tourney will be allowed to enter unharmed. Do note that any forms of cheating is highly discouraged as is gam---". Static filled the air as the elder's words were cut off as a shrill yelping overtook it "Place your bets here! You there, sir care to place a bet on the might of Foxtrot! Yes you! Now don't worry this cutie won't bite just whisper your bet in it's ear!". A dog-sized crimson fox gave the gambler a large grin before giving a single wag of it's tail as a crimson paper floated up from it. Said paper was snatched from the air by an overexcited Ivan as Berry signs seemed to appear in his eyes as a set of numbers was written on a large board behind his merchant stand. A single hiss of disapproval came from a mortified Iris as a few select chuckles came from her twins antics followed by birth of numerous crimson tickets. So bets were being placed and there were a few select numbers that could change her luck.


Crimson eyes scowled at the smirk on Ivan's face as his own bet was placed as Iris hissed out [color=#a59818 ]"Wait! You are betting against me too! I am your sister. Where is the moral support!"[/color]. Ivan merely chuckled and patted his furious sister's head like a master would a pet "Now, baby sister, don't act so put out. My bet was that you wouldn't win the tourney..not that you would get your ass kicked in the first round." Unable to find the energy for a retort, an aggravated Iris merely huffed away from the booth and nearly ran into a semi-conspicuous Riku still wearing a scarf around his neck like a security blanket as Iris stretched out her arms before teasing lightly "So is today the day you get rid of the security blanket? I mean, come on Riku the fact that the town is allowing us to be involved in the tourney says something".

The sound of familiar protest and laughter made her blood pressure spike once again as an elderly man dressed in a flowing white tunic with a small clasp of metal around his throat was waving a large fan at her twin who was merely shrugging his shoulders. Said elder was Mayor Renly, a pure and simple man in the public eye, but with a fondness for precious gems and praise like any normal man. There was little love between the button-pushing Ivan refusing to discount even for the mayor, much to the leader's chagrin. So when the twin openly defied the mayor's request for it to be a gambling free affair..without consulting him for personal affairs..things tended to get heated.


Eventually after being dragged away by well-meaning associates, a fatigued Renly merely coughed a few times before waving a bright purple flag signaling the officials to start the matches. It would be quite some time before any matches came Iris's way as before curiously asking "So are you going to compete as a guild member under the eye of the public bearing your Guild's mark with pride? I am sure everyone would appreciate it."

Ain’t it fun how life is giving us the chance to be the hero or a fiend?

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”Yummy~!” Liz giggled while inhaling a cake chock-full of sugar. As if that girl needed even more energy, she’ll probably end up crashing later on. Onyx narrowed his eyes at the girl sitting across from him before reclining in his chair. He shut his lids and diverted all attention to the sense of taste, taking a reserved sip of the bitter beverage.

”Tch. Will’s brew is ten times better.” He mumbled under his breath as he placed the cup back on its serving plate. The summoner glanced to his sides, noting the surprising amount of customer flow within the establishment. Most of the people had the same expression as Liz plastered onto their face; overflowing delight. Chances are, most of them never had a single morsel of what was known as a sweet delicacy, and after factoring in their rarity and pricing, it was no surprise why. But it seemed that his companion had no idea how blessed she was, as rather than praising every little bite, she had already consumed the entire cake and rang the bell for another. Onyx sighed as she energetically machine-gunned out another order at the waiter. After the employee walked off, Liz began to swing her legs under the table, kicking the boy in the process. ”I didn’t even know a place like this existed in Ivalice. You’d find a whole lot of these in the capital, but in a satellite town such as this, they should be nonexistent.” The girl was without a doubt captivated by the aesthetics of the cafe. The walls were of a finely smoothened sandstone, complemented by flooring laid out with extravagant tiles and carpeting. Not a single grain of sand from the outside found its way through the front door, as if the traction from the customer’s footwear was instantaneously cleaned up. Onyx didn’t show the same level of admiration and merely shrugged at the girl’s claim.

”It’s really simple when you think about it. They probably erected this place overnight. The owners of this establishment have a contract with sand spirits.” He too had an agreement with the spirits which encompassed the sandy dunes of the territory, but not on this level. Liz’s mouth was left agape at what her partner said, she then tilted her head, waiting for Onyx to explain in more detail. The boy stared at her for a few moments before giving in to her silent demand, ”They had the spirits raise sandstone deposits from below with a few certain cantations. My guess is, is that they had a few highly skilled summoners within the staff to offer up an equitable appeasement for the feat. They then had the tiling and ingredients moved in via caravan, and also have the stables for their livestock in a nearby town which is close to an oasis. Although the required ingredients are scarce, they still turn a profit after looking at their margins, knowing that people would get hooked on this stuff after having a single bite. It’s a shop where they price by priority, knowing that their customers indefinitely want what they’re selling.”

Onyx relaxed his shoulder and took another sip of his beverage. Liz let out a surprised ”Ooooooooh” and clapped at her partner’s analysis. ”As expected of the heir to the Kalon enterprise~!” The summoner simply nodded at the compliment and drank the last of his coffee. When the waiter arrived with the cake, he nonchalantly ordered another and began to gather enough coins for the bill. ”On another note, what do you think of the other summoners? Kinda funny how all of the newer members have that ability, yeah?” Onyx was slightly caught off guard by his summon’s power of observation. He hadn’t given it much thought, but it was quite the coincidence indeed. All of them were temporal summoners, whilst he was the only perpetual one. ”Well, I don’t know much about Seraphiel, I just read that she can summon the undead and also wields a versatile weapon. Rane’s seems kinda… dangerous. But that’s the case with summons who take control of their summoner’s body. He’s undoubtedly the most powerful out of the three, since he divvies up his entire soul to whatever he hails. But if he peeves off one of them while they’re behind the reins, he might be in for a tough time.”

He paused to take another sip of his drink, then eyed the cake Liz was slowly honing in on. He quickly grabbed his fork and cut out a slice for himself, allowing himself to enjoy the rich and creamy flavor. ”Waaaaaaah! Sadist! Thief!”

”Oi. No complaints. I’m the one paying for it, after all. Anyways, lastly, Namid. She’s already quite the adversary even without a summon, but her familiars are a bit incomplete. She faces the restrictions of magic supply, as all summoners do. Nobody is exempted from that principle. They’re all interesting in their own ways, I guess. Meanwhile we’re stuck with Beta, who only knows how to speak with curses and her fists.” A chill ran down his spine at the mention of that persona of Kerberos. The two were surprisingly friendly with one another, it’s just that she sometimes acts too recklessly and gets herself into risky situations. The waiter walked by and showed Onyx the check. He gave the parchment a once-over and placed a mixture of gold and silver coinage in the man’s palm. Liz and Onyx pushed themselves from the table in unison and bid the waiter farewell. ”Well, let’s drop off our groceries at the apartment and pick up Will, then continue on to the tourney. I’m sure Beta’s edging for a fight.”

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The Quixotic Trio

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”Is that alright? Sure you’re okay?” Onyx asked while fastening the button on the girl’s shirt. She gave him an affirming nod and flicked the insignia just to confirm. The boy sighed and rose from where he knelt, then patted off the sand stuck to his knees. Just a few moments prior, a thief was fleeing from a stall with merchandise in hand. With Liz in his path, he unknowingly bumped into the ambivalent girl, but soon fell flat on his face after tripping over Onyx’s leg, which he claimed to have accidentally held out. Will peeked its head over the boy’s shoulder briefly before retreating back into refuge. Thievery wasn’t a rare occurrence, especially in such a backwoo- interesting town. After being raised with a silver spoon in his mouth, adapting to a more nomadic and free way of living, but also advantageously accepting the risks entailed. He ran a hand through his hair and let a sigh pass through his lips. With a quick motion, the trio continued on with their trek to their destination, the very place where the tourney and arena resided.

Either way, it was an ordinary through the bustling ‘streets’ of Ivalice, one of the many melting pots of the outer districts. A place where the law’s grasp wavered, but was still evident enough to enforce some of its policies. Thus, places like this reached a perfect equilibrium between freedom and restraint. It was places like this Onyx could sink into a life of respite, one without any economic worries or drastic changes in the repetitive routine. Wake up, dress, scrutinize Liz a few times, eat breakfast, et cetera, et cetera.

It wasn’t soon before Onyx found himself at the aforementioned location, already a few of his fellow guildmates were present. Surprisingly enough, it was the newcomers that were there on time. He could spot a certain clump of strawberry-blonde cresting the crowd once in a while, but surely the older members weren’t as pepped up as the newbies. In addition, a pair of mischievous velvet irises and yet another scarf-wearer also arrived. Liz raised Onyx’s arm and bolted from under it, stopping on a dime in front of Rane and Namid. ”Morning guys! Our round hasn’t started just yet, but I hope you get a good seat! I’ll definitely be doing twice the rooting when you two are up! Yaaaaaay!” Too. Damn. Loud. Before the girl began lose herself in a loop of energetic jumping, Onyx flicked the girl’s forehead when he finally made his way over. ”Morning Rane. Morning Sugar Boops.” The summoner put on a not-so ecstatic form of greeting, barely making a legitimate wave before letting his hand drop to his side. He still presented to his comrades the iconic blank expression everybody who met Onyx received. That lackadaisical face of nonchalance.

”Actually… Things seem to be picking up now.” Just like out of thin air, bursts of fire ascended from the ground, lining the entire town square. He held onto his scarf as he subconsciously shifted into a defensive posture, keeping his figure close to Liz and Will. The boy glanced at the waves of people which had suddenly come into fruition, ”Rane, Sugar Boops. Let’s fade into the crowd for now and wait our turns. I’ll look around for Seraphiel before our round kicks off, but the two of you remember to stick close.” He pointed the finger sporting the ring of Kerberos at the insignia buttoned to his apparel, ”Wear it with that thing people call ‘pride.’ Good luck to you both.” Sure, it may have not been motivating in the slightest, but it was all the reticent boy could meager. Onyx led his summons out of the the open and found themselves a roomy pocket without the stands.

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Next match: Visionary vs. Zephyrus! Contestants, take to the square!” The auditator bellowed as Onyx’s round finally got underway. He rarely ever got cold feet, nor was he one to openly flaunt pretentiousness. Thus, rather than waving to the spectators like Liz, he quietly walked his way to his side and observed his adversary. The man was unarmed, draped in the usual attire of these lands. There was really nothing notable about the man, he could simply fade into any crowd at his leisure. While his partner energetically returned the waves of the crowds, the boy took a moment of respite and inhaled deeply. The flooring itself was solid sandstone, only a few minutes prior had citizens traversed the area like it was just an ordinary town square. But since the town’s governor had to entertain himself once in a blue moon, the whole area had been transformed into an arena.

Onyx straightened his uniform and tightened his tie. The lingering teachings of learning to appear presentable in front of others still stuck with him five years later. His opponent’s lips were already moving at a rapid rate, a preceding cantation to the duel which was about to take place. He couldn't lie, he was interested in what the man had up his sleeve, and nearly disregarded all of the observers because he was so fixated. ”Hey, Liz, you ready to give the reins to Beta?” He asked while glancing over to the girl, hyperactively jumping to blow off some energy. ”Yep! Make sure you got her back, alright!” Liz patted Onyx’s shoulder and gave him a thumbs up. She received a solemn nod in response, simultaneously shifting his thumb over the embedded howlite.

Liz’s body was suddenly enveloped in a blinding light, causing a few nearby spectators to avert their eyes. Once the brightness dissipated, the first thing all of the observers noticed was the locks of snow-white hair flowing in the wind. Next was the pair of round irises, glistening with a captivating gold, a drastic change from the red which just encompassed them. ”Finally somebody to smash to a pulp~.” The high-pitch was replaced with a deeper tone, filled with not arrogance, but something much, much more dangerous; pride. The girl ran hand through the straightened ivory hair and focused on her adversary. A grin stretched across her face as she placed a balled fist into her palm, and proceeded to crack her knuckles. ”About time we get this show on the road!” Beta perked up at the faint sound of someone clicking their tongue. She glared back at Onyx, silently interrogating him for a reason.

”Well… One of the clerks of a shop I frequent said cracking your knuckles has negative effects. Causes arthritis early and other syndromes of the like.”

Onyx received a tilted head and narrowed eyes as a response, as if she was looking at a crazy person. ”...Does it look like I give a flying fuck?” The girl hissed, to which he motioned to continue on. The two set their sights on their opponent, while Will took cover behind Onyx’s figure. Round, start! The duo shielded their faces as a gust of wind slammed into them, but firmly held their ground. After he lowered his arms, it was obvious what their opponent was. Without exchanging any words, Beta leaned forward and propelled herself at breath-taking speed at the man. She reeled back her hand and prepared to strike down on him, but was met with something invisible stopping her fist a few centimeters from his nose, ”Air Wall. The girl was abruptly forced back into the open air by the man, but considering how much of an seasoned brawler she was, Beta quickly regained her bearings and landed primly next to her partner. ”An air mage…? Kinda generic.” Onyx, meanwhile, didn’t seem too rattled at the sight.

”Kind of generic? No, really generic. And he’s one of those egotistical nutjobs who announce their abilities.” She eased herself into a combat stance, while Onyx just aimlessly stood and watched their opponent. ”Well, at least he only has a contract with air spirits. Imagine if he could also wield earth, fire, and water. Now that would be a riot.” Beta chuckled at the thought of such a man wielding all four bases, of course it was impossible. ”Oi! What are you two blabbing about! ”Air Ravine!” At the command, a zephyr crudely sliced through the sandstone set on a course for the two. They nonchalantly sidestepped the attack, but seeing the aftermath was something a bit disconcerting. The tear in the arena led out of the boundaries, sand began to pour into the crevice while spectators lost their footing out of awe. Onyx whistled out of surprise as he traced the path of the strike, but nonetheless, it didn’t do anything to them.

”Alright… So he’s somebody we actually have to be cautious about. Will and I will back you up, try and whittle down his magic reserves. At this juncture his defenses are impregnable. We just need to outlast him, and then the match is ours.” Beta nodded in agreement and charged the mage once more. It wasn’t long before she closed the gap between her two, the fighter gracefully brought around her leg and attempted to strike his side. But yet again, she was met with the same opposition. The summon began to growl as she bombarded the mage with more attacks, slowly but surely pushing him closer to the out of bounds line. He finally took note of the territory he was losing and casted another ability, ”Air Hold” The array of strikes were halted when Beta’s limbs were constrained. She struggled to get her way out of whatever was restraining her, but any effort was made in vain.

”Tch. She forgot to put some distance and gave him enough time to cast a restraint prayer. He’s got quite the contract with air spirits. Will, you know what to do.” Onyx glanced back at the caped pumpkin, which was in the midst of cowering behind his shoulder. The grip of the white gloves only tightened as soon as its master made the order, but after a few moments of internal debate, finally gave in and released the teal uniform. Will wizzed past Onyx and flew straight into the mage’s face while he was distracted keeping the spell enacted. The man flailed about before beams of light shot out of the pumpkin’s sockets and into his retinas. He quickly knocked the being off of his face, letting out groans of pain while stumbling.

”Damn it! Blade of the Four Corners!” Four spouts of wind flew into his open palm, forming a barely visible shortsword. Like a projectile, he propelled himself towards Onyx, who was merely standing with the usual apathetic he had painted on his face. The boy raised his own arm to a ninety degree angle as the man closed in to swipe. The blade should have met cloth, but instead met dense sand. A shield of grains came into fruition on Onyx’s left forearm, ”It’s rare to see a summoner, especially an air spirit one, versed in close quarters combat. I’ll admit, you’ve surprised me.” He shoved the man back and held his hand toward the ground. The mage didn’t see at first, since he was deadset on striking down teen, but now he had a firsthand look at what Onyx could do. Sand flowed through the audience’s feet and into his hand, forming his own elemental rendition of the mage’s blade. ”A sword and buckler. Looks like you are quite versed yourself. What are you, a knight of the capital?”

Onyx peered at the man and brandished his sword at the contestant, ”En garde.”

When their swords clashed, rather than sparks flying into the air, bits of sand and wind parted from the blades. ”...Even if you disabled me, Beta would still beat you senseless.” The mage suddenly froze with his attack, suddenly realizing the meaning behind Kalon’s words. The round was called to an end as Beta and Onyx surrounded him in unison, only a breath away from decimating their opponent.

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Beta paced her way back over to Onyx’s side, then gave Will a quick high five at their achievement. ”Damn, I barely got to do anything! Make sure you find somebody I can actually hit next time, alright? Let’s go grab a bite to eat.” Onyx silently nodded and began to lead his comrades off the stage, until his ears picked up faint laughter. The man broke into emphatic laughter to the point where he could barely breathe. Beta leaned over to her partner and queried, ”What crawled up his ass and died?”

The two were about to take their leave before the mage finally managed to get out a few coherent words. ”So, what is a noble like yourself doing in a dump like this? You know you’re still the talk among summoners even after half a decade?” Onyx instantly stopped in his tracks, his entire physique tensed up at the mocking words. Murmurs began to spread through the crowd, Beta gave the boy a worried look and glanced back at their former opponent, with a smirk stretched widely across his face. ”To think I would find a person like you here.” The man paused mid-thought, making an adjustment to his soliloquy, ”Sorry, my apologies. I don’t think the word person is befitting of you. You are even worthy of the title human. You are just an empty husk, waiting for the day that somebody finally gets the galls to stab you in the back!” Onyx slowly turned himself around as the man continued to jeer, showing a sliver of bewilderment as the man continued to laugh like a hyena. He felt a light squeeze at his shoulder and glanced over at Beta, ”Switch me out with Liz. If I listen to this guy for one more second, my foot’s gonna go somewhere it never should.” He eased his thumb over the black gemstone, and just like that Liz was back in their plane of reality.

”I mean, giving a quarter of one’s soul is considered insane, heinous even, but the whole entire thing? Nobody in their right mind could conceive such an idea. Well, those who value their lives, that is.” Liz began to grit her teeth, like a hound about to lash out to protect her master’s pride, but a hand patting her head placated any agitated ideas. She looked up at her partner, who had already regathered his stoic demeanor. ”People are still chatting about me? Guess the summoning community hasn’t expanded much since I took my leave. Or maybe the minds of its current heads aren’t as sharp as they used to be.” The summoner loosened his posture, ”I might as well pretend to have an existence, rather than not try at all. Besides, my soul’s in a safe place.” To emphasize his point, he patted the girl’s head once more, then led her out of the arena. ”Your rambling is holding up the tourney.”

”Visionary was your alias, right? Quite contradictory.” With that, the two parted ways into opposite sides of the crowd, and the tourney continued on. The trio found an open spot in the nearby seats, and awaited the next round. Liz stared at the ground, still peeved off about the whole ordeal. ”Don’t worry about it, like I said, my soul’s in a safe place. At least most of the observers were focusing on the guild insignia rather than what he was going on about. Anyways, let’s see how the others fair.”

The match between their emotionless Guildmate and his fiery summon was a quick and painful one for the opponent at least. Finally the dust settled back into the fine grain of sands beneath their feet, a few on-lookers hissed insults at the defeated Air mage as the stirred up dust had coated clothes and over-priced festival food, which many hopelessly replaced much to the joy of nearby food merchants. The mayor's voice let out a wheezy cough before ordering a few nearby mages to erect a protective barrier around the stands to prevent further accidents. At least the mages weren't deliberately going all out that could cause outside property damage. That didn't stop Ivan from haggling with clients with small insurance slips..at fair prices for the sudden demand. One could practically smell the blood in the water for the merchant eagerly pocketing Jewels.


Irritation spread throughout Iris's body at she already hear her brother's gloating over his haul. The man prided himself at earning his keep, she couldn't fault him for that..it's just his success made her failures seem all the larger. That her accomplishments would always be second-rate to his, the little sister trailing in her brother's footsteps. Then again her brother's infamy in the town did seem to stick to her like a leech at times..in way it allowed her to vent some frustration. Anger welled up inside her as she gritted her teeth, just in time as the mayor's bellowing voice echoed through the air "Our next match up will be between the Flashing Swordsmen Renard Ewo and the Lady Chessmaster, Iris Fenil. If the combatants would please take their places in the arena now."

Cheers and jeers came for both combatants as a faint smile wiped away the frustration as loud words of encouragement came from her guildmates. A dramatic wind seemed to quiet the crowd as Iris eyed her opponent from across the arena, dressed in bandages along his body and a black sash around his waist. A single katana was naked at his side, shimmering in the bright sunlight. Clearly the man's name was due to the bare sword as it did flash in sunlight..or was there something else? Nicknames aside, Iris didn't have another chance to contemplate it as the man called out "Flash Step! and vanished into thin air. Chances are there was only seconds before she felt like cold steel at her throat as she hastily called out [color= #c56320]"Take the Board!!'.[/color] Black and white squares grew from the sandy depths as Iris took a step back as she felt the air whip by her face as the shining blade came in upward slash seconds after her movement.

The swordsmen merely mockly called out "Trying to run little rabbit?". A calloused hand grasped at the fur collar of her jacket as she struggled to escape the much stronger grip, a single black piece dropped to board below as she coughed out "Come forth my Pawn!!". A small puff of smoke blinded both on-looker and combatant as Iris felt her knees hit the board roughly below her as a pair of large paws slammed into the swordsman's torso with alarming strength. A single large hare sat in front of the fallen Iris looking annoyingly innocent as it gave a single thump of triumph. Swears came from Renard as his blade flashed quickly, neatly cutting the creature in two much to the shock of children in the crowd. Yet instead of crimson liquid, the hare merely blinked as shadows began stitching itself back together within seconds as a determined Iris rose to her feet "You won't skin this hare so easy!". Her magic allowed her versatility, yet had to be carefully observed as she felt droplets of fatigue, the Pawn was a good starting point but wouldn't win the match.

Anyone with a brain could see this creature wasn't meant to last long in combat as Renard placed his palm on the top of his sword "Flash Dance!". Once again his body vanished as the Hare valiantly sacrificed itself as slashes attempted to rain down on it's mistress. Regeneration was a simple task for the chess piece, but sweat began pouring down Iris's face at each blow sucked at her magic reserves, her hand grasped her next move in a tight fist as she called out "Checkmate!". Once again a smokescreen covered the views of everyone as the swordsman blindly swung only to hear a dull thunk at each strike. Suddenly the smoke was blown away by hazy white steam that could easily blister bare skin, not to mention heat up metal.

Retreating in both pain and surprise as Renard nearly dropped the heated hilt of his blade before glaring at the cause. A surprisingly large tortoise merely snorted in response as a perfectly safe, and almost arrogant Iris sprawled out on the reptile's sand colored shell before calling out "Summoning the Bishop. What's wrong Renard can't handle a harmless old turtle?". Said tortoise gave a rumble as it dangerously shook itself nearly dislodging it's mistress as a warning. The creature may be used for defense, but it still had a stubborn streak of pride and did not take kindly to false pretenses. Patting the shell with a quick touch as Iris cooed "Oh don't be so sensitive old man, you know I mean well". Apparently age did not always mean forgiveness as the tortoise did not find amusement in the teasing Iris as a familiar plume of smoke covered the two followed by loud swearing from Iris "Get your scaly butt back here!! Come on Bishop I was kidding!!".

It seems the tide was turning once more as the swordsman mocking blew on the now cold katana before him taking a menacing step forward readying for the final blow. The figure vanished once more as Flash Dance was once again used darting daringly into the plume of smoke. Small feminine yelps came from Iris as the ground began to stain red with blood as the crowd only saw flashing silver and merely concluded this would be the end of the match. Eyes widened as yellow eyes gleamed in the clearly smoke as did the ringing sound of metal screeching against one another followed by a bleeding Renard tossed unceremoniously onto the ground. A clawed hand lifted a relatively cut-free Iris by the scruff of her hoody as only a few cuts marred her face and a serious cut across the stomach as red flushed across her cheeks as she was roughly shook before being dropped to the ground. Scuffed boots stood in front her protectively as a grumbling voice merely scowled "Really now, should have called me earlier little brat. Could have avoided all the blood on your cute face..". A mumbled excuse came from a blushing Iris as the Rook's ears merely laid back in annoyance before licking the small amount of blood off his brass knuckles.

This was another offensive piece known as the Rook as the half-human creature merely lashed out a flurry of blows against a tired Renard who feebly tried to block the faster fists of the creature. The brass knuckles slammed into bone and cut into flesh with ease. Stupidly, the man tried to jam the hilt of the blade into the creature's mouth and let out a howl of pain as razor sharp teeth bit into the tender flesh before shoving the human away into the dust, spitting out crimson blood "Dear god man, you need to lay off the cheap booze..".

The defeated swordsmen merely fell to the ground as cuts from his body began changing pale sand into bloody grains. An excitable Iris merely flipped off her opponent as her smile faded as the yellow pupils of her Rook caught her ruby ones as booted feet stomped over to his mistress. Running a hand through his own ruffled hair as the Rook challenging leaned down inches away from her face before cheekily licking a small cut on her face before declaring "Had to get that horrible taste out of my mouth. Try to not get beat up so much boss. Would hate to have to scavenge your corpse for a meal ya know?". Too stunned to say anything as Iris merely dismissed the creature with a condescending pat to the head before walking out of the arena, as she tiredly sat next to a demure Onyx "Now remind me again, why I get such unruly Chess Pieces. Oi Ivan told you I wouldn't get my ass kicked!". A chuckle escaped her brother as he tutted "It's only the first round baby sister, besides I know you enjoyed that little kiss from Rook." Once again red flooded Iris's face as she merely sulked after pulling up her fur hood, not even replying.