Setting
There is a fighting tournament, an arena for it, a few Arcane Universities, and this is even where the HQ of the Mages Guild resides. Needless to say, this location is extremely important.
Which is probably why, like the Capital, it has its own department of Dragon Knights, armed with the latest of weapons and armor, to fight threats.
- 88 posts here • Page 2 of 4 • 1, 2, 3, 4
Setting
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He shook Brand's hand as well. When Azaken made his rather loud announcement of wanting to see everyone's magic and what they could do, Tavlin nodded and gave a sly grin.
"I'm interested in seeing yours at work too." He said before he was distracted by the other young mages coming toward the building as well and arguing over whose power was stronger.
Meanwhile, another bus came to the nearest bus stop and a young felinoid Aonian stepped off and walked toward the Mage's guild. His silver and black fur shimmered a little in the sunlight. He was wearing a black thin hoodie with teal green trim and a striped tank top underneath along with a pair of black cargo shorts. He had a pair of headphones on that were attached to a small music player that had a near infinite storage capacity. He took the headphones off so that he could pay attention to what was going on around him. He walked toward the guild building and looked almost too small to be a mage as he was so short and young. He walked past all the others, Tavlin took note of him as well, and went to the front desk to register.
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Kassandra pulled on her helmet and readied herself while Rayia went over and activated the commando droid that would serve as a guard for the Phantom fighter should anyone be foolish enough to tamper with it.
Rayia lead the way out of the fighter her hood and mask hid most of her dark skinned face her armor cling tight to her form as she drifted down the gangplank her lightsaber hang from her belt her only weapon... and the only one she needed. behind her Kassandra followed her red armor standing out next to the black of Rayia's gear. On her hips where holster laser pistols and on her back was a vibroblade and what looked to be a sniper rifle.
"Seems We have a welcoming party..." Kassandra said nodding toward the locals coming up.
Kassandra pulled on her helmet and readied herself while Rayia went over and activated the commando droid that would serve as a guard for the Phantom fighter should anyone be foolish enough to tamper with it.
Rayia lead the way out of the fighter her hood and mask hid most of her dark skinned face her armor cling tight to her form as she drifted down the gangplank her lightsaber hang from her belt her only weapon... and the only one she needed. behind her Kassandra followed her red armor standing out next to the black of Rayia's gear. On her hips where holster laser pistols and on her back was a vibroblade and what looked to be a sniper rifle.
"Seems We have a welcoming party..." Kassandra said nodding toward the locals coming up.
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Norme, my Norme. Now that we're here in Questrios City, standing outside the Mages Guild, what shall we do together?
The Succubus crossed her arms, her fiery hair intensifying its orange glow as she adopted a confident look. It was clear she was a demon through her orange skin, orange eyes, and pointed ears, as well as her tail and her cloven hooves. Her nails, though not long, seemed sharp and ready, likely able to be used as claws, and she stood slightly taller than the young mage she accompanied. She wore some kind of armor, though it looked demonic in origin, and was made of dark-colored metals and thick brown furs. At her waist was a spellbook, chained to a belt she wore that also held two small pouches and a small case.
We shall enter the Grand Magi Games. I've been in the shadow of my siblings when it comes to magic, and a stage like this will finally let me prove that I am just as capable as they are! Of course, it's thanks to your help. I really do value it, and I'll be counting on you during this tournament just as much.
The young mage replaced his grimace with a confident look of his own. He was a Human, and he was likely raised on Origin, but something seemed off. He also dressed about as expected by a mage; in robes befitting a scholar. A robe, belts, tunic, and shawl, all coordinated in blues, greens, and beige. He also wore brown boots and had a hat that was quite large compared to himself. His hands were covered by brown gloves, and he too bore a tome at his side, as well as small pouches and cases of his own. He was slightly shorter than the demon that accompanied him, but it seemed he was in control of their choices.
Norme began walking to the Headquarters itself so he could sign up, trying his best to not be approached by the other people in the area, and Jezebeth clung to his arm as a romantic partner might.
I'm always glad to help you, Norme. Of course, I already know you're stronger than your family. No offense, but they were kind of lackluster when I met them. Ahaha! Hahaha!
If no one hailed them, they'd enter the Mages Guild Headquarters.
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The fire mage probably looked like a fool to those more experienced, especially Azaken, since he’d seemed not even slightly suspicious. Not that it mattered, since Azaken wouldn’t have needed his spell in order to cause some chaos. Brand would be happy to oblige either way.
The pyromancer grinned, stepping back from the queue as he twirled his hand around in the air. A small, delicate trail of fire danced around it, which crackled as it morphed into a ring of embers. He tossed this up into the air above, where it exploded like a small firework, forming the shape of a golden phoenix, which beat its wings once or twice before disappearing in a flurry of sparks.
He got a good scolding from a few of the other mages waiting in line (partly due to some of them being singed by sparks) but overall no real harm done and he looked quite pleased with himself, although he was still none the wiser to Azaken’s magic.
Not long after, he had registered, thankfully being in no serious trouble, and was standing outside the HQ like before, chatting to anyone who’d put up with him.
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The event in question got the attention of everyone else though, including Astral and Luna, finally breaking up their fight.
"Hey, watch it!"
They also responded in unison, further strengthening Ixa's belief that they were great friends.
However, it seemed that little display caught another's attention as well.
"Alright people! Enough dawdling about!"
This voice spoke with wisdom and age, but also had a fierce power and spark inside of it. One that might make people want to obey, to listen, and to not interrupt him.
This was the voice of the Mage's Guild leader, Aedrios Gale.
"Alright everyone! Come on in and get registered already! It wont be too much longer till the games start, so you don't want to procrastinate it!"
Hearing the voice of their old master, both Astral and Luna practically snapped to attention, and did not dawdle in the slightest. Many others followed them, entering the Guild Building and its truly magical and fantastical nature. Even from the small view through the doorway out there, one could see books flying past, floating lights, and of course...breathtakingly attractive male and female receptionists.
"You may converse inside if you please, but lets at least get this started!"
Ixa, who also heard all of this, looked at Ryder.
"Looks like its time to enter!"
Shinku however, while following, didn't quite feel himself...and Akamaru meanwhile made a call.
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Lyrian went and met the people who had parked, along with several immigration workers from the Origin Immigration Agency. Lyrian kept a cool look around these people, all of who had legendary class paperwork skills that should not be underestimated, with various documents ready to be filled out and completed.
"Welcome to Origin. My name is Lyrian LeCross, Enforcer".
One of the people next to him came next to Lyrian, and kneeled as a clip board and some papers, along with a pen, were presented to him.
"Archon LeCross! Please use mine!"
"Thank you. But no need to use my rank here. After all, our guests wont know the rankings most likely..." he said, keeping a cool voice. One might noticed his clothes were a bit more old fashioned besides the boots, but that the katana on his side practically radiated a supernatural power.
Turning back to the guests, he continued to speak.
"Now then, we just need some registration information and some forms filled out, like for parking, which should only take a few minutes, and then we could guide you to the Mage's Guild to register for the Grand Magi Games. Sounds good?"
"It shouldn't be more than another cycle, or two before the resupply is complete; though buying through fronts, and aliases has been taxing on our resources, sourcing everything locally has been a boon for our logistics." Warrant Officer Findlay reported, while Montrose nodded.
"I look forward to getting off this rock." She said, flipping the page in the report, and coming to a stop near a cart where someone appeared to be selling frozen treats.
"I'll arrange for transit back to the Command Carrier... Sir I wouldn't mind a frozen treat before we return." The Officer said, gesturing to the cart. Montrose offered a nod, and a smile. "You know... that doesn't sound half bad.. I've got a little bit of local currency left... what flavor do you want?" She asked.
"Suprise me." The Officer replied, taking the clipboard and turning to leave.
"I'll meet you at the spaceport, Admiral." He added.
"Right;" Montrose replied, handing the money to the vendor, and taking two ice cream cones. Thoughtfully, she began to lick, and bite into the ice cream treat while walking down the sidewalk. It didn't take long, but the woman found her legs starting to grow heavy, her vision starting to swim. She looked at the ice cream cone suspiciously. Perhaps she was in the sun too long? No... something wasn't right.
"Maybe i'll sit down..." She mumbled, as her stomach churned.
She stumbled into a storefront, or what she thought was a storefront, but happened to be a virtual reality arcade. The patrons inside were all immersed in their false worlds, with headphones, and headsets, blocking out the outside world.
Montrose found a nice plush couch, where her world went black.
1730 hours.
It had been a couple of days since the Grand Magic Games came to a close, and since then Demor had used the winnings that he had earned from his placing in the games overall to buy himself a modest apartment and some simple furnishings and whatnot to go with it. A two-room, one bathroom apartment was all the male Drachini really needed, with the first room being the living room and kitchen, separated by a simple counter, and the second room being the bedroom with attached bathroom complete with a large shower that multiple people could fit in comfortably. Not that Demor shared his shower much with anyone - preferring to share his bed instead when he got the chance.
His Bedroom likewise had a simple but spacious closet that he could walk into a few feet, and the room itself was modestly sized, with a king-sized bed, complete with heavy blankets and firm memory foam pillows. His walls were bare of posters or pictures for now, but then he had barely moved in, and would get them eventually. The Living Room had a large couch with a coffee table far enough away so that one could recline in the couch comfortably and watch TV on the fifty-inch screen. The kitchen was nothing fancy. A fridge, a stove with an oven, a microwave, a sink, and numerous cupboards containing plates or food or whatever else Demor thought belonged in a kitchen.
It was a neat place to live, Demor kept up with menial chores to keep the place looking presentable in case he had company over, and he often times did, having a few friends who like to hang out, Iviri being one of them, as well as a few girls that he'd taken a fancy to and managed to flirt his way into sharing nights with.
Tonight however he was alone, humming a Draconian Lullaby to himself as he disrobed to get into the shower, the water running and hot for him. Stepping into his bathroom, he closed the door with his tail and stepped into the shower, continuing to hum to himself.
It was a nice night.
Kathryn's investigation was long, filled with twists, and turns. There were many dead ends, but questioning one of Montrose's security staff from prior to the Magi Games brought some actionable intelligence on Kathryn's part. A Strange Reptillian-Xeno was the last person that had been seen with Admiral Montrose.
They happened on the apartment door, the buzzing hall lights were a slight annoyance for the pair, both of whom were dressed in dark trench-coats, black tactical BDUs, and armed with all manner of equipment.
"We tracked him here after the games." Kathryn said quietly, as Michael drew his disruptor pistol carefully, watching for anyone approaching. The hallway was clear.
Kathryn quietly set to work on the locks, with a set of lockpicks, she worked on the doorknob, picking at the tumblers delicately, before twisting the doorknob and unlocking the door. The deadbolt fell much the same way, through careful picking, the deadbolt was retracted, and the door was quietly opened.
Kathryn worked on the chain next, with a small laser pen, she worked on the links in silence, only a subtle hiss from the molten metal, and sparks emanated from the chain. The moment the chain was severed, the door opened quietly, Kathryn kept her weapon pointed inside. The room was clear, and the sound of running water echoed in the distance.
"Running water, occupant is in the shower most likely." She whispered, before slowly pushing the door open.
Michael covered, slowly shutting the door behind them, and re-locking the locks. Through a subtle hand gesture, Kathryn moved deeper into the apartment.
With Michael immediately behind her, she started towards the bathroom, where she grasped the doorknob and nodded back to Michael, who produced a small metal collar, an antimana collar.
She turned the knob, and slowly opened the door, taking great care to not let it make noise, steam wafted past her face, as she quietly holstered her weapon.
With a few brief hand gestures, Kathryn pulled a flash-bang grenade from her trench, and quietly rolled it into the bathroom, then slowly closed the door.
With a brilliant flash, and a deafening crack, Kathryn threw the door open and rushed into the bathroom, the room was filled with a thick smoke, and the woman moved, almost like a ghost towards the shower, throwing the door open, and lunging towards a (hopefully) Disoriented Demor.
Swinging with his arm, Lightning sparked around his forearm, forming a claw of lightning around it as he swung blindly, his tail likewise lashing out in front of him, aiming to slam into the body, or anything, of the person he could smell right next to him. Whether or not he was able to hit was dependent on how fast Kathryn was actually moving, and how quickly she could react to a Terravolt Claw and his tail lashing out at the same time.
His tail was seven feet long and beneath those pitch black scales was nothing but pure muscle. To get hit with that would be like getting hit with a sledgehammer, though with the adrenaline of fight-or-flight running through his body, it was more akin to getting hit by a car now.
Regardless, though, with his arm swung and his tail extended, he was now off-balance, on the slippery tile of his shower, and his neck was exposed to that collar. The fact that he was caught unaware and nude of all things didn't help to his poor reaction. But then, the Aschen were masters of doing this, so no matter he was caught so easily off guard.
As momentum took over, and the Drachini began to loose his footing on the slippery tile, Michael moved in with the collar, hands deftly snapping the metal collar around his neck. The moment the collar snapped, it emitted a powerful anti-magic feedback pulse, with the intent of subduing Demor on a physical, and magical level with sudden, intense, and overwhelming pain.
Hopefully the pair wouldn't have to physically subdue him, but they positioned themselves as such, waiting only a brief moment to see if the collar would do it's job.
Pain surged through his body and all his magic stopped. The flow of water naturally returned to normal in the shower and his hands then moved to his neck as he tried to pry the collar off, his breathing heavy and extremely strained as he held in his scream of pain, closing his eyes tightly as he finally fell to the floor, tail thrashing wildly out, slamming against the wall and floor, cracking both as it whipped about.
"F-fuck!" he screamed out finally, grabbing at his head - that's where it hurt the most apparently, or at least, where he was least used to taking pain. His body was extremely fit and showed scars of previous battles, and like his tail, was mostly entirely toned muscle, strong and capable of enormous amounts of strength.
His vision started to come back and his ears had stopped ringing by then, and he opened an eye as he leaned back against the corner of the shower, breathing extremely hard through gritted teeth as those richly dark green Draconian eyes stared at the two in front of him, tears welling up from the pain in his eyes.
"Wh-who are you!?" he growled. He was quick to learn that using his magic would only cause more pain for himself, and his body started to shake in the aftermath of the trauma caused by the collar.
The pair of IIA Agents backed off a moment to allow the Drachini to regain his composure.
"The more you fight it, the more pain you will feel." Kathryn said, her voice smooth, distinctly female, and lightly accented with an Aschen accent from the Caprica area.
Michael reached forward, and attempted to pull Demor to his feet, his grasp firm as he attempted to wrench the other to his feet, and press him against the tile bathroom wall. A pair of metal binders would secure his hands behind his back, and the pain would subside so long as he was compliant.
"We're going to conduct the interrogation here, K, secure the front door, I'll secure the prisoner, and prepare him for questioning." Michael instructed, and Kathryn nodded, starting out of the bathroom.
"God... fuck... dammit." he growled, struggling against the cuffs that had his arms bound behind him. "What do you people want with me?!" he winced, still in constant pain from the collar. A single bolt of lightning sparked off of his shoulder and his leg gave out from the pain, making him growl in pain again.
"You keep fighting so help me I'll blow your gods damned brains out, right here, right now." The woman hissed, before moving to bring the butt of the disruptor pistol across Demor's cheek.
The pair of IIA Agents hefted Demor up after his leg seemed to give out, and they moved quickly to find a chair to sit him in, Kathryn moving around in a circle with rope, fastening him to the chair as best she could.
Grabbing a rolled pouch from inside his trench, Michael approached a table, and began to lay out the pouch, unraveling it to reveal surgical tools, pliers, screwdrivers, scalpels, corkscrews, and all sorts of assorted instruments for the torture of a prisoner.
Kathryn placed another device on the kitchen table, assorted wiring, a laptop computer, and electrodes, her hands working quickly to set everything up.
"We want information." Michael said calmly.
"Can I at least put on some pants?" he said before being secured to the chair, his tail proving either to be very difficult to tie down, or eluding capture all together, in which case, it would almost immediately begin trying to untie any knots that secured Demor to the chair. "Guess not..." he said as Kathryn finished tying him up, idly flexing an arm against the rope to see how tight it was. Typically, it was tight enough to prevent him from moving.
Demor looked to the pouch of torture tools, and then looked at device that Kathryn was setting up, tilting his head. "All of this to ask questions?" his eyes trailed to Kathryn proper, looking her up and down slowly before returning his gaze to Michael. "You could have just asked me over a nice dinner." he said, a cocky smirk on his face.
Michael quietly stood back, keeping his hands resting firmly on his weapon, as Kathryn walked around Demor, bringing the rebar swiftly across his right knee, it would make a sickening crack on contact. "I don't have time for your mouth, you'll keep it shut, and speak only when spoken too, and maybe; just maybe you will be spared a painful execution." Kathryn commented, before she brought the chair around so it would face the table, then she tossed some photos on the table, an attractive middle aged redheaded woman was on the photo, wearing a neatly pressed uniform, the flag of the Aschen Empire placed behind her.
"Do you recognize this woman?"
"She looks familiar..." he looked up, using his feet to lean back in the chair, the front legs of it coming off he floor as he then used his tail as a kick-stand, rocking back and forth while thinking. "I've definitely seen her... her name is escaping me though... and where I saw her." He sighed, his eyes moving back to Kathryn. It was clear that the threat of painful execution really didn't intimidate him. Even without his magic, he was a sight more durable than a human.
"Has something happened to her?" he asked in reply.
She waited for his next answer.
"Why do you think I know what happened to her? I left her alone after she told me to go away." he said, pouting slightly - he still wanted to get to know her better, but wasn't getting a chance he felt. Idly, his tail moved to try and consolidate the photos neatly into a pile on the table, a subtle hope of being able to keep the pictures fluttering inside him.
"You drugged, kidnapped, and had your way with her!" Kathryn called out, getting back in Demor's face. "You will be charged, in accordance with Imperial Law, where you will face the same fate as all enemies of the state that have come before you!"
"You were the last... thing seen with her; it's a damn convenient coincidence that she failed to report shortly after meeting you." Kathryn accused. "The Aschen Empire doesn't tolerate those who would seek to do their people harm, and so help me if i so much as find the slightest linking you to her disappearance, I'll see to it you're hanged in victory square!"
He shook his head. "I would never drug or kidnap anyone. Rescue someone who has been drugged and kidnapped, yes, but never do it myself." he said. As she got in his face his eyes only narrowed and his lip twitched. "If I was the last person seen with her, then it is especially inconvenient she didn't make her report." he replied.
"If you want me to help find her, then I'll help you, but can I at least put some pants on?" he yelled back at her finally.
"She saw you, and then failed to make her report, you're suspect." She said flatly, casting a sidelong glance at the device resting on the table. They had nothing, and without any way to take him back, they couldn't make it stick.
They were on foreign ground, and a disruptor discharge would likely get local authorities involved.
She briefly looked up to Michael, whom slowly shook his head.
Kathryn then looked back to Demor. "Why would you want to help us?"
"Can I put on pants yet?" he asked again.
She slid the weapon firmly into it's holster, and it seated with an audible click.
With a nod, Michael began to gather their tools. "You won't need to find us, we'll be tracking your movements." He said coldly.
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