The Search For Mana

[Shinzuu Katame: Her Tolfy]

The first of the boats arrived alone after a couple with a particularly large panda in shining, gold armour standing at the helm. The boat was large, seeming to be able to carry 300 passengers by itself. It stopped and anchored more than 100 meters away from the docks. His voice was loud and boisterous, "Brave warriors of both kingdoms and self. We salute you for entering the Pilgrimage to obtain the Mana. As tradition and law passed down over the centuries, our boats will only provide transportation to 1,000 warriors who arrive here on time for the Pilgrimage. However, as you know, there is more than 400,000 of you here. So lies here, the first allowed killings of the Pilgrimage. Only those with highest skill may pass through these waters and be worthy to obtain the Mana. Therefore, you will all have a deathmatch until 1,000 of you are left. In which time, we will fire a phoenix into the air to label the end of the trial. You may now begin."

Lazaryos growled under his breath as he was just about to grab someone else's topaz when voices started screaming and swords and magic began flying. Without an amp, I guess I have no choice but to actually fight. With a larger charge of Majicka from his body (Due to not having the large topaz), he turned his staff into a lightning glaive. Quickly, he swung it in a circle, to kill the unexpecting around him. Tch! This is going to be hell. More than 400,000 people and only 1,000 to remain. Here's hoping my Majicka will last enough for that.

[Vee Katame: His Wolfy]

Ember looked over at the panda when he started to speak and crouched down amongst the crowd where she just happened to be by a bunch of Normals. A grin spread across her face as she waited for the okay. When the okay was given, she swung her legs around, taking a group of surrounding Normals' legs out from under them. Pulling a sword from the closest one's sheath, she cut and stabbed each of them, besides the one that grabbed a hold of her ankle and tugged, making her fall onto her stomach. She rolled over immediately as the Normal rose and was holding up their own sword for a strike down on her, but she was too quick and stabbed them in the leg which caused them to begin to fall to the ground again, screaming in pain. Their scream was cut short though when she swung the sword towards them as they fell and decapitated them. Rolling over, she pushed herself up off the ground and stood up as others fell around her from whoever they had been fight. She prepared her staff and readied herself for more battle.

[Chrono Blackwyng]

Chrono was quickly assaulted by three normals who tried to take advantage of his lack of weapon. Although they were stupid enough to brandish their own and try to cut him down. He side-stepped one swing and grabbed the broadsword with the palms of his hands, making a quick tug to pull the blade out and then toss it into the air to catch it by the handle. "Thanks for the weapon, not so good with my fists alone y'know" he said before swinging the blade in a complete circle to disperse the attackers, as well as notify the blacksmith that he shouldn't be loafing about while strengthening his blades. "Come if you've got the swing to back up the swaggar!!" he bellowed before bringing the blade down to cleave a somewhat stunned Normal in two. "Or I'll be washing this street with your blood!"

[Shinzuu Katame: Her Tolfy]

Lazaryos panted heavily as the battle has been going on for almost 10 minutes now. For more than 5 times already, the lightning glaive had been broken and he had to re-summon it each time. It was still taking too much Majicka to summon these. As the 6th glaive broke, Lazaryos strapped the staff onto his back and straightened his hands. Lightning blades formed from the tips of his fingers, down his forearms to his elbows. It may not help with distancing enemies, but it sure saves on Majicka.

[Vee Katame: His Wolfy]

Ember had done her flamethrower move and slung fireballs quite a few times. She was trying not to use up all of her majicka during the whole ordeal since she knew she would be killed once she passed out. As the fight went on, she made sure to use regular physical abilities and random weapons off of bodies to take down her opponents as well when she had the opportunity to do so. She threw knives at some assailants and then covered her staff with fire, using it to stab through the stomachs of two others as one had been coming up behind the other two attack him while he was trying to attack her. "Vigilance is key..." She muttered as she continued to fight.

[Chrono Blackwyng]

Chrono kept the Normals away until a gale of wind sent him flying, about ten meters away from the stand. "Having fun with the Normals, baby brother?" he heard before getting to his feet and not seeing anyone attached to that voice. He knew another wind-based attack was coming, but when and where were the most anooying aspects of the thought. "You have your own boat, why bother with me?!" he yelled while looking about. "We always have room for another family member, Mom, Dad, and Big Sister are all gidy as to how well you grew outside the home!" "They'll find out how much I've grown once I behead each of them for the abuse my so called 'family' inflicted on me!"

Another gale smacked him into a wall, and he hit the dirt a split second later. "What makes you think a bunch of mages can raise a normal, so when you could fend for yourself, Dad had you thrown out of the house, now we want to see your progress and possible return..." was the last he heard before the sounds of bloodshed came back to his ears. He shakily got back up and went back to the blacksmith to wait for his weapons to be finished, while dealing with anyone who sought to cause trouble with him.

[Shinzuu Katame: Her Tolfy]

Lazaryos fell to his knees as he sweat profusely from the battle. So far, only 69 kills, and my Majicka's already half depleted. This isn't looking good. Just then, he saw a small glint at the edge of the battle and ran as it grew into a giant inferno spiral. At the same time, jets of water came bursting from the docks and attacked people while also parrying other spells. Oh, (censored]. Now everyone's getting desperate and using their best spells, and I can't even cast any decent ones without my topaz. After the initial collision of spells, Lazaryos shielded himself with his arms from the shockwave and her a little Tink! right next to his face. He opened his eyes and spotted a topaz next to him. Lazaryos grabbed it in haste as he got up and attached it to his staff where his previous one had been. "It's not even half as big, but it'll have to do." He scrambled through the battlefield, taking advantage of most of the people getting knocked onto their butts. As he passed by, Lazaryos noticed a few wind mages unconscious after hitting their heads after the shock wave. Lazaryos bent over them and quickly grabbed their minuscule topazes and added them to the first one he found on his staff.

[Vee Katame: His Wolfy]

Ember was battling a water magic-user before she knew it. Their spells kept canceling each other out. Finally she fired a diversion spell, literally, that swooped around the water magic-user since it was in the form of a phoenix. While the water magic-user was busy watching the phoenix to see what it would do, she ran at them, grabbing a sword off the ground and running it through their heart. The phoenix came back to her and she took it back into her staff before continuing to fight. She knew that the magic-users who were using their biggest spells were just putting themselves in a lot of trouble and were going to go down sooner than they would have. She was doing the smarter thing and not using up all of her majicka.

[Chrono Blackwyng]

Luckily when the mages began throwing the big spells around, they kept it away from the shops, as Chrono had encountered little to no magical atacks since he was sent sprawling by a bunch of literal hot air. The blacksmith was nearly finished with his blades, but his shop was another matter as Chrono had indeed kept his word and washed the area with the blood of those who were too weak to back up their decision to attack him.

[Shinzuu Katame: Her Tolfy]

Lazaryos did his best to evenly channel his Majicka through each topaz so as not to overload any of them. It's nice to finally get roughly the same power back into my spells, but it's too taxing on my mind just to cast them with these multiple gems. With a few more swings, Lazaryos created a ring of lightning around himself and it broke off into shards, shooting in all directions like daggers. As the ones in front of him fell, Lazaryos spotted a familiar, attractive bouncing rump that belonged to Ember. He couldn't help but stare for a few seconds, long enough for him to get side-swiped by a sonic-boom of wind, throwing him more than 20 meters into the back wall carved into the hills at the edge of the dock.

[Vee Katame: His Wolfy]

Ember felt eyes on her but she didn't have the opportunity to look for who they belonged to because a female rabbit had just casually sauntered over to her. "Couldn't help but notice the rock around your neck..." She said whilst blocking a magic attack that had missed its main target and looking at the diamond around Ember's neck. "I sure could use that...it is bigger than mine and I am a magic-user of light." She finished as she readied her staff. Meanwhile, Ember had been casually holding her left hand behind her back and it was now covered in flames. The rabbit moved closer to Ember since she didn't ready her staff as well and outstretched her staff arm within Ember's reach, daring to think about attempting a close-range attack with an opponent she thought was just giving up. Ember swiftly grabbed a hold of the rabbit's wrist with her flame-covered left hand. "Light this." She said with a tone of darkness as the flames quickly covered the rabbit's body. Ember released the rabbit's wrist and let her fall to the ground writhing in agony. No one was going to save her and she had no chance in saving herself. Ember watched the rabbit for about half a minute before turning and walking off to fight more. She muttered, "All talk and no action."

[Chrono Blackwyng]

Chrono put down the blade as the blacksmith presented his two blades in better looking scabbards. He unsheated his main sword, and swung it around, finding it lighter than usual. He chalked it up to having just used a two-handed weapon, and handed the bloody broadsword to the smith, since the previous owner was no longer among the living. Chrono then walked out of the stall, and slowly made his way to the boat, cutting through and blocking any spell, swing, or projectile, that came his way.

[Shinzuu Katame: Her Tolfy]

The panda in golden armour watched the battle safely off the shore with the rest of the boats, not going near the docks to prevent anyone from prematurely leaving the bloodshed. The sun was now setting and the battling had been going on for more than 3 hours. Finally, the headmasters of the other 4 ships gave a thumbs up and fire-users from all the ships shot their spells into the air and formed a great phoenix large enough to be seen for miles. The battle had concluded.

Lazaryos panted heavily as he finally relaxed and collapsed onto his stomach from exhaustion and excessive Majicka use. So it's finally over. I managed to survive. The panda began shouting orders to everyone, "Men! Let us make port. Laddies, get them stretchers and carry the injured and tired. These 1,000 warriors have earned some rest and their rite of passage to continue the Pilgrimage." Lazaryos' consciousness slowly faded as he was lifted onto a stretcher and carried on-board the largest ship.

[Vee Katame: His Wolfy]

Ember smiled weakly as the phoenix was formed in the air. "Knew I could do it..." She said softly as she started walking towards the ships, her legs shaking. "Here Miss, let us carry you." One of the crewman said as he and another approached with a stretcher. Ember waved them off with a very limp motion of her left arm. "Nah, I'm fine, I just--" She began before falling to her knees then onto her stomach so she just tried to drag herself with her arms. The crewmen set the stretcher on the ground beside her then turned her over and put her on it, lifting it up and walking towards the ships. She repeatedly muttered soft "I'm fine"'s while they were carrying her until she fell asleep.

[Chrono Blackwyng]

Chrono had stopped when the phoenix went up into the air, and didn't hit anyone. He guessed it signaled the end of the fight since nobody else was killing, so he went over to the ships, the sight of the gargoyle slightly drawing him towards the ship she was going to get onto. If people weren't too busy getting to the ships and looked out to the ocean, they would have seen a ship with the Tri'Malis clan symbol already too far out to hit with a single well-aimed spell.