Against the Fire King(Closed)

[Donovan Siroaki]

Guard duty had proved to be a waste of time, no so much because of the pointlessness of Don being there, but rather because he was unable to get anything sorted out in his head. Instead, he had managed to only figure out more questions, questions who's solution also escaped him. What would happen after this? Would he continue along with Zeke and this trite power struggle? Yeah...no...maybe. Maybe...that seemed to be a word that cycled around in his head alot as of recent.

Don's contemplation was suddenly broken as the tent that housed Milicia whipped open, the Queen herself emerging, taking to her horse, and flying into battle without a wasted moment. Don thought he'd best follow, assuming his job to protect Milicia was still in place. As he followed a short ways behind on his steed of cards, Don caught a glimpse of the explosive bombardment that took place by Onyx, and could feel a lump build in his throat.

As Don pulled back a bit, he saw Milicia continue to rush forward as a small contingent of men pulling someone from the area ahead. As he looked on, he spotted one of the men carrying a large brush as he followed the other to the medical tent. It was here that Don's heart sank into a veritable sea of worry.

Diverging from his assumed duty, Donovan made a dash for the medical area, his mind once again buzzing with questions, but this time regarding Zeke rather than himself. Throwing the tent open, he was blocked by one of the soldiers within the tent. The inane mumblings of the guard became unimportant even more so when Don recognized Zeke laying, eyes closed, on a tarp, as medical stuffed buzzed around him. Having difficulties pushing the guard away, Don simply hammer him in his unprotected face with a hook and proceeded through, gather a wealth of disconcerting looks and suspicious grimaces as he did so.

Shoving aside one of the medical attendants, Don wrapped his arm around the back of Zeke's head as he tried to talk to him. In the end it was hopeless, but the few winces his companion made as he moved him caused him to quickly put him back down and breath a sigh of relief, or at least partial relief anyway. As he calmed down from his slightly frantic state, Don sat back and looked up, as if hoping his gaze could pierce the cloth covering the sky. It hit him like a bolt of lightning; an epiphany that caused a single tear to run down his cheek. It was different than what he had thought for so long, but only now did he really know the truth. He was following Zeke, not only to protect him, but to be with him. He needed Zeke, or rather, he needed another human being, and only now did he realized this in his moment of heart-stricken panic.

Wiping his arm across his face, Don leaned in towards Zeke and whispered in his ear, "I know you don't like it violence, but I need to do this, as I finally have a reason to." Rising from his spot, Don ran out the tent, his face alight with new found determination, but at the same time, seething with a all new level of rage and hate.

[Onyx, Son of Sun]

"I may be prideful, but it is through that pride that i gain strength, and through that strength that i forge my own future, rather than place it apathetically into the hands of such a droll concept as fate. And further more, Trucido is a fool, and an incompetent one at that, as are most of those other pitiful excuses for "Kings" and "Queens" that make up this pathetic congregation you call the Sumata. I would just as soon leave should the well being of my countrymen be assured, but I trust no other enough to put them in their care, nor will I allow you to conquer them with this brash display."

Though putting up a good front, Onyx was having second thoughts about the continuation of this battle. He spoke of protecting his subjects, but at them same time had the duty of the King to never yield to the enemy. The conflicting teachings ate away at him as he glanced at his men, their numbers dwindling as the encircling forces began to close in on Fira Tower. It was a time to be decisive, and Onyx hoped that his decision would fulfill both areas of his teaching along with providing him with a greater chance of victory. But this all depended on Milicia and if her kindly naivety could be used to better his situation. Raising from his stance, Onyx glanced at her with a look of unbendable determination as he lowered his fists.

"So in respect to this situation, i offer an ultimatum. A duel. You and I gracing the field of battle with but our weapons alone. Should you win, then my Kingdom is yours, but should you loose, then you shall taint this land with your presence no longer, and leave immediately. It shall be but you and I, our soldiers no longer spilling blood over something they never really should have had to in the first place. What say you Lunestice?"

[milicia]

Milicia sighed an empty sigh, saddened but not surprised by his words. He could not shame himself in front of his people, could not let their deaths be for nothing. She understood that much and stepped forward to acknowledge her agreement. "My people!" Her voice rang throughout the pitch skies to the nearby soldiers. "Your part in this is over. Lay down your swords and rest. It is time your leaders risk their lives for what you have fought so valiantly for."

Her attention belonged only to Onyx now. Fear and worry became irrelevant as she raised her blade towards him. "I'm sorry it had to come to this Onyx. But know that I won't hold back an inch. If victory over you is the only thing that will end this, then so be it!" At once her body became a nimble dervish of twisting arms and deliberate steps. As her arms and lips formed the incantation of a barrier spell, her steps danced to that of a haste spell. Against Onyx, she knew she would stand no chance up close to him unless things were forcibly tipped in her favor. Each step kept her nimble, dodging the sweeping paths of flame Onyx fired at her. The spells finished nearly simultaneously, her body feeling the light's warmth enfold over her. As a streak of light she whipped past the flames that licked at the air all around her and dove for a thrust at Onyx's chest.

Meanwhile those nearby stood idly by, helpless to do more than watch. Only the sounds of rain clinking against their steel armor broke the silence as the final battle began.

[Onyx, Son of Sun]

Milicia's step were intricate as well as quick, and even more so when her haste spell came into realization. The sudden change in her style from their earlier fight had put off Onyx for a second, but thankfully, a rapier was a fairly simple weapon to read. Regardless of the quick flourishes and deft movements, Onyx perceived the violent thrust and quickly parried the blow. But Milicia movement was much quicker than he suspected, as she deftly recovered from the redirect and followed into a flurry of swipes and thrusts.

Though, by watching her shoulders, Onyx was able to keep up mentally with her strikes and discern their path, his body could not keep up with one that was magically imbued like Milica's, allowing for several of the blows to strike; not fully, but strike none the less. Realizing that a basic deflect/counter strategy was to difficult to perform, Onyx switched his strategy to one based on grappling and capturing his foe, rendering her speed useless.

As Milicia aimed for a high thrust, Onyx parries the blade with his gauntlet and gripped her wrist just in time to feel her tug back in hopes of resetting her blade. Twisting her arm to the inside of her body, Onyx ducks under and performs a slapping chop to her abdominal region; a blow that seemed to do no damage, but deflect her attention for the split second as needed. Ending in a low forward stance, Onyx pulls her arm over his shoulder, and trusts his hip into hers, pulls her arm forward, raises his stance and twists, causing her to flip over his shoulder and land on her back. As Milicia slams to the ground, Onyx cocks his fist back and fires it downwards towards Milicia head; his hand alight with searing flames.

[milicia]

Milicia cried out as she connected with the ground, leaving her only a moment to see the flaming punch coming right at her. It was only due to the blazing speed she was imbued with that allowed her to roll off to the side, the flames billowing against her as Onyx's strike missed by mere inches. In a hasty somersault up she could see the shimmering light around her had dulled significantly. Ugh, even a near miss is still a hit with this man. I need to secure my defenses.

Up on her feet she was already back in near Onyx, keeping just outside his reach with teasing thrusts and slashes. With a murmur of divine intent a translucent shield appeared on her other arm. Though the intensity of Onyx's attacks had left her barrier withered the concentrated might of the glowing buckler shone defiantly against the flames. She closed in once more, protecting her left flank as her hasted movements kept the pressure against her foe.

She knew full well that her speed was almost up, and using the last burst of its energy she bashed away a punch with her shield before swiping at his exposed underarm.

[Onyx, Son of Sun]

The woman possessed a much more resourceful approach than her other persona, making her much more formidable than initially suspected. Reeling from the deflection, Onyx had not the time or the proper footing to retaliate against the blow. His only option was to harness his Ki and reinforce his arms biomass with it, hopefully preventing the strike from doing too much damage.

As the blade swung for his underarm, Milicia's bout of improved speed wore off, her movements becoming substantially slower and moderately weaker, mostly due to the decreased velocity. As the Estoc's thin edge met with his arm, the blade sunk in several centimeters; blood already starting to drip from the fresh wound. Slapping Milicia's blade hand with a quick slapping chop, he twists with the chop and fires his hips into a hammering back-fist.

Using her ephemeral shield, Milicia blocks the blow and is knocked several feet backward, giving Onyx time to quickly cauterize his wound and reset his stance.

Ugh, this woman is in much better fighting condition than I am, and I'm sure she knows it. She could freely use that invigorating spell on herself again and again, making physical combat impossible for me. I'm going to have to use her lack of range to my advantage, prepare a finishing strike and try and end this quickly.

Leaping back several meters, Onyx begins a long distance assault of pyrokinetic attacks, shooting waves, bursts, explosions and much more to try and halt Milicia movement. Behind him, fire seems to stream off his back and culminate into a slowly growing, spherical mass of flames.

[Donovan Siroaki]

As Onyx continues his conflagratory barrage, a sound pierces the air, the noise originating behind him. As he quickly peers to his flank he sees several large double-bladed spears flying towards him, and just manages to quickly dodge the bombardment with a agile leap. As Onyx continues to dodge away, he sees an oddly garbed figure descend onto the battlefield; the spears seemingly pulling themselves from the ground and finding their way to his hands as others hover around him.

His eyes panning from Milicia to Don, Onyx shouts, "You would dare desecrate our Duel? Why you aren't ever dressed for battle, so I'd guess you'd be one of the pompous "heroes" that the queen hired, no doubt to spout trivialities at me about good and evil just like the others. But no matter, you shall meet the same fate as them, as will your "Queen.""

Don had been trying to keep his wits about him, knowing that charging head first against this foe would be foolish, but the way he spoke about the others, namely Zeke, made his fists shake with a wealth of rage that he had trouble suppressing.

"Shut your goddamn face you sack of s***! I swear to on the names of those you mock, that I will end this war with your head on the one of the f****** spears. You hear me! I'm gonna f****** kill you, and then we'll see how much you can smack talk as you bleed out your neck!"

The yelling helped, but he could do little more to quell the feeling that welled up inside him. For what was probably the first time, Don felt genuine hate for another person; not just that passive bit he pulled on most everyone else, but a genuine want do see this man dismembered; slowly, and painfully. Taking little time to let his words set in, Don fired hastily towards Onyx, his gliding maneuvers provided by the cards placed on various parts of his body.

Dodging the several blasts fired at him, Don gains distance quickly and finds himself in close range within a matter of seconds. Dodging side so side with flowing movements, his sweeping attacks and violent trusts harbor a ruthless nature, causing the strikes to hammer with a brutal intensity against Onyx's gauntlets and greaves.

As he continues to strike at Onyx, he notices Ignisian soldiers begin to advance until a sweeping fire seem to shoo them away, as if ordering them to stay back.

[milicia]

Milicia moved, doing her best to dodge the wrathful flames that flew towards her. As she saw Don rushing in from the distance she cried out, "No Don! Don't!" leaving her open to take a concussive blast to the chest, breaking her aura and leaving her knocked prone on the ground. By the time she righted herself she could already see Don right in the heat of combat with the King. This is bad. Should I join in? If I do and we win the fight, will he respect the duel's condition? I doubt it.

"Don get out of here! Zeke's okay! This isn't your fight, do you understand?" She cursed under her breath. She began conjuring a new barrier spell, hoping against all that Don would be alright. All around her the Crepusculum soldiers watched uncertain of what to do. Some looked about ready to jump into battle at the sight of the hot headed hero striking at Onyx, but Milicia followed his example, and commanded they hold.

[Donovan Siroaki]

"Shut up!" Don shouted in retort to Milicia's comments. "It's you who doesn't understand. Zeke's not build for war, but you thought it'd be just fine to convince him with your sob story and then put him on the front lines to try and handle your petty infighting. This world can burn in hell for all i care, but not before i win the Game and get Zeke his life back! And if i have to be the one to kill this f***** while you stand there, so be it! This is war, Milicia, so take control already and finish it."

As Don retorted, his fighting ability suffered from few drawbacks, proving his deft concentration and resolve. But that didn't mean that Don was sufficing just fine against the Fire King, as his rage fueled strikes seemed easily deflected by Onyx, leaving him to take fierce blows to his ribs and abdominal region. Feeling the pain of a few cracked ribs, Don's breathing became stilted; the effects reflecting in the diminishing vigor of his spears.

Still trying to keep pace, Don launches another assault of spinning sweeps, lunging thrusts and 360-angled strikes, hoping to overwhelm his opponent. Though many of his strikes fell short, several of the more esoteric attacks managed to clip Onyx or bludgeon him with the shaft of the spear.

Onyx finally breaking Don's flurry of strikes with a quick, self-encircling burst of flames, places his hands outwards, overlapping his hands with his palms facing towards Don. The orb of flames behind him had continued to grow as he battled with Don, and even through he had planned to save the mass of fire for an assault against Milicia, he thought it best to quickly dispose of the interloper and return to his prior confrontation. Concentration on his palms, strands of fire begin to move from the sphere to his hands and hold for a second before bursting forth like a massive flamethrower.

Don, being caught off guard by the quickly advancing blast has only enough time to convert his spears into a sturdy barrier, and change his cards properties to make them flame resistant. As he struggled against the massive conflagration, the orb behind Oynx slowly began to dwindle, no doubt from it feeding the sustained blast. As the wave of fire subsides, Don's barrier collapses, his body wrought with exhaustion, both physically and mentally. Trying to stand in hopes to continue his revenge, his body, all of it, refuses as he collapses to the ground.

Approaching Donovan, Onyx grabs the man by his throat and lifts him off the ground; his body helpless against anything Onyx should choose to do. Turning to Milicia, Onyx looks on with a somber look.

"So tell me Milicia, will you do your job and quell this man's insolence with a punishment befitting his treasonous disregard for your orders, or will your gentle, naive nature lead you to simply cast his disloyalty aside because you feel bad for him? Perhaps i should pass judgement on him for interrupting our duel with such reckless regard? His life sways in the balance and you are responsible for what shall happen. Do you spare him and shame yourself as a Queen in front of your men, or do you deliver swift judgement and execute the "hero" whom fought for your cause?"

[milicia]

Milicia pointed her blade once more at Onyx, her body sheltered by the calm light of a barrier spell. "You shall have no say in the fate of that man Onyx. I apologize for his disturbance of our duel, but he is my soldier. Now release him!" Onyx scowled at her before tossing Donovan towards the Crepusculum soldiers, ready to rush him back to the medics for treatment. "Hold for a moment men." She moved towards them to face the wounded Don. "Do not worry, I will see that man gets what's coming to him for what he did to Zeke. I promise Donovan. Now rest, and leave the rest to me."

"Now Onyx, let's continue." She leapt back to the empty zone as the soldiers shuffled to let Donovan and the others through. She stayed still, contemplating her foe. He's fast, seems he can read my attacks. Fighting close range even with enhanced speed isn't doing it. Looks like I'll need to go long range.

She slid her blade back to its sheath as she began the evocation. The more advanced spells required her somatic components be done with both hands. As the ancient words meshed with her movements points of light formed all around her from a single spark, slowly growing till a dozen orbs shone brillantly. She reared her hands back and the orbs followed, gathering behind her ready to strike. "You'll be sorry you didn't give up when I gave you the chance Onyx. Now go!" She flung the radiant balls toward Onyx, spraying out in a chaotic pattern, choosing a assured hit with one instead of a possible miss with all twelve. The first in the barrage struck early, exploding with divine energy upon impact with the ground near Onyx. While most were lobbing beyond him, a couple headed right for him.

[Onyx, Son of Sun]

As the radiant spheres swept chaotically towards him, his eyes flickered back and forth, trying to gain a sense of their movement and anticipate when they would strike. As the initial volley screamed forth, Onyx preformed a hasty set of handsprings and backflips; the divine masses crashing and bursting forth with burning light. As he performed his acrobatic maneuvers, he caught several glimpses of the orbs arching over him, and bounded off his hands just as the spheres fell in hopes of quelling his movement.

Swiveling through the air, Onyx fires several bursts to dispel of the few remaining projectiles that fly straight at him, and finishes with a graceful landing; a small smirk visible on his face. But his grin didn't persist for long, as from behind him came screaming a single shot. Caught off guard by the flanking orb, Onyx attempts to dodge the sphere, but fails; the ball of radiant force hammering into his back before exploding in a wealth of light.

As the area dimmed, Onyx lay kneeling on one leg, his back scorched from the divine light. Closing his eyes for a couple seconds, he performs a kind of "burst meditation" and seals up the burns to prevent any more bleeding or damage. Hoisting himself up, he brushes of his legs and takes a stance, his fatigue becoming more and more evident by the second.

Deciding to gamble his stamina for a last chance victory, Onyx's body immolates into his white hot flaming aura. Holding out one hand, his aura quickly pours off his body and condenses into a tiny orb in his palm. Launching the miniscule shot, it stops meters before Milicia and, for a change, implodes, creating a massive vacuum before bursting into an all consuming explosion of plasma.

[milicia]

Milicia cried out as she felt her body pulled towards the center of the burst, her body convulsing as she was sent backwards in the same moment she was pulled in. She hit the ground and felt the sting of the debris and the heat against her body, the aura saving her from all but the remnants of the attack. Despite the glancing pain she shot up to her feet, Lunestise's advice still playing out in her ears.

Don't relent to him, even for a second. Even a direct hit seems to only annoy him and he'll strike back before you can even celebrate it. Remember this is it Milicia. Pour everything into him and don't stop till he ceases to stand. To see the monster of a man move wearily to his feet, his body looking tortured with each movement she knew she couldn't take a moment to recover. She had to push. Her body moved gracefully once more to the steps of a haste spell, keeping herself lithesome on the field. Yet she didn't stop moving even as the spell finished. She became a graceful blur, each movement serving to extend to the next as if lost in perpetual dance.

Without more than the last step of her first performance, a series of prismatic beams burst into existence all around Onyx. The shimmering bars sealed him within a circle, packed together tightly enough to only let an arm through. In the moment he had to see he was surrounded she had already rushed near him, her footwork sending her around the prison as she glanced each bar with her hands. "As I said Onyx, this battle was over before it started. I told you I'd win in the end, and I intend for it to go no other way." Her hand touched the last bar, and at once streams of wispy energy burst from each prism, spiraling around Onyx from his neck to his feet. The ends at last flew back to the bars and the loose strands constricted around his form, binding his body even tighter in her magic.

Her breath came in gulps now, but she couldn't stop. Not till the last spell. Though the entire process had only taken a few seconds the haste spell did nothing for her metabolism, now struggling to keep up with her body's frantic pace. She moved around the cage once more, leaping in great strides only to stomp wildly around her landing spot. Each time her foot touched the ground, a faint glow of light appeared. As she finished she stood just outside the circle of lights she'd created. She began to chant in the same lost tongue as before, and from the points of light leaked trails of energy. The energy flowed out in lines and blotches till the zone became a woven rune that surrounded the caged Onyx. In the instant the last line finished moving the area was consumed in a brilliant flash. Light so dense that the inside of it could not be seen through shot from the rune to the sky, the divine power pulsating through Onyx as waves of pain.

As it ended Onyx's body was visible, appearing limp but for the wispy chains that left him bound in place. Milicia drew her blade forth as it pointed towards his chest, "Do you concede King Volkanon?"

[Onyx, Son of Sun]

Using the modicum of strength he still possessed, Onyx lifted his head and spat the blood that had collected in his mouth onto the ground beside Milicia. Tugging on the ephemeral bonds that kept him tethered in place, he found that the prismatic manacles were too strong for him to tear through, or rather, that maybe he was just too weak.

"Concede? Surely you aim to shame me with such a question. I'm not sure whether i should call you cruel or ignorant," he speaks through stilted breaths. "You seem to think you've won something here, but all you have done is thrown a peaceful nation into panic, killed men who possess the same dreams of freedom that you do, and done so in the name of revenge against a man who holds no weight in this Kingdom. You are the tyrant here Milicia, your meek demeanor being nothing more than a facade with which you hide your true, ruthless nature. I shall never concede to such a fiend as you, so if you plan to seize victory, you'd best run me through with that sword, you heartless wench.......

And those were the final words spoken by Onyx on the battlefield, his body surrendering to the inevitable fatigue that had culminated in his several skirmishes. As he laid limp in the divine shackles, his men could only remove their helmets and place them against chests, closing their eyes as they awaited for the darkest moment of this battle to pass. As rain still beat the amber soil beneath, the forces of Ignis could do nothing to interject, knowing full well that doing so would only dishonor their King in his final moments.

It was on this day of bloodshed and war, that Ignis was defeated by the Crepusculum Army.

[milicia]

Milicia motioned two guards over to Onyx as she sheathed her blade. Undoing the magic bindings she instructed them to take him to the medical bay and let him recover. They stared awestruck, "But Majesty, he'll..."

"He will do nothing more than recover men. He is an honorable man, misguided in his intentions. Now take him please." As they left she announced to her men, "Gather a team of medics and send them to the Ignisian soldiers. Tend to the wounded and ensure that no one tries to start anything. There is no more fighting to be had. Also, be wary of the Heroes. Don't tell them Onyx is resting in our camp, lest they do something rash." With a nod several of her soldiers dispersed amongst the battlefield, leaving her with the Ignisian troops and a handful of her own men. Though the battle against Onyx had frightened her to the core, she was most fearful of what she would have to do next. How would she face the people that she had just conquered, and ask them to join her in any cause?

Should you win, you will be their Queen. Be as a Queen and command them as your own. Show weakness, and they'll only reject you. Lunestise's words taunted her. She merely stared at them, looking into the dreary eyes of her enemy as they looked back; each of them lost and left unsure of what would happen next.

"Ignisians, gather your fellow soldiers that can move unaided. I have much to tell your people, and it is best you hear it as soon as you can." Her voice forced as much strength as she could muster. They looked at her for only a moment more before marching slowly away. She only hoped they'd come back with more. She prayed that if nothing else, for all the lives lost, they would return.

(Continued in "A Treaty Forged", Fira Tower)