Garret V.S. Cat Burglar

Cat Burglar:

The day for Garret's next match had come. Lately, Yua had been disappearing on occasion which picked at his curiosity, but he paid it no mind. She had proven herself trustworthy by not stealing the treasures that were hidden in the ice cavern alongside the body of Hana Cho, something he had confirmed when both he and Jin Cho went to visit her. Jin had relaxed visibly upon seeing the state of his sister, and made mention of his surprise to see no sign of damage to her body. Garret was silent on that front, not sharing the details of the match he had had against her. The check-up for the riches were waited upon after Jin had left, giving a quick look through the hidden alcove and confirming the presence of the treasure.

As Garret walked through the Coliseum building and towards the waiting room, he wondered who his opponent would be. He opened the door, and moved towards his normal waiting spot. Bosson stood and approached Garret, blocking his way. The Magician leveled his shakujo staff in front of him, allowing the magician to enforce and maintain a distance between the two. "Calm down, calm down, Greenhorn. Look, I just wanted to talk. I was just saying the other day that it's impressive how you won your last match, and your opponent wouldn't say a word about it. I think it's kind of fish-"

Garret cut him off. "Silence, fool. I don't care what you think." The blue magician walked past the large man, who spit on the floor towards Garret as the magician passed by. Ignoring the provocation, Garret sat by himself once more on the bench side and waited for his name to be called out. He leaned back against the wall and watched the other participants. Rufi, the veteran participant, approached Garret and sat next to him. Great. Just what I need, the old man coming over to talk as well. He sighed inwardly, and readied himself to tell the old man off.

"Kid, look, you're improving for the Coliseum. You didn't kill your opponent this time; that's great-" Before he could continue, the archer named Aquilla spoke up from across the room and interrupted the man. She seemed annoyed, and broke him off from his speech before Garret had a chance to. "Don't just assume that he killed the first person because he wanted to! Sometimes you have to kill in order to survive. I've experienced thi-" As she spoke, somebody else butted into the conversation, interrupting her. They began questioning why she had killed another contestant, Zadi, in the past instead of simply giving up. From there, the bickering continued to heat up.

It was then that 'Crim' was called upon to enter the arena, and the blue magician stood and made his way towards the stadium's fighting grounds. Sparing a final glance behind him, Garret noted that those he left behind continued to bicker, with the exception of Bosson who seemed to want to stare a hole through Garret. The attention from the man sent a chill through Garret's body, but the Magician ignored him and continued walking down the hall. He felt much better since his last fight in the Coliseum. He gave the wall a punch, simply out of tradition more so than anything else, and exited the doors into the open air of the arena. He was welcomed by the familiar jeers and boo-ings of the Coliseum spectators. Mid chuckle, Garret paused in surprise; the opponent had already been announced, and was standing right across from him. She was waving towards the crowd, and they cheered for her. In her long braided hair was an ornament made from the Rampaging Unicorn Horn.

Yua, what the hell are you doing here? Garret was more mystified than upset. He did want to find out what she was doing in the Coliseum, but that could wait for later. A certain weight lifted off his shoulders, knowing his opponent, and Garret felt fairly confident in his ability to take her on. He stopped, as he always did, and planted his staff into the ground.

OOC:
B-Tier training word count: 700/1000

Garret immediately began with his Snowy Expanse spell, enveloping the area above their heads with snow. Yua laughed as he did so. "Hey, guy, I hope you don't mind, but I'm going to beat you and tell the Coliseum owners how you fight. They said they'd pay me four times the amount of a Coliseum reward if I did so, and I need the money, so no hard feelings, kay?" As she spoke, she clasped her fingers together and lifted both of her hands above her head, arcing her body forward and stretching out. Garret's eyes followed the movements. Her chest certainly seemed... Larger than he remembered. Catching the direction of his thoughts, Garret shook his head and readied himself for battle as she seemed to finish stretching outward. Yet she continued to stretch, bending forward and touching her toes. Once she stood up from that, she began stretching to the left and right.

Letting out an exasperated sigh, Garret began first. He didn't want to cause permanent harm to her, so he started off with something he knew she could handle; Blade Burst. The two balls of ice shot forward, turning into blades and attempting to pierce the woman. He didn't want her finding out it was him, yet, which was why he had continued to hold onto the staff as he cast the spell with the wand in his left hand. There was more than enough time for the woman to defend against the attack, but she exceeded Garret's calculations and used her Feline Grace mid-stretch to jump clear over and through his Snowy Expanse.

Yua's moment was a forward one, as she had placed her footing in just the right place to cause her to flip forward as she cleared the snow. High in the sky, the crowd was cheering as she waved to them. Her destination? Behind the spot her opponent was standing before she had jumped through the snowy blockade that kept people's sight blocked. The feeling was unique, as the snow did not hamper her movement at all, instead allowing her to escape at the same speed at which she had jumped up. A miscalculation on her part, she knew she was to land behind the man a few meters further than intended, and coated her body in Magoi, prepared to boost her speed from the moment she landed on the ground.

Garret had only seen her jump straight up, and did not know that her arc behind him had begun. The woman had been training her acrobatics quite a bit in secret, but that was already a strong point for her in the first place. Just as he was wondering how high she jumped up, a noise from behind him gave the Magician his clue. It was only the slight noise of her landing behind him that gave Garret the time needed to turn around as she slammed into him with two slashes of her weapons, the Cat Slashes. Immediately his Borg was destroyed. It was at this point that he had simultaneously let go of the staff that was sitting in the ground. His turn was met with a Cat's Paw into his shoulder, digging into his flesh. "Aaargh!" The pain was a surprise, and Garret let loose a short howl of pain as the turn cleared his shoulder of her weapon but did not stop it from dragging across the front of his body.

Yua paused, a look of recognition crossing her face even as the turn caused a fold in his cloak to reveal his true magic conduit. Before she could say a word, however, Garret's performed River Styx Style: Sea's Horizon; a roundhouse kick. She brought her arm into a guard, attempting to protect her head with her weapon on her fist, yet Garret's aim was towards her ribs. Luckily her arm blocked the way of the attack, yet a 'snap' sound was heard and she yelped in pain. Garret, still bleeding from the wound she had made on his shoulder, brought his fist into her gut with the beginning of River Styx Style: Raging Current. He knocked the wind out of her, and she doubled over in pain as he brought his hands to her head and his knee came up to meet her forehead. The strike sent her back to the ground, and Garret grit his teeth as the pain continued to throb. "Damnit, Yua, you've been holding back during our spars." She had caught the drop on him, and he had accidentally overreacted, self-preservation kicking in. "It's me, Garret." He let out another groan, the throbbing pain getting to him.

Yua coughed on the ground, curled up in a ball. "Yea... Boss... I got that when you cried out after I gotcha." She continued to cough during her talking, and Garret felt a twinge of guilt run through him as she labored to catch her breath. He noted the tears in her eyes, likely from the pain of whatever fracture or breaking of a bone occurred when he had kicked her.

He knelt next to her, pulling out his blade and laying it against her stomach and then bringing her head into his lap. "Listen..." Garret winced, the pain from his wound reminding him that he, too, was in need of medical attention. Working through it, he continued to talk. "Listen, Yua, I need you in top form. I'm relying on your help.  You can't be out here fighting in the Coliseum. For what? Money? I can pay you more, if that's what you need." He began sending magoi through his sword and cast Desceld, Gold Dragon's Blessing. The healing dragon mist settled into the woman's body and began to heal her from the wounds inflicted upon her.

A red flush crossed Yua's face as Garret spoke. "Chief..." She began to regain her strength, and she sat up. "You... You needed that more than I do! Hurry! Stop the snowstorm! I'll forfeit, just get yourself helped out!" Her eyes grew wide as she looked at the bleeding from the wound she inflicted upon him. She stood, letting his sword fall from her body and onto the ground.

Garret groaned, standing up as he picked the blade back up and began walking over towards the staff. "Yua, just don't tell them about what happened in our battle, okay?" She looked to him, wide-eyed, but nodded slowly. She looked at the trail of blood from the man to the staff that was buried into the ground. Garret placed the blade back into its sheath, hiding it beneath his clothing.


OOC:
Magoi/Stamina: 180/300
B-Tier Training Word Count: (1107+700) 1807/1000

Abilities Used:

Though the front part of his clothing had been slashed up fairly well, it was not so bad as to reveal what he held beneath it. The Snowy Expanse dissipated, and Yua forfeited the match. The crowd was shocked, and immediately began jeering and booing at those in the Arena. Both Garret and Yua left to their respective hallways. When Garret was out of sight, he pulled his blade out one more time and sustained Desceld, Gold Dragon's Blessing in order to cover himself in its healing powers as well. The bleeding stopped, but the pain from the wound was still very real. It would take a bit more time to heal. Yua's arm, by now, was probably setting itself and healing along fairly nicely.

He placed the blade back into its sheathe before walking down the rest of the way through the hall, picking up his winnings on the way by. As he continued walking, Garret heard the laughter and taunt of Bosson. "It bleeds! The Greenhorn is human, after all! And humans can be killed." The Magician paid no heed to the words of the man, instead moving to the registration desk to pay for his next match. As Garret lay down the money, he looked at the clerk who seemed to stare right back at Garret with dead eyes. "Your next match will be the last match of the day, a week from now. If you're still alive. You've pissed off the wrong people with your performance today." The clerk's words were ominous, yet it did not keep Garret from sticking to his decision on how he would continue to face his opponents.

On his way out of the Coliseum, and into the residential district, Garret felt a presence following him. It was not like Yua's; it was a hostile presence. He recalled the words of the clerk, and wondered if the Coliseum management had sent assassins after him. Choosing to use himself as bait, Garret began walking towards a less populated area of Remano. The idea was that the assassin would be more likely to show himself if there were less witnesses to see the resulting fight take place. The main problem was that he was missing his Borg, and that he was already wounded. If he wasn't careful, his wounds would reopen, and he would be at risk of losing his life. Garret clutched his right fist, and a flash went through his mind as he recalled the research Ariella was performing on the magic of the Household Vessels. One thing clicked with another, and Garret soon had an idea in mind. Just as he rounded a corner, Garret saw the assassin jump towards him from the intersection; he had moved ahead and predicted Garret's movements, choosing the most opportune time to strike.

Unfortunately, Garret was ready for the attack. As he jumped backwards, he raised his right hand and focused on his metal vessel, sending his thoughts into it. A black cloud of plague magic rushed forward, wrapping itself around the man in a serpentine fashion. Garret called forth the power of Cimej Plague Snake of the Right Hand. The would-be assassin screamed out in pain as the magic took root, eating away at his body. The magic would eventually take the man out, and Garret left him to die without regret; this man attacked him, intending on killing him. That was one death that wouldn't be on the operative's conscience.


OOC:
Magoi/Stamina: 135/300
B-Tier Training Word Count: (1807+587) 2394/1000

Abilities Trained:

Abilities Used:

Garret changed course, making his way back to the warehouse district in order to change into something less conspicuous. Once the screaming sound of the man who was dying had stopped, Garret felt more relaxed. Maybe the spell... Is a bit too much? That sounded fairly painful... What's that feeling..? Something wet was falling down his arm, and in the back of his mind Garret thought the word 'leaking'. The blue magician looked down at his right arm, and saw three daggers embedded in it. The arm was limp, and he clinically assessed the situation as his mind being in shock and not registering the pain. As he looked up, he saw a second assassin charging towards him with a longsword.

Garret held his left hand up, palm outward, and recalled the spell that flowed from his metal vessel and through his palm from before. Mimicking the same thing, Garret sent forth the Cimej Plague Snake of the Left Hand which struck the man in a similar manner as it had his compatriot. The manifestation of the dark plague seemed to eat at the man's body, and this time Garret watched. His right arm began throbbing, and the Magician sighed as he pulled out Desceld to reapply the Gold Dragon's Blessing to his body. As his body's wounds began to heal themselves, the daggers fell from his arm and clattered to the ground. The screams didn't stop, and Garret closed his eyes before opening them once more. He stepped on the man's chest, keeping him from constantly rolling around on the ground, and brought his sword down on the man's neck, decapitating the man and putting him out of his misery.

---

Garret had returned to the Inn feeling fairly well recovered from all that had occurred that day. He ordered a simple meal from the Inn he was staying at, and finished it quickly before returning to his room. He found Yua nursing the wound on her arm, not yet having fully recovered from the attack he had made on her. When he entered the room, she looked up at him with worry on her face. When she took note that the wound she caused looked mostly healed over, a flash of relief crossed her face. "Yu-" Yua interrupted before Garret could finish saying her name. "Captain! Looks like you found a healer! Are you okay?"

She approached him, poking his chest to test and make sure her eyes weren't playing tricks. It was still a sore spot for the Magician, and he winced as she did so. "Yes. I'm fine, but we still need to discuss what you were doing in the coliseu-" A loud crack was heard, and Garret's vision went blurry for a second as a stinging pain was felt across his cheek; Yua had slapped him.

Yua smiled, though the smile didn't quite reach her eyes. "Boss. While I didn't know who you were, you knew who I was. If you told me to forfeit the match, I would have... And then you hit me in the face!" Garret could tell she was angry, and a pang of guilt flashed through him; he knew he had gone overboard, but one technique flowed into another and it simply ended up as it did. Just as Garret opened his mouth to explain the situation, Yua continued talking. "And! By the way! I was doing coliseum matches because you need money, right?! That's why you've been doing all the hard work by yourself! I haven't stolen anything for you, or did any real work!" She looked away from Garret, collapsing on the bed while taking care not to land on her wounded arm. Looking back at the magician with a gaze of sadness, Yua spoke again. "Am I... Not useful?"

Garret massaged his face where he had been slapped. Had a normal subordinate done such a thing, Garret would have punished them severely. In this case, however, he felt the guilt of having gone too far with his 'test' of the woman's skills. He collapsed in a chair and sighed, leaning his head back. "Yes, you are correct. I went too far. I apologize for that. But you are also mistaken; I do not seek money from the coliseum. What I seek is to ensure that the level of fighters in there is not too high for Azix to challenge." Garret paused, bringing his head back on level and looking towards Yua. She was staring back at him, observing him closely. It was at that point he recalled her last words, and he rubbed his temple. "Look. I'm relying on you for a lot of things, rest assured. Just doing what I ask of you is enough, but I would prefer you ask me in the future if you are looking forward to doing some extra work. You are very useful. I need you by my side, for now and in the future, understood?" Garret knew that there would be quite a line-up of enemies ahead of them, and Yua was an outside resource that they did not yet know of.

As Garret thought on that, Yua blushed but hid it beneath the blankets of the bed. "Ah... I see..." Her embarrassment was lost on the blue magician, who walked over to her and brought the sheets over the rest of her body. "Listen. Rest well; I expect your healing should be complete by tomorrow, and I'll need you to watch over me as I rest as well. Okay?" The woman nodded her head, only her eyes peeking out from under the covers as she closed them and pretended to go to sleep; her heart was beating too quickly for her to sleep easily.

Garret sat back down in the chair, keeping lookout for any trouble and standing vigilant on behalf of the sole employee that was aware of his presence in Reim. Before long, Yua's mind cleared and the fatigue of the day caught up to her, giving her consciousness respite from the feelings she feared she was beginning to develop for her leader.





OOC:
Magoi/Stamina: 90/300
B-Tier Training Word Count: (1807+587) 1032/1000
-exit-

Abilities Trained:

Abilities Used: