Ayero V.S. Clown Baby, Garret V.S. Rocky

Garret arrived for his next Coliseum match; it was one that was held nearing the end of the day, when everyone was getting ready to go home anyways. Due to his reputation in the Coliseum, most spectators did not even want to stick around to watch his fights, and as such he was placed on a late string for matches. It didn't matter much to the magician, so long as they continued to supply tough opponents from which he could gauge the danger level of those members which were present within the Coliseum. Garret was still cloaked in the gear that had hidden his true identity so well in his prior matches. He opened the door to the waiting room he would be in, not the one he was normally in, and took note of the different participants of the Coliseum that were present. This room was much more full than the other, giving little choice for the Magician but to sit next to somebody.

It wasn't that the room was overcrowded, but there was not a single bench that wasn't already shared by at least two others. It was not so much a conscious choice, but a subconscious inclination that caused Garret to sit next to a red-haired woman of Fanalis descent. He did not recall her on a conscious level, though he had met her briefly, once, during a hectic point in time where memories were not too sharply recalled in the haze of urgency. Yet the unknown tug of familiarity is what brought the man to where he was. His staff jingled as it was rested in an upright fashion upon the ground.

Rufi was in this group, as well, and approached Garret and the Fanalis woman beside him. The veteran looked towards Ayero and nodded before looking back at Garret. "Crim. I'm surprised to see you still alive. I heard the Event Organizers have a price on your head, and have been hiring Assassins. Look, it's great that you've been allowing your opponents to live, but you can't keep doing what you're doing. The Coliseum is meant to be a spectator fight..."

Garret simply stared at Rufi without speaking, and the man sighed, shaking his head.

OOC:

Training A-Tier ability: 372/1500

Ayero had been waiting patiently for her match when a thickly garbed man had squeezed into the open seat next to her. She gave him a brief sideways glance before returning her gaze forward and closing her eyes. While she was not in deep thought, she did try to rest and calm herself before battle. She was aware that some of the coliseum participants preferred not to be bothered, while others were fine with striking up a conversation with a stranger. Ayero was a mix between the two. At times she preferred to be alone with her thoughts, and at other times she was not opposed to idle chatter. She felt as if she recognized the man sitting next to her from somewhere, but guessed that he didn’t want to be disturbed. She didn’t have much to say to him anyway.


She reopens her eyes at Rufi’s approach, returning his nod of acknowledgement. To her surprise, the seasoned fighter addressed Crim. Upon hearing the man’s name, a spark flickered in Ayero’s eyes. She recalled the name, and now connected it to the person sitting next to her and where she had seen him from. She had attended a prior match of his, but it had ended poorly. Crim had cast some sort of snow spell, concealing the fight from the spectators until it was finished. This had irritated her as well as the spectators, as they had paid good money to see a fight. And according to Rufi’s speech, this wasn’t the first time Crim had pulled something like this.


In truth, she thought it was arrogant. People had their different reasons for fighting in the coliseum. Fighters like Rufi liked to give the crowd a good fight, and she herself enjoyed the rush of battle and the thrill of the cheering crowds. Some came just to satisfy their own blood lust. She figured Crim to be in the latter category. Regardless, she found it in poor taste to completely obscure one’s fights. But she would not voice this opinion, at least not yet.


Leaning back, Ayero exhales deeply. She wanted to say something, but she had to choose her words carefully. ”It shouldn’t be too hard for a magician of your caliber to throw a little crowd pleasing flare into his battles.” While her words could come off as insulting, in was a poor attempt to make an honest suggestion. Ayero didn’t know a whole lot about magic but from what she had seen, magicians could create some impressive looking spells. A faint smirk tilted her lips upward. ”It’s not that hard for Xenos. A kick in the balls and the crowd goes wild.”


[B-tier ability training: 445/750 w/amulet reduction]

At first, Garret said nothing, simply staring Rufi down. In his mind, however, he couldn't help but wonder about her comment on the competitor named 'Xenos', especially considering her mention of him having been attacked between the legs. The silence eventually gave cause for the older gladiator to walk away, shaking his head.Hmm. Intent. That's right. I suppose the intentions of the Coliseum members should be gauged as well... That's something I should have noted, before. If they do not seek to kill, then it does not matter if the opponent is strong or not. What matters is their intentions... Garret wanted to bury his head in his hands as the realization crossed him. Instead, Garret turned to Ayero, looking at her quizzically beneath the jingasa hat.

"I do not battle to put on a show. Nor do I fight to entertain myself...." He trailed off for a moment, and the attempted to quickly change the subject. "You mentioned a 'Xenos'. I assume you and this fellow have fought, then?" Surely he would be able to judge some of the hardships that Azix had gone through with such a description.

OOC:

Training an A-Tier ability: 372+195 = 567/1500

Ayero held back her surprise as Crim turned to her and responded to her words. She had expected him to remain silent as he did with Rufi. Her eyes narrowed slightly when he explained briefly that he did not fight for the entertainment of himself or others. Still, she held herself back from prying into this stranger’s business. Perhaps he needed money and was shy of crowds. But no matter which way she could rationalize it, she doubted that the coliseum officials cared about much beyond their reputation and profits.



”No.” She shakes her head lightly and leans back against the bench once more, letting her eyes fall closed. ”I’ve fought alongside him twice.” She opens one eye, then the other to give Crim a quizzical look. ”You know him?”


[Training B-tier ability: 578/750 w/ amulet reduction]

Garret leaned forward, gazing away from Ayero as she spoke. He considered her words, followed by her question, before answering with a lie. "Personally? No." He paused for a moment and looked back towards her. "Though I do know of him. He is fairly well known outside of the Coliseum, though the fighter name he has chosen is different from his actual name. I haven't seen any of his matches, but you've been in two of them. Did the two of you have any trouble against your opponents?" On the opposite spectrum of Ayero, Garret was not shy when asking his questions. The stark contrast between his sealed lips from before and his now talkative nature would surely hint at some motive behind him asking, though that motive was not quite clear.

OOC:

Training an A-Tier ability: 134+567 = 701/1500

Ayero hums in thought, contemplating Crim’s words as she absently ran a hand through her red waves. She was aware of both Xenos’ real name and the work he’d done for Remano, but she chose not to dwell on it. Still, she couldn’t help but wonder why Crim seemed so interested in Azix’s skills in the arena. Perhaps he was fishing for information on the other magician as a possible future opponent? Her eyes narrowed at the thought of the orange magician being killed by Crim. If Rufi stated was true, then the man had stopped killing his opponents, but she guessed it was because he chose to, not that he didn’t have the capability to do so. While she had faith in Azix’s strength in the arena, she realized that she had come to care for him a bit, as an ally.


Putting both hands behind her head, Ayero leans back and rests her eyes as she recalls the double matches she fought with Azix. ”They weren’t easy, but we were victorious both times.” A slow smirk crosses her face as she remembers the ending to their first match. ”He can take a hit decently enough.” Her eyes open and an inquiring gaze flickers over to the man at her side. ”Do you intend on fighting him?”


[Training B-tier ability: 750+/750 w/amulet reduction]

Garret leaned back as she contemplated his words and saw from the corner of his eye one of the Coliseum participants returning from a match. He looked injured, but nothing too serious that a few days in the infirmary couldn't have him patched up. He briefly wondered how many participants were killed in the Coliseum, and how many were spared. If he recalled, the faction that Rufi was a part of was much larger than the faction Bosson seemed to be a part of. And then there was Aquilla; it seemed the archer only killed somebody because she had been driven into a corner. As these thoughts passed through Garret's mind, he noted movement from the woman to his right. She left out quite a few details, only explaining that they won with effort. When she asked if he intended on fighting Azix, Garret shook his head. "I would prefer not to, if it could be helped..." Garret realized after he spoke that the words he said half-damned him; why would he not want to fight Azix? A reason for it would have to be made, shortly, if Ayero pressed any further.

OOC:

Training an A-Tier ability: 193+701 = 894/1500

Crim’s response earned him an arched eyebrow, and Ayero paused before speaking. The mystery surrounding this man had begun to irritate her, but part of it was due to her hesitance in asking questions. Whatever Crim’s motives were for the coliseum, she did not want to be a part of them or make herself a target of sorts. ”I see…” She muttered, searching for the words she wanted to use. ”Afraid of facing your fellow magician in the arena?” Her tone was less taunting and more serious, and it was obvious that she was trying to probe the man for information. She rationalized it as harmless, wanting nothing more to satisfy her own curiosity. A brief thought flashed in the back of her mind, realizing that she’d rather not have to face Crim in the coliseum.


[Training B-tier ability: 750+/750 w/amulet reduction]

There was a short silence between the two of them, and Garret relaxed slightly as he imagined he had dodged the question. That silence, however, was soon made evident to be a product of hesitation, and that this very hesitation had been broken when the woman decided to ask if he were afraid of facing another Magician in the Coliseum. Garret frowned, though that frown was hidden by both the hat and his face mask. "It is not fear of a fellow magician that deters me... I simply do not wish to fight a man who may not agree to my terms. Not when such a man is counted on like Xenos is. I would be forced to kill him." Garret's words held no hesitation, and the way he spoke about eliminating another person was with a disinterest that belonged to those who were not a stranger to a real battle tothe death. The reasoning was slightly hollow, however; Garret knew that if they fought, Azix would agree to his terms if he explained who he was. He also knew that he wouldn't have to kill the man, though it was questionable whether or not Garret had the capability of killing the magician in the first place.

OOC:

Training an A-Tier ability:208+894 = 1102/1500

Ayero didn’t know how to react to Crim’s statement immediately, as the decisiveness with which he spoke startled her a bit. She didn’t know what to make of his ‘terms’ either. All in all, this man certainly seemed strange to her. Though she found herself wanting to know why he did what he did and what actually took place during his matches that he had to obscure with snow, the Fanalis woman had to consciously hold herself back from prodding him for any more information. She didn’t want to mess with something she wasn’t prepared to deal with. She came to the coliseum to feel the rush of battle and earn her money, not probe around in some strange man’s business.

”I don’t know what your agenda is here, but whatever it is might be cut short.” Ayero alluded vaguely to the Kou forces trickling in, leaning forward and giving Crim a once-over through her narrow gaze. ”Though I suppose whatever it is must be important if you still insist on coming here.” The more she spoke with him, the more this man aroused suspicion within her.


[Training B-tier ability: 750+/750 w/amulet reduction]

Enemy:

Garret looked over to the Fanalis woman as she warned him of his goals being cut short. He wondered what she had meant by those words; was it due to the assassins that were being sent after him, her own plans to face him in the coliseum, or some other exterior force, such as the Kou soldiers, having some sort of sway on matters. He smiled, amused at the thought of assassins attempting to stop him. When she leaned towards him and looked at him with a narrow gaze, the smile moved back to a neutral position. Garret couldn't help but laugh when she said her expectations of importance. "My apologies. I believe it to be important, though I'm sure I'm likely the only one who thinks so... Tell me, have you slain any of your opponents in the Coliseum?" Garret twisted the direction of conversation, though technically it was still tied into his reasons for being there.

---

Later that day.

It was Garret's turn to enter his match, the name 'Crim' having been called out. He walked forward, through the hall. The conversation was refreshing, and he felt much better with going through with this match. He continued the ritualistic punch upon the wall of the hallway before he entered into the bright center of the Coliseum, met with the degradations and booing of the crowd.

Garret entered the Arena in much the same manner that he had done so before, planting his staff upon the ground and preparing himself for the match before him. It looked like his opponent this time would be a brute of a man, who had with him quite an impressive weapon. The muscles that rippled on that man's body were the muscles of a fighter who had trained for a countless number of days. A close range battle would be dangerous, or so Garret believed. Garret got into position and, as always, plunged the staff into the ground and awaited the start sound.

As soon as the battle began, Garret cast Snowy Expanse, shrouding their match in mystery. Though he knew that there were some sort of executive level members of the Coliseum that frowned on such antics, Garret cared little. The types of assassins they had sent so far were fairly weak in power. "If you wish to live, then promise me one thing. When we finish fighting, if I win, you will not speak a word of our match to anyone." His hand was still placed on the pole to his right, and the magician awaited a response from Rocky.

"Ha! So soft! Fine, it sounds good to me. But let me warn you; if I win, you will not live to experience the shame of losing to me! So it has been for every match I have won, and so it will continue to be." Rocky twirled his gigantic mace over his head before leveling it towards Garret, shouting out a battle roar and charging forward.

Garret couldn't help but narrow his eyes. So... He kills those he defeats, without listening to their pleas for mercy. That is an existence too dangerous to allow Azix to face against. "I've changed my mind." Garret spoke as he watched the lumbering man charge forward. The speed he was moving at was ridiculously slow, and the Magician shortly lost all fear he previously had of the man's strength. He let go of the staff, and Rocky's eyes opened wide as the magic did not dissipate. Even though there was minor surprise from the man, he was a grizzled veteran of the Coliseum and such a petty trick would not truly give him pause.

Garret jumped to the left using River Styx Style: Stepping Stones as he held his wand in his left hand. The burst of speed brought him clear around Rocky, who couldn't keep up with Garret under normal circumstances.  Not wanting to give the Magician a chance to attack his blind spot, Rocky used Starry Whirlwind. His body began swinging around at a high pace before suddenly finding himself stopped; Garret had performed River Styx Style: Crescent Whirlpool and landed his crescent kick on a non-spikey partition of the mace, knocking it down and stopping the man's attack in its place. Garret performed the second step of his Stepping Stones, placing him squarely behind the Coliseum fighter. "A magician that's a fighter?"

Though the man was surprised and began turning, Garret already began charging magoi around his arm. Rocky, who saw this, immediately brought up his Hit Me Again technique in hopes that it would defend against the coming attack. Just as Rocky finished turning, Garret's hand finished thrusting from a River Styx Style: Ikken Hissatsu: Deep Sea Harpoon. The hand sunk into the man's chest and pierced his heart, even with the defenses of Rocky attempting to stop it.

It was Garret's turn to be shocked, as Rocky brought down his Ground Pound in a last ditch effort to defeat Garret. The grand blow struck the peak of Garret's Borg before being deflected to the side as it shattered. With the utmost caution in mind, Garret jumped backward with his final leap from his Stepping Stones technique, putting distance between himself and Rocky in order to ensure no further attacks occurred. It was surprising enough that the man had enough strength to continue with a final attack, yet Garret was unsure if the man was able to perform any further techniques. When the man finally fell to the floor, the magician walked back to the staff and picked it up.


Much like his prior matches, the crowd hated the Magician's fights. Many came just to jeer, some came just to see the match that they knew they wouldn't get to see, and some came to see Rocky defeat the magician. In the stands, one of the alcoves held some of the V.I.P. members of the Coliseum; backers and event organizers both. They watched the fight with general distaste. A strange looking man approached the group from the shadows, and a pouch of gold exchanged hands. "Make sure they get him, this time. Send as many as you have to."



Garret did as he always did while this exchange unnknowingly took place, and made his exit from the coliseum. On his way to a place he could change out his clothing, a group of assassins that were hired by the men from before cornered the Magician with sheer numbers. Sighing, Garret held his hand in the air, calling upon the strength of Cimeies. He brought to himself the most destructive means he could think of. His body began to radiate pure death, a plague of crippling power, just as several of the assassins jumped in to strike at him. They fell to the ground, in deep pain as the strange scars began eating away at their flesh. Garret walked forward, ignoring their attempts to strike at him. They began throwing knives at him from afar, hoping to strike the Magician and harm him that way.

Yet even these attacks melted away to nothingness. The group did not seem to try to cose the distance any longer, and Garret looked in both directions as they continually pelted the plague magic with their knives, looking for an opening while following the magician. They left him with no other choice; Garret worked his way to a road that had a sewer lid and took a detour, losing them in the underground maze and finding his way to an abandoned warehouse in which he could switch out his clothing. It was a long day, though he was somewhat satisfied with how it ended.

OOC:
Magoi/Stamina:  140/300
A-Tier Spell training Word Count: 1200+1102 = 2302/1500

Abilities Trained:

Abilities Used:

[/b]

Ayero gave Crim an odd look when he laughed, certainly not expecting that sort of reaction from the cloaked man. Was he making fun of her? She didn’t know what to make of him now. Exhaling, the Fanalis woman leans back against the wall with her face tilted away from Crim. At his apology and inquiry, she’s able to keep the surprise off of her face as she turns her gaze back towards him, this time with less venom. Her breath hitches in her throat as she prepares to speak, suddenly stopping herself at the realization that she didn’t not know how to readily answer his question. She had never really concerned herself with her opponents after the battle had been won.

A feeling of unease came over the woman at the idea of her taking a life and not even having a second thought about it. Such views occasionally came into her mind when she was not in battle, for when she was fighting her thoughts and actions were geared toward victory, and thus survival. She vaguely recalls seeing some of her former opponents around the coliseum grounds. ”I can’t answer that with certainty. But I will say that my aim is victory, not to bring death. Though sometimes the two do overlap.”

---

Later that same day…

Spoiler:

Standing in the open air of the arena, Ayero patiently awaited her opponent. The Fanalis woman radiated a composed aura, her posture and expression reflecting a calm air. Her left wrist was resting on the hilt of her sheathed sword while waiting for her next opponent to make his or her appearance. She did not have long to wait, as shortly after she made her own entrance her rival for this match would take his own place on the field, standing roughly 20 meters from Ayero. The Fanalis raised a brow as she eyed the man, noting his mostly bald head save for the one curl of blond against his forehead. He looks like…a giant baby…? Though he did indeed appear a bit odd, his heavily muscled body and metal gloves were not overlooked by her.


The large man raised his head, looking down at Ayero with a friendly twinkle in his crystal blue eyes. ”Yhus! EET IS I! CLOWHN BABUH!” The blond man posed extravagantly, flexing his impressive muscles. The crowd erupted into cheers at the sight, amused by the odd man and his promising physique.




”Clown—Clown Baby? Like a…baby clown? Or a baby that…a clown that is a baby…?” Ayero’s brows knit together in confusion as she observed the man before her, clearly not expecting to face a…clown baby. The man only laughed and shook his head, hands placed on his hips as he did so. ”Exactly! I am CLOWHEEEN BABYEH! Eet is only a stage name, young lahdy. Now come! Let us have a good cleahn fight!” Exhaling, Ayero just decides to roll with it. Despite the man’s strange demeanor and even stranger name, he was still likely to be a strong opponent to have made it this far. ”…alright. May the best fighter win!”


Both fighters rushed forward, Clown Baby raising his right fist first and thrusting it towards the approaching Fanalis. When his motion reached its apex, the metal spikes embedded into his gloves shot forward at an incredible speed and headed towards Ayero using Razzle Dazzle. As the spikes launched, Clown Baby began running towards Ayero behind his attack in preparation to deal some close range damage. Said Fanalis was surprised by this attack, pegging Clown Baby as a close ranged fighter. Still, she did not let this deter her mind and responded swiftly by slamming her foot in the ground with incredible force. The ground around her began to shudder and shake as a slab of earth rose in front of the woman, her Land’s Armor effectively clashing with Clown Baby’s projectile attack.

[Trained Land’s Armor 750+/750 w/ amulet reduction]

Despite having his first move blocked, Clown Baby remained undeterred and struck the earthen wall with his fist, effectively destroying the wall with a Slam Up. As the earth cracked and crumbled under the man’s fist, Ayero took a cautious step back, prepared to move away. When she spied Clown Baby’s pale visage through the crated her had created in the wall, the Fanalis woman dug her heels into the ground and sprang upwards in a Great Leap, just in time to avoid another Slam Up from her opponent.

”OHOHOHO! I knew I should not underestimate you!” The odd man threw back his head and gave a jovial laugh, his eyes twinkling. Clearly he was enjoying the fight, and the friendly yet competitive mood that settled over their battle began to affect Ayero as well. A smirk begins to play at Ayero’s lips as she lands several meters away, raising a brow as if to beckon her opponent forward. Instead of immediately gunning for her, Clown Baby raises one massive fist in an exaggerated motion and slams it into the ground, the earth beneath him quaking Shimmy and Shake. The quake traveled outwards in a radial manner from its source, forcing Ayero on unsteady footing and causing damage to her feet and legs from the chunks of rock kicked up from the vibrations.

Once again following the path of his attack, Clown Baby attempted to perform another Slam Up once he got in range of Ayero. Steadying herself in time, the Fanalis ducked beneath the fist and performed a High Kick, sweeping her leg upwards to meet Clown Baby’s chin. While completing the movement of her kick, Ayero brought around her sword in a vertical manner, but it was blocked by Clown Baby’s Iron Will. As Ayero lowered her leg, she brought her free hand up to form a fist, lashing upwards and striking Clown Baby in the chest with a Knockback.

The force of Ayero’s kick sent her opponent back 10 meters, panting from the damage that the Fanalis woman had inflicted. Despite his blunt injuries, Clown Baby still held a spark of enjoyment in his eye. In a last attempt to deal some damage to the Fanalis woman from afar, he thrusts his left fist towards Ayero, launching the spikes from it using Razzle Dazzle once more. This time Ayero had anticipated the ranged attack and brought her hands together causing a monsterous clap that released a Shockwave that traveled through the air, intercepting the projectiles and blocking them from traveling any further. As the spikes fell to the ground before reaching their target, Ayero once again slammed her foot into the ground. Instead of beckoning a wall of earth forward, the ground began to rip and tear from Ayero’s Magnitude. The rippling ground struck Clown Baby who could not move fast enough to be free of the attack’s range, jagged pieces of loose earth catching his legs, causing him to fall.

Exhaling, Ayero watched her bruised opponent carefully until she had been announced the winner. In a moment of inspiration, the Fanalis woman did something she had never done before in the coliseum. Carefully making her way over the steep rocks, Ayero approached the fallen fighter. Leaning over, she offered her hand to the blond man. ”You fight well. That was a good match.” Clown Baby turn to look up at her before breaking into a smile and grasping her hand, the twinkle never once leaving his blue eyes.

[Training for Shockwave: 583/750 w/ amulet reduction]

[Stamina: 80/250]

Spoiler:

Garret considered her words for a brief moment, nodding slowly. It was a simple truth in life; sometimes, if two beings fought, one could not hold back. A fight to the death would become inevitable. Yet what surprised Garret was that she was uncertain. He couldn't say he remembered everyone he killed. There were too many for that. Even so, he normally did so deliberately and could recall where he had killed before.

He wondered how she viewed the world, what kind of thoughts passed through her mind, and how she felt in battle. A sense of vertigo passed through the magician as he entertained such thoughts, stirring him from his reverie. He grunted. "If the old man hasn't bothered you, then I'm sure your opponents mostly came out alive. Or maybe the crowd loves you? He seems to have a thing for entertaining others..." Garret nodded his head over to Rufi, the older Coliseum contestant.

Ayero followed Crim’s gesture as his head tilted towards Rufi and she furrowed her brow in thought. ”I guess. I can’t speak for the others, but I’m here for the money and the feel of battle. I suppose it could be my brash style of fighting that people like, but there’s something thrilling about hearing people chant your name.” Ayero settles her gaze on the entrance to the hall that leads to the arena, the thought of the cheering throngs causing her blood to pump quicker through her veins. Try as she might, Ayero couldn’t deny her instinctual desire and love for combat.

”But it doesn’t seem that you’re interested in something like that.” The Fanalis woman breaks her thoughts to bring her focus back on Crim, her voice holding a tinge of amusement. ”Though I am curious to see how you fight. It must be something truly unique if you insist on keeping it hidden.” Her tone still has a humorous edge, but she wasn’t lying.



[Trained Shockwave: 750+/750 w/ amulet reduction]

Garret looked at Ayero through a sidelong, glance, considering her words. While her amusement was evident, he also felt that she was sincere in her desire to see his capabilities. Hmm. We may fight in the future... And there is no harm in explaining my conditions, even if we do not fight... Breaking from his thoughts with a slow nod, Garret turns towards Ayero. "I see. Well, you may yet have an opportunity to. We are both fighting in the Coliseum, and eventually the organizers may put us up against each other. If you're curious, the condition I offer in combat is as follows; if I win, you do not speak a word of how I fight to any others. Those who have not accepted that condition have lost their lives at the end of my matches."

There was an obvious flaw in the condition. One could easily promise such a thing, and then betray the promise once the match was over. Whether or not 'Crim' was aware, much less whether he had some sort of counter-balance to the flaw, was unknown.

Ayero’s eyes brighten in surprise and she gives Crim a curious look, as if expecting for him to elaborate. So he really doesn’t want people to see how he fights…very well. She still couldn’t help but wonder why Crim posed such conditions, but decided to hold her tongue rather than edge onto what could be sensitive territory. If this man had the clear choice to let his opponents live or die, then he was likely a dangerous opponent. Ayero then turns away from Crim and closes her eyes, straining to remember the match-ups she’d seen with Crim’s name on them. She had only attended one of his matches, the fight against Jin Cho whose life had been spared. She could recall little else about the man, much less who he let live and who has killed.
 
 

”I see. Then if we ever come to face each other in the arena, I will agree to your terms. I’d rather not lose my life if I can help it.” She spoke in an airy tone, the tinge of amusement in her voice not letting up. Opening one eye then the other, she focuses on the cloaked man once more. ”But you must promise to give me a good fight. Can you do that, Crim?”

Garret listened to Ayero, smiling wryly beneath his mask. From the looks of her, she was a skilled swordsman, and he knew that he would be pushed to his limits if he ended up fighting her. As he considered her agreeing to his terms, another Coliseum contender had returned from battle and was greeted by some of his friends. Garret paid little attention to the wounds upon the man, and opened his mouth to respond to Ayero's comment of not wanting to lose her life. She seemed amused; a situation where only the confident could be amused in, backing his belief that she would be a tough opponent. Before he could say anything, however, she picked up where she left off and asked him if he could give her a good fight.

Taken back by her sudden forwardness, Garret opens his mouth to speak again but is called up as the next contestant. Grunting, he stood up and prepared himself for his match. Before he walked, back towards the Fanalis, Garret spoke. "I'm strong. If we fight, it is most definitely a promise." The magician began walking down the corridor, preparing himself for the combat ahead...


OOC:
-exit-

Ayero kept her gaze focused on Crim, waiting for an answer. Through most of her life she did not wish to put herself in any unnecessary fights, but slowly that began to change. She used to fight for coin then, and she supposed that she was doing the same now. But the experience of fighting different opponents in the coliseum is what drew her to participate in the arena, even the mention of battle sending a rush of adrenaline through her system. She was well aware that death was an apparent risk in the coliseum, but the Fanalis had some semblance of foolish youthful invincibility, despite having more than one brush with death.

As Crim’s name was called for the next match, Ayero tilted her head upwards to keep her gaze on him. She had to keep from breaking out in a rare Cheshire grin at his response.

”I know. Good luck.” It was unclear whether she was wishing him luck in his next match or in their potential fight. But she leaves it at that, sighing as she closes her eyes and leans back into her seat, trying to calm the flow of adrenaline.

[Exit]