KingBlade::Sturmerβs Attack
November 17th, 2005 by Salem
Chapter 19 – The MobilBlade travels past the city limits of the small town of Barter and is well on its way to the capital city of Boneham where they plan to meet a Blade Master named Pixie Dust and her BoltBlade. The Blade Masters talk to each other as the carriage moves on the flat surface of the black paved road. Haiku with her HealthBlade backpack, sits in the driver’s seat with the MobilBlade’s master Malodor Regis. “And this is the camera, it takes pictures of whatever you want,” said Jarody as he was teaching Vivien more about her PDA as Emhril sleeps on a seat that was made for him with his EarthBlade in its own place on a rack just over him. Jarody could hear the thumping sound of whatever kind of primitive engine Selene had made under the carriage. Jarody could not figure out why there was no pattern to the sound. Selene had climbed up on top of the carriage to sit with Zealot in the rear facing seats. “Go ahead, try and grab that rock with your SabreBlade,” instructed Selene. Zealot gave the sword’s hilt a good squeeze and flicked it to the direction of a rock on the side of the road. The tip of the SabreBlade barely touched the rock as it kicked up some dirt when it hit the ground. Zealot gave the hilt another squeeze causing the SabreBlade to become a normal sword again. “I need more time with it. I’m not going to quit until I can use the SabreBlade without having to think about it,” said Zealot as Selene patted him on the shoulder. Wayne was lying down on his back on the top of the carriage looking at both the sky and his TsunamiBlade. Rook was in the air racing the GullBlade once again. Christina and Salem were down on the walkway that ran between the horses getting a feel for the new harness release system.
Chapter 18 – The morning sunlight slowly moves over the small trade town of Barter. A few early risers walk around the paved streets as they get their stands ready for another business day. Salem wakes up between Vivien and Christina not knowing where she is. Am I inside the Bill’s Miller she thinks to herself. How long have I been working in the stable says another voice, Salem feels so disconnected and not sure who she is now. “Four thousand years of this, and I still cannot get use to it.” said Salem to herself. Suddenly there is a loud banging at the door that wakes Christina and Vivien. Vivien gives another horrific hiss taking Christina by surprise causing her to fall off the bed. A voice at the other side of the door could be heard, “Wake-up sleepyheads, its breakfast time! Don’t bother getting dressed!” said Jarody. “Damn, should he be having a major hangover now?” said Christina. “Not our Jarody,” said Salem as she gets up and starts getting dressed. Jarody pounds on the door again, “Didn’t you hear what I said? Get up and get out here now!” Zealot comes up behind him, “Fuck, Jarody. Leave the girls alone. Everyone else is still in bed.” “But I have to eat now, I want to talk to people, and more important I want to see sleepy naked girls!” yelled Jarody as loudly at he could. “What is your problem this morning?” asked Zealot. “You’re not the boss of me!” said Jarody as he turned and started to pound on the girls’ door again, “I know you’re in there!” Zealot just gives a shrug and walks to the stairs to head down into the Bill’s Miller Tavern. Salem opens the door, “What do you want?!” Jarody violently moves Salem aside and looks into the room. “SHIT! You all got dressed! No love for Jarody,” he said as he turns and starts to head down to the tavern as well. “What is the matter with him?” asked Christina. “I stopped questioning his actions a long, long, LONG time ago,” said Salem as she left the room.
Chapter 17 – Salem and Selene were walking, making their way to the rear entrance of the Barter Arena with Christina, Jarody, Vivien, and Haiku to congratulate Zealot on a well fought battle. There were event officials everywhere and a few members of General Carcass’ army were also making their way through the back. The Blade Masters passed emergency cots full of event officials, the ones who were on the arena floor when the Zealot God’s attack was redirected to the ground. They found Zealot with Arian as well as Wayne Marcus and General Carcass surrounded by even more officials and the three women who handed out the trophies. There was also a man in yellow business robes and what looked to be business underlings behind him. He had a typical businessman’s face with an expensive looking haircut and chiseled features and when he smiled; his big teeth almost gave off a glow. “That must be the event organizer,” guessed Salem as they approached. “Here is the Tagi Challenge event organizer, Mr. Rex Tyrann,” said Arian as she introduced the business man to the three fighters. “My pleasure, my what a pleasure it was to watch you three. Wish I could give you all the prize money,” said Mr. Tyrann with a hint of a whisper in his voice. “Then why don’t you,” said Zealot. “Then that would not be fair to Mr. Carcass here,” said Mr. Tyrann. “It is General Carcass; I earned that title, just as I earned the money. Now where is it?” said the large General Carcass. “Damn, he is much bigger close up,” said Christina. “Right here Mr! Umm, General Carcass,” Mr. Tyrann held out a legal note made out to General Carcass for the total of one million collons and zero pents. General Carcass takes the legal note and starts to walk out of the arena. “It’s free to cash that legal note at the Depository printed at the top!” yelled Mr. Tyrann after General Carcass.
Chapter 16 – Salem and Selene were standing in line with Christina, Haiku, and Vivien. Despite the people who left after the second day, the line to the arena entrance looked to be even longer then it was on the first day. There was a man yelling something coming their way, but he was still too far away to hear what it was he was yelling. “Where did all of these people come from?” asked Christina. “I think Carber is hungry,” said Haiku. “The fish?” asked Christina. “No, my Blade,” said Haiku. “You named your Blade Carber?” asked Christina. “Blades do not need to eat,” said Selene trying to hear what the approaching man was saying. “I am sure Carber would not mind using Haiku’s tummy,” said Salem, knowing what Haiku actually meant by what she said. “OoooH,” said Selene finally getting Salem’s clue, “In that case, we better get two hotpigs, one for you and one for Carber.” “Has anyone ever renamed their Blades before?” asked Christina. “Are we not full of questions today, the answer is No. as far as I know. No one has ever renamed their Blade, but then there has never been a seven year-old Blade Master before.” said Salem. “We have been around long enough to know that there is a first time for everything. No matter how farfetched it seems,” said Selene “If you already have your ticket or ticket stubs, please join the line on the left!” yelled the approaching event official. “Hey, come on, we have to change lines,” said Selene as she ducked under the rope to the left. They walked down the left side and found a much shorter line in front of them. “Look, only six or seven people are in this line,” said Salem. “Correction, five people, the line is already going into the arena,” said Selene.
Chapter 15 – The Gemini Twin HexBlade Masters, Salem and Selene were in the Bill’s Miller tavern with the newest Blade Master, a Vampire named Vivien Leblanc. The tavern was empty and everyone else was in bed except for Jarody and Christina, both curious about the woman. “Being a vampire, I am sure you heard of us,” said Salem. Vivien looks at Salem as if she did not understand. “I think we could be running into a language barrier,” says Selene. At this, Vivien reaches into her form fitting pants and pulls out a small piece of parchment and a bone quill. Vivien pricks her own finger and writes on the parchment using her own blood as ink. Vivien hands it over to Selene who then reads it out loud, “I have not heard anything about twin HexBlade masters but I understand what you said. Thought you knew!” Selene looks up at Vivien and says, “She is mute.”
Chapter 14 – The Gemini Twin HexBlade Masters, Salem and Selene with Christina and Haiku were ready for the last three matches of the day in the Tagi Challenge to determine who the last three will be to fight in for a million collons and the title of Master of Warriors. Ring one was Wayne Marcus to fight Lady Slambrawn. Ring two was Zealot to fight the well named Fist. The last ring was General Carcass to fight the mysterious Vivien Leblanc. The event officials were all over the arena floor moving bodies, providing water to the remaining champions, or repairing the fence around the ring. Arian made her way to the stage as three other women followed her with clipboards in their hands talking to her. The three women left when Arian made it to the stage and walked up to the cone. “Ladies and Gentlemen, the Tagi Challenge will now continue with our last challenges. Let the fights begin!” announced Arian, as all of the fighters got up from their seats and faced their rivals in each ring.
Chapter 13 – The Gemini HexBlade Master, Salem sits in the Bill’s Miller tavern with Christina and Emhril as people who were spectators of the Tagi Challenge occupy the tables around them. Salem’s twin is upstairs in Zealot’s room with Haiku as the HealthBlade treated and sews up Zealot’s wounds as he lies in bed. “The HealthBlade’s NanoSpiders are repairing your broken ribs but they will not be as good as new by tomorrow. Your quick regeneration helps a little but it is trying to replace your broken bones, not repair them. That is hard to do when your bones are still there,” said Haiku. “Who sent this child to medical school?” asked Zealot. “It is the HealthBlade talking through Haiku,” said Selene, as she sits on Zealot’s bed watching the HealthBlade do its work. In the tavern, Salem sulks over a mug of mead thinking how unfair it is for Selene to have Haiku repair Zealot’s injuries while the other fighters do not have such a thing to help them recover for tomorrow. Christina is busy giving her GullBlade a good cleaning when Jarody enters the tavern. “Jarody, where have you been? I was looking all over the arena floor for you,” said Christina as she quickly got up and ran to the arriving Jarody. “My dear,” said Jarody as he stroked the bottom of Christina’s chin with his finger, “my job isn’t the kind of job to do in full view of a stadium full of people. Death has to be mysterious and unknown. Anyway, it scares people more when I only appear to them in my true form at the time of their death. It is so fucking cool.” “Were you ready to reap Zealot in his first match?” asked Salem. “Well I was until the ass cheated,” said Jarody as he sat with Christina at her table where she was cleaning her Blade, “Whoever heard of a tickle attack?” “It got him out of a jam,” said Selene as she came down the steps with Haiku and the HealthBlade. “Finished helping Zealot gain an advantage for tomorrow?” asked Salem. “Sister, you surprise me. Have you forgotten what you learned over the course of your life? Those other eleven champions will have some way of recovering as well,” said Selene. “Yeah, like that General Carcass,” said Christina, “All his victories were flawless. Not a single injury but he killed them all. General Carcass will be at his full strength tomorrow for sure.”
Chapter 12 – The Gemini Twin HexBlade Masters, Salem and Selene were in the bleachers of the Barter Arena with Christina and Haiku ready to watch the early day action as more people made their way to the raised platform in the center of the arena. A woman wearing a beautiful green low cut evening gown that showed a lot of her back and flowed down to the floor, walked up to the cone on the stage, “Attention, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Arian, I am the representative of the current event organizer of the Tagi Challenge. Soon, announcers in each section will be speaking in your language so you may follow the action on the arena Floor. This is already going on now in most of the sections.” The twins could already hear the woman’s words being translated in other languages in the other parts of the arena, but it was too faint for them to make it out. Arian continued, “This event will be held in three heats starting with the individual type competition until twelve Champions are selected. Tomorrow will be Heat two, the semifinals where our twelve champions will fight best 2 out of 3 timed matches facing a different opponent each, the order of which will be drawn at random. On the last day, our final 3 top fighters will face each other in an all out three way fight until only one is left able to fight. The last man will receive this.” Arian takes a golden medal from the hands of another woman and raised it for all to see, “The official medal of the Tagi Challenge, this medal is made to attach to anything our last champion sees fit to display. Written on the official medal is, “The 2005 Tagi Challenge Master of Warriors’. Along with this title will be the one million collon prize money. Now welcome our warriors as they make their way onto the floor!”
Chapter 11 – The Gemini Twin HexBlade Masters, Salem and Selene were sitting in the Bill’s Miller tavern with Emhril and Jarody as they knock back a few beers. Christina is upstairs putting Haiku to bed. “So, how do I use this thing other then lug it around,” said Emhril. “Well you can destroy anything you hit with it, is one idea,” said Jarody. “A Blade of destruction,” said Emhril with a frown then sarcastically says, “That would make me popular.” “You attach it to your wrist; the chain on it is called an Eternity Chain. It can get longer and longer as long as it is on your wrist,” said Salem. “Two hundred years ago, the last Blade Master of the EarthBlade took it and threw it across the Mantyan Expanse and let the chain flow out of the shackle. The EarthBlade made it to the other side and he attached the other end to a rock. The people who lived in the area then used the chain to help them build a bridge,” said Selene. “The Mantyan Expanse Bridge?! That bridge has got to be a mile long!” said Emhril. “That bridge would not have been possible without a Blade like the EarthBlade to help make it,” said Salem. “So you see, your Blade is not a Blade of destruction. It is a tool to help people make Colloquy a better world to live,” said Selene.
Chapter 10 – The Gemini Twin HexBlade Masters, Salem and Selene walk the paved streets with Christina from the SaintBlade Cathedral back to the Inn called Bill’s Miller. “Have we met Bill?” asked Salem. “No, but we did meet a big friendly fat guy named Emhril. I am only guessing you did not see him earlier today. He should be working the bar now,” says Selene as they enter the tavern where they find Jarody doing something that knocked them for a real loop. Jarody was standing on the small stage singing “In Heaven there is no beer. (No beer?!) That’s why we drink it here. And when we’re all gone from here. Our friends will be drinking all the beer.” as Emhril was playing on his accordion. The other tavern patrons were enjoying themselves raising their heavy mugs of mead and cider as Haiku moved about the tavern floor delivering full mugs to patrons and collecting the empty ones. Salem and Selene never liked to be part of things like this. They were trying their best now to make their way to the steps and up to their quiet room. Suddenly, Pawn jumps off Salem’s shoulders and lands on the floor shaking his head and twitching all over the floor until he opened the ThievesBlade void. The EarthBlade comes flying out and lands hard in the middle of the room.
Chapter 9 – The Gemini Twin HexBlade Masters, Salem and Selene walk the paved streets with Christina to the SaintBlade Cathedral in the middle of town. The cathedral is the largest building in the trade city of Barter. It is the center of the city’s religious community. The large building is decorated with carvings of the Caretakers and their Blades. Also on the building can be seen carvings of religious leaders of the past and stone creatures to scare off evil spirits. The three Blade Masters walk through the large doors of the cathedral and enter the grand hall where the mass will be held. Rows of pews cover the black marble floor and windows with stained glass depicting the fourteen most important milestones in Colloquy history. As people shuffle in and take their spots, the three blade masters take a back hallway to climb some steps to access a balcony reserved only for traveling Blade Masters. Christina takes one of the front most seats as Salem and Selene sit on the seats behind her. From here they could see everyone in the congregation. It also appears that some of the warriors have arrived to attend the mass. The place was filled to the point where most people were left standing on the side aisles. Young monks in black robes prepared the altar and the religious objects used in the mass ceremony. On the wall behind the altar was a large brass plate shined up to the point of resembling gold. On the brass plate were raised images and carvings. The most prominent of the raised images was an ornate copy of the SaintBlade surrounded by small images of other blades of which were made up by the artist who made the three story tall brass plate. On either side of the SaintBlade were the eleven thousand words that made up The Colloquy of the World and were the only part of the plate where light can pass through to give the words a glowing look.
Chapter 7 – The Gemini Twin HexBlade Masters, Salem and Selene with new Blade Master Christina and the Human form of death named Jarody are riding their horses to the trade town of Barter. Pawn is asleep as usual on Salem’s shoulders as Rook races the GullBlade in the air. The twins are leading the way discussing between themselves a plan to find masters for the remaining 4 Blades they have with them before leaving for Cragorus where Terra’s cave is located. Jarody and Christina are taking up the rear as Christina continues to question Jarody to find out any more cool information about him and the twins. “You have a birthday?” asked Christina. “Been so long since I last thought about it, I’ve forgotten when it was,” answered Jarody. The group of 4 ride past a long pile of rocks that have obviously been moved to make way for the dirt road. Behind the wall of rocks moves a shadowy figure holding a glowing staff that is humming with energy. “You dared evoke the wrath of a C’Tan?” it says to itself with a robotic creaking voice, “Foolish beings.”
Chapter 6 – The Gemini Twin HexBlade Masters, Salem and Selene with the man named Jarody walk into the afternoon sun light. The horses, Darkwind, Skyclap, and a nearly bald Syntax, greet them with whinnies as Pawn appears out of nowhere, and climbs up Salem’s body to come to rest once again on his owner’s shoulders. Christina can be seen running from a well about a hundred yards away. “Who is the chick with the huge melons?” asked Jarody when he saw the approaching Blade Master. Selene says through her teeth, “That is Christina. If you do anything to hurt her, I can promise you a fate worse then death.” “Hey, everything is cool. Why would I want to hurt that! Make her moan and scream my name, maybe. But not hurt her,” said Jarody as the twins gave him a look that would melt an iceberg. Christina meets them with a large smile on her face, “You are back! Who is this? I thought you were there to get Death and his ScytheBlade to join us?” “This is Jarody, the human form of death,” said Selene as Christina takes a long look at the man in unusual clothing. Selene takes out the container of food Salem had put together in Death’s kitchen and gives it to Christina, “We figured you would be hungry so we put this together.” “Thanks,” said Christina as she looked at the container with hungry eyes, “You two forgot to tell me how to get Pawn to retrieve the food.” “No use anyway. Pawn only obeys me,” said Salem as she turned to Jarody and starts to pat her GunBlade, “I think we forgot something.” Jarody puts down his luggage and zips it open, inside were more otherworld clothes and a few strange objects. Jarody pulls out something the twins know all too well. It was a small dagger with an extremely curved blade. To Christina, it did not look like anything special.