Dreadlords War Games

[Zael Castomir]

Zael! You better stay the fuck down!

To himself, Zael chuckled and smiled and said, "Shit, Vance, I thought you knew me."

Alright big guy, time to get up. Yep. Get your ass up. Didn't show up here to take a nap. Oh hey, look, there's Ella. Goddamn, what happened to her face? Well, she's on the red team, so at least the color matches with her tunic (and her hair, how stylish). Come on. Stop starin. One foot on the ground. There ya go. Worry about your dick later. Fuckin Kress, that hurt though, can still feel it my damn guts. Well, that's why the Proctors tortured you, eh? You've known worse. Doesn't make havin your balls electrocuted any better, but you've known worse. Other foot on the ground. That's right, champions take all the time they need. Now the best part, hotshot. Standin up after you've been knocked down. Count of three. Fuck I love three. One, two, three.

Zael, with a heavy grimace displaying a wall of clenched white teeth, made it back up to his feet. Sword in one hand, his other danced along his bare chest in an intricate pattern. College Magic. Yeah, Zael hadn't fallen asleep in those classes, just the boring history and natural philosophy and mathematics stuff. Upon himself he inscribed a Minor Elemental Ward. Like armor against blades, Wards were good ablative protection against the appropriate magic. Little problem with them though: lightning was elemental, yeah, but so was fire. The Ward would help shield him some from Vance, but it would fuck with Zael's own magic.

But that was alright. Zael was itching for a good sword fight--other Initiates on the blue/red team were dueling in such a way, and hey, he was jealous.

Zael started to run. He ran toward Vance even as his lightning struck Ever. Maybe Vance heard the clanking footsteps behind him or maybe not. He'd better! Zael was lining up a good thrust and he didn't want that to be it!

* * * * *​

Meanwhile, Bull grumbled something in response to Everleigh, something he probably thought was cool and witty but came out rather flat and uninspired. He picked up the Orb, and was momentarily surprised when his flesh and body shrank back down to its regular size, this like an inflated bag letting out the air within.

Nevertheless, he turned and started to run.

Only to be tackled by Graham, the mousy one, and down on the ground they wrestled over the Orb.

Vance Calgrave Everleigh Ebersol Eleanor Tarkas Verik

 

[Vance Calgrave]

He was momentarily blinded and deafened by his own attack, so it took a second before he saw that Everleigh was down. At first he thought he had outright incinerated Bill, but his chest fell as he recognized the untransformed yet still distinctive figure lurching away.

Vance heard footsteps behind him, but they weren't Zael's, they were hoofbeats. Aliana was charging through the fray on a massive steed of inky night, her eyes tearing black mist into streams behind her. By the time he turned she was close enough to obscure Zael, and it was too late for him to leap out of the way.

It felt like being struck with a block of ice when the horse bowled into him, sending him skidding several meters away on the rough stones. What the fuck?! was what he wanted to scream at her, but the wind had been thrown from him lungs. He had no idea that she'd saved him from fiery impalement.

Aliana didn't stop to see if her interception had worked. She had only pushed Vance out of the way so that he'd still work towards winning, although right now those odds seemed low. Ella was down, their other teammates were either still maneuvering through the city or held back by golems, and Vance was preoccupied with his latest pissing contest.

Up to her then. She spurred the silhouetted warhorse onwards on thunderous hooves that left no mark. She was gaining on Bull, but she'd need more help. She closed her eyes, though the black mist still seeped from beneath her lids. She pulled back the veils of time, searching through each soul that had been slain in battle on these grounds. Nothing... nothing... there!

She opened her eyes, and the mists pooled behind her into the shape of a slender humanoid riding at her back. The elf shade leaned out with a longbow of void, and took a shot.

 

[Everleigh Ebersol]

It hurt. Everything hurt.

Everleigh lay on the ground, limbs spasming for seconds that seemed to stretch into an eternity. Her vision was blurry, her ears were ringing.

Ten seconds passed.

Everleigh attempted to take a deep breath but her chest ached and searing white hot pain erupted from her chest and gripped at her throat and stomach. She cough and felt it, bile rising up her throat. She tilted her head off to the side just as she sputtered the yellow liquid mixed with crimson flecks. Another cough and sputter: more blood, sticky and metallic, infused with heavy spit so it only slid out from the corner of her mouth and down the side of her cheek.

Twenty seconds passed.

She didn’t want to get up. How long had she been lying down? At least an hour by this point, right? Who won? Red team? Fuck them and their flashy powers. Fuck Vance most of all. Actually, no, fuck Bull! Fuck him sideways with a splintery broom handle!

Another ten seconds passed.

Her vision began to clear. Everleigh could hear commotion. Was… was the fight still going on? Deep breath, forcing herself to stop babying her body by only breathing shallow. She needed to get up then if the fight was still going on. She blinked, the fuzziness of her thoughts, her memories, starting to lighten and become clear. She sat and immediately vertigo rocked through her. Her stomach lurched up, and more bile spewed out from her lips and down her blue vest.

More time passed but she managed to do it. She stood up, her thighs trembling as if she had just ran a marathon, her fingers still twitching from the shock of electricity. But she was up. Every part of her still screamed at her, reminding her of the pain she was in, but Everleigh was up. She stared at her heads, the pair of piercings around each middle finger were bleeding.

She took a deep breath, and crouched down low, stealthily— or as stealthily as she could in this state full of agony— making her way back to the orb and using the rubble and such as cover, picking up the three daggers that were closest to her. Let Alina and her shadow buddies take out Bull. They’d be doing the poison eater a favor.

Zael Castomir Vance Calgrave

 

[Zael Castomir]

Zael had to dig his heels into the broken ground to stop himself in time. He could feel the wind from Aliana whipping by him, right in between himself and Vance, on her conjured shadowsteed. Damn it, she was just like the post-Revolution Proctors! Stopping the fight right as it was getting good!

Still, even as Zael's sword impaled nothing but air, it gave him a moment of clarity. A split second overview of the battle and the tactical situation thereof. Vance was knocked down by his own teammate, Everleigh was down but getting back up (soon she'd be covertly slinking along toward the orb, but Zael wouldn't see it), Bull over there had just finished pummeling poor Graham into the concrete and was making a run for it, and Aliana was hot on his heels.

Fuckin' Bull, why didn't he just use his creepy magic to make his legs super long and go galloping away? Idiot. Fine. Look, as much as he wanted to duel Vance, there was still a War Game to win, and Zael figured that a few good Fire Jumps would give him such a lead that nobody from the Red Team would be able to catch him. (Little did he know about the orb.)

First, the orb needed to change hands. Change into hands that didn't belong to a psychotic overgrown baby for one.

So Zael stanced himself, crouching down, and a powerful jet of flames sent him rocketing back into the sky. His Fire Jump had him in a high arc, and after he reached the apex, the descent began. He was aiming for Bull and where the big knuckledragger had dropped the orb.

* * * * *​

Bull, with his magic back after losing the orb, grew his fists to be fattened monstrosities of flesh, like large stones attached to his arms, and clobbered Graham with them, beating the smaller boy's head into the ground. Satisfied, he sneered in ruthless victory. Took a second to lick the inside of Graham's nose. And then he stood up (couldn't kill him, what a shame) and took the orb and started to run again.

Before long though, he heard those hoofbeats behind him.

Aliana. That bitch. Gaining.

Bull was running with the orb tucked against his side, a huge battering ram of a man, but he wouldn't be able to outrun the shadowsteed. Nor would he be able to dodge the arrow shot from Aliana's void longbow.

Bull was struck in the back and he grunted loudly and toppled down hard, the orb flying out from his grasp and rolling across the ground.

Zael sailing down from above. Everleigh sneaking along from the side.

Vance Calgrave Everleigh Ebersol Tarkas Verik

 

[Vance Calgrave]

With his head ringing (and most of his bones, by the feel of it), Vance pushed himself to his elbows. Alina was speeding away atop some new clump of shadow. Everleigh was down, crawling, and the orb was free. Yes, Alina could grab it, she could-- no, no, NO! Bull was closer.

His face set in a grimace of equal parts pain and anger, Vance pushed himself to his knees. It wasn't until then that he felt the heat blasting off of Zael and he spun around to face the fire. He had to shield his eyes from the light and braced for the pain... but it left. Zael flew overhead... to the orb. Somehow that was worse, to be found unworthy of finishing the fight by Zael of all people?? That kid never turned down a chance to knock heads.

He tried to stand and fell back to his knees. He had put more than he should have into his last attack and he felt so heavy. He planted one foot. Good. Now up, off the knees. Vance wobbled, but he stood. His chest was heaving from exertion, and sweat was beading on his face now that it wasn't being burned away.

The fight was far from him now, and he wasn't catching up any time soon. He found his sight drawn to Ella, lying still as a corpse. He looked back, Alina now closing on the orb with Zael on her heels. He yearned to be in the fight. He looked back to Ella.

Think tactically, he told himself. Every part of him wanted to rush ahead, but if he kept throwing lightning right now he would exhaust himself. With a last look, he tore his gaze away from the prize and ran to Ella's side.

"Hey, wake up," she was in bad shape. Vance put a hand under her head, turning it side to side and grimacing at the damage. "Come on," he said nudging her body. "We need you."

They did need her. Ella was one of the strongest in the academy, as much as Vance hated admitting anyone was as powerful as he was. Their other teammates had fallen behind and, frankly, would get in the way. Alina was holding her own, but for how long? He managed to pull some sparks to his hands, and placed them on Ella's chest. "Sorry for this," he whispered, and delivered a jolt throughout her body.

~*~

Aliana wrenched her steed to the side and skidded on silent hooves as she brought it around and charged for the orb. She could feel her elven bowman pulling away, they had no desire to assist Dreadlord foolishness, but her will kept him bound as she saw Zael come crashing down. The shadow elf drew another black arrow and fired, while Aliana herself leaned off the side of her mount to scoop up the heavy orb.

As soon as her fingers touched it the shadows faded to wisps. She felt her legs fall through nothingness and she crashed heavily to the ground, rolling with the orb clutched firmly to her chest. A moment's confusion and sudden, horrible clarity. Of course they had cursed the orb.

She looked at Zael and bared her teeth, dead black eyes streaming shadowy tears of rage.

 

[Eleanor]

The last thing Eleanor had seen was Evie's boot.

Everything had gone black. A black empty void where she floated and wondered what she had done to fail so miserably in her life. She had let Evie win. She had given up. Eleanor did not give up and yet she had.

A crackle of light shot through her darkness and she clutched her chest as pain shot through her.

Everything went black again.

And then she opened her eyes and breathed in deep. Her face hurt, her neck hurt, everything hurt.

Ella shifted her eyes to look at Vance with a small smile. "Hey," she said softly as some blood trickled into her mouth. She coughed and then groaned. "Aren't you supposed to fighting or something?"

 

[Everleigh Ebersol]

The moment Aliana went to reach for that orb, Everleigh gritted her teeth and began picking up the pace. She couldn’t at a full sprint, the headache, random bouts of vertigo or blurry vision, and random muscle spasms she was still witnessing made her hesitant to run so fast that if she were to trip she could sprain or break a ankle. Then she’d really be useless.

She looked over though, expecting Vance to follow Zael, but didn’t see him. What was he planning? All the more reason for her to hurry. And hurry she did, the moment she got in range, she threw one of those daggers close to Aliana and a cloud of paralysis gas erupted. Hopefully it kept her still and out of the game long enough for them to get to the bridge.

Because while slinking along, Everleigh had came up with a plan. Or rather, a dozen plans. And then minor plans within those plans in case something were to happen. And there was so many options and so many factors that it’d be a near understatement to say that Everleigh hadn’t devised nearly a hundred plans in total, or more, to ensure she would be well prepared.

“Zael,” Everleigh stomped over Bull, hoping the cleat-like spikes under her boots made him regret ever trying to take the orb from her again. “The orb makes it so you can’t use your magic.” Aliana already figured out this fact, there was no reason to keep quiet about it now. “We need to get to that bridge, a great choke point just like you said. But first, we have to get rid of Vance. If we go through that aether field with his long-range attacks we’re sitting ducks.”

Everleigh took hold of the orb. She looked at Zael and grinned impishly at him. “You’re one of the strongest in our class. You can carry me and do your fire jumps at the same time, right?” Everleigh wasn’t sure if the null effect on the orb could perhaps affected the person touching her while she held it, but she was nearly ninety-percent certain that that wasn’t the case. Although she was sure she’d soon find out.

Zael Castomir Vance Calgrave Eleanor

 

[Zael Castomir]

Zael landed. Turned. Saw the black arrow loosed by the shadow elf streaking toward him. He tried to raise his sword in time.

But the black arrow just disappeared. Winked out of existence right before it would've pierced his bare chest. He turned again and saw Aliana herself down on the ground, grasping the orb tightly to herself. Well, bad time to have a fizzle with your spells, eh Aliana? Sucks. Happened to the best of us. Now, with a good clean pommel-strike to the side of her dome she'd probably relinquish the orb nice and easy.

But he got beaten to that too. A dagger flew in from seemingly nowhere, yellowish gas burst out in a small cloud around Aliana, and the culprit made herself known: Everleigh. Heh, both of them had taken a hardy licking from Vance and were still in the fight. Other members of the Blue team were still holding the line against the other members of the Red team, crackles and pops of magic going off amidst the clash of weapons, but the game was going to be decided here. Of course it was. Because this is where Zael was standing. Yeah, that's right, get jealous.

Bull groaned and rolled lethargically after Everleigh stepped on him. Heh, that had to be fun. Spars with Bull were the best, for the sole fact that, win or lose, it was your mission to beat the shit out of him.

The orb makes it so you can't use your magic.

"Fuckin hell," Zael said.

Ever had a plan though. A genius one, if you asked Zael. God damn it was nice to be on a team with a girl who was in it to win it.

Zael sheathed his sword. Said, "You're damn right." And then scooped her up and took a few running steps and blasted off into the air, dust and debris flaring out from the site of his fiery launch. He had no idea what Vance was up to back there, but if they got a good lead with the orb, away from the rest of the Red team, Zael could turn around and hold Vance while Ever was free and clear to run it home.

"Just warn me if you gotta fart!" Zael said as the wind from their ascent whipped his hair about.

Everleigh Ebersol Vance Calgrave Eleanor Tarkas Verik