During his time in Seven, Odhran would often hear high praises of the capital of Fiore, Crocus. Seeing now in person truly showed why so many of his native countrymen enjoyed visiting on holiday. The rustic, yet grandiose nature of the city, the light scent of peaches wafting in the air, the constant drizzle of pink petals from the trees planted in the middle of cobblestone walkways. Everything led to the grand palace, Mercurius, in the center of the city. It was visible from everywhere in the capital, its spires reaching to the heavens to show that royalty lived in its halls. The chirping of birds, the screams of children, the relaxed conversations of civilians in the cafes and restaurants, the constant pitches from merchants and shopkeepers. Everything was as idealistic and pure as one would expect from a capital of such a grand country and such a widely-visited tourist destination.
Of course, Odhran was not here for the sake of tourism. No, he was present for work. Some high-class political candidate was looking to be elected in an upcoming city council election. While not as prolific as the entire country's council, some high-and-mighty rich-types feared that his words could poison the nation's heads. Odhran himself did not care, but he nonetheless listened to their fears. He was looking to give power away from the aristocracy and into the people, and, as such, Odhran's clients wanted him gone. The politician, Gregor Cassel, was holding some sort of rally in the town square, and the clients wanted Odhran to strike then but make it seem like he was not associated with the aristocracy.
"Awwww c'mon, boss! Can't we just, like, get a few souvenirs while we're here?"
Sweetie grabbed onto Odhran's arm, hugging him tightly to her. She always wanted souvenirs, Odhran found. Usually it would be clothes, even though she could not wear them due to her candy body.
"I'd be glad to get you some souvenirs after the mission's over, baby."
Scorpio slid up to Sweetie, trying to wrap an arm around her. Sweetie smiled and dragged Scorpio's arm off of her shoulders. "Oooh, thanks for the offer, Scorpio! But sorry, you'll probably just use it for trying to bribe me into going on a date with you."
Arnaluuk laughed. "At least you know what to expect from Scorpio already, Sweetie."
Sweetie released her grip from Odhran, doing a slight jog to be in front of Arnaluuk, turning around and walking backwards as she spoke to the Frozen Sea Spirit. "Ooh! I'm sooo glad you think so! I'm still a bit new to being with all you guys, but I wanna be as useful as I can!" She giggled and smiled, turning around once more to be walking forwards.
"Such enthusiasm is always a charming feature, Sweetie! Truly it is always a marvel to behold!"
While the other three Spirits could be fairly well ignored by the people of Crocus due to their human-like appearances, the distinctively non-human appearance of Sir Pudley drew some attention. Once the people heard him speak, despite not having a visible mouth, they seemed even more shocked. Arnaluuk's sigh of defeat was met with confusion from both Sir Pudley and Odhran, who wondered what was distressing the Frozen Sea Spirit so. Sweetie took the enthusiasm more in stride, hugging her fellow candy-like counterpart.
"I just knew you'd understand, Pud! I'm soooo happy that I can be working with you still!"
"You knew each other before coming along with the boss?"
"Yep! We've been BFFs for a reaaaaaally long time! I met him when I was vacationing in Candyland, and he was just the sweetest guy I could ever be friends with!"
Scorpio laid a hand on Sir Pudley's shoulder. "Yeouch. You got pretty deeply friendzoned, Pudley."
If Pudley had discernible facial features, Odhran suspected that an eyebrow was to be raised, given his response of "Such a strange term is unknown for me. With your nature, Sir Scorpio, I think it probably means something about not dating, but fear not! My heart only lies for such people that are royalty! Just like my Queen-"
"Yes, yes, Queen Lolly, titles, titles, titles. Look man, you don't know what you're missing out on. Especially with Sweetie. I mean, just look at her, she's just-"
An icicle smashed against Scorpio's head, staggering him slightly. Arnaluuk had a displeasured look on her face, though Odhran thought he may have seen a slight blush on the icy woman's cheeks.
Almost as if by fate, just as the shenanigans were ramping up, the quintet of curious cloudcuckoolanders stumbled across the politician giving a speech. Odhran cared little for the words that were being spoken, opting to simply walk his way to the front of the crowd, pushing and shoving people and weaving in the empty spaces, intent clearly in his eyes and in his movements. Someone tried to stop him, but Odhran merely shrugged off the notion of being halted in his mission. Despite the roaring, frantic crowd that had assembled, as well as the impressive security detail, Odhran was at the stage in no time.
As the politician began to warn Odhran of the dangers of trespassing, he suddenly doubled over in pain, likely from the massive spear-like appendage that once was Odhran's arm piercing through his stomach. The crowds roared in fear at the sudden development as Odhran warded away the security nearby with that same arm, deftly wielding swinging it around as if it were a blade. While this chaos was ensuing, the spirits who had not followed their Keybearer began to work against the crowds. Sweetie summoned giant balls of sugar, crashing into the innocent people and entombing them in a pink snowball that slowly sapped their life force. Sir Pudley waved his mace around, causing what seemed to be meteors of cookies hurtling into the crowd of panicking citizens. Arnaluuk had trapped some people in a magic circle as hail began to rain down within. The three were positioned in such a way that, if anyone wished to escape, they would come face-to-face with Scorpio, who had deemed magic unnecessary for this task, opting to strike down the attempted escapees with his spear, causing a pile of bodies to slowly amass.
With all of the rally-goers defeated, security and rallier included, Odhran beckoned his Spirits towards the stage, leading to Odhran taking a stand behind the podium. Clearing his throat, Odhran spoke into the microphone. "People of the capital city of Fiore! Crocus! The legendary tourist destination! The city of so many cherry blossoms! I would like to thank you all for inviting me to visit your city! My name is Odhran Aegisbane, and I have an ab-so-lute-ly stellar cast of costars alongside me! So...let's get to introductions!"
As Odhran was about to begin his introductions of his Spirits, a squadron of town guards approached the location of the rally, their weapons drawn. None of them had the aura of magical capability, though Odhran suspected that these people were merely used as first responders while the Rune Knights brought in their own soldiers. "Beginning the festivities, we have the loveliest witch you will ever meet! Don't mind the fact that she is also the last witch you will ever meet, but beneath her cold exterior lies a truly cool person! Give it up for Arnaluuk, the Frozen Sea Spirit!"
Arnaluuk shrugged, figuring that she may as well demonstrate her skills. The squadron charged in, ninety strong. Arnaluuk quickly eliminated thirty of them with spikes of ice that burst forth from the ground, sending many of them skyborne but an unfortunate three impaled on the blunt spikes themselves, causing them to slowly slide down, ripping them open further. Odhran's eyes occasionally checked on the status of the three as the remaining fight continued. The remaining sixty had converged on Arnaluuk, their swords and spears and axes swinging wildly. Arnaluuk weaved between them with the grace befitting a Spirit of her elegance. Dodging and ducking and parrying with her trident, she slowly battered away at the sixty, one falling every five seconds, whether it be by stab or by clubbing. After twenty had fallen, she slammed her trident on the ground once more, causing spikes to appear beneath her, once more eliminating the remaining forty. Arnaluuk stood atop the pencil point-thin spire of the tallest of the spikes, her elegance on full display. The ice melted, sending people who once had heat and heartbeat into a pile on the ground. Arnaluuk gave a quick bow as she returned to the line of arranged Spirits.
"Truly marvelous work! With all the grace of a figure skater and yet all the vicious nature of an experienced assassin! Give it up for Arnaluuk!"
"Man I can't wait for Arnaluuk to give it up for me."
Arnaluuk bashed Scorpio on the side of the neck with the hilt of her trident at his comment, sending him crashing to the ground.
"Next up is the most knightly man, woman, child, or creature made of candy in the entire country of Fiore, if not the world, Sir Pudley Tafferton!"
Sir Pudley marched forwards, waving to the nonexistent crowd and bowing. Chocolate chips began to tumble out of his eyes, which Odhran figured were akin to tears. "It is a wonderful honor to show you all the strength of a knight of Candyland! I am but the captain of the Third Royal Guard of her Highness, Queen Lolly, Fourth of Her Name, Queen of Candyland, Taguhee of the Taffy Tombolo, and Storhertuginde of the Szaloncukor Shore! Now! Bring forth your fighters! Let them be defeated by me, Sir Pudley Tafferton, Captain of the Third Royal Guard of Candyland!"
As if to answer his call, another squadron of slightly magically adept soldiers came forwards, seventy strong. Fifty-five charged at the royal knight while the remaining fifteen casted magic from afar. One made the mistake of trying to attack Odhran and was quickly struck down by a hail of swords fashioned from Odhran's imagination. "I would ask that you do not attack your gracious emcee. I've put hard work into this, you hear?"
While Arnaluuk's style gave the feel of water, with its shifting, elegant, and dance-like movements, Sir Pudley's gave the impression of earth: unmoving, rugged, and yet with a beauty all to its own. Where Arnaluuk dodged, Sir Pudley blocked. Where Arnaluuk parried, Sir Pudley blocked. Where Arnaluuk weaved, Sir Pudley weaved. With his shield. Like a block. The dancing movements of the spear, the swirls of darting between hilt and blade, were almost impossibly contrasted with Sir Pudley's mace, a single motion cracking bones, skulls included. In a respite of the battle, Sir Pudley pointed his mace at the group of fourteen mages that conveniently huddled together, crushing them all with a cookie meteor. While Arnaluuk's fight was not unlike watching a beautiful, rehearsed routine of dance, Sir Pudley's was the equivalent of punching through a wall. It was forceful, blunt, and harsh, but it served its purpose. Punching through a wall saved the hassle of having to find a door, open it, and walk through. Similarly, Sir Pudley's method saved the hassle of having to pepper away at an enemy's defenses. There was no need to having to slice and dice or having to avoid armor, such as the man who approached wearing a requipped set of mythril plate armor. Like the rest of them, he fell with a single hearty swipe of the candycane mace. Despite Arnaluuk's immense efficiency at giving a quick death to all that faced her, Sir Pudley granted them the equally as amusing slow and painful death that Odhran figured would be more beneficial to his desire for a position as Warlord of Fiore. Not every man or woman that faced Sir Pudley died, only the unfortunate few who were clubbed in the head, smashed with a meteor, or had their ribs pierce their hearts. The remaining ones that survived were unable to move, their bones ground up into tiny little bits that Lupa would have found immensely disappointing to try to chew on.
"Another glorious success for the people of Candyland! I do this in service to my country, and to my Keybearer, Odhran Aegisbane, God of the Celestial Spirit Realm, Bearer of the Zodiac Key of Scorpio, and Self-Appointed Most Attractive Man from Seven six years running!"
Sir Pudley bowed, happily sauntering over to the line once more with an impressive pep in his step. Scorpio offered a hi-five, which confused the candy man, who waved in response. Odhran felt himself slightly hurt by the accusation that his title of Most Attractive Man from Seven was considered self-appointed. What other of his titles would be rumored self-appointed? Best Celestial Spirit Mage? Most Fun Guy to Hang Out With? Most Likely to be Found in a Corner of a Tavern With a Mysterious Cloak on, Just Begging to Be Asked for a Legendary Quest? He sniffled slightly, ignoring the fact that his dismay was caught on the turned-off microphone.
"Next on the agenda, the sweet tooth who will knock your teeth out! Sweetie!"
Sweetie placed her hands under her chin, causing a flower and a squiggly line to inexplicably pop out from her head, disappearing shortly afterwards. She skipped to the same center of the makeshift arena, stomping on the mythril-plated man and using him as a sort of podium, much to his...pleasure?
"Heya, guys! As Ran said, I'm Sweetie! And this here is my little dog, Gumdrop!" She lifted the small dog off the ground, presenting him to the world. The fifty mages that approached were not impressed, save for one man who was quickly slapped upside the head. "Now, I'm not gonna let you guys hurt Gumdrop, so I'm just gonna send him to watch the fight from afar! Go! Get the scarf! Get the scarf~!"
She set Gumdrop down, who sprinted at the stage and quickly latched on to the end of Odhran's scarf. Being made of solidified jelly, he was not heavy, so Odhran accepted it, though the new nickname was strange. He did not mind, however. Sweetie was immensely powerful, and that was what mattered. She set her feet, ready to fight. She was a master hand-to-hand combatant, and she wanted to show her prowess in a fight. A surprising amount of the wizards charged at Sweetie, though half of them still stayed back to attack purely from range. As someone whose style seemed to imitate that of a Dragon Slayer's approached, Sweetie spun on her heel, letting him fly by without harming her. Odhran was impressed by the swagger. Sweetie had already assessed the situation as harmless. These mages were nothing to her. She proved that as she delivered a swift knee to a fire-wielding wizard's groin and a sharp elbow to his neck before popping the lollipop stick out of her mouth. The Dragon Slayer mimic lunged once more, a flurry of fists racing towards Sweetie's face. Sweetie casually dipped and ducked her head around each attempt at a strike, the lollipop stick twirling in her left hand idly as a bored expression grew on the sweetheart's face. After another strike missed, Sweetie grabbed the wannabe Slayer by the neck and gave a quick squeeze. He collapsed to the ground, not even having the time to change his expression from one of ferocity to one of fear at impending morality. A duo of wizards wielding weapons warily walked towards the Spirit. They dashed forwards, their movements too quick for Odhran's unfocused mind to see. Sweetie merely stuck her arms out, and both of the wizards fell on the ground, facing skywards. Sweetie checked her surroundings before doing a backwards handspring, landing on the weapon bearer's throats, crushing them underfoot.
Another few magic soldiers charged at Sweetie, who fought them off with a flurry of fist, arms, elbows, the entire body was used in combat. If Arnaluuk was water and Sir Pudley earth, Sweetie was fire. The vicious strikes of the candy-laden woman brought opponents to their knees, even the most laid-back strikes carrying ferocity and murderous intent. She ebbed and flowed with combat, abandoning the rehearsed nature of Arnaluuk's fights or the stalwart countering of Sir Pudley. Each action was a reaction. It showed how quick on her feet she was, both literally and metaphorically. There was an aura of chaos to Sweetie's fighting, each fight spreading to others like a fire setting the nearest treetop ablaze. She was all too happy to use others in her fighting, swinging foes over her shoulders to crash into others, using human shields, or even stealing their weapons for brief moments in time, swinging them around in a meaningfully chaotic manner. The chaos was without a doubt chaos, but there was an aura - a feel - of control. It was not a haphazard chaos. It was manifested in the way Sweetie saw fit.
With the close-quarters combatants defeated, Sweetie flipped out of the way of a bolt of lightning and summoned forth orbs of various candy compositions, launching at the ranged fighters. Try as they might, they were unable to resist the strikes of the orbs, Sweetie slowly spreading her capabilities of firing out through the battlefield. Soon enough, everyone was defeated, and Sweetie giggled slightly before skipping back to the line, blowing kisses with a bright smile on her face.
Odhran bubbled with pride at Sweetie's expert dispatching of the opponents, but there was one more yet. One more Spirit that ruled above the rest. "And now! The moment you all have been waiting for with bated breath! The Zodiac! Scorpio! He is one of the twelve strongest Celestial Spirits in existence, holding rule over the stars with the pride and power of someone befitting the title of Zodiac! Not only does he possess the power invested in him by the king of the Celestial Spirit Realm and by the glorious skies themselves, but he stands as the greatest guardian of the god that stands among you and stands in your midst! My chosen in battle! My great commander! Even with his pride and status and power, he has seen fit to be one of the leaders of my glorious and wonderful otherwordly army!"
Scorpio, like Sweetie before him, used the mythril-plated soldier as a makeshift stool to make himself more well known. However, unlike with Sweetie or any of the others, no one was present to fight. Rather, there were rumblings that members of larger guilds or higher ups in the Rune Knights were arriving. Taking note of this, Odhran prepared to leave, but he felt the need to finish his monologue.
"That is the true nature of the man you see here! I am a harbinger of another world, one of my vision! I command the masses as a king would, proclaiming my righteous right for conquest! At my helm are my generals, my commanders! Arnaluuk! Sweetie! Sir Pudley! Scorpio! And there are yet more that you are not yet worthy of bearing witness to! Be glad that I have presented myself before you; that I have even given you the satisfaction of bearing witness to my glorious personage! For now I come with the mere intent of making my name known through the death of one. I have slain a mere politician. Yes, there were others that were sacrificed in the name of my great ambition and my great glory, but they are naught but chaff to the wonderful fires of my influence! But take heed, petty people of Crocus! There will be a time where I bring forth the truest fires of my ambition! I will cut down all who oppose me, and I will be one that bears the title of Warlord! Not just of Fiore, though it is certainly a great start. The times will advance to a point where I shall be the most feared, most wonderful, most respected man in the world! I am Odhran Aegisbane, the God of the Celestial Spirit Realm! I will become a God of the Mortal Realm!" He pointed at the capital building. "And I will strike down those who deny my right to rule! I shall smite those that fashion themselves kings against my divine mandate! The royalty shall fall, and I shall rise! For I am Odhran Aegisbane, and you will know my name!"
Having finished his monologue, he summoned forth Lupa as the four Spirits faded into the Celestial Spirit Realm. Mounting the wolf as one would mount a horse, he let her take flight. While he could have taken the flight out himself, he figured he could show that he had yet more Spirits at his disposal, though he proved that he was still a capable combatant by crushing the stage with a hole in the ground that crackled open from Odhran's imagination, slowly being squeezed by tentacles of a beast that had the illusion of being in the hole. Smiling proudly and laughing maniacally, he set course for his next evil misdeed.
WC: 3520
Of course, Odhran was not here for the sake of tourism. No, he was present for work. Some high-class political candidate was looking to be elected in an upcoming city council election. While not as prolific as the entire country's council, some high-and-mighty rich-types feared that his words could poison the nation's heads. Odhran himself did not care, but he nonetheless listened to their fears. He was looking to give power away from the aristocracy and into the people, and, as such, Odhran's clients wanted him gone. The politician, Gregor Cassel, was holding some sort of rally in the town square, and the clients wanted Odhran to strike then but make it seem like he was not associated with the aristocracy.
"Awwww c'mon, boss! Can't we just, like, get a few souvenirs while we're here?"
Sweetie grabbed onto Odhran's arm, hugging him tightly to her. She always wanted souvenirs, Odhran found. Usually it would be clothes, even though she could not wear them due to her candy body.
"I'd be glad to get you some souvenirs after the mission's over, baby."
Scorpio slid up to Sweetie, trying to wrap an arm around her. Sweetie smiled and dragged Scorpio's arm off of her shoulders. "Oooh, thanks for the offer, Scorpio! But sorry, you'll probably just use it for trying to bribe me into going on a date with you."
Arnaluuk laughed. "At least you know what to expect from Scorpio already, Sweetie."
Sweetie released her grip from Odhran, doing a slight jog to be in front of Arnaluuk, turning around and walking backwards as she spoke to the Frozen Sea Spirit. "Ooh! I'm sooo glad you think so! I'm still a bit new to being with all you guys, but I wanna be as useful as I can!" She giggled and smiled, turning around once more to be walking forwards.
"Such enthusiasm is always a charming feature, Sweetie! Truly it is always a marvel to behold!"
While the other three Spirits could be fairly well ignored by the people of Crocus due to their human-like appearances, the distinctively non-human appearance of Sir Pudley drew some attention. Once the people heard him speak, despite not having a visible mouth, they seemed even more shocked. Arnaluuk's sigh of defeat was met with confusion from both Sir Pudley and Odhran, who wondered what was distressing the Frozen Sea Spirit so. Sweetie took the enthusiasm more in stride, hugging her fellow candy-like counterpart.
"I just knew you'd understand, Pud! I'm soooo happy that I can be working with you still!"
"You knew each other before coming along with the boss?"
"Yep! We've been BFFs for a reaaaaaally long time! I met him when I was vacationing in Candyland, and he was just the sweetest guy I could ever be friends with!"
Scorpio laid a hand on Sir Pudley's shoulder. "Yeouch. You got pretty deeply friendzoned, Pudley."
If Pudley had discernible facial features, Odhran suspected that an eyebrow was to be raised, given his response of "Such a strange term is unknown for me. With your nature, Sir Scorpio, I think it probably means something about not dating, but fear not! My heart only lies for such people that are royalty! Just like my Queen-"
"Yes, yes, Queen Lolly, titles, titles, titles. Look man, you don't know what you're missing out on. Especially with Sweetie. I mean, just look at her, she's just-"
An icicle smashed against Scorpio's head, staggering him slightly. Arnaluuk had a displeasured look on her face, though Odhran thought he may have seen a slight blush on the icy woman's cheeks.
Almost as if by fate, just as the shenanigans were ramping up, the quintet of curious cloudcuckoolanders stumbled across the politician giving a speech. Odhran cared little for the words that were being spoken, opting to simply walk his way to the front of the crowd, pushing and shoving people and weaving in the empty spaces, intent clearly in his eyes and in his movements. Someone tried to stop him, but Odhran merely shrugged off the notion of being halted in his mission. Despite the roaring, frantic crowd that had assembled, as well as the impressive security detail, Odhran was at the stage in no time.
As the politician began to warn Odhran of the dangers of trespassing, he suddenly doubled over in pain, likely from the massive spear-like appendage that once was Odhran's arm piercing through his stomach. The crowds roared in fear at the sudden development as Odhran warded away the security nearby with that same arm, deftly wielding swinging it around as if it were a blade. While this chaos was ensuing, the spirits who had not followed their Keybearer began to work against the crowds. Sweetie summoned giant balls of sugar, crashing into the innocent people and entombing them in a pink snowball that slowly sapped their life force. Sir Pudley waved his mace around, causing what seemed to be meteors of cookies hurtling into the crowd of panicking citizens. Arnaluuk had trapped some people in a magic circle as hail began to rain down within. The three were positioned in such a way that, if anyone wished to escape, they would come face-to-face with Scorpio, who had deemed magic unnecessary for this task, opting to strike down the attempted escapees with his spear, causing a pile of bodies to slowly amass.
With all of the rally-goers defeated, security and rallier included, Odhran beckoned his Spirits towards the stage, leading to Odhran taking a stand behind the podium. Clearing his throat, Odhran spoke into the microphone. "People of the capital city of Fiore! Crocus! The legendary tourist destination! The city of so many cherry blossoms! I would like to thank you all for inviting me to visit your city! My name is Odhran Aegisbane, and I have an ab-so-lute-ly stellar cast of costars alongside me! So...let's get to introductions!"
As Odhran was about to begin his introductions of his Spirits, a squadron of town guards approached the location of the rally, their weapons drawn. None of them had the aura of magical capability, though Odhran suspected that these people were merely used as first responders while the Rune Knights brought in their own soldiers. "Beginning the festivities, we have the loveliest witch you will ever meet! Don't mind the fact that she is also the last witch you will ever meet, but beneath her cold exterior lies a truly cool person! Give it up for Arnaluuk, the Frozen Sea Spirit!"
Arnaluuk shrugged, figuring that she may as well demonstrate her skills. The squadron charged in, ninety strong. Arnaluuk quickly eliminated thirty of them with spikes of ice that burst forth from the ground, sending many of them skyborne but an unfortunate three impaled on the blunt spikes themselves, causing them to slowly slide down, ripping them open further. Odhran's eyes occasionally checked on the status of the three as the remaining fight continued. The remaining sixty had converged on Arnaluuk, their swords and spears and axes swinging wildly. Arnaluuk weaved between them with the grace befitting a Spirit of her elegance. Dodging and ducking and parrying with her trident, she slowly battered away at the sixty, one falling every five seconds, whether it be by stab or by clubbing. After twenty had fallen, she slammed her trident on the ground once more, causing spikes to appear beneath her, once more eliminating the remaining forty. Arnaluuk stood atop the pencil point-thin spire of the tallest of the spikes, her elegance on full display. The ice melted, sending people who once had heat and heartbeat into a pile on the ground. Arnaluuk gave a quick bow as she returned to the line of arranged Spirits.
"Truly marvelous work! With all the grace of a figure skater and yet all the vicious nature of an experienced assassin! Give it up for Arnaluuk!"
"Man I can't wait for Arnaluuk to give it up for me."
Arnaluuk bashed Scorpio on the side of the neck with the hilt of her trident at his comment, sending him crashing to the ground.
"Next up is the most knightly man, woman, child, or creature made of candy in the entire country of Fiore, if not the world, Sir Pudley Tafferton!"
Sir Pudley marched forwards, waving to the nonexistent crowd and bowing. Chocolate chips began to tumble out of his eyes, which Odhran figured were akin to tears. "It is a wonderful honor to show you all the strength of a knight of Candyland! I am but the captain of the Third Royal Guard of her Highness, Queen Lolly, Fourth of Her Name, Queen of Candyland, Taguhee of the Taffy Tombolo, and Storhertuginde of the Szaloncukor Shore! Now! Bring forth your fighters! Let them be defeated by me, Sir Pudley Tafferton, Captain of the Third Royal Guard of Candyland!"
As if to answer his call, another squadron of slightly magically adept soldiers came forwards, seventy strong. Fifty-five charged at the royal knight while the remaining fifteen casted magic from afar. One made the mistake of trying to attack Odhran and was quickly struck down by a hail of swords fashioned from Odhran's imagination. "I would ask that you do not attack your gracious emcee. I've put hard work into this, you hear?"
While Arnaluuk's style gave the feel of water, with its shifting, elegant, and dance-like movements, Sir Pudley's gave the impression of earth: unmoving, rugged, and yet with a beauty all to its own. Where Arnaluuk dodged, Sir Pudley blocked. Where Arnaluuk parried, Sir Pudley blocked. Where Arnaluuk weaved, Sir Pudley weaved. With his shield. Like a block. The dancing movements of the spear, the swirls of darting between hilt and blade, were almost impossibly contrasted with Sir Pudley's mace, a single motion cracking bones, skulls included. In a respite of the battle, Sir Pudley pointed his mace at the group of fourteen mages that conveniently huddled together, crushing them all with a cookie meteor. While Arnaluuk's fight was not unlike watching a beautiful, rehearsed routine of dance, Sir Pudley's was the equivalent of punching through a wall. It was forceful, blunt, and harsh, but it served its purpose. Punching through a wall saved the hassle of having to find a door, open it, and walk through. Similarly, Sir Pudley's method saved the hassle of having to pepper away at an enemy's defenses. There was no need to having to slice and dice or having to avoid armor, such as the man who approached wearing a requipped set of mythril plate armor. Like the rest of them, he fell with a single hearty swipe of the candycane mace. Despite Arnaluuk's immense efficiency at giving a quick death to all that faced her, Sir Pudley granted them the equally as amusing slow and painful death that Odhran figured would be more beneficial to his desire for a position as Warlord of Fiore. Not every man or woman that faced Sir Pudley died, only the unfortunate few who were clubbed in the head, smashed with a meteor, or had their ribs pierce their hearts. The remaining ones that survived were unable to move, their bones ground up into tiny little bits that Lupa would have found immensely disappointing to try to chew on.
"Another glorious success for the people of Candyland! I do this in service to my country, and to my Keybearer, Odhran Aegisbane, God of the Celestial Spirit Realm, Bearer of the Zodiac Key of Scorpio, and Self-Appointed Most Attractive Man from Seven six years running!"
Sir Pudley bowed, happily sauntering over to the line once more with an impressive pep in his step. Scorpio offered a hi-five, which confused the candy man, who waved in response. Odhran felt himself slightly hurt by the accusation that his title of Most Attractive Man from Seven was considered self-appointed. What other of his titles would be rumored self-appointed? Best Celestial Spirit Mage? Most Fun Guy to Hang Out With? Most Likely to be Found in a Corner of a Tavern With a Mysterious Cloak on, Just Begging to Be Asked for a Legendary Quest? He sniffled slightly, ignoring the fact that his dismay was caught on the turned-off microphone.
"Next on the agenda, the sweet tooth who will knock your teeth out! Sweetie!"
Sweetie placed her hands under her chin, causing a flower and a squiggly line to inexplicably pop out from her head, disappearing shortly afterwards. She skipped to the same center of the makeshift arena, stomping on the mythril-plated man and using him as a sort of podium, much to his...pleasure?
"Heya, guys! As Ran said, I'm Sweetie! And this here is my little dog, Gumdrop!" She lifted the small dog off the ground, presenting him to the world. The fifty mages that approached were not impressed, save for one man who was quickly slapped upside the head. "Now, I'm not gonna let you guys hurt Gumdrop, so I'm just gonna send him to watch the fight from afar! Go! Get the scarf! Get the scarf~!"
She set Gumdrop down, who sprinted at the stage and quickly latched on to the end of Odhran's scarf. Being made of solidified jelly, he was not heavy, so Odhran accepted it, though the new nickname was strange. He did not mind, however. Sweetie was immensely powerful, and that was what mattered. She set her feet, ready to fight. She was a master hand-to-hand combatant, and she wanted to show her prowess in a fight. A surprising amount of the wizards charged at Sweetie, though half of them still stayed back to attack purely from range. As someone whose style seemed to imitate that of a Dragon Slayer's approached, Sweetie spun on her heel, letting him fly by without harming her. Odhran was impressed by the swagger. Sweetie had already assessed the situation as harmless. These mages were nothing to her. She proved that as she delivered a swift knee to a fire-wielding wizard's groin and a sharp elbow to his neck before popping the lollipop stick out of her mouth. The Dragon Slayer mimic lunged once more, a flurry of fists racing towards Sweetie's face. Sweetie casually dipped and ducked her head around each attempt at a strike, the lollipop stick twirling in her left hand idly as a bored expression grew on the sweetheart's face. After another strike missed, Sweetie grabbed the wannabe Slayer by the neck and gave a quick squeeze. He collapsed to the ground, not even having the time to change his expression from one of ferocity to one of fear at impending morality. A duo of wizards wielding weapons warily walked towards the Spirit. They dashed forwards, their movements too quick for Odhran's unfocused mind to see. Sweetie merely stuck her arms out, and both of the wizards fell on the ground, facing skywards. Sweetie checked her surroundings before doing a backwards handspring, landing on the weapon bearer's throats, crushing them underfoot.
Another few magic soldiers charged at Sweetie, who fought them off with a flurry of fist, arms, elbows, the entire body was used in combat. If Arnaluuk was water and Sir Pudley earth, Sweetie was fire. The vicious strikes of the candy-laden woman brought opponents to their knees, even the most laid-back strikes carrying ferocity and murderous intent. She ebbed and flowed with combat, abandoning the rehearsed nature of Arnaluuk's fights or the stalwart countering of Sir Pudley. Each action was a reaction. It showed how quick on her feet she was, both literally and metaphorically. There was an aura of chaos to Sweetie's fighting, each fight spreading to others like a fire setting the nearest treetop ablaze. She was all too happy to use others in her fighting, swinging foes over her shoulders to crash into others, using human shields, or even stealing their weapons for brief moments in time, swinging them around in a meaningfully chaotic manner. The chaos was without a doubt chaos, but there was an aura - a feel - of control. It was not a haphazard chaos. It was manifested in the way Sweetie saw fit.
With the close-quarters combatants defeated, Sweetie flipped out of the way of a bolt of lightning and summoned forth orbs of various candy compositions, launching at the ranged fighters. Try as they might, they were unable to resist the strikes of the orbs, Sweetie slowly spreading her capabilities of firing out through the battlefield. Soon enough, everyone was defeated, and Sweetie giggled slightly before skipping back to the line, blowing kisses with a bright smile on her face.
Odhran bubbled with pride at Sweetie's expert dispatching of the opponents, but there was one more yet. One more Spirit that ruled above the rest. "And now! The moment you all have been waiting for with bated breath! The Zodiac! Scorpio! He is one of the twelve strongest Celestial Spirits in existence, holding rule over the stars with the pride and power of someone befitting the title of Zodiac! Not only does he possess the power invested in him by the king of the Celestial Spirit Realm and by the glorious skies themselves, but he stands as the greatest guardian of the god that stands among you and stands in your midst! My chosen in battle! My great commander! Even with his pride and status and power, he has seen fit to be one of the leaders of my glorious and wonderful otherwordly army!"
Scorpio, like Sweetie before him, used the mythril-plated soldier as a makeshift stool to make himself more well known. However, unlike with Sweetie or any of the others, no one was present to fight. Rather, there were rumblings that members of larger guilds or higher ups in the Rune Knights were arriving. Taking note of this, Odhran prepared to leave, but he felt the need to finish his monologue.
"That is the true nature of the man you see here! I am a harbinger of another world, one of my vision! I command the masses as a king would, proclaiming my righteous right for conquest! At my helm are my generals, my commanders! Arnaluuk! Sweetie! Sir Pudley! Scorpio! And there are yet more that you are not yet worthy of bearing witness to! Be glad that I have presented myself before you; that I have even given you the satisfaction of bearing witness to my glorious personage! For now I come with the mere intent of making my name known through the death of one. I have slain a mere politician. Yes, there were others that were sacrificed in the name of my great ambition and my great glory, but they are naught but chaff to the wonderful fires of my influence! But take heed, petty people of Crocus! There will be a time where I bring forth the truest fires of my ambition! I will cut down all who oppose me, and I will be one that bears the title of Warlord! Not just of Fiore, though it is certainly a great start. The times will advance to a point where I shall be the most feared, most wonderful, most respected man in the world! I am Odhran Aegisbane, the God of the Celestial Spirit Realm! I will become a God of the Mortal Realm!" He pointed at the capital building. "And I will strike down those who deny my right to rule! I shall smite those that fashion themselves kings against my divine mandate! The royalty shall fall, and I shall rise! For I am Odhran Aegisbane, and you will know my name!"
Having finished his monologue, he summoned forth Lupa as the four Spirits faded into the Celestial Spirit Realm. Mounting the wolf as one would mount a horse, he let her take flight. While he could have taken the flight out himself, he figured he could show that he had yet more Spirits at his disposal, though he proved that he was still a capable combatant by crushing the stage with a hole in the ground that crackled open from Odhran's imagination, slowly being squeezed by tentacles of a beast that had the illusion of being in the hole. Smiling proudly and laughing maniacally, he set course for his next evil misdeed.
WC: 3520
