Vixie's request echoed in Tony's mind, even the following morning. He had sworn to kill her if he couldn't save her and while he was confident that he could liberate her from this place when he went, her desperation for freedom, one way or another, nagged at him. Maybe it was because a part of him wasn't sure that he could kill her if there were complications that would keep him from saving her... maybe it was the part of him that knew he would.
When he reviewed his Oath sub-screen, he noted that he only had one more "Oath Slot" remaining, the only trait he had at four that he could think of that would relate to how many oaths he could hold was his Essence Score, which had a quest to increase waiting for him to increase as soon as he freed himself from the collar. As long as Tony was working toward Avenging D by killing Ignacious, getting out of The Pits to get back to Maximus and the fleet, and saving Vixie from this place, his Oath bonuses would be there compounding on each other.
He was going to have to be careful just how much power he used to best Rania, if he showed too much of what he could do, he wouldn't be able to fully uncork against the Champion and use the full scope of his power as the "unknown" against them. He knew that he would have to be careful not to underestimate Rania, but he would have to be measured in how he faced her.
Tony chuckled.
The parallels between his current situation and the constants throughout Auren's section of the Godmaker campaign weren't lost on him. Morkhan was always telling Auren that, "despite his passions, he must be measured in the use and application of his power, lest he rend reason from the cosmos." Tony suffered no illusions that his power was on that level; if it were, there was no way that he would be stuck where he was. A divine power like the Battle Aura would have made The Pits a cake walk.
He didn't.
He had his own set of powers, he had his Dreadblade, his equipment, and the promises that he made to win; it would have to be enough.
Tony rolled off of his favorite cot in the infirmary and onto his feet. Vixie was nowhere to be seen and Jak had just entered the room. "There you are," the large man said, "fight time, Ascendant."
"Yeah, yeah... I know. Hold on a sec," Tony answered.
Jak quirked a brow, "What for?"
Tony swept his new armor out of his inventory and onto the bed in front of him and Jak let out a low whistle, "that's what for, I guess," the large man said.
Tony disregarded Jak's apparent and out-of-place concern and went about equipping his new armor, visualizing the attunement process as he did; he was fairly certain that it was only artifact equipment that required attunement, but where this armor set carried set bonuses and enchantments, he wanted to be sure that he was getting the most out of the armor that he could be. Once the seventh piece was on, the gloves specifically, a pair of metal clasps manifested on the armor... just over the collarbone where the points of the slave collar ended. A squared black cloak shot out from the crease between the chest armor and the neck guard. Tony twisted to look at it and could really only glimpse the corner. He noted some gold trim and embroidery, and a sunburst woven into the corner of the drape.
The cloak and the Errant Knight's Signet Ring provided some interesting benefits, Tony found himself overjoyed at the decision to purchase the whole set, even without wearing all of it.
Errant Knight's Doom Cloak - Rarity: Uncommon - Durability: 100% - Armor Slot: Back - Quality: Excellent
The only banner flown by a Knight Errant is the one upon their back. A Knight spurned is a Knight Errant, once and always.
Effect: Living Fibers - This cloak, like the body of the Knight can be damaged, but just like the Knight's resolve, will knit itself back together. This cloak, and all pieces of the Errant Knight set will recover durability so long as the Cloak Slot remains active.
Covered Back - Should an attack with the intent to wound the Knight come from the direction the cloak is facing, the Knight will receive a warning of the attack itself, but not the nature of the attack. A thrusting spear and a falling log will register the same, the Knight's defense rests entirely with them.
Errant Knight's Signet Ring - Rarity: Uncommon - Durability: 100% - Armor Slot: Ring - Quality: Excellent
The signet ring of an Errant Knight is the ultimate expression of self and reflects the Knight's relationship with themselves.
Effect: Unshakable - The signet ring reinforces the Errant Knight's resolve reducing penalties due to fatigue or wounds and fortifies their minds from unnatural mental influence.
Guided Hands - +10 to Melee (Knightly Disciplines) +10% to total Attack Rating
When Tony re-read the effects of the Signet Ring, he realized that he had never specialized his Melee Skill... or any of them aside from Athletics and Martial Arts. He took a moment to do so with all of his skills that were above 10 while he walked from the infirmary to the tunnel that led into the arena and was delighted to find that "Double-edged Blades" qualified as a Knightly Discipline. He took a moment to examine his character sheet for the first time in a long time since he'd Fallen from the Archon's "grace."
Name/Title: Antonious King, The Fallen Class: Squire - 5 | Knight - 5 | Dreadknight (Fallen Blademaster) - 10 Essence: 4
Backgrounds: Spirit-tied Pet (Maximus: Level 14 Hound of War) | Unseen Ally | Double-Edged Sword Aptitude | Ascendant Healing Factor | Ascendant Attribute Enhancement
Attributes: Strength: 35, Dexterity: 25, Endurance: 35, Charisma: 15, Wisdom: 16, Spirit: 35, Intelligence: 16, Wits: 16, Luck: 20
Abilities: Melee (Double-edged): 32, Awareness (Detect Ambush): 12, Occult (Essence): 13, Survival (Roughing it) 10, Fortitude (Resist Torture) 21, Athletics (Freerunning): 12, Tandem Tactics: 7, Resolve (Resist Torture): 10, Empathy: 7, Socialize: 7, Enigmas: 3, Martial Arts (Jeet Kun Do): 15
Talents: Knight's Charge, Battle Rush, Summon Blade, Life Biting Essence, Summon Dreadblade, Berserker's Stance, Frenzied Blood Rapture, Bloody Haste, Pommel Strike, Punishing Parry, Invincible Will+, Indomitable Self, Cicatrize, Imbue Cicatrix, Adamant Grit, Rancor, Pact of Spite, Adamant Slash+, Oath, Sacred Vow
Artifacts: Pauldron of Vengeance, Gjoll Stone Amulet, Doomed King's Helm, Dreadknight's Covenant Ring, Legion
Tony let out a low whistle after reviewing the changes to his sheet. If it hadn't been for the capture, exploitation, and borderline slavery parts of it, an arena questline is something that he probably would have pursued on his own. The gains he'd made on his sheet were clear, plus there was more to come as soon as he got this damned collar off and had unrestricted access to all of his sheet again. He looked up as he entered the tunnel, he expected to see Jak there to give him the same kind of lowdown or pep talk before a fight, like he had most times, but instead Vixie stood in his place. Her shoulders were rounded and slumped and it looked like she was staring, maybe even crying, into her hands.
"What are you doing out here?" Tony asked as he jogged over to her and laid a hand on her shoulder.
Vixie reached up and touched the side of his neck, smearing some sort of paste across his skin.
"I'm so sorry Tony," she sobbed "I had to... she... she made me do it..."
Tony's eyes widened and his pupils contracted as the Hamaskyr took hold. His heartbeat drummed frantically in his ears and temples, his skin prickled and itched underneath the armor, his fists clenched so hard that the metal coverings of his gloves groaned and the rivets holding the plates to the leather strained to keep hold. He didn't need this, he needed to be able to think, to analyze, use rational thought to beat Rania and her spectral panoply of blades.
Stolen novel; please report.
Pact of Spite has Activated Rancor has Activated
----------------------------------------
"And, now entering -" the flamboyantly shelled Padinus announced.
A nearly inhuman roar sounded from the challenger's tunnel. The sound came from deep in the gut, laced with rage and malicious intent. It was a declaration of war.
"The Ascendant, Antonious, 'The Fallen,' King!"
The heavy doors to the tunnel and the Red Room beyond exploded outward as Tony, a barely visible streak of black and gold trailed by upturned sand, surged into the arena.
"What an entrance! The Ascend -" the announcer cut off as he dove sideways into the dirt, narrowly avoiding the point of Tony's Dreadblade. In the precious moments that the announcer had been granted by the weapon sinking into the sand, he screamed "And now entering, please gods now, the freshly appointed Saint of Blades, Rania!"
The large double doors at the opposing end of the arena proper swung open and showed Rania's silhouette, backed in dazzling white approached. The noise of the door hinges and the light from the corridor were enough to shift Tony's attention from the colorful and erratically moving announcer to the encroaching combatant.
"Ever the animal, it's no small wonder why you were collared," Rania taunted.
Unfortunately for Rania, Tony required no encouragement to attack. He ripped Legion out of the sand and lunged at his opponent with a guttural howl. Legion swung upward in a violent arc aimed at Rania's armored thigh. With a gesture, a gleaming spectral sword streaked down from over Rania's head to intercept the strike. The clash of weapons reverberated throughout the coliseum and Rania flicked her wrist, willing another five blades into existence, and swept her arm down, commanding them to attack. Tony lurched away, the first blade slicing through his cloak and stabbing into the sand where he had just been standing. He hopped backward four more times, each time narrowly avoiding the blades aiming to impale him through the top of his head. After the fifth struck, Tony rolled to the left with a growl and lunged forward again, sweeping his blade in front of him horizontally to clear away the spectral blades as he advanced.
Rania held out her hand and one of the phantasmal weapons, yet to be cleared away by Tony's onslaught, sprang from the sands and into her waiting grip. Alarm blared in Tony's subconscious, the layer buried beneath the rage potion and berserking talents. Rania holding a blade made the other spectral copies inconsequential, or so Jak had guessed. Tony led with a leaping thrust to close the remaining distance which Rania parried and sidestepped, causing Tony to overextend. She brought the tip of her blade, the bastard child of a cleaver and a falchion, underneath Tony and pivoted, driving the cutting edge up into his gut.
The half-phantasmal metal of the weapon collided with the enchanted steel of Tony's armor and sent him skyward. If it hadn't been for the defensive upgrade, Rania would have likely split him in two with that attack. Tony tumbled upward and, on instinct, righted himself to be looking down at the sands. With a thundering shout, Tony unleashed an overcharged Adamant Slash. A gout of indigo essence arced off of Legion and screamed toward Rania. She threw her blade away and it multiplied exponentially into a protective dome just before the Adamant Slash made contact.
The whole of the arena lurched with the impact and the crowd went wild with excitement. Tony landed on his feet with a crash in the sands at the exact moment that the Hamaskyr wore off; his knees slammed into his chest, driving the air out of his lungs and taking another five percent out of his health pool. Tony was sitting at 65% HP and with the finish of the Hamaskyr paste, his Stamina bar had bottomed out.
Fortunately, Rania was in rough shape too. Tanking the overcharged Adamant Slash, even with the Blade Barrier, had taken chunks out of her armor and inflicted some serious damage. Unfortunately, while Tony gasped and coughed to regain his breath, Rania recovered.
"Reforge the Edge!" Rania cried. The remains of her shattered spectral weapons dug themselves out of the sands, the arena walls, and even some of the audience in the "splash zone" and soared toward her, turning into liquid essence as they closed in and covering over her wounds and broken armor.
Tony's Stamina crested 50% and he stood up straight. He needed to do something to catch Rania off guard without showcasing his full suite of talents. He needed an ace or two for the fight with the Champion. When his stamina passed 65% and Rania's Reforge the Edge talent was still in effect, he sunk Legion's tip into the sand and stretched. The one significant drawback to the Berserking talents and the Hamaskyr was how tense his muscles were for the duration. The lactic acid buildup made him stiff and sore in a remarkably short amount of time and if he could get ahead of it, he might be able to last a little longer in this fight before he had to rely on Pact of Spite and Rancor again.
Legion, Tony thought, can I alter your shape?
What did you have in mind, master? The spirit that dwelled within his Dreadblade asked.
Pretty much the same as what you are, but smaller, able to be held in one hand, Tony answered, a plan forming in his mind.
Your will is my shape, master. It will be done.
Tony finished stretching his legs, arms, hands, and shoulders, and drew Legion. Just like the blade had declared, its shape had changed, more akin to a hand-and-a-half sword than the greatsword it had been before. Rania emerged from a shell of phantasmal blades, rejuvenated and her armor repaired.
"Ready for round two, beast?" she demanded.
Tony stood in a sideways stance and extended his blade in one hand, "Are you?"
"Oh, so the beast speaks! I suppose I'll just have to cut out your tongue before I silence you for good! It will make for a fitting trophy," Rania said.
"ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ, come and get it!" Tony responded.
A spectral crimson Phalanx formed in front of him before it condensed down into a razor thin aura as Rania raised both of her hands in his direction, "Unbounded Storm of Steel!" Rania shouted as she activated one of her ranged talents. The halo of blades behind her ignited with white light and, in rapid succession, launched at Tony.
He focused on the halo itself, letting his peripheral vision dictate when he moved to parry the incoming attack. She may have called the barrage "unbounded" but there had to be a limit, and much like the activation phrase for the ability on his helmet declared, he needed her to close in on him, and it needed to happen after she'd broken the shield granted by the helm. Tony would only get one shot at this, he had to do it right. The bladed came at him with blistering speeds and replenished themselves in Rania's halo almost as quickly. The Padinus woman roared with effort, pushing the blades at Tony faster and faster. In the fifteen seconds that had passed since she activated her talent, Tony had to have deflected at least forty swords and had another twenty rebound off of the shield. The swords were replenishing themselves slower after another five seconds and twenty swords; Tony's shield was at 25% before it broke. Rania launched six swords at once in a shotgun adjacent blast that left just one sword left in her Halo and shattered the remaining shield.
Tony saw Rania reach back and take the last sword in hand as it launched from her halo and tensed.
This was what he had been waiting for, and she played right into his plan. The force of the shield shattering did cause Tony to take a half step back from where he had planted his feet under the torrent of swords and he felt the absorbed damage transfer into him. The sensation was overwhelming, like every muscle meant for attacking was saturated with blood, the enchanted iron of his armor groaned with the swelling of energy. Tony planted his feet again and extended the point of Legion again as Rania closed on him. As soon as the tip of her own blade passed Legion, he dropped the Dreadblade and activated both his Bloody Haste and Summon Blade talent. The confusion that crossed Rania's face turned to surety and then surprise as Tony moved with enhanced speed and clamped his right hand around Rania's overextended forearm.
Legion vanished from the spot where it had fallen and reformed in Tony's left hand burning with swirling cascades of crimson and indigo essence and thrust forward with Tony's first attack after the destruction of his shield. The destructive essence boomed out of blade in a wave as the blade bit through the armor and chitin that covered the Padinus warrior and bisected her at the stomach. The attack carried through to the far walls of the arena and, to Tony's surprise, the walls held.
Tony felt Rania's hand grip his forearm as the warrior woman gasped and gurgled, the white light that had suffused her armor, her weapons, and her eyes dimmed; Pahadron's blessing dissipating as Rania approached death.
"I die a warrior... still..." she choked.
Tony laid her down in the sands, unsure of what to say or do as blood poured out of her separated torso.
"Thank you..." she said past the welling blood.
Rania went slack in his grip, dead.
"Winner! Antonious, The Fallen, King!"
Legion has absorbed the soul of Rania, Warrior Redeemed
Processing Time: 35 hours 59 minutes