“Trainer Myron swaps Aimon. Kitsune, out, Pygmaleon in.” Marissa declared as the two Aimon took their places once more. She threw the glossy white orb up into the sky once again.

It exploded and Ferni took to the skies. She cast flamethrower without needing prompting from Davosh. Mery dodged, and kept running away from the beam that followed her, charing the earth behind her. Mery rolled and hopped and remained at a distance from the fire, dousing herself with small douses of water whenever the fire closed in on her.

When Ferni saw that an attack from such a long range would not work until she tired, burning up her Aether till nothing was left, she had to change tactics. She begun to beat her wings furiously. “That’s right! Take Control of the Environment.” Davosh approved as the winds begun to howl along with Ferni herself, dust kicked up, and the [Furious Wind] cast upon the entire arena buffeted Myron.

He dug his nails onto the wooden rail before him and held on tight so as to not be thrown or picked up. A high pitched cry cut through the fiendish howling of the wind and Ferni gleamed as her wings took on a light all on their own. Forced to switch to complete Bond communication Myron strained himself to share with Mery what he was seeing.

Water tentacles sprung up from the ground and from the palms of her hands, which she held onto. Ferni dove down her wings folded behind her, not a hint of fire on her body, almost invisible in the dusty storm.

She banked hard and flew parallel to the ground, slamming into Mery with a devastating punch. Myron saw it tear her shoulder from its base before it reverted to a healed state thanks to her Shield, taking 5 Points with it.

Yet Mery smiled as she dug her heels to the ground and tugged back with all her body weight arresting Ferni’s momentum. She called upon her [Water Whip] and slapped Ferni to the ground, taking her legs from under her and forcing her beak to dig into the dirt.

Fire sparked and then blew out of proportions thanks to the howling wind. In one moment the whole arena seemed to have been flooded. While the next moment all of that stopped as Mery’s [Surge] drowned Ferni in a furious flood.

The Winds abated and through the particles of dust falling from the air Ferni could be seen, soaked wet, fully through, blowing out steam with her coughs, with Mery right in front of her. A one-two of [Hard-Right]’s smacked the bird around, and a [Karate Chop] busted her beak and skull.

“Duck!” Myron shouted, sensing all the hair on his body rising, and Mery did as asked, a pulse of fire flew right above her, burning the edges of her wide mane of ginger hair. She kicked smacked her palms to the ground and pushed her body into the air, spinning forward, legs extended.

Both heels smacked Ferni’s in the shoulders so loud that something snapped. Wind encased her beak and she pushed forward with the drilling attack. Myron saw it, “[Headbutt]” and pushed her through it.

The beak dug into Mery’s neck, a deadly attack to anyone but an Aimon with Shield remaining, the two skulls cracked hard against each other in a diffusion of energy which pulsed outward. Ferni gasped as she begun to fall back. “Get a grip! Extreme into Punch!” Davosh shouted, for the first time in this match raising his voice and Ferni snapped awake. Her body moved rapidly, executing the orders as if there was nothing else that she could do. She dodged the Karate Chop that Mery sent her way and punched her in the gut with her taloned legs, the talons folded down and balled into a fist.

She punched again, and then one more time, each cast of the Ability sending shock-waves blasting through and out of Mery’s body until she grit her teeth and regained her foot, letting her stance get wider. She pressed her forearms together one arm locked up in the elbow and took the stronger punch yet. “HAH!” Ferni released a call as she hit with [Eagle Punch] square in the block.

Mery ate up the pain and grasped the retreating talon. She pulled Ferni down extended her arm near her knees. Ferni spun around to break free and brought her other leg up, it burned Wind power but before it could truly gain momentum it was warped around a sticky piece of [Water Whip].

“That’s right! If Fighting is not gonna do it! Then just use Water!” Myron said and Mery flashed a predatory smile, her husks gleaming in the light of Ferni’s sparking body, finally reigniting its fire.

“Bullet!” Myron laughed. Mery made to punch, and Ferni brought up her wing, the cartilage that held it togetherl sharp, a cutting edge of pure wind formed on it. The Wind met empty air, Ferni spun completely around as Mery opened her mouth and spat a pressurized bullet of water straight into her chest.

Ferni faltered, stumbling backwards. Mery was upon her. She dodged under a weak strike of the wings and punched her in the face sending her spinning and into the air. “Maneuver! Don’t give up, don’t let in!” Davosh commanded and Ferni righted her self. She folded her wings and spun forward, a capsule of fire around her pushing her forth like a jet engine.

Mery stepped back, light on her feet, crouched low, standing on her toes, heels raised. Her eyes focused, needle sharp. Myron sent his Skills through to her, and some positive reinforcement. Though he knew he didn’t need to. Mery was in the zone. She would do it.

The Clash begun and ended in a moment. Ferni flashed forward a hot trial of fire behind her. Mery exploded into a spin, her leg brought forward, a raging water torrent compressed to fit the form of her foot. She cracked Ferni’s skull in the temple and a shower of fire exploded outward with Ferni tumbling out of it until she stopped, having been blown out of the Arena, trembling, leaking blood and unable to fight.

Marissa called it as she jumped down and begun to work at healing the Valiaetos, truly worthy of her name. Marissa plucked a white star from her lips and fed it to Ferni. There and then she healed to full health, every injury, every imbalance. She shook off the feeling of dizziness that had been assaulting her until just moments ago and thanked Marissa with a bow.

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“Judging from this fight. It appears to me that Dakini did more Damage to her than we initially thought.” Myron said, scratching at his chin, a little worry coursing through him.

“Oh, that’s right. You don’t know.” Syl snapped her fingers, and Dakini perked up. “Dark Type is extra effective against Fire Type. Every [Astonish] did more damage, and that [Crunch] specifically must had hurt a lot. That move is pretty insidious.”

Dakini stood a small smile on her vulpine lips. “It’s true, it’s almost like the attack of a snake. I Inject Dark Aether into the other person in the most intimate way that I can, through their blood and bones. It still disappears almost immediately thanks to the effect of Shield on our bodies, but it’s almost a secondary damage effect that racks the opponent hit with the Ability with pain.” She confirmed.

“In the Fight between Mery and Ferni, Mery the Pygmaleon wins. Trainer Myron has two Aimon left, able to fight. Guild Master Davosh has one. Please present your Aimon, Davosh.” She declared, hopping but to the platform atop she stood, which extended from the wall of the massive hall.

Myron had to stick with Mery until she could not fight any longer.

Aether: 12/28

Shield: 19/42

He checked her status, to be certain, and prepared, though he could tell that Mery was nowhere near done having just gotten the use of Aether through her legs to click. “There’s no better place than this to forge that click into something permanent. Am I right? Mery?” Myron asked with a smile and she nodded. Those where her thoughts exactly. Myron chuckled. High off the victory.

Mery was cute when she was hungry, and overall she was a fuzz-ball most of the time. He had noticed how affectionate he was with Dakini and Syl and how they didn’t shy away from it, only when it came to her, but this dichotomy of her war face and the utter seriousness and eager spirit she showed for a good fight, was beyond cute. Myron scratched his chin, as for a brief moment he thought he had heard a term to describe this gap, but couldn’t actually make it materialize.

“Melia - The Sunymph, enters the Arena”

The tree moved forward as if levitating, the roots applying a constant and even pressure on the ground to make her movement completely seamless. She stood thrice the height of Mery, standing at 5 meters tall and was a behemoth to say the least.

“Sunymph is an Aimon of the Region, it is also the same Species of Aimon that worked with the Duke to form the Great Oak.” Syl stood next to Myron now, and she provided the information. “This one looks tall for her Level, and young for her height. She may even be the offspring of that exact Aimon I just mentioned. A Green Tier Aimon, The Third that is known to exist within the Shinka Empire, owned by a Human.”

“That is exactly right.” Davosh it seemed had incredibly sharp hearing for he heard Syl even a hundred meters across. “That should be a warning sign enough, but I don’t think it is.”

“Myron, wipe that smile of your face.” Davosh’s voice was harsh and sharp. A sharp turn from the powerful voice that commanded charisma through its sheer depth and experience. Myron had to oblige, he was forced to.

“I went too easy on you it seems and did a disservice both to Ferni, and to you. I can feel it in how your hands have now left the railing, or how much looser your shoulders are. I can tell with the way you joked and laughed that you think the worst is over. You can succeed in getting a win over me. So this is an official warning. I’m turning this challenge into a Lesson, and you can’t get out of it if you want to be A Trainer anywhere within the Shinka Empire, I’ll make sure of it.”

Davosh made Myron’s heart start rapidly thumping within his chest cavity. His words rumbled out of his throat with a growl, a competitive spirit rose from within the burly man and a seriousness fell upon his shoulder like a cape heavy with the weight of a real Trainer. A man that has lived in this world all of his life.

“Marissa. Start the Match.” Davosh ordered. Myron gulped and prepared himself. He focused, his mind descended into a biting calm. He let whatever injury his Ego had suffered just now fade away to the depths of this pool. Understanding that the words came from a place of knowledge and teaching.

The orb exploded. “Sunny Day, Into Light Extract.” Davosh’s voice was heavy and loud. Myron’s words died out as a heavy pressure descended upon him and Mery from the Guild Master, a deadly intent, thick with Aether roiled up and felt like gunk in his throat.

‘If you steal my mouth, I’ll just use our Bond. Tethers 0 - True Bonds 1.’ Myron clenched his jaw shut. “[Surge] and follow after it, you’re at a type disadvantage.” He urged and she rushed. Light shone bright in the Underground arena. All the lights in the four corners of the massive hole in the tree became useless as a sun lit up the space as bright as noon of a mid-summer day. Heat racked Myron and he felt sweat well up from his skin.

Then all that light gathered on the roots and branches of Melia, sinking in and making them flash and gleam in refractions like molten crystals. The Wave of water, taller and more concentrated than usual crashed into Melia, smashing into her roots and lifting her from the ground, shaking her balance. “[Vine Whip].” A mass of tentacle roots rose, the snapped faster than the eye could see and Mery was tossed into the ground. She pushed away. “Again.” And Punched with a [Hard Right] at the approaching whip as wide as her whole arm. She was pushed back, her arm trembling. “Once more.”

“Mery Jump away!” Myron suddenly shouted through their bond but it was too late. There was never another [Vine Whip] coming. Branches sharp as spears with tips of blinding light were flying, too fast for Mery to dodge. “[Surge]!” Myron shouted, truly shouted, and the wall of water rose to block and stop the piercing. Despite that one Lodged itself into Mery’s belly and all the way through it. “Break and pull!” Myron called and Mery pushed through the pain. Her body healed the moment the invading spear was gone but that was precious time they didn’t have.

In a rush that they never saw coming the ground broke apart and roots rose up to grasp a writhing hold over all four of Mery’s limbs. They even wrapped around her mouth and jaw, invaded her nose and sent her thrashing for air. “That’s right.” Davosh nodded and brought his open palm forward.

Myron suddenly had an idea. “[Healing Soak]” He said and the water bloomed all around Mery’s body, extending even further upon the roots that where holding her.

“Not sure what you’re attempting to do, but it’s not enough! Crushing hold!” Davosh closed his palm into a fist and Melia sneered. Mery screamed through her bondage as her bones and joints groaned.

“Surge!” Myron said, hoping, and all around Mery, the most massive wave of water, bubbled forth from the water that had soaked into the roots and all around her. It was a true Tidal wave with all ten points of Aether Myron had supplied Mery going into it. Uncontrolled and wild, it surged forth.

Walls rose up from the edges of the Arena, the white chalk that had demarcated said Arena - despite seeming unnecessary at first due to the different between Dirt and Wood that anyone with eyes could see - burning up and erecting a wall of light. The Glistening Surface let not a drop of water through it.

Myron turned his attention back to the fight, chastising himself for getting distracted. Mery there stood, impaled through the legs and arms, her back stretched atop a mass of root and tentacles. More javelins of hard light appeared in the sky and begun to fall.

“Judgment Light.” Davosh ordered without a hint of hesitation.

“Forfeit!” Myron called and Davosh nodded.

“Trainer Myron has surrendered Mery's Fight. Melia the Sunymph wins.”