The Trials of a Dra'sin

[Mesiphidon]

Mesiphidon sighed, glancing over his shoulder at Esarhaddon across the pavilion. It had been quite a long time since he had held a coming of age for one of their kind. It was a time honored and revered facet of every Dra'sin born to the Fir'an. A time of revelry, of pride, of honor, of joy, and of war. A welcoming of one to his true calling, and a day of blood. The Fir'an were warriors after all, to their core they were the entities of war and destruction. The Emperor was nervous, if such could be a thing for today was hosted in honor of his son. Sune'ere long since lost to him, and perhaps overdue for his baptism of blood. It would be a rough and tumble next few days for the boy. As was tradition Mesiphidon had prepared an offering for Sune, a tribute, and given the stories of Sune'ere being quite the philanderer and skirt chaser the Emperor had taken it upon himself to procure ten of the finest women for his son. Many were giddy and joyful at the prospect of spending the nights to come with a Celesin prince. Mesiphidon made sure not to glance towards the small gathering of scantily clad women, knowing his beloved wife would only stare in scorn.

Tables as far as the eye could see were layered with food and drink of every variety, fanning out from the heart of Lu'rae. In the center of the plaza where Mesiphidon and Esarhaddon had made their vows, floated a large disc. A ring upon which Sune would endure his trials for all to see. Massive shadows stretched across the plaza, three in total. But from what was unknown as the large objects greater then the size of buildings that floated above were obscured by what seemed a hazy fog. For now the central plaza was bare except for the staff, the Emperor and Empress. In due time people would begin to trickle in and join the festivities, Fir'an Sanctus Sanguis were a rare occurrence within the Imperium and all but the holiest of holidays for the citizens of Celesin. Shaking his head as he ensured everything was in order Mesiphidon finally turned returning to the dias upon which seven chairs were held. Two almost throne like were for the Emperor and Empress, and two adjacent to those were for the four Primoris. With the final seat facing the six meant for Sune'ere. He would take his pick after all of those before him, that he would choose to engage in the gauntlet.

Before sitting he settled the black cloak behind him in the padded chair and sat. Placing a hand over Esarhaddon's before nodding to the man in black and silver livery, embroidered with the lion head of Celesin. Given the nod the man ran raised his hand firing a small device into the air. The trail of fire shot skywards before exploding in a cacophony of fanfare and explosions of light that made fireworks seem a pale comparison. Signaling the beginning of the festivities and for those at the edges of the plaza and beyond to begin letting those who wished to attend within.

[Esarhaddon]

The empress-King looked very amused. She was fully aware that Mesiphidon was making it a point not to look at the tittering group of beautiful women he’d gathered for his son’s “present” in order to celebrate what was to be a momentous event in his life— assuming he survived it. Esarhaddon had no worry that her husband would stray and actually thought his obvious dedication to not even look for her sake nothing short of stalwart and frankly adorable. And when he did finally glance her way he’d see a smile on her face full of mirth; both adoring him and entertained by his efforts.

Such efforts were appreciated as she was, as the old colloquialism went: as big as a house. Or perhaps as big as all of Lu’rae which was a more apt metaphor to illustrate the current state she was admittedly somewhat selfish about. The emperor’s beloved was heavily pregnant and in the absolute latest stages of gestation. So many months of being extremely careful never to reroute her sensory capabilities, leave her current cage of artfully arranged neutrinos which provided her with a shell she could use to explore this particular existence. Not once employing any of her kind’s more volatile and destabilizing talents in careful dedication to make sure Cabyses, their daughter, was safely seen through to birth. Nebuchadnezzar had explained that she’d gone through much of the same— and for a King it was like being quadriplegic, blind and deaf.

How did the humans manage to live like this and keep their sanity intact? And at all times, no less?


Esarhaddon had required a touch of somewhat embarassing assistance to lower herself into the gilded seat next to Mesiphidon; noting two details— that pregnancy completely removed one’s control over their center of gravity, and, she could have easily righted herself using the mentioned force itself per the talents of manipulation all Kings had...but it was yet another risk involving destabilization. Thankfully, whomever had offered a hand to assist in steadying her would be graciously thanked and soon after, someone delivered an artfully crafted glass of champagne into her waiting hand. It wasn’t as if alcohol was capable of harming their child, anyhow.

“He is going to make you proud, of course. I can only imagine how excited you must be…” she’d say softly as soon as Mesiphidon took her hand. “Imagine” was more of a colloquialism as she could read the effects of most thoughts scrolling across his visage whereas all others would only see his sharp, well honed features as if etched in stone. She understood he was nervous but also proud— the son he surely thought lost for an innumerable number of years had not only returned in the prodigal fashion but had taken a vested interest in being a part of the empire’s machinations. Esar understood that his sister had even recruited him into her Alis branch.

[Sune]

"Leave it to my old man to make something that big and explosive just for a festival." He grinned to the girl he'd dragged all the way from Redpointe with him to celebrate. His right hand held her left in his own, while in the crook of his left arm he held the bouncing and ever energetic Odine, who was at this very moment attempting to pull some white scruff from his trimmed beard. The young Sune was dodging the babies grasping hands just barely, as if it were a game, though from time to time he would let her grab at him. Sune'ere was all smiles with his girlfriend and her small child for company. It was as good a time as any to have them meet the parents so to speak, well that and the rest of the family.

Sune had grown accustomed to a more simple life up in Redpointe, making weapons, performing chores, eating with what passed for a family, and dressing in more simple clothes. Coming here had proven that the country had not rubbed off too much on the Celesin native. Though he didn't share the meticulous sense of fashion as his older brother, or even his step-mother there was something in the simple formality of his outfit. Scuffed boots were the only hold over from what he usually wore around Redpointe, and even those were covered by a loose pair of black slacks. A white button up shirt was tucked into his pants, with the long sleeves rolled up over muscular arms. Sure he didn't cut quite the amount of figure as his old man, or even his sister, but it was certainly obvious he had been working more with his hands of late than he probably had in many months. Though it was half obscured by the baby in his arms Sune even had a tie on. He'd even asked the matron at Redpointe to trim his hair before he started looking like a model instead of a warrior.

Slung over his shoulders and resting at his hip, on the same side he held Odine was a large duffle back, zipped up and clanking. It had all of his work, and his battle gear in it. Guns, axes, gauntlets, all kinds of things you would expect from someone who took to crafting like fish took to water. It also had a large quantity of blue prints he might use at some point to modify the gear he may at some point be given once he joined up with his sisters branch of the military. But he could surprise Daul later, for now there was a celebration going on and he was going to be the main attraction. Filing through crowds, and finally making it into the festival area he would stop a moment, halting the flow of traffic around him.

"Woah." It took a while to take it all in. Food, beverage the likes of which any festival he'd attended in Nexxian, had now been put to shame. It would take a lot of force of will not to over indulge. The large disk was noted, as well as the three objects which were shrouded in a haze. They hadn't been here the last time he'd been in Lu'rae had they? It had been quite a long time. He scanned the growing crowd, and held onto Roses hand, before he would find the raised dias upon which was his father and step-mother. He raised the hand that held Roses and pointed at them. "Well this should be f...fuck me what the hell is that?" His hand jerked towards where his fathers 'Offering' was. He quirked a brow and saw well, ten scantily clad, and rather attractive women. He looked to Rose, and then to the offering, before back to Odine and clapped his hand over his mouth to stifle a laugh of embarrassment.

"I know my education is a little informal, but last time I checked I was going to be getting beaten up. Not asked to perform in front of a country." He sighed a bit. "I knew I should of sent that letter with Daul, my old reputation has certainly caught up with me." He smiled and then yelped as Odine grabbed at a long white tuft of hair and pulled it free of his skin. If he'd been keeping a low profile from his parents, he certainly wasn't now as he'd just made a rather loud scream. He would raise a hand to the couple on the dias, still holding Roses hand, and waved. "Hey, I told you I wouldn't be late." He smiled, embarassed, and approached the dias. His voice low as they passed what looked like a refreshment station. "Please grab us something to drink, something with a burn preferably." Hopefully Rose could find some whisky, and they could continue on their way up, to disappoint ten ladies, to introduce his lover to his parents, and to hopefully not die of embarrassment.

Stepping onto the Dias, he would approach his step-mother first. "Well you look ripe to burst. Hopefully whatever father has planned for me doesn't scare you into contractions." Speaking of, he would turn to his father. Standing at attention, and waiting to be given that usual gaze his pops had, and to see just how he and his step-mother would react to the woman he brought up with him. "Fath-" He faltered a moment, looking embarrassed, and spoke again with confidence. "Dad, it's good to see you again. I hope I can make you proud today." He was terrible, truly at interacting with his own father, so passing Odine off to Rose he would extend his hand in the most neutral gesture he knew. Honestly he was expecting lasers to come out of the old mans eye's and disintegrate him. Sune hadn't exactly been the best son in the world, but here he was, trying, to make amends as best he could.

[Røse]

One of the first things out of Rose’s mouth upon stepping out onto the mezzanine was something likely to cause the party boy to stumble or force him to hide a laugh. She couldn't help herself — crude humor was a bit of a coping mechanism.

'Welcome to Space Prom, I guess….’ she'd quip; scanning the tables, the natives present and eventually the dais where Rose's platinum eyes scanned over the god status rulers. Seems it was finally hitting her just how important Sune'ere was meant to be! Just yesterday she'd playfully referred to him as 'Dish Bitch’ since he was wont to hop up and see to the sink if Sophonax looked even marginally dissatisfied with the state of the kitchen.

'Well gosh aint she beautiful…’ said just as Sune lifted their joined hands to greet the parents... and the leaders of a galactic empire as she had been referring to the otherworldly woman who was pregnant enough to burst. Rose felt every inch the backwater mountain gal in that moment and knew her choice of the turquoise calf length sundress, black riding boots and leather motorcycle jacket probably looked absurd in comparison to whatever the fine citizens of the Celesin Empire had gilded themselves in.

But that never dulled her easy, hip heavy swagger nor caused her to forget her dark hair was all soft froth and waves that gave off a gasoline puddle sheen in the light. So she'd keep her chin up. Still... should she have come?

‘Hnn, there's Daul an’ Gingersnap. Over there…..jeez. Y’think the old man went hard on the catering, or what? Talk about a special day! Maybe he ain't so bad as you say, now?’ and then she also saw the women and frowned. However, Sune's reaction quickly took her from brief worry and grimacing to a snorting laugh. 'So your old man thinks you're the town bicycle, eh?’

A request to find something strong was met with a knowing, almost solemn nod that didn't manage to dull her amusement — but she'd work around Odines cute, pudgy and wandering hands to plant a kiss on Sune's jaw. Just long enough to mumble “You got this.”

And maybe to make sure the tittering angels looking at her man got the message that their assumed services wouldn't be needed.

Rose searched the tables for paydirt and even smelled a couple of drinks. At least she didn't lean over the table and inhale but figured a bit of home training in actually lifting and huffing the fumes was in order. A few people stared but otherwise she was unbothered. Suitably spirited libations were chosen and she'd take her time getting back to him…..he was talking to the important people after all. The parents. And it seemed courteous to give him a window of time.

Sune'ere would be stuck hoisting Odine as a consequence — Rose was far back and holding onto two glasses similar to brandy sifters for dear life... and sipping somewhat anxiously from both. He'd have to field the toddler on his hip while extending a hand to his father.

Rose prayed Odine didn't get overstimulated and scream at the royalty. That'd be mortifying. For the time being she seemed content with brandishing all three of her teeth in a wide smile and waving at them nonstop.

[Mesiphidon]

It wasn’t long before the pavilion was filled, people moving about observing the decorations, idly wondering at the massive bits of fog in the sky and mostly sampling the abundant food. If anything these events were a place to eat well. Mesiphidon’s gaze slipped to the now quite round belly of Esarhaddon. She had carried the terms of her pregnancy longer than expected and he himself half wondered if and when she would finally give birth. Any long and the child wouldn’t quite classify as an infant anymore. Still he gave her hand a squeeze and nodded. Glancing to the seats the Primoris occupied. Traditionally they should not show restraint for Sune, but he knew that each of them would. And that was when the boy himself made his way to the dias.

The Emperor’s fire lit gaze turned for a moment to the woman on his arms, the look and then the kiss they shared resulted in a minor widening of his eyes. The intensity of the fire laced through his sclera increased as the casual glance shifted to those that scoured the souls and weighed the measure of all before him. He said nothing, but the thoughts echoing through his mind would have been clearly picked up by his bretrothed. Another one of those ranch girls.

Finally his gaze returned to Sune’ere, gesturing now to the seat before them. ”Sune’ere I am sure you will do well. But for now you may relax. I will explain your trials shortly.” For all the world it seemed as if Odine did not exist to his eyes, they never once touched the child that was cradled in his son’s arms. Instead his right hand rose and stroked the snow white beard that framed his face. ”Have you forgotten your razor, or are aiming to impress that ranch woman?” As Sune had arrived some began to gather around the dias, in hopes of seeing the celebration begin. Many looking between the pair, and given Sune’s new found growth it was very evident he was a child of the Emperor. Not quite mirror images but the similarities caused comment.

The glow of his eyes increased again as a flow of Magi surrounded the dias, the surrounding sounds fading away as he enclosed them beneath a veil of air that blocked sound. ”I know not who the woman is, but I would sense a descendant of my line. Nor do I believe you aware of how.” Dra’sin were unlike many species, they must be aware of themselves and allow their physiology to become compatible for reproduction. At least, with others of a prime physical existence. ”Is she aware of who you are, what you are? There is a familiarity about her, yet there is much left to be desired.” His gaze suddenly turned to Daul  eyes narrowing for a moment. The small gesture was enough, she should have told him.

”I will have someone take your bag and belongings, as I understand it you wish to join the Potentiae under Daul’s tutelage. You will be given quarters suitable to your position and rank, even a child of mine is not afforded special privilege in matters of state.” Finally the Emperor sighed, giving Esarhaddon’s hand another small squeeze. Sometimes it seemed he forgot how to be a father at all. ”You look well my son, I hope you are prepared for this evening. And perhaps you will find enjoyment yet. Do well and I have a gift in store for you.” A small gesture of his hand was made and a man in the black and silver livery soon began ushering away the ten women. Mesiphidon was observant enough to know Sune would not partake, not now with the way he looked at that woman.

[Esarhaddon]

A single cough into her freehand obscured what might have been a laugh. What was funny? Her husband’s obvious struggle to remain calm as he routed his gaze to his arriving son...and his ladyfriend. She caught the eyes widening; the white light from his eyes intensifying...the faint downturning of his lips. While Esarhaddon understood the emperor’s desires for his offspring to marry well and into equal power (it fit with the violent meritocracy of Celesin’s traditions, after all) she also understood that there was only so much tradition and control he could foist onto one such as Sune’ere who he had been bereaved of the chance to raise within his native culture. That and she thought the girl with him was cute enough and noted how very comfortable and at ease the Dra’sin looked.

Also, she wondered if the girl knew the broadcasting services were all over her— weighing her, imagining her origin, beginning to construct rumors and more. The King did, however, fail to contain a brief chime of laughter when Mesiphidon suggested Sune’ere hadn’t shaved because he wanted to impress the pretty young thing he’d escorted to the event. After the second squeeze and an opportunity to avoid interrupting the family moment; Esar spoke to Sune’ere soon after he was chastised for the girl not measuring up.

’Where did you send her, anyhow? Should she not be here at your side...telling us her name?’ Obviously amused; she ran her thumb along the underside of her bottom lip while her other hand traced a thumb over Mesiphidon’s knuckles as if to assist in calming him. ’You look as if time spent in those northern lands had honed you well. You’re going to impress us tonight, I imagine. It is such a momentous vision to see you within Lu’rae again, Sune’ere.’ After, the King turned to watch the women as they left; noting they were mumbling and sullen about the dismissal and likely blamed the foreign woman they’d seen arrive with the prince.

[Sune]

Sune'ere had reacted just as expected when Rose mentioned it being space prom. Luckily enough he hadn't taken a suit out to rent for this, or else he'd be in trouble. Sune had expected Rose to just quickly grab things, but instead she let him go off to see his parents with Odine still in his arms. He shook his head and grinned a bit. "Town bicycle, heh that's a good one." Of course that raised the question of how small a town would have to be, to only have a single bicycle. He was trying to keep his mind active and off of his nerves. The small child tugging at his sleeve or his beard as he walked did a good job of keeping him on his toes.

Seeing everyone gathered in one spot like this was quite daunting however, everyone on the dias had at one point or another kicked his ass, some of them multiple times. Well except for his step-mother, but knowing the reverence other beings had shown her twin the one time that King had shown her face in Nexxian, he didn't doubt that his step-mother could beat him senseless, pregnant or not. He was before people that had power he could only wish to someday posses. While in Nexxian he had been a great beast to be dealt with by all foes, and smashed. Here he was more of a fish, waiting for any and all to take a bite from him. His father spoke to him, asking him to sit and relax, and he nodded looking down to see Odine waving energetically at all present. He smiled and sat down, shifting her to his other arm while he would set his bag down with a loud clang of metal for those around them to just guess he'd come prepared for a fight. He chuckled a bit as his father commented on his own facial hair, the waving arm of Odine grabbing at his finger for attention for a moment. Sune looked for a stunned moment as the baby might grab the emperor's attention, but his eye's would look to his fathers. Pride burning in his eyes and maybe a bit of protective instincts, in case his father was displeased at him holding a child that was not his own flesh and blood.

"Well I may not of come of age in your eye's yet, but that certainly didn't stop puberty from hitting like a truck." He chuckled at the thought of impressing that 'ranch woman' as he called her. "That really speaks to how old you are dad, when ladies are impressed by facial hair instead of skill." His foot nudged the his bag making it clank again. "New weapons I've been working on. Soon enough you might start having Alis carrying stuff I've made for you." His smile was wide and pride filled, and it was only the tugging on his beard by the Odine that broke it. He smiled down at her and puffed out his cheeks to coerce a giggle from her, before turning back to his family. Sune was aware of what was happening as the air thickened to block out sound to the onlookers. His words to someone else might of sounded cold, and certainly there was even a sense of disapproval to them. However the nod he gave his father was full of confidence.

"I'm not so young as to make that mistake again." Because he had made that mistake in the past of keeping who and what he was hidden to at least one former lover. "She knows I'm your son, how old I actually am. Maybe not all of the problems that come with it, but she had a crash course from a visitor at the ranch just what this might entail. Of course she's familiar, she's the Ranch Matrons daughter." He bounced the baby on his knee for a moment before smiling between his parents. "Of course you would know Odine isn't mine. I may be distant, but I'm not so rude as to not come and tell you, you'd be a grandfather if that was the case. Uncle taught me better than that."

"I also know I can't have children unless I want them, and even then I have to be taught. That would of been a great thing to tell Uncle by the way, I've been under the impression I was sterile for centuries. Thankfully Daul helped blow that idea away." While he spoke there was a mixture of grief and relief on his face concerning the whole subject. Clearly that whole notion had really left some mental damage on him that was just now being taken away. When his Step-Mother chimed up about asking where she was, he would chuckle. "I asked her to grab some drinks, she'll be here momentarily. Assuming that the small harem father got for me, doesn't try to beat her up. Pro tip by the way, that's a bad idea, she's quite the scrapper." He looked around to see just how Rose was faring navigating the crowd up to them and to see if anyone would stop her. He doubted it, but one never knew. This was the Celesin Emperor and security would be tight.

He blushed a bit as Esar mentioned him becoming more well honed in his time in the north. "Thank you Mother, it's been quite a hard few months training to be ready for my position in the Alis. Give it a few months and you'll wish I was back at the ranch, all of dad's boys are trouble makers, as I'm sure dad was in his youth." He smiled and turned back to his father as he mentioned being part of Daul's squad. The shrug he had of being told he would get no special treatment was lazy. "I don't want it. Any Alis, Legatus or Primoris who holds back on me because I'm your kid. I'll break their nose personally. I prefer to be treated like everyone else anyway, the only advantage I have, are the one's I was born with thanks to good genetics, and my own skill." The mention of having his things taken care of would get a nod from him. "Excellent. At some point I would love to show off some of my designs to your science division. I've taken to crafting the same way you've taken to ruling." And he was quite proud of that.

Whenever Rose showed up, he would adjust himself and Odine so that she had a seat on his lap, taking the drink she'd found from her hands and sipping at it. To calm the nerves of course. He waited to see his father and mothers reaction to the young ranch girl. If she'd taken Odine from him she would find his free hand wrapped about her waist with Odine making grabby hands at her clothes. "Father, Mother, this is Rose Na Gig my girlfriend. Rose this is my father Mesiphidon Dra'sen and my step-mother Esarhaddon Dra'sen."

"I am prepared for whatever you have in store for me. However if you're taking my things, this trial may not be as flashy as before. At least let me keep my clothes." He raised a hand to adjust his tie a moment with a grin. "Because I make this look good." He chuckled and would quickly place a kiss on Rose's cheek. He however was quite excited when Father mentioned a gift. "Oh a present? It's been quite some time since I got a present from you dad. I guess I'll have to try extra hard not to die."

[Røse]

While carrying the drinks she spotted Daul again on the way back and made eye contact. Something of an apologetic look seemed to cross the big woman’s features— and why? Rose looked puzzled but gave the Primoris a wide smile and a nod as she made her way back over. As she was a bit of an expert in toting drinks without spilling she’d arrive soon after Sune’ere mentioned something about taking to crafts the same way dear old Pops took to ruling. It made her smile down at him; even giving him a wink. They were both crafty people and she was mighty proud of having helped take his gunsmithing skills to the next level. Together they’d come up with some truly unstoppable concepts and beautiful prototypes— including the sawn off style arm she understood was likely in the duffle bag.

“That’s m’boy..’ she’d purr; bending down to scoop up Odine and hold her energetic, flailing baby while looking for a seat...only to be offered Sune’ere’s lap. It seemed declasse to take to her man’s lap in front of his parents and ancient rulers but there wasn’t anywhere else to go. Rose shrugged and stifled her unease before lowering herself onto Sune’s thighs and turning, if slightly, to make sure she was politely engaged with the likely future in-laws.

’I, ah, howdy. Sure’s nice t’ meet you finally…didn’t know the Party Boy had a siblin’ on the way. That’s excitin’!’ From Rose who’s accent always seemed to sharpen in terse situations. At least this time she wasn’t barking expletives and correcting her pronunciation to some non-dictive method of pronunciation. After, she steadied her daughter and all but purred at Sune’ere’s kiss on the cheek— only to grimace after when he said something about trying hard not to die.

’...Die? Gonna be that crazy of a party, Snowball?’ she’d say; looking confused but still entertained. In the meantime Odine had taken hold of a fistful of her hair and had to be unlatched with care and patience; the child giggling with her particular brand of excitable insanity the entire time. Rose was obviously very practiced in dealing with her child’s unstoppable nature as she did it all while holding the drink in one hand and still smiling. She did glance to Esarhaddon’s belly another time, however...thinking it might be quite nice to go through that again for how tough it all was. And Sune wanted a baby of his own so bad.

Sheesh...she was getting the fever.

[Mesiphidon]

The Emperor watched as Sune seemed to take everything in stride, his children often had different reactions to Mesiphidon’s old and rigid ways. While Daul had showed shame, Sune looked him right in the eyes. A bad sign for the Emperor’s desires certainly, but nonetheless one that made him swell a touch with pride. Certainly the Emperor was used to, and expected absolute obedience to his word. Few if any dared to question him, those that did or stood against him often fell shortly thereafter. But at the same time it was always his wish that his children would rise to their own beliefs and stand firm on them, even against him; so long as they were not something that could bring harm to Celesin and those he ruled. Not even the bondage of kin would preserve should they strike at the Imperium. Dark thoughts turning a moment to Dragos, Sune’ere’s twin. But he forced them from his mind, and found the slightest of smirks has cracked his mask until Rose appeared. Covering it with answer to Sune’s quip about Ferox. ”YI was under the impression your uncle was aware of your capability given the fact he had been witness to four of my children. Perhaps his hobbies have left him more addled then I recall.”

But then Rose didn’t just appear she had chose to sit in Sune’s lap, and purr. Despite the barrier of air prohibiting sound, the crowd could still see into the dias, as well as the broadcasting that had been going on to commemorate one of the Imperium’s rarest events. There were several gasps and covered mouths. Mesiphidon’s eyes narrowing then, ”While it pleases me that you are able to stand proud for your desires, there are limits child. Decency must still be preserved.” Of course Mesiphidon couldn’t comment too much as he had taken audience before with his beloved draping herself over him. Those were at least private affairs in the throne room, and not on public display to the Imperium.

Another thread of Magi extended from the Avatar as a smaller twin to Sune’s chair materialized next to his. Mesiphidon’s gaze merely flit from Rose to the chair before he continued. Already expecting the woman to comply, as he turned to share a gaze with Esarhaddon. He sighed and gave a small nod. He doubted anyone needed their marital bond to see her desire to hold the child. He hoped however his betrothed was aware of his struggle, and that she would act in accordance. Once Rose had taken the seat, his gaze turned to her and this time it wasn’t a simple reading but a long look that might feel as if her mind body and essence were being raked across a bed of coals and giving away every detail of who she was. He could see the way she looked at him, and at Esarhaddon’s pregnant form.

The Emperor’s hand flexed slightly in his wife's in response as he spoke moving on to the matter at hand. ”Sune’ere is not receiving a birthday party, this is his recognition of heritage and birthright. A proving grounds for Dra’sin, a trial of blood that will determine if he is to be raised as a Fir’an or left wanting. Not all Dra’sin come to know their core and ascend to their mantle of responsibility. But I have higher expectations of the boy. He should come out of the fire alive.” The last thing the Emperor wished was for Sune to fail, those who had often fell away into obscurities using their limited learning to pass themselves off as God’s in lesser and unestablished worlds. He briefly recounted the whole of Earth’s history for a moment before moving on. It was time to begin after all.

[Esarhaddon]

Esarhaddon gave an amused nod at being informed that Rose was a “scrapper”. She could see it; of course— under the well arranged deposits of statuesque softness she was a sturdily built girl who clearly spent a lot of time being active. And if it wasn’t with whatever the child put her through it was whatever duties she had gifted to her whilst living on the same ranch Khooey was purported to be from. Thinking of Khooey made her look amused again; a small huff of laughter at her husband’s reaction to not one but two of his son’s seeming to fall for the Redpointe natives.

’Troublemakers….the children of Mesiphidon? Oh, that is far too strong a judgment.” delivered in the classic neutral King’s tone that might make some suspect she was being sarcastic but one was never able to tell. And now, the young woman in question was returning— and then she watched a small internal struggle play across her face before she gathered her child and sat in Sune’ere’s lap. The empress did not look offended, but she did look surprised. Both Sune’ere and Rose Na Gig clearly had spent just a touch too much time on the pasture and perhaps were experiencing a bit of culture shock. Lest they might have prevented their faux pas before it happened.

’It is nice to meet the woman who keeps a prince so very happy, Rose Na Gig. I do hope Lu’rae is all that you had imagined and you shall be staying for some time to enjoy its fruits?” She felt Mesiphidon squeeze her hand and then watched as he formed a chair for the shamed girl— and yet she had certainly watched Sune’ere make room on his lap for her with intention. Esarhaddon couldn’t help but smile at their endearing little mistakes while the emperor was clearly a touch mortified under his stony exterior. Rose could be seen shooting Sune a pointed look before shuffling into the seat next to him with Odine in tow; managing at least to look a touch embarrassed herself. The King heard a sigh as she watched the faces of their honored guests and turned to give Mesiphidon an amused and elated look. After, she’d struggle a bit with her center of gravity so compromised and got to her feet; managing some grace and then regaining it in full as she walked toward Rose— currently a dear in the headlights as pale hands extended toward the energetic and curious toddler.

’May I? I believe Sune’ere said that her name was ‘Odine’, correct?’ She was indeed given the child and little Odine quieted for once; her babbles reduced to a small and continuous mumble as the mocha skinned, pale-rose haired little girl became fascinated with the strange woman who now held her and met her bright green eyes with her strange, washed out and pale slate irises. ’All I can recall from the stores of my brethren is Undine...a being of legend akin to a water elemental. Is that what she is named after?’ After receiving confirmation in any direction she would traipse from the core group and pace around languidly; obviously glowing as she held an eerily behaved child in her arms and smiled warmly at her while bouncing her minutely on a hip. Somehow, she even managed to make that look graceful.

At one point, Odine all but slapped a pudgy hand onto the Empress’ belly and exclaimed her curiosity in a childish bark: ’Bab?!’ and the King laughed.

’Yes, little one...my, aren’t you intelligent?’ would likely be heard as the mother to be and child eased further from the group. Yes, she wanted to hold the child and understood she was being watched by incalculable eyes— which she didn’t care about— but it was also a bit of a gesture of goodwill for her husband.

[Sune]

Sune'ere could only chuckle at the mention of his uncles hobbies and leaving him addled. "He's a human, who majored in combat magic under your tutelage, not Dra'sin biology. I'm sure he either didn't know, or figured that would be your responsibility. Either way I'm here now. I want to take my place with my family like my older brother before me." He stretched an arm across his shoulder mocking limbering up. "I'm ready for something to really push my limits, not just the limits of my patience." That was really his only response to the whole Nexxian thing. He didn't care whose hands the land ended up in. He had found a way to keep the only thing that mattered from that time. Hopefully it would come around soon enough.

He turned to his Step-mother with a bit of a grin. "Well certainly not for you and dad. Just like dad we tend to make trouble for other people. Whether we intend it or not, all with the best of intentions of course." He thought that really summed them up, father and sons. Though Sune would never do anything to purposefully harm his family, or the state by extension, he had a tendency to trip into trouble and then try to punch his way out of it.

He smiled as Rose joined them, trading her baby for his own glass. Enjoying for a brief moment the feel of her sitting upon his lap. As classless as it may be, up there in front of the entire Imperium. The thought never even crossed his mind to stand up and offer her his seat. A dumb move on his part he'd come to regret, but for the brief moment he had her close by his smile really shown through. With his back to the crowd he could not see their reaction, only his fathers narrowing of eye's. He already knew he'd done something wrong, and he heard his fathers words. His eye's for a moment were down cast, seeking something else to lock onto before reestablishing contact with his father.

"My apologies father, I should of offered her my seat." Surely there was remorse in there, but at the same time he was the same kind of stubborn that wouldn't look away when he knew he had done something wrong. As the extra seat was made for Rose, he smiled to her and gave her arm a reassuring squeeze, as if to say she hadn't done anything wrong, after all he'd invited her to sit where she did, all the blame certainly lay on him. As Rose sat down in the twin of his seat he would watch as his step-mother moved to take Odine, and his father gave Rose a gaze that seemed off even to Sune, something he'd never seen from his dad. Just what he was doing was beyond Sune as he was not actually caught in the gaze.

Sune'ere blushed as Rose used her nick name for him in front of his father, turning away and having an almost bashful smile on his face for a moment. He was about to speak up about it being one hell of a party, when Father interjected with a little more information concerning the actual event. If Rose using his nick name around the parents had embarrassed him, then his father speaking of having expectations for him actually made him swell with pride. He was ready to have the whole of Lu'rae thrown at him and expected to catch it. An impossible task truly, but with his own father speaking of him like that, it was something he might even try to accomplish if asked. Sune'ere was quick to try and please those he let in.

"Neither of you need to worry, I tend to impress under pressure." He looked for a moment past his father and towards his step-mother with the baby and gave a little chuckle. Leaning over to Rose he would speak plainly. "Lucky thing they've already got one on the way or else I might have another brother or sister." He paid attention to his father though as something clicked with him, and he certainly looked curious. "Come to know my core? Well that's not ominous. Let me guess, I'm going to end up having to fight myself? Because that's what it sounds like to me." Everything that his dad was saying was screaming to him like some kind of mirror match from hell.

However the complete impossibility of something like that occurring made him rethink it. Well what in the world could force a Dra'sin of his own pedigree and age to come and know their core and assume responsibility. He looked around between mother and father, towards the four gathered generals of Celesin. His brother and sister, as well as the other two who he was not the biggest fan of. What the hell were they all doing here anyway, didn't they have better things to do than watch him fight things?

Something clicked in his brain and he would lower his head. "I think I get it. Yeah, this party is going to rock." At the very end of it he was holding onto Roses hand, and watching his father, waiting for him to confirm what he'd just thought of. He was going to have to fight all of the Primoris, without his gear, all at once.

[Røse]

Rose did notice the gasping and a few of those creepy, floating drone cameras turning in her direction. Probably not the best time for her natural “resting bitch face” to be on display and her look of annoyed confusion, though brief; wasn’t all that attractive. But it couldnt be helped— she was a ranch girl and not used to being on display and having an audience whether physically presence or virtual. To say it made her nervous and apprehensive was an understatement. And then a glance to the right and she saw the chair materialize; her visage snapping back and forth between Sune’ere, Mesiphidon and the construct as it was being formed. No need for Rose to explain as Odine was already barking Cha!Cha!Chae!CHURR”, attempting to name the object which had formed. But the little one only had three teeth at this junction

Thus with an exposed and embarassed grimace, Rose eased herself off of Sune’ere’s lap and folded herself into the chair. The squeeze her gave her before rising did ease her tension quite a bit and she gave him a reassuring smile in return before settling in and making a ch-ch-ch sound at Odine to quiet her down. It wasn’t exactly working— until the Empress herself stood up and wanting to hold her baby. It stunned Rose for a moment as, firstly, the royal ruling couple were both ethereally gorgeous. Sort of how Rose saw Bahst and Sophonax in their forms when not physically dampened down but she could swear there was a glow about them. She could see it and yet she couldnt at the same time. What was it her eyes were trying to catch? A hard swallow and she didn’t complain or warn the woman with pale eyes who reached for Odine, the ruler...queen of space? She couldnt even inwardly joke about it whilst being a deer in the headlights. The next thing she knew she was watching Odine behave for once and be trotted away.

By the time she settled in without a baby on her lap Rose found herself turning from giving Sune’ere a reassuring smile that seemed slightly wary at the bits he continued to express about being sure not to die and more— only to meet eyes with the emperor. What she thought might have been just another of his uncomfortable, measuring gazes turned out to be something closer to pain. It burned— but it wasn’t just his gaze, it was what and who he would be staring through her to see. It wouldnt have been his intention to look through a girl and find someone else staring back as if through a keyhole. Should he be capable he would not only have been looking through the core of the ranch girl who would have been capable of impressive power if her mother wasn’t using her as some sort of essence-vector; feeding off of her from afar and toward and unknown purpose since Sparrow wasn’t exactly running low on her own force. She could pull it from the planet itself. An almost frantic attempt to close doors and shut him out would be immediate— whether it was successful was up to the emperor’s view.

As for Rose herself she looked fatigued if only for a moment; her hands coming up to dig fingertips into her temple and forehead; a grimace on her features and her legs shuffling as she tried not to writhe in the chair. On one hand it felt as if she had been struck with an powerful migraine and on the other, Sparrow’s attempt to shut him out caused her own natural energy to first spike and then plummet. As for what he would truly see from her: she was indeed a true Jann and would have had incredible amounts of potential— if it wasn’t being stolen, so to speak. Outside of that while vulgar and somewhat out of her element her love for Sune’ere was true, she was his teacher as much as his main squeeze; a Redpointe sentinel leader with the same training and efficiency as Khooey and while she lacked the Dwirgi, she did possess the Servitor of Djinn power. A bit of a rough and tumble girl who’d just happened to be there when the emperor’s son sought Sanctuary.

“The hell…” Rose mumbled almost inaudible. Her vision had even blurred once she fully opened her eyes again. The metaphysical invasion hadn’t done her in— just the efforts to dam it off by a certain bitter and highly Ferrokinetic psycher-sorceress nomad who’d happened to give birth to her some twenty years prior. Someone Rose had figured did not realize she even existed, much less cared about her or her potential and capabilities.

A bit of eye rubbing and she caught the end of what the Emperor was kindly taking it upon himself to explain to her. When she spoke her voice had an exhausted grain to it and her eyes were heavy lidded. But, Rose would hopefully recover shortly.

’Oh...I think I get it. Kin’na.’ she’d say; lowering her hands from her eyes and trying to look a bit less dazed and confused while, of course, that was precisely what she was. It was fortunate that Esarhaddon had taken Odine lest her reaction may have resulted in Rose dropping her daughter. Now, she turned to Sune’ere and gave him a wan smile. ’Like I said Snowball...don’t die. Make y’ papaw proud, eh?’ and followed it up with an inevitable grimace. Seemed a bit barbaric...but it wasn’t her culture.

[Mesiphidon]

If his penetrating gaze into Rose has surprised him with what he had found, he certainly didn't seem to express it. His face never changed except the slightest movement of his eyes which was obscured by the white flame lacing the sclera. She was similar to ranch girl Caden had taken a linking too, if a touch different, definitely different. If he looked deeper through the keyhole he might have found more about the observer. He felt the rebuff to his vision, and not from an conscious action taken by Rose herself. Interesting indeed, however the girl was in pain and now was not the place to dive deeper. He resisted the push of Rose's observer for but a moment if only to let them know that it was by his choice he withdrew. He had learned what he intended to already.

With a hidden thankful glance to Esarhaddon that only she would decipher and know the meaning to he nodded towards Rose as well. Esarhaddon may be able to assess the girls condition without causing her more pain and stem the migraine. "We will speak later in private child." Her intentions for Sune were pure enough, but he could not trust that whoever else was there not to control the girl somehow. That would be rectified before he gave the couple his blessing, she was worthy enough in potential at least.

It was time however for things to begin, the dome of air having faded so that they were no longer muted to the rest as Mesiphidon settled his gaze back to Sune. Saying nothing further on the brief indiscretion earlier, he continued as if the entire thing had not happened. "You are aware of our culture Sune'ere. And while some might insist we are barbaric; perhaps even uncivilized. We are an entity of warriors, an Imperium of soldiers, and your lineage is no different. We know no fear, we no know foe that will not bend before us. Battle is not just our profession it is our lifeblood. And there is no finer warrior or soldier then those that herald from Celesin." As he spoke the crowds excitement grew, erupting in cheers at the praise given to them by the Emperor. Even the normal citizens were fervent in their imperialism.

"It is because of our rigorous practices, our refusal to bend knee and our drive to protect all that exists beneath our wing that we are the most formidable in all of existence. It is this legacy from which you have come, and this legacy you must prove worthy of." His hand extended and swept across the four Primoris besides him, "All know our Primoris, the fear and awe their very presence strikes into the heart of any enemy. The Pride for which our soldiers fight for our Gods of war. And it is against them, perhaps even against me that you will prove your mettle." More cheering had come, the people were building into a fervor now, they did love their bloodsport. But perhaps the loudest cheers were from the Alis branches that served under each Primoris. They held an immense pride for their leaders after all.

"I do not expect you to defeat them, few beings if any can hope to stand against them alone. Instead I will allow you to choose three among us here that you wish to engage with. You will face them in descending order, one at a time. Your task my son, is to survive; to prove you are worthy of your legacy. To expose your truth as Dra'sin, I will push you to your limits and and then beyond. Only then will you know yourself, only when you can draw from within when there is nothing left to give will you know to your core rather you are a Fir'an."

Finally Mesiphidon nodded, the noise of the crowd suddenly rising as Sune'ere was left to make his decision. Which three would he face? Certainly Mesiphidon expected Sune'ere to leave Esarhaddon out of his choice she was pregnant after all, quite obviously so. In the noise Mesiphidon spoke in a quieter tone meant for Sune alone. "Make me proud my son."  

[Esarhaddon]

There really was something charming about the energetic little girl in her arms. The bouncing curls, brilliant green eyes, russet skin and the enormous smile lacking all but a few teeth easily got past any defenses Esarhaddon may have had. No wonder her husband wanted her to tote the child away so he could focus, address the crowd, his children and assess the girl Sune’ere had brought along with him. Only when Odine very suddenly frowned, turned and pointed to her mother did the King’s attention end up rerouted back toward the miniature conference on the dias. The child only had a few discernible words in her repertoire for the time being but her sudden and incessant babbling was clearly weighed down with worry and her little brows had knit and risen in the center.

The message was clear: What’s wrong with mommy?

Esar looked puzzled for a moment and bounced the child at a steady pace to keep her calm before turning to see the grimace on Rose’s face and the obvious discomfort she was in. At least it did not seem to last too long and, endearingly— it wasn’t as if Odine went back to smiles and shrieks as soon as her mother sat up a little straighter and looked far less green— she reached for Rose eagerly until the Empress was all but forced to return the toddler to her rightful hip. That and she had been given a pointed look by her beloved in passing that said more than enough without words.

’Are you feeling a touch under the weather, Rose Na Gig?’ crooned the empress; bending slightly and ignoring a few stewards looking anxiously as if they wanted to assist her while she returned the toddler. At the very least Rose half stood to meet her for the exchange. Without warning the Empress would reach out soon after she was free of Odine’s weight to likely startle the young woman by smoothing her hair away from her forehead and placing her palm over the skin.

It only lasted a moment but she was met with a rush of data: the person on the other side was a background anomaly for Esarhaddon but she wasn’t connected enough with Rose to really dig deeper. Surely enough she was picking up two distinct signatures of power and moreso— she recieved a location. It was as if she was consulting two persons but as one. One here in Lu’rae upon the Mezzanine and someone else halfway across the planet in some underdeveloped hamlet and they were fighting to keep themselves concealed but maintain some sort of connection.

They also appeared to be related to Rose. Intimately, as well.

’Forgive me, you looked faint for a moment, child. You’ve but to ask if you need someone to rest for a moment. We could have you escorted anywhere— I am sure Sune’ere would understand.’ of course it wasn’t going to take a genius to figure out that Rose would refuse the offer if it meant being unable to presently support the prince. But it would have been cruel not to offer.

Esarhaddon turned away from her after offering a warm smile and met eyes with Mesiphidon. He’d been right that something bizarre was going on with the girl. Although her years of existence were shorter than everyone present save for the toddler she had experienced and learned quite a bit— but she had never seen anything quite like this. A pensive expression etched itself into her features as the pregnant empress lowered herself back down to sit beside her husband.

[Sune]

Sune'ere was a bit concerned for Roses sudden onset of a migraine.  Had the drinks not agreed with her so quickly?  Keeping his hand in hers he would squeeze gently, letting her know he was here for her.  The love in all of his actions clear and on display for the world to see.  He cared little if Celesin and his father approved of his life choice, and maybe that was where he and his father differentiated for a time.  In his own way, the emperor was married to his nation first and his wife second.  Sune would of thrown it all under quite a large bus for this girl, but he was young, so much younger than his father and even his brother.  He had not lived the Celesin life, but soon he may come to appreciate what it meant.

His father's words to Rose brought a small smile to his face.  Maybe not approval in full, but more than Sune had dreamed of from his old man.  The offer to speak privately,  meant much, something other leaders and even Primoris rarely got.  As the muted sound barrier disipated he watched and listened to his father as he addressed the nation.  Cold and contemplating his father was not in that moment, he was a rallying point for all.  He drove the crowds wild with national and personal pride.  Now he understood how this man was a leader.  As his father finished he looked relieved, it would not be a four on one massacre, instead it seemed something more manageable.  As the floor was relinquished he waited a moment to listen to his mother comfort Rose.   Rising from his seat, he would turn to her and place a quick kiss on her forehead.  "I'll be fine, though I might need a massage after this. "  He grinned and winked to her, before he stood before his father, giving a nod of understanding as to his task, but also wanting to take center stage before the people he was the prince of.  He turned to face the nation that had birthed him, amd he did not shrink away from watchful eyes as he stepped to the front of the dias.

"Celesin hear me well!  I Sune'ere, son of my father and long absent prince to you all will do well not only to my family but to all of you gathered!  I will fight!  I may bleed, I may fall, but my spirit and my pride in this great empire shall never break!  My father's words have struck within me understanding of what it means to be Celesin."  He raised his right fist skyward hoping to gather a cry of cheering for him.  Whether it came or not he would lower his hand and speak again.

"For my first challenge I will fight a man who has taught me much in our time together.  Unique tactics, and using the environment to one's own advantage, A man who has seen me at my best, and seen my wrath with his own two eyes.  I hereby challenge Primoris Ultonis, Fenris.  May he fight well, show me no quarter, and bring me a step closer to knowing my core! "  He ended by pointing at the Prinoris directly, surely the crowd of Ultonis would be going wild that their leader was the first chosen and given the honors laid down by the prince himself in front of everyone.

Whatever came next he would weather it, his smile given to Fenris was a friendly one unlike the last time they had met in a bar.  He was ready, with no weapons in hand, he was ready to meet his opponent.

[Røse]

A lot of blinking, a groan and for the most part the discomfort had fully left the young woman. It was nice to have her hand held through all of it; Sune’ere looking at her with pure, concentrated concern on his face. It immediately made her turn red and unsuccessfully try to stop a laugh that included and accidental snort — he had that effect on her.

’Lookin’ at me like I’m going into labor, Snowball…’ she’d say; trying to play off how much it had hurt, her confusion, the alarm. It felt as if someone was trying to breach her skull with a hot pike. And then, it was over. The question was why did it happen in the first place? Had his father done it to her? Somehow, she doubted he had and if she was wrong it didn’t seem intentional. Not with so many concerned eyes in her direction and even the empress putting one of her pretty, soft hands on her forehead in a matronly manner. Something like checking for a fever.

’Oh, n-no...I’m alright. I’m bettin’ its just th’ change of scenery. I’m used to mountain’s, eh?’ Sune’ere came around and kissed her forhead; immediately calming her down and getting another lazy smile in reverse. ’Y’ make us both proud an’ you got a massage, alright. All day.’ she’d drawl. If anything would motivate him to survive she’d hope that their little trade of coded language did the trick. Another nervous laugh and this time it was cut short by the emperor’s gaze on her and the promise he’d speak to her in private. Odine was safe in her arms when he made the command— it wasn’t a request, was it?

Holy shit.

Had she fucked up? Was it the bit about sitting in Sune’ere’s lap? A long moment of being stunned into silence before Rose remembered it was rude to stare and couldn’t manage much but a too quick nod to the hulking, god like figure on the dais.

No, really. Holy shit.

A hard swallow and she’d exit her fugue trying to calm Odine who was pointing to the emperor and saying something over and over that may have been “Snow Man”. Apparently, she’d made the connection that the Emperor was Sune’ere’s, aka “Snowball”’s father.

Rose then tried to keep her child entertained as the King of Space proved himself to be an incredible orator; his voice booming naturally. She thought him not unlike a living war horn; sending the throngs into an immediate berserker’s fury; motivating them...to see his son get beaten up. At the mention of Primoris; Rose followed a few gazes to where they were and spotted Daul, Fenris, Gingersnap and the last one she hadn’t yet been acquainted with. The gravity of their stature and how seriously they were taken wasn’t lost on her— even if the last time she’d seen Daul little Odine had been mercilessly attacking her face with a squishy, squeaky toy.

Now, Sune’ere was addressing the crowd— dear goddess, he was an actual prince and suddenly it was very much clear— and Rose’s throat went dry. Even her daughter had gone mum to watch him stand and speak; echoing the commanding image of his father in more ways than he himself likely realized. And then Odine became overstimulated and shrieked with joy. It was cut short by a bit of bouncing on her mother’s knee.

’Shhhh, little foal.’ the Jann whispered; utilizing some of her abilities for once to calm the child and seize her full attention as she mumbled into her little right ear. It was as if the cadence of her voice alone was a narcotic; lulling the listener into a theta state so they relaxed and hung in every word as if they were made of diamond. Rose usually only employed it to sing Odine to sleep nightly, but— desperate times call for desperate measures. ’You remember everyone’s name? Sune’ere...Daul...Fenris...Caden...Empress Esarhaddon….Emperor Mesiphidon— no, not “Grandaddy”. Y’stop that.’

It was all a great way to keep her heart rate down as she watched Sune’ere walk onto the platform. And Rose could hear her heart thudding in her ear.

[Fenris]

Fenris was beside the main area, well out of the way of the officials of the Imperium, or at least as far away as he could be within the festival. He did not feel comfortable in such regal pomp and circumstance, and despite what Sune thought Fenris only knew him as a son of Mesiphidon, and the guy that shoved glass in his eye on behalf of Edward Elric. It should have been well established at this point to any who knew of him, Fenris could hold a grudge for an eternity, but as far as Sune was considered, it was not that big a deal, and if anything such an action would have been far more troubling to Sunes kin than to Fenris. The Ultonis had not forgotten where Sunes loyalty had lied in a pinch.

Konstantine was also here, as was Rose who looked vaguely familiar to him, and whom he recognized as coming from Red-Pointe, as well as recognizing a scent somewhat similar to Herzog in a very obscure and different way. He felt a pang of guilt, she would have loved this, but inviting her would have been reckless for both of them. He pushed brooding thoughts aside for now.

The other Primoris were no doubt scattered about, it was a testament to the intensity of festivity Daul was not immediately discernable. Shrugging his shoulders he found a table aside in some dimly lit corner, and began to drink the hardest spirits they had. Many of them capable of killing a standard human in minutes in a variety of ways. Fenris however was no mere mortal. He bang another tankward down breaking a bit of the wood beneath it. Another! as the bartender hastily and nervously turned the tap to feed the beast.

Bang! "Another!" and so it went, till after a certain period Fenris heard his name being called through the throng, and from the area Mesiphidon, Esarhaddon, and Sune were from. He let out a long sigh of exasperation, even as the tender let out one of relief. He growled, and looked at the tender. " I'll be back... "

He walked towards Sune, swaying slightly in the process, before his movements became more sure. Fenris' skin glistened a bit as a slight hissing sound ensued and a bit of steam suddenly wafted his body, as the sweat evaporated, and he let out a deep breathe, a smaller puff of the same steam left in the process as his posture straightened,and he made his way towards Sune`ere in the main pavillion through the throng of people.

He eventually stood before the Empress and Emperor as well as the "prince" as it were. His arms moving to remove his shirt, and fling it to a chair several meters away, revealing a hairy extremely toned chest, and showing his broad shoulders. He crossed his arms and waited. He found it strange he had been Sunes first choice, but Fenris would do his duty, though the situation seemed a bit complicated with its possibilities which irritated him slightly.

[Mesiphidon]

The confirmation from Esarhaddon was all he needed, Mesiphidon was perhaps one of very few beings outside of the Kings themselves that understood and was aware of their true capabilities. They were devious and secretive to the last, showing only what they wanted you to see. His beloved was no different, even if she was the only one that had earned his trust. Still he took up her hand when she finally settled back into her more than stuffed seat. Sharing a look of both gratitude for her distraction as well as one chiding her to stay put and off her feet for the remainder of the evening. He lifted her held hand and gently brushed his lips across the back of her hand as Sune'ere took the cue and spoke to the masses calling out Fenris.

The boy lived true to his heritage more then he might have thought, it was hard to escape his legacy after all, and perhaps doubly so for Sune who held not just the expectations Mesiphidon held of him but in some way those of his estranged twin Dragos as well. But Mesiphidon pushed that one from his thoughts immediately. He had severed that bond, painful as it was quite literally. No there was no lineage there any longer. Still a touch of pride caused the Emperor's eyes to blaze brighter as Sune spoke. Focusing his attentions on the boy, not so much to cold shoulder Rose, but because the spotlight was on the man of the hour now, among other things. The roar of the crowd to Sune's words and the deafening roar from the Ultonis as his choice was made almost seemed to make the ground rumble.

As Fenris approached the dias and the large floating ring not far off it was impossible for Mesiphidon to miss the Primoris purging the effects of the alcohol from his system. Glad to see that the Utlonis had not used the the effects as a boost but shed them completely. The Emperor nodded in approval. Fenris was... Fenris, these social and group affairs always brought out the hermit in him. But alas he did his duty as necessary.

"So he has been named, Fenris of Olfwood shall be the first of your gauntlet. Like your forefathers before you, and all that have stood the trials since the beginning. All is left behind except that which you are. You are the warrior, you are the weapon, you are the instrument of destruction. Enter only as yourself, with nothing but yourself. Use only yourself to whatever capacity you are able. Your core will reveal your truth and we shall see what you are. Then you will know what it means to be Dra'sin, to be Fir'an."

His free hand beckoned to the large circular ring drawing it now towards the center of the plaza where Sune and Fenris would enter. As both of them took the ring and stage the field of protection would activate, shielding all beyond its edge from potential harm and further locking the duo within until the end.


The crowds were at a fever pitch now, the show was about to begin. "Be purged of your weakness, cleansed of your fears, alleviated of your worries. Know yourself, return to us warrior." Floating orbs above the ring circled to film the action, the crowds eyes on the ring all else forgotten, the noise such now that it almost seemed silent in heavy anticipation.

"Let it begin." The words boomed and echoed through Lu'rae like a crash of thunder.

[Sune]

Sune'ere expected nothing less than the reaction Fenris in his absence had given him. The man had once been social, and someone had stolen that from him. He performed his duty, and kept to himself, but the fact that he was here now to be his first opponent was enough for Sune'ere, just like it was enough for his father. Hearing his fathers words he nodded, nothing but himself as the weapon. No tricks like he was used to employing, nothing underhanded except for what he could produce on his own. That immediately evaporated a plan of his own. He would have to work hard for this to truly succeed. Not that he expected this to be easy, but he already knew which three he would choose. In the grand scale of his opponents to be Fenris was the least among them in his eyes. The perfect starting place.

As the ring descended he looked to Fenris' shirtless form, and grinned just a bit. He would stretch his arms and crack his neck and knuckles as he placed a quick kiss upon Rose's lips before hopping from the Dias and running towards his gauntlet. He was excited to finally start and prove to Celesin he was not like his twin. He was the prodigy Mesiphidon and his mother had given birth to. To him not only did this fight hold his hopes, but it would be a day that proved he would not fall by the way side, like his mother and twin had before. He would rise above them, he would fucking soar.

When Fenris entered and the defensive grid was in place he would immediately activate his body cascade, increasing his naturally proficient agility and reaction time. His eye's ablaze with the hoarfrost color he would grin, he couldn't wait for Fenris to strike first, that would be cowardly, and would not prove to Celesin the kind of man that he was. He rushed Fenris, striking off the ground hard and fast enough to cause a sonic boom behind him, blowing dust into the air. Right hand clenched into a fist and raised behind him for maximum power, he would continue to run and cover what little distance there was between them. By time he was within striking distance it may be too little to late for Fenris to dodge the oncoming blow from his hand aimed directly at his solar plexus. Considering how fast Sune had moved, if Fen took the blow to come full on, he very may well be thrown back against the shielding hard enough to make him think Daul was in the arena and not this scrub lord prince.

[Fenris]

Fenris looked at the Emperor, a brief nod ensuing to observe protocol and show respect.
During the brief official decree, Fenris unleashed the first binding on his form, which kept him "sub-base" an act that was almost instantaneous as it required more effort to maintain the binding then to release it. His body rippled slightly with predatory muscle and tendon, runic like patterns appearing on his flesh almost like tattoos but more akin to the markings one would see on the coat of an animal, though in Fenris' case they were more symmetrical, perhaps they even had some kind of primal and visceral meaning.

Unlike Sune`ere, The Barbarian did not take anything for granted about the fight. It had been a while since they fought, and Sune had been receiving tutelage, and was also a prodigy. Fenris was the most experienced of Primoris and he had learned the hard way that even the most seemingly inconsequential of details or opponents could spell disaster. He did not want to humiliate Sune, or "ruin his moment" even out of dislike, or mistrust, its not like he really had it out for Sune`ere at that. Still the situation seemed a bit tricky at least politically.

As they progressed towards the "Proving-Ground" of that Circular ring, Fenris turned a black-rimmed golden gaze to the young Dra'sin, as the short and now silver-black braid on his head bobbed slightly in the motion, while the Ultonis' Intrinsic-Arming shifted just beneath the surface of his body, readying itself, a beast within a beast.

Fenris' movements seemed fluid, in contrast to the visible coiling tension of his body, a visceral and predatory presence conveyed in those movements, identical to that of an animal on the hunt despite his humanoid form. He watched the young prodigy, and understood his opponent. Sune`ere wanted too make a good showing for his father, and was likely to either try and show-boat or be very cautious so as to ensure his passage into the upper echelons of Dra`Sin society.

The grin showed more of Sunes swagger, and confirmed confidence. Fenris gave a gave a bigger and more malicious grin, emphasizing elongated canids, surrounded by a robust braided beard. The young dra'sin left to kiss Rose, it was a shame Herzog couldn't come, she had expressed a desire to see him in action. Every action Sune took had meaning to Fenris, and he watched him intently never wavering in the vigil.

(*)

The warding-shield rose, as Fenris simultaneously lowered his body half-way and brought his coiled arms to cover his torso and head, in a tight defensive posture, compressing his body and concentrating his weight into a greater center of gravity, with both legs shoulder width apart.  It was well known that Fenris typically preferred to take the initiative and go on the offensive, but this time he was circumvented by Sune's speed blitz. It was not so much the speed that was a threat, as blistering as it was, but the fact Sune had seized such an early opportunity.

Fenris however was already expecting a full on offensive and was already guarding himself, and it was good he did or he might have very well been "too little, too late." Fenris had earlier already surmised that Sune would adopt either a conservative or bold approach. However what Fenris knew of the princes persona coupled with the factors at hand had strongly-hinted at how his opponent would act in general terms, with Fenris merely readying himself for either approach. Even so, such a ruthless and decisive attack spoke to the Princes improvement as a warrior, but was also sloppy in at least four ways in the eyes of the Ultonis, alleged "weaknesses" that might prove to be costly mistakes indeed.

Firstly it was the full cocking back of the arm. An action that was so telegraphic that Fenris could have responded easily in close-quarters much less the comparatively greater distance the young Dra`sin had to traverse. Such a seemingly reckless assault might have suggested a feint, though given the attacks decisive nature that seemed highly improbable, as momentum, positioning, and timing seemed to lock Sune's attack in the "stone" of causality, which lead to the second flaw Fenris saw, in that Sune had attacked heedlessly of his own defense, and did not seem to be taking the Ultonis all that seriously. As usual the young prince was only seeking sport, did he think he could afford such flippancy in the face of his own trial and against a Primoris? Was he mocking him?  Even in the face of these alleged issues, Fenris himself was not infallible, despite the perceived flaws of Sunes strike, it was worth noting that the the seizing of the initiative would limit some of Fenris' options in his response, to a degree he would be forced to react, but the Ultonis' skill was as such that many times he could blur the lines between the subtle-distinction that separated response and reaction.

"CRACK-BOOM-BOOM" Thrice fold thunder would ensue if Fenris had his way, each sound following the other in a fleeting rhythm-less storm. The majority of spectators most likely unable to comprehend what had happened to lead to the finishing result, most lacking the capacity to perceive such a clash.

It was difficult to say what the order of each sound was, but the first was most likely the most quiet. Fenris already low to the ground, with his tight guard in relation to his opponents attack trajectory would minimize the amount of space required to intercept, the economy of motion so precise that the movement itself seemed almost non-existent, an application of his favored attribute of perception. A dry "CRACK", as the palm-thrust was met by Intrinsic-arming now coating his left forearm, absorbing the shock of impact as the shiny black surface rippled.  The impact also lessened by Fenris' defense which made contact with the wrist of Sune`ere's arm rather than the palm which was the primary deliverer of the intended energy, most of it going to waste. Coiled and formidable muscle suddenly sprung reinforced additionally by Intrinsic-Arming present in his body, Fenris knew the momentum could not be stopped, but Sune was not moving like a projectile he had been running. Fen's posture leaning up at a 60-75 degree angle as the earth was crushed beneath the Ultonis feet from the dual forces. Fenris' right arm moved at the same time as his left seeking to wrap around the left arm of Sune`ere, shooting forward as Fenris tucked and turned his head down and to his left to defend it from a reprisal even as he pressed it against his opponents chest.

"BOOM" the second sound ensued, the delayed sonic-boom resulting from Sunes previous movement. The ground cracked, first from the pressure of Fenris' weight and power imposing itself, and then from the counter-force of Sune as Fenris was invariably pressed back creating a short-brief trail in the wake of their movement. This would serve to lessen the Princes momentum, even if it could not stop it completely, but the pressure would suddenly shift as Fenris' legs lifted up behind him, forcing all of his weight onto Sunes upperbody as the young Dra`sin's legs carried him forward. If all  went as planned Sune's balance would be severely compromised in the midst of his mad-dash. Body-Cascade was a formidable power, but he was not contesting it directly, and like any power it was only as effective as the wielder.  If all went according to plan, the third "BOOM" would hopefully be Sune tipping back heel over head, and hitting ground, as Fenris' weight along with Sune`eres fell to whims of gravity, but with the Ultonis atop Sune as his extended legs bent for the impact to land atop Sunes body, and Fenris' right arm maintaining an iron-clad grip. The impact creating a crater if it worked, as Fenris' knees drove themselves into the males stomach. It might not end so neatly though, and Fenris was prepared for that as well.

[Sune]

Sune'ere might of had a micro-expression of surprise as fist was not met with fist in an epic clash he had so hoped for. The speed at which they were moving the replay would need to be shown to others in slow motion to really see exactly what was going on. However Sune was fully aware of how his body could operate, though a sliding dodge might of been possible at the last moment, being this close to Fenris was actually what he had wanted. Maybe the Primoris thought he was doing this for sport, however Sune knew this wasn't a combat that he could take easily like so many spars in his past. Every last part of his arsenal would need to be on point if he had a hope of surviving, let alone coming out of one of these fights with a win. As Fenris grabbed both wrists and moved his body downwards to begin his movement Sune would use what little momentum he had left to arc his right fist upwards and over the Primoris' head, taking that arm that had grabbed him, with him. Now his fist would be positioned over the Primoris' exposed back as head smacked into his chest and their own strength caused dents in the ground.

Sune'ere had learned much since the battle of Nexxian, and one of those skills he had begun along the path of mastery was finely tuning his magi expenditure. He used a mix of body cascade to strengthen the muscles at the very edge of his hand, and then graced his finger nails with a core extension of his own magi. Flexing the muscles past their usual limit in a unique manner that would eject his own fingernails from the ends of his fingers like bullets. Aimed in such a way that the width of them would collide with the Primoris' back, and still retain the grace of his core extension. In this case, Fenris' own form would be struck by Sune's core, causing his magi to begin to erode his form as it would attempt to be converted forcibly into static magi. As the nail bullets were shot out, if they broke the flesh Fenris would have a magi problem on his hands as Magi was forcibly introduced into his internal organs, trying to break them down. The way he kept them within his control was through small almost imperceptible tendrils of magi that moved from his finger tips.

Of course Fenris' own attempt to get him down on the ground could not be ignored, Sune actually wrongly guessed Fenris would try to flip him over the man and then pin him, instead of what was actually happening. This meant that as Fenris was pushing into him to get him to the ground, Sune would be pushing backwards as well. Falling with Fenris, he would open his left palm and attempt multiple blasts of projected force akin to the bullets he shot from his gun. Multiple blasts with the power of a speeding car at that distance were near unavoidable.Whether Fenris relented or not the Primoris would not be leaving without a bruise or two from this fight.

As knee's drove into his chest causing him to scream out in pain, as the wind left his body. Down but far from out, Fenris had not trapped his greatest asset, his legs. Placing his heels upon the ground he would transfer exactly where and what his body cascade did, aiming to give him the most strength possible, raising both legs he would smash them back into the ground causing a small dent in the ground. Using this bit of leverage he would twist from his lower body, going to his right. If successful he would move himself and Fenris in a sideways roll which would place Sune'ere on top of Fenris, with his knee's blocking his main body, and if his arms stayed where they were, holding Sune's own at the wrist Sune would at that same speed they had been moving at rear his head back looking like he was about to headbutt the Primoris into submission.

Instead the movement was just the beginning of him standing up, intending to enter a squatting position on the Primoris' shins. Strong legs would force Sune into an airborne jump, Intending not to move anywhere but directly up. If Fenris did not let go, he may find himself rising upwards with the prince, or in a very worst case scenario having his arms ripped from their sockets. If he let go he would have the prince coming back down on top of him in a powerful stomp. If somehow Fenris could keep him from going airborne, he would still have all of that pressure from the leap pushing him downwards to compete with, and if he did nothing to halt it, he would find himself stomped on again and again.

Hopefully at this moment Fenris had come to the conclusion that Sune was not playing for sport. Impress? Maybe. But he intended to give everyone his all. He intended to deplete his core if neccessary. Better to die in combat trying to attain the glory of his people, then to live out the rest of his days as a failure like his brother. The only thought in his head besides the need to fight was simple. Make Father Proud. If he died doing his best, his father would still be proud. Never again, he would never let his father down again.

[Fenris]

It was a testament to Celesian technology that the less perceptive of the audience had the luxury of slow replay, despite being denied the chance to follow the battle in real time. The shield-walls perhaps echoing with the clash of forces.

Sunes fingernail technique would be unexpected, something the Ultonis would expect more from a "bio-fighter" which spoke to a certain simplistic creativity in application he had never seen used by another magi-user. It seemed Sunes mastery over magi had been the primary focus of his training, which of course made sense, but how he applied it was interesting. As it stood, the flying nails would rake the Lupines back, though muscle, tendon, and flesh reinforced with intrinsic arming would lessen the chance of them breaking skin, as extra layers of protection would resist the force of the impacting projectiles.

If the CM-infused nails did manage to bypass this, then despite not being able to sense magi himself (even if it was inside of him.) the effects they caused would be detected quite easily considering the pain such a thing would induce, and the corroding areas invariably and already encompassed by Intrinsic-Arming would be quickly ejected as Fenris severed ties with the "infected-pieces" along with the fingernails as they returned to potential. The defensive measure lessening the intended damage vastly, in exchange for a minor sacrifice of his own vitae. His back sizzled and steamed for a second and would stop, assuming the nails were not stopped, or their trajectory was not compromised by the chaos of their current movements.

Still this went back to the other two flaws Fenris had perhaps seen in Sunes method. He was being a bit liberal with his magi-use, though perhaps he had it to spare, body-cascade was still going, Fenris knew this because of the intensity of Sunes resistance, and he was in addition spending more magi to enact his attacks. Fenris knew some magi-users had more limited reserves than others, he would not take Sune eventually tuckering himself out for granted, but it was worth noting that Fenris so far had not even actively resorted to expending energy save for what was necessary to avoid the possible core-infusion, and if Sune did last, he might be in no shape to face anyone else of Fenris' caliber.

The point blank blasting of force-bullets was another matter. Fenris realized that Sune was taking this seriously, he was being rather viscous, and fighting with everything he had. The moves were ruthless and creative, and Fenris sensed that Sune for some reason -wanted- to get close. If his strategy was to surprise Fenris with some improvised moves, it would work, but it might have been an error in judgement if Sunes intent was to get out of this in one piece.

Fenris felt the forces of the shots ripple through his body, as the intrinsic-arming tensed in the spots of impact, soaking most of the damage and dispersing the kinetic-energy, but still feeling moderate-bruising form from them none the less. It was not a full mitigation. A feral echoing growl ensued with the pain, that fed the resonating kinetic force of Sunes other attack. Sune had shown some creativity with his fingernail attack, something he would expect from a shape-shifter like himself as mentioned before, but Fenris would show him a taste of what a specialist in such things might do, as he also began to undo the "second" binding. He was going to see how much the prince really could take. As the position was seemingly reversed, Fenris saw another gap in the Princes defense.

His lone braid suddenly stretched and lashed out seemingly of its own volition like a serpent, the layers of it having straightened and hardened to become razor-sharp as it was now in coated or perhaps simply was intrinsic-arming, as that growling echo ensued and focused itself upon the living weapon which darted like black lightning, a sliver of quicksilver, at extremely close range.

It sought the princes throat as it reared back for the mock-headbutt, moving with concurrent timing to the motion of Sunes own exposure of his neck, the braid seeking to wrap around the throat like a noose and "Lock" enclosing from two sides like the jaws of a beast, while the hundreds of tiny blades that the braid now consisted of oscillated at high-frequency, forcing Sune to expend more precious CM to mount a defense or suffer the grizzly consequences.

The only reason Fenris would resort to such a move, was because he knew Sune could survive it, that being said the pressure would be pretty enormous, and though Dra'sin did not breathe air, they might have some form of respiratory function, while the stress on bone was another thing to worry about. If this got the better of Sune, he would survive but not in very good shape at all.

Fenris might have gone to bite at the princes own throat otherwise, but he was already known as a titty biter for that business with Daul, and that seemed more vicious than this attack anyway. He let the Prince go, as the hair-tether would be able to stretch to a great length before going taut, rising to a kneeling crouch as he enhanced his density to anchor himself down. Fenris was converting reserve components of his physiology into additional mass but not letting it increase his overall size; concentrating it. The reinforced muscles of his arms which were also benefiting from increased density grabbed the stretching braid which went taut, using his own enhanced weight, the additional muscles of his body and low stance, and the independent force of his animated-tether, along with gravity to compete with the power of Sunes rocketing-ascent and keep Fenris grounded.

The line of Fenris' living weapon moving independently along with a turning of Fenris body and tugging of his arms to whip-swing Sune into the shield-wall, and redirect his air-born momentum using Sunes own acceleration to propel him into the wall with additional force to Sunes own. The moment this happened, Fenris would be ready to continue... And the "noose" was by no means going to let go before or after this possibility on its own.

[Sune]

Sune'ere was quite pleased with his ability to damage Fenris. Whether the nail bullets ricochet off his skin, or embedded for a moment, the damage would be done by his core extension. Just momentary contact would be enough to set most others into a fit of pain. The fact that Fenris did not immediately crumple in pain at his attack spoke of the Primoris legendary pain tolerance. Once the nails bounced off, or were flexed out of his body the core extension would be ceased for the moment as the rest of his plan would follow through.

Rearing back Fenris' own hair would become a weapon to destroy him. The way it grabbed at his neck and began to quickly cut into him would require quick thinking. Pumping more core magi into his body to harden it just long enough to save his life. He still leaped upwards and as Fenris released his wrists he would raise his hands in a karate chop motion, momentarily activating his core extension once again in a skin level aura about his hand. waving it through strands that bound him as they were becoming taught, intending to cut right through the hair and release him. Hopefully with the connection to Fenris severed on a primal level by his core extension the hair would lose it's ability to cut him, and allow him a moment to retract the defensive use of body cascade and put it towards more offensive maneuvers.

With him hopefully hanging in the air directly above the Primoris before falling again, he would raise his hands above him, and while it was not a magi ability, it was something he had been taught and took extraordinarily well to. Condensing the water vapor in the air above him to create a wall of resistance, he would bend his arms and push off, not unlike how a swimmer might push off from a wall to increase his speed through the water. This would allow Sune a quick descent, as well as allowing him to adjust his trajectory by the small amount he would need to land upon the Primoris new position. Bent legs readying for the kick he would deliver to the Primoris.

Twenty feet from landing on Fenris, he would once again push off the air with his hands, changing his position slightly away from Fenris, and then the same technique was used at his feet as he was five feet from the ground. Coiling and launching with the same super sonic speed he had been displaying, his attack was slightly off center, and his right arm outstretched, intending to catch Fenris in the neck with his bicep. As soon as the arm met resistance he would coil it around the Primoris neck and go falling to the ground with Fenris now in quite a powerful choke hold. If he was dodged, he would of gone flying towards the edge of the arena, with enough time to readjust his trajectory. However if he caught his opponent in his hold he would use his own magic abilities taught to him by his uncle to increase his mass and send him towards the ground faster.

With himself and Fenris both down on the ground hopefully, he would enact a small controlled force projection field around them both. This was both a defensive and offensive manuver as he was now intimately aware of Fenris' movements. However his free hand that was nowhere near Fenris would begin pumping into the air, as if he was calling for the crowd to cheer him on in his combat, cheer him on towards a possible victory. Every pump of his fist skyward would also be him force projecting his own fist against the Primoris' back and spinal column. Though he could not yet core extend this way, the force of his punches and the fact that he kept Fenris in that grip might be enough to force him to take this fight even more seriously. Sue'ere was going for cheap shots, he would be inflicting a lot of pain upon the Primoris, and he would not relent until he was told to.

Sune was no longer the gun wielding child that Fenris and Drustan had fought years ago. He was brutal, and was efficient, even if he was a little showy.

[Fenris]

Despite not being able to swing Sune into the wall, the line was severed, but the noose around Sunes neck stayed and continued to dig in, constricting as it began to rotate around his neck like a buzz-saw even as it sought to squeeze the life out of him. It was a good try, but Fenris' abilities were just as tenacious and flexible as he was, since they were in fact only extensions of himself.

As Sune pushed off the proverbial turn-buckle, Fenris felt the second-binding leave, as his eyes widened, but his brows furrowed, pupils shrinking to the smallest of points as his overall perception broadened to the flows of causality, but followed Sunes own movements.

Fenris' form already coiled and low, as Sune adjusted to come back for what seemed to be the beginnings of the Princes attempt at a coup de gras. As Sune shifted his positioning once again, Fenris did not even move, as he closed in to wrap his bicep around Fenris' neck the Primoris' body distorted as a dim halo ensued around his form. Fenris waited for the perfect moment, as Sune moved back to assault him, waiting for him to just get close enough before revealing the sudden-shift.

A second head, turned to look at Sune as his momentum carried forward, a turning motion that left his heads previous positioning, as Fenris manipulated the flows of his own causality enacting a lesser strain on his life-force in order to manifest multiple intentions at once. The turn of the head saw what remained of the whip-line cross the remaining space Sune had to traverse as the lashing braid darted to wrap around the bicep of the prince, and tug forward as well as cut, as the ring around Sune`eres neck continued to dig in.

"Rargh!"  a short sharp growl ensued more annoyed than angry, as Fenris enacted his counter attack. Timed to strike as Sune moved in for his own supposed finisher.

A similar effect to the Primoris' head-turn ensued as dozens upon dozens of arms, and fists, and elbows lashed out from the vector of Fenris' positioning, a burst of concurrent and consecutive blows benefiting from the enhancements of actively buffed density and his reinforced body.The lesser application of his Halo allowing him too -almost- be in multiple-places at once, but not quite. Instead providing the ability to perform many basic physical actions or positions simultaneously, rapidly, and repeatedly. The aura surrounding Fenris expanding his presence, extending the possibilities of movement, and allowing Fenris to physically manifest parts of himself through the area of effect.

A furious storm ensued, as Fenris became a living mosh-pit, while seeking to re-tether Sune as Fenris moved forward with the sustained attack, intending to beat Sune into submission, while Sune had to also defend from the braids attempt to re-snare him, while he also had to deal with the piece already trying to choke/cut his neck.

The strikes coming from a multitude of angles, each one coated with intrinsic-arming as well, with each blow carrying enough force to strike past industrial class protection of even Celesian caliber. Fenris becoming a living force of nature during the counter-assault as Sune moved into it with such confident and exponential force. The increase in Sunes density would also stop him from being sent flying from the first few blows ensuring he would be taking more without delay if he could not avoid this.

[Sune]

Sune'ere had found a way to weaken the hold that the hair had on him, but continued use of Core Extension would leave him drained quicker than he liked, and he still had two more fights to go through. Body Cascade around his throat was doing it's job of protecting him, but once again it would quickly become a drain upon his limited supply of Core Magi, he wasn't his father, or even his brother. He had his limits, and a mortal had shown them to him back in Nexxian. Theoretically an all out Core Extended attack against Fenris could potentially kill the Primoris, but doing that would leave him so drained he would barely be able to beat the child that had rested on his hip moments before. Instead he would use teachings from the man that had raised him. Using his naturally high body temperature, that had been enhanced by the adrenaline flowing freely through his veins he would attempt to raise the temperature of his skin to a hot enough temperature to incinerate the strands of hair around his neck. ONLY if that was impossible would he resort once more to a small coating of core extension around his neck to truly rip apart the strands.

He would need to conserve more magi, as he was already dipping deeper than any fight except for one had pushed him. His mind reached deep into that well of power Ferox had taught him ages ago, coating his body in a thin friction absorbing shielding, he would continue along his path of attack, his every movement and meta ability that did not require magi now fueled by his speed and the friction he caused against the wind. This allowed his already limited pool of awakened quintessence to refill. Magi was without a doubt more powerful than the magics his uncle had taught him, however what his uncle had taught him had staying power that might allow him to one day rival his brother and sister, even if it was a lesser form of manipulating the world around him then what he had been born with.

It looked like he may finally get one of his intended strikes in on Fenris until the very last moment. No time to react or redirect his own movements, as the hair braids now lashed onto his bicep and neck once more Sune had one opportunity this close to the beast of a Primoris. His free arm would aim to smash the Primoris' second head with an open fist, and as the snarl happened, he would aim to grab the lower jaw, and tug downwards as he was now falling. Trying to bring the Primoris' down with him.Whether successful or not Sune would of smashed belly first into the ground before standing up, yelling in pain as the strands of hair attempted to cut through him. Luckily enough he wasn't dumb enough to remove his body cascade, but that didn't stop the oscillating stands of hair from cutting into his neck and arm, causing rivulets of blood to drip down.

If the increase of his body heat had been successful before he would reenact the rote spell to burn the hair from him, and keep his body at that heat, If the increase in heat proved unsuccessful the first time, or with the hair now connected to Fenris it may no longer be as weak as before, he would coat his form in his core magi briefly to shred the strands. The focus this took for him to use core extension so precisely opened him up to the opening volley of attacks, taking them dead on with a low bent head and arms raised to block his body like a boxer might. However after countless blows, the young man refused to yield, though his ribs were in danger of cracking under the continued assault. He expanded his force projection field to its maximum, encompassing the whole of Fenris' mutated body in it. There was no respite in the Primoris punches, he would have to make a hole.

Using the sizeable quintessence pool he'd gathered from his super sonic descent and the friction it had caused on his shielding he would disperse the quintessence back to his body, and unleash not one or two, but many kinetic blasts against the incoming fists of Fenris, aiming to divert them from his form. The only reason he was capable of blocking the simultaneous attacks with such precision was completely due to his force projection field. After all if he could throw his physical fist within it, almost as a copy of his own punches with little to no loss of effect, he had come to the conclusion he could land multiple punches with one thrust. Therefore, why not sending out one force blast through his projected field and have it resonate through the air. The expenditure of quintessence would be limited, even if he had to sacrifice magi in the process.

The visual effect the crowd would see would be Fenris' barrage blocked by a stationary Sune'ere, a circle of defense around him. Sure going on the defensive and surviving was a way he could survive in the ring, and that was what he was expected to do. That wasn't enough for Sune, victory might be out of the question, but he remembered the way the Primoris acted at his own festival, the way he had threatened Ed. That little spark of rage was all it took, he may not win a single bout, but every last opponent he faced would remember this day.

Pushing every bit of quintessence he could afford, he would force that shield he had made to explode outwards with a force equal to a missiles detonation. The sudden increase in force might be enough to stagger Fenris backwards for a brief milisecond. Body Cascade going into overdrive, He would kick off, launching at a super sonic speed that would make his movements more than just a blur, he might actually disappear from view. For the briefest of moments he might of even gotten a whistle of appreciation from the Fulminis. His body cascade on over drive would actually begin to break down non-essential body functions, skin begining to sizzle as it was forcibly converted from his life force, into static magi, and finally being repurposed as more quintessence for his next trick. After a month studying the Alis Potentiae's grav gauntlets he would replicate the effect. Creating a gravitational tether to Fenris' mass, and aiming to drive his fist home into the Primoris' chest once more. The force of his punch, the speed at which he had rocketed forth, it would bring a mortal not only to their knee's they would find a fist through their body.

With the punch connecting or not, Sune would give the Primoris one last hurrah to think about. If possible he would force his make shift tether to explode outwards, dispersing in a hundred and eighty blast outwards from the Primoris' back. The sudden force of many gravitational nodes splitting behind him, might become uncomfortable as his insides would be pulled in multiple directions. He was supposed to know his core, well he was certainly fucking showing it now wasn't he? Sune may be flashy, and showy, but when it came down to it, even if he was right now inefficient with his energy expenditure, he was brutal in what he did.

[Fenris]

It would take an enormous amount of heat in order to break the ring around Sunes neck, while the energy seemed to increase the intensity of the vibration. Eventually it might melt off, but was worth noting was it was not simply "hair" anymore, and its composition was able to stand considerably high temperatures. But why prolong it? Using the thermal energy around Sunes head the Quae-Fueram began to heat up as it vibrated, storing the energy, and building upon that which it was already enacting. The "noose" continuing to tighten as it seemed to sizzle and begin to strain from the heat index.

As Sune went for that sock to the jaw, Fenris had already planned to strike when Sune would be in range, chances were his strike to the jaw was intercepted by the multitude of flying limbs timed to happen when Sune was back in melee-range. If needed one or two of those limbs would even enact a parry, before joining the concurrent and consecutive volley of strikes, focusing them downward as the Prince fell with Fenris low to the ground, as kicks, and stomps to the ribs would join the downward series of blows, not allowing the prince to just rise back up again without a struggle, as Fenris sustained and even intensified the assault, the ring trembling in the wake of the impacts as the surface integrity of the ring would be pressed from the abuse, caving in.

As Sune sought too defend himself with his arms, the intrinsic-arming finally gave way, but not in the way Sune might have expected or assuredly wanted. The noose exploding in a localized concussive sub-sonic blast at point blank, designed to create a small concentrated shockwave, which would seek to create a ripple effect through Sunes neck and spinal column, as well as his inner-ears, and even his brain.

The intended damage seeking to stun the Prince by literally exploding his efforts in his face and interrupt his casting and concentration, while also causing potentially extensive concussive damage. The shock-wave dispersed as the force dissipated quickly after its inception, the remaining particles of intrinsic-arming would surround the area and would begin to whirl around it, building up speed, and converting the kinetic energy to feed it back to Fenris, to further increase the intensity of the frenzy, as ripples of force would emanate from the conflict across the arena.

If the Controlled-Explosion did what it was meant too, this would weaken Sunes guard more than enough for the attacks to come through in earnest, Fenris seeking to cause severe injuries and at the very least not give Sune any respite, till time was called or he yielded. Fenris resisted the urge to really let loose, as each blow was controlled, he did not want to kill the Prince, but the terms of the duel had been to fight in earnest, and that's what Fenris was doing. If nothing else the Prince was more of a challenge than he normally got, but Fenris was generally angry, and such challenges tended to entice him.

[Mesiphidon]

Mesiphidon lifted his arm towards the floating ring which had proved to be more than durable as his eyes intensified, the rings barrier suddenly driving down between the combatants. Separating the pair before any further actions could be taken by either party. A few observers were able to watch the action live, the vast majority however were still staring at the slow motion playback screens. It wasn't for several more moments before the cheering and noise ebbed away as the playback caught up and they realized the first round was over. Many had taken a new appreciation to Sune'ere, even the Ultonis cheering the man on despite their obvious favoritism towards their Primoris.

The Emperor gave Sune a small nod of acknowledgement, he had fared better than expected. A swell of pride filled the Emperor that he hid beneath his usual mask of apathy. His beloved Empress would undoubtedly be aware through the bond they shared. But Mesiphidon needed Sune to focus, his trial had only just begun. As the combat halted the floating ring was already repairing itself as Mesiphidon broke the now silence. "A fine showing from the Primoris Fenris and Sune'ere Dra'sen." No one had come to heal the pair or offer any sort of relief, this was not some human sporting event on other worlds. This was a culture of warriors they were expected to be hard. No mercy, no respite, and despite the fact Fenris had seemed intent to kill the prince that was what was expected of him. And that was what Sune was expected to survive.

"The first leg of your trial has been passed, who now will you choose to break your limits?" The Emperor's words echoed through crowds as hes spoke to Sune. A passing gaze was given to Fenris as he stepped from the ring. The look was simple, he expected the Ultonis to take his seat and remain for the remainder of the gauntlet. Proper decorum and respect would be given the those in the gauntlet, and the bottle could wait.

Mesipidon remained silent now, waiting for Sune's decision. The gauntlet had begun no words of ado would tarnish the purity of the trial. Every eye was rapt on Sune now, the tension of excitement almost palpable as they waited for his announcement.

[Sune]

Sune'ere while still airborne and moving about would find that the heat was not only not working, but was in fact threatening to become too much for him to bare. A quick change of tactics while airborne and destroying the hair on an atomic level with his core extension around his body would save him from having the hair explode later. The rest of his actions however would go through.

His own attack parried by multiple limbs as he was pushed aside and then brought down with crushing limbs upon his vitals. He could only defend so much until he got up to blast the Primoris back into a stale mate he had intended. With the hair dealt with by way of quick core extensions on his part, there would be no explosion to throw his defense off balance, let alone his return of strikes against Fenris. Though he might have more power, and naturally was perceptive the sudden increase in power would still hopefully give Sune that opening to use the gravity tether concept on Fenris.

Trying to strike at Fenris, his body not only moving at those same super sonic speeds but also now drawn to Fenris' mass he would be interrupted by the shield as it descended, striking Sune hard in the fist and then chest as the unexpected nature of it would stun him for a moment. Long enough to nurse a hand that was now bleeding from all the force he had exerted, only his increase in density and use of body cascade as a defensive measure had saved him from shattering his fist into a hundred pieces against the shield.

Breathing heavily he would give an appreciative nod to Fenris as the young prince was covered in a sheen of blood and sweat. The only down time he would afford himself was when his father spoke. Who would he choose next? If Fenris was the warm up, then he had a really bad time to look forward to in what he thought would be his main event. His voice raised to the sky, a commanding tone similar to what he had done when he issued the challenge to Fenris.

"With Fenris help I have approached the edge of this cliff. Now I wish for Celesin to witness me fly! I challenge The woman who gave me the last push I needed mentally to take this place before you all, Daul Dra'sen push me over that ledge and watch your brother fly. I am my fathers son sister, fight with me like you would fight with our father's enemies!" Breathing heavily after this he would ready himself for her approach. Assessing her every move with his eye's. No longer was she the sister that had released him from mental anguish and who had looked out for him and sought him out while he was lost in depression. Now she was nothing more than a roadblock and an enemy to him. The burning hoarfrost look in his eye's spoke of only one thing. No quarter was expected of him, and none would be given to her.

[Daul]

The Primoris Potentiae had been quiet for the better part of the affair. By no means did she look as if she didn’t want to be there— she was simply a woman of few words and, for that matter; expressions. Dressed in similar livery as her brother Caden; black, tailored and extremely thematic of Celesin nationalistic symbolism with the crest over her heart and the billowing white fabic it cinched over her shoulders; she was ever stalwart and calm as she watched the happenings from the Dais.

Daul watched her brother arrive and hardly shifted in her seat amongst her brethren. He’d come with Rose which had been expected, though, she had to say bringing the child was a touch bold. Sune’ere loved that little girl as if she was his own spawn and that would likely make their father...uncomfortable. Perhaps more so than the backwater ranch girl he’d brought with him. She inwardly confessed that Rose was a healthy choice for her brother outside of the approval of the emperor— she was easy going, had a certain vulgar charm to it and as she had been informed their interests were identical in nature. It drew her mind from calculating possible reactions to thinking of Fenris who had rumors swirling about him and a certain priestess of the Ordo from an underling empire. Thankfully, he wasn’t blood to the royal line or there would have been hell to pay.

Ignoring the minor chaos on the dais none too far from her own station she drew her eyes to a figure in the crowd trying her very best to remain inconspicuous. Jophiel was likely stifling her power and performing other efforts to keep herself from gaining any attention.

Now, Daul smiled. It was faint and half hidden by lazy fingers hovering near her mouth but it was present nonetheless. The shock of it even she acknowledged was how little she was worried not about her father’s approval of the Duchess of Nexxian and a royal within the Dorian bloodline. A Shuinsai, of all the fortune. Ever a sycophant for her beloved father figure whom she worshipped without shame and in earnest it now seemed to have a lessening effect on just how attached she was becoming to the woman. If it wasn’t already deep, messy, possessive and dangerous love already it would be very soon and few souls, even those of her family, would be equipped to sever it.

A woman of Jophiel’s beauty and presence trying to keep a low profile was entertaining to Daul as it seemed impossible. Or, was it bias on her part? Would the cameras catch her shamelessly taking too long moments to look that figure over or might her siblings or Drustan clue her in on some form of distaste? Eventually, she had a reason to watch something else and ignored a few overly enthusiastic admirers in the crowd with their heads jerking back and forth; trying to follow her line of sight to whatever she had been focused on and failing to pinpoint what or whomever it may have been. But now, her brother and Fenris were performing the first round.

With an unreadable expression she watched Sune’ere trade blows with the Ultonis; not seemingly bothered by any blows her brother took or blood he shed— he was expected to bleed after all— and certainly not harboring ill-will toward Fenris for drawing it out. More or less she was watching her sibling’s every move. Measuring him against her idea of expertise; memorizing where, later, she could instruct him to perform better or watch his hide and sides with a keener eye. But he was doing better than expected. Much like her father Daul experienced a small rush of pride for Sune’ere. He was displaying the true spirit of the most legendary  Dra’sin right now in more ways than sporting stark white hair and a gnarled beard just short of competing with the emperor’s. And one day, perhaps, he could wear the white cape just like her. She had an idea who he might replace…

Then, Daul’s slight foray into being distracted with the seduction of possibility and watching the fight almost as an afterthought was broken. Fenris was exiting the ring and her bloody, sweaty brother had called her name. She certainly didnt look surprised by any means. If anything, it was expected that she’d be summoned as one of the three since Sune’ere had made it clear he wanted her to be his mentor. What better way to test his mettle than call said mentor into the ring on display for all to see...and what better way to see what his little sister Paladin was made of? Well, he was certainly going to find out.

The tall woman rose— she cut an impressive figure along with the other men of her station and her father. She was tall and while not as broad as, say, Fenris or Drustan and perhaps even her father who her appearance took after by legend. Same white hair, stone like expression. Daul was usually mistaken for a male by those not aware of her public legacy and she didn’t mind as there wasn’t much at all soft and feminine about her. However, rather than approach the floating rings she set about removing the upper half of the uniform she wore along with the classic Primoris’ cape. Underneath, she wasn’t shirtless like the others but wearing a white tank that did not obscure her intimidating musculature.

Daul then veered away from the ring; taking an obvious detour further toward it’s center in the crowds rather than stepping straight onto it; the throngs parting for her and staring in confusion and shock. They wondered if it was part of the traditions for her to do so— and then they would watch her pass the bundle of fabric she had removed to the mocha skinned woman whom she had been gazing at earlier.

’I am surprised you came, my beloved….and elated. ’ Without an ounce of shame one of her large hands reached out to tip Jophiel’s visage upward by the point of her chin and if allowed she’d even give the woman a light and deliberate kiss on the corner of her mouth after stooping slightly to do so. Surely enough the camera-drones would have caught it. But the Primoris seemed to not have a care in the world and they may as well have been behind closed doors.

On her way to the ring Daul’s eyes roared to life; blooming from a saturated but inert amber to solid golden fire that complimented the sudden almost feline grace of her body as she eased into her classic brawler’s stance with fists at shoulder height and her right foot in front of the other. When her arms rose those watching could nearly catch the tracers behind the limbs as if they doubled— the ghostly effigies seeming to combine again almost immediately with her true flesh and blood.

Today, Sune’ere would learn why she was The Aberrant.

[Sune]

Sune'ere watched everything Daul did when he called her out, breathing heavily but never letting the adrenaline from his previous combat loosen it's grip on his mind. Her movements towards a previously unseen person would draw not only his eye but most likely that of his fathers, his lover, and probably everyone else on the dais. It was a short and sweet motion that Sune'ere could in fact appreciate, if he'd been called up to fight someone else he might of done the same to Rose in the crowd. However this brief interlude would give Sune time to gather his bearings and begin a moment to recuperate, certainly not something that was necessary, and in fact it had an unintentional meaning to Sune. By giving him more time to catch his breath, he thought that his sister was underestimating him. By giving him more then the necessary time to approach, it managed to rile him up even more. Bouncing up and down restlessly on his feet, he wouldn't calm himself like he should of done. The hammering of his heart, and the blood flowing through his brain was his own battle theme.

Observing Daul, and her unique trait as she entered the arena, he concluded just what that extra set of limbs that traced behind her real arms. It could possibly of been an effect of core extension, and from this distance it would be hard to tell considering how close she was keeping it to her body. There were multiple ways he could start this off, direct or indirect assaults might break some openings in her defenses, and he certainly couldn't tell until he got in close to his sister and tested her own defenses and her ability to act against him. He had an idea, and would quickly snap a finger in a set activation rote to create a friction negating shield of quintessence around him, that would help him while also restoring spent magic at an extreme rate if he could move fast enough. Of course as he'd shown before he could move fast enough.

Kicking off the ground, he would create a sonic boom, crossing the distance between himself and his sister, it might of looked like a rehash of his first attack against Fenris except for a few key differences. No longer was a fist raised behind him, instead they stayed close to his chest, ready to defend at a moments notice. Once he was close to his target he would pivot his upper body so that his left shoulder was pointing at her, while he still continued to run. Left elbow suddenly jutting out connect with his sisters lower gut, intending to strike at her center of gravity and try to knock her down as a first strike. If it connected it would be relying more on his speed instead of his actual power to send her to the ground. All the while his personal shielding was recharging his mental battery, and waiting for the right moment to strike out against her. He may not be as advanced with their races form of meta manipulation as nearly anyone here, but he made up for it with what his uncle had taught him. But that would yet to be seen, it all depended on how or if she took the elbow to the gut.

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