Shining Sun and Dazzling God: Friend or Foe?

Theia is a bit disoriented as her eyes adjust to the darkness. ''Is this a common thing for these Dragon Slayer Royale tournaments?? Always in caves and dark places that are so gloomy and depressing. These people need to get a bit more creative and cheery with their location choices. ''Theia thinks to herself as she lets out a heavy sigh that seems to echo for miles. A faint dripping sound can be heard, as her feet feel like suction cups to the wet mud on the ground, only adding to the chorus of odd noise that make up this underground orchestra. The rugged and weary walls stood surrounding her, shadows slithering across the rocky faces as they avoid the sparse beams of light streaming through the cracks in the ceiling. Cold air filled every corner and warmth seemed to of have never tried to crawl its way in.

She takes a few more small steps forward as her ears alert her to the sound of squeaking and flapping wings, creating a pattern that sounded like the pulsing heartbeat inside her chest. Despite the dim light that seeped through the rock around her, she could clearly see the movement of large mass coming towards her. Bats. Theia braces herself, expecting to be hit by these flying vermin, but they fly above her and escape down another tunnel. It was only then that she realized that the bat's weren't flying towards her, but away from something else it seems. Perhaps it is the person I am facing off against this round...I really hope so, as I don't want to know what else lurks in these underground passages. Theia's body is tense as she ventures forward still, hoping to find a place with a bit more visibility so that she can stay and wait for her opponent.

Venturing through the seemingly endless caverns, Carwen slowly but steadily made her way forward, ever searching for whomever to be her opponent. The muddy ground squelshed and other sounds most unpleasant to her ears. Small squeaks and flutters of leathery wings could be heard ahead as she walked, chilling drops of water fell on her face and neck, sending shivers down her spine. She would not admit it to herself, but she was afraid. Chattering teeth, hands that never ceased their movement, legs that treaded with unsteady posture and a heart that beat with the intensity of a war drum. For the first time in ages, she knew fear. The cold air felt as if it was the cold breath of death as it beckons. ''Please, don't let it be him. Not now. Not yet.'' She thought frantically, praying to her false idols that the one she feared was not waiting ahead.

She eventually came to findd herself in a large open space. A rocky floor free of the pesky mud, the roof stood alight, teeming with luminicent larvae, unique rocks along the walls, the likes of which she had never seen before, casting their dimmed and colorful glow across the walls that would make up this space. To the left of the "room" was a large pond, light flowing in from unknown sources beneath it's crystal clear surface. Carwen simply stood there, gaping in awe at the scenery. She kneels beside the pond, lightly touching the waters surface, letting the cool yet soothing temperature soak through her limb. As she stirred the water, she took notice of the small and shy creatures that hid underneath and along the rims of the pond. A smile grazed her lips, but it would not last long. In the distance, she heard something. Something that got closer. The squelshing sound which she heard herself not more than moments ago when she traversed the caverns herself. She turned her head towards the direction from which it came. To her right, there was another entrance, a gaping hole in the room which lead away into further darkness and more tunnels. The squelshing sound, the sound of muddy footsteps, got closer and closer and as they did, it was as if the air suddenly grew colder than before. ''Is this real? Is it him?!'' she thought, her mind ablaze with thoughts and worries. She returned her gaze to the water, quietly mumbling words of comfort and reassurance as her fears grew with each footstep. Small sobs escaped her but she was quick to try and stiffle them. "I'm not ready." she whimpered.

Only moments after the whimpered statement the sound of shuffling rocks beneath unsteady feet is heard entering this luminecent cavern. Theia could hear the faint sounds of whispers and hoped it was who she was facing, and not some savage who was planning to surprise her. Her heart tightened as she let out a weary, "Hello...is anyone here?" She was tense about letting out her location so easily, but she sensed no malicious feeling coming from the area. She stayed on guard as she maneuvered around larger boulders surrounding a pond. She turned to see a rather beautiful girl kneeling down next to the water, yet her aura gave off a sense of fear and tension. Theia kept her distance but gave a small wave to get the girls attention, hoping to ease the strong feelings that seemed to radiate from the girls body. "H-h-hi there. Are you ok?"

Carwen remained oblivious to the first call to attention as she overwhelmed herself with mutterings of a mix of encouragement and insults aimed towards herself. For a moment, she quieted down for a small bit. She leaned forward, her long black hair flowing past her shoulders, getting dipped in the water. She looked at her own reflection and what she was appalling. The woman before her was broken, she was destroyed. This is not me. she thought, but it was her. strand of hair, every vein in her bloodshot eyes was her. She was about to dispute this, to yell at her own reflection to leave her be, when she heard the sound of a voice behind her. She was so caught in her own world that she paid little to no attention to it.. Who was it? Was it a woman? Was it... a man? The voice was so unclear amongst her rampaging thoughts, so unfamiliar to her, yet she was not going to take a chance. The very thought that the individual behind her could be him sent shivers through her soul. She remembered the last time. She was not going to give him the opportunity. "Divine Blaze Engine!" she cried out. Jets of blue, dazzling and crackling light appeared on her back, which quickly grew in size till the point where they became massive, causing the the rock beneath them to crack and break. Yet it was unstable. It barely contained any of the might it typically had and the spray of power came in bursts rather as a consistent stream.

Theia took a step back and put up her arms to show that she was peaceful and didn't mean any harm. Her heart jump at the sudden burst of power, it's raw energy was untamed and reminder her of the way a wild horse flared it's nostrils as it waits to let loose. "Whoa there, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare you! I was just looking for the person I was suppose to face of against in this Royale thingy... wait a minute... I've seen you before." Theia says slowly, her muscles are beginning to ache as she tries to make no sudden movements. The soft glow of the cave hid the girls appearance before, but with this new light that streamed from her back, Theia was able to make out the face of a women who she saw but only a year ago. Her calves begin to twitch and force her to take action before she cramps up. She makes sure to do it slowly, but she begins to lower herself and place one hand on the ground to ease her body into a sitting position on the cold rock floor. "You were in the last Dragon Slayer Royale, weren't you? You faced off against my master in the second round. You were really amazing!" Theia says with a bright smile, hoping to easy the flustered heart of her opponent. "I was in that one too, although I got out in the first round. I guess you don't remember me, huh? My name is Theia, what's yours?"

Carwen turned around, slowly and trembling. When she saw the person that stood behind her, the tension that had built up within her, the abysmal dread just ebbed away. She slowly shifted on the spot, changing her stance and position, moving as cautious as the woman herself were doing. "You... You know of me?" She asked, her voice weary and uncertain. "I'm sorry then, but you have me at a disadvantage." In more ways then one. She feared.

Theia gives a slight chuckle at the girls statement. "Oh I don't think so; it's better to think in terms of your strengths, rather than looking down on yourself." Theia rocked back and forth in her seated position as Carwen approached. She had a rather calm demeanor as she continued to speak. "You know what I find funny? We are asked to fight all out from a man who speaks of virtues...Is violence the only way to prove our worth? I personally don't think so. I think a friendly spar does just the same, and yet we can make friends and gain humility through learning where we can grow. Don't ya think?" She felt at ease with carwen, feeling no malicious intent as she did with some of the their competitors she knows are competing. She felt safe speaking her mind.

Still weary, Carwen had to struggle to keep her mouth from shaping into a grin."You may be right. Ancestors, you sound like my master." She muttered. She came to a stop a few feet away from Theia, letting herself calm down to a slight extent, not wishing to be caught completely off guard in case the woman had any sort of ill intent towards her.

"Really? Well my master was a bit of a long winded philosopher; so I guess I inherited those ideals he preached." She giggles a bit and begins to stand up. "So what do you say to a friendly spar Carwen? I wouldn't want to disappoint this new king, but I also don't want to severely hurt anyone... So what do you say to learning from each other and testing our might?" She extends her hand out in a friendly handshake, a smile beaming on her face, wanting to give Carwen a chance to agree.

Carwen reached forward, her hand just an inch away from Theia's own. "I can agree to that, but i want you to know something. Sometimes, now a days, I tend to lack the self restraint to know where i should stop and hold back. So I want you to promise me something... If you start to feel like I am going too far, don't try to reason with me. Just give back every ounce of what I am giving to you." she spoke, louder this time, yet still solemn.

Theia was excited at Carwen's improved energy. "Don't worry friend, if it comes to that, I'll be sure to give it my all." She firmly grasped Carwen's hand and gave it a firm shake. She was a bit stirred by the feeling of a strong magic eminating from her pores that was very similar to that of her own. She pulls out her hanbo from its spot on the back of her S.F.E.R.I.C suit and slides its locking mechanisms into place. She spins it and places one end into the dirt. With a smile and a wave of her arm in front of her, gesturing to the few feet that stood between them. "I'll give you the honors of the first move."

Carwen nodded slowly. She began to rise up, taking deep breaths and inaudibly mumbled a little mantra of hers in order to still her mind. After she was done she stood firmly in place, her gaze focused and determined. Her hand formed into a fist and then unclenched, "divine" light forming in the palm of her hand and slowly taking on the shape of a long spear, it's radiant light further illuminating the cave, the crackling echoing along it's walls. "I hope to not disappoint. Divine Propulsion." she spoke as propulsors of blue crackling light spawned across her body. She took battle position, and in an instant she was gone from her previous spot, dashing forward at tremendous speeds, spear in hand, thrusting towards her opponent.

''She's fast...finally someone who can keep up with me. ''Theia thinks to herself, a smirk painted across her face. The forward attack was a bit expected, and so Theia was prepared with her hanbo for a swift block. She kept her staff in a one handed grip and swung to deflect the path of the spear only a few inches away from her body. She simultaneously covered her free fist in a golden-white light, complete with streams of unseen infrared light, giving it an added heat quality. "Radiating Strike!" She says, using Carwen's incoming speed to boost the power of her punch, as she already deflected the spear off course from impaling her.

As Carwen felt her attack being redirected away from Theia and witnessed as she had already an attack of her own at the ready to deliver a blow, Carwen only required that instant to figure out which was her most efficient course of action. With both her hands occupied with the spear, there was only one part left good enough for the job. Her skull. "Divine Dragon's Skull Bash." She spoke softly, as a pair of long, curved horns of blue and crackling light took form, which she would then use to counter her strike and then some, leaving a stigmata behind on Theia's knuckle which would serve to slow her down. Carwen then took a forceful position and made a swing with the spear to slam Theia with. With a stigmata on her body, the strike would become even more powerful if it lands.

Theia's knuckles crack with the impact of the horns, but have a strange tingling feeling afterwards that she never felt before. She felt a bit different as she saw the spear coming in for another strike, as if her reactions had been dulled. Luckily her hanbo was already in position. She slammed it into the ground to lie perpendicular to the spears incoming strike, a motion that took little effort from where she previously held it. The spear strikes the staff and sends a great deal of vibrations into Theia's arm, but otherwise left little damage. Theia, still a bit unsure of what was going on, took a great leap back, putting a good 15 feet between them.

She examined her hand to find a unique marking on it, one she had only seen while watching the Grand Magic Games a few years ago. "Is this what I think it is? A stigmata like what Sting used in the Grand Magic Games?" She asks Carwen as she shifts her hand into that of photons. This action only lasted for a second, and when she re-materialized her hand, the mark itself was gone and her speed felt it was back to normal. "Watching Sting in those games was a great inspiration to me, and he definitely gave us Light users a good rep. But his stigmata's were something new I had never seen, so it obviously interested me to look into how they work...they need a solid form to stay on and work, correct?" She asked as she flexed her hand. She twisted her hanbo out of it's staff form and folded it up to be placed back into it's sheath. ''Now that I've confirmed that her attacks are mostly light based, I should be able use my sword to help me out. ''She thinks as she unclips the strap holding down her Dragon Luminous Blade, just to make unsheathing it easier when the time comes.

Carwen straightened her position, panting as she tried to collect herself. She was not tired, not by any means of the word, but rather she felt menally drained. She felt like she was losing it. The thrill of combat was upon her once more, the adrenaline was coursing through her, filling her with energy and fighting spirit. She wanted to continue, she wanted to strike her opponent down, but she was able to keep it down, at least for now. The fire in her eyes dimmed, her tense grip on the spear loosened to a sturdy yet relaxed hold. She turned her gaze towards Theia when she spoke. Carwen was shocked to realie that her opponent had a way to rid herself of her stigmata without causing any injuries to herself. "Well..." She muttered with a smile creeping up on her features. "This is surely bothersome. It seems you have a way to eradicate my stigmatas, effectively removing my prime means of combat. Seems like I'll have to compensate."

Carwen allowed her spear to disappear, fading away into nothing as she prepared her next move. "Claw of the Divine Dragon. Divine Dragon's Tail" She spoke and "divine light began to form around her fingers, extending and thickening into claws of light and her her lower legs began to radiate the same dazzling glow. With the propulsors she dashed forward, claws at the ready as she went for a combination of three strikes: right, left and top right. As the claws are an unfinished product of her own design, the claws carries a great deal more power than her traditional fist but it does not leave a stigmata behind. Normally this is considered to be something of an issue, but against the foe who renders them useless, these are just the right tools.

The feet of space between them gave Theia enough time to cast out a spell as soon as she saw the claws and tail begin to form on Carwen's body. Seems like she tends to favor close combat, activating that spell so soon clearly gives away her motive to come in for close range damage. She thinks as she whispers out, "Double Sight." Theia releases a burst of pure photonic energy that covers the immediate vicinity for the smallest of moment- the sheer amount of light unleashed causes a shift in the atmosphere, causing illusions of multiple copies of herself in the vicinity. The real Theia, who is standing 120 degrees to the left of Carwen's trajectory, raises her hand out to create a magic circle, "Light Dragon's Shimmering Arrows." She shouts, although the chorus of illusionary copies does the same action. A burst of golden light streams out of the magic circle in a burst of arrows that splay out to converge on Carwen from all sides of her body, hitting in a multitude of shots due to the length that some of the arrows have to travel in order to get around to their appropriate side.

Carwen went for the strike, but when the claws simply phased through the image of Theia, Carwen faltered in her attack, taking a moment to look around her. All around, perfect images of Theia could be seen, making it impossible to distinguish her from the rest. Or, atleast nearly. As Theia had begun casting her spell to send a hail of arrows of light towards her, Carwen had already figured out who the true Theia was. For certain, they looked identical to her, sounded identical to her and even moved identically to her, but there is one thing which the images would never be able to replicate.

Theia's scent was rather distinct in this enclosed space, making it rather easy for the quick thinking Carwen to find her opponent, even in this array of illusions. Most effecitve against any other foe, she would admit, but the flaw of the scent would be almost glaring to any dragon slayer worth their title. However, the arrows was another issue entirely. As the volley of arrows made their way towards her, Carwen made one assessment of the situation. There was no escape. As she made the slightest movements in her spot, so did the arrows appear to answer those movements, probably making them tracking projectiles. To what extent do they follow? She was not willing to test it out. She needed to get closer to Theia and the only way to her was through the rain of light. "Divine Dragon's Coat!" she cried out, her whole body becoming enveloped in divine light. It would serve to protect her from any piercing or cutting effects. The impact? ...Not so much. Carwen dashed forward, putting her all into the propulsors without taking them to the next step and dashed through the arrows. The damage they caused were tremendous, shattering the very rock around her, those few that missed. While the damage caused to Carwen was nothing really new by any extent, it was still something not so easily shrugged off but she would have, had one particular arrow not struck her in a very unfortunate spot.

Two or three arrows made the fortunate hit to strike Carwen on the center of her shinbone, the one which the previous time had nearly cut it clean off. A loud crack and snap was heard, echoing through the cavern. Carwen cried out in pain and collapsed on the cold and wet stone floor, her spells previously activated fading away. She tried to stand up, but her left leg failed her, the pain surging through her body, making her scream once more and fall to the ground. "Damn it... DAMN IT!"

Theia was startled by the sudden scream of agony. The illusions quickly disappeared as Theia rushed towards the side of Carwen. Her voice was painted in deep concern, and her voice dripped with worry. "Oh my gosh, are you ok Carwen?! What happened? I honestly didn't think that was a powerful enough attack to seriously injure you! I promise I didn't want to hurt you!"

Carwen rolled around until she layed on her back, but that motion alone was enough to send Carwen into a world of agony. She was able to suppress her screams this time, but only barely, what came out was an pained moan. "G-get back. This match is not over yet... Let me just..." she leaned up and forward towards her leg. "I know that you did not mean for it to go quite this far, Theia. Don't worry though, I'll have it done with in no time. I might need a slight bit of help though." Carwen muttered. New light began to form around her right hand, shaping themselves into claws once more as she brought the up to her leg, around the point her leg had been snapped in half. "Oh... This is gonna be such a pain." She said jokingly in an attempt to ease the tension a bit."