A Clear Sky Raked With Storm Clouds: Raging Tempest vs Celestial Bane

The town of Duscae was something of a landmark to the countryside around it. Not only because it was the only town of any real size within a solid 10 miles or so, and not just because it was one of the livelier towns in the entire small country in which it resided... but because it hosted a certain festival every year.

That festival is the Duscae Fighting Festival.

The strongest mages from all over came every year in order to battle in this tournament, but even then a large amount of civilians were present as well. You see, the town had become accustomed to the large influx of mages every year, and had therefore prepared for their arrival by setting up a variety of shops and booths, as well as creating a massive parade and other such festivities to fill the air in the three days leading up to the tournament itself. There were even rumors that minor and less-strong mages had made their way towards the town in order to simply enjoy the various luxuries all travelling mages received during this period. Nonetheless, the Duscae Fighting Festival was truly an event to behold, and thousands had booked it on the personal bucket lists in order to see it or compete in it before their time came.

None of this entirely mattered to the mage known as Knave Dhahaka, however, as he was much more occupied with keeping the contents of his stomach were they were. He was leaning outside of a small hired carriage, his face turning a sickly purplish blue as he desperately tried to keep himself from vomiting. Right behind him, one of his closest comrades, the Exceed known as Gopher, gently patted him on the back in the hopes of easing his suffering.

"I'm beginning to wonder why we couldn't have just walked," Erie Reinhardt, another of Knave's companions, mused as she sat across the way from him in the carriage, absentmindedly petting a small, oddly glowing raven that was perched on her lap.

"If we had walked we would've been at the very least a day or two late," Duncan Valentine, another friend of Knave's, said as he relaxed on his own seat in the carriage, head looking up at the ceiling in boredom, "and we would've missed all the fun beforehand, right?"

"Then..." Knave forced out, "why couldn't we have... taken... our own carriage...?"

"Town rules, apparently," Erie sighed, "mages who intend to participate in the event have to arrive in the town's personal carriages in order to 'surprise' those watching the event. Any identifying markings should be erased or just use an official cart."

"Still, we're pretty lucky we got to come at all!" Gopher piped in, "especially since this town doesn't seem to know who you are, Knave!"

"So we can essentially get in unnoticed," Duncan added, "it'll be nice to spend a few days without the Magic Council breathing down our throats and making sure we don't screw anything up."

Erie nodded in agreement.

"Excuse me, young masters?" came the voice of the carriage driver, "Duscae is now in sight."

"FINALLY!" Knave cried as he used his remaining strength to fling himself out of the carriage, "FREE AT LAST!" The green-haired young mage than proceeded to take off at breakneck speed towards the town!

"HE RAN FOR IT AGAIN?!" his three companions gaped, before Erie pointed at the driver's back.

"Catch up with him! Quickly!"

"Yes ma'm!" the carriage driver saluted hurriedly as a sweatdrop made its way down the back of his head.

With this in mind, the carriage continued its way towards Duscae, albeit at a faster pace than before...

Just as the vehicle, or in other words, carriage, continued it's path something fell down on the road. The impact made out the area shake just slightly, making some smoke rise around the very little crater "Hehehehehe!!" A strange type of laugh could be heard, supposedly from the crater, nothing could be seen though "It seems I've drunk too much yesterday" The figure or thing said, still laying down crushed on the ground.

"Gahhh!" the carriage driver cried, jerking the reigns in roder to stop and steady the horses, while also sending the occupants crashing forward.

"What the-?!" Duncan grumbled as he straighed up, rubbing the back of his head, "what the hell was that?!"

"It... it was..." the carriage driver said as he looked at the person lying crushed, "something smashed into the road ahead of us..."

"And Knave's getting farther and farther away," Erie observed, putting her hand over her forehead in order to get a better look at the rapidly fading figure of the marimo.

"Umm... sir? Thing?" Gopher asked as white wings sprouted out of his back. He flew over to the figure, poking it slightly, "Could you get out of our way? We kinda have a thing to go to and a person to catch up with, y'know?"

"Sir? Thing? Hehehehehehe! No no! Although there is no diference between them!" The figure gestured a disagreement with his index finger, he slowly started to get himself up. His head could already be seen, blond short messy hair, a tone of skin between tan and pale, the man had curvy white sunglasses and red lenses. As his neck appeared, pink could be seen in the form of a cloak sustained by his shoulders, a feathery cloak at that. The smoke was now completely faded away, and the very tall man could be seen by all of them.

He had a big smile on his face, clearly showing his white teeth as he looked at them through his glasses, the wind beated on him making his cloak bend at the right slightly. The man possessed a near-white shirt with sleeves that reach his wrists, a type of purple belt which had some yellow spheres. And finally purple stripped long pants reaching 3/4 of his legs with near-white marks and black dress shoes which are quite pointy although in truth, only the front of the shoes were black, the rest was white.

"So, what's up with you guys? Oh an Exceed?! Hehehe!!" The man who was very tall again, looked at the flying cat with a wide grin while giving quick glances at the carriage.

"Hello!" Gopher said happily, waving at the man.

"We're on our way to this place called Duscae," Erie explained, poking her head out of the carriage, "it's on the way and we've heard interesting things about it... so we decided to check it out."

"But that idiot ran towards it first," Duncan observed as he too poked his head out, observing the dust cloud in the distance, "and is STILL gaining ground..."

"So what are you doing here?" Gopher asked.

"Hey, hey," the carriage driver muttered in the background, "what happened to getting him out of the way...?"

Just as the Driver said those words, Riku with a wide smile suddenly dashed and sustained himself in the carriage while looking inside it "And who are you all? Hehe!" He shout with his smile looking at everyone inside it, even the driver himself who would feel some creep feeling from the man's smile.

"E-er..." Erie stammered, carefully raising up one hand, "I'm Erie Reinhardt."

"Duncan Valentine," Duncan growled, as he had gone into defense/attack mode at simply the aura that the man's smile gave off.

"And I'm Gopher!" Gopher said, flying in after the man.

"Interesting, interesting" The man said still laughing as he recalled something on his head. He looked to where they were looking at, there was a man or teenager running in the horizon, towards the city's direction "So, you guys want any help to reach that guy?! Hmhmhmhm" He laughed with his lips closed as he looked at Knave.

"Yeah, that'd be-" Gopher began, before being yanked by the small scarf he wore, deeper into the carriage where Duncan and Erie had hastily arranged a meeting.

"Can we even trust this guy?" Erie whispered, "you saw that aura he gave off."

"Still," Gopher protested, "he's probably the fastest we can get to Knave... if he's telling the truth about being able to help us."

"I don't like him," Duncan growled, "damn guy gives me the creeps."

"Then it seems we've reached an impasse," Gopher nodded sagely.

"Well, either way, we have to reach the town somehow," the carraige driver joined in.

"Than I guess that settles it," Erie concluded.

"Wait!" Duncan said, then turned and addressed the mystery man, "what sort of help are you offering?"

"Any type I'd say" The man laughed loudly "I could bring him here" He pointed to Knave and imitated an scene where he brought the Marimo on his shoulder "Or...I could bring you guys to him" The tall guy now imitated him with two hands in the air like he was holding something while laughing and running.

The man laughs again imaginating both situations, it seemed the alcohol was still affecting him. Still laughing, he jumped in the air and fell like a leaf although he stopped just before the ground. He stood like he was laying on invisible bed while putting his hands at the back of his head, the scene reflexed that he was probaly relaxing while waiting them.

The group quickly reformed their huddle.

"He's obviously drunk," Erie observed somewhat dryly.

"So he's not entirely trustworthy to do... anything, or much?" Gopher asked.

"Nah, he's not completely plastered," Duncan answered, "I've seen that sort of thing before. He's probably not in his right mind, but he's still fully functional."

"Then let's ask for his help!" Gopher said happily.

Erie glanced over at the man once more. "Still..."

"C'mon," Duncan chided, "at this rate Knave'll be at the town before we even come close."

Erie sighed once more, giving in. "Fine. But don't say I didn't warn you if something goes wrong." She turned to face the man herself. "We wouldn't mind if you could get us much closer to our friend, if it's not too much trouble."

"Alright then!!" He said happy while approaching the Carriage "By the way, I'd like to know more about you guys later! Hahahaha" The man laughed happily as suddenly a near invisible platform appeared below the Horses and the carriage itself. It was possibly made out of thin air, the tall man made a sign with his left index finger as the platform stood a bit higher in the mid-air itself. Victory Road The man said. Spinning like a ballerine he stood just below them and the platform.

He lifted his two legs up as well, bending his knees in the proccess as he held the group. The seemingly drunk man kicked the air with his left leg which made him and what he was holding to fly straightly with great speed. He kicked the air with his right leg repeating the proccess as they quickly came and passed through the running Knave. Although that last thing was possible due to many kicks in the air. The fabulous man dropped the carriage and horses gently on the ground of the road, many meters away from Knave who would be reaching them in seconds.

The man crossed his arms as the wind beat in his pink feathery cloak, with an smile on his face, he was both expecting what Knave would do and what the group would do. He was so tall, his height reached if not surpassed the carriage's top.

"ORARARARARARARARARARARAH!" Knave yelled into the air as he charged forward, determined to reach the town before his two friends did... and then he reached the carriage. He skidded to a stop, grinning happily. "You guys sure are quick!" he laughed.

"MORE LIKE YOU RAN AWAY TOO FAST!" Erie and Duncan cried as they delivered twin blows to Knave, knocking the green-haired young mage into the air (a small "+10" appearing near Erie after the blow landed).

"Sorry..." Knave muttered as Gopher slowly flew him down, bruises now on his cheek and forehead, before suddenly jumping onto the ground, bowing quickly and as many times as he could, "but PLEASE don't make me ride that carriage again!"

"Well..." Erie said, glancing around, "we're a lot closer... we can probably walk the rest of the way."

"Alright!" Duncan said, slamming his fists together and crouching slightly, "I can get some exercise!"

"What about my fee...?" the carriage driver asked, still a bit stunned from the sudden lift the man had given them.

It was at this moment that Knave finally noticed the group's new 'benefactor'. "Who're you?" he asked, tilting his head to the side slightly like a confused dog.

"I will pay you for them" The man said giving a large bag containing thousands of jewels to the Driver. He then heard the Marimo's question, giving a back-jump so he could stand at the top of the carriage. He brought his two arms wide open while sticking his tongue out still with a wide smile, he made his body stay erect for such time. His figure blocking some of the sunlight coming "I. Am. RIKU. TSUCHI!!" He screamed out aloud.

"The who what now?" Knave asked blankly.

"The Celestial Bane?!" Duncan gaped, his eyes widening, "from that New Vegas place?!"

"The who what now...?" Knave asked again, his voice quieter.

"I heard he used a form of Dragon Slayer Magic..." Erie remarked, having also taken a step back.

"The... who what... now..?" Knave mumbled, his mouth now hidden by his scarf as he glowered slightly.

"I have no idea who you are," Gopher said happily.

"THE WHO WHAT NOW?!" Knave yelled, his body assuming a chibi shape as a comic aura of storm surrounded him. His friends (also having become chibis) leaped out of the way as Knave stood there, panting and clearly angered).