Round One: Kiruna VS Kilix

[A Dragonian]

Legends of Dragonia: Tournament 2006--
Esperanza Edition:
Round One: Viva la Dragonia!

Match: Kiruna VS Kilix
Final Score: 2 - 3
Location: Eastern Parmecia
Judge: Aiedan

Reminder - Be sure to be well informed of the Rules and Format of each match. Be sure to include your surrounding area; remember, YOU ARE NOT FIGHTING ON THE TOURNAMENT GROUNDS! The first person to post can set any additional conditions, such as the weather or the exact location of where the two are fighting, to further the enviornment. Also, be creative with what you do, and be sure to have fun!

[Archer]

Esperanza Grand Stadium -- a cacophony of sounds and excitement, and on this day of all days, it was at it’s peak. The queue had been started a good few weeks back, some citizens of Esperanza wanting to experience the coming days events so badly, that they had taken weeks of work to simply wait for it to start. The gates had been finally opened early that morning, and immediately the crowds were swarming through to gain the best seats in the house, a place by the bar, or even just to queue again at the wager stand to place their bets on the favourites, the underdogs, or perhaps the fighter with the funniest name. It was official; The World Tournament had begun!

Standing just outside the gates to the Grand Stadium-- which were still flooded with eager spectators trying to gain the quickest entry-- stood a small, Liixan-esque robot. It’s robotic eyes were almost welling with anticipation, knowing that in a few short hours, he could watch his master taking on some of the strongest fighters on the planet. With a grin playing upon his features, KGB set off into the Stadium.

Gaining entry was no real feat. His lack of size meant he could simply weave his way between the deadlocked fans trying to push and shove their way into the stadium. Once he was in, he was immediately struck in awe once again at all the sites to see in the Great Stadium. Gateways to the stands were placed at regular intervals along the wall opposite the entrance, the names of the competitors fighting on those screens lighting up with a neon glow on signs hanging gently from the rafters. “Aiedan Aurion Vs. Ryan Jiaoimasu”, “Jimmy Claymore Vs. Ravious Esteulle”.

To his immediate left was a Burger Bar, but past this spanned an endless line of eateries, restaurants and random stalls, hundreds of different possibilities in clear view, and all this before the natural curve of the wall concealed the rest from view. To his right was the end of another queue, this one stretching around the curve to the Betting stands. KGB could see the last person in the queue, a small, rotund and slightly balding man, clutching a slip of paper. Due to the angle at which he was holding it, KGB could just read the words “Zolomon Beowulve-- 10:1”. There was another name, with the odds “27:1”, but the actual writing was concealed by the man’s podgy thumb.

Having no material goods to wager with, as well as seeing some humorous looking stalls, KGB decided to head to the left. Having obviously not learnt anything from his previous venture, he immediately set out investigating each individual stall intently, scanning across every item in turn.

After a few stalls, KGB encountered the one he liked most of all. The legend “Heroes Anonymous” was displayed in grand letters on a sign hanging above the desk, the variety of colours making it easily the most vibrant stall in the entire stadium. Behind the desk, a tall, slim man stood, in a sharp black suit, a top hat and white gloves, spreading his arms out over his merchandise.

”Get your very own Mogwai dolls here, buy the very finest Scythe of Hellfire Key-chains!” he bellowed, waving his arms around all the nearby airspace in the attempt at attracting the attention of passers by, ”Your very own Shadowhurcan Lunchbox is but moments away! Be the first of your friends to obtain a V’alcan Realm Bender,” the man snatched a long, thin pole from his stall, waving it in the air to display a spectrum streaked across the air, ”Only @29.99 each!” Placing the device back on his stall, he resumed in the act of madly waving his arms at the merchandise, ”Look like Shizuka with a pair of elasticated Angel Wings! Amaze your friends with your very own Liixan Backpack!”

Well, that sure explained a lot.

Turning away from the stall before being kidnapped by another lunatic kid, and trying to block out the cries of ”Be irresistible to the opposite sex with Hakuto’s Aphrodisiac Virus,” KGB immediately found what he had been looking for. Suspended above his head, like all the other signs along the way, was the neon signpost to this particular section of the arena;
“Kiruna Elstrom Vs. Kilix Gyro.”

With that same excited grin extending across his metallic features, KGB ran through the vast gateway, taking the nearest seat available as the giant displays filled with glowing white, before letting the picture of one of the first battlegrounds fade into life.

---

The sounds hit him before the sights. The faint trickle of water flowing lazily over a muddy river bank. A quiet whoosh as the breeze blew through his fur in a carefree manner that only the wind can possess. The twitter of birds and the rustling of paws on leaves as any local fauna furrowed through whatever flora the land gave. The smells hit next; the sweet scent of a desert flowers nectar, and the sharp cutting smell of pure, fresh air.

And then the sights caught up. It seemed he was on the edge of a plateau, with a jagged descent down the rocky mountainside nearby. A shallow river ran in twisting paths along with mountaintop, cascading over the ridge in a spurt of froth. On the river banks lay various bushes and trees, but apart from this microhabitat, the plateau seemed barren for some miles.

Even so, the sights, smells and sounds bore only one word suitable of such an environment; beautiful. With a dim sun overhead casting the perfect amount of light onto the scene, an innocent bystander may have mistaken the scene for some masterpiece of art. However, this was not so. But still, the area seemed to have a mystical air about it, the fish diving and twisting their way through rapid river currents, and the smaller mammals reaching to the edge of the stream for a drink only adding to the effect.

Most people would not help but stand in awe of this spot for some hours, observing and admiring every aspect of it’s beauty. But when you observed this in the light that he had to now, it was easy to see that there was no time for such adoration of the beauty of nature.

”Could have done without the water…” muttered Kilix inaudibly, taking in as much information as he could about his chosen area of Dragonia. Eastern Parmecia was in many ways the perfect location; it’s flat and open landscape providing a full view of the surrounding area, as opposed to those fighting in guerrilla areas such as Larleta, whilst still maintaining an easily usable landscape, unlike the harsh conditions of the Zolan Lands, or Alundera.

But on the other hand, these open conditions proved a more difficult battleground than any other; there was no cover from enemy bombardments, no sneaky hiding spots from which to launch a surprise assault. It was just you, your opponent, and your wits.

It appeared Kilix had arrived first. This was an advantage in it’s own right, giving him a chance to survey the area before his opponent even arrived. Unless, that is, the opponent was already here. He had only met Kiruna the one time, briefly during the final battle with the Saiyan’s. But apart from the deep, black eyes and dark, feathery wings, he knew little of his opponents capabilities.

Kilix fingered tentatively at the patch on his arm that had been shaved for his Tournament Tattoo to be implanted, feeling the bare skin for what seemed to be the first time in his life. His mind was abuzz with thoughts; some considering possible strategies he could employ in this environment, some tracing the local area for any trace of a hidden power source, and some just wondering what in the name of the planet Liix he would be facing that day.

[damian]

Lunchboxes. Kiruna had expected a surprising tournament, full of outstanding fighters, eccentric and honourable warriors mixing together in a blend of violence and competition. Since he had awoken in Bedoe, he'd signed up for the Tournament in secret, trying to avoid the crowds. He hadn't seen hide nor hair of Damian, which had surprised him: something this violent would surely attract his attention.

Before heading to his assigned battle area, he had arrived early in the morning at the Tournament grounds itself, aware that he hadn't eaten in roughly a week. This was where he had encountered the Shadiohurcan lunchbox, causing a good-natured smile to form on his face. He even bought the lunchbox, and food from several stalls, before taking off towards his fighting grounds. After leaving, a small crowd formed around the stall demanding more merchandise and waving their money at the vendor. Kiruna saw this and smiled to himself again, pleased with the bizarre feeling of being a celebrity.

After getting his lunch, Kiruna headed towards his designated fighting area. It didn't take long, but he decided to walk it to conserve energy. This was why he was so much later than Kilix, so his opponent might be irritated by now. Kiruna however, was strangely calm. He was looking forward to a fight, despite how recent the war had been. This was an honourable occassion, a chance to improve the Dragonian warriors' powers, which was, from Kiruna's perspective, very useful. It seemed as if every other week the planet was at danger, not that Kiruna would ever say anything about it, out of fear of insulting a Dragonian.

Upon arrival, he noticed his opponent, Kilix Gyro, was already there. He raised his left hand in greeting, while his right still held the handle of his lunchbox. He placed the lunchbox on the ground then sat down cross-legged, opening it up. Then something occured to him and he asked Kilix,
"Would you like anything?" He had two hamburgers, an apple, and a bottle of water. He took out one hamburger and ate it, slowly and calmly, not wanting to give himself indigestion before the fight. He looked around his surroundings while he ate, appreciating the surprising beauty of the area he'll soon be fighting in. It had been chosen well, Kiruna decided. It would be a shame to destroy such a place.

Having finished his hamburger, Kiruna stood up and stretched, flexing himself and making his limbs ready for the coming battle. He examined Kilix briefly, remembering how he had fought alongside him during the recent war. He had impressed Kiruna with his tactics, but not with his recklessness. Kilix was smart, and Kiruna would have to look out for that. He doubted all out attacks would work against the Liixan. Strategy was going to be his first assault.

[Archer]

After a few minutes waiting, it was obvious the Kiruna wasn’t hiding in the battlefield already. If he was, he surely would have jumped Kilix by now, and the fighting would be well underway. Instead, Kilix stood, looking lazily around his surroundings, and waiting for an opponent to arrive.

But when Kiruna finally did stumble on the scene, he was far from what Kilix expected. The Shadowhurcan was, as Kilix vividly remembered, a large, black skinned creature, with monstrous wings extruding from his back, and deep black eyes. However, the bright red lunchbox in his right hand took away all signs of menace from the approaching figure immediately. If it wasn’t for this accessory, the figure of Kiruna could be said to resemble that of a Gargoyle, a menacing creature of the night. But menacing creatures of the night rarely stop for a spot of lunch between maimings.

Upon his arrival-- finally-- at the battle ground, the warrior placed himself carefully onto the dusty ground, placing his little red lunchbox onto the ground, and pulling out a hamburger in his carefree manner. His black eyes looked upwards at the Liixan for a moment.
“Would you like anything?” he said politely, before helping himself to the burger in his hands.

At first, Kilix gave Kiruna a sideways look. Did he not quite realise what a Tournament was for? This was utterly absurd, the warrior within Kilix was protesting violently. But after a moment, the stomach in Kilix put the warrior in his place for the time being.
”Actually, I think I will,” he muttered, walking slowly over to the Shadowhurcan-- wary still of a surprise attack, the lunchbox could just be a façade-- and bent down, lifting the hamburger out of the box with care.

Once he had assured himself that the burger was not a deadly booby trap, he opened his jaws wide and dug into the burger, a thin sliver of grease running down over his lip. Raising an arm to wipe it away, he cast his glance to the Shadowhurcan again. He was definitely one for the “Never Judge a Book by it’s Cover” team. After having finished his own meal, the warrior stood, and began to flex himself, warming up his body for the ensuing fight.

Kilix liked this. The informality of it all gave him the sense that there was no real danger, but he knew that there was every possibility of it still. Thinking back to the War, one ability of this man’s which Dalian had described to him stuck in his memory; The Storm of the Souls. He would have to be careful with this one.

Chewing down the mouthful of bread and meat in his mouth, and then swallowing it with ease, Kilix looked upwards at his opponent. Half a hamburger still lying lazily in his hand, he tensed his muscles slightly, ready for the battle ahead.

”I’ll let you have the first move,” he grinned.

[damian]

Kiruna smiled at Kilix, pleased that he had taken up on his offer of a quick bite to eat before beggining the serious battle. He didn't see a reason for their fight to be savage and competitive. It would be more fun if they both could compete in a friendly style, Kiruna thought. And also, a positive aspect of this was Kilix's offer of Kiruna getting the first attack. His stretching done, Kiruna nodded gratefully, then paused to consider his strategy. The first idea had effectively lured Kilix into a near sense of false security, which had been his first, accidental tactic. Kiruna assessed Kilix with the calm and cool logic of a proffessional fighter, but remembered little about Kilix's strengths and his weaknesses. He did remember Kilix had a robot... KGB was its name, he thought. He briefly wondered where he was, before closing his lunchbox and placing it by the side of a bush to keep it safe.

Kiruna looked around the area, thinking back to his concerns to damaging this beautiful space. He wondered if Kilix appreciated this as well as Kiruna himself did. He decided to find out.
"Kilix, this area's glorious, isn't it? I hope our fight doesn't do unneccessary damage. So be careful, alright?" he smiled to show this was a joke, then stepped away from Kilix and closed his eyes. The smile faded into a thin line as he gathered his energy, which then exploded out into the dark navy aura. He opened his eyes and the seriousness in them lost all traces of the friendliness he had once had. Dust from the ground circled all around Kiruna in a vortex of sand and small rocks, and his hair to blow out behind him below his helmet. Kiruna clenched his fists then announced,
"Prepare yourself, Kilix."

It was time to begin, and Kiruna took a moment to decide how he would start. An old favourite popped into his head and then he smirked to himself as his hands and feet began to glow with energy, forming into blue and white flames of Ki, and Kiruna moved in the blink of an eye, appearing before Kilix, who had only just finished eating. The Dark Dynamo technique activated, Kiruna decided to test how much durability Kilix's armour truly gave him. His hands and feet moved with such deadly speed and accuracy it could be called an art form, as he targetted Kilix's chest, stomach, sides, legs, and face, all in an effort to do as much damage as possible in the small window of time he could keep Dark Dynamo up for. Then the sudden blur of speed finished with a lethal headbutt Kiruna sent towards Kilix's skull, before he teleported behind the Liixan and sent a telekinetic wave towards his spine, then used his Advanced Telekinesis again to cause a cloud of dirt to shoot up into Kilix's face.

Hoping this second attack would blind Kilix, he dashed in towards his opponent's spine in a massive charge, turning it into an elbow strike and using all the momentum to do masses of damage upon Kilix's back... if it hit. Kilix might be able to dodge, meaning Kiruna's charge would continue, until he skidded to a halt.

[Archer]

The Tournament Stadium was full of diverse noises; some were excited at seeing the beautiful area in which the fight was to be held. Others were discussing the fighters themselves, comparing and contrasting these two very different fighters. Most were asking each other why the hell the competitors were eating lunch. One figure, sitting alone in the top rim of the Stadium, simply watched the opponent of his master. He seemed to be thinking quite hard, probably analysing his opponent’s possible moves and strategies. But then, his face changed slightly, and the little figure in the back rim leapt up in excitement.

”I know that face!” cried KGB, ”That’s Kiruna’s “I wonder where Kilix’ robot KGB is” face!!!” For a moment, the entirety of the Grand Stadium was in silence, and if the mood had been any more awkward, a tumbleweed may well have bounded across the seats. But soon, the punters ignored the strange robot in the back row, and turned their attention back to the screens.

---

Kilix watched as Kiruna surveyed the surroundings, his mind obviously working on whatever strategies and tactics he could employ against the Liixan. After some time of thinking, he spoke to the Liixan once more.
"Kilix, this area's glorious, isn't it? I hope our fight doesn't do unnecessary damage. So be careful, alright?"
Kilix matched Kiruna’s grin with his own. ”Of course.” he replied.

Moments after Kilix’ reply, the Shadowhurcan exploded into a dark navy aura, dust clouds rising around him, creating a miniature sandstorm within the blue energy. Excellent, thought Kilix, using up his energy right at the start. Kiruna’s eyes burst open, any kindness in them drained away and replaced with a cold, emotionless glare.
"Prepare yourself, Kilix."

Kilix braced himself, the hamburger falling out of his hand and rolling down gently towards the river. By the bank, a squirrel popped out of the undergrowth, grabbed it in his paws, and scurried off up the tree to his home. There was a momentary pause, but soon Kiruna was on a full frontal assault. If Kilix had blinked he would have missed the Shadowhurcan moving at all, the figure appearing directly in front of him within a moment.

The first strike hit Kilix straight in the gut, the armour taking the brunt of the blow, but the pressure exerted still forcing some of the wind out of his lungs. His mouth forced open to expel the gas from his gut, Kilix was nearly caught of guard when the next strike came, an uppercut aiming for the Liixan’s face. Kilix managed to twist his neck just enough for the fist to skim past, the displacement of air causing his fur to ruffle slightly.

And so it continued, the strikes that were defended or successful seemingly alternating in those few seconds. Many were taken, the damage absorbed by Kilix’s Liixan body armour, but many were also blocked, his speed allowing him to keep a partial pace with his opponent. However, very soon, the Shadowhurcan had disappeared from in front of him, Kilix’s microchip giving his exact location to him immediately. A grin crossed his face-- this was a perfect opportunity to test out his new techniques.

When Kiruna’s helmeted head descended towards Kilix’s unprotected skull, he did nothing; he simply stood his ground. When the headbutt was but an inch from collision, Kilix seemed to change. His body was semi-transparent, and a moment later he was simply a wire-frame model of himself. In reality, Kilix was now leaning up against the tree by the river, watching from afar as Kiruna continued his headbutt towards his explosive clone.

If Kiruna struck the wire frame, it would explode with a compact blast, about 3’ radius, from the point of impact. It was possible for him to avoid it, but at the speed at which his attack was launched, it would be very improbable for him to be able to. Also, if the surprise attack was successful, it only stands to reason that Kiruna’s other attacks would not be launched, as he would need to recover from the blast before doing anything else. However, despite his currently lazy appearance, Kilix was fully prepared for whatever the Shadowhurcan threw his way next.

[damian]

The explosion that followed sent Kiruna skdiding backwards, his head smoking and his helmet shattered. He skidded along the ground until he stopped in a crouching position and ripped off his destroyed helmet, cursing loudly and grinning up at Kilix, his face scarred and a little singed from the blast. He blinked a few times, then got up to his feet.

"That's a nice trick, Kilix." Then Kiruna decided it was time for his irritation attack, and he saw just the opportunity flying high above them. Using his Beast Barrage technique, Kiruna sent out a message to the flock of geese flying high above them. There were seven in all and, once the message had reached them, they turned down towards Kilix and flew straight for him.

Aware the birds would take a while to reach Kilix, he decided to keep him busy. He hurled two Ki balls at Kilix, sure that his opponent would be able to deal with them, then moved in a split second instance after them, aiming a massive kick towards Kilix's chest then teleporting into the air, just in time for the geese to shoot past him and flock around Kilix, all of them pecking, flapping and clawing at the Liixan in a very annoying fashion.

Pleased with how his strategy was going, Kiruna even decided to irritate Kilix another stage. Focussing, Kiruna ripped up the gorund beneath Kilix, in an effort to make him lose his footing, then hurled more dust and dirt at the Liixan's eyes in a dirty manouvre to blind him. Then Kiruna made sure to hide his power level, then shot down from the sky at incredible speeds in a massive stamp aimed for Kilix's head or, if he had lost his footing, his stomach. Then he teleported back to the position he'd started at, his loyal geese flocking around him defensively.

[Archer]

((Sorry man, it started good and kinda stopped being so as I went on…))

Kiruna’s helmet-- now in a very interesting shape that some could consider Modern Art-- hit the floor with a thud as the warrior ripped it from his head, the obviously ineffective device having not protected his face from a few scars, burns, and various other forms of damage.
“That’s a nice trick, Kilix,” Kiruna said, in a pause between his next assault.
”Thanks,” Kilix said through a chuckle, ”I like it.”

If Kilix had not being leaning lazily against the single tree in the landscape, he may well have been subject to a vicious pecking. His neck was craned back slightly, at such an angle as he could see a flock of geese flying overhead. The entire image was to lure Kiruna into anger, to make him think that Kilix was toying with him. The biggest mistakes in combat are made through anger, but on the other hand, so are some of the greatest victories.

However, as he gazed dreamily into the sky, making sure to keep Kiruna in his sight, he saw the flock of geese turn, and start a descent towards him. Kilix picked himself up for a moment, standing up from the tree and putting his full vision on Kiruna. It was obvious the Shadowhurcan was controlling the animals to his will, simply by looking at him, and the unnatural flight patterns of the animals overhead.

But before Kilix could make a comment or quip, his opponent had launched a pair of Ki blasts in his direction; most probably a diversion whilst his newfound minions honed in on their target. Pushing off of the ground and pulling his body backwards, Kilix gracefully performed a back flip, grabbing onto the trunk of the tree whilst in the air and locking his legs in place to keep himself steady on the tree, his head tilted upwards to keep a constant eye on Kiruna.

Good thing too-- as soon as the ki blasts collided with the base of the tree, the Shadowhurcan was following their trail, ready to send a kick in Kilix’s direction. The solution to this one was simple enough; as Kiruna approached to finalise his strike, Kilix released his grip on the tree trunk, sliding down it and leaving Kiruna’s foot to dig into the bark of the tree, sending out a cloud of wooden shrapnel. When Kilix touched the ground, he let his body flow into a simple roll, springing out at the end and twisting his body in the air. Landing on all fours, with his eyes on Kiruna at all times, he pushed himself upwards and back into a standing position.

Almost as soon as he was on his feet, the flock of geese were upon him. However, when the first bird struck him with it’s beak, the image of Kilix faded away into nothingness-- a simple After Image. The real Kilix was no where to be seen; it was as if he’d disappeared. In truth, the Liixan agent was in the topmost branches of the nearby tree, his Stealth activated, rendering him completely undetectable for the time being.

Dropping down from his hiding place, but keeping his stealth activated, Kilix flew towards Kiruna, quickly swinging a kick towards the side of the Shadowhurcan’s head, deactivating his stealth as he did so, making it seem like he appeared out of thin air. However, once the attack was done and Kilix touched down on land once again, Kiruna’s next attack caught him by surprise. The ground around him began to shake, a deep rumble resonating from it, before the earth itself burst upwards around him. Kilix stumbled for a moment, beginning to fall, but he soon found his bearings again, pushing off of a nearby rock-- which was suspended in the air by Kiruna’s telekinesis-- and flipping away from danger. Luckily, the timing of this meant that Kiruna’s next attack was also unsuccessful, the warrior’s kick simply meeting nothing than air.

The Liixan landed on the ground near the original fighting position, just as Kiruna appeared back at his old location too, his army of geese flocking round him in defence. Kilix was about to launch straight into another attack, when he noticed something on the ground beside him. A small, red lunchbox, with his opponent’s face plastered across the front. Kilix gave a sly grin, moving his boot over to the object, and flicking it into the air with his toe.

As the Lunchbox span sporadically through the air, a quick spinning kick sent pieces of bright red plastic showering through the air, leaving only two objects left behind; an apple, and a bottle of water. Letting the bottle fall to the ground, Kilix snapped the shiny red fruit from the air, whipping his arm round in a circular motion, spinning his body with it. Moments later, he released his grip, the apple being launched towards his opponent by momentum. I know what you’re thinking-- this is the most pointless attack in the history of the world. However, useless attacks are often the most effective, as they confuse the opponent in ways which are normally unmatchable. However, the apple was not without hidden malice; Kilix slyly slipped a Ki dart directly behind it, travelling at the same velocity. If Kiruna allowed the apple to hit him, he would also be struck by a sharp missile of Ki. Or maybe one of his Geese would. Who knows?

[damian]

Luck was with Kiruna, if only temporarily. The kick that Kilix aimed at him between Kiruna's own attacks failled thanks to blind co-incedence, as Kiruna crouched low to see if he could pull his leg out of the tree when the top snapped off and flew away thanks to Kilix. Then his telekinetic attack succeeding but his stamp failling, Kiruna once again found himself stuck, his feet buried deep into the earth.

Kiruna watched the destruction of his lunchbox with some offense, muttering,
"I paid for that..." That was when something caught his attention. Kilix made a bizarre gesture above the apple, and Kiruna thought this was very suspicious. Then the apple started darting towards him, and a goose, by even more blind co-incedence, was struck by the apple and the Ki dart inside. Kiruna did not walk away unharmed, as his psychich connection with that goose was severred a blinding shot of mental agony burst through his head, causing him to collapse to his knees and clutch at his skull.

Kiruna forced his feet up out of the ground and into the air, where he sent a forceful wave of telekinesis to get Kilix off of his feet. Then, where Kiruna had been, only a flock of rabid geese charged at Kilix's front, with the pecking craziness they had before. Behind Kilix, Kiruna appeared again, making another forceful elbow strike towards Kilix's spine, then following up with an axe-handle to the back of his head.

Kiruna then saw another advantage in the form of the ruined tree, using telekinesis to hurl the heavy piece of wood at Kilix while he leapt over him, landing upon the ruined tree and kicking it, mid-air, towards Kilix. Then he landed on the ground again, his back turned to Kilix, before spinning aorund with his arms crossed like a corpse. He winced at the idea of the damage this attack would do to the area, then fired the Chaos Cannon. The blast wasn't at full strength, but it would do the neccessary damage, and then some, if Kilix couldn't stop it. At the same time, the ruined tree rose up, above Kilix and the blast, then shot down on another crushing attempt towards Kilix.

Kiruna then flapped his wings very forcefully, clearing away the dust after the attack. Not waiting for Kilix to recover, Kiruna sent his geese henchmen in for another sweep, pecking flapping and clawing, while Kiruna charged up for another assault and recovered his scorched face, while remaining aware of Kilix's presence. He grinned to himself. The fight had been just what he'd expected from a warrior like Kilix so far, and he couldn't wait to see what tricks his agile opponent had left.

[Archer]

It seemed that after the initial assault resulting in failure, Kiruna was employing a more tactical strategy. And that suited Kilix fine-- the whole reason he'd entered the tournament was for a challenge, and it seemed this fighter would give him one.

Now, telekinesis is an artform that Kilix does not like to meddle with. The brain is a tool, but it should not be a tool on a physical scale; such excess strain on the organ must have some damage effect on a long term basis, surely? The microchip lodged in his brain was as far as he went in the way of his mind's enhancements, and he liked to keep it that way.

It was probably such inexperience with the art that led to problems later on. For example, he was completely unexpectant when a wave of psychic energy hit him dead in the chest, knocking the Liixan warrior off his feet. On the other hand, the severity of his reaction was quite fortunate, the fact that he was now rolling with some speed away from the Shadowhurcan causing the Geese assailants to constantly miss him as they dived in for an assault.

When Kilix finally managed to gain some composure, his only warning of any danger was his Microchip once again, sending him a mental note that there was a familiar energy signal behind him. Kilix swung his body around in one swift motion, a light brown wave of Ki exploding from his palm into a perfect concaved disk. Kiruna's elbow connected sharply with the Micro-shield, the shockwave produced causing a slight jarring in Kilix' arm, but no real damage. The already activated shield was more than enough to block the double handed axe strike too, and with Kilix now more prepared, the impact did nothing to harm his person.

Kilix was quickly being assured in his opinion that Telekinesis was his enemy. His shield died down as his opponent launched himself off the ground, and Kilix automatically turned with him, observing his path through the air. When a floating chunk of wood was launched in his direction by the Shadowhurcan, he was definitely getting tired of the 'Mind Over Matter' theory.

The instant Kiruna landed, he would have more to worry about than expected; as soon as the lump of dried tree-trunk was within range, Kilix had flicked himself round, a heel strike to the wooden missile sending it soaring in the direction of it's launcher. With his back turned to him, Kiruna would have very little chance of knowing the projectile was coming at him before he turned to see it.

Regardless of reaction to this attack, Kiruna was preparing his arms in a strange manner; and that in itself is the sign of a signature Ki attack. Kilix could think of a few options, most of which he would have employed immediately if it wasn’t for one factor; the was a tournament. That meant, in the hustle and bustle of crowds in Esperanza, people were watching this. And Kilix wasn’t one to disappoint the mass majority.

As Kiruna crossed his arm across his chest, Kilix released the catch on a pod of his Utility Belt, a small capsule dropping out onto his palm. Pressing the small button on it’s side, he let it drop to the ground, making a soft thud as it hit the dusty floor.

The two actions seemed synonymous; the Chaos Cannon was launched from Kiruna’s arms, the black energy searing the air as it shot towards it’s target, and the eruption of the blast from Kilix’ Ki-M-P Grenade. Seeing both through the corners of his eyes, Kilix put his plan into action. Leaping into the air with a twist of his body, Kilix was now above the path of the Chaos Cannon, and facing the expanding blast of his grenade.

The way Kilix’ Ki-M-P Grenades work is by pushing Ki energy away from them-- in a person, this simply knocks away some of their energy temporarily. But when the Ki is compacted, it will simply move it away as it expands. And so when Kilix activated his Micro-shields, overlapping them slightly to cover his entire body, the blast pushed him straight outwards, parallel to the Chaos Cannon, and with his legs ready for a two footed kick to the Shadowhurcan’s face, whom would be very lucky to avoid it due to the preoccupation of his arms.

Landing behind Kiruna, and quite close to the edge of the great plateau they were fighting on, Kilix prepared for yet another defence. However, once again his enemy of Telekinesis was employed, this time on a much greater scale. The great tree flew at the Liixan much faster than you would expect for it’s size. Kilix rolled away to the left, but the tree still caught his foot, sending it snapping backwards away from his body, a sharp pain already rising up it. Kilix ran his hand over it for a moment; no breaks, it seemed, and his armour was still intact. But the Dulvar was being worn down, and the limb still hurt a lot.

Rising to his feet, Kilix observed his opponent, or more to the point, the flock of Geese he employed to do his bidding. Kilix backed away for a moment, until his heel began to force some pebbles skipping down the side of the plateau, finding comfort in the spray of the water beneath. Kilix grinned.

”Catch me if you can,” he said, and fell.

The wind ruffled through his fur as he soared towards the foot of this plateau; it is amazing the diversity of life you can find in a location not 10 metres from the other. The base of the mountain was much more of a paradise than the other could ever be, green vines growing from the many trees in the area, the waterfall cascading lightly down the mountainside, concealing a cave that had been whittled away through the ages behind it.

The lake that the waterfall produced was shimmering in the daylight, many creatures in the surrounding area coming to drink, to play, or just to relax. Kilix made no noise as he fell, and just watched the life about it’s daily business.

Turning around in the air and soaring gently to the ground, Kilix placed his foot down upon the emerald grass, and awaited his opponent once more.

[damian]

The Chaos Cannon attack was able to stop the tree colliding with Kiruna on the first occassion, as he telekinetically stopped it from doing any harm. The double-foot kick that Kilix sent his way hit Kiruna full on in the chest, winding him briefly and cancelling out the Chaos Cannon attack early. Kiruna got up and turned just in time to see Kilix leap off the edge of the plateau, Kiruna's loyal geese shooting after him as he fell and pecking and scratching all the way. Kiruna ran to the edge of the plateau and watched Kilix's descent, then noticed the multitude of small creatures who had come out to relax. Kiruna grinned to himself then extended Beast Barrage's control once more.

Not only had the geese by now caught up to Kilix, but three squirrels had also decided, thanks to Kiruna, to charge at the Liixan with rabid fury. A grass snake as well coiled around Kilix's leg in hopes of slowing him down, and even more smaller animals gathered around Kilix to irritate him. Even the vines that Kilix had passed shot down at him, aiming to wrap around his limbs and hold him still. Only after all of this did Kiruna soar down the cliff, arriving after his opponent who was probably being held still by the vines, or at least surrounded by nature's creatures. Kiruna charged Kilix once more, swinging one huge right hook for Kilix's head then following up with a quick jab to Kilix's chest.

Kiruna stepped back after these two attacks and noticed the cave being hidden by the sparkling sapphire waterfall, a curtain of nature that hid something that caught Kiruna's interest. A boulder.
"Much better than a tree..." Kiruna thought to himself then telekinetically brought the boulder flying towards Kilix, and Kiruna leapt up so that the boulder didn't hit himself.

As if that wasn't enough, Kiruna fired a Ki blast not only at Kilix but also at the boulder, causing quite a spectacular explosion and rubble to explode around the small paradise, but not really doing any damage. Kiruna crossed his arms and generated a Ki bubble around himself as he waited for Kilix's retaliation, whichy he knew was coming. An attack like that might've finished off weaker opponents, but Kilix? He knew he would come up with something to stop it.

[Archer]

As soon as Kilix’s boots touched against the crisp grass, his troubles increased quite a lot. The Geese, obviously, had descended straight after him, and since he’d stopped, they caught up with him in moments. To add to the confusions, a troop of squirrels were about to go wanna-be-ninja, a whole menagerie was coming at him with menace, and vines were descending on him to hold him in their grasp.

Kilix raised his defences against these creatures, his arms a blur as his armour took all the damage from the creatures attacks, their natural weapons not nearly being enough to penetrate the Dulvar. However, after grasping at vines to pull them off his limbs and batting away beaks and teeth alike, one simple creature got the better of him. The snake at his feet spiralled up his damaged left leg, constricting it’s body around it.

The already great pain was immediately amplified threefold, Kilix wincing immediately, falling to his knees on the soft, damp earth. Scrabbling at the creatures still biting and scratching at his body with one hand, his other flailed for a moment around his waist, the pain signals in his brain interfering with his senses for a moment. But soon he found what he sought, his furry fingers grasping the cold metal handle on his waist. Snatching it off his belt and immediately pulsing Ki energy into it, a column of blue energy burst from the end of the Sapphire, the blade of his loyal weapon shooting to slice the snake right down the coils with which it clung to his leg.

The next moment was a blur of movement; regardless of the snake’s condition, Kilix had to move. Forcing himself into a backflip, the Liixan swung his legs around in a pair of circular kicks, the first forcing an oncoming vine away from his person, the second aimed at a mid-jump squirrel that was pouncing upon him, a successful hit meaning that the furry being would be sent soaring to Kiruna’s location.

The instant he landed, however, the Shadowhurcan warrior was upon him, but Kilix’s momentum allowed him to continue into another backwards flip, his opponents hook sailing clean through the air. When he was back on his feet, a simple parry could be employed to divert the jab to the chest, and Kilix was easily ready for anything short of a giant boulder that the Shadowhurcan could throw at him.

But then, bursting out of the waterfall in a shower of shining droplets came-- you guessed it-- a giant boulder! Kiruna was obviously still using his telekinesis to give him a large advantage, but Kilix wasn’t going to let him keep it. In one swift movement, Kilix’s legs bent and contracted, launching the little warrior into the air. Pulling his body forwards, Kilix reached level with the top of the boulder, placing his palms on the top and pushing himself further into the air.

He dropped to the ground with speed, but when Kiruna fired the blast through the great rock, shards of stone flying in all directions, it sailed straight on, the Liixan nowhere to be seen. If he was paying very careful attention, however, he Shadowhurcan might be able to see footprints in the soft earth, the blades of grass snapping as Kilix’s invisible boot crushed down on them.

He moved with speed, only releasing his Stealth device when he was on the very outskirts of the trees that surrounded the lagoon, making very sure that Kiruna would be able to see him first. A Liixan with Trees is like a Shark to water-- easily very dangerous, and an opponent only fools and heroes should challenge.

”Come get me, Kiruna” came the Liixan’s voice from the tree’s, seeing almost eerie in the clearing, the origin of his voice unknown. Kilix would wait for the Shadowhurcan to enter the trees before revealing his location-- Kiruna was using his strong point, and Kilix was sure as hell going to use his.

[damian]

"Ready or not, here I come..." Kiruna muttered to himself. His attacks hadn't resulted exactly as well as he'd hoped, and the snake being killed had given kiruna another bout of mental anguish. He decided to disperse the animals: they were too much of a risk now that Kilix could easily kill them from the trees. He spread his wings wide and tried to sense Kilix... nothing. Not surprising, thanks to the Liixan's Stealth Mode.

Kiruna stood still, debating how he could counter this. He could send out a powerful telekinetic wave, tearing trees up from the dirt and forcing Kilix out of hiding... but that would damage the area. Kiruna stroked his chin as he considered every possibility, and time slowly ticked by,

Patience could be the winning virtue here, Kiruna thought suddenly. If he waited Kilix out while standing in the clearing he'd surely be able to hear Kilix's approach, and so he floated up into the air and through the water fall, relishing the feel of the cold water as it relaxed him briefly. Then he watched the clearing through the curtain of water, all the time preparing himself in small ways.

hen another idea popped into Kiruna's head and, using a telekinetic wave, he sent the waterfall out into the trees as a massive curtain in the hopes of getting Kilix wet and revealing where he was from the water that seemed to be floating in the air. The water hit all of the nearest trees, so if Kilix was hiding in any of them, he would be hit by it. Kiruna waited, focussing on patience. Kilix would revela himself in time. And Kiruna could wait for a while, rather than have a full-frontal fight.
(That's right, basically nothing happened ;D)

[Archer]

So he wants to play a waiting game, does he? Kilix thought, watching from the canopy as the Shadowhurcan pass seemlessly through the waterfall into the cave lurking behind it, Well I can wait...

However, he'd soon be seen to eat those words; Kiruna sending a wave of telekinetically controlled water crashing violently towards the silent, swaying forest. The suedo-tsunami smashed agaisnt the first line of trees, a spray of water rushing backwards through the maze of undergrowth. Specks of white foam splattered across Kilix's body, not drenching him completely, but it would be enough for him to be noticed; but as he sat far back in the canopy, Kiruna would not see him yet.

He cursed silently in Liixan for a moment. His Stealth mode was useless now-- at least on a visual basis-- and he could not assault Kiruna without being noticed passing through the waterfall, plus it seemed that his opponent was more than happy to sit and wait for him to make the first move.

He ran some preliminary strategies through his mind, considering the pro's and con's of each, until he found the one that stuck. Another opportunity to test out a new technique, it seemed.

He raised his invisible finger, pointing it towards the waterfall cave as if he were aiming a rifle, making sure every aspect was perfect. And then he fired, three shots in rapid succession, the energy darts sailing towards the hidden cave. If Kiruna could sense them, that would be all the better to add to the confusion.

They did not seem like darts; the naked eye beholding them would see a cloud of distortion. The False Energy Signals distorted all the waves surrounding them, light bending into a crackling fuzz, with a buzzing sound as it disrupted any sound passing by. Kilix watched them intently, judging the point that the foremost dart hit the waterfall with care.

As soon as the dart penetrated the wall of water, Kilix leapt, keeping his stealth mode active for as long as he could allow. In his cave, Kiruna would be able to see and here little more than a varying buzz and a cloud of crinkled lines, each dart's radius of 3 feet easilly creating a wall that blocked the entrance of the cavern.

Kilix passed through the waterfall a moment later, releasing his stealth as soon as his burst through lining the walls with droplets of water. His vision was, for a moment, as impared as Kiruna's, but Kilix simply flew past the Shadowhurcan, and the Disruption Darts, and further into the catacoumb of caves that lay behind.

Kilix eye's were absorbing every iota of light and reflecting it around him, giving him a perfect veiw of the cave system. Raising his arm and firing a few Ki Darts at his opponents back, Kilix turned and waited in the shadows. How would Kiruna fare in the Dark?

[damian]

Buzzing blurs that gave off a Ki signature? Kiruna frowned to himself. Kilix might have taken that from while his Stealth Mode was disrupted, but Kiruna didn't think Kilix would design something like that to make such an annoying noise. Then a small movement caught Kiruna's attention, and a moment later the dark shape of Kilix burst through.

Kiruna had been in the dark for longer than Kilix, and his eyes had adapted fairly well already. Kilix didn't seem to have bargained on this, and Kiruna took his opportunity, shooting towards Kilix in a split second and sending a fully swung punch towards his opponent's chest. Kilix however would still manage to land behind Kiruna, and as he spun around the three Ki darts closed in on him.

Then his Absorption Armour activated and the darts bounced off harmlessly, the Ki being absorbed into the armour and into Kiruna, who then let out Kilix's own absorbed energy in a large blast, half the span of the cave. Kiruna had lost Kilix as soon as he'd disappeared behind him, but Kilix would have to be quicker and more agile than he's been so far.

Kiruna thought he could escape the cave by now, but decided not to. Instead, he stood between Kilix and his only way out of the cave. This gave him an idea. A very dangerous idea, but an idea nonetheless.
"Forgive me." he said aloud, then focussed and let out a deafening roar as he ascended to Giga Shadiohurcan. Once he'd done this he unleashed huge amounts of energy into the roof to the cave, as well as using telekinesis. He was going to collapse this cave with Kilix within it.

Kilix would be able to feel the cave shaking but, unfortunately for him, he couldn't leap out the waterfall without running into Kiruna. And anyway, there wouldn't be enough time, as the cave actually physically shook very quickly, boulders fell down with force and the supports of the cave collapsed, destruction ensuing.

Rubble and boulders fell down upon the pair of warriors, Kiruna successful in collapsing the cave. Outside, the damage seemed to be minimal. The cave had just disappeared, and the waterfall had just gotten lower. Kiruna himself appeared high above the now collapsed cave and the waterfall that had now turned into a river. Kiruna had used the Shadow Sphere to protect himself from the destruction, and he now banished the black orb surrounding him.

He looked down at the destruction he'd caused, then turned away, ashamed. Still in Giga Shadiohurcna stage, he waited for Kilix to either fight his way up out of the rubble or stay there.