Myena vs Efialtera

 

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Intro

This is a story about Myena, the Black Hunter, who welcomed challenges with open arms.

Born as one of the first four Gyarii to ever exist, fast and agile, Myena lived solely with a single urge that drove her actions from her very core. The thrill of danger!

Inside the group, Myena played the role of the provider, hunting wildlife and bringing food to the table. But her hunting method was not conventional at all. She would do things her own way. Presenting herself in front of her prey as a menacing presence. Any eyes that met her figure would feel a death sentence cast upon them, for there was no living creature that could match her speed in hope of escaping.

Known for her abrupt behavior, bloodthirsty mood, and cruel jokes, she was branded as the scariest and deadliest of the Gyarii.

At night, when Myena would return from a successful hunt, the gyarii would gather for a feast around a circular table. If the weather allowed it, they would do it outside at the center of the square and under the watch of the moon, which was slowly falling asleep and was letting the stars prevail in the darkness of the sky dome.

Glimmering candles were lit humbly upon and around the table, and the soft glow of their flickering flames would cast a warm, golden hue upon the faces of the gyarii filled with laughter. They were content to be together, no matter how few of them existed at that time; they were forming a strong and happy group. Their joyful voices and hummings would harmonize perfectly with the cozy and friendly atmosphere around them.

During that time, Myena would always be in high spirits and the one to break that harmony with her disturbing words and her alarming voice, which could easily interchange between husky and high-pitched. Her first intention was to tease Elvana, the Mother of Nature and the one who always opposed her cruel behavior.

”You know, Elvana, you are considered the Mother of Nature and all, but you wouldn’t survive one night in the wilds. There is one simple rule there: "Hunt or be hunted.” If you drop off your guard or fall asleep at the wrong time, the beasts will find the opportunity and... bite off your  head!" She highlighted that last sentence with a mischievous chuckle. 

However, Elvana was unfazed by Myena’s challenging words. She knew Myena’s wicked attitude very well, like she knew herself. “Believe me, my dear Myena. I understand the nature of living things much better than you can imagine. And although I know they are capable of brutality, they are equally capable of love as well."

Love Interest

Love, eh? Myena thought she understood that sentiment. Wasn’t love that kind of feeling when you wanted to make something yours? That you find it worthy enough to deserve your attention and treatment, however rough it was? Then, wasn’t her hunting considered an act of love? After all, she would only chase the worthiest of the prey. Myena was amused by that thought.

Even with her lover, Addlestar, she was rough and possessive. From her perspective, he was her property and belonged to her alone. And yes, he did receive all of her attention and care at the moments they were together.

And Addlestar would appreciate her love, for it was true. Cruel but true, unbound by any rules or restrictions. And Myena would never lie. She didn’t have to. She didn’t care if her words hurt or irritated. All the while, she had nothing to hide from. She would only look at you dead in the eye and show her true intentions. Impulsive as she was, Myena lived solely in the present moment.

The night before the Gyari left their homeland, in order to migrate towards the lands of the East, Addlestar and Myena came together for a last sultry night. After all, they would be separated afterwards. Their connection was always strong and intense, and before dawn, their heated bodies would quiver in passion and satisfaction. However, Addlestar couldn’t help but express his worry.

“Myena, why don’t you come with us? We will need your help on our journey. No one knows the dangers we might encounter,” he asked, although he had already gotten the same answer many times before.

Myena chuckled. “You have Asterios and Elvana, right? You will be fine! For me, there is another path to take. A path that’s been calling me for a long time now…”

True Nature

And indeed, when the gyarii entered the Astral Cave as the safest path towards the east, Myena took a different, northern one. She dwelled into the land of the Arachnias, where nightmarish and extremely lethal territorial creatures were creeping.

 There she was now, all alone in an unexplored and most dangerous part of the earth. This sensation was so thrilling to her. For, she found power in solitude. Free and strong, no one could bend her will, and no one could force any kind of rule upon her. In this state, Myena was in her truest nature.

Her vicious smile was unfazed as she walked in this rotten land of the Nightmares, her demeanor unrivaled. At that moment, even the wind was afraid of touching her.

Skirmish

At some point, the terrain started caving in and around her. The sharp rocks curled in a manner like they wanted to devour her. In this tunnel that she found herself, it felt like the whole world narrowed to a dark corridor.

On the walls, Myenna was hearing creeping sounds. The sounds of beasts walking on multiple legs. “Five, six…no, eight.” Her keen hearing as a hunter could tell her that these creatures possessed eight legs each. And they were moving fast. “There must be dozens of them."

Myena stretched her bare hands to the sides as she was walking this narrow passageway; her head bowed a little, her smile widened. “Come, come, my dearlings. What are you waiting for? The perfect  moment?" She chuckled to herself and then lied with her back against the floor. Her legs and arms extended in an X position; she was now completely unguarded.

“Now’s your chance,” she yelled, and like a squad obeying their commander’s orders, the spiderlings jumped out of the shadows. As she was lying on her back, Myena witnessed a swarm of nightmares floating above her, about to land on top of her. They were huge and creepy. Their legs were slim and pointy. They were like no other beasts she hunted back in the moonyard. A new prey!

With a swift motion, she got to her feet, drew her twin blades, and, like a bolt, launched towards the ceiling. During that spring, she sliced, and two of the spiders fell dead to the ground. As Myena stabbed the ceiling and was now hanging from her sword, she looked down to see that the rest of the spiders had landed and were now looking up at her. They were covering the whole surface of the floor. The ground was like a sea of enemies that were now creeping on the walls, rapidly making their way towards her position.

“Beasts that can climb walls!” Myena laughed with excitement. She unpinned her sword from the ceiling and began falling. As she was mid-air, she enhanced her daggers with her inner astral energy, and as she spun them both, she produced a hurricane of electricity that shocked every enemy around her.

In the end, all the spiders fell with their backs to the ground, their legs shriveled, and their bodies fried.

Efialtera: The Queen of Arachnias

At last, Myena reached the queen’s lair, a massive castle of sharp rocks and intertwined tunnels. The structure of the foundation was so intricate and spontaneous at the same time that it left one wondering if this was the work of an intelligent being or a randomly malevolent formation of the terrain.

Myena entered inside and immediately felt the wind howling as it passed through the countless circular tunnels, echoing like desperate cries for help. Myena chuckled to herself. "No one is coming to save you in this god’s forsaken place.” The rough topography around her, the ground, and the walls were coated with webs, and from the ceiling there were occasionally hanging captured prey covered in strings.

This place was a labyrinth, and it annoyed Myena. She didn’t like puzzles. She didn’t like anything that wasn’t straightforward. She tried taking different paths again and again, only to end up looping in the same place. This maze of tunnels, combined with the terrifying shapes like screaming faces and otherworldly entities that were randomly forming on the rocks, were meant to drive her crazy with fear and desperation. But they only worked to fuel her irritation. 

Myenna took a big, long breath and focused. Somewhere around here, she could sense an overwhelming presence. At the heart of this labyrinth radiated a powerful aura that sent shivers down her spine. That thing would come and devour her at her most vulnerable moment, when she was completely spent and on the edge of madness from wandering into this complex of no escape. That’s what her hunting instinct told her.

The moment she understood that, her mind cleared. She closed her eyes and followed her senses. With a slow pace, she began walking again, talking turns and paths on the various tunnels that presented themselves in front of her. The possible routes were endless, but in her mind, there was only one straightforward path now.

Finally, she stopped moving. She had reached there. To the core of the labyrinth. Every stimulus was now intensifying around her. Myena exhaled, opened her eyes, and slowly raised her head. Then, her pupils shrank to the size of a dot!

Myena was shaking. She chuckled. Then laughed. Then laughed even harder! So hard that the tunnels around her were echoing and amplifying her sound in such a way that the countless abused souls that were lost in that place were laughing with her. But that laugh had a false tone in it. It was the unsettling, terrifying kind. The laugh of a crazy man.

Above her there was a horrifying entity. A creature that seemed to derive from another world. The world of Nightmares. And that creature was their master. Efialtera, the Queen of the Arachnias. 

Myena looked into her eyes, and what she saw surprised her. There was no trace of a soul, no way of communication. What that creature saw in Myena was a target, a prey. Nothing more, nothing less, and no hope for something different. If that creature did possess a soul, it was hiding below the depths of the abyss inside it. Efialtera was a monster beyond monsters.

But so was Myena. Perhaps in a different way, but that didn’t matter at that moment. Her laugh signaled the start of a thrilling duel. A duel lost in time and space in this god’s forsaken land. With no witnesses and no interruptions.

The world shook as Myena launched an attack. A slice towards one of Efialtera’s legs with the intention of chopping them off. However, the queen’s hard skin was left unscathed. She raised one of her other legs and stabbed downward in order to nail Myena to the ground. Myena evaded the attack, and below her, as she was now, she aimed to slice Efialtera’s belly. 

The spider jumped towards the ceiling, and by walking on the walls, she disappeared in the shadow. Then, the darkness around Myena rose, leaving only a spot of light where she stood, and Efialterra was creeping in every direction. Myena tried to focus, to read the spider’s motions, and to understand where she would strike next. 

But she found it difficult to tell. Suddenly, Efialtera launched from the shadows with a bite, an intention to devour the lone gyarii whole. Myena reacted to the attack at the last moment. She tried to dodge, successfully so, but not completely unscathed. The spider had bitten off her left arm! 

The gyarii cried a sharp, painful sound and bent her knees as she hunched, clenching on her fresh wound. There she stood now, Myena, bleeding and alone amidst the darkness. So desperate and helpless. About to be devoured at any moment, lost in the edges of existence, forsaken from this world. 

Or, that was what a third observer would believe. Yet, that was the moment when Myena shined the most! Her head was facing towards the ground, but her smile was stretched to her ears. The thrill inside her was driving her so hard that she wouldn’t change this sensation for anything in this world. This desperate situation was pushing her to the edge, letting finally loose her true power!

At that moment, Myenna transformed. Her aura rose and rose, taking over this nightmare labyrinth and reducing it to a mere playground. Her demeanor changed to a wicked pose of absolute dominance. What really happened to Myena then, no gyarii could explain, but it left even Efialtera, the Queen of the Nightmares, frightened and shaken. And since that beast had taken Myena’s arm, Myena took something more important from Efialtera.

Her head!

Outro

Myena brought the trophy to Inmaar, the fertile land where the rest of the gyarii had settled. There, Addlestar had taken over as leader, and he was the first to rush to her side and welcome her to her new home. He generously treated her and lavished her with his love and care. He offered her a comfortable life so she could rest and heal.

And Myena, after such an ordeal, liked being surrounded by familiar faces and living a luxurious life, having easy access to well-cooked meals, hot baths, and accommodation. But only for a short time.

After all, she wasn’t made for living a cozy social life. And so she wandered again in pursuit of new thrilling adventures, only to return to Inmaar every so rarely to meet her lover and announce her well-being to the rest of the gyarii.

Eventually, Myena found herself drawn to the Unpassable Canyons, a deep valley in the north that no gyarii could or dared to enter. It was the unknown dangers and seemingly impossible challenge that piqued her curiosity. 

And so she ventured there, never to be seen again, and whatever happened to Myena’s journey after that point it’s not a tale for the gyarii to tell…

A Fantasy Story to Relax / Sleep to - Asterios & Carina

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Year 96 of the First Age

In the land of the ancestor Cestia Naar, the presence of the glowing moon was so vivid atop the moon tree. It was there to witness the birth of Carina, the divine child, emerging from the soils of these grounds. The little baby bore a triangle in her forehead and was accepted by all the Gyarii around her as a representation of godly nature.

Everyone was surprised and ecstatic, and although each one of the adults wanted to contribute to her growth and achievement of her destiny, Carina was assigned two mentors. Yolevantyr and Asterios.

Yolevantyr, the prophet, was her teacher and the one to lecture her about collective knowledge of their people and spiritual concepts in order to perceive her divine nature.

Asterios, the warrior, was her protector and was accompanying and looking after her wherever she’d go. He would play with her, tell her stories, and make her laugh. To Carina, Asterios was like a father figure.

Eventually, the Gyarii had to leave their homeland and pursue their destiny towards the lands of the East. During their migration through the Astral Cave, Carina was slowly coming to realize how special of a case she was. She understood that everyone was treating her, consciously or unconsciously, in a different way in comparison to her peers. More like a precious relic and less like an actual person. Thus, she was constantly doubting if they were giving her true affection or were simply paying their respects and admiration to her divine nature.

When one of the other children, Marggo and Luminiella, would achieve something, the adults would pat their heads or clap their hands, and so the children’s expressions were filled with laughter. With Carina, though, adults would slightly bow their heads, saying, “Keep up the good work.” That feedback was leaving the little girl feeling awkward and confused.

One day, after a strict lecture with Yolevantyr, who was constantly pressuring her to obtain more knowledge and perception of the star deities, she sat on a rock exhausted with Asterios. The two of them were isolated now from the rest of the group and Carina wanted to express her frustration.

“Say, Ashter, why does everyone treat me this way? Yolu-Yolu says not to distract myself with such matters and just focus on my training. That doesn’t help at all! I don’t like him. He nevers answers my questions.”

“Hmm Yolevantyr, huh? I assure you kiddo, he wants nothing else but your own good.” Then he murmured almost to himself. “In his own weird manner…” 

Then Carina lowered her head in discomfort. “Ashter, is it the same with you? Do you just stick around because of my godly nature?” She raised her face again, looking directly at him with pleading, almost wet eyes, searching for hope.

Asterios' lips softened, and then he spoke in a low and comforting voice. “Kiddo, I love you with all my heart. As a parent adores his child. Don’t let anyone make you believe otherwise.”

Carina's lips tumbled as she was about to cry. Seeing her expression, Asterios jumped from his seat and puckered his chest. “And look how big my heart is,” he said with a proud and silly face.

Then Carina burst out laughing...

In later days, when Carina came of age, she settled down in the newfound city of the Gyarii, Yolenthia, the white laketown of the north, where it was believed that the soil was brimming with divine essence. There a small shrine was built, which later was expanded into a grand Astral Temple and took the name after Carina herself.

Carina devoted her life to the shrine, detaching herself from the outside world in order to perform rituals and meditations. By communicating with the divine and perceiving her nature, she was preparing to ascend into the skies and becoming a star deity.

Asterios would come to visit ever so often but could spot little traces of the Carina he knew. That girl was now becoming distant, absorbed in her mission. Asterios didn’t mind her behavior but instead was somewhat pleased to find her so devoted. After all he was a warrior himself and his mission came above all else. When it came to protecting his people there could be no distractions. In later days, with this mentality, he would lead the Gyarii in a glorious victory against the assaults of the Dark Realm, Aphelion. 

In the same manner, Carina was understanding and claiming her role as a beacon and guide for the Gyarii. Her light would bring hope and prosperity for the ages to come, as it is known that the radiation of the stars emits vital energy that descends towards the earth in the form of Astra, which was essential for the well-being of the Gyarii. Thus, Carina was feeling the weight of her responsibility.

In the year 267 of the first age, Asterios became 200 years old, still strong and mighty as it is said that the Gyarii could live up to 250 years. Below the divine tower that was built by Ayuna the architect, Asterios met Carina for the last time. Carina was 171 years old by then but to Asterios eyes still young looking and graceful. 

Asterios was supposed to leave for a secret mission. A mission he might never return from. And so Carina made him a parting gift, a star shaped necklace filled with her essence that would guide him and bring comfort wherever he was. At that moment, when Carina raised her head and looked into his eyes, Asterios could finally find again the traces of the innocent and sweet little girl that he knew, and thus it was the first time a tear ran through his cheeks. 

Carina then spoke the final words to him which would be engraved in his memory and soul forevermore. 

“The moments we shared, the memories- I treasure them, like the most sacred relic in my soul’s temple. You were the one to give me love and affection. Put aside my godly nature and saw me simply as a person. 

Our fellow people would always respect me and acknowledge me, but never come too close, afraid of what I might do, of what I might become…

And now I shall ascend into the heavens and become divine. After all this time I think I might be ready to embrace my destiny. I shall become their star, the one who lingers in the sky to guide them and offer comfort. 

But you, my dear Asterios, you will be my own star. And even if you wander to the edges of the world, you will still be with me. For, you are the light that shines in my heart forevermore. The hope, that will never…never fade away…”

…and thus he became, the brightest light amidst the darkness…

Comiter vs Violynn

 

Violynn spoke with a flat voice. “Do you think you have what it takes?”

Comiter turned towards her. He was already absorbing a great deal of frustration

by the council’s disapproval but at least now he was given ground to step and defend himself.

“Of course I…” 

Violynn didn’t even let him complete that sentence before she jumped down to the lower level

where Comiter was standing. The cloak she was wearing opened like an orchid around her,

reducing the falling momentum so that she eventually landed softly into the ground

like she had been flying. 

“Fight me and prove your might. If you can defeat me I shall consider your request.”

She adjured him.

Then the lights of the lamps turned off and only the illumination of the ceiling

and the counselors’ windows was falling from above them

in what seemed to now be a battle arena.

The stained glass was painting the outside light of the moon with hues of pink and blue

making it feel unnaturally bewitching. 

From within the currently dark perimeter of this central arena

a red scythe dragged into the floor and reached Violynn’s feet.

She then picked it up, but not in the way someone would stoop to pick a rock.

That would be ungraceful.

With solemn motions, forming circles with her hand and then spinning with her body,

she created an air flow that was dancing around her

like a whirlwind and so the scythe followed along this cyclone and ended it up in her hand. 

Comiter was really astonished by this technique but did not let himself feel inadequate.

After all it was the result of the battle that really mattered, not some cool looking maneuver.

“If it is necessary.” He said with a deep and steady voice. 

Then a barrier was raised around them.

It was coming from the dark corners of the arena

where Comiter could now see gyarii dressed in the yolenthian uniform.

They were performing a puro spell, combining their energy,

creating an internal shield that would restrain the force of their clashing cause collateral damage. 

“Do not hold back.” Violynn said while she had her head slightly inclined towards the floor.

Comiter snapped.

“You are thinking about constraining your power,

fearing that your fully charged attacks will destroy this building.” 

She was reading him like a book.

Indeed, Comiter was worrying if he should use his full power.

After acquiring the Hoozang and practicing alone he had witnessed its destructive potential.

A mere puro shield would not be enough to constrain its force, or that’s what he believed. 

Violynn then wore the hood of her cloak,

but her tied hair passed through the cloth’s back hole

and was now floating about due to her internal manifestation of astral energy.

She bowed low, crossing legs in deep plié, one bent one straight, toes facing outwards.

Her one arm extended to the side, while the other, holding the scythe, was folded above her back.

Like a dancer she appeared on the stage with a preparation pose

and like a warrior she had already planned her combat strategy. 

She jumps now, dashing towards the giant man like the wind in a zigzag motion.

Comiter tries to spot her by constantly shifting the focus of his eyes.

She might be maneuvering around but she is not moving very fast, is what he thinks.

Her motions are gentle and soft. 

They are pleasant to watch

but Comiter almost shows pity to what he perceives to be an unsuccessful elusiveness.

With a swing of his hammer he would blow such a target away,

even if not directly hitting her, getting her caught in the blast of the shockwave.

It would require much higher speed than that to avoid the massiveness of his attacks. 

And so Comiter materializes the Hoozang.

Being an astral weapon it is infused with his very soul

and so the shape of it is manipulated by the astral powers of the wielder.

He then swings the mighty hammer, performing a horizontal attack

which creates a conical blast in front of him

covering a huge amount of space that his target would need to teleport to avoid it. 

And teleport is what she does.

When her body of wind becomes lighting, Violynn sharply vanishes from view.

In an instant she is now behind Comiter’s back.

Her flowing motions had become a sharp bolt, exerting speed unmatched by the motions of the eye. 

Being caught by the momentum of his own attack, there is absolutely no time for Comiter to react.

And so Violynn strike his exposed neck with the scythe.

However she had not used the blade of the weapon rather than the wooden pole. 

Comiter received the strike hitting his nape in a crucial spot that numbed its neural system.

In an instant he felt weak and the sensation of losing control of his muscles.

Within his currently blurry eyesight Violynn appeared in front of him.

She had taken a straight pose, arms extended diagonally outwards and towards the floor.

“As I said, do not hold back.” 

Comiter takes the bait. He accepts the challenge and thus prepares himself.

He now charges a huge amount of astral energy, coming from within and stimulating his body.

The excessive blood flow that is created returns his senses back in full control, enhancing them even,

to the point that he is now steaming the whole arena. 

Smoking clouds of pressure are generated, emitting outwards from his feet.

Comiter lowers and twists his body and with it extends his arms,

both holding the tilt of the hammer, preparing for a devastating attack.

An attack that will shake the whole arena, or rather, the whole building they were standing on.

Violynn, no matter how elusive, would not be able to avoid it,

since the shockwave would cover every inch of the space around them. 

Mighty and raw the hammer swung

and on its way it pressured the very particles of the air that was colliding with.

The unmeasurable amount of astra unleashed like a heavy storm enfolding the entire arena.

Inside this thick hurricane Comiter thought that surely Violynn would have been caught by.

He just hoped that she wouldn’t suffer much damage. 

However when the smoke cleared,

Comiter witnessed an unscathed Violynn floating around the waves of the blast.

She had performed an Astra Call to protect herself. But it wasn’t a regular astra call.

The flowing aura that was created in the air around her was spinning in a spiral motion,

receiving and redirecting all the external force away.

The rest of the shockwave had been absorbed by the puro barrier of the yolenthians.

“How was my devastating power restricted like that?”

Comiter genuinely believed in his raw power being unrivaled. Sure,

his attacks were possible to evade, but blocked?  

The warrior dancer lands again on her toes like she had been flying.

Comiter clenches his teeth. “Fine, I’ll try again then.”

But the moment he is about to perform another attack something stops his motions.

Comiter is taken by surprise as he witnesses pink chains of puro energy binding his wrists and forearms.

The chains restrict him and because he lost control of his muscles the astral weapon dematerialized.

“What… is the meaning of this?” 

He watches directly at Violynn. He wants to complain.

Yet the moment he opens his mouth the warrior dancer leaps high in the air

and as she reaches a certain altitude above his head Comiter feels a chill run down his spine.

The hooded cloak that Violynn is wearing combined with the scyther gives the impression of

a grim reaper about to take his life. 

Comiter can’t move. “Am I about to be executed?” he thinks in distress and braces himself,

closing his eyes and averting his head. Violynn extends her arm and the scyther swings. 

When Comiter opened his eyes again though

he saw that the blade had stopped just before reaching his neck.

The warrior dancer was standing in front of him and had ceased her motions.

She then retracted her weapon and raised a straight pose.

“This concludes the fight.” She said in an absolute tone and started walking away...

This fight is an extract from the book 'Song of Elusica: The Ancient Gemstone'.

More content coming soon!

Altarin vs Asyria

 

The gang of Asyria gathered around the front yard of the tavern forming a circle.

Some of the customers also came outside intrigued.

Altarin was standing inside on one side of the circle and Asyria on the opposite.

The crowd started making cheering noises and Queetz,

completely misinterpreting the situation, joined them. 

Altarin looking at his friend, who had completely lost it, felt even more exposed.

However he tried to remain focused and calm.

This attitude was key to achieve the best possible outcome in combat,

the one year in the military taught him that. 

Asyria was smiling widely, walking around and entertaining the crowd with words like

“Let’s make it fun!” and “Are you ready for a show?”

She then looked directly at Altarin and asked joyfully. “So, what weapon will you choose?” 

Altarin stared for a while. “Is she talking about real weapons or training ones?

Surely, not real, right?”.

At any rate, there was only one choice for Altarin at that point,

the only kind of weapon he had training with. “I’ll take a sword.”

Suddenly a small person, equal to Queetz’s size, popped out of the circle of the crowd.

He was walking funny,

leaning with exaggeration to each side of his body every time he made a step.

Eventually, he approached Altarin with a wooden sword,

holding it with two hands like a serving plate.

He then spoke with a goofish formality. “Here you are, sir.”

“T-Thanks…” responded Altarin and the short aged looking man made a bow

and disappeared into the crowd. 

Asyria grabbed a wooden pole from one of the members of her crew near her.

Then started swinging and rotating it around like a toy, showcasing great expertise.

Finally she slammed it to the ground and took a very relaxing pose

with her right palm on top of the pole and the left on her waist, while her legs were casually crossed.

She was tall and bulky but not big enough to be considered a mega-somaii.

However her standing pose was in a sensed contrast to Altarnin’s more rounded silhouette. 

Being alerted and realizing the power of his opponent, Altarin had much more of a combat-like attitude.

He had one foot front and one back, balancing somewhat low at the center.

His body was leaning a bit forward and his right hand holding the sword was at the back,

while he had the other hand in front to balance his pose. 

Standing there in readiness but also in lingering fear, he looked directly at Asyria’s face,

analyzing her intentions. It looked like she mostly wanted to entertain herself and the crowd

and wasn’t exactly seeking to explode her anger of being insulted by beating her opponent senselessly.

By this analysis Altarin was not in grave danger of his body integrity,

however he did not know the length of her satisfaction level.

How far she would go in order to have some fun was something that worried Altarin

and so he approached the situation like he was in a real battle.

Nonetheless he did not intend to make the first move and so he took a defensive stance instead. 

“You’re the cautious type, huh?” She swung the pole one to the right and then to the left.

“Well that’s the smartest approach when facing me.”

She then lowered her body forwards eyes directly at Altarin and her smile widened.

The crowd began to become more silent as she was preparing for an attack.

There she goes! Asyria dashes, stretching her body horizontally parallel to the floor

with the pole extended backwards.

She stops sharply in front of Altarin lifting dust with the force of her speed.

Now uses the right hand to strike with the pole from her right side.

Altarin sees this motion and rushes to block from his left side.

However Asyria tricks him.

Instead of aiming at his body, she passes the pole over his head,

making initially seem like a miss attack.

But then quickly she uses her left arm to catch it again and force it to return the swing back at Altarin

but now from his other side. 

Altarin was caught so off guard by her speed and decisive maneuver,

that by the time he realized the shifting of the attack the pole was already next to his head’s right.

However the pole did not hit him but had stopped just before.

Altarin’s eyes rolled to his right side as the head was already too slow to follow.

If this had hit it would have caused big pain.

Asyria lowered the pole and started walking away with arrogance

dragging the weapon to the floor and having her back exposed at Altarin.

He on the other hand did not make any move and tried to calm himself in order to keep his focus. 

Asyria makes a couple of steps and stops.

Now turns her head back at Altarin and lifts her weapon.

Altarin reads her intentions and prepares.

The tall woman suddenly turns around performing a low sweeping attack aiming at Altarin’s feet.

The young man this time reads the attack correctly and jumps above the pole.

If he hadn’t evaded he would have toppled to the ground,

finding himself in a very disadvantageous position. 

As she was turning by the motion of the sweep,

Asyria stopped suddenly facing away from her opponent.

She now quickly brings the pole to her left side, turning it around,

stabilizing it with her left arm and pointing one end towards Altarin.

She then used her right palm to push it from the other end and perform a soft and rapid thrust. 

Like a snake, the wooden weapon bursted towards Altarin, surprising him and hitting his abdomen.

It was a relatively soft strike but had enough force to shock his body and make him feel warm.

He folded and lowered his knees, arms fell to the ground and wrists loosened

almost dropping his weapon. 

Queetz, seeing his friend actually being hit, suddenly snapped and realized the situation.

He yelled his name and was about to rush to Altarin’s side

but felt a strong grip on his shoulder stopping his movement. “Do not interfere with the fight, yer.”

The small guy felt a cold sweat all over his body while the effect of the alcohol was fading away,

being replaced by a rush of adrenaline. 

“It’s okay. I can handle this.” said Altarin with an aching voice. Queetz was unable to act at that point,

but the fact that he finally became aware of the situation encouraged Altarin.

Queetz started yelling to stop the fight but Altarin saw the irritation at Asyria’s face,

understanding that they were willing to use violence in order to neutralize him.

He used the sword as a cane to help him stand tall again and spoke with a sharp and decisive voice.

“Queetz! As I said, I can handle this.”

His tone was harsh at first but then smiled at his friend making him realize that he should let this flow. 

Feeling now the support of Queetz, Altarin took a fighting pose again and smiled toward her opponent.

Asyria got excited and joyful again, praising his willingness and recovery speed.

“Hehe, I hope you can take it cause we’re only getting started,”

she said as she tossed the pole towards her gang.

Then, as she asked, Asyria was given some twin wooden curvy-like swords. 

“Round two, huh?” thought Altarin as he prepared himself taking the same stance as before.

He did recall hearing back in the plaza,

as the crowd was commenting on how Asyria is a weapon master with various skills and dexterities.

That was why she was considered a favorite to win the Games of the Mighty.

Asyria now walks tall towards Altarin

with each sword in her hand extending to the side and low to the floor.

Her silhouette was menacing and scary to look at

and Altarin was reminded again of her big size falling just below the limits of a mega-somaii.

He makes some small back steps as he sees her approaching, buying as much free space as possible. 

However Asyria now rushes and lowers her body performing a side slashing attack with her left arm.

Altarin jumps backwards and evades.

Then she quickly slashes again with the right dashing forwards to close the distance.

Altarin jumps back again immediately as soon as his feet land. 

He now was almost at the outer limits of the circle where the crowd was,

meaning there was no more space to retreat and he had to block the next upcoming attack.

Asyria smiles knowing that she cornered him.

She curls her body, lowering chest almost to the knees and hands extended out and upwards.

Then bursts into a spinning attack in the air like a hurricane. 

Altarin hadn’t seen an attack like that before.

He puts the sword horizontally in front of his face to block.

The short swords of the opponent strike his own rapidly and consecutively one after the other

as Asyria spins.

Every impact has such force that ejects multiple tiny wooden particles out of Altarin’s weapon’s surface,

while himself is slightly pushed backwards sliding his feet to the ground. 

Asyria had spun five times in the air with every spin hitting two times, one with each sword.

Altarin had received ten rapid hits on his sword,

while the final one broke his pose,

forcing his holding hand back and away from his body and leaving him exposed. 

Now Asyria lands on her one leg and uses her spinning momentum to turn again

and carry out a powerful kick attack as her other leg straightens explosively towards Altarin

hitting his abdomen again. 

That was another hit in the same place and Altarin was thrown onto the crowd receiving a sharp pain.

He had closed his eyes momentarily feeling a weird sense of floating as he was kicked in the air.

When he had opened them again he was between multiple arms from the crowd

who were holding him absorbing his velocity. 

Altarin was then pushed back inside the circle with a mixed shouting from the people around.

Some were yelling a sarcastic “Go get her!” accompanied by a laugh,

while others were more supportive shouting “You can do it!” with sincere worry. 

“Ah, this isn’t fun. You will not get away with just taking on the defensive.

Tell you what. Show’s over when you manage to strike me once.”

Spoke Asyria and the crowd became more energetic yearning for a more balanced duel

and not just a one-sided smacking. “Just once and you win, sounds good?” Then she laughed.

Now Asyria withdrew the twin swords and grabbed a wooden club.

“Damn, this looks heavy,” thought Altarin as he was recovering himself.

“Come at me!” she said with a loud voice as she was inviting him to make a move

by doing a gesture with her hand. 

“Hey, where’s the small one, ah?”, one of the gangsters spoke with an angry voice

that almost got lost amidst the uproar. 

“What ya mean, yer? I’m holding him..., huh?”

The other man of Asyria’s gang turned around his head to see that he was holding a mere cloak

and the short guy had disappeared from the spot. 

“You let him go, ah? You dumbass…” 

“I….I….what? He used magic, yer!” 

The technique that Queetz used to escape was simple.

Something he learned during his training and was quick to master.

By managing his breath, he was able to control the astral energy flow on his body,

shifting the concentration of the various parts of his body.

This had not only the ability to change the power of a muscle but also the shape of it, to some extent.

Queetz had gradually subtracted astral energy from his shoulder,

so that to a non focused observer the slow shifting of the pressure became unnoticed.

Then the small scout focused the energy to the lower part of his body

becoming so squished towards the ground that he dove under his coat and slipped inside the masses. 

He was now parkouring like a shadow on the nearby structures that were very close to each other

and were forming a small circular yard, with the treasure house being the one that stood out the most. 

Altarin and Asyria were facing each other parallel to the treasure house,

which was standing on the right of the former and the left of the latter.

Queetz was positioning himself above and behind Asyria preparing his move. 

Altarin at that time hadn’t noticed his friend missing from the crowd,

as he was feeling his adrenaline growing higher,

while the rest of the day, his whole excursion, seemed to have faded away

and his whole being and thinking concentrated in this specific fight.

There was only the lingering recollection of the conversation with Comiter.

“If I want to make it to the top, I must be able to take challenges like these,”

he thought and gathered his confidence.

This fight was desperate but Altarin had an ace on his sleeves. 

“Come at me!” yelled Asyria again.

She clearly wanted Altarin to start being more aggressive.

The young man answered the call by moving forwards, yet still making small and cautious steps.

He had a plan, but he only had one shot.

It would require a great deal of his last remaining energy and a little bit of acting. 

Now he walks faster with serious eyes fixed on his opponent, looking like he had the intention to attack.

Asyria was standing there smiling anticipating his next sudden move. 

A few more steps, now he stands at arms length before her.

His free hand is in front, while the sword is extended backwards and low towards the ground.

His pose indicates that he is about to perform a horizontal slash,

but Altarin remains there unmoving, looking directly up at Asyria’s face.

Asyria’s wide smile starts to fade to an ugly angry face,

as her long waiting for an attack comes to no fruition.

Initially it seemed like Altarin was indeed about to attack,

but ended up going idle in front of her, almost mocking her. 

Asyria gets really mad lifting her club. Then she strikes down with fury and strength.

Altarin raised his sword to block. “I-said-start-being-offensive!”

Every word she pronounced loudly was accompanied with a heavy strike downwards at Altarin,

hitting his sword. Every hit was so heavy that the defendant was barely able to withstand it,

slowly lowering his knees and body like he was being impaled to the ground. 

Asyria is furious, exercising her right arm mindlessly, satisfying her rage,

feeling the resistance of the block slowly giving up.

Her final strike however had missed, as her opponent had disappeared from the spot.

Everyone in the crowd was taken aback and Asyria was also genuinely surprised. 

Astral Burst! Altarin hadn’t disappeared completely from the scene

but he had actually translated his position a few feet further at Asyria’s left side.

This technique that he used was a really powerful move that,

if used correctly, could give one a great advantage in battle.

It was something that only a few gyarii could develop and was always a surprise to see someone use it. 

During the course of the day, a gyarii passively absorbs astral energy by being exposed to the atmosphere.

This energy is essential for their primary body functions and can also be stored to a certain degree,

working as an energy deposit.

However, too much storage can make a gyarii feel heavy and uncomfortable.

A common method for balancing this overload is to restrict the exposure to the light.

Another one is to perform Astra Call, which is an act of astral energy release,

also used for interaction with living organisms, while enabling the user to slightly float in the air.

Unlike Astra Call though, which is an action of general purpose,

Astral Burst was mostly an aggressive move that required draining a large amount of astral energy.

This could grant the user a momentary burst of their potential,

but would leave them vulnerable afterwards with exhaustion. 

Altarin had dashed with extreme speed to the side by using Astral Burst.

His body became all blue and it took the shape of a sharp bolt with sparkling edges,

while his sensors gleamed for an instant.

Before the next eye blink, he was at Asyria’s side

and his stretched body full of bursting energy concentrated into a solid shiny form.

Altarin’s eyes rolled to the left at Asyria as his head was too slow to follow this fast momentum. 

With a subtle voice but great inner strength Altarin slashes,

while the astral particles follow the curve of the sword leaving a sparkling trail.

Asyria clenches her teeth.

She had been taken by surprise

but at the last moment managed to react and attempted to jump backwards. 

The sword passed through the surface of her abdomen,

so close that the naked eye couldn’t tell if it was a hit or not.

Asyria felt the force of the sword winding the air around that spot

but during the adrenaline of the moment she wasn’t sure if it connected or not. 

On the other hand, from Altarin's perspective it seemed that the hit didn’t connect.

He didn’t feel any resistance caused by the impact with the enemy’s body

and the sword swung over to his other side with uncompromised speed throwing him off balance.

“Shit…that was my only chance,” he thought while clenching his teeth and widening his eyes. 

However the force of the strike flapped Asyria's cloak revealing the inside where she kept various things,

such as weapons and small treasures.

Altarin momentarily glimpsed a very peculiar shiny rock that made a great impression on him.

It was a purple crystal!

So far the only crystals known to gyarii were the blue astral crystals of Astral Cave,

the orange wild crystals of Inmaar

and the pink pure crystals of Yolenthia,

along with the white one that Altarin discovered in the desert cave and had kept a secret since.

“How many types of energy crystals are there?” he wondered. 

The crowd went wild with the neutral observers being impressed by the spectacle and cheering,

discussing between them whether the hit connected or not.

Asyria’s gang members among the circle however were feeling uneasy

looking at Asyria’s expression that had changed to an irritated crooked mouth,

showing teeth on one side. 

She was there standing, looking at Altarin with angry eyes but was mostly upset with herself,

allowing to be taken by surprise.

On the other hand, the young man at that moment ignored all his frustration of failing

and focused his mind on what he saw.

This purple crystal was something that had never been mentioned by anyone before

and was likely to be a mystery to the general knowledge of the gyarii.

Moreover Asyria’s crystal had one of the colors that Altarin saw inside his own white crystal.

The cloak had only floated for a few seconds and the crystal soon vanished out of Altarin’s vision.

“Was that…?” He was certain of what he saw and so he had spontaneously asked Asyria about it. 

Asyria got mad. She hated being asked questions of interrogation character,

even worse in the middle of a fight.

She clenched her fist and hit the weakened Altarin with the hand’s outer surface

pushing him away and making him fall sideways to the ground. He was clearly out of the fight.

“We’re done here.”

She growled and the gang began following immediately with apprehension of her edgy behavior.

Queetz, who was hiding on the rooftop of a building above, rushed towards his friend's side.

“Altarin, are you okay?” The fallen man left out soft sounds of pain as he tried to recover himself.

“I was about to use one of my escape techniques but I guess the fight ended before I acted,”

said the short guy now that he was completely sobered up. 

The crowd started to scatter while murmuring,

with some of them returning back to the tavern and others leaving the place.

Among them, a relatively short and chubby old man appeared

and was making hasty steps towards Altarin with a worried face.

It was the bartender and owner of the place. “Kid, are you alright?”

Altarin, who had recovered to a more seated position,

looked up towards the man with an aching expression.

“I’m sorry, Asyria can get aggressive like that sometimes but hopefully she didn’t cause much pain.” 

The two young men looked at him questioningly, wondering why he had to apologize on her behalf.

They didn’t know that Asyria’s troublemaking was a common thing in this place.

It was something that some considered entertaining and others worrisome.

However it could not be easily avoided.

Technickly, it was Asyria that ran this place behind the scenes.

With all the materials and treasures she brought from the outside lands, especially the Forest of Spirits,

she provided the financial support that a fancy place like this needed

by having business in the black market. Given that, the owner could hardly escape her co-operation,

otherwise the treasure house would collapse, let alone he would have to confront the gang of Asyria.

The chubby old man told the two friends that their table’s bill was on him and he apologized again.

Queetz was helping Altarin to recover, also feeling guilty for his drunk behavior. 

Now the latter, although in pain, had his mind on the purple crystal that he saw.

“Where was it found and what mysteries does it hold?

Surely this woman knew stuff that most Gyarii didn’t.” 

And that woman was now walking away with her gang around her and Altarin watched her as she vanished into the alley. Asyria touched her belly where the sword of Altarin flew by and pressed her fingers right there. She then lifted her hand close to her face, noticing a small trace of blood. She then smiled faintly to herself as she was walking. “Not bad, kid!”

This fight is an extract from the book 'Song of Elusica: The Ancient Gemstone'.