Chapter 74
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A short while later the three companions found themselves back at the last gate that lead to the arena.
"Love you Quinn." Leah was holding his hand, she didn't look worried.
"That's so sweet Quinn! " Maia teased.
Quinn frowned at her. "Hush up monkey-butt, make sure you stay out of trouble today."
Leah stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Quinn's waist. "I'm gonna fight hard, and we're gonna win, then go home."
Quinn nodded and kissed the top of her head. "Hey... how old are you anyways?"
Leah flashed him a smile, her lightly freckled face unreadable as she stood on her tiptoes and brought her lips to his.
The hud on the wall blinked on and Zy's face was looking at them. "You'll be facing the security team from Sector 4."
"Our welcoming party when we first arrived?" Quinn dimly remembered Bol and his cohorts.
Leah pursed her lips as she checked her equipment, "that doesn't seem too bad, so there's five of them?"
Zy's face looked pale, her lips trembling, she really liked these two surfacers. "That's not all, there is also Dovik."
"Dovik? Never heard of him." Quinn loosened his pistols, "He wouldn't happen to be a Spider would he?"
"No, he's a Avriel Paladin. An absolute nightmare for anyone to face."
Quinn shrugged, "We can be pretty scary too."
"That isn't everything, you've been offered a deal. Leah stays here in the city, and you leave now with Maia, no questions asked."
"What kind of deal is that?" Quinn felt his heart slowly start to beat faster.
"The arena master has taken an interest in Leah, he's the presiding judge in these trials and can offer deals if he chooses."
"This walking corpse have a name?"
"Odum Kai. His older sister is the City director. "
"Quinn? I want to fight with you, but I kinda like it here. I won't mind if you take the deal and leave me here to marry some stranger." Leah's green eyes were serious as she stared at him.
He pursed his lips as if considering it. "I wonder if I could get my credits back for that ring I got you."
"Oh... sadly it's stuck on my finger and won't come off." Leah's freckled nose wrinkled slightly, "maybe have him throw in a nice goat or something."
"Hey... take this seriously" Maia had to bite her lip to keep from laughing.
Quinn put a hand on Leah's shoulder and gave it a squeeze before looking back at Zy. "I've got a deal too. Tell Odum Kai, if he has his wings cut off, his tongue pulled out and eats a burning bucket of shit; then I'll leave peacefully without breaking his arena and everything in sight."
"I'll tell him.. " The holo blinked off and a moment later the gate opened. "
Even though she was scared, a small smile crept onto Maia's face. "Do you think Odum will accept your counter offer?"
"Um.. Maybe."
Case Number 4271 Advance into the Arena for your final Round!!
********
(Daiyu) "Good Afternoon Everyone, This is Daiyu on behalf of the Fora Development Group, broadcasting live from Fora HQ right outside of Talon. A big shout-out to all the new Halfling players."
*Zoom in on the dark elf, get her scars on camera.*
(Daiyu) "This is the infamous rogue-Princess, Mora Jol. She's currently briefing a QRF-that's Quick Reactionary Force, to assault the Cloud City of Ba-Avriel."
*Get a close-up of each member of the team, damn each one is hotter then the next.*
(Daiyu) "The strike team is comprised of 5 NPC's and Crimson Rose- code name: Crow. The backbone of this team is composed of an elite force known as the Songbirds; Robin, Wren, Lark, Thrush and Nightingale. The mission is simple, break into the Cloud City, rescue the Fora Leader Q and return safely. Each of these strike team members share a close bond with Knight Commander Q, and are willing to do anything necessary to get him back."
* Show me the big gun.... now... get Tal on camera, start at the metallic leg and then move upward until you hit those blue eyes.*
Daiyu quickly scanned her notes so she wouldn't miss anything.
(Daiyu) "This is engineer Tal, she personally designed this cannon and has vowed to blast Ba'Avriel out of the sky if they don't release him."
*Hold on her eyes, focus on her height, damn Tal's incredible. Okay now back to the strike team*
***********
Quinn stepped out of the gate and immediately summoned Kawa.
"What are you doing Quinn??" Maia hid behind Leah.
Kawa turned his head sideways, then caught sight of Maia.
*Peck*
"Damn you stupid bird!!" Leah and Maia were forced to jump back as Kawa went after the young girl again.
*Stealth*
Maia vanished from view, leaving Kawa glancing around the arena.
*Chirp, Chirp*
"Haha.. stupid bird." Maia's voice came from Leah's direction.
"I figured maybe he'll help us out if things go sideways on us." Quinn shrugged at Leah who was frowning.
"Sure.. there's only like a million incidents of that .... not happening ever!" Maia walked along with Leah. "If they were dumb enough to attack him, then he'd help."
Quinn held out his hand and grasped Leah's, together they walked to the center of the arena.
Quinn looked up at the VIP box..."that short moppy haired guy must be Odum Kai." A moment later the opposite gate opened, the arena roared to life, as they started cheering for the security team from sector four. They were followed closely by a mountain of a man, he carried a shield on his back and had nasty looking axes equipped in both hands.
"Quinn."
He could barely hear Leah over the noise of the arena, "Hmm?"
Leah smiled at him, "I'm almost twenty."
'Awesome.. I'm the older.'
************
*Zoom out on the strike team, get ready to switch to personal cameras.*
(Daiyu) "This is it, they are going in hot."
All six members of the QRF fired up their flight packs. Mora Jol tossed a disk on the ground, "Safe Journey, bring them back please."
A seal formed on the ground under the team, all six of them disappeared.
*Now, switch to the strike team camera.*
Angel held Ren's hand so they wouldn't be separated. They watched the QRF disappear. "Wait... wait...a bit more.... now!"
Both Angel and Ren stepped onto the transport seal.
********
Kawa sat comfortably on the sand preening itself. Quinn nudged it with his foot. "Hey, you lazy beast. Shouldn't you help out, since you brought us here to start with?"
Dovik stopped just outside the gate, leaning against one of the pillars, content to watch for now.
Leah used her grappling hook to position herself on the pillar, while Quinn stood at the base of it, directly below.
"CC anyone who comes close, keep the pillar between you and any trouble. " Q looked around. "Maia wherever you are, just stay hidden."
Maia watched from behind the pillar, her eyes glowing red. "I want to see what he does when he disappears," she whispered softly.
Two of the guards came side by side, both of them focusing on Q, the other three fanned out behind.
Bol was one of the ones who were holding back. "Kill the dark haired one first, we'll take care of the redhead and brown wing after."
Quinn backed up until his back was tight against the pillar.
*Blink*
The two advancing guards felt a strong hand grasp the back of their necks.
*Return*
Quinn slammed them headfirst into the pillar.
A sector four guardsman is stunned.
A sector four guardsman is stunned.
Bol watched his men suddenly disappear and then slam into the pillar.. "Get airborne you fools, he doesn't have wings. Open Fire!!"
*SunBurst*
A sector four guardsman has been temporarily blinded.
A sector four guardsman has been temporarily blinded.
Sector Chief Bol has resisted blind.
Two of the three guardsman grabbed their eyes screaming, Bol flapped his wings until he had gained some altitude, he started firing at Quinn.
Quinn kept his grip on the guardsman, using them as a shield, he targeted Leah who was several feet in above him.
*Blink*
Quinn appeared behind Leah, still dragging the two stunned guardsmen with him. He kicked them loose.
*Stealth*
*Return*
Quinn stepped to one side, letting the guardsmen slam into the ground.
System Message: A sector four guardsman has been crippled and can no longer fly.
System Message: A sector four guardsman has been crippled and can no longer fly.
*Blink*
Q appeared in the air behind Bol.
*Backstab*22,100 Damage Bonus 22,100 Damage.
Leah scampered around the pillar, firing at Bol.
Critical Hit: Eyes 855 Damage Sector Chief Bol has been permanently blinded.
Quinn ran in a half circle and drew his guns.
*Peacemaker's Open Range*
22,105 damage, 12,905 damage, *Critical Hit* 44,444 damage, Bonus damage 44,444, 22,656 damage
A Crippled Sector four Guardsman has been slain.
*Blink*
Quinn appeared behind the second downed guard.
*Backstab* 33,455 Bonus damage 33,455.
A Crippled Sector four Guardsman has been slain.
The remaining two guardsman broke free of blind and and flew toward Leah.
*Starburst*
A Sector four Guardsmans has been temporary blinded.
A Sector Four Guardsman has resisted effect.
Quinn drew his Halberd out. "Now Leah!"
Leah spotted Quinn on the arena floor below.
*I wish you were me*
Leah switched places with Quinn just before the guardsman caught up with her.
*Halberd Strike* Critical Hit 33,230 damage, Bonus damage 33,230
A Sector four Guardsman has been slain.
*Stealth*
*Ba'Avriel*
Quinn flapped his wings hard gaining altitude quickly, then dived hard. He drew his halberd again just before he got to the guard, causing Ba'Avriel and Stealth to drop.
*Impale*
Quinn rode the guard to the ground, pinning him through his back into the arena floor. He stood up and yanked out the weapon.
A Sector four guardsman has suffered a mortal strike.
A Sector four guardsman has been slain.
Maia watched Quinn, her eyes still glowing red. She had seen the wings appear for a few moments and then quickly disappear. "The Wingless Assassin," she whispered.
Quinn approached the moaning sector chief and quickly put him down with his Halberd.
*******
The strike team ported into a luxurious bedroom, curtained with bright colors and silks. Nightingale immediately located an exit, "on me, single formation, stay alert." She crashed through a window and immediately dived toward the ground, the rest of the strike team right on her tail. They turned down a narrow alley and then stopped. All five songbirds instantly stealthed.
"I'll get a fix on Quinn," Crow shot back into the air, then braked to a hover when she crested the building.
*Executioners Mark*
Instantly a line appeared in Crow's sight. "It's a big white dome on the far side of the city." She shouted out. "And we have company." Crow spotted a half dozen winged flyers heading toward them.
(Daiyu) "The Fora QRF has infiltrated Ba'Avriel and have located their target. The opposition has found them."
*********
Angel and Leah arrived in the same bedroom a few seconds later, they both immediately stealthed.
Ren approached the window that the QRF had crashed through, she held up her hand. "Wait a moment, they are still close."
Angel immediately felt something wrong. "Ren.. somethings here!!"
Ren turned back toward her, but Angel was walking very quickly in the opposite direction. "Angel! Stop!"
Angel gritted her teeth, her body not listening to her will. "Damn it.. Grab me, I can't stop myself."
A moment later Ren tackled her to the floor and held her down. "Angel?"
"Don't let me up.. something is controlling me." Angels mouth was a bloody mess from having bit through her lip. "Damn you.. I'm a Queen!"
Angel dropped Ba'Avriel form and assumed her natural identity as a Spider Queen. Ren's eyes widened as she leapt away and drew her dagger.
"Oi.. don't stab the spider queen Ren." Angel climbed to her feet. Whatever had been holding her, lost control when she dropped the form."
"This is what you look like?" Ren stared at the light brown carapace that was covered in soft brown fuzz.
Angel hung her head, "yes... I'm hideous."
Ren put her dagger away. "No.. not at all, a bit on the cute side actually."
"I am?" Angel smiled... "no wonder Quinn likes you so much."
They both stealthed and looked out a nearby window. Like Quinn, Angel could use hunt and stealth separately.
"What happened Angel?" Ren looked out the window, trying to catch sight of the songbirds.
"Something took control of me." Angel didn't look frightened, she looked very angry. "When I dropped Ba'Avriel, it lost its hold on me. "
"Well... let's take note of it and continue on." Ren started back the way they had came.
"We can't Ren." Angel hadn't moved. "Quinn uses that same form, if it can control me..."
"It might pose a threat to Quinn." Ren nodded, "new mission Angel, find this threat and figure out how dangerous it is."
"I know where it is." Angel start scampering down the hall, she was actually terrifyingly fast on the ground in her Arachni form.
Ren had to run to keep up. "How do you know Angel?"
"I'm using Stealth, it's one of the Ba'Avriel talents. As soon as I activated it, I felt the presence again, only now it's superweak."
"Okay, we can track it then. If you feel the presence getting too strong, drop stealth immediately." Ren followed her, continueing to check behind them for pursuit.
They left the building through a second story window. Ren used her jetpack, while Angel scampered on the side of the wall. Quickly them made their way past several buildings.
"This one Ren." Angel pulled up at a building with three towers. "It's not up high though, rather it is beneath us."
Ren found an open window half way up one of the towers, they snuck in and immediately headed down. "Your spider form is kick-ass."
"Thanks." Angel grabbed her hand and pulled her through a small door, "it's this way. I feel the presence getting stronger now. Keep ahold of me and be ready to tackle me again."
Ren nodded and gripped her hand tight. "Lead the way, I'll be ready."
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A short while later the three companions found themselves back at the last gate that lead to the arena.
"Love you Quinn." Leah was holding his hand, she didn't look worried.
"That's so sweet Quinn! " Maia teased.
Quinn frowned at her. "Hush up monkey-butt, make sure you stay out of trouble today."
Leah stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Quinn's waist. "I'm gonna fight hard, and we're gonna win, then go home."
Quinn nodded and kissed the top of her head. "Hey... how old are you anyways?"
Leah flashed him a smile, her lightly freckled face unreadable as she stood on her tiptoes and brought her lips to his.
The hud on the wall blinked on and Zy's face was looking at them. "You'll be facing the security team from Sector 4."
"Our welcoming party when we first arrived?" Quinn dimly remembered Bol and his cohorts.
Leah pursed her lips as she checked her equipment, "that doesn't seem too bad, so there's five of them?"
Zy's face looked pale, her lips trembling, she really liked these two surfacers. "That's not all, there is also Dovik."
"Dovik? Never heard of him." Quinn loosened his pistols, "He wouldn't happen to be a Spider would he?"
"No, he's a Avriel Paladin. An absolute nightmare for anyone to face."
Quinn shrugged, "We can be pretty scary too."
"That isn't everything, you've been offered a deal. Leah stays here in the city, and you leave now with Maia, no questions asked."
"What kind of deal is that?" Quinn felt his heart slowly start to beat faster.
"The arena master has taken an interest in Leah, he's the presiding judge in these trials and can offer deals if he chooses."
"This walking corpse have a name?"
"Odum Kai. His older sister is the City director. "
"Quinn? I want to fight with you, but I kinda like it here. I won't mind if you take the deal and leave me here to marry some stranger." Leah's green eyes were serious as she stared at him.
He pursed his lips as if considering it. "I wonder if I could get my credits back for that ring I got you."
"Oh... sadly it's stuck on my finger and won't come off." Leah's freckled nose wrinkled slightly, "maybe have him throw in a nice goat or something."
"Hey... take this seriously" Maia had to bite her lip to keep from laughing.
Quinn put a hand on Leah's shoulder and gave it a squeeze before looking back at Zy. "I've got a deal too. Tell Odum Kai, if he has his wings cut off, his tongue pulled out and eats a burning bucket of shit; then I'll leave peacefully without breaking his arena and everything in sight."
"I'll tell him.. " The holo blinked off and a moment later the gate opened. "
Even though she was scared, a small smile crept onto Maia's face. "Do you think Odum will accept your counter offer?"
"Um.. Maybe."
Case Number 4271 Advance into the Arena for your final Round!!
********
(Daiyu) "Good Afternoon Everyone, This is Daiyu on behalf of the Fora Development Group, broadcasting live from Fora HQ right outside of Talon. A big shout-out to all the new Halfling players."
*Zoom in on the dark elf, get her scars on camera.*
(Daiyu) "This is the infamous rogue-Princess, Mora Jol. She's currently briefing a QRF-that's Quick Reactionary Force, to assault the Cloud City of Ba-Avriel."
*Get a close-up of each member of the team, damn each one is hotter then the next.*
(Daiyu) "The strike team is comprised of 5 NPC's and Crimson Rose- code name: Crow. The backbone of this team is composed of an elite force known as the Songbirds; Robin, Wren, Lark, Thrush and Nightingale. The mission is simple, break into the Cloud City, rescue the Fora Leader Q and return safely. Each of these strike team members share a close bond with Knight Commander Q, and are willing to do anything necessary to get him back."
* Show me the big gun.... now... get Tal on camera, start at the metallic leg and then move upward until you hit those blue eyes.*
Daiyu quickly scanned her notes so she wouldn't miss anything.
(Daiyu) "This is engineer Tal, she personally designed this cannon and has vowed to blast Ba'Avriel out of the sky if they don't release him."
*Hold on her eyes, focus on her height, damn Tal's incredible. Okay now back to the strike team*
***********
Quinn stepped out of the gate and immediately summoned Kawa.
"What are you doing Quinn??" Maia hid behind Leah.
Kawa turned his head sideways, then caught sight of Maia.
*Peck*
"Damn you stupid bird!!" Leah and Maia were forced to jump back as Kawa went after the young girl again.
*Stealth*
Maia vanished from view, leaving Kawa glancing around the arena.
*Chirp, Chirp*
"Haha.. stupid bird." Maia's voice came from Leah's direction.
"I figured maybe he'll help us out if things go sideways on us." Quinn shrugged at Leah who was frowning.
"Sure.. there's only like a million incidents of that .... not happening ever!" Maia walked along with Leah. "If they were dumb enough to attack him, then he'd help."
Quinn held out his hand and grasped Leah's, together they walked to the center of the arena.
Quinn looked up at the VIP box..."that short moppy haired guy must be Odum Kai." A moment later the opposite gate opened, the arena roared to life, as they started cheering for the security team from sector four. They were followed closely by a mountain of a man, he carried a shield on his back and had nasty looking axes equipped in both hands.
"Quinn."
He could barely hear Leah over the noise of the arena, "Hmm?"
Leah smiled at him, "I'm almost twenty."
'Awesome.. I'm the older.'
************
*Zoom out on the strike team, get ready to switch to personal cameras.*
(Daiyu) "This is it, they are going in hot."
All six members of the QRF fired up their flight packs. Mora Jol tossed a disk on the ground, "Safe Journey, bring them back please."
A seal formed on the ground under the team, all six of them disappeared.
*Now, switch to the strike team camera.*
Angel held Ren's hand so they wouldn't be separated. They watched the QRF disappear. "Wait... wait...a bit more.... now!"
Both Angel and Ren stepped onto the transport seal.
********
Kawa sat comfortably on the sand preening itself. Quinn nudged it with his foot. "Hey, you lazy beast. Shouldn't you help out, since you brought us here to start with?"
Dovik stopped just outside the gate, leaning against one of the pillars, content to watch for now.
Leah used her grappling hook to position herself on the pillar, while Quinn stood at the base of it, directly below.
"CC anyone who comes close, keep the pillar between you and any trouble. " Q looked around. "Maia wherever you are, just stay hidden."
Maia watched from behind the pillar, her eyes glowing red. "I want to see what he does when he disappears," she whispered softly.
Two of the guards came side by side, both of them focusing on Q, the other three fanned out behind.
Bol was one of the ones who were holding back. "Kill the dark haired one first, we'll take care of the redhead and brown wing after."
Quinn backed up until his back was tight against the pillar.
*Blink*
The two advancing guards felt a strong hand grasp the back of their necks.
*Return*
Quinn slammed them headfirst into the pillar.
A sector four guardsman is stunned.
A sector four guardsman is stunned.
Bol watched his men suddenly disappear and then slam into the pillar.. "Get airborne you fools, he doesn't have wings. Open Fire!!"
*SunBurst*
A sector four guardsman has been temporarily blinded.
A sector four guardsman has been temporarily blinded.
Sector Chief Bol has resisted blind.
Two of the three guardsman grabbed their eyes screaming, Bol flapped his wings until he had gained some altitude, he started firing at Quinn.
Quinn kept his grip on the guardsman, using them as a shield, he targeted Leah who was several feet in above him.
*Blink*
Quinn appeared behind Leah, still dragging the two stunned guardsmen with him. He kicked them loose.
*Stealth*
*Return*
Quinn stepped to one side, letting the guardsmen slam into the ground.
System Message: A sector four guardsman has been crippled and can no longer fly.
System Message: A sector four guardsman has been crippled and can no longer fly.
*Blink*
Q appeared in the air behind Bol.
*Backstab*22,100 Damage Bonus 22,100 Damage.
Leah scampered around the pillar, firing at Bol.
Critical Hit: Eyes 855 Damage Sector Chief Bol has been permanently blinded.
Quinn ran in a half circle and drew his guns.
*Peacemaker's Open Range*
22,105 damage, 12,905 damage, *Critical Hit* 44,444 damage, Bonus damage 44,444, 22,656 damage
A Crippled Sector four Guardsman has been slain.
*Blink*
Quinn appeared behind the second downed guard.
*Backstab* 33,455 Bonus damage 33,455.
A Crippled Sector four Guardsman has been slain.
The remaining two guardsman broke free of blind and and flew toward Leah.
*Starburst*
A Sector four Guardsmans has been temporary blinded.
A Sector Four Guardsman has resisted effect.
Quinn drew his Halberd out. "Now Leah!"
Leah spotted Quinn on the arena floor below.
*I wish you were me*
Leah switched places with Quinn just before the guardsman caught up with her.
*Halberd Strike* Critical Hit 33,230 damage, Bonus damage 33,230
A Sector four Guardsman has been slain.
*Stealth*
*Ba'Avriel*
Quinn flapped his wings hard gaining altitude quickly, then dived hard. He drew his halberd again just before he got to the guard, causing Ba'Avriel and Stealth to drop.
*Impale*
Quinn rode the guard to the ground, pinning him through his back into the arena floor. He stood up and yanked out the weapon.
A Sector four guardsman has suffered a mortal strike.
A Sector four guardsman has been slain.
Maia watched Quinn, her eyes still glowing red. She had seen the wings appear for a few moments and then quickly disappear. "The Wingless Assassin," she whispered.
Quinn approached the moaning sector chief and quickly put him down with his Halberd.
*******
The strike team ported into a luxurious bedroom, curtained with bright colors and silks. Nightingale immediately located an exit, "on me, single formation, stay alert." She crashed through a window and immediately dived toward the ground, the rest of the strike team right on her tail. They turned down a narrow alley and then stopped. All five songbirds instantly stealthed.
"I'll get a fix on Quinn," Crow shot back into the air, then braked to a hover when she crested the building.
*Executioners Mark*
Instantly a line appeared in Crow's sight. "It's a big white dome on the far side of the city." She shouted out. "And we have company." Crow spotted a half dozen winged flyers heading toward them.
(Daiyu) "The Fora QRF has infiltrated Ba'Avriel and have located their target. The opposition has found them."
*********
Angel and Leah arrived in the same bedroom a few seconds later, they both immediately stealthed.
Ren approached the window that the QRF had crashed through, she held up her hand. "Wait a moment, they are still close."
Angel immediately felt something wrong. "Ren.. somethings here!!"
Ren turned back toward her, but Angel was walking very quickly in the opposite direction. "Angel! Stop!"
Angel gritted her teeth, her body not listening to her will. "Damn it.. Grab me, I can't stop myself."
A moment later Ren tackled her to the floor and held her down. "Angel?"
"Don't let me up.. something is controlling me." Angels mouth was a bloody mess from having bit through her lip. "Damn you.. I'm a Queen!"
Angel dropped Ba'Avriel form and assumed her natural identity as a Spider Queen. Ren's eyes widened as she leapt away and drew her dagger.
"Oi.. don't stab the spider queen Ren." Angel climbed to her feet. Whatever had been holding her, lost control when she dropped the form."
"This is what you look like?" Ren stared at the light brown carapace that was covered in soft brown fuzz.
Angel hung her head, "yes... I'm hideous."
Ren put her dagger away. "No.. not at all, a bit on the cute side actually."
"I am?" Angel smiled... "no wonder Quinn likes you so much."
They both stealthed and looked out a nearby window. Like Quinn, Angel could use hunt and stealth separately.
"What happened Angel?" Ren looked out the window, trying to catch sight of the songbirds.
"Something took control of me." Angel didn't look frightened, she looked very angry. "When I dropped Ba'Avriel, it lost its hold on me. "
"Well... let's take note of it and continue on." Ren started back the way they had came.
"We can't Ren." Angel hadn't moved. "Quinn uses that same form, if it can control me..."
"It might pose a threat to Quinn." Ren nodded, "new mission Angel, find this threat and figure out how dangerous it is."
"I know where it is." Angel start scampering down the hall, she was actually terrifyingly fast on the ground in her Arachni form.
Ren had to run to keep up. "How do you know Angel?"
"I'm using Stealth, it's one of the Ba'Avriel talents. As soon as I activated it, I felt the presence again, only now it's superweak."
"Okay, we can track it then. If you feel the presence getting too strong, drop stealth immediately." Ren followed her, continueing to check behind them for pursuit.
They left the building through a second story window. Ren used her jetpack, while Angel scampered on the side of the wall. Quickly them made their way past several buildings.
"This one Ren." Angel pulled up at a building with three towers. "It's not up high though, rather it is beneath us."
Ren found an open window half way up one of the towers, they snuck in and immediately headed down. "Your spider form is kick-ass."
"Thanks." Angel grabbed her hand and pulled her through a small door, "it's this way. I feel the presence getting stronger now. Keep ahold of me and be ready to tackle me again."
Ren nodded and gripped her hand tight. "Lead the way, I'll be ready."
A short while later the three companions found themselves back at the last gate that lead to the arena."Love you Quinn." Leah was holding his hand, she didn't look worried."That's so sweet Quinn! " Maia teased.Quinn frowned at her. "Hush up monkey-butt, make sure you stay out of trouble today."Leah stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Quinn's waist. "I'm gonna fight hard, and we're gonna win, then go home."Quinn nodded and kissed the top of her head. "Hey... how old are you anyways?"Leah flashed him a smile, her lightly freckled face unreadable as she stood on her tiptoes and brought her lips to his.The hud on the wall blinked on and Zy's face was looking at them. "You'll be facing the security team from Sector 4.""Our welcoming party when we first arrived?" Quinn dimly remembered Bol and his cohorts.Leah pursed her lips as she checked her equipment, "that doesn't seem too bad, so there's five of them?"Zy's face looked pale, her lips trembling, she really liked these two surfacers. "That's not all, there is also Dovik.""Dovik? Never heard of him." Quinn loosened his pistols, "He wouldn't happen to be a Spider would he?""No, he's a Avriel Paladin. An absolute nightmare for anyone to face."Quinn shrugged, "We can be pretty scary too.""That isn't everything, you've been offered a deal. Leah stays here in the city, and you leave now with Maia, no questions asked.""What kind of deal is that?" Quinn felt his heart slowly start to beat faster."The arena master has taken an interest in Leah, he's the presiding judge in these trials and can offer deals if he chooses.""This walking corpse have a name?""Odum Kai. His older sister is the City director. ""Quinn? I want to fight with you, but I kinda like it here. I won't mind if you take the deal and leave me here to marry some stranger." Leah's green eyes were serious as she stared at him.He pursed his lips as if considering it. "I wonder if I could get my credits back for that ring I got you.""Oh... sadly it's stuck on my finger and won't come off." Leah's freckled nose wrinkled slightly, "maybe have him throw in a nice goat or something.""Hey... take this seriously" Maia had to bite her lip to keep from laughing.Quinn put a hand on Leah's shoulder and gave it a squeeze before looking back at Zy. "I've got a deal too. Tell Odum Kai, if he has his wings cut off, his tongue pulled out and eats a burning bucket of shit; then I'll leave peacefully without breaking his arena and everything in sight.""I'll tell him.. " The holo blinked off and a moment later the gate opened. "Even though she was scared, a small smile crept onto Maia's face. "Do you think Odum will accept your counter offer?""Um.. Maybe."Case Number 4271 Advance into the Arena for your final Round!!********Daiyu "Good Afternoon Everyone, This is Daiyu on behalf of the Fora Development Group, broadcasting live from Fora HQ right outside of Talon. A big shout-out to all the new Halfling players."*Zoom in on the dark elf, get her scars on camera.*Daiyu "This is the infamous rogue-Princess, Mora Jol. She's currently briefing a QRF-that's Quick Reactionary Force, to assault the Cloud City of Ba-Avriel."*Get a close-up of each member of the team, damn each one is hotter then the next.*Daiyu "The strike team is comprised of 5 NPC's and Crimson Rose- code name: Crow. The backbone of this team is composed of an elite force known as the Songbirds; Robin, Wren, Lark, Thrush and Nightingale. The mission is simple, break into the Cloud City, rescue the Fora Leader Q and return safely. Each of these strike team members share a close bond with Knight Commander Q, and are willing to do anything necessary to get him back."* Show me the big gun.... now... get Tal on camera, start at the metallic leg and then move upward until you hit those blue eyes.*Daiyu quickly scanned her notes so she wouldn't miss anything.Daiyu "This is engineer Tal, she personally designed this cannon and has vowed to blast Ba'Avriel out of the sky if they don't release him."*Hold on her eyes, focus on her height, damn Tal's incredible. Okay now back to the strike team************Quinn stepped out of the gate and immediately summoned Kawa."What are you doing Quinn??" Maia hid behind Leah.Kawa turned his head sideways, then caught sight of Maia.*Peck*"Damn you stupid bird!!" Leah and Maia were forced to jump back as Kawa went after the young girl again.*Stealth*Maia vanished from view, leaving Kawa glancing around the arena.*Chirp, Chirp*"Haha.. stupid bird." Maia's voice came from Leah's direction."I figured maybe he'll help us out if things go sideways on us." Quinn shrugged at Leah who was frowning."Sure.. there's only like a million incidents of that .... not happening ever!" Maia walked along with Leah. "If they were dumb enough to attack him, then he'd help."Quinn held out his hand and grasped Leah's, together they walked to the center of the arena.Quinn looked up at the VIP box..."that short moppy haired guy must be Odum Kai." A moment later the opposite gate opened, the arena roared to life, as they started cheering for the security team from sector four. They were followed closely by a mountain of a man, he carried a shield on his back and had nasty looking axes equipped in both hands."Quinn."He could barely hear Leah over the noise of the arena, "Hmm?"Leah smiled at him, "I'm almost twenty."'Awesome.. I'm the older.'*************Zoom out on the strike team, get ready to switch to personal cameras.*Daiyu "This is it, they are going in hot."All six members of the QRF fired up their flight packs. Mora Jol tossed a disk on the ground, "Safe Journey, bring them back please."A seal formed on the ground under the team, all six of them disappeared.*Now, switch to the strike team camera.*Angel held Ren's hand so they wouldn't be separated. They watched the QRF disappear. "Wait... wait...a bit more.... now!"Both Angel and Ren stepped onto the transport seal.********Kawa sat comfortably on the sand preening itself. Quinn nudged it with his foot. "Hey, you lazy beast. Shouldn't you help out, since you brought us here to start with?"Dovik stopped just outside the gate, leaning against one of the pillars, content to watch for now.Leah used her grappling hook to position herself on the pillar, while Quinn stood at the base of it, directly below."CC anyone who comes close, keep the pillar between you and any trouble. " Q looked around. "Maia wherever you are, just stay hidden."Maia watched from behind the pillar, her eyes glowing red. "I want to see what he does when he disappears," she whispered softly.Two of the guards came side by side, both of them focusing on Q, the other three fanned out behind.Bol was one of the ones who were holding back. "Kill the dark haired one first, we'll take care of the redhead and brown wing after."Quinn backed up until his back was tight against the pillar.*Blink*The two advancing guards felt a strong hand grasp the back of their necks.*Return*Quinn slammed them headfirst into the pillar.A sector four guardsman is stunned.A sector four guardsman is stunned.Bol watched his men suddenly disappear and then slam into the pillar.. "Get airborne you fools, he doesn't have wings. Open Fire!!"*SunBurst*A sector four guardsman has been temporarily blinded.A sector four guardsman has been temporarily blinded.Sector Chief Bol has resisted blind.Two of the three guardsman grabbed their eyes screaming, Bol flapped his wings until he had gained some altitude, he started firing at Quinn.Quinn kept his grip on the guardsman, using them as a shield, he targeted Leah who was several feet in above him.*Blink*Quinn appeared behind Leah, still dragging the two stunned guardsmen with him. He kicked them loose.*Stealth**Return*Quinn stepped to one side, letting the guardsmen slam into the ground.System Message: A sector four guardsman has been crippled and can no longer fly.System Message: A sector four guardsman has been crippled and can no longer fly.*Blink*Q appeared in the air behind Bol.*Backstab*22,100 Damage Bonus 22,100 Damage.Leah scampered around the pillar, firing at Bol.Critical Hit: Eyes 855 Damage Sector Chief Bol has been permanently blinded.Quinn ran in a half circle and drew his guns.*Peacemaker's Open Range*22,105 damage, 12,905 damage, *Critical Hit* 44,444 damage, Bonus damage 44,444, 22,656 damageA Crippled Sector four Guardsman has been slain.*Blink*Quinn appeared behind the second downed guard.*Backstab* 33,455 Bonus damage 33,455.A Crippled Sector four Guardsman has been slain.The remaining two guardsman broke free of blind and and flew toward Leah.*Starburst*A Sector four Guardsmans has been temporary blinded.A Sector Four Guardsman has resisted effect.Quinn drew his Halberd out. "Now Leah!"Leah spotted Quinn on the arena floor below.*I wish you were me*Leah switched places with Quinn just before the guardsman caught up with her.*Halberd Strike* Critical Hit 33,230 damage, Bonus damage 33,230A Sector four Guardsman has been slain.*Stealth**Ba'Avriel*Quinn flapped his wings hard gaining altitude quickly, then dived hard. He drew his halberd again just before he got to the guard, causing Ba'Avriel and Stealth to drop.*Impale*Quinn rode the guard to the ground, pinning him through his back into the arena floor. He stood up and yanked out the weapon.A Sector four guardsman has suffered a mortal strike.A Sector four guardsman has been slain.Maia watched Quinn, her eyes still glowing red. She had seen the wings appear for a few moments and then quickly disappear. "The Wingless Assassin," she whispered.Quinn approached the moaning sector chief and quickly put him down with his Halberd.*******The strike team ported into a luxurious bedroom, curtained with bright colors and silks. Nightingale immediately located an exit, "on me, single formation, stay alert." She crashed through a window and immediately dived toward the ground, the rest of the strike team right on her tail. They turned down a narrow alley and then stopped. All five songbirds instantly stealthed."I'll get a fix on Quinn," Crow shot back into the air, then braked to a hover when she crested the building.*Executioners Mark*Instantly a line appeared in Crow's sight. "It's a big white dome on the far side of the city." She shouted out. "And we have company." Crow spotted a half dozen winged flyers heading toward them.Daiyu "The Fora QRF has infiltrated Ba'Avriel and have located their target. The opposition has found them."*********Angel and Leah arrived in the same bedroom a few seconds later, they both immediately stealthed.Ren approached the window that the QRF had crashed through, she held up her hand. "Wait a moment, they are still close."Angel immediately felt something wrong. "Ren.. somethings here!!"Ren turned back toward her, but Angel was walking very quickly in the opposite direction. "Angel! Stop!"Angel gritted her teeth, her body not listening to her will. "Damn it.. Grab me, I can't stop myself."A moment later Ren tackled her to the floor and held her down. "Angel?""Don't let me up.. something is controlling me." Angels mouth was a bloody mess from having bit through her lip. "Damn you.. I'm a Queen!"Angel dropped Ba'Avriel form and assumed her natural identity as a Spider Queen. Ren's eyes widened as she leapt away and drew her dagger."Oi.. don't stab the spider queen Ren." Angel climbed to her feet. Whatever had been holding her, lost control when she dropped the form.""This is what you look like?" Ren stared at the light brown carapace that was covered in soft brown fuzz.Angel hung her head, "yes... I'm hideous."Ren put her dagger away. "No.. not at all, a bit on the cute side actually.""I am?" Angel smiled... "no wonder Quinn likes you so much."They both stealthed and looked out a nearby window. Like Quinn, Angel could use hunt and stealth separately."What happened Angel?" Ren looked out the window, trying to catch sight of the songbirds."Something took control of me." Angel didn't look frightened, she looked very angry. "When I dropped Ba'Avriel, it lost its hold on me. ""Well... let's take note of it and continue on." Ren started back the way they had came."We can't Ren." Angel hadn't moved. "Quinn uses that same form, if it can control me...""It might pose a threat to Quinn." Ren nodded, "new mission Angel, find this threat and figure out how dangerous it is.""I know where it is." Angel start scampering down the hall, she was actually terrifyingly fast on the ground in her Arachni form.Ren had to run to keep up. "How do you know Angel?""I'm using Stealth, it's one of the Ba'Avriel talents. As soon as I activated it, I felt the presence again, only now it's superweak.""Okay, we can track it then. If you feel the presence getting too strong, drop stealth immediately." Ren followed her, continueing to check behind them for pursuit.They left the building through a second story window. Ren used her jetpack, while Angel scampered on the side of the wall. Quickly them made their way past several buildings."This one Ren." Angel pulled up at a building with three towers. "It's not up high though, rather it is beneath us."Ren found an open window half way up one of the towers, they snuck in and immediately headed down. "Your spider form is kick-ass.""Thanks." Angel grabbed her hand and pulled her through a small door, "it's this way. I feel the presence getting stronger now. Keep ahold of me and be ready to tackle me again."Ren nodded and gripped her hand tight. "Lead the way, I'll be ready."
