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Post by Noa on Jun 30, 2024 22:35:23 GMT -6
Under Noa’s direction, she slithered around the edge of the arena. At first the mist was so dense that she wasn’t visible at all. Under this cover, Noa gave her another command, and a shrill sound filled the air. Azalea didn’t have a deep roar the way most Pliathors did, but she did have an unsettling and high-pitched screech. The audience shifted, perhaps uneasy, perhaps simply uncomfortable. Either way, they were now aware that something had taken to the stage, even if they couldn’t immediately see her.
So far, so good… Or at least, so far things were going as planned, anyway. It was hard to tell how well they were actually doing.
{Charge up.} Noa issued another command through the ribbon, still directing from off stage. The mist was starting to clear up just a little, enough now that one could catch glimpses of Azalea’s bluish hide, or one or another of her flowers here and there.
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Post by Noa on Jun 30, 2024 22:35:37 GMT -6
As she began gathering energy, the air prickled with it, and some of those glimpses of her were wreathed in sparks. Noa had her hold a moment, to let the tension build, then gave the signal for her to loose the energy she’d gathered all at once.
It descended upon the brazier that had been set up center stage: a bolt of lightning, seemingly straight from the ceiling of the building. The brazier burst to life, and the mist dissipated all at once.
The disappearing mist and the flames illuminated Azalea, who had wound herself loosely in a perimeter around the brazier. Now she reared up so that her head and forelimbs sat at some height, and surveyed the audience with dark glowering eyes.
She wasn’t truly aggressive by nature, but she had been trained in the art of intimidating a foe. That training was on full display for the audience now, as she hissed and swayed. Noa joined her at last, walking onto the stage to stand beside her and lay a hand on her side.
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Post by Noa on Jun 30, 2024 22:35:48 GMT -6
She was a little reassured by her presence, and although she was probably able to sense his physical discomfort to some degree, apparently she was also a little fooled by the show of strength he was putting on now.
Still, it wouldn’t last much longer.
If Noa had had more capacity to think, to plan… If his health hadn’t forced him to cut this routine short, maybe he would have demonstrated some more of Azalea’s skills. She wasn’t as well trained as Avander, but she still had a decent amount of training to show off. But circumstances being what they were, he decided it was best to keep things short and to the point.
“Azalea, thunder ball,” he said. This last command he gave out loud, intended for the audience’s benefit, but he didn’t have the energy to properly project his voice. It was possible they didn’t hear it.
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Post by Noa on Jun 30, 2024 22:35:58 GMT -6
However, Azalea’s response was impossible to miss. With her head and forelimbs still in the air, she opened her mouth. Electricity crackled along her length -- Noa had removed his hand as soon as he gave the command, knowing what was to come. At such close proximity, the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end.
The ball of energy grew moment by moment, until it filled almost the entire cavity of Azalea’s open maw. And then it shot forth in a sudden burst of speed, apparently hurtling towards the audience -- only to detonate right before it hit the arena’s edge. Several members of the audience, seated closer to the front, were visibly startled, but no danger had come to them in the end. Well, of course not. They would have been disqualified if they actually killed anybody, and Noa had no interest in doing that.
With that, their routine -- if one could call it that -- was done. Noa gave a curt bow, and quelled the nausea that rippled through him at the motion. Then he turned and walked off the stage, Azalea drifting after him. Only once he was out of sight of the audience did he allow himself to grimace and stagger to the nearest seat.
As soon as he was recovered enough to cast a spell, they would teleport home.
-end-
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Post by Xentus on Jun 30, 2024 23:00:55 GMT -6
> Xentus, accompanied by...
| Learned | ✓ | Name | 1 | ✓ | Kiss | 1 | ✓ | Bow | 1 | ✓ | Grin | 1 | ✓ | Boop | 2 | ✓ | Carry Rider | 2 | ✓
| Jump | 1 | ✓
| Pounce | 5 | ✓
| Tail Strike | 3 |
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Their turn was up, and there was much to show! Xentus stepped into the show ring, apparently alone. The pliathor he registered with was nowhere to be seen... "Greetings! Xentus is here to show his grand friend, Basantai!", the man announced with a flourish, waving his arms at the empty stage. There was a moment of confusion. The man allowed this, before muttering quietly, 'yawe'. In an instant, a coiled mass of glistening scales and fur appeared on the stage. It sparkled, radiating with could only be described as a glimmer like luck and fotune. The lump was gigantic, easily taking up a large portion of the stage.
"Rise, Basa! Smile for the people!"
Stirred by his words, the mass quaked. The coils unwound, fins unfurled, and a large, horned head rose high into the air. Basantai sent a shake down his long body as he unwrapped himself, then lifted his lip in a large, toothy grin. A low rumble gurgled in his throat, as if the beast was introducing himself. Though, it could easily be mistaken for ire... Xentus only beamed at the noise, knowing he'd awakened a tremendously powerful beast and was now asking it to perform mere party tricks. Of course, Basantai was only happy to oblige him. Their bond was like that of the golems, a link beyond words. Now, how to demonstrate this. Xentus mused to himself for a moment before simply beckoning to the beast, tapping on his own cheek, hinting at a want without words. The massive serpent took only a glance at him before it craned its neck down and gave the man a 'kiss'. A stinking, wet lick of the tongue.
"Good, Basa", Xentus muttered to it, wiping off slimy saliva from his cheek, "Stay still..." With the beast now down at eye level, he clambered onto its nose and onto the space between its golden horns. 'Alright, Basa, let's show them some moves', the man said in thought, directing the beast to the dummy set on the stage, 'Into the air! Pounce it! Strike!' No sooner than the words were thought did the serpent take action, stepping into the air as if it were solid ground. Flight without wingbeat. It gained height, eyes set onto the dummy, then leapt down towards it. Its long body streamed like a ribbon in the air, curling around into a circle and lashed out tail first onto the target all in one fluid motion. The fairly beaten and bruised dummy stood little chance.
[Xentus uses Collar of Bonding. Basantai demonstrates Super Luck, Thick Fur, Heart of the Guardian, Wind Avatar, Pounce, and Tail Strike]
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