*Destroyed*Break Wasteland [Makyan/Namekian]

[ahfadshgfh]

Chikiritīō Bāfurō

1,100 Ki Points / 0 Zeni

Shirubā Hoippu


Shirubā ate into another steak and felt himself getting tired. He knew that he needed to do some training today. If he had been keeping track of time right, there were two days including today until the tournament. Shirubā hoped that he could use the last day to relax and figure out some strategies. He then stood up when he saw a Sabertooth Tiger in the distance. Shirubā then decided to sit down and let Chikiritīō have it. 'Maybe I should go see if the Time Chamber at Dende's is open,' he thought. 'I'll go right after I finish training here.' He then ate some more of the berries.

Chikiritīō nodded to Shirubā when he was sent to defeat the Sabertooth Tiger. He thought that this was the perfect time to train. Chikiritīō then hid behind a nearby boulder and looked towards it. He wanted to try to use his skills of stealth to get the jump on it. Chikiritīō then fired a ki blast not to far in the opposite direction the beast was facing. It then ran in the direction it had hit. Chikiritīō then jumped up from behind the rock and sliced through the Sabertooth with his Foul Spin. He then kept slicing through with the attack, which was the closest he had to a sword, until he had a small stack of small steaks. Chikiritīō was about to eat when he decided to instead use them for his training. He wanted to work on the hard E-rank technique. 'Let's see if I can't perfect my Transformation,' he thought. He then concentrated his ki and transformed into one of the steaks. Chikiritīō then changed back and concentrated again. 'I wonder if I can create my own transformation,' he thought. He then concentrated hard and focused on a puppy he had seen in Satan City. Suddenly, he changed into it, though having a cat's tail. He tried again and got the opposite. Chikiritīō kept trying and eventually was able to not only make a full puppy transformation, but also a full kitten transformation. The chicken also developed a baby panda, fox, and a hamster form. He then changed back. "Now to show Shirubā," he said. He then went back to the fire.

(267 words)

Shirubā then finished off his steaks and turned his attention back to the training situation. An idea then popped into his mind. He then stood up. "Well I think I should be getting to training," he said, stretching. "If it's not to much to ask, would one of you mind testing my skills? I want to see what I'm gonna be up against in the tournament."

*edits post*  

[Haruhi000777]

Nyx Solo ~ Kame House student

There was way less than two days left until the tournament and Nyx knew she had to at least get a little more training done before it was time. Hopefully Ayane would spar with her or maybe even this guy here named Shiruba would spar with him. There was still so much to do that she would spar with anyone. Not to say that there was anything wrong with Shiruba but she had hoped that maybe someone more advanced would come along. If she wanted to stand a chance against any super strong people then she needed to keep on training before it was time for the tournament.

She watched the little chicken move over to defeat the Sabertooth tiger and she had to say that it was entertaining. For one Chikiritio was kind of funny looking and two it was funny watching a small bird take on a large cat. It was weird seeing it sneak up on the large cat and then slice the large cat into a stack of stakes. Nyx felt bad for the saber tooth though, since she herself was a cat and she had seen a fellow cat get chopped up by a bird. Of course Nyx did not much like seeing anything die but there was nothing she could do about this.

What was weird was seeing Chikiritio changed into a steak and then into a puppy... although the puppy had a cat tail. The other seemed to be trying hard to change into whatever he was trying to change into yet it was not quite coming out right. Yawning softly, she looked back over to Shiruba and saw the other had finished eating. Then the other stood back up and said something about training. Then her attention was really caught when Shiruba mentioned about testing his abilities. That would mean a spar and that was something Nyx would need to get ready for the tournament. "Alright, we can spar. I need to do that before the tournament anyway." agreed Nyx, ready to spar but not taking off her weighted training gear. After all, this was just a spar and not a real battle so no need to go full out right?

Quote:

--Stats--

Strength: 14
Speed: 17 (-4)
Defense: 15 (+1)
Power Level: 10 (-2)
Ki Points: 35,700
Zeni: 1,791
Items: Flying Nimbus, Weighted Training Clothes (on now), Dragon Radar, Crystal Ball, and Senzu Beans.

((Last Post: Last Page))
((Word Count: 369))
((Word Total: 1957))
((Tricks Learned: ))  

[GreenTigerr]

Lord Zhou arrived back in Break Wasteland along side his young protégé, the saiyan hybrid from Skull Valley, VI. A young namekian and an elder namekian had approached Lord Zhou and Vi with the hopes that Lord Zhou could teach the young namekian some basic techniques of their people. Lord Zhou agreed to assist the young namekian in his training because he didn’t want to disappoint the elder namekian. “Alright kid you ready to do some serious training?” Lord Zhou said as he looked down to the kid.
“Yes, I am ready.” As the young namekian spoke the elder namekian left to go handle some personal business. “I will return later.” The elder namekian said as he walked away. The young namekian followed Lord Zhou and Vi to a nearby training ground within the Break Wasteland. “Alright kid what do you know how to do so far.” After Lord Zhou finished speaking the young namekian’s arm quickly extended out towards a tree and pierced it on contact. Once his arm went through the tree it retracted back in place. “Is that all?” “…Yes Lord Zhou” “Very well then we will begin with the Eye Lasers.
It’s a rather simple technique to utilize. The eye lasers are precise laser like beams shot from both of the eyes. They can be used to negate the effects of weak attacks or damage enemies and destroy objects.” After explaining the details of the technique to the young namekian, Lord Zhou showed the young namekian an example of the technique in use. Lord Zhou’s eye’s had a purple glow an energy built up in his eyes. Then the energy fired out as a purple beam into a nearby rock that exploded upon contact from the eye lasers.
“And that is how it is done young padawan. The next thing I will go over is the Image projection which is a unique ability where you send out an image of yourself in hopes that it will confuse the enemy. But it probably won’t be very useful in battle. The image itself cannot perform physical tasks since it will fade away after coming in contact with an object. The image is used to distract the enemy, thinking it is the on using the technique, and that will give you a chance to perform an attack of your choosing.”
Lord Zhou used the Image Projection and projected an image of him out towards the young namekian. The young namekian held his hands in front of his face as the projected image came close to him. The image faded away just as Lord Zhou said it would when he was in the middle of explaining what the technique does. Lord Zhou only showed the young namekian examples of the techniques instead of waiting for him to practice so that he could possibly lean more overall in this short period of time.
Zhou moved on to the next technique he wanted to teach the young namekian which was the demon impaling light killing gun. “Ok the young namekian. The next technique I will go over is called the special beam cannon, makankosappo, light of death, or demon impaling light killing gun. Either name is fine really. When using this technique you will have your index and middle fingers of either one of your hands placed on your forehead. Then you will charge the power for the attack which may take quite a while if you are untrained.
Once you have gathered enough energy then you will be able to fire the demon impaling light killing gun when extending the fingers forward. There will be two beams that fire from the fingers. The first being a straight beam that can easily pierce through objects, followed by another beam that coiled around the beam and explodes on contact. Thought this is a very powerful technique the main disadvantage is that it takes a while to charge up and your opponent might not give you the time to use the technique.”
After explaining the technique Lord Zhou followed his own instructions. He placed his index and middle finger of his right hand on to his forehead. He began to shout as he charged up the demon impaling light killing gun. When he had enough powered racked up he extended his right arm out towards the forest. The straight beam pierced through trees it came into contact with while the coiled beam blew the first tree up. “You get all of that the young namekian.” “Yes I understand.” “Very well then. On the next technique… The Giant Form, or Kyodaika.
The giant form is pretty much an extension of the mytic attack so it should be that difficult to master in a short time. The transformation causes namekians to grow to enormous proportions as well as increasing your power.” Lord Zhou focused and began slowly growing into a giant being that towered over trees. Lord Zhou stomped on of his feet on the ground and roared. The ground quaked and sound waves traveled an unspecified distance before fading out in the air. Afterwards he started to shrink back down to normal size and got ready to move on to the next technique.
Lord Zhou explained to the young namekian that the next technique was regeneration. Then he proceeded to rip his own arm off followed by him growing a new arm back through a difficult and strenuous process. “Ok the young namekian the next ability I will teach you is the Pokopen. This is how all namekians reproduce.” Lord Zhou explained to the young namekian the process or reproducing by spitting out an egg and passing down his own memories to an offspring. He began to concentrate then his neck and mouth expanded and a giant egg came up and Lord Zhou spit the egg out of his mouth.
He started to breath heavily once the egg fell out but he didn’t give it time to hatch. He fired a ki blast towards the egg and blew it up. Shortly after going over the techniques the elder namekian arrived to pick up the young namekian. The elder namekian thanked Lord Zhou for going over the techniques with the young namekian so the youngin could practice when he’s on his own with an idea of how to do the techniques. They parted ways then Lord Zhou decided to get some training in with VI.
Zhou reached for her Dark Dragon Blade as she launched herself at Lord Zhou and swung the blade at him. Lord Zhou pulled out the Dimension Blade and held it up to block the incoming attack from the Dark Dragon Blade the force of the attack made Lord Zhou slide back a few feet then he caught his balance. And dashed towards Vi and swung the blade but as he swung his form faded away and he appeared over head Vi slashing in a downward motion. Vi quickly turned around swinging the dark dragon blade into the dimension blade.
Sparks sparked as the blades slide across each other. Lord Zhou disappeared again, this time appearing in front of VI as he fired a ki blast at her. Vi smacked the ki blast fired from Zhou to the side and threw the dark dragon blade at Zhou. Zhou hit the dark dragon blade to the side then the blade crashed in to the dirt as Vi formed the spirit blade and salza blade around her left and right arms. Lord Zhou and Vi went back and forth for a short while until Vi caught Lord Zhou with a surprise attack.
Her spirit blade on the left hand extended out and pierced Lord Zhous shoulder. Then the spirit blade expanded, slicing the right arm of Zhou off. Lord Zhou shouted as his arm fell to the ground abd purple blood dripped from the wound. Lord Zhou gave complete concentration to focusing on regrowing the arm. Through heavy effort and strain another arm burst through the stomp that was currently his right arm. When the new arm burst through the left stomp a green liquid substance squirt out of the wound as the new arm expanded.
The green liquid substance dripped to the ground from Lord Zhou’s arm as he breathed heavily from stress that growing the new arm took. Zhou was angered by Vi chopping his arm off but glad she was progressing. He dashed towards Vi using his vastly superior speed and elbowed Vi in the stomach. Even though his strength was low the velocity of impact made the attack much stronger than it would be if Zhou was stationary. Vi grunted and punched Lord Zhou in the face. The continued the physical combat until Vi was pretty much exhausted from the training. “Alright Vi that’s enough for now.” Zhou said as he ended the training session. Vi walked over to her dark dragon blade and pulled it out of the ground then she put the blade in its hilt. Then Lord Zhou and Vi got ready for the upcoming tournament to begin as they rested.
WORDS 1514/1500  

[Haruhi000777]

Nyx Solo ~ Kame House student

There were a variety of ways that she could have attacked the male and a variety of ways to counter. If he came straight in for a physical attack then it would have been easy to block and counter. From what she could tell of the other's power level, he was not as strong as she was. Then again she had not really taken a god look at his power level. Why would she when the guy had not acted like a bad guy and they had not said that they would be sparring before now. Although she had no idea what Shiruba's deal was or what was up with the chicken. Neither of them were even trying to attack her and they just seemed to be standing there. So what were they up to? Were they thinking or were they just going to draw this out to see how long she would just stand there? Was it a game to them or was it something else? She honestly had no idea and it was both confusing and frustrating for the orange furred cat. This was wasting time, it was almost time for the tournament and Nyx felt she had wasted time she could have been using to train.

Frowning, the red haired woman dropped her attack stance and stood up straight. "Hey are we actually gonna fight? If not then I have to get going, the tournament is gonna start up in a couple of hours and I have to be there!" Nyx was sure that the other knew that this was important. It was important for Nyx since this would be her debut in the world of tournament fighting. The first was always the most memorable simply because it was the first. No one would know who she was, people were here to watch the people fight and to see new fighters have a possible chance at greatness. This was important since it would undoubtedly set the tone for the rest of Nyx's future tournaments. Well, at least she was sure that it would set the tone for all of her future tournaments. At least until she created a big upset that would have everyone talking. Then everyone would remember her for just that mostly and not really think back to any mistakes she made back in the first tournament. At the very least she was sure that was how it would work. Or maybe Nyx was just over dramatizing everything in her mind since she felt nervous over her first tournament.

Shaking her head, Nyx was ready to get going at this point if there was nothing that Shiruba was going to do. She honestly felt disappointed that she had wasted time and now the cat was even more worried that she stood no chance in the tournament. Then she felt another large power level and she looked around to spot the source or sources. She knew that the Break Wasteland was home to Namekians. After all, this place seemed to closely resemble their home planet Namek. She forgot, was it still destroyed or had it been wished back? Back in the years when the great saiyan Goku was still alive, he had gone to planet Namek after he had defeated Nappa and Vegeta when they came to planet Earth. It had been a mighty battle that left Goku incapacitated so he had to send his sone Gohan, male friend Krillin, and female friend Bulma ahead to secure the dragon balls. They had planned on wishing their friends back to life but things were rarely so simple. Especially when it came to items that would grant any wish. That would attract a lot of people, both good and bad to try and get their wishes granted.

Unfortunately, one of the baddest beings in the universe had decided to come to planet Namek to wish for immortality. A changeling named Frieza, along with his cohorts, had found out about the dragon balls and left for planet Namek. They were ruthless in their search, they slaughtered entire villages as they searched for the dragon balls. On Namek, the villages were far and in between, each of the villages had a dragon ball. This was to ensure that no one evil person could easily get all of the dragon balls. Plus it would be an additional test for those with good intentions, to see if they really deserved to have their wish granted. Yet Frieza and his men had easily found the villages with the use of their scouters. Scouters were handy devices placed over the ear with the plastic, clear piece before the eye. With a press of the button on the side, a person could see the power levels of any person before them or at a great distance. It was certainly a handy device and it had proved useful to hunt down the Namekians. Things looked bleak since Frieza had already collected five of the seven dragon balls on planet Namek. It had been inevitable that all seven would gather, yet it had fallen into good hands and Picollo had been wished back to life.

Frieza almost got his wish yet it would not be granted since the alien could not speak Namekian. Before that though, he had become so enraged at Goku challenging him that he had decided to take the whole planet with him. His attempt was not a complete success though. While the large ball of energy had reached the core of the planet, it did not get all of the way though and the planet did not explode immediately. Instead Frieza and Goku were given a time limit to defeat each other. From the sounds of it, the battle had been quite awesome. They were fighting even as the world they were on was falling apart and crumbling around them. Of course Frieza lost and Goku won, narrowly escaping the planet's explosion and making his way back to Earth. That was aside from the point though, the point being that Namekians found Break Wasteland to be as close to home as possible. Plus now that she thought about it, Planet Namek had indeed been wished back so the Namekians did have a world to go back to.

That was not relevant now though, that power level had to be a strong Namekian. Now it was time for her to get going to the tournament area so she would not be disqualified for being late. "Hey listen, I gotta' get going now. I'll see you all at the tournament I guess. And Ayane, get the bests seat in the house, you'll wanna have a good seat when you see me win the tournament." said Nyx. Grinning, she cupped her hands around her mouth and called "Nimbussssss!" soon the golden cloud appeared, flying down from the sky and screeching to a halt right next to her. Getting on, she took a seat and soon she was off, flying into the sky and heading for the tournament area.

Quote:

--Stats--

Strength: 14
Speed: 17 (-4)
Defense: 15 (+1)
Power Level: 10 (-2)
Ki Points: 35,700
Zeni: 1,791
Items: Flying Nimbus, Weighted Training Clothes (on now), Dragon Radar, Crystal Ball, and Senzu Beans.

((Last Post: This Page))
((Word Count: 1172))
((Word Total: 3129))
((Tricks Learned: ))  

[ahfadshgfh]

Shirubā Hoippu


Shirubā popped a vein. 'What the hell,' he thought. 'Now I'll never get to test my skills.' He sighed. "Guess we should be going now," he said. "Nice meeting you. C'mon Chikiritīō." The chicken nodded and they began to walk. Shirubā then stopped. "Wait," he said. "She said the tournament was in a couple hours. We need to hurry." Chikiritīō nodded and they dashed away.  

[Hedoro Koutai]

Desco wasn't sure just why she had come to this rather out of the way location. She had heard through the Infernal Grapevine, that there was someone who wished to acquire something that she possessed. Even though she was an aspiring Evil Overlord of Evil (trademarked), she didn't have all that much in the way of epic swag. Or rather, she didn't have a lot of stuff. No weapons, no doomsday devices, no foundries capable of producing mechanical shock troops to overthrow small countries. The only thing she had that seemed to possess any real value was... that odd sphere? Maybe it was worth more than she thought? She'd have to be careful, and not let it go too easily. Get her money's worth, even though it had been free for her.That was just good business sense. She still walked to her destination, she had yet to deign to learn to fly. It was certainly a handy skill, she was just a bit busy as of right now. She had a pretty full schedule, plotting destruction, doom and all other manner of bad things that started with the letter 'd'. Alliteration was important, ideally in each illustrious invader of the infernal.

Shaking her head, she debated releasing the seal on her transformation, on taking her true form and powering up. She had yet to really explore her abilities to their foremost, but now wasn't the time for such games, she had to appear cool, calm and collected. Credibly, cocksure cretins conspired collectively and cooled posthumously. Alliteration. She stopped when she saw a figure a short distance ahead, then frowned when her vision didn't clear. They were faded, almost like a ghost? Unusual, but in the realm of demons, not impossible. After all, she had heard of the Mist technique, maybe this was just an extrapolation of that skill? She moved closer yet, stopping at the standard distance as advised by etiquette.

Beatrice smiled genially at her guest. She made no move to offer drinks or other such trivialities. Both because she certainly couldn't supply them, and because they were ultimately just nuisances that were better left ignored. No, she had requested Desco's presence for business, so to business she would go. She was smart enough not to give too much information away, about just what the orb she was after really was, and what it could do. All she said was that it was in high demand from certain avid collectors, herself included. She had no money to offer, but she did have other resources. After all, she was the eminent manipulator of the stuff that dreams were made of, and that was an enviable position. She could craft dreams or nightmares, or indeed even put forth such minions as to effect a similar situation. The World of Dreams was a place rife with potential, and she was it's monarch. The negotiations proved tiresome, but ultimately rewarding. Desco was oblivious to the true worth of the sphere, and what the Dream Demon had to offer was tantalizing indeed. Rather than any tangible boon, Desco had ultimately agreed to the exchange for the price of one unspecified favor, to be called in at a later date. It didn't seem like much now, but such a boon could be considered priceless to the right person. Perhaps Desco was more savvy than she had anticipated? No matter, a favor would be paid upon demand, that was the agreement. Demons were evil, cruel and malicious. But to them, contracts were practically holy, as far as infernal beings could attest. The idea of a Demon breaking a contract, written or otherwise, was unthinkable. No, there would be no funny business here, it was a debt, and it would be paid.

With the business done, the two conversed of a slightly more equanimitous lean. The current political situation in the lands infernal, the comings and goings of the underworld celebrities. Certain assassins who had achieved especially extravagant eliminations, ergo even exterminations. Alliteration. As well as news of a more personal bent. The constant quest for good thralls, and the subtle taste of an especially savory soul. But soon, their discussion, as all good things must, came to an end. Demons weren't always known for being sociable, and even the more politically minded of their kin weren't too commonly seen in concert. Beatrice nodded a farewell as Desco made her way back to whatever else currently occupied her attentions. the Demon of the World of Dreams held her new prize up, admiring it. The transfer had been rather complicated, to get it to pass through the dimensional walls and into her own realm. But pass through it had, to be held in her own hands. This, this was something she could use. Yes indeed, there was good business in the Dragon Ball future markets. She had just the buyer in mind, too...
(817 words )
[2-Star Dragon Ball transferred to Beatrice Yume]  

[hurdy13]

Since he had left west city academy, Hurkon had been working on his flight. True he had learned how to do it in the academy but he really wanted to get it down, and be similar to a bird, completely agile and maneuverable in the air. He would sweep and flip and barrel roll and do all other kinds of aero moves in order to get used to the movement in the sky. This way should a battle ever come and he needed to fight in the sky, he would not be caught off guard or killed when the time came. By the time he arrived at the Break Wastelands, he had become quite familiar with moving and adjusting his ki around inside his body while he was air born. The instructor had described the feeling and control of it well, as you just needed to focus ki to the spot directly above the ground and "catch the ground's current" as he put it. This made flying much easier besides when one want to flip and turn quickly, you really had to think about your body position and all that good stuff. But it wasn't anything Hurkon couldn't handle. He was sure that one day this would be his forte, like all things you want, practice made perfect;And perfect is what Hurkon wanted. He then looked up from his flying and noticed the Break Wastelands were before him, he was home.

He landed in a field, the neighborhood where he grew up you could say. There were several Namekian style houses that Hurkon looked about on before resting his eyes on his own. He the thought that his great race, the namekians, were reduced to living in the wastelands and not some grand city angered Hurkon to no bounds. They deserved to be the lords of this planet, they who were the greatest race in the galaxy! The saiyans where silly monkeys who could just blow things up while under the crackle of frieza's whip! That was their golden age, being ruled by changeling who in the end destroyed them all. That's what they deserved though, they were loose cannons, too deadly to be left alive. However Frieza also destroyed their first Namekian home world, to which Hurkon will never forgive, even though it was wished back with the dragon balls. It was this act that made him despise all changelings. They were like saiyans and humans to him, all dirt under the great Namekian feet. namekians are far superior in his eyes, they were biologically better, they can reproduce without a mate, regrow lost limbs, and even use mystical powers to create and heal! But silly saiyans and humans always steal the lime light and dragon balls. But that would all change soon enough. Hurkon was coming to power and by the sheer might of his will, earth will bow it's head before him.

He entered his house to see his father, a beast even by namekian standards, he was enormous. Thick as shenron the dragon. He had created Hurkon when his loneliness grew to a certain measure, even great warriors needed company some times. Thankfully this company meant intense training sessions. Hurkon had to become powerful fast in order to keep up with his father, if he proved to be inadequate, his father would have just created another child. It was by his determination and will to become strong that Hurkon did not become a casualty and instead prospered into the Namekian's pride and joy. His father always taught him to take nothing in terms of disrespect or down talk from anyone and always be proud of your Namekian blood. He would not disappoint his father for anything either, he would follow his ideals and one day raise the Namekians out of the dirt and onto the pedestal of greatness where they truly belonged. His father had come over first generation when Namek was destroyed for the second time, reasons still unknown. Sure the earth had offered them a place to live, but was it the earth that actually set them up? Hurkon felt this was done just to keep the namekian's under check and in sight. Perhaps he was paranoid but it would keep him alive. Trust no one who isn't green, his father always said, and Hurkon always listened. Just as he would now.

"Father I have returned from West City academy. I had to unfortunately learn from the filthy humans, however with much practice i will turn their silly techniques against them! This is all as we planned father, to take the world over by storm and again become the greatest race once again!" Hurkon's father smiled and nodded, raising up out of his seat. He looked over his son, who was becoming ever bit the warrior he was destined to be. Soon he would be at the top like they wanted and his son would be the pride and envy of all. He himself wasn't able to actually reach the top, but he would make sure his son will. That way he would be the father of the greatest, the next best thing if he himself could not make it in time. It was crazy how time crept up on him and slowed his movements and power levels down! If only he could be youthful again, he would surely be a force to recon with. "I see my son, you look as powerful as ever! i hope the Human's teachings have not disturbed your focus at all and you are still fixated on the goal of becoming the best on the land, before ruling the land!" Hurkon nodded and reminded his father that nothing could falt that thought, that goal, which made up his essence. He would conquer all and enslave the humans as he saw fit. They would bend before his will as he burns and reshapes earth to his liking. "But my son, now that you are once again home and of age, perhaps your should seek out our own elders, and learn the warrior ways of our great race! No time like the present to become versed in your great ancestry my son! you will see how much bight piccolo still has in him! Now go, and me, no make namek proud of you." Hurkon knelt and pledged his allegiance first to father, then to Namek.

Hurkon rose and nodded to his father before he spun on his heel and headed back outside. Piccolo was near by, he preferred to live alone up the hills, overlooking the Break wasteland and a lot of the rest of the world as well. He was like a close at and dende, the lord of the earth. Unfortunately Dende was a fool and won't use his position to better the Namekian race! One of his goals is to acquire the position of Dende and rule the world Namekian style. Both he and Piccolo were getting on in years, though dende was considerably younger. Hurkon began to walk towards the hill that piccolo resided on. He thought about all he had learned or heard about considering piccolo. He was a traitor in Hurkon's eyes, he befriended saiyans and humans of all kinds and helped save the planet numerous times. Why this was he never knew, as at the time the namek Hurkon never knew existed! Though piccolo never seemed to visit when he could have ruled the planet and perhaps prevented the planets destruction again. Though Hurkon has his qualms about him, Piccolo was indeed powerful, he had to give him that. His power was even greater than his father's, as much as it pained him to admit, and his father lost many times challenging piccolo for his rank as grand Namekian elder. At this point Hurkon reached the base of the hill, or more of a plateau, and took flight. He slowly rose up from the ground and soon was landing out side of piccolo's modest home. Piccolo was where he always was, siting in his throne like chair, staring off into the world, looking at the inhabitants and their toil and troubles. He did turn however and gaze at Hurkon for quite a while.

"It would seem that now you wish to learn from me young Hurkon? Has your father taught you all he knew? Of course he has, he has been training you since birth my child. Unfortunately you have also learned his flawed thinking and evil demeanor. Normally i would never willingly teach an evil force my greatest techniques, however i still see good in you. You are much like myself, the spawn of an evil mind, raised to hate and conquer. My father king piccolo was like yours, and both have gained nothing of life, but death. I will teach you however as it is the only way you will be able to go out and see the world and meet others. The same happened with me. Once i learned how these people were, i could not kill and conquer anymore. Hopefully the same will become of you Hurkon. You have great power, it would be foolish to burn it all up in hatred and evil. But this lecture is not why you have come to me. I grow old and my time is shorter as it draws on. I will need one to pass my techniques on. Do you promise to teach my teachings after i have passed and allow my legacy to live on?"

Hurkon listened to his speech and grew fearful. The grand elder Piccolo had stricken something within him. He knew what he wanted, to conquer all and glorify the Namekian race, however he felt something stir deep within him as piccolo spoke. He was afraid of this, he knew not what it was! Was piccolo right? surely his grand life and age granted him some wisdom not known by himself, but so had his father! They both were knowledgeable. Hurkon was split but threw the thoughts from his mind and made his promise to piccolo, to learn his teachings and continue to teach them after he has passed. This was namekian tradition, to teach another's moves after they have passed on is one of the greatest and more respectable things one could do. It showed importance to the man who was passing and deep empathy to recognize that age and death comes for all, even the extremely long lasting Namekians. Piccolo himself was centuries old, living hundreds of years. His friends had long passed and now he watches the earth, thinking and dwelling of their great memories. Hurkon himself would preferred to have dies in battle, but to each his own.

(words: 1785)  

[Reaver Darkside]

There was an ever apparent eye over watching the transaction of it's prized possession. The final dragon ball that he needed to come across, was simply handed off from one being to another, and from what data the mainframes at the Red Ribbon Army could bring up, this demon appeared to be something a lot less then capable of being attacked directly, which meant there was something far more irritating then a weak fleeing piece of scum that he would need to take care of. His piercing crimson gaze peered down at the two as he stood above them in the air while they conversed, plenty of time had passed while he simply surveyed, something that was not like him, but he was waiting for just the opportune moment to take care of the business he had come here to deal with. As soon as the first possessor of the second Dragon ball began to leave, he waited a simple moment and then rose a single hand, pointing it down towards Desco with all the sinister intent that was harbored by Reaver from missing her in RRA, to the now view of her simply handing off the object at the cost of a 'favor'. Things like this were not something that he was going to sit by and accept. With this hand raised, he released a single Death Beam instantaneously. With this one shot of Death Beam, he would attempt striking Desco through the body, from head to toe due to the angle he was at. If struck, he would certainly kill her in an instant. Ending her life just as it was deserved by robbing him of something he was hunting for. It was now time to deal with the second demon, although he could tell already that the ploy of striking them down with a death beam was not going to work. He would need to adapt to this kind of situation when the time asked for it. "Your...Contract.." He begins, his face contorting slightly upon speaking the word 'contract'. "Has become null and void... Hand over the Dragon Ball, which belongs to you no longer, upon cancellation of the contract." Of course there was the obvious factor of greed, an ideal which all beings of earth and perhaps every other living thing had. Reaver on the other hand, held no thoughts for greed, for his motivation was purpose. That Dragon Ball would become his, whether he needed to rip open th very essence of reality and tear that demon from her perch, or simply destroy this entire world until he finds the means to wring her neck until it snaps, rip her apart, and absorb the useless pieces from her body while she would be held in the air before him to watch her own body be drawn away into nothingness. The sheer anger and intent of the massacre he wanted to have done, could actually out-weight the sheer level of power which he could give off on a whim, thanks to his superior advantages in strength.

[I'm positive this post is within the 'two day' exchange..]  

[hurdy13]

"Since you Hurkon have promised to pass on my techniques and teachings, I Piccolo promise to teach you to the best of my abilities, and make sure you leave my presence better than you were before." And with that, they touched their antennae together, the ultimate sign of a trust bond between Namekians. Now there was no undoing, Hurkon would be taught. This was extremely significant as he would grow immensely in power. He didn't know exactly how Piccolo would be able to teach him if he was passing on in years, his ki has surely dwindled and his physical body is much much weaker, but surely he would still have some kick in him? After the antennae promise was completed, Piccolo stood up from his seat and stretched minimally. Hurkon noticed how old he was now, but he was still lean and slightly muscular. This was from years of training and battles, hurkon shivered with thoughts of how powerful he must have been in his prime. He was apart of the z fighters at one point, the last living one as a matter of fact. This was actually a history lesson, he was going back to the old days of power when saiyans and changelings were the scariest things around. Now they were more common but not nearly as powerful as back then. But very rarely had a namekian ever been the strongest around, but with a little training, Hurkon aimed to change that swiftly.

"Now Hurkon, we'll start out with my most powerful technique yet, and my personal favorite. It is known as the special beam cannon. Though it is incredibly powerful and speed of light fast, it is no where near perfect and requires a few seconds charge up. Once released however, it will drill through almost anything, and what it doesn't drill through it will explode on causing a lot of damage. Either way, if you can get the technique off, you will be in good shape." Hurkon nodded and stood across from Piccolo. He listened as piccolo took his ready form and held his two fingers together, placing them precisely in the middle of his forehead. "Now Hurkon, what you are going to do is place you fingers as so, and charge ki to your fingertips and antennae, this was maximum output is being stored. You hold this until it is completely full, about ten to twenty seconds. Then, aim forward and release!" He then Thrust his focused arm forward and grabbed it at the forearm with his left hand, the unused one. He yelled special beam cannon and then watched as his middle finger shot a straight beam shot, and the index finger's beam curled and twisted around it. The drill like beam shot off at a remarkable speed into the sun set before fading out. Hurkon Then took his ready pose and began to place his fingers to his forehead when he ask, "How will i know when i have enough energy stored up?" Piccolo smiled shook his head, he knew by feeling how much, but this was a new student.... "When your fingers tingle and your arm begins to shake." Hurkon continued to charge the beam up, it was an awkward silence during the the whole process, however the fingers began to tingle and the arm shook, it was time to release. He thrust his arm into the same path piccolo had, and yelled special beam cannon! The beams twisted up and shot off, though not as far or fast. "The power and speed of your cannon will come with practice Hurkon," said Piccolo as he slumped back into his chair, "But i must rest now, im not as powerful or youthful as i once was. Please come back tomorrow to learn more." Hurkon bowed to show his thanks and left the hill top plateau residence just as Piccolo slipped of into slumber.

Hurkon fly slowly home, eager to rest up and tell his father about the experience of learning with piccolo. He was going to rest as well, because he wanted to be at one hundred percent for tomorrow. He would just have to have Piccolo explain more then actually demonstrating. That way he would be able to learn more with out piccolo getting tired and having to stop and rest after a little bit of exertion.

(words 726 / Total: 2511)  

[Hedoro Koutai]

Desco hadn't thought anybody would come after her. And why should she? She had been completely unopposed when picking up that strange sphere, and the only one who had shown any interest in it was the other Demon, the one she had just traded it to. She didn't know the true worth of the sphere, just that it was a rather large gem, and rather shiny. It didn't seem to fit the same standard as other gems, though, it's rounded surface was more closely related to a pearl, perhaps. But no matter, none of that made any difference now. She had traded it, and she had gained a favor to be called in later. Things were looking up. The only problem being, though, that she did not look up. She didn't notice the arrival of the Android a good distance above, nor did she notice the sudden and unexpected attack aimed squarely at her own self.

But Beatrice had. after all, she had just been thinking about how to get in contact with that very same Android, when he would appear. She wasn't a fighter, but she had good information. Enough to have a reasonable expectation of violence from the Android. And since she was currently off the market twice over, she expected he would lash out at the next closest living being, and the former possessor of his objective. Sure enough, she could feel the surge of energy as he readied his attack. She made no effort to call out to Desco, knowing that the other Demon's reflexes wouldn't prove up to the task of dodging what might otherwise be a fatal blast. she wasted only an instant coming to a decision, then went into action. holding her empty hand out, palm facing Desco, she gestured. A slowly spiraling portal appeared directly above the young Demon, just in time for the Death Beam to hit it.

Two things happened when the Death Beam hit her portal. One, the Beam passed through the portal, the energy disappearing into her own home dimension, the World of Dreams. It went on for a good long while, she had no idea where it's ultimate target was. The other occurrence that happened was that the actual force of the beam was more than she had been prepared for, and it actually pushed the portal down, down right onto Desco, swallowing her up as well. Coming from the opposite side of the portal, Desco would seem to come forth from the same space as the Death Beam, though radically different directions. As the portal hit the ground it's durability was broken and it faded away. She'd have to remember that, using the portals to swallow up Ki attacks was a lot more complicated than she had expected.

She looked up toward the Android and began marching up the set of wide curving stairs that didn't appear to actually be there. When she reached the insubstantial landing, she was more or less face to face with the Android, save that she seemed to be standing at an approximate ninety degree angle to him. Seems that she had had much of the construction in her realm done by that strange visionary by the name of Escher. She looked the one called Reaver over, she knew he was much stronger than her. She had no intention of trying to fight him, however. Instead, she just flicked some dream dust from her sleeve before she returned to the matter at hand. Or in hand, rather, as her other hand still held the orb. 「Well I certainly could just give it to you, Reaver. But that is just poor business. If I do, what is in it for me?」 She didn't hold his attack on Desco against him, it was all more or less within her expectations. Rational beings like Androids were rather predictable at times. And as a bonus, he had given her the opportunity to clear away the favor she owed the other Demon. Desco could certainly contest that claim, but the fact that she would still be alive to protest would prove the folly of such a choice. No, that was a positive, in her mind. Now, there was just the matter of what new deals could be made.
(714 plus 817 is 1531 out of ???)  

[Reaver Darkside]

"I.. Don't think so." Reaver says, his words not even finishing leaving his lips as he vanishes completely from sight. His entire form appearing directly before Desco even as she shot from the portal on the other side, the Kitetsu blade sliding from it's sheath in one fluid slash, the blade sliding through the air and aimed to lop Desco's head right off. In all senses, it was completely impossible for the damned Dream demon to even see him move, never mind attempt retaliating against his attacks. This time, he wouldn't be waiting and watching, he would be actually moving in an instant, in order to slash Desco in half, Reaver was not all too happy about people meddling with his own objectives and his own kills. He also was not the kind of person to make any sort of deal. He would destroy the first person here, eradicate them from existence, and then work towards taking care of the more annoying of the two. There wasn't a further word he planned to say, until Desco was dead, then he would deal with this.. Dream Demon.  

[Hedoro Koutai]

Beatrice blinked as Reaver rebuffed her offer and vanished. That had not been how she had expected the process to go, she thought he wanted the precious little bauble. Only after he had reappeared and attacked, did she notice his movement, her head turning down to watch him slash with vicious ferocity. At... nothing? There was nobody else there, Desco had already passed through her portal and into the World of Dreams. She wasn't even visible like Beatrice herself was, that was a skill she had developed so she could at least have dealings with the beings of this plane. Without having to constantly organize transportation, forming more portals than she really had the energy for. It was just her and Reaver, though he seemed a little confused by what had just happened. Maybe he wasn't used to dealing with pan-dimensional physics and trans-spatial anomalies? No matter. He didn't seem to want to bargain, so what choice did she have? She watched, still standing at an angle to everything, wondering if he would perhaps change his mind. If not, there would always be others interested in the bauble.
(190 plus 1531 is 1721 out of ???)  

[Reaver Darkside]

[Honestly? ******** it. I'm not going against character.]
Reaver simply stared at the point where his prey should have been standing, it was some complete bullshit that they had entered whatever other plane that the dream demon was in. This wasn't something that he was ultimately accepting to. Turning on his heel, Reaver simply began walking away. Things like this were pointless, goal or not, he was not there to play with weak beings that hid behind veils of invulnerability for survival. And as such, he wouldn't simply stand by and watch this sort of complete unacceptably weak action from having before him. If such beings were going to be as weak as they were, hiding as they were. He would return with the power to rip both of them from their pathetic defenses, and then destroy them. And with that, Reaver silently walked away, while sliding the weapon back into it's sheath. Ki slowly generating in his hand, before he rose his hand into the air. If he had to leave a place like this every time, destroy it just like he had other places, like these two pathetic demon's home. He would be sure to do just that to this place as well. It would teach the inhabitants a valuable lesson, indeed. The Death Storm technique was released as soon as he rose his hand into the air, the attack sending a total wave of destruction which would completely obliterate this location in a matter of moments. Sadly the pathetic demons would be safe inside their sanctuary.  

[Hedoro Koutai]

Hedoro Koutai

[Under construction.]
A long time had passed after the phenomenally destructive technique had virtually leveled the entire area. So long, in fact, that the location had managed to rebuild, to the extent that it could rebuild, being a wasteland. The Namekians and Makyans who lived here, however, obviously would view it as something more, but that was of no concern for what came next. It started as just a small iris of energy, coruscating and crackling in the midst of the air. A chill wind blew even as the iris stretched out into a proper portal, shaped like an open eye. The portal solidified, before two figures emerged. One, the ghostly form of Beatrice, the Demon of Dreams. She was still in her 'human' form, having not yet mastered any higher forms, even with all the time spent in solitudinous training. The figure who emerged moments later, only to vomit violently on a particularly dead piece of landscape, was another Demon, one that went by the name Desco. She looked decidedly non-human, with tentacles, fangs, pointed ears, and numerous other traits that defined her quite clearly as an outsider. At the same time, however, it seemed she was still at least partially susceptible to vertigo and it's related ills. She vented the remnants of her last meal before straightening up and wiping her mouth. "Ugh, even the second time around, that ride was horrible. I appreciate the save, but if it's all the same to you, I hope we don't meet again for quite some time." She shook the nervous tension out of her numerous limbs, as well as tried to get used to the feeling of actually being back in the real world again. After all, she had been plucked out of it, and plopped directly into the same place that dreams had come from, for what felt like years. Who knew how much the real world had changed in that time? There could be a whole new generation of foes stronger than her, ones who would want to test their strength against her. She had to be ready for any and all challengers, especially if she wanted to gain the revered title of 'Endboss'.

--------

(365 plus 1531 is 1896 out of ???)

 

[Hedoro Koutai]

The cave had stood for decades, perhaps even centuries. Nobody went there; it was rumored to be haunted. Indeed, odd happenings had been noticed from time to time, but nothing had ever been proven. It was always colder than the surrounding area, even in the midst of summer. Occasionally, screams could be heard, at random times of the day or night. But nobody had ever been found, on the few occasions when people went to investigate. Eventually, they stopped coming, except for rare occasions when reckless teenagers decided to prove themselves by running into it, or even spending the night.

Such was the scene one chilly autumn evening. The wind whistled, rising to momentary shrieks that sounded almost human and made the hair raise on the back of one's neck. The sun was sinking fast, causing the shadows to lengthen and reach out for one another. The trio of teens dawdled at the mouth of the cave, suddenly unsure now that they saw just how imposing the cave actually was. For a moment, they considered just leaving, spending the night in their nice, cozy beds. They could always say they spent the night in the cave, nobody would ever know otherwise.

They might have left there and then, until one of their number made a last push, a last flash of courage, bolstered by their secret weapon. Holding the paper bag aloft, they announced that they weren't scared, and started into the cave, pulling the cork out of the bottle hidden by the bag, and taking a pull. They were too young to buy liquor, but not too young to know where their parents hid it. With the promise of liquid courage, the other two teens were prompt in following. They weren't about to be left behind now, and let the other take all the credit!

-------------

Time had passed, during which the trio of teenagers had ventured further into the cave. They bore flashlights, which gave them just enough light to see. And what they saw... didn't make any sense. Most caved were rough-hewn, uneven, natural. This cave, the walls and floor were smooth, level, planed. Planned. This was something they hadn't been prepared for. But while it was unusual, it wasn't scary. So they pressed on. Even when the cave gave way to what was obviously a man-made structure, stone tiles leading to what resembled nothing so much as an immense mausoleum, or perhaps am ancient castle, done in an exceptionally strong Gothic influence. How such a structure had managed to be built inside of a cave, and why; those were questions that the trio didn't have the slightest clue how to answer. But where sensibility fears to tread is the playground of the reckless youth. So the trio marched brazenly up to the door, before trying to pull it open.

The door, taller than any of them by at least two feet, opened slowly, ponderous due to it's great weight. Yet balanced perfectly enough that it still opened easily. As it did, a rumbling creak sounded, far more effective than any doorbell. While slightly unnerved, the alcohol served to strengthen the teens' resolve, and they continued into the building. The moment the third teen was past the threshold, the immense door slammed shut with startling speed, sending a resounding boom through the vicinity. As one, the teens turned, to try to force the door open again, but it refused to budge. To further enhance their sudden fear, all three flashlights flickered and died, sending final sputtering arcs of light in wild directions before the area was plunged into a complete and inky darkness.

Thankfully, this sudden terror was doused, at least in part, only a moment later. With a crackling snap, torches on either side of the immense hallway they found themselves in burst into light, flames crackling energetically and filling the expanse with light. While that was a relief, it was only a small one, as the revelation of their surroundings sent a shiver of sheerest dread down the spines of the three teens. Scattered haphazardly all around them were life-size statues. Not fine art, each depicted a person in the throes of terror and madness. And what made it so much worse was how each face seemed eerily similar to the face of one of the missing persons who had disappeared years before.

Panicked, one of the teens backed away from the closest statue, only to flinch and yelp when they bumped into another statue. This new statue teetered for a breathless moment, three sets of eyes watching with tense fear. Finally, it tipped over, falling to the stone floor and shattering. The statue's head, still frozen in a rictus of dread, cracked in half, the larger piece coming to a stop near the teen who'd bumped into it. That face, they remembered them! But this... this couldn't be the same person, could it? People didn't turn into statues, that was just crazy! It had to be a prank of some kind, that was it!

"Insolent humans! You destroyed one of my statues!" A sharp voice rang out, filling the air in a sudden explosion of sound. The teens looked around in rapidly mounting terror, but they couldn't tell where the voice had come from. A moment later, their fear grew even stronger, as the lit torches seemed to sputter and waver, before the flames strengthened, and turned an unholy black. These black flames still shed light, but it was a light stripped of all warmth, casting stark shadows that seemed sharp enough to cut.

The trio turned to run, but suddenly they realized they couldn't tell which way they had come from. Hadn't there only been the one path they had followed? Then why were there so many doors now?! This latest impossibility proved enough to cause them to hesitate, and would ultimately seal their fate. For they had taken too long, and ventured too far. It was too late to simply run away, now they were trapped.

A shadow seemed to grow out from the far wall, growing until it become a large silhouette, spread upon the floor like an enormous carpet. The shape was human, though the proportions seemed somewhat off. The forearms were longer and broader, and the fingers seemed to end in wickedly sharp talons. Indeed, much of the shadow seemed to possess devilish or even demonic features. A pair of short horns sprouted from their crown, and a tail could be seen lashing past the shadow's waist. A moment later, the shadow contracted, until it shrank to actual size, even as a figure seemed to rise up out of the stone floor, through the shadow.

They struck an imposing figure, even if they were no taller than any of the teens. Their eyes were a deep red, the color of fresh blood. At least their human eyes. Several other eyes were scattered over the rest of their body, large yellow eyes that seemed completely inhuman. A pair of red horns sprouted from their head, and their ears were obviously pointed. Adding to the dangerous visage, they smiled, an expression utterly without warmth. Indeed, it showed they had a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth, dentition that belonged in the mouth of a shark, or perhaps a piranha.

The unnamed fiend glared sharply at the three teens, before throwing an arm to the side. As they did, a burst of dark energy radiated off of them, and as it did, a series of large tentacles burst from their back. These tentacles, perhaps more than any of the other details, proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that this monster was not human. The tentacles lashed forward, though they weren't long enough to reach the teens.

Even so, it didn't matter. The teens had had too much, they turned and ran toward the door, scrabbling at it, trying to find a way to force the heavy door open. It had opened so easily from the other side, why wouldn't it open now? Maybe it had locked when it closed? They kept trying, futile though it was, even as they screamed at each other to try to open it. All the while, the tentacles monster approached, moving slowly but implacably. They knew the teens wouldn't get away.

"Try, try as much as you like. It matters not, for you'll die this night!" Their voice shifted into a twisted parody of a child's sing-song voice. They seemed to genuinely enjoy the terror their new guests were showing, They continued to toy with the trio, starting to sidle to the side as they approached. And sure enough, the teens reacted as expected. Namely, to see a small window of opportunity and grab it with both hands. To run to the opposite side of the room, and down the hallway that led away from the demon. The hallway that also led deeper into that demon's home...

----------------

"What is this place?! Man, we shouldn't have come, I knew it was a mistake..." One teen sobbed, sinking down to sit against the wall, head in their hands. The sheer terror had burned away the alcohol in their system, leaving fear and a gradually growing sense of nausea.

"What are you talking about? You're the one who said it'd be fun, that we could show everyone how awesome we were! We're going to die, aren't we?" The second teen countered, anger bubbling up at their friend since it couldn't be directed at what they really wanted to, the monster.

Once one of them showed anger, things quickly began to spiral out of control. All three of them began to get angrier at each other, sure that it was everyone else's fault and not their own. Soon, they actually seemed on the verge of coming to blows over it. That is, until they heard that same horrific singing from before.

"Three little mice ran away from the cat, but they got lost in the dark, and that's that." At the same time, the teens could see a pair of glowing red eyes move toward them from the darkness. They screamed and tore off once more, running as hard as they could. This time, they could tell the monster was following them, keeping up with their frantic pace. All the while, the macabre singing continued, each new verse becoming more and more frightful. "Three little mice, soon to be dead. They forgot to watch where they ran, and off went their heads!"

Just then, a new sound could be heard in the dark, of metal grinding on stone, and moving quickly. Moving by instinct, one of the teens tackled the others, ending all three of them into a tumble on the stone floor. And just in time, if they had reacted any slower, the large blade that had been embedded in the wall would have taken their heads. As poorly lit as the hallway was, none of them had noticed the signs of the trap, the only clue having been the demon's horrible song.

"The three little mice had a great fall, might they escape after all? The cat thinks not, there is no hope, they're at the end of their rope!" She laughed before resuming the chase. The teens were putting up a good fight, but could they really get away? They had no idea which way they were going, or what other traps might be lying in wait for them. They certainly couldn't trust the monster's rhymes to protect them or give them enough warning! So they kept running, trying to get away from the monster just as much as their own fear, continuing running past the pain, past the shortness of breath, past the renewed pain of limbs screaming for oxygen even as they panted for air.

The hallway they were in finally opened up into a room. Roughly circular, the only feature they could see was the other hallways. Plural. Three other hallways extended into darkness from where they stood, clustered together. They argued which way to go, but none of them had the slightest clue which path might actually lead them home again. All too soon, they heard the monster getting closer and they set out again, rushing into darkness. Only later would they each discover they had taken a different route, that they had separated. Would that make the monster have to focus on one of them, or did it still have another choice? It finally reached the room, before it stared at the other paths for a long moment. Only to turn and go back the way it had come from.

--------------

The first teen noticed they were alone, and almost instantly froze, skidding to a halt. Suddenly, the very air around them seemed to press down on them, they could feel dozens, if not hundreds, of eyes watching them, waiting for them to come within range. They withdrew into themselves, arms pulling in to wrap around their chest even as they nervously debated between continuing on or turning back. They didn't want to go alone, but if they went back, they might be caught by that horrible monster thing. Whatever it was, they could tell it was dangerous, and that was all they needed to know. So they finally continued moving forward, though at a cautious walk rather than the panicked pace from before. They could just barely tell where the walls where, expanses of black against the darkness just barely perceptible. If they just proceeded carefully, maybe they could find somewhere to hide. There was no reason to think so, but they also hoped that if they could just survive until sunrise, then the monster would leave and they could get away.

The second teen was still angry from before, and finding out they'd been abandoned just made it worse. They were still running, but now they were running to try to get away faster than their so-called 'friends'. They'd been ditched, it was obvious the others didn't care about them! If that was the case, then they'd get away first, and too bad for everyone else! Their anger just didn't seem to go away, perhaps it was serving as an outlet for their fear, turning into something that seemed less cowardly. Being angry meant they still had options, being scared meant they were losing. If their anger got too strong, even they didn't know what might happen. They might even turn around and go try to fight the monster, rather than running away. Surely getting killed in battle was cooler than dying while running away.

The third teen realized only moments into their run that they had gone the wrong way, that they'd been separated from their friends. Rather than panic or get angry, they tried to think things through logically. There was very little light, but there was just enough to see. They could retrace their steps without getting lost, but they had no way of knowing which of the other ways their friends had gone. They could go forward, and hope that they'd eventually reunite with their friends. In the end, simply staying still wasn't an option, so they set out anew, doing their best to keep track of their surroundings, even going so far as to build a map in their mind.

------------------

None of the teens had any clue of the true threat. Oh, they'd be in terrible enough danger if the unnamed demon actually caught them, but that was merely a game it was playing. The true danger was the castle itself. Not the traps, the castle. For the truth was that none of it was real. Right now, all of the teens were still near the mouth of the cave, on their backs and thrashing as they ran through endless hallways in their minds. It had been a subtle but effective trap that the teens had stepped into. They likely never saw it coming, and were still no wiser now than they were before. Eventually their terror would peak, and then the demon would strike. Until then, all they had to do was wait. Moving to a rock with a flat top, the demon sat down and watching the trio, wondering how far any of them might last. Or if any of them might figure it out before things went too far.

Only a half hour later, one of the teens groaned and began to sit up, clutching their head. a side effect of breaking free of the illusion was a lingering headache. But they had broken free, and earlier than the demon had expected. As a reward, the demon decided it would let them live. It still had to make it look real, though. So just as the teen looked up and finally saw the real them, they struck. Rushing in with arm upraised, sharp claws at the ready, the demon lunged for the teenager. In reply, the teen let out a startled yelp before skidding back and somehow scampering to their feet in the same movement, before they let their yelp transform into a full-blown scream. They turned and ran, putting as much distance as possible between themselves and the cave and demon.

The demon only grinned, before turning back to the two remaining teens. So, the first to escape had left them behind without a look back? Such a horrible friend. That guilt may well stay with them forever, especially if their friends were never seen again... The demon's grin widened, which way would fate decree these remaining teens' lives to go? The fun was in the finding!

They settled down to wait, however long it took for the other two teens to wake up, to find out the true nature of their peril. The one teen had found out the truth fairly quickly; they were obviously the smart one. But what of the other two? Were they even now coming to grips with the truth, or were they just running mindlessly down hallway after hallway? The illusion was complex enough to make sure that each hallway was different, that it would truly feel like they were navigating an enormous and hopelessly complicated labyrinth. It would take some serious thought for them to find anything out of the ordinary, to enough of an extent to pull them out of the phantasmal world they were trapped in.

----------

It took some time, but eventually the other two teens began to wake up. At almost the same moment. They must have somehow reunited within the illusion, which was impressive enough in and of itself. It didn't do much to improve their odds of escaping, however. When the demon rushed in to attack, one of the teens simply froze up, eyes wide as any prey animal's. The other teen made an unexpected decision, rising to meet the demon's charge, trying to fend off the blow. That was brave. Foolish, but brave. The demon's claws latched on to the teen's arm rather than knock it aside, and pulled sharply, unbalancing the teen and sending them to the ground once more.

The demon decided to try to further enrage the fighter, see if they might not actually be worthwhile of their time. So they turned on the petrified teen, and let the punishment fit the crime. At first, neither teen realized the threat when the demon simply spat on the scared teen. But they found out soon enough! The small glob of saliva soon began to spread, and even as it did, the teen let out a panicked cry, holding their arm away from the rest of their body. Sure enough, a good portion of their arm was already stone, with more and more converting before the teen's frightened eyes.

They could try running if they wanted, but they wouldn't get far. And then the demon could go and grab their new statue at their leisure. For now, however, they had a different toy to break. As they turned back to face the angry teen, they grinned. Just as expected, the teen looked even angrier, and demanded they stop whatever it was they were doing. The demon just chuckled, before challenging the teen to make them.

The teen rushed at the demon, but time and again they were knocked away without effort. Finally, they seemed to reach their limit, exhaustion and a realization of their own weakness making them sink to their knees. They couldn't bring themselves to try attacking again and instead pled for the demon to take them instead of their friend. At this noble offer, the demon paused, actually considering it. Oh, their noble entreaty had no real effect, but the idea it gave them was worth thinking over. After all, if this youngling was such a goody-goody, it would be interesting to see just how far they could bend before breaking...

Finally, the demon nodded, and whipped a hand at the other teen. As they did, flakes of stone burst free from the teen in a spray of shrapnel, revealing unharmed flesh underneath. A growled command to run made the teen nod and stumble off a few steps, before they paused and turned back to face the demon. It seemed they were on the verge of working up the courage to plead for their friend's life in turn. Unfortunately the demon only had the patience to endure one such act of martyrdom a night. So instead of give them time to ask, the demon growled before breathing a stream of fire at the teen. This proved more than enough to make them break and run, shouting out an apology as they ran.

That just left the demon and the sacrifice. The sacrifice seemed to be ready to die, staying where they were, on their knees with their neck bared for the imagined executioner's axe. They were visibly shaking, however, and it was completely obvious how scared they were. But they didn't try to run, showing they either had more courage than brains, or this would be more fun than expected...
[3678 + ??? = 3678 out of ??? ]