Raziel sighed and put the phone down, she didn't like it when she had to reject the Fire Pea, unfortunately she was too busy searching out her companion, Avrae.
"Talon, where are you?" She called out for her animal compatriot, a very small dragon she had saved from Avrae as the Dark Peashooter descended into darkness. A small 'Click-Click' told her that Talon was on the roof above her, their scaly tail shacking left to right in excitement. Raziel giggled and played around with the dragon's muzzle.
"Come on, let's go have another look before the sun goes down.
Desmond clasped his head in his pods as the team he had been rooting for, the Western Hippocampus', lost the game, by a massive gap. Desmond got up and took his cup and the bowl he had been using back in to the kitchen. He walked back into the lounge to find his sister flicking through the channels on the TV. Desmond shook his head and opened the door into the backyard.
"Hey, mum, dad. I'm going back to the barracks now. I'll see ya both later." Desmond let his parents know where he was going.
"Alright. Don't get hurt, alright." Alison let out in a worried tone.
"It's alright if he comes back with a few bruises and cuts, fighting isn't a clean business after all." Pete spoke this time.
"I'll see ya both later, anyway." With that, Desmond closed the door and headed to the bus station down the street, where he waited for the number four bus.
Desmond boarded the bus and flicked the driver a ten cent coin before taking a seat at the back of the deserted bus. After half an hour of riding the bus, Desmond hopped off at the barracks where his team, Team Sierra, which had gotten its name from his father's ex-team, and walked into the complex. Desmond headed straight to the gym where his second in command, a Peashooter named Calamity, was training a couple of the recruits they had recently received. Desmond sat on the side lines and waited for Calamity to finish speaking before he approached the recruits.
"Well aren't you all an interesting group of recruits." Desmond spoke to the recruits. Calamity, who didn't know his friend was there, jumped in fright, before saluting Desmond.
"Oh. Hey, Desmond. I didn't know you were coming in today." Calamity spoke in a surprised tone.
"I didn't plan on coming in. But since I'm here, I want all of you recruits to run a few laps of the court, I want to see how endurant you all are." The recruits ran off in an unorganized mess after Desmond finished speaking.
"Well since you're here...You wanna spar?" Calamity asked his friend.
"Sure, why not. I'm sure the recruits won't stay running forever, so they might pick something up off of our little duel." Desmond took a few steps back and formed his pods into fists. To Desmond's surprise, Calamity struck first for the Peashooter had hit Desmond square in the head with their fist. Desmond shook it off and struck Calamity unaware with a quick, flurry of fists. Calamity was stunned by the strikes and it took him a bit to recover. But when he did recover, he was able to knock Desmond onto his back with a kick. Desmond was able to sweep Calamity onto his back by taking out his roots in a kicking motion.
Avrae gripped the sword tightly as he wandered through the dark forest, the imposing castle in the distance. He looked down at himself, while physically he looked like a Peashooter, he was nothing but dark, no green visible, for he was nothing but a monster that not even death could touch. After a few minutes, the Dark Peashooter kicked down the old, decaying wooden doors at the front of the castle, the candles in the central courtyard were blown out by the shock wave of air caused by the doors hitting the ground.
"Why are you here, Demonkin?" Asked the Peashooter.
"Answers! You know who I am..." Avrae muttered in a solid tone. The Peashooter frowned as they stood and turned to face the Dark Peashooter.
"I know of you, Demonkin. But I do not know who you are. That is up to you." Avrae growled and charged at the Peashooter.
"Then you are of no use to me." Avrae let out coldly as he ran at the Peashooter. The unarmed Peashooter span out of the way of Avrae's attack and summoned their dark, obsidian blade, Oblivion, as well as their Heater Shield.
"I may not best you, but I will make sure that death can take you." Retorted the Peashooter.
"That blade, rightfully belongs to me." Spoke Avrae in an angry tone. Avrae jumped back as the Peashooter leapt forward.
"Well come and get it." The Peashooter dropped their shield and held their left pod out to their side as they uttered the words quietly. "Ignatius." A ball of fire appeared above their pod and they threw it at Avrae. The Dark Peashooter growled as he leapt back.
"Magic using coward!" Avrae spoke under his breathe as he deflected the fire balls off the blade of his sword. Avrae began throwing himself in random directions as he made his way towards the Peashooter.
"So be it." The Peashooter stopped throwing fire balls and charged at the erratic Dark Peashooter. When the two blades smashed into each other, a rare event happened. When the blades collided, a bright light emanated from the point where the blades collided, and pushed the two plants back from each other.
"What the?..." Avrae was confused by what had transpired, and then he clicked.
"You. YOU! You're the one my creators warned me of." The Peashooter looked at the Dark Peashooter, a befuddled look on their face.
"I'm the...what?" The Peashooter asked in a confused tone.
"You're the Lathyrus one. You're the damn Lathyrus that I can't kill because you are the exact opposite of me." Avrae spoke in an angry tone.
"I'm just a Paladin for the Order of the Rose...how does that work..."
"I don't know..." Avrae replied. 'You know why. But just like your identity, you won't know until you truly ask yourself.' Avrae growled as his worst enemy, himself, started talking.
"Look, Demonkin-"
"Avrae." The Dark Peashooter interrupted the Peashooter angrily.
"-Avrae. I want to know what's going on as well. If we work together, we may be able to figure this out." Avrae growled at the prospect of working with someone who is completely opposite him. Avrae was supposed to destroy plants, this Paladin was supposed to protect them to the end.
"Look. As much as this goes against every fiber in my body, I am willing to work with you until we find out what's going on." Avrae spoke rather begrudgingly.
