ARC THE LAD: ROMANCE OF THE DEIMOS (ROD)
Chapter 3
((DISCLAIMER: Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits and characters from the game are copyrighted by "Cattle Call". So, unfortunately, they don't belong to me. Nor do they belong to you. This story belongs to me, not you or "Cattle Call".))
Soon, the Deimos had finally made it to Adenade. Unfortunately, as usual, the Pyron had to land on the coast of the continent to survive. So the crew had to hoof it to Rueloon. As they went, the gang had ran into the multiple monsters, human with intent of killing them, and deimos who were just bored and wanted to pick a fight with the first thing they saw. They crew dispatched them all quite easily, even with out there magic. About an hour after these battles, they all finally arrive in Rueloon, the city where Deimos of all kind who wanted to live together can.
"Been awhile since we've stay here." Darc stated. "I remember when we first met Droguza here and defeated him."
"Yeah, but we still lost the stone, too." Delma pointed out. "All thanks to this hag."
Delma points accusingly at Camellia.
"Why are you blaming me?!" Camellia tried to innocently question. "Just because I happen to go out one night, taking the stone with, you accuse me of getting the spirit stone stolen."
"Yes!" Delma and Volk scolded.
"Well, I'm hurt. I just wanted to get my youth back that's all." Camellia said , continuing to be innocent. "It's not like I expected the man-made Deimos to come for the spirit stone, right Darc?"
"Hmm… you do have a point there." Darc agree. "But…"
"And you forgive for that incident, right Darc?" Camellia asked as she put her hand on the deimos-wannabe shoulder.
"…"
"Right?" Camellia asked again worriedly.
Darc harshly glared at the Pianta sage from the corner of his eye, causing her to move her hand off his shoulders and step back a foot or two. She let out a nervous chuckle as Darc took her gaze off of her and looks back onto the city.
"You still took it from us." Darc stated sternly. "Only reason I didn't do anything was because I need more powerful Deimos at the time. Since Droguza didn't want to join, I had to settle with you for several reason that would help me on my quest."
"Well, I say you should've killed that back-stabber right then and there." Delma told Darc.
"Now, now, now…" Volk said as he waved his finger in front of Delma. "What have we discussed about suggesting to kill other people for back-stabbing, huh?"
"You keep out of this, you stupid wolf boy!" the orcon girl snarled.
"Anyway, anybody want to head to the arena and train a bit?" Darc suggested.
"Well, I would just like to fine a spot and relax in this beautiful sunlight we have today while the sky is still clear and the air isn't humid." Camellia said. "Got to stay beautiful, you know."
Camellia went off to find a nice grassy area with the city. Delma mutter something about her being lazy and such. Darc turned to Volk.
"How you?" the half-breed asked. "You want to fight in the arena?"
"Ye- wait a minute!" Volk said cut his own sentence short. "Is that… yes it is! It's that welcher that cheated me out of 1000 gods! Hey, you! Yes, you! Remember me, Troll dude? Well, I'm gonna be your worse nightmare if you don't give me my money!"
"Uh-oh!" the troll said scared.
The troll dude dashed away to find a place to hide, with Volk hot on his heel. Darc laughed at this before looking at Bebedora.
"Are you up to a fight, Bebedora?" Darc asked the little doll-like girl.
"Heeheehee… of course, Mr.…" Bebedora stated.
"Hey, little girlie." A red Quorop merchant interrupted with organ grinder box. "Would you like to watch the new, super-fantastic, extraordinary red snake show?"
"Isn't that what you said the last few time we saw this show?" Darc question with a raised eyebrow.
"I know, I know. But this time, thanks to your large and generous donation, I was able take my snakes to a snake acting school. I was also able to purchase many props and material to make it better!"
"I'm sorry, but we're kind of busy at the moment."
"Actually, Darc…" Bebedora stated. "I would like to watch this show if it's okay. Seems… interesting."
"Heh… if you want. All right, then. Have fun."
Bebedora giggled as she turned to the snake charmer Quorop, just as the show was about to start. The famous red snake turns to the girl , also.
"Okay." The merchant Deimos said. "Say hello…"
Darc chuckles as he watched the Bebedora using her now free time and life to watch this snake show. With Delma being the only one left in the area, Darc turn to her.
"Now don't tell me you have something else to do." Darc said sarcastically.
"Nope. Not me." Delma laughed proudly. "I'm ready to rumble whenever you are."
Darc nodded with a smile and walked over to the arena entrance. They took a few seconds to look at one of the match in session. Then they turn to the clerk-ish guard.
"We would like to sign up for a arena tourney." Darc stated to the guard.
"Sure." The guard replied. "Which type of tournament set-up would you like to try? Or would you like to try our newest one?"
"Hmm… tell us about this tournament."
"Well, this one is called 'Mark of the Diablo'. There are 30 round in this one and the enemies are harder than the previous. As with the others, you can only use melee attacks, but you're allowed to use items. Also, to spice up the action a bit, the monsters are allowed to kill you. Once you're down, they can choose to kill you or let you off… even though they rarely let their prey go."
"Hmm… only melee attacks?" Darc thought. "I guess that's okay… especially since we don't have any more spirit stones to use."
"So are you gonna enter?" the guard asked.
"Hmm… sounds fun." Darc stated. "What do you think, Delma?"
"I'm all for it." Delma said as she punched her right fist into her left palm.
"Then we're signing up for the tournament." Darc announced.
"Good, good. Please wait in this room till the current match is over." The guard stated as he pointed to the door to the waiting room for contestants.
The duo started their wait in that room. Darc looking through a large window to examine the fighter and monsters and stuff, while Delma sat down on a nearby bench. The orcon girl started fidgeting every now and then, anxious to fight.
"This is gonna be fun." Delma thought to herself. "Me and Darc, fighting side by side to protect each other, just like the good ol' days. …I wish they would've stay like that. But then we wouldn't have had such an intense adventure, nor would I have gotten to know Darc better. And…"
"Delma." Darc interrupted Delma's train of thought. "We're up. Let's get this started."
"Huh? Oh, yeah! It's about time!"
The exciting red demon got up and did a quick stretching routine. Darc shook his head with a smile on his face and headed out the door that would lead them to the arena floor. Delma quickly followed. Delma looked around for the enemy.
"Grr… where are they?!" Delma shouted impatiently. "Are they gonna forfeit? I guess they heard that the infamous red demon was gonna fight today and decided to call in sick."
Suddenly after that, a duo of Deimos that looked like bulky humans made entirely of plant vines, stomped into the arena.
"Gwahaha…" one of the plant deimos chortled. "We have what looks like one of them deimos/human hybrid experiments that those army people did and puny orcon girlie.**
Delma was just about to lunge at the plant man and impale him through his head with her claws several times, but Darc extended his to stop her from going any further.
"Yo, isn't that the deimos-wannabe that everyone is talking about?" the other plant dude noted. "Rumor has it that he's trying to become the Deimos king and he has also taking over some of the other Deimos tribes, like the Drakyr and the Coleopt."
"So?" the other said as he shrugged.
"They also say he's the one that defeated the Divine Ruler, a.k.a. the Lord of the Black Abyss."
"Meh, that's just a rumor. And how many rumors have been known to be true?"
"Well… a lot these days."
"Ah, you worry too much. If he IS who you say he is, maybe we've somebody who can give us an extra challenge. But we don't have to worry that girl over there. Seems very puny to me."
"Puny?!" Delma exclaimed in rage as she started to charge at the insulting plant deimos. "I hope you're compatible with a lot of organ and blood donors 'cause I'm gonna rip everyone of them out and have all your blood drained outta ya!"
Her charge, however, is halted due to Darc grabbing her by her tail, making her yelp in pain and fall to the ground on her butt.
"Owww…" Delma whined as little tear balls form on the corner of her eyes. "Why'd you do that, Darc?"
"Looks down on the ground in front." Darc noted.
Delma looked down. Her eyes widen as she saw that some thick plants about 6 ft. in height were moving around violently.
"Yo, looks like they found our little trap." One of the plant dudes stated to the other, snickering.
"They fight by using their vine-like body to whip, wrap and submit their opponent into either forfeiting or taking their last breath." Darc explained with his arms folded. "Their main strategy is to enrage their opponent with insults and such. All the while, one of them manages to get their vine in their foot through the cracks of this arena floor and sprout them a good distance away from them and in front of their opponents. Then they just give one last snide remark, hoping to cause the opponent to snap and rushed, only to get entangled within the vines. Then the other plant man will pummel the opponent into submission."
"I see." Delma said as she rubbed her back end her tail. "But did you really have to stop me like that?"
"Y'all gonna have to move forward sooner or later." One of the plant men stated as he raised his arm towards the other two Deimos. "And if you can't move on your on, we're just gonna have to help you."
Almost in an instant, a barrage of vines stretched from the plant man's arms and shot towards the fighters. Darc manages to evade it completely by ducking and rolling to the side, but Delma isn't so quick and get her left arm caught in one of the vines. She think for a split second and simply slice threw it with her claw weapon. The Deimos sucks his teeth in pain once this happen. Before he could retract them back, them decided to do some weed whacking and slice the rest of them to pieces. The plant man's arms are now shorter than they were before.
"You do know that it's quite easily to hack a weed apart." Darc stated slyly. "You must've been fighting mostly fist-fighting people. I'll show you what I mean."
Darc ran up to the vines in the ground and performed a nicely executed, low spin slash. The plant man using controlling the plants jumps up and shouts in pain. The vines on that Darc and Delma slashed apart writhe in place for a few seconds before withering up.
"Argh!" one of the plant men screamed. "Our plan seems like it's went up in smoke. Quick! You use your feet and I'll use my ar…"
"Sorry, boys." Delma said as she and Darc rushed towards the two. "I don't think you'll be able to do in a few seconds."
Delma and Darc each take one of the plant deimos and do each slash viciously at them, Darc slicing the arm on one of them with a double slice and Delma taking a lot off the top off the other with by cutting just above the groin. Darc and Delma then run up the plant men chest and kickflip off of them, sending them to the ground with a thud. The two Deimos land and do a quick pose.
"Now…" Delma said as she walked up to the fallen plant Deimos cracking her knuckles. "Who should I knock off first?"
"Have mercy!" the plant men begged.
"Now, now, Delma." Darc said. "We don't want to do anything hasty now."
"Yes, listen, to your boyfriend, orcon girl!" one of the plant men shouted.
"You shut up now." The Deimos wannabe scolded. "We could use you for later, as a punching bag maybe."
"Ooo… I really that idea better." Delma stated with glee. "Instead of a quick death, we can give you eternal torment. Yeah, I think I really like that."
"Now get out of my sight!" Darc shouted motion his hand off the field.
The plant Deimos whimpered and painfully walked off or pulled themselves off the field in shame. The Darc let a victorious laugh while Delma did another pose.
"You ready for the next match?" Darc asked turning to Delma and giving her a grin.
"Been ready, Darc!" Delma replied with a smile of her own. "Been ready."
Darc and Delma healed up and prepared for the next match. Delma was very happy fighting along side Darc. She seemed she could do it all day.
