Chapter 45: Tale of the Timely Tarot-Reader
Skirmish in Stralanavia Arc
Disclaimer: I don't own The Legend of Zelda, this is just a Fan fiction.
Featured Music: "Ranked Amongst the World's Best" – The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass OST. Chapter Briefing.
"Are You Ready?" - Tekken II OST (Arranged). Scene 1 (First Half) & 2 (First Half).
"Lei Wulong" - Tekken III OST (Arranged). Scene 2 (First Half).
"Dr Boskonovitch" - Tekken III OST (Arranged). Scene 2 (Second Half) and 3 (First Half).
With their success in essentially ending the long-time rule of slavery within the lands of Stralanavia, the group of heroes led by Impa of the Sheikah receive accolade and negative attention alike; a fairly controversial reception that leaves them, while conflicted, fairly satisfied in their eventual goal to help the downtrodden of Stralanavia. The party of adventurers turn their attention to the next upcoming martial arts national championship, held as ever by the Prima World Tour; the world-wide conglomerate with stakes in many business all around Aurelia.
In their fiery start to the beautifully-white Stralanavian Skirmish, Link manages to edge through round one fairly nicely and briskly with the skill and determination he and his newly-acquired fanbase have come to expect; while feeding his ever-growing ego and overconfidence, it is a trait he holds dear to him that he hopes will help in his ultimate goal of finding his old partner. Following round one, Raynard and Link clash for the first time since their initial unseen duel in the Palashian Premier in round two; an incredibly tight set that saw the pair of national champions ending their fiery fight in a bold double KO.
Something not seen in the Prima World Tour since the very Hylian Hyrax itself; the grand finals set.
Though he had one hell of an act to follow in the upcoming round three, Barkner delivered all that and more; with an impressive slew of techniques and attacks he has managed to commemorate within his memory, the ever-friendly Goron hailing from Death Mountain lays his own brand of justice on Velinsk Arena's floors. First the 'Kaiten Resshō', then the 'Busta Wolfos' technique taken from Link and finally a simple tactic borrowed from his close companion Alwyn Weirson; the ploy to remove weight from oneself in order to drastically increase one's speed and strength.
While Alwyn removed artificial weights, however, Barkner instead opted to shed his very skin; a Goron trait unique only to the Goron clan of far-off Hyrule and one that pays off in incredible results – his opponent, a former military soldier of the Stralanavian regulars, is one having previously been encountered before albeit in a completely different match-up than this one. Kaiser Pashkov; said to be one of the greatest mid-to-long range specialists in the projectile division of Stralanavia's military, made infamous due to his outstanding defensive ability, never having ever managed to suffer a projectile in his entire military career.
It is Alwyn himself, however, that somehow mars this distinguished record.
When Alwyn matches up with Kaiser in the Hylian Hyrax, all those months ago, he not only managed to win the engagement but by some means landed a fist through Kaiser's incredible defences; not a small feat by any shape or form. While Alwyn is the first to truly disregard Stralanavian law and belief however, it is his closest companion Barkner that puts a proverbial fist through it. In defying popular believe within the fans and even some of his own companions, Barkner uses the techniques of his own friends as well as his own to truly come into his own and push past the boundaries laid for him by those that watch his struggle.
Truly it is a moment to make not just the watching-from-home Darunia proud, but all of his Goron race.
With Barkner now progressing to the next round in his set, it is down to Alwyn in round four to close out the beginning of the top eight qualifiers of the Skirmish in Stralanavia; a moment for all of the watching group of heroes to cheer for the already widely-popular Zoran veteran. He matches up with 'Veronika Fedoroa'; complete newbie and unknown, even to those of her own home nation of Stralanavia. Not one to shirk away from a challenge – even one with potential misinformation involved as per the Palashian Premier however – Alwyn chooses to press on regardless and pulls on his battle experience as a former Zoran soldier, and truly one of the best to boot.
All eyes, fans of Alwyn and intrigued watchers of this new fighter, are drawn to the final opening match of the beginning top eight...
Scene 1
"Dobro pozhalovat' obratno and welcome back ladies and gentlemen, to the Skirmish in Stralanavia!"
YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH
Mr. Marshall's ever-friendly announcement, and one seemingly tailored to their host country, certainly left its favourable impression on the surrounding Aurelian people; most of them in the stands all called out in approval and cheer in response.
"If you're just joining us we're already three rounds in the Stralanavian national championship!" Marshall quickly clarified for those in the stands and those watching from Gossip Stones. "We've seen quite the duels so far already and we've only just begun!"
"Can't believe we ain't even in the second half of this damn thing," Tasty Seth, his younger companion spoke up next to him, a grin adorned on his expression as he leant his head to his right to speak to the older man. "Every match has just been straight fire; Stralanavia is somethin' else."
Perhaps from having their proverbially-patriotic egos being stroked, the Stralanavians within the audience all let loose another war cry-like scream, their voices shaking the very stands they all sat on rather comfortably.
"And we're not finished yet! We still have one of your very favourites to finish up the first remaining top eight." Marshall chuckled on, pulling a surprised frown from the listening young man.
"You mean-?"
"That's right Seth...," Marshall nodded his head in a sideways tilt, a new grin growing on his face. "A fan-favourite in the form of the wily Zoran himself, Alwyn Weirson!"
YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH
"Hell yeah!"
Marshall chuckled again, amused by his younger companion's excitement before re-facing the listening people in the stands. "Weirson, for all his combat experience in the Zoran military of his home country of Hyrule, has truly been a standout competitor of his own," he explained briefly, lightly threading his fingers together on the table before him. "Having relied not only on his previous battle experience, but also on some new techniques such as the 'Drunken Fist', Weirson has quickly grown a cult following that almost borders on worship," he continued on, issuing out another half-amused chortle. "Not quite unlike his comrade 'Fire Fist Firbrand'."
"Any match with this guy's gonna be hype, I swear," Seth grinned back. "I can't wait for this now."
"His opponent, a relatively unknown young woman by the name of Veronika, is said to be a fortune-teller, if any of you can believe that," Marshall chuckled on, lightly exchanging his half-grin with the blinking Seth next to him. "Divination, augury readings, perception by intuition... they say that this impressive young fighter has never lost a battle in any she has taken part in," the man explained briefly, winking on as he did. "Perhaps a testament to her near-psychic abilities!"
"Yo that sounds cool as hell Marsh, not gonna lie," the listening Seth spoke, regaining his own grin as he listened on. "Our boy Al's goin' up against this?"
"He is indeed my young friend."
YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH
Perhaps also enthused by the older man's words, the surrounding Stralanavian and Aurelian audience around them erupted in another cheer, joined by the grinning Seth.
"This is gonna be awesome!" He exclaimed out excitedly. "Can't wait for this!"
"I'm afraid we'll have to Seth!" Marshall bounced back toward the youth, eyebrows rising up as he spoke in a light chuckle, re-opening his mouth to finish up as he re-faced the audience. "Don't go away folks!"
"THIEF!"
The wide-eyed Barkner, surprised by the sudden and abrupt change in voice to his young companion, could only blink back at him as he re-entered the competitor's box after just finishing his earlier match with Kaiser. When he saw the voice belonged to the comically-scowling Link he could only rise up one of his eyebrows and chuckle nervously back at the young blonde.
"W-What's-?"
Link stabbed an accusing finger up at his old Goron friend, leaning his form back as he did as if in over-dramatisation. "You stole my moves! And Al's!"
Realising what he initially meant, Barkner's boulder-brown eyes widened a second time and he chuckled again, re-opening his mouth to speak through his guilty-laden zig-zag mouth. "Oh... you all noticed that huh."
"We sure did." The half-smiling Alwyn spoke up, his slim blue arms ever-folded; the picturesque of calm and caution. Although he agreed on with his little Hylian friend, his tone suggested less than comical anger or even annoyance; indeed, the look on his face instead relented to a mere light amusement.
Something that helped to calm the listening Barkner's nerves.
The standing Goron couldn't seemingly help but cast a wide grin at his pair of jokingly disgruntled friends, a similarly exaggerated swagger and shrug to his expression that resembled the ever-flamboyant Link's mannerisms. "What can I say?" He began in his growing light grin. "Your moves were just so cool I had to have 'em!"
"I don't like this..."
The group, ready to start laughing alongside Barkner, double-took in the interruption's direction only to find the firmly-frowning Malon casting her vote in; slim arms folded over the coat she wore atop her usual white dress, tilting her fire-haired head at the Goron before her.
"What do ya mean Malon?" Link prodded her with a half-grinning rise up of one of his straw-haired eyebrows, genuinely curious.
"I mean he's basically you now!" She shot back irritatedly, swinging her newfound scowl on him as she did. Her words, so direct and blunt, could only draw out a reaction of amusement from the surrounding group of close friends; they all shared a boisterous laugh together. "What? What's so funny?!"
"All right... as easy as a target as Malon she's not wrong either," Impa spoke up from the back of the small area they stood around toward the box's entrance, her own armoured arms folded as she cracked a very small entertained grin of her own. "One Link is more than enough for me."
"And me..."
The listening Link, mid-laugh, just had to stop himself when his little pointed ears caught the sound of Zelda's voice, so tactically hidden beneath everyone else's; perhaps done so strategically. When he dropped his own grin, oceanic eyes widened and blinking over at her, he found her joining her hands at her centre; an old habit. She wore her long blonde hair in her usual pony-tail, suited for travelling, sported a coat for the cold Stralanavian weather as per her other comrades and yet bore a strange kind of smile on her face.
The kind of smile he remembered quite fondly from their would-be union in his original era; he couldn't help but blush and turn his eyes away from hers when he recalled the way she looked at him.
Why is that so hard to deal with, he wondered silently to himself.
We were fine like this in my own time.
"Maybe it's because we were dealing with so much more back than just a basic adventure..."
"Competitors Alwyn Weirson and Veronika Fedoroa; please approach Velinsk Arena for commencement of round four!"
The sound of the referee outside the indoor arena made the listening group all swing their heads in its direction, soon finding their focus re-shifting on the upcoming fight. Barkner revolved his rock-skinned head back 'round to face his closest companion, stepping toward him before throwing up one of his arms to be shaken in a brotherly-like handshake.
"You got this." The Goron spoke out confidently, a wide smirk plastered across his face. The watching Alwyn, his limp-eyed frown ever present on his face, soon shut his eyes and lowered his head as his own smirk suddenly grew on his face, taking the Goron's fingers into his own to shake back in response.
"Hmph."
"Come on Al!" The grinning Link called out as the slim Zoran veteran began marching toward the door, his small hands rose up in enthusiastic cheering. "I'll buy ya a drink of Chateau Romani if you win!"
As he seemingly listened to the rambunctious young Hylian, Alwyn merely rose up his left fist in response; a visible receptor of recognition for the youth that made his grin grow ever further in satisfaction. The former Hero of Time had to double-take a second time however when he at long last clocked the first look anyone had seemingly gotten at the newcomer to the Prima World Tour; presumably the young girl set to be Alwyn's opponent, Veronika herself.
Seemingly defying all expectations and beliefs the young girl was young indeed; an age that seemed to fit around the same scale as the watching Link, Zelda, Malon and even Vassia's ages, something that would have surprised the watching youth were it not for her adorned wear. The newly-introduced Veronika stood out like a sore thumb in the strict regime of Stralanavia in wearing what seemed to be a midnight-blue dress of particular design; she wore a sash of it that draped fashionably over her front diagonally, the underside of it covering both arms and slightly ripped around. She wore her long raven-like hair unlike the rest of the girls surrounding the blonde youth; a simple pony-tail held to her side, draping down her left shoulder.
As Veronika moved toward the competitor's box entrance and exit, her steps almost glides itself, she double-took similarly to the surprised Link and found herself exchanging stares with him. When he felt her light-brown on his he couldn't help but widen his own and lose sudden control of his muscles; an odd sensation filled him, not unlike when he first laid eyes on the holy Triforce itself, and he couldn't help but twitch his left eye in a vain attempt to move again.
Move, he thought.
"Move!"
All of a sudden he sensed the judgemental stares of the angered Malon, irritated Vassia and curious Zelda on him and felt like diving his head underneath the concrete below him, wincing as he did. The staring Veronika at long last broke their stare, but not before pursing her lips into a small yet recognisable smile at him, turning her raven-black haired head to follow Alwyn behind him.
"And what was that?"
"U-Uh?"
He swung his surprised blonde-haired head 'round toward the soprano's owner, only to find the disapprovingly scowling-faced Vassia staring back at him, gloved hands on her coat and royal-dress hips. When he realised the source of her anger with him he could only roll his eyes and hold back from sighing in response, genuinely irritated in kind with her sentiment.
"It was nothing...," he merely shot back, briefly eyeing the amused look in Zelda and even Malon's watchful eye on his left before soon re-facing the offended Palashian princess on his right. "Dear."
She huffed, flicking her long violet-coloured hair up over her shoulders as she did, settling her hands into a folded-armed stance of firm doubt; not unlike that of a mistrustful, nagging wife in an age-old relationship. "Hmph... it'd better be!"
–
2
"And here... we... go!"
At the sound of Tasty Seth's next echoing announcement came the inevitable cheering cry from the surrounding audience around him as well as the pictographs of the next upcoming challengers for round four.
YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH
"That's right, Dobro pozhalovat' obratno and welcome back ladies and gentlemen!" Mr. Marshall repeated out with a light-faced smile. "If you're just joining us we're already four rounds in the exciting Skirmish in Stralanavia!"
"Yo Marsh."
The curious-eyed commentator swung his newly-acquired quizzical-faced frown on the younger man, awaiting his next words.
"What the hell does that even mean?" Seth clarified, eyebrow risen upward cluelessly. "I been meanin' to ask."
Marshall's smile regrew on his face as he chuckled good-naturedly. "'Welcome back'." He answered, translating for the impetuous youth. Seth rose another brown-haired eyebrow up, curious and all.
"No I mean what's it mean, Marsh?"
The surrounding people watching the exchange in the stands all chuckled out in amusement, drawing out a long-held sigh through the listening Marshall's nose; he turned his head from the younger man's own and rolled his eyes, re-opening his mouth to respond to him.
"It's an idiom."
It was Seth's turn to roll his eyes in response, seemingly almost hurt by the phrasing his companion used. "Damn! I'm sorry I asked."
Again the surrounding Aurelians all laughed, this time a little louder at the chain of events in conversation. Marshall swung his half-annoyed frown on the younger man this time, readying himself to speak again in annoyance but seemingly decided against it, shaking his brown-haired head as he did.
"In any case...," the man began, near through gritted teeth in an attempt to move the comical situation on. "Our next pair of fighters are some interesting ones indeed! One is a fan-favourite of course... one of yours also Seth!"
A corner of the listening young man's mouth upturned into an excited smirk. "Oh yeah?"
Marshall chuckled as he nodded his head toward one of the pillars and, like magic, statistics began to form up under one of the displayed colour pictographs.
Alwyn Weirson
Combination Damage: A+
Agility: S+
Punishment Proficiency: S
YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH
Like fire to a cauldron came the impending call of approval from the watching Aurelians, a sizeable number of the callers from the Zoran crowd it would appear.
"That's right ladies and gentlemen it's your favourite former field marshal himself; representative of all you Zorans out there in the audience and on your Gossip Stones. It's Alwyn Weirson!"
"Gotta love the older guys Marsh," Seth commented on, ever with his sociable-faced grin. "They bring somethin' to the table that the younger ones just don't have."
"On that we can agree!" Marshall chuckled in a concurring nod, soon re-facing the audience around them. "But why put all our stock in one competitor...?"
Almost as if cued up by the man's segue, the second pictograph on the right shined up to overtake the first on its left and statistics came barrelling down it. A young girl, seemingly of Stralanavian descent, stared back at the viewer in a neutral-faced frown; big golden crescent moon-shaped hoop-like earrings sat on her, an odd mixture to her porcelain-like complexion that seemed to compliment well with the simple midnight-blue dress and sash she wore across her.
Veronika Fedoroa
Combination Damage: A
Aggressiveness: S
Side-Stepping: S
"Yo is that another kid?!" Seth cried out in defiant laughter, near unable to believe the fact, eyes widened as he did. "How many makes that now? Three?!"
"Would you believe she easily breezed through the strict Stralanavian pre-qualifiers?" Marshall chuckled back with a well-natured smile. "They're just gettin' younger and younger these days!"
"Got that right!"
"Veronika is said to be different kind of fierce than our previous young go-getters however," Marshall began again in his light-eyed smile. "The young Stralanavian is said to be a clairvoyant!"
"Clair-what-now?"
"That's 'psychic' to you and me Seth," Marshall chuckled in the curious Seth's direction, almost seemingly having sensed his impending question. "Veronika hails from a certain infamous clan within the Stralanavian country; those who have often predicted the future!"
"There are people that can do that?" Seth asked the older man incredulously, eyebrows rising up as he pulled his brown-haired head back to convey his genuine surprise.
"Indeed!" Marshall laughed. "With abilities bordering on the supernatural, and at such an early age, young Veronika has already easily made her mark on the Prima World Tour with her fairly swift rise through the ranks in the initial Stralanavian qualifiers!"
"Yo isn't this a little... unfair though?"
Marshall blinked back in response, genuinely curious in his own sense as he swung it 'round to face the younger man seated on his left, propping up an eyebrow as if to prod the youth to elaborate.
"I mean we got a much older guy... a military veteran no less! Goin' up against a tiny young-"
"Let me stop you right there Seth."
The listening youth rose up his eyebrows a second time as he waited, presumably for the newly-grinning Marshall to continue.
"Our new challenger Fedoroa here... easily breezed through our qualifiers," he reminded the younger commentator with, drawing out a curious-eyed look from him. "Filled with big, strong men."
"Huh...," the listening Seth murmured out, blinking lightly in genuine surprise. "Well turn me 'round and shave my Cucco feathers! She be somethin' else!"
"It'd be a mistake to underestimate... not just her Seth," Marshall smiled on, index finger rose upward diagonally at the younger man, as if to gesture with. "But all of our talented fighters here at the PWT!"
YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH
Like moths to a flame the surrounding Aurelians situated around the pair of men all let loose their crying cheers to spice his words with; the perfect seasoning for the two upcoming challengers in round four. As they both stepped toward their ends of the ring, the referee in the centre rose up one hand each for them as he briefly eyed them, opening his mouth to speak.
"Are you ready?"
The referee's words, so suddenly jarring, caused the listening Veronika to shiver a little before shutting her eyes and nodding her raven-haired head back at him. Seemingly having grown comparatively used to the situation, Alwyn instead opted merely to throw the man a simple frowning-faced nod back at him, affixing himself into his usual fighting stance. As always, the referee threw down his left hand in a deft vertical chop to officially begin the match-up.
"Go!"
With little more than a warning to his intense raise in speed and movement, the wide-eyed Veronika had to shoot up both arms to block the sudden and quick assault her older opponent shot her way; a super-fast sliding manoeuvre that saw the fleet-footed Zoran near air-dashing across the distance to meet her with a quick yet brutal and seemingly simple forward elbow strike. The pair stared at one another for what was merely half a second; an eternity for what it felt like to the two competitors, Alwyn in his usual firm-eyed contemplative glare and the wide-eyed Veronika in genuine surprise at the Zoran's sudden speed.
Before the surrounding audience situated 'round them all could even erupt into cheering however, the standing Alwyn's brow began to furrow downwards as a dim light started to build in his opened-up right palm; a signature of rapid-charging Aegir. Veronika noticed it and, like a light itself, they were off.
SCHWUCK-SCHWUCK-SCHWUCK-SCHWUCK-SCHWUCK
Almost as if the pair were a sheer pair of spinning tops themselves, Alwyn and Veronika's forms twisted and spun near-endlessly across the tournament floor's expanse, easily eating up and destroying the freshly-laid tiles that rested beneath them both. As they began to hit near the north edge of the ring, Veronika managed to meet one of Alwyn's many lightning-fast strikes with an Aegir-filled fist of her own, narrow-eyed and all.
SMASSSH
The former Zoran soldier pulled his body in a swift recovering athletic back-flip to regain some valuable space from his opponent, whereas the narrow-eyed Veronika opted instead to shift through the air in a single spin to her left, space to her left unfortunately lost due to being near-cornered. Like a light they were at each other again; Alwyn leapt up into the air to pursue her, presumably to corner her like an animal itself, and Veronika chose to meet him with a retaliatory strike of her own.
FWIP-CRACCCK
Veronika's high-flying air-roundhouse was similarly responded to with a narrow-eyed high-knee by the mid-air hanging Alwyn, their forms near pausing in the sky itself to exchange their attacks together. Before even the speedy Alwyn could react however, it was Veronika's turn to surprise him; with an unreal, snake-like speed, her small figure somehow shifted through the very air itself as if it were gliding before swiftly re-appearing at the Zoran's undefended rear.
He widened his eyes and swung his injured head-fin 'round but it was far too late; she hit him first with a low-lunging punching strike to his back, pulling out a grit-toothed shut-eyed grunt from him, before quickly following up her initial assault into a brutal-looking yet graceful spinning strike with her right fist, sending the grunting Alwyn in a standing twisting tailspin. She finished her combination by leaping at him with a sudden diagonally-positioned dive-kick to the air and his chin, sending him staggering back before ending with a savage Aegir-filled uppercut fist to the chin.
SMASH
"Gurgh...!"
As Alwyn was sent high into the air he swung his body 'round in a swift back-flip recovery, stopping himself mid-flight and utilising his subtle use of Aegir-control to levitate briefly. The former soldier pulled back his left index and forefinger, placed them to rest on his forehead and began to rapidly build up his inner Quintessence. With his ocean-teal eyes shut he just as quickly re-opened them in a sudden snap before volleying what seemed to be a sheer beam of magical energy from his two fingertips.
"Tokushuna Bīmu Taihō!"
FZZZZZZ-FWOOSH
"Soul Reflect!"
CHNK!
FROOOSH
The watching audience all screamed out in cheering excitement as the wide-eyed Alwyn's projectile was very suddenly and surprisingly sent its original way, having been echoed back toward the shocked Zoran. As Veronika spun her body to reflect the projectile in a graceful twist of her small body, she shut her light-brown eyes and, like magic, vanished completely from basic eyes. Realising exactly where she was heading, the wide-eyed Alwyn rose up both arms to block one way to his initial front and the other to his undefended rear.
As near always, his prediction was correct.
The narrow-eyed Veronika abruptly and without warning re-appeared to the Zoran's rear, pulling the midnight-blue sash she wore back from her body to attack with somehow; filled with Aegir, it almost very nearly came to life and snaked forward to grapple at the wide-eyed Alwyn. As they both hung in mid-air, Veronika's sash caught the shocked man within its grasp, wrapping itself around him as if it were sheer tentacles from a sea creature itself. Even the watching audience, having grown silent during the exchange, opted to merely watch in baited breath as Veronika leant her raven-haired head to the side as she frowned back at the horrified look in his eye.
Almost as if it were an ode to the near-emotionless pragmatic soldier himself.
BZZZZZZZZT
An odd kind of electricity, not quite natural yet not artificial, filled up the sash that Veronika used to assault him with; seemingly an effective tactic for one so close to the sea.
"That has to hurt...!" The watching Marshall managed out through wincing, hissing teeth. "All you Zorans out there in the audience know how truly stinging electricity is to you all!"
The listening Seth couldn't help but crack a grin in Marshall's direction, opening up his mouth to quip a reply. "Shocking!"
–
3
Almost as immediately as the shocking began to persist did Alwyn's figure flicker, drawing a half-surprised rise of the watching Veronika's ebony-haired eyebrows; she broke hold of the inevitable after-image before her and rose up both arms to block, seemingly expecting a counter-attack.
FWIP-DROOFFF...
Sure enough the narrow-eyed Zoran himself re-appeared directly behind her, issuing out a quick yet brutal-looking forward punching strike. She gasped as she barely managed to block it in time, her use of Aegir to enhance her relatively weaker physical strength clearly beginning to take its toll on her. She widened her light-brown eyes up at him however when she caught the signs of light burn marks across his otherwise pristine-blue body; evident signatures of her earlier assault's effectiveness on him.
With that in mind boosting her inner morale, Veronika shut her eyes and pulled her own arms back from the man; in response, her own body shimmered and she disappeared similarly to himself; while not a clear after-image technique as Alwyn utilised, it was a comparable method that saw her pulling on a different kind of Aegir than the basic style her opponent tried.
FWIP-DROOF-CRACCCK
"Ah...!"
Veronika's eyes widened as she gasped out in sudden surprise and agony as the narrow-eyed Alwyn caught her attempt to ambush him by swinging one of his elongated fin-swords on his left arm to meet her own impending assault; a cut-off that saw him cracking a quick high-kick into the side of her head, briefly halting their engagement for the pair to hang in mid-air for half a second. While it felt longer for the two, it was over a lot faster than the watching audience would have liked; Alwyn grunted out as he used his earlier attacking leg to swing 'round in a spider-like roundhouse that sent her to his earlier side below him, soon following up with a single-handed elbow strike.
SMASSSH-VWEEE...
As her small form was sent whining and careering back down to earth, he dropped down toward her in free-fall pursuit, fist held back before swiftly swinging it savagely into her side to send her sailing and spiralling toward her right. In mid-flight she widened her bloody-faced eyes as she somersaulted her body back into a recovery position, both hands and legs splayed to her two sides as she did, soon meeting his inevitable pursuit assault with her own defensive manoeuvre.
CRSHHHHH
The audience, at long last let loose their laborious vociferation as the narrow-eyed Alwyn met Veronika's defence with a similar punching strike of his own, leaving the two in an almost super-man-like pose together; a look that drew many in the watching stands to cheer again fairly loudly. While the pair of seemingly evenly-matched fighters appeared to be in some kind of deadlock together, it didn't take long for the inevitable change in events to take root; as the Aegir that filled Veronika's body began to intensify, it began to give off a slightly audible hum; the kind of hum that made the keenly-eared Alwyn's eyebrows shoot up in concern and curiosity.
As before however, it was far too late in the exchange for him to have prevented the following.
BZZZZZZZZT
His eyes widened when he realised, ill-timed and all, what her scheme was; in having slammed his fist into hers, he gave her the perfect opportunity to snake down her odd static electricity-like Quintessence down through him like a vice, infecting and effectively wounding him in the process.
"ARRRRRRRGH!"
So unusually spoken, and so phenomenally emphatic for a man of Alwyn's personality, the sheer force and potency of Veronika's counter-attack brought the shocked fans of the former Zoran soldier out of any pre-conceived notions of his early win in the fight.
"Gonna be barbecued fish tonight folks!"
The abruptly-controversial sentence spoken by his co-commentator caused the seated Marshall to widen his eyes and swing his brown-haired head 'round to face Seth next to him, shocked alone as half the listening audience booed and the other half all laughed. While Marshall never gave voice to his thoughts he reached up with his left arm and lightly slapped at the young man's right hand and the Gossip Stone within it; clearly a gesture-spoken message between the two. Seth, seemingly unable to tell what exactly he said wrong, could only shrug back wordlessly at the older wiser man as he shook his head disbelievingly, drawing out a rolling-eyed groan from him in response.
Veronika followed up her initial answer by slipping a fist into the Zoran's exposed defences, further smashing his chest and pulling a wide-eyed gasp from him in response; a single gut thrust that saw him sagging further upward in the air for a second follow-up. The young Stralanavian girl grunted out as she pulled back her sash again, presumably to attack with, and coiled it together with the power of her magic and Aegir. The youth widened her eyes as she stabbed it at him as it were a coiled kind of knife.
"Soul Spiral!"
DROOFFF-VWEEEE...
Like a ball having been kicked half-way across the world itself, the grit-toothed shut-eyed Alwyn was sent careering through the air as a result of Veronika's brutal attack, arms and legs splayed to his front as a result of gravity. When he passed by out of boundaries of the ring he snapped his eyes wide-open, yelling out a second time as his body ricocheted painfully against the invisible wall of Aegir protecting the stands of people watching behind him. Utilising the very wall itself to bounce off of, he leapt forward back toward the ring and widened his eyes a third time as he pulled back both arms, presumably to attack with.
The levitating and high-flying Veronika watched him with both eyebrows risen upward, curious and unsure on a next course of action. It was only when he began volleying forth spheres of his Quintessence and magical energy at her that she tensed up and readied to reflect them back with her 'Soul Reflect' technique, only to narrow her eyes and furrow her brow contemplatively back at him when she clocked the odd positioning and aim he took at her.
FWIP-FWIP-FWIP-FWIP
Endless small spheres of magical energy began to circulate and surround the levitating form of the wide-eyed Veronika and she realised she was being setup; a horrifying position and alignment for any man. Almost as if working on her very inner paranoid ruminations, the spheres of Quintessence all began to move of their seeming own accord, as if they were commanded by their former caster; rotating and revolving threateningly 'round the worried, sweating young girl.
"Reflect THIS!"
...
FWIP
DROOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMM
The watching people in the stands encircling them could only scream out in approval and excitement as the nameless spheres of magical energy made their mark and all very suddenly darted in to attack the young Stralanavian; a huge explosion of deep-auburn filled the inside arena, dotting and coating it in the shade of its colour, melding well with the natural rumble and violent tremble the resulting eruption gave off. Alwyn at last allowed his muscles to relax somewhat and he furrowed his brow forward at the scene of destruction he so recently created, ocean-teal eyes narrowing in genuine suspicion.
FWIP
Before the sharp-eyed Alwyn could even react, the slick-moving Stralanavian somehow re-appeared directly behind the shocked Zoran; only the sound of something locking in place seemed to emanate behind him, almost as if something was stepping through an invisible portal of some kind. Regardless of the unbelievable reasons for Veronika's oh-so-sudden re-appearance, re-appear she did and with her re-appearance she hit the older man with quick kneeing assault; her leg powered with Aegir as with her other earlier attacks.
"YAH!"
CRKKK
As if having near broken a bone in her abrupt assault on him, the poor shut-eyed Alwyn was sent spiralling and twisting up into the air from her brutal strike, allowing the narrow-eyed Veronika to continue her attack with a stand-spinning projectile.
"Soul Spark!"
The projectile, consisting of the same dreamy wave-like substance she utilised earlier, sailed directly into the grunting Alwyn's falling form, stinging him for one last follow-up. She spun a second time in her stance and swung up her midnight-blue sash again to attack with, utilising her Aegir to give it temporary life. It snaked up into the sky to meet the poor former soldier, easily wrapping itself 'round him a second time to attack.
BZZZZZZZZT
This time the poor Alwyn couldn't even muster up a scream of agony; indeed, his mid-air body hung suspended as if held by wire-frames, leaving him open and defenceless to the ruthless static electricity that now coursed so powerfully through his vulnerably water-like body. Sure enough, as the attack conceded in its finality, so too did the falling Alwyn drop the rest of the way back down to earth, his ocean-teal eyes shut and his body burnt to a near-black cinder from the intense burns the static electricity forced through him.
THUD
The frowning-faced Veronika merely stood in objective watch, opting to wait and allow the rushing referee to step toward them, presumably to check on the seemingly unconscious Zoran. As he knelt down to check the unmoving man's pulse he waited for around a second or two before at long last turning his arm over to grasp at Veronika's, pulling it up into the air in victory.
"K.O.!" He announced out. "This set's winner... is Veronika Fedoroa!"
YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH
Like a bell having been brought back to life the worryingly-silent surrounding Stralanavians situated around them all, all let loose their inevitable crying approval for the match-up result before them. Before anyone else could react, however, the frowning Veronika politely and softly pulled her arm back from the referee's before stepping toward her beaten opponent, kneeling down toward him. The referee watched on, eyes widened as he re-opened his mouth to speak his disapproval.
"Stop!"
"Yo what the hell's she doin' to my boy?"
Barkner's abrupt interruption into the exchange they watched from the sidelines made the similarly spectating Link rise up his own blonde-shaded eyebrows, only to turn and blink back at the Goron before swinging his head back and tilting it in curiosity, watching the scene unfold with genuine inquisitiveness.
"I'm not sure that's legal...," the firmly-frowning form of Vassia began, her brow furrowing forward as she watched on in obvious suspicion. "What is she doing...?"
"Either she's finishing him off...," Malon spoke up from the back, fire-haired eyebrow of her own risen upward. "Or she's helping him."
Realising she was dead on the rupee, Link nodded along in genuine agreement, his furrowed-frown growing softer as he watched the raven-haired Stralanavian before him reach down with her right hand to softly graze over the Zoran's body.
HUMMM...
Like a machine working its slow, yet helpful touch, the Aegir on Veronika's extended fingers crooned on in the same manner a cat would; a strange kind of relaxing trill that, as the wide-eyed watching referee witnessed, seemed only good for the fallen and wounded Alwyn. Indeed, as the Aegir surrounding his body began to intensify, so too did the painful wounds begin to slowly and eventually dissipate, leaving the lying Alwyn back in his classic light-blued skin.
"Take him to, how you say..."
"The sickroom?"
Having spoken for the suddenly-speaking Stralanavian, the referee rose up a curious-eyed eyebrow in response to the young girl before him as she stood back up to her feet again, hands now softly and calmly joined at her front. She merely nodded back at him.
"Yes...," she answered, her long flowing raven hair moving with her as she did. "He will be fine..."
Now realising her intentions in kneeling down to lay a hand on the Zoran were pure, the frowning referee soon upturned his expression into a light-faced smile, lowering down a hand to knock her softly twice on her shoulder as if in thanks. The surrounding audience around them all, all screamed out in approval at the wholesome moment; a minute unintended and unexpected for the watchers.
"How do you like that Seth?" The commentating Marshall at last spoke up from his chair, smiling also. "Such outstanding sportsmanship... and from a Stralanavian!" He began again, tilting his head in a little chuckle. "The apple certainly doesn't fall far from the tree with this grand country, does it Seth?"
YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH
An act bordering on pandering, and yet surely having its desired effect, the audience's second screaming cry gave the ever-grinning Seth a segue to speak from.
"Hell yeah Marsh; ya gotta love it," he answered. "Just another day in good ol' Strahskie country!"
Marshall winced at the offensively-used nickname for the Stralanavian people however, soon finding little wrong with the response they received, soon found himself relaxing again as he re-opened his mouth to cool his own tension.
"And with that we've already finished the opening pairings of the Stralanavian Skirmish!" The man continued on, his excited smile widening on into an enthusiastic smirk. "Don't leave those Gossip Stones people! The semi-finals are just coming up!"
