Disclaimer: I do not own Fossil Fighters, any of the vivosaurs or characters (Except for Creed), and am simply writing this for my own amusement.
A/N: As the sequel to my previous fic, Dark Horse Gambit, this story will continue building up on the foundation I have already laid down. It shall detail the adventures of novice Fossil Fighter Vestello Leoncor as he competes in the infamous Caliosteo Cup. What sort of troubles will he face? You are welcome to read and find out.
Acknowledgments: Firstly, I would like to thank Devaro Ayanami for his wonderful help as both my Beta and my sounding-board. Secondly, I would like to thank Tempest Bound for encouraging me to post this story now, rather than later. Thirdly, I would like to thank Vathara for all the wonderful stories, which I highly recommend you read, he has posted. Reading them has helped me find ways of expanding my own writing style.
Sorry for the delay, life got in the way. ((Hey, that rhymed!))
Chapter 3
The BareBones Brigade I
From: Leveche
Subject: Pressure Part 1: Vitality
Pressure, as I've mentioned before, is an umbrella term for a variety of factors. The first I will go over is a Fighter's Vitality and I will try to be as simple as possible.
Vitality is an energy your body naturally produces. It's what gives you the strength to run, climb, etc…
Vivosaurs feed off this energy, in place of food, while they are in their medals or within close proximity of their Fighter. They use the stored Vitality to manifest outside their medals and fight. When a battle is over and their Fighter returns them to their medals the energy spent is almost instantly restored, much like a sponge being dropped into a bucket of water. Most new or weak Fighters either don't notice this drain, or pass it off as naturally occurring fatigue.
If a battle is prolonged or especially strenuous a Vivosaur may use up all its stored energy. When this happens it either returns to its medal, or start siphoning Vitality directly from their Fighter. Should the Fighter lack the will and stamina to control the drain and know when to quit they run the risks of, in order of severity, passing out, entering a coma, or, in the worst of cases, die. I myself nearly died when I tried to control a vivosaur even more powerful than a T-rex, so caution is strongly advised though situations like that tend to be few and far between. As of yet, no one has died from the strain, but it still remains an unpleasant possibility.
While the majority of a Vivosaur's energy comes from their Fighter they can also draw in energy from the immediate environment, such as sunlight. This can also give a vivosaur an edge in battle, depending on affinity and battleground. Wind vivosaurs favor open areas or canyons; Fire favors hot places like deserts or volcanic regions; Water—naturally—favors aquatic areas such as lakes or rivers or simply a place with high humidity and/or rain; Earth favors rocky and mountainous areas; Neutral vivosaurs are odd, for some reason they get an edge in urban areas though I'm not sure why that is. So, keep in mind what kind of terrain you're fighting on and you may get a vital advantage over your opponent.
Now, on with my explanation:
A Fighter's Vitality is much like a muscle and gets stronger through use, increasing their energy reserves. ((The two years you spent with Vicious has, naturally, increased your own reserves so I doubt you'll have to worry about Fighter Fatigue until you reach a much higher Fighter Level)) A Vivosaur's Vitality levels also increase not only with age, but also as they are integrated with more fossils, and with fossils of better quality.
I suppose I should add that there are other ways to strengthen your vitality. The simplest is simply to strengthen your body. I practice martial arts and go digging regularly, so I'm in athletic-level condition. However, not everyone is capable of strengthening their body, due to physical frailty or some sort of handicap. In those cases they can strengthen their Vitality through sheer Force-of-Will, which I will explain in my next email.
Now, here's a warning: Vivosaurs learn an elemental, third tier attack once they are integrated with a third set of fossils. You must be careful when using their third tier attack because it costs much more energy than the generic melee attacks. The first time I used a third tier attack I almost passed out before the battle was over, but as I got stronger I was soon able to handle multiple vivosaurs repeatedly using third tier, and higher, attacks.
Congratulations on making it passed the second round.
/\/\/\
So this is Cranial Island. Holding down whipping blue bangs, Vestello stepped out from under the spinning helicopter rotors. Kind of has an Old West meets Sahara Oasis kind of feel too it.
Colored with warm browns and creams rather than the blues and whites of Ribular town, it gave off the impression of a dusty place -though Vestello couldn't detect any such dust- with lush palms scattered around the perimeter. It wasn't any nicer or any worse than Ribular town, rather, an equally nice but different in its own way.
"Welcome to Cranial Isle-"
Amber eyes blinked as Vestello turned towards the speaker. He's dressed sort of like Stella.
"-the land where heat and passion swirl!" Smiling, the man looked him over before giving a wave. "Hey! I'm Terry, the Staff leader here on Cranial Isle." The smile spread into a grin. "It's nice to meet you!"
Returning the grin, Vestello bowed politely.
"You must be Vestello, yes?"
A nod.
"Stella had a lot to say about you."
Another blink, then Vestello cocked his head. Curious.
"Word on the street is that you took down some cheats who were scaring Fighters with a fake monster." Terry forced a shrill whistle through his teeth, a look of curious admiration settling on his face. "Man, you are some kind of Fighter. Everyone's talking about your last match, you know?"
They are? That's news to me… It wasn't like a simple first-round match was very impressive.
"Okay, that's really it." Terry settled back on his heels. "I look forward to seeing what you can do on our little island!" A lazy salute. "See you around!"
And with that, he walked away.
That was interesting. Vestello hummed. Am I really developing a reputation?
"This CS Sonar is a right finicky device!"
I know that voice...
"It has to be practically on top of a Slablet to get a reading!" Huffing, Professor Scatterly paced in front of one of the side buildings. "I'd have to explore dig sites in a slow, painstaking fashion, and I'm far too old for such tomfoolery."
Not to mention you'd probably get yourself stranded again. Vestello sniggered, approaching the absent minded professor.
"Also, I'm too fat to walk around for hours at a time. Perhaps it's time to lay off the pudding, wot wot?"
This time the snigger was a bit too loud, alerting the professor to Vestello's approach.
"Oh, good heavens!" Scatterly grinned. "If it isn't Vestello! Brilliant! I was hoping you'd make it to Cranial Isle someday."
Folding an arm across his middle Vestello bowed, straightened, and returned the grin.
"Well?" Scatterly clapped a friendly hand across Vestello's shoulder. "How does Cranial City find you? Does its unfamiliar layout confuse and befuddle you?"
A shrug.
[*Negation* looking-around.
Past-1-minute, came-here]
"Yes, well, not to worry." Another friendly clap. "I shall simply squire you about town as one scientific mind to another!"
Scientific mind? Me? But he didn't resist as Scatterly guided him along.
"As you may know, Cranial City has its own Fossil Guild." A directive wave towards the north-westward side of the town. "If you neglected to purchase an item in Ribular Town, you can simply buy it here, what ho?" The arm shifted northward. "Our town center contains the Fighter Station. Incidentally, the large building above the station is Wildwest Tower, home to our man, Joe Wildwest."
That explains the décor…
"Imagine building a tower above a station." A jovial chortle. "The man must be mad for Fossil Fighting, wot wot?"
No kidding. Vestello bobbed his head.
"And here is the crown jewel of the island, if I do say so myself…" A sly grin formed on Scatterly's face as he turned Vestello around to face the building right in front of them. "The Caliosteo Museum. It would be a shame to leave without a tour of the museum, eh? Since you're so close and all?"
If that's not hint, nothing is. Smiling, the bluenette nodded again.
"Come! Please! I would be delighted to have you as my special guest!"
And with that, the good professor proceeded to drag Vestello indoors.
/\/\/\
"This is Caliosteo Museum, a gallery of rare and wonderful discoveries made on the Caliosteo Islands! Yes, quite."
Quite a bit of stuff for three small islands. Amber scanned the glass cases filled with an assortment of fossils. Paused, blinked, and looked again. Were those fossilized Christmas trees he was spying in that corner?
"Do your eyes spy my newest prize?"
A blink. Now they do. Vestello eyed the center-most display and the familiar artifacts propped up on top.
"It's the Calio Slablet we obtained together!"
Plus one. The notable gap between #1 and #3 left no room to doubt the absence of the #2.
"I've also added a proper translation to the exhibit so all can bask in its glory and wonder."
Snickering, Vestello approached the table.
"You should not leave without viewing the first tablet I acquired."
Tablet, this time? Not Slablet?
"Yes, of course. Quite."
Eh? There's no way Scatterly could read minds, right? No matter how coincidently his words may be…
The oblivious professor approached the first artifact, cleared his throat, and began to read aloud.
"The Kingdom of Caliosteo was ruled by Zongazonga."
Don't laugh. As ridiculous as the name may be it would be impolite to laugh…
"He was a sorcerer of overwhelming power and might. Such was his sorcery that when he issued a command, the people had no choice but to obey."
Amber narrowed. That sounds awfully suspicious. Maybe Leveche was on to something…
"He even used strange magics to resurrect ancient beasts from fossils." Scatterly grinned. "Quite nice, yes? Of course, I'd give a kipper dinner if I could somehow find the full set of Slablets."
Kipper dinner? What's that? …and why is he looking at me like that?
"They would give us an invaluable look at the full story of these islands, you see." The side-long looks the Professor was sending him were mighty suspicious in-and-of-themselves.
A laugh. "I say, just the thought of it is enough to make my heart go pitty-pat!"
Vestello almost sighed. Almost. Just ask already, Professor.
"Yes, well. The Caliosteo Museum is always open. Science never sleeps, wot wot? If you wish to know the history of these islands, feel free to pop in for a spot of tea and a lecture."
A nod.
"Now then, Vestello! I assume you'll soon be off for excavating and the like, yes?" Scatterly didn't even wait for a confirming nod before continuing. "If so, you can access Mt. Krakanak from the town's center stairway." A grin, followed by a sloppy salute. "Good luck to you, my young Fighter! Tallyho!"
Huh, he didn't ask.
/\/\/\
Gusts jabbed sharply in streaks of demanding orange.
::Let me out!::
Wincing at the persistent aches in his temples, Vestello straightened up, resting his pickaxe against his shoulder. ::Not right now, Vicious.::
Gale winds screamed up a maelstrom of angry reds and violets.
::Why not? Let me out!::
Giving into temptation the bluenette massaged his temples and sighed at his partner's temper tantrum. ::Regal, if you would…?::
It was an interesting experience, to feel a raging wind suddenly stumble under a rip-current—and yes, it really stumbled—but it was undoubtedly effective seeing as the painful colors immediately muted. Naturally, of course, Vicious turned his attention towards the smug tricera and the two began snarling at each other. It was easily tuned out and Vestello relished the ability to think clearly again.
Misty currents of laughing yellows laced through amused greens.
::Silly silly BoysPartnersBrothers. Jab-at/bite-with-no-teeth.::
::To be sure.:: Vestello agreed tracking down the next fossil on his radar.
It seemed his first and second were providing ample entertainment for the other members of the team if the trickling sense of amusement was anything to go by. Spirit's comment merely abolished any remaining uncertainty.
Though it did make him wonder, ever so slightly, what such a confrontation might seem like from their perspective. How did they observe it when they had no physical form? Perhaps ever-changing clouds of aura that represented each individual? It was a curious thought, maybe he'd ask Leveche at some point…
"Hey, Vestello!" Grinning from beneath a thick layer of dust, Todd waved. "You here to dig?"
Brandishing his pickaxe, Vestello nodded.
"This place is really awesome!" A fond pat against fossil case in the blonde's pocket. "There's tons of fossil rocks I've never seen before!" He wriggled, excitement mounting. "Go ahead! Throw your pickax down anywhere and see what you find!"
I've already found quite a bit. Though…perhaps he should humor his friend…
An all-too-familiar pulse resonated through his sternum.
"I knew you were here by the way the air suddenly filled with high-pitched squeals of delight."
Vestello blinked at the familiar red coat approaching from the rope bridge leading higher up the mountain.
How is he not dusty?
Indeed, the company heir was as immaculate as ever. Not a hair out of place, which was odd because white attracted dust like a magnet drew in iron filings.
"Rupert!" Excitement still oozing free, Todd forgot to be defensive. "Are you looking for fossil rocks for Round 3?"
A snort. "Please. Don't sully me with such accusations."
That's an accusation? The bluenette cocked his head.
"My vivosaurs are already skilled enough to win Round 3 with little trouble."
That's…probably true considering the experience he has.
But, naturally, Todd took offense to the casual way in which Rupert spoke. Vestello could already see the hackles rising as the silver-haired teen continued talking.
"No, I simply came here to run some field tests on a new product." He waved a gloved hand at what looked like a purple version of Felic hovering at his side. "This is Di66-R, an automated excavation tool recently developed by FossilDig, Inc."
Dark brows furrowed. Excavation tool? Not sure I like the implications…
Di66-R thrummed, spinning in place. "Good day, sir or madam. I am Di66-R."
Digger. Vestello's mind supplied.
"This robot contains built-in sonar and has the ability to locate and excavate fossil rocks automatically." Rupert went on. "It is an important product for our company, which is why my father asked me to perform the field test." Funny, he didn't seem nearly as pleased as his words might have hinted. "The sales potential of Di660R is almost limitless. When Fighters see what it can do—"
I don't think it's supposed to be doing that. Vestello eyed the black smoke suddenly rising up from the Felic-look-alike.
"Di66-R will b-b-be releas-s-s-sed!"
Uh-oh.
"W-w-welcome, sir! Go, madam! I am… I am-m-m-m-m—"
On the fritz? A cautious step back seemed to be in order as the machine stuttered mid-air.
"Please insert token! Your call is important to us! I am error!"
No kidding.
A sharp spasm, and the machine went limp mid-air, its long spindly arms scrapping across the ground.
"Oh, what now?" Rupert approached Di66-R, frowning.
"404 page not found!"
Heh, my computer says that…
"Bad command or file name! Abort retry fail!"
Clawed limbs lashed out, connecting with red fabric. Sparking, Di66-R took off back towards the mountain like a bat out of hell.
"No." Knocked almost completely senseless, Rupert tried—and failed—to sit up. "…No!" Gloved hands groped for his pockets and then gold eyes widened. "No, no, no, no, no!"
I don't think he's frantic about the robot.
The other boy patted himself down frantically. "That idiot robot just ran off with my Dino Medals!" Now dread flashed across his face. "And it's programmed with an automatic Fossil Battle system! I must stop it!"
He jerked to his feet-
-Toppled forward as his knees collapsed under him.
Vestello winced. Ouch.
"Don't try to move!" Darting forward, Todd knelt beside the fallen boy. "You took a real pounding there."
But Rupert was having none of it. "Don't you see? If Di66-R starts randomly battling strangers with my vivosaurs, there will be chaos!"
A team of experienced vivosaurs against relative novices…yeah, this isn't good.
"The reputation of my father's company would be stained forever!"
Amber blinked. O…kay, interesting set of priorities.
"I have to…" Limbs quivering, Rupert tried to push himself up. "I must…" With a groan he fell back again.
Todd glanced back. "I'll stay here and make sure Rupert doesn't hurt himself, Vestello." He glanced passed the bridge. "But you have to chase down that robot!"
Right. Vestello nodded, pulling out a Dino Medal. ::Halcyon!::
Embers roared to life in a surge of adrenaline-filled yellow-oranges.
::We run!::
Fists full of green and gold feathers, Vestello swung up on the lagia's back. The half-bird vivosaur shifted at the sudden weight, compensated, and took off towards the mountain path.
/\/\/\
Crackling sparks seared bemused pale-greens across otherwise calm pale-yellows.
::Messy.::
::Indeed.:: Amber eyed the dazed form of yet another fallen Fighter. ::What a mess.:: Vestello glanced up the curving path. ::And more to come if we don::t stop that robot.::
Lithe muscle shifted under feathers and hide as Halcyon picked up the pace.
They rounded a bend onto a rock bridge and—
Yikes!
-just barely evaded sweeping metal claws.
"Green alert!" The crazed robot yelled. "Fighter located-ed-ed! Battle system i-i-i-initiated."
Ho boy. Bracing his forearm, he launched his team. The medals lit up, expanded, and formed into the familiar shapes of Spirit and Savage. As for Di66-R's vivosaurs…
Vestello eyed the 27-plus meters of purple sauropod. Multi-ton hunk of muscle on a narrow rock bridge over looking an almost sheer dro-Holy cats! He swung back pressing his spine flat against gold feathers as metallic fangs snapped at now-empty air.
Squawking, Halcyon hopped to the side, trying to put some distance between them and the sixteen meters of coiled sinew.
That's a snake. And this was where his higher thought processes shut down. That's a giant snake…
Gleaming metallic hide. Large, glowing yellow eyes. And…what looked like a red-orange rattle-like growth on the tip of its tail.
Neat.
Oh, there was a krypto trying to blind side his team. Really a poor choice of strategy considering the specific target.
::Savage, if you would—::
Stone rumbled, cracking in a lattice of malicious red-violets-
::Do not throw it off the cliff!::
-melted into flat, muted blues.
If the princely lizard wasn't sulking Vestello would eat his goggles.
::Spirit: Deal with the brachio.::
Mist spiraled up in bright happy yellow-oranges.
A flash of blue, and the wave runner darted away, leaving mental upwelling of happy yellow-oranges in her wake.
Heat swirled into inquisitive streaks of pale-orange.
::Snake: ours?::
::Of course::—
"Tophis: Snake bite!"
::Incoming.::
The half-bird jumped. Metallic fangs sunk into the cliff face.
::Lagia Claw.::
Sickle-talons struck home, provoking an agitated hiss as fangs jerked free.
"Cobra strike!"
Halcyon didn't quite manage to avoid oncoming coils and Vestello's vision was suddenly filled with a wall of gleaming, muscular hide.
Blinking back stars, Vestello sat up—
…Steep.
-carefully inched away from the way-to-close sheer drop. Way too close…what::s that hissing? He looked up, and stared down a fleshy gullet.
Lord save me…please?
A roar. The lunging snake's head crunched to earth mere feet from Vestello, crushed beneath a great blue-gray pillar.
A rumble of smug reds amidst an expanse of bemused blues.
::Where::s your grace?::
::Good question.:: Vestello rose on shaky legs. ::Thanks, Savage.::
A snort, the princely lizard shook of the gratitude, posture aloof as he stepped off the snake, Tophis's, medal.
Lord, thank you for providing malicious-but-loyal lizards…
"System failure detected!"
At the crackly tone, Vestello peered around Savage's leg.
"A winner is you!"
Gold-green flashed, metal screeched, and the robot went down under three meters of furious vivosaur.
"Reboot! Reboot! Rebo—"
Halcyon's timely bite cut off the broken record. The robot stilled, optics going dark.
::You can get off now.::
The half-bird snorted, but obeyed.
Sparks scattered annoyed pale-reds amidst smug blue-greens.
::Annoying.::
Vestello couldn't completely deny that-
Darkened optics lit up once more. "…System restored." Di66-R rose off the ground, posture shaky. "Reboot complete. Full functionality has been restored."
A sudden whoop made Vestello jump.
"Vestello! Way to go!"
Be still my frantic heart. Patting his chest, the bluenette turned towards his friend.
"You…did it?" Limping up behind Todd, Rupert studied the former battleground. "You stopped the robot?" Wide gold met bemused amber.
Vestello nodded, holding up a hand to recall his vivosaurs.
"Er, yes, well…" Rupert looked again at the scene, or more specifically, the damage to Di66-R's chassis. "I mean to say…" He swelled up. "You should not have taken matters into your own hands!"
A dark brow quirked.
"I'm sure I could have dealt with the thing myself."
Uh-huh, sure. With what? Your bare hands?
"Still-" Rupert glanced back at Vestello. "I suppose you…did save my father's company from complete financial ruin."
A blink. A bit over exaggerated, aren't ya?
Rupert studied him, gaze thoughtful. "Very well." He nodded to nothing in particular. "When we launch Di66-R, I shall see to it that you receive the very first one."
Er…what? Vestello shook his head.
Silver brows furrowed. "Come now. There is no need for hesitation." A wave towards the silent Di66-R. "This is what field tests are for."
Does he really think that's the problem?
"With proper modifications, it will never do such a thing again. You…" Now Rupert looked a little anxious. "You will accept one, won't you?"
Again, Vestello shook his head, a smile tugging at his lips.
"I…I don't understand."
He certainly has the 'wide-eyed puppy' look down pat. Now if he could avoid chuckling, Rupert likely had no idea of how ignorant he was in this happenstance.
"For a smart guy, you're really kind of dumb. You know that?"
Face meet palm, repeat. Real tactful, Todd.
"We don't want a robot because it would take all the fun out of it!"
Tactless he may be, but at least he's getting the point across. Amber studied bewildered gold. Don't think it's quite sunk in yet, though.
"No Fighter wants someone else to dig up fossil rocks. They want to do it themselves!" Blue glanced at amber. "Right, Vestello?"
Of course. Vestello nodded.
Now Rupert looked downright perplexed. "It's…fun?" It was like he'd never heard of the term. "…Fun." He hummed, thoughtful. He spun on his heel. "Com, Di66-R! We must be off."
Robot thrumming behind him, he walked away.
I can almost see the erect wolf tail. Vestello bit his lip, smothering a smile.
"Whew!" Todd sagged where he stood. "I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted." He glanced up. "I'm going back to Cranial City for a little nap." Straightening up, he breathed in deeply. "Come meet me there, okay? And make sure not to stay out here too long!"
[Yes-mother]
But Todd was already on his way down and thus missed the sarcasm.
Nonplussed, Vestello shrugged and glanced up towards the peak of the mountain—
Holy cats! That's a lava-fall running down that cliff!
/\/\/\
"Hey, did you hear?"
Dusty, sweaty, but satisfied, Vestello paused mid-stride to listen.
"Someone just stole the Mammoth Vision video screen!"
Now, I'll admit a screen that size is impressive, but why would someone go through the trouble of stealing it? He wondered, glancing at the two conversing Fighters.
"I guess they have a backup unit, but still! Why would anyone want to steal something so big?"
My sentiments exactly… Honestly, where would you hide something that size, anyway? What would you use it for?
"Hey!" One of the Fighters pointed skyward. "Here comes the Mammoth Vision now!"
Vestello followed their gaze. Huh, so it is.
"Fools!"
Everyone flinched at the volume.
"Bow before Don Boneyard! The one true leader of-" With a dramatic flourish of a thick white cape, the speaker on-screen spun to face the camera.
Throughout the crowd, several people screamed.
Amber eyes blinked. Is that…a talking skull?
"The Bare Bone's Brigade!"
And it was just a skull, fancy cape, robes, and crown aside, so just how it managed to talk, let alone laugh maliciously—as it was now doing—was an utter mystery. Despite being hidden by a large white ascot, the way the skull was moving seemed to imply the lack of a spinal column underneath.
"This park shall be mine! And forget digging at the volcano…" The tone grew sly. "For I have blocked the path!"
Great, let's dig out the C4, then.
"Your Cup will soon be no more!"
Cue more creepy laughter.
Dark brows furrowed as the screen went dark and the rotors carried it away. The Cup? He wants to stop the Cup? Why?
"Did you see that, Vestello?" Blue eyes wide, Todd skidded to an abrupt halt. "It was Don Boneyard, the leader of the BareBones Brigade!"
So I gathered. Even his mental voice sounded wry.
"Those guys are the biggest, baddest crime syndicate around!" Todd went on. "What the heck is going on here?"
…Is that a rhetorical question?
"You there! Little one!"
That sounds like Arnold Schwarzenegger meets Russian accent...
"Ve have…trouble, yes?"
Curious, Vestello approached one of the biggest men he had ever seen. His shoulders alone could put a professional linebacker to shame!
"Mt. Krakanak, it is no good." The blonde giant shook his head. Dismayed. "A large rock has…blocked it." He glanced over his shoulder towards the path. "I must get to dig site, but cannot. This rock, it is too large." Glancing forward, he looked at Vestello and Todd. "You are a Fighter, yes?"
I think we're all Fighters here…
"You have…how you say? Axpick?" A shrug. "Maybe you can break rock. Vlad tried to break, but…no good." Vlad glanced around. "You vill be doing this thing, yes? I vill tell Terry." And like that, he walked to the Fossil Center.
"You think you can break the rock?"
Vestello sent Todd a side-long look, then nodded.
"But what if the BareBones Brigade…?" Todd began to hunch over, moaning.
Vestello rolled his eyes. And here it comes…
"My stomach! It hurts again!"
And your excuse this time is…
"I shouldn't have eaten that sushi from the discount cart."
Huh, that's actually not that bad.
"You have to go on without me, Vestello."
Kind of figured that.
"I'll catch up when I feel better, okay?"
Will do, right after I clean my fossils…and maybe grab a bite to eat.
/\/\/\
Crackling sparks of faintly intrigued pale-orange peppered smoldering ashes of disinterested gray-blue.
/\/\/\
From: Harmattan
Subject: Yikes
I ran into Professor Scatterly again. He showed me the first Slablet he found, a copy of which is attached to this message, and I have to agree with your earlier assessment. Something about it is just not right. Of course…it could just be the fact that the 'king' mentioned in the third Slablet was a sorcerer. I'm a born-again Christian (And darn proud of it) and have heard horror stories about people who messed with witchcraft and the like. They aren't all just myth, some of those things actually have and do happen. I pray you never bear witness to such things.
Also, apparently there's a criminal organization here on these islands, like the BB Bandits of Vivosaur Island you told me about. They're called the BareBone Brigade ((Heh, their initials are just like the Bandits, think there's any relation?)) and, according to Todd, they're bad news. They actually stole the giant, flying video screen Joe Wildwest used to start off the Cup. Then they used it to send a message, directly from their leader, saying that they were going to take over the islands.
And that's not the strangest part! Their leader is a talking skull! Seriously! No eyes, no skin, nothing, just a bone-white skull. ((I think it floats too, I didn't see a spinal cord or anything)) Anyway, he calls himself Don Boneyard (Apseudonym, maybe? Sounds a bit to…coincidental, to me) and, like I said, he says he's going to take over the islands but there was something funny in how he said it. "Your Cup will soon be no more" It was like…he had something against the whole tournament and taking over the islands just happened to be part of stopping it.
Come to think of it, his voice sounded kind of familiar. Not sure why.
Anyway, apparently he blocked off the route to one of the sites so I'm going to check it out. I'll tell you what I find!
Reviews are always appreciated. They let me know my story is not simply collecting virtual dust. And by reviews I mean something a bit more than 'awesome story' or the like. Tell me what you enjoyed, and even what you did not (though please refrain from going on a tangent).
/\/\/\
To DunaN2 (Guest): Here's how I see it: all Dinaurians have the same default abilities (the noble's vivosaur forms notwithstanding, we learn in the game that it's a prototype armor and not an actual ability) just at varying levels of strength and control depending on where on the social ladder the Dinaurian in question is placed. Dynal, Raptin, and Duna are the strongest Dinaurians the player encounters in the game and, amongst the three of them, I'd say their level's of strength have Dynal as the strongest (naturally, he is the king, after all) and Duna the weakest (mainly because she's the youngest and isn't fully grown yet).
In Dark Horse Gambit we see that both Dynal and Duna are able to pick up on Creed's Fighter's Aura and the messages laced within it. So, logically, Raptin should be able to do the same, as should any other Dinaurian that encounters a Synchro. However, the weaker the Dinaurian is, the more susceptible they are to the pull of a Fighter's Aura. Fortunately, most of them are loyal to King Dynal, so that acts as a sort of a buffer. Make sense?
Who's Arky and Azizacan? I'm not familiar with those names.
As for your request… I'm very picky about the stories I read and even more so on when I review, through no fault of the authors. Some of the stories I didn't care for were very well written pieces. And my reviews tend to be sporadic at best, though I'll probably be able to regularly review your pieces if I take to them. So we'll see. I look forward to seeing your account when it finally get's put up. It'll be nice to respond to your messages privately.
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Sneak Peak:
Trying to brush the lingering sense of static off his arms, Vestello exited the Fighter Station. Unfortunately, it seemed to be a futile endeavor.
Flurries of laughing deep-yellows painted winding spirals in content golden-orange.
::Fun battle, funnier aftermath.::
::Oh hush you.:: The bluenette snarked at the air-bone vivosaur, but his words held no venom and so Vicious just kept on laughing. As if my hair wasn't messy enough already…