No special rules that I could see. FIGHT~!

* * * THE WORLD: MAC ANU * * *

“That is some staff design,” the wavemistress seated across from her in the gondola observed.

Not sure how she had ended up in Iron Maiden’s gondola, Arinyes nodded slightly. The woman dressed in an elaborate green, white and gold robe at least had passed her while being on her own. Last she could use was the annoyance of her husband’s witless remarks, much less the distraction of Ramako. How the latter managed to remain an issue with her was yet another thing she didn’t want to think about. At present her biggest issue was getting rid of some of her frustration from the previous day at the hands of a hacker calling herself Mahou. Being used as a decoy, bringing people she only knew shortly into danger… There was no denying that without their presence she might well not have survived the ordeals there. Looking down at the badge she had settled on her sash, yet another modification to her character’s appearance, she sighed deeply and shut her eyes. She preferred not to think about all of that either. Why am I running away from it anyway? she demanded from herself. This wasn’t anything like her. She always faced things head on…

“Very impressive indeed,” Iron Maiden mused, her gaze wandering over the canal she had steered the gondola, a wall to wall area with no streets that would allow people to look at them from shore.

Ever the thoughtful one, Arin thought with a wistful sigh. It was almost as though she were an old motherly woman, though for the likes of her she couldn’t imagine someone that old to be playing a computer game. Just having told about some of the things that had transpired the day before made her feel better, though her fascination for the weapon made her feel a little insecure. Even while the wavemistress did her best not to look at it, it was obvious that she had a great desire to stare at it, possibly hold it, eventhough she would never be able to. Weighing the weapon and looking at the staff, she had another good look at it.

The main shaft was comprised of a translucent substance that with its shifting colors made it look as though it wasn’t really there in the first place, effectively making two thirds of the entire length almost non-corporeal. Riding on top was a green metallic length that ended in a standing crescent moon, curving outward. Through the sickle a metal pin stuck, holding a small orb of the same substance of the lower staff fixed right in the heart of the curve, while from the lower end of the pin a small chain hung with a brown stone carved in the shape of a wolf’s head.

Indeed, it looked impressive. Mahou, however, had also said that this was a reflection of herself… not necessarily the sole reflection, just one of them. One that had stood out the most in her mind. Just the manner in which the hacker spoke, made her feel as though this game ‘The World’ was more than just a large depository of command lines and subroutines. In fact, it gave her the unwholesome feeling that Mahou regarded this game as a living entity and a place where thought and soul could be molded to reflect that which was inside a person. Whichever the case, the staff seemed to have impressed that eccentric witch all the same.

“Well, seems that we all agree to it that it is impressive,” Arin lightly quipped, or at least she tried to. The tension was roaring through her and had been ever since that adventure had ended. Having put up a call for anyone to get beaten up by her strangely enough had resulted in a reply from perhaps one of the last people she’d ever expect to hear from. Frankly, the wavemaster in question she had only spotted from a distance in an area flooded with rain. A disaster of a duel that had turned out to be, both her opponents gone before she even had so much as set a foot into the area.

“You really ought to learn to relax more, girl,” Iron Maiden remarked, her gaze full of concern as she turned her attention back to her. “And this fool notion of going into a duel… don’t you think that’s…”

“I need this!” Arinyes almost bit through gritted teeth. Feeling tears aching to get out, she swallowed hard on the lump that formed in the back of her throat. “If I don’t let this out somewhere, it is going to… it’s going to… tear me up.” Shuddering with all the pent up rage with the last coming out as a near whisper, she fought to get a grip on herself. Her escape from reality and boredom had the ill effect of rekindling the flame that boredom could always smother so well; after all, rage was a greater part of the essence of her being. As much turbulence as it brought to her life, never a moment’s peace, she couldn’t imagine what to do with herself when she actually had that much peace. It would redefine her being and went beyond her comprehension. Starting when a sound announced she had a message, she opened it quickly, finding it to be from the administrators. “Looks like it’s time.”

Taking a very deep breath and letting it out slowly, the wavemistress nodded slowly. “Setting a course for the main street. No doubt you’ll let yourself off when it comes to that.” Managing a faint smile, she settled back and stared at her for the longest time, the silence not being so much tense as it was companionable. Just when they were turning into the busier causeways where noises filled the area, she sat back up and calmly said, “I’m beginning to get a clearer picture of you, Arinyes.”

Not having much chance to ask about it with the bridge fast approaching, Arin got up and leaped to shore just before the bridge and watched her trail off with a wide wave. Shaking her head, she turned towards the chaos gate and hurried. If that idiot was going to be anything serious, she preferred not to give him too much time to reconsider. He better damn well be there. Passing the save point with a quick nod towards the NPC, a habit she felt was getting some sort of response in return from the computer generated character, she stopped in front of the gate and proclaimed, “Buzzing Solitary Nightfly.”

* * * Δ Buzzing Solitary Nightfly * * *

Being ringed into what felt like a tight and cramped quarters, as soon as the materialization process had finished, Arinyes had a sinking sensation. Sliding down a chute and picking up momentum, for a moment she feared to be in for a plunge to certain death, when the chute started to tilt to horizontal. Her hopes for a smooth landing short-lived when a flash of light revealed she was about to be shot into open air, she yelped when she had a momentary feeling of floating. Quickly that turned into heart sinking despair as she could see something solid being in her direct flight path. Shutting her eyes tightly and bracing for impact, she went straight through her knees and pushed off with all her might in the short time it took for her momentum to drop to absolute zero, making a spin in the air and stumbling backwards when her feet hit the ground. Swaying precariously, she managed to get her staff down at the right angle to catch herself from falling, her head spinning with the performed acrobatics.

Looking about herself when the spinning stopped, Arin found herself standing in a vast chamber that was filled with the noise of howling winds and clattering water. Seeing jagged teeth of stalagmites and stalactites all over the place in brief flashes of light that pierced the dank cavern from equally jagged tears around her, she whistled lowly. With only having heard about the place, she had to admit that for an arena it had a certain quality about it that did good to reflect the suspense of a one on one. Thumping with her staff against the ground twice and hearing it echo enough over the noise to be significant, she held her position, letting her vision adjust to the darkness. If he already had shown up, after all, it wouldn’t do well to start off half blind…

----------

SP: 65

Closed as per request of only poster.

Arinyes wins by default.