DM Barcas - Iron Gods: Unity's Promise (Inactive)

Game Master Isaac Duplechain

Kaxon ex-Origenes

NG Human Flame Oracle

18, 12, 12, 16, 12, 18

Racial Traits: Skilled +1 skill per level, Silver Tongued +2 Bluff and Diplomacy (Diplomacy can shift attitude three steps instead of two), Bonus Feat, Focused Study- Skill Focus feat at level 1,8,16
Skills: (8) Bluff+14, Diplomacy+10, Knowledge: Arcana +7, Knowledge: Religion+7, Knowledge: Planes+7, Sense Motive+5, Spellcraft+7, UMD +8
Feats: (3) Skill Focus: Bluff, Improved Unarmed Strike, Hermean Blood (Kn: Arcana, UMD)
Traits: (2) Fast-Talker (social),
Spells: 0th- Light, Mending, Read Magic, Spark
1st- Ant Haul, Burning Disarm, Burning Hands, Cure Light Wounds
Curse: Blackened, -4 to weapon rolls, Add Burning Hands to Spell List
Mystery: Flame, Add Acrobatics, Climb, Intimidate, and Perform to class skill list
Revelations: Gaze of Flames (See through Fire, Fog and Smoke)

Five background and concept elements important to Kaxon ex-Origenes.
1) As a result of being intelligent, strong and terribly good looking, as well as remarkably potent, Kaxon has been a hot item for breeding partnerships. At the age of 25, he’s already sired 24 children from 18 different women. He is largely disillusioned with the process and sees it as a chore of which he is becoming increasingly discontented, largely due to self interest as well as a burgeoning love which is also is forbidden
2) Kaxon is currently a citizen in charge of making breeding choices amongst the people being considered for citizenship amongst the outlying farms. Seeing the breeding of the cattle and the similarities between what happens to them and what happens to the humans around him despite the clear superiority of the humans has brought intellectual doubts concerning the Unity principle. His own personal feelings, particuarly due to the divine sources of his magic and desire to remain among those he loves as well as his homeland contribute to this as well.
3) Kaxon is a Divine Caster, but due to his extrordinary talent, he’s able to fool just about anyone into believing he’s a sorcerer. Most of his spells can be used by either, or are usually exclusively arcane, and he possesses the convincing tongue of Minkare from whom he is descended, who talked the world’s elite humans to take part in this grand experiment.
4) In discovering his power over flame, Kaxon badly burned his forearms, making it difficult to grip a weapon due to the tendon damage he took. He can still pack a nasty punch, and will to make a point if people won’t listen to his silvered tongue. At present, he’s only had to do it twice. Writing is also difficult for him, his handwriting is attrocious. He often gets others to scribe for him, most often ladies because he’s able to persuade them more easily due to his attractiveness, although payment for the favor is becoming harder and harder for him to perform.
5) Kaxon is well liked and regarded because of his dragon tongue and often gets privileges denied to others due to his persuasiveness and attractiveness. However, there are some who are wary of him even without reason simply because he does excel in such things and are looking for a way to discredit him, if only for their own advancement.

Two goals that are important to Kaxon.
1) Kaxon would like to find out the whereabouts and fate of his children.
2) He also would like to discover the fate of the citizen known as Acerbalana whom has recently gone missing without explanation.

Two secrets about Kaxon, one that he knows, and one that he not yet aware of.
1) Kaxon, after having many short relationships longs for the first one he ever had with the citizen named Acerbalana. This longing has made everything else a burden to him, and he doesn’t really know why it’s such a problem.
2) Kaxon is one of the people with Menkare’s blood in his veins. As a result, despite his fruitfulness, the children were rigorously tested and many were rejected from citizenship to keep too large a content of the great dragon’s blood itself to be spread throughout the population.
3) Kaxon is actually an oracle trying to pass himself off as a sorcerer, to good effect.

Four people that are tied to Kaxon, three are friends and one is an enemy.
1) Acerbalana is a rare beauty and the person to whom Kaxon’s heart belongs. They have had three children, more than any other pairing, mostly due to the favorable mix of their attributes. She was his first, and all women in his opinion pale in comparison. He idly dreams of her golden hair and when carrying out his duty in reproduction with other women, he imagines that he is with her. He’s still unaware of his love however, and they have not discussed the one year attachment.
2) Horack tal-Origenes, Kaxon’s supervisor is his biological father and uses a fair about of favoritism toward his son. Since opinion of Kaxon is high, there are few that resent this. Although it’s not outwardly known, Horack is a Sorcerer of the highest order. This is also one of the reasons why has been able to get away with his ruse. His father doesn’t know his secret, but blindly believes Kaxon has taken after his father in his ability. It’s possible that this
3) Menkare keeps an eye on all his progeny, expecting much more of them than from regular citizens. Currently he’s in the midst of deciding whether or not to keep his bloodline mingled with the humans or to toss the whole batch out of the grand experiment.
4) Opastaca ex- Origenes possessed with a fierce jealousy toward Kaxon. She both loves and despises the lack of reciprocation from Kaxon and is aware of his feelings toward Acerbalana.

Four memories, mannerisms or quirks Kaxon possesses.
1) Kaxon has a bad habit of scratching his skin, particularly around his hands and forearms when people aren’t looking. It’s not really irritated or dry, but he has a deadness in it that he can’t explain without revealing his secret and it brings him comfort to scratch.
2) Kaxon is plagued with dreams of his beloved, day and night. As a result he doesn’t sleep well and tends to be a bit grumpy.
3) Horack had found him when he was quite young, told him a secret that he was his father and embraced him strongly. The motion, never repeated, had filled his young heart and is one of his earliest memories.
4) Opastaca had idly questioned him about leaving the grand experiment once, hoping that the two of them could run away together. Kaxon had laughed at her, having never thought of the idea before, but it had grown in his thoughts since then and is one of his regrets. He doesn’t feel any real attraction for Opastaca, but he’s begrudgingly decided she may have a good idea.

”Opastaca, come in here a moment.” The redhaired tower of a man asked while leaning through a doorframe with a smile. He was in a bind due to the lateness of his report again. There was only so much leniency in his position, and he still rather liked his job if only in comparison to other jobs he has done.

Her heart skipped a bit as he leaned on the top of the doorframe, fear and loathing accompanied her desire. She hopped to her feet a little too quickly for her tastes and stopped short of the door to allow him to move enough to allow her clear access. He probably wants me to play secretary again she thought to herself as she turned once in his office to face him still leaning on the wall. Like hells I’ll do that again.

He motioned for her to sit while he went across the room and sat in his own chair, facing the window. ”Please do me a favor and write down some things for me. You know how bad my writing is.”

”Sure.” she replied again too quickly, hating herself for giving in. It wasn’t as if she really hated him, he was really easy to look at after all.

But as time wore on and the report got long, she was seething again as they came to the end. ”Got all that? Heh, silly me, of course you have. You’re quite adept at so many things.”

She blushed at this but it was time to make a stand. ”Now your flattery is appreciated, but this is the last time you’ll get me to help. “ She walked over and tossed the papers in his face.

Kaxon was genuinely confused, he didn’t see this one coming. His face contorted a bit in both perturbation as well as a bit of a questioning look. ”Hey, what’s this coming from?”

Spurred on by the weird look on his face, she launched into a short tirade. ”It’s all words with you, you lazy bastard. Just because you think you're privileged doesn’t mean you always are. Step up and do something for yourself now and again, why don’t you?” She stormed out of the room, feeling proud of herself for not being a complete pushover. At least he won’t be able to forget me now.

”Hells.” He bent over to collect the papers. Some people wondered why his face fell when he was selected for another pairing. They didn’t understand the hassle it sometimes was. Opastaca and he had, what he thought, was an amiable pairing about six months back, although since it had finished she kept asking him odd questions and getting angry for no reason. It wouldn’t have been so bad except it wasn’t the first time it had happened. Four other girls he’d known ended up doing similar things, although not to the extent of this latest one. Citizens or no, there was a kind of madness about the whole situation.

He waved and smiled at just about everyone on his way regardless of his inner turmoil. Just because he was feeling grumpy didn’t mean he couldn’t at least be polite. He received as many if not more waves and hellos as he went his way and he was beginning to feel better. As he reached the building where Polikia was expecting his report, he handed it over to her upon entering her office. She smiled at him, but suddenly got angry at him when she noticed the handwriting.

Hells, not this again…

*Bang! Bang!*

Dryth jerks his head up from the wires he was working on. ”Krys, see who’s at the door.” He peers back into the control box and attaches the wires. There, that should do it. Now, let’s see if the code is right.

”Yes, sir.” Krys, Dryth’s personal robotic servant, wheels over to the door, but just as he approaches it, the door opens. With all endeavors and items in Promise for the collective good, there were no such things as locks to keep people out, but it was still impolite for someone to just enter on their own. Krys expresses his surprise at the intrusion. ”Excuse me, sir! I was just coming to get the door. You did not need let yourself-- Ah, Master Tyrone, wonderful to see you, sir. Master Dryth is in his workroom. Would you like any refreshments?”

”No, Krys, thank you. It seems Dryth has missed an appointment with Aldus this afternoon.” He yells out for Dryth. ”The man’s pride is hurt, Dryth. He was looking forward to this. You’ll have to apologize to him.” He walks into the workspace. ”What are you working on now that made you skip the meeting?”

Dryth curses as he hears Tyrone’s words. He turns and greets the man who has become a bit of a mentor these last two years. ”Tyrone, good to see you.” He turns back to his status screen. ”Aldus didn’t want to see me, he wanted a chance to mock me. I didn’t need that today. Besides, take a look.” He points to the half-torso of the robot he had been working on. Typing a few commands, he pulls out a control device. ”Ok, let’s see if this works.” He taps the device.

Suddenly, the half-robot glows with a reddish light. Dryth walks up to touch it. ”See, nothing but normal metal. But watch.” He pulls out a wand from his bag and touches it to the robot’s torso. White hot fire shoots out, enveloping the torso and driving Tyrone back from the residual heat. Dryth pulls the wand away. As both men struggle to regain their eyesight from the blinding light, Dryth grabs Tyrone’s hand and places right where the fiery wand had been a moment before. The older man feels cool metal. Dryth laughs. ”Not a scorch mark or hint of melted metal. Not even warm! And that was a maximized, intensified wand of burning hands. I borrowed it from Prena.”

”A proper protection spell can do the same.” Tyrone responds.

”Yes, but it can’t do it all the time. Drop this guy into a volcano for a week and he’ll come out without a mark. Think of him living in a forge, making repairs without having to shut it down. He works 24 hours a day without a break. He could be used to test fire weapons or rescue someone in a burning building. All without a ‘proper protection spell’ being cast.”

Tyrone rubs his chin, his mind running through the possibilities. He smiles and begins to speak when the torso begins glowing again. This time both men feel the intense heat emanating from the machine and are forced back. ”What’s going on, Dryth?!”

”I don’t know!” He reaches for the control, but it’s too close to the robot. The desk begins to blacken. Cursing, Dryth casts a simple spell. Suddenly the power to the robot is interrupted for a moment, but it’s enough for Tyrone to grab the control unit and power the whole lab down. As the temperature returns to normal, Dryth looks at Tyrone. ”Ok, maybe it’s not fully worked out. But it has potential, right?”

Tyrone laughs. ”Keep working, and be thankful your Daze spell works on machines like this. It would have burned my whole house down!” The older man pats him on the back. ”Go see Aldus and apologize. For my sake, at least. I have to deal with him everyday and he’s going to sulk. I know it.” He turns to leave. ”And remember the dinner with Gorath tomorrow! Grace is coming too, I spoke to her. Her testing of the new crops is going well and she’ll be able to make it.”

Dryth nods. ”We talked this morning. It seems the swamp rot isn’t affecting this new batch. Imagine being able to grow wheat in a bog! Maybe Promise will be able to feed more people. But do I really have to go to this dinner? You know how I hate those things.”

Tyrone laughs. "Right. You were holding court at the last one! I've never seen so many people interested in hearing about trionic networks. You'll be there, I know it." He begins to leave.

Dryth merely shrugs and waves to Tyrone. He turns back to his workshop. ”Krys, see Tyrone out. And get me something to eat.”

Five background and concept elements important to Artemios .
1) Artemios is part of a century that drills incessantly with firearms. Every day for the last fifteen years he has built, maintained and fired his pistols until he knows every piece in the dark, without thinking.

2) Artemios has lived most of his life dedicated to the ideals of Hermea and the Unity Project. He works hard to live up to the standards set by his centurion, Bardanes, whom he regards much like a father. Despite the discipline and egalitarianism drilled into him by the Lucarus tribe, Artemios is essentially a man of action who dreams of performing heroic acts. Artemios is fundamentally chivalrous, quick to defend women and occasionally blind to the vices and motives of the women he meets.

3) Artemios was called upon to be part of an execution of three members of his own training cohort. These two men and a woman had failed to live up to Lucarus’s high standards and had been exiled to the Varisian shore, but had overpowered the crew of the boat sent to exile them and had returned to Hermea where they tried to live in the wild hills beyond the farms. Captured, they were sentenced to death and Artemios’s cohort had been tasked to carry out the sentence. Although he hadn’t cared much for either of the two men and thought of them as weak and lazy, he felt the exile of the woman, Irene, was unjust. She had been injured in training and had not healed at the expected rate. Being one of her executioners was difficult for Artemios and was the genesis of his growing unease about the Unity Project. Since the death of Irene and her companions, Artemios has twice more been called upon to execute recalcitrant prisoners and the memories give him nightmares.

4) Artemios is in love with Althea ex-Diocles, an amazingly talented musician and scientist ten years his senior who was briefly assigned as his mate before being reassigned a year later. Artemios and Althea became very close, sharing not only a passionate physical relationship but a love of literature, nature and animals. Both were devastated by the mandated breakup, but Althea seems to have learned to accept it and has moved on. Artemios still pines for his raven-haired soulmate, even after being assigned to two other mates and having impregnated both. The pain of this separation has also led Artemios to question the wisdom of the Unity Project, though almost never out loud.

5) Everyone has a hobby, even on Hermea. Artemios’s is the study of the many ancient technological items found scattered across the items. Artemios has learned to carefully cajole the archaic devices into working shape. In the course of this he found that it became necessary to learn the language of the ancients in order to unravel some of the devices and markings they left behind. [Explaining the “Numerian Archaelogist” trait.]

Two goals that are important to Artemios.
1) Artemios is dedicated to the defense of Hermea, including a desire to find some way to improve on what he sees as its flaws.

2) Artemios seeks some way...any way... to be with Althea again. If anything were to finally crack his dedication to Hermea, it would be a chance to reclaim his lover’s affections.

Two secrets about Artemios, one that he knows, and one that he not yet aware of.
1) Artemios has strange dreams from time to time. He hears voices he can’t quite understand. Whenever he tries hard to make out the words, he wakes up in a sweat.

2) Okay, this one’s maybe too far over the line, so I’ll give you two. Maybe neither are true.
2a) Artemios isn’t human at all. He’s an android (along with his whole cohort) discovered and given false memories (including the wholly fictitious Althea) to keep them emotionally grounded (would that make this Blade Runner or Westworld?). -or-
2b) Artemios is a clone of Bardanes, as are roughly half his cohort. Each warrior has the centurion’s super-fast reflexes etched into his genes.

Four people that are tied to Artemios, three are friends and one is an enemy.
1) Althea ex-Diocles, scientist, researcher, soulmate. Artemios would do anything for Althea, including risking all that he has within Hermea.

2) Bardanes ex-Lucarus, mentor, taskmaster, father. The fastest gunslinger in all Hermea. Though now older and maybe a bit wiser, Bardanes is still a better shot than any of his century. His favorite quote: ”Courage means being afraid, but saddling up anyway.”

3) Constantine ex-Epaphras, Hermean agent and world traveler. Two years ago, Artemios was assigned as a bodyguard and runner for the Hermean secret agent Constantine ex-Epaphras. Together with a cantankerous mule, the two traveled the Inner Sea from Magnimar to Absalom to Katapesh, disguised as a Taldan merchant and his bodyguard. The older man is an encyclopedia of knowledge about foreign lands, customs and languages and made sure that Artemios observed many of the wonders of the lands into which they traveled, gathering intelligence for the great Mengkare. Although he is now a semi-retired scholar and author, Constantine remains a good friend to the younger man.

4) Basil ex-Lucarus. A member of Artemios’s century and a gunslinger on a par with Artemios, Basil was Irene’s mate and blames Artemios for her death. Basil secretly hates Artemios and plots his downfall.

Four memories, mannerisms or quirks Artemios possesses.
1) Artemios always carries with him a blue silk scarf. Sometimes he wears it across his face, but it is usually neatly folded into his bandolier. The scarf once belonged to Althea, who used it to tie back her hair. From time to time Artemios will take the scarf out and run it through his fingers or hold it to his nose and imagine that he can still detect her scent on it.

2) Artemios is forever breaking down and cleaning his weapons and is unhappy if he cannot find a safe, dry place to do this ritual.

3) Artemios enjoys games of chance, particularly dice and cards. He will often try to get a game going whenever he is at rest.

4) Artemios has a dim memory (he’s not completely certain it wasn’t a dream) of waking up in a surgical operating theater surrounded by masked doctors. They were doing some sort of procedure on him. On his brain.

”Fire!”

The command came as a quick, short bark and by the time the sound had quieted, it was replaced by six thunderous reports. Artemios stood on the firing range, smoke curling from his pistol. All six targets were down. The young man set down his weapon as a signal that he was done firing.

”Unacceptable,” said the gruff older man nearby. ”Terrible, in fact.”

”I hit every target,” Artemios said.

”In four seconds!” said the older man. ”My beagle could shoot faster than that. And he’s blind in one eye and doesn’t have hands. In a real fight, the fifth and sixth ones would have killed you.”

“The fifth and sixth clay ducks?” asked Artemios.

”Don’t be a smartass, boy,” said the older man. ”You know what I mean. You should be able to put every one of those bullets accurately down range in three seconds. You’re my best student, Artemios. What’s wrong with you all of a sudden? Are you sick?”

Despite himself, Artemios’s gaze slid north towards the low line of hills where the Diocles tribe was. Where she was.

”Oh, for Unity’s sake,” breathed the older man with a long-suffering sigh. ”This again? Artemios, she’s gone. Let her go. She’s not right for you.”

The young gunslinger rounded angrily on his mentor. ”What do you know about it, Bardanes? How do you know who’s right for me and who’s not?”

”I know,” said Bardanes patiently, ”Because a godlike golden dragon, the founder and benefactor of our fair state, from whom all good things flow, sent her away from you. And so far his judgments have been pretty damned good, wouldn’t you say?”

”What if it wasn’t him?” asked Artemios. ”I mean, he doesn’t make most of the small decisions. We do that. Under his guidance. I love her. They took her away for...for what? Numbers? Because they could? What if...what if they’re just wrong?”

Bardanes seized Artemios’s lapels in his big, surprisingly fast hands and pulled him off the range, shoving the younger man up against the arsenal wall. ”Have you lost your mind? Talk like that can get you exile, Artemios! Is that what you want? To live among sickly, ignorant savages for the rest of your life, with every third neighbor a troll or a necromancer? You want to lose this,” he said, waving his hand around behind him, ”over a girl? A damned girl!?”

The older man slapped the younger hard, then, across the face. ”You’d better listen to me, soldier. If I ever hear that sort of talk from you again, there will be no reeducation therapy. I will haul your ass to the beach and toss it into a boat myself, do you hear me? I will not have any of my men talking subversion, or whining over some lost Diocles tart. Pull yourself together and get back on that firing line!”

Anger and frustration welled up in Artemios’s mind, threatening to push him across a line he could never recross. His hands balled into fists as he stared, wild-eyed into the face of the closest thing he had to a father. Slowly, his wiser self reasserted control.

”Yeah,” he said, calm and discipline returning. ”You're right. Too slow.” He walked back towards the firing line.

Artemios
Male human gunslinger (pistolero) 1 (Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Combat 9, 51)
NG Medium humanoid (human)
Hero Points 1
Init +5; Senses Perception +7
--------------------
Defense
--------------------
AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 13 (+3 armor, +3 Dex)
hp 13 (1d10+3)
Fort +5, Ref +7, Will +3
--------------------
Offense
--------------------
Speed 30 ft. (20 ft. in armor)
Melee dagger +2 (1d4+1/19-20)
Ranged double-barreled pistol +6 (1d8/×4)
Special Attacks deeds (gunslinger's dodge, quick clear, up close and deadly), grit (3)
--------------------
Statistics
--------------------
Str 12, Dex 20, Con 16, Int 12, Wis 16, Cha 12
Base Atk +1; CMB +2; CMD 17
Feats Additional Traits, Gunsmithing[UC], Rapid Reload
Traits black powder bravado, highlander (hills or mountains), numerian archeaologist, world traveler
Skills Acrobatics +6 (+2 to jump), Craft (firearms) +7, Knowledge (engineering) +5, Knowledge (local) +5, Perception +7, Sense Motive +8, Stealth +7 (+9 in hilly or rocky areas); Racial Modifiers highlander (hills or mountains)
Languages Androffan, Common, Varisian
SQ gunsmith, hero points
Other Gear studded leather, black powder (20), dagger, double-barreled pistol, firearm bullet (20), backpack, bandolier, bedroll, belt pouch, chalk (10), flint and steel, gunsmith's kit, hemp rope (50 ft.), masterwork tool, mess kit, pot, powder horn, torch (10), trail rations (5), waterskin, 8 gp, 5 sp
--------------------
Tracked Resources
--------------------
Black powder - 0/20
Black Powder Bravado (1/day) - 0/1
Dagger - 0/1
Firearm bullet - 0/20
Grit Pool (3/day) - 0/3
Torch - 0/10
Trail rations - 0/5
--------------------
Special Abilities
--------------------
Black Powder Bravado (1/day) When attacking as part of a deed, you can reroll but must take the 2nd result.
Grit (Ex) Gain a pool of points that are spent to fuel deeds, regained on firearm crit/killing blow.
Gunsmithing You can use a gunsmithing kit to craft/repair firearms and ammo.
Hero Points Hero Points can be spent at any time to grant a variety of bonuses.
Highlander (hills or mountains) +1 to Stealth checks, Stealth is always a class skill for you. Double this in hilly or rocky areas.
Numerian Archeaologist Roll twice when a timeworn item glitches and choose the result.
Rapid Reload (Double-barreled pistol) You can reload fast with one type of Crossbow or Firearm.

"I'm surprised you came for our weekly session, Axelia. What point is there of training physically now that you've joined Themostila?" A man of stature larger than most, but to no great degree smiled slightly as Axelia entered the room, rising from his seat facing the door. Even seated on the low bench, his head had been higher than hers, and now she was almost comically small next to him. Yet her eyes rose to his without flickering in the face of his size.

"I always keep my promises." She passed him, keeping their eyes locked till the last second, when she abruptly stopped and turned to face a shared locker. Her training gear was already laid out for her on a low shelf.

"Heh, is that it? Just another promise to""Thank you." They both paused, accidentally catching each others eyes for a moment, after she had interrupted him, before breaking contact.

He turned away, facing the opposite direction, and began speaking overly loud. "It's nothing. Noal was quite the jokester, wasn't he? I think he assigned you the top shelf on purpose. His idea of payback for not being as jovial as him." In the slight pause while he awaited a response, the telltale rustle of cloth on flesh filled the room, and Regino dived once again into filling the air, speaking above his normal tone. "Heh, can you believe the history of this building? They really thought it would be a good test when it was built to have the boys and girls share a combined gym/locker room? I hear so many got kicked off the island that they had to double the amount of residents accepted that year? Expecting them to maintain their discipline in the face of such temptation when so young, hah, laughable right?"

"I would rather accept the penalties of overestimated youth than underestimating them. Noal has no authority over us, yet even from that age, we accepted his orders more readily than Mengkare's. There is a force about him, that we are all poorer for without." Axelia turned to Regino, affixing one last button as she moved to her place on the mat, Regino taking his spot.

Their hands raised, their eyes locked, steel gazes. And it began. They were both calculating fighters who knew their respective strengths and weaknesses. Regino's body mass dwarfed hers, despite the surprising strength her frame had. But Axelia could stay lower than him, making it difficult for him to land a straight attack, and her speed and tactical insight only magnified that.

But after a few blows exchanged, their hands became locked in a brute battle of strength. Regino would win this play, as they both knew. But what came after?

"You speak of Noal always in the past tense... Tell me, is leaving Promise analogous to death, in your eyes? Is the metaphorical death of so many over being.. undisciplined simply a joke to you?" There was almost a playfulness over Axelia's tone. It painted her words in the same light as their battle. A game with a foregone conclusion.

Even still, Axelia's hands were slowly forced back into a less optimal position. "Hah.... The world is a foreign country you can't know what's there unless you go there, so it's not a bad analogy!" Axelia's attempt at adding a psychological element did nothing, and she soon had to contend with a vicious knee strike the abdomen as price for losing the contest of strength with Regino. "But to turn the tables on you there.." He gave her a moment to recover. They both knew that if he had chosen to press his advantage completely, he would have won the spar. "Say you had to abandon your dream, Axelia? Wouldn't you consider that analogous to death? I at least have some response to so many dreams being crushed, and believe we shouldn't let it happen again. You don't care at all."

Here, anything could be said. It was simply a mental exercise, to prepare them both for any jibes or psychological shocks a real opponent might do. Wasn't it? They returned to their positions.

Axelia lead with a flurry of blows, precise, powerful, and utterly predictable. Regino smiled, his taunts hadn't gotten her at all. Textbook attacks. "You always chose the perfect move, Axelia. It is a weakness to be so predictAAAHHH." The breath left him as a final strike had landed underneath his ribs.

"And you fight to protect the man behind you, Regino." Their eyes continued their lock, and her fist rotated slowly, the tight fabric bunching and creasing from the pull locked between the lingering force of her strike and Regino's unyielding muscle that had accepted the blow. "Tell me, who stands behind you? Not everyone's dream is found in Promise. Perhaps two of them found love to make Yumie jealous." Regino barked out a pained laugh as the paused for a moment, as he waved his hand with a signal of a well-played round. They returned to their positions.

"It's good to hear you joking about that. I was afraid it was going to break up your friendship." Regino seemed relieved as he did not quite take his stance yet.

"I will be checking my drinks more carefully in the future. But no, I will not let one mistake break one of the few friendships I have left." Regino's relief faded slightly as he picked up ques from Axelia's response. Her stance became more rigid, and a momentary grinding of teeth. The wound may not be bleeding, but it had not yet healed.

"I suppose I should have known." Regino launched an almost playful attack, even as he still spoke. Such a lackadaisical attack took Axelia off guard, even as she easily blocked it her footing faltered backwards. Regino continued. "I mean, we all knew you wanted Noal." Axelia's guard was completely off as Regino shoulder rammed her off the mat and to the ground, which given their respective heights and speeds should never have landed.

Axelia's lip was almost raised into a snarl before Regino's hand was lowered to help her up. "Haha, I gotcha that time. You're too used to the actual fight moves being serious. Never know when you might die to a jester or a fool like that."

Axelia's gaze softened, but she raised herself to standing by her own, not accepted his assistance. They were simply mind games. Weren't they?

Regino shook his head as he retracted his hand. "Still the same as ever, Axelia. It's not wrong to accept assistance. And..." He gave a playful wink, "I'm one of those few friends left, right?"

Axelia moved towards the locker. Regino had won, best of three. She opened it, revealing her clothes and looking over at him. "We are friends. For my part."

Regino sighed as he moved to his own. Half the sigh was playful, but half was so much more. "I suppose that's the most anyone but Noal can hope for. You don't trust anyone." Axelia shifted uncomfortably at his words.

"You could have been a wonderful Alkeaus, Axelia." They dressed with discipline, eyes unflinchingly forward. They did not need to look at themselves to dress with precision, so both of them kep their eyes forward.

"It was not for the good of Promise for me to be one, Regino. I was chosen for Themostila and you would not question the choice of our leaders." Hollow, hollow, hollow. The trash talk in the match seemed now so much more honest and less painful than the words spoken now. Friendship was simply the nerve to feel the lack of trust that now exchanged between them.

They hesitated in silence, standing as rigid as the soldiers they would both be if they had been born in some other civilized land. His training gear was stowed away, as they stood side by side, facing the lockers, neither daring to be the first to look at the other.

"Umm..." Regino jittered involuntarily as Axelia's voice broke the silence and the soft meek voice she spoke with did not match his image of her, surprising him into looking over at her. He saw the training clothes in her hands. Then looked up at the high shelf in the locker they had always been placed in the past. All the other shelves had could be cleaned out long ago. And the building and these clothes would be destroyed all the same.

"Oh.. Uh.. Shall I put those there for you?" He reached over in front of her.

"Er... Yes, thank you." Axelia's cheeks flushed slightly, before her feet fled from the situation, heading for the door.

"See..." His voice caught her, as she caught the frame of the door, her muscles clenching it. The rising sun gleamed past her and onto Regino's face as he took a seat facing her. "We all need others, Axelia, even me and you." His smile matched the glint of his eyes. True happiness. "Youthful dreams can always be forgiven." Hope suffused Regino's words, as the rising sun set aglow Axelia's blond and set aflame his red.

"..."Axelia paused, her mouth open slightly, as she paused, framed in light from the rising sun. But her hand loosened, and fell from the frame and to the handle. She locked eyes with Regino, and her steel glare returned. "I always keep my promises." The door was closed, and Regino was left in the dimly lit room.

A howl of anguish and the crash of metal, Axelia heard, but the last words she did not. "Damn it, Noal. If you had to steal her heart first, couldn't you have at least fixed her before you left? Come back and fix this whole damn twisted situation!"