Smashing the coconut is a mere trifle after the iron bar, and both women destroy the fruit with little difficulty. Mol Kor continues on to the final station, and chops the stack of wooden boards in half with his hand. He grandstands for a moment for the crowd before marching off the field.
The final event! The barbarian focuses everything she has left inside for one last swing.
Damage plus fire
"An odd succession of challenges, in some ways," Simon muses as he watches the women proceed through the stations. "I would expect the mightiest challenge - the iron bar or the block of ice - to be the last. Oh, well."
Turning back to Poog, he smiles - a bit. "Human women are very affectionate creatures, even if they do not feel romantic," he explains. "You have the advantage of being exotic in their eyes, friend Poog. No harm is likely to be intended, nor unnatural cravings."
Poog gives Simon a doubtful look.
Asha takes her turn at the boards as well.
As the boards shatter to flinders, the monk turns and poses gracefully for the crowd before bowing to them and heading off the field.
The boards shatter at both of the women's blows, and the crowd roars its approval even after they quit the field. Mol Kor chuckles as the two of you head off the field. "Amazing! By looking at the two of you, one would not guess that you had bodies made from iron, but the evidence lies on that field you just left! You will be worthy adversaries, that much is not in question."
"And good luck to you as well, Mol Kor. Til we meet on the battlefield..." Zarina turns and congratulates Asha, knowing the two of them had done well.
Asha gives Mol Kor a formal bow made much less so by the broad grin and wink she tosses his way as she straightens, then turns and hugs Zarina exuberantly. "That was fun! I hope we gave the crowd a good show." She hurries back to her fellow Warriors, still beaming.
Shortly after the five of you meet up, a monk meets with you, greeting you with a deep bow. "Congratulations on your victories this day, Warriors. Kiang Zhen sends her regards, and wishes to inform you that you have been selected for an exhibition bout. Please make certain to be at fighting ring five in three hours' time."
"Exhibition bout?", questions Zakarras, "Is this not part of the actual competition then?"
"It is not a ranked fight, honored Warrior," the monk explains. "The Emissary offers such bouts as a diversion for the spectators and another way to show your prowess. These bouts are randomly assigned to teams, and feature either combatants that are not participating in the tournament or captured monsters. Make no mistake, though, your skill will be tested."
Zarina was definitely tired after the battle and the competitions. "Not a problem, sounds like fun,," she added, hoping her enthusiasm would carry her through. If only this damned headache would go away! Stupid iron bar...
"Be warned," Simon whispers to the other members of the Five Elements, his face very serious. "These exhibition bouts may be deadly. I was told that Khiang Zhen uses them as loopholes in her bindings to amuse herself."
Poog scowls at the news, as It begins to growl softly.
"We are committed via our oaths when we agreed to participate," Asha says, shrugging. "There is little for us to be but ready ourselves and do our best by ourselves and our opponents." She stretches, and as she does, some of the wounds on her hand and arms from the battle and the breaktest fade away.
It, seeing the wounds still lingering on Asha's body, grabs the hem of Poog's gown and pulls the goblin toward the Vudrana woman. "Fine!" Poog snaps, apparently too distracted to remember to switch out of the Tian language he's apparently perfectly fluent in, and reaches out and touches Asha's leg. Instantly, her wounds begin to knit close.
Asha smiles. "Why thank you, Poog," she says, but does not try to pat his head this time. After a moment, she looks over at Simon. "Khiang Zhen... is one of the servants of the Emissary, correct? What else have you heard about her?"
"She is an Oni, bound to service by the priests of Abadar," Simon replies to Asha. "A proud and dangerous being."
"I don't like the idea of loopholes one bit, but Asha is right, we must be ready for whatever challenges are presented to us. If the Oni seeks amusement then we can provide that while still being careful to conserve our resources and our lives."
"We am no supposed to kill people, Poog am thought," the diminutive goblin says. "We am allowed to kill people in this challenge?"
Asha looks down at Poog, then shakes her head slightly. "We aren't supposed to kill anyone. But other people might try to kill us," she says sadly.
"If someone try to kill Poog, Poog try to kill them!"
"Death in the course of battle is not unexpected, I gather," Simon says in a reassuring tone. "Just do not kill unless you have to. And I dare say if someone is trying to kill you and you have no other way to make them stop than to put a knife between their ribs, you have to."
The monk bows to you all. "I shall inform Kiang Zhen of your intention to meet her challenge. Thank you, Warriors." He then departs, leaving you to your own devices.
Nah. You've got a relatively non-lethal poison, so that shouldn't be a problem.
Poog will swap out a spell to heal Zarina before spending the next couple hours watching any other matches, trying to learn anything else he can about his foes. As he waits, he'll ask other bystanders who the favorites are supposed to be, apparently managing to be more tactful than usual
Shortly before his match is set to begin, he'll spend some time with It, memorizing a couple other spells, and then cast false life on himself.
It's curious - you're used to the longshanks trying to kick you and worse, but while many of them are wary around you, they're much more accepting of your presence than you've run into anywhere else in your travels.
"Favorites? Well, the smart money's on you five, that hobgoblin monk Gomwai, and a few others. Me? I'm betting on Ganyavesha. She doesn't just fight in the arena - she is a force of nature. She's won tournaments from here to Vudra, and I'm sure this one's next! No offense, of course!"
Undoubtedly. None of the people you speak with have met your brother; indeed, you're the first Vudrani some of them have met.
A few hours later, you all make your way towards fighting ring five. It's somewhat unimpressive - a simple wooden ring approximately 50' in diameter only a short distance from the Grand Pavilion. A small crowd of people have gathered to watch the bout, crowding into the simple wooden stands. Kiang Zhen awaits your arrival, her hands tucked into the sleeves of her robe. At her feet rests a large sack, its drawstrings pulled tight securing its contents.
"Warriors of the Five Elements. Please enter the fight ring. Your match will then begin."
"What am in sack?" Poog asks, suspiciously.
"Maybe it's more rocks?" Zak speculates, "you could burn it just to be safe."
I probably shouldn't encourage the goblin, but his logic is practical and his inclination towards fire has a certain appeal with our base instincts
Kiang Zhen grins predatorially at Poog's question. "Your challenge, little morsel." She elaborates no further, however.
Asha frowns mistrustfully at the oni, taking a long look to validate what she already knows to be true: tht the outsider is deeply corrupt. Pursing her lips, howver, she merely nods her head, readies her glaive and steps into the ring.
Simon mutters under his breath as he walks towards the ring. Just before he steps into it, he raises his hand and pulls something up from under his collar, then down over his face. The Tien in the audience, at least, are sure to recognize the traditional mask of the Ninja.
With this in place, the old man twists the handle of his cane and uncovers the blade hidden inside.
"Tea afterwards, perhaps, milady Kiang Zhen?" he suggests as he stows the sword cane's sheath and steps into the ring.
"It no look very impressive. Poog hope it am harder than this morning's fight."
Poog shrugs and steps into the ring, leaving It to wait safely outside after a quick conference.
"Jums uzturēt acu par viņas," he tells the dirty terrier
"You keep eye on her."
Zarina bows to the gathering. She looks at the bag very carefully. Will there be several tiny things in there? It seems too small for a larger creature.... She grabs her flail, perfect for squashing, if necessary.
Zak steps into the circle, his bow ready with an arrow nocked.
There is a palpable darkness that emanates from Kiang Zhen. It crawls away from her, corrupting the air around her and the ground she stands upon. Interestingly, there is a similar source of wrongness coming from a tent at the edge of your second sight behind the oni.
As you reach the center of the ring, Kiang Zhen lifts the sack from her feet. "The rules of the bout are simple. Stay within the ring, as leaving it will be a forfeiture. Try to stay alive. The fight ends when either you all are dead, or your foe is."
She opens the top of the sack, and whispers something to whatever is inside. A moment later, the flap to a tent behind the kuwa oni opens, and out steps a horrid mockery of the human form. It is eight feet tall, and would be another foot taller if its head were still attached to its shoulders. Its skin is a pallid gray, and its neck stump is blackened and scarred. It carries a wicked battleaxe in each hand, each easily the size of a greataxe. Despite its missing head, the monstrosity's bare chest has twisted and formed itself into a cruel face, with its soulless eyes where its pectoral muscles should be, and a hollow mouth grinning in its chest cavity. It lumbers into the ring, and the face in its chest twitches its lips in anticipation. The crowd gasps as the monster takes its place, and some of the light-hearted retreat in fear of the abomination.
"Fight!", Kiang Zhen cries, and the horror advances.
Zak quickly unleashes a volley of arrows, calling upon the unnatural speed to aid his attacks.