The Iron Dragon Blossoms (Rank-up)

Eliza Kor was not afraid of pain or death.

The daughter of the Imperator of the Oculi Draconis was as tough as they come, a skilled and resilient warrior who constantly pushed herself to the limits to improve her already impressive abilities. The strain was exacerbated by her father, who was a cruel and unforgiving master who demanded only the best from his flesh and blood, and was all too happy to punish Eliza for her shortcomings. Her life to this point had forged a steely and steadfast young woman, but she was also withdrawn and distant. She maintained a certain distance from people, garnering the respect and admiration of her peers but never interacting with them on anything more than a professional level. This allowed her to focus on her own growth, carrying the burden of the demands from both herself and her father as her task and hers alone. Eliza had even kept her loving mother from being involved, protecting her from what might happen if Armagand found out about the forbidden contact with the Tallus family. With constant emotional reinforcement from her grandmother, Eliza had managed to keep things compartmentalized and in balance. Until recently, when she met Octavia Velerius.

The renowned wyvern-keeper was a kindred spirit, in that Octavia too had chosen to focus on her occupation over social interaction. Octavia also had a skepticism about the noble way of life that Eliza herself had, looking dimly upon the politcking and charades that noble society entailed. She found herself connecting with Octavia on their shared viewpoints and love of the various creatures of the Eyrie. Titus and Grace had certainly accepted Octavia and her wyvern Saelie. Eliza allowed herself the merest hint of possibility, before everything began to unravel. Armagand had shown up looking for his daughter, triggering his first confrontation with Octavia. The situation had been eventually diffused by Julianus Hargen, but it was only the beginning. Eliza had been punished for not defending her father's name when he had been insulted, leading her to visit the healer's under cover of night so as to keep the extent of her injuries secret. Things then escalated the previous night, when Armagand had discovered Eliza's contact with her mother at the Merciallus Gala, and he had confronted her violently in the estate courtyard. This had caused Octavia to jump to her defense, challenging him to a duel this afternoon.

These events had forced Eliza into an unfamiliar position where someone else had become involved in her life, and was now in grave danger because of Eliza's inaction. Talks with Rex von Broven and her mother had proven valuable, but her sleep in the barracks was brief and restless. She worried for her new... friend? Colleague to be sure, as they both served in the Oculi Draconis, but it had become clear that any friend that Eliza made would be in a dangerous position, and she wasn't sure she could allow anyone to take that risk. Indecision, worry and frustration ruled her thoughts, so she had found herself in the deserted training arena of her old academy. Training had always been a source of comfort and stability for her, so Eliza was here to try and clear her mind and make some decisions. She had removed her armor but for the bodice and throwing knife belt, the pieces laying on a bench next to a weapon rack that held her spatha and Decider, and was striking a reinforced training dummy with metronomic precision. Her strikes flowed like water, a steady stream of punches, kicks and forearms that each found their mark with precise aim. She was measured at first, allowing her to extract more use out of the dummies. However, the pile of broken training equipment began to grow as her mind began to wander to the upcoming duel. Her strikes became more frantic and forceful, until the dummy she was currently using splintered into kindling. Eliza sighed, wiping sweat from her brow and removing her headpiece. She tossed the headpiece next to her other pieces of armor, and set up another dummy. Taking a deep breath and centering herself, Eliza resumed her steady stream of strikes, having regained some measure of composure.

In the depts of the shadows, the Wraith watched as the girl before them broke the equipment with vicious and effective strikes, in an attempt to work off the pent up emotions that kept her from sleep. The Wraith watched as the girl grew annoyed and tossed aside the headpiece, and watched as it landed on the bench next to a pair of finally crafted weapons. Curiousity drew the wraiths attention and they wondered over to examine the blades, a form rippling into appearance halfway to the bench. The Wraith searched for a form and settled on something she considered appropriate.



The pad of her feet became audible as she approached the weapons and examined them, picking up the Gladius and examining it. She pulled the Blade from it's sheath. She considered the girl her as she did, before finally speaking up. "The Iron Fist. The girl who hides herself away from people behind training and decorum, who pretends the fear of her father is not fear but her showing him the respect he deserves. A cowardly girl is what you are. To afraid to stand on your own. Letting friends fight your battles." She shoved the blade back into the sheath and placed the sword back on the ground as she turned to face the girl.

Eliza was so focused on her exercises that she didn't notice the approaching presence at first. When she heard the first footsteps, she turned to see that the stranger was standing beside the rack where her weapons and armor lay. The stranger was about the same height as Eliza, with a lean and wiry looking body and short red hair. She wore martial arts garb, and was examining Eliza's spatha with interest. Eliza wiped more sweat from her brow and frowned at the stranger. "Excuse me? Can I help you?" The stranger considered the blade carefully as she spoke, and Eliza found herself wondering why she couldn't place the girl's face at all. She looked familiar yet unfamiliar at the same time. The girl called Eliza by her Iron Fist moniker, before speaking about the silver-haired Asentari in less than complimentary terms. She accused Eliza of hiding from people, of claiming her deference to her father was fear rather than respect, and of being a coward who lets her friends fight on her behalf.

Eliza was taken aback and her eyes widened in shock. She stepped towards the stranger slowly, trying to process what exactly was going on, before recovering her composure and straightening her posture. "I am sorry, but I don't know who you are or what you want, but you definitely do not know me either, so unless you have some business here I'm going to have to ask you to leave." Eliza looked at the stranger for a moment, before frowning defiantly. She hoped the stranger would take the hint and leave before things escalated.

The Wraith ignored her as the girl asked her if she needed help. After her initial chain of insults, she waited for the girl to approach and respond. The Wraith listened to her as she tried to make her leave, then she smiled, her teeth glinting. "I have no intention of leaving." She said, stepping forward. "I know all about you." With a sudden movement, she was three foot from Eliza and she engaged the woman with a snap kick to the head before bouncing back out of reach. She moved out of the way of Eliza's weapons. "Take up arms if you wish. Or fight me with fists. These are your choices." She said, watching Eliza until she made her choice. If she didn't make a choice, the Wraith would simply engage her.

Either way, she would eventually continue her attack with a barrage of twenty magical bolts fired in a spray pattern from the palm of her hand, before quickly closing and unleashing a series of rapid strikes aimed at the joints of Eliza's left arm using her extended fingers. She followed up with a round house kick to the midriff.

Despite Eliza's hopes, the stranger made it clear that she was not leaving. The stranger claimed to know all about Eliza and her life, and something in the stranger's gaze told Eliza that they truly believed that. Before she could learn more, the stranger attacked. The stranger moved rapidly into range, the movement so fast Eliza almost missed it. The stranger led with a snap kick to the head, which Eliza checked by raising her folded arm to block. The stranger bounced back out of range, leaving Eliza to process what had just happened. Whatever this stranger was, she was physical.

The stranger moved aside to clear a path for Eliza to her weapons, offering the Asentari the chance to take up arms, but Eliza did not move, simply shaking her head. "I will not fight you. Now, if you'll excuse-" But before she could finish, the stranger pounced again, firing a spray of magic bolts in a spread pattern. Eliza backflipped over the table behind her, grabbing the table in mid-air and launching it up as a shield to block as many bolts as she could. The welts on her arms told her she was only partially successful, but it was enough.

The stranger was on her again immediately, raining strikes upon her. Eliza deflected the blows with palm strikes of her own, noting that the stranger was targeting the joints in her left arm. Eliza was surprised by the speed and power of the stranger, as well as her accuracy and technique. The stranger aimed a kick for her midriff, which Eliza tried to catch with both arms. If she succeeded, Eliza would spin into a low sweep and attempt to trip her opponent. If the catch failed, Eliza would simply jump backwards and glare angrily at her attacker. "Are you sure you want this fight? If you say you know all about me, then you must know that I will not back down." Eliza assumed a guard stance, hands raised, and began to bounce on her toes in anticipation of what might come next.

The girl caught her leg and tried to sweep the other from under her. The wraith twisted her body, leg raising off the ground as her hands touched down, and attempted to kick Eliza in the face with her now rising foot as the sweep went wide. Either way the wraith would be freed, and would flip back onto her feet in an agile motion, taking up an open stance. Eliza asked her if she truly wished to fight, knowing who she was. "I expect you will not. But do not let your reputation bloat your ego." She said in response.

The Wraith circled to the left slowly, then with a sudden dash she closed, sweeping a foot towards Eliza's legs. She rolled into a hand spring following the attack, flying over Eliza to strike at the her left shoulder joint with several rapid jabs. With a quick flourish she aimed a painful kick to the kidneys before bouncing away to take up a defensive stance across the room, leaving Eliza to access her weapons should she decide she wanted them.

Eliza managed to catch her assailant's leg mid-kick, but the stranger acrobatically spun with the kick and over Eliza's sweep, her non-held foot catching Eliza in the side of the head. The silver-haired Asentari turned with the kick to try and lessen the impact, but there was still enough force to knock her into a side roll. She regained her feet rapidly and faced the stranger as she sent another barb her way, warning her not to let her reputation bloat her ego. Eliza clenched her jaw as she suppressed her rage at the stranger's blatant disregard for her opponent. Eliza's reputation was a side-effect of her dedication to her training, not something she had sought to create. She resisted the urge to retort, and instead focused on the task at hand. There would be plenty of time for introspection after she had proved herself to this stranger.

The stranger began to circle for a moment, before suddenly dashing in with a sweep towards Eliza's leg. Eliza backflipped over the sweep before being forced to parry a barrage of jabs aimed at her shoulder upon landing. She then attempted to grab her opponent's leg again when the stranger aimed a kick at her mid-section, following up if successful by heaving with all her strength and attepting to hurl her opponent across the room. If she failed to grab the leg she would simply check it with her arms. Either way she followed the stranger as she retreated, leading with a straight right to the body before aiming a right and a left at the head, another at the body before finishing with a roundhouse kick aimed for the head and stepping back.

The girl tried to catch her leg again, but the Wraith wouldn't fall for the same trick twice and shifted her weight, bringing the blow down lower. Eliza still managed to block, before coming after her with a straight right. She leaned to the side and let the strike woosh past while also using the movement to duck under the left hook. The girl finished her bunches of punches with a straigth shot to the body, catching the wraith in the gut, before attempting to wipe her out with a round house kick. The Wraith threw up her arms to guard her head, leaning away from the kick to mitigate the impact.

Eliza stepped back and the Wraith watched her go before giving her a feral smile. She stepped to the side and vanished from sight, appearing next to her in a flash of smoke, aiming a double fist strike to Eliza's upper chest and midriff, before moving seamlessly into a snap kick that lead into a backflip that carried her away. As she came back up onto her feet she threw out a ball of fire from her left hand, and an orb of ice from the right, aiming to catch Eliza in the middle of both.

Eliza's body shuddered as the stranger's kick changed trajectory and thudded against her guard. The Asentari then found air with her first punches, but she connected with the straight body punch. The stranger doubled over, but was still able to react fast enough to check Eliza's roundhouse kick. After stepping back, Eliza's eyes narrowed at the devilish smile the stranger shot her way. Eliza returned to her stance as the stranger began to move, but her eyes widened when her opponent seemed to vanish into thin air. A gust of air to her side preceded a pair of fists colliding with her sternum, driving the wind from her sails and sending her staggering back and unable to block the next attack, a snap kick that caught her in the head and knocked her from her feet and onto her back.

Eliza stood up and shook her head to dislodge the cobwebs, before spotting the stranger advancing with a fire and an ice orb, attempting to sandwich Eliza with them. The Asentari activated her Updraft and jumped up over the stranger and about twenty feet into the air. Her throat began to glow green and unleashed her Dragon Breath upon her foe. She launched herself towards the ground, aiming a kick to her opponent's head. If she missed she would land into a roll and spin to face her foe. Either way she would enter a kickboxing stance and prepare for the retort.

Eliza defended herself well against the Wraiths initial attacks, but the snap kick knocked her down and nearly left her open for the ice and fire attacks. However, she was quick witted and used a gust of wind to leap out of the way of the attacks. At the peak of her leap she followed up with a breath attack that would have put the Wraith through several walls, but she threw up the first barrier that came to mind to mitigate the damage. Even with it, she was thrown backwards as the barrier broke. It was easy to forget that the Asentari's breath attack was one of the more dangerous natural powers.

Eliza wasn't finished though as she followed up by dropping down and aiming a kick towards the Wraith's head. The Wraith ducked the blow, letting her spin away and get some distance as her own throat began to glow several hues, and she unleashed her tempest breath, an attack comparable to Eliza's own but made up of all the elements the Asentari could use. The attack ripped appart the room as it tore towards Eliza.

Eliza's breath attack surged forward, but the stranger was able to get a barrier up in the way just in time, though the force still knocked her backwards a fair distance. Eliza's dropping kick was less successful, her boot thudding off the training ring floor before she spun out of range. She was met with a horrifying spectacle however, as the stranger's throat glowed with the power of an Asentari breath attack, but the hues were everchanging and chaotic. The stranger then fired the blast, the attack violently oscillating with assorted elements. Eliza thought quickly and launched herself with some of the remaining power of her Updraft, careening up and forwards and somersaulting over the blast cone before it reached its widest point.

Eliza landed behind the stranger and gaped at her in disbelief as she witnessed the devastation the blast had caused to the room. "Have you lost your mind? What the fuck are you?" Whatever the answer, it was clear that the stranger posed a threat to both the academy and the people of Edia. The taunts about her father were one thing, but the wanton destruction this person could wreak was not acceptable. Eliza dived for Decider with a final Updraft surge. If she reached it, she would draw it from its scabbard with blinding speed and launch herself at the stranger, activating her weapon's ability and slamming it into either the ground or her opponent, whichever was underneath it. The weapon would discharge into a 20ft radius explosion that deals Strong damage to anything caught in it, excluding Eliza herself. If she failed to get to her weapon, Eliza would simply launch into a jumping hook punch before spinning into a hook kick to the head before stepping back quickly to analyze her options.

The Wraith watched Eliza throw herself from the path of her tempest breath, and went from mild annoyance to outrage, asking if she was out of her mind before questioning what she was. The Wraith just laughed as Eliza dived for her sword, but didn't try to stop her. She let her draw the blade and lauch towards her, slamming it down into the ground to create a powerful explosion that ripped apart the rest of the room. The Wraith did not simply stand still though, instead she copied the Asentari's ability to move with ease using the wind and leapt out of range, landing gracefully out of danger.

"I see you're finally taking things Seriously. Good." The Wraith said, before closing the distance in a single bound with the interesting ability. She aimed to land inside the reach of Eliza's sword, before unleasing a series of strikes starting with a quick jab to the face. A second punch followed, aimed for the solar plexus to Wind the Asentari and throw off her reactions, before following up with a kick aimed for the inner thigh to knock out her leg and balance, and then to finish an spinning kick to head to knock her from her feet.

Eliza's Decisive Strike did more damage to the training area, but the objective was now clear. She would take this person down by any means necessary. The stranger had used a similar technique to Eliza's own Updraft, shooting up and over the blast with a gust of wind. The stranger than expressed satisfaction at Eliza's new focus and seriousness. Eliza narrowed her eyes and clenched her jaw. "Enough talk. I'm going to take you down here and now." Before she could move, however, Eliza was confronted immediately by the stranger, who had cleared the gap between them in a single bound, and was forced to defend.

Eliza spun Decider into a one-handed reverse grip before using her free hand to parry the jab to the face, before rapidly responding with a quick jab of her own to the stranger's face. Eliza then raised her blade and used the flat of the guard to block the sternum punch, retaliating immediately with a pommel strike aimed for the stranger's throat. The leg kick landed on her inner thigh, but Eliza turned with it and backflipped around with the kick's momentum. The follow-up kick to the head came next, and Eliza ducked it deftly. With rapid movement, Eliza attempted to round the stranger and grab their head and neck in a rear-naked choke. If the grab succeeded, she would then drop her sword, leave her feet and attempt to grapevine her legs around the stranger's body, squeezing the hold tightly and trying to cut off the blood supply to the brain and render the stranger out cold. If the grab failed, Eliza would simply leap backwards slashing horizontally at the stranger's torso instead before aiming a pair of swings at the stranger's arms.

The Wraith avoided the grab, and backed away as Eliza preformed a series of strikes to try and finish her off. As soon as Eliza went on the defensive again, the Wraith took a few more steps back. After several silent seconds she dropped her combat stance and nodded. "An strong display from one of Edia's finest." She said.

The Wraith looked around the room. "We've made quite a mess. I can't leave you to tidy it up, and no one will believe you if you tell them you fought me." The Wraith snapped her fingers and the room shuddered as it resembled itself. "You more than surpass your father, you just need to stand up to him. But you should know that already, it's what your friend is trying to show you." The wraith bowed, and turned to smoke before her eyes.

(Rank up passed, Eliza is now R-1)