It's now forty-eight hours locked in these walls. Emma seems like she's going crazy; I guess that's what being helpless within a four-walled prison would do to you.
Two cycles have now passed, two 'days' of fake night and day, something they created to mimic natural periods mirroring earth. Why would they want this? Is it to feel how we humans do on earth? Emma wondered internally.
She looked around in the room; Aisha sat beside her, also lost in thoughts on what they can do to escape this heavily guarded confinement. Turning to Emma, Aisha said with deep concern on her face, "Do you think we can find a way out of here before our time runs out?"
"I don't know yet, but I think we can. We have been in much worse positions than this before, and we made it out somehow," Emma replied with faux assurance. "But to be honest? This time around it's driving me insane; I just hope Auren can figure something out soon," she concluded, rubbing her forehead as if she's sweating, but unfortunately, she wasn't; it was just the stress of it all making her behave that way.
In a moment not long after, Emma heard footsteps approaching. She doesn't know who it is, but she stayed alert anticipating whoever it is. As the footsteps grew closer and closer, a figure appeared. Emma looked at the figure, and it was none other than Vesper. What? What's he doing here? Emma couldn't hold her disgust for him, revealing it in her expression.
His suit was gleaming under the Citadel's harsh lighting, reflecting the light in a liquid metallic way. He stared directly at Emma. Standing outside the room were some juvenile dragons who had escorted him here as guards, called the Voidscale guards. The prison gate opened, and he stepped inside, slowly and calmly. "Star-Weaver, your time dwindles. The accords are growing impatient with you, and perhaps a demonstration of your friend, the one called Lucas, would sway them," he said in a calm, chilling way, with a smile all over his face, but you could tell it wasn't a deep, genuine one.
He continued, moving a bit closer to Emma. "You see? Talks about his raw potential have been flooding the ears of everyone here; they say he is strong, so why not put this into a show to sway them and prove he is not merely a weapon but a force worth respecting?"
"He isn't a plaything that can be shown to these people in an act of entertainment. This isn't even a negotiation, Vesper; it's coercion," Emma shot back.
Vesper looked away from her, ignoring her completely, turning to face the wall on the left. He pressed a panel on his left wrist, and the wall instantly turned transparent. Emma and Aisha both immediately turned to look at Lucas; he was pacing left to right as if he couldn't wait to get out, like he was some caged animal, rage evident in his face as he paced around. Emma looked worried and also angry.
"They whisper of your strength, Feral One." Lucas jerked in the direction the voice came from, a speaker-like device, small, flat, and black. "What the fuck do you want?" Lucas said immediately, cutting Vesper's voice.
Almost as if he didn't hear Lucas, he continued. "But strength that is untested is merely potential wasted." Vesper said while smiling, It's as though he had gotten the reaction he wanted from Lucas. "A champion of the Voidscale legion, young but eager, wishes to test your mettle. Refusal would be... unwise, seen as cowardice."
Emma knew what was about to happen; she knew that Lucas's pride had been targeted, and she knows Lucas far too well to not be tempted by such words from Vesper.
Standing facing the 'Speaker,' Lucas clenched his fist; kineticvance energy cracked visibly around it. "Tell your champion I'm waiting."
Immediately she yelled, thinking Lucas could hear her. "No, Lucas, don't fall for this; don't listen to him!" But Lucas wasn't listening, couldn't listen, and couldn't hear her. In fact, Emma felt he ignored her.
But did he, or did he just want to face whatever is thrown at him? Anyone like him might have done the same. He faces problems by punching through them, by tearing through them; that's how he solves his problems, and being inside this wall has made him feral, angry, and somehow scared. In situations like these, you have to conquer it the best way you have been doing, or else trying something new might lead to error or mistake, and Lucas knew how to punch through anything, and with this offer, he was delighted to at least have a way to solve his current situation.
An hour had passed since Vesper 'visited' Emma and Lucas.
The arena is a sight to behold, a large space of about two football fields. The arena floor is polished black iron; the walls hum with containment fields. Filled with Voidscale dragons, spectators to the battle about to happen, the air is filled with energy.
Emma and Aisha could see the view from a very high-definition 'screen' on the wall in their room. It is so vivid that she could feel the energy through it, the yelling of the crowd; it's as if she's there inside the arena.
"Witness this; prepare to be blown away by the performance of our visitor!" Vesper declared, sitting at the upper middle stand of the arena, "Now, I introduce to you Lucas, our visitor, who has been the talk of the Citadel."
Seen from the battleground came Lucas; as he stepped into view, he felt the chaotic WoodDust wash over him. He immediately straightened his body, breathing it in like pure oxygen.
Emma watched this from her position. Fear could be seen on her face, worried that Lucas might not make it out as he came in. Aisha shared the same feeling, but as they were consumed with worries and concern for their friend and comrade, From the other side of Lucas came forth the opponent.
"I bring you, Vorlag, our young promising soldier. He might be young in our own scale, but don't be deceived; he is extremely talented and experienced," Vesper said in an exciting manner, smiling wide as if his plans were going accordingly.
Vorlag looks large, larger than Voidscale guards; although young, his body is covered in crystal-like armor, jagged and radiating heat. Lucas was staring at him, looking at a massive opponent who could potentially kill him, but his obstinacy wouldn't allow him to give in to such emotions. Vorlag shape-weaves partially, walking closer to Lucas with confidence and arrogance. His claws extended, and wings started forming in a smooth, fluid way; although half-formed, they gave a threatening aura around him.
From Emma's view, she sees Vesper taking his seat. Satisfied and smiling, he laid back, resting his right hand under his chin.
At the sight of the two contenders, the roar of the crowd began louder than usual, guttural sounds of dragons, The smell of ozone and raw magic hit Lucas as he looked around the crowds, the feeling of static electricity in the air on his skin. The visual contrast between Lucas's raw human fury vs. Vorlag's alien draconic power.
Looking at her view screen, Aisha could faintly hear the heartbeat of Emma beating fast as if it would beat out of her chest.
On the arena floor, the duel begins.
Vorlag approached first. Running towards Lucas with rage and overwhelming aura, Lucas stayed still, waiting cautiously for Vorlag to reach him, prepared his might, as he watched Vorlag running towards him, Vorlag made a Vortexis blink and in an instant, the distance got covered between him and Lucas, Lucas' breath caught as he was right face to face with his opponent, in a swift arc slash, Vorlag attacked Lucas's head, attempting to behead him, with a reaction speed matching the slash, Lucas ducked, missing him by a hair, immediately Lucas countered with an uppercut with his fist covered in Kineticvance energy, it connected, punching Vorlag in the stomach, the force exploded outward but it seems to have little to no effect on him, Vorlag smiled and grabbed his hand, pulled him closer, and gave him a shattering headbutt. Lucas felt his head ringing, his eyes feeling dizzy. Fuck, this guy is tough; I need to create a distance between us.
From the viewing screen, Emma gasped, Aisha tightened her fist, Back on the battleground, the crowd screamed, hailing Vorlag. Vesper looked impressed but knew somehow that it shouldn't make Lucas lose.
With a force able to split a car open in half with his bare hands, Lucas freed himself from Vorlag's grip and created enough distance, blinked again, and behind him landed Vorlag, who held Lucas's shoulders, bending him backward. With a sharp movement, Knee kicked Lucas's back spine; the force was so heavy the shockwave went out, washing over the whole platform.
Lucas felt the pain and screamed out, "Ahhhh!" Coughing out blood, without a single rest, Vorlag gripped him around the waist, hoisted him up off his feet, inverted Lucas's body frame mid-air, twisted his face in a snarl of defiance, dangled his legs helplessly, and slammed him very hard against the iron-black floor; the slam erupted in a heartbeat.
Vorlag arches backward with explosive force, driving Lucas downward like felled oak, their body blurred into a vortex of motion. The sound was very loud; the crowd could hear Lucas's spine crack, like it had been fractured or cracked under the impact. muffling the thunderous crunch as Lucas's back meets the ground. His body bounces once across, limbs splayed, a faint haze of disturbed sweat lingering in the air as Vorlag releases and straightens, his crystal-like body pulsing with otherworldly menace.
Without mercy, he rears back and drives a vicious, piston-like kick into Lucas's exposed midsection, the heel of his 'foot' slamming into Lucas's taut abdomen just below the ribs, where scarred armor covered his flesh, which yields under the force. The blow ripples through Lucas's inverted frame like a thunderclap through stone, forcing a guttural exhale from his lips as his body arches involuntarily, sending him flying and hitting the floor, bouncing across it like a flat stone across a river, fresh powder-sweat erupting anew in a stinging cloud that clings to his beard. It's a cruel punctuation to the suplex.
Freed from his assault, Lucas staggered, but in an instant, he roared loud, "You're dead! You're so dead!" With that, he ran towards Vorlag. A mix of amused and enticing expression showed on Vorlag's face. "Yes, come to me. Show me that you're just as they say. Don't let your captain hold you down. Come!!!"
Running towards Vorlag, his kineticvance energy overwhelmed him, creating a visible golden aura. Seeing that, Vorlag opened his mouth wide enough to bite off a human's head, and a wide blast of golden-black fire shot out, Chaos Breath, so fast it stopped Lucas in his tracks. In a fast decision, he flew to his right side, rolling on the floor to avoid the breath. With that, he stood up, regained his stance, and continued running towards Vorlag. Blinking again, he didn't see Vorlag at his front or by his side. Vorlag appeared, but he had already anticipated this. In the same breath that Vorlag appeared, he was met with Lucas's punch to the side of his 'rib.'
His armor cracked but was healing immediately. Lucas didn't waste this short window; he gave another thundering punch to Vorlag's jaw with his left hand. Connected again, This time it was Vorlag who felt dizzy and wanted to create distance, but before he could blink, Lucas grabbed him in a hug, and they both blinked together. Appearing in the air were the both of them. Lucas still grabbed onto him, trying to punch Vorlag again. He was immediately taken higher into the sky by Vorlag, trying his best to still hold onto Vorlag. His fingers pierced through his draconic crystal-like body, seeping blue blood. Vorlag's face contoured in the feeling of pain. With that, he grabbed Lucas' neck, pulling him up to his face level, and opened his mouth for another devastating chaos breath, but Lucas intercepted with a headbutt to his nose in an instant, causing Vorlag to lose a bit of momentum and fall back down to the ground.
The crowd was in awe of Lucas's strength and resilience; Emma and Aisha remained so focused on the fight, praying Lucas would win and make it out of there. Vesper, on the other hand, was analyzing the fight step by step, understanding Lucas more and more and relishing in his own success of making this battle happen.
As they landed on the ground, Vorlag yelled out, "Is this all? Is this what you're capable of? Seems your Star-Walker holds your leash too tight! Feel the chaos! Embrace the kill, be honest with yourself, and BE FREE!" Licking the blue blood from his nose trickling down his mouth, he smiled and waited for Lucas' next move.
Upon hearing those words, it triggered something inside of him. Lucas attacked Vorlag with a hint of malice and deathly intention. His Kineticvance energy propelled him forward in a very fast motion. With the speed breaking the sound barrier, he launched at Vorlag, laughing, "Hahahahaha, now you've done it. You shall be given what you requested. You want me to be free?" Not finishing his sentence, he reached for Vorlag, grabbed his neck, pulled him closer, and said, "Here's the freedom you so wished for." And with that, He knee-kicked Vorlag's stomach; his armor cracked, spiderweb-like cracks showing where he was kicked, and he screamed in agonizing pain.
With a follow-up attack, Lucas bit into Vorlag's neck. The kinectivance energy allowed his teeth to penetrate through the skin. Vorlag's eyes opened in fear. Letting out a very loud scream, he couldn't believe what was happening. Lucas' attacks had become wilder. Emma could see the shift in the attack from the viewscreen. "No no no, this is not how Lucas fights; this is something different," Aisha echoed her. "Yeah, I think we need to get to him, Emma."
The golden aura around Lucas started to shift towards a volatile purple-black, the first visual sign of his uncontrolled chaos; mutation began surfacing.
Emma watched as Lucas changed. Watching on the 'screen,' Emma tried to reach Lucas psionically. "Lucas, please control it. Don't let it consume you."
"[Warning: Psionic Link with Lucas_Valerius—Unstable. Interference: HIGH.] He can't hear you," Auren confirms to Emma.
With that, she could only help but watch helplessly; Aisha could tell it was eating deep inside of her.
But what can both of them do now? It's not like Emma can just break out of this prison; she likely can, but that would spell disaster and could lead to their death. Moreover, she is here for a peaceful political resolve; doing that would only make matters worse.
Lucas and Vorlag continued battling vigorously; the scene was brutal, with red and blue blood mixed together on the ground.
Pushed to his limit, Lucas let out a primal roar, ignored defenses, ignored technique, and unleashed a single, utterly devastating Kineticvance shockwave infused with the raw chaos energy he's absorbing from the arena. It bypasses Vorlag's guard, shattering his crystal-like armor and blasting him across the arena.
Vorlag crashes against the containment field, stunned and bleeding blue, molten energy dragon blood onto the floor. Lucas stands over him, chest heaving, his eyes wild, the purple-black chaos energy swirling around him like a storm.
The raging crowd before became silent; not expecting this result, they began chatting amongst themselves.
"This Lucas is very dangerous."
"Yes, can you believe his fighting style? It was like a crazy raging animal."
"I don't think we can trust him or his people; he is too dangerous, and I can only imagine how much more dangerous those other two with him are."
"Yes, I agree with you; they should be killed or locked up forever."
Looking at the scene, Vesper stood up from his seat, descended from the stand applauding slowly, his expression one of immense satisfaction. "Call the medical team. They should tend to Vorlag this instant." He never stopped in his approach; he was going directly to Lucas, reaching him. He then placed his hand, clad in the golden suit jacket, on Lucas' shoulder, seemingly ignoring the dangerous chaos energy still radiating from him.
"Magnificent!" he said in a voice that is smooth, corny, and somehow dangerously persuasive. "That brief moment... That absolute purity of chaos? 'That' is your true strength. But you hesitated at the end. Why?"
Without letting Lucas answer, he said, "Were you held by fear? By loyalty to a leader who fears what you could become?" "Your power is wasted serving restraint. Here, chaos is cultivated. Strength is rewarded. Greed builds empires. Think, think of the absolute freedom, Feral One. Think on what you could achieve... Unleashed." He then lets the words hang in the air, waiting on how Lucas will take it all in.
In the prison room, Emma kept watching helplessly. She tried again to reach Lucas mentally, but this time, something happened: Lucas felt her presence but immediately shut her out. Emma was shocked and surprised. "Aisha, Lucas just shut me out. He has never done this before, ever. What's happening to him?" "What? How could he do that? Are you sure he did? Because I don't want to believe he would do that to you!" Aisha was taken aback. In disbelief, in shock, in confusion.
On the battleground, Lucas looks down at the blue blood pooling on the floor, then slowly gazes back up at Vesper, a new calculating look entering his eyes. Vesper smiles. Understanding what that meant, he was overflowing with joy.