Welcome to Gaia! ::

She took another sip of her drink as she waited for him to speak again.
Why was he trying to help her in the first place? She didn't know him and she couldn't see what he had to gain by doing it.
"I'll keep that in mind." she said with a small smirk as the candles in the area flickered slightly.
Flora still wanted to know why he was doing this but she guessed she would find out soon enough in the end.

After he left, she started to eat.
It never took her long to finish a meal but she took her time this round.
She had nothing to do here unless she wanted to find out what the man had been talking about.
Leaving a small tip on the table, she finished her drink and then left the place.
Central.. so that's where everyone had been headed earlier.. a fight perhaps?
Well.. she could always check it out from afar.

Mordikai watched with hawk-like vigilance as bouncing spheres of light created a veil between him and his foe; even still, he never once lost sight of his opponent. He stalked the man with his eyes, still bent low to the ground over the blade of his lance, as the fourteen blades around him paired off into crosses to shield him from any orbs that might dare stray too close.

"Let's end this!"

At last, after several seconds of disorienting madness, Mordikai's opponent leaped forth from the storm of light. Jazz cleaved downward with one sword, intending to rend the boy in half; Mordikai shifted his weight to his right side at the very last moment, dodging the blow and bringing his blade closer to his foe. Even from inches away, Mordikai could feel the searing heat as the blade sliced into the earth. With his lance, he parried a strike from the second sword; sparks of black and white lightning spilled forth as the two blades clashed.

"Let's."

Using recoil to his advantage, Mordikai spun in place, bringing his lance about in the hopes of striking his still-recovering foe. He just barely missed; the black blade slid just above Jazz' shoulder as he drew his sword from the ground. Mordikai pressed the little advantage he had, mixing quick thrusts with violent, rending slashes to keep Jazz on the defensive.

Outside the constantly shifting and correcting wall of blades, the vicious storm of light still raged, like an apocalyptic blizzard--the only setting appropriate for a duel such as this.

All of his strength into a single shot? What a fool.

Mordikai watched as the sphere on the end of Jazz' finger grew larger, absorbing all of the nearby orbs into one projectile. Mordikai's blades all shifted behind him once more, hovering, poised in mid-air. He kept eye contact with Jazz, and after seconds of waiting, as the world grew colder and darker around them, Mordikai could see the shift in the martyr's eyes; his irises turned a brilliant white. Just before he released the blast, Mordikai tossed his lance up into the air, and sent his blades flying forward.

"Scatter!"

The instant the first syllable left Jazz' mouth, Mordikai dashed to the left. The shot rushed past him, searing the skin off his right shoulder as it went sailing into the wall of swords, decimating it. But before it even reached the wall, Mordikai had skidded to a stop and reversed direction, coming to a stop just feet from his opponent, who was still recoiling from the blast, clutching his limp wrist. As he planted his feet firmly on the ground, Mordikai snatched his falling lance from the air. He gripped it with both hands and brandished it toward his foe. In Jazz' eyes, Mordikai must've starkly contrasted the brilliant white explosion that decimated the barrier--an ebony entity of death in his own right. A malicious smirk once again split Mordikai's face, exposing midnight black fangs.

"That was the Endgame. And this? This is Checkmate."

Aside from the lance blade poised just before his face, Jazz was surrounded by each of Mordikai's fourteen blades of energy, each aimed at a different angle, a different spot; each ready to visit a different kind of ruination upon him. No escape was left to him.

"It's probably a good thing your Lord is so weak. Not even She can see the death about to befall you; not even the deity of Birth will be able to comfort you in the Afterlife." Once more, Mordikai laughed, hysteric mania overcoming his cool arrogance. At last, he got to prove his worth; finally, he was given his chance to observe the pain and suffering of one foolish enough to stand in his way.

"Summon Blade, Function Command: Terminate." A soft scarlet glow enveloped Mordikai's lance blade. "Enjoy it, Jazz. This death will be the only useful thing you'll do with your life."

"Idiot"

Just moments ago Jazz was at Death's door; now he was flying over a wall of blades.

"Tsuliria!!!"

As Jazz hit the ground, his wound had opened. As he gripped his side in pain, he scrambled to his feet. Stumbling to the outer wall of what was his arena, he punched it with what strength he did have left.

"Tsuliria!! How dare you woman!!"

Jazz wasn't exactly angry, he didn't know what he was. In his mind he wanted to die, to repent for his own murdering. Jazz turned, still gripping his wound. He began limping towards the outskirts of town, back to where it all began, the field, Karma's burial grounds.

"We're not done Tsuliria...not in the least. As for Mordikai...We'll see next time if you get your satisfaction."

Jazz spoke his words out loud, as if his enemy could hear him. His mind was racing with questions without answers. As the sun began slowly setting in the west, a cool wind blew through the town, carrying on it an ill omen of what was to come.

Jazz stumbled through the streets, his destination made up in his mind. As night slowly set in, the people still scrambling to make their way to shelter ran past him. The pain from his bleeding wound was almost too much to bear as he fought for the strength to push on.

A little while away from the gate to the feild, a carriage rolled by. Inside a young woman, her eyes staring at Jazz as she rode by. His eyes made contact with hers for only a second before breaking away.

"Foolish girl..."

Jazz saw the sadness in the woman's eyes, the mourning she was experiencing, yet she was heading into the fray just like all of the other followers of Birth. Why did they do it? Were their reasons for fighting this 'war' really worth risking everything?

Jazz turned into an ally way, his wound finally taking full effect. As Jazz clung to the side wall he noticed a shadowy figure leaned against the same wall a little further down. It was her, the envoy of death, Tsuliria.

"I don't have time for you woman..."

Jazz slowly balanced himself on his feet, his sheer will the only thing keeping him towards his goal.

"Perhaps it was just to piss you off"

Jazz placed a hand on Tsuliria's shoulder, the first time they had made contact outside of battle. He slowly walked past her, his eyes to the ground.
Jazz slowly made his way down the alley before stopping and turning back to look at his rival.

"So why'd he choose you huh? Seems to me you two are just alike. Cruel, ruthless. Why would he choose someone so much like him?"

Without another word, Jazz walked on, out into the field where this war had truly begun.

Night had fallen over the land. The cold wind blew as the silent chill of the night consumed all. Jazz was alone, back in the field where he had met Tsuliria and more importantly, where he saw the face of Reaper. As he slowly made his way up the hill where Reaper had stood before him, he thought long and hard to Tsuliria's question. Why was he chosen?

"Why Birth....Why must we take lives to save them?"

The guilt he bore was almost as painful as the cut in his side. Jazz' head was spinning, the memories of his parents death, the thoughts of Yolor's murder, it was almost all too much. Jazz clenched his fist, his body slowly beginning to glow.

"Birth! Why did you pick me to fight your battle!?"

Jazz' emotions flared, his deep rage towards Reaper, the memories that haunted his dreams, all came to the surface. His body erupted in light, his power unleashing itself as he slowly lost control. His eyes glowing brightly as his anger and sorrow filled the field. The light emitting from him tore through the night, the winds rampaging around his body. All of the energy inside of him rampaged. His wound slowly healing from the mass of light flowing from his body.

"If you really intend to save us then why don't you come down here yourself!?"

Jazz lashed out, his confusion fueling his blind rage. It had begun to be too much for his body to contain. He began to hurl spears of light into the night sky, their explosions flashing over the feild. The torrential power spreading from his body slowly began to tame itself. His eyes dimmed as he started to come back to his senses.

Soon Jazz was holding what light was left in him, his life was in his hands. He clenched his fist as he dropped his head. The explosions had subsided, all that was left was a soft glowing rain. Jazz stood motionless, a tear rolling down his cheek. His mourning for his lost parents, his confusion as to why he was dragged into all of this all in one tear. As the field calmed itself, Jazz reached into his jacket, removing Yolor's mask.

"I'm sorry Birth...this is something I have to do..."

As the soft orbs fell to earth, Jazz slowly lifted the mask to his face. Jazz had given up his title, he turned one last time to the city where Tsuliria, Mordikai, and his past lay. Giving a soft sigh, Jazz disappeared into the darkness of the night.