Episode Eight-The Return

Hybrid Onslaught

As Inferno struggles to stand up, Brandis uses great strength to push off the guards restraining him, and race out the pit to help his friend. As he helps and picks Inferno up, guards walk out on to the field to remove the body of Enstinc, Brandis takes Inferno into the pits below. Brandis then sits Inferno down to begin mending his wounds.

Grunting in pain Brandis removes Inferno’s jacket.

Inferno: Ahhhh!!!!

Brandis: Sorry!

Inferno: It’s alright… (saying as he pants).. I… I never killed anyone before… (saying with a look of sadness.

Brandis: If ya hadn’t, he would’ve. Twas survival… No arteries punctured…Gotta put pressur’ on dese… Not much t’do here… gotta get ya outta here.

Inferno: NO! Do that and we will be back to square one!

Brandis: Dat don’t matta right now!

Inferno: YES! It does… you were right, should’ve let you come alone… but I’d make… I’d make the same choice still…

Brandis is then approached by the guards.

Guard: You are summoned Bran X of Mortis Island.

Brandis stands up with anger in his face and fist balled with tension, ready to begin a full assault on the guards to free himself and Inferno his eyes begin to glow a fierce red.

Inferno still weak.

Inferno: Bran… don’t…

Brandis then calms himself and goes with the guards to the exit, when he gets there he is greeted by Ana Mortis.

Brandis: What d’ ya want dis time… vampire?

Mortis: Is he ok?

Brandis: Oh care bout something more den ya self f’once huh?

Mortis: ….

Brandis: Multiple punctures… but he’ll pull through…

Mortis: I’m sorry but I told you this was…

Brandis: Ya… long as ya get ya big pay dats all dat matta right?

Mortis: … (looking down in self pity)

Brandis: Well… you’ll get ya money vampire… I’ll be sure o’dat. Den… we’re done.

Brandis begins to turn around as Mortis stops him.

Mortis: What if I can get him out of the rest of the fights?

Brandis then stops and turns around crossing his arms listening.

Mortis: It… it will take half of what I’ve won already to buy him out the semi finals… will be hard but… it’s possible.

Brandis: … do it… (saying as he drops his arms, turns around and heads back down to the pits)

The semi finals fly by. One of the fighters goes mad after winning and is force to be put down and killed by guards. Mortis manages to buy Inferno out the semi finals using half her wages she had won on Brandis and him up until that point. With Inferno out, and the monster whom was to be his opponent dead Brandis automicatically advances to the Championship against the unseen champion of the Arena. Inferno sits, patched up, with Mortis in the high rollers area watching as Brandis walks onto the field with the audience cheering his name.

Inferno: Seems to have grown to favoritism among the crowd…

Mortis: No… he’s not the favorite.

As Mortis says that shadows begin to swoop the field and the crowd grows silent as the true champion and favorite of the crowd and arena surfaces from the shadows, the crowd cheers.

Crowd: RYNTH! RYNTH! RYNTH! (chanting)

Rynth has long jet black hair and skin is as pale as porcelain. She wears dark make up, her eyes are silk silver, and ears pointed like an elf. She dresses in a Victorian/ Egyptian/ Greek attire. A black sleeveless jacket which ties in front by silver buttons, meeting at her knees (jacket is similar to a traditional Victorian male dress jacket). She wears satin tight arm warmers on both arms, which are topped off with golden ruby gauntlets. Her gloves only cover her middle finger and other fingers are capped off with silver rings. Her shirt is made of purple suede, sleeveless and with a collar, a silver corset on top of her shirt. Her black heeled boots stop at her knees with a purple streak up the front. Her pants are dark grey and skin tight. She wields a steel 25 foot long, spiked chained whip with a foot long spear sterling silver head on the tip. Her power is to control manipulate, and move through shadows at will.

Inferno: uh… ok… is this bad?

Mortis: I don’t know… would you call kill or be killed bad?

Inferno: W… w… what? I thought it was knock out or kill?

Mortis: It is… but due to the semi finals going by fast the owners decided to make the final match interesting… kill or be killed… no tap out or knock out.

Inferno: Do you… do you think Brandis can win?

Mortis: I honestly… don’t know. This fighter is owned by the Darko clan.

Inferno: So? Just another slave or champion right?

Mortis: The Darko clan started these games centuries ago. I mean where do you think the old world got it from? Romans? Greeks? Any way… this is their champion… she hasn’t been defeated in over two centuries.

Worry grows into Inferno’s face, Brandis roles up the sleeve to his jacket, and the match begins at the sound of a bull horn in the distance.

Rynth moves like Brandis, swift and quick, using the shadows to appear and disappear at will. Brandis moves just as fast, dodging and moving quickly from Rynth’s attacks. She barely speaks through out the battle with Bran. She actually gives him a great challenge and almost with stands some of his martial art capabilities, countering with her own. The match between the two proves to be a draw when it comes to wits and skill.

Brandis: Incredible… (thinking to himself) if I didn’t know any betta I swear she didn’t wanna fight… mos’ here have tried goin’ for da kill off da back… unless she’s toyin’ wit me.

The tables turn when Rynth begins to use her shadow power to swallow Bran whole into nothing.

Brandis: (thinking to himself) Dat’s more like it.

Brandis then levitates to the sky away from the shadows on the ground. The progression of the fight causes more cheers from the audience, and Mortis and Inferno look on.

With Brandis in the air Rynth can not smother him into the shadows so she turns to use her weapon. She jumps into the air, slings her chain whip, wrapping it around his ankle and pulls him down to the ground. Pulling back her whip, and wounding his ankle forcing him to a limp, Rynth begins another hand to hand assault on Bran. Bran then uses the telescopic staff to keep balance and defend himself as Rynth combines martial arts attacks with her chain whip. Though wounded (due to his weakness to silver and various earth metals) Bran can only move swiftly and fast to avoid her attacks once she has broken his staff. The broken staff, split in two pieces, allows Brandis to create a booby trap.

Attacking Rynth with one end of the staff, he throws the other end tripping her in the process forcing her to use her shadow powers to move through them and appear behind him. Once behind he turns swiftly and kicks her in the chest, flooring her several feet away. He then jumps on top of her to prepare for a finishing blow, but something in Rynth’s eyes catches him. Showing mercy, Brandis lets her up as the audience crows upset and angry at the gesture. Brandis helps her up and she attacks him with a punch to the face. Brandis counter lands and grabs the broken staff again, limping but still able to fight he and Rynth fight hard, Brandis even manages to scratch her. Countering his attack Rynth latches her whip around Brandis right arm to disarm him from the broken staff.

Rynth then gets a better grip by wrapping the other end of the chain around her waste to pull Brandis down into another shadow pit (hoping to smother and kill him). The grip and pulling from the chains spikes cuts into Brandis arm as he struggles in pain to free himself, with a wounded ankle Brandis forces himself to levitate into the air again, struggling.

Inferno: Brandis! (saying as he prepares to fly off into the fight)

Mortis: NO! If you interfere it won’t be pretty darling among the crowd nor any one else hear!

Inferno: But he’s my…!

Mortis: Then you must let him fight hun! Trust me!

The audience cheers and screams with praise to Rynth winning as Brandis come close to a shadowy grave. Suddenly Brandis eyes begin to glow a bright red, blood from his arms drips more, and second later his a stream of lightening sparks from his body through the chained whip and shocks Rynth with 10,000 volts. Knocking her out, Brandis with his ankle and arm now wounded, limps to her as the audience cheers for him.

Crowd: KILL! KILL! KILL!

With one last gesture in the match Brandis picks Rynth up by her jacket and kills her, by snapping her neck. The audience then cheers loudly as Inferno looks away disappointed, Mortis shows no emotion. Moments later the crowd grows quiet as the head of the Darko clan appears next to Brandis from a cloud of mist. His face body is covered in a large red cloak. Only thing seen are large rabbit like ears that recede from the top of the cloak hood, and large elongated fingers, nails and hands. He speaks with a deep voice to the audience.

Darko: Two centuries have we not graced the arena! Two centuries has there not been a new champion! Until today! As new champion, you are allowed one gift and one reward before anointed into the Darko clan.

Inferno: What?

Mortis: Oh no…

Inferno: You didn’t mention this!

Mortis: I didn’t know about it, I swear! I’ve never seen any one defeat the current champion.

Inferno: Got to stop this!

Mortis: No wait!

Brandis: In all fairness, I would like m’reward t’be my freedom. (with exhaustion in his voice)

Darko: Pardon me?

Brandis: Regrettably I mus’ decline ya offa. I can not become champion for ya clan…

Silent chatter grows all around in the crowd as Darko sits with out speech.

Darko: … Reward… granted… and your gift.

Brandis: I want da body an’ ownership of Rynth.

Darko: Interesting… so be it. (He then turns to the audience) As Reward our new champion request only the bodied ownership of the former Champion of the arena! I PRESENT TO YOU BRAN X, CHAMPION OF MORTIS ISLAND AND THE ARENA!

The audience cheers wildly.

Darko: Ashame warrior… you are most powerful. It would have been of honor to have you fight for us.

Brandis: What ya to do wit no champion of ya own?

Darko: In time fate shall present us with a new champion… a time proven to be soon.

Brandis: …

Darko: …we are sure to hear of you… in time. (saying as he leaves in a misty cloud)

After winning the fights Brandis meets with Mortis and Inferno with the body of Rynth draped over his shoulder, wrapped in dirty shroud, with his ankle healed and arm bandaged also healing. The three meet up at a stand where Mortis obtains her winnings, Inferno and Brandis argue.

Inferno: Can’t believe you did that…

Brandis: What?

Inferno: You killed her.

Brandis: Wasn’t given a choice…

Inferno: You did have a choice.

Brandis: As did you.

Inferno: That was different, he was… he was gonna kill me.

Brandis: … and she wasn’t?

Inferno: Besides… what’s with keeping the body? What’s Athame’ going to say? What’s everyone going to say?

Brandis: Let me worry ‘bout dat ok?

Mortis then walks up.

Mortis: Well, thanks to you both I made a killin… no pun intended.

Brandis: Doubt ya said ya had to use half ya winnin’s t’buy Inferno out?

Mortis: True, but to make up for that lost I took what I had and tripled the bet… made five times as much as I expected.

Inferno: So you came out on top… and only cost us our morals…

Mortis: You knew what you were getting into darling, I just showed you the door. Besides, got your info…

Brandis: She did her part… kept her side o’da deal… we’re done… les go.

Mortis: What’s the rush?

Brandis: Les go.

Mortis: How’s your arm?

Brandis: It’ll heal in a few hours.

Mortis: That it will.

Mortis then takes Brandis arm, unwraps the bandage which is stopping the bleeding, and heals his arm.

Mortis: Like new… Consider it another gift… other than your morbid body fixation.

The three begin to leave the canyon where the arena is, as they come to the end of a very long path that leads them out of the canyon and to the top of the surface Brandis stops and place Rynth’s body on the ground.

Inferno: What are you doing?

Mortis: I know ya not just going to leave it here? I mean… if she was human she’d make a hefty snack…so I’m sure to something like a scavenger monster or something she’d make just as much of a snack.

Brandis unravels the shroud and lays out Rynth's body. He places his hand over his chest.

Brandis: Good… (saying with a smile)

Brandis then lightly taps Rynth in the neck(the force of the tap is stronger than seen) and shakes her gently, she then wakes up slowly.

Rynth: Wh… where am I? (startled)

Brandis: You’re ok now…

Inferno: What the… how’d you do that? Can you resurrect people or something?

Mortis: She was… she was never dead?

Brandis: Not at all. (smiling)

Rynth: What… what did you do to me?

Brandis: I set ya free... now ya can live how ya choose.

Rynth: My neck is killing me… (saying as she cracks it) what happen?

Inferno: That’s what I’d like to know.

Brandis: You’re a drow right?

Rynth: How… how’d you know that…

Brandis: I met one; years back… da ears, speed, fighting style… dead give away. Strong… not jus’ in strength but body too. Rememba he broke his arm and sprang his shoulda in a fight wit a pack o’rolves. Snapped it back in place an’ barely flinched. Cept ya look different… his skin was dark… hair white…

Rynth: We’re not all born the same…

Brandis: But ya all proud people… how’d ya succumb to slavery?

Rynth: …

Brandis: Well ya free now.

Rynth smiles as she looks into the dead land around her.

Rynth: Thank you (saying as she bows).

She then disappears after creating shadows around her.

Inferno: Ok… explain?

Mortis and Inferno look at Brandis curiously.

Brandis: It’s like ya said Inferno… control ya fear, control ya self… control ya power. In a moment in da fight I saw innocence… fear… sadness in her eyes. She didn’t wanna be fightin, and was a slave against her will. She coulda finished me any moment when she wounded my ankle… but didn’t… wanted me t’finish her instead… set her free.

Mortis: But her heart beat was….

Brandis: Faint not stopped… I channeled da lightening from m’hands wit jus’ da right amount o’voltage to knock her out… den I “snapped” her neck. Control ya self, control ya power (saying as he smiles).

Inferno: Impressive. (the three then begin to walk to the ship) so want to explain the lightening thing...

Inferno is cut off when he, Mortis and Brandis get to the ship to find it and everyone on it under attack by Cold Fusion, several monsters and creatures.