The 1st Light of Dawn Tournament | Labyrinth of Champions | Phase 1 | Entrant #2 - Ziio Aarushi

You walk down the corridor towards the next courtyard. You feel your heart rate pick up, your heart is pounding out of your chest. Who knows what to expect after what you just fought. Things could only get worse from here on out, right? Well...maybe. You enter the room and realize there is no boss. The doors don't slam shut behind you and the doors leading forward are open as well.

Then you realize why. Whatever was in this courtyard left...who knows where, but it left a warning. A pile of fresh corpses in a pool of blood, and on top....three infants, none older than 6 months, impaled upon a spear, still screaming for their mothers. Their faces frozen forever in fear. From the spear flew a flag that said but one thing.

"LEAVE!"

The warning is written in the blood of the victims, and you cannot help but feel uneasy when you see it. These demons must be stopped. But now you have another choice to make. Back east from where you came, south, north or west. So where to Champion?

Ziio and her wolves looked stone-faced at the mountain of death topped by infants. They felt sickness well within them, and they had ripped apart the carcasses of countless animals piece by piece. Humans were an entirely different matter though. Humans did not deserve this. Especially children. Not like this. This was horrible. Ziio hadn't been one for people for much of her life, but now that she was the Avatar she felt she had a responsibility to these people and to avenge them.

She gave a low, respectful bow, stood up, and placed her fist over her chest in a Warrior's salute. Her wolves lowered their tails, raised their heads, and howled in unison to show their solidarity and respect. Stringing a third arrow, Ziio turned to the north and headed off towards the distant Drak'Tharon Keep. The demon that did this was probably there. Probably going to be at the top too.

She would find him, and put an arrow through his skull, then take his head back to her quarters as a trophy. If it was the last thing she did, she would do it.

You travel down the narrow tunnel, not caring what comes next. For it you are brave, you are determined.  It shows qualities.  You will be rewarded when your time comes for your perseverance, worry not Champion.  For now though, focus on getting out of here alive.

You hear cackling behind you.  Something laughs its way down the hallway, it passes by you but you can't see it.  It echoes as it comes, and echoes as it leaves.  You hear the cackling for moments even after the passing sound leaves the area.  It leads straight down the hallway towards...something.  Probably another courtyard though so, just be careful okay Champion?

Who knows what else you'll find in this damn labyrinth of hell.  Who knows what dark secrets live within--SOMETHING IS ON YOUR FOOT!  Oh, okay, it's just a...moving pile of green slime.  Right, start running or kill it.  Either way, it's kinda creepy.  It looks like its trying to mate with your toes but it's not going to get very far.  You're not even sure if it has genitalia but you're not sticking around to find out.

Keep going Champion, right down the hallway.  Right down towards your next boss, or treasure.  We're not very sure in here you know.  Good luck with whatever it is you do find!

Oh wait!  What's this??  Etched into the side of the wall.  You can just barely see it but you read it.  The language is old, primitive, and some words you cannot translate but most of it is similar enough to modern Common that you can make out the gist of it.


Well...that's...uh...good luck figuring out.  No time to dawdle though Champion, keep moving!  You'll have to if you want to make it to the end in time.

Ziio shrugged as she read the poem that was no doubt riddled with clues. Riddles and poems did not interest Ziio. She preferred to find Drak'Tharon on her own, using her own skills. Her hands, her wolves and her weapons. That was Ziio's way. That was the only way she knew and the only way she cared for. Leave the thinking and plotting to others; she would do the fighting. She was the Avatar after all. Her job was fighting. Fighting to protect the peace and the people who were supposed to enjoy the peace.

Ziio pushed the riddle from her head and focused only on surviving to the next fight. That came before anything else. She needed to kill countless demons yet before she could get through this labyrinth and reach the centre and even then her survival was not guaranteed. With a grunt of determination Ziio pushed onwards.

She carried onwards, towards the next Courtyard and what she knew was the next boss battle. Such was the way of things after all. Very well, time to face her fate. Her and wolves together.

As you exit the small tunnel of a corridor, you walk into the next courtyard and face a laugh, cackling, howling demon. She is half-naked, flying on black feathered wings and glowing in an unholy way. She wears a heavy iron helm and carries a sword at her side. She looks like a Battle Maiden. She introduces herself as the former Queen of Drak'Tharon. She too is cursed and warped and twisted by the curse that sleeps within the dead Kingdom. She is neither alive or dead, but she is there before you and that's enough reason to attack her.

She swoops at you like a raven, laughing mirthlessly as she watches you realize she was the spirit that laughed at you. She seems to be semi-see through, and you're unsure if she's a shade, a ghost or just a trick of the light, but you know that sword is probably going to hurt anyway, so you do your best to dodge as she swings at you. Have fun Champion.

Attack Accuracy

Random number (1,10) :

8

Attack Strength

Random number (1,7500) :

1370

Ziio wasn't fast enough to dodge the blade.  She bade her wolves get out of the way, but the blade cut Ziio's side.  She let out a roar of pain, and stumbled briefly.  Ziio took a moment to focus herself, centre her mind again before returning fire.  This "Queen" was winged, meaning she spent most of her time in the air.  At least from what Ziio saw.  It was smart.  Most people couldn't get her from up there, but Ziio was a hunter, AND a Water Bender.  She had her arrows and her bending, making her a long range fighter.

I'm-kala didn't realize this obviously, and Ziio used it to her advantage.  Ziio strung two arrows quickly as she rolled out of the way of another attack, but this time, she covered their stone tips in razor-sharp ice, and aimed at the joints where I'm-kala's wings attached themselves to her back.  If she could remove the Queen's flight, Ziio would have her on the ground and hopefully at her mercy.

Attack Accuracy

Random number (1,10) :

7

Attack Strength

Random number (1,10000) :

6746

I'm-kala feels the arrows pierce her joint.  The pain is great and she is unable to sustain flight.  She hits the ground bleeding and angry and looks at you. She rushes at you on foot with her sword drawn.  Her left wing looks crippled, and she looks angered.  She slashes like a mad eagle, attacking, lunging, swinging, biting, kicking.  She is a fierce fighter for a half naked former Queen.

She dodges a few of your attacks, then, with a sudden blast of cold, she unleashes a torrent of ice that freezes over the entire courtyard.  She glares down at you.  She's tall, very tall.  At least seven feet.  Smirking evilly, she swings her now icy blade as you struggle to gain balance on the iced-over courtyard.

Attack Accuracy
2

Attack Strength
4453