[i][b]Zandren:[/i][/b] Zandren looked down from his throne at both *Minerva and Sebastian. He grinned a wicked smile. "So... The time has finally come at last. Thank you *Minerva, for bringing him to me." He gives her a wink as he dismisses her with a wave of his hand. He clears his throat. "Now..." His voice seems to have gotten deeper, "What are we going to do about you little roo, hmm?" [i][b]Sebastian:[/i][/b] Sebastian would shake as the voice of the dragon got deeper after dismissing *Minerva with a wave of his hand but he stood firm gulping a little. "I....I not afraid....of you.....I won't give you the satisfaction of my screams like the others!" It was clear his legs were trembling a little and his cheek hearts were a pastel purple showing fear but with a mix of grey showing anxiety. [i][b]Zandren:[/i][/b] "Not afraid? You are shaking there, trembling like you are about to piss yourself...How about you get down and bow before me? Submit yourself to my will... I might even go easy on you if you beg." His small claw waving in front of him as he talks, the tips of which glint in the light, showing how sharp they are. [i][b]Sebastian:[/i][/b] Sebastian didn't care as he started to growl a little his hearts becoming slightly red. "I....I will never bow to you.....I don't care how sharp your claws are.....I....I not a toy for you to play with!!!" Sebastian though deep down was scared, those sharp claws could easily tear him in two, but he wasn't going to give this dragon any satisfaction. [i][b]Zandren:[/i][/b] "Oh, but that's exactly what you are now. You won't bow or listen to my orders? Then I suppose I have no choice..." He starts to get up from his throne, and he just blips. The next moment Sebastian's neck was grabbed. Zandren was now in front of him, having moved in such a way that looked like *Minerva... In fact, the effects, everything about it, was the same! His dark royal cloak fluttered down as he has stopped moving. "... But to make you submit!" He yells in continuation. Sebastion was now able to get a clear view of the dragon now. His attire looked like it belonged on some Nobility. Though it's colors invoked it being more like some evil monarch that one would have to defeat as a main villain. Black being its main color, dark crimson (not unlike the dragon's scales) flame like embroidery all over it with gold trimmings. [i][b]Sebastian:[/i][/b] Sebastian would raise his paws ready to fight as soon as the dragon started to stand but blinked as the dragon blipped looking around for a spilt second. "W...wh..where d...." Sebastian then acked loudly as the paw grabbed his throat lifting him up about an inch off the ground making him reach up for that paw on his his neck the hearts on his cheeks now a pure pastel purple showing pure fear as he whimpered moving his tail toward the ground putting pressure reliving the pressure of being lifted by the neck but once he had a good look at the dragon, his dark crimson color, the touch of nobility Sebastian saw the eyes next and his own widen. "Z....zan.....i...is that....y..you...." Sebastian acked again struggling as he tried to get free saying those words as he recognized the dragon from a snotty up tight party his parents had dragged him to just last month, and a few parties before then. But none that matter, it clear Zan wasn't a nice cub like Sebastian had thought his hearts turning a pure red of anger and he lifted his huge roo paws up balancing on his tail at same time and gave a good full power kick right into the dragons chest hoping it would send him flying. [i][b]Zandren:[/i][/b] Very few things could break Zandren's mask that he put on when it was time to get serious, but the cries of a friend? That at the very least shook him up. He hesitated. Which was just the opening Sebastian needed. There was a look of shock as Zandren was launched. "Ugh-?" Zandren crashed into a pillar at high speed, leaving a small crater upon impact. He then slid down to the floor and stayed in a seated position as he coughed and a trail of blood came from his maw. [i]Damn it. He remembers... I hoped he wouldn't. How foolish of me to think he would forget. One doesn't forget their friends that easily…[/i] Zandren winces as he tries to move. [i]Cracked a rib I think... Alright, just need to hold out a little longer. I'm sorry for this Seb, but I have a job to do.[/i] Zandren wipes the blood off his cheek as he stands up again. "You caught me off guard there. I forgot about your kicks... That won't happen again." Zandren's mask of superiority was now firmly back on, trying to hide and suppress any and all feelings he had about this situation. [i][b]Sebastian:[/i][/b] Sebastian though was closing the distance following the flying Zandren and was quickly back on his tail using his big roo paws to begin jabbing at the dragons face like a bunny classmate in the tigers dojo had shown him. "I.....won't.......go...out......without...a.....fight.....th...this is for...cinnamon.....and Cyber!!!!" Sebastian screamed this while putting full force into each kick jab. [i][b]Zandren:[/i][/b] Zandren bobbed and weaved rather expertly avoiding the roos kicks. His private combat training he had with Mickey paying off now. Each jab the roo did was cracking the pillar behind them each time Zandren dodged. [i]He's getting closer with each jab... Shit... I'm going to have to do something…[/i] Then he bliped again. This time reappearing more in the air to come down at an angle at Sebastian, for what could be described as a one legged missile dropkick. He came down hard on Sebastian's left leg. [i][b]CRACK[/i][/b] Zandren landed next to him. Just then, the distinct sound of Sebastian receiving a Private Message was heard, it was marked by the system as urgent. Zandren smiled when he heard it, but quickly forced his emotions away and returned to a scowl. [i]Good, he got it. Now he just needs to read it. I'll give him some time.[/i] Of course Zandren heard the sound, as he was in the room with Sebastian, but unbeknownst to all watching, Zandren had that specific sound filtered out from the feed for this particular elimination. He even had it so any menus brought up by players would be private, or hidden to only the player who summoned it. Not that it did Sebastian any good here, but an urgent system message tends to be able to bypass such restrictions… [i][b]Sebastian:[/i][/b] Sebastian grunted with each kick jab relying on his training of his own not paying attention that he was litterly breaking the pillar behind Zan but when he blipped Sebastian eyes narrowed his legs ready to kick as he stopped. "Where...did he g......." That when Zan blipped back coming right down on his posed leg. The crack in question which as loud enough to fill the entire room was Sebastian femur cracking in two. A high pitch wail would fill the room as he fell over grabbing his leg which was at a forty five degree angle and definitely broken as Sebastian stared at Zan. "Y...you monster....h...how could...you....." As the message came in Sebastian would see it auto open as it was marked as urgent as he continued to cry out in pain as he tried to drag himself toward the throne looking for anything to make a splint. [i][b]Zandren:[/i][/b] The message opened and while its header was clearly marked as an urgent system message, its contents clearly were not. [i]Hey Seb! It's me, Zandren! I know, I'm probably the last person you want to hear from right now, let alone read a message from, given I have probably done some things already that I am regretting. I assure you however, you want to read this. Please. Sebastian, I want to help you. Really! I have been trying to help all of you cubs from the very beginning. I was trying to even help *Minerva, but it seems no matter what I try for her, it just gets blocked or ignored. I can only do so much until they start getting suspicious. So I'm doing what I can from my position. When I heard I was going to be assigned you, I was overjoyed. Now I could help you directly! However, my heart broke when I realized just exactly what it meant. Look, I am not proud of what I have to do. But people are watching. Sick perverted psychopaths from all over the world are paying large sums of money for this event so they can watch it live. I have been tasked with entertaining them. We both have our parts to play here. I may be putting on a face that is making me a monster. Deep down, perhaps I am. Perhaps you are seeing the real me that I keep locked away. This message was drafted before you got sent here and set up with a time delay. It costed a lot to get all this setup, but that price is worth it so you can know the truth. Sebastian, I'm going to do things to you that the very thought of sickens me, but if I don't, I have been told that the alternative is far worse. Please forgive me. I have made arrangements to get you out of this alive in the end. I want to get you all out alive... But that just won't be possible from what I can see... So I will save as many as I can. Starting with you. Don't react to this message, don't even talk about it. They can hear us. If you currently hate me, keep that going and let's put on a good show. Put everything you have gone through, all the trauma and hurt, and let me embody it. My role is to be the monster today, so make me one. In the end, just remember, no matter what happens here today, you will always be my friend.[/i] The message closed away after it had been read. No one watching would have seen it. Zandren knew though, it was hard not to read a message flagged as urgent by design. Zandren would let out a heavy sigh as he was a little distance away, allowing Sebastian some time to read it and get himself geared up as he tended to his own wounds. Behind the throne was some equipment that was clearly being stored. Amongst it was some rope, and while there wasn't anything that could be obviously used to make a splint, the throne however was clearly made from some sturdy wood… [i][b]Sebastian:[/i][/b] Sebastian would read the message taking in each word while looking around making it look like he wasn't reading anything at all figuring this was meant to be hidden. As he read each word carefully he could only wonder more, those weird messages from *Minerva, did he have something to do with it. He wonder if Cyber was still alive, maybe Zan had helped him after the torture, maybe there was some hope. But he read further finding that Zan will have to do horrible things to him, which scared him but made him angry as Zan wasn't doing more to stop this but realized he couldn't given how he said they were always listening. In his mind he was even more angry but understood after reading the entire message, he may not entirely believe it given all he saw but maybe there was truth to it. He had to put on a show if he wanted to get out of this truly alive and a show he would put on as he found the stash of stuff behind the throne and first thing he saw was the rope, now he just needed some sturdy sticks, but that was clearly no where to be found. He then saw the sturdy wooden throne and with grabbing one the railing he began kicking at it with his good leg soon managing to break it off with some effort. For such a small cub he was proving to be very strong, maybe that will give his friends hope once they watch this, or maybe the bad people will cut it out. Sebastian would shake the thought out for now grabbing a loose piece of rope and biting it hard as he cried out in pain setting his leg with another sicking crack like the cub scouts had thought him. It hurt like hell but had to be done as he breathed hard setting to two broken pieces from the throne on the sides of the leg and began tying it tight along his entire leg immobilizing it and securing it. It hurt more with each tightening but it had to be done as he finished up look for any kind of weapon in the stash but he couldn't find much. With a shake of his head he would proceed to break off another throne piece this time a nice long one and used it to prop himself up as he used the throne to help lift him off the ground. Once up he would look at Zane growling as he adjusted his tail taking the weight off his splinted leg. "Y..yo....I thought we were friends......how you snuck me cake from the grownups table.....how we played games....how we pulled those pranks!" With those words and seething with anger he grab a piece that had fallen off from the ruined throne and tossed it up and kicked it hard with his good leg as it came own shooting it like a missile straight at Zan with the full force of the kick behind it. [i][b]Zandren:[/i][/b] Zandren couldn't respond. Not that he didn't want to, but that anything he said would have betrayed how he needed to act right now, and the role he needed to play. Instead he just glared at Sebastian with as much malice as he could muster. Then the wood was launched at him. Zandren stepped slightly to the side and used his right claw to deflect it away from him as it goes on to embed itself into the column next to him. He puts his head down and slowly blinks, flicking his head back up, his crimson eyes glowing. He slowly starts to approach Sebastian. "You destroyed my throne, and now you use it to attack me... This must be punished..." his voice still deep, almost near growling in nature. [i][b]Sebastian:[/i][/b] Sebastian simply rolls his eyes breaking off another piece. "Oh boo hoo your digital throne has been destroyed, it can easily be rendered back in you know....." Sebastian then kicks the new piece of wood sending it flying at Zan again as he lightly chuckled thinking to himself as he saw those glowing eyes. 'Good, build up that anger....as sensei said use your adversary's anger and momentum against them.' As he thought this he braced for the incoming attack that was surely coming ready to redirect the dragon into the nearby pillar. [i][b]Zandren:[/i][/b] The wood was sent flying, and the moment before impact, Zandren blipped away. He reappeared next to Sebastian with he claw drawn back ready to strike with a backhand, but this time, it looks like Seb was ready for him. [i][b]Sebastian:[/i][/b] Sebastian would managed to to move back letting that paw come in and grabbing it using his tail as a pivot to use that momentum to send zan right into the pillar from before splitting it with tremendous force as the room shook and the top half of the pillar gave way falling to the side right onto the destroyed throne. [i][b]Zandren:[/i][/b] The dust started clearing as Zandren stood back up, brushing the rubble off of himself. "That was careless of me... I think playtime is over however..." Zandren then closed his eyes and breathed in. He then let out a primal roar that shook the entire room. He brandished his right claw and the firelight glinted off of it as he leaped towards Sebastian. He blipped again, reappearing in front of him, closing the gap in a second as he brought down his claw, slashing across Sebastian's chest tearing clean through his armor as if it wasn't even there, making a deep slash wound. Blood would trickle out, staining Sebastian's clothes. Zan then leaped back a little, flicking his wrist causing blood to splatter onto the floor. [i][b]Sebastian:[/i][/b] Sebastian would ready himself once more as Zan brushed himself off. "Do you yield....." This was answered by the primal roar shaking the entire room and Sebastian but he didn't falter standing his ground once more and narrowed his eyes seeing the claw being brandished thinking to him self. 'Claw attack just need to......' Before he could finish his thought Zan leaped and Sebastian was ready to throw him but that when he blinked and Seb only had one word in his mind 'Shit' as Zan blinked back getting Sebastian across the chest sending him back a bit as he gasped grabbing at the bleeding wound as he cried out. 'Crap crap crap, not good' Sebastian would try to shake his ehad trying to ignore the pain as nerves fired away and he decided to rip off the rest his tunic and stare right at Zan. 'I...wi....will not....yield!" That was when the roo then took a finger across his own blood and made a rune shape in his left arm fur that started with a downward line followed by a simple x shape over it, the rune for strength. Grunting a little as the pain was immense but he pushed through painting another one on his right arm starting with what looked to be a simple arm shape its normal curve replaced by straight lines but on the back of it came two more liens in a downward angled motion, the rune for energy as he thought to himself with a growl. 'I will not yield, my ancestors did not, and I won't!' He look to his side and around and saw a axe that had been knocked away by the pillar as it had crushed a armor display case that had a few weapons and quickly scooped it up along with a bit of wood from the throne that was still together to use at a shield before turning to Zan as he pounded his chest and hit the axe on the improvised sheild. "If i die here, I die a warrior and go to Valhalla like my ancestors!!!!" Sebastian would then screamed at top his lungs charging at zan with such speed despite having a broken leg the axe held up high as he charged the dragon. [i][b]Zandren:[/i][/b] "Using weapons now are we?" He mocked. Zandren then put his claw up and grabbed the shaft of the axe, stopping Sebastian mid swing, he then deflected him to the side, causing the axe to impact into the ground. Before Sebatsian could recover, Zandren blinked away again. This time however, Zandren was nowhere to be found. At least for the time being. [i][b]Sebastian:[/i][/b] Sebastian would grunt once it was stopped though growled once the axe was thrown and he quickly moved to pick it up looking all around for that dragon to blink in. "Where....are....you....." [i][b]Zandren:[/i][/b] Zandren would then blink back and clash weapons with Sebastian. Zandren has grabbed a Katana from a weapon display in the room. "I wonder, how much training you have with that weapon. Do you really think you can beat me with it?" He then pushed Sebastian back. He would faint, then spin around with a swing, slashing Sebastian on the left shoulder. He then pulled back into a ready stance for Sebastian's next attack. "Come! And die with honor!" Zandren shouts. [i][b]Sebastian:[/i][/b] Sebastian grunted as his axe locked with the katana, his eyes locking with that of zan as he spoke and pushed the roo back. "If i can't then i join my ancestors!!!" The slash would not land though as Sebastian moved his axe catching the blade with he curve pushing pack as he growled watching Zan take a ready stance and with his taunt he screamed charging looking to do a downward swing again but at the last minute spun on his tail bringing the axe into the dragons left arm. [i][b]Zandren:[/i][/b] This is what Zandren was waiting for. He gripped his katana tightly with his right claw as the axe came down into his shoulder. He then grabbed the axe to keep Sebastian in place, his right arm lowered however and lined the katana up with Sebastian's chest. In one quick move, the sword was thrust through, piercing his heart. It was over. Just like that. Zandren kicked Sebastian away, leaving the axe behind still in Zandren's shoulder, while the katana remained within Sebastian's chest. Zandren grunted while he pulled out the axe. "Good bye little roo. Perhaps your ancestors are smiling down upon you right now. You have at least died with honor." Zandren turned as he walked away into the darkness, leaving Sebastian where he lay. [i][b]Sebastian:[/i][/b] Sebastian's mouth would go agape, his heart being pierced by the blade and a quick second it was over as he grab at it his vision quickly going dark, his life gone, he did it, he went out fighting. The roo's world would go still as he then found himself floating over his corpse as a specter and he looked around and whined. "I...i thought...I would go to.....valhalla.....at least...I went out fighting....and not done like cyber.....at least I survived longer...." That when the light would shine on him at an angle with the light being quite bright would open as a vixen valkyrie in mighty armor came down on an armored great horse and smiled seeing the young roo and took his paw gently not saying a word and lifted him up into her lap. The roo being too stunned to speak simply let it happen as the horse rode back up taking him far from this place. The light would soon give way to a grand gate that would slowly open and ahead was Valhalla, the great plains stretching for miles, the mountains int he distance and in middle of a small curve in the plains was the grand hall of Odin, a glorious giant long house made of the finest woods and metals. as the vixen rode the horse closer sounds of feasting and celebration could be heard within and the vixen gently sat the boy down and gestured for him to open it, what Sebastian though noticed his clothes had changed, he had a fur cloak over his shoulders a nice tunic and belt on his back was a proper shield and a axe lay upon his belt, on his head was a simple helm with small nub horns on its sides and he would nod pushing against the big doors. As the doors opened all went quiet as many heads of many different warriors of all different species turned toward the door, seeing the small cub in the door and the valkyrie warrior nodding to them before riding off. The silence was then broken by cheers ringing out and a large tiger quickly lifting the boy to his shoulder, his voice deep and fierce. "Ah a young warrior has reached the halls of Odin!" He seemed joyous and proud with those words making the roo squirm. "Not many reach the hall these days my boy, but fret not you in the hall of the all father!" This was it, the young roo had reached Valhalla! The tiger then carried the boy on his shoulder toward the table and sat him at a vacant seat and called to the others.. "Bring food and drink for the young lad, this is a time to celebrate!" A couple of warriors sat a plate of hearty vegetables and a mug of water in front of the boy knowing despite being a warrior in the halls of Odin, he is still a young one and mustn't drink the mead. Sebastian would simply nod, digging in and drinking but ended up coughing as the tiger brought his paw upon his back making water go down the wrong pipe. "For a little one you have a mighty appetite, so how did you die, come on everyone's got a story!" Sebastian was still coughing a bit but nodded. "Died with an axe in my paw in glorious combat against another warrior." The tiger would give a bellious laugh and smile. "As all should little one, well eat up and drink up, tomorrow we ride into battle once more in the fields of Valhalla!" Sebastian would simply nod remembering the warriors would fight battles every day in Valhalla till the sun sets and continue the cycle in preparation for Ragnarök. The feasting and drinking would continue into the night and all would go to bunk hammocks to rest for the coming battle tomorrow, Sebastian having been put in a top one by the tiger would smile, he had done it, he was here in Valhalla with his ancestors. His eyes would close slowly as he breathed deeply in a sigh of relief and drifted off to sleep ready for the rest of eternity finally free. [i][b]Zandren:[/i][/b] It would be several hours later that Sebastian would awaken. He was no longer in VR, and there was dried blood on his mouth. He would awaken on a couch in a large room. The air was slightly cold, and it feels like the place might be more of a warehouse than a house... It was rather dark here as well, only a few lights that perhaps allowed the free movement if one so desired, but plenty of dark spots one could hide in as well. Someone cleared their throat to get Sebastian's attention. A voice calling out from the dark. "Ah, you are awake. Welcome... Welcome..." it was a feminine voice but, young, really young. That's when Sebastian locked eyes with "It." A set of eyes, glowing in the dark like an unnatural fire burned behind them. Then she stepped into the light allowing a better view. It was a wolf cub, dark grey with black patches in various places, though she wore a gothic style dress, her bare feet popping out the bottom of it. Now in the light her eyes no longer glowed and could be seen to be blueish in color, what was the name for it? "You must be Sebastian, our latest arrival. My name is Azura. I will be taking care of you and providing protection until the Young Master Zandren, as well as Mickey, are able to return. Make yourself comfortable, you might be here for a while." She smiled, an a visceral sense of deep fear ran through Sebastian. She has fangs. ACTUAL fangs. She noticed Sebastian staring and her eyes flashed again with that same flame before quickly returning to their normal azure color. Every natural instinct in Sebastian's body was firing upon on ancient fear. It was only as Sebastian's eyes were darting did they notice that there was someone else in the room. Someone... extremely familiar... A wolf cub, with messy gray fur, and distinct red hair... The look on their face portraying that of one's will to live has left them. [i][b]*END OF ELIMINATION*[/i][/b]