Primal Dawn

“The Dryad is unable to continue battling!” The Dryad from the sidelines called as she rushed towards Gaia, beginning to heal her. Peter felt relief when he saw her body twitch slightly in reaction to the healing. But what was of the Mimic?

“Crazy cunt!” Peter turned towards the owner of the voice. The Mimic was lying on her back, still in the form of the Trickster, as her head tilted upwards, struggling to look towards Gaia. “Bitch! Fogwhore!” The Mimic continued to let out a long list of expletives in between violent coughs... Her body was seriously injured as well, but not nearly to the level of Gaia. She slowly brought herself to a standing position.

“The victor of the first battle is Jet!” Peter watched as the Dryad carried Gaia near him. “Peter, decide your next primal. Jet! You may keep the same primal or choose to use another one.”

“Thank you for your efforts,” Peter silently whispered to Gaia. “You did well.”

“It was a good move, Gaia.” Kalista said. “I will take it from here.” Gaia didn't respond, or rather, she couldn't.

Kalista stepped out onto the field.

“Cile, wear her down.”

“Aaaah,” Cile groaned, coughing afterwards.

“Are you both ready?” Fitt asked. Peter and Jet nodded their heads. “Begin!”

“Fireball!” Cile immediately began casting as Kalista sprinted towards the other side of the field.

Kalista used the narrowest amount of movement to dodge it.

“Again! Fireball!”

Kalista dodged again.

“Fireball and hold it!”

Kalista was now rapidly getting closer. Cile's arm holding her staff began to tremble. “Ah... fuck.” She fell forwards, the readied fireball disappearing as she landed atop the grounds. Cile continuously began to cough, small globs of blood leaving her mouth.

Her body shuddered, and soon one by one black strands came off her body, and she reverted to her original form. Laying on the ground, she looked up towards Kalista who was standing over her.

“I thought I told you to wear her down, Cile?” Jet said to his prone primal.

Cile coughed some more. “Made her sweat a little. She ran across the fucking field didn't she?” Jet laughed.

Kalista's eyes narrowed. “Do you surrender?”

“Bleh.” Cile spit out some more blood. Jet was silent. She gave a small smile. “No free wins.”

“Shield Slam!” Kalista rammed her shield into Cile's prone body, causing her to vomit a bit of blood as she passed out.

“The Mimic is unable to continue battling!” The Dryad shouted and began to heal her.

“The winner of this battle is Peter! Jet, pick your next combatant.”

Kalista returned to her original position across the field. “Maly, we'll show them the full experience.” Jet taunted.

Maly smiled. “Gladly.” As she stepped onto the field, Jet's Dryad began to assist with Cile's healing. “A pity that Cile couldn't entertain you more. I had been looking forward to seeing her playing around with you. Oh well! As her older sister, all of her toys are mine after all, wahahahaha!” she shouted towards Kalista.

Kalista raised her sword and shield in response.

“Begin!” Fitt shouted.

Kalista began to run towards Maly. To her surprise, neither Jet nor Maly uttered a single word or made any movements. After she had crossed the halfway point of the field, Kalista hesitated and stopped running towards them.

She expected them to do something. Even perhaps begin to prepare a fireball, yet they were simply standing there.

“Scared?” Maly mocked.

Kalista frowned. The provocation was too simple. But she supposed it didn't matter. She didn't have any ranged abilities so whatever trap or plan they were waiting to spring on her, she had no choice but to fall into it. Standing here wouldn't win the challenge.

But she could conserve her energy. Kalista began to walk towards Maly, who remained motionless. When Kalista felt she was close enough, she suddenly began to sprint.

“Blinding Flash!” Jet shouted.

“Deflect!” Kalista instinctively used Deflect, having expected Maly to launch a Fireball. Instead, a flash of thunderous white light suddenly appeared, Her Deflect caught empty air, and the bright light seared her eyes. Kalista's head began to twist and turn in different directions. Wherever she looked, all she could see was white.

“Oh no,” Peter gasped. “Kalista, she's in front of you! Opposite to my voice!”

Kalista focused for a brief moment then nodded, and ran forwards.

“There!” Peter shouted.

“It begins.” Maly chuckled.

“Shield Slam!”

“Prank!” Maly said in a mocking tone.

Just as Kalista's shield made contact with Maly, her body was replaced with a snow statue in her likeness. When the shield hit this statue, it exploded, covering Kalista in snow. Maly reappeared behind Kalista, and began to run away.

“Fireball!” Jet commanded. Kalista turned towards his voice and readied her shield.

“No! Behind!” Peter warned.

The ball of Fire slammed into Kalista's back, knocking her forwards. The heat of the explosion caused the snow covering her to quickly melt, and she began to shiver. Kalista turning around, wincing in pain. Her vision slowly began to came back, the white spots disappearing long enough for her to make out Maly with a smug grin.

“Am I in the right place? I thought this was supposed to be a challenge! Blinding Flash!” Kalista raised her shield, closed her eyes, but it was no use. Once again, she couldn't see anything. She began to run towards where she had last seen Maly.

“Kalista, she's running away! Soft left!”

“This way, this way!” Maly chided. Kalista gritted her teeth and began to sprint. “That's it! Faster!”

“Fireball!” Maly pointed her staff towards Kalista and launched a Fireball.

“Now! Deflect!” Peter shouted. Kalista managed to swat away most of the oncoming ball of fire, though a few of the flames snuck past and singed her front.

As Kalista neared Maly, Peter wondered what to do. When they last fought Maly, they had defeated her by destroying the log to prevent her from using Prank, but the Trickster had no such thing. She was swapping places with a snow statue she pulled out of nowhere. But maybe... her staff?

“Kalista, we have to break her staff somehow!” Peter shouted.

“Hah! Is that the best you can come up with?” Maly chided while running. She grabbed her staff with both hands and held it horizontally in front of her, then raised her knee. In one smooth motion she snapped the staff over her leg and tossed the split pieces of wood backwards towards Kalista. “Here, keep them!” The broken remains hit Kalista square in the chest, causing her to growl. “Blinding Flash!” Kalista's vision once again went white.

“Keep going!” Kalista finally reached Maly. “Double Cross!”

“Prank!” Kalista swung her sword twice, splitting apart another snow statue.

“Completely behind, then to your left!”

“Fireball!” Jet shouted.

“Deflect!”

Kalista spun around and blindly swung where she thought Maly must have been. She had not turned enough though, and the ball of fire hit her square in the chest, knocking her backwards. Kalista let out a yelp.

Maly began to run circular to Kalista as she struggled to stand back up.

“Fireball!” Jet shouted again.

“A hundred degrees towards your right! Deflect!”

Kalista turned and this time overshot, getting hit with another blast of fire. Her entire front was scorched and burned, and most of her clothing had at this point fallen off. Using her sword, she pressed it into the ground to stand up again.

“Kalista!” She turned towards the direction of his voice. Although she readied both her sword and shield, a slow shake of her head revealed she had come to her own conclusion.

“Finish her. Fireball!”

Maly prepared another ball of fire. “Kalista, to your right! Deflect!” Peter croaked. Kalista turned just as the projectile began to soar towards her. She managed to catch half of it with her shield, the other have bouncing off and hitting her straight in the face. Kalista went down.

“The Squire can no longer battle!” The Dryad declared.

“Kalista can no longer battle...” Peter slowly repeated to himself.

“Jet has won this battle, and therefore, is the winner of this challenge!” Fitt announced.

“Boring! Cile is lucky she didn't have to play with a loser like you!” Gloated Maly. She was standing over Kalista's fallen form as the Dryad shood her away.

“...Jet won.” Peter muttered.