CARNIVAL (The Spark Form Chronicles Book 2) Page 15

  "Absolutely. OK, it sounds like we're about to get things started, so let's get back to the Battle Zone."

  The lights fade down again and the crowd start to cheer. A series of electronic beeps soon ring out over the speakers.

  "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls," comes a voice dripping with an over the top upper class pomposity. "Prepare to be astounded, amazed and otherwise bamboozled. Momentarily, you will be faced with a vision that transcends your wildest dreams."

  "That's right brother dear," cuts in another voice, equally as mock posh as the first. "These fortunate few are about to embark on a journey that can only be described as a wondrous trip into what could be."

  "Ah, if only they weren't such hopeless cases. Such a sad state of affairs, is it not?"

  "A sad state of affairs indeed. In the spirit of fair play, a warning for those unimportant enough to have had to pay for their ticket tonight. Avert your eyes now, lest you be struck by sheer, unadulterated jealousy for a life that you can never attain. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, we are Donal."

  "And Davey."

  "Delaney," the brothers yell in unison.

  Song: Incredibly Richer Than You

  Band: Emblem Productions featuring Donal and Davey Delaney

  Genre: Novelty Pop

  With the fans now firmly settled into a round of boos and jeers, the notorious Delaney Brothers breeze through the curtain in a flourish of top hats, canes and cravats. The two laugh maniacally and give each other a respectful bow, then march their way down towards the Battle Zone, their noses in the air and heavily embroidered waist coasts sparkling under the arena lights.

  After their lengthy introduction, the remainder of the entrance is relatively short and so the music and arena lights soon lower once more.

  A familiar run of synth notes blares out over the speakers, leading the crowd in a sing-along until the expected countdown kicks in. The fans are quick to chant along as they await the arrival of the next team.

  5.

  4.

  3.

  2.

  1.

  Song: Never Surrender

  Band: Shotgun Drive-By

  Genre: Arena Rock

  The entranceway is suddenly flooded in lights and pyro explosions as the guitars kick in and signal the entrance of Slade Fury and Lana De La Cruz. Wearing the same show gear as they did in their losing efforts yesterday, the two competitors walk out onto the stage and proceed to play to the crowd, Slade by marching back and forth letting off his trademark belly laugh at every opportunity, and Lana by gyrating and head banging in time with the music.

  Lana and Slade have very different looks and clearly hold different attitudes as to how to work a crowd. Even their walks as they start moving towards their Competitor Area differs greatly. Somehow though, the way they play off each other makes it clear that they are on the same page for the upcoming match.

  The arena lights come back up and the Connection Team make their way towards the competitors as the video cuts to the normal split screen.

  "Now, this is the first tag match we've had at the tournament for a few years, isn't it?"

  "Yeah, we've had winner stays on speed matches at the last two. There's been talk of developin' a whole tag division though so ya never know, maybe this is like a tester or something."

  "Could be Sam, could be. So for those not in the know, what are the main differences between a tag match and a normal match?"

  "Well, there are four people involved instead of two," Sam laughs. "Rules wise, the core stuffs the same. Standard deck sizes for each competitor, normal rules for damage an' data effects. The Data Fragment is shared, so most teams use an exclusive team card if they're using compatible Spark Forms. The charge for the Fragments have to be met by both team members though, so if it's a ten, that's five cards each."

  "And what about tagging? How does that work?"

  "Only the team in control can tag, an' there are two ways to do it. The standard way is that they each burn a card of equal cost value, an' the person tagging in carries out their next move using their reduced hand. If the last move used had an effect like preventing dodges or whatever, they carry over to the person tagging in. The second way is a double team tag. For that to work, both team members must have the same attack card in their hand an' both have the right number of cards to charge it. If the move is successful, then the opponent takes the damage from both of the attackers, an' both teammates can then drop a card to the Data Fragment. If the move fails, both attackers take the relevant damage an' effects from the defender."

  "And to win, both members of the opposing team have to be KO'd, right?"

  "Yeah, that's right."

  "So what about in matches where there are more than two members on each team, are there any changes to the rules there?"

  "Yes an' no, it really depends where you play. In some Colonies you can tag anyone else on your team, in others you have a set tag order that has to be followed."

  "And the Data Fragments are built by each team member in the same way as a normal tag match, aren't they? So for a Fragment that needs a ten card charge, each member of a three-person team would need to contribute a minimum of three cards."

  "Yeah, an' one member would add the extra tenth. If there are four or five people on a team, then it's a minimum of two cards each."

  "It's when people get eliminated that it gets complicated though, because that means some Fragments can't be used, doesn't it?"

  "Yeah, so you gotta be careful with what you choose. Combo based Fragments are safe because all that'll happen is that any cards dropped down by the eliminated player will be removed from the charge bar. The team members then just adjust the balance of cards an' they're good to go. If the Fragment requires a set number of people though, it's essentially dead once the team drops below that number of players. There is a way outta that though."

  "The 'Last Stand' rule."

  "Exactly. Once a team is down to one player, they can switch the Data Fragment with a single player Data Fragment an' keep the cards they've dropped down in the charge bar."

  "Rules aside, another thing to note is that, due to the number of participants, tag matches tend to run longer than normal matches."

  "Absolutely. I'm guessin' that's why they've made this one a speed match. Removing the charge effects of cards means no healin', so matches naturally end much quicker."

  "Don't forget, you can recover some health when you're not active though. Every three turns that you're on the side-lines, you naturally heal five damage."

  "Yeah, but you can only heal a max of twenty damage in total before the effect wears off. After that, you gotta have been fightin' again before you can heal any more."

  "Leaving the tag rules for now Sam, I just want to touch on speed match rules briefly. Your hand grows each turn you're in control, doesn't it?"

  "That's right, yeah, one card growth every attack, then it drops back to standard when your opponent takes over. Otherwise, without the charge effects, you wouldn't be able to get enough cards to use the bigger moves."

  "Well Sam, it looks like we're about ready to load up the Wicks, so let's head back to the Battle Zone."

  With the four Data Wicks now floating gently in the middle of the Battle Zone, you can hear the excitement building with the fans. "Donal and Davey Delaney," says the electronic announcer, "please initialise your decks." In response, the two brothers shake hands, nod to each other and hit their initialisation keys.

  Meanwhile, the first of the Data Wicks spins in the air and disappears behind a sudden blast of light. Donal's chosen Spark Form appears first as a silhouette against the brightness, then steps out into clear view, his grey fur shining sleekly under the arena lights. The long ears give away that the Anthro is a Lopine, but unlike the ever popular Carnival, this character is far more serious looking. He wears a casual Chinese style sleeveless black leather shirt with white trim. The top fans out into a cape at the back with a slit for his tail, and
is accompanied by plain black leather trousers. His facial markings amount to a series of three red lines that extend from under his left eye, circling down and around the back of his neck and finishing around the front of his neck on the right hand side. His ears are striped like all Anthro Lopines and the colouring matches his markings, as do his hands and feet, but we cannot see his arm and leg patterning due to a combination of the long trousers and the long bandages that cover the top of his hands and run all the way up to just below his shoulders.

  The endless dance of the Lopine race,

  Failed to capture his heart,

  And so he locked himself in his tower,

  Believing himself shunned for his hatred of music.

  Here,

  He devoted his life to the magicks of the Ka'Noxian peoples,

  Surrounding himself with the fires of forbidden spells,

  And forgotten arts.

  It is said that each success he found,

  Came with strangled screams,

  And that his arms now remain bandaged to mask and soothe,

  The burns and scars of years spent mastering the arts of races not his own.

  It is also said that when he returned from the Eternal Spark he cried aloud,

  'Such cruelty that I should fight to return those,

  Who do not want me.

  Is it not clear that I do not wish to be as they are?'

  Yet fight he does,

  For all that now remains to him is but a slim hope.

  Lantern would see all cultures return to the world,

  If just so he could leave his own behind.

  Lantern gives a flourish of his right hand and summons a flame, but extinguishes it quickly, clutching his hand as he grunts in pain. Then, in stark contrast to his brother's, Davey Delaney's Data Wick fades into a black mass. From the shadow leaps the same Spark Form that Finn McCourt used in his losing effort against John Forrester in the first round of the tournament.

  White ears trail back above sleek fur,

  Whipping side to side,

  While razor teeth cut the air,

  Splitting sounds

  That

  Fall

  To

  The

  Floor.

  A flick of the tail, an excited leap, and he's gone,

  Leaving only the fading blur of his markings,

  Like fuchsia flames rising where paws should be.

  There.

  Behind you.

  His golden eyes, underlined pink,

  Watching,

  As his call echoes,

  At first wistful,

  Then childlike in its glee as you turn.

  He calls again.

  A warning that it is time to begin.

  For The Breeze, this is but a game,

  And all who hear his cry are already playing.

  The Breeze gives a quick dash around his fellow Lopine, then settles into a relaxed pose next to him as they await their opponents.

  The electronic announcer cuts in almost immediately with 'Slade Fury and Lana De La Cruz, please initialise your decks." The two popular competitors give each other a quick fist bump and do as instructed, sending their cards flying across their screens.

  Out in the Battle Zone, Slade's Data Wick explodes into a ball of flame. The flames rise quickly then burn themselves out, leaving behind a familiar beast type Drakalia.

  His scales, rippling gently as he breathes, glow a deep, fiery red,

  Punctuated only by the curious black markings adorning his back and tail.

  Dark as a starless night, they run the length of his body, forming a line of symmetry for the scimitar-like patterns that trace paths out from the spine,

  First straight

  Then curved

  Then pointed until they reach the tail, itself as long as he, where the markings become straight and thick with pointed tips.

  As the markings end, we find the first traces of hair, coarse and green like a Barium flame,

  Traversing back along the vertebrae, consistently bristly with path unwavering until it reaches the shoulders, where it begins to diffuse wildly into the full, thick mane that frames his long snout,

  Twitching and tensing, as it allows a flash of razor sharp teeth to glimmer in the light then disappear again behind powerful jaws.

  Slowly, his eyes open, alert and shining, yellow and untamed.

  A stare.

  A blink.

  The stumps above his shoulders flick instinctively

  As though flexing the wings that he once carried and once carried him.

  Finally,

  He stands and stretches, his scaled paws clicking on the floor and tail sweeping dust into the air.

  The Torn has risen,

  And the world shall burn.

  The Torn roars loudly and fixes his sights on Lantern while Lana's Data Wick immerses itself into a similar ball of flames as Slade's had. Instead of burning out however, the flames hiss and turn to smoke, revealing a second beast type Drakalia.

  They call him 'He of the Night',

  For this is when he slides from his would-be tomb beneath the waves.

  There was a time,

  Long ago,

  That he stalked the land by night,

  The thick,

  Shadow black plates that form his body,

  Acting as both armour and a tool to aid his hiding as he searched for his prey.

  His rage,

  Born from the pain of his wings being ripped from his body,

  Was such that nought but the slaying of others would satiate his desire to hear others scream as he had.

  Finally,

  The Drakalia ensnared and bound him,

  And cast him into the sea to drown with his rage.

  But this was not enough.

  For even now,

  His mane still glows flame green,

  And his scales still shimmer beneath the moon.

  But his fires.

  His fires burn blue and cold.

  Fear does not exist for The Great Beast,

  No,

  Only hunger remains.

  "Both teams here going with same species pairings but not necessarily same types. Any thoughts Sam?"

  "Ya know, Slade came pretty damn close to beating Fahrn with The Torn yesterday, so it makes sense that he's sticking with him here. Lana going with another beast type Drakalia means that the Blast Style Data Fragment they've loaded up is probably both beast and Drakalia based, so they'll get a nice big damage boost if they get to use it."

  "So what can you tell us about the Drakalia as a species?"

  "There are more Beasts than Anthros, an' they're all scary tough. Both types are heavy into combat and showin' who’s the strongest. Physically, they vary in size but all have the big ol' lion mane an' fur going down their back an' tail."

  "None of them have wings either, right?"

  "Yeah, the story is that they all had their wings ripped out before they returned from the Eternal Spark as the Deities of Ka'Noxus wanted the various species to fight on a level playin' field, an' the ability to fly would give the Drakalia an unfair advantage. If you believe the forums though, it's just 'cause Emblem couldn't come up with a good flying mechanic for the game when they designed 'em."

  Dirk laughs. "And what about the Delaney's Lopines? How are they as a species?"

  "Lopines are kinda like the party animals of the world, ya know? The Anthros tend to be like ravers, they're all about dancin' an' stuff like that. The beasts are jus' outright playful."

  "So The Breeze is typical of the species but Lantern isn't?"

  "That's right. Lantern rebelled against the fun stuff an' wanted to be all serious all the time. The main thing is that he hated that whole lifestyle an' felt like he was an outcast. The other Lopines didn't really mind that he didn't wanna party though, he was jus' too consumed by his own choices to see it. Lopines are generally quite welcoming, so he's a real anomaly."

  "I see that the Dela
ney's are going with a Burst Style Data Fragment tonight. Are there any Lopine exclusives that they could use there?"

  "Uhm, I'm not sure actually," Sam laughs. "There could be, but I can't think of any. The stat boost for them isn't necessarily important though. If they've got a big combo in there, then jus' droppin' the right cards'll do it."

  "True enough. Well, we're almost ready to go Sam, any predictions?"

  "That's a tough one. Lana and Slade both lost yesterday so will be hungry to get one back, an' Slade's usually a safe bet outside the tournament matches, but the Delaney's are an experienced team. I'm gonna go with experience here an' say Donal an' Davey take it."

  Song: Battle Music 06

  Band: Emblem Productions

  Genre: Instrumental Heavy Metal

  The drums count the music in and the electronic announcer states, "It is time to ... Light. It. Up. Competitors ... Begin!" The guitars kick in hard and both The Breeze and The Great beast retreat to the far ends of the Battle Zone.

  "Lantern throws off a Lightning Bolt and The Torn dives past, straight into a row of Ice Spikes."

  "An' Lantern presses the advantage with a big ol' leap in the air, comin' down hard with a Sword of Flames, but the dice roll says he takes some damage himself an' stumbles back."

  "The Torn now Lunges in and Lantern quickly steps aside, but The Torn follows up with a Tail Whip, sending him sprawling away from his tag partner."

  "The Great Beast now leaps in behind the prone Lopine, an' both Drakalia fire off huge claw swipes."

  "Blood and screams of pain, right up The Great Beast's street, right?"

  "It sure is Dirk ... that's not though! Lightning Bolt there from Lantern followed by an Electric Net, an' The Breeze jumps in, immediately sinkin' his teeth into the throat of his much bigger foe."

  "He's hanging on tight as The Beast tries to throw him off Sam, and ... beautiful dive under by The Breeze as he nips at The Beast's back legs. Dives back and here comes the claws-no! The Great Beast goes back to a Tail Whip. Lantern looking on helplessly now as ... a Heavy Swipe bounces The Breeze hard against the floor."