Tag Archives: Kin-Po Talent Set

Champions of Battle: The Very Best – Opportunity #040

The night was uneventful as far as Brisa could tell.  She slept like a rock.  With a warm comforter, the fresh air, and fanned wind, she only could sleep this well in her apartment back in South Coast.  As she woke to the soft music of an alarm clock, she was certain she was in her apartment.  Her comforter, her fan, everything she owned was in its place.  The events of the last few weeks were dismissed as a weird, vivid, escalating dream until she spotted the missing window… and her armor piled in the corner.

What is going on here.

Looking around with this new revelation, she noted the walls and furniture changing.  The wild bright assorted colors and weird decorations she associated with the Casting and Kin-Po school returned.  At the same time, the alarm clock’s music became more and more annoying until it sounded like a random series of beeps.

Enchants.  They are everywhere.

She made her way to the showers and prepared for another lesson.  In mirrors, she saw a stronger face and body than she was used to.  The fact that it was also much easier to move testified that she was getting stronger.  Perhaps the enchants on her armor were having a permanent effect.

She made her way out of the lower floors and met again with Vangie who was already prepared and waiting with her bubbly smile.

“Ready to continue your training?” she asked.  Her hair was bright pink as she clapped and smiled.  

“Sure,” Brisa said, unable to share in her excitement.  She was being ripped off.  She knew it, but she needed rest and didn’t have enough money or defensive skills.  She had to sleep in a safe place and the terms of her night rest “discount” demanded that she continue her training the next day.  It didn’t matter what she learned as long as she completed a lesson.

Whatever she learned, it had to be fast.  For all she knew, Jaquan was already in Bear Gate.  That city was known to be large and confusing.  She’d have to start the search from scratch.

Why did I leave.  I shouldn’t have let my emotions get to me.  Should have followed along with Jaquan.  Hmm… lesson learned I guess.

The past was in the past.  She could only work with what was in front of her at the moment.  Right now, a lesson as good as any other was waiting to be finished.  She conceded a sigh and said, “What do you have planned?”

“Well,” Vangie started, “What are your other Talent Sets?”

“I went to the Sword Master school not that long ago.”

“So, you only have two.   Would you like to learn Casting as well?”

“Sure.  Is it useful?”

Vangie’s eye’s widened and her hair turned to a bright color in the blue and green family.  They were near the entrance so the main desk was nearby.  She picked up a pencil making and held it out in a stiff motion.  Her expression told Brisa that she had a lot to learn, but was going to learn something soon.

Vangie pointed to a chair behind the desk and motioned Brisa out of the way.  In a quick throwing action she sent a ghostly blue pencil speeding into the chair.  The ghostly item stuck there a few seconds.  When it would have fallen out of place, it disappeared instead.  Brisa watched this short demonstration.  Her mouth opened slowly as she noticed that the pencil was still in Vangie’s hand.

It wasn’t a trick.  There was a definite hole in the chair where the ghost pencil had been.

Giving Brisa ample time to see what had happened, Vangie repeated the action never having let go of the pencil.  She then sent a flurry of ghost pencils with what looked like a dance of death.  By the time she was done, the chair was riddled with holes and the bright glow of dozens of ghost pencils.

As they slowly vanished Vangie added, “It works with bullets too, but I don’t use guns.”  

That could be useful.

#1Opportunity #39 Opportunity #41

Champions of Battle: The Very Best – Opportunity #028

As they kept walking through West Drop, Kiley kept phasing out of vision.  About every thirty seconds he would vanish completely only to slowly phase back.  He’d reappear; keeping pace as though nothing had happened.  Others on the street had to notice this spectacle.  Brisa’s eyes darted around each time he disappeared.  No one on the street seemed to care but since he was leading her to the Kinetic-Potential Talent School.  It was getting annoying.

After about six minutes of this, she had to ask, “Why do you keep doing that?”

He turned around, walking backwards to address her, “That droid is still up there,” he said pointing up and behind her.  He disappeared again and continued, “Whyever it’s following you, I don’t want it to start tracking me too.”  The ghost of his image started phasing back into her vision.  He was walking forward again right next to her now as he said, “I’m throwing it off of my track.”

Brisa looked back again.  Up down all around, she couldn’t see it.  “How do we get rid of it?”

Kiley thought a bit before answering.  “Well, usually those things aren’t sturdy.  They use energy to float and for defense.  All we have to do is hit it hard enough to get through its energy fields.”

Brisa looked at Kiley expectantly.  After a few paces she thought he would hit it with something.  Seeing that he didn’t, she thought she’d speed up the process, “Well?”

It took a while Kiley to get the hint.  “Oh,” he said surprised, “I can’t hit it.  It’s way too high for me to jump,” he looked at Brisa noting that she was not convinced, “and my ranged weapons are too weak to do any damage.  They’d just bounce off its deflector and… yeah.  But I can see it because of my talents and perception.”

Brisa remembered the perception Hanja on her mask.  She should be able to see a great deal more than usual.  If she couldn’t see it, his natural perception had to be incredible.  “Ok, so we have to wait,” she said looking at where Kiley’s voice had just came from.  He was gone; yet again.  Really?  Again?  Her eyes expressed her frustration at talking to nothing once more.  She was equally shocked when a casually loud voice came from the empty air she was looking through.

“Maybe you can find a skill that will help you in here,” Kiley said as he was phasing back into her view, “The Caster Talent School is in there too,” he said pointing at the strange building in front of them, “Maybe you can hit it with your large axe-hammer thing.”

Brisa thought about the maul Catlin got and enchanted for her.  She’d have to thank Catlin; if she ever decided to talk to her again.  Brisa looked up at the school.  This is a school?

The large building looked more like a mystic’s night club; or a giant playground.  The rounded walls made the building look like someone squished a bunch of giant clay balls together. The painter had to be completely color blind and the spinning orbs floating above closely resembled disco balls.  The fact that they floated was the only indication that there could be anything to learn here.

Brisa had to be certain, “This is a school.”  It was meant as a question.  However, her voice reflected severe doubt.  From this building, she’d have trouble believing it was a school even if she was met by a welcoming committee.

“This is the school,” Kiley told her.  To prove it, he walked with her up to the circled window to watch the students practicing the Kinetic-Potential techniques.

Brisa still didn’t believe him completely but she had no choice but to see for herself.  After thanking him, she headed for what looked like the entrance.

“You’re welcome,” Kiley said eagerly, “Good luck in the tournament!”

#1Opportunity #27 – Opportunity #29

Champions of Battle: The Very Best – Opportunity #26

Catlin rushed out of the rest area with Neely following close behind.  There was a slight chance that Brisa was still at the shuttle port.  Catlin scanned all of the people along the way just in case they passed her on the way.  She was certain that Brisa would rather not talk to her, or even see her now.  If she could see and know that everything was alright with Brisa, she would have peace of mind.

If anything had happened to Brisa, it was all her fault.  Catlin had to know for sure that Brisa was safe.  She convinced Brisa to wander the shuttle.  Though camouflage and deception was used, she like what she learned about Brisa.  She really wanted Brisa to succeed in her mission.  So, she convinced Brisa to look like a warrior.  Now, Brisa was in trouble because of it.

They had to find her.  Brisa could be trapped, stripped, robbed, and left to wander the back alleys to become a target for some ruffian.  In turn, the gear Catlin expertly made could be stolen by some insecure wannabe trying to get an edge.

The gear was enchanted to have many perks that would help Brisa get out of trouble.  But, how was Brisa to know?  Catlin had no time to demonstrate how to use the armor.  Brisa couldn’t know about the features much less how to use them.  There was a chance she learned one of them by now.  Would that be enough?

Not seeing any sign of her on the way they started questioning the idle citizens.  They would have noticed Brisa in her battle gear.  Even in a place like this, someone was bound to recognize that hideous mantis hood.  That and her short stature would leave a lasting impression on someone in town.

After a few minutes, they eventually found an old street vender that remembered seeing someone that fit her description.  The pie maker saw her running into the city chasing another young lady.

Neely knew exactly what that meant, “That was probably the ganker.”

Catlin followed his logic, “Luring her into a trap.”

“She’s a smart girl though,” Neely said attempting to comfort Catlin, “We probably have plenty of time to find her.”

Was she that smart?  Catlin doubted his assessment though Neely was usually right his with guesses.  “We should still look for her.”  She still wished she could still track Brisa.  The bowtie heat signature wore off on the shuttle a long ago.  Also, the armor protected against such things.  They had to use the traditional slow way of finding Brisa.  Still, they had to find her.  If anything, Catlin needed to know that Brisa was alright and give the warning of prowlers.

—–

Brisa learned some basic moves from the trainers at the Sword Mastery School.  It was a little awkward borrowing a training sword to learn the moves.  It also seemed having to answer questions about learning short sword techniques when she was only armed with a huge maul and a pair of “daggers.”

Brisa loved her machete sized blades of enchantment.  She wanted to tell them about her amazing blades but she held back the urge.  They were rare and perhaps valuable enough to be stolen.  She would have no defense from the highly trained warriors in the school.  It would take little effort for them to muscle the weapons away from her if they knew the secret.

After getting her rudimentary training, she watched the skilled warriors practice again.  One particular fighter was flipping around radically, seemingly defying gravity at times.  Once or twice, he managed to change directions in the air.  He even threw his sword at the target and commanded the blade to return to his grip with a hand motion.

“How long before I can learn to do that,” she asked.

“Oh, I didn’t learn all the moves here,” he said “I’m using some moves combined with others from the Kinetic-Potential Talent School.”

“Wow.  Where is that?”

“Let me show you.”

#1Opportunity #25 – Opportunity #27