Trials of a Planeswalker Ch. 02: Fall

Blayne looked at the gauntlet held before him and he glanced back at Varia. She was standing at the fence staring intently at Blayne and Rafiq. The tournament crier strode over to them at that moment.

"Are we ready sirs?" He asked them.

"You know what, yes, we are. Start the match as soon as you are ready." Blayne nodded to him. Rafiq's eyes widened in surprise and he retracted his hand.

"Are you sure of this?" Rafiq asked as the crier walked away.

"I am. You're right. Even if I'm not a knight, you deserve my best effort. If nothing else, we can give them a show. I promise that you have never seen my fighting style before in your life." Blayne said confidently, his metal-clad fingers tapping on the pummel of his blade.

"I look forward to it." Rafiq smiled, turning and striding away.

They took their places ten feet apart from the middle of the arena. The crier clapped his hands and raised the brightly colored flag he carried, "Let the first match of this year's Akrasan tournament... begin!" He waved the flag and quickly clambered back over the fence.

Varia was in shock. She was trying to figure out if Blayne had just lied to her or he had really changed his mind. It looked like the latter because she had seen Rafiq offer him a hand as if agreeing to something.

Now he was holding his greatsword in both hands and staring intently at Blayne. Blayne slowly drew his rapier and stood at the ready, standing sideways with his blade pointing towards Rafiq. The crowd slowly fell into silence around them as the two fighters sized one another up.

Blayne was intently trying to figure out the best way to approach him. Because of Rafiq's size and armor, Blayne would likely be able to out maneuver him. But Blayne had no defense except his one armored arm so a wide swing of Rafiq's blade would crush him. If he could hit his hands hard enough and get him to drop that monster sword, the match would be his. After few tense moments, he decided on a fast approach on Rafiq's left side because he appeared to be right handed. Blayne wanted to circle around him and strike him as best he could to get him confused.

In the blink of an eye, Blayne saturated his muscles with mana and lunged forward. Rafiq easily followed his movement and brought his sword up in preparation for a wide sweep as he approached. In an impressive feat of athletics, Blayne surged up into the air and his blade whistled along behind him. He landed on the railing around the arena and shot towards Rafiq. Blayne closed the distance just ahead of the knight swinging his sword. He struck Rafiq along the side of his armor as he shot past him.

As soon as Blayne landed on his feet, he whipped about and swung his rapier lightning fast at his foe. Rafiq twisted his hand and his sword blocked Blayne's strike. Then, much faster than Blayne had anticipated, he lunged forward with his sword raised over his head in a downward slash. Using his martial arts, he easily twirled out of the way and stepped inside the reach of Rafig's sword. Blayne used his momentum to launch himself at his opponent, hitting Rafiq in the face with a flying front kick. He pushed himself backwards off the knight's head, flipping through the air and landed on his feet more than ten feet away from Rafiq. The crowd cheered loudly at the display of dexterity.

His magically strengthened muscles were working better than he had hoped. He had never used that move in conjunction with swordplay against a knight before. Returning to his sideways fencing stance, he observed Rafiq closely. The tournament champion seemed completely unaffected by Blayne's strikes and was standing at the ready.

"You are right! I have never seen a man fight like this before!" Rafiq called out, "Very exciting! Now lets see how you are on defense!"

With a battlecry like a lion, Rafiq charged Blayne, sword tip leading his rush.

"I'm glad I could entertain!" Blayne cried as he leapt out of the way. Rafiq swung his sword wide and just about caught Blayne's legs when he tumbled forward. He rolled over and leapt to his feet. Rafiq's ferocity had indeed put Blayne on the defense. If he didn't gain control again soon, he would make a mistake and be maimed. Blunt or no, that sword was fifty pounds of solid steel.

"You can do it Blayne! Go! Go!" Varia screamed, her heart pounding wildly as she watched him fight. She was gripping the edge of the fence and her teeth were clenched in desperation. Twice now she had almost had a heart attack when she thought Rafiq's great sword was going to strike him.

Blayne crouched and lunged at Rafiq in a desperate attempt to push him back. He managed to slip his rapier slipped between the plates of Rafiq's armor and struck chainmail beneath. The knight grunted loudly in pain and reeled backward. In a wild flurry, Blayne danced around and struck every weak point or joint he could to force his opponent to retreat.

Rafiq did just that, stepping back and raising his sword, ready for Blayne's next assault. Blayne pulled a quick feint to the right to draw out the knight' reaction. Rafiq's blade swung through the air to block Blayne's feint, and Blayne stepped forward with a vicious left hook. Rafiq stumbled back with stars bursting in his vision. Blayne had cocked him across the face with his metal gauntlet, splitting his lip and loosing one of his teeth.

"Owww... This style is full of surprises. No knight or squire would even consider trying any of these moves, let alone even know how. It's as if the sword isn't even your main weapon, just an afterthought." Rafiq said as he shook his head to clear the ringing in it.

"That's true. For several days I trained with monks in a style of combat that uses no weaponry, only bare hands. It relies on being swift and nimble to avoid or counter everything your opponent does." Blayne explained as he readied himself for Rafiq, "I combined it with the style of swordsmanship my wife spent the last few days teaching me. It was created to fight enemies that are faster and stronger than humans, to strike and kill with swiftness before they can fight back. To tell you the truth, I am honestly surprised I've lasted this long."

"You should have more faith in yourself. You have proven without a doubt that you are a skilled warrior. You are just not a knight." Rafiq said and he jumped forward. Blayne rolled sideways and the great sword struck the fence rail where he had been. The thick wooden bars shattering like kindling.

However, this time Rafiq was not attacking Blayne with his sword alone. His leg snapped up and his metal boot caught Blayne square in the stomach as he dodged the sword. Blayne was knocked to the ground and His breath was forced from his lungs with a loud grunt. He kept a tight hand on his sword and put a hand over his midsection where he was kicked.

"Blayne! Get up! Come on!" Varia yelled to him, banging on the fence rail loudly.

Rafiq raised his sword above his head for a killing blow, but Blayne kicked his foot against the railing and managed to slide out of the way of it. He rolled over and jumped to his feet. Rafiq was ready for him and he swung his sword with purpose.

"This is why we knights wear armor Blayne!" Rafiq yelled as his sword swung down towards Blayne.

Blayne realized couldn't fight with the blade any longer. If he was to win, he had to do it on his terms. He jammed the thin rapier in between two of the blocks of marble and used it to push himself forward as he slid down to the ground. On his back he slipped in between Rafiq's wide stance, the knight's broadsword clanging against the stone where Blayne had been. Before Rafiq could raise his blade again, Blayne grabbed his wrists in one hand and his ankle with the other. Blayne quickly rolled over and got into a crouching position, keeping his grip tight on the confounded knight. Blayne dug in his heels and stood up. As he did he yanked Rafiq's foot out from under him and pulled the knight's arm through his legs. Pulling back and up, Blayne flipped the top-heavy knight head over heels in mid air. Rafiq landed on his back with a loud thud as the audience gasped at the sudden reversal of fortune.

Rafiq wriggled around helplessly on the ground like a turtle flipped on its back. With Blayne still holding on to his wrist, he lacked the strength to raise his two handed sword off the ground. Blayne casually stepped over the knight and brought his boot down on the hand still holding the sword. Rafiq groaned in pain and frustration and released his grip. Blayne kicked the heavy sword as far as he could, then turned to place his foot squarely on Rafiq's chest. As Blayne looked down at his opponent, he noticed a hint of a smile on Rafiq's face as he looked back up at Blayne.

"The winner! Sir Rafiq!" The crier yelled out. The crowd screamed loudly around them and Varia jumped over the fence and ran over to them.

"What?!" Varia screamed, running up to Blayne. "How the fuck can he say that?!"

"Because He's right." Blayne shrugged "I lost. I had to lose in order to beat him."

"What?" Varia said flatly.

"I dropped my sword. The match is supposed to end when one of the contestants is disarmed" Blayne reminded her as he took a step back and offered Rafiq a hand up. The knight accepted and he got to his feet and dusted himself off,

"Blayne, that was the most astounding fight I have ever had." Rafiq said, clapping him on the shoulder, "You have a talent the likes of which I have never seen. It was my honor to face you today."

"Disqualification by technicality. Blayne Abasset struck his opponent after the match ended and thereby forfeits all points earned in the match and is expelled from the tournament!" The crier yelled. The crowd exploded into cheers for Rafiq and Varia glared at the crier.

"Oh well." Blayne shrugged as he went to retrieve his rapier, still sticking out of the ground "Too bad I didn't get to teach Reinhold some humility, but we both know I was never in this to win a kiss from some angel. I just wanted to try out what you taught me." Blayne said, smiling at Varia as he sheathed his sword.

"In any case, if that is how you fight without magic, you must be a fearsome opponent indeed. I once saw a woman turn the tide of a battle with a rather horrific show of magical prowess. Her name was Elspeth Tirel." Rafiq said to him, "Now let me show my thanks for having the courage to face me. Truly, I will remember this fight for my entire life."

Rafiq reached up and pulled a chain from under his armor. He pulled it over his head and held it out to Blayne, who took it with a look of confusion.

"This is last year's Akrasan Sigil. It is a great honor to carry it and I feel you deserve it." Rafiq said, with a bow of his head.

"Thanks." Blayne said, "Quick question: What kind of magic did this Elspeth use?"

"She struck her foes with the power of the sun itself, pure light striking them dead by the hundreds. It was a horrifying and awe-inspiring sight that I can remember as clearly as the day I saw it." Rafiq said.

"Want to see something cooler?" Blayne grinned, magic flourishing in his body.

"Oh jeez." Varia rubbed her forehead.

Fire flared brightly in Blayne's free hand. He channeled as much power as he could into the spell and it grew to a blinding brilliance. The crowd around them was hushing down as they saw the magic in his fist. They began to murmur in wonder if he was going to strike Rafiq dead or set the entire arena ablaze.

Just as the crier was about to call the guards, Blayne threw the ball of blinding mana into the sky. It shot high with a loud whistle and exploded. The sound was deafening and it shook them to their bones. Great fireworks of all colors exploded above them, erupting all across the blue sky. The crowd was awed by the great show of power and they watched as the fireworks continued to pop randomly above them for more than a minute.

"So that is the power you truly wield." Rafiq observed, "Blayne, it has truly been my honor to draw blades with you and I hope we can spar again someday."

"Rafiq, it's unlikely you'll ever see me again. Thank you for the gift." Blayne said, placing the Akrasan Sigil around his own neck. Without a word, he turned and hopped over the fence with a quick push of magic. Varia followed him and they quietly left the stadium as the next match started.

*******

CHAPTER 18 - DIFFICULTIES OF LOVE

[b]Guest written by Hanky-Spanky[/b]

Henry chewed glumly on his last bit of bread as he watched the sun set. He was sitting on a hill about a mile from the monastery with his back against a tree. This was usually about the time he would summon Robin so they could spend the night together. But instead of feeling horny, Henry was filled with a mix of guilt and uncertainty.

It wasn't just the prospect of having to take a break from sleeping with her. It wasn't the fact that his quest to retrieve the Black Lotus appeared to have been delayed indefinitely when he had been close enough to touch it with his own two hands. Even though he wasn't looking forward to a period of enforced celibacy, Henry was sure he had the willpower to do without for at least awhile. Time wasn't of the essence. Henry was reasonably sure that his homeworld was in no immediate danger. Skyships like that took a long time to build, as did creating mox. Henry was confident he could come up with a clear plan by then.

What bothered Henry the most was the vision he had seen when he looked in to the Black Lotus. He hadn't been entirely honest with Nishok when he said that what he saw wasn't what he wanted. One particular part of the vision still stood out vividly in his mind. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the face of the corrupted Robin staring back up at him, her eyes hungry and soulless as she pleasured him with her mouth. His dick twitched every time he remembered it and his mind began to imagine dark fantasies of enslaving her and breaking her will with sex and magic. Henry had meant it when he said loved Robin like he had never loved anyone else. The possibility that he might turn her into that creature, that a part of him wanted to have her like that, scared him.

Henry thought hard about this as the sun sank below the horizon. He knew that as long as the image of succubus Robin was on his mind, he would never be able to pass Nishok's test. Of course that problem could easily be solved with a simple summoning spell and a blowjob. But Henry knew that was no guarantee it wouldn't return. Being separated from Robin would probably make his desires even harder to control as time went on. Henry hadn't come this far just to let himself be turned into an even bigger monster than the one he was trying to stop.

Henry took a deep breath and exhaled as he came to a conclusion. The only way for him to defeat his inner demons would be to face them head on. After searching through the contents of his backpack, he came up with a plan. Before he returned to the monastery, Henry would perform his own test. He would find out just how far he could take himself with Robin, and just how far she was willing to let him go. No matter what the outcome, Henry would know for certain if he would be able to complete his quest. There was a distinct possibility that he might not be able to save his world, but at least he would be able to keep the woman he loved. That was assuming he didn't end-up corrupting himself in the process.

When he was ready, Henry gasped the Mox Pearl on his necklace in one hand and began to channel its mana into the palm of the other. A ball of white mana formed in his hand about the size of his fist. Keeping his eyes open he focused hard on his real memories of Robin, he threw it up into the air. Henry took a few steps back and covered his face as the ball exploded silently in a blinding flash and a thousand white shards filled the sky.

When Henry lowered his arm again he could see Robin's angel form floating above him. Her chocolate/gold wings extended to the fullest while she glowed brightly against the night sky. His heart swelled with joy as his girlfriend beamed down at him. He held out his arms to her and she swooped down to him. She tackled him and he fell back on to the ground with his arms wrapped around her and their lips locked in a kiss.

"You know," Robin said as she sat up in Henry's lap with her arms wrapped around his neck and her wings folded against her back "I don't have to be in mid-air every time you summon me Henry. I'm starting to think you like being tackled."

Henry smiled as he ran his fingers through her hair "Maybe I do. I like having a beautiful horny woman dropping out of sky on top of me." He squeezed his arms around her waist for emphasis "Makes me feel powerful."

"You dog!" Robin exclaimed with a shocked face, before leaning in to kiss him again. She returned the squeeze with her thighs wrapped around Henry's waist.

She rested her head on his shoulder while Henry kissed down the side of her neck.

"Oh Henry" She sighed "I'm glad you called me when you did. I could use some fun to take my mind off what's been happening on the news."

"What news?" Henry said, pausing to look over at her face.

"Don't stop." Robin pleaded. Henry obliged in resuming his affections.

"Mmmm that's better." She said smiling. She slowly unfurled her wings and wrapped them around his torso. "There's been another plague outbreak."

"What?" Henry exclaimed, stopping again. "How bad is it? Should I come back? Do you need me to go find Blayne and Varia?" He asked quickly with an edge of concern in his voice.

"Oh don't worry honey." She said placing a hand on his chest and rubbing it around in soothing circles. "I'm still safe. The outbreak in Queens is still contained by the government and this new one is up north in Connecticut."

"What's 'Conneticut'?" Henry asked confused.

"It's state north of... you know what? It doesn't matter." Robin said shaking her head. She had forgotten just how little time Henry had spent in her world. It would take too long to explain it all at once.

"All you need to know is that it's someplace distant from me. Honestly, I don't even know if it's the same plague. They aren't telling the public much about what's happening. Blayne and Varia will be back soon enough and there isn't anything you could do about the plague at this point. Unless you're some kind of Doctor House type genius when it comes to machine plagues?"

Henry shook his head "Nope. Fixing injuries and healing wounds is all I can do. A disease would require medicine, and I'm no herbalist."

"Anyway, enough about me." She said kissing Henry on the cheek. "How was your day? The farmer said you should be at the Gardens by now."

"I have been actually. I met Nishok and he really does have the Black Lotus." Henry explained.

"Oh Henry that's wonderful! Once you have it you can come back home and we can be together all the time!" Robin exclaimed. Her wings flapped excitedly creating rippled through the grass where they sat.

Henry felt a rock drop in his stomach. Breaking the news to Robin wasn't going to be easy.

"The thing is Robin... Nishok doesn't think I'm ready to handle the power of the Lotus."

"What?" Robin's wings stopped flapping "How could he say that? You're such a wonderful person Henry. If anyone deserves to have that power it's you."

"Nishok is worried all that power will... 'change' me." Henry shivered as he remembered the vision. "And he has every right to be cautious Robin. The monks keep it with them precisely because they have no need to use it. They don't even trust themselves."

"So what happens now?" Robin asked, "Will you be coming back soon?" she added hopefully.

"Well, not exactly." Henry said biting his lip "Nishok said he'll give it to me once I prove I have a sound mind and a plan to use it responsibly."