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Be Sure of Foot, Stand Firm [Armor Hunt] [Alan/Archon]
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Post by Alan Pantell on Sept 10, 2019 0:44:43 GMT
Levi grinned, taking pleasure in the fact that his strategy to land a hit. He jumped back a few feet himself for some distance, much like a character in a turn-based RPG might after attacking. That seemed to be the way things worked - surprisingly rare were fast-paced attack and defense volleys that one would imagine more common. Or at least, that's what it felt like to him. Perhaps this slow pace was merely in his imagination, but it certainly allowed him to trade comments with Archon in between these so-called "turns," and that was a great boon.
"Am I thinking what you're thinking? Probably, but 'fight smarter, not harder' isn't exactly a groundbreaking concept. I prefer it when my fights are more than strength contests! Thanks, temple guards! If you're sapient and not 'bound to this place,' or something, maybe we can go out for something after this! Woah!"
Soon after he finished speaking, he crossed his arms summoned a barrier of his own flames around him to ward off the ghostly fireballs being hurled his way.
"Hey!"
"Do you have to flirt with every opponent?"
"Well-" the Flamedramon looked a bit flustered, but interrupted himself by charging forward again, raising his hand for another strike. Knowing full well the same trick wouldn't work twice, he decided to switch up his feint a bit. Towards the end of his charge, he would hide the lit flame on his tail behind him, and some time before the opponent would be in range of the punch, swiped with his tail under his legs, delivering a below-the-belt tail-lashing uppercut. Of course, to Digimon, all this means is simply another area where they're unprotected, rather than any sort of "weak point." Levi finished his thought afterwards, whether it hit or not: "Fighting's like... an intense physical activity, see? And both participants in any good fight are gonna be tired afterwards. In the interest of not letting grudges grow, and to facilitate lasting good relations, it only makes sense to... well, basically, I prefer love over war, even if fighting can be fun..."
-Levi defends against Will-o-Wisp using Preventative Measure β0.
-Levi charges forward, appearing to charge up a punch, but instead delivering a Charred Whip lash between the legs of the opposing Flamedramon.
Preventative Measure β0 - Forms a temporary flame barrier to completely block one attack at champion level or lower, or reduce damage from one ultimate level attack by 50%. 2-post cooldown.
Charred Whip - The tip of Flamedramon’s tail becomes lit as he uses it to lash at the enemy.
Cooldowns: Solarsault - 0 - Ready! Preventative Measure β0 - 2
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Post by Archon on Sept 13, 2019 12:10:55 GMT
Archon was glad that Levi was saying what he was thinking. Yes, that seemed to be it. Fight smarter, not harder. That seemed to be the theme of this place.
After the enemy Veemon and Flamedramon launched their attacks, the expressions on their faces seemed a little different than before. Like... something that had driven them before had faded. While before they seemed like immovable ghouls that would not let anyone pass, well, now, they looked like there was some sentience in their red eyes.
The Flamedramon tried his best to defend himself against the lashing of the tail, but, it seemed that Levi's words were having more of an effect on him than his attacks were.
"You... sound very experienced in your worldview." he couldn't help but remark. It was here that Archon realized that the way forward was not necessarily combat, but perhaps, they could get through this by talking.
"Of course he does!" Archon declared. "Levi's one of the most strongest, bravest digimon I know. He strikes where he means to in order to defend things he cares about. He's loving and caring to his friends. And that's why we're here, to claim powers we think belong to us."
"Oh? So you think they belong to you?" the Veemon asked, narrowing his eyes. "We defend the digimentals of Ambition and Confidence. What makes you think you deserve those?"
"Allow me to reverse that question." Archon retorted. "What makes you think you're worthy of defending them?"
"...We were sworn to defend our king, his castle and his treasures from all trespassers." the Flamedramon admitted. "And so far we have succeeded in our sworn duties."
"Yet your king no longer exists does he?" Archon returned.
"He... he'll return one day." the Veemon argued. But Archon sprung his trap at once, seizing on that expression of weakness.
"And what a return it'll be! Some Botamon bouncing in from the Village of Beginnings, ordering you two to continue your allegiance to him while he slowly evolves back into the form that you knew him as... what self-respect do you have for maintaining a position like that?" the BlackVeemon's face narrowed with scorn. He jammed his thumb toward his white chest.
"I could be a better king for you than that!" he declared. "Let us pass, claim our digimentals, then follow us back to our home. If you want to follow a life worthy of a loyal knight, then follow us back to Rosewood. There you can defend a young town against evil forces that would seek to destroy it, rather than waste your lives away in this buried, moldy castle!"
The Veemon and Flamedramon were silent for a while after he said this, then the Veemon narrowed his eyes.
"You claim you could be a better king?" he asked. "Do you rule Rosewood?"
"No, but I fight in its name." Archon replied. "And that's a better record than your dead loser king, wouldn't you say?"
The Veemon clearly bristled, but, this was a logic he couldn't argue against. But his final decision would depend on the interaction between Levi and Flamedramon. Here, Levi and Alan would need to prove their confidence as well as Archon had proved his ambition.
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Post by Alan Pantell on Sept 13, 2019 13:15:14 GMT
"Well, now..." said Levi, scratching behind his head as he was unexpectedly praised from multiple angles at once. He even felt a bit bad about his last attack.
"I... don't know anything about who your king was, so I could never offer to fill in his place for you. But if you would have us, I can assure that at the very least, I could serve as an able friend. And by coming to Rosewood, you could help prepare a better world for the return of your king. If he has anything other than his treasures on his mind, he'll find you in Rosewood before he comes here."
"Plus..." Alan would step forward. "If I am to understand correctly, a Wizardmon dropped by for one of those 'treasures' some time ago? The same 'treasure' we've been using to fight you, if you haven't noticed."
The Flamedramon guard would turn his head to the side. "He- serves a higher power."
"But we're not here to mock you or anything."
"And to answer that other question..." This time, Alan would speak to the Veemon guard. "I'd argue every day we commit another act of confidence. Strolling into the bad sides of towns, delving into dangerous ruins, fighting to protect the citizens of both worlds..."
"In the beginning, we were both terrified of conflict. I wasn't sure I could protect Alan, and I tried my hardest to avoid conflict."
"But we realized we'd never get stronger without taking risks. So, knowing those risks, we continue forward, becoming only more certain of our survival with each passing day - our presence here proof enough of that, I might even say."
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Post by Archon on Sept 27, 2019 21:39:40 GMT
That clinched it. Alan and Levi's words moved them. The ghostly digimon seemed to see right through them as they sought the meaning in their words, and, they found substance, rather than hollow bluster.
"You speak truly." the Veemon conluded. "Very well. Come with us, and we will guide you to that which you seek."
Archon blinked, the adrenaline draining from his system somewhat. He removed the chest armor and dropped the spear he was holding, supposing he didn't need them for now, plus they were a little uncomfortable and cumbersome. Much more comfortable without them, he would follow the two guards across the bridge to the next chamber.
There, they descended some stairs that led downwards, and, found themselves at the head of a long chamber. Ten feet high, ten feet wide, but 70 feet long. And at the end of the chamber, there was something glowing faintly. Archon's eyes widened when he realized what it was.
"This is the digimental." the ghostly Veemon said, pointing to the other side of the chamber. Indeed, there it was. The Digimental of Ambition, sitting upon a pedestal at the end of the long chamber. It was glowing eerily with blue flames - an egg-shaped artifact, colored yellow, red and black, with a sharp blade at the top of it. Yes... at last! It was within Archon's sight, but... before he could make his way to it, he saw what the obstacle was.
Between him and the digimental there was no solid ground. Between the walls, was 50 feet of a sickly, oozing brown liquid, bubbles occasionally pushing to the surface and bursting with ugly sounding 'glooping' noises.
"What is this?" Archon asked, uncertainly prodding it with his toe. The white claw disappeared under the surface until he pulled it away, dripping with brown muck.
"Your ordeal." replied the Flamedramon. "If you are true to your ambition, you will be able to trudge through this quagmire without succumbing to fatigue, resignation or doubt and take what is truly yours. If not... then you will sink and wallow in your failure for the rest of your life."
"Yeesh, didn't know I had to walk on water for this." Archon remarked sarcastically. "Well, as close as it gets to water, but... so long as I get through this bullshit, that thing's mine, right?"
The two ghostly dragons nodded. With that, Archon turned to Alan and Levi, wondering what their thoughts were about this. It seemed that the stakes were high here. If Archon failed, seemed like he'd be going down. And he cared about them a lot, so, if they didn't want him to do this, he'd listen to what they had to say.
"So... what do you think, guys?" he asked.
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Post by Alan Pantell on Sept 27, 2019 22:30:24 GMT
Contrary to what Archon might have thought, for the two others with him, this was a no-brainer.
"Now, correct me if I'm wrong, Archon..." Levi stepped forward. "But didn't you say you had to do this across the whole bayou just to get to Rosewood? I dunno about you, but even if this stuff's worse, roughly fifty feet don't seem like a bad deal."
It was then that Alan leaned down and whispered right into Archon's area which he assumed was close enough to the place he used to hear things for him to be heard easily by Archon. "And plus... look flattered, Archon, I'm telling you what Levi said about your tail a few nights ago: we'll start charging the Digi-port for you. After five minutes, if you're about to sink, we'll open a portal right under you. You'll be in the human world, but you'll be alive, and we can come and get you right after. Sound good? Don't nod."
"Now go forth, brave adventurer, if you're ready!" cheered Levi.
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Post by Archon on Oct 11, 2019 8:46:31 GMT
Archon remembered that he had indeed gone through this whole ordeal before. He gave a smile at Levi in that he had remembered this fact. The BlackVeemon wasn't used to others bringing up things about him that showed that they cared about him, and he liked that.
And furthermore, Alan was adding a safety net for him of sorts. He didn't nod of course. He would have preferred to not have heard that in fact, because he was intent on passing this trial on his own. But... that additional support... it affected him deep down. Archon never felt that he had others supporting him before. But now that he had Alan and Levi here doing just that for him, well, that meant a lot to him.
With that, Archon braced and prepared for the trudge ahead. He took three steps forward, sinking up to his knees. Another five steps forward, he was down to his waist. From here on, every step was a trial. Moving his feet through this quagmire was an absolute trial in itself. Another ten steps, he felt like his muscles were about to burst, but he was determined to persevere. But from here, when his energy felt like it was about to short out, Archon began to doubt himself. He was barely 20 feet across, with 30 feet to go. He knew the journey across would be even more hard and gruelling, yet he now felt at his limit.
And this is what sunk him in the end. Was... was this truly his limit? Even though Archon knew that there was an intended portal below in case of his failure, maybe that was what made him give up so quickly before reaching even halfway?
The BlackVeemon tried to trudge further, but, instead of moving forward, he moved downward. His self-doubt dragging him down like an anchor. He tried to move forward further, but, in the end, it failed him, and with a cry and a gurgle, he sunk below the surface.
As Archon was suspended in the muck, he tried to reconcile with himself. How could he fail now? Was his ambition not strong enough? Just... how had he failed?
Yes, he knew he had the tools to cheat death here. He had his diving gear, and the portal that Alan provided to transport him to safety. As the seconds drifted by, however... were these the things that caused him to fail, he thought? Were these the things that were pulling him under the surface, that he couldn't achieve with his own ambition?
Archon wouldn't let himself succumb to that. No. He had gone through the hell of the Blood Sea and the Bayou before. If he was destined to drown, he would have done so long before now. As the digital technology materialized upon him - the diving gear and the portal, Archon rejected them, and instead he tore through the mud as strongly as he could, pulling himself back to the surface. His ambition was strong enough for that. And as he did so, his hand closed up around the digimental of Ambition at the other side of the flooded chamber. Archon's data immediately reacted to the digimental, and he would evolve quickly enough.
"BlackVeemon... Armor Digivolve to...!" he cried, as he transformed from both absorbing and evolving to the digimental, transforming into a human-sized digimon, covered in black and white scales, with red, yellow and chrome colored armor. "BlackFlamedramon!" he finished, the flames at his feet solidifying the mud below, allowing him to walk back to Alan and Levi.
"Thank you both." he said, smiling. "I got what I was looking for in this place, now is the time for Alan and Levi to find theirs." he said to the ghostly Veemon and Flamedramon, who both also seemed to be impressed at his feat.
Archon has obtained the Digimental of Ambition and has evolved to BlackFlamedramon.
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Post by Alan Pantell on Oct 11, 2019 17:34:38 GMT
"Alan... now..."
Alan watched.
"Alan... now!"
Alan waited.
"Alan, as his boyfriend I believe in him more than anyone, but... no, I'm lying, I wouldn't be saying this if there wasn't any doubt..."
"This test is designed to make anyone doubt themselves. It'd be no trouble if you could walk on the surface with faith alone. Everyone's going to sink before they swim."
These, too, were empty words. Alan had already pushed the button. "Doesn't mean this test isn't bullshit in its own way, even assuming it works exactly as we were told. I like to think there's a difference between ambition and blind faith. To say you believe is to admit there was reason to doubt in the first place... but they did say this was "ambition," not "faith.""
"Everyone's going to sink before they swim?"
"I suppose. Either way, we're not the ones being tested here."
To the pair's excitement (and slight guilty surprise,) Archon would emerge victorious on the other side! They jumped and pumped their fists in their air, cheering for the new BlackFlamedramon's success. "Hell yeah, boyfriend!" "We knew you would make it out alive!"
At least that part hadn't been a lie.
"Alright, then, friends, will you be leading the way to our next objective?"
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Post by Archon on Oct 18, 2019 11:17:46 GMT
After all that, it was not blind faith that had got Archon through that quagmire. He knew that it would be no power but his own that would get him across and back to the surface. That was the power of ambition. He would do whatever it took to get the power he wanted. Especially when he knew the cost. The cost here? The risk of drowning and ending it all there. But Archon's ambition had been sufficient enough to bring him back to the surface, making every muscle in his body sting with agony in the process. And thus he had been rewarded with the ability to evolve to Armor Champion. So complete was his victory that the muck no longer sucked him down.
As Archon returned to the other side, he brushed off as much of the muck as he could before thanking Levi and Alan with a cuddle. They had both believed in him, as far as he knew, especially when things looked their most desperate. And it seemed their actions had proven true by them showing faith in him in his trial.
The ghostly Veemon and Flamedramon guides meanwhile seemed satisfied too. Both of them smiled at Archon. "Excellent. You've proven yourself here, BlackFlamedramon. But that is not the only trial here in this castle." the Veemon stated.
"Indeed. The second trial awaits the human and his partner." the ghostly Flamedramon added. "A second digimental awaits... we will find it in the South Wing. Follow us, and we will lead you to it."
Supposing all was dandy so far, Archon shrugged and followed them, pleased to be able to do so with his much longer stride, his long tail streaming behind him. He was so proud to have come this far, he'd be delighted to help out Alan and Levi in any way they could as they made their way to the South Wing for the next challenge.
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Post by Alan Pantell on Nov 12, 2019 23:27:26 GMT
The darkened halls of the South Wing impressed upon the minds of those who walked them that no progress was being made. Each torch was spaced evenly apart from the last, identical in all but the current shape of its ever-burning flame. Had there not been guides walking out front, the three visitors to the sunken castle would have been made uneasy by the repetition of the carved patterns lining the walls. It was a feature of the fortress - intruders would likely be driven out by their own paranoia long before reaching any true danger. The guardians retained silence throughout the whole trek, but stopped short after enough time had passed that both Alan and Levi were letting their minds wander.
"Stop here," commanded the Flamedramon guide, extending an arm before the rest of the party. "Excuse our silence. We were counting steps." The two guides then raised an arm to the walls, each depressing one panel to their immediate right or left. "Now. All three of you, turn around. This passage requires five to open. Human, walk 100 steps along the wall to your right, then hold the panel to your right, and wait. The Ambitious one will walk 200 steps along his left wall, and to the same on his side. Finally, the remaining Flamedramon will walk 300 steps down the center, and then punch the ceiling immediately above him. Use your own step sizes; we have accounted for them. You will know if you are correct, but beware: every single panel is a switch. All but the five we are using are useless. This is but the path to the trial. Nevertheless, go forth with confidence!"
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Post by Archon on Nov 22, 2019 11:27:11 GMT
Archon followed the others carefully, knowing the hazards of a castle buried under the mud. Structural integrity would not be a given, so he chose his steps carefully. Still, he felt the need to be close to Alan and Levi and assist them as much as they had assisted him in his trials.
Then he stopped abruptly when their two guides told them to stop, then instruct them on their next task. Alan was to walk 100 steps to the right, Archon was to walk 200 steps to the left, and Levi was to walk 300 steps to the center. Their guides would do the same along their paths, and then, that would open the way to Alan and Levi's digimental.
Archon opened his mouth to ask a question, then closed it as it was answered immediately. It seemed that this test was something of steadiness. Alright. So his task was to walk 200 steps of equal length along his chamber, then press his hand on a panel on his left.
"We don't wanna lose count here, so, this is where we'll part ways for now." Archon said to Alan and Levi. "Good luck you two, I'll do my best to help you."
With that, Archon began his 200 steps forward, slowly but steadily, saying the number of each step as he proceeded onward. When he eventually reached 200, he would reach to his left and press what he hoped was the right panel on the wall. From here, in the dark chamber, all he could do was hope for Alan and Levi's success.
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Post by Alan Pantell on Dec 23, 2019 20:59:59 GMT
At first, it had seemed like a strange amount of work to open a secret passage. One could have easily designed one that was both nigh impossible to guess and didn't require the use of such a minutes-long procedure. As the trio counted their steps down the torchlit, damp halls, it became clearer why such a system would be put in place. It was simultaneously a test of confidence and a test of faith. It was part of Alan and Levi's trial, even though they were merely finding their way to said trial. The correct pressure plates were far apart to ensure their sight of each other was prevented by the eerie darkness pervading the spaces between torches, as if the render distance on their own reality had been turned out. When one reached the panel they believed was correct, all they could do was press it, hold it, and wait. Wait for the others to reach their destinations. Assume what they pressed was correct, and the plates the others would press would also be correct. Even Levi would feel this, as the effect of their efforts would not be felt until a full minute after all the switches were depressed.
A loud rumbling would be heard. Ancient mechanisms working for the first time since their construction. Stone grinding against stone, heard from nowhere in particular, but heard. Then, the noises would stop, and seconds later, every floor panel from Levi to the guardians would drop quickly into position to form what wasn't quite a staircase due to the oddly-shaped panels, but most certainly a path downwards. The panels which the guardians, Alan, and Archon stood on would not drop instantly, but instead, slowly lower themselves down to the level of the downwards path. At the bottom, they would meet up with the guardians, standing at the same X and Z coordinates as before, holding themselves in their stately and guardly fashions on either side of an ominous doorway.
"Are we all ready to continue, visitors, friends?" the Flamedramon guard would ask.
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Post by Archon on Jan 6, 2020 11:24:05 GMT
As Archon reached his post and pressed the designated panel, he felt his stomach seemingly lower one or two feet as he felt the floor below lower even deeper into this sunken castle. At any moment, he dreaded being submerged in the muddy water that surrounded them, but, somehow, he was still granted air from above. For this, he was relieved. And it seemed that all was required was his input.
Archon quickly reunited with Levi and Alan next up, making him relieved that they would reunite for this next stage of their journey down here.
While the BlackFlamedramon at this point was simply glad for being alive, he remembered his own ordeals in getting his own digimental, and the support that Alan and Levi gave him. He had no hesitation in returning that favour.
"We're ready." Archon replied, ready to assist in whatever trial awaited Levi and Alan. While of course he would let them take the front of the upcoming challenge, Archon now had a lot to offer in providing assistance.
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