Re: Winter Wonderland? [Hero Quest Mission]

Wed Jan 20, 2016 5:56 pm

Artist: Two Steps From Hell - Song: Birth of a Hero - Word Count: 1,025

"I'm sorry he is flustering you. I don't have much control of this guy, but he clearly needs to cut it out!", Steiner said with a growl as the second spirit on the inside shrugged his shoulders without a care in the world. Alright, alright! I will focus on helping you out from now on instead of trying to target the beautiful angel. Alright lets start working on what we are capable of. I am Valus, your second spirit, and I have powers which I can lend to you when you need them, but those powers will drain your stamina much like using your own powers, and as such we have to be careful. Steiner nodded his head, taking in every word that Valus spoke to him, and stood back up to his feet just in time to see Cirno begin to make something out of the ice of the mountain and the frigid air of the summit.

It took only moments for the materialization of Cirno's doppelganger made of enchanted ice, more than likely strengthened beyond anything Steiner had ever fought before in his life. It was an exact duplicate, down to the last minuet detail, and for a few seconds Steiner wondered what exactly the Angel of Ice needed such a sculpture for, but that is when it took an aggressive stance, fist facing toward him, and stance widened. He tilted his head to the side as he listened to the Angel of Ice's voice and what she had to say, after she finished it Steiner felt like he had been slapped in the face a bit. Sure, he had fallen to a knee earlier due to the strain he had felt from completing her task that she had set aside for him, and Valus' little display had not helped matters either, but that didn't mean he was taking a rest. Sure, he was tired, but the new Hero of Honor sure wasn't exhausted enough to back down from this sparring exercise.

He could feel his stamina returning him due to the earlier blessing granted to him by Cirno and as such the momentary exhaustion had faded, but now Steiner had a new challenge before him. And this challenge wasn't just summoning up the power inside of himself to create a light display and a risque image. No, this time he was in a real fight situation and he wasn't going to back down. No, he was done running, and done doubting his capabilities as a warrior, no now was the time for him to show off his abilities to their fullest, and show the Angel of Ice that he was a capable apprentice. He took a deep breath, his left hand reaching out for Excalibur, and drawing it from the icy prison that he had put it in only moments earlier to fulfill Cirno's task. He looked at the doppelganger, it was probably just a construct with no thoughts of its own, and as such that would mean that Cirno would be pulling the strings, and having it act the way she wanted it to. Unless of course Cirno possessed the power to make this thing spring to true sentience, Steiner's mind raced as to how best he could fight something like this if it was truly, and fully aware of its' own actions and could react on its' own without prompting.

He had no idea of what depths Cirno's abilities could go and that meant that this training exercise wouldn't just be about physical ability, but about his own ability to deduce his new "foes" potential attacks and abilities. It was then that the automaton made of enchanted ice began to move forward, at first leaping, and then closing the distance by dashing. Steiner didn't know its' intentions, but he tried his best to read them by deducing the nature of the attacks it was aiming to use. This first exchange was important, fights could be decided in moments of those first exchanges, he knew that much at least, and also the first exchange could easily gauge the power difference of the two combatants. He had to know if he was capable of fighting evenly with it first. So instead of focusing on trying to read his foe, Steiner would instead begin to dash himself at the foe. That is when the first attack of the Ice Doppelganger began, a simple jab aimed at Steiner's sternum.

By engaging it from the front, Steiner had put himself in a bad position to dodge the initial blow, and as it connected he felt the breath leave him. Watch out, idiot! Valus shouted in his head, a feeling of hot breeze tickling through his limbs was enough to make him regain his composure as the second jab came toward his limbs. Steiner's body would bend a bit awkwardly, barely avoiding the second jab, but as he soon realize the second jab wasn't going to be nearly as painful at the jab coming right for his chin. The impact was painful, causing Steiner to double over grabbing his face in pain, and grunting in physical distress. That is when he saw the knee of his opponent coming for his gut through his tear soaked eyes, and at the last second Steiner managed to hop back a bit.

He still held his face, but this time he was determined to make impact on the opponent instead of playing defense . Steiner, however, was not going to allow that to happen, and he was instead going to go in for the attack. He felt his spiritual energy begin to gather in his feet, the energy known as Soul Force, and then launched himself forward, his first ever Soul Dash. It surprised him how fast he had moved, but quickly he got over it and would go for a quick slash down on the ice doppelganger's arm with his sword. The swing of the blade would be enhanced by his own Soul Dash, making the swinging increase in velocity. That's how you do it! Valus said for the first time in a while as Steiner brought down the sword.

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[THEFROST]

Thu Jan 21, 2016 3:48 pm

Artist: Toby Fox - Song: Battle Against A True Hero (Metal Cover) - Word Count: 1,390

It was that one moment of success that gave Steiner one of his brightest moments in his life. His sword slashing through the arm of his icy opponent was enough to bring a giant grin across his face and solidify the notion that all of his preperation and all of the challenges he had faced in his life had forged him into somebody that other's could rely on. He was walking the path of the hero and as such he couldn't help, but feel that a small sense of pride in the fact that he had gotten so far since his childhood. It hadn't been easy living in the shadow of the first born son of a family that hadn't wanted him, but now he was turning the corner. Letting it go, much like Cirno had told him to do moments before this conflict had began, and it felt so good to let it all just wash away like a summer storm washing away the mud on a fancy sport car. And much like a sport's car, his new powers were intriguing to him.

How had he accelerated moments earlier like he had, it wasn't just the movement he had made to close the gap between the two, but also the swinging of his sword. Just how had he done it? He reached out to his secondary spirit, Valus, for questions, but all he got was a mental shrug, and an even more questions that he just couldn't answer so simply with a "he just could". It was the nature of the powers he had now, more than likely a byproduct of the gentle nudging of power he had received from the Angel of Ice, and though he wondered how he could use it again at the moment he just didn't want to push it too hard. He still needed more training and more time to begin to find out just how all these powers and abilities he had could come together like a well oiled machine, but as his mind wandered the ice replica began its' counter attack.

As he had been thinking about how to repeat his sudden burst of speed that he had done only moments prior, the ice doppelganger flipped into the air, and as it did so brought its' foot straight up into his chin. He felt the cold ice and the solid mass behind the hit while also receiving a gash across his chin to add even more insult to injury. That was when his body decided it was going to take flight, much like a meteor, but in reverse. Steiner's body ascended into the heavens a total of twenty four feet and during that time, Steiner's mind was brought back to his current predicament. He couldn't worry about his own powers right now or how to properly trigger them in a way what would allow him to repeat his performance from only moments ago. Blood dripped from his chin, almost looking like cherry pudding due to the cold temperatures around him solidifying it at a rapid pace, and Steiner used the sleeve of his coat to wipe off the blood as his eyes dropped to the icy foe that he was embroiled in battle with.

The doppelganger landed perfectly and beautifully, accenting the difference in training rather than skill. The being had similar physical characteristics to himself and after that the doppelganger would thrust itself into the sky, chasing after him like an eagle chasing a newborn bird just learning to fly. Using his new knowledge of the abilities and skills that this replica of the Angel of Ice had, Steiner now knew he had a few things over this being. This being was a puppet, something created, and given direction, it did little to no thinking on its' own so as long as it could deduce what it was doing before it did it or read its' actions when it committed to an attack he would be able to stay a step ahead of it. So when it moved behind him in mid-air, looking to hit him in the back, Steiner would instead choose to twist his body a tiny bit to the side, and instead take a glancing blow to the side instead of a full on hit to the back. He still began his rapid descent to the ground, but the damage was minimal.

Steiner, would land on his side, grunting in pain as he had not stuck the landing as he had not been thinking about it, and instead had been giving his consideration to his opponent instead. He got to his feet quickly enough, blood still trickling down his chin to his chest, and coat below, staining it red from the white it had once been. It was then that he noticed the replica opening its' mouth energy beginning to take a form and more than likely would be used to attack the now grounded Steiner. He could dodge it, sure, but at the same time he still felt a little sluggish after the impact he had just taken. That is when the energy was launched at him. It was true that he had taken two of the three strikes, but as the gem glowed in his pocket and called out to him, Steiner felt a sense of ease about this third hit. Reaching into his pocket with his non-sword holding hand, Steiner would grab the gem which radiated a warmth into his very soul. It was the sort of thing that made it feel reliable, no it made him feel like he could be relied on to take on this attack. So, with very little time to react as the energy came right at him, Steiner slammed the gem into the hilt of his sword, and watched as it molded perfectly in place becoming the centerpiece to the hilt of the blade. In that moment the gem shined with blue light, engulfing Steiner in a warm blue glow that would then transform into a multitude of blue orbs of lights circling his body.

Steiner stood his ground, staring at the attack, and as it made impact with him the orbs of light seemed to close together to form a barrier at the point of impact. Steiner could feel a bit of pain from the assault, but yet it didn't feel nearly as destructive as his mind had originally thought it would be, and as the smoke cleared from the attack, Steiner himself would appear from the smoke having thrust himself back into the sky. His coat was singed and a few scratches appeared on his body, but the barrier provided by the gem of faith that Cirno had given him had protected him from the brunt of the assault. He didn't know how the gem functioned, but none the less he was thankful for the gift that had protected him from most of the damage.

Steiner as he neared his opponent would begin to spin, as if he were performing a mid-air waltz, but as he spun he began to slice with his sword. Aiming at different parts of the body and performing eloquent slashes that seemed to aim for non-killing areas of the body, cutting through the falling snow, and creating a beautiful sight to the those that would see it. It was then as Steiner naturally slashed with his sword and when Steiner reached a state of calm and focus, that the blade began to accelerate much like it had done before. It naturally causing his swings to become more and more nimble and quick with each passing second. Steiner didn't know what was going on, but he felt in control for the first time in his life, and even more so as the faith stone continued glow blue lighting the sky around him, he felt like he could actually make a difference, and that his dream to be a hero wasn't so far fetched as he had originally thought. A pair of angel wings appeared on his back, not connected by flesh and bone, but connected to Steiner's own Soul Force, taking a form that embodied his heroic nature. "Anything is possible, if I believe.", Steiner silently said as he continued to dance in the air to the rhythm of his own heroic beat.

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Winter Wonderland? [Hero Quest Mission] - Page 2 OlBPPj4

Winter Wonderland? [Hero Quest Mission] - Page 2 VewULRr

Winter Wonderland? [Hero Quest Mission] - Page 2 AQodtc6

Fri Jan 22, 2016 6:36 pm

Artist: Toby Fox - Song: Battle Against a True Hero (Metal Cover) - Word Count: 868

The dancing and the cold feeling of the wind blowing around him as he entered into what could be considered a mid-air waltz with the replica was making feel Steiner rather pleseant. He was focusing and as he focused his powers seemed to naturally react in a positive way, even as his slices were met with the cold wings of the icy foe he was in battle with, he still didn't feel like he was performing poorly. In fact, for the first time in a long time, Steiner was coming to terms with his own abilities, and accepting his new powers with open arms. Even his Ziamichi spirit was impressed with the rate of progress he was moving at and silently nodding in appreciation that he had chosen the right guy to be his partner. It wasn't every day that someone with kindness in his heart could make so much progress in terms of growth, it was almost like the wells of power that had been dormant inside of him were now beginning to just overflow, and as they overflowed they empowered Franz's abilities.

It was like everything that the Angel of Ice had said about his potential was coming true, but at the same time it seemed to be coming to fruition almost too fast, as if it had been predetermined that his powers were meant to awaken this way. In theory, Valus had been setting it up this way, laying the ground work here, and there for the young warrior ever since they had become one. Making his body more prepared for the powers and instilling strong training virtues into the boy subliminally so that he could prepare for this eventual breaching of his powers. Yet, watching Steiner's success was startling even to his partner spirit, but none the less he approved of the frightening growth, and knew he would have to reward him by sharing with him his own powers. For a moment it looked like Steiner had won the fight, several portions of the replica's body had been torn from it by Excalibur's restored edge, but as the angel fell back it became clear that the fight was not over as it blasted him with waves of frozen air.

We need to get to the ground, Steiner. You can't use my powers in the air. Steiner grunted in response as wave upon wave of cold air hit him, causing him to shake from cold, and causing his body to feel great deals of pain where the beginning of the early stage of frost bite was coming. "So cold...", Steiner whimpered as he began to fall to the ground as he saw the replica coming for his ankles, probably looking to slam him hard into the frigid earth below. The voice of the Angel of Ice called on him to use the strengths of the gem and the powers of his partners. Steiner called upon the gem again, knowledge upon knowledge being engraved into him as he learned how to utilize the gem as if it were second nature to him, and upon learning from the gem, his body was engulfed in white light as the powers of the gem aided him. Granting him momentary power in his dire time of need, the power to fly himself gracefully as earlier when he was hit his wings had began to flicker, and he began to feel like he was going to fall from the sky. The powers of the gem stabilized his wings and refilled his reserves, though he felt that this was only a temporary fix. As the angelic replica went for his ankles, hoping to drag him to the ground, he moved his foot from outside of her grasp by accelerating slightly to the right, and then taking a nose dive.

He would fly himself to the ground and as soon as his feet hit the ground there was an immediate burst of energy that filled him, it was warm which was odd when the air around him, and his actual body were ice cold. Steiner was instead increasing his own temperature naturally by channeling the force of the Earth's core throughout his body, it was tiring, but he was sharing the load as Valus himself was aiding him. You aren't alone, Steiner. We are a team...lets "ice" this doppelganger shall we? Steiner smiled confidently as he looked up at the angelic replica, he would raise his hand in its' direction launching a blast of super heated steam that melted the snow around it at the angel. Steiner knew what the replica was composed of, it was ice, and no matter how thick the ice, or how enchanted the ice may be it was still not resilient to the powers of heat. Especially the heat from Valus' super heated steam attack that he had granted Steiner. If she would dodge the steam, Steiner would have to think of another way to overpower the angel, maybe more sword maneuvers, but for now Steiner was relying on his partner and the gem that the angel of ice had given them. With these two things, Steiner would never truly be alone in his path to justice.

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[THEFROST]

Sat Jan 23, 2016 2:35 am

Artist: N/A - Song: N/A - Word Count: 923

It was indeed true that after defeating the replica, he was tired, but none the less he couldn't not continue his training. Sure, every part of him was telling himself to not continue on and to take this moment to rest and recuperate for a day, and he definitely was still feeling the negative effects of taking a bit of damage from his fight before. This, however did not dissuade him from not wanting to continue his training. The positive reinforcement that the Angel of Ice had given him was enough for him to want to continue on, regardless of if how hurt he felt, and how tired he had become. So after taking a few deep breaths and surviving the tap of her finger on his leg, which felt like so much pressure had been exerted into his being that he was going to pop from the strain. Yet, Steiner was resilient, and though he had never quite felt a pain like this, he knew that if he were ever to reach his full potential he couldn't just wait any longer.

He had spent his whole life waiting on things to change him, he had bided his time, thinking that one day all of the things he had been through would awaken some dormant power, but never having it happen. He now had those powers, sure he had needed help to wake them up, and at first that had seemed like a negative thing, but after talking to Cirno and being around the Angel of Ice, he had learned that didn't matter so much. These were his powers, regardless of how he obtained these powers, and that was more than enough to make him feel like he could keep going regardless of his current condition. "I can continue, no...I must continue.", Steiner said to the Angel of Ice, his voice interrupted by a the ragged breaths he had to take. He gave her a thumbs up, showing her he was fine to keep going, and hoping that she would believe him. In truth, Steiner was hurting, and regardless of the enchantment that had been placed on him by the Angel of Ice before, he was tired.

Yet that exhaustion mattered very little to Steiner, who sat down on the snowy floor right next to Cirno, and began to speak for a moment, exuding confidence, and poise. "Still a little breather wouldn't hurt, would it? Also...you can call me Steiner. All this calling me "hero" and stuff like that is just awkward. I have a name, Cirno."", Steiner said giving her a playful wink of acknowledgement. It wasn't like he hated being called hero, but he just didn't think he had earned that title yet, and also it made him feel like an old school rpg protagonist. He wanted to be known by his own name and more so than that, he wanted the awkwardness of the whole situation to fade away. So, he would lay back on the snowy mountain for only moment, and begin to speak again with his eyes closed. "Give me an hour and I will be ready to go again, I don't need a whole day, and to be honest...I need to do a mental inventory of what I am capable of now.", Steiner said not just to Cirno, but to the spirit of Valus inside who simply nodded its' head with agreement.

He had just gotten these powers, so if he could just do a mental check list, figure out what he was capable of doing, and piece together what he could do and couldn't do then he would be more prepared for the next phase of his training. At least that was his theory. So, Valus...what exactly are you willing to share with me in terms of power and why exactly do you not wanting me to use this "anima stone"? Well to be honest, with your current physical limitations, I can't really give you much, but I can give you... There was a pause as Steiner felt like Valus was doing his own mental check list of what he could give the boy. It was almost funny to him this feeling of talking to Valus. It kind of felt like he was talking to himself, but not really himself, but it did feel good to have somebody who he could at least generally talk to about things regarding his training and powers. Hopefully the two of them would become good friends. Roughly ten percent of my powers can be used with your current physical limitations. Furthermore, you need to realize that my powers can not be used from anywhere, but on the ground....at least for now. As long as your feet are on the ground, you can channel the powers directly from the Earth's core with my assistance. I can give you just enough power, while making sure to not overload you, because if I overload you...well you could explode from the inside out.

As far as what my powers can do, just think of geothermal energy...steam, volcanoes, fire, underground water wells...you name it. That is my domain and as you get stronger I can share more of what I can do with you. For now lets focus on super heated steam...don't want to overload you day one. Steiner chuckled as he breathed in from the cold mountain air, getting relaxed, and feeling a tiny bit better than before as he talked to the spirit inside.

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