Initiation: Unlocking the Power Within

Saifex followed dutifully behind the Queen with memories flashing before his eyes as they approached the battlefield...
So many losses and victories were made upon these grounds. Shame, Disgrace, Pain... Were twisted in indefinitely with the emotions of Pride, Joy, and Ambition...

This was the day he'd finally prove himself, to more than just himself. He had pushed himself to his limit for years, attempting to ascend his practices to new hieghts, even besting his old rivals....

He exhaled, but couldn't help but smirk back towards Seia, not for what he was likely to say, but for his own pride in his achievement thus far. The Tsuchi slid his hands from his pockets, unveiling crimson gloves that hugged tightly against the skin; Crimson and shined in color, and even refracting at the air that idled within. It wouldn't take too long to identify them as gloves, imbued with his naturally chosen affinity, with his initials carved into the backhand as a personal branding.

"I'll be honest, I don't remember the last time we ever sparred up against one another. Though, it'll be interesting to see how far I've come." He brought his right arm up, in a strange clutching formation, stressing fingers up against one another in prelude for his practiced form of pyromantic casting.

"I'm ready."
(Saifex Tsuchi)

 "I don't mind. Last time we had any trainingg we were nearly equal in power if I recall...I am not sure. But I am sure you've grown stronger. I wish to test, to see...just how strong my Cousin has grown. Do not disappoint."

Seia's hand moved over toward their clan's weapon. Auroralie. While she could use Chrysoar at any time, Auroralie was more fitting for her. She didn't feel as if she was deserving or worthy of Chrysoar's usage yet, she wasn't a Sacra, and thus she wasn't a 'TRUE' ruler of the Dragonkin.

The sounds of the weapon's scabard chain-mechanisms unlocking to allow it's heat to come out full-force, the sword to be removed, boomed out inot the air. It felt at minimum, a good ten degrees warmer than it once had upon the battlefield. Auroralie was drawnin, and Seia took stance, one hand on her weapon, with her left foot forward and right foot back, sliming out the surface area of her body as right arm arched behind her, sword-tip pointing at Saifex, her left hand was pointed toward him.

A burst a blue flames echoed out from her body, creating a tail, a set of wings, and a pair of horns, Her muscular structure bulked slightly more than normal.
(Seia Tsuchi-Scarlett)

Saifex had certainly grown stronger, but it wasn't enough. He as defeated and it was proven that The Queen was indeed as fearsome as she usually was. Each of her strikes, each stroke was power-filled and seemed to barely hold back in the accuracy department. However anyone who have ever seen her seriously fight would realize that she was indeed, holding back the power in her blows.

"You're strong Saifex but...not enough to really get me to put my fullest effort in. Stronger than most, I suppose."

Stancing back up, The Draconis Regina seemed all fired up. She was definitely at the apex of what the Drakanites in Frostvale were capable of. Perhaps she really was the strongest Drakanite overall? Maybe, but only time will tell there was a lot of room for her own personal improvement, and a lot of room she needed to grow in to be able to be strong enough to achieve her own goals. Goals she'd not really mention to anyone at this current moment.

"Get back up. Show me the fruits of your labors."
(Seia Tsuchi-Scarlett)

Saifex had fallen, bested in the first bout, however, his shoulders bounced as he ascended, a chuckle aroused from the depths of his gullet. "I must admit, you're as strong as ever." He started, taking his right arm to wipe across his face, taking off whatever spit was spewed from his own mouth from a blunt impact to the face.

"But I must reveal something to you..." He started, rising back up to his feet with a smug grin plastered upon his visage.
"I... Was holding back alittle as well." The apparel on his person seemed to shudder in a generated breeze, dancing to a mild extent in an upheaval that failed identifiable traits at-first that could lead one to believe it to be anything aside from Ventimancy.

His chest puffed out somewhat, to allow him to give a 'relaxing' sigh, golden clouds intertwined with black shelling pooled from between his lips. Eyes that once closed shut in his breif recovery opened up with determination in his gaze.
The refracting air that once remained exclusive to his gloves engulfed his entire form, flashing into a flurry of saffron and tangerine hues, spiralling for the sky above in an impressive display of his magical potency.

He was shrouded with flames, juxtaposing himself from what he'd come to expect his cousin to wield: Azure flames.
"You know, I've always wondered how you managed to achieve it... Perhaps in time, I'll learn it as well."
(Saifex Tsuchi)

"Your soul can only resonate properly when you merge yourself with Life itself, and are pushed to a point where it almost escapes your body. To have the blue flames? You have to die, and come back in a specific manner. To be pushed to the point you're only alive through your sheer willpower alone."

Auroralie was thrusted onto her shoulder, the Queen eyed her cousin, locking onto his visage with her own, she didn't feel the need to use the technique at this moment, she was already strong enough as it was without it, anymore and she'd just be pushing her limits a bi more than what should be done.

The question was now in her mind, was Saifex finally worthy of their clan's technique? It took time to use and master, it took time to realize how to work proper, even if Seia COULD awaken it in him, which she had an idea on how she could, it could risk him outright dying and not being able to manifest the ability at all.

Regardless, she took her stance yet again. The Draconis Regina wasn't one to pause a fight for too long to converse. Saifex was at least fun to fight at her current level of power, not many people were 'Fun', as the Queen often wanted. It was why she held back so much in fights. No one was worth the fights otherwise. No one could truly fight the Berserker under her Royal flesh.
(Seia Tsuchi-Scarlett)

Saifex was beaten once again, forced to drop to his left knee and right arm. He panted at the stress induced upon his body, truly taking on a force superior to anything he's faced thus far. He snarled at the thought of failing outright, after so much hard work. "I'm..." The flames that surrounded him only intensified with his most recent dispatch, twisting around his person to form a cone around his figure. All that met another's perception was his mere silhouette within the orange-gold cone of riveting flames, snapping away at the tundra underfoot.

An attempt to overheat more than a single body at once? The shadow within only cringed about, swelling in bulk, and contorting to give an awkward sight to the protrusions that extended from one's backside. The sound of metal bending, cringing under the stress sounded throughout the air.

One's shout echoed throughout the interior of the manifestation, increment in volume and strife, stabbing at unprepared ears in the distance. Focused staring into the evolving dome of fire, could bring light to the maroon tint in the atmosphere that hugged closest to one's 'barrier'. The peak of one's exclamation, broke the spheroid of flames, leaving a mastodon of blazes to scour for his surroundings.

It could be considered an attack in itself, swallowing all within near proximity into his fabricated inferno. Though, potency was still of an issue when compared to other skilled magi-- It wasn't raw power that granted Saifex his stature, but willpower that backed up his fierce determination.

The tundra set to flame, thanks to his extended mana for the environment, brought forth a massive vent of steam to ooze around his figure, bringing mirage inducing heat to the battlezone. Saifex, himself stood now, in his half-shift, prepared for what was to come next. Beaten twice now, he still refused to accept defeat.

"You're a lot stronger than all the rest... But I'm not giving up... Not whilst I can still fight."
(Saifex Tsuchi)

Seia had rather crushingly defeated her cousin Saifex. No matter what strategy or tactic he used, he could not down the Dragon Queen, throughout the battle their series of attacks, Saifex's fires not amounting to as much as Seia's own, and even then, Seia's meleeskills coming out of no where, crushing power swinging her blade toward her cousin until he was downed. Defeated, and unable to move.

He did good, but he could do better. He needed to do better if he wanted to live up to the Tsuchi name, A powerful kick was sented straight into his gut, enough force to knock the wind out of him.

"Now let's see if you can resonate."

Her fist reared back, her index and middle fingers charged with energy magic, and with a forward punch straight into his chest, enough force to shatter and destroy the chestplate of her armor, her fingers dung into his flesh. Burning and digging a hole into his body. Even if he didn't want the ability, he was going to get it, even if it'd take him time to understand just exactly what it was. He was a Tsuchi, and adult Tsuchi should know how to use Soul Resonation, at least in the Azure Flames mode.

A burst of energy magic quite literally slashed a hole straight into his chest, cutting him clean through as Seia's own blue flames gathered upon the wounded area, her hand covered in his blood at this point, mounted on her hand.

With a rather impassive flick, the Queen allowed him to lay there for a moment, in a condition that normally, would kill a normal man, but thanks to his abilities, thanks to his strength, his bloodline? Seia hoped that he'd live through it. Hopefully he won't have the 'early death' curse that a lot of Tsuchi males had before they could accomplish anything.

"Ignite the fires of your soul if you want to live."
(Seia Tsuchi-Scarlett)

He thought he was getting closer to victory, he timed his movements, he alternated his strategies, he targeted weakspots, but no matter his strife, he was dropped to the ground. He winced tremendously at the pain, but learned to simply accept defeat when it was most-certain.
Fatigue captured his body, and he was down for the count, incapacitated as far as combatability goes.

Then, there was Seia's voice, which opened his pained eyes to half-slitted eyelids, revealing a twinkling light in his shallow gaze. It wasn't anything concerning sadness, but rather the sunlight that pestered his eyesight. When he heard the statement revolving around 'Resonate', eyes opened slightly in confusion and worry, all at once, yet not truly capable of reacting.

Her body appeared to be a silhuoette standing above him, reeling back a fist for what another would imagine to be the finishing blow. However, such didn't exactly correlate to what she mentioned, nor did it make any true sense to him. It just didn't add up, but it didn't change the fact that he felt nothing short of fear for what was to come next. He braced for impact, biting teeth now to grit at armor piercing fist that struck at his body, leaving him exposed to the searing touch that soaked through clothing and flesh.

He could hardly grunt at the strike on his person, and croak as the fingers pierced into his flesh, melting its way through, but eventually it evolved into an attempt to allow his expression of pain to escape for the heavens. There wasn't any breath left to grant birth to such a sound, leaving him to twitch as the initiation carried onward.

The energy that was warped around one's fingers pulsated a surge of her essence into his being, forcing him to cring painfully at it, as though attempting to flinch at what he couldn't hope to evade. He went limp, going silent, and overall, unresponsive...

Normal men were commonly killed off by energy imbuement of such magnitude, not to mention Tsuchi males had a low life expectancy for a variety of reasons... This was probably a mere result to such...
Saifex wa-
A gasp from the fallen Tsuchi was followed up by the outbound thrust of his impaled chest; A hole gleamed with sapphire light, emanating enough to shimmer off the remaining shards of his armor. Rather than rejuvenated flesh, one was branded with a blackened scare in the center of his chest, illuminated with the familiar azure haze.

Arms flexed out to his sides with clenching fists, forcing veins to pop out at the mercy of the energy that surged through his system. Never had he felt so much energy at once! Albeit, he couldn't move too fast, the throbbing in his chest juxtaposed to his original heartbeat, aching him to such an extent that pushing himself any further could pose a plausible danger.

The burn seemed to trail through his body, and to his back as well, leaving splattered sanguine fluid speckled upon his chest, without a originating point. It literally felt as though he died, only to come back in a few seconds time.
...To think he only needed to spar against Seia once he thought himself worthy to achieve such, was all he needed to do. It was a shame, that the power that surged through him however, was already beginning to subside, leaving him back to the original Saifex.

The only difference was, the new scarring he brandished, leaving him changed for the years to come.
Heavy breathing left his person, and silence carried onward for a few seconds prior...

"That... Was... Not something I was expecting."

(Saifex Tsuchi)

A smile appeared on Seia's lips, seeing how with her fingers removed the black-blue scarred flame shape was taking hold where would would have been a mortal wound...two inches right from the heart, avoid the airways...and smash in your own spiritual energy...Huh. Who would have thought such a thing would actually work if you did what was supposed to be done.

"And now...You're a true Tsuchi. The Azure Flames can be called upon whenever you wish, should you learn what controls them...but until them expect them to surge out when in emotional crisis or your body damage is racked up."

Her arm aimed to grasp onto Saifex, pulling him over her shoulder, and throwing him and his body centered there. It was the easiest way to carrying him at the moment. For the energy to truly bond, he'd need bedrest for days, weeks, maybe even months. But once he was back up to full-strength, he'd be stronger for this.

"Did you really think I'd attempt to kill you for anything else. Pfft. Don't be a baby."
(Seia Tsuchi-Scarlett)