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Post by Sparky on Apr 10, 2020 15:29:50 GMT -8
  [Refs]
Affinity 7 training: 2000 words Lightning crashed and rolled, and yet the sky itself was clear. Not a single cloud, even. And yet, as though a fierce storm had rolled in, bolts of electricity flew in wild arcs. Fueled by intense fury and anguish, each stray bolt lashed the room. It carved the simulated ground, scoring deep marks into its surface. At the epicenter of this destruction, Zedd was clenched, teeth grit, unleashing the full force of his anger. The training rooms were private, magically sealed so students who were honing their abilities could go crazy. So even though the noise inside was thunderous, no one would know he was in there. Memories of his defeat stung his heart relentlessly and fueled his outrage. His eyes were one solid color, bursting with the overcharged energy. His veins shared this same glow. Static filled the room with an immense pressure. I have to get stronger. I can't just lay down and let myself be walked over. Zedd roared with a primal rage he'd never experienced. The more he let his emotions go free, the stronger the lightning cracked the floor. His gauntlets hissed and smoked, the metal groaned against the force Zedd exerted. Not yet. Zedd forced his tense muscles to obey, clenching his fingers into a tight fist. I'm not done yet. Damien's face flashed in Zedd's mind. That smug piece of shit. His thoughts had never been so bitter. He was the jokester. The happy-go-lucky kid with a heart of gold. The one who kept everyone happy. But Damien. Fucking Damien. That blond haired prick flipped a switch in Zedd's brain that should have never been touched. Years of bottled up frustrations and anger were boiling over and streaming out of him. I'll knock that stupid pretty boy smile off his fucking face. Zedd's veins burned as though they were on fire. The metal of the gauntlets had begun to heat up, electricity overwhelming it's boundaries. I BELONG HERE TOO! Zedd reeled back, the lightning hammering outwards wildly. The gems on the gauntlets burned brighter, brighter, brighter. Like pure white beacons, the electricity finally overwhelmed their limits. There was a crack like glass breaking, and Zedd was engulfed in the light as he detonated.
When the young man came too, he was laying in a smoking crater. The aura had kept him safe, but the same couldn't be said for the gauntlets. The metal had sheered open, melted globs of the what once was super-heated shrapnel now scattered around the flooring. His whole body ached as smoke drifted up from him.
The boy lifted one of the ruined gauntlets, down at the burned and blistered skin beneath. The nerves had been shot, but he knew eventually the pain would reach him once the shock wore off. His hand fell back down with a clatter.
"Fuck..."
"You really need to be more careful." The nurse scolded. Zedd looked at his hand, fully healed. A few scars still lingered from where his skin had been completely burned away. "You're lucky you had the aura, otherwise I'd have to be giving you prosthetics. You kids really need to learn "
Zedd looked away. "Wonder if they'd help my control better." He muttered begrudgingly. The woman looked at him and gave a sigh.
"Is it really worth it to give up parts of yourself in the pursuit of strength?" Zedd flinched and cast his gaze down to the floor. Her question struck something. Was it really worth it? He hated not being able to control his own magic, hated being treated like scum by those above him. The young man hated feeling like there was nothing he could do. He looked at his scarred up hand.
Could he really give up everything for a grudge?
"I don't know..." Was his reply.
The nurse stared at him, toothpick hanging out of her mouth. Her blue eyes were tired, but understanding. Another short sigh escaped out of her nose as she wheeled over to the boy, patting his shoulder. "You'll figure it out. Just make sure you don't wind up down here with arms that bad again, otherwise it won't matter what your answer is."
She sent the young mage away. Outside Zedd stared down at his hands, and clenched them into fists. Many lightning mages used emotions to fuel their powers. By it's nature, lightning magic was very frenetic. The boy's feet carried him down the halls like a ghost. Everything felt distant. He couldn't hear anything besides his own thoughts. Before he knew it, his walk turned into a jog, then into a run.
Zedd ran. He ran as far and as fast as his legs could carry them. Around the track, around the school, again and again until he felt like he was going to drop, and then a little longer. By the time he was back at his dorm, he was dripping sweat and panting. His legs ached and the stars had already begun dotting the sky. It didn't matter how hard he had to train. How much he'd hurt himself. He couldn't stay this way forever.
He had to improve.
After a long, cool shower, the young man sat down at his desk. He needed new gauntlets. The others had been completely shredded. The crystal he'd used before wasn't powerful enough to handle that amount of force. Zedd knew he'd have to upgrade eventually. Thankfully, he already had the materials on hand. The crystals on hand had already been tested. He knew they were reliable. They were stronger than the ones used before. More refined, with higher purity.
Now he just had to complete the body to house them in.
Through the weekend, Zedd worked tirelessly. During classes he looked like the walking dead. Exhausted, drained, but still completely focused on his goal. Whenever he returned to his dorm, he worked. Whenever he didn't work, he ran. Ran hard and fast, to build up as much stamina as he could.
He couldn't tire out as easily as he had during that fight. No matter what he had to push himself. To build up enough stamina to last. No, not just last. He had to build up enough to outlast. Outlast his opponents, his allies, until the very end. Exhaustion was one of the things that helped end him in that match. That and the flashbang attack. His goggles had eaten most of the flash, but it still wasn't enough. He needed something more.
Down in the bazaar, he'd find the solution. A translucent coating to apply to the lenses, but when excessive light was applied, they would immediately darken to compensate, until almost pure, pitch blackness. Outside, Zedd sat in the dark of the woods with his goggles and a cobbled together flashbang he'd bought off a young inventor from Hurricane Keep. The creation popped and everything went dark. Zedd scrambled to prop his goggled up and blinked. There was still a slight disorientation effect. But, despite the sensitivity, he could still see clearly.
Damien's party trick wouldn't get Zedd twice.
The days wore on, and more and more his stamina was worked up. At first, the exhaustion had caused his grades to suffer, but as days turned to weeks and he ran further and longer, the exhaustion too subsided. It took a bit for his grades to recover, but progress was progress. While he crafted his new gauntlets, he had to rely on an older build. Instead of giving up on magic training entirely, he took to a different tactic.
Just like how he built up physical stamina, he sat in the training room and meditated to build up magical stamina. The young mage constantly ran his magic as hard as the gauntlets would focus. He sat their, sweating and straining as his body revolted against it. His sort of magic was made for short, powerful bursts, not constant endurance.
But Zedd didn't care.
Just like when he was running, he would brute force it. Draining his mana until nothing remained, and then he'd run laps, fully exhausting his reserves. And upon returning to his dorm, he showered, and went right back to work. The days dragged on, but Zedd's grudge never faltered. He used his emotions to strengthen his will. Of course, running his emotions on high, he had to avoid Damien at all costs. Otherwise Zedd would probably punch the cocky cunt right in his shit eating smirk. And Zedd wasn't ready for a rematch. Yet.
The young lightning mage outsourced some of the work put into his gauntlets. The inventor from Hurricane Keep seemed to have a reliable reputation, and as finished part after finished part came in, Zedd could see why. Everything was extremely high quality for the price the boy paid. They even came with little notes.
"I figured out a way to improve insulation and dispersion to prevent the metal from melting. You should be able to run this harder now."
"The way you designed the focusing mechanism was imperfect. I took care of that for you, your output should be improved by about thirty percent."
"The material you were using for the gauntlet had some flaws, thankfully I had something better laying around to use, it shouldn't blow up in your face when it's stressed now. Free of charge."
Day by day, Zedd pieced the new gauntlets together. They were sleeker. Sturdier. Lighter. They felt more reliable. Looked more impressive. But looks weren't everything, there was one final test to prove their worth.
This would be the first time Zedd actively pushed himself since his old gauntlets nearly blew his arms off. For weeks he'd been in here meditating, pushing himself to increase the pool of mana he could rely on. His physical and magical stamina had increased noticeably. And all without attracting the attention of the blond bastard.
Zedd pulled his goggled down and sucked in a breath.
The air thickened with static. His veins began to burn as they, along with his eyes, started to glow. Then, with a crash of thunder Zedd's form ignited with electricity. More violent than before, more refined. The ground shattered with every bolt. The walls strained against the force of the lightning colliding with them. Zedd's hair stood on end as his body erupted. Bolt after bolt after bolt. The overwhelming presence of the pure electrical mana caused the ground to shake, and bits of wreckage from the broken flooring, overcharged with electricity, floated off the ground through electromagnetism.
Zedd roared as the gems glowed white. Brighter, brighter. Wires fed through the gauntlets harnessed the electricity and dispersed it harmlessly, doing so to keep the gauntlets from overheating or breaking. More, and more Zedd pumped his full fury, his rage, his anguish, his grief into them. The gauntlets held.
Reeling back, the boy screamed his emotions to the sky. A scream that no one would ever hear. The floor cracked and crumbled. Each bolt of electricity carried with it a force not seen by Zedd before. I'm not going to lose again. I'll never lose to him again. I'm going to show him exactly what I meant when I told him I control the storm. I'll show him the real fury of a lightning storm. Damien's disgusting smile burned itself into Zedd's mind. His eyes were pure white, flaring with electricity.
He lifted his hands above his head. He threw his hands forwards, hurling bolt after bolt. He didn't tire even after excreting himself. so much. Flickers of electricity crawled up his skin, almost appearing as though they were replacing his flesh. The boy thrust his hands to the side and drew upon every last ounce of energy he had to give. Every drop collected into the palms of his hands. "Damien sees a weak nobody." He sucked in a breath and roared as he unleashed a massive bolt of destructive energy. "I'LL SHOW HIM A GOD OF LIGHTNING!"
Zedd panted as all he could emit were small sparks off his smoking body. The final attack had left a path of blackened and charred earth, scarring the flooring. It was unbelievable to think that despite the damage, by the time the next person entered this training room, all of it would be gone. The boy balled his hands into fists and sucked in a breath to calm himself down. "I won't lose again."
Final Total: 2063 Words |
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Post by swiftyuki on Apr 11, 2020 3:03:14 GMT -8
Approved, Zedd is now affin 7
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Post by Sparky on Jun 5, 2020 16:19:27 GMT -8
[Refs]Spell name: Elemental Cloaking
Spell Main Element: Arcane
-Spell Sub Elements: Variable [Lightning for Zedd]
Affinity Strength: 7
Function: Essentially a safer version of elemental flesh, the user coats themselves in the raw element they align with, changing their form to enhance their physical capabilities. Some elements obviously lean more towards offense than defense, while some may favor agility. However, the ability is fully manipulated by the caster, and as such they can take their own pick of how it acts and performs. Perhaps they want claws made of earth or lightning, or fists of ice, or maybe they'd lean towards a sturdy iron hide of steel, the form can be freely manipulated to suit the needs of the caster.
Availability: Open Spell name: Thundercrash
Spell Main Element: Lightning
-Spell Sub Elements: N/A
Affinity Strength: 5
Function: Focusing on collecting a massive amount of raw energy, the caster draws lightning into the palm of their hand and point blank blasts a target with an eruption of electricity, blasting through defenses in a vicious display. While immensely powerful, this ability has little to no range, and is ineffective outside of close combat.
Availability: Open Spell name: Thundercrunch
Spell Main Element: Lightning
-Spell Sub Elements: N/A
Affinity Strength: 6
Function: focusing lightning mana throughout the body and requiring an open area to sprint through, the user coats themselves in pure lightning, bringing with them the concussive force of thunder as they rush forwards, shattering and crushing defenses in a straight line before in a reckless charge, during this the user is unable to change what direction they are moving but are surrounded by a wave of lightning and kinetic force
Availability: Open Spell name: Lightning-step
Spell Main Element: Lightning
-Spell Sub Elements: N/a
Affinity Strength: 3
Function: Lightning by it's nature is sudden, striking faster than the mortal mind can comprehend. A lightning mage harnesses that raw energy into themselves, tapping into the raw potential of the element they control. The caster of this spell snaps from one point to another, traveling like a bolt of lightning and leaving the sound of thunder in their wake. This ability can be used in rapid succession, but cannot be used over long distances. Using this ability too much risks causing damage to a mages musculature, and can tear tendons should they not be properly conditioned for it.
Availability: Open Panting, tired, and dripping sweat, Zedd's eyes were locked dead ahead. His body continued to crackle and pop with the sounds of electricity. Sparking. Sputtering. the refined gems of his equipment glowed hot, almost a pure white. Endurance came from more than just the physical. The mental, the spiritual, they were important in the realms of magic. Continuously keeping his magic on like a battery, Zedd looked to deepen his mana pool. Looked to endure the drain on his body. His stamina. Even if his well was tapped out, he needed to be able to continue to move. To fight. For him to succeed, to win, to survive, he needed to master that skill. His body ached. His mind faded. Everything felt distant and dull. Zedd fought against his body's urge to pass out. To give in. fingers curled into a balled fist. Steady. Keep it up. Breathe. Words echoed around the young man's mind. Everything that'd been said to him. Everything that he'd been taught. I command the storm. A point of light, distant, but within reach. Zedd's skin glistened, hair stood up on end. I command the lightning... the thunder... Turquoise eyes began to glow behind the lenses of his goggles. Deep in this meditative state, he didn't realize his own powers beginning to spike. Lightning leapt from his body and scarred the ground of the training room floor beneath him. I am fury... The point grew. Solidified. It was brighter in his mind. Zedd mentally reached out towards it. I am lightning... The ground cracked as bolts of electricity snapped into the ground. Magnetic fields were thrown out of whack on the bits of rubble as the lightning supercharged them, filling them with electromagnetic properties. The newly magnetized rubble began to float up off the floor, dancing and twirling in the growing storm around the young man. Light began to beam and crackle within the joints of Zedd's gauntlets. I am thunder... The air condensed and exploding with a shockwave, demolishing the floor around the young man. Further magnetized bits of rubble joined the growing swarm. The point continued to bloom in the darkened abyss. A question he never asked. An answer never knew he needed. The cause. The solution. A paradox presented and erased. The light was offered. The light came from within. It was a bombshell, fuze unlit, waiting for the spark. Zedd mentally reached out towards the light. It showed him his defeat. Damien's smug grin. It gave him anger. It gave him pain. He took hold of the light. It showed him victory. Damien's defeat. It gave him solace. It gave him peace. An answer to a question he never knew he had. Become the storm. Electricity shattered what was left of the ground around him, as the key to pandora's box was given to the young lightning mage. Within the depth of his mind's meditative state, he turned the key and opened it. Zedd's body thundered as his veins began to glow and pulse with electricity. His hair seemingly ignited. All along him, electricity crackled to life, focused, clustered, forming on his body like a second skin. His gloves vanished beneath the wave, fingers like talons. I am the storm. Zedd's body felt light as he stepped forth. His eyes couldn't be seen beneath his altered appearance, but his sight was clear. Sharp like his claws. the young man crouched into a runner's stance, and with the crack of thunder behind him, he shot forwards. His claws tore through a training dummy as though it were made out of paper. Each movement was like a shock of lightning, as he stepped from point to point. Flowing through the air as though he were a lightning bolt himself. When his fists connected with their targets, they erupted with flashes and cracks like a lightning strike. The training dummies couldn't hold up to the intensity of even one of the hits. The being, appearing like a lightning elemental, stood and stared as more practice dummies popped forth, springing out of the ground like daisies. The young man flickered in-between them and left devastation in his wake. During the brief and sudden jumps from one point to another, the world felt slow around him. So this is what it's like to really become a lightning bolt. The young man barely had the time to think that, as his body rushed forth on autopilot, crushing the training dummies beneath a furious assault. If he could tap into this ability, into this drive, then certainly he could defeat Damien. Zedd would kill his old self with his own two hands. No longer was he going to allow himself to be the butt of every joke. No longer was he going to allow himself to be shunned. He was power. He was fury. He was lightning and he was thunder. He was the storm. And he would show everyone that fact and burn into the minds the sight of him crashing through his opponents.
The training program could barely keep up with how fast Zedd had begun tearing through the training dummies, and attempted to compensate as best as it could, offering up more targets. It was enough to give the program time to think, and it gave Zedd more to shred through. He didn't feel tired. He didn't feel sick. For the first time in his entire life, the young man felt as though he was in full control of his magic. Instead of a volatile bombshell, he felt as though he actually had a handle on who he was. What he could do. what his potential was. the young man flickered side to side, tracking onto different targets and giving into his instincts. The lightning elemental roared as it lunged towards the next target, distorted and twisted by the sound of electricity in the air around it.
His hand groaned with the sound of static, popping and bubbling, increasing in intensity. The second Zedd appeared before his newest target, he thrust his palm forth. Lightning blasted forth like a shotgun, punching a hole clean through the dummies chest. the sensation of destroying the things in his path was therapeutic to say the least. Plastic and wood showered against his form, melting and burning away in the torrent that had claimed him. The young man gathered up more energy and shot over to the next target to repeat the process. Then shot over to the next to do it again.
Blast after blast. Shot after shot. Damien's face ignited in Zedd's mind with each destroyed training dummy. How pompous and proud he appeared when he first entered the field. The boy imagined the other young man's face upon realizing how much Zedd had grown. The look of shock. Of surprise as Zedd starts to shred through his flimsy defenses. Bolt after bolt, strike after strike.
Zedd would humble him.
No matter what it took. Damien's throne, his reputation, would be up for forfeit. Karma was coming for him. Zedd's palms continued to erupt as dummies fell to pieces around him. He wished the program was more advance, or that he had someone to spar with. Something to give him more purpose. More movement. Regardless, Zedd still continued to fly from target to target. The movements pushed him to the brink of his seemingly near limitless well of stamina that anger had afforded him. Adrenaline coursed through his glowing veins.
The sensation was intoxicating.
During his last training session, when he finally broke past the barrier that held him back, Zedd said he would show Damien a God of Lightning. For the first time, that threat actually felt palpable. He felt every part of him surging with energy. With purpose and power. Damien would not be allowed to make a fool out of Zedd a second time. The Prince's reign of tyranny was going to come to an end. Damien had no choice in this matter.
There was more to this than revenge, though. Zedd had so much to prove. To everyone. To himself. He'd barely gotten into Vyridel academy, just eking out success by the skin of his teeth. The whole time he'd put himself down. Acted like he never cared. Didn't even pay attention in his classes unless it mattered. How long was he going to continue doing this? What was the point in even being in this school if he wasn't going to at least try? Even if his handicap almost ruined his chance at getting in, he still got in. Zedd should have been taking advantage of that. Instead of just treating it from a distance.
For the first time in years, the question came to mind; What do I want to do with my life? Why was he here? Why out of all schools did he choose to come to this place? Just to learn how to control his magic? He could have gone anywhere else for that, but no. It had to be the prestigious Vyridel academy. Once more he found himself in a runner's stance. Claws dug into the ground. Muscles tensed. Ready to launch him at a moment's notice. What is my purpose? What is my reason to fight? What do I want?
Damien's face appeared and Zedd's answer became clear. I want to put people like him in his place. There were more people in the world like Zedd. Feeling powerless, uncertain, aimless. And there were more people like Damien. Rich. Pompous. Using their strength to abuse those beneath them. Perhaps that was the reason why Valiant wanted students to handle their own fights? To learn that lesson. And to give them to drive to do something about it. To change the way the world was. Perhaps that was the reason why Goddess Yuki told Zedd to fight. To inspire him to follow that path. To pursue a just cause instead of wallowing in the depths. Allowing those who claimed they were stronger to abuse their power freely.
That was Zedd's purpose.
To fight for the little man. To stand up for those who thought they couldn't stand up for themselves. To set straight the corrupt. The cruel. The petty. The spoiled. The ground cracked between his fingers and under the balls of his feet. The faceless form looked towards the growing mass of training dummies. The training program was desperately fighting to compensate, running everything it could to try and keep up with the heightened performance increase. This was no problem when the program already knew what to adjust for, but it was still trying to catch up with the sudden spike in power that Zedd had just displayed.
Thunder and lightning crashed and tore apart the earth as Zedd shot forth, like a bullet fired out of a gun- no, faster. The young man burned in a straight line, leaving a wave of kinetic energy and electricity in his wake. Any training dummy he didn't immediately tear through during his initial mad dash was soon eviscerated by the wave that followed. The training program completely gave up, a warning buzz signalling the cancellation of training dummy activation. The floor cracked with static. Finally, Zedd became aware of his own breath. Ragged, harsh, panting. Coming out like steam as water particles were instantly evaporated upon contact with the layer of electrical skin.
Slowly but surely, the lightning that covered him began to die off, the skin practically melting off of him as it dissipated. He looked towards the ruined flooring, somewhat proud that once again he had almost completely destroyed a training room. Bits of melted plastic that hadn't immediately burned away remained stuck to the rubble, or flowed with in the cracks that Zedd had left behind. His body no longer felt as light and active as it had just moments prior. It felt sluggish and ten times as heavy as it used to.
The young man attempted to take a step forward and stumbled, nearly falling. Once more he attempted to move his other leg. This time, he was unable to catch himself. The young lightning mage collapsed upon the ruined floor. Without the constant source of electricity pumping them with magnetism, the once floating rocks dropped back down as well, no longer having any magnetic properties. Zedd groaned as he rolled over onto his back. His vision was dull. It wouldn't hurt to just... take a small nap in here. It's not like there's any time limit... and no one's going to walk in here. A small smile tugged at the corner of Zedd's lips. Look out Damien... he thought as his eyes slid shut. I'm coming for you. And this time I'm gonna win.
Final word count: 2121 |
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Post by swiftyuki on Jun 6, 2020 13:21:09 GMT -8
Approved, slap them in the inkbound spellbook
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