Straight from the Source

Dragon Slayers... Rumored to be the most powerful wizards, access to higher rank spells and the ability to 'eat' their respective element. They were legendary, and while certainly had existed in the past, only rumors remained about their present. Those seeking power and fame often claimed to be dragon slayers, but few could actually live up and prove it. At first when Fayte heard the rumor, she thought little of it. Somewhere in her ex-home Hosenka, there was a dragon slayer. Supposedly she was just a young girl, but had shown fearsome ice magic on more than one occasion. It still wasn't much to go off of, let alone put any faith in... until Shadow Heart asked her to investigate. They must have known something that she didn't. Her task was simple - just confirm whether the ice dragon slayer existed or not. Shadow Heart had not said why they desired this information, but Fayte suspected it was so that they could keep track of powerful people. Especially those unaffiliated with guilds, because they were the most unpredictable.

Fayte had visited a few contacts, gaining more information than what Shadow Heart provided. Shadow Heart had very little information beyond it being a female dragon slayer, and somewhere in Hosenka... Fayte was fairly certain that was why she was picked for this particular mission. Hosenka was her backyard. While fighting wasn't necessarily a part of the mission, it could serve to be the fastest way to determine the girl's dragon slayer legitimacy. Takeover magic was strong, but even she doubted herself against a dragon slayer.

Kotone Hoshino... That was her target's name. The sun was just starting to set. She had a few addresses to check, receiving conflicting information from her sources. For now, Fayte sat atop one of the roofs in Hosenka, watching the setting sun. One source claimed that Kotone was around somewhere in the area, had actually stopped by earlier that day, so there was a slim chance she might still be around. If not, she was going to check these addresses one by one...

Kotone laid back on the comfortable bed with a sigh. She'd managed to ditch all of her contacts and responsibilities for a short while, and had returned to her home of the last five or so years. She didn't spend a lot of time there, but it was easily her most favorite place to crash. It was safe, it was full of stuffed animals she'd collected, and it was home.

Sidney had made a bed on top of a particularly large stuffed rabbit and was purring away as he slowly fell into a proper sleep. "I could use a rest too, guy," she chuckled at the cat that refused to stir for her. She brushed her hand over his fur before sighing and getting back up. After entirely too long, Kotone was starting to piece herself back together and become a more stable person again. It felt good, but it was draining.

Kotone was hungry, so she put a pot on for noodles. She wished she had meat at home, but it was hard to store for long periods of time, and she hadn't been there long enough to worry about shopping; she'd just now got settled down less than an hour ago, after all. She also threw on something a little different from her normal uniform - a light green tank top and black short shorts. It was warm outside and she didn't get cold anyway, so why not?

Hosenka was one of the few towns where she was both recognized and welcome; as a result she tended to avoid causing trouble. She loved it here - the sights, the smells, the massages... She might have to do that later as well...

Fayte began by checking the first location on her list. First she scoped out the surrounding area... on the outside, at least, nothing seemed amiss from the house. In the small time she had been watching it, no one had entered or left. Normally if she didn't care about subtlety, Fayte would simply knock on the door. The fastest way to confirm something was to go through the front. But she needed to not only verify that this girl was Kotone, but that she was also a dragon slayer - and so she wasn't keen on revealing herself quite yet.

When a preliminary wait revealed nothing, Fayte checked through the window. It seemed to be a bedroom of some kind, but... wait... what were those?! Every corner she looked... there was a plushie. The majority were cats, but... the entire room was filled with plushies! "Wh-what... is this..." Fayte's eyes grew wide. Cat plushie on the vanity... Rabbit plushie on the bed... a row of cats on the shelves... plushies and plushies and more plushies! A sudden image came to her mind - she was in the room, the entire room being filled with stuffed animals, there wasn't anywhere to move, it was a veritable pool of plushies! A shrill cry accidentally left her mouth. Instantly she clapped her a hand to her mouth, her entire frame shaking. She couldn't... no... what was this... was it a dream? Or reality?

She swayed uncertainly, a resounding thump as she lost her balance. The world around her blurred, becoming black... this couldn't be real...

Kotone was humming happily in the kitchen when she heard a squeal from outside the house. She frowned. That was close to her bedroom window. Her dragon slayer hearing revealed more detail than the average person. Pulling the pot off of the burner and turning it off, she went to investigate her bedroom window, pulling it open and looking around. “Oh.” She looked down to see a woman sprawled out on the ground. Now she had more than a few questions popping up in her mind. Kotone sighed, popping back inside and grabbing a bucket of cold water. She poured it out of her window on the poor woman’s face in order to wake her up.

“There a reason you’re squealing and fainting outside my window, Miss?” she asked with a raised eyebrow as she leaned outside on one arm, the other dangling the bucket idly out of sight. “I know I’ve got a nice place and all, but I can’t say anyone’s ever fainted at the sight.” She was teasing, of course, having no idea what the woman had fainted about. She obviously wasn’t hurt though, and that meant she didn’t have to turn on sympathy mode. Kotone’s  mouth twisted into her cocky grin as she continued playing with the bucket, her amber eyes flickered with playfulness. She was in a good mood despite the interruption. This poor woman was going to have to put up with it.

Fayte awoke with a sputter, gasping as the cold water doused her face. She sat up abruptly, eyes wide from the shock. Quickly she tried to collect herself, looking up at the offending person who'd dropped the water on her. "....." Fayte grew very silent. The girl matched Kotone's description. And, well... this was supposedly her house. What was she supposed to say to her? Fayte wasn't certain what had happened herself. She had peaked in and seen all those plushies, and then... and then! She took a deep breath, calming herself.

"No, I... I'm very sorry," she apologized. She had been looking in the room, but there was no reason for Kotone to suspect that for real. This was a strange place to faint in, certainly, but at least it was before she broke into the house. If she'd busted in and then fainted... that would certainly require more explaining. Slowly Fayte rose to her feet, testing her balance. She seemed steady enough. "In truth, I'm not entirely sure what happened, either..." She squeezed some of the water from her hair. At this angle, Kotone was completely in the window sill, and Fayte couldn't see inside. Had she been hallucinating? Was that place for real? ...She wanted to see what was inside, but... it was a bit of an odd request, and one she couldn't justify making.

"My name is Fayte," she introduced herself quietly. If this was just a stranger, she wouldn't bother. But if this was Kotone... she had to find out. Sometimes the easiest way to get information was to simply share her own, through common curtesy. "This is certainly a bad place to fall unconscious... You have my gratitude." Out of habit, she gave a light bow typical of Hosenka. She wasn't actually grateful. That water had been a pretty rude way to wake her up. But she could act, at least a little, if it was for the sake of the mission.

Kotone thought this woman was rather odd, but wasn’t particularly concerned. She probably wouldn’t have been the most concerned person anyway, when it came to suspicious people, even if she knew who this woman was. Still, fainting at random was a bit of a concerning thing on its own. “Look, you should ah, probably come inside,” she told the woman, closing the window and reappearing a moment later around the corner of the house.  She looked rather chipper, because she felt it.  “The water thing might have been a bit much. But it sounded fun at the time. I try to behave a bit more in my hometown so I don’t get kicked out or anything…” she chuckled lightly. “Seriously though, come inside so we’ll know for sure it won’t happen again.”

Kotone brushed her hands against her short shorts as she led Fayte back inside. There were a few plushies around in the main room/kitchen area in addition to the army of them in her room, and it was actually decorated in a rather bright and feminine style. She didn’t normally let people in, especially not people she wanted to maintain an image around. She moved and threw her bag and her jacket and regular skirt and things on the ground and gestured to the couch. “You can take the couch, though if you feel faint again the bed is fine. It’s barely used by me.” She wasn’t announcing who she was, but it was obvious she wasn’t exactly concerned with Fayte finding out either.

Come... in...side? Fayte froze at the words. Her eyes were wide, and it wasn't any amount of acting. Go inside that house? The one she'd seen with all those plushies? That must have been a dream... no one could own so many... no one would put them out on display like that. Possibly a child would, but Kotone didn't look like a child. Young maybe, but not a child. "I.... I.... can't...." She choked, so quietly that Kotone likely wouldn't hear it. She couldn't enter that place. What would happen? Would she faint again?

But oh, she wanted to enter. Unconsciously her feet were already moving, bringing her closer to the paradise. Any thought of this woman's identity had left her. Fayte had forgotten her mission, or she would have picked up that Kotone failed to give her name. No, Fayte had a new goal now. She had to get inside. Had to confirm whether the utopia existed or not. Fayte entered, but she couldn't move her head. Steady breathes. She had to be careful not to faint again. Finally she dared to move her head around.

The decorations were the kind Fayte dreamed of. The kind she wanted to have so very badly, but didn't dare in Shadow Heart, where appearance was everything. Kotone's house was full of girly looking colors and frills, packed with plushies around the most random of corners, although it didn't quite match the extent of the bedroom. Like a ghost, Fayte moved to the couch, completely and utterly silent, practically gliding, and extremely pale. The seat she took on the couch lacked her normal grace, the furniture creaking in protest. She didn't dare enter the bedroom even with the door being open; she didn't even dare look in its direction. "Thank... you..." She whispered, trying desperately not to faint again. To be in here was a great privilege, one she would remember for the rest of her life...

Kotone was pretty sure this odd woman was fine, but she certainly acted like she could faint again at any moment. She just sat there… looking in a daze. She was pretty sure at this woman wasn’t right in the head or something, because the euphoric look on her face made Kotone wonder what the woman was thinking. The dragon slayer crossed her arms, tilting her head to look at Fayte as she leaned more on her right leg and thought about what she was supposed to do with a house guest. She never had house guests; she was never at home.

Finally, her guest choked out the words ‘thank you,’ looking as pale as ever. Was she intimidated by Kotone? She might know who she was, after all. It wasn’t like Kotone kept it a secret these days. “You don’t have to be afraid of me, you know.” Kotone told her, flashing her a grin that just barely revealed her dragon-like fangs. “I promise I don’t bite. I also don’t make a habit of intimidating random women… Anymore.” No, Kotone was actively not chasing people away now. If she was, Fayte would have never made it inside. Who was this woman anyway? She didn’t smell like she was from Hosenka, now that she’d spent a couple of minutes with her. She had Hosenka’s smell on her… but no, there were definitely other smells; smells picked up while traveling. “Are you traveling here from somewhere?” she finally asked, more for conversation than anything.

Fayte took a deep breath, and calmed herself. This was irrational behavior. She had no reason to be so terrified. Getting somewhat a grip, she managed to look at Kotone as she spoke... and noticed the strange fangs when she flashed the smile. There were rumors that such fangs indicated a Dragon Slayer, but it wasn't quite enough for proof. "Yes," Fayte answered her question, assuming there was a reason for her asking. For now, she preferred to avoid her association with Hosenka; it would be easier for someone to track her with that information. "I travel all across Fiore, and only recently came to Hosenka." That much was true... she technically 'lived' in Crocus, but work took her to many parts of Fiore. She didn't want to elaborate though, as that would just be more to cover up.

"I'm sorry if I seemed strange," she said quietly. "I'm not used to such kindness." Her intonation was completely dead. It was true enough, which made it harder to emphasize. With just the slightest change of intonation at the end of her sentences, she could do the 'shy' persona. That was why she normally chose it when she acted - it wasn't too extreme. But there were still times, closer to the truth, when she slipped into her monotone self. Kotone was like the secret version of Fayte that she wanted to be. Her decoration spoke of her femininity, but she wasn't inclined to talk cutesy. No, from their short interactions, the girl before Fayte seemed quite frank.

"Your teeth are quite long. Are you certain you won't bite?" Fayte asked, managing enough intonation to be clear that she was joking. But also a path into a possible explanation, if Kotone chose to take it. "If you don't mind me asking, why would you try to scare women?" Some reason to scare off visitors, perhaps? Kotone had invited her inside, so she didn't seem very secretive... at least not now.

So this woman was some sort of traveler. Was she a wizard then? Kotone caught the scent that smelled a bit like a bird from the woman, but that could easily be explained as her liking birds. Kotone’s arms were rested on her hips as she eyed the woman who was finally speaking up in front of her. She probably came to enjoy the spas, Kotone assumed, seeing as how that was the town’s main attraction to tourists. “Don’t worry about the kindness thing. It wasn’t much," Kotone waved off. “All in a day’s work for a wizard, right?” she asked with a shrug.

Fayte seemed to notice her fangs, not that Kotone tried to hide them. They were just more noticeable when she grinned, which she supposed she must have done a moment ago. She hadn’t really noticed. Then again she’d been amused by something, so it wasn’t surprising. Kotone chuckled at the question. “What kind of girl would run around biting random women? Or people in general, for that matter?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. “I used to try to run people off. I guess I was and am a bit of a loner. I don’t much like people trying to push their way into my space or my business, and I got more defensive about it for awhile.” Kotone moved over and leaned against the nearby wall, crossing her arms.

Her tongue idly brushed up against one of her fangs as she eyed Fayte. “I guess I should explain the teeth. I’m Kotone Hoshino. You’ve probably heard of me even if you don’t believe that I’m the one from the stupid exaggerated stories. Spell Breaker? Ice Dragon Slayer? Heroine who’s as smart and cool as she is pretty and strong?” Kotone grinned. Stories were fun. She enjoyed entertaining the idea that that last one was as true as the first two, and being her, she would of course insist it, whether or not she believed it herself.

Fayte was watching with far more interest than her deadpan expression would have let on. This woman was a wizard. She was telling more and more. The truth was rarely flattering and so Fayte believed her when she talked about trying to run people off. It was strange to hear that now, especially since she had invited Fayte into her house. But then again... with this kind of decorating... she likely lived alone.

But the next part was a little hard to take in. Kotone Hoshino. Fayte had heard about her. Of course, because she was supposedly the legendary dragon slayer. And with her announcing her title like that... this was how the rumors got started. "You're the ice dragon slayer?" Fayte repeated, no emotion flickering on her face. Was that really something a dragon slayer would announce? But... her last story had seemed hardly glamorous or one someone would want to share. She didn't strike Fayte as the bragging type... but that's what it was, whether it was true or not. Curiously she looked at Kotone. "Aren't they supposed to be legendary wizards?" She asked, even though she knew the answer. "I didn't think there were any, or at least not any that would introduce themselves as one. How do I know you're really the ice dragon slayer?" Finding out she was a dragon slayer was different than just hearing a proclamation.

“You’re the Ice Dragon Slayer? Aren’t they supposed to be legendary wizards?” Kotone opened her mouth, but was interrupted as Fayte finished her thought. “I didn’t think there were any, or at least not any that would introduce themselves as one. How do I know you’re really a dragon slayer?”

“What? Do I not look legendary enough for you? Can’t a hero be strong *and* a pretty girl?” she asked Fayte in a bit of a pushy tone. She had heard this stuff for years now. People weren't prone to believing a seventeen year old could be a dragon slayer. She was in her twenties at least, and taller, and a supermodel who was also a genius, and who knew what else? Legends were stupid.

Kotone deflated a bit. “You’d think people would bother remembering what I looked like if I’m worth talking about…” she grumbled semi-audibly. Before standing straight up again, crossing her arms and giving Fayte a big, exaggerated grin. “I guess you’d just have to see me in action and decide for yourself,” Kotone told her non-believing guest. “I’m pretty sure I could sit here and turn into a dragon and there would be people questioning where the real ice dragon slayer was just because I don’t fit their ideals.” Kotone puffed her chest out a bit and stuck out her tongue like she was disgusted, emphasizing people’s general stupidity when it came to listening to her.

Fayte blinked at Kotone. Appearances had nothing to do with it. First of all, that implied that Fayte had a predetermined idea on what a dragon slayer would look like... and she didn't. However, she did have a predetermined idea on how a dragon slayer would act. They weren't legendary and mythical because they announced their image to the public. Kotone seemed a little indignant at Fayte's blatant disbelief, but not surprised. This was a response she was used to, then. Even going so far as sticking her tongue out against the nameless people who would doubt her if she transformed into a dragon.

This girl really didn't care about how childish she appeared. How nice it must be, to live in whatever fashion she desired, acting immature and collecting a utopia of plushies. "Then... I suppose I would need to see you in action, and decide myself," Fayte agreed. Kotone had said it herself; had practically left the door open. "I might not look it, but I'm actually quite skilled in combat." Actually, Fayte did look it. She towered above most men, and her sinewy form peaked out beneath her black jacket, the clothe tight enough to reveal her form. It was just that with her quite voice, her tendency to trail off, she could play the 'shy' persona. Maybe it wasn't playing. She exaggerated it a bit for Kotone, but it was still pretty close to the real mark. "How about... a friendly sparring match? I would appreciate the opportunity to face a real dragon slayer." Face completely blank, Fayte watched for Kotone's reaction. Kotone had certainly talked herself up enough that turning down a challenge would make her seem less believable. But then Kotone didn't always act how Fayte would have predicted.

Kotone should have expected a challenge from Fayte. She was tall and built like a fighter. Kotone was experienced enough to notice, she’d just been more concerned with the woman’s fainting and strange shyness. She blinked for a moment, but then the fact that she was challenging her because she wasn’t sure if she could believe her or not dawned on her. “I warn you, I’m a lot tougher than I look,” she told Fayte. Kotone’s strength came more from her magic than actually working out, so she looked like a pretty average seventeen year old. She raised an eyebrow, her fangs revealed once again with the cocky grin that grew across her face. She loved a good challenge, like most dragon slayers as far as he could tell.

“I’ll accept, if you think you can keep from fainting.” It sounded a bit rude, but she honestly meant it as a bit of concern, considering she’d found her passed out outside of her bedroom window. “I know a place not far from here. C’mon.” Kotone’s lunch was temporarily forgotten about, but at least she’d taken it off the burner. Sid could keep napping on his giant plushy bed. Kotone grabbed her katana and left the house, waiting for Fayte to follow. When she did, she took Fayte to an empty lot on the edge of town. Once they arrived, Kotone stood there, looking more relaxed than she did ready to fight. “Alright, I’m ready when you are.”

Fayte knew that Kotone was probably strong. If the rumors had started, then it was likely she had proven her strength to someone. Well, she had gone around saying she was a dragon slayer, so there was that too... it was hard to know what to believe, but Fayte didn't judge solely on appearances. If this girl really was that strong... Fayte was looking forward to it. One of the best ways to get stronger was to fight opponents of equal or greater strength - provided one didn't die in the process. But this wasn't intended to be a fight to the death.

"You would do best to worry about yourself," Fayte answered Kotone's taunt. Maybe not an intentional taunt, but one that was hard to ignore. As long as Kotone didn't pull out any surprise kittens, Fayte was certain she would remain conscious. Once they moved to position, Fayte scanned the area. They were away from the main portion of town - it was good to keep civilians away from this. Fayte had no desire to be discovered or recognized, especially in the presence of a dragon slayer. It also meant that Kotone expected the ensuing fight to use a lot of their magic. Good; that meant Kotone was taking her seriously. The terrain was level ground and Fayte figured she wouldn't be able to use too much of the terrain to her advantage here; it was going to be a direct fight.

"I won't try to kill you, but I'm not going to hold back," Fayte said. Her body glowed as she summoned forth magical energy. Black wings grew, her nails becoming like long claws. This fight would inevitably entail magic and Fayte wanted to be ready. Besides, Kotone had been upfront and revealed herself as an ice dragonslayer - so Fayte would show her the same and reveal her takeover powers as well. "However, if in the odd chance you should die, I will be certain to take good care of your plushie collection." She realized that might have sounded too forward... "Um, I mean I'll find someone to give them a nice home."

Kotone flashed a grin that revealed her fangs in full when Fayte told her that she would do best to worry about herself. Just who was this woman who wasn’t intimidated by the thought of fighting a dragon slayer, even if they weren’t sure she truly was one. She was either brave, stupid, or stronger than she looked. Suddenly, she seemed to change before Kotone’s eyes, growing birdlike talons on her fingers, black wings grew out of her back; this woman was a user of takeover magic. Kotone could practically smell the difference in forms. It wasn’t just magic, it was a separate creature she was combining her forms with.

“You don’t have to worry about me, fainting harpy girl,” Kotone told her, getting excited at the idea of this fight. “I’m a lot tougher than I look, and I’d never leave my plushie collection alone in the world without me.” Kotone slowly drew her Katana from its sheathe, the ring of steel resounding even in the open area. She was skilled enough with a blade after using her ice sword for years that she could use a weapon as deadly as that mostly nonlethally. She hadn’t actually killed anyone in years. She preferred not to.

Closing her eyes momentarily, the air around Kotone dropped in temperature as she let her natural magic power loose. As she let out a breath, she opened her eyes, which momentarily reflected the icy blue of her magic before fading to their normal amber color. The ground around her started frosting over despite the warm summer day. “Your move, Fainting Girl.”

The temperature had dipped dramatically. Fayte could not only feel it, but see her breath coming out in little white puffs. Even without a single blow, Fayte knew Kotone had to be strong - there was no other explanation for the shift in weather. Her eyes flickered to the katana, before back to Kotone. "Very well," Fayte agreed simply. She straight at Kotone, seeming to go for a direct attack...

Mid-run, her form began to shift again. The rest of her body transformed into a full Harpy, erasing any part of her human self, only her face remaining the same. Her clothes were gone, replaced by the feathers, even her feet were talons. Her speed spiked abruptly, her full form granting her even greater powers. If her purpose was to assess Kotone, then Fayte needed to make sure she was on the same level. She would expend more magic than a normal mission if it coaxed out Kotone's dragon abilities. This fight didn't need to be long, just worthwhile.

It had been some time since Fayte went into her full Harpy form. She felt everything more accutely, including the cold, and yet there was something so much more liberating about this form. Her senses were heightened, able to see even small details from far away. Show me what you can do, Kotone Hoshino! Fayte would first see how well Kotone could do with keeping up with her speed... a single stray katana stroke and Fayte would strike in retaliation...

175/200:

Kotone was mildly surprised at Fayte’s incredible speed as she shifted into her full harpy form. She didn’t show it beyond a slight widening of her eyes, though, bringing up her sword and flipping it up defensively as she used the back of the blade to deflect Fayte without doing any real harm, stepping away as she did so in case there was a second attack. In return, Kotone’s free hand flipped forward as if she were throwing a small disk, ice shuriken forming and leaving her hand as she threw her arm forward. The objects were more blunted than usual, but it most certainly wouldn’t feel good if it hit her.

As the threw the shuriken, she moved back again, constantly moving and assessing to make up for her lack of speed; she’d fought Tatsuma twice now, and he was one of the fastest wizards she’d faced in her entire life. Fayte wasn’t too far behind. She didn’t stop there either; as she moved back, she continued her assault, shouting “Ice Dragon Roar!” as a beam of concentrated cold energy fired at Fayte, widening as it went. After that, she assumed a defensive stance. Any more attacking would be foolish; she needed to think of defense as well when fighting someone so much faster, just like her father had taught her.

MP 250/300:

There was a metallic screech as Fayte's claws scratched against the katana. The two combatants stepped back simultaneously; Fayte reassessing her opponent. A projectile... Fayte recognized the motion as Kotone lifted her hands. Fayte twisted on her talon, summoning forth a vortex of wind around her. The fierce winds derailed the original path of the shuriken, the weapons harmlessly to the side. She had just spun a full 360 when she heard Kotone's shout: “Ice Dragon Roar!”

Fayte's eyes widened ever so slightly. The legendary attack of the dragon slayers - Fayte now faced the swirl of energy. Fayte crossed her arms and raised them to protect her face, but there was no way she could escape this attack after deflecting the last blow. The ice winds raged about her, whipping her long hair back frantically, the chill ringing her bones. When at last the attack ended, Fayte looked up. Her breath came in small white puffs, the cold still lingering despite the attack's end.

"That roar - you are indeed the legendary ice dragon slayer," Fayte acknowledged. "Even without it, I could tell as soon as we started that you would be a fierce opponent. Although you have very much proved your claim, I can't help but see this as an opportunity. It isn't every day that one gets to fight a dragon slayer. I hope you don't mind if we continue, just for a bit longer." Shadow Heart had told her to confirm the ice dragon slayer's identity, and if possible, find out the extent of her skills. But this was more than just that. If Kotone was really a legendary opponent, then Fayte wanted to fight her.

Fayte's body began to glow a faint green. The ice from that last attack would slow her down, and she didn't want that. Her approach to combat was simple - overwhelm the opponent. With the buff increasing her speed, she chased after Kotone again...

MP 147/200:

Kotone’s grin widened to reveal her fangs as Fayte acknowledged Kotone to be a strong opponent. That was one of the few things Kotone had ever allowed herself to desire. She wanted to be strong. To be strong enough not to have to depend on others, really, though that had backfired a bit. It wasn’t her only goal at this point, but it was most certainly the main one. She had a lot of ways she needed to work on being stronger. “Hey, it’s your funeral, Harpy Lady,” the dragon slayer said through a fang-filled grin, ready for her to attack. She was passionate about a good fight as well, and was lost to the heat of the battle.

Fayte didn’t waste time, that much was for sure. Kotone stepped back as the creature she had become glowed a faint green, and promptly took off at a higher speed than before, even with the frost still coating her wings. Kotone brought up her sword to deflect Fayte’s attack, but she was stronger than she looked, even in harpy form, and Kotone allowed the attack to hit her weapon a little more directly than she’d meant to. Her punishment for the mistake was to lose her sword to the ground about ten feet away, hearing it land with a metal clanging sound. She didn’t miss a beat though, throwing a kick at the harpy as she recovered. “Color me impressed as well, Takeover wizard,” she told the woman with a confident grin, whether she got hit or not.

In response to the lost Katana, a sword of ice formed in Kotone’s hand. She wasn’t about to face a fearsome creature such as this without a way of stinging back. “You want to see who’s strongest then?” she asked, a shard of ice forming over her shoulder as she asked. “Let’s find out!” With that, Kotone lunged, trying to overwhelm Fayte as well. As she lunged, the ice shard flew towards Fayte at an even faster pace. Kotone had modified her spells not to do anything more than cause bruises, at least, so if it hit it would ping off of her hard and shatter, rather than impale as it was designed to do. When Kotone reached her target, she sliced again.

MP 215/300:

They both were in agreement, then. The fight would continue until one of them chose not to, though Fayte suspected it would be herself. Fayte's swipe slammed the katana out of Kotone's grip. Although that was clearly Kotone's weakest form of attack - it was the ice dragon abilities and spells that gave her the true edge. Then again, if she was proficient enough in the sword, Fayte would have been unable to disarm her. Still, Fayte's attack had committed herself, and she wasn't quite fast enough. Kotone's ensuing kick hit her squarely in her chest, and Fayte danced away immediately. There was no telling what other tricks she would try.

Her eyes narrowed. Like Fayte had anticipated, Kotone was trying a new tactic. The chunk of ice forming over Kotone's head was huge... Fayte either needed to find some way to avoid it or dodge it completely. That was clearly not a hit she wanted to take. If this was a battle to the death, Fayte would have tried to seal Kotone's magic at the beginning of the fight. The most dangerous techniques were useless until they were used. But this wasn't a fight to the death, it was about assessment, and honestly she preferred it this way.

That still meant she had a giant icicle and dragon slayer coming her way. Fayte managed to dodge the brunt of the attack, but it was a close call. The icicle grazed her arm; the hit would have been much more severe without her haste buff. "I won't go down easily..." She dashed in again, her wings filling with magical energy. Kotone had already created another sword, which could be a problem without proper care. With a great gust, Fayte slammed her harpy wings forward. A cone of wind came out, flattening the grass and knocking down whatever got in its range.

MP 116/200:

Kotone’s blows were glancing at best – a testament to Fayte’s speed. She was pretty sure harpies weren’t the most resilient creatures, if she remembered correctly, so her speed was doing as good a job of keeping her safe as any armor. She was having a good time, even if this wasn’t the most intense fight she’d ever been in. That didn’t make it easy though, and she knew that she could lose if she got careless.

“Good,” Kotone told Fayte when she told the dragon slayer she refused to be defeated. She slashed with the sword again, this time more defensively than offensively as she backed off. The sword flew out of her grip as she was shoved backwards by the rough wind. “I’d hate for this to be too easy!” With that, as Kotone got just barely out of arm’s reach, she shoved her arms outward as a dome of ice surrounded the pair. Normally it was used as a shield… but up close like this, it got rid of the bird’s mobility, and stopped Kotone from flying backwards any further.

Kotone shoved off of the dome. As she stepped forward, her free hand grew what would have normally been razor-sharp ice claws, though once again she was holding back so as to not hurt Fayte too badly; at least not beyond what was required in a sparring match. With luck, she’d get Fayte to admit defeat before the dome shattered from either an attack by Fayte, or through running out of time before the dome naturally collapsed.

MP 175/300:

Kotone was finally on the defensive, blocking attacks instead of hurling more magic. Fayte continued to press her advantage; now that it was within her grasp. She had to make the best of what she had quickly, before Kotone turned it around. She paused only when she sensed Kotone gathering more magic. Abruptly the dome covered the both of them, sealing off their space. Just like that, she'd been trapped in a smaller space. It was like Kotone had purposely lured Fayte into overcommitting. Speed wouldn't be much use without the proper area.

She saw the attack coming, but could do little against it. Kotone rebounded off the wall, quickly hurling against Fayte. She tried to twist away, but the dome limited her mobility. The claws struck her against the side. It would have been an extremely heavy blow without Kotone limiting her magic. It still hurt, but she wasn't in danger of bleeding out. The wind was knocked out of her; Fayte collapsed to one knee and panted. Her pride wanted to continue the fight... but she knew logically that she would be in far worse shape, if this wasn't a 'sparring' match. Besides, there was no reason to continue any further. She already had seen a good amount of Kotone's skills and powers.

"That's enough," Fayte conceded, voice surprisingly even despite her quiet panting. Her harpy form vanished, replaced with the same Fayte that Kotone had met earlier. In her normal human form, she couldn't use any spells - this was akin to her laying down her weapon. The fight was over. Because Fayte worked so hard to be strong, it was hard to admit defeat. Her pride insisted that she should win. But Master Xian Fei had taught her to remain humble, for that was the best way to grow. Recognizing that she had lost was a way to reflect on her mistakes, and train to become stronger. She rose to her feet. "Thank you, Kotone Hoshino. I am glad I could face you." Was she glad? She was fairly certain it was close to the truth.

Kotone flourished her sword sheathing, standing up straight and letting out a breath she’d been holding while on the offensive. She wore an almost cocky grin, but she still held out a hand to Fayte when she admitted defeat. “It was a fun exercise,” Kotone agreed. It had actually not been easy. Speedy opponents never were, even ones weaker than Fayte. She was lucky that Tatsuma had given her so much practice in their two previous fights.

Kotone was even more stubborn than Fayte. Pride or no, admitting defeat was hard, and she knew it. “You know,” she comforted the young woman, “I’m pretty sure if my little trick hadn’t worked you would have had a pretty good chance.” Plus, she’d taught Kotone that such a tactic might work on a speedy wizard in the future. Every little bit of experience helped, right?

“Care to come back by my place? You might as well rest up a bit after that.” Kotone was panting too. She needed rest as badly as she expected Fayte did. Plus… she’d remembered she was actually quite hungry. “Also I haven’t had lunch. Want some noodles?” Even Kotone hated to eat alone when someone else was in her company.

Fayte shook her head when Kotone mentioned the trick. Combat was combat. It didn't matter what tactic it took to win, it was still a win. There was no excuse. ...But it had been a fun fight. It would have been more fun if Fayte had won, but the fight was still enjoyable. She stared at the offered hand, and hesitated. She knew what it meant; knew it was a gesture of goodwill. But something about taking the woman's hand made Fayte freeze up. It had nothing to do with their fight, or Fayte's feelings, it was just... Well if that wasn't it, why was she hesitating? Slowly her hand inched up to meet Kotone's. When she finally did grip her hand, Fayte's grasp was weak; unsure of itself. She dropped it as soon as she was able to.

She stared at Kotone when the dragon slayer offered her company. Rest? And lunch? It was hard to believe what she was hearing. Why would Kotone do that? Did she expect to get something? People didn't really do that for free, did they? Fayte was a little lost again. ...She wanted to think that Kotone was just being nice. Now that they had fought in a sparring match, perhaps they were a little closer. It was certainly an honest way of gauging each other. Well... as honest as one could be in Shadow Heart. Slowly Fayte nodded her head. "That sounds...... nice," she admitted, gaze suddenly too shy to meet Kotone. She wasn't sure why anyone would want to have her company; she wasn't exactly the best conversationalist. "If... you don't mind, that is..."