New Beginning 22: Once Upon a New Beginning...

[Zaleramancer]

"The official currency of the Nth Dimensional nation of Florthanx." I say as a bookie's desk appears before me. My shadow drops a few flickering hyper-cube bills and I take the silvery coins, carefully writing down her bet.

 I continue, "I like going there. Wonderful art work. I have to leave my shadow pinned to a wall here after she almost ate two cities."

"I was hungry! No one would have misse-"

"I keep you well fed as it is... Hey, perhaps that Humunculus fellow would like a fight with you?"  

[Celadon's Penultimate]

 Indeed, quite true.

(Except the apple. Hopefully, they've learned from the last time...)

[Zaleramancer]

Hmmm.

"Say, is it possible that Hera might like to have tea with me sometime?" I inquire of the Wulf.

[Celadon's Penultimate]

The Penultimate grins at the inquiry.

"Sure, why not? I'm sure she'd love time away from whatever the others are busying her with, about now. Though, she's not on call. She'll need some prior notice, I imagine."

[Zaleramancer]

"Perhaps for sometime later then. I need to expand my social circle somewhat."

[The Narrator]

"Hey you guys" Narrator calls out, "I've never really encountered a
worthy opponent where I'm from, except this one guy a while back on AE
but I've never truly battled against an enemy worthy of my time. In my
home world I usually just wave my hand and alter plans, or mess with
my physics teachers.  Would I be able to challenge anyone here to a
duel?  I've been watching so long I feel you all need to be able to
get the epic randomness that is I, The Narrator"

[Marvelous Miscreant]

I'm always open to a challenge. I just have to finish off Brutus first.

[The Narrator]

No prob bob, I can wait, patience is my middle name....

[Celadon's Penultimate]

Marvelous Miscreant wrote

I'm always open to a challenge. I just have to finish off Brutus first.

Finish Brutus off? Well, dang.

[Marvelous Miscreant]

We both know what I meant.

[Celadon's Penultimate]

 Yeah, I know, but dang...

"First, I just gotta go kill this guy. Then we can go for smoothies. Kay?"

[The Narrator]

I love smoothies

[Gentleman Vaultboy]

"Please," Load says to no one. " The art that flows out of Florthanx produces some of the most meaningless, shallow, 'abstract for the sake of it' pieces I've ever seen."

"Also, from the position you've put yourself in, something like me could force it's way out of every orifice in your body if It wanted to. And not in the fun way, either. Just in case you run into something else like me and decide to look in on him." He says, conversationally.

Maupin and even Sherman were looking at him like he was a crazy person.

[Celadon's Penultimate]

Brutus picks up the picture, and smirks, "Hmph. Remind me to commission you for a self-portrait, some time. And the top hat was a nice touch, I must admit."

His face then drops into something less amused, and he hurries back to the wall. Rather than disappearing back into it, though, the butler puts his right hand up to it. Blue energy channels from the wall to his hand, and he pulls from it the Greatsword, Babaraina.

And then, he plunges the sword forward, into the wall again. It does not dissolve into energy, but rather slips, through all the way to the hilt, like a key through a keyhole. From around the guard, there begins to emerge a web-like pattern of ancient rune inscriptions, similar to those which decorate the Penultimate's clothes.

Why the Miscreant hadn't decided to attack again, just yet, Brutus was unaware, but he certainly knew better than to sit idly contemplating it. As soon as the rune pattern had filled the wall, Brutus' eyes were aglow once more. Babaraina's blade turned horizontally, and the pattern shone somewhat brighter.

He looked to the wall on the opposite end of the battlefield, and then to the wall behind the spectator stands, then the wall across from them, then the ceiling, then the floor. At a mere glance, each lit up with the same arcane pattern. And then, without warning, beams of blazing blue energy erupt from all sides, from each wall, the ceiling, the floor. They entirely ignore Brutus standing by the wall, and bypass the watchers in the stands, and converge on Marv's location, as an energy grid.

And when that grid has completely occupied the room, the colors begin to rapidly oscillate through all the colors of the rainbow, each color representing energy-equivalents of the elements.

(Red- fire, Orange- earth, Yellow- electricity, Green- plant, Blue- water, Indigo- mind/soul, Violet- wind)

[Celadon's Penultimate]

 "Well, I dunno. I kinda like Florthanxian art. They're kinda like 'B' movies that are surprisingly good, for being so obscure. It's the Fehr-le'thain I don't much care for. They are truly vulgar. Did you know they have 4,964 different curse words in their vocabulary, and some of them are only expressible in pictures? And I think you might be surprised just how often those dirty words come up."

Something happens on the battlefield, and things light up...literally. Naturally, the Penultimate's interest is piqued.

"Oh, hey, look! Something's happening!"

[Gentleman Vaultboy]

"Wow!"

"Don't stare Sherman, you'll have a seizure."

Load, meanwhile, scoffs. "That was by far the most high strung place we've ever stumbled across. They didn't even have a word for relax. I'm not a violent man but let me tell you, I was tempted to devour that entire system for a sin like that." The thing in human form assumes a more comfortable slouch in his seat. Maupin looks at his oddly. "What?" he asks.

"How did this become a party line?"

"Well, that ones spying on me, and that one has some sort of god communion thing going on if his butler is any indication. I pretty much fit that bill."

[Celadon's Penultimate]

The Penultimate's eyes glaze over harmlessly to withstand the lightshow, and he continues, "Heh...typically, people think I'm being pretentious when I say the Fehr-le'thain are party-holic snobs, but really. As much as I hate to say it, the hedonism of the Fehr-le'thain knows no bounds, as far as I know. No offense to anyone here who might have any for friends or loved ones, of course."

[Zaleramancer]

I chuckle, "You I like. Sass is so hard to come by. You shouldn't underestimate me."

Several branches of relay circuity begin to buzz in the background as a larger portion of my mind filters in to take a peek. Many voices speak in congress, silent to all but the bug.

I am more than I appear. If you can get to me, I can get to you. I am a labyrinth that lives, a thousand souls moving in congress. I am an ecosystem that thinks and lives.  

I am Zale. And who are you?

[Humunculi]

The Innocent one: In a curious child like voice "Mr. Zale, why do you keep trying to find someone else to play a game of fight with me?"

[Philote]

From what I know of her powers, that match up might turn out a bit awkward

Maybe we could do a sparring match, not some full blown brawl, besides he is not even the strongest from your dimension right? You have that council of elementals, and titans, and stuff.