Class is in session!

[Shantotto]

[glow=teal,2,300]Among the many shelfs of books, Shantotto and her Cardians of three stood at her side. Watching from her orb, she has seen something, extraordinary. A being capable to control all that is inanimate. With a curious grin and evil gleam in her eye, she created a rift to summon Sir Arthur Cornelius Tweed-bottom to her study.

"My rules for engagement are nothing more than a few simple trials. Should you fail any of my exams, you must yield your skills and end your denials... Oh dear and have I mentioned? You're not here in glory or fame, your simply here to entertain! O~hohohohohohoh

The time has come Sir Tweed-bottom, Class is in Session!!!"[/glow]

[Sir Tweedbottom]

Arthur had materialised himself a chair to sit on as he listened to the small mage's proposition. Normally he would've made himself scarce, but the thing is, when you're a nigh-immortal eldritch abomination, one tends to get bored rather quickly. These trials would surely provide him with as much entertainment as it would this TaruTaru.

"Very well then, I accept! When do we begin?"

[Shantotto]

"Very well then, I accept! When do we begin?"

[glow=teal,2,300]Shantotto watched as the man with a top hat stepped through her rift. He glanced around before making a chair appear out of thin air and spoke calmly to the Taru. "O~hohohoho! I see I've found a wondrous subject. Your abilities are most interesting, this I must interject."

She stepped down from her stool and began to walk to the stout man now sitting. She stopped only a couple feet from him. She was not afraid, and oddly enough she wasn't compelled to destroy. She simply spoke to the man. "You are now my subject of the day, here is my study and in it you'll stay. The Castle Oblivion is one of a kind, and within it's walls no exit shall you find. Complete my trials and my respect you shall earn. What more could anyone possibly yearn!?!"

She pointed to a Cardian Guard and beckoned it to come. From the opposite end of the room the Cardian, Ace of Diamonds came to Shantotto's side. "These you see are my Cardian guards. Pay no mind to their innocent bardes, they like myself are quick and vicious. Your first trial is to destroy my Cardian defense. Break its spells, or within my study you shall dwell."

The Cardian began to release an ominous aura that made the air dense and heavy. Shantotto stepped back several feet, while her other two Cardian's followed behind. She would create a rift to consuming all of her books and orb of time, and send them to a place of safety. All that was left was her and her subject.

The Cardian, Ace of Diamonds slammed it's flimsy looking staff to the ground creating a massive ripple effect. "L&*et*#US@$N&o*%wBe$Gin$%!!!"[/glow]

[Sir Tweedbottom]

Arthur squinted his eyes at Shantotto's knack for rhyming her sentences. He despised rhyming, it was such a waste of time. But his preferences were of no importance right now, as the first Cardian's aggressive attitude held a higher priority. Oh how very threatening, it was flexing its metaphorical muscles! It was not the only one who could do so.

"Watch your footing, little automaton!"

A black flame engulfed his figure, shooting upwards and converging in a twisted spire. The shockwave that accompanied this phenomenon would've reduced a small house to rubble, but no such effects could manifest in the area they were in.

"I'll be a sport, you get a head start and I won't make your undoing too painful. How about it?"

[Shantotto]

[glow=teal,2,300]From afar in the room, Shantotto could be seen hovering a few feet in the air. She was around the same height as her Cardian's.

She chuckled, as the fun had just begun. Tweed-bottom was heard speaking but she like her Cardian's simply ignored it. It was what came after the chirping or the man that interested Shantotto. As the man was engulfed in a spire of flame, energy was surged throughout. Her small simply cloth robes rippled in the wind of the energy. She began to smile.[/glow]

"I'll be a sport, you get a head start and I won't make your undoing too painful. How about it?"

[glow=teal,2,300]"O~hoho, So sure are we of your skill? We shall see who gets the kill." Said Shantotto from afar. Just then the Cardian began a massive chain of spells that seemed to flair up one after another with great speed. A wall of stone, a magical blue aura, it's staff; a frosty hue, a clear shield mirror like in sight came to flourish and quickly vanish, a bright orange hue came to the Cardian in the form of a roman clock.

It's abilities and spells were now recharged and ready. Even though it was given the chance, it all but stood there, quiet and unflinching.[/glow]

[Sir Tweedbottom]

Aha, so the card-being-thing was slightly stronger than he had expected. No matter, it would die all the same. But he still decided to start out easy by summoning a small army of Heartless, varying from the weak Shadow to the annoying Large Body. The peculiar thing about these creatures was that they all were wearing top hats and monocles like their master.

"Handle these, and you will have proven yourself worthy of my attention."

Arthur was honestly hoping this fight would be a good one.

[Shantotto]

[glow=teal,2,300]The battle had finally begun. A massive army of Heartless was summoned around Sir Tweed-bottom. Heartless creatures small and large came to flourish from the ground below.

Shantotto knew of these Heartless creatures, and kept a firm, relentless watch on them all. (They were after all in HER domain. Or maybe she has some chip on her shoulder from recent encounters.) Soon after they were summoned, the Cardian was seen casting and ability, "Co$M%@po*&S#ure&" and a quick colorful spire swirled around the Cardian for a moment. Shortly after "RE*#fr@E&S$*H" was spoke, as a blue and green swirling mist had risen and vanished around the Cardian.

At that time the Heartless began to charge in a unison attack. The Cardian, now took a serious stance and rose its staff in the air. Spinning like a helicopter rooter, and slamming to the ground it shouted "TH*$u#Nd@%aG*A^%II" and a small bead of condensed lightning formed over the heads of the Heartless, exploding downward slamming most of the large Heartless to the ground, and destroying the small ones. Seeing that the bigger ones had yet to be dispatched, within seconds of the first barrage, "S&to$*Nen#G&a@II" was shouted, and massive clumps of stone formed around the remaining Heartless crushing them into the dust from whence they came.

"O~hohoho please how droll." Spoke Shantotto as her Cardian Returned to it's starting position...[/glow]

[Sir Tweedbottom]

Arthur applauded the Cardian on its impressive showcase of magical prowess. It was a slow, ominous clap, one that's usually given in mockery. He ended with a chuckle and rose a gloved hand into the air, aimed at the dozens of Hearts currently floating about. With an audible 'snap' he clasped his fingers into a fist, at which point all Hearts moved towards it as if attracted by a magnet.

A small twinge of rejuvenation spread across his current form, Hearts were such delicious treats, he'd never grow tired of them. But enough about that, he had automatons to destroy.

"Most impressive! Let us get started!"

The eldritch being pulled two flintlock pistols from his trenchcoat and took aim. Time to find out exactly how bulletproof this thing was.

[Shantotto]

[glow=teal,2,300]"O~hohoho, how marvelous! You have been dealing with the Humes I see! Such a unique bunch, you must have done something to receive such boon, indeed." Shantotto never understood the weaponry. Why use such things when complete destruction was so much more fun?

As her ears perked with the interesting ability of Sir Tweed-bottom. Old pistols appeared among the mists of his hands, and were now aimed at the Cardian Guard. The Guardian once again just stood there, as if frozen by time.

Within a few moments, the firing of what seemed like a typewriter echoed through the halls of Shantotto's study. Barrage after barrage of bullets struck the Cardian down where it stood, exploding into mist like smoke from where the came.

The echo would soon cease. The Cardian standing within a cloud of smoke seemed to emerge unscathed as it dissipated. A loud laughter could be heard from Shantotto. "O~hoho! So you do have some wit, I thought for should you had just about quit. I'll give you a... C, at best. Now on with the test!"

As soon as Shantotto spoke those words, the Cardian that seemed to have come out unscathed lowered it's staff. The translucent shield that appeared earlier shimmered vaguely. Soon after chunks of stone in various size and shape began to fall from around the Cardian. It's StoneSkin defense had been broken. Maybe this tweed-bottom wasn't so useless after all...

Shantotto called over for her Cardian, Ace of Hearts to now try it's hand. This was the White Mage of the three. "Now is your chance to try with your very best. Reduce my Cardians life to a critical mess! Remember you are here for a special point, so try not to dissapoint!"[/glow]

[Sir Tweedbottom]

Arthur could only laugh at - or rather, with - Shantotto's enthusiasm. It was quite contagious! His mood was of such good kind that he was completely unfazed by her criticism. He was holding back after all. Unfortunately, him being in a good mood made him generous. And by generous I mean showing off his even darker side, albeit a mere glimpse of it. The pistols disappeared in a small cloud of dust, which promptly vanished as well.

"Do not despair little one! Entertainment has only just begun!" he quipped, mimicking her figure of speech for - as some would say - the 'lulz'.

"But alas, I'll have to disfigure my handsome face, if only there were more aesthetic ways! Artricia, come on out! I have a plaything here that wishes to bout!"

Que a rather rapid gender change. The now feminine cosmic abomination was quite the looker, too bad she faced machines immune to certain 'assets'. Not that this really mattered to her, as her mind was currently of the KILLMAIMBURN-variety. A mad cackle ensued.

"Oh what is this wee little scene? Tiny metal arsemongers trying to oppose moi? How. Bloody. Hilarious!" she mocked with an accent as thick as neutronium.

What followed could only be described as... well, a fairly typical transformation scene really. Artricia, of course laughing madly with an extra slice of ham, dropped to her knees, smashing her fists into the ground in the process. Dark tendrils of mist emerged from her arched spine as her skin and wardrobe morphed into what appeared to be pulsating black ink. In the end, she still looked very much humanoid, albeit hunched forward, with mist sprouting from various spots on her body, and her facial features reduced to two bright yellow eyes which squinted in anticipation.

Those versed in cosmology should recognise this as the infamous 'Anti-Form'.

[Shantotto]

[glow=teal,2,300]“O~hohohoho, such a marvelous display, now pay attention and prepare for spectacular dismay; my Cardian’s power shall not replay!” Shantotto’s voice echoed through the room. It was time for the Cardian to unleash its power, and stand with fortitude.

The Cardian, unwavering to Tweed-bottom’s newly formed persona, it slowly raised its staff tapping it once on the ground to its front. The ground rippled below as if a small leaf or stone fell within a small pool of water. A moment after the Cardian spoke its chain of spells. “H#%as&T*&e” was spoke and a bright display of orange and gold hues flourished in the shape of a clock speeding up the Cardian’s recasting speed. “Af#$FLa&*tUS^M#i%sEr&Y” was next to be cast, along with a many other spells of protection.

After the spells were cast, the Cardian stood ready for attack. A faint white and silver aura seemed to seep out from the ground below the Cardian slowly fading to nothing. “No&*W#%aT$tA^c&*K!IfY@#u%O*CA!n!”
[/glow]

[Sir Tweedbottom]

[glow=black,2,300]The creature let loose an utterly frightening hiss before charging at the Cardian with speeds impossible to track for an ordinary human eye. Granted, the sensory apparatus of a Cardian probably was anything but ordinary, but damned be all if Artricia wasn't nightmarishly fast!

Her laughter seemed to come from everywhere at once as she began to ram into the Cardian's defences again and again. The tendrils of dark mist began to transform into clawing, inhuman hands, adding their force to each blow. She eventually came to a full stop behind her automated opponent, dragging black trails of flame across the floor as she skidded to a halt.

"I wonn'a hear SQUEALS FROM YOUR VOICEBOX!"

At this point her random twitching and extensive drooling (of an ink-like substance) resembled that of a rabid animal. The insanity of Sir Tweedbottom had surface once again.
[/glow]

[Shantotto]

[glow=teal,2,300]Articia began her attack against the Cardian. Blow after blow the Cardian stood its place, which it seemed to be waiting for the relentless barrage to end.

Off in the distance, Shantotto could be seen laughing as Articia landed each attack. If Articia hadn't noticed, Shantotto sure did, for each attack that landed there was a gleam of bright white light that would cure the Cardian in its place. Its stoneskin took the brunt of the attacks which gave the Cardian time to cast.

When the attack had finished the Cardian quickly cast "Cure IV" and "Regen III". The Cardian turned to Articia as a wall of stone began to envelope around it once again...[/glow]

[Sir Tweedbottom]

[glow=black,2,300]
Artricia may be nothing more than a rabid animal at this point, but even such creatures had instincts. And as she observed that her relentless barrage had nearly brought the Cardian's protective barriers to their respective breaking points, those very instincts told her what she had to do. An even longer relentless barrage! So far for tactics.

The Anti-Form began to pick up speed again, becoming more and more of a black blur the faster she went. Eventually her clawed hands and feet went out, leaving dark tendrils of mist as she rammed and slashed into the Cardian's defences, peeling them apart layer by layer.

"MUAHAHAHAHA! Hiheehee!"

This time, she wasn't going to stop.
[/glow]

[Shantotto]

[glow=teal,2,300]The Cardian now had an idea of what is to come. Artricia was similar to the Orc, thus the Cardian knew instinctively how to handle such attacks, close range fighters need distance and that is what the Cardian was going to need.

As the attacks began, Shantotto could see between the blur of the Cardian’s onslaught coming. Off in that distance you could hear the small tarutaru laughing. “O~ohoho what a joy, finally something to destroy…” Weather Artricia knew of the White mages abilities or not, what was certain is she did not have the upper hand in this battle, as the Cardian began its chain of spells.

Before the StoneSkin fell from the attacks, the Cardian spoke its first stage of spells. “RE*&p@oS^e” This sent the vicious creature into a halting stop. Unlike other creatures that could be slept, Repose would only affect those of dark alignments, a White mage specialty. As one of Shantotto’s guards, it held a much higher status than those of normal White mages, this helped in landing and holding Repose on Artricia as it ran to a distance.

Now with a sizeable path between them, the Cardian began stage two of its chain. “Sl^o$w”, “PA%a&rA!l#yZ*z”, “B$*Lin*d”, “Di#aII” where now upon the creature. Quickly to start stage three as the Repose would sure to wear soon, a flash of what seemed to be a reversing waterfall engulfed the Cardian, followed a mirrored image surrounding it. Lastly, a bright vivid aura of a halo appeared just above the Cardian’s head slowly before slowly vanishing in the shadows.

Now it was time for Artricia to awaken, “H*O#ly”![/glow]