The Trader's Heaven

[Ashbringer he/him]

On 1/8/2021 at 11:06 AM, Random Bystander said:

Zaria dropped her speed bubble, and noticed that no one was trying to kill her. No one was even looking at her. She grinned. That would make it way easier to fight them. she stepped forward, and threw up a speed bubble. She caught two of the soldiers, and was able to kill one of them before they even started fighting. The second one, however, was a trained fighter. Zaria got punched in the stomach, and thrown out of the speed bubble. Luckily, some of the soldiers cushioned her fall. She could hear their bones crack, and winced. Then was she noticed the solider writhing on the floor, coated in metal. She gawked for a moment, and then looked at her companion. She was rushing at a group of four approaching soldiers. Zaria charged forward, aluminum knife in her hand.

Cassie hesitated. The girl was coming up behind her.

She Pulled, reaching for some of the weapons behind the soldiers. A shield crashed into one, nearly knocking him over, and one of her razors burst through another's throat. Cassie turned.

"Can you make a bubble? Now?"

[Random Bystander she/her]

9 hours ago, Ashbringer said:

Cassie hesitated. The girl was coming up behind her.

She Pulled, reaching for some of the weapons behind the soldiers. A shield crashed into one, nearly knocking him over, and one of her razors burst through another's throat. Cassie turned.

"Can you make a bubble? Now?"

Zaria threw up a speed bubble. She was running low on bendalloy, so she drank another vial. "I hope you didn't want anyone in here but us. If you want, I can stop burning bendalloy and trap someone else in here as well."

[Ashbringer he/him]

15 hours ago, Random Bystander said:

Zaria threw up a speed bubble. She was running low on bendalloy, so she drank another vial. "I hope you didn't want anyone in here but us. If you want, I can stop burning bendalloy and trap someone else in here as well."

"This is fine," Cassie said. "I figured if we're planning to fight to the death alongside each other, we should at least know each other's names."

She tapped one of her dirks on her shoulder. "Cassandra Adama, metallurgist and Soulcaster. Normally I'd shake your hand but I find that... difficult at times. If you need more bendalloy, I can supply that for you know."

She started reloading her Soulcaster - an arduous process, as her metallic fingers had some problems with the housings - and she endangered just breaking the gemstones entirely.

The gemstones...

"You said you were a Radiant?" she asked. "I have some spare gems for my Soulcaster. They're small, but well infused."

[mathiau he/him]

While the two women seemed to be in trouble, they also seemed like they could handle themself for a few minutes. So NullBlade took the man the lightspren had asked him to rescue, climbed back up the stairs, gave him to a medic and came back down to help

[Random Bystander she/her]

6 hours ago, Ashbringer said:

"This is fine," Cassie said. "I figured if we're planning to fight to the death alongside each other, we should at least know each other's names."

She tapped one of her dirks on her shoulder. "Cassandra Adama, metallurgist and Soulcaster. Normally I'd shake your hand but I find that... difficult at times. If you need more bendalloy, I can supply that for you know."

She started reloading her Soulcaster - an arduous process, as her metallic fingers had some problems with the housings - and she endangered just breaking the gemstones entirely.

The gemstones...

"You said you were a Radiant?" she asked. "I have some spare gems for my Soulcaster. They're small, but well infused."

"I'm Zaria. My spren, Orb, is out there getting help for someone we found, but she should be back soon. I would love to borrow a few gems. I'm on my last sphere, so I'd run out quickly without them."

Zaria attuned Hope. "Um, this might be a bad time, but do you by any chance have any job opportunities open? I was actually heading over to your shop when the explosion hit, and didn't get to ask at the time for, well, for obvious reasons."

[Ashbringer he/him]

13 hours ago, Random Bystander said:

"I'm Zaria. My spren, Orb, is out there getting help for someone we found, but she should be back soon. I would love to borrow a few gems. I'm on my last sphere, so I'd run out quickly without them."

Zaria attuned Hope. "Um, this might be a bad time, but do you by any chance have any job opportunities open? I was actually heading over to your shop when the explosion hit, and didn't get to ask at the time for, well, for obvious reasons."

Cassie tossed over a few of her gems. "Here. I'd like those back, if possible. It's the actual amethysts I need, not the Stormlight."

She cracked a grin. "Metallurgy is a complicated art, even when you consider my Soulcaster. But right now it's just me and another helper, so I suppose I could take on another. And your Cohesion abilities would prove quite useful."

She turned, guesturing with her dirk at the three slowly-approaching soldiers. "Now about getting back to work... you go left, I go right?"

[Random Bystander she/her]

11 hours ago, Ashbringer said:

Cassie tossed over a few of her gems. "Here. I'd like those back, if possible. It's the actual amethysts I need, not the Stormlight."

She cracked a grin. "Metallurgy is a complicated art, even when you consider my Soulcaster. But right now it's just me and another helper, so I suppose I could take on another. And your Cohesion abilities would prove quite useful."

She turned, guesturing with her dirk at the three slowly-approaching soldiers. "Now about getting back to work... you go left, I go right?"

"Sure. I'll drop the bubble in 3..2..1." Zaria dropped the bubble, attuning Confidence. She went left, launching herself at one of the soldiers and threw up a bubble. She caught and easily overpowered him. She dropped her bubble, and saw Orb by the stairs.

On 1/14/2021 at 7:27 AM, mathiau said:

While the two women seemed to be in trouble, they also seemed like they could handle themself for a few minutes. So NullBlade took the man the lightspren had asked him to rescue, climbed back up the stairs, gave him to a medic and came back down to help

"I'm going back to Zaria now. Thank you for your help." Orb flew toward Zaria.

"Orb, were you able to find help?"

"Yes, the person we found is being healed by doctors."

"Great!" Zaria threw up another bubble, and attacked the next person.

[Ashbringer he/him]

15 hours ago, Random Bystander said:

"Sure. I'll drop the bubble in 3..2..1." Zaria dropped the bubble, attuning Confidence. She went left, launching herself at one of the soldiers and threw up a bubble. She caught and easily overpowered him. She dropped her bubble, and saw Orb by the stairs.

Cassie went right, rushing forward then tacking towards the middle, slamming a dirk into the center soldier's thigh. He screamed and went down, but Stormlight was already swirling around him. Rust, she couldn't keep a Radiant down long.

She Pulled, yanking several pouches off of his belt. Heh. Fool kept his spheres with his coins. She tossed the bag at Zaria. The man would probably still heal, but that would leave time for -

The world around Cassie swirled into motion. Not just Zaria, in one of her bendalloy bubbles, but everywhere.

The last soldier in the group was a Pulser.

Like Byron was. But at the same time, completely different.

This will be interesting.

[mathiau he/him]

NullBlade descended the stairs to find the battle was almost over, only two time bubbles remains, bendaloy it seemed. NullBlade decided the radiant would probably trouble taking her enemy down so he forced himself to stop burning aluminium, entered the bubble where Cassandra was and walk toward her opponent in bloodstance.

"It might be a good time to consider surrendering" He told him calmly

@Ashbringer

[Random Bystander she/her]

20 hours ago, Ashbringer said:

Cassie went right, rushing forward then tacking towards the middle, slamming a dirk into the center soldier's thigh. He screamed and went down, but Stormlight was already swirling around him. Rust, she couldn't keep a Radiant down long.

She Pulled, yanking several pouches off of his belt. Heh. Fool kept his spheres with his coins. She tossed the bag at Zaria. The man would probably still heal, but that would leave time for -

The world around Cassie swirled into motion. Not just Zaria, in one of her bendalloy bubbles, but everywhere.

The last soldier in the group was a Pulser.

Like Byron was. But at the same time, completely different.

This will be interesting.

 

15 hours ago, mathiau said:

NullBlade descended the stairs to find the battle was almost over, only two time bubbles remains, bendaloy it seemed. NullBlade decided the radiant would probably trouble taking her enemy down so he forced himself to stop burning aluminium, entered the bubble where Cassandra was and walk toward her opponent in bloodstance.

"It might be a good time to consider surrendering" He told him calmly

@Ashbringer

"Is that another speed bubble?"

"That is what it looks like, but I can't be sure."

"Should we cancel the bubble?"

"Probably."

Zaria walked over to the speed bubble, and passed through it. She felt disoriented as she passed through. She started burning bendalloy, and the bubbles cancelled each other out.

[mathiau he/him]

7 hours ago, Random Bystander said:

 

"Is that another speed bubble?"

"That is what it looks like, but I can't be sure."

"Should we cancel the bubble?"

"Probably."

Zaria walked over to the speed bubble, and passed through it. She felt disoriented as she passed through. She started burning bendalloy, and the bubbles cancelled each other out.

Quote

They're both bendalloy actually, that would make things worse not better

 

[Random Bystander she/her]

2 hours ago, mathiau said:

 

Quote

Sliders work with bendalloy, and pulsers work with cadmium.

 

[mathiau he/him]

1 hour ago, Random Bystander said:

 

Quote

I miss read Ash's post, sorry

NullBlade turned slightly toward the radiant without letting the opponent leave his field of view, restarted burning aluminium and said softly enough that the slider should not be able to hear it "It'd be simpler for me if you dropped your bubble"

@Ashbringer

[Ashbringer he/him]

2 hours ago, mathiau said:

NullBlade turned slightly toward the radiant without letting the opponent leave his field of view, restarted burning aluminium and said softly enough that the slider should not be able to hear it "It'd be simpler for me if you dropped your bubble"

@Ashbringer

Quote

Umm... how does NullBlade act in time bubbles?

The time-stretching stopped. Zaria had noticed her predicament, and it appeared that the help she'd sent for had arrived.

Cassie was outclassed here. Lord-son-son-son-Silberfarben wouldn't create a Pulser without a reason. That man likely had something else up his sleeves. And the Surgebinder she'd downed earlier was getting up.

Cassie wasn't a fighter. Her Soulcasting and knives were flashy, but Zaria could heal herself and the new arrival had a rusting Shardblade. But... she could handle business. Negotiations. Bluffing

"Perhaps there is an arrangement we could all come to. Preferably before this building collapses on all of our heads. Your master has escaped, your fellows lay dead or worse. And we can all go our separate ways."

"Or..." she said, concentrating.

Wind swirled around them, and an ornate, silvery sword fell into Cassie's outstreched hand. It was rather small for a Shardblade - which made sense, seeing as it wasn't one, but merely a sword Soulcast from the air itself. The soldiers didn't need to know that, though.

"We settle it your way."

[Random Bystander she/her]

8 hours ago, Ashbringer said:

The time-stretching stopped. Zaria had noticed her predicament, and it appeared that the help she'd sent for had arrived.

Cassie was outclassed here. Lord-son-son-son-Silberfarben wouldn't create a Pulser without a reason. That man likely had something else up his sleeves. And the Surgebinder she'd downed earlier was getting up.

Cassie wasn't a fighter. Her Soulcasting and knives were flashy, but Zaria could heal herself and the new arrival had a rusting Shardblade. But... she could handle business. Negotiations. Bluffing

"Perhaps there is an arrangement we could all come to. Preferably before this building collapses on all of our heads. Your master has escaped, your fellows lay dead or worse. And we can all go our separate ways."

"Or..." she said, concentrating.

Wind swirled around them, and an ornate, silvery sword fell into Cassie's outstreched hand. It was rather small for a Shardblade - which made sense, seeing as it wasn't one, but merely a sword Soulcast from the air itself. The soldiers didn't need to know that, though.

"We settle it your way."

Zaria attuned Annoyance. "Orb, why does everyone seen to have a magic sword but me? Why don't I have a magic sword?"

"I don't know."

"Oh, I forgot to tell you! That lady with the magic sword seems willing to give me a job!"

"That's great!"

Zaria began to run out of bendalloy, so she drank another vial. She walked closer to her current allies to see if she could help. She was still holding her aluminum dagger.

[Ashbringer he/him]

Suddenly the Pulser burst alive with Stormlight, and rushed forward, sliding effortlessly on the broken ground. The other Surgebinder picked up a large boulder, which quickly eroded itself, molding into shapes.

Cassie sighed. Back to work.

Quote

One's a Pulser with the Surge of Abrasion, one's a Thug with the Surge of Cohesion. NPCs. You know what to do. 

@mathiau @Random Bystander

[Random Bystander she/her]

4 minutes ago, Ashbringer said:

Suddenly the Pulser burst alive with Stormlight, and rushed forward, sliding effortlessly on the broken ground. The other Surgebinder picked up a large boulder, which quickly eroded itself, molding into shapes.

Cassie sighed. Back to work.

@mathiau @Random Bystander

"I'll take the one with the rock!" Zaria grabbed her handgun, and ran over. She aimed at the guy's head and fired twice, and started attuning Resolve. She then charged at him, knife in hand, and started attacking him. After a few minutes of slashing at him, she knocked him out. He was having trouble healing, because he was injured by aluminum. 

[mathiau he/him]

The Radiant didn't seemed willing to drop her bubble, would have been too easy.

The Pulser hold flames in his hands and was shining from what little stormlight he still had, he didn't seem to have a Shardblade so he probably was a Dustbringer, second order at most. This meant if NullBlade tried fighting him in close quarter he risked to get badly burned, which was stupid when a he had a simple plan to avoid it. He unholstered his aluminium revolver and shooted at the Radiant who hadn't move, confident in his healing abilities. NullBlade wasn't a very good shoot so he 'only' hit the shoulder, not an instantly deadly wound but still one that would kill in at most a few hours without appropriate treatment, and definitely enough for the Pulser to panic when he realized it was aluminium, dropping his bubble and running.

NullBlade was close enough from the border of the Slider's bubble he didn't feel the need to stop burning aluminium, while the side-effects of not burning metal were not as acute for gnats as they for tugs or tineyes it was still distressing, a bit like being naked in public if every pebble was replaced by a camera. So he'd walk in normal speed and not in accelerated speed, it'd probably give the women an idea off what his power was but he'd asked to go back in Pulser time so that was already out of the window.

He found the Pulser running toward a corner of the room and not toward the tunnel like he'd expected, as if there was something there that scared him more than being shot. The Pulser raised his bubble again as NullBlade raised his gun toward him, he then created a disc of fire inside the bubble. How cute, he thought that would stopped him.

NullBlade ran toward the man, when he entered the bubble he felt a cold despite the fire. His immunity to the time speed change also changed the temperature he felt, WayMaker had tried explaining it to him but he stopped understanding when she'd divided twenty-five by four and obtained minus two hundred, Peres had teased him about that for weeks. Anyway, as long he was in the bubble he'd move five time as fast as any other person inside, they would feel five time heavier to him but his Shardblade didn't care, and she was five time heavier as well anyway. NullBlade killed both of the Pulser's legs before he could realise anything was happening, the shock made him drop his bubble and the flames dispersed as all of his stormlight was consumed to heal his legs, which it couldn't do completely, stopping a bit before the knees.

NullBlade placed the tip of his blade on the man's chest "Last chance."

@Random Bystander@Ashbringer

Quote

This was my first real fight scene, was that any good?

 

[Random Bystander she/her]

12 hours ago, mathiau said:

The Radiant didn't seemed willing to drop her bubble, would have been too easy.

The Pulser hold flames in his hands and was shining from what little stormlight he still had, he didn't seem to have a Shardblade so he probably was a Dustbringer, second order at most. This meant if NullBlade tried fighting him in close quarter he risked to get badly burned, which was stupid when a he had a simple plan to avoid it. He unholstered his aluminium revolver and shooted at the Radiant who hadn't move, confident in his healing abilities. NullBlade wasn't a very good shoot so he 'only' hit the shoulder, not an instantly deadly wound but still one that would kill in at most a few hours without appropriate treatment, and definitely enough for the Pulser to panic when he realized it was aluminium, dropping his bubble and running.

NullBlade was close enough from the border of the Slider's bubble he didn't feel the need to stop burning aluminium, while the side-effects of not burning metal were not as acute for gnats as they for tugs or tineyes it was still distressing, a bit like being naked in public if every pebble was replaced by a camera. So he'd walk in normal speed and not in accelerated speed, it'd probably give the women an idea off what his power was but he'd asked to go back in Pulser time so that was already out of the window.

He found the Pulser running toward a corner of the room and not toward the tunnel like he'd expected, as if there was something there that scared him more than being shot. The Pulser raised his bubble again as NullBlade raised his gun toward him, he then created a disc of fire inside the bubble. How cute, he thought that would stopped him.

NullBlade ran toward the man, when he entered the bubble he felt a cold despite the fire. His immunity to the time speed change also changed the temperature he felt, WayMaker had tried explaining it to him but he stopped understanding when she'd divided twenty-five by four and obtained minus two hundred, Peres had teased him about that for weeks. Anyway, as long he was in the bubble he'd move five time as fast as any other person inside, they would feel five time heavier to him but his Shardblade didn't care, and she was five time heavier as well anyway. NullBlade killed both of the Pulser's legs before he could realise anything was happening, the shock made him drop his bubble and the flames dispersed as all of his stormlight was consumed to heal his legs, which it couldn't do completely, stopping a bit before the knees.

NullBlade placed the tip of his blade on the man's chest "Last chance."

@Random Bystander@Ashbringer

 

Quote

Yes. It was awesome! 

Zaria watched in shock as the man attacked. She attuned Awe. "Whaaaat?" 

"Why are you confused?"

"What... How... Who... Rust and Ruin! He has some serious skill!"

"Why is that confusing?"

"It's not, but it is amazing to watch."

Edited February 2, 2021 by Random Bystander

[Ashbringer he/him]

Cassie watched her new ally go to work. And... wow. She'd seen what aluminum could do to Byron. This man seemed quite similar, but Cassie doubted this Pulser-Dustbringer had anywhere near Byron's level of... whatever he used to do. That made this man an aluminum savant, then? With a Shardblade.

The Pulser dropped to grayed knees, Stormlight fading. To the left, the Thug went down, evidently bleeding more than he could handle from Zaria's onslaught.

"Last chance," said the swordman.

 

"I lost my last chance a long time ago..." breathed the Pulser. Then he closed his eyes and bit down. Hard.

The Thug did the same.

Beep... Beep... Beep... Beep...

Cassie dropped her Silverblade as her eyes widened. "Are these things all bombs?!"

@mathiau @Random Bystander

Quote

Yes.

Yes they are.

Because why not 

You got one post to react before they go off. Prepare yourselves!

 

[Random Bystander she/her]

2 hours ago, Ashbringer said:

Cassie watched her new ally go to work. And... wow. She'd seen what aluminum could do to Byron. This man seemed quite similar, but Cassie doubted this Pulser-Dustbringer had anywhere near Byron's level of... whatever he used to do. That made this man an aluminum savant, then? With a Shardblade.

The Pulser dropped to grayed knees, Stormlight fading. To the left, the Thug went down, evidently bleeding more than he could handle from Zaria's onslaught.

"Last chance," said the swordman.

 

"I lost my last chance a long time ago..." breathed the Pulser. Then he closed his eyes and bit down. Hard.

The Thug did the same.

Beep... Beep... Beep... Beep...

Cassie dropped her Silverblade as her eyes widened. "Are these things all bombs?!"

@mathiau @Random Bystander

 

"Rusting iron on a hillside!" 

She scrambled to the side, sucked in some storm light, and created a wall for them to hide behind.

"HEY! OVER HERE!" She was attuning Tension, and was gesturing wildly. She hadn't been in a situation like this before.

@mathiau, @Ashbringer

[mathiau he/him]

NullBlade ran behind the wall the Radiant had created. It would probably be enough to protect them from the explosion, especially since the bomb being inside the bodies would greatly reduce their destructive power. "Good thinking miss. Er... Zaria, was it?"

@Random Bystander@Ashbringer

[Random Bystander she/her]

12 minutes ago, mathiau said:

NullBlade ran behind the wall the Radiant had created. It would probably be enough to protect them from the explosion, especially since the bomb being inside the bodies would greatly reduce their destructive power. "Good thinking miss. Er... Zaria, was it?"

@Random Bystander@Ashbringer

Still attuning Tension, she nodded. "Yes."

[Ashbringer he/him]

19 hours ago, Random Bystander said:

"Rusting iron on a hillside!" 

She scrambled to the side, sucked in some storm light, and created a wall for them to hide behind.

"HEY! OVER HERE!" She was attuning Tension, and was gesturing wildly. She hadn't been in a situation like this before.

@mathiau, @Ashbringer

43 minutes ago, mathiau said:

NullBlade ran behind the wall the Radiant had created. It would probably be enough to protect them from the explosion, especially since the bomb being inside the bodies would greatly reduce their destructive power. "Good thinking miss. Er... Zaria, was it?"

@Random Bystander@Ashbringer

Cassie ran for Zaria's makeshift barricade, flaring iron. An amalgam of metal objects rushed behind her - save for the knives the two bombers had dropped, she didn't want to Ironpull anything near them - but Cassie was more worried about getting behind the wall itself. Surviving the concussive force only to get crushed by her own shield would fit a strange sense of irony.

She dove behind the barricade of stone, letting the metal fall behind her. Then she Soulcast, watching the metal sag into mercury, then rise to her Pull into a wall she turned to steel.

Then, finally, she fell to the ground, exhausted, arm burning.

She knew that feeling. She'd overextended herself.

Beep... Beep...

But that was the least of her worries.

BOOM!

[Random Bystander she/her]

2 minutes ago, Ashbringer said:

Cassie ran for Zaria's makeshift barricade, flaring iron. An amalgam of metal objects rushed behind her - save for the knives the two bombers had dropped, she didn't want to Ironpull anything near them - but Cassie was more worried about getting behind the wall itself. Surviving the concussive force only to get crushed by her own shield would fit a strange sense of irony.

She dove behind the barricade of stone, letting the metal fall behind her. Then she Soulcast, watching the metal sag into mercury, then rise to her Pull into a wall she turned to steel.

Then, finally, she fell to the ground, exhausted, arm burning.

She knew that feeling. She'd overextended herself.

Beep... Beep...

But that was the least of her worries.

BOOM!

Zaria's ears rung. "Ow." she sucked in some stormlight, and immediately felt better. "Are you two okay?" Orb zipped around, seeming a bit worried.