In an opulent room, a group of men, women, and other transdimensional beings sat in chairs around a giant monitor.
"As Amaimon and Miles duke it out on screen one, we'll announce our second fight on screen two!" All but Lady Carman and Jinn Abgal turned to view the second screen, on the opposite wall of the room. The familiar silhouette of the announcer filled this screen.
"Please direct your attention to the wheels of destiny. Tonight's matchup will be chosen in the typical slot-roulette fashion."
The silhouette was replaced on screen with a simulated slot machine, the three reels of which each suddenly began to spin rapidly. Despite being obscured by the slots, the modulated voice continued.
"First, the battle location!" The first reel slowed to a stop, settling on an image volcano rising from a beach in a field of blue. "Ooh, the volcanic island! We have not had a fight here in a decade!"
The image of the slot with spinning reels minimized to the upper-left corner of the screen, and a live feed of the battle location was brought into the main view, with a rotating camera view as though from an aerial drone. A ticker across the bottom gave basic stats of the area. Realm: Pacifica, Temperature: 87F | 31C. In the image, a lush tropical forest grew from the base of a large, smoking volcanic mountain. The full moon could be seen reflected off the calm water surrounding the island, and the entire area was lit with an eerie glow. A handful of light, puffy clouds dotted the sky, but the area directly over the island was clear, allowing the maximum impact of the moonlight. The first purples of the sunrise were beginning to tinge the eastern sky.
Oohs and ahhs erupted from the crowd, noting the stark contrast between the first fight's desert location and this lush island.
"First combatant!" The slot view returned to the center of the monitor, and the reel began to slow. A lightning bolt flashed into view. "A lightning elemental bound to a human soul! This promises to be an electrifying match! Zane Lightfoot, champion of Zeus himself!" A sagely bearded man in a toga nodded his head, his blue eyes glued to the teenager on the screen. "This boy excels in two styles of martial arts, and has the ability to manipulate not only his own ki, but to harness the might of the bound elemental! He's even been seen to transform into an elemental himself!"
The reel once again minimized, and Zane appeared in a shadow cast by the moonlight upon a palm frond. His piercing blue eyes looked around, a near match to his benefactor. A few furtive glances were made between the man in the room and the man on the island, wondering if there was any relation.
"And now for his opponent!" The slot view maximized on screen again, and the final reel came to a stop. A vial of red liquid pulsated gently in the center. "A blood mage! Specifically, the blood elf Asher, not to be confused with Jinn Abgal's brother, Ashar! And yet another coincidence, Asher's sponsor is another Grecian, Talos!" A winged man in the corner with a nail in his back frowned, apparently displeased with being compared to Zeus, to being called Grecian, or both. "This young man is just coming into his powers, but he can make a mortal's blood boil in their veins! Truly a terrifying foe!"
The reel finally faded out, once again revealing the live view of the island. The shot zoomed away from Zane and refocused about 2/3s up the volcano, where palm trees were replaced by craggy rocks. A blood elf materialized behind one of these, about 100 feet away from a gentle lava flow.
"With no further ado, let us begin the match!" the announcer went on, and then the audio live from the desert battlefield was patched through the image. The gamblers knew the drill; the previous introduction was meant solely for them, but all future commentary would be audible to the champions, as well.
The announcer's voice rang out across the sky, echoing as though from inside the volcano itself.
"Gentlemen! Welcome to your personal battlefield! We have hand-chosen you from your respective realms and now you will make battle for the enjoyment of our patrons. We will not force you, of course, but after one hour the battle will be over. If there is no clear victor by then, you will both be removed from existence! However, at the end of that hour, the winner will be rewarded with a trip back home!"
The announcer's voice paused for effect, then proceeded. "Let the battle begin!"
@Treasure
"As Amaimon and Miles duke it out on screen one, we'll announce our second fight on screen two!" All but Lady Carman and Jinn Abgal turned to view the second screen, on the opposite wall of the room. The familiar silhouette of the announcer filled this screen.
"Please direct your attention to the wheels of destiny. Tonight's matchup will be chosen in the typical slot-roulette fashion."
The silhouette was replaced on screen with a simulated slot machine, the three reels of which each suddenly began to spin rapidly. Despite being obscured by the slots, the modulated voice continued.
"First, the battle location!" The first reel slowed to a stop, settling on an image volcano rising from a beach in a field of blue. "Ooh, the volcanic island! We have not had a fight here in a decade!"
The image of the slot with spinning reels minimized to the upper-left corner of the screen, and a live feed of the battle location was brought into the main view, with a rotating camera view as though from an aerial drone. A ticker across the bottom gave basic stats of the area. Realm: Pacifica, Temperature: 87F | 31C. In the image, a lush tropical forest grew from the base of a large, smoking volcanic mountain. The full moon could be seen reflected off the calm water surrounding the island, and the entire area was lit with an eerie glow. A handful of light, puffy clouds dotted the sky, but the area directly over the island was clear, allowing the maximum impact of the moonlight. The first purples of the sunrise were beginning to tinge the eastern sky.
Oohs and ahhs erupted from the crowd, noting the stark contrast between the first fight's desert location and this lush island.
"First combatant!" The slot view returned to the center of the monitor, and the reel began to slow. A lightning bolt flashed into view. "A lightning elemental bound to a human soul! This promises to be an electrifying match! Zane Lightfoot, champion of Zeus himself!" A sagely bearded man in a toga nodded his head, his blue eyes glued to the teenager on the screen. "This boy excels in two styles of martial arts, and has the ability to manipulate not only his own ki, but to harness the might of the bound elemental! He's even been seen to transform into an elemental himself!"
The reel once again minimized, and Zane appeared in a shadow cast by the moonlight upon a palm frond. His piercing blue eyes looked around, a near match to his benefactor. A few furtive glances were made between the man in the room and the man on the island, wondering if there was any relation.
"And now for his opponent!" The slot view maximized on screen again, and the final reel came to a stop. A vial of red liquid pulsated gently in the center. "A blood mage! Specifically, the blood elf Asher, not to be confused with Jinn Abgal's brother, Ashar! And yet another coincidence, Asher's sponsor is another Grecian, Talos!" A winged man in the corner with a nail in his back frowned, apparently displeased with being compared to Zeus, to being called Grecian, or both. "This young man is just coming into his powers, but he can make a mortal's blood boil in their veins! Truly a terrifying foe!"
The reel finally faded out, once again revealing the live view of the island. The shot zoomed away from Zane and refocused about 2/3s up the volcano, where palm trees were replaced by craggy rocks. A blood elf materialized behind one of these, about 100 feet away from a gentle lava flow.
"With no further ado, let us begin the match!" the announcer went on, and then the audio live from the desert battlefield was patched through the image. The gamblers knew the drill; the previous introduction was meant solely for them, but all future commentary would be audible to the champions, as well.
The announcer's voice rang out across the sky, echoing as though from inside the volcano itself.
"Gentlemen! Welcome to your personal battlefield! We have hand-chosen you from your respective realms and now you will make battle for the enjoyment of our patrons. We will not force you, of course, but after one hour the battle will be over. If there is no clear victor by then, you will both be removed from existence! However, at the end of that hour, the winner will be rewarded with a trip back home!"
The announcer's voice paused for effect, then proceeded. "Let the battle begin!"
@Treasure