Let the Games Begin // CT!Villain Quest Drabble //
--There was a beauty in the way things burned. It didn't matter if the blaze began at the highest intensity, or if it took time to blossom into the raging beast he so adored. His weakness, perhaps, was how obsessed he was with the element that seemed to flow freely through his veins; a second bloodstream. Emerald eyes could stay fixated upon those flickering flames as they danced at the command of his fingertips, his gaze would follow each wisp of smoke as they billowed up into the skies.
But he was admittedly bored with the same old, same old.
And he was frustrated with how things were turning out lately. There was a boiling anger simmering within him ever since he'd learned of Master Romulus placing other comrades in Calcheth to help in their efforts. The bastard had placed others in his beloved town because apparently he wasn't enough. Axel hadn't met the ones he was meant to call his allies, but he knew they were there, and it brought a bitter taste to his mouth. Calcheth was his town, to Hell with his supposed allies. They didn't know it like he did. No one ever would. Was he meant to teach them? Tch. That would be the day. No, no. He was meant to share with them. SHARE with them, the things he would rightfully earn. They were meant to do the same, and yet, Axel suspected that they would not.
He figured that it wouldn't be terribly difficult to kill them. Except, he needed new skills, new powers, new abilities. The assassin needed some new tricks up his sleeves to eliminate the threats.
--Those words echoed through his head every minute he trained.
--eliminate the traitors, eliminate the traitors, eliminate--
Where had they come from? Who had spoken them? Why was he remembering them? There was too much unknown, and Axel couldn't stand it. He needed to know more. He needed answers. But more importantly: he needed power.
Fire licked at the skin of his hands, fists curled up as his knuckles smashed against the bark of the harmless tree before him. It exploded at his touch, soon engulfed by vicious flames, soon spreading like a contagion unto the surrounding topiary.
His bright (perhaps not so bright at the time) red hair was pulled back into a matted ponytail, and his bare chest would have been glistening visibly with sweat, had the air not been clouded with plumes of dark smoke. In such thick smog, nothing was visible. His lean body should have been begging for rest from the vigorous conditioning, but adrenaline prevented such weakness, such humanity. His ash-covered knuckles bled, his chest was stained with patches of soot, and deep purple (among a multitude of other hues) bruises formed on his once unblemished skin. Ah, but he felt nothing; none of the pain, the fatigue, the aches. Nothing.
Though he could not stop himself from choking on the smog as it formed into impassable, congested clouds around him. There was very little...
Air. Oxygen.
The power of the crystal seemed to laugh at him as it coursed through his veins. Axel couldn't breathe and he needed oxygen. He needed the smoky air to clear in order for his lungs to be able to inhale and function. There was air, certainly, but it wasn't suitable for him to breathe. It was only suitable for his blazes. Fire needs oxygen to burn -- it was simple knowledge. Anyone with a grasp over the element (particularly anyone with such extensive power, someone like Axel) should know that. But it wasn't until he was struggling to breathe because of his own lack of control that the basic lesson was remembered. With that little science lesson, came the words of Romulus himself; another lesson:
--❝Power is nothing without control.❞
Axel was familiar with power. The caress of it, the onslaught of it, the overwhelming bliss it encompassed -- he knew it well. For the villain, he'd assumed he was on the right track in terms of controlling his gift of dominance and reigning in his potential. In reality, he was just going in circles. He was doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting a different result. And that was the definition of madness.
But now he knew what he needed to do, and he was filled with a new energy. The crystal shards illuminated around him as the realisation settled in, covering him with a momentary, magnificent aura; a vibrant, hued second skin, hovering just above his first. He held up a bare, bloodied, ashen hand and, with eyes closed, he narrowed his focus in on the smoke and the air rather than the raging blazes he'd conjured. The heat wasn't what he needed, it was the air. The redhead could feel the light threads of wind entwine around his fingertips, and despite their polluted condition, they felt fresh. His body craved that purity, more than anything, as a natural response.
--And when he closed his fist around those airy threads, he could feel them swirl and grow in his hand. They were begging to be set free; after another moment of the fierce, unfamiliar element maturing within his closed fist he extended his arm, and forced his hand open;
Violent gusts of wind shot out from the palm of his hand. The air around him cleared and most importantly: he could breathe again. But what was that power? Where had that come from? Doubled over, kneeling against the ash-dusted ground, Axel gasped for the air he'd just cleared, and there was no mistaking the smirk on his nearly unrecognizable face. As a test, he rose his shaky hand once more and aimed it directly at one of the blazes still burning not far from where he knelt. With furrowed brows, it took only a second for a whip of feathery air to be at his disposal, and it took only a second more for him to direct it unto his flames. The direct hit seemed to feed the fire, as though someone were stoking it, nourishing it. There was a crackle to signal another explosion by his doing, and the inferno grew, and grew.
It was shaping into a masterpiece.
And Axel collapsed into fits of exhausted laughter as it raged around him.
❝Though separated by plain and Crystal, we are one united force.❞
❝Let this serve to unite our efforts even further. As the Quartiers give missions to their subservient Heroes, I have my own requests -- let us trounce their endeavors and take the lead for ourselves. How shall we accomplish this, you might ask? By using their own tools against them: the Crystals.❞
❝Our goal, as all of you know, is to hold the ultimate power of the Crystals for ourselves, yet power keeps getting taken from us -- Crystal Shards keep restoring power to each Crystal and stealing our control. Therefore, we must steal it back -- whether by deception or outward violence, I care not. Let the ends justify the means. As for those of you who already possess shards of your own... use them. Train with them; feel how they amplify your power and harness those abilities. Power is nothing without control.❞
The Crystal Shard Training option can be either a thread or a drabble, however the Gathering Shards option must be a thread between 1 Villain and 1 (or more) Hero(es) or Rebel(s). A Quartier may also be involved if they so wish, if a Villain wishes to take Crystal Shards directly from the Mother Crystal.
The maximum amount of Crystal Shards that can be apprehended is 3. Let's not go crazy here, folks -- keep it within a reasonable realm.
If you select the Training option, whether drabble or thread, use this as a way to headcanon out how your Crystal Shard works with your villain's powers. Remember that the shards are nature-based and elemental -- if your villain goes for fire, the shard will amplify that power, as with wind, earth, or water. These drabbles may be used as ways to ensure villains do not godmod in the future, so be sure to lay out the shards reasonable abilities in your writing so you can build on it in the future.
If you select the Gathering Shards option, go how your muse leads you! Do they try to be deceptive and befriend a hero/rebel and sneakily grab a shard or two? Do they go straight for a brawl? A combination of the two? Play around with the options!
This quest may be completed by any Villain in any town. All shards earned from this quest will go directly to the Villain that completed it. Don't forget to check in with Romulus for your reward (send in the link of your drabble or your final thread reply here). You will be awarded Gil, and the Mods will keep track of the amount for you! ( Your character's money will come in handy in the next blog update, so stay tuned! )
