Registry

You and Petra follow Brynn through a vast and magnificent hall. Around you see many Valkyries and metallic creatures. Some are accompanied by people.

"Brynn's brought two more." The voice of a passing valkyrie sighs.

"None of ours will ever get a win at this rate." Another responds.

"If you can even get people competent enough to compete." Brynn mumbles, a smirk appearing on her face.

Eventually the three of you arrive at a large display of weapons. Behind the display is a large light-filled corridor, though you can't see where it leads, you can hear what sounds like the cheering of a very large crowd.

"Wait here." Brynn says before walking to a group of the metallic creatures. One of them follows her back.

"Hello, I am one of the many VALKRI Mk. 1 sidekicks available to contestants." It says. "Most contestants simply refer to us as 'helpers'... We are in charge of registry into Odin's tournament, as well as bringing them back from their falls. Our other responsibilities are hardly worth mentioning."

Petra tilts her head as she carefully inspects the helper.

"What do you mean when you say you bring them back from their 'falls'." You say

"On account of it being almost impossible for contestants to kill each other most fights are decided by who falls from the arena first. We bring them back before they are lost."

"Almost impossible?" Petra clears her throat. "Fuck's that mean?"

Brynn turns to Petra. "This place has been forged as the final destination for worthy warriors. While they are here, they are protected."

Petra laughs maniacally and slams her fist into her palm. "I'm liking this place more and more!"

The helper gestures to you and then Petra. "You both have much less protection, since you have not died."

Brynn sighs. "It doesn't make much difference." She nudges the helper, he drifts slightly through the air. "Even if someone did manage to kill you here, you'd just come right back."

Petra starts laughing again, she punches your arm. "We've got second chances too, teach."

Another helper floats towards your group. One of them floats in front of you, the other, Petra.

"Let us begin registration." The two of them say simultaneously.

"Sure thing." Petra taps the helper. "What do we need to do."

"Simply tell us your names and select your weapons. You must have two, and only two." The helper gestures to the display. "If you already have weapons with you, they must match something on the display."

"Petra." She reaches into the fabric around her waist and takes out her scrap gauntlets. "This one or two?" She asks.

"I'll register you for gauntlets. Do you have a second one as well?"

Petra smirks before conjuring her crystal. "This match anything?"

The helper looks at the display for a moment. "I will allow you to register that as an orb."

"Done." Petra says.

"Brilliant, now I just need to put together your lore." A tablet of sorts appears in the helper's hands. "If you were dead it would be much easier, but, since you are alive, I'm going to ask that you tell me your backstory up until you entered this hall."

Petra leaves with the helper to go over her backstory.

Brynn turns to you. "What's taking so long?"

"I don't have any weapons." You say.

Brynn sighs. "Just pick some." She points to the display. "It can not be that hard."

You glower at her for a moment; she flinches slightly.

You examine the weapons on display for a moment before taking and putting on a pair of gauntlets. You throw a few punches before shrouding your arms with your darkheart. You continue your shadowboxing for a moment until the gauntlets also become shrouded in your darkheart. With a slight grunt the darkheart fades from your arms along with the gauntlets.

You look the display over again. An dramatically large greatsword catches your eye.

You lift the sword with one hand, much to the surprise of Brynn.

"You're going to use that?" You hear Petra ask from behind. "Slow aint your style."

"Maybe you're right." You turn to Petra, and then the helpers. "Can I spar Petra with this before I register."

"Certainly." The helpers say. "We can get the two of you to a public sparring arena now."

You follow the two helpers with Petra, occasionally swinging the greatsword, sometimes with one, sometimes with two hands.

You and Petra step out into the center of the vast arena, a small audience begins to form.

"Looks like we've got people trying to scout the new kids." Petra laughs.

"I'll try not to beat you too hard then." You tease.

Petra's face goes red for a second. "Let's just give em' a good show."

You surround the greatsword with your darkheart. You grunt as you swing, the greatsword seemingly vanishing before the swing finishes.

Petra tilts her head.

A darkheart greatsword forms in your hands as you take your stance.

"That was really fucking cool." Petra blushes. "Can you teach me that."

"Maybe, not any time soon."

"Yeah, yeah." She conjures her crystal.

"Fight already!" A female voice from the audience shouts, causing a squall of agreement.

Dust flies behind Petra as she dashes towards you, she does a kick, her crystal arcing over her foot.

You strafe around her kick bashing her side with the hilt of your greatsword. You twist your body and use your free hand to grab her face. You shove her as you move, swinging the greatsword as you finish your twist. The sharp edge of your greatsword tears through the fabric around Petra's waist as she narrowly dodges.

You step forward grabbing the hilt of your blade with both hands, thrusting it towards Petra. She dodges to the left and launches her aura shrouded crystal at your feet. She jumps as it connects with the ground attempting to hit you with an axe kick as you dodged the crystal.

You arc the blade through the air and twist it in your hands, the wide side of the blade slams into Petra and pushes her through the air.

She tumbles slightly as she lands. She launches the orb towards you again, this time she approaches with it as she puts on her gauntlets.

You sweep the blade across the ground, forcing Petra to jump. You use your free hand to catch her leg on her way up, you twist as you slam her into the ground. Using your twist you stab the blade into the ground next to her head.

The crowd roars.

"Holy shit!" Petra laughs.

You extend your hand and help her up.

"Definitely not slow. You sure that things heavy?"

You hand it to her, her hand shakes as she holds it before supporting it with another. "How the fuck?" She whispers her face turning red.

You snap and the blade dissipates in her hands.

"Okay, you've got to teach me that."

You arrive back in the main hall and walk back to the weapons display where Brynn is waiting, talking with the helpers.

"I'll register with gauntlets and this sword." You conjure it into your hands.

"Of course." One of the helpers says, the other floats towards you.

"Can you go over your backstory in detail for me." It asks.

Brynn chuckles and she looks to Petra. "In detail? You must be pretty boring."

Petra scowls at her. "Then why did you come and get me?" She chuckles "Made me a special case too." Her chuckles turn maniacal. "Beat you to make you do it too!"

You wave your hand. "Enough, please."

Petra sighs. Brynn glowers.

"She left much to the imagination." The helper says to Brynn. "Except when she didn't." It turns back to you.

Petra shrugs.

You walk off with the helper and give it your backstory.