Inner Song

Fiore nestled herself comfortably next to Nero, holding onto his arm as Griffin smiled at him coyly, "You know... You must be pretty, talented to have bagged such a pretty little thing with only one session if You know what I mean?" Griffin said, winking one of her blue eyes at him. Nero blinked, wondering silently "What is her deal... She doesn't let up with this stuff." He thought, Griffin, relaxing back against the wall with that same grin on her face "Alright then, keep Your secrets, Stud." She said in her smooth tone, chuckling momentarily, although Her smile was quickly subdued as her ears pricked up

"Hmm, it seems we have company," Griffin said Nero had not a moment to even tilt his head in curiosity, before the loud sound of stone being moved.

Light streamed into the Chamber, forcing Nero to shield his eyes as several Litchen quickly scrambled inside, as soon as they came into range, four Litchen Warriors pointed their glowing rifles at them and yelled at them all, "Easy, easy, just remember the Plan." Griffin whispered, the three of them standing and holding out their hands.

Nero's eyes were caught on the Litchen males, small and tired looking, carrying heavy bags that clinked and shifted awkwardly as they were heaved over to the group "What's this?" Nero asked, Griffin, raised her shoulder's half heartedly

"looks like they are giving us a fighting chance, just like I thought, no need to worry." She whispered as the Male Litchen set their heavy bags beside the group immediately reaching inside and pulling out the contents. Nero grunted with annoyance as the Litchen Men pulled away the remains of his shirt, stripping off his tattered jeans and rapping tight cloth around his powerful legs, tying a fur around his waist and slipping and strapping sturdy sandals to his feet, He felt the warmth of the furs draped on his shoulders, then the cold metal of the plates they strapped on top, then to his arms and legs, the shiny metal plate glinting on Him "Wow, look at You, all Tribal." Griffin said, she too had been put in ragged furs, her legs and arms strapped with metal plates with Fiore just the same, all four of her arms shining.

Nero shifted as He felt the barrel of a Litchen Rifle poke into his back, the Warriors yelling at the group as they **** them onward and out of the dark chamber, into the cool morning air. The voices rang into the air as the sun climbed into the sky, lighting the Grand Arena and the many thousands of masked faces that looked down at them, screaming for blood as the three of them walked into the centre of the deep canyon.

Upon her grandstand, stood the Cheif and Her Warriors, Baj standing next to her armoured plates gleaming in the sunlight "Baaz Litchak, Hak Karzkja!" The Cheif called, the spectators roaring in approval as the Cheif continued to call in her strange tongue

"Griffin...You're sure You've got this?" Nero asked a little nervously, looking to Griffin as the Litchen warriors who **** them in quickly departed, Griffin ignored him, staring up at the Cheif who clicked her fingers at a couple of warriors beside her, who jumped, casting themselves from the platform, tossing hooked ropes and sliding down to the pit, the Five warriors all clutching their sharp spears in hand.

Nero felt his flame burning brighter as the tall Litchen Warriors walked towards them, "Are You kidding me... ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?" Nero felt himself roar, his voice echoing throughout the Canyon, the crowd silencing as the Cheif looked down at Nero's rage-filled face "AREN'T YOU GOING TO ARM US, GIVE US A FUCKING CHANCE, YOU GOD DAMN COWARDS! He cried, his entire body hot with fiery hatred, the Spectators mumbled amount on another as the Cheif peered down even more intently, She ran her fingers down the side of her mask for a moment, before raising her hands again and clicking her fingers

"Gojat Hazak Mithra!" Well, it seemed his little coaxing had worked.

From the stands, two items were tossed downward, spinning violently as they hurtled through the air, the weapons sticking into the ground before Nero and Griffin, the First a long, thin beautiful silver sword that almost seemed to glow, but the curved sword that pierced the ground in front of Nero, was pitch-black, it's crystalline blade so black that it seemed to absorb no light, it's beautifully carved mahogany black handle engraved with jagged engravings that spiralled down to the octagon-shaped pommel.

Griffin smiled so brightly, that the approaching Litchen Warriors whispered amongst each other as the Black-haired Vermilico drew Her blade from the ground, running her fingers along its skinny blade with joyous triumph, Nero approached Caliope's Sword, touching the handle hesitantly before drawing it from the ground... it was strange, it almost felt, alive, or more accurately, like something in a deep slumber, comatose and tired, but powerful, very very powerful, Nero saw Griffin out of the corner of his eye, she was not smiling at this sword, she looked almost sad for just a moment, before returning her ocean blue eyes to her own sword that she held close.

Nero had been so consumed with the weapons He and Griffin were given, that He did not see the Cheif, pull a long riffle that hung from her shoulder, Her eyes resting on Fiore as she cast the Rifle down to her daughter. Nero saw Fiore catch the long rifle, and damn was it a Long rifle, the thing was like 6 feet long, it's stock consumed the body of the rifle, the smooth ivory wood erupting into a smooth black iron barrel, it's muzzle extending further into a long, sharp double-sided spear blade. Fiore looked up to the Cheif for a moment, considering her with a boldness that Nero had yet to see in the Young Litchen woman, Fiore gripped the Rifle-Spear comfortably, cocking the hammer on the firing mechanism so that it emitted a Golden light, spinning it over her shoulder and staring defiantly at the coming Warriors "Well, she looks like she knows how to use that. I really hope that sword isn't just for show Griffin" Nero thought, holding the Black sword in front of him gingerly and preparing for the coming battle.

Each of the Five Litchen Warrior women twirled their weapons, locked in a fighting stance, eye blazing with wrath "Okay then ladies... here we go I guess?" Nero said, with less confidence than He intended, Griffin laughed as the Litchen warriors charged screaming with their weapons raised "Oooh Harpy, my darling, We are going to enjoy this." Griffin whispered, pointing her sword at the coming enemies while holding one of her arms behind her back.

Three of the Warriors all rushed upon Griffin, thrusting their weapons right at Her throat, Nero had never seen anyone move so fast, catching all three blades in a spinning parry, Griffin batted them away like flies, twisting like a hurricane in am arcing slash at Her attackers, Nero stared in awe as Griffin twirled like a cyclone, easily missing each of the Litchen spears by just a hair only to give back what she was given with tenfold the speed. Nero saw Fiore immediately provide a barrage of cover fire... only, she wasn't firing bullets out of that thing, instead, thin wisps of lightning-fast arrow-shaped golden energy shot at the Warriors, barely missing as the Litchen ducked and dived masterfully, sprinting towards Fiore who met them in combat, swinging Her spear like a madwoman, the clashing of metal filling the Arena as the crowd above them roared.

Nero wasn't quite sure how He fit into the fighting, they seemed to be handling it fine but... "Hey, Slick, helping out anytime now would be great!" Griffin cried, slicing at the air masterfully so that Her attackers all broke off from their **** in a panic, instead, setting their eyes on Him, Nero had barely a moment to think, to plan, anything, all He could do as the screaming Warrioress was raise his sword.

Nero was something of a lightweight himself, all those years doing MMA to blow off steam had only honed his already wicked fast reflexes and that certainly showed, when the Litchen woman swung the blade of her Spear at him, He tossed himself cleanly out of the way, feeling the brush of the cold steel whip at the air beside him, this was hardly the last for in her frustration, she unleashed a great flurry of skilful strikes at the Young man, not a single one of them managed to hit him, barely missing as He manically jerked out of the way.

A yell of pain rang from next to Nero, Griffin had slashed at one of the warrior's legs, a deep wound on her calf oozed bright red blood as she toppled to the ground, yet another fell, taking one of Fiore's electrical gunshots to the chest, the electrical blast exploding against the Litchen so that Her corpse's front was smoking and ruptured. Nero clashed with his attacker, the Black sword smashing against the heavy spear which met him with such strength that it was akin to being hit by a hammer, staggering He raised his sword to defend himself once more, taking another crushing blow to the flat of the wide, curved sword that vibrated his arm violently "Neh-ro, kaja'kili!" Nero heard Fiore call as another warrior began to overwhelm her, her cries of rage louder than the ringing clang of steel on steel as Fiore tried her best to fend her off.

Pinned, Nero tried to scuttle in her direction only to feel the blunt **** of his enemies stave hit him in the lungs, forcing all of the air out of his lungs as He struggled to get to Fiore "G-Griffin, You have to Help Fiore!" He shouted, but Griffin was still spinning like a madwoman, fending off more of the Litchen Warriors who had come down from the Cheif's platform, beads of sweat scattered on her forehead as she clearly began to exhaust

"I'm... a little busy... at the minute!" She responded, ducking under a wide swing before shoulder bashing a Warrior in her chest and gallantly swiping her sword in retort. Nero took another blow to his ribs this time, the unrelenting power of the heavy spear's pommels sending a cracking pain into his torso... Nero gritted his teeth... his heart hammering in his chest, He could hear more of them coming, more Warriors jumping down from the Cheif's platform to meet them, Fiore was clearly overwhelmed, staggering and struggling to stay on her feet, letting off wild gunshots that all missed her still pressing attacker, Griffin's legs shaking as she danced around the four Litchen that battled with her, The Cheif's Mysteria was really taking a toll on her, that much was clear but, what could Nero do?

_"Dammit... I'm going to die here, Fiore and Griffin, they are going to die here... w-what can I do, I'm just a guy from London, I'm not a Warrior, I should be a home, with Adele, with Kira, drinking in the pub with The lads... this is hopeless." _Nero thought, his mind taking in events at a snail's pace, feeling the air whip around him as his attacker thrust at him, tasting the salt and dust of the stone beneath him, the thousands of eyes looking down at him, Fiore's screams of fear beside him, "STOP HOLDING BACK!" Nero heard a voice scream to his right, Griffin kept looking back to him, while trying to face off against the hoard, Her blue eyes flickering to him with a great fire burning inside of them "YOU HAVE TO FIGHT! YOU CAN'T... JUST STAND THERE!" Griffin yelled, batting away a spear blade as she screamed at him "I KNOW YOU CAN DO MORE-JUST TRY, DON'T HOLD BACK, YOU ARE THE SON OF WAR, THE WAR-WOLF, STOP MESSING AROUND AND FIGHT!!" Griffin cried, though she took an especially hard knock to her shin, throwing it off the ground and she fell.

Nero's thoughts were strangely sombre in these moments of danger _"Holding back? I... I am aren't I, could my real effort really do any good?" _He asked himself, Nero's chest burned, He was not a coward, He was not a fool, whether He liked it or not, moments like these are when He flourished, when his fear resolved and his strength came to light all He had to do, was follow his Instincts.

As He peered inside of himself, trying to find that familiar rhythmic drum of fire, however, He found something... new, He had known that His Instincts were acting strange since He got here but this... it was insane, rather than the primal drum of Fire that He was used to, his Body began to resonate in a what could only be described as a song of Inferno, a powerful beat that stirred his guts in a symphony of ominous power, should He reach out to it, use this? it was like nothing He'd ever felt before, so raw and so powerful that He did not know how He might act should He dive into it... Fiore's scream and Griffins cry of pain as a Warrior's staff collided with her face answered that one for him, He had to, this wasn't some Bar fight, sparring match or skirmish with Marcus, this was Life or ****. And so, Nero pulled away the Veil of focus and dived into this Instinctual song, allowing it to play in every part of his mind and body, listening to his words which guided him, feeling his rhythm which flared the strength in his Muscles, reinforced his doubt with faith in his Instinct, and most importantly, stripped him completely of his fears.

In came a deeply cooling breath, filling his lungs with refreshing air, and out came a long but soft breath, carrying away all of his weakness, leaving on the inner song that drove him at that moment, Nero's hand clutched the handle of the black blade like it was the first time, really feeling it, really touching it, understanding that this was not just a sword, but an Instrument of ****, and Instrument that Nero was now ready to use to the fullest extent.