Side Quest: "A Tankless Job."

[AccelR8]

Aro nodded. "Yes. The Testing Grounds cannot be reached by magrail. Some three kilometers south of the Hunter's Guild, you will find a nondescript high-rise building. At the door, the doorman will stop you and ask what business brings you there. Tell him that you bring a fruit of wisdom and he'll let you through." He fixed Tank with a very serious look. "Do not forget this. It is not a place you can take likely." His expression softened, and he handed Tank a small, circular package made of black silk, which was nonetheless very heavy. "That is all. Good luck on your first hunt!"

That's what the one at the Hunter's Guild told Tank, and his partner Adel. The two had just accepted their first job as rookie Hunters, a chance to make some legitimate bank. But, they had their doubts that the job would be so simple. An unmarked destination unreachable by magrail, with shady guards awaiting an equally shady passcode. A place "not to take likely". Well, in any case, there was no time to waste. The instructions said to deliver the package quickly, so Tank found himself travelling southward, keeping the package secured and all of his senses on high alert. Just in case.

[Kanzaris]

Ur-Kal's landscape shifted quickly from the magrail. What Tank wasn't expecting was for it to change just as swiftly from ground level. A mere three kilometers away from the squeaky-clean (if small) Hunter's Guild and its nearby park, the buildings already seemed rather more run-down, the streets a little more narrow, and the city infrastructure far more chaotic. In spite of this, however, it wasn't hard to spot the building he'd been sent out to look for.


BGM: The Testing Grounds (Enter)

After all, who could miss it? Amidst all the...mundanity that surrounded it, it had quite the notable entrance gate. And just as notable, of course, was the Draconian who guarded it.



Who comes looking for the Testing Grounds? His voice boomed, with all the force of thunder. State your business, human, and make it quick. I do NOT tolerate loitering around here.

[AccelR8]

Unintimiated, Tank replies to the Draconian,
Tank: "Hello. I coming bearing the fruit of wisdom."

Adel remained quiet, realizing that perhaps his usual greetings were not wise, here. There was no sense in bothering the doorman, especially not one this big and scary.

[Kanzaris]

Ahh. So it is Aro who sends you, then. Very well. He turned around to look at the high-rise behind him, with a great whoosh of air, and raised a great talon to point to the top of the skyscraper. Take the elevator to the top floor. The quartermaster will see you there. Do not dally or dare enter another floor, unless you wish to be...tested. His toothy smile spoke volumes of what might happen if Tank took him up on that challenge. Underneath him, the gates opened, and Tank was allowed to pass through them, reaching the great elevator that functioned as the high-rise's entry chamber.

[AccelR8]

Tank: "Understood."

Tank will head to the Elevator with no intentions of defying the doorman. He had no reason to, and plenty of reasons to follow the instructions. This was a job to earn the Guild's trust more than anything, and as curious as this place was, he was not one to stick his nose in places they don't belong, not without due cause.

Adel: "I wonder what he meant by "tested"? ...Probably nothing good!"
Tank: "Probably. No sense in causing trouble here. Let's just get this thing delivered."

[Kanzaris]

Bathed by lights of cyan neon, the view from the elevator was unabashedly magnificent. Even in a run-down neighborhood, Ur-Kal's beauty managed to keep on shining. The ride up was smooth, and silent - until with a ping, the elevator doors slid open.

(Perception check!)

[AccelR8]

AccelR8 carried out 1 launched of one d20 :

11

Plus 9 =...

[Kanzaris]

Scant moments later, a barrage of arrows whizzed past the spot where Tank had previously been standing and lodged themselves against the back of the elevator. Times like these, Tank was thankful for his sharpened senses.

"Back for a rematch already...?" A human woman wearing a tight blue bodysuit called out, smugly, before noticing him. "Oh. You're not Fujur. Who are you? And step out of the way, I'm about to pull those out. Wouldn't want you to get impaled on them." The bow in her hands was made of blue light, and emitted a faint hum of energy.

Beyond was a large, open room, full of people surrounding a circular arena bored into the ground. Coming from within the arena, Tank could hear the sounds of fighting.

[AccelR8]

Tank steps out of the elevator and to the side, not wanting to stand between the woman and her arrows. Adel is excited, and apparently oblivious to the fact they were nearly killed, but Tank speaks up before he can make it weird.

Tank: "Uhh, well no harm done. I'm actually here to deliver a package."

He takes a look around the room, in particular the arena in the center. Was this some kind of secret fight club inside the Testing facility? Interesting.

[Kanzaris]

At the woman's command, the arrows tore themselves free of the elevator and flew to her hand, reversing their course exactly. She seemed cross now. "Oh, of course you are. I should've known he'd be too spineless to turn up again so quickly." Shaking her head, she shook off her bad mood and extended her hand. "Like what you see? This is the first floor of the Testing Grounds. Ur-Kal's greatest battle circuit!" She said, giving him a broad smile. "My name is Vara. I am the quartermaster of the Testing Grounds. I assume you're the boy Aro told me would be coming, right?"

[AccelR8]

Tank: "Oh! So you're the quartermaster. Good to meet you, I go by "Tank". And-" As he reaches out to accept the handshake, Adel would interject.

Adel: "YES hello! I'm Adel! We're two-in-one. It's a long story!" Adel couldn't resist excitedly introducing himself to the human with the cool bow. Besides that, the idea of a battle arena was just like one of his Earth comics, so suffice to say the little guy was more than a little wound up.

[Kanzaris]

"Hm." Vara tilted her head, quizzically. "Is that so? Are you some kind of robot, then?" she asked, giving Tank a look. "Nice to meet you anyways, though. Now then, let's get down to business. You come here to give me a package or to get put to the test?"

[AccelR8]

Tank: "Ah, well that's the simplest way to put it, yes. Delivering your package is what I came for but..."

He trails off momentarily, looking around. In truth, he was nearly as curious as Adel, it was a rare opportunity to test his skills outside of life-or-death combat. People like Darzi exist in this universe, and as he was now, he could never compete with someone like that. If he was inadequate, how could he claim to be able to protect his charge? Above all else, Tank was a guardian for the life form implanted in him. His primary function, his sole purpose for being. Besides that, Adel's sense of justice drove them both. Sooner than later it would get them into trouble again. Why not be prepared for it?

Tank: "What sort of test, if I might ask?"

[Kanzaris]

Quartermaster Vara smiled, wolfishly. "Why, the only one that counts. Combat! This is a sanctioned Shuhadaku Alal arena - here, we practice bloodsports." She raised a hand to forestall the obvious question, dismissing the bow as she did so. "We do host lesser competitions here, too - to first blood, for example, or artistic combat exhibitions, and noncombat duels. But the bulk of our business lies in battles to death or incapacitation. What do you think? Wanna jump in?"

[AccelR8]

Tank was sorely tempted. But, if such battles were actually so dangerous that death was a possibility, he would need to be more prepared.

Tank: "Hm, it's an interesting offer, one that we might take up at a later time. Assuming the invitation is good for later. Personally I'm not afraid of getting roughed up, I have a tendency to avoid death even when killed, but we should probably come back when we're a little more prepared.

Adel offered no arguments, though the arena was adequately "hella cool", he wasn't quite brash enough to order his friend in there to get shot up unless they were both ready.

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