Aris's Story: Chapter 5

VS Hyperion: Trust

Dec 29, 2022

Open on Grand Festival Hub

Aris and Chrysanthos are walking across the screen. Aris stops. Chrysanthos walks forward before noticing that Aris stopped, and turns around to face him.

Chrysanthos: You still seem lost in thought.

Aris: That’s true. I’m not sure how much I’ve really changed since serving your father. I thought winning this tournament might help give me the renown to realize our dream, but it still relies on force.

Chrysanthos: At least you’re not trying to conquer anyone. Can’t you put the planning on hold for this festival and fight in the tournament because it’s fun?

Aris: A dream like mine can’t ever be put on hold. Representatives of every city state are together on neutral ground with their focus on something other than their history with each other. I can’t trust that will happen again.

Aris: People respect power. If I can best Hyperion in our match and then win the grand finals, they’ll know my strength doesn’t just come from the brand and be more willing to hear me. I can’t afford to miss this opportunity.

Chrysanthos: What’s so bad about the way Mondragnes is now? All the city states are at peace, there’s no war or calamity to deal with.

Aris: Maybe the way things are isn’t that bad. But accepting that and doing nothing to improve is how stagnation happens.

Chrysanthos: It’s also how you and father talked yourselves into starting a meaningless war. Are you sure your dream isn’t actually a poison?

Aris turns away from Chrysanthos.

Aris: It’s all that remains of who he was, before he become the man that everyone hates, even you.

Chrysanthos: … I don’t hate father. Not even after my entire reign was spent fixing what he broke.

Chrysanthos: Just focus on your fight with Hyperion. We can argue later.

Chrysanthos walks away.

Exploration Start

On your way to the next fight you’ll run past a market stall with a hard ceiling. Try to play around with movement and air attacks there, it might come in handy there. There’s no significant obstacle on your way to the next match. As always you have some people to listen in on.

Dravalan Commoner: Aris vs Hyperion, drake versus dragon. Aris seems to use his draconic powers more, but Hyperion is a full fledged dragon. Not sure who I’d bet on.

Druid: I’ve heard rumors of Our Revered Lady having spies in this festival. Apparently Tetlacatl caught one of them observing his wife and co-husband’s training and beat the poor fellow, he hasn’t changed since the old days.

Xilian Noble: I’m not surprised. I bet that information helped her reach the semifinals, and I’d be shocked if she doesn’t make it to the grand final and win. For better or worse.

Mondragean Noble: You know, people often say ‘the desert’ as shorthand for all of Mondragnes, but that’s selling Eriscthens short. My ancestors didn’t make an entire swamp just to be called desert people.

Approach Hyperion to begin the fight.

Exploration End

Aris: Before we head into the arena, can I say something?

Hyperion: Of course.

Aris: I know nobody else sees the need for a united Mondragnes, and that everyone thinks of Cyrus’s tyranny when it comes up. But, do you still think I’m a good person even with that aim?

Hyperion: If you weren’t I would have been forced to get in your way. You’re taking the time to pursue your dream without trampling over anyone else. You’re easier to be around than Hákon at least.

Aris: That isn’t an accolade.

Hyperion: You know what I mean. At your worst you’re merely annoying with how often you ask me to become padishah. But you ask instead of trying to manipulate me.

Aris: Thank you. Now I should be able to give you a better fight.

Transition to Photens

The stage is set in the middle of a desert village. At the center is a well, inside a structure that’s like a wallless tent, except it’s clearly made to stay. The well itself is in the background, but the flat roof of the structure is both a ceiling and platform.

At both ends of the stage are a small sandstone building. Their flat roofs are also part of the stage. A barrier of golden light on each end stops fighters from going past the roofs to the other side of the buildings.

Battle Start

Now that you’re up against a grappler you’re going to have to fight for the space you need to set up your siege engines. Hyperion wants to corner you and land his powerful command grabs, so be aware of how much room you have to retreat.

On top of that the stage might fool you into thinking it’s on your side with how much space it seems to have. Unfortunately a sandstorm will sometimes disrupt the fight, forcing you to take shelter under the cover of the well’s roof. You’ll have enough warning to make it to shelter, but it will put you closer to Hyperion than you want to be.

The walls of the buildings on the side of the stage and the roof of the well get in the way of your catapult projectile. In case you didn’t realize this already, don’t put your catapult right under the roof of the well. Ballista and mini siege tower are your friends here. A siege tower under the well’s roof is great for restricting enemy movement.

You do have one projectile that can go through the ceiling of the well, your Solar Bombardment super. When the sandstorm comes there’s also less room for Hyperion to dodge your ballista or Bright Ballista. If you can you should try to set it up during the countdown to the sandstorm so that it will be ready to fire once the sandstorm starts.

There will be plenty of time with no sandstorm to deal with, and that’s the best time for your to get proactive. Use your ballista and mini siege tower to harass Hyperion from a distance outside of his grab range. If he gets close you want to correct that, don’t be afraid to use your sword to try and force him back.

Keep an eye out for Hyperion’s Blinding Flash super, a short range attack which will immediately lead into a grab. The range is long enough to catch you when you think you’re just out of range from getting grabbed, don’t underestimate it. Meanwhile Roc Strike has him grab you and fly across the stage horizontally, dragging you along the ground until you reach the edge.

If you can stay on top of the weather and slip out of Hyperion’s grabs victory is assured.

Battle End

Aris and Hyperion stand at their round start positions. Both of them are worn out.

Aris: Now that I’ve won, will you agree to be padishah?

Hyperion: Winning the fight doesn’t mean you’re right.

Aris: I know, but asking had no real risk. Although, I do have a serious confession to make.

Aris: The reason I singled you out as a potential padishah isn’t just because I think you’re a good leader, it’s because I don’t trust myself with that kind of authority.

Hyperion: And I don’t trust myself with that kind of authority either. But, I trust you. It’s because of you that I took a more active role with local politics.

Hyperion: We both want peace across Mondragnes in our own ways. I know that’s what your dream is really about, not gathering power.

Aris: I… What you say is simple, yet it might reveal something I was too much of a fool to see. Or I’m desperate enough to see a break through in anything.

Hyperion: Why don’t you follow through on that?

Aris: Because this dream was never only mine. Not that I’d ever know what he’d think of me now, unless…

Aris: Can I ask you to gather some people? There’s something I need to try before the finals.

Hyperion: And what is that?

Aris: Speaking with the dead.

Chapter END

Note from the Author: This is the last chapter of the year, and unfittingly is not the last chapter of the story as you can see. But Aris’s story will conclude next year and next month.

After it was pointed out to me, I realized I made a mistake with this story, the tournament itself wasn’t important enough to Aris’s character arc. The stakes so far haven’t been attached to the actual outcome of the tournament. So there’s a bit of course correction here.

I have distant plans of a revised edition of Battles Beneath the Stars, so this will most likely be addressed in that as well. Even minor feedback can help with further course correction and editing.

The Warthog Report

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