Hákon's Story: Chapter 4

Vs Walakea: Pure Snow

Nov 03, 2022

Open on Grand Festival Arena

The stands of the arena are empty as Hákon and Erlingr duel. Hákon tries to attack, Erlingr blocks.

Erlingr: Ha, you think you can beat me, the greatest of the Radakali since our legendary ancestor.

Hákon: What?

Erlingr: Damn it, not convincing? Master Oddr is quite clear. He wants a gladiator who revels in the audience’s applause and praise while never saying a word of criticism, and with open pride in our heritage.

Hákon: Don’t you see how insane this is? He doesn’t have the right to make you change your personality.

Erlingr: Doesn’t matter. Though you were always soft like that, constantly worrying about trivial things like how your thralls feel. Fuck, that’s two beatings for when I return.

Erlingr: You have a way of forcing me out of character, as does a good fight. If I can stay in character while fighting you, I’ll be able to maintain it anywhere. That’s why my master let me train with you.

Erlingr: Though I suppose these might not be problems after my graduation auction. It’s easy to keep up the act when I’m not fighting.

Hákon: Are you seriously going to act like you’re okay with this? That you’re fine with being beaten for being yourself, with becoming someone’s trophy. At least lie to protect yourself.

Erlingr: You’re talking like a foreigner. My feelings don’t matter, my love of battle is an insignificant detail.

Erlingr: I won’t defy my master. I brought plenty of people into thralldom, protesting it now that I’m on the other end would be hypocritical. And now I must leave.

Hákon: You’re a person, not a product. Your feelings do matter.

Erlingr: Don’t dishonor me with pity. Haven’t you accepted nobody else on the isles is like you? At least let me suffer the consequences of my actions.

Erlingr walks off-screen.

Transition to Grand Festival Hub

Hákon and Runa are on-screen.

Hákon: …And then I didn’t know what to say, so I just stood there as he walked out.

Runa: What’s with some of the men here and their obsession with being punished?

Hákon: Feels more like he’s too proud to deal with losing, like he’d rather be a thrall than a free man who had their ransom paid. Though if anyone could enjoy getting beaten, it’d definitely be Erlingr.

Hákon: More importantly, something Hyperion said the other day has me wondering. Is it still right to help Erlingr if he doesn’t want it?

Runa: Yes. You’d save him from drowning even if he told you not to, it’s the same here.

Hákon: You’re right, sorry. Some of what Erlingr said is getting to me too.

Runa: Don’t worry, you have nothing to apologize for. And if Erlingr wants to be beaten so badly I have a few slaps ready for him after what he said to you.

Hákon: He does have a point though. Maybe we should stick to ourselves, I could step down from the council and stop wasting my time trying to convince them. I never really felt like one of them anyway.

Runa: And what about everyone you’ve been trying to help, the people you joined the council for? Even Nisha isn’t as isolationist as she used to be.

Runa: Hákon, you can’t give up. Remember how hard you worked to free me, back when we barely knew each other. Your heart is too strong for this doubt.

Hákon: Runa… I’m still not confident, but I’ll keep trying for you.

Exploration Start

There’s nothing too complicated here platforming wise. You’ll need to explore a bit to find all the people to eavesdrop on.

Hirzeni Merchant: That gladiator, Erlingr, is from Brytholm if I heard right. I’m rooting against him then, imagine everyone else from Hirzen will too.

Dravalan Noble: Seeing all of those elaborate illusions in the arena makes me envy the magical might on display. I hear that power is kept strictly to one clan, seems like a waste to me.

Mondragean Noble: I’ve overheard people here use some honorifics, have you heard anything about what they mean?

Mondragean Merchant: Someone told me that when a slave addresses their master directly, they use their name with the honorific -talm. And for the inverse the honorific is -thralm, but I don’t think I’ve ever overheard that one.

Mondragaen Noble: Me neither. Might be rude to say it here, but this is making me appreciate the other city states more. At least we all agree slavery is barbaric.

Approach Walakea to start the next battle.

Exploration End

Walakea: Are you alright Hákon? You look lost in thought. I can’t let a brother-in-law walk into the arena like that.

Hákon: I have a lot to think about. Did Nisha tell you about the problem with my friend.

Walakea: Yes, that you legally can’t help them.

Walakea: That’s the flaw of written laws, the words undermine their own intention, and the laws become as weak as what they were written on. Even stone can be broken.

Walakea: So, why don’t you get creative and twist the words yourself? Make deals, exploit the same loopholes you intend to close. Best way to catch a fish is to get wet.

Hákon: Pretty sure that only goes for cephal, but I get your point. Still, I’m not eager to sink to the level of the people I’m trying to stop.

Hákon: I’m starting to wonder if it’s worth the effort if I can’t get anything done without becoming part of the problem.

Hákon: I might meet with the king of Pheona, and I’ve helped run this festival, but I can’t seem to accomplish anything that actually helps someone else.

Walakea: I think I see your problem. If you win I’ll tell you what it is.

Hákon: What?

Walakea: If you don’t pull your head down from the clouds I’m going to easily best you. I want a challenge, not an easy victory, so this is something to draw your focus.

Hákon: Thank you.

Transition to Yazen

The stage is located in the canals of a city with snow falling in the background. A large flat roofed pyramid is the standout landmark. The fighting takes place on a gondola with a roofed section in the back.

Battle Start

Both of you and Walakea want to get up close, but Walakea is a rushdown character more focused on maintaining constant pressure than landing a few good hits, so this won’t be like the Hyperion fight.

As the fight goes on, the boat that serves as the platform will pass by some single one-off platforms at various heights. Since it moves at a slow pace you’ll have some time to make use of them, but they won’t be there for long.

What will have a greater impact on the fight is the other boats that sometimes appear behind and in front of the main one. Those open up the stage, but eventually they will go out of bounds. It’s easier to get a ring out from the side boats, so be more careful about your positioning on them. And if you’re going to the one Walakea is on, watch out for his anti-air attacks like his Metal Juggle super.

For Walakea himself, you need to be careful and keep blocking until he commits to a riskier move, then you can start the counterattack. His offense will feel oppressive at times, but letting it annoy you into taking needless risks is how you lose.

After a while you’ll notice the AI sticks to the same sequence of attacks, giving you plenty of time to analyze the best times to interrupt it. One trick Walakea likes to do is to use his metal ball projectile from just out of your range, then go in for a follow up attack. You can counter this with a hit grab that has super armor, letting it endure his projectile and connect with him.

If you want to end this quickly, you could hold out until one of the other boats appear and try to ring Walakea out from there. Be wary of Walakea’s Eight Pronged Assault super if you attempt this, after the fourth hit he goes behind you for another four, meaning even if blocked it’ll still put you closer to the edge.

Keep a cool head and do your best to withstand Walakea’s pressure once it gets started. If you can do that, the match is yours.

Battle End

Hákon and Walakea are standing at their round start positions.

Walakea: I would have preferred to win, but I put up a good enough fight that I don’t regret giving you some motivation. Though even if you lost, I was going to tell you anyway.

Walakea: On that note, have you ever thought about snow? In the sky it’s pure, yet when it falls to the ground it becomes dirty. But all snow must fall, that is what makes it snow.

Hákon: Huh? Could you be more direct? Don’t want to misunderstand the metaphor here.

Walakea: First tell me what you think it means.

Hákon: That nobody is entirely righteous? As in simply living life will have us do things that aren’t always moral. But I think I’m not getting the part I need to get.

Walakea: You need to take it a step further. You’re worried about getting involved with parts of your society that are immoral, which is why you struggle to change it.

Walakea: It’s comedic that you of all people have that problem, because it’s what you presented to the rest of us. Nisha had to decide between associating with a slaver or not knowing one of the few other dragons.

Walakea: But getting to know you lets her do at least something to help people here, while if she rejected you she wouldn’t.

Walakea: We compromised with you. Now, if you really care for bettering the lives of people here, you need to make compromises yourself. People matter more than lofty ideals.

Hákon: If I compromise too much on the reforms they’ll be useless.

Walakea: I meant compromise more generally. You don’t want to make backroom deals, but those might be the key to getting the regulations you want.

Hákon: So you’re saying it was wrong of me to try and be an honest councilor? Since none of my efforts there worked out.

Walakea: No, it was foolish. And it’ll be selfish if you focus more on what feels good to you rather than what will truly aid people. If you have a strong sense of morality, you’ll know when it’s better to bend it.

Hákon: I don’t know if I’m that strong, and if I’m not things will get worse. I’ll need some time to think about what you said. Still, thank you.

Hákon: (And when it comes to Erlingr I’ve got a deadline, so I better be fast about this.)

Chapter End

Note from the Author: Walakea and Hyperion were unexpectedly fun to write together. What did you think of their dynamic? Originally their talk and fight would have been in chapter three, but as I wrote it I realized it belonged somewhere later in the story.

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