Quiahuitl's Story: Chapter 2

VS Nisha: Knowledge

| Prologue/Introduction | | Table of Contents | Profiles | Non-Gamer Primer |

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Open on Quiahuitl’s Ship

Quiahuitl and Epcoatl are on-screen. With them is the same attendant from before.

Attendant: My lord and lady, here is the information you requested.

The attendant passes a document to Epcoatl.

Quiahuitl: (That Xoletlan accent is rather thick.)

Epcoatl: It looks like you’ll be fighting Nisha while the arena is modeled after her home turf.

Quiahuitl: I’m not too concerned about Nisha. People say she hardly trained at all for this. She won her first match off of raw power, not skill.

Epcoatl: Yes, but the only reason this resembles a fair fight is because of the extensive rules dictating how the dragons have to hold back. If you lost here it’d be understandable.

Quiahuitl: But I won’t.

Epcoatl: I’m only saying the alternative isn’t the worst possible outcome, so you can afford to relax a little.

Quiahuitl: Thanks to that treasonous druid of hers, her library is a threat to the empire. Losing to her here would give her an advantage that she could press.

Epcoatl: She’s definitely opposed to our censorship, but from what I see she’s unlikely to make any attempt to destabilize the empire. I’d be more worried about Aodh when it comes to dragons.

Epcoatl: Moving on, this says the stage will be among the larger ones. Orefruit will drop from the trees as a hazard, that’s rather exotic.

Quiahuitl: That sounds like it will benefit Nisha with her elaborate chandelier traps. I noticed they fall apart when struck, that will let me move past them.

Epcoatl: Keep an eye out for those metal blocks she throws out too. If she puts any sort of distance between you two, the battle will be fought on her terms.

Quiahuitl: Then the solution is simple, stay close and keep the battle on my terms. Now it’s time to defeat a dragon.

Transition to Grand Festival Hub

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Exploration Start

You need to do a bit of platforming to reach the next battle, nothing complicated, just the game making sure you know how to double jump. You have more gossip to snag on your way.

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Anxious Xilian Noble: Feels like you really have to watch your back in Huacali these days. Not even being related to the huey chihuatlatoni can make you safe. Being at the heart of the empire has its disadvantages.

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Irritated Druid: I resent how Xoletlan is considered a nest of assassins. Yes our patron god is also a god of death, who assassins make offerings to. No we’re not all masters of assassination techniques.

Irritated Druid: I wonder if Tetlacatl also has to deal with that nonsense after he went to Dravala and married Nisha. Hard to say he had a bad idea at least.

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Patriotic Xilian Villager: I’m looking forward to seeing the Lunans lose in this tournament, they can’t hide behind their dragon now.

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Approach Epcoatl at the right most part of the hub to start the next battle.

Exploration End

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Epcoatl: I’ll pray for your victory. Remember, you have more fights ahead of you. Avoiding injury should be a priority.

Quiahuitl: You know that I’d rather be an injured victor than an unharmed loser. I’m sure all the gods of Xilaman are on our side.

Epcoatl: I think that statement would anger more people than it’d please, what with how we’ve erased all evidence of the Radiant Lord and Grey Lady’s worship. I hear Nisha’s druid worshipped them both, and that he’s found old friends amongst visitors here.

Quiahuitl: Those were Lunan deities. And the last thing we need is to acknowledge that we worshipped the same gods as the enemy who once tired to destroy our forest.

Epcoatl: I mean they’ve been in Xilaman for so long I’m not sure anyone else cares that the Lunans worshipped them first. Rewriting that history always seemed pointless.

Epcoatl: We’re getting off topic, you should go to your match now.

Transition to Layered Forest

The stage has two layers to it, the forest floor and the cavern below it. A massive tree rises from the cavern and pierces through the ground, bisecting the top level of the stage.

In the cavern there is a long main platform where the fighters start, there are no walls, so ring outs can happen. Bioluminescent plants illuminate this part of the stage.

A few platforms on each side help players ascend through holes in the ground (one on each side) to the top layer.

There is a platform just above each hole in the ground. Trees serve as walls on the sides of the top layer of the stage.

Thanks to the tree in the middle, the top left and top right are cut off from each other, the only way in or out of either is through the lower layer.

Quiahuitl and Nisha are standing across from each other on the bottom layer.

Nisha: Well, this is an odd encounter. It might be our first meeting, but from how you talk about my kind you clearly hate me already. And Tetlacatl has told me enough to make me hate you as well.

Quiahuitl: So no pretense of civility? Fine by me, I always liked battle better than debate. That library and druid of yours are threats to the empire, I’ll do anything to keep it safe from you.

Nisha: You seem obsessed with declaring people a threat or your enemy. I wonder how your great grandfather and his Lunan lover would feel about the way you demonize Lunis.

Quiahuitl: (How does she know about that? All mentions of that were destroyed, not even that druid of hers should have any knowledge of it. Nobody outside Huacali cared enough about that to record it.)

Quiahuitl: Enough talk, I’ll show everyone here that experience and hard work can triumph over your lazy use of draconic power.

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Battle Start

You’re in a sizable battlefield for this fight, so it’s time to play ball. Despite what the cutscenes said, focusing on rallies with the ball rather than up close combat is a valid approach here. It can even work as a distraction if you run forward while Nisha is focusing on hitting the ball back.

Nisha is a trap focused character whose main traps are metal chandeliers she summons to the stage. If you run under them they’ll drop on you. However attacks will make them fall down, like your ball. You can also jump on top of them, but they’ll immediately start falling and if you don’t jump off before they hit the ground you’ll be taking a good chunk of damage.

Your Rubber Rain super is a good counter to the chandelier traps, having a chance to both take them out and put pressure on Nisha.

To keep you from easily rushing past the traps, Nisha will also send out especially slow moving metal block projectiles. It can only catch you by surprise if you’re right in front of it when it appears.

The slowness of the projectile is a trap in itself, you’ll be tempted to jump right over it to get across the stage. Then the chandelier trap goes off and immediately hits you because you were right under it. Or you get hit with an anti-air.

Once you’re up close Nisha won’t have the time to throw out traps or projectiles. That’s when you can afford to go all in on offense. Keep close and you’ll win the match.

Battle End

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Nisha and Quiahuitl are back at their round start positions.

Quiahuitl: At last I’ve triumphed over a dragon. This is a victory for the entire empire.

Nisha: I’m impressed. I didn’t realize you were such a fool.

Quiahuitl: Explain yourself, or are those just the petty remarks of a loser?

Nisha: Do you genuinely think this fight matters as much as you wish it did? My library already undermines your lies, the truths you wished to erase have fled your grasp.

Nisha: Besides, a schemer like you has to think about the future. How will you be remembered? As an immortal, that is for me to decide, not you.

Quiahuitl: My empire will have its own historians.

Nisha: What makes you think historians will speak kindly about a conquerer? About someone who killed their own relative for the content of his private collection?

Nisha: Don’t think too highly of yourself, mortal. People only tolerate you because of your power, which will vanish once you die.

Quiahuitl: At least I earned my power, unlike you and your absurd abilities.

Nisha walks off screen, not dignifying Quiahuitl with a retort.

Quiahuitl: (Her words are getting to me more than they should. I’m in the right. Epcoatl understood why his uncle had to die. Even if we disagree on some things, he’ll always be on my side.)

Quiahuitl: (I am not letting her words get to me.)

Chapter END

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Note from the Author: Originally the Nisha fight was going to be the first chapter, but I felt that Amezwar worked better in that role. It looks as though the URLs didn’t get the memo about the switch however. Changing the order of fights is oddly common while revising a character’s story.

As always feedback is welcome and appreciated.