Gandigan had been working on the old castle when something struck him. It was something he'd not ever hoped to feel again, yet there it was deep in his mind. A power source he had felt not that long ago when he had come back to Namek and done battle with the evil Cabasa. But how could that be? He was sure that he had killed Cabasa with his final attack... unless he had been fooled somehow. He couldn't let something like that happen to him.
And so Gandigan found himself on the hunt. And the prey? Cabasa. He would have thought that the animals of Namek would have finished that creature off for him, but he put too much faith in their abilities. Somehow Cabasa had survived; he wasn't sure how, but he could still sense it's life force somewhere out there on Namek. Given the gravity of the situation Gandigan dropped what he was doing entirely and set out in search of where Cabasa may be hiding.
His search took him out into the dense forests of the Outer Plait, where the many different life forces that lived here made his search that much more frustrating. Moving on foot was slow, but moving through the air meant the tree top obscured his search. So he stuck to the ground, though he was none too happy about it. Even with his sight, Cabasa was hiding well and that lead to even more frustration. He had half a mind to eviscerate the trees in front of him, before realizing the damage that could do to the ecosystem.
The past few days have been eventful for Cabasa, to say the least. First, she tested her mettle against none other than Gangidan, the would-be king of her ilk. The experience was more than humbling... Then, shortly after, she met with that so-called Tsufyan, Apexle, who exposed to her the intricacies of Gandigan's machinations. A lot of vitriol in Cabasa's ashen husk of a heart was consecrated to the mighty Namekian who left her bloodied and battered. At the same time, his ambitions resonated with Cabasa on a primeval level; what could she desire more than protection and rewards for her slaughter? All she had to do was to follow orders...
The idea was enough to make her lips curl at the edges, displaying two rows of razor-sharp fangs that muffled a disgusted hiss. "Pathetic... am I so weak as to consider this snake's offer?" She shook her head, focusing on the dense vegetation surrounding her. The Outer Plait's forest proved to be both an ideal hiding spot and hunting grounds. Then, something made her droopy antennas twitch.
This voice.
It sounded oh-so-familiar...
"GANDIGAN!" Cabasa cringed at the thought, damning herself for her own carelessness; was her spikes in power when delivering the killing blow to her quarries what gave her away? It mattered little. Cabasa took a deep breath, mustered what little courage she had, and soared above the canopy with a fell flap of her gargoylesque wings. She looked down where she thought the voice originated from amidst the trees, bracing herself for an attack.
"I am exposed and vulnerable, Gandigan. That's right! I know about your name; your ally, Apexle, exposed it to me alongside your design." She kept a stern expression, keeping her arms crossed as a sign of stoicism and resilience.
"I wish to talk. I fed on lower lifeforms; I advise you to jump on the opportunity while I have some clarity of mind." The blue-skinned Mazoku looked up at the sky, damning herself for what she was about to say. "You proved your superior might and Apexle unraveled the intensity of your aspirations..."
An awkward pause ensued.
"I wish to serve, to learn. All I require is an opportunity to feed within agreed boundaries."
Gandigan had only screamed into the wind out of frustration, yet surprisingly he actually got a response. The voice of Cabasa was thrown back at him, and what's more is that it claimed to know both he and Apexle now. Was this Apexle's doing? Had he nursed this creature back to health? He didn't want to believe that, yet after what Marimba had told him about his own encounter with Apexle he was beginning to realize that his friend was a lot more complicated than he realized.
But why? What possible value could Apexle see in helping Cabasa? He better have a good explanation for this the next time he saw him. "You are always vulnerable in my presence, Cabasa. I could squash you beneath my feet at any time, for no other reason than because I want to. And now you say you wish to talk?"
There it was. Apexle had told Cabasa of his plans, and now the creature wanted to get involved. Apparently the Tufyan had seen a potential ally in Cabasa, which shouldn't have surprised him. Apexle was almost strangely devoted to Gandigan's cause, and so searching for allies (whoever they may be) was something on his to do list. He couldn't say he approved of this one, but if it had passed Apexle's judgement then perhaps there was some value in listening.
"Wish to serve? Wish to learn? Yet the first thing you did on Namek was to attack me. If you want any sort of deal with me then first you'll explain yourself. What are you? Where are you from? Why have you come to Namek really?"
Cabasa sighed, exasperated at Gandigan's nosiness. From that point on, it was to be expected to be tested, but the thought of laying down her secrets bare for the man who crushed her was still infuriating. With a frown, Cabasa swallowed back her hubris, uncrossed her arms, and pointed an extended index at the foliage carrying her tormentor's words.
"You wish to know me better, Gandigan? Let me indulge you." She swooped down with deadly grace, landing near Gandigan with a silent thud. He was only a few feet away from her... She could extend her arms, grasp his measly skull, and gouge his pretender eyes out like a chitinous lifeform's sweet interior. Instead, she did the unthinkable: Slowly, she kneeled on one knee, resting the palm of the opposite hand on the grassy bedding of the Plait while propping her other forearm on her risen knee. The gesture clearly infuriated her, seeing how her smooth skin was crinkled with fleshy folds carving a nasty expression on her visage. Her limbs were shaking as well, almost as if they were poised to explode. Despite this, she retained a semblance of restrain and began explaining with her gaze adverted to the ground.
"My recollection of my past and inception into this world are fragmentary at best. Between the subconscious haze of a would-be hatchling and what little I gathered from my people's slabs following my first, delectable meal, I have very little to go from."
She looked up at Gandigan. "My sense of time probably isn't right with how much the hunger was gripping my loin when I traveled to Namek, but I should be a few weeks old by now, maybe two months. I won't go into too many details, but I am essentially the daughter of a clan that splintered from Namek in times of yore. A philosophical schism? A civil war? I can't tell. What little I know about my people, however, is that they all invariably possessed mystical powers, making them members of the Dragon Caste, if I am not mistaken. Their foster planet, my birthplace, is a true hellscape comparable to the place where I landed, if not a bit worse."
She grabbed a patch of grass, sinking her claws into the dirt. "To elude the perils of my world, they did something terrible, they sinned." Cabasa's tongue traced the shape of her lips bending downward. Her frame began to shake with an hint of amusement. "Regardless of what they attempted, it profoundly changed me in the egg. I began to feel something searing in my womb, an overwhelming urge to eat, to consume. When I do it, it fills me with unspeakable glee... but also with splinters of thoughts: memories..."
Cabsa stood up proudly, awaiting Gandigan's judgment. "I do not know what I am, Gandigan. All I know is that I want the turmoil of disparate sensations to cease. I want... completion. Felling and drinking feral phytolifeforms seems to be a slower process than consuming sentient individuals. This is why I crave to be turned against your enemies, to betide your planetary targets with an hurricane of vampiric might."
Another pause. Her smile began showing. "Within reasons, of course. I shan't slaughter what will become the people of your hegemony! The dissidents and opposing warriors, however, should be fair game."
The display of submission was unexpected, but welcome. Gandigan was under no illusions that Cabasa could change so quickly; clearly this was partly theatrical, but perception could sometimes be powerful. As he had suspected earlier, Cabasa claimed to be a Namekian, though a Dragon Caste member? He wasn't expecting that. "Your mutations would suggest you are one of the Mazoku; even though I can't say I've seen any that look like you specifically we are the ones that deviate from the usual form."
Though Castes were a complicated matter; some saw them as a biological matter, while others believed you could move between and integrate into other Castes. "It's not just Dragon Caste members that have the sort of abilities you describe; Nero has similar abilities and he's descended from Aliens."
As much as he hated to admit it, Gandigan could sympathize with the feelings that Cabasa described. The urge to consume had once plagued him, and eventually he was able to conquer that. Though in his case it was a foreign being polluting his body; in the case of Cabasa he couldn't say. Whatever this 'sin' was it must have been quite bad for Cabasa to come out as it had. "I... suppose I understand. I was once plagued by a sin as well; a sin which pushed me to consume. Under my watch you won't be consuming any Namekians, be it Mazoku or otherwise. If you wish to eat flesh so badly then Namek has a number of wild creatures you may hunt. If we conquer other worlds with foreign enemies then we will discuss those options later."
That was all he could give Cabasa for now. He couldn't make promises without knowing any more of the future. "Now tell me what exactly it was that Apexle told you about me. What of my plans do you already know?"
Again, this inconsequential topic about what Namekian Caste Cabasa belonged to struck. It started to royally get on her nerves. She cared little if she had Dragon Clan ancestors but looked the part of a Mazoku; what mattered was that she was her own, striking person with aspirations worth living and dying for. She felt no regrets when she slaughtered her Clan like the hapless cattle they were, so her supposed "identity crisis" wasn't much of an important matter, especially right now.
Nero? An alien with mystical abilities? Now, this was something worthy of her attention. "I do not know who this Nero is. Descended from aliens, you say? Perhaps a species related to Apexle. Hmph. Namek seems pretty open to strangers. I'd be interested to be told more about the man later." She seemed to have mixed feelings about this. On one hand, Cabasa had an innate disdain for anyone not aligning with her animalistic philosophy deeply averse to motley civilizations where cooperation between the weak is natural. On the other hand, if the game to drink from is more varied... A twitch of excitement upon marveling at the possible tastes of this new blood broke her composure for an instant.
"You relinquished your hunger, uh?" Was it weakness or extreme force of will? Cabasa couldn't honestly tell. To her, being an hematophagous huntress was at the core of her being, not something imparted by some kind of parasitic wretch. Abandoning it was... the equivalent of foregoing life, her precious adrenaline-inducing ambrosia. "Can't say I sympathize nor approve, but at least you knowing what I'm going through, even if partially, will surely make you see why I attacked you after landing on Namek. I. Was. Starving." Partly true; she would have attacked him either ways, but maybe he could have reasoned with a more lucid version of herself after fighting back.
Speaking of part truths, now was the time to paraphrase Apexle's winding speech. Cabasa did her best to masticate and spit out the gist of it in a concise manner, minus the whole "overthrowing Gandigan" part. For all she knew, Apexle could be a liar testing her fealty to her new liege. She wouldn't be so gullible. "He told me about making you see the truth about us -if I can even call myself one of their own- the Mazokus. We respect strength, force of character, and the ability to make rivers run red! Part one of the plan is to make them recognize your strength, something I'll also have to do and shall deeply enjoy." Cabasa cracked her neck and knuckles in anticipation, her eyes lidded by sadistic visions unfolding in her mind.
"Then, with your united people, we will take to the stars. This is the part where I'll be the most handy. Peace comes at a price and it is heavy in blood, after all. A soldier? An officer? I don't care! I shall do what I do best and embrace the purpose you give me..." Would she truly step on her ego and call him with a proper title befitting his impending station?
"Approve? I don't need your approval. One day you'll come to see that your hunger is a weakness that needs to be eliminated. For the time being I can tolerate it." Gandigan couldn't afford to be picky with allies; not when his potential threats were as powerful as Lottus. There were at least three Super Saiyans within Plant's hierarchy that he needed to be prepared for. Cabasa was a far cry away from the strength of a Super Saiyan, but there was definitely room for growth here.
Cabasa retailed the details of her encounter with Apexle, going over what the Tufyan had told her about what was to come for Gandigan. The Tufyan got everything right more or less, which saved him the trouble of having to explain anything more. "Sounds like you have a good understand of what's to come. In a few days time I will be attempting to acquire the Mazoku crown. I'll send out a telepathic message letting you know when and where to go, and I will be expecting your arrival."
It may have been a bit better for Apexle to hold back some information; after all while recruiting was all well a good you could never be too sure of who you were talking to. The Tufyan didn't have to give away all of the details, especially regarding their future plans. "As for other worlds that's something you should keep to yourself. I'd rather we focus on the present. Once we are done with acquiring this title I'll find a place for you among our ranks. Your martial prowess will be useful on the front lines."
There it was. He'd cut a deal with the devil, and it left a sour taste in his mouth. He still didn't know if he could trust Cabasa or not, but for the time being he was willing to trust Apexle's judgement. "Now that we know where each other stands, is there anything else you'd like to discuss? If not then I would recommend you get to training as there may be trouble in your future."
"Hmph." The teal-skinned Mazoku grunted, vaingloriously puffing up her bust by taking in some of the Plait's fresh air - definitely more pleasant than her Home Planet's noxious fumes. "We can agree to disagree. In the end, it matters little what you think of my drive. As long as we can find grounds for coexistence, I'll keep my nose clea-" She chuckled at the irony. Cabasa probably obtained that pithy statement from a Clanmate who she drank from; she took note of curbing it out of her vocabulary at a later point. "Anyways..."
Gandigan began explaining his plan in greater depths, making Cabasa aware of the Mazoku crown. This presumed heirloom's existence drew out a spark of curiosity, of ambition, from her crimson eyes. While she wouldn't do anything about it for now, mayhap that in some distant future -probably when her strength would be fostered to greater heights- she'd challenge her newfound "King" for it. "Understood. I won't make you wait for too long. I can already feel my blood boiling; I am very eager to see what will transpire."
Then came an impromptu asterisk to punctuate the worlds to conquer that Apexle mentioned in their discussion of earlier. "I see. I don't know what I have to gain from sharing such details, especially with strangers, so you can consider my mouth already sewn shut. Apexle, however, should be monitored more closely, I think. He is awfully mouthy." Yes, why not sow a bit of mistrust? Their dysfunctional alliance would surely come undone at some undisclosed time in the future, so testing how much Gandigan truly believed in Apexle's loyalty didn't seem a bad idea. "If you only knew the things he told me, Gandigan."
She leaned forward, taking a step closer to the shorter man, deploying her wingspan while tracing the contour of her lips with her tongue in a teasing fashion. "I don't think you'd believe me if I were to disclose such information to you anyways." She withdrew her form, enclosing her shapely figure with her dark cape, leaving only her head and gargoylesque wings visible. Her red jewels were lidded with malicious cheerfulness. "A king's throne is a high place to fall off from, so keep your allies close and your enemies closer. Personally, I think he's a wriggling snake; his intelligence terrifies me." Despite the tone of her revelation, she kept that fanged grin plastered on her face. Suddenly, her arms came out from her cape, claws bared and held up above her head. She hissed, this time in a playful manner.
"Care to indulge me with a little training, then? All this talking made me awfully bored and I want to hone my blade on something with more bite than the local fauna." Oh that she would relish the moment where she'd be given the opportunity to tuck her fist in Gandigan's face again; the sooner the better.
"I've known Apexle for a long time now, and I trust his decision making. I don't know why he choose to tell you as much as he did, but I'm sure he had his reasons for doing so. In any case I'll speak to him shortly regarding this matter the next time I see him." If it wasn't already clear enough, Cabasa was making it obvious how much of a trouble maker it could be. But this was the sort of thing he was prepared to stomach if it meant getting close to his end game.
But Cabasa's tone was getting on his nerves, so he decided to let the creature know that he could bite back. "You let me worry about the throne. You should worry about the battles to come: you power is pitiful compared to what I have felt around the universe. If you want to make yourself useful to me, which you do, then you'll need to improve. A Super Saiyan could squash you with both hands tied behind his back and that's no exaggeration."
Gandigan stepped away from Cabasa, pealing out of his cloak to reveal his training Gi underneath. "A spar is it? I do hope you're stronger than the last time we fought, else it could be over rather quickly. I didn't even use a quarter of my power last time yet it was enough to bring you to near death. Why don't you show me what you have this time around?"
He trusted the Tsufyan, really? Cabasa hardly believed it. At the same time, someone with his might didn't need to lie about such things; he could simply obliterate insects who he found unworthy of his presence. In a way, she envied him, which is exactly why his follow-up to her quip stung especially bad. Cabasa's brow was wet and crinkled, mirroring her inferiority complex.
Were these Saiyans really THAT strong?
How many of them? On top of the so-called "Five" who Apexle warned her about... ABSOLUTELY EXHILARATING!
Cabasa's maw grew wet. Back was this unhinged smile of hers, this ugly fanged expression comparable to the ones found on grotesque statues depicting demons.
"The defeats..." She whispered, untying the string keeping her cloak on. Cabasa allowed the wind to take it for the time being, putting her red flaming gi and her sash on proud display.
"THE DEFEATS, GANDIGAN!" She cocked back an arm, keeping her palm open and her clawed digits parallel to each other. "Every single one of them. They sear me at my core, they hurt. Like coal to a fire, they shall fuel me." Like a stuck hydraulic press finally releasing all of its pent-up energy with a deafening crash, Cabasa stretched her arm in an explosive motion to deliver a palm strike aimed at her opponent's stomach.
"Getting dejected in the mud is for the WEAKS! I abhor weakness! I abhor my weakness! I shall grow strong, stronger than you ever will be, my King!" There it was finally. All it required was bubbling hate for these inhibiting shackles to come loose. A forum for the carnage within.
"My disgusting gift to you, Lord Gandigan: A mere Mazoku toddler, hungry and wretched, who shall one day surpass these Saiyans and bring you their exsanguinated heads!" Her power read the same as the other day. Her energy, however, was totally different... More precise, more focused...
Cabasa was fired up for this one; there was only so much she could have grown since their last encounter, but emotion might be able to make up some of the difference. Gandigan let the palm strike dig into his gut, momentarily forcing him to bend over though not leaving any lasting damage. Despite the pain in his stomach he continued to march forward, trying to get in close range with Cabasa. "My power is insurmountable for your kind. My strength is not just my own; it is that of my friends as well. Those who fight for evil will always be alone."
That was a lesson he had made sure to tell Lottus about too. As strong as they were individually, as long as Gandigan had his friends and allies their potential would always be greater. He didn't expect Cabasa to listen though; not any more than Lottus had. "It is not a gift; it is my due. It is what you own me as King!"
Once in range Gandigan would reach out and attempt to grab a hold of Cabasa's shoulders which each hand. If he could get a grip on the Mazoku he would try and hold it in place while gathering energy up through his throat. Once fully charged he'd open his maw and fire out a point blank Shugeki Wave, aimed to strike into Cabasa's chest.
His strength not his own? Weakness. Friends? Cabasa didn't see the need for them with malleable allies she could discard like useless rubbish at a moment's notice. No strings attached! Only her own might and opportunities she swooped down to like a hungry vulture. The monster laughed, enjoying the feel of Gandigan's stomach giving ground to her strike.
"Friends? Perhaps we should all be friends, then, Gandigan! No matter the origins, no matter their intents, sentient beings are just animals with extra steps: When true despair will beset your coterie, you'll see where their true allegiance lies! Survival is what matters. The rest is just pretense..." Sadly, Gandigan was absolutely spot-on; it was beyond Cabasa's selfish mind to fathom the true depth between genuine connections birthed from trust, cooperation, and friendship.
All that talk made her forget to keep her guard up! Gandigan strode forth without an issue, finding it surprisingly easy to grapple Cabasa by the shoulders. As if she just realized this was a fight, her eyes shot up in surprise. She caught a glimpse of the glow lighting up her king's throat. It was too late to dodge. With a blinding flash of light that made her squint, the full brunt of the Shugeki Wave crashed against her chest like a tidal wave. It made her eyes water, leaving a plume of smoke and a hole in her gi where it struck.
Cabasa's body grew soft under Gandigan's touch. Was she... Her eyes were closed shut, her limbs and wings were softly dangling in a pendulous fashion.
Her lips quirked up and her bloodshot eyes shot open, revealing an unusual pink glow.
"Just f*cking with you, old man." The weird hue intensified and Cabasa's Ki exploded around her body, wreathing it in an ominous aura.
"TIME TO FIGHT FOR REAL THIS TIME!" With the sudden influx in power, she shot Gandigan with a point-blank Darkness Eye Beam with tracking properties aiming to nail the man straight in the face. Then, she'd create some distance by kicking the man's chest to fly away.
PL: 100,000 (Cabasa is in her Bloodlust form. She uses Battle Wisdom to give the Homing property to her Darkness Eye Beam.)
"Even animals know the value of hunting in packs, fool!" Gandigan's Shugeki Wave crashed into Cabasa at point blank range, striking up a puff of smoke that forced Gandigan to twist his head back. When it finally cleared and he could turn back around he found Cabasa laying near limp in his arms, as though it was playing dead. He had to smile at that. "I can still sense your energy!" Gandigan released his grip over Cabasa, bringing up his arms to cover his face from her incoming attack.
He wasn't able to block all of it though, as the laser beams dug deep into his forearms which eventually forced the Namekian to drop his guard. The Mazoku followed up it's attack with a swift kick to the chest, knocking Gandigan back a few steps and allowing Cabasa to get away from his reach. "Going somewhere?"
It wasn't going to be that easy to get away from him. Gandigan shot his right arm up into the air, bringing up his energy into a wide, flat disc atop his palm. Once fully charged he threw his disc towards Cabasa, who was now in the air. "See if you can get away from this!"
Gandigan's analogy about the hunting pack actually worked better than his heartfelt vouching for the strength behind friendship. Maybe, just maybe, the mighty Namekian's words had a parcel of wisdom to impart on the monstrous femme Mazoku. Experienced, if a bit misguided, Cabasa thought.
"I must admit that there is strength to be acquired in numbers, which is exactly why I decided to join forces with you and Apexle, my horrifying liege." Speaking to Gandigan had no effects on his battling resolve and, as such, he launched a droning disc of Ki toward Cabasa. She tried to duck out of the way, but to no avail; even if her midsection wasn't sliced clean, one of her arms fell to the ground with a wet thud and splatters of purple blood galore. "Damn you..." She apposed her remaining hand to the gushing stump, furrowing her brow and steadying her mind to repair the damage.
"I hate and respect you as a warrior, Gandigan; I do not want to waste your time. Eventually, I will be a worthy asset and adversary." The purple waterfall ceased to flow abundantly. Instead, it was replaced by a fizzing quagmire of violet indicating the self-replication of Namekian cells; regeneration at its visceral finest.
"With my current power, I stand no chance against your mightier enemies. This being said..." With a sickening splurt, a newborn arm grew from the grievous wound. The shallow puncture located where the missing part of her gi was also disappeared amidst her impromptu cell genesis. Cabasa held up a single digit still smeared with a mixture of mucus and blood.
"I have one trick, one technique that might prove useful against even these Saiyans you spoke of. I plan to make more of these, to tap into the Mystical Dragon Clan potential flowing through my revulsing veins. I will also perfect the art of energy sensing to pick my battles more judiciously..."
Just like she did in her prior confrontation, she began to swallow a profuse amount of air, inducing rustling in the ambient vegetation.
Was it just him or the temperature also began to spike suddenly? The red glow coalescing between her fangs did not bode well...
PL: 100,000 (Cabasa is in her Bloodlust form. Shhe uses her Regeneration trait!)
22,000 vs 100,000 = 22%
KP: 4/6 (+2) - MP: 6/6 (+2) - HP: 66/250 (Cabasa is knocked up from 44% to 66%, but her Regeneration trait heals her back down to 6%.) Resources:Battle Wisdom, Regeneration, Trump Card, Vampiric
To most, watching someone regrow an arm would probably be shocking. But for Gandigan? He had seen it many times over now. The Namekian regeneration ability was something fabled across the galaxy, and was a technique he had used a dozen times himself. It was incredibly useful to have another ally with such an ability, even if it wasn't someone he could fully trust. "Expect to grow many more arms and legs while fighting alongside me. Everyday you could be fighting for your life if the future goes the way I expect it to."
How would Cabasa handle fighting against the Kashvar? If things did go according to plan then they would likely be the first enemy he asked her to attack. Although not physically strong, their magical abilities made them always dangerous. He and Marimba were only barely able to get out of Nasibu the last time they were there.
"Energy sensing; you'd be surprised about how many people lack such a feat. How could you possibly even fight without it? I can't imagine." At least Cabasa was learning though. Maybe he could drill some sense into the Mazoku about other things too. "Whatever this trick of yours is, I hope you can pull it off on under pressure!" Gandigan wasn't going to sit back and let Cabasa do whatever it was it was planning to do; his training always simulated a real battle.
Gandigan broke out into a spring, rushing towards Cabasa before leaping into the air. Bringing his hands together the Mazoku summersaulted through the air before attempting to spike Cabasa into the ground.
Apr 6, 2024 1:21:15 GMT -5
Lottus: Friendly reminder for new folks to check the rules regarding art claims - AI Art is not accepted on Sparking for character sheets.
Apr 17, 2024 14:43:28 GMT -5
Lottus: Hey folks, got a new phone, but verification is preventing me from downloading Discord for now
Apr 17, 2024 14:43:57 GMT -5
Lottus: I won't be available until I get home from work!
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Lottus: Feel free to dm me if needed!
Apr 17, 2024 21:13:47 GMT -5
Dingo: I'll post what you've said here up in the discord so it doesn't get missed!
Apr 18, 2024 19:19:20 GMT -5
Yakito: I am the #1 Tenrec hater (Striker will be struck)