Just Outside HQ

Dante smiled. "He's nice and its good to meet him." He nodded. "Since this is supposed to test your alchemy in combat, I will combat you in my alchemy as well. Weapons are allowed but no lethal blows."

Kiara started to hop away to keep her tail to herself. Hey! My tail isn't a plaything!

"All right!" Carry grinned and slipped on a pair of white gloves with many small transmutation circles on them in different colors. She brushed her hand over Shora's fur and huge amounts of water froze on it, making ice spikes. Shora growled and lept at Dante as Carry prepared her next transmutation.

Dante's eyes narrowed as Carry transmuted ice spikes on Shora's back and she lunged at him. He pulled out a small metal ball and transmuted it into a staff before Shora reached him. He then held out his hand and the transmutation circle tattooed on it began to glow as lightning shot from in front of him and created a barrier. "Kira!"

Kiara growled and her fur began to shiver as her body trembled. Her muscles and body began to grow and her fangs and claws became longer and sharper. She soon looked like a large sabertooth tiger with longer fur.

Shora stopped just short of hitting the barrier before blasting a breath of ice at it. The water molecules froze midair and shot forward with the chimera's mighty breath, hitting the barrier relentlessly.

Carry turned to Kira before looking down at Kyu. "Ready, boy? You know what to do." She brushed a hand over Kyu's fur and his fur turned into a deeper orange color and his skin radiated heat. KILL IT WITH FIAH!

Dante watched Shora bombard his barrier with ice. The barrier held, but was weakening. Dante spun the staff in his hand and transmuted the wind it was producing to cunduct electricity. It suddenly became a small vortex and passed over the barrier and onto Shora. The lightning in the votes striking her as the vortex itself trapping her.

Kira growled at Kyu. I think fire won't be enough. she said.

Shora fell forward as she was struck by the lightning and Carry frowned. She couldn't heal her friend without getting close to the vortex and she couldn't risk getting injured this quickly. She motioned to Darius who stepped forward as she brushed her hand over his fur.

Kyu wouldn't stand still for a millisecond, jumping around Kira so quickly that tiny sparks erupted where his hardened claws struck a rock. The air around him started heating up even more intensely and he grinned. Carry once showed me an article in a history book about a Flame Alchemist. Do you know of it?

Dante sighed. "Your style is impressive, but you need to be able to counter if one of your chimera is captured. I could kill him right now just so you know." He placed a hand on his sword, now dulled and placed it into the ground.

Kiara growled and barred her teeth. Yeah, he was alive long ago. Kotaro has been alive long. That's his real name, Dante's.

Carry sighed as well. "I know, but it takes too long to coordinate with all of them, it gets complicated sometimes." Suddenly Darius' form blurred and then he was next to Carry. And Shora was free from the vortex and at her master's side, albeit a bit dazed.

Carry said she based part of my alchemy off of his, so he's my hero! A patch of fur on Kyu's back burned away, revealing a transmutation circle with a salamander in it. His hardened claws struck a rock and there was a huge explosion next to Kira.

Dante raised an eyebrow as Shora was freed from the vortex. "Peculiar." He said as he dropped the barrier. He removed his sword from the ground and brought it back behind him. He suddenly lunged forward, staff in one hand sword in the other.

Kiara jumped back as the explosion burned her fur. I see. Each one of you is alchemically altered with a single element.

Carry pulled out a dagger which she had prepared the night before, coated with paralytic poison instead of her usual deadly ones. Darius jumped in front of her and let out a howl that made the ground shake around them, directing most of the sound towards Dante.

Kyu giggled and set off another explosion. Yup, I'm fire and Shora is ice. Darius is sound and Canifis is poison. I don't think Canifis is going to battle today unless he has to, though. He's still digesting.

Dante! One's poison! Watch out!

Dante nodded and felt the soundwaves hit his ears, but he kept going till his ears started to bleed. He reached Darius and brought the staff in a wide arc right, bringing it into Darius' side.

Kira growled and her claws turned to a black metal. I'm going to rip you too shreds!

Cheater! You told him! I thought we were friends! Kyu leapt forward, digging her claws and teeth into Kira's back while engulfing them both in fire.

Darius grinned and jumped, moving with the force of the staff and rolling over twice before landing on his feet. You cannot easily hit something that moves faster than you can see! He ran in circles around Dante, creating a vacuum that sucked all of the air out of the inside.

Shora jumped over the vacuum and let out a breath of sheer cold, dropping the temperature inside of it quickly.

Kiara roared as the claws and teeth dug into files, but if it neared bone, she would find,metal. When she became engulfed in fire, she roared and dug her claws into Kyu's side. I told him because you need to help your allies! Plus he's my friend!

Dane held his throat as he felt the air start to leave and his body become cold. He got too one knee and grabbed his jacket, transmuting it into an electricity cunducting cloth and sending multiple shocks to stay warm. He then placed his sword into the ground and grabbed the hilt. He then revved the swords hilt like a motor cycle and it zoomed toward the vortex's edge, now with a sharp blade.

Darius yelped as the sword grazed his leg before he could avoid it and made him trip, leaving a small stain of blood on the grass. Shora landed on the other side of where the vortex was and growled. You will pay for striking my mate! She tried to prepare another blast of icy breath, but she wasn't very quick.

Kyu cried out as Kira's claws dislodged him and bared his teeth, looking quite intimidating with large clumps of his fur on fire yet not burning. Hm...good point. But don't take it personally, then, if I scald the flesh off of your bones to help my master.

Dante easily dodged the icy breath and transmuted a bolt of lightning toward Shora and transmuted the staff into a blunt spear, throwing it at Darius. He then ran and grabbed his sword, running toward Carry.

Kiara growled. you could try little one.

Darius dodged the spear but Shora was hit by the bolt and cried out. Canifis perked his ears up from his spot in the sun and sighed, placing himself between Dante and Carry, letting Carry run her hand over his scales. Troublesome. Don't take this personally. He sprayed the air in front of Dante with acid and poison.

Kyu growled and his claws struck another rock, setting off an explosion next to Kira. This time Kyu ran towards the fire, letting the rest of his fur catch on fire. This is when I truly feel the heat! He adjusted the oxygen in the air and the flames burst outwards from his fur.

Dante saw Canifis spray the air with acid and poison. He didn't stop however. Instead he pulled the hood of his jacket up and revved the sword again, powering through the acid as it burned his jacket and breathing in poison. Dante felt hazy but didn't let it show. Instead he smiled and swung the sword at Canifis, transmuting it to cunduct lightning.

Kira dodged the explosion and saw Dante run through the poison. Kotaro! No! You can't yet! Your still carrying the toxin from Xing!

Canifis chuckled, taking the sword strike but his hard scales protected him from most of the damage. Your friend is right. You are already tainted with something much worse than what I could give you.

Kyu paused when he heard Kira yelling, not sure what to do next.

As Dante felt Canifis' scales protect him, he revved the sword, causing it to strike with triple the original force.

Kira ran towards Dante and grabbed his jacket, pulling him away. you idiot! Stop fighting! You'll just worsen yourself!

Canifis' scales could withstand twice the force, but not triple and he received a huge gash in his back. He hissed and turned his head around and bit down on Dante's leg.

Kyu chased Kira, trying to stop Dante as well seeing Canifis was in danger.

Dante grunted and brought the sword's hilt down on top of Canifis' head. He then kicked away Canifis with his other leg. His head was covered in sweat and his breathing had become heavy.

Kira roared and turned to Kyu. Get back! He needs air!

Canifis whimpered, his head bleeding from the blow. At hearing Kira's words, however, he didn't retaliate. Darius and Shora approached too, Shora licking at her mate's leg wound. Kyu tilted his head at Dante while Carry gazed at him. "Are you all right?"

"Just a bit of Xingese toxin." Dante said a bit shaky. "I'm fine." He said waving a hand, but immediately fell to a knee. "Canifis must have agitated it." He chuckled. "What I get for rushing in."

Kira licked Dante's hand. Kotaro, you shouldn't rush like that.

Canifis flicked his tongue a few times and sighed. Unfortunately, this is not something even I know how to fight. I am sorry that I worsened your condition.

Carry stood then, dropping her combative stance. "Perhaps we should stop here, then."

"Its nothing." Dante said standing but still shaking a bit. "I've been poisoned tons of times, I'm fine." He took a step and fell flat on his face. "OK, maybe I was being a showoff."

Kiara shook her head. you told me you would be careful you idiot, that's the only reason I let you agree to this.