to add to the challenge | angharad

He had already spent most of his day dodging crazy spikes and holding on for dear life as the wall spun him around in circles. It was probably to best thing he had ever helped create. His favorite part was the fire. This was mostly because, for most people, the fire was actually dangerous, but for Taze, it was like a faint tickle. The best part? He could take control of the flames and send them flying at anyone who competed against him. Because of this, and his intimate knowledge of the triggers, Taze had yet to be defeated in a race to the top.

So now he was sitting at the bottom, leaning his back against the deactivated wall and waiting for another victim to come along. The was a ball of fire weaving between his fingers and dancing in the air like that dumb fairy from Zelda. He sent it flying across the area close to the ground, watching the surrounding grass catch flames as it raced about twenty feet away. The small fire that had started quickly died leaving a streak of dead, black grass in it's path. He then pulled the fire ball back to his palm and closed his fingers around it, letting it extinguish into his hand.

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The climbing wall.

It was the newest feature to Concordia that Ang simply could not miss out on.  Angharad was skilled in climbing trees and walls, because it was a basic necessity of any soldier, but this wall contained obstacles that were potentially harmful (and that was an understatement), would make her need to think quickly unless she would get hurt, and would cause her to be full of adrenaline.  That was how she liked it; she could always use a good challenge to make herself a better skilled demigod.  Ang was more into sparring, but on quests, she would have to know how to be nimble, agile, quick-thinking, and would basically find herself in situations were being on combat wouldn't help her.

She heard that the climbing wall was based on what had been in the Greek camp.  The daughter of Bellona had to commend the Graeci for coming up with such a nice training feature.  She never doubted their ability, really...she just made fun of them because it had been an authentic Roman thing to do.  She also didn't approve of their lax ways, but other than that, she knew they were difficult adversaries.  After all, how could the have been the rivals of the Romans if they were easily defeated?

Angharad had made her way to the wall, eager to get a look at it for herself and try it out as soon as she got there.  She didn't allow herself to look overeager, of course.  She carried herself in her usual straight-backed, stiffly correct gait with her eyes as cold as a hostile cat's--she'd be damned if she did it differently.  She had adopted that body language from adult legionnaires back when she was a probatio, particularly the ones who had belonged in the First Cohort.  It could be said that they had been male, too, but that didn't matter, because Angharad shared a spirit with them if not the same anatomy.

As she was nearing the wall, Ang saw that it a regular one.  But she wasn't deceived; she knew that its features could be activated.  She wondered if it was wise to active all of them.  She believed that she was ready to take it on to the death; she was not a gawky, amateur demigod.  However, she had to be real, too.  She still hadn't tried out the wall, and she had put most of her efforts into fighting with weapons.  Would she have the same impeccable luck with obstacle climbing that she had with fighting?

While she was pondering that, she also spotted someone else at the wall.  It was a tall, able-bodied young man sitting against the wall.  He had blonde hair and, Angharad had to admit, a handsome face (why was she bumping heads with handsome, flaxen-haired young men nowadays?).  He had been playing with a fireball, and she immediately guessed that he was either a son of Hephaestus or Vulcan, but none of that really mattered much.  She thought that sitting against the wall like that was pretty sloppy, but then again, who wasn't "sloppy" on Concordia besides her?

And anyway, she was in a  rather happy mood at the moment, so she was less inclined to be critical right now.  Angharad glanced at the boy and actually felt the urge to be polite, even if her gaze still held a level of cynicism and speculation in them.  She gave him a stiff nod of her head.  "Greetings," she said formally.

The sudden voice made Taze look up. DAY-UM. What was with this hot girl? Did she just say "greetings"? Like an alien coming to meet his master? He laughed aloud from his thoughts and pulled himself off the ground, not bothering to brushed the dirt from his jeans as he approached her. He reached his hand out to shake hers before he realized it was still sizzling a little from the fire he had been playing with. Instead his hand somehow sent her a sloppy combination of a wave and a salute, "Well hey." His grin was wide and glittery like one of those bad toothpaste commercials, "Care to challenge the all reigning champion of the climbing wall?" He asked pointing a thumb over his shoulder to motion towards the plain looking wall behind him.

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Laughing out loud, getting dirt on his jeans.  Angharad's eyes narrowed; she already did not like this first impression.  First impressions were definitely important to Angharad.  Depending upon who you were and your personality, you were either obeyed by her, respected tepidly, or...you just messed yourself up big time in her eyes.  Sadly, the later was the direction where Taze was heading, and no doubt in full speed.

She took a step backward as if he were infested by germs, or just something kinda gross.  He may be good-looking, but just the sloppiness from him repulsed her a bit.  Sure, he wasn't rolling around in mud, but she was really partial to those who were neat and prim when fighting was not commencing.  During casual, regular moments, basically.  Anyone who seemed a bit untidy, in her eyes, was dirty.

When he offered her his hand, she was ready to reject the handshake, because 1) she didn't like to shake hands 2) that was still scorching with heat 3) she wasn't sure just how clean it was.  Wow, when did Angharad become such a germaphobe? Sadly, she thought that it was only made worse when he, too, realized a handshake wasn't prudent, because his gesture was just laughable...well, laughable to others, but it made Angharad want to weep. 

And now the daughter of Bellona was looking at him with ill-concealed distaste.  His greeting did not make it any better.  Two utterly informal words.  And that grin...well, Angharad had to admit it had its charms, but still, grinning was for louts.  She was internally praying that this was a Greek. 

The girl crossed her arms and arched an eyebrow when he mentioned that he was the "all reigning champion" of the climbing wall before them.  Well, of course he was being cocky, but he surely meant that he was the one who had been unbeatable so far in climbing this obstacle, right? If so...he wasn't incompetent.  His decorum and manners were crying in shame, but if he was skilled, she could respect that. 

"So you're saying that you've triumphed in all the competition thrown your way, that no one has been a match for you?" she asked.  "Either way, I wouldn't mind challenging you the climbing way.  I may not be as good as you, though, for I've never used it before or anything like it in the past; but that's all the more reason why I would want to challenge myself against the...best."  She felt weird calling him the best, not when she so disapproved of the way he conducted himself.  Still, though...she might change that view a bit after the outcome of the challenge. 

Angharad straightened herself up.  "My name is Angharad Gwyn, daughter of the goddess Bellona, Captain of the Phoenix Brigade.  And who you might be, other than being either a son of Vulcan or Hephaestus?" She was really hoping he'd say he was the son of the latter.  No Roman should have to have gone so low as to behave as slovenly being such as him. 

Behind the pretty face, this girl was a complete nut job. What sort of teenage girl was repulsed by the sight of dirt? Maybe a daughter of Aphrodite? What sort of teenage girl didn’t at least swoon a little bit at his charms? That through Aphrodite girls out, they generally laid at his feet in praise…Was she a lesbian? What the heck was wrong with her?

This was a completely new, uncharted territory for Taze, and he couldn’t honestly say he was enjoying it much. Despite his distaste for the situation, and her obvious, unwarranted loathing, Taze smiled and shrugged, “When I said champion, that’s exactly what I meant.” He explained, “No one has beaten my score, no one has beaten me one-v-one. I haven’t lost a single time.” The fact that she added the disclaimer that she had never done it before made Taze wonder if she was telling for the sake of knowing or if she was trying to bolster any epic failure with the knowledge that she would inherently do poorly? To Taze, none of that matter, especially not after she introduced herself, “Angharad…?” He said, eyes wide, “…Gwyn…” He glared for a moment, “Like…Deacon’s…what?” He shook his head, having a hard time believing that this unpleasant girl had anything to do with his best friend. Did he accidently hit himself in the head with a club or something? Taze shook his head to rid himself of those thoughts. There must be something good about her, besides her face of course. Deacon wouldn’t be into a girl just because she was hot.

After a few minutes of thinking to himself, Taze realized he hadn’t introduced himself, although she seemed to already have an idea of who his father was. Probably the fire thing, “Taze Fowler. Construction Engineer. Hephaestus.” He said shortly, still trying to wrap his head around the idea of Deacon liking this person. She had to be really smart. That was pretty much the only thing Taze could think of. Really pretty, really smart, maybe a good warrior? Beyond that, Taze was lost.

She gave a simple nod of her head when he replied to her question, and in what she viewed as in an objective manner.  So, he claimed that no one had managed to triumph over him, climbing up this wall.  She wouldn't be sure until she saw it happen herself, but there wasn't much of a reason for Angharad to doubt him.  She was convinced that he could prove his claim in a blink of an eye.  Even if he appeared rather goofy to her, he didn't look like the sort that was stupid enough to make daring claims that could be easily refuted.  At least that was a good first impression.

Before she could say anything, though, what he did next just really took her aback.  He said her name as if it brought some revelation in his mind, and she stared at him, quite confused and not getting what was going on, thank you very much.  She looked...sternly confused, arching an eyebrow and giving him a look that she would give her soldiers when they did or said something that she didn't understand.  The next thing he said only added to that confusion, but it included surprise.  Did he just say the name of...Deacon Jacoby? No--Captain Deacon Jacoby of the Minotaur Brigade, the wise and handsome blonde son of Athena she had met on the beach?

It was her turn to look at him with slightly wide eyes, but she quickly narrowed them again when he glared at her.  She wasn't sure why he needed to act so vehement, but if he did for whatever reason she definitely was not intimated.  "And what were you going to say concerning Captain Jacoby and I?" she asked him, for he hadn't really completed his sentence.  "I'm only aware that he is a fellow captain."  That was what she thought, but truth be told he was more than that to her, even if she didn't realize that yet.  It wasn't much, probably, but there was something special about him.  Something intriguing.  It wasn't just his wisdom, agreeable personality, and good looks...well, those had helped her view him with respect and significance, definitely (besides the good looks, but they very much did catch her attention), but she also found herself interested in a way that she couldn't explain, nor did she think she ought to.

He finally introduced himself, and she could breath easy on the inside, for he was indeed a Graecus.  Good, good.  Again, it was only blasphemy if he were Roman.  Romans ought to retain some of that good old instinct to act with suaveness and style, after all.  She nodded again in acknowledgment to his introduction.  "Construction Engineer," she repeated.  "Did you take part in constructing this wall, then...Taze Fowler?" Maybe not, but it would make sense if he did.  After all, it was just job to build stuff like that, and perhaps the reason why he was a champion of climbing the wall was because he had built it by hand and thus knew its workings, more than anyone else would.

So uptight. What the heck? Despite Taze’s confusion, he knew that he couldn’t blow it for his friend just because he thought the guy was going crazy. He smiled, “Oh nothing, I just remembered hearing your name once. You’re Deacon’s co-worker. The guy is one of my best friends.” Nice save, bro, “You he has mentioned you once or twice. Said you were a cool girl.” Taze nodded, proud of himself for playing off his thoughts so coolly, “Between you and me, I think he might be sweet on you.” Taze winked at the girl, hoping to make her just a little uncomfortable with the insinuation.

When she asked him if he helped build the wall, Taze beamed with pride, “Yep, I know every booby trap and little trick this baby has to offer.” He patted his palm against the bottom of the wall, “Care to give it a go? I can set it one easy for ya.” He offered, figuring that a girl in the Garrison would probably be bothered by the fact that he didn’t think she could handle anything but the lowest level.

So he was a friend of Deacon's? Well, Angharad wasn't surprised if Taze knew who Deacon was.  They can have any kind of relationship just as long as they were acquainted, although the way Taze had spoken about Deacon, they did sound like friends.  She thought that Deacon could do better than to make friends with a sloppy bloke like this one, but like Owain, Deacon seemed like the type of person to accept just about anyone as long as they were easy to get along with in normal people standards.

"I...see," she said, blinking, taking in that Deacon had supposedly called her a "cool girl".  She knew that was a compliment, although she wasn't sure what Deacon liked about her; her toughness, strength, and grit? She didn't see how he could've liked anything else, for she wasn't anything else.

She was about to tell him that she didn't need it to be set on an easy level, but something stopped her.  She immediately remembered Deacon and how wise he was.  Perhaps it would be wiser to test out this thing at an easy level, considering that she'd never tried it yet? She was a warrior, but that didn't mean that she knew just how this thing worked.  Even if she most likely might do well, she had to be cautious, too.  It did not do to have brawn over brain.  Even if she had to stifle her pride...

Internally heaving a sigh, she nodded stiffly at him.  "That would be acceptable."

Impressed by her obvious attempt at holding back the rage that accompanied his suggest of the easy level, Taze raised his eye brows and turns around poking at the screen set into the base of the wall, "You look like a tough girl, I'll set it on Level 3." The screen blinked a yellow-green color alerting him that the wall was no longer set on the easier level. He poked his way through the confirmation screens and watched the wall pegs big to light up and change colors. On level three, the pegs were randomized, allowing the climbers top use any portion of the wall they could reach. Beyond level five the wall would have lit up in strips of colors, restricting the climbers to specific rows they could climb in making the entire thing that much more difficult.

Taze positioned himself along the base of the wall and placed each hand on a different peg, "It won't start until you are touching the wall." He announced, looking over his shoulder at the girl.

((Sorry for taking so long!))

"Alright."  Angharad wasn't really sure what to think about  being set on level 3 because she looked like a "tough girl" (what she understood to mean that she was a physically capable and athletic soldier).  She was...okay with it.  She trusted Taze in this; she knew that he wasn't playing her false.  He was the master of this thing so she trusted his judgment.  Three sounded like a pretty low number anyway--it would be as childishly easy as level one, but it would still not be too difficult.  That was what she assumed, but she had yet to find out.

She watched with interest as he set the wall on level 3.  She still marveled how so much technology could be used on Concordia.  She was aware that even in the Greek camp, anything that had electricity would attract monsters.  But now, Concordia was a safe haven in which people could indulge in modern usage of technological inventions.  She had to admit, too, that the son of Hephaestus was good in his trade.

So there were now pegs protruding from random parts of the wall, which meant that she'd be able to climb anywhere on it.  That looked easy, indeed.  He told her that she had to touch the wall in order for it to start.  She looked at him and nodded slightly before walking over toward the wall and placed the palm of her hand against it, more than ready to get a taste of what it was like to overcome the obstacles of it.    

Taze made a face and shook his head as the siren sounded, alerting them that the wall had begun timing them. A large screen showed them the time left in bright purple numbers and was counting down slowly. He pulled himself off the ground and started to climb the wall, dodging a rogue spike that tried to snag his shirt. He took a short break, looking over at Ang to see how she was doing. He didn't bother counting the seconds and when the fire spewed from the peg, alerting him that he had left his hand on the peg for too long, it hardly phased him. Below, a moat opened and revealed a deep pool and cold, icy water. That thing was Braxton's idea. Taze shook his head and started climbing again, this time more quickly because his stalling had allowed her to pull ahead.

The loud sound of the siren surprised Ang, but she stood her ground and only glanced about her in slight surprise with an unexpressive face, even if she was annoyed by the loudness.  But if she was, she didn't snow it.  Anyway, a large screen appeared and Ang quickly saw that they had 9 minutes to get to the top. 

She quickly grabbed onto a pair of pegs and lifted herself of the ground, and thus commenced to climb her way up using the pegs above her and the ones below her for footing.  She quickly stole a glance downward when she heard the sound of water, and she saw that a moat filled with water had materialized underneath them.  But she didn't look for long and focused on what was ahead of her; when she was about to grab for the peg above her, a spike protruded right where her left arm was supposed to be; luckily, Angharad caught that in time and dodged it by letting go of the peg that she had been gripping onto with her left hand, and with only one hand holding onto a peg shes swung her body to face the other side and grabbed onto a peg from there.

She continued to climb, although the pegs that she had been gripping onto retracted suddenly. That was a recipe for her to fall, but luckily before she could she quickly grabbed onto a peg to her upper right with her right hand (she still had her footing on the pegs below); she gripped it with her left hand as well before letting go of it with her right hand and securing herself by gripping onto another peg with the right hand.