Crumbled Ideals - World of Atonement

Taurus

Memories of a suppressed past faded in the unraveled sunlight. "Helena, Victoria," The minotaur mumbled, "has the time come to reunite with you two?" He smiled with a sad grace, wondering if fate had finally brought him to the end of his journey. His blurred goal of meeting his family with an absolute strength may soon be realized. An endless blue soaked into his resolute mind.

At his hooves, Delta slowly regained consciousness. Purple welts covered his neck, making it difficult to breathe. His neck had swollen against the collar, and soreness assaulted him with every gulp. "Those asshats coulda at least lemme finish my meal before dragging me here," Delta complained under his breath. Talking louder would strain the bruised area, so he kept to a close whisper. Unstoppable thoughts soon invaded his mind. Why the hell was I selected to face off against Taurus? he worried mentally. Is it because I claimed the bounty on the dudes that Drac offed? Maybe I could get out of this by saying that Drac was the one that actually killed them. Delta shook his head fervently at the thought. That's a shitty idea. They'll take the reward back if I do that though. Goddamit this is not how I thought my day would go!

Coming back to reality once more, the minotaur stared at the opponent near his hooves. He carefully knelt down in front of Delta, making sure that he left no cracks in the marble. His piercing red eyes met Delta's amber ones.

"Damn you look even more fucked up than the rumors imply," Delta blurted out. Soreness arose from his neck, causing his voice to quiet again. In front of him knelt a minotaur that stood atop of his past, moving towards a goal even if it meant that his body would be lost in the process. His pride was laid bare for all to see, and he wore the scars over his body like medals of honor.

"Child, it has been told that you have slain a caravan of bandits by yourself." Taurus stated. "By overcoming many versions of myself, I have obtained the absolute strength I desired. Having transcended my humanity, I have been reborn anew as the Pillar of Taurus. You may simply refer to me as 'Taurus'." Taurus reached his hand out, helping Delta stand in his weakened state. His integrity had remained intact with his human heart. "State your name, challenger. I wish to know for the upcoming battle."

Goddamit, Delta complained mentally. Grasping the minotaur's hand, the two stood up. Although his neck was sore from the bruising, the rest of his body had suffered no damage. Dusting off his dirty clothes, Delta introduced himself as well. "Delta Posterus." His head reached Taurus' abdomen, showing an immense difference between the two. The minotaur's muscles appeared to be rock hard, and would certainly cause damage to anyone foolish enough to challenge them head on. Hesitating at the development, Delta thought to improvise. "I may have killed those bandits, but there's someone out there that's way more powerful than I am," he stated. Taurus raised an eyebrow in expectation. "My buddy, Drac; the dude that I was at the pub with. He's so powerful that I wouldn't even make for a decent warm-up. I can bring him here if you give me the time."

Taurus signaled the two guards recovering against the wall. "Bring me his friend. If his boasts are true then I may have finally found a worthy adversary." The two fled immediately, ensuring not to incur his wrath once more.

"No dice, huh," Delta stated dejectedly. "Looks like I'm leaving the old fashioned way then." Taurus stared curiously at the rune covered bottle that Delta took out. A mystical energy enveloped the coliseum as he rubbed it. The ancient runes glowed a mythical color with the following words: "Creatures within the precipice of life and death, I call upon thee. Realize my second wish and become temporarily liberated. Release, Corvus Einz." A distortion bathed in gentle white lights emerged from the glowing bottle. It slowly transformed, taking on the appearance of a raven with three legs. The distortion dispersed alongside the mystical glow, unraveling a Corvus with blue eyes. A gale of black feathers erupted from the angel of death, temporarily blinding Taurus. In an instant, Delta had latched onto the raven's claw in an attempt to flee. Freedom appeared in the sky's zenith.