[i]The rest of the ceremony proceeded, the sword falling first to her left shoulder. Some words were said, in a language somehow both harsh and elegant all the same, words lost to time and yet pervading all throughout it, their weight falling upon her shoulders. Around her, the world seemed to slip into water color, reality waxing, waning, and bleeding. Around her, the hills, plains, and forests of Tatakai shifted into an ancient hall, filled with the greatest of treasures, decorated and built in such beauty as had never before been seen, and would never be seen again. The sword lifted over her head, and fell again flat upon her right shoulder, followed by more words. Lastly, the sword lifts up to her head, falling flat upon the crown of her skull. The atmosphere now was oppressive, and physically heavy upon Widow. Should she try, she would find she could not even lift her head to look up. After another sentence of the alien language, the shifting stopped, what colors of the hall there were now began to slip away, like so much water down the drain. The weight that had been layer upon her was lifted, gingerly, like a blanket peeled back by a caring parent in the morning.[/i] "[b]Anna Young...your King has spoken...[/b]" [i]The King extended his arm to the side, flipping the weapon in his hand back to a reverse grip. Letting go of it, the blade hung in air as it began to dissolve into golden dust, scattering to the sky before disappearing completely.[/i] "[b]You are to be...[/b]" [i]He croons, looking down on her with those brilliant red eyes.[/i] "[b]...my example.[/b]" [i]What senses she had would be screaming at her now, tearing themselves apart from the lustful turned murderous tone of the King. Whether that would save her from the seven various weapons that had been launched at her back from the portals he'd opened four feet behind her at the start of the "ceremony."[/i]

[i]She’d been under the influence of opiates and neurotoxins before, both of which were akin to the current feeling. Her past life had been one of playing parts and taking part in things that would kill or maim most people, and this was no exception to her. She took a deep breath, and her motion, despite the pain and what she felt was sluggish reaction time, she moved like a cat. She rolled to the side, staying low and making sure to stay low. So long as she knew up and down, she could save herself. The experience reminded her of what the diluted version of a certain neurotoxin did, one that had nearly killed her once before. This king was no different than the last. Arrogant. Vainglorious. And overconfident in himself. Just like the last, he’d failed to kill her, to even wound her. Even under the influence of what he had done, her training shone through.[/i]

[i]A savage grin broke across the King's face as she moved, his eyes, now widened from pleasant surprise, now following her dash to the side. His left hand followed as well, the wrist flicking up, splaying the fingers wide as his palm swept its own sight over the grasses. Again the sheening noise sounded, three of the golden discs opening to either side of her, the head of various weapons sliding soundlessly through. On either side, the weapons were aimed at her thigh, midsection, and a little in front of her to guard a forward dash towards Gilgalad. As she stopped her dash, the portals each unloaded their deadly items, the weapons firing at near sonic speed.[/i] "[b]Yes! And thus are my suspicions answered! Survive for two minutes, harlot, and I'll judge ye worthy of my Legions![/b]"

[i]She didn’t respond, no snappy comebacks, no taunts, no flirtatious words. She had to focus. Two minutes would be hell but it was possible. Dropping to the ground, she went prone, though not without the last weapon grazing her back and ripping the back of her jacket open. Once prone, she rolled to the side, and forced herself to her feet rapidly. She was without a weapon that could do any serious damage to her opponent, and thus she would have to dodge and outmaneuver him, which given her size and training, would not be terribly hard.[/i]

[i]More portals opened, three in a vertical row, with four of those positioned to make a square around her, yet aiming in. Through them came arrows, knives, sword, spears, double-headed war axes, and the like. Say what you will, the Golden King knew enough to stay with what he was good with. Flicking a wrist, the portals soundlessly unloaded their weaponry at her.[/i]

[i]She leapt and rolled backwards out of the entrapment. With the effects of whatever Gil had done to her wearing off, she was seeming to get a little bit faster and little bit more graceful. The woman was no mere harlot. She was something else entirely.[/i]

[i]The clapping of heavy metal together was heard as more portals opened, eight in a horizontal row, two vertical, facing her from the front, aimed for her legs and chest, their weapons ornate heads and blades sliding forth before firing. Over the sheen, Gilgalad called out.[/i] "[b]Ah, yes, a gymnast! I trust your flexibility is doubly useful in your mongrel life, Anna![/b]"

[i]She leapt clean over the horizontal row and rolled sideways away from those which had opened up vertically. The weapons missed her, her motion too rapid and well-timed. She’d debated on offering her own smart-assed comments, but focusing was a little bit more important.[/i]

"[b]Very well! I'll admit you're far nimbler and faster than the average whore! Your reward?! No I shall actively try to kill you![/b]" [i]The threat is delivered as an open box of portals opens up, three high and six across for one face, the top and bottom empty. A mixture of smaller and larger weapons, promising a hailstorm. This time, the fired in diagonal sequence, starting with the top right weapon of each face and descending from there, each weapon now firing at sonic speeds.[/i]

[i]She repeated her general movements, ducking again beneath them, and managing to get another hunk of her jacket shorn off, before finally retaliating. While she hadn’t had weapons, she did possess some rather helpful distractions, namely the smoke pellets in her jacket pocket. While they were trite, they were far safer than using a flashbang or a concussion grenade. She couldn’t afford to disorient herself. Quickly, while on the ground, she rolled like a log and retrieved the pellets from her jacket pocket before detonating them between the Golden King and herself, cloaking herself in a thick haze of particle-filled smoke.[/i]

[i]Perhaps obscuring her vision of the Golden King, and more importantly, his weapons, was not the best choice. Relentless in their pace, various weaponry rocketed through the smoke, randomly shooting out, nearly twelve at a time, locations randomized as they came through, ornate, golden, and each coming faster than the last.[/i]