The day is getting late as the last fight in the first round of the
mini-Tourney begins. As the announcers voice rings through the stands, the
doors begin to open. First to enter the Arena is the warrior, Malakar
Sunfire, another member of the Disciples of the Stormhawk.
Tall and broad of build Malakar looks imposing and clearly foreign.
Dressed in flowing yellow desert robes with a sun embroided om his chest.
His face, underneath a simple steel helmet, is totally covered with a veil
mask showing only his piercing eyes, which shine with a green menacing
light.
A heavy morningstar is in each hand and a warhammer is strapped to his
broad girdle together with several daggers and pouches while a longbow and
quiver with arrows hang from his back.
He walks quickly and gracefully to his starting point standing silently
looking at his opponent waiting for the signal to begin.
From the other doors steps his opponent, the aasimar, Laereth. A member
of the Talons of Today, the aasimar seems almost reluctant to be here today.
He wears worn studded leather armor and a set of gloves. A bow and quiver
are slung across his back and he has various other odds and ends about his
person. A pouch here, a length of rope there.
The judges declare the beginning of the fight, and sit back to watch the
action.
Malakar visibly takes a deep breath and concentrates, then he suddenly
ceases to exist. Almost the same moment he reapears with an audiable pop
only 10 yards away from Laereth. The human fighter glares at his opponent,
then a look of surprise crosses his face. It is quickly replaced by one of
rage as Malakar runs forward, the pair of morningstars in his hands raised
in preparation of melee.
Malakar is only ten feet from his opponent, when he suddenly stumbles.
Apparently the human tripped on a chunk of loose earth, possibly caused by
the previous fight. He stumbles forward, losing his right boot in the
process, and Laereth easily side-steps him.
By this time Laereth has his longswords drawn, and he lashes out at
Malakar. Both blades slash into his opponent. But Laereth isn't finished.
The longsword in his right hand swings down, and Malakar's right arm,
severed just above the elbow, falls to the ground. As blood sprays from the
wound, Malakar staggers again, this time from his injuries.
Malakar holds his remaining morningstar in a guard position in front of
him as he backs away from Laereth. Despite walking backward, and swaying
slightly from loss of blood, Malakar is moving swiftly. Laereth doesn't
pursue, seeking instead to tap into his vaunted mental powers. Once Malakar
gets about 100' away from his opponent, he stops and a glow suffuses his
body. As the magical radiance fades, the stump of his arm has healed over,
and he once again stands strong.
Seeing his opponents condition, Laereth scowls briefly, then disappears.
Looking around, trying to figure out what has happened to his opponent,
Malakar grasps his holy symbol and enacts another spell. A minute passes,
with no sign of Laereth, and Malakar finishes two more spells. There is a
momentary blurring around the edges of Malakar's form, but he remains
visible to those waiting in the stands. As Malakar scans the area once
more, Laereth is suddenly there; right where he was when he disappeared.
Laereth holds his bow at the ready and looks all around him. His gaze
passes right over where Malakar stands, but he doesn't seem to notice his
opponent. Calling out he asks, "What happened Malakar? Decided not to face
me? We're both honorable men. Or so I thought. Why don't you come out
where I can see you? We can finish this as warriors."
"Strange you should say it." Malakar calls out. "As you were the first
to hide."
With that, Malakar starts walking toward his opponent. As Malakar
approaches, Laereth spins toward him. At the same time Malakar feels his
magical protections and enchantments fading away once more. As Malakar
continues toward him, almost breaking into a run, Laereth drops his bow and
pulls both swords from their scabbards.
Brandishing his warhammer, Malakar enters melee. His first swing is dead
on, but the warhammer swings right through Laereth. Recognizing it as a
displacement effect, Malakar widens his swings to hit Laereth. He seems to
be having trouble adjusting for the displacement, and his next two swings
miss as well.
Malakar's next attack swings true, and Laereth takes a stinging hit on
the shoulder. As Malakar steps forward to press his attack he trips over his
other warhammer, still held firmly by his severed arm. As Malakar stumbles
forward Laereth takes a swing at him, but the swing, along with Malakar's
hit to the shoulder, must have torn something. Laereth's arm spasms and the
strike goes wide.
Backing off slightly, Laereth takes a few experimental swings, getting a
feel for how much he can stretch his arm. At the same time, a black doorway
appears behind him. Across the Arena, in front of the doors Malakar entered
through, a second black doorway appears.
Seeing the door appear behind his opponent, Malakar rushes to attack
before Laereth can escape. He dashes forward, but Laereth is waiting for
him and his longswords slice into Malakar leaving blood staining his robes.
Malakar, caught off guard by the sword strikes, misses with his first attack
routine before finally slamming his morningstar into Laereth's chest.
Laereth's armor absorbs some of the impact, but the morningstar's spikes
stab through it. As Malakar pulls his weapon back, blood spreads from the
wound.
Laereth still manages to get off another attack, stabbing into Malakar
once more.
As two more of the black doorways appear, one on each side of Laereth,
Malakar continues the attack. His morningstar whips forward, and slams into
Laereth's chest. His opponent grunts at the impact, and brings his swords
forward. Both weapons stab into Malakar's chest, puncturing his lungs.
As his lungs quickly fill with blood, Malakar slams his weapon in once
more. It hits Laereth's shoulder and grazes his head. Dazed, Laereth
staggers back. But Malakar doesn't follow. His morningstar falls from his
hand and he collapses to the ground. (
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