RE: =Elemental Championships 2008= Grand Finals


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8/4/2008 16:12:15

qbsuperstar03
Member

Cryoface was, to be honest, confused and disoriented, hurtling through the air before splatting unceremoniously onto the red sand near the Pillar of Ice. He had to stop for a moment to make sure he was where he thought he was. How did this happen? I was not chosen, yet for some reason...I'm in the finals? He could still feel pain where the fireballs had struck him earlier, but the lightning was healed, at least. Cryoface was glad that Fortune had decided to let him compete, even if his Lord was for some reason displeased. All the more reason to go all out.

He looked around, but his vision was blurry. To the left was a metal cylinder that seemed to hum with, well, energy. And on his right, a whirlwind that kicked up the sand around it. What he could do, however, was feel. All over his torso, rough cross-stitches of ice marked him as one unworthy of the position he was in, placed there only out of necessity to have someone represent Ice. Even the people in the nosebleed section could tell that something was off about him, but only those in the front rows could see it clearly.

Making a mental note to watch for a backside attack, Cryoface started moving cautiously towards the Fire Champion (the fact that she was the champ was obvious from the heat aura), who was apparently allied with a heavily armored individual. This much he could gather because they were next to each other and weren't duking it out. Just like old times, he thought grimly to himself. This was his last chance to prove that he was worthy of his Lord's favor. Not many people got second chances, especially on a stage this huge, and Cryoface intended to make sure he made the most of it.

< Message edited by qbsuperstar03 -- 8/4/2008 18:11:29 >

Post #: 26

8/4/2008 18:55:20

damselindigital
Member

The appreciation Enya felt for the Pillar of Earth suddenly grew as she witnessed the quicksilver warrior spring to the defense of the monument. She could not understand how such a well executed thrust had missed its target, but as the Chosen for Wind sprang up the trunk, her attention was completely seized by an occurrence some distance away.

An attack had been launched by the diminutive creature by the Energy Pillar. It behaved wholly unlike any form of lightning that she had witnessed previously for even the proximity to the arena’s sands failed to ground it. And from its heading, it would barrel… straight into Roch!

Unacceptable!

Never before had she wanted to interpose herself so strongly in the defense of another. But if the energy refused to be grounded, most of her recourses would likely be for naught. Yet a realization came to her then, for the attack had not separated itself from the source and was even now likely being fed by the four-legged one. That had to change. Immediately.

It was the work of only a few seconds to retrieve a bola and achieve the momentum required for a true flight. Carried with it was a claim, able to be transferred to the first substance the weapon impacted. This was not the real purpose of the attack, however, for it did not seem likely that the miniature Chosen would allow itself to be so easily struck. Enya only hoped that being forced to move would cause the creature to lose its concentration upon the attack.

The arrival of her weapon, however, would be far too late to prevent the initial strike upon Roch. As Enya released her attack, which would fly true and only intersect with the stream of energy in the final handful of feet before its target, her boots dug furrows into the sand as she began to run. She would skirt the Tree of Earth towards the spectators, rather than the center, at what she felt was a comfortable berth of over a dozen feet.

She could only hope that Roch had some method of surviving the impending lightning.

AQ	Post #: 27

8/4/2008 19:14:31

Beebote
Member

Djaak was still in the midst of calculating his next move when several things happened in rapid succession, first the Ice Pillar at last spat out a contender. Djaak frowned at the mass of snow and ice. It was ice warrior from Sky. But…why had he arrived so late? Djaak didn’t have time consider that question as the sound of something whistling through the air came from below him. Instinctively, Djaak released his grip on his knives and kicked off the massive tree. As he twisted ‘round in midair, he caught sight of a silver tentacle lashing out to swat him. The blow barely missed his retreating legs; only his instinct had saved him there.

As he looked for the source of the attack he caught a second motion coming up from below. Spear! In a last-ditch effort to escape impalement, Djaak once more used the wind in a wild attempt to maneuver out of the spear’s path. It was too little too late. The spear caught his tunic above the clasp of his cape and tore it from top to bottom. As it pulled out, the fabric of his cape caught on it and tore, the force throwing Djaak into an uncontrollable series of spins. Djaak landed with a heavy thud, somewhat mitigated by his arms as he attempted to break as much of the fall as possible. Still the landing knocked the wind out of his lungs, leaving him gasping for air as he slowly and painfully got to his feet.

‘That was close.’ He thought, putting his hand on his aching chest. When he looked at his hand, faint traces of red were splattered across it. He looked down at his chest and his pale eyes narrowed in a sobering realization. The spear had done more damage than just shredding his tunic and cape. A long, but shallow cut stretched from his collar bone to his right hip, just above his belt. ‘Too close.’

Djaak now took a defensive stance drawing his short blades from behind, searching for the one who had nearly managed to kill him. Standing, if standing was indeed what it was doing, was a construct of silver, arms still elongated after its attempt. The Guardian! How had he failed to see it on his way up? Djaak mentally slapped himself, ‘I have got to be more aware of my surroundings. Did I learn nothing from my encounter in Sky?’

Still breathing heavily, Djaak kept an eye on the Guardian as he actively looked and listened for other threats. The feline had begun a ferocious attack at the armored knight. The snow warrior was advancing on its rival, the fur-clad woman, who was focused on the feline's attack on her ally. His ally was staring down the dwarf and the dark critter was nowhere to be seen. He decided it was time to back off and let others handle the duo. He would go to the aid of his ally.

Tearing off his torn tunic and cape, and readjusting his bracers, Djaak turned and jogged over to his ally, turning his head every so often to make sure the damned guardian-thing was content with driving him off. As he approached his ally he opened the channel of air once more so that their words would be shared in private. “Fohgeev me, Seaman. I was foolish, ahnd haf paid fo’ eet. Let us try agen, dees time, we do eet togedah.” Djaak crouched into his defensive stance a short distance from the Water Champion, ready to lend a hand, instead of acting too quickly. He had forgotten his Lords lesson on the nature of wind. Patience. The windstorm cannot rage forever, nor the sea breeze remain calm. He snapped his fingers; his blades returned; and he waited.

Post #: 28

8/4/2008 20:08:24

Cheeseliker
Member

Sabadhai watched his axe fly through the air straight at the Dark Champion, and then the Dark Champion disappeared. The dwarf grumbled something about cowards, glancing around, searching for his adversary. He spotted him, appearing out of thin air towards the center of the arena. Invisibility? Delayed teleportation? Sabadhai's thoughts were interrupted, and he turned to face the Water Champion, realizing his axe must've kept on towards the now-disgruntled man.

Sabadhai shook his head at the man's words. "The axe was not meant for you, Champion of Water, but for my rival in this tournament, the Dark Champion, who, it seems, has somehow transported himself to the center of the arena." Sabadhai hesitated as another man, a man he recognized from the Sky Arena, the Wind Champion, made himself known. Allies, it seemed. Water and Wind, a deadly combination. Sabadhai smirked.

"You speak to me of treachery, but will not face me alone?" Sabadhai called out, gesturing to the man beside the Water Champion. The dwarf set himself ready, shifting weight from side to side, knees slightly bent, and extended a hand towards the Water Champion.

"My name is Sabadhai Gelam. If you wish to face me, so be it. My adversary can wait for now." The dwarf called out the challenge, staring into the Water Champion's eyes, planning various strategies depending on what the man, or his ally did. As he waited for a response, Sabadhai focused, manipulating the power he felt within him. Small bands of Light appeared on the base of each finger, looking like small golden rings. They could be used in a variety of different ways, depending on what Sabadhai needed at any given moment. For now, they were only precautionary measures, tools that he might need later on.

Sabadhai was a bit disappointed, not to mention angry, that his fight with the Dark Champion had ended so soon, but was pleased that perhaps he would have a decent, somewhat honorable fight. Fighting someone who didn't run away would be a pleasant change from what he had experienced so far in the tournament. Besides, he knew his fight with the Dark Champion was likely not over. The fight between Light and Dark was an ever eternal struggle. The dwarf monk and the creature of Dark would have their part to play in that never-ending war, Sabadhai knew it.

AQ	Post #: 29

8/4/2008 20:34:56

qbsuperstar03
Member

What a coward of a fire champion, thought Cryoface as he moved between the Wind Pillar and the wall separating the spectators from the combatants. He expected some bad-natured teasing about how he was unfit to come here, trying to take advantage of the combatants who were already engaged, but it was not his fault. No matter the circumstances, he would fight.

Seeing the dwarf from the Sky Arena pleased him, though, but there was a curious thing...a lightning bolt that wasn't moving at the speed of light. Cryoface decided he needed to stop it, and to do that, he needed to target the source. But the nature of the Pillar of Wind was such that he would never be able to get a clear shot; the winds would affect the direction of the snowball he intended to throw.

Cryoface trudged on towards where the majority of the combatants appeared to be gathering, towards the Pillar of Darkness now. The sand was getting into his joints and making movement a little more than uncomfortable, but staying on the move was better than standing still and waiting to be struck down by a well-aimed ranged attack, or perhaps a spell which, for whatever reason, was deflected from its original destination and towards him.

I've got to get over there and fight, or I'll never regain my Lord's favor. With that thought in his mind, coupled with the fact that his kind was given life by Him, the execution of the Ice Lord's will was paramount in Cryoface's consciousness. He had to get over there and engage someone, because he didn't want to waste one of his three remaining Snowballs when it could be so easily detected and countered even by someone who couldn't see, as Kyle had demonstrated to him in the Sky Arena.

Post #: 30

8/4/2008 21:38:14

Guardian of Nekops
Member

The speeding belt of sand succeeded in carrying the foolish Champion of Wind into Earth’s tree, and Roch grinned at his success despite the man’s artful dodge. He had delivered his prey to the very doorstep of his Lord, and he was confident in the guardian’s abilities after witnessing them two years ago. As far as he was concerned, their foolish attacker was already dead.

Turning a fond smile back to his inspired transmutation, the red sand that still churned merrily towards the Pillar of Earth, he saw beyond it a truly terrifying sight. Energy was flying towards him in a manner he had never seen before, along the ground without losing its charge due to the age-old agreement between Energy and Earth. The only way he knew to stop such an attack was foiled by its very nature, and there was no reason to suspect his armor would short the attack to ground either.

With a scream of fear and nigh despair, Earth’s Champion turned to the only asset he had that he could deploy quickly enough… the sand that was already bowed in obedience to the glowing Circle of Motion. He poured all his will into the array with a roar of frustration, fighting the momentum, both physical and Alchemic, that the material still carried.

Creations of the Circle of Motion were meant to be more fluid, more yielding than the rigid patterns created by Form, but even they were never supposed to change like this. Moreover, he had never attempted something like this before, as Form’s array had always been the more useful to him in his months of training. The sand resisted his new command, the bulk of it sticking stubbornly to its route to the Tree with only small wisps of it turning in submission as the sweat dripped down his face.

Suddenly, as the bolt of lightning closed upon him, Roch managed to reach some critical point and the whole crimson mass flew to his rescue. It smashed into the bolt and turned sharply before him, flowing up and over his head in an arcing river, a moving bridge of red sand fifteen feet wide and three feet thick.

The energy was faced with an anthropomorphic choice; it could either ground on the sand attempting to persist in its straight line, or it could follow Roch’s arch and continue on the other side. Made magically fearful of grounding, of annihilation, it chose the latter option and soared over the steel-clad warrior’s head, scoring a deep line through the bridge of sand as it went.

As the attack continued unabated, Roch was forced to spend increasing amounts of energy, and increasing amounts of sand, in order to bolster the failing middle. Not only was the sand buckling there under the tremendous magical pressure, but something still more troubling was happening.

Roch was losing control of the sand in the middle of his bridge, and he didn’t know why. The crimson earth was failing to respond to the urgings of his Alchemy, right where he needed it most.

AQ	Post #: 31

8/4/2008 23:24:52

The Dragon Knight
Member

Off to one side, the young pirate noticed the sudden magical appearance of the warrior of darkness, apparently engrossed in kicking his strange black ball. The creature certainly seemed uninterested in his natural rival, the Light Champion. It was at this point that the dwarf responded to Torrelle's previous remarks, informing him of the true nature of the narrowly avoided attack. So, he thought, a teleportation ability or something similar. That was quite interesting. He would need to file that information away for future use.

A slight panting and scattering of sand heralded his ally's arrival, while off in the distance the crackling of the Energy user's attack could be heard. The twinge of pain that colored the man's voice served to indicate that a harsh lesson had been learned, which certainly matched his apology for leaping headlong into battle against an unknown opponent. Torrelle sighed softly, keeping his eyes on those of the Light Warrior as he replied to his comrade in arms.

"Do not dwell on your mistakes. Simply strive to learn from them. I have fought the champion of Fire once before, and have heard much of Earth's Chosen as well. They seem to have some sort of bond between them, which means they will be much harder to defeat than others might be. They are both honorable warriors, and I have little doubt that they will warn us before launching an attack in our direction." His brow furrowed slightly as he pondered that last remark, rethinking the possibilities. True, both the Crusher and the woman from the frozen north had been reasonable enough in Spike, but he could not forget the woman's somewhat primal instincts, and Roch's sudden interference in the duel. Also, his wind ally may have angered the two to such an extent that they would simply attack without warning once they were free to do so. He would need to be wary.

"Do not, however, let your guard down." The crafty seaman nodded at the dwarf before him, a gesture of apology for the interruption. "My apologies, good sir, both for the interruption and for jumping to sudden conclusions. Seeing as your original target has little interest in giving you a fair fight, I would be happy to oblige in the interim."

The arrival of the Ice representative had not gone unnoticed during this exchange. Torrelle had been keeping an eye on the odd creature since its sudden appearance in the arena, and had noticed its movement in their direction. Now was the time for this fledgling alliance to be put to the test. Turning his head away from the dwarf momentarily, taking the chance that it would not attack while his focus was off, the pirate eyed his somewhat abused companion, noting the blood seeping out of the shallow slash that covered the length of his torso. He had, it seemed, paid quite a bit for his recklessness. Well, no matter. If he had been stung once, he was less likely to do anything so foolhardy a second time.

"Djaak, I would ask that you allow me to engage this man in fair combat. I have not forgotten our agreement, and I shall aid you when you have need. For the moment, your abilities can indeed be put to good use. An Ice warrior approaches, and may interfere with this battle if he is not intercepted. Now is the perfect opportunity for you to display the power of your Lord." The sea-grey eyes pierced deeply into the Wind Champion, showing the ebony skinned tumbler in one glance that the Water Champion was an honorable man, and would hold to his end of the bargain. "Afterwards, we'll work out our strategy as we go, and I will be able to share some information regarding our Earth and Fire opponents."

He faced off against the Champion of Light once more, his face calm, his stance solid and his demeanor collected. The glowing rings of light on the monk's fingers were interesting, and he idly wondered what purpose they might serve. Well, he would soon find out.

"By your leave, Sabadhai Gelam, servant of the Light." The Maelstrom's arms lifted his blades into the air, the swords held horizontally before him with the points inwards, as he summoned forth the first of his magic. Water from his waist separated from the sash, five small globes no bigger than a cantaloupe forming in the air in a curved line before him, bobbing up and down with a sound like the squelching of a soaked boot. As they hung suspended in the air, they changed shape, elongating into thin five thin shafts that resembled feathered arrows. The semi-circle of pointed death hung menacingly before the spellsword, light refracting from their fluid surfaces and staining the red sand in watery hues.

"En garde." With a surge of latent energy, the shafts sped forward towards the dwarf, whistling as they pierced the air.

< Message edited by The Dragon Knight -- 8/4/2008 23:25:47 >

AQ	Post #: 32

8/5/2008 4:02:11

xaxtoo
Member

Returning from perhaps his shortest vacation ever away from his homeland, Karddicj thought it prudent to have a bit more options available to him. He raised his voice and called out "Lightning Ship!" Not even bothering to look, for he knew the thing was floating over the pillar fields around Fountain Arena, he quickly moved to where the center of the arena is. He was looking for an area of transformed land, but a pillar big enough to hide the transformation, however, stood in his way, creating a landmark even in his world to reflect the importance of the location. Taking one last look around, memorizing terrain with heavy focus on pillar locations, he phased.

Karddicj's feet almost touched black terraformed soil when the arena appeared--he had been right regarding the ball. Sliding onto his native land with much joy, he slipped a foot over the little bugger which squealed at being reunited.

The moment his feet touched the black skin on the ball, he saw the battlefield dimensions down to the inch. The ball had delivered the radius of the arena to him. The round blob shape in his head serving as a poor mapping as the arena took on a perfect circle. His run towards the Water Pillar had given him another measurement, the distance between the pillars, and suddenly an octagon laid upon the perfect circle. Ethereal shapes started to pop up on the surface of the circle, pillars mostly like one marking the center of the arena, but a few other interesting things appeared as well. Finally, each corner of the octagon took on a different color which brought an excited grin to Karddicj's lips.

To the chagrin of Karddicj, the ball squirmed under the pressure exerted by his foot almost causing him to fall, as if the bugger can feel his excitement and was therefore anticipating fun and was being very impatient to get to it. Its underdeveloped personality quirks may very well kill him one day! The thing even made him lose the joy he gained at being in the center of everything. He found it very hard not to kick the thing and satisfy both it and his desires, but he waited and looked around. The ball will not make game decisions!

If he was surprised by the change of scenery offered by the new vantage point, Karddicj did not show it. He certainly wanted to gape at the speed the Wind Champion must have displayed to bring himself to another side of the arena. Burning with jealousy at the pace of the man, Karddicj had to remind himself firmly he was no longer part of that world. That hardly soothed him much, which fed his annoyance with the slide being gone. It was the maker's right to destroy what he made, but it did not sit well with Karddicj for the maker took something so marvelous away. Selfish lumberjack! He almost clapped when the bear got attacked, but the walking armory, despite being dunce to his creations still possessed the skill to duplicate the wonder. If Karddicj want to experience the rolling earth ever, he will have to take some action.

Luckily, in the center of the arena, Karddicj can feel his instincts beckon. Fountain's elevation had deprived him of midfield pleasures, but height wasn't present here to diminish his comfort zone. The centerfield was always the focal point of the battle, more often than not the location where it was won, and Karddicj had dominated his position. Looking like a chef in complete mastery of his kitchen, the Green Kard prepared his course of action.

First though, manners. Turning to face the Light Champion, he called warmly, "Best of luck monk-y!" Swinging the ball around, Karddicj took his feet off, letting the ball roll away as he turned himself upon his other foot, quite like a dancer. Doing nothing to disprove that, Karddicj swung his arms over his head elegantly resembling a flower bud near blossoming. With two full circles, his free swing foot crashed into the ball, sending it screaming towards the Wind Pillar.

Ending his pirouettes facing the Light Pillar, he saw out of the corner of his eye that the lumberjack can fashion ramps too. With a ramp like that with enough length, the slide could be infinite! Grinning, Karddicj took a long-strided dancer hop towards the Energy Pillar, flapping his arms like a bird in the air. Upon landing, his arms folded into his torso, each hand effortlessly sliding into an opening. He jumped again with a half spin, meaning to spread his arms once more, but consternation spread across his face as his arms stayed on his sides. He landed and jumped again, making more motions of tugging. Then another landing and another takeoff and more tugging, he continued half spinning hops towards the Energy Pillar. In the back of his mind, he could imagine the ball squealing with delight spinning and tumbling inside the Wind Pillar, so round and round went Karddicj sharing an ultimate owner and thing experience, a private ball with the image in his head.

< Message edited by xaxtoo -- 8/5/2008 4:03:01 >

AQ	Post #: 33

8/5/2008 11:13:21

qbsuperstar03
Member

Onward, to the Pillar of Water.

As Cryoface soldiered on towards where a majority of the fighters were gathered, he could hear the water crashing down with a mighty roar that deadened the sounds of the crowd screaming for precious blood to be spilled yet again. That, or screams of terror as a supposed monster such as himself dared to show his face in such a sacred location. Perhaps, then, the protective wards around the arena served to protect not only the spectators from ill-aimed attacks, but also to protect the combatants from the crowd.

It was a thought worth considering, but not right now. Not when the work of his Lord needed to be carried out. He had to get rid of this marking, and the only way to do it was through combat. The sand was slowing him down and starting to get painful as it grated in his joints, but that was nothing compared to the fireballs Kyle had thrown at him in the first round.

The next stop was the Pillar of Fire. Cryoface paused to consider his options, and decided to keep the water between him and this manifestation of the Fire Lord's might. Just being near it caused him to shiver with fear.

Here he would watch for any surprise attacks, with his back to the outer wall in case of a surprise attack or a random flare-up. Ice was, after all, an element of patience, waiting for the right time to strike to inflict the most damage. Willing to wait until the sun was done shining for the time being to separate the weak from the strong and check overabundant life.

He readied a snowball in his left hand and his katana in his right, but this time he did not want to heal himself. He deserved the markings he got for not fighting well enough to be here, but he'd be damned even more if he didn't try his best.

Post #: 34

8/5/2008 14:52:10

Kellehendros
Eternal Wanderer

Slash poured power into the spell more than a little recklessly, after all this close to the Energy Pillar she certainly had the energy source she would need to maintain the spell for weeks if she really needed too. It was sloppy though, a flashy attack that was unlikely to have any great results. That suited the familiar just fine though, she wanted the others to underestimate her. Her size made her easy to over look, and not just literally, while the showy, energy wasting attack made her seem like less of a threat. And the spell certainly took a lot of energy to cast. She was making lightning behave in a way that it would never do so normally, and only the massive charge of the Energy Pillar behind her was helping her keep up the stream of energy.

There was a whirling blur overhead, and the cat instinctively hopped backwards, closer to the humming Pillar. Some object flung by one of the other competitors sliced into the line of lightning, throwing off the spell and causing the bolt to ground out, the object, which turned out to be a bola, dropping to the ground and smoking slightly from the transfer heat of the energy.

The familiar wasn't too concerned with that, and allowed the energy linkage between the lightning ball still hovering over her head and the Energy Pillar to seperate. She glanced around, noting the running charge of the Fire Champion with something akin to surprise. Abandoning proximity to her ally and attacking Slash didn't strike the feline as the smartest choice the woman could have made. Still, Slash was fairly certain in her ability to overcome the woman.

Catching movement from the corner of one eye, Slash turned slightly, keeping one eye on the Fire woman while glancing toward the center of the Arena. The Dark, creature, was approaching as well. Whatever the Dark Champion was was very much an unknown quantity to the familiar, and she was puzzled by what exactly it was the thing was doing, it appeared to be a sort of leaping, spinning, well, dance. In very human gesture, the feline shook her head, unsure of what to make of this display. Still, the Dark Champion, as the Fire Champion, was approaching, and Slash intended to defend herself with extreme prejudice. The energy ball above her glowed brighter, spliting in twain to form two spheres, one yellow, one blue. There was a crackling discharge as both balls bolted off, the yellow sphere towards the Fire Champion, and the blue one towards the Dark Champion.

Post #: 35

8/5/2008 16:17:41

Beebote
Member

Instead of acting, Djaak listened. The water champion was wise…well, wiser than he considered himself to be. However, as Djaak observed the lumbering ice warrior, he failed to see the threat. Now close enough to make out in some detail, he could see it was wounded and weakened by its battle in Sky. Those facts made him wonder. His Lord had healed his electrical burn before he had even arrived at the Grand Arena, as had the other Lords for their champions. Was the Lord of Ice so cruel as to leave his champion wounded as it entered the ultimate struggle?

“I will keep an eye on eet.” Djaak said. “But I will no’ engage eet, unless eet makes eetself a threat. Do no’ wurry, frend. I will no’ eentafeer wit your fight unless you ask, ahnd will make shoor dat no wun else will eedah.” He walked slowly and deliberately around his ally’s back and stood between him and the snow warrior. “Wutevah happens, Seaman, do no’ die. We still haf a storm ta unleash.”

Djaak stood straight up, blades hanging at his sides, neither taking a defensive stance, nor going on the attack. He merely stood there, watching the ice creature as it drew near. The creature stopped, apparently satisfied with its position; it seemed its attention was fixed in the direction of the Fire Pillar and its champion. That was to be expected. What struck Djaak odd was its complete lack of interest in Sabadhai, Torrelle, or himself; even though they were only a short distance away.

On one hand, Djaak didn’t want to make them an item of interest for it, but there was a part of his mind that revolted at the thought of being overlooked by such a weak opponent who was obviously teetering on the edge of defeat before any blows had even been exchanged. So he decided to offer it a chance to declare its intentions. “You der, Snowman.” He said, still not shifting from his neutral stance. “Do you seek batt’l wit da Jampione o’ Winds? If so, I can accommodate. If no’, I suggest you go elsewer, as Light an’ Water ahr abou’ ta duel ‘ere, and would no’ look kindly upon eentafeerence.” Djaak emphasized that last bit about no interference hoping to get the message across that it would be he that would carry out the displeasure, not the duelists. As Torrelle unleashed his attack, Djaak kept his eyes fixed on the Ice Champion. What will you do, Snowman? What will you do?

Post #: 36

8/5/2008 17:39:37

qbsuperstar03
Member

As Cryoface kept his attention on the champion of Fire, a new voice emerged above the din. Cockneyed, but a voice nonetheless. He turned to face...Djaak? From the Sky Arena?

"Hail and well met once again." Cryoface's voice was different this time: more human and less like the sound of thin ice cracking underfoot. "My Lord has brought me here through machinations that I do not understand. But I thank you for aiding me in dispatching that one guy with the lightning and the horrible puns." Then Cryoface decided to throw this guy a curveball. Literally.

"And here is a gift from myself and the Ice Lord for allowing me the satisfaction of actually engaging in single combat this time." Then Cryoface threw his antepenultimate Snowball spell, imparting spin to it so that it would curve slightly to Djaak's left, only to come back and go to his right instead.

If all went according to plan, Djaak would dodge almost casually to his right, but get a nasty surprise as he would be hit when the curve came around. In effect, he would be moving into the path. As the Snowball streaked towards the Champion of Wind, the thought of the impact and the sudden numbness of Djaak's body would allow him time to move in and deliver a decisive blow, or, if things didn't go as well, at least slow him down. Having seen Djaak's acrobatics firsthand, Cryoface wasn't about to let this guy make full use of that ability to make fun of his admittedly limited playbook, as it were.

Post #: 37

8/6/2008 13:16:23

Beebote
Member

Djaak almost laughed. “Eet was my plehsure to silence dat fool’s tongue. Hees puns were anno’ing me as well.” Come to think of it, Djaak didn’t know exactly what had happened to that particular combatant, since he had been swept away to the Finals before he saw his parting blow connect. It was the only thing he regretted about being chosen for the finals. How he would have loved to see the look on the energy mage’s face as his ‘Hurricane Impact Fist’ collided with his chest. But he had more important things to attend to now.

The snow warrior expressed his thanks in the form of a snowball sent sailing towards him. He tensed to dodge, but something held him back. It would be easy to dodge, so very easy. The ball was drifting slightly left. A simple sidestep to the right would get him out of the way. However, Torrelle was still standing behind him, and he had promised not to allow anyone or anything to interfere with the seaman’s duel. If Djaak sidestepped this attack, he was sure the chilling projectile would go on to cause trouble for his ally. He couldn’t sidestep…or could he?

Djaak casually stepped to his right and began forming the wind channel that would redirect the snowball into the wall of the arena, but the ball didn’t stay on its predicted course and curved back right, flying straight for Djaak’s chest. He had been outwitted! The wily snow creature had predicted his reaction and countered it. He had almost no time to react. Had barely enough time to twist sideways so that the icy ball collided with his right shoulder, splattering down to his bicep and up his neck.

The chill was fantastic. His right arm was locked in place with numbness, and his neck was stiff with cold. Djaak cursed himself for not countering it in some way, but he had little choice. His mind raced. He needed a plan. Djaak stumbled back a step from the impact covering his right shoulder with his left fist, blade still gripped tightly. He allowed his pain to be seen on his face. He needed to draw his opponent in. Closer, snowman, closer.

Post #: 38

8/6/2008 19:20:48

damselindigital
Member

For the first time since her entrance into the tournament, events were finally occurring exactly as Enya had planned. The creature had been forced to retreat from her attack, severing its assault upon Roch. She would have liked to look back to assure herself that her companion had indeed weathered the affront, but such would have been dangerously foolhardy. This was especially true because, also as predicted, the diminutive one turned its focus upon her as it again took the offensive.

She noticed that the strike wasn’t singly focused, but a second orb of energy streaked away in quite a different direction. Having no time to discover who else was subject to the animal’s distemper, Enya instead reacted. As the ball of lightning sought to intercept her on an almost perpendicular course, she dove forward. The attack crackled harmlessly by her boots while she continued along the path momentum dictated. She caught herself on her right arm and continued along it into a full roll. By the time her revolution was complete and she flowed easily up into a stand, she had successfully placed the Pillar of Light between herself and her foe.

With a grimace of concentration, Enya brought her own talents to bear. Simultaneously she called upon two of her claims; the one before the Pillar of Fire and the location imparted by her bola less than a handful of feet away from the creature. The former helped to feed the latter, and within moments a massive amount of heat began to pour forth from a small area of sand before Energy’s monument.

As long as Enya continued holding open the link, it would drain her. However, because she had a source that she could count on to produce much of the heat she needed, it would be greatly reduced from the cost of having to sacrifice that much of her own warmth. If she could force her adversary to relinquish its position near that which apparently fed it such power, the self-imposed loss would be well worth it.

Counting on the incredible brilliance to hide her own position, she tugged up her coat’s hood to help protect her own eyes in order to best perceive any other forthcoming attack. She continued to circle around the Light Pillar, keeping a distance much like that she granted the Tree of Earth, while adopting a more cautious pace. It would be best to get closer to her quarry, but not before ascertaining its reaction to her heat.

She prayed to her Lord as she completed her circuit that her threat would prove sufficient to cause the diminutive one to abandon its post. Otherwise, she could well be in trouble.

AQ	Post #: 39

8/6/2008 20:51:32

qbsuperstar03
Member

The pain on Djaak's face was unexpected. Snowballs were for chills, not actual damage. Still, if it hurt him that much, the thought of actually connecting with his blade was even more promising. Confident in his skills in melee combat now that his foe was sufficiently hindered, Cryoface came out from behind the Pillar of Water to face this Champion of Wind.

As he advanced, he decided to pull out one more trick the terrain in the Sky Arena hadn't permitted him to do with very much effect. He began to lay a small layer of ice on top of the sand he traveled over, similar to how a slug left a trail of slime despite how much Cryoface regretted the accuracy of the comparison to such a pathetic creature. It was this trick that allowed his kind to move more quickly over snowy terrain instead of bulling through it like a human without snowshoes.

Cryoface closed the gap rapidly using this tactic, more so than when he had been making his way around the arena. He had to take time to observe the other combatants as he maneuvered into position, but now a straight-up banzai charge was in order. As soon as he got into melee range, Cryoface intended to strike, and strike hard. The quickened reactions and thought processes of a Champion of Wind had to be taken into account, but in Cryoface's mind, if he fell for a simple curveball, he had to be somewhat air-headed.

The fact that he just made a pun totally eluded him, though.

< Message edited by qbsuperstar03 -- 8/6/2008 20:52:11 >

Post #: 40

8/6/2008 22:44:05

Cheeseliker
Member

Sabadhai didn't have much time to think, as the Water Champion quickly manipulated water from around his waist into five globes, which then turned into arrows, and were released in the dwarf's direction. Luckily, he already had a trick he had used much in his life as a dwarven monk, and had just used recently in the Sky Arena.

You see, dwarves love implements of battle. Axes, armor, shield, hammers, etc. Sabadhai shares this love, but it was a weakness, for during his training as a monk, material weapons were not allowed. Though Sabadhai learned to use his body as a weapon itself, he still felt the urge for the handle of a good axe in his hands. He is unsure if the Lord provided him with an answer, or if it came from within him, but somehow, over time, he learned to use the pure energy of Light, and form solid objects with it. Objects that could stab or slice, smash or protect, just as any material weapon or armor could. Over time, his control over the ability increased, but there was a threshold. He could only form what he could grasp within his hands, and when it left his hands, the energy could only stay stabilized in the specific form for so long, usually disappearing after a minute or so. The objects are not over-powered either, and could be destroyed, or broken as easily as a material object. Earlier in the Sky Arena, he had used a battle axe in one hand, and a shield in the other. Now, he only need the shield.

The bright shield of Light once again appeared on his left arm, looking like a large golden disk. The shield would not be able to stop all of the arrows because of the way their semicircle flight pattern, but that was no problem. Sabadhai quickly rolled to his right, avoiding a couple of arrows, and the shield took care of the rest. He heard three distinct thumps as the arrows thudded in. Reaching around the shield with his other arm, he knocked the arrows off his shield onto the ground. Quite a weak attack, five seemingly normal arrows. Perhaps only a test of the dwarf's defenses.

"Wasn't a test of much," grumbled Sabadhai to himself, then glanced at the shield attached to his arm, pondering. "Perhaps I'll send him a test of my own."

Sabadhai stepped back onto his left leg, left arm behind him, and focused on the shield, giving it a bit more power and changing its shape a bit.

"I am suspicious of your honor, Water Champion, when you will not even provide me with a name, though I have given my own." Sabadhai called out gruffly. With that, he stepped forward, whipping his left arm around. The shield, which looked now much more like a disk of some sort, left his arm and cleaved through the air with some speed, heading straight at the Water Champion. Moving at the speed it was, with the energy it had, it could cut through bone. Sabadhai had also added a little something extra. As the disk closed in, the dwarf clenched his left hand into a fist, and the disc suddenly split into two, heading the same direction at the same speed and at the same hieght. If the Water Champion stood still, he would be cut by both and he would have to dive far to the side to avoid both discs. It would be interesting to see what happened next.

AQ	Post #: 41

8/7/2008 0:07:02

Guardian of Nekops
Member

Just as Roch thought he could withstand no more, that the moving ramp that kept him from the lightning’s rage would fail as the last of the sand refused his urging, or as his will itself failed him, his faithful ally managed to break the stream of Energy flowing from his foe’s Pillar. Sighing in relief as a man who sets down his burden at long last, he released the crimson grains still under his control and stood as they fell like rain about him, a torrential downpour that blocked his sight for the duration of a full breath.

When his vision was clear once more, he saw it; he saw the reason that his Alchemy had begun to fail him, sapping so much of his strength. A red arch of glass, crudely formed from the Arena’s sand and the heat of the Energy Pillar itself, stood over his head, blocking his view of his attacker and touching the ground behind him as well. Once the sand had melted it became something else, something he did not expect and therefore could not control, and thus Form had been wrenched from his Motion despite all the force of his will… a creation that would have saved his life even had his spirit failed.

Smiling up fondly at this unsummoned protection that had come to his aid, Roch decided it would be unkind to deny this glass its chosen purpose. After all, if he was to charge the little pup of Energy the iron of his armor would be of little use. He could not use the entire arch, true, but a more perfect opportunity to let the Circle of Form show its worth could scarcely be imagined. Impact passed from his left hand to his right carefully, and he lifted his freed hand up to touch the monument, bowing his head slightly in thanks to it.

A bright green flash lit the construct and shone true even through the stubborn crimson of the glass, a display that would have been much more impressive had anything actually happened. The arch, however, appeared unchanged, still as solid and unrefined as before.

It was not so. In the moment of the flash no material had actually moved, but tiny cracks had shot through the crimson glass, fissures as perfect and precise as a sculptor’s chisel. It all remained in place because gravity so insisted, pressing the pieces together and locking them in their old shape still, but the old bonds were over and done. A single touch was all it would take to destroy the lightning’s bridge and reveal the craftsman’s art.

Roch raised his armored forearm above his head and touched the palm of his gauntlet, focusing this time on the circle within it rather than the one without. Two holes cleared in the metal there, not deep enough to reach the skin but enough for what was required. Gazing up at the placement of arm and arch, the Alchemist made two trifling adjustments to the slots and nodded his satisfaction.

Impact smashed into the front of the glass structure, knocking down the house of cards and sending shards in every direction. Chaos prevailed, bits of glass so small as to be blown in the light breeze accompanied by large pieces that could cause serious injury to any in their random paths to ground, but out of the chaos fell something beautiful, something terrible… above all something ordered. It was a tower shield.

The twin handles of the masterpiece fell into the niches of the metal, which clenched over them like fists as Roch completed his Alchemy on the steel. Broken glass fell with tinkling sounds against his armor and against each other as he lowered his new piece of equipment, turning it up slightly to admire the detail of the standard… an image of the Great Tree, complete with razor-sharp leaves and roots, with the quicksilver guardian standing in the center, his body in shallow relief against the trunk but his spear fully extended. He grinned broadly at this, both the potter and Crusher within him pleased by the shield and its lethal perfection.

Looking up over his crimson shield at the Champion of Energy, he took notice of his attacker’s form for the first time… it was a cat, of all things. Easily dealt with, especially since Enya was already advancing on it. Presumably, anyway… she must be behind one of the pillars, taking the long way around.

Grinning eagerly as he decided upon a course of action, Roch readied both axe and shield and started dashing straight for the Pillar of Energy. He would meet up with Enya at the Pillar of Energy, and together they would crush the cat who had dared attack him.

AQ	Post #: 42

8/7/2008 0:31:15

xaxtoo
Member

Takeoff, jump-spin, land, takeoff, jump-spin, land, Karddicj thought he can seriously get into this perhaps in different times, under another setting, in another body even. However, despite the grace, his movements weren't particularly manly. Yet it would seem the little bitty cat was also quite an astute judgment of rather man-like qualities as it shook its head at him and turned away. It disproved? Didn't really matter to Karddicj, for the fur ball seemed to have fallen for the bait, disregarded him as a threat. Leaping again, his hands came out from their ruse with a knife and a fork, each faintly glistening in the sunlight. At the apex of his jump and letting his spin be the guide, they freed the utensils straight for the cat in a fluid sweep in harmony with his motion before falling down, back at his sides and back into his abdomen as he landed. They will signal his intent, perhaps not the real one, but let the furball worry over the implications.

Again, Karddicj continued his dance, complete with the struggle to free his hands, seemingly unaware that he had attempted anything at all. So he continued closer, until during the middle of a spin, he saw that an energy sphere, blue with latent malevolence, was flying at him. Hiding an inward smile, he let the lightning ball hit him as he jumped once more. The spot tingled, even tickled as the ball dissipated into the surrounding air, the energy much less attracted to him than ionizing nearby floating molecules. But a shocked look crept over his face as his landing leg wobbled, and he crumpled to the ground, falling flat on his face without even his arms to support him. With a frustrating shout, he disappeared from the arena and his feet hit stone as he appeared just before a pillar.

Picking himself up and dusting off all the sand, he ran with as much speed as he can afford to towards the cat. He had mused over what he wanted to do with the little thing. Certainly he didn't want to kill it, for it would have been an ill-advised form to assume. Nor did he want to fight it hand-to-hand, and as absurd as the thought is, he had considered it while jumping. The only reason he rejected it was the thing could possibly leave scratches, hardly things to pass off as war scars. Of course the thing could embarrass him with its quickness as he attempts to catch it, but that would make two reasons and he already had the one--the only one that matters. So while he ran, one hand dug inside one of his slits, going straight for the white ooze, which he had located while he danced.

His plan was indeed simple as he pulled out the ooze and slapped it hard and fast with the free hand. No careful molding this time, for he wants the head to be big without so much regard to the specific shape, but he did hold back some to ensure the thing wouldn't end up being too cumbersome with too much width. Within few seconds he stopped running and pulled out the rest, taking mere moments to roughly shape the handle with both hands. His handiwork resembled a large unshapely fan on the end of a stick, perhaps a meter long, not quite round and not quite square and slightly drooping to one side. It would do he supposed, his swafan, so christened on this day and so it shall be until he absorbs it once more. He had intended to shape it a little better looking with one last wack, but his hand bounced back against the hardened tool. Not exactly what he had in mind when he started, but it will swat well.

Hoisting the swafan onto his shoulder, and turning his body just so, Karddicj phased as the blue lights danced along the blackened soil. With speed being such a key factor in fake sneak attacks he started swinging his swafan before the other world materialized, for he knew exactly where he was, right between the feline and the arena wall, a little close to the pulsating pillar for too much comfort, still not a position he would be expected to appear. His swing wasn't particularly fast though for he wanted to draw notice to it and the shape made it particularly hard to coax too much speed. The arena appeared with his makeshift paddle just finishing the downward stroke from the shoulder. With the wind-up done, the swafan picked up a little speed as it went forward--after all, his feigned intention had to be believable. He swung blindly towards where the cat should be. Mid-swing, he noticed the air looking a little odd in front of the furball, but it was too late to stop. Hoping the cat wouldn't actually get hit by him, he continued his swing to swat the little feline's behind.

< Message edited by xaxtoo -- 8/7/2008 1:31:09 >

AQ	Post #: 43

8/7/2008 1:49:29

The Dragon Knight
Member

The attack had served its purpose. The moment the arrows had appeared, he could see the dwarf gathering his magical energy about him. Then, once they had been fired, that energy had coalesced into a solid object, constructed of light, thereby revealing one of his abilities. The nimble monk had then rolled to one side, escaping the piercing grasp of two of the arrows, and allowing the shield to take the hits of the other three. That shield really WAS solid if it could withstand the penetrating power of those arrows, even though the power that had been injected into them was minimal at best. It would seem that a more ruthless hand would be needed.

Throughout the immense arena, the sound of the spectators could be heard. Their cheers and bloodthirsty cries washed over the combatants like the ocean's swell, swallowing them up in a tide of violence and mayhem. All around Torrelle, the other warriors were engaged in battles of their own. He kept a part of his mind on them all, trying to prevent any lapse in his guard. There was no certainty here that the other Champions would be content to leave him to his duel; not even his new companion. An ally of convenience was an uncertain one at best, but the ebony warrior had been faithful to his word thus far. Torrelle only hoped that the man would continue as such.

The gruffness of his opponent's voice betrayed a hint of stung pride; the warrior monk was as honorable as he seemed and was somewhat injured by the lack of courtesy from the wily pirate. It had not, in fact, been the Pirate Lord's intent to forget his manners, but the fierce tension in the air had driven the thought of an introduction completely from his mind. Well, it's never too late for courtesy, even on the battlefield, he supposed.

He was surprised and impressed by the speed with which the Light Champion switched from defense to attack. A simple attack, perhaps, but with flawless execution. He saw the dwarf's arm draw back, and realized immediately that a thrown or ranged attack of some sort was likely. Well, it was time to make this fight a little more interesting.

Activating the sleeping pool of water in the bedrock beneath his feet at the first sign of attack, the Maelstrom drew the water swiftly through the sand. It gathered beneath him quickly, hidden just beneath the surface of those crimson grains, forming a circular disk about two feet in diameter right below the soles of his boots, while a small amount branched off from the main stream and coiled underground just in front of his enemy. He formed the main pool of water into a cylinder beneath him as the shield left the hand of his adversary, watching in interest as the disk split in two.

Crouching down hurriedly, the crafty seaman performed two actions simultaneously. First, he pressurized the underground cylinder by evaporating the lower half, and then released it, causing the disk to explode upwards in a shower of red brilliance. The impromptu elevator thrust his body upwards on a platform of cool water that rode a rain of sparkling droplets. The second action was to thrust the second coil through the crust of the arena floor, forming it into a fearsome spear that would, hopefully, catch his worthy foe completely by surprise as it stabbed on an angle towards his chest.

The liquid disk carried the seaman upwards, well beyond the reach of the twin shears of light as the passed harmlessly through the gentle mist that now filled the spot where he had once stood. He only rose about fifteen feet before leaping backwards off of the watery platform, the fluid breaking up into more droplets as his feet left its surface. He landed neatly on his bent legs and one hand, the long sword laying flat on the ground beneath his palm. His eyes were cast at the ground for a moment as he spoke.

"You may not know me, oh Warrior of the Light, but my name has spread far and wide." His face lifted upward, the light cascade of water droplets sparkling like a rain of silver about him, the studs of his armor twinkling almost as brightly as his sea-gray eyes. "Know, then, that you face Torrelle, the Pirate Lord, Maelstrom of the Western Seas!"
He stood tall once more, lifting the enchanted long sword and leveling it in the direction of Light's Chosen.

"By the will of the Water Lord, I will honor His Glory, and rid this world of those who would prey on the defenseless! Though you be a dwarf of honor, to face me here is to stand in the way of my quarry. The Pirate's Bane am I, and I will give no quarter!" With this final roar, he drew back into an defensive stance, prepared to meet the next charge.

AQ	Post #: 44

8/7/2008 14:28:58

Kellehendros
Eternal Wanderer

Things were taking a turn for the worse. Slash was something of a pessimist, and at the moment she was of the opinion that even the greatest of optimists would have a hard time finding anything good about this particular situation. She had lost sight of the Fire woman as her opponent had darted around the Light Pillar. The woman was likely approaching along the Arena wall.

The cat leapt to one side, landing only a foot away from the Energy Pillar as the projectile reply of Darkness impacted into the sand nearby. Had Slash had more time, she would have likely complained about the fact that the plumes of sand kicked up by those impacts had launched some of the fine red grains into her coat. She hated sand, it was horrible to move through, and it took forever to clean out of her coat.

Slash glanced around, noting the disappearence of the Dark Champion, even as she saw the metal mountain rumbling across the Arena towards her. "Wonderful, just wonderful." Three-on-one was never a good thing, even if the familiar had the advantage of being so close to the humming Pillar. It was about this time that Slash noted the increasing ambient tempurature in the area around her. Things just got better, didn't they? She had three opponents coming for her, and Fire was trying to burn her out of her strong position near the Pillar.

She growled, closing her eyes. There was a spark from the Pillar and a pair of lightning bolts flashed in blinding brilliance to strike the cat in quick succession before a third impacted the Arena sands behind the Pillar of Lightning.

The familiar shook herself, reorienting herself to look back at the Pillar with a nod. She had "ridden" the lightning bolt from her position next to the Pillar to this one about ten feet behind the Pillar. There, where a moment ago she had been, was a static afterimage of herself. The construct was blocked from her view, to Slash's surprise, by the appearence of the Dark Champion who simply blinked into space behind where the cat had just been. She wasn't sure what was going on, but the creature was swinging something at the construct, and would certainly be surprised when he hit it, for the structure would revert to lightning and electrify the Champion as if he had stood outside in a thunderstorm holding a sword aloft.

Slash hated to give away her position and possibly ruin the moment for the Dark Champion, but even if the electricity stunned him, she still had to deal with Fire and Earth. She needed power to do that. The cat reached out and established a link to the Energy Pillar, drawing electricity off it in a stream of lightning that chained out to her from the crackling metal.

Post #: 45

8/8/2008 17:39:22

Cheeseliker
Member

Sabadhai watched intently as water sprang up from the ground bringing Torrelle above the flying discs. He had not expected his attacks to hit, but was somewhat surprised by the method of the Water Champion. If there was water in the ground enough to lift Torrelle, was there more he could manipulate? And what could he do with it?

Sabadhai's thoughts were interrupted by a sudden feeling of weariness. He felt tired, worn out, sore, and couldn't explain why. He felt the Light energy within him slowly withdraw, and he became weaker, feeling a strange emptyness inside. Before he could wonder about this, he saw water burst from the ground right in front of him, forming into a spear that hurtled at his chest. Before, he likely would've been able to duck out of the way, but the sudden weakness made him slow, and the spear pierced his shoulder sticking in deep and knocking him on his back.

He gasped, grabbing the haft of the water spear. He ripped it out of his shoulder with a snarl, and tossed it aside. He pressed a hand to his shoulder, trying to stem the quick flow of blood. Then, time seemed to stop, and all was Light, as it had been before. The presence was there, but the feeling of pleasure it had radiated had changed to one of disappointment.

You have failed Sabadhai.

What? Sabadhai called out in disbelief. The battle has just begun!

It doesn't matter. The Lord no longer believes in you. You should admit defeat, leave the tournament, and find a way to regain the Lords favor.

Sabadhai growled. I will not submit defeat.

Then you will lose. You cannot win the Elemental Championship without the favor of your Lord.

Watch me, Sabadhai replied. I have followed the Lord's path, and have never asked for help from him. I do not ask for help now, nor do I wish for it. If the Lord has abandoned me, then so be it. I shall abandon him.

The presence went from displeased to outright angry.

Very well Sabadhai Gelam, know that you no longer carry the title of Monk, and do not seek shelter nor aid from any Temple of the Light.

Then I am merely a dwarf, and now, I walk my own path, Sabadhai replied calmly.

The presence left, and the world came back into focus. Time continued again, and pain exploded from Sabadhai's shoulder. He grunted, and pushed himself to his knees. Gripping his robes with his hands, he ripped them away, exposing his muscular stout upper body, meanwhile his legs lower half was still covered by white pants. He knelt down to the sand, grabbed a handful, and rubbed it into his wounded shoulder, clenching his teeth against the pain. The bleeding stopped for the most part, but he could not use his right arm very well.

He stood up and faced Torrelle, the Water Champion. A half-naked dwarf with a bloody dirty shoulder and no Lord at his back, facing Torrelle, Pirate Lord and Maelstrom of the seas, still backed by the Water Lord. He nodded to the man.

"You have drawn first blood." Sabadhai called out, respecting the man. The rings that were still on his fingers slipped off, each turning into a small ball of Light. "But will you draw the last?" Sabadhai asked, sending the balls of Light high into the air, until they floated about fifty feet above their heads. Sabadhai took a deep breath, getting himself ready. He had one final trick. One final attack he hoped he could do, and then his energy would be expended. Sabadhai closed his eyes.

The balls of Light immediately streaked down at the Pirate Lord like glowing missiles. Little did anyone know they were but mere distractions. Each one, if hit, would produce a small explosion capable of minor damage, but they were really only there to keep the Pirate Lord's attention up in the sky, as the dwarf suddenly disappeared.

He did not really turn invisible, only used a trick of the Light to make it seem so. He sprinted at the Pirate Lord as fast as possible, grunting as each step jarred his wounded shoulder. The balls of Light were closing in, about fifteen feet from Torrelle, when Sabadhai reappeared barely five feet from the Water Champion, a golden two-handed axe in his hands. He leaped at the Pirate Lord, yelling, swinging the axe as hard as possible, all his energy put into the swing.

AQ	Post #: 46

8/8/2008 19:04:39

The Dragon Knight
Member

Torrelle was becoming concerned. The effort of drawing from the Lord's pillar was excessively draining, despite the rather small amount he had managed to glean. Also, the water from the pillar was much harder to control and to shape than the naturally occurring moisture in the air. He was beginning to understand; the Water Lord's symbol of power in this arena was not meant to be relied upon. If he were to continue to rely on his Lord's power instead of his own, he would soon experience the bitter taste of defeat. It was time to prove that he was worthy of the Lord's power by fighting his own battle.

His breath came in shallow gasps, and pain shot through his body, an after effect of encountering the heated spray of the geyser. Numerous minor steam burns covered his body, causing the flesh to turn red from the heat in those places. He was far from seriously injured, thankfully, but the pain was an irritation that would not abate. He would simply have to grit his teeth and bear it.

As he watched his opponent rise from the red sands, the sheen of pain induced sweat covering the dwarf's stone-hard body, the young pirate could not help but notice the sudden change that had come over his adversary. Fey, he seemed; enraged by some inner betrayal. The monk had cast aside the vestments of his Lord and was preparing some form of assault. Judging by the steely look in the dwarf's eyes, Torrelle had no doubt that he was planning on using this attack to finish the job. The Pirate Lord's face became an impenetrable mask of grim determination. If the Chosen of Light wanted to play for the highest of stakes, then he was more than willing to play his own hand through to the end.

The golden rings of light slipped from the warrior's fingers, creating glowing balls of light about the size of a fist apiece. They floated between the two combatants for a moment before taking off at an incredible speed, straight up into the air. The pirate was surprised by this sudden tactic, and his eyes were inadvertently drawn upwards, his gaze piercing through the mists that surrounded him to follow the path of these instruments.

The dwarf moved. It was not sight that gave Torrelle this information, but rather an ability he had activated at the start of the Finals, just as he had in the Spiked Pit of Despair. The water molecules that filled the air transmitted the vibrations of movement, their range and effectiveness increased by the added moisture from the steam he had so recently created, and announced the dwarf's true intentions. Realizing that this attack was split between the magical orbs and the dwarf's charge, the Maelstrom made an instinctive decision about his defense.

The vapors that were beginning to disperse suddenly reversed their course, gathering together and drawing even more of the moisture from the air than he had originally been using. The scattered puddles, as well as the liquid sash he wore, all evaporated, forming small droplets that hung as a cold, clammy cloud, a thick fog that the dwarf charged blindly into. Now that he was just as invisible to his opponent as the Light Champion had been to him, the Pirate Lord made his move without hesitation.

Calling upon the small reserve of water he had left in the earth, as well as calling the spent arrows and spear back to him through the damp sands, Torrelle quickly side stepped the charging dwarf, ducking down as he did so to avoid the swing of the axe. With the warrior monk now thrown off balance by his own swing, the enchanted longsword easily found its way through the unprotected second and third ribs, the watery blade piercing deep into the soft tissues of Sabadhai's lungs. As his attack struck home, Torrelle desperately threw up a hasty defense, a thin umbrella of water from what little remained of his secret underground supply.

Once his sword pierced his foe's side, the hidden reservoir within the steel activated, and thin needles of water shot out from the pores of the metal. The glowing orbs impacted with the thin shield of water, detonating with a brief series of explosions, their cascade of thunder washing across the crimson sands in a wave of violence.

The light from the explosion was incredible. As it faded, smoke and steam was all that could be seen of Sabadhai and Torrelle, for a few moments. Nobody had been able to see what was transpiring within the fog, and now that fog was lifting. The mists were fading, and the smoke was being gently drawn away by a light breeze that went unnoticed to the fighters on that deadly playing field. A sudden gust, and the final shreds drifted off, accompanied by the coppery scent of spilled blood.

A pool of scarlet was spreading faster than the sands could absorb it. The two fighters seemed locked frozen in place for a moment. Sabadhai's body resembled a pin cushion, with countless needles of crystal clear water penetrating his flesh from the inside. Slowly, the hand that gripped the axe slackened, and the now unneeded weapon fell towards the sticky pool below. The light that composed the deadly instrument, with no will remaining to hold it together, scattered in a shower of glitter that quickly faded into oblivion.

With a sickening slurp, the needles retracted into the blade once more, and the body of the once mighty Sabadhai Gelam fell, first to its knees, and then forwards onto its face in a splash of blood.

The battle between Light and Water was over. Torrelle stood for a moment, his eyes resting on the expression of his opponent, frozen forever in a grimace of pain. Droplets of blood covered the victor's silver studs and filled his platinum hair, and streaks of red ran down his face as a mute testimony to the determination that had allowed him to finish what he'd started. The powerful longsword rose, the blade held vertical before the pirate as he offered his worthy foe the only gift he could. Respect.

"You have earned my thanks today, Sabadhai Gelam. Because of you, I have learned much about myself that I would likely never have discovered on my own. You fought well, and while victory may have eluded you this day, you have shown great honor to one you would count as an enemy. Rest in peace." With these final words, Torrelle turned his back on the Dwarf of Light, and stepped towards the Pillar of Water. Extending the blade into the pillar, he offered the blood of this sacrifice. The swirling waters accepted the blood offering, and the crimson disappeared as soon as it entered the Lord's domain.

Turning back to the arena at large, the fearsome swordsman dropped to one knee, the blade of his short sword digging in to the sand to support his weight. The exploding orbs had been more damaging than he had thought. A trickle of blood escaped the corner of his lips, and he was suddenly doubled over with coughing. A new patch of red stained the sands, almost indistinguishable from the grains themselves. Bringing the outburst under control, his right arm lifted to wipe the residue from his lips. This was a sign that the shock waves had managed to damage him internally, though the extent of the injuries remained to be seen.

Raising his sea-gray eyes to survey the destruction happening around him, the deadly pirate commander took a brief moment of respite to gather his strength, observing the battles progressing about the arena while he weighed his options before heading back into the fray.

AQ	Post #: 47

8/8/2008 19:42:03

Beebote
Member

The snowman moved closer, but it wasn’t close enough. Djaak needed the creature to commit to an attack before he could carry out his plan, especially with his arm temporarily out of service due to the numbing chills that ran through it. Keeping the blade clenched in his right hand, Djaak kept rotating his wrist, trying to shake off the chill. At the same time, the motion began generating a tiny, invisible vortex of wind around his hand.

He was in the finals. It was not the place to hold back, but he needed to hold some things in reserve for other opponents; other times. So far in the tournament, Djaak had only demonstrated minor control of his element, relying more on his physical skills and precision with knives than on his wind manipulation. Only once had he hinted at the extent of his control when he unleashed
the impact fist. Now, as his opponent closed the distance, Djaak was preparing to step up to his next level. Just a little closer, Champion. Let’s see what you’re capable of.

As he did, the sound of rushing water caused him to turn his head. He watched as Torrelle launched himself over the Sabadhai’s speeding disks of light. The water spear that followed was well placed, and only the dwarf’s quick reaction had spared his life. Djaak allowed himself a nod of appreciation for his ally’s skill. He had chosen well, and hoped he could prove himself to be just as effective. Suddenly, Djaak realized he had been distracted, and had forgotten about the advancing snow warrior. His eyes snapped back before his head did as he tensed for what was undoubtedly to follow. Why are you always caught flatfooted, Djaak? Why can’t something go as planned for once?

< Message edited by Beebote -- 8/9/2008 14:22:39 >

Post #: 48

8/8/2008 20:51:09

qbsuperstar03
Member

Hmm...Djaak had turned his head. A feint, or possibly he was distracted? Luckily, Cryoface was single-minded in the pursuit of this foe. Faster than before, leaving a trail of ice in his wake, the snow warrior advanced to prepare for close combat, even though if he wanted to, Djaak would probably just jump back and toy with his opponent's relatively limited mobility.

As Sadbadhai lost his life--a sad turn of events for the Champion of Light, but one the crowd sure seemed to appreciate--Cryoface struck. He rose up to his full height while preparing a mighty blow that was aimed not at Djaak's torso, but at his left hip, hoping to limit his jumping around. A blow to the neck would be too easily made into a block or a miss altogether, and aiming at the limbs was a natural gamble, for one instinctively aimed at the torso, the center of mass for most corporeal beings.

He came down with his Ice Katana aimed slightly low and to the left of Djaak's heart. Again, he would probably jump or roll away to avoid a lethal blow, but still be wounded. The key was to out-think his foe, and while strategy was never Cryoface's strong suit, the proof of its usefulness was as plain as the fact that Djaak still had difficulty moving his right arm, though it was still mobile at the wrist. In time, he would wear down this swift-moving Champion of Wind, avoid situations where Djaak could use his gifts of swiftness of thought and action to good effect, and only when all hope was lost would Cryoface deal the final blow.

Provided, of course, that that scourge of the seas known as Torelle (for such is the nature of gossip that word travels fast of such formidable individuals no matter where you happen to be, plus the fact that he had mentioned his name earlier) didn't intervene.

Post #: 49

8/8/2008 23:31:49

xaxtoo
Member

Oh no, disaster! Karddicj didn't think he swung fast at all, but he had shockingly sliced right through the cat! Wait, his Swafan went through the feline? Finally, Karddicj looked to where he was swinging. To his great relief, his Swafan stopped inside an apparition of sorts, the kitty? Somehow, he couldn't imagine the kitty being partly solid. At least he did not kill the little bugger--he would hate having to crawl on four legs.

Shouldering the Swafan, he looked up and saw the metallic canister of a lumberjack barreling towards him. What did he do to that guy?! How did he even know where to charge? Then Karddicj realized that the big metal thing must be going after the little furry thing for having assaulted him, a funny thought that. Delighting in not being targeted for potential hurting, Karddicj circled around the lightning construct and jauntily bent down halfway resembling both a curtsy and a bow to pick up the metallic fork lying in the sand before rising and gesturing in stabby motions at the tin man, at whom Karddicj was also very markedly winking at accentuated with very exaggerated head nods.

Well, well dinner would be served, by Karddicj this time for a change. Of course Karddicj had to admit to himself, he was only making the hunting a little easier. Almost giggling, with a quick spin of the wrist, Karddicj turned a stab to a flicking, throwing the fork into the lightning apparition. It would slice through the fake cat while drawing charges until it sticks into the ground with its prongs digging into the sand, releasing everything to the infinite earth, providing an giant avenue, relatively speaking, for the electricity to flow down and dye.

Without even bothering to look if the electricity will go for the easy route, Karddicj launched the Swafan at the incoming Earth Champion, whom hopefully saw him swing the thing at the electric blob and came away unscathed. Perhaps Karddicj should've tried to throw a little harder, for the thing will fly higher than perhaps further and will spin lazily in the air before landing well short of even where the guy will be; at least it will be in his path. He'll have to pick it up, such an inconvenience. Well, help is help, and he offered help to the help that's arriving, so that means he would be leaving. After all, despite how badly he might have done it, he did symbolically transfer the captain's armband. Take it away tin man, take it away. The cat will have more than enough on her plate, and Karddicj certainly doesn't want to play with it and risk actually killing it. One shock is enough for a day. His heart is still fluttering from the first one.

A glint way up in the air between the Earth and Light Pillars caught Karddicj's eye. The ball! Too bad the thing is still so high up in the air and will take a bit more time to land than Karddicj needed to arrive. That's ineffective timing. He will not wait on anyone, not especially that thing! It already thinks so much of its inanimate self. Well, since his feign on the cat failed, he should regroup and reset for another attack. And there's no better place for that than running another set from the midfield. So without a backwards glance, he ran towards the black patch marking the center of the pitch.

AQ	Post #: 50

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