Ok, standard affair here, the usual 1 intro, 3 battle and 1 victory post. Judges will be very much welcomed

Sphinx > Alarielle
Tiger of Wu > Malali

Judges >
1. Wyvern Knight Zero
2. Lifesapper
3. Various

Thanks to the judges!

This message was edited by Sphinx on Nov 14 2008.

I'll judge, yo.

---

Confused best described the mind-state of Malali as she continued wondering through the forest. She had just awaken there from a pain-induced sleep, the gift of ultimate power in her pocket. Ultimate power for a limited time, of course, but she hoped it would be enough to defeat The Deathknight with. Though, perhaps a better way of retrieving the serum then being kidnapped by a metal beast could have been worked out. Malali thought, stretching her neck as she walked.

Arímus... a strange beast. What was he? He said what he wore was armour... odd being. His power! Domain over time and space... he has proved himself with the Tiaoro, but his intentions seem a bit... off. Perhaps h-... is that the edge? Malali stopped, both her walk and thoughts, and peered forward, smiling to see the edge of the woodland in which she had wondered for so long. She continued walking with a relief-filled grin, reaching the forest's edge soon after.

As odd as it was for a Nightelf, Malali smiled at the sight of the clear sun, no longer blocked by trees, soon to set beyond the horizon. She let out a short laugh of relief as she stretched her aching body and looked at the expansive moorland before her. Soon it will be dark and the sky will be filled with stars and moons... no, in this world, moon. She thought, contemplating a rest. Her last attempt at resting peacefully under the stars like she had when she was a child was interrupted by the screams of an innocent woman being attacked. Now she needed some rest anyway and the night was fast approaching, perhaps...

No, he's still out there. I can't rest now. But chasing him in this condition is foolish. He's nowhere near, I was knocked out for a long time. Is that not more reason to find him now, as he has had time to move? If I chase him while like this the reward will be sour and shallow. I need to be in the highest condition possible, otherwise he shall best me once more.

Conceeding defeat against her own argument she let out a short sigh of both relief and disappointment before sniffing the air. It will grow cold soon. Malali thought before turning back to the forest. She searched the line of trees edging the woodland until she found one that fitted her need; it was not too thick yet not too thin and not too small yet not too tall. With a smile Malali drew Kaavel and began to hack at the trees base.









Within a circle of rocks on a patch of dirt at the edge of the forest burned some of the chopped wood from the tree, Malali sitting upon the stump it left behind. Next to the fire, stacked neatly, sat the other pieces of wood, ready to be thrown on when needed. The night was all but silent, the only breaks being the crackling fire and occasional hoot of an owl. "The sun has set, the night has dawned," She quietly sang the song her mother used to sing to her and her brother when they were young. "The stars and moons are in the sky. The darkness hits, the path is lit, by the glistens way up high. The Orcs, the Humans and the Dwarfs and other Elves are sleeping tight. But we still walk awakened lives, the children of the night."

She quietly repeated it many times as she stared towards the sky, nostalgic thoughts of her home-world, Lar, filling her head. She almost didn't notice the woman walking towards her. She was a beautiful being, a very beautiful being in fact, her flowing hair complimenting her dress perfectly. From what Malali could see her bright eyes were an alluring shade of turquoise. The Nightelf had never seen such a beautiful Human... wait, is she Human? She looks like she may be an Elf? Perhaps I should ask her. She thought, looking at the oncoming beauty curiously.

Before she could say anything however, Alarielle began speaking. "You... you're just like the others aren't you, cutting down the Earth for your own gain." She spoke bitterly, glaring at the pile of chopped wood and stump left by the cut down tree, giving a dirty look to Malali before continuing her walk into the forest. She was stopped upon hearing the Nightelf's reply.

"If not to be used by the living what is a tree for?" She spoke just as bitterly as Alarielle had, looking into the fire instead of at the woman before her.

[color=#666666]This message was edited by Tiger of Wu on Dec 08 2008.

The moorland was utterly still. The vast plains of dull green grass stretched out towards the distant horizon, punctuated only by a few steely grey crags of rock which jutted up through the ground. Battered and weathered by the unremitting onslaught of the elements, and draped in grizzly beards of lichen and moss some of the ancient formations almost resembled crudely hewed faces, lonely sentinels of the moor sitting silently alone amidst their empty surroundings. The sky too was cold and grey, and as the colourless clouds wafted lazily over the vast, monochromatic tundra, it seemed as though this place was totally devoid of life. Yet in the heart of such devastating isolation, there was one who embraced this remote and cruel wilderness.

A lone woman meandered apparently aimlessly across the moor. Her delicate beauty seemed overwhelmed by the sheer scale and harshness of her wild surroundings. Struggling against fierce punishing winds, her pale complexion betrayed no emotion on her achingly beautiful face, making her appear almost as lifeless as the moor itself. Though behind this mask of emotionless indifference, there was a consciousness fraught with anguish, and shame, and whatever desolate solitude she sought, Alarielle could not erase the mistakes of her past. No matter how far she fled, whatever far flung and lonely corner of the world she retreated to, the shadow of the mountain where she had come undone still loomed over her. It was as though the very magical energy that had once sustained her, had now turned against her, following her every step, constantly closing in around her like a dense suffocating fog. And however bitterly she fought to escape from this ethereal sense of guilt haunting her, these attempts were altogether futile.

She had been walking for what felt like days without rest, the sun rose and fell each day barely grasping her attention. The passage of day and night seemed of little consequence to a mind so overwhelming consumed by it's own grandiose self delusions. Her supposed fall from grace was the only thing she thought of, and her absolute infatuation seemed to completely numb her body to the burning, aching throb in her muscles. However, eventually the intense physical pain she was in began to stir her from her endless musings, and she simply withered to the ground, landing in a frail heap. Her chest rose and fell as she fought for breath, the cold wind whipping the folds of her elegant dress up around her.

This was the first time in days, maybe even weeks that she had stopped, and she very quickly became acutely aware of just how isolated, exposed, and vulnerable she was out on the moors. She could go no further. She lifted a small bag from her shoulders, and even this mundane action required a a gargantuan effort for one so profoundly lost in the throes of exhaustion. Rummaging distractedly among its contents, she took time to scan around and observe her surroundings, hoping to gauge just how serious her situation was. Much to her relief, she saw what appeared to be the beginnings of a woodland in the distance to the west, the slowly setting sun illuminated the vivid green foliage of the trees, instantly capturing Alarielle's attention after spening so long observing the dreary palette of the moors. She knew it was essential to reach the trees, there she could find shelter, and rest. However she knew she was in no physical conditions to do so, and it was the severity of the circumstances she had found herself in that led her to draw a small phial of azure liquid from the bag that she had now placed back on her shoulders. This small crystal glass phial was the last relic from her days as an accomplished sorceress, and within its sparkling interior, it held a small quantity of restorative potion. As the intricate facets of the phial glittered in the dull grey light, Alarielle's eyes also shimmered as glassy tears welled up. She pulled the stopper from the phial and consumed its contents in one brief draught.

Her face flushed with colour as the potion took effect, the physical pain in her limbs melted away as the potion spread through her veins, and she rose with a renewed energy to her feet. Yet almost as soon as she had done so, she crumpled back to the ground, violently convulsing as she sobbed uncontrollably. This was the first time in months that she had the energy to weep, and it came in torrents. Several minutes passed as she wailed out her sorrows, alone on the moor, and it felt remarkably cathartic. Her heart rending lament heard only by the gruff grizzled faces of the rocks. She finally felt like a thinking, feeling human again, after trying so desperately to detach herself from everything, and after her outburst, she clambered to her feet with a renewed vigour and made her way purposefully towards the forest.

Night had fallen by the time Alarielle reached the forests edge. Though before she was even able to breath a sigh of relief upon arrival, she became aware of a magical presence in the area. It may have been many months since she had exercised her own magical abilities, but she was still acutely sensitive and attuned to the magical energy of others in the immediate vicinity. She continued cautiously along the forests edge, scanning the trees under the dim light of the moon, and soon saw the warming, flickering glow of firelight a short way up ahead to her right. She tentatively crept along, shaded under the boughs of the trees above her, dappled moonlight illuminating her path. However she paused suddenly when she found a tree stump. Crudely hacked off at the base, she suddenly felt a fervent anger welling up inside her. It slowly dawned on her. She had punished herself so brutally, yet all she had ever been guilty of was shouldering the insurmountable burden of trying to defend nature. Yes she remained at fault for having let her powers run unchecked, but what of the myriad people who unflinchingly romp through the wild taking what they please, feeling not a flicker of guilt? It was these people who were the real problem!

Deep down, beneath the surging tide of self righteous anger, Alarielle was not naive enough to truly believe that this acquitted her, but at least punishing someone else for their wanton abuse of nature may help to exorcise some of the ghosts that had haunted her for so long. After months of exile, she was now ready to reintroduce herself to the world, and she was going to do it, regrettably, violently if necessary.

She strode confidently towards this defiler of nature, and introduced herself. She was fighting so hard to contain the fury welling within her that she barely registered the words spoken in their brief and cold exchange, nor even the remarkable purple countenance of the stranger. Before she could check herself, she had her hand resting on the hilt of her sword. Malali looked on incredulously, she was not going to pander to this woman's attempts at intimidation. Forgetting any attempt at feigned pleasantries, Malali responded to this obvious display of aggression in the only sensible way, reciprocating Alarielle's violent insinuation by placing her hand firmly upon the grip of Kaavel...




edit > The oh so inevitable ammendments post-proof reading. You'd think after 3 years of academic essay writing at university I'd have finally learned the virtues of proper proof reading? Haha, nevermind.

edit ² > Another couple of cheeky edits before Wu gets up his battle post.

This message was edited by Sphinx on Nov 13 2008.

The ability to recognise the emotional and mental state of an opponent was a necessity required for all hoping to become a part of Tyrnealylth, a guild in Malali's home-world that worked towards defeating evil, the guild that she belonged to. To truly be a warrior one must understand an enemy, so when faced with a stranger it was vital to look for signs, clues which would deceive their master's wishes and scream their secrets to those who would listen hard enough. The heavy breathing. The slightly trembling hand. The nervousness... most likely... yes. Malali thought, silently observing Alarielle, finding the signs she looked for as both women held hands on their weapons, ready to attack or defend as necessary. Fear.

Without further wasting words Malali began to draw Kaavel with haste, swiftly standing and letting go of its handle mid-way, bending forward and going into a handstand straight after. It was perfectly timed to allow Malali's sword's hilt to be aimed at Alarielle and for it to be carried on the momentum of the previous, forceful tug. It shot, hilt first, out of its scabbard and towards the nature-loving beauty who responded by using her own weapon to knock it aside, flinging it passed the fire and leaving it to land at the base of a tree.

As Kaavel was soaring the short distance towards its target Malali had rolled forward from her handstand, pulling her bow and an arrow from her back. She ran forward, nocking the arrow as Alarielle was distracted and when she was off-guard from deflecting Kaavel, the Nightelf jumped and kicked her in the chest. Alarielle fell to the floor, landing on her back as Malali simultaneously landed with one foot, at the end of a bent leg, on the ground and the other leg's knee upon Alarielle's stomach. She held her bow in her left hand with steady confidence, aiming the arrow at her downed opponent's face.

She had underestimated her, however.

While being caught off guard wasn't the greatest testament to a fighter's reaction time it was a well-working reminder that reflexes were a major part of battle, a reminder Alarielle took fully in, making sure her blade was at Malali's throat when they landed. Malali held her weapon with an iron grip, as did Alarielle, both knowing the outcome if either attacked. The Nightelf could see the bright eyes before her staring intently at the fingers which held back the arrow. If she let it go Alarielle would see and, even if she was killed before being able to complete the slash, the start she would make of it and the inevitable continuation would leave Malali with a deep wound, most likely deep enough to kill her. The chances dropped if Malali pulled her head back, but there would have still been a high risk it would kill her, a risk she was unwilling to take.

In the same way, Malali thought. She knows if she kills me now my hand will fall limp and the arrow be released. The Nightelf looked at Alarielle's face, noticing her mouth moving slightly. Is she chanting? But... nothing's happening. In confusion she took her attention away from her opponent for a millisecond. It turned out that was all the time needed. The beauty slashed her sword, making sure to not slice Malali's throat but instead continue and hit her wrist. It turned out the leather armour which she wore was stronger then Alarielle had anticipated, stopping the sword from cutting her. It did still knock the warrior's arm away however, the arrow she let go in surprise landing mere inches away from the swordstress' face.

In the moment of confusion Malali was pushed to the side, off of Alarielle, narrowly avoiding the brightly burning fire. When she regained composure and was once more standing she saw the beauty charging towards her, less then five foot away and ready to strike. She didn't have much time to react. Malali quickly stepped back, using the Kethaera spell, a spell allowing the user to control wind, to try and push the blade away. Due to the force of the strike and weakness of the spell, the effects were minimal. Combined with the back-step, however, it was enough to prevent Alarielle from cutting Malali's head in half, even if it left her with a long cut on her right cheek. She jumped back, over the burning fire, and landed on the other side.

The Nightelf saw the look on her enemy's face. A look of recognition. Most would have put the sudden wind down to bad luck but Alarielle sensed the magic energy which accompanied it. As both warrior and swordstress stood either side of the fire the wind of the night picked up in strength. The beauty held her hands outward towards Malali, still wielding her sword, then she pulled her hands back in to her chest. A strong wind hit Malali from behind but it merely made her stumble slightly. She smirked at the irony as the brunt of the wind's force hit Alarielle, knocking her to the floor as she let out a confused yelp.

An arrow shot and stuck into the dirt mere centimeters from the beauty's face, a warning telling her not to move. "Why do you fight?" Malali asked fiercely as she held her bow with another arrow already aimed at her opponent's face. No answer came. It was when Malali looked into Alarielle's eyes that she realised the signs she saw before were misinterpreted. The cause wasn't fear at all. It was anger. Lowering her bow as she nodded, Malali continued to stare intently into the eyes of Alarielle. Beautiful yet... ugly. Stained with the deformity of anger, the grotesque beast known as resentment dancing in her pupils. This would only end when one was defeated. Such is the way of this world.

She shot the arrow into the fire with an angry grunt before turning and walking away as she placed her bow upon her back once again. After reaching it she picked up Kaavel, turning and walking back to the fight with it in hand. Alarielle saw her talk to herself as she walked back... seemingly to herself anyway. She was in fact giving orders to the Firins, telling them not to interfere, even if it meant death. This was a battle she felt obliged to fight alone.

"Are you ready?" She asked, her opponent now at her feet. Once again there was no reply from Alarielle. Instead, she simply ran and jumped over the flames, meeting Kaavel with her blade.

---

I may edit this later when I'm not so tired, A.K.A. more alert, but it will only be for punctuation, writing devices and whatnot. Also, the failing magic was pre-agreed, just to say so the judges don't think I'm making Ala' weak or anything =P

[color=#666666]This message was edited by Tiger of Wu on Dec 08 2008.

Judge plz? kthx.

In spite of the violent battle that had begun down beneath the boughs, the night remained otherwise remarkably still, and sublimely beautiful. The moon shone, bright and wan in the inky blackness of the night sky, surrounded by a retinue of serenely twinkling stars, whilst a few scarce clouds wafted indifferently past. Down in the forest itself, a few scattered beams milky of moonlight penetrated the canopy, reaching down through the thick foliage before their pearly luminescence melted away into the warm yellow light of the fire. Just as the vivid flames unpredictably flickered, twisting and writhing in the darkness, Alarielle's muscles were twitching and shaking involuntarily. Staring at her opponent through the rippled heat rising from the fire, she tightened her grip on her sword in an attempt to try and steady her trembling hands, though there was little she could do to disguise the obvious fact that her initial clash with Malali had deeply unsettled her.

Having spent so long in an almost catatonic state of isolation, so completely disconnected from normal emotions, Alarielle was at a loss to explain this total loss of composure. She was unsure whether it was the fresh surge of adrenaline flooding her body, the unbridled anger harnessing her, or the painful humiliation of her clumsily fumbled wind spell. Even through the orange haze of the fire, Malali noticed Alarielle's countenance become visibly flushed as her mind dwelt uncomfortably on her bungled attack. Out in the wilderness, Alarielle thought that she had truly understood what it meant to be alone, but ironically it was now, the first time that she had established physical contact with another intelligent creature in months, that she wholly comprehended the meaning of solitude. The path of exile was one that she had chosen, and although she had abandoned her magical abilities, she had always carried a lingering sense of comfort knowing that those powers still remained accessible to her. But now, to have her powers had fail her in a time of such desperate need, she experienced the crushing revelation of what it meant to be truly isolated. Her powers had defined who and what she was to such an extent, that now as she stood without them, she felt profoundly and devastatingly vulnerable.

This was not the first instance when raging fury had usurped reason in favour of reckless violence, but her occasionally impetuous temper had always been reinforced by a skillful understanding of magical technique, and as she now stood facing an opponent evidently possessed of significant martial prowess, she felt desperately, pitifully out of her depth. The sword hanging from her still quivering grasp felt utterly inadequate, but she was presented with little choice but to continue the battle. She knew that the longer she stalled, the more opportunity she gave the night elf to exploit her weakness. Suddenly she surged forwards, streaking over the flames. As she rushed at her opponent Alarielle was in sensory overload. As she passed through the smoke everything seemed to blur, and she became deaf to all else except the thumping of her own heart. She cleared the fire with ease and continued charging at Malali, her long dress trailing gracefully behind her. As she drew closer everything came back into sharp focus, and she swung her sword wildly at Malali, who stood ready to face her, smiling with vicious anticipation.

As the blades clashed once again, the grinding impact reverberated up through her sword. As Alarielle fought to stop her arms from shaking, but as she struggled to stabilise her weapon she lost her momentum, and stumbled back slightly. Malali's sharp eye for combat instantly noticed this error, and she quickly seized the initiative. Expertly adjusting her grip and twisting the Kaavel around slightly, Malali was able to bring the dragonscale weapon above Alarielle's sword, allowing her to swat the weapon downwards with a graceful arching swing so powerful that it almost swept the sword clean out of her opponents hands. Foolhardily, Alarielle tried to resist Malali's disarming manoeuvre, but she was already on the backfoot, and as such she could do nothing against the astounding precision and strength of the Elf's masterful technique.

Utilising the significant bulk of the Kaavel to keep Alarielle's sword down, Malali delivered a spiteful punch to the her rival's face, sending her down to one knee, with her sword now pinned to the floor. Alarielle winced in pain and staggered further back. Looking up forlornly she saw Malali's calm and composed face peering down into her own panic stricken eyes. Hmm, the elf mused to herself, Perhaps I was correct the first time, fear has a strong hold on this one. Malali's observations were not without merit, as whilst Alarielle was still reeling with anger, particularly after the indignity of Malali's blow, it was indeed a sense of fear that now steadily supplanted her initial rage. She ran the risk of being totally overwhelmed if she continued flailing her sword around aimlessly. She knew that Malali had not taken the upper hand by losing control as she had, instead the elf had a a measured and clinical approach, every subtle movement was well reasoned and carefully thought out. Each stroke perfectly timed, and brutally executed.

Still staring into Alarielle's eyes, Malali grew impatient to finish this battle, and knew that it would be kinder to her opponent to do it as quickly and painlessly as possible. Raising her tightly balled fist again, she prepared to strike again, this time aiming to deliver a blow that would render her foe unconscious. Pausing momentarily before ending the duel, Malali said nothing to break the silence, simply shaking her head with an expression that seemed to be a strange mingling of relief and regret. But the elf knew better than to fall victim to the follies of pity or mercy, and lunging forwards slightly, driving the Kaavel harder towards Alarielle to ensure her sword remained useless, she brought her fist crashing down. However in her brief lapse of attention, she had given Alarielle the opportunity to plan a counterattack. It was a risky tactic, but given that the circumstances already weighed heavily against her, she had little to lose, so as Malali swung at her for a second time, she let go of her sword and sprung into a rapid backward roll. As the sorceress rolled back, the force Malali had applied to the Kaavel was suddenly anchorless, and she careered forwards, stumbling over her own blade.

As she rolled, Alarielle knew she was totally defenseless, and as she scrambled up to her feet, tangled somewhat within the mow muddied folds of her dress she instinctively raised her hands to cover her face, but peering through her fingers, she saw the ordinarily graceful elf falling straight into her. Not even thinking about what she was doing, Alarielle felt her natural battle reflexes instantly taking over. She grabbed Malali's now awkwardly flailing fist, and with one almighty heave she swung the already unsteady elven warrior hurtling around behind her. Totally losing her footing, the elf landed with an uncharacteristic thud, crashing directly into the flames. The was a rasping hiss as the glowing embers flared angrily, singeing Malali's leather armour. The elf's usually steely composure shattered as she felt the searing heat of the flame, and she let out a yelp as she clambered to her feet. Wreathed in a swirling plume of black smoke and ash, bathed in the bright angry light of the fire and cursing furiously, Malali was now a truly terrifying foe to behold.

However as she watched her enemy, Alarielle felt an overwhelming sense of relief. The terror that had seized her moments before now seemed like a distant memory. And as she reached down to pick up her sword, she moved with an elegance and fluidity that was beautiful to observe - but more importantly, it was with an aura of purpose and confidence that she closed her delicate fingers around her swords hilt. As she did, she was met with a surging sensation of assurance. For so long she had lived in denial of who she was, and of the mistakes she had made, but as she placidly held her sword before her, perfectly still, the anger and self loathing that had stalked her for so long melted away. As it did, everything suddenly seemed to become brighter, and those senses that had been so absorbed in the heat of battle awoke to the rest of the world around her. A few feet away from her a dazzling beam of moonlight sliced down through the treetops, shining through the cloud of choking smoke, and as she stepped forwards into it, she felt as though she had finally stepped out from under the shadow of the mountain that had haunted her for so long. Staring up through the leaves she was overwhelmed by a refreshing sense of self, and somehow knew that her magic would not fail her again.

Meanwhile, Malali hurriedly brushed off the burning ashes from her armour. It had caused no significant damage, and had protected her admirably from the flames. In spite of her embarrassment, as she prepared to re-engage her rival, Malali could not help but perceive the irony that it was with the fist which she had intended to conclude the duel, that she had unwittingly gifted her opponent an opportunity to re-enter the fight with a renewed vigour. Grimacing, Malali resolved that it was not a mistake it she would make twice, she repeated her question "Are you ready?" Hearing Malali barking the same enquiry, her opponent who had been distractedly star gazing stirred, and turned to face her.

edit > The usual edits after proof-reading.

This message was edited by Sphinx on Nov 22 2008.

The words of her old master reverberated in Malali's mind, the lessons she learnt as a warrior-in-training always as clear in her thoughts as they were when she first learnt them.



Be like water. Embaressment riddled the Nightelf as she stood, forgetting her own lesson if only for a second. If she had learnt only one thing about Alarielle, it's that even a second is too much time to give. Foolish girl. Never underestimate anyone. She thought to herself, looking at the beauty as she stared towards the night sky, standing in the moonlight as she felt herself realigning with a feeling which she had long since forgotten, a foggy memory clearing to awaken once more.



"Why do we fight?" She whispered, expecting none to hear but herself. A small smile crept upon her face as her mind calculated what actions should be taken, the moment of distraction providing enough time for Malali to decide her next moves. Although no-one would ever be able to make her admit it the Nightelf enjoyed passing on wisdom, or at least trying to, in the ways that she learnt them. To learn something the easy way is to not learn it at all. She silently reminded herself, Kaavel now sheathed as she slowly drew her bow along with an arrow, masterfully sharpened by the warrior herself. "Remember," She continued, her voice still a whisper. "This is my fight. You two stay out of it." After hearing the quiet grunts from the demons at her belt, Malali aimed the arrow.



"Are you ready?" She questioned the distant-minded beauty. Alarielle's stare came back to Earth's level, leaving the stars alone in the sky, before she turned to see her purple enemy aiming her weapon with practiced bravado. She opened her mouth to say something but words didn't come, the sentence she had planned being replaced with a sigh. An almost solemn nod was given as the answer, Malali wasting no time in unleashing the arrow.



The feelings of her power being regained showed the truth in their presence when Alarielle elegantly moved in a wondrous, dance-like fashion, using her arms as a guide for the wind she controlled, throwing the projectiles off course, if only enough so they didn't hit their intended target. Sensing the presence of magic, Malali walked forwards, carefully avoiding what was left of the fire, knowing that if she closed the distance between them her shots would have less chance of being diverted from their target. Alarielle acted in kind, moving backwards as she pushed away the oncoming arrows. The truth, blindly missed by one and expertly hidden by the other, was that the beauty's steps were smaller then Malali's, allowing her to close the distance. When they got further away from the fire and deeper into the forest the swordstress made her move, manipulating the wind to a greater extent, allowing her to avoid harm and gracefully jump over the warrior before her, cheekily stepping on her head before landing behind her. Acting on instinct the Nightelf dropped her weapon and, with her right hand, swung to try and hit Alarielle with a back fist to stop whatever she was planning.

As fate would have it, the beauty was planning for Malali's attack. She skillfully grabbed and clung onto the oncoming fist, gasping at the force it carried as she began her spell. A coldness hit the warriors arm as the swordstress held it with all her force. A layer of ice, starting thin and becoming thicker, began to surround her forearm as both women struggled, one to keep her grasp and the other to break free. Had she held on any longer Alarielle would have successfully frozen her arm but the strength of her enemy proved too much as Malali pulled herself free. Fortunately the ice hadn't yet merged with her arm, virtually leaving her with a heavy gauntlet made of the substance, hand-prints from Alarielle's grasp on its side. The weight of the ice pulled Malali's arm down bringing her to her knees, much to her opponents delight who prepared a follow-up attack. Seeing it coming the downed Nightelf roared with ferocity, lifting the iced forearm and punching Alarielle in the stomach with great force. The beauty fell backwards as the iced fist of Malali brought her down to her knees again. After a second of thought she quickly scanned the area and saw a rock large enough, grabbing it soon after and hitting the frozen water surrounding her forearm. After a few hits the ice cracked and fell away, taking thin patches of skin with it causing Malali to grimace. Seeing her enemy begin to recover the warrior grabbed the dropped bow behind her, drawing an arrow with her scarred hand. Before she could fire though Alarielle, manipulating both the earth and wind, threw a great cloud of dust around the Nightelf, blasting a clump into her face.

Her vision now impaired, the warrior fired arrows blindly in front of her, knowing she wouldn't hit her opponent but hoping it would prevent her from being attacked. It was too late, however, as Alarielle already had the upper hand, calmly awaiting the perfect moment to strike. Her quietness was impressive considering the Nightelf, a trained hunter, could hear nothing to giveaway her position. As the dust settled, Malali's vision still blurred, a powerful shout hit her ears accompanied by a sharp pain which hit the side of her abdomen, the blade of Alarielle stabbing into her. Baelria, the arcane armour covering the Nightelf, did well to protect her. It couldn't fully stop the weapon but were it not there the point of the blade would have been sticking out the other side of her, for which Malali would be eternally grateful. The beautiful swordtress grunted as she struggled to free her weapon from the grip of the armour, eventually pulling it free. She pulled back, preparing to strike again before forcefully stabbing once more.

The blade's point whistled through the air as it flew at the open wound but before she could make contact Alarielle witnessed the armour mystically repairing itself, fusing to make it as if it hadn't been damaged. Without the momentum gained from running up to deliver the previous strike, not to mention the distraction of seeing the armour repair itself, the sword didn't break Baelria, merely scratching it instead. Still, even if it didn't act as Alarielle had hoped, being hit with such force on a recently opened wound proved painful enough to throw Malali to the floor. She fell to her right, dropping her weapon and clutching her wounded side as she let out a scream of agony. Not being able to predict her enemies actions, her mind preoccupied with the searing pain, Malali rolled on to her unharmed side and flung Firine at where she last saw Alarielle to be standing. Luckily the swordstress was in the same position, dumbfounded as to how the armour had repaired and stopped her blade. The end of the handle flew at Alarielle's neck, hitting her throat and closing her wind-pipe. Had it been aimed a few inches to the left it would have sliced her head off.



"I thought you wanted us out." Firinar's dark voice stated, as always only audible to his sister and his master. Malali had scrambled to her feet, deep breaths helping to slowly alleviate the pain as Alarielle, now unarmed, was on her knees, choking.

"I do..." She replied quietly. "So play dead." Soon the pain lessened, allowing Malali to think. Had Alarielle not struck twice the recovery would have been faster, after all Malali had suffered worse injuries, but she had struck twice, unfortunately. What was fortunate, for Malali, was that Alarielle had no idea how to recover from the 'lock' on her throat, either that or the panic prevented her from remembering how to. She gasped for breath on her knees, holding her throat as she choked. Over time her face began to turn blue, slowly but surely as she started to sway in a state of surreal highness from the lack of oxygen. Her hands began to drop, trailing from her neck to her chest before a small, round stone hit her throat impacting the very spot Firine's handle had. She took in a huge breath of air as she fell forward, supporting herself with her hands so as not to fall on her face. She breathed heavily, the unnatural colour fading from her. She looked up to Malali.



The Nightelf's expression was fierce as she spun the kama on its chain, pretending not to feel the pain in her side and addressing her downed opponent. "Ready?" She asked pretentiously, trying to imitate her master as best as she could.

[color=#666666]This message was edited by Tiger of Wu on Nov 30 2008.

"Ready?"

"... no." Malali was shocked to hear Alarielle's reply. "I... I won't fight you." Yes, this was the lesson she was trying to teach but for her to learn it so soon? Truth be told the Nightelf felt embarrassed at the fact it had taken her so long to realize it those many years ago. "I... I was wrong." She was still supporting herself with her hands on the floor, her brush with death bringing the situation into clarity. "I bullied you into a f-... a fight because I was... angry. Angry with the world... with myself. That was wrong." The beauty looked up at her foe, the kama no longer being spun. "I'm sorry." Slowly Alarielle got to her feet, her eyes showing guilt and regret mixed in with frustration. "I won't fight you anymore... there is no need. If you wish to still fight me, however, I won't hesitate to defend myself." Without another word Alarielle turned and began to walk away, her sword already faded back into whatever plane she had conjured it from.

"Wait," Malali called, walking towards her. "If... if you can refrain from stabbing me again, maybe you could... join me?" The question seemed like an odd one. When they met she had been sitting by a fire staring into the sky like a simpleton; was she asking if Alarielle would like to sit and stare with her? Realizing how it sounded, the Nightelf decided to elaborate. "You just look like you could use a rest and..." Malali had been in that world for what felt like an age, in which time she hadn't met someone who hadn't attacked or ran from her. She wanted to ask for some company, but how exactly does one ask a person you had just fought to sit and chat? As she spoke Baelria grew and formed around her previously frozen arm. "...and I've got some food, if you'd like."









"I just don't understand how people can destroy the very thing that gives them life. It's quite infuriating." Alarielle explained, sitting around the fire with Malali and talking.

"I understand what you mean." The beauty gave her former enemy a confused look, after all she had cut down an innocent tree and started an open fire carelessly in a heavily wooded area. "Well, what was I expected to do? We are provided trees as living creatures so that we can use their wood, burn them for warmth. I did find four other open spots through the forest and plant seeds for new ones."

"But they won't grow for many years, by which point this forest could be wiped out and dead."

"Trust me, not with how I planted them; I'll give them a week at most." Malali twinkled her fingers in front of her, a gesture referencing the fact she was a magical being. Both of them chuckled. "So, by my calculations your magic is nature-based, yes? How would you-..." She looked up and saw that Alarielle was no longer there, as if vanished completely. She looked down at her kama. "That wasn't magic, was it?"

"No." A similar experience occurred many moons ago; the helicopter of S-III vanishing to leave her falling to the ground. Perhaps the disappearances were connected, perhaps a deeper meaning was to be found? She tried to examine the residual aura but found only a hollow form of Alarielle's, slowly being diluted into the atmosphere. Maybe on day Arimus could shed some light on it?

Not right now though, Malali thought, the moon bright above her. After taking a drink from her flask she lay down and stared at the nights sky. The stars. The moon.

Beautiful.

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