League A (Division 1): BlueGhostofSeaside v. Elthas_Belthasar

[Max Dirks]

Battle at your leisure folks. This thread must be completed by January 9th, 2014 at 12:00 AM EST. If you finish early, please submit it for judging per usual.

[Elthas_Belthasar]

"So...this is it kid. You ready for this?" There was a monk named Adam that looked at Elthas with concerned eyes.

It was official, The Althanas Leagues was open for business and many of the combatants opted into using The Citadel as battle grounds, or the areas around Althanas proper.

Elthas would use The Citadel. He'd felt most comfortable fighting bouts there during the normal Citadel Leagues. He wanted to test how far he'd grown as a warrior. The documents that Elthas had to sign were standard scroll parchment, and they were the records of his entry into the Althanas Leagues. He'd signed the documents right about when the League first became official. Normally, Elthas avoided tournaments of any nature. However, there was something special about the Althanas Leagues as participants from all skill brackets were welcome to compete. No. Encouraged to. Elthas smiled at the thought of that since he thrived on competition and the acquisition of knowledge. Elthas looked at Adam for a long moment and waited for the older man to speak. He was old for Human standards, in his late fifties. He had an aging face but an intense pair of azure eyes. His hair was black, and it was beginning to grey out. He wore it in simple braids, and wore the attire of an advanced monk.

Elthas recognized the symbols that the monks used in their script writing. It was elegant and contained a syntax unique to the citadel. It was actually a dialect that comprised bits and pieces of ALL spoken tongues of Men and Orc. Elthas could not help but admire the skill with which it would take to speak in such a tongue. The monks wielded it with tremendous skill level. Elthas observed the monk writing on a scroll for a moment. When he turned his attention to the further hallway of The Citadel's structure, Adam spoke.

"You're registered now. Proceed to chamber number Eight." Adam said. "One more thing, Elthas. These are LIVE battles. We can only intervene once they are concluded, do you understand?"

Elthas nodded. "I am aware."

"Good. Then proceed to your combat chamber. These chambers will have preassigned combat environments for you to do battle in. Good luck." Adam explained.

Elthas walked over towards the established area that was being used for The Althanas Leagues. Season one. The very thought sent chills up and down his spine. The feeling persisted and became more and more intense as he walked closer towards the combat arena. Elthas saw passersby who knew who he was looking at him, some waved at his direction. Some cheered, others booed. Elthas did not make any attempt to hide his race or culture. He stood up with an upright posture and his shoulders were broad. His eyes were narrowed as he walked towards his destiny. The cheering and jeering of the crowd became very far away as his adrenal glands began to pump. Chemicals passed from his brain to the rest of his body sending signals where they needed to be. He saw a flash of light as he entered chamber number 8.

All safeties were off, there was a strict no holds barred rule in most of the matches, Elthas knew. It was the very reason he had signed up for The Althanas Leagues in the first place. He felt his senses return to normal. Then, he heard it first hand as if he had always been there. The crowd was gone replaced with another sound, the sound of an ocean. It was Althanas's west ocean, on the western portion of Corone. Elthas stood on a beach that stretched out for several miles in every direction. There were no people on the beach, there were only animals present. Overhead, the sky was nice and clear. There were no clouds to overcast the scenery. Elthas saw the water in front of him, waves crashing endlessly with the bounty of the sea. Sea faring birds made their various calls and songs, and it was all magic to Elthas's ears.

"That's right. I am magic." Elthas said with a soft smile as he remembered the old Elven saying. If you were good at something, you made yourself MAGIC at it. Elthas drew his lethal daggers, and rotated the weapons a few times out of habit. They were a pair of masterwork steel daggers, and Elthas could kill an adult with ease of he so chose. But he didn't want blood on his hands. He was simply there to compete and enjoy the nature of competition on the beautiful beach of Corone. It was one of the few sites that Elthas rarely wandered off to. Elthas stood in a relaxed position, and enjoyed the sea-salt smell of the ocean breeze. If there was one thing that Elthas knew, is that he was about to set the stage and tone for the rest of The Althanas Leagues.

He was a leader of folk, and folk like him LIT THE STAGE UP.

Elthas smiled as he waited for his opponent to arrive and began to count seconds across eternity...

..."Let's get this show on the road." Elthas said as the waves crashed at his feet. His boots got soaked, but Elthas did not really mind that. It was a small price to pay for the event that would soon follow.

[Ashla]

Ashla sighed, she tried to avoid being seen, but she kept walking into people! "Hey, kid, you signed up for the League right?"

"Yeah, yeah, so what?" Ashla just skimmed past them. For the most part, she was unknown; but beneath the image of a timid, slightly underweight girl... was a fighter. Her mood suddenly changed from nervous to excited as she entered chamber eight at a monk's orders. She was ready for anything. Before going in, she sighed. Fireleaf was somewhere else catching mice or something, so she was alone this time. She took a deep breath and encouraged herself, Hey, I can do this. I'm stronger than they all think! She slowly formed an overconfident grin and boldly entered the arena.

Once inside, Ashla was very surprised at the landscape. It was an absolutely beautiful beach! The sky was bright, the sea was blue, the sand was a pure, light yellow. Ashla let out a pleasant "Oh..." Indeed this was a wonderful place of spectacular insight! A place to just go and relax and let your mind flow. In her surprise and pleasure, she forgot for a moment what she was even doing here! Oh right, I'm supposed to be fighting not daydreaming! She shook her head and walked across the peaceful beach. She could hear seagulls from above, flying up in the clear, blue sky. She once again, smiled as she walked on. When she looked back ahead of her though, that smile faded; a frown overtook her face as she first laid eyes on her opponent.

[Elthas_Belthasar]

Elthas looked upon the girl as she arrived.

She is confident... He thought to himself as the moments passed. His eyes narrowed and he stopped rotating his daggers. He felt nervous, but knew that he didn't have to be. The waves moved to and fro against his boots, and the feeling was strangely relaxing. He felt a warm breeze coming from the west. It was, in general, a nice day for a training bout. Elthas tipped his hat towards the girl. It was a simple but honest greeting. His cloak swirled about with the breeze as it came in and he appeared to be a nobleman more than a combatant. He kept his daggers in his hands, blade tips pointing downward towards the ground. Half of his black colored pants were soaked in by then, but he didn't seem to mind. It was all part of what would soon follow. Elthas wondered what was going through the girl's head as she walked towards him.

Perhaps everything, perhaps nothing. He might never know. However, what he did know was that they were there for a purpose and that purpose gave him his edge. He wasn't a cold blooded monster, and perhaps, she would see that about him. Just perhaps. Elthas started to walk towards the girl with his cape swirling about every which way. He felt his boots splosh, splosh against the water as waves would roll in. Elthas kept his hat tipped at an angle so the brim hid his eyes. He didn't want her to see his eyes during the event if it could be helped. Elthas's long and pointy ears moved as he moved. His elegant green hair swirling as well with the breeze. He stopped a few paces away from the girl, and nodded once more towards her.

"Hey." Elthas said carefully. "Don't pull any punches, that's all I ask." He called out to the girl and waited for her to make her move.

[Ashla]

Ashla could have scoffed at his casual introduction. She instead though, tilted her head. Her hair had been blowing into her face in the wind, but now it was caught in the gentle breeze, in the directing she had tilted her head. Strands of black and brown flickered like fire on Ashla's head. Now that on side of her head had less hair covering herself, her pointed, right ear was noticeable. Her ears were the size of a human's but carried the elvish point. While one may expect that she had by chance developed the elvish trait of better hearing, her hearing was like any normal human's. Ashla sighed as she held her head straight again, her hair begging to blow in her own face once more. She briefly pushed her hair behind her ears and innocently asked, "What's your name?"

Before he could reply, Ashla swiftly took her elvish traits to advantage and drew her long knife in the speed of smooth water. She now had her blade pressed against her opponent's neck. Not anywhere near too hard, only painful enough to feel a small gab against the neck. The wind was starting to cause Ashla's hair to flow a bit more towards the right direction again. Her face was casual, her mouth formed neither a smile nor a frown. Her eyes sparkled nothing in means of harm, nor tricks. Her face only portrayed a bold urge to prove herself somebody worth recognition. Her face only portrayed the likes of a fight. Despite lack of battle experience, Ashla still was a good swordsman, and her unarmed combat wasn't too shabby either.

The waves began to splash again her legs. Her leggings were starting to get wet; Ashla found it uncomfortable. However, a year or two in the harsh deserts of Fallien had toughened her up concerning the natural weather, she she shrugged it off. It was a much warmer than melted snow, but still cool. Due to the lack of numbness that water carried, it was easy to take her mind off it and back to her opponent. Her cloak began to float in the slowly growing breeze, both sides lifted to reveal the sand behind her. She offered the man her own name, "My name is Ashla."

[Elthas_Belthasar]

No slouch either, Elthas looked down the length of her blade.

She too, wielded knives and he found them to be of decent craftsmanship. He felt surprised at her reaction, the blade tip did manage to draw a bit of blood from his skin. Elthas would wipe it off later and make sure it didn't become a serious injury. He took two steps back and away from the blade pointed at his neck, his eyes narrowed, and his expression serious. He let her question linger in the air between them. He had her name and that would suffice, she'd tried to come at his throat and that was something that he would not take lightly.

"I see you came prepared. Good." Elthas said. "Who I am is not important."

Elthas noted the pointy ears that were a mark of his people's culture and physical characteristics. He grinned in a one sided sort of way. Rotating his daggers into mid-combat stance, Elthas prepared to have a dance of knives with the girl before him. He learned never to judge a book by it's cover, and the girl would be treated no different. She was an opponent on an unnamed battlefield, but perhaps, the war never stopped. If, I can stay on top of this one. If I can keep the pressure, perhaps I shall come out the victor. After he took his couple of steps backwards and away from the knife, Elthas wiped the small trickle of blood from his skin.

"Now then, kid. That wasn't a bad move on your part." Elthas felt the weight of his age when placed in combat against his opponent. He was several hundred years old, and had seen a great deal in his life. "But you went and got my shirt dirty." He laughed. It was pleasant, there was no hostility in his voice. Elthas moved in the splashing waves as easily as on dry land, he had grace with his movements. The sun crowned the sky overhead and Elthas could feel the heat against his covered skin. He was glad that he was dressed that way to ward off the effects of the sun against his sensitive skin. He kept his serious expression at that point after he'd laughed. He didn't want to come off as a cold blooded monster to his opponent. He was probably just as scared as she was, if she was afraid at all.

Elthas admired the grace with which she moved.

She was skilled and he would not underestimate her. His daggers found the correct placement in the combat stance he had chosen for the fight. It was a mid level combat stance and his blades were both pointing away from his opponent. He could slash in combo's by then and he would utilize the skill effectively. Elthas ducked down low, his fedora casting a shadow across his handsome face. He then suddenly dashed toward Ashla and proceeded with his left arm to launch an skilled attack. He performed a full swinging strike towards Ashla's mid section in the hopes of catching her with brute strength. The slicing attack was meant to harm, but not be lethal. If it penetrated her clothing, the cut would not be a serious cut. Elthas was cutting in such a way that the cut would be a surface wound at best. He was holding himself back and did not intend to finish Ashla off at all. He wanted to savor every single moment of the Althanas Leagues.

He kept his other dagger at the ready and did not swing with it any point.

[Ashla]

Ashla watched the elf dash towards her with one knife ready to slice. Ashla was ready for it. As the man approached her, she judged where he was aiming the blade for. He was aiming towards her waist. As he got up to her and swung the knife, with her right arm Ashla swiftly moved her long knife to block it. Against the peaceful beach, the one sound of metal clanging against each other was heard. A while away from the beach, any people passing by turned to notice an entire flock of seagulls swarming in the blue sky.

The two held blade locks with their smaller blades. The weapons were constantly in friction, the lively silence over the calm beach had been broken. Ashla made sure their blades stay locked as she reached and pulled her long-sword out. Despite the weight of the usual long-sword, this one was light. Her uncle had decided after she had flunked lady's etiquette classes to switch to something she enjoyed more: weaponry. Given the elvish side of her, he had been careful to make her weapon of choice a light weight, but still deadly blade. The sword was designed in a fashion where Ashla would be able to wield it with ease. It had only been a month that they had been training for fighting before that event happened, but she had still learned a lot from him. After that, actually having to scratch to survive, Ashla had learned how to perfectly use the sword. Now her swordsmanship was close to perfection... at least the way she looked at it.

As she drew her blade, she noted that the elf had another knife he was not using. Seeing as he may use the old trick of blocking with one blade and swinging with the other in the same time (as she would always attempt herself), she wasted no time in aiming her sword for the second knife in his right hand.

[Elthas_Belthasar]

Tensing his muscles, Elthas felt the clang of her larger weapon against his dagger.

He growled as he saw that, his emotions surfacing for a brief moment.

The world seemed to slow down for the Elf, he had not expected trickery so soon in the battle. As her sword came crashing down on his more relaxed arm, he saw that his dagger was knocked out of his hand. He wasn't ready for her to pull some sort of a plan like that so soon, so he was caught almost entirely off guard. No good... Elthas thought to himself. He had let his guard down. A wave came careening towards their feet as Elthas's dagger went spinning down to the sand below. The wave washed away Elthas's dagger and it could not be helped. She could have easily lopped his hand off with the dagger as well, but she hadn't. Probably a little bit of luck on Elthas's behalf, not necessarily skill. Elthas engaged the locked blade for a moment longer, and then broke the screeching metal position entirely.

Elthas took several steps back. "My dagger!" He knew the monks would recover his weapon for him in the long run, but the trick still hurt nonetheless. Hurt his pride and ego. He was glad that he had not given her a name to insult or humiliate after the fact. All things considered, Elthas was JUST a dagger user. He stepped backwards into a tighter defensive guard with his remaining dagger. He could no longer see the dagger that drifted off into the unknown ocean. His eyes narrowed and his face became very serious. All bets were off. Elthas was focused at that point. She's serious, I better start taking her seriously too or this could get ugly really fast. She's probably showing off for her boyfriend whose watching from somewhere. The thought pissed him off. However, he knew he would continue to fight until he couldn't any longer.

Elthas shook his head and steadied himself. He could feel his heart racing in his chest, he needed a plan. She was better armed than he was, despite the masterwork quality of his blades. Elthas started to stalk towards his opponent and moved so very VERY slowly. He held his dagger skillfully by the handle. The blade tip pointing TOWARDS his opponent. The kid was clever, he would give her that. Elthas had to use his body weight as effectively as he could, he knew how to combo up slashes. So he would not have to hold back anymore. Rotating his dagger once, he suddenly made a thrust towards the girl's right shoulder. Elthas was at a disadvantage because he would not outright TERMINATE Ashla, but he knew that Ashla would likely not hold back on him. So there it went, it was the all or nothing days.

[Ashla]

Oops... Ashla watched his face grow into something quite bitter. He took a couple steps back as he realized she had knocked out his dagger, ...I made him angry.

Ashla bit her lip, if she could be nasty when she was angry... what about him?!

At that moment, he made a quick thrust to her shoulder. Ashla naturally moved her arm up in defense. If she had some armor plates, that would have been enough for her to get away without a scratch, but she didn't, However, Ashla still had a couple tricks up her sleeves. She did the thing she knew best, she turned to the burning passion in her blood; the power that cursed through her, doubling her strength. Her body was morphed by a layer of ice that blocked the knife from piercing into her skin. The cloak of ice had been enough to stop the blade from damaging her at all, but Ashla knew that she was still in danger. As she exited her state, she immediately took some steps back and blinding threw her blades into a defensive stance, trying to think up a good plan.

Somehow, she wasn't freaking out inside due to her just making her attacker ticked. The sound of bright, blue waves crashing against the clean beach, creating a white, fizzy foam against the shore, soothed her senses. She peaceful arena they had made it possible for her to think clearly, rather than stay distracted like she had before. Having been in much more deathly, unfriendly arenas, like the Maw, before; this clear beach was much more relaxing and helped Ashla stay calm. However, given the advantages she knew she had and her natural, confident, self; her mind still stayed in the game. She had more weapons than he did, however his knife seemed to be made of a stronger metal than steel. They both had no armor on them, and they both had some elvish blood in them. They looked evenly matched.

Ashla pulled her feet into a position of which she could quickly dodge, but still stand her ground and hold herself up. She blinked for a moment, the wind keeping the hair out of her face and planed on a group of overwhelming combos that could possibly overwhelm her opponent and bring him down. She sighed and pulled all her energy to herself as she ran strait up to him, kicking up light, pale sand in the process. Her long sword went in the direction of where his dagger was placed while her long knife aimed towards his stomach. After this would come swing upon swing of strikes she had scattered out in her head in a mopey plan.

[Elthas_Belthasar]

(Good match, I'm about wrapping this one up...)

With a sudden realization, it was over.

He felt cold metal dig into his well defined stomach. "She...fuck..." He felt blood, the blood of his people flowing out of his body. He looked down where she had stabbed him cleanly in the gut. "Hope it was worth it kid, I would have let you go." Elthas smiled, blood trickling down his mouth and down his simple but elegant clothing. He fell to the ground. On one knee he balanced himself against the ground. His eyes loosing focus, he could barely see her finishing up the attack as he lost his other dagger as well. His mind was strangely calm, probably due to the effects of the endlessly moving waves. He could feel the ocean beneath him as it move, he felt a heightened sense of things. A heightened awareness, as his senses peaked out for a moment or two. Then, he felt the cold of death.

It was a slow and painful death as his life blood spilled out into the water beneath him. He started to feel cold, and then he fell face first into the water. He could taste the salt in his mouth, blood, and bile. He growled as he fell down, defeated. His mind only thinking one thought as he died:

I'll get you back, kid...someday...

And Elthas fell, that too, was the reality of war.

FIN.