Apprentice meets Master (Cyrus)

[Nightfire]

The Citadel.

A place where legends could be made or broken. A place where any battle was possible depending on the contenders attempts. A place where no matter how brutal the injury one could walk away as if unharmed.

It was massive to simply describe it as Dryden stepped onto the arena ground. It was a place that sparked the young wizard's curiosity and he wanted to explore it at least once. It least experience it a single time. The terrain was rather simple but, useful to practitioners of magic. There was a pond on the left side of a good size and quite deep if someone got thrown into it. The ground was a fine earth and had numerous plant life from brush, to grass, to even trees of various sizes. Several large uncut stones laying in random places to provide a realism to the terrain.

Of the four primary elements Air, Earth, and Water were represented in good amount a good and needed set of elements. Fire could be created easily enough which meant that a mage could be at home here if he knew Elementalism. To someone like Dryden it meant more places to hide. Hiding was good as the air was made cooler bit by bit a fog starting to cover the lower ground a thick fog that one could hide in. Dryden tapped his staff to the ground.

He wondered briefly who he faced. He didn't specify a name so he had no clue who would be his first opponent in this place. A dry snap sounding under his foot as he stepped on a dead branch that was hidden by the fog now Dryden swearing quietly. How far could he go in here...he needed new abilities and new spells and the only way to do that...was trial and error. Witnessing someone else and using his detection spell to try and grasp that power for when he had the strength and understanding to use it.

[Cyrus the virus]

The Citadel had long ceased being a serious practice method for Luc Kraus, who only recently turned thirty-three. When he had only been developing his magic, the arenas of the magical structure served him well in learning the intricacies of elemental manipulation. Now it was recreation, and only when the mage happened to be nearby.

Even as he stepped out of the magical mist that accompanied him into the foggy arena, Luc wondered why he had bothered. If he wanted to immolate some yuppie whelp, Radasanth had more than its fair share of scum that needed killing.

Then he saw his opponent, took a quick glance around the area, and remembered. He controlled the fate of the nameless, featureless man in front of him, whom Luc didn't bother to look at or measure. He would beat the human into submission, cast him aside and watch as he ran and hid in fear. The very thought had Luc breathing deeper.

He stood a good distance away from Dryden, a ground of dark, dewed grass between them, thick fog hovering about their knees. The wind around Luc, dancing around him in an unconscious worship, had the mist circulating around the mage. To his right lay the edge of a large pond, the waters dark with the lack of sunlight - seaweed and moss drifted on the surface.

The trees, few and far between, had leaves of deep forest green, almost like leather in their glossy texture. The bark was nearly black, soft from the moisture of the place.

He longed to find something to say, a perfect mockery of the situation and of the hopeless foe before him, but Luc found he could only stand and grin. He exuded an aura of great power, oozing the very definition of magic. Like wisps of smoke from a fire, the very essence of energy flew from him. In response, the dirt at his feet swirled about the toes of his boots.

[Nightfire]

Dryden gazed about and felt a prickling on the back of his neck when his opponent stepped in the arena. Stepped in this particular battlefield that Dryden had chosen. Of all the possible opponents Dryden didn't realize that he had his best and possibly worst opponent. He narrowed his eyes when he saw the fog stirring and moving feeling a faint breeze now. That prickling on the back of his neck getting a bit more stronger as Dryden gazed at the featureless individual at this distance. Indeed the fog at this distance would make it difficult to see exact details.

Still something about the breeze worried the young mage as he muttered an oath under his breath. He gazed at Cyrus with his detection spell and hissed audibly as he quickly closed his eyes for a moment rubbing his temples. That had to be incorrect that man was literally oozing magical aura and it wasn't even a weak aura either. That aura from the looks of it and the splitting headache he was starting to get was a fairly powerful one. Dryden rubbed his temples for a second longer. Knowing it was cold or anything else that made the hair on the back of his neck prickle.

It was the aura that this man had. You've got to be kidding me...even worse he's giving off an elementalism aura just from the brief glance I could see. I have no clue what elements he can use but, just judging from his power I'm in deep shit... Dryden thought to himself as he gazed at his opponent again. He's not even trying to hide...that suggests confidence in his own power meaning he's either arrogant...extremely powerful or both. Another thought added as Dryden gazed at the man for a moment longer and finally spoke.

"They didn't tell me I was going against a Master Mage," Dryden called out as he took a step forward keeping wary shutting off his detection spell for now so he could actually gaze at the man without feeling that throbbing headache.

"I'm not sure if I should feel excited at the prospect of seeing new magic or terrified that my fate is probably in your hands," came that unsteady voice of Dryden oh he was freakin' afraid. Raw fear going down the young man and only that little promise the Citadel had after injuries were said and done kept him from fleeing in terror right then. Like a mouse in front of a cat...or a rabbit in front of a snake...

[Cyrus the virus]

Luc's barking, sudden laughter sent warm mist from his mouth. The words of the boy were so very true - Master Mage indeed! Luc wore the comment like a jeweled crown, posing and posturing in response.

"You could not be more right about either observation, young one," he said, the silken tones of Luc's voice drifting through the fog. "I am indeed a master of these arcane arts, and I indeed control your fate. Did the monks not warn you? It's become typical of them, these days, to tell my opponents who they would face, to give them the opportunity to change their minds."

The mist around him settled, his own personal wind current coming to a halt. The grassy earth beneath Luc's feet softened and hardened again, bubbled with sudden heat, and halted once more.

"No matter," he said after only a moment. "I assume you came here to learn, so learn you shall! Learn of the fearsome might of Luc Kraus, as so many before you!"

Speaking three arcane words of Demonic origin, the green aura of Stoneskin surrounded Luc. His most favored enchantment, the aura would protect him from three strikes of any power, whether they were stones thrown against him or powerful bolts of lightning. He glowed eerily in the mist, feet planted firmly on the ground. He drew his red tinted blade, but didn't ignite it just yet.