Wild Goose Chase

[Il Amator]

Closed to Edward Judorne

I strode into the Citadel with single-minded purpose. I would prove myself this day. Yesterday I had run into some trouble with a man at the inn and he had challenged me to a duel. Not only had I lost the duel, but he had embarrassed me in front of a large crowd. He was a fencer and I was only just learning some advanced moves with my rapier and dagger; it was hardly a fair fight. The man couldn’t have been happy with winning quickly and moving on with his life, no; he had to showboat for his friends. The whole encounter had left me with a bitter taste in my mouth that I needed to wash out. Battling in the Citadel against a nameless opponent would do just the trick.

“I’m here for an open challenge,” I told the monk before he even had a chance to greet me. My normal pleasant attitude had been wiped away by yesterday’s events. “I don’t care what the battlefield is.”

The monk raised one eyebrow and grabbed a scroll of parchment before leading me down the corridor. When we got to Door 47, he stopped and motioned to the portal. “Here you are, sir,” he stated in a bored monotone. After pinning the parchment to the wooden door, he pulled on the handle and the door swung open. White light shone in my eyes as I walked forward and into my arena.

My booted foot hit the hard sand and made a wet thump. Standing still, I looked all around me and saw nothing. An endless stretch of wet sand greeted me in every direction. Sighing, I interlaced my fingers and stretched them out in front of me. The familiar cracking noise relaxed me a bit and I walked forward.

As soon as I began moving, so did the battlefield. Ahead of me a huge rock began growing from the ground, chunks of sand falling off as it got higher. To my left, the sand began sinking into the ground, forming a large basin. On my right, the sand bubbled and swirled, small rocks jutting out at odd angles here and there. I whirled around and saw the arena behind me turning into a gently sloping mountainside. The sand began running down the slope, clearing the rock of any traces that it had been there.

When I turned back to the huge rock, I saw it was actually a monstrous volcano still rising from the ground. My arena was on the side of a lava-spewing mountain. Shaking my head at the Ai’Bron monks, I turned my left palm toward my face.

Twisting my fingers to form the various spellforms, I wove my glamour magic over my body. I felt a slight tingling sensation as the illusion conformed to my body, but then there was nothing. The glamour magic would cloak me from my enemy by allowing me to seamlessly blend into my surroundings. I leapt atop a small rock jutting from the ground nearby and waited for my challenger.

I would prove myself this day.

[Edward Judorne]

If there was one thing Edward hated about the citadel it was that they almost never had anything new to offer. Edward had expressed his concerns about putting him in with weaker opponents countless times, and they appeared to finally get the idea, so today Edward came in with his newest concern in mind.

"I've been here multiple times and there is something that has been on my mind as of late. I feel like I've seen every arena this place has to offer. I need a change of pace. You got anything like that?" Edward said,not expecting too much.

"Actually, I think we do. Go to door 47, and don't be put off by it at first. I'm sure that if you fight a full battle in there you will be satisfied. Your opponent is already waiting for you, so all I have to do is wish you good luck." The monk said to Edward.

Edward walked down the long hallway and entered the door, that had been mentioned to him. the number 7 on the door was hanging upside down for some reason, but this didn't bother him too much. what did was the fact that when he entered he saw no opponent and nothing out of the ordinary other than a huge volcano. Edward stared for a few seconds before doing something he knew was stupid, especially if his foe really was in the room, waiting to get the drop on him. He drew attention to his presence

"Hello? Anyone there?"

[Il Amator]

His strong voice rang through the smoky air of the battlefield; he would be a worthy opponent. Answering would give him a chance to pinpoint my position, but honor dictated that I could not simply ignore him. Leaping from the rock I had been waiting on, I landed in a roll that brought me up between two other rocks. Hopefully my position would be masked by the echo of the arena.

“Aye,” I called out to him. “My name is Brammas. May I know the name of my challenger?” Although I wanted to soundly defeat him, there was no need to be rude about it. Charm had a way of winning battles all on its own.

As I waited for his reply, I scanned the battlefield once again. I had no idea why the monks had picked this arena for me, but I was eager to see what surprises it had in store for me. Inching my way to the other side of my hiding place, I tried to get a look at my opponent. It would be good to know what I was up against.

[Edward Judorne]

An echo, while it was a great sound, it made locating his foe difficult. There were way too many places that it could have come from and the running water of the 6 inch deep river he was standing in didn't help. Wait... A river near a volcano? Looking around, there suddenly was no volcano. In it's place was a bridge over the river. On either side was a forest of trees that were never there before.

"My name is Edward Judorne."

Edward began trying to make sense of his surroundings but decided to just leave that puzzle be.

[Il Amator]

The small rocks I had been hiding behind suddenly changed their shapes into a cluster of trees. As my challenger shouted back his name, I wondered how the arena was changing. From the mouth of the volcano, water spilled forth and formed a wide river running down the slope of the battlefield. As the river got bigger, the volcano began sinking into the ground. A bridge appeared where it had been and all around me trees began growing.

Was the arena alive?

I stuck to the cover of the trees and snuck downriver toward my foe. He was facing the bridge and probably wouldn’t see me. As long as my illusion held, I would have the element of surprise. Raising my rapier into an attack stance, I ran from the treeline and out toward the water.

Dagger held before me to double my offensive power, I lunged for Edward’s chest. The rapier slashed down toward his neck with incredible speed. The attack was aimed so that he could only dodge one, but both were lethal. This battle could be over as quickly as it had started.

Note: Brammas' glamour magic wears off in this post, so Edward would see him charging in from the side. Just fyi.

[Edward Judorne]

Edward looked around nervously. So far his foe had shown tactfulness and strategy equal to his own. Right now, everthing was near silent. When Edward finally heard a noise, it was almost too late. his foe had come out of hiding just in time for her feet to hit the water. Edward made a quick mental note of the foe's invisibility magic before he made his move.

Quickly, Edward jumped backwards, both attacks barely missing him. The water resisted his backward jump, knocking him on his rear end with a splash, which was probably the only reason the attacks missed. Whether he planned that to happen, not even Edward himself could say, but the important thing in his mind was that the attacks missed.

Edward quickly realized getting to his feet would be suicide, but staying grounded would be just as bad, unless his foe backed up or fell down. Quickly, Edward pulled his rapier out and slashed at his foe's knees. For once in his lifetime, Edward was perfectly silent. No criticism came out of his lips. Edward was impressed, so far.

[Il Amator]

Edward fell back, sending droplets of water into the air where they glistened in the midday sun. As both of my attacks missed, I cursed the man’s luck. He swiped at my knees and I nimbly leapt back and out of the stream. Unfortunately, I tripped on the muddy bank. I stumbled back, able to regain my footing but losing valuable reaction time. My focus shot back to my opponent and I was startled to see the river absorbing into the ground. The trees all around us began falling and melting into the dirt; the arena was morphing once again.

This time the sky changed too; clouds crawled across the sky, darkening as they got closer. Where the trees had hit the ground, stone benches began forming. Where the river had been, there was now a marble floor forming a circular arena. I scanned the benches surrounding the battleground, almost waiting for spectators to start showing up.

However, now that my adversary was no longer inhibited by water, he was quick in getting back to his feet. I readied an attack, my feet slipping slightly on the polished marble floor. Lunging forward, I drew my dagger across his abdomen. In one fluid motion, I thrust my rapier down into his neck.

This battle saw me being much more offensive than usual, but I needed to prove a point. So far Edward seemed clumsy, but I knew not to get cocky. That was how more than one fighter had met his end.

[Edward Judorne]

Edward was ready this time. His foe, Brammas seemed to be attacking exactly the same way as before, and while the scenary had changed to that of an arena, Edward really didn't worry too much about it. this actually made it easier to maneuver.

Jumping backwards and out of range of the attack, Edward quickly countered with an Electric Missle, even before his feet touched down. this provided minimum time for his foe to maneuver out of the way of his projectile, but if his opponent was as good as Edward thought, though, there was little doubt that Brammas would think of something. Even though Edward felt almost as if he were fighting an equal, he still decided to give out one piece of advice.

"If you keep using the same attacks, your opponent is sure to dodge them almost every time."

[Il Amator]

Edward’s words rang in my ears as his projectile hurtled through the air toward me. It closed in so fast that I had too little time to react and the bolt ripped through me mercilessly. My arms twitched spasmodically for an instant before I regained control of my body. Every muscle ached dully, as if I had just tumbled down a mountainside. Shaking my head, I lunged forward once again.

As my booted feet closed the distance between me and my foe, I realized the truth in his advice. Perhaps being always on the offensive would work against me in this battle. As I neared Edward, I dropped to my side and slide across the slick marble floor. Passing just by his right foot, I lashed out with my rapier toward his unprotected inner thigh. The sensitive skin was sure to draw blood easily and it would be hard for him to parry.

Holding my dagger close to my body as I slid by, I wondered what else my adversary had up his sleeves. If the bolt of lightning was any indication, his attacks would be quick and painful. At this rate, I could be here for a long time…

[Edward Judorne]

Edward was actually surprised that his attack hit. He had only meant it as a warning that he wasn't to be taken lightly, but for it it hit, and that was just made Edward a bit unhappy. Seemed he had overestimated his opponent, especially since Brammas seemed to be attempting the same move again. Edward prepared himself for the oncoming attack when he noticed a slight change in the opponent's posture and speed. thes alone gave him enough info to know his foe was switching it up.

Something was going on with the arena again, but the arena getting darker seemed like the only change at the moment. Still, this was enough of a change to distract Edward from the battle. Brammas's attack hit with enough force to make Edward hold his side in pain. Edward attempted to counter with Electric Missle, but as his spell Fizzled he was quick to realize that the darkness above the arena was preventing both himself and his opponent from using magic.

"Nice hit" Edward said, making a fake stab at he neck before kicking his foe at stomach level.

I hope you don't mind, but in a way this new arena almost works in your favor. PM me if you want me to change the arena in a way other than this and I'll be happy to Oblige

[Il Amator]

Edward lashed out at my side, aiming a kick for my midsection as I rolled out of the way. Scrambling back to my feet, I took a second to glance at the sky. Some kind of cloud obscured the sun, blocking not only light, but magic as well; I could feel it. My enemy clutched his side; obviously his quip had some truth behind it.

Wind whipped through the marble pillars all around us, howling its misery as it rushed by. Stray leaves from one of the arena’s previous incarnations scratched across the marble floor as they were dragged along by the wind. We weren’t too far from the nearest pillar and since my glamour magic was gone for the moment, I decided to use the environment to my advantage.

The arena change also meant that Edward was without his shocking spells, I logged that fact away for later as I turned from my opponent and raced toward the closest pillar. Planting a foot on its smooth surface, I pushed off and grasped the lip at the top. My jump had made me vulnerable, but if I could pull myself up, the height advantage would be worth it. From nine feet in the air, I would be able to attack Edward’s head while being protected by the pillar itself.

Unless, of course, he followed me.

[Edward Judorne]

Edward stared up at his opponent in awe as Brammas climbed his way to the top. It was a good plan, after all, if Edward tried to climb up after the man, he would be open to any attack that Brammas could pull off, but if his opponent made it to the top, what did he plan on doing from there? He could try to body slam Edward, but Edward could easily use the gravity against his opponent. Projectiles were another option, but Edward would easily be able to see them coming. The third option was what worried Edward. If his foe used that point to turn invisible, Edward would have no way to see the enemy coming.

When Edward realized this, he charged forward jumped up, and made a grab for Brammas's leg. There was no way Edward was going to let him climb up the pillar without Edward at least attempting to pull him down.

[Il Amator]

Edward grabbed my shin as I pulled myself atop the pillar, trying to pull me back down to the marble floor below. As he feet left the ground, a tremendous rumble sounded across the arena. I figured that it must be changing again. The marble floor melted away to reveal a bottomless pit in its place. The pillars began morphing, elongating into the sky so that my enemy and I were thrust higher into the air. As I gazed around at the new battleground, I saw that it resembled a giant, floating... table. It was a table. We were on the tabletop, Edward pulling himself up from one of the legs behind me.

I took a few steps into the center of the arena, turning to face my enemy as he gained purchase on the oaken surface. "Where are we?" I asked rhetorically. The ever-changing battleground was throwing off my focus; forcing me to adapt every few minutes instead of just ending the fight.

I felt my glamour magic return and I quickly twisted my fingers in the familiar symbols to activate it. Before my adversary could attack, I cast my illusion across the tabletop, creating multiple images of myself. I sidestepped as the magic finished its creation, attempting to further confuse my foe. When the glamour magic had finally run its course, seven Brammases stood ready to fight Edward in various offensive stances.

"Seven on one sound fair?" I taunted my enemy, all my images smiling simultaneously.

[Edward Judorne]

Edward Couldn't believe he was being forced to use one of his better attacks so early on in the fight. Was this guy trying to get Edward to show his best? Still, Edward's reaction was as calm as ever.

"So, you think you got me outgunned, huh? I'll give you a chance to rethink your position, if you want. I could easily hurt all of you" Edward warned Brammas. It was true that had a trick up his sleeve that could counteract the seven Brammases, All he'd have to do, should any of them choose to attack is use the weaker version of Tempest Tantrum. Of course, this would also weaken Edward, quite a bit, so, although he was ready to use it, he was hoping he wouldn't have to.

[Il Amator]

The half-elf called to me from where he stood at the edge of the oversized table. I heard his arrogance thicken his voice, so sure he was that he could handle my illusion. I wondered just what my enemy could possibly have up his sleeve, but nothing I could think of would save him. The fake Brammases would feel real to him as they cut into his flesh. However, their swords could not do the damage of a true blade; Edward would feel a sensation similar to when an appendage falls asleep. Instead of drawing blood, the illusions would assault him with the feeling of pins and needles.

Still, there was no need to be cocky on my part. I was sure that I had the upper hand, but I wanted to see just what my opponent had in mind. “Tell me Edward,” I goaded him as all seven images closed toward him, “Are you a gambling man?” With that, four of the Brammases rushed my adversary, intent on attacking him wherever their blades could find purchase. The other three hung back, waiting several paces away for the half-elf’s counter.

[Edward Judorne]

"I don't gamble, not in combat. Life is too important to throw away on the roll of a dice." Edward said, before rushing in and using tempest tantrum once all 7 of the Brammas were easily in range. His thoughts on the matter were quite simple, only one was real, but to go after each, one at a time was suicide. Therefore he had to knock them out all at once.

Edward suddenly felt hot air surround him as the arena changed again. Burning trees popped up everywhere and a burning branch fell just in front of Edward. The arena seemed to be getting more dangerous by the minute. The tabletop had now transformed into a forest fire.

[Il Amator]

My illusions winked out of existence as my confident opponent attacked all seven images simultaneously. Luckily, I was near the edge of his attacks range and only felt a charge similar to his earlier display of power. Still, the electrical shock stung and I took a moment to catch my breath. Anger began pumping through my veins. I should be able to snap this sickly bastard elf in two!

Strengthening my resolve, I shook off the effects of Edward’s last attack and dodged out of the way of a falling tree. The tabletop had disappeared with a soft pop and in its place was a burning forest. I prayed I would get to the half-elf before the flames consumed him. No forestfire would steal my glory.

I leapt over a fallen branch and saw my adversary through the thick smoke. He stood facing me, weapon at the ready. Smiling to myself, I wove my glamour magic once again and cast it just behind Edward. The illusion draped itself over a pile of burning branches, cloaking them from the half-elf’s senses. It the magic was strong enough, it would even contain the heat. Now to force him back into the illusion trap.

I flipped my main gauche in my hand so that I gripped the blade between my fingers. Launching the weapon clumsily toward my foe, I followed it toward its target. As the dagger soared toward his left shoulder, I thrust my rapier straight toward his right. Jump back, I tried to will him to obey, but could only wish as my twin blades closed in.

[Edward Judorne]

Edward had figured out his foe's specialization in iillusionary magic by now, but his realization wasn't helping him win this battle.

Unaware that just behind him lurked another illusion, Edward swatted the thrown weapon out of the air with his rapier while jumping backwards.

Tripping over nothing, according to his eyes, edward let his brain tell him what was going on as he quickly jumped to his feet.

"Nice illusion. Tell me, what harm was that supposed to cause, though?" Edward querried. If someone where to pay extremely close attention when he talked, they might realize Edward was just a tiny bit tired. His Tempest Tantrum earlier had taken a lot out of him, but it was better than fighting f7 Brammases at once. Edward quickly jumped looked around and took note of where everything stood so he wouldn't be tricked again, then picked a burning branch up off the ground and threw it at Branmas. This could also easily be swatted down, but the resulting confusion of the otherwise pointless attack would give Edward some time to try to figure out how he was going to beat an illusionist.

[Il Amator]

As the branch flew toward me, I braced myself for the fiery impact. Just when the flaming projectile should have struck me, I felt salty water blast me in the face. Sputtering and opening my eyes, I saw that Edward and I now stood knee-deep in the ocean. To my left, the waves broke and rolled past me, crashing on the shore to my right. Shells and driftwood littered the beach, but other than that there was little around to use to my advantage.

Unsure whether the water would increase Edward’s electrical skill or hamper it, I turned and made my way out of the waves. Better safe than sorry. The half-elf was proving to be a worthy opponent; I would need to start thinking strategy if I was to win.

My mind raced through the possible illusions that I could conjure to aid my blades, but I felt my glamour magic was still too weak to use. It had been too soon since my last illusion; I would need to let it grow before unleashing another spell. Pushing that ability aside, I thought of what else I had at my disposal.

Panache. If I could distract Edward and land an amplified blow, I might be able to end the battle. Starting toward my opponent from the wet sands I stood in, I began taunting, “Why do you insist on continuing to fight when you know you can't win? Ready to admit defeat?” I hoped I could goad my enemy into foolishly dropping his guard or making a mistake. That was all the opening I needed.

[Edward Judorne]

Thank you for your patience, and sorry for the wait. been busy.


Edward noticed his guard begin to drop as if by some magic. It was hard to fight the spell that was doing this do to already being weakened by his use of Tempest Tantrum earlier. It didn't take long for Edward to find a way to use this to his advantage, though.

Quickly and purposely lowering his guard, Edward made his move.

"Whatever you think you can do to stop me, I'd like to see you try it. I've already taken out 8 of you at once, what makes you think you can win? Besides that though, If you give up, you are sure not to succeed, while if you actually try to succeed at something that you feel is impossible, there is at least a slim chance of success." Edward replied as he exited the water himself, slowly this time, so as not to trip. at this point Brammas was close, and Edward attempted to sidestep his oncoming foe. if he could just get his foe to take one step into the water, Edward could easily just shoot an electrical missle in there with him and attempt to give him the shock of his life. This was assuming, of course, that the stage didn't change on him before then.

[Il Amator]

My chance came. Edward, likely distracted by my taunt and feeling the effects of the panache magic, had dropped his guard enough that I should be able to land a strike. In the space of an instant, just before I lunged forward at my opponent, warning bells tripped in my head. The half-elf’s thin lips were curled in a haughty smirk, his stance was still too on-guard; something was wrong. I stopped my attack before it had even begun and smiled across the wet sand at my enemy.

“You think you’re so clever,” I complimented. My voice held a tone of surprise, but it rang false in the salty ocean breeze. Surely Edward would hear the intended jab dripping with sarcasm. “Why don’t we lose the charade?” However, I intended to do just the opposite. The battle had gone on too long for my liking; it was time for one of us to taste cold steel.

Edward circled closer, attempting to force me to step back. Assuming it was part of his plan to trick me into losing, I did just the opposite. Stepping within fighting range of the half-elf, I readied a little trick of my own. My main gauche remained between me and my foe, ready in case he should attack; however, with a grunt I launched my rapier through the air. It spun end over end across the beach, sticking into the sand not far away.

“Emoc Ot Em!” I bellowed at the top of my lungs, throwing my head back for added emphasis. I needed to sell the illusion that I was summoning some great and horrible beast. Every detail mattered if I wanted Edward to buy it. My fingers worked dexterously at my sides, weaving a complicated glamour spell even as I yelled. “Emoc Ot Em!” I repeated the so called ‘summoning words’, yelling louder for added emphasis. Then, my spell was complete and my magic began to work.

Sand erupted in a large circle around my rapier, blasting up in the air nearly ten feet before falling back to earth. The ground rumbled, an advanced sensory illusion to be sure, but one that would help convince the half-elf of my powers. Screaming the summons once again as loud as possible, I watched in fascination as a huge sand golem rose from the quiet shore. His massive fists erupted into the air, drawing him out of his earthly prison and into the world above. Pulling himself up to his full height, the illusory creature bellowed a guttural war cry. At nearly twenty feet tall, the behemoth should strike fear in the heart of my adversary.

Turning back to face the half-elf, I waited anxiously for his reaction. Was my glamour magic enough to convince him that I was also a summoner? Or had I used the spell enough times that he would quickly catch on? Edward’s face would hold the answer.

[Edward Judorne]

Sorry for the delay

Edward looked up at the golem and nodded approvingly at the effort. It was a very convincing illusion, to say the least, and at first it did fool him a bit, but what gave it away was something only Edward would notice. The man had already proven to be extremely good at illusions, and it was a distinct possibility that he could also be a great summoner. Thing was, for most summoners, a creature like that would require a lot of focus to keep under control. That kind of summon would likely take a longer time too.

One thing still troubled Edward about the situation. The illusionary beast still looked as if it was dangerous, despite being an illusion.

"Not bad. I've never seen such a realistic illusion. I honestly was fooled at first, myself." Edward said, hoping he could convince Brammas he wasn't scared of the beast. Right after Edward spoke, the arena changed yet again.

The two fighters were fighting on what appeared to be a wide open valley at first, but Edward was the first to realize the catch wen n he stepped backwards. for some reason everything moving on this arena was slower than normal. Edward, not quite adapted to this odd environment yet, lost his footing and fell to the ground in slow motion.

[Il Amator]

The golem lurched forward as Edward began rambling about how he had almost been fooled. So I hadn’t tricked him, oh well. Sure I had wanted the bastard half-elf to be paralyzed with fear, but the illusion would still work as a diversion. As the arena began to change again, I pivoted and sprinted behind one massive leg of the sand creature.

The ocean rose and solidified as the battle grounds morphed themselves once again. However, the air was the most perceptible difference. I felt as though I was running through honey; every action required nearly triple the effort. The short distance to my blade might as well have been three miles. My brain commanded my legs to move faster, but they simply would not. Turning my head agonizingly slowly, I saw Edward stumble back as he adapted to the new environment.

He tripped over his own feet, falling backward like a massive tree being felled. The squandered opportunity chewed at me, but I would need my rapier to act so I pushed on. The thud of Edward’s body striking the earth reverberated around the lush valley and I turned at the sound. Mere feet from my sword, I raised my main gauche and let it fly through the air. Seconds after it left my hand, it had barely made a half turn as it sliced through the thick atmosphere like a knife through butter.

Locking my eyes on the rapier embedded in the earth not far away, I stretched my hand out as quickly as I could. The sand golem had barely even made one step by this time, and I sighed inwardly. The arena had ruined that trick…

As my hand wrapped around the hilt of my blade, I turned to see if Edward had made it back to his feet to meet by spinning dagger yet. My summoned creature blocked the view; I cursed it as I prayed for a hit.

This is the only chance you will get, a voice in my head mentioned. I grimaced; it was right. Cocking back my arm, I planted my foot and prepared to throw my rapier once again. “Too many flying blades,” I muttered, the words drawn out and distorted by the arena’s air. Releasing the hilt and watching the sword slowly advance on its target, I prayed for the best.

Agonizing moments ticked painfully by and I watched the rapier lanced straight through the knee of the sand beast I had created. I tried to picture what Edward would see; a slow-turning blade erupting from illusionary sand to pierce his chest. All while he tried in vain to protect himself in an environment that reduced his reaction time to zero. I smiled as I waited for the cries of pain sure to come from my enemy.

Any second now…

[Edward Judorne]

Edward was still having trouble adjusting to the slowed time as the weapons came flying at him. There was no real chance he had of knocking the weapons out of the air because he had no idea how fast his rapier would swing. He hadn't had a chance to test swing it in slow motion to find out, unfortunately. Then there was the idea of dodging, he could hardly keep his own footing, but it was the only other option out there.

Edward tried to turn to sidestep the blades coming his way, but stumbled. He still was unable to get his footing, and he was about to pay for his inability to adjust. As he fell, the Main Gauche pierced his right shoulder, and the rapier hit him on the right side of his hip 2 minutes afterwords. The second injury forced him to stay grounded until the slow motion was over, because with that kind of injury, he was bound to hurt it more if he was to stumble again. This did not mean Edward was defenseless, though. As he raised his arms with quite a bit of effort, he was ready to fire off a Shock Beam if his opponent charged in and tried to finish him. This really was tough on his injured left shoulder, but it was necessary pain if he wanted to survive this bout.

[Il Amator]

Luckily I was standing still when the arena lurched into full speed once again or I would have surely gone tumbling to the ground. As it was, it took a few seconds for me to fully take in my surroundings. The valley had remained, but tombstones jutted from the ground all across the land. Clouds had moved in to cover the sun and a smattering of rain began to fall. Several yards off to each side I saw sections of fence rise with the ground before they ducked out of sight once again. We were battling in a graveyard.

“A fitting end,” I called across the swell of the hill as I moved toward Edward. Likely he was lying on the ground, clutching his chest in agony as his lifeblood seeped into the parched earth. His dying tears would mingle with the light rain, washing them away from his gaunt face as death took him in its shadowy arms. I smiled as I crested the ridge separating me from my prey.

The sand golem blocked my view and with a wave of my hand the illusion faded. My half-elf adversary lay propped on one arm a few yards down the hill. My dagger stuck from his shoulder, so I assumed that the gash in his side was from my rapier. The unyielding air of the last arena had skewed my aim; he should have been dead.

I scanned the surrounding area for my rapier and saw it lying not too far away. Striding over to pick it up, I was struck with one last idea. Our battle had been well-fought, he deserved an appropriate ending. Using my glamour magic one last time, I wove an illusion around my blade.

Webs of magic wrapped themselves across every inch of the rapier, elongating its form and distorting the blade. Tendrils of power crept up the illusionary surface, strengthening the image and fleshing out the false form. When they ceased their transformation, I held a huge battleaxe in my hands. The edge dripped blood onto the ground where it was quickly washed away by the tiny rivulets of water running down from the higher ground. I was now Edward’s executioner.

Turning back to the half-elf, I mourned, “It was a good battle.” Striding slowly toward him, the axe rising with every step I took, I added, “May your soul find peace.” The words were a formality; the Ai’Bron monks would knit him back together before his final breath had even left his lips. My hair was matted down against my head and water ran across my face, slightly obscuring my vision. Planting my feet, I hefted the axe as high as it would go and breathed deeply. “May your soul find peace,” I repeated, readying for the final strike. It had been a good battle.

[Edward Judorne]

It was raining. This was not a good sign. Chances were that the falling water would affect his magic in some way or another. Most likely, the spell would end up hurting him quite a bit as he fired it off at this Brammas guy, but if that was the way it had to be, so be it.

"Yeah... It has... been a good battle. Too bad for you... it won't end as planned." Edward said, pulling the Main Gauche out of his shoulder and tossing it behind him. As the drops of rain trickled down his face, Edward smiled.

"Never assume your foe is unable to..." Edward didn't even finish his sentence before firing off his Shock Beam. As he suspected, the beam hurt him quite a bit as he fired it off. It would be worth it though, if the attack hit, and with 5 seconds to aim it at his target while the beam of electrical energy fired continuously, chances were good he'd hit something.

"...Fight back" Edward said, finishing his sentence from earlier.

[Il Amator]

Electricity wracked my body as I swept the illusory blade down through the air. The water on my skin served to amplify its power, singeing my hair and burning my arms. My limbs twitched slightly in convulsions, my body’s natural reaction to the channeled lightning controlled by Edward. Still, I kept my rapier as steady as I could and slashed down through the air toward the half-elf’s throat.

Gritting my teeth as the last of my opponent’s power coursed over my muscles, I resisted crying out in pain. There would be time to lick my wounds after the fight’s conclusion. It had been a good fight; Edward had proved to be a worthy opponent. My only regret was leaving the ever-changing arena for the boring world that awaited me upon my return.

A smile came to my face at that thought. I had grown attached to the shifting battlefield. Perhaps I could return in later battles to pay it a visit. The acrid smell of charred hair and flesh crept into my nostrils, bringing me tumbling back into the present. My blade, masked by the illusion of an axe, was now mere inches from Edward’s throat. “Any more tricks?” I asked, generally tired of the fight. Barring any divine intervention, I’d had enough of that in The Citadel; my final blow would end the battle as well.

I had won.

[Edward Judorne]

Edward forced himself fall backwards and watched as the blade flew over his head. The headstones quickly dropped into the ground and the groud became transparent as Edward attempted to trip his foe up with a leg sweep. There didn't appear to be any other visible changes, but Edward knew better than to trust his eyes at this point. Pushing himself to his feet, he managed to see a slight ripple in the ground, what he was fighting on now was meant to trip people up, it seemed. That was when he noticed the spikes 6 feet underneath the transparent ground.

"Tricks? I suppose I do have a few, but you are honestly making me pull out all the stops, which in it's own way is quite impressive." Edward responded to the Query.

Edward got himself ready for another attack as he held his rapier tight.

"So, what else do you have, Brammas?"

The arena will let out a bigger shockwave the harder it is hit, but it also will create a bigger crater the harder it is hit. these craters do not repair over time, and if the arena is overused, the crater could easily get deep enough for the spikes to show in the short time this arena is out, so be careful.

[Il Amator]

Light enveloped my body and I felt a slight jerk as the monks’ targeted me for their teleportation magic. The surreal arena faded away and the stony arches of The Citadel took its place. A tall thin monk in heavy brown robes greeted me as I shook my head to clear away the effects of the spell. “I’m terribly sorry to interrupt your battle,” he intoned without a hint of regret in his voice, “but there’s been a slightly problem with the arena.”

My senses were still running on overdrive from the intense clash with Edward, but I managed to focus on his words. “What kind of problem?” I inquired.

“I’m afraid that the arena has become slightly… unstable.”

He said it as if he were commenting on the color of a stone, not detailing a matter of life and death. I coughed in surprise, my breath catching in my throat. “Unstable!?”

“Nothing you need worry yourself over,” he assured me, ushering me into a small room further down the hall. As he scurried away, a few other monks began attending to my injuries. Their magics threatened to send me to sleep, but I managed to ask one last question.

“Where’s Edward?”

Another monk threw back his hood and shuffled over to my side, “Master Judorne is in a similar recovery room, awaiting judgment like yourself. Now relax…” And his silky smooth voice lulled me to sleep.

Spoils:
If I can get extra gold instead of extra exp, that'd be great.
Thanks!

[Edward Judorne]

Edward was extremely confused when he got teleported out of the battlefield.

"Brammas, if this is another of your illusions, I'm not amused" Edward yelled out, almost expecting Brammas to answer.

"This is no trick, that arena was becoming completely unstable, so we had to get you out of there fast. At first we were able to keep the changing under control, but it has started to happen so rapidly, it's gotten dangerous to even enter that room. You are lucky we got you out when we did. Shortly afterwords the entire arena became as heated as the inside of a volcano." The monk replied.

Edward breathed a sigh of relief as he realized how close he had come to being fried.

"Thank you"

[AdventWings]

Sorry for the lateness. Here is your Judgment!

Il Amator

Story
Continuity - 7
Setting - 7
Pacing - 6

Writing Style
Mechanics - 6
Technique - 5
Clarity - 6

Character
Dialogue - 7
Action - 6
Persona - 6

Miscellaneous
Wild Card - 7

FINAL SCORE – 63!

Edward Judorne

Story
Continuity - 5
Setting - 6
Pacing - 6

Writing Style
Mechanics - 5
Technique - 5
Clarity - 5

Character
Dialogue - 5
Action - 5
Persona - 6

Miscellaneous
Wild Card - 6

FINAL SCORE – 54!

The Winner is Il Amator!

((Rewards + Spoils))

Il Amator receives 500 EXP and 600 GP
Edward Judorne receives 225 EXP and 140 GP

Thank you for using our services at the Citadel! Please come again!

[Zook Murnig]

EXP/GP ADDED!

IL AMATOR LEVELS UP!