Russian roulette? It will be a blast!

[Artamos Alcor]

Closed.... All bunnying is permitted betwen the 2 contestants as long as its not causing damage.

Artamos entered the circle arena; the floor was a polished marble and the arena no more than 20 meters from one side to the other. The walls no more than a meter high and a disappointing small crowd were gathered to watch the fight. How it had come to be that he had ended up in the arena was beyond him. He felt drowsy and realized he had a lingering feeling of a chemical reaction in his body. He had been kidnapped and thrown into the arena, apparently there weren’t a lot of fights these days and so in order to have fights they abducted people to fight. Offering the fight or die. Not a hard choice when you knew that even if you died in the fight, at least you tried to live. The small frail red robed man stood as he felt whatever poison or thing that had been used to get him here was rapidly wearing off. A sharp voice bellowed around the room as a man spoke loudly, his voice where brunt and strong, and it was spoken by a man that was perceived by the apothecary as 2 meters tall, 2 meters wide and bullet proof, metaphorical speaking of course.

“Welcome! Welcome, ladies and gentlemen to this fine evening we have established here tonight. For tonight we have a special ocation, due to the lack of fights recently we decided to put 3 fights in one, and so tonight we have magic in order that will give each contestant 3 life’s or deaths if you like before defeat. Bets will be taken by the book keeper, where he has a wide spread on bets that can be made, on everything to who loses the first life, the score on life’s, even down to what order they will be taken! The fight will begin in 15 minutes!”

[Alis Grave Nil]

Alis grave nil looked about, he had been hit with a blunt object from unsuspected quarters while he was exiting town and just now woke up, groggy and with a headache… no wait he didn’t have a headache, and neither did he feel any pain. Without any lingering effects he came to himself from the stout and loud words spoken from the fellow that appeared to be the arranger of the fight. Though the vampire didn’t mind fighting, he wasn’t pleased about the way he had been indulged in it. He looked around the arena and saw the frail thing that was supposed to be his opponent and he chuckled, such a tiny figure would easily be consumed and killed. He would enjoy this, and when he was done, he would enjoy the vengeance he would exact on his capturer afterwards.

Wait 15 minutes, bah, I’ll just strike him down 3 times before it starts
The vampire mused as he was about to draw his bow with an arrow, when he realized his weapon was gone.

[Artamos Alcor]

The apothecary watched his opponent as he reached for something on his back, and it puzzled him for he could clearly se there was nothing there. Yet felt more confident when his enemy found that whatever he used to have there, it was gone and it brought some relief to the puny man. But before he could do much else the arranger of the fight spoke out once more, this time for the 2 contestants.

“You both have things of value that you have a strong profound love for, a book and a ring. You will find that each of you, possess the other mans item… first death you deal will return it to you. The second death will grant you a reward of coins, depending on how entertaining it is. Lastly the one who delivers the final death will be given an item, as payment for their entertaining us.”The red robed man quickly panicked as he searched his robes for his precious book, everything he had researched, every part and piece of knowledge he possessed had been put into that book. If such an artifact where to be lost, it would mean generations of knowledge would be lost! And all he found was a stupid wedding ring in his pocket instead, how could a ring possible in any way ever equal his research, his work, everything he worked for!? He was usually not a man to quickly anger, but at this his face hidden behind the robe snared at his opponent

“Give it back! NOW!”He barked it at his opponent like an order.

[Alis Grave Nil]

“Gladly, if you return my ring!”The vampire found it heart breaking to find that his ring had been removed. It was all he had that remained on his lost love. To lose the ring, it would be like death, no worse, he had experienced death, it would be like… he was unable to think of anything as horrible to compare it to. The puny man threw the ring to him [OOC=bunny permitted] and he grabbed it in the air and he felt the warmth in his hearth when they no longer where parted. Though he knew that he had to take a life from him, despite his generosity of returning it, and he was about to do the same when he prepared to give it to him the pages started flipping and his through of his wife came down on the pages. He saw things he didn’t even remember and he felt his stomach ache and threw the book from his hand in repulse as if the images burned him.

“Who are you? And what evil is this book?”

[Artamos Alcor]

The apothecary ran 2 steps forward and threw himself at his book, to save it from hitting the ground. His feelings where swelling with anger and rage. Like a red mist settling over him for treating his book with such barbarian display of manners. He cursed under his breath as he inspected the book to see if any damage had been brought upon it and was pleased to see it was intact. The vampire spoke and Artamos was repulsed by the being, how dared he label his precious work evil?! How was a vampire in any aspect allowed to judge something evil? But he refused to let this barbarian get the best of him and he quickly got his emotions back under control before he spoke

“No one of consequence, everything we experience is just that; experience, they don’t come along with label’s that says evil or good. It merely depends on where one stands and point of view on the subject of what experience that you perceive at a given time. This book is not evil, it is a tool for me to use at my own whim to quickly restore research. What you just did however can be perceived as evil from my point of view, for you wasted 2 valuable pages as well as you could have damaged it.”

[Alis Grave Nil]

“I am Alis Grave Nil, will you not honor me with your name? Perhaps your book could be of use to me, for I remember little of my past and it showed me memories I knew not off, please, I must know.”
The vampire was unable to think clearly, he had labeled it evil, but it had been mostly due to the sudden event of memories he didn’t know of had rushed forward and into the pages. Even if the book WAS evil, he didn’t really care, anything that could bring back his memories would get him closer to finding his wife again and so a bargain with evil was the least of his concerns.

[Artamos Alcor]

“Get used to the disappointment.”
He apothecary would never part with his book, not voluntarily and not to the likes of him! Waste his pages on anything but something to further his work was preposterous! This book stored information on how to complete his goal of becoming flawless and immortal, anything short of contributing to that had no place among his work. He tucked his book in under his robe and secured it under there to the chain, he felt good as he once more felt that it was back. Like a parent when a child returned home unharmed after sun had settled. Before the 2 of them could continue any further on their matters of differences or otherwise converse as they saw fit the arranger of the scheming shouted once more.

“Remember that you must deal a kill to keep it, even if you got it back, a kill is in order to keep it for yourself. Let the fight BEGIN!”
Though Artamas knew that his opponent would charge in on him anytime soon, more than willing to slaughter him and take his book to find useless memories of forgotten love of the past. He couldn’t help but notice the way the arranger of the fight spoke. The very way he choose his words, why would you need 1 kill to keep you’re possession? It made no sense, if you won the fight, you had dealt 3 killing blows and you would keep your item. But if you got killed 3 times, it wouldn’t matter if you had dealt a single killing blow; you would keep it, but only to be buried with it? It made no sense, or perhaps, it did…. A smile crossed his face.

[Alis Grave Nil]

“You make a mockery of my pain, to deny me the memories of my love?”The vampire knew he could charge in and attack the man already, but his noble nature wanted to plea to the man for reason before resulting to violence. He did his best to keep his noble nature intact though his insides where a ravage of turbulent feelings. A part of him wanted to sit down and sob, another part wanted to give into ravaging rage of wild beasts, a part of him wanted to fight fairly and honorably and lastly one wanted to talk his way out it. It remained to se, what feeling would come out on top and claim his action, it could easily turn depending on the red dressed man.

[Artamos Alcor]

“Life is pain, vampire… anyone who says differently got an agenda that needs you to think otherwise.”
The crowd was getting impatient and demanded blood, their shouts of disappointment for the lack of violence and blood grew to larger proportions as a rapier and a rock was thrown into the arena. Both where intended as missiles to hit and maim their targets, though none of them did in fact do the trick, magic vowed into the arena prevented it, so that objects not used by the ones in combat where not to cause harm. This was done to prevent someone betting on good odds with the bookmaker then intervene to make his bet win. The rapier hit the magical shield before him and dropped to the floor at his feet. The puny fellow stared at the sword as he picked up a rapier from the floor. He had as much experience with weapons as a murderous barbarian had with ethics. But it would serve him better than not being armed. If he was lucky he could feign skillful and perhaps trick his opponent.

[Alis Grave Nil]

“I am a man of action, lies do not become me. So I shall speak plainly and without deception.”The vampire bared his teeth, a weapon one might say in it self as he bent down and picked up the rocked that so harmlessly had bounced off his own protection. Though he wasn’t pleased about drawing the shortest straw on who got the rapier a rock would be better than nothing he thought to himself.

“I want that book, and you seem like a decent fellow. I’d hate to kill you just for it.”Holding the rock in his right hand, he raised the hand as if he was ready to strike with it.

[Artamos Alcor]

“You seem like a decent fellow. I’d hate to die.”
The red robed man said coldly and ironically back to the vampire as he displayed his possession of the rock and Artamos faltered a little, was this guy in his right mind? He possessed a rock as his weapon, up against a sword and yet he was confident enough to give threats. Such confidence, such arrogance, yet the apothecary couldn’t help but feel a slight disturbance in the pit of his stomach as he started doubting his own abilities, was he bluffing or was he really that skillfully?

Taking a step back and bringing the sword up before him, he tried to keep a certain degree of skill to those that beheld him, though he knew not what on earth he was doing. It just felt right that the blade stood between him and the vampire. The arranger of the fight was getting as impatient as the crowd

“Either you start to fight or we will simply just find another way for you to amuse us, like the screams of torturing you!”The trough of torture didn’t apply well to the puny frail man and he looked at the vampire. Swallowing hard and he felt that he had started to sweat beneath his robes.

“Are you ready then?”

[Alis Grave Nil]

“Whether I am or not, you have been more than annoying, so let us begin. “
The vampire considered his options, he could run in, try and use his speed to avoid the sword and smash his rock into the head of his puny opponent. He could use his marksmanship and throw the rock and aim for the head. But either way had its good and bad sides, just like most things in life. If he came in to smash it against his head, if he missed he would still have the rock. Bad side was that it was a larger chance for him to be hurt. If he threw it, he could attack out of harm’s way but if he missed he would leave himself defenseless.

They started to walk in circles around watching each other intently. It was obvious both where deciding on a course of action, none wanted to rush fool hearty into it. They had 3 lives, yet they acted as if there mere touch of the opponent would be enough to end their lives. How would they ever be able to fight, as the noble man of birth would have easily engaged his opponent with great confidence if he had his bow to wield. Then he would have a weapon he could rely on, but now, a rock… he could with an open and truthful heart admit he had never though a rock would become a weapon of choice in a duel.

With a heavy hearth but optimistic thinking, the vampire surged forward and sidestepped to the right as his right hand with the rock came for his opponent skull

“Rock, paper, scissor… rock always wins!”He shouted laughing, it was a forced laugh, a laugh of despair as he threw his life on the whim of trying something just to test his opponent… sacrifices must be made, at least if it failed he would have 2 more attempts.