The wound is deep and Ã

After Bryce slices with his katana he spins and throws a kick, but the guard is already out of range. “What do you know, you do have a little fight in you.â€

Raines blinks twice rapidly, trying to figure out if his eyes are playing tricks on him. The guard he just shot has apparently vanished!? Normally Raines would just close his thoughts and aim his arrows purely from sense and sound, but with the fighting going on around him, it doesn't appear as though that's going to work.

The first thought that popped into Raines' head was to pick another target. Sigurd hadn't said that these fight were to be duels, so it couldn't hurt to help someone out. However, he didn't want to forget his own opponent and leave himself open for the ambush that he was sure his opponent was setting up.

At that point Raines notices a man get knocked silly by a lumbering giant of a guard swinging his spear like a club. Raines fires of a quick shot at the Guard, hoping to buy the injured man some time and then crouches low to the ground in a very fanned position, listening intently for his opponents attack.

Damn... this was rather unexpected. He saw right through my ruse. Still, that attack shouldn't have hurt near as much. This guy is frightfully strong. I can't take another shot like that, I must find a way to take him down quickly. Trying to dodge again would be to predictable and he would strike me down with no problem. However, if I take him head on he is bound to plow through me. I don't have many options here. Combining these two techiques isn't the safest thing to do, but he gives me no choice. My eyes roll back into my head as electricity flows through out my body. With a yell, all allies are surging with this power. Party accuracy/evasion has increased for one attack/dodge.

Been a while sense I've used this technique. The feeling is exhilarating. I go into a defensive stance and prepare for the next attack. This time I have an ace up my sleeve. I shall flow the energy from one of my other techniques into my spear. As the guard gets close I'll blast a couple of missiles at him from two different angles. This should limit his movements drasticaly even on the off chance I don't connect. Afterwards, I'll leap into the air and attempt to land a kick to his head. I must do everything in a perfect motion or I'm good as dead. I won't let this be the end of me!

OOC: Hope I didn't go overboard, Kajak.

@ All - All players ACC/EVA is increased by 1 for their next attack or dodge. This buff can be noticed by the faint feel of electricity around the characters.

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@ Kayn - You land softly next to your portal and thrust your weapon through, intent on piercing into the Guard's side. A split second before your weapon passes though the portal you make eye contact with your target, just in time to read his lips as he whispers "Stone Skin".

Your weapon passes through the portal just after a thin sheen of what looks like solid stone encases the Guard. Your blow, meant to kill or maim, slams into Guard's stone laden side. The attack, though non fatal, still bites deeply through the Guard's temporary stone skin leaving a wicked gash.

As you draw you weapon out and back through the portal you catch a smile on the Guard's face. A split second later his stone armor shatters in a hail of shrapnel. Small pieces of it pass through the portal and slam into your chest before you are able to close the portal.

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Attack Success - Portal Strike
Guard 1 takes 4 damage
Guard 1 - 2/10 HP

Attack Success - Stone Shatter
Kayn takes 2 damage
Kayn - 5/7 HP
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@ Alarr - You whip around with a blinding speed leaving Guard almost no time to react. He manages to move just slightly enough for the blow to keep from knocking him unconscious. You halberd slashes deep across his back and send him to his knees, bleeding profusely.

Before you have time to react the Guard lets out a roar and large white wings burst from his bloody back. A split second later he leaps into the air well out of normal range. He turns to look back at you from nearly 30 feet in the air. He seems intent on hurtling his spear at you.

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Attack Success - Normal Strike
Guard 3 takes 5 damage
Guard 3 - 1/6 HP
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@ Bryce - You opponent widens his stance further and slams his spear tip first into the ground. A large ball of flame suddenly appears in both his hands and slams them together in your direction, sending a molten streak hurtling towards you.

Luckily your barrier was already prepare and you merely raise it against the oncoming onslaught. The molten mass slams into the force field, sending a shower of hot sparks into the air and dissipating the shield.

Unfortunately the Guard remains distanced from you. Seems you will have to take the offensive and cover some ground.

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Attack Failed - Fire Blast
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@ Rainesroth - Your shot sails through the air and slices into the Lumbering Guard's thigh. He doesn't seem to flinched and still moves steadily towards his target.

A split second later the Guard that vanished appears next to you and thrusts his spear towards your mid-section. You barely manage to dodge by throwing yourself aside and tumbling away. The guard hurries after you, intent on keeping the distance tight and pressing his advantage.

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Attack Success - Carefully Aimed Attack!
Guard 5 takes 3 damage
Guard 5 - 4/7 HP

Attack Failed - Stealth Attack
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@ Ende - After you send a surge of energy running through everyone an arrow strikes deep into the thigh of the Guard lumbering towards you.

You take the opportunity and fire of your Magic Missiles, arcing each one in a different direction to throw off your opponents guard. After they streak from you, the guard holds out his spear and lets go of it, all the while marching towards you.

Just before the missiles strike him, the guard lets go of his spear and it begins to whirl rapidly around him. His carefully timed defense partially deflects your missiles sending them searing past the flesh of his sides (and noticeably burning him drastically).

He grunts from the pain and lunges toward you, swinging wildly with his spear.

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Attack Glanced - Magic Missiles
Guard 5 takes 2 damage
Guard 5 - 2/7 HP

“I’ll be damned. Aren’t you full of surprises.â€

Unexpected huge wings sprouting suddenly from the opponent's back, now that was something that did manage to surprise Ã

Content with is attack, Kayn drive his weapon far into his portal. Though instead feeling as if he ripped through flesh, it felt (and sounded) like he hit stone. Looking up, the guard's side Kayn attacked was splotchy and covered completely in stone. luckly, the layer of stone wasn't all to thick and was able to pierce it. But before he could pull his weapon out, the guard made his rocky skin explode from his side sending shrapnel back through his on portal. Rocky shards peppered his chest. He pulled his weapon out and closed the portal. As he looked at the guard, he had a somewhat satisfied look on his face. Kayn return expressions with a smirk of his own, while holding his chest.

Can took a deep breath, weilded his weapon, and began to walk towards his opponent. That walk soon became a run, which eventually became a dash. Kayn swung his weapon at the soldier in passing, hoping to finish him off.

"Impressive. Here I was thinking you were good as dead." While rather frustrated with my failed attempt, I had come to realize my advantage. This man, while hulking strong, does indeed lack the need speed. He barely managed to stop my attack and in doing so recieved a bit of damage. Now that he is moving wildly with anger I can take advantage. I'll roll to avoid his attack then thrust my spear just under his arm. No matter how strong someone is that area is always the weakest. Should make swinging his weapon around painful, as well.

Raines barely managed to roll away from the ambushing attack the guard made. The man continued to press his surprise advantage closing the distance fast. Off to his left the lumbering guard was still bearing down on his target, and across the field the other three warriors were locked in combat with their opponents. One guard had even managed to grow wings and was flying out of range of melee strikes.

Things seemed to be going slightly south rather quickly, and Raines had no intent of failing this test. It seems he'd have to start taking things a little seriously. First order of business would be to get rid of his opponent and the lumbering guard nearby.

Carefully judging the distance and trajectory, Raines takes a diving leap to his right, out of the range of the vanishing guard. While diving he pulls two arrows from his quiver and notched the arrows as he rolled out of his dive.

His targets? The vanishing guard and the lumbering guard. He fires both arrows deep into the ground before him, each lined towards their targets, burrowing deep into the earth.

(Split Shot - Spike Shot)

@ Lausen - As you charge the guard whips his spear out of the ground with surprising ease and slams it down in your direction. Luckily you anticipated his defense and roll to the side, coming up under his defenses with an Aura Thrust.

The attack rends through armor and muscle as the smell of burned flesh fills the air. The raw energy of your Aura seems truly terrifying for a moment.

The Guard however, somehow managed to pull away at the last moment. He now carries a gaping wound, but it appears he has managed to keep it from being fatal for now.

His spear is still at the ready and he jumps towards you striking out like a cornered animal.

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Attack Success - Aura Thrust
Guard 4 takes 5 damage
Guard 4 - 1/6 HP
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@ Alarr - The winged Guard seems to be readying a throw at you and you wait in anticipation. You ready your halberd and hold your grim stance.

The Winged Guard rears back and hurls his spear towards you. A millisecond passes, and the spear is gone, as if it never existed. A millisecond later the spear is buried deep in your right leg. There is no piercing of armor or tearing of flesh. It is merely there, as though it always had been. Blood oozes down the spear and your leg, pumping forth from under your armor. The spear tip is plunged deep into the earth. You glance up and catch the Winged Guard flashing a look of anger towards the King, and look over to see the king give you an innocent wink.

The Guard pulls a long knife from a sheath on his leg and flies towards you. He seems intent on finishing the job.

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Attack Success - Carefully Aimed Strike
Alarr takes 4 damage
Alarr - 2/10 HP
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@ Kayn - After exchanging pleasant looks with your opponent you burst into action, speeding towards your opponent. He readies against you, spear held defensively. Your speed increases, faster and faster, and then you lunge, zipping past the guard in a flash of metal.

You pause, looking back over your shoulder, to see the guard holding his hand at his side where a large wound sits gaping with blood gushing forth.

Just as you think the guard will fall to his knees, he disappears and reappears behind Sigurd, his wound, still gaping, but no longer gushing blood.

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Attack Success - Normal Strike
Guard 1 takes 4 damage
Guard 1 - 0/10 HP
Guard 1 defeated
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@ Ende - You tuck and roll, just barely ducking the spearing of the raging guard before you. He turns to meet you, swinging his spear around like a club. You duck his assault again, holding your spear close, and step into his guard, thrusting up deep into his ribcage. His spear immediately falls from his hand and clatters to the ground.

You pluck your weapon from his side and in an instant he vanishes, reappearing behind Sigurd, his wound fulling close and his spear back in his hands.

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Attack Success - Normal Strike
Guard 5 takes 2 damage
Guard 5 - 0/7 HP
Guard 5 Defeated
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@ Raines - As you drive to the side the vanishing guard lunges in, slicing through your leather leggings, leaving wicked cut along your thigh. Your shots go wild, the one intended for your opponent, shoots a large spike of earth up about 5 yards away from him. Your other shot sends a spike of earth up 2 feet to the left of where the lumbering guard was, barely missing impaling the man you were trying to help.

You opponent smiles grimly at you and moves towards you again.

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Attack Success - Normal Strike
Rainesroth takes 1 damage
Rainesroth - 6/7 HP

Attacks Failed - Split Shot - Spike Shot
-----

Kayn looks over his shoulder just in time to see the guard he was facing vanish before him, only to appear behind the king. The wound was no longer fatal... For a human, Sigurd is a very mysterious being.

It wasn't long before a giant pair of wings gained Kayn's attention. Looking down he saw one of the few that passed the first test basically pinned to the ground through the leg with a spear. And now that guard was in a dive with another blade. Kayn, began to run... knowing very well that he'd not be able to make it in time. While in mid run, he wielded his bladed staff over his head and launched it at the flying guard. If the guard is intent on attacking that man, then this should easily catch him off guard. And if it doesn't, at least it may buy Kayn the time to place himself between the two of them.

The guard takes the Aura Thrust, but regains some distance before Bryce can follow up. Without a chance to react the guard already leaped towards him. Bryce grabs the tip of his sword and holds the sword vertically with the goal of guiding the oncoming spear to his left. He’ll be close enough to through a kick at the guards gapping wound. Then a follow up knee to the face will guarantee the guard being off balanced for the final strike with his katana.

There are several things you can learn about a man in just a couple of moves. And that was all I needed to figure him out. His wreckless style lead to my victory as my blade cut into his ribs. What happened next would have surprised anyone else, but not me. These warriors are far from normal and his disapearing act didn't even make me flinch. Wasn't too happy that he appeared unharmed when he reappered, though. At least that part is over with.

I defeated one and one of us defeated another. Now we have three battle worn enemies left. That filthy dark elf seems to be doing pretty well for himself. He seems to being going to the aid of that armored man, the swordsman looks like he can handle himself, leaving the elf helpless. Have no interest in saving this one. Besides, he nearly killed me just a second ago. To hell with him. I'll just rest up for now.

The situation looked to be turning grim rather quickly. A millisecond scan of the field showed that two opponents were down, but few of the warriors standing were in fighting condition.

Unfortunately Rainesroth had little time to think about the others as his opponent rushed towards him. Raines' last attack, one that should have easily finished two opponents failed miserably. He had to make sure this one counted.

He shifted his stance slightly and tensed his body as he notched another arrow. And then with blinding speed that sent the air whooshing around him he sprung towards his opponent, intent on planting an arrow directly between the mans eyes at point blank range.

(Spring Step + Normal Attack)

@ Kayn - You spring forth and hurl your weapon, leading your target with perfect accuracy. The flying guard, completely intent on his prey, never sees your assault. Your blade slices through a wing, sending the guard plummeting to the ground.

His mangled body bounces, once, twice, and before it hits the ground for a third time, completely disappears. A moment later the guard reappears slightly behind Sigurd, a little battered and bruised, but none the worse for wear.

-----
Attack Success - Normal Strike
Winged Guard takes 5 damage
Winged Guard - Defeated
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@ Bryce - The crazed guard's thrust flies in at you with a blinding speed, giving you little time to parry. The spear tip slammed into your shoulder, but the blow is weak, uncontrolled, and bounces off your armor without damaging you.

In retaliation you step forward and deliver a series of punishing blows to the guard. Before you can even deliver the finishing blow the guard has disappeared, leaving you swinging at empty air. He reappears behind Sigurd a second later, breathing heavily.

-----
Attack Success - Normal Strike
Bryce takes 0 Damage

Attack Success - Normal Strike
Mage Guard takes 1 damage
Mage Guard - Defeated
-----

@ Jamos - You sit down for a breather and almost immediately feel as though you have knives in your chest. You whip your gaze toward Sigurd, who is staring coldly at you. You breathing becomes harder for a moment and then the feelings pass as Sigurd averts his gaze.

-----

@ Rainesroth - You lunge forward, straight into the oncoming guard. His surprise is easy to see as his eyes widen the moment before your arrow snaps forward. The shot is true, perfectly aimed, and the tip of the arrow head begins to pierce the guard's skull right before he disappears.

You stick your landing and swing your gaze over to Sigurd. You guard is standing there, looking completely fine, except for the tiniest beed of blood trickling down his nose.

-----
Attack Success - Carefully Aimed Critical Strike!
Vanishing Guard Takes 4 damage
Vanishing Guard - Defeated
-----


@ All - Sigurd steps forward, clapping his hands together in excitement. He stops after a moment, a look of contemplation on his face. He smiles and spreads his arms wide and a white haze instantly fills the courtyard, blinding all vision. It passes a moment later leaving nothing short of amazing. No one, guard or warrior is wounded. In fact there don't even appear to be any signs that a small battle just took place there.

Sigurd smiles a welcoming smile at everyone and begins to clap again. This time his guards cheer as well, clearly directing their joy at both their King and their previous opponents.

Sigurd speaks out, his voice booming and filled with a mixture of pride and hope, "Congratulations Warriors! You have passed the second test. Exceedingly well might I add. Now that I know you can hold your own, I feel we should start you all on your way. But first! My guards and I feel we must know the names of the great warriors that have come here today. Please, introduce yourselves!"

First the man chastises us and now he praises us. Such a fickle man. Then again, I wouldn't trust a bunch of strangers without knowing their abilities. Appearantly the others are too much in shock to respond to this man. Fine, I'll be the first. "The name is Ende. That is all you need to know."

Bryce turns away from Sigurd and walks about 10 feet in order to retrieve his sheath. He sides his sword and looks around at the remaining warriors. He reaches up and starts fiddling with his shoulder armor. The dent the guard made seems to be gone. Nice little trick.

The silence is broken as Bryce hears: "The name is Ende. That is all you need to know."

Bryce's eyes lock with Sigurds as he introduces himself. “Bryce Galion.â€

After Kayn launched his weapon, he didn't slow his pace. Luckily, his aim was true and it his target. The soldier disappeared in mid air, leaving his weapon falling done back to the ground alone. Kayn leaped into the air, grabbed his weapon and landed on the ground with both feet and a hand for support as he slid to a stop.

Not soon after, Sigurd stepped forward and began to applaud. During the cheers from the guards they had just previously fought, Kayn stride over to where his cloak was. The one that he let fly off at the start of the battle and picked it up and dusted it off. It was then that Sigurd requested the names of us all. Kayn had just finished attaching the cloak and had pulled his hood back over his head. He gave it a good tug and made sure nothing more than his nose and mouth may be seen by any one person, and while still holding on he spoke.

"Kayndar... just call me Kayn."

With that, he slung his weapon back over his back.

Raines took his time gathering himself as the others introduced themselves. When the others finished their very abrupt intros he stepped forward, flourished his bow into the harness on his back, and proclaimed loudly, "The name is Rainesroth Hamon, master archer of the southern reach of Alfheim!"

He immediately regretted his decision and waited for the crickets to chirp.