Leo somberly walks out of the arena with the Monk. The Monk silently ascends the stairs leaving Leo to sit on a bench, still stunned. Zilo and the others stand in the preparation area wondering why the match ended the way it did. Cruxis asks his pale faced companion,
"Leo, why did you surrender? The two of you had just only made contact." Leo rubs his chest and speaks up, "I guess you couldn't hear up there. He did something with that strike, its not magic, but... my chest won't stop vibrating. He told me that with just a motion he could stop my heart. There's no magic there, but... This feeling is still there. I didn't want to take chances."
"Let me take a look." Said Zilo, kneeling to examine Leo's torso. Leo continues with, "He says that if you or Alaroc can defeat him tomorrow then he'll let me live... I don't want to die guys."
"Death ain't that bad, undeath is way worse." Snaps Zilo as he feels around the perimeter of Leo's rib cage. Leo shouts down at his examiner, "How would you know! You've only been undead, Jin's the one who died!"
Alaroc taps his flask to his chin as he finally speaks, "Well den we jus need tah win de fight, no problem."
"Yeah simple." Follows up Zilo.
"Did we all see different fights or something!?" Shouts Aakif, "Leo got some good hits in, but he built an entire strategy to use. You and Cruxis will have to fight this guy mono-a-mono. You'd be better off getting a Hell Knight to steal."
Cruxis shakes his head and says, "You speak as though we haven't face a dragon and an oath of vengeance in this tourney." At that Aakif blushes and Tess chuckles. The guards walk over as the group speaks and tells them that Alaroc and Cruxis are to go and begin their duel.
"I'll see if there is truth to Leo's condition, you two give a good show." Remarks Zilo as he motions for Leo to lay down on his bench. The two swordsmen walk out into the arena and stand across from each other.
The crowd rumbles excited to see these two clash, but the two of them lack the intensity they held yesterday. After the match begins Cruxis sighs and waltzes over to Alaroc and says, "Alaroc, surrender."
"Surrender!? What!? No way! I've been waitin tah see which of us is more skilled since we got here."
"Then we can spar once we make it back to Deneval! You saw Leo, we need to make sure we win the fight tomorrow."
"Are you sayin you're better?"
"I'm saying only one of us has the backing of not just one, but two gods that deal in War. Plus I have magic on my side. I admit, your swordsmanship might trump mine, but clearly, I am the more fit person to fight on Leo's behalf tomorrow."
"All I'm hearin is talk, If you think you are better than me," Alaroc takes out his energy blade, "then prove it."
Cruxis sighs and says, "You stubborn... Fine! But if you hold back then it may be Leo's life you risk tomorrow, so I wont go easy, Alaroc."
Up on the stands Tess plants her head in her arms and mumbles, "Dema be damned, why do men have to prove everything with their muscles."
"Hey, on behalf of all men, I take offense." Remarks Zilo as he and Leo come up from bellow. Tess smiles to the bard, but Aakif's eyes lock on Leo's morbid face. Zilo marches right over to the meditating Monk, his smile swapping for a grimace. His friends all reach out to try and stop him, but out of fear of the monk, their arms retreat back.
"What are you planning to do with Leo?" Asks Zilo. The Monk opens his eye at Zilo and another wave of intimidating pressure permeates the stand, forcing Leo to tense up and drop to his seat. Zilo stands, almost fully unaffected.
"What business is it of yours bard? You care about the one who defeated you?"
"I care about my friend." The Monk stands and gets into Zilo's face, making the bard flinch back. The Monk speaks, "Your friend is a coward and weak. I came here to fight warriors, not weaklings. If he cannot match me then he doesn't matter."
Zilo is speechless. The Monk breaths heavy and returns to his seat, finishing with, "Now sit down, there are few enough bard in this world, It would be sad if there was one less." Zilo clenches his fist, but eventually sits back down between Leo and Tess. Tess asks him,
"I'm betting Leo doesn't look good."
Zilo sighs and answers, "I don't know, something inside of him is vibrating surrounding his heart, and it isn't magic nor is it biological. It's like his muscles and veins as being forcibly shook against his will. His body has adapted to it so far, and if it slows to a crawl he should be fine, but if the vibration suddenly stops, it will disrupt the beat of the heart and... stop it."
Tess shakes her head and looks back to fight and says, "You better hope your other friends can beat him then."
Back in the arena Cruxis has taken up his signature stance with his shield forward and his sword aloft waiting for an opening. Alaroc rushes in and swings his energy blade, and it seems to phase right past the shield, just as the Brilliant Energy enchantment is meant to do. But then... the blade stops.
Alaroc stands shocked before Cruxis snaps his arm away, Knocking away the energy blade and snapping his blade Permafrost in and swiping across Alaroc's midsection lightly. Alaroc leaps back and takes a moment to think it over. He takes a small swig of his flask and it comes to him as he points and smiles.
"You sneaky sneak! You sent for Maldrek!" Cruxis looks shocked for a moment then chuckles as he puts down his shield and reaches beneath his armor to show a necklace with his now free hand, which is sporting a ring.
"Once the tournament was magic legal, I used the Zilo's Sending Shells to ask for a bit of an edge, Maldrek sent along his two newest creations, a Ring of Protection, and an Amulet of Natural Armor. He plans to make a slew of them for the whole company, but these two are the first."
Alaroc smirks and reaches to his pack, saying, "You are truly a knight to be envied with such an impregnable defense." Alaroc throws out his bone containing Twenty-Four, and then unsheathes his dragonslayer sword in his left hand. Twenty-Four lowers his body a bit to allow Alaroc to hop atop the skeletal horse.
"Lucky for me, I eat knights for breakfast."
Cruxis picks his shield back up he activates the Frost enchantment on Permafrost and both warriors begin to speak something as their point their blades at their opponents.
Cruxis chants, "I am the sword that forges ahead for peace, the slayer of those who stray to violence. Arete of the bloodstained blade, lend me your strength to do what is needed."
Alaroc proclaims, "By my honor as a knight, and by the blade I brandish, I will not falter in this challenge I face."
Cruxis' blade flows and freezes the air vapor in the white and red colors of his Smite. Alaroc and Twenty-Four on the other hand flex down into a ready stance and they radiate intensity and Alaroc's eyes focus as he twirls both his blades around.
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