2008 TOA Quarterfinals: Darkwolf v. Spiral Architect

[LocoColt04]

{{OOC:

Hello, and welcome to the mid-year 2008 Tournament of Arms!

Do remember, we are in a modern setting, and the tournament will be taking place inside of the Roman Coliseum. If you need further details, reference the information thread. If you need imagery help, reference the internet. Good luck to you both, and I'll see you in two weeks. You have until Friday, July 4th. Get going!

}}

[Confession]

OCC: Thoughts and what I say will be in italics and centered

Monticello sat on the bench, he could feel the cold damp wood seeping through his pants, he glanced around what could be made out to be a cell, the only light was that going through a small window too high to reach, he could see a bird chirping happily on the window ledge. There appeared to be no-one else in this room, but he didn't get up just in case.

After a short time of breathing in the damp air, he let out a sigh and delved into his pocket. pulling out an old bit of parchment scrolled up. He carefully on rolled it and walked over to the lightest spot so he could read it.
The parchment read.

Tournament Of Arms.

Name: Monticello

Dear Monticello, you have been invited to participate in this years TOA. Bring only your weapons, and courage, as you will not be allowed out once in.

Monticello didn't bother reading the rest of it again. Thoghts raced through his mind as he heard the feint dripping of water hit the cold stoned floor.

What is this tournament? Who else will be here? When can I get out of here?

He quickly put the parchment back in his pocket, and paced around the room, his shoes tapping on the water as he walked around, making little splashes up his legs.

As he turned to face the wall, as he stared at it, he saw beams of light hitting it. they grew higher and higher against the wall, as Monticello turned around he could see a a similar thing happening about 200 meters away. He walked towards the light stepping out into a large oval arena, with old seats surrounding it, the intricet artwork was stunning, Monticello quickly ran along the wall, reaching for his blades, as he saw a box filled with people, in the top of a tower.

He kept his back against the wall, as he saw another person come out of the other side...

[Darkwolf]

The unbearable wait as he stood before the gate was frustrating to say the least. Dragoth stood far from the gate, his eyes fixed on it. He knew he could move it, but of course that would be cheating. So he waited, for many long minutes, until finally it opened. Once it did, he took one step outside, found his blades on the wall just before the arena. He took them and walked out, to find his opponent on the opposite side.

I've studied this place before the tournament. Not only is this part of the arena, but there is a vast labyrinth just underneath all this. The used that part to control the mechanics, but I want to use it for something much more fun...

As he thought this he stared his opponent in the eyes. He figured it didn't matter who made the first move. Either way he could scare his opponent. If Dragoth struck first, it would be a shock to his opponent if he let loose a good bit of his strength. On the other hand, if he let his opponent strike first it would take less strength and energy to do the same surprising impact. So, he waited, for his enemy to get anxious and strike first.

However, Dragoth did not plan to stay in this open part of the arena, he would make the other flee into the lower parts. There he could transform this fair and 2-sided duel into a hunt. Dragoth smiled at this thought.

To signal to the other that he was ready, Dragoth took his blades, and stood in a defensive stance. His right hand held his blade to the left, slanting downward. His left blade was higher, slanting with the tip to his opponent.

[Confession]

Monticello watched the other person come out of his chamber, he saw him walk a few meters then stop, He could feel his opponent staring at him. The air around him became much hotter. As his opponent drew his swords and pointed the tips at him, Monticello knew that he would soon commence in battle. Monticello kept his hands on the butt of his blades, not drawing them yet he slowly and carefully walked forward.

I will do what I have to, It is just another mark.

Monticello satred at his opponent as he slid his feet silently across the cracked earth, as he walked he was twisting his feet at the end of the step, counting each step he took as the dust rose from his feet, before settiling down again.

He seems quite confident in his stance, usually that means he will be easily fooled into battle.

Monticello walked closer towards the figure. As the image grew closer and closer, Monticello quickly stopped, the dust swirled around his legs before settling.

I think aggravation will be the key, Make him come to me, either way I think this will begin shortly.

Monticello pulled out a black marble from his shirt, he threw it up in the air a couple of times, before kneeling down and rolling it inbetween his opponents feet, before standing up and putting his hands on the hilt of his blades, slightly taking them out, Before letting out a chuckle.

[Darkwolf]

Monticello pulled out a black marble from his shirt, he threw it up in the air a couple of times, before kneeling down and rolling it inbetween his opponents feet, before standing up and putting his hands on the hilt of his blades, slightly taking them out, Before letting out a chuckle.

"What was that for?" Dragoth said as he remained in his defensive position. The other man was staring right back at him. The small amount of people watching started getting irritated. All was becoming very tense.

Obviously someone was going to have to strike. That was simple to understand. Apparently Dragoth's plan was failing. He closed his eyes, and began to act like he was getting nervous. Of course he knew what exactly he was doing.

"I...I will win this" Dragoth said weakly. "I won't let you stand in my way. So be ready, because I'm going to..."
He opened his eyes, now was his chance. Acting as a weakling was merely a plan to have his opponent let his gaurd down. One foot pulsed before the other. In mere seconds Dragoth was to the man's side. He took one foot and slid it behind the man, to pivot directly behind him without much energy.

To the right, where he came from, Dragoth slashed at the man from his upper leg across upward to his left shoulder. From his left hand, Dragoth took his blade and thrust it twords the middle of the man's back.

Lastly, Dragoth kicked the ground in front of him, to get some distance between him and his opponent. Tension was broken, and the fight was to begin. Satisfied, Dragoth smiled and said:
"No, what you saw and heard was not me, merely a mask to fool you. I will not act as weak again, you will lose and I will win. It is as simple as removing an obstacle from my path."

[Confession]

Monticello waited with his hands on his hilts, he saw Dragoth's leg change postion and got ready for what seemed to be an attack.

As Dragoth lunged at him, Monticello watched his feet, As Dragoth pivited around him Monticello moved around and blocked the strike up his body with his blade. As he did that, Monticello jumped away from the lunge at his back. As his feet landed on the the ground, a dust cloud swirled around him, he turned to face Dragoth.

"That was some speed you have, but speed alone will not win you a fight. You must have strategy

With that, Monticello jumped away from Dragoth throwing a blue marble at Dragoth's feet. Instantly it bust and smoke billowed out, covering a quater of the arena. Quickly Monticello ran into the fog, as hit aproached Dragoth, he quickly side stepped around him, as he did this, he lowered him self to the ground, pulling out one of his sai's. As he swirled around Dragoth he slashed at his achilles tendon. As he slashed he quickly pivitod to the other side and slashed at his other tendon. As soon as his motion was carried, he darted out of the fading smoke putting his sai's away, he spun around quickly un hilting his scythes, he waited for the smoke to billow out.

[Darkwolf]

"So, you like to play that way, huh?"

As the smoke burst from the marble, Dragoth darted away. With the cover of smoke, he could easilly sneak into the lower chambers of the arena, while the man was busy thinking he was surprised. As he began to sink backward into the chambers, Dragoth saw a glimpse of steel, and he flicked his right blade to block it. From the left came another. This was a problem, Dragoth's left blade was too far into the air to block this one. He twisted his leg a little and let his leather armor do the rest. The hardened leather was now damaged, a cut that was half deep through the armor. If he let something like that happen again, he might lose a leg. Dragoth took the oppertunity to dash as fast as he could into the small doorway into the hidden chambers.

Now was his chance to let the man know where he was to go, he took his left blade and sheathed it. Afterwards, he looked to see the smoke was nearly gone, and the man's sillhouette was visible. He took his left hand and formed a small sphere of fire, and shot it straight at the man. The sphere, which was now forming into an arrow shape, seemed to dissapate some remaining smoke tha was in the path between them. Before Dragoth was noticed, he sunk back into the cold, damp, stone structures of the labyrinth. A small corridoor was to the left, and a large one that was straight ahead. He took his options in mind, and then waited for the man to join him inside as he hid.

(OOC: I have had something very unexpected happen to me. My computer fried for no reason, so we're replacing every old part that I had. I'll try to get on as much as I can to post, but it might be a day's wait or two before I post. The parts ship later this week so I'll not only have my computer back, but an even better one. Thankfully, my hard drive is fine so no re-installing stuff )

[Confession]

[OCC: Oh bugger, thats no good, I hope it is fixed soon man.]


As the smoke started to thin out, Monticello saw something come at him from the distance, in a split second it was closer to him, I firery arrow darted at him, Monticello tried to dart out of the way but as the arrow flew past him, it grazed his shoulder, As it grazed, it vansihed into thin air, As Monticello regained his composure, he patted the little fire that had appeared on his robe, He had a burn on his right shoulder, only a flesh wound, but it could have easily been something else.

Monticello causiously walked the path that the arrow had come from, As he got closer to the wall, he saw that it infact leaded downwards. Monticello was sure that Dragoth went down there, But he was not willing to go down there with sheer luck being on his side, He stood a good 2 meters away from the stairs leading down into what he does not know. He stood there thinking about what to do next.

Is he waiting for me at the front as soon as I go down? Or is he hiding somewhere for me to aimlessly walk into his trap?

As these thoughts pierced his mind, he had a revalation.

He got down there so instantly after I had thrown that smoke marble, He knew what he was doing, he must've had this planned from the start. There was no way he could just randomly find these stairs through that smoke. Now I know, and he still thinks I am walking into his trap. I can find a way to surprise him!

After that thought ran through his mind, he knew he had to set up some way of getting down there, He darted away from the stairs, and followed the wall along the side, as he approached the other side of the arena, he found another set of stairs, He quickly ran down these.

As he ran down, he came towards many pathways, some leading down some leading up, choosing a sutible pathway was purely down to whom the gods were shining upon. He chose the third path from the left As he paced down it, he saw A loose rock hanging from the roof, He stood to the front and struck it with his blade. It fell to the ground and blocked off the way Monticello came. Monticello walked forwards for about 30 seconds and quickly turned into another corridor, he could now see another corridor the opposite from where he came in and another one to his other side, this is a perfect place to find your opponent. He looked around and saw the clean ground around him.

No dust, that is good.

He back into a arch in the corridor and constantly kept and eye on all sides.

[Darkwolf]

As Dragoth waited, he heard a crash from the left corridor. Damn, I thought for sure if I had taken the foreward path and hid there I could catch him off guard. Of course the obvious answer was to take the left path, but that was too...predictable. I will have to find another way to him.

(OOC: Yeah...well you seem to have gotten lucky. lol)

He continued along the path and saw that it broke off to the left and right. He obviously wanted to continue to fight, so he took the left. As he coninued to walk downward, in the slight curve of the arena. He saw another path to the left, and this area seemed to be clean. Was it that the creators of this tournament expected that people were to go down here? As he looked around, he saw a device on the celing. It was confirmed, as the thing moved to face Dragoth. It was watching the fight, from above.

Dragoth shrugged and quietly drew his left blade again. He decided he would like to scare his opponent. He took his blade and held it against the wall, as he walked it made a long and high-pitched sound. As he walked closer, he saw that a puddle to the floor had droplettes of water around it. His opponent had to have walked on it. Dragoth took one step foreward, and met an intersection. He could go left again, to meet up with the path that had been blocked off, right, obviously where his opponent went, or back the way he came.

He turned right and saw something, so he took both of his blades, pointed them twords the object, and let fire shoot forth from the tips of the blades. He continued to let fire shoot from them, as he manuvered them so that the blaze would cover the entire damp hallway. Then, after he had done this he let go of his connection with the magic attack. He rushed foreward to find another intersecton that came to a T. He looked around, for his opponent...

[Confession]

As Monticello hid in the archway, he heard a high pitched squeal coming from a distance, he knew that this was his mark. As he waited the sound drew closer and closer, the soundwaves sent vibrations through the thick stone wall the echo bounced around the walls like a rally in tennis. As it reached Monticello it sent shivers down his spine, giving him memories of his childhood.

I will not let this place become my fate, if anything it shall be him who lays here for eternity, he will watch the wall erode, he will not see the sunrise, nor the sunset.

With this thought, Monticello instantly regained his composure, He opened his ears aswell as his eyes, He followed the sound of the screeching around the corridors, until it became close, As he opened his eyes, he peered his head around and saw a series of fireballs fly in a direction opposite him. He took this oppotunity of he lack of screeching to mislead his opponent as he threw a black marble over in the direction near the fireballs. Because of the darkness, the marble could not be seen.
As it left his hand, it sped at a remarkable pace, crashing against the walls until making it's rest, It made the perfect sound, he knew that his mark could not withstand the fact that Monticello could be over there, there was no way he could know it was but a marble, Monticello hid back in his archway, peering his head out enough to see, but not to be seen. As he waited for his mark to take his position...

[OOC: Sorry about the late post, I have been out enjoying my holidays ]

[Psiko]

The winner of this battle is Darkwolf. Overall Loco and I both enjoyed the addition of the labyrinth and your ability to incorporate it into the battle. You were the aggressor in the entire battle, which also gave you more things going in your favor.

Spiritual Architect, while your writing itself isn't bad, you seem too timid. It is a battle yet you only managed to attack your opponent once during the five posts you made. While there is nothing wrong with the occasional "actions only" post, this is a Role-Playing Battle and should be judged as such.

Congrats to Darkwolf!

[LocoColt04]

An extra note, Darkwolf, quoting your opponent's post felt a little awkward. A better way to manage that in the future would be to start off with a quick little reprise of the action to which you are responding, and continue from there. The [quote] block really pulls away from the flow of the post, even if it may not seem like it at a glance.