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Date Posted: 20:49:16 01/28/02 Mon
Author: Erlic Eastlore
Subject: The expected attack
In reply to: Ravin 's message, "You okay?" on 15:08:43 01/28/02 Mon

The guild master hoped that Tristan had the needed information needed to help out Marz. The thought of someone trying to steal his powers afforded a danger that no one, including Tristan, could even begin to comprehend.

There were many who couldn’t comprehend what existed in Marz, especially one Azaya Galantra. She had seen what the addiction to his powers could cause when they had initially gone to free some dragons that had been imprisoned. She had tried to use Marz’s powers, and nearly killed both of them. You would think that she had learned her lesson that one time. There was a second time in Neromba, when she had pushed Marz to the limit of telling him what to do, and that she would be the better suitable choice to teach him. What happened then was only the beginning for Marz had gotten completely enraged. Lightning came out of a clear sky, winds started to become turbulent, and Azaya, the all knowledgeable became entwined in a tree with one of its limbs slowly wrapping itself around her neck, threatening to snuff out her existence. Erlic had felt the rage that day, and had managed to bring Marz back to a quieter state. Azaya never tried interfering after that point.

The symptoms that Tristan was describing were the same ones that Marz had undergone whenever someone tried to pull on his powers. The nose bleeds, the light-headedness, and the tiredness afterwards. That is, presuming one was able to stop the drawing of Marz’s power. Anything passed that point led to uncharacteristic, and unexplainable circumstances that Erlic sometimes had trouble trying to cover up. The fact that Marz had the capability of killing anyone, without any knowledge on his part, was not a piece of information Erlic wanted to share with the rest of the group. Many would simply shun the youth, and nothing would remain the same, ever.

Erlic had to agree with Tristan that whoever tried to draw from the youth, hadn’t done anything major. It was true that Erlic would be able to feel something through the link, but so far, it hadn’t been much as far as the drawing of power was concerned.

“I understand how serious this is,” Tristan admitted. Erlic simply nodded to the dragon, and thanked him for the information. Yes, it was best that Tristan remain near Marz, at least this way, the youth had two possible options of having the magic detected, one through Tristan’s keen sense of magical smell, and the other through the link he shared with Erlic. The guild master watched as Tristan returned to Marz.

“ASSASSINS!” Came the cry of warning from what sounded like Ravin. Erlic had turned into the direction of the sound, and was about to make his way there when suddenly a lightening bolt came out of the clear blue sky, hitting the ground near Jeremy, and tossing him back a couple of feet. Erlic could feel the pull of the magic from the person trying to draw it from Marz. He focused on his chi, and saw the white flexible conduit like image protruding from Marz, and leading to an area by a tree.

The guild master started to run, and had to dive off to the side as a vicious wind threatened to blow his legs out from under him. The sound of a major hurricane started to form in his ears, and he realized that the mage drawing the power had lost total control, and it was only a matter of seconds before they killed each other off, not to mention anyone else within the area.

Erlic got up, and was thrown back to the ground as it started to quake. He made it to a standing position just as two centaurs simply exploded. Erlic already had his katana drawn, for attempting to touch the mage at this very moment would burn him to cinders. The link led directly to the mage, who appeared to be of Nerombian descent, most likely part of the assassination group. The man was in a daze having no control over his actions, and having no idea of what was transpiring around him. Erlic ran, and leveled the katana parallel to the ground with both hands. As soon as he came close to the man he swung viciously, and hard, decapitating the head of the mage from its body.

Although the area was still in turbulence, they seemed to be dissipating, although it would be a while before things got back to normal. The guild master spotted Corum, and quickly explained for him to get Val, and to not touch Marz until he had cooled off. Corum understood immediately. He had been with Marz on the trip to Neromba the first time, and remembered what he had to do. He quickly rushed back to the campsite, and spotted Tristan reaching out for Marz. Corum took a running leap, and plowed into the dragon sending him away from Marz.

“You don’t want to touch him Tristan,” Corum yelled through the violent winds that spurted up, and out several times. “He’s got to cool off first. Trust me on this.” Corum turned, and spotted Valhorek who was about to tend to some of the injured. The skull-staffed wielder quickly ran to the healer, and explained to him what Erlic had told him. Valhorek remembered the incident in Neromba for he had witnessed the entire exchange. Even then he still couldn’t comprehend what had happened. To this day he had difficulties putting into perspective. Corum watched over Marz’s body so that no one would try to touch it, at least not right away. Val would tend to the youth the same way he had in the past.

Once Erlic had finished ordering Corum, he proceeded toward the lake, where the original warning of assassins had come from. He was thrown from his feet as a violent blast of wind buffeted him. Just as quickly, the wind had died down, and he heard some commotion coming from the bushes up ahead. He knew what to expect since this was the residual of Marz’s powers that were slowly starting to ebb away, but chances were the assassins didn’t have a clue as to the nature of what was transpiring around them.

For this reason, and this reason alone, Erlic dove through the bushes intending on finding the assassins. Instead, he found an unconscious Laurel with Ravin on top of her. He rolled next to his friend in a crouch, with his eyes scanning the distance, and his katana held backwards, not once resting his eyes on the pair. “Get her to safety Ravin,” was all the guild master stated as he watched for any signs of impending danger.

The movement of shrubbery up ahead alerted him into action as he ran in a zigzag manner hoping to avoid any darts that the assassins might be intending on using. He slammed into a tree just as he heard the zing of a dart pass by his ear. He moved quickly knowing his opponent would have to reload. He swung his katana at the shrubbery, and was rewarded when one of the assassins came into view. It was quite obvious that the man had seen him, and wanted to avoid a deathblow. Erlic, and his opponent studied each other very carefully. The slayer already had his weapon out, and was twirling it with deadly accuracy. Both men stood their ground as if inspecting each other. It was obvious to Erlic that since this man was a professional, he would have to deal with him in that manner, and, his opponent thought the same.

They moved a bit with Erlic keeping his eyes focused on his opponent’s, looking for any sign of a giveaway. A true assassin would be able to look one in the eyes regardless of what was transpiring around him. The slayer’s eyes shifted just slightly in an upward motion. Erlic quickly rolled to the ground to his right, as another dart zipped passed his face. In one fluid motion, the guild master had palmed a shuriken, and let it fly, catching the other assassin in the hand, thus preventing him from using that weapon again.

Just as quickly as he had thrown the shuriken, he rolled again, but not fast enough as his opponent’s sword sliced through his arm. Pushing back the pain, the guild master, now turned ninja, faced the slayer for combat. They played with each other, testing out what the other had to offer. Both were professionals at their trait, and it appeared that both men seemed to realize this. Their swords touched, but just briefly. They touched again, and this time stayed their position, while both men stared at each other. It only lasted a brief second as both men parried off. Both Erlic, and the slayer, continued to parry, and block each other’s blows, each testing the worth of the other man before pulling out all the stops. The slayer feigned and swung, only to be blocked by Erlic’s katana, holding it there for brief moments before letting go.

They played with each other, each exhibiting an art of swordsmanship unbeknownst to any but that of an assassin. Special maneuvers, turns, cuts, blocks, and thrusts, were exchanged between the two men, each displaying two unique forms of fighting, Nerombian, and Eastern. Erlic continued to fight with both hands on the hilt of the katana. The weapon was especially designed to have a longer hilt for that precise reason. The slayer feigned, and went in for a down stroke strike. Erlic released the one hand, and caught his opponent’s wrist, just at the same time that the slayer caught his other wrist. Both men were locked in this manner, holding each other’s wrist to avoid getting killed. Erlic felt the slayer start to push, and used it to his advantage. Erlic fell backwards onto the ground pulling his opponent down with him, continuing his hold on the man, and at the same time pushing upward with his feet, sending the man over his head, thus releasing each other’s grasp on one another. Just as quickly as Erlic had rolled, he reversed the roll and was back on his feet facing his opponent. This time, rather than holding his sword with the blade forward, Erlic held it so that the blade was behind the hilt, as if one would hold a dagger. Erlic crouched low to the ground as he swung with his fist. The slayer backed away but not in time before the katana sliced though his leg. Erlic’s arms moved with the finesse of the swan, the crane, and the rest of the birds he had studied as a child, mimicking them to a tee in his own defenses. There was the drawback of not blocking his opponent’s swing, but there was also the advantage of getting close enough to strike another blow. The slayer swung, and met with the back block of the katana. Erlic held his opponent’s blade in one position, turned around, and with one fluid motion, stabbed the slayer though the stomach. Just as quickly, Erlic turned again, wrenching the blade inside the man’s guts providing additional damage. It had all happened within a second, and the slayer was now on his knees. Erlic took careful aim, and decapitated his head, seeking justice for the havoc he had incurred.

The guild master turned quickly to see what the others were up to, paying no heed to the bleeding wound in his arm. Pain was never considered a factor in a fight to the death.

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