The day is getting late as the last fight in the first round of the 
mini-Tourney begins.  As the announcers voice rings through the stands, the 
doors begin to open.  First to enter the Arena is the warrior, Malakar 
Sunfire, another member of the Disciples of the Stormhawk.

    Tall and broad of build Malakar looks imposing and clearly foreign.  
Dressed in flowing yellow desert robes with a sun embroided om his chest.  
His face, underneath a simple steel helmet, is totally covered with a veil 
mask showing only his piercing eyes, which shine with a green menacing 
light.

    A heavy morningstar is in each hand and a warhammer is strapped to his 
broad girdle together with several daggers and pouches while a longbow and 
quiver with arrows hang from his back.

    He walks quickly and gracefully to his starting point standing silently 
looking at his opponent waiting for the signal to begin.

    From the other doors steps his opponent, the aasimar, Laereth.  A member 
of the Talons of Today, the aasimar seems almost reluctant to be here today. 
  He wears worn studded leather armor and a set of gloves.  A bow and quiver 
are slung across his back and he has various other odds and ends about his 
person.  A pouch here, a length of rope there.

    The judges declare the beginning of the fight, and sit back to watch the 
action.

    Malakar visibly takes a deep breath and concentrates, then he suddenly 
ceases to exist.  Almost the same moment he reapears with an audiable pop 
only 10 yards away from Laereth.  The human fighter glares at his opponent, 
then a look of surprise crosses his face.  It is quickly replaced by one of 
rage as Malakar runs forward, the pair of morningstars in his hands raised 
in preparation of melee.

    Malakar is only ten feet from his opponent, when he suddenly stumbles.  
Apparently the human tripped on a chunk of loose earth, possibly caused by 
the previous fight.  He stumbles forward, losing his right boot in the 
process, and Laereth easily side-steps him.

    By this time Laereth has his longswords drawn, and he lashes out at 
Malakar.  Both blades slash into his opponent.  But Laereth isn't finished.  
The longsword in his right hand swings down, and Malakar's right arm, 
severed just above the elbow, falls to the ground.  As blood sprays from the 
wound, Malakar staggers again, this time from his injuries.

    Malakar holds his remaining morningstar in a guard position in front of 
him as he backs away from Laereth.  Despite walking backward, and swaying 
slightly from loss of blood, Malakar is moving swiftly.  Laereth doesn't 
pursue, seeking instead to tap into his vaunted mental powers.  Once Malakar 
gets about 100' away from his opponent, he stops and a glow suffuses his 
body.  As the magical radiance fades, the stump of his arm has healed over, 
and he once again stands strong.

    Seeing his opponents condition, Laereth scowls briefly, then disappears.

    Looking around, trying to figure out what has happened to his opponent, 
Malakar grasps his holy symbol and enacts another spell.  A minute passes, 
with no sign of Laereth, and Malakar finishes two more spells.  There is a 
momentary blurring around the edges of Malakar's form, but he remains 
visible to those waiting in the stands.  As Malakar scans the area once 
more, Laereth is suddenly there; right where he was when he disappeared.

    Laereth holds his bow at the ready and looks all around him.  His gaze 
passes right over where Malakar stands, but he doesn't seem to notice his 
opponent.  Calling out he asks, "What happened Malakar?  Decided not to face 
me?  We're both honorable men.  Or so I thought.  Why don't you come out 
where I can see you?  We can finish this as warriors."

    "Strange you should say it." Malakar calls out. "As you were the first 
to hide."

    With that, Malakar starts walking toward his opponent. As Malakar 
approaches, Laereth spins toward him. At the same time Malakar feels his 
magical protections and enchantments fading away once more. As Malakar 
continues toward him, almost breaking into a run, Laereth drops his bow and 
pulls both swords from their scabbards.

    Brandishing his warhammer, Malakar enters melee. His first swing is dead 
on, but the warhammer swings right through Laereth. Recognizing it as a 
displacement effect, Malakar widens his swings to hit Laereth. He seems to 
be having trouble adjusting for the displacement, and his next two swings 
miss as well.

    Malakar's next attack swings true, and Laereth takes a stinging hit on 
the shoulder. As Malakar steps forward to press his attack he trips over his 
other warhammer, still held firmly by his severed arm. As Malakar stumbles 
forward Laereth takes a swing at him, but the swing, along with Malakar's 
hit to the shoulder, must have torn something. Laereth's arm spasms and the 
strike goes wide.

    Backing off slightly, Laereth takes a few experimental swings, getting a 
feel for how much he can stretch his arm. At the same time, a black doorway 
appears behind him. Across the Arena, in front of the doors Malakar entered 
through, a second black doorway appears.

    Seeing the door appear behind his opponent, Malakar rushes to attack 
before Laereth can escape.  He dashes forward, but Laereth is waiting for 
him and his longswords slice into Malakar leaving blood staining his robes.  
Malakar, caught off guard by the sword strikes, misses with his first attack 
routine before finally slamming his morningstar into Laereth's chest.

    Laereth's armor absorbs some of the impact, but the morningstar's spikes 
stab through it.  As Malakar pulls his weapon back, blood spreads from the 
wound.

    Laereth still manages to get off another attack, stabbing into Malakar 
once more.

    As two more of the black doorways appear, one on each side of Laereth, 
Malakar continues the attack.  His morningstar whips forward, and slams into 
Laereth's chest.  His opponent grunts at the impact, and brings his swords 
forward.  Both weapons stab into Malakar's chest, puncturing his lungs.

    As his lungs quickly fill with blood, Malakar slams his weapon in once 
more.  It hits Laereth's shoulder and grazes his head.  Dazed, Laereth 
staggers back.  But Malakar doesn't follow.  His morningstar falls from his 
hand and he collapses to the ground.