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On Plane

On Beach

The entire trip to the sight of his next battle was a complete blur but this was not without reason. The bard had been reviewing his previous fight in his mind...over...and over...and over again. Saphen's intent was to launch his opponent off the edge of the arena with a hidden plant but he made one fatal mistake...taking flight.

The spear that had ended his match was brutal and to a degree it was taunting him.

However the beach was an amazing place to forget things. The vast ocean made short work of his tormented mind and with that...he was at peace. As he entered the ring of fire he held his instrument and bow in his right hand but that was not all. A bound stack of bamboo was carried on his back, ten to be exact, and the musician laid them on the ground several feet away from the flames in order to protect them. As he pondered his strategy for this battle he began to think about all the stories told about the ocean.

It was once said that in order to conquer the ocean you must trick the god that claimed it...Saphen kept this in mind as his plans to shock his opponent were well underway.

With that thought Saphen waited for his opponent's arrival but this would not be his first waltz with the swordsman. The bard had been bested once before by this man in a match that the musician felt he deserved to lose. Being bold and inexperienced was his fatal flaw in that match and he intended to change that.

The sky may be clear over the beach but there was a storm growing in his soul...and any islander would tell you to avoid the shores...when the lightning roars.

"Indeed," the bard replied as he took one long step to his right, his body blocking the the bamboo from the swordsman's vision. It seemed that the musician was not ready for his opponent to learn about the gift he had brought him, and this fact was accented even more by the exaggerated gestures Saphen took next.

His left hand slowly gripped the violin, twirling it between his fingers a few times before setting it under his chin. His right hand spun the bow in a similar fashion before placing it gently along the strings...and with that he spoke.

"I am sorry for my rapport in our last match...it was rude how I handled myself," and with that the music began. Each slide of the bow was long and elegant and they accelerated as the pace of the song urged him onward.

The music matched the scenery in some respects, the rhythm rich with life, flowing back and forth with the waves of he ocean. The fire that roared around him made the metal blade attached to his bow flash a brilliant orange hue. It was as if the bard had become a fire dancer and with each note whirled and controlled the magnificent beast as it fought for freedom.

"But to make it up to you...as best as I can anyways," he said between notes "I will give you the first move...choose wisely." There was no insult in his voice however, no intention of anger or rage but merely a warning...for they both knew that one of them would not continue on and the bard had no intention of giving that to him easily.

Legato: Tied Together "Let the Earth Tear you Asunder!"

Saphen was happy to hear his opponent held no malice against him, but the arrow on the other hand...was not so kind. The motion was indeed swift and as the arrow took flight, hell bent on tasting flesh, there was no time to waste.

The music embraced him and as it did the sand shifted beneath the bard's feet, pushing him to the right a couple of feet in one swift motion. The sand made small mounds against his feet which forced Saphen out of the line of fire but his plan was not finished just yet.

One of the sand mounds suddenly lifted into the air and sprayed forward in a small but mostly compact cloud aimed at the swordsman's face. Since Saphen was still very close to his end of the arena there was no fear of hitting an innocent bystander with the sand. If for some reason it missed his opponent completely it would drop to the ground before ever reaching a spectator.

Saphen knew that his opponent favored close range combat and there are several ways to hinder such conflict. The first was vision and the concept was simple, if his opponent could not see it would be more difficult for Reyin to put him in cut time...so to speak. The second was eliminating weaponry, the obvious issue being the sword and secondary issue being the bow and any other tricks he had. The final way was to disable the body from physically being able to handle hand to hand combat...the most difficult but also the most effective.

To start the match off Saphen decided to see if he could limit his opponent's vision. It was obvious how this game would work, Reyin wants to be in close range and Saphen at a distance...this was valuable information. It meant that the bard could begin to predict how his opponent might move and make a plan around that concept. It meant that as the blood surged through Reyin's body telling him to move forward the blood in Saphen's body rushed to his brain to help him calculate.

What happens next is up to Reyin for now...the bard thought to himself in the heat of the moment.

Legato: Tied Together "Let the Earth Tear you Asunder!"

The musician didn't have time to think about any type of class at the moment...he was too busy learning. As the sand assaulted his opponent's vision the bard watched Reyin's steps very carefully. Each one trudging through the sand as the swordsman moved closer with blinding rage.

Saphen side stepped to his left a few feet in an attempt to not be cornered as the music moved to slow Reyin down. How would he do this you ask? I shall tell you!

With ten feet between them Saphen watched as Reyin attempted to plant his right foot on the ground...however that would not be a simple task. As the foot neared the sand a sink hole was created (2 ft diameter, 2 ft deep) in an attempt to trip his opponent. If Reyin fell into it his momentum might damage his own body but even if it didn't it gave the bard time to escape.

Moving in a circle around the swordsman, Saphen studied their locations carefully. If Reyin happened to look down he might notice the bamboo bundle only a few feet away from the fire. The swordsman was also fairly close to the edge of the arena where Saphen had started, this meant that if Reyin didn't turn to look at him the chances of him missing it where slim at best.

In order to keep his opponent's attention Saphen began to play the song louder, his feet dancing and kicking up sand to assure his opponent knew where he was. The bard's right pant leg fluttered for a moment...but between the ocean breeze and Saphen's kicking that wouldn't shock anyone. Saphen might as well have been making a sand castle with the small mound he had created dancing about...but now was no time for games.

After his brief song and dance moment the bard continued to move back towards the other end of the arena. The sand made movement a bit slower for both of them but Saphen did not want to waste too much energy sliding across the arena...being in such close proximity to a man of greater strength meant that he could waste nothing if he wished to win the day.

Legato: Tied Together "Let the Earth Tear you Asunder!"

"Ah-hah!"

As soon as his opponent turned around something wondrous would happen.

The music crackled with fury, the musician's bow raged violently against the strings as the bard stared intently at Reyin. His opponent would soon wish that he had considered the bamboo an issue as one of the ten culms lifted into the air. Between the roaring crowds and the swordsman’s own words there was little chance of hearing the plant slide out of the bundled stack.

He may see with blinding sight! thought the bard as the bamboo moved behind the swordsman and slammed into the back of his opponent’s head.

But this bard is not without forked lightning! in the split second it took for the bard to finish the thought the bamboo compressed it self against the bottom of his opponent's head (where the brainstem is located). The hit and the compression happened almost at the same time...so there wasn't a large window for his opponent to react to what would happen next.

Bamboo has a very unique property for a plant, when it is compressed or tension is placed on it, it creates an electrical charge. When an electrical current runs through a particular part of the body the area becomes confused with the introduction of more electrical signals. The bard assumed that placing it close to the brain stem would give a momentary stun or sense of confusion. The shock would be minor of course; enough to stun or disorient his opponent for a moment but that is what Saphen was counting on...that is what the bard needed!

As soon as the shock occurred, Saphen would put the rest of his plan into motion, his right hand moving in long strides against the strings as the music devoured him once more.

A large clump of sand (3 ft diameter) lifted from the ground next to his opponent and consumed Reyin's left hand. Normally in order to create a stone for a physical attack Saphen would simply compress the sand and launch the projectile...however if someone were to place their hand inside of the earthly substance during compression something horrid would happen. As the sand bonded to itself it would crush any human flesh and bone that was trapped inside. As it applied more pressure it would do more damage...and it only took a matter of seconds before damage would occur.

This was typically difficult to use in the heat of battle, when someone could wrench their hand out of the sand before any real damage could happen (at least with that small of an amount). But with his opponent stunned for a few moments, Saphen had enough time to infuse Reyin's hand before he regained control. If it was left completely unchecked it would be as if the swordsman at placed his hand beneath a large stone slab...it would be completely destroyed...however in the spirit of competion Saphen would stop the compression before that point. Keeping the hand encased in stone on the other hand...would be well within Saphen's limits on combat.

There was a reason why Saphen decided on the left hand for his assault. The right hand would be gripping the bow, the left the arrow, this meant that as the sand turned to stone it would have interference either way. With this in mind it was obvious which would break easier…the arrow of course! If Saphen had picked the right hand there was a chance Reyin could have broken free of the sand using the bow to wiggle his hand out…but by the time Reyin could realize what happened the sand would already be temporarily hard and the shaft of the arrow would be broken.

The few seconds it would take to regain control of his right hand (if he hadn’t dropped the bow already from the initial shock) would be too little too late, the damage would already be done. A crushed hand or even broken fingers would slow down Reyin’s physical assault and if Saphen had orchestrated all of this properly it might allow the music to prevail! But never one to be in a rush Saphen took a couple of steps back, the music never stopping, as he waited to see what would unfold.

"Rage"...said Saphen..."Rage against the dying of the light!" it was rare for the bard to speak in combat but he felt tribute to the poet was warranted on such a beautiful occasion.

Legato: Tied Together "Let the Earth Tear you Asunder!"

The bard's eyes watched carefully as his opponent ripped the clever out of his awesome plan.

However like a phoenix out of the ashes of his old plot would be born a new one!

Logically Reyin's main source for damage from afar was his bow...but wait...maybe there was another way.

Looking at the sand for a brief moment he used the spot he danced in as a marker. That point separated the two combatants and it allowed Saphen to gauge the distance between them.

The bow moved slowly along the strings. Each note flowing into the next as the musician prepared for execution.

Or so it seemed that way as the first arrow whistled through the air and the bard still had not moved. The shot was a bit wild and it only took a few steps to the left in order to dodge it. Making sure the music continued as he gathered energy, he watched as the second arrow was fired.

Feinting a dodge Saphen took the arrow in his chest (around the area of his right pectoral muscle), the impact caused the musician to fall backwards into the sand.

The black cloth he wore appeared to be bleeding, soaked with some type of liquid but in reality very little of it was blood. The water vine that was wrapped around his torso took the blunt of the damage, his leather armor absorbed some more but the head of the arrow still pierced skin about half an inch. To his opponent however it would appear as if the arrow scored a perfect blow and the fall would only add to the deception. Wincing in pain as the metal found rest in his skin, the musician's gloved hands gripped his instrument and bow firmly to make sure he hadn't lost it in the fall.

But while the arrow would cause some damage it did not stop the music from playing. Each note continued to connect into the next until right before impact...but that was just enough time...

Maybe this will be the day...the music...dies...

The bard laughed in his mind, a wide grin hidden beneath his stone mask as he began to lift his body up, both in pain and in curiosity, watching to see what Reyin would do next.

Legato: Tied Together "Let the Earth Tear you Asunder!"

Saphen took a knee, rapidly playing his music as the light piece of wood flew at him. It only took turning his left arm slightly (being close to his face to hold the violin) to block the light object as it fell harmlessly to the ground.

With a flurry of notes later his plan finally went into action.

At that very moment his opponent moved over the mound of sand (during the first of the two strides) that separated them, Saphen had created when he danced about. The reason he did so was not for fun but instead for a tactical strategy.

One of Saphen's plants had slithered out of his pant leg and buried itself beneath the sand. When Reyin was about to take his leap he would soon find out which type of plant it was.

The plant was a cactus, standing a couple of feet off the ground with ten thorned leaves. Each one had a single sturdy thorn, each a few inches long but that was not the reason one should be concerned.

The musician had stored energy in the plant, and as the swordsman was preparing to take flight all ten thorn tips would burst forth from the plant. Attached to each of these thorns was a very sturdy weave of plant sinew. The green rope would quickly wrap around his opponent's arms and face (two gripping each arm and pulling the arms behind him, three for the face and neck), the other five would quickly launch forward wrapping around his opponent's ankles and pulling them together tightly.

This occurred because Saphen had infused energy into the plant when he had planted it in the sand. The plant had only one reaction, bind what ever disturbed it.

The plant was mostly buried so it would only be able to hold itself in the ground for a few moments but that was not a problem. The bard was disabling his opponent's arms and legs to make him fall forward. Saphen had some luck in the timing, since Reyin's legs would be passing each other (thus being close together) when he moved over the plant that when the plant binded his feet he would have the best chance of falling.

Saphen had stored energy while taking the hit from the arrow in order to help his earth manipulation. As Reyin would fall the sand in front of him would part like the red sea, creating a coffin like hole right where Reyin would fall face first. But Reyin wouldn't see this happening since one of the plant cords had wrapped around the midsection of his face, covering his eyes.

The hole itself was a little over six feet long to fit the swordsman's body and about four feet wide. By the time Reyin had fallen into the coffin the depth would be three feet.

Saphen's bow continued its long strides along the string as the music attempted to snare his opponent deeper and deeper into the sand. The sand that Saphen had pulled out of the ground in order to create the coffin would quickly fall on top of the swordsman in order to trap him in the newly created tomb.

Saphen would quickly compress the sand, putting pressure on Reyin until he surrendered or lost consciousness. The plant would not release its grip despite being buried alive with his opponent but it was a needed sacrifice in order to gain victory.

I guess Jack wasn't that nimble thought the bard as he stood up, taking a few steps back and breathing heavily. Moving that much sand was a bit taxing on the body but there was no time for a breather just yet...

The fight might not be over yet...

Legato: Tied Together "Let the Earth Tear you Asunder!"