The sound of cheering resounds throughout North Castle, drawing everyone's attention for at least a few moments towards the Town Square where the fighting ring for the Grand Tournament has been built. The square battlefield is built in the direct center of the Town Square, and is roughly 300 feet by 300 feet, providing an enormous amount of space for the battles to take place on. Furthermore, in the past night bleachers have been erected in the area surrounding the stadium, with room for anyone and everyone who wishes to watch. The first row of one of these stands, however, has been reserved for any Tournament participants who wish to watch their competitions' fights.

Standing in the center of the arena is a tall Rito man, waving at the crowd that is already threatening to pack full the seats, which were guaranteed to be enough to seat at least three fourths of the town. "Yes, welcome once again to the opening of the Grand Tournament. I'm Tarlen, and I'll be announcing for these fights from high in the sky! We'll be getting started momentarily, but allow me to explain the rules of these battles.

"Two warriors will be meeting in this very ring mere seconds from now. The goal each has is to bring the other's HP down to 0. Any abilities listed in the Rules Set may be used in these fights, as may any of the official weapons of Hyrule. At current time there shall be four different rounds, but sign-ups don't end until this Saturday, so we could very well be getting some surprise late contenders before then!

"And now, let's meet our first two challengers!" Emerging from opposite sides of the square walk forward the two warriors who will be participating in the first round. "Alpha, the Sheikah Mage, will face off against Sabertache, the Hylian Mercenary! Warriors," the announcer calls out as the two climb up onto the stage and face each other, "whenever you're ready, BEGIN!"

As his name is called out, Alpha lets out another slow sigh, considering in advance the reception he'll be getting from the crowd once he emerges from the shadows he currently occupies. For the longest time he's been wanting a good fight against some of the other adventurers he's come to know and respect, but a part of him wishes it could have been more of a setting such as the time he and Denning had sparred: in a cavern out in the Deku Woods where no one was around to watch them battle. And his desire for such a place stems not from something as frivolous as stage fright . . . he just doesn't like being around so many people. The majority of his life has been spent in solitude; being the center of attention of a crowd as large as this one is more than just overwhelming . . . it borders on frightening.

But fear is not one to keep the Sheikah from a battle as good as this promises to be. Alpha slowly strides forward, moving ever closer to the arena where these fights are to take place. His is the first fight of the tournament, and with an opponent like Saber there will no doubt be a fine challenge that'll take place. True, the Mage doesn't know Saber all that well, but the display of skill he'd put on in the Tantari Cafe way back when was enough to convince Alpha that he'll be a good opponent. He finally reaches the arena, and climbs up onto the stage to face the Mercenary.

His staff suddenly appears in his left hand, and beneath his closed cape he prepares his magical powers in his right. This fight will undoubtedly be more than a little taxing, and the Sheikah intends to be prepared to throw whatever kind of attack is needed to provide the necessary offense and/or defense. But in the midst of all his planning and calculating, he remembers to call out to Saber. "Good luck."

And then the previously sunny day somehow seems to darken. A smile forms on the Sheikah's face as he reaches down into the depths of his magical abilities and pulls forth the perfect technique to begin this fight with. Shadows seem to stretch forth from all directions, as if light was shining on the back of the bleachers where the crowd sits anxiously and causing the shadows to grow out and cover the arena in their darkness.

In the midst of it all, Alpha raises his right hand outward, revealing the sphere of dark magic swirling around in his hands. A blackened orb, violet light seems to emanate from its center, only to be consumed by blackness as it travels further away from the core of the technique. The shadows almost appear to lift themselves off of the arena floor that surrounds the being of that element, as he stares down the man whose race holds it as their weakest point. The darkness converges into the orb as Alpha draws power from the elements around him and Saber, merging every ounce of dark energy in the air into one mighty attack.

With a great cry he brings back the arm that holds his elemental strike, feeling the cool shade that has prevailed in the area around him and no longer even noticing the crowd that lies beyond the ring. The violently dark sphere in his hand and the target on the opposite side of the arena are his only concerns at this moment. Like a baseball pitcher he draws back his ball, then hurls it forward with all his might. Ripping through the air with such great power that the air rushes away from it, creating a vacuum of power, one can barely hear the spellcaster's voice.

"Elemental Burst," Alpha says with a calmness not close to being reflected in the force of his attack as it rockets towards Saber. "Shadow."

OOC: Forgot to do this earlier, but for my own reference I intend to be listing each fighter's stats at the beginning of each fight.

Alpha:
STR - 1; DEF - 12; AGI - 7; INT - 3; SPI - 4; SPL - 40; HP - 54
Saber:
STR - 5; DEF - 19; AGI - 3; INT - 4; SPI - 1; SPL - 6; HP - 41

IC: "Woah! Alpha certainly doesn't appear to be one for restraint!" the Rito announcer cries out, having taken to the air the moment Alpha's magical attack had begun to manifest itself. Now the orb of Shadow energy is screaming towards the Sheikah's opponent, obviously intent on taking full advantage of the element Hylians are weakest against. "And what a shot! I don't know if Saber's ready to take on this kind of power!"

Apparently Saber is not ready, because the attack hits him head on (2+1[Roll+SPI]). Normally the magically based attack would have dealt a mighty 18 DMG, but being of the Shadow element, a Hylian's elemental weakness, an additional 25% of the damage is tacked on to the blast. All in all, Saber looses a devastating 23 HP.

"Man, oh man! Is this fight over before it even begins?!"

Alpha: 54 HP, 34 SPL
Saber: 18 HP, 6 SPL

Saber trudged up to the stage with his head down, trying to shut out the noise. The crowd was obviously on Alpha's side--and why shouldn't they be? This was possibly the most powerful mage in Hyrule, and he was just some lowly mercenary who hadn't been around for more than a few months. I can't let that get to me though. He reassured himself firmly, nodding and looking up as his name was called.

Alpha...Alpha, Alpha, Alpha....why him...? Saber sighed in dismay. The one person I didn't want to fight above all else. He's definitely the toughest opponent I could be up against at this point in time... He looked over the Sheikah once more and noticed he seemed...annoyed. A small smile crept across his face. "Doesn't like noise, eh? Hopefully that will throw him off a bit." He mumbled to himself as he shifted his weight onto his back foot. He himself didn't much care for being the center of attention, but it didn't annoy him that much either. Just imagine how good this would be for business! For a relatively unknown mercenary to beat the famed Alpha....there was the motivation right there! "Alright then, so all I have to do is--Crap!"

He was cut off by the burst of energy Alpha had sent at him while he wasn't paying attention. He threw up his arms to try and absorb some of the blow, but to no avail. He fell to his hands and knees, gasping as the shadow spell knocked the wind out of him. "Gotta pay...more attention...that could have been it..." He rasped from the same position, a bit of dark energy still coursing through him. He took a deep breath before springing back to his feet. Another hit like that and I'm done for...I guess I'm going to have to try and outlast his attacks until he's out of energy. Then, he's mine...but first, I'll have to deal with these wounds...

Saber clasped his hands together, closed his eyes and bowed his head. He kneeled, his saber still undrawn and hanging off his side. "Nayru, I beseech you to share a bit of your power..." A slight shimmering aura surrounded him, and his hair began to wave ever so slightly, lifting towards the sky as though carried by an updraft. "Favor of the Goddesses, please descend upon this weary warrior and repair the wounds of war inflicted upon his humble body..."

"And it looks like Saber took that Burst head-on!" Tarlen yells above the roar of the exploding shadow attack as the darkness gathering around Alpha disperses back to wherever it had come from. But what is this?! Suddenly a bright blazing light rips through the shadows cast by the Elemental Burst, illuminating the Mercenary hidden within them. "And it's the Favor of the Goddesses to the rescue!"

Saber's Innate Check is a complete success (12+4[Roll+INT] vs. 15), and the healing energies of the deities of Hyrule comes to rest on his shoulders, restoring half of his health to his wearied form. "Yes! Looks like this is one Hylian that isn't willing to go down without a fight!"

Alpha: 54 HP, 34 SPL
Saber: 39 HP, 6 SPL

Alpha's cape flutters in the wind that emerges as his elemental strike hits its mark with pinpoint accuracy, just as he had intended. 'A bit too easy, winning with magic,' he thinks to himself for a moment, gazing at the shaded area that covers Saber and his half of the arena. An eyebrow lifts upward on the mage's face; he hadn't expected the blast to have this kind of lingering effect. 'It has been a while since I used by Elemental Burst in full force like that,' he finally decides with a shrug.

But then light bursts through the darkness, revealing his opponent's location as the healing energies of the goddesses shower over Saber. He slowly nods to himself; that was perhaps the best action for the mercenary to take. Revitalizing one's energy by using the blessing of the goddesses' chosen race had the downside of not always taking effect . . . and also of revealing Saber's exact location to the Sheikah. Not exactly the best of ideas.

But even as another ball of shadowy energy forms in his hands, the Sheikah shrugs and lets the Elemental Burst dissipate. If Saber is lucky enough to continue gaining the goddesses' blessings, then Alpha will run out of magic long before the Hylian runs out of health. No, he needs to be focusing on strategy as well, rather than just powering through the match.

His right hand rises upward, joining his left in gripping his staff. 'I'm being watched by the crowd; might as well give them a show.' Rocketing forward, Alpha leaps towards Saber, wooden rod hurtling around his swinging form as the Sheikah aims it at the Mercenary.

The Rito announcer swoops down low for a closer look at the action as Alpha charges forward at Saber. "Well, my friends," his voice, made louder by the use of Tarlen's own special brand of magic, roars above the crowd's cheers at Saber's swift recovery, "we certainly can't count either of these warriors out just yet! To make things even more exciting, it appears this fight will be moving into the realm of close-range combat!"

Alpha's staff hurtles toward his foe, striking Saber with the same amount of accuracy as his first attack (16+7[Roll+AGI] vs. 19+3[DEF+AGI]). Saber takes 10 DMG from the attack.

Alpha: 54 HP, 34 SPL
Saber: 29 HP, 6 SPL

Saber was caught off guard as Alpha went in for close combat. He didn't even have time to draw his blade before the staff made contact, knocking Saber back a few inches, though he held his ground. There's no doubt he still has some explosions left in him...He thought quickly as he drew his blade. I'm still not at full health, I need to make sure he can't finish me with one of those shots....so I suppose the smart thing to do is try and recover a bit more..

He skipped back a bit from Alpha, trying to create some room for prayer. He stuck his saber in the ground and clasped his hands over the hilt. "Favor of the Goddesses!" he cried out, "I pray for you to aid me once more!"

"Looks like Saber is one to play safe rather than sorry," Tarlen yells over the crowd's roars. "I'd say that our friend here isn't wanting to strike until he feels he himself is safe from harm. Not exactly a trait you see in a Mercenary very often...but knowing he's a mercenary, there must be some sense of strategy fueling his moves!" As the Rito speaks his mind to the onlookers, bright lights once again spread over the Hylian's injured self, revitalizing him back to full health (14+4[Roll+INT]).

Alpha: 54 HP, 34 SPL
Saber: 41 HP, 6 SPL

Alpha allows himself a tight grin of satisfaction as the familiar resistance caused by his staff slamming into an opponent joins with the beautiful sound of impact. Some might not think of something that goes THUMP! as beautiful, but seriously, who cares what they think? They've obviously never beaten a Moblin to a bloody pulp with a long wooden rod.

But Alpha's momentary victory comes to an end as Saber simply heals himself once more, and now the two are right back where they started - save that Alpha is missing 6 SPL. Not exactly a situation he likes, but the Sheikah manages to hold back on using his magic once more. True, Saber will try to heal again as soon as he can, and if he fails Alpha will have a chance to finish him off with one swift attack, but the possibility that the merc will resist one of his Elemental Bursts must also be taken into account.

No, best to continue playing it safe. And besides, Saber still has yet to draw his own blades. So the Sheikah leaps skyward, flipping through the air and swinging his staff directly at the back of the Hylian's head.

"Saber might be good at getting the goddesses' favor, but he'll have to get back on the offensive soon if he's going to stand against this Sheikah's powerful attacks!" Tarlen yells as Alpha jumps skyward, bringing his staff around in a manner that would be difficult to dodge...and yet, dodge it Saber does (14+7[Roll+AGI])! "Woah! Now there's some Mercenary maneuvering for ya! I thought he'd get nailed for sure, but no! Saber's not going down that easily!"

Alpha: 54 HP, 34 SPL
Saber: 41 HP, 6 SPL

Saber removed his saber from the ground as the Favor of the Goddesses fully refreshed him. "Much better..." He sighe din relief as he pulled his saber out of the ground. Looking up to face his opponent, he realized Alpha had disappeared. Crap, lowered my guard...I'm going to pay for this..He panicked, then he sensed something behind him. On instinct, he jerked to the right, and he saw the wooden staff flick past his head. Lucky...he thought to himself, galvanizing into action and not wasting a move.

He fell to one knee and swung himself around towards Alpha, cocking his blade behind his head and swinging it straight across at Alpha's legs. At the last second, he flicked the saber upwards, in case Alpha tried to jump the first attack. Hopefully the trick would work, but if not, Saber was swinging himself up into a standing position, ready to block Alpha's retaliation.

Saber's saber slashes towards Alpha, his tricky altering of its course nearly catching him offguard, but in the end the Sheikah manages to leap away without a trace of damage on his form (13+3[Roll+AGI] vs. 12+7[DEF+AGI]). "And we finally get to see Saber on offense!" Tarlen cries as the blade just barely manages to miss its target. "An impressive display of control over his weapon from the Hylian, but an equally good show of dodging abilities from Alpha! This is one heck of a fight, folks, and I don't say that often!"

Alpha: 54 HP, 34 SPL
Saber: 41 HP, 6 SPL

Alpha lands after his aerial attack, already falling forward to get out of the way from Saber's inevitable counterattack. And counter he does, weaving his blade all over the place in an attempt to slash the Sheikah anywhere he can find skin. However, a quick set of backpetalling steps manages to get Alpha out of his opponent's range. The Mage breathes a sigh of relief; that was too close.

He looks the Hylian over once more, noting the now drawn blade. That will undoubtedly make getting past his guard that much more difficult. And if he does get past and deal some damage, Saber will most likely be quick to counter once again - and since he won't have to draw his saber this time, the chance of the merc making contact also increases. 'I'd rather not do this,' the Sheikah thinks with a grim look on his face. 'But this is getting old. I'd like to get this battle finished with already.' He nods to himself; and besides, the boy's favor with the goddesses can't continue forever - that is, he hopes it can't.

Drawing his hands back to his side, Alpha focuses once more on the shadows gathered around the arena, drawing them forth from the ground and towards his own shadowed form. As the darkness gathers back into the black ball in his grip, he heaves back the massive energy, then hurls it forward with all his strength, watching it as it rockets towards Sabertache. "Elemental Burst - Shadow!"

The dark sphere once again rockets forth from Alpha's steady grasp, hurtling towards Saber without mercy. And its strike is relentless, blasting into Sabertache's form before he can prepare an adequate enough defense against the magical attack (12+1[Roll+SPI]). 23 HP is once again deducted from the Hylian's total.

"Oh!" Tarlen cries. "That hit dead on, just like Alpha's first Elemental Burst. That Sheikah sure knows his magic - if not for Saber healing himself, this fight would long since have been over, that much is certain!"

Alpha: 54 HP, 28 SPL
Saber: 18 HP, 6 SPL