The crowd still hadn't sat down by the time the last two contestants left the arena and the next were called. Tarlen still beat his wings frantically to stay afloat, tiring ever so slightly as he began to announce the next match. "Ladies and gentleman, the last fight before the finals is here! It's time to pit Sovelis, the Last Tempest, who has yet to fight in this tournament due to no-shows, against Victor Vir, the Bard who has overcome all odds to get this far in the tournament, showing us just how deadly entertainment can be!" He looks from side to side eagerly, the stands rumbling with cheer. "Contestants, step forward and began whenever you please!"

Victor arrived.

This would be nothing special, for even though he was one of two fighters who would risk their very lives today in an arena before all of Hyrule, but his arrival was truly a feat. Not because he had overcome all odds to get this far in the tournament (backstage the Bard had been quite offended by Tarlen's comment. All odds? Really? Was it so unlikely for him to have made it this far? I mean, really), not because his opponent was an unstoppable being against whom he stood no chance, but because he was...

... on time.

Yes, being first to arrive, Victor was actually on time, if not early, for his semifinal fight. Of this, he was very proud. Almost embarrassingly proud, actually, which only served to prove the arrival's significance. His weapons? Polished and primed for the fight. His cloak? Actually cleaned and pressed for his appearance; which, in itself may have been a frivolous act considering the event he was partaking in and the state his cloak will likely be in at its closing, but certainly added a kind of... majesty to his overall appearance.

The Bard was smiling his familiar smile, actually comfortable for the first time with the tournament at hand. Two out of two battles fought and won (even if one was by default), and he was feeling just fine. Sovelis was, admittedly, not a warrior he knew too well, but for once Victor was feeling good about his abilities, and would not let something as trivial as unfamiliarity ruin his good mood.

He kicked at the arena floor. Speaking of his opponent, where was he? Surely he would show sometime soon. A late arrival, no doubt. Pah! Lateness. How very rude.

OOC: Who goes first, anyways?

OoC: SWEET ZOMBIE JESUS!!!! I actually get to fight for once? It must be a miracle!

IC:

The Tempest stood at the far side of the arena leaning against the wall, forgoing his usual brightly colored clothing for robes of beep blue and a cloak of a dark red, almost blood-like color. He expected that this round of the tournament would end the same as the previous two rounds- Advancing to the next fight without even lifting a finger. But today, it seemed that he would actually be granted a challenge.... His assigned opponent had just arrived, and it seemed he was in a good mood.

I can't believe my eyes.... One showed?!?!? I guess I'll have to fight if I'm going to get to the final round after all! Sovelis chuckled inwardly as he pushed himself off the wall and stepped forward, his hood hiding his face from the bright sunshine and the eyes of everyone around. At his hip, a long, curved blade hung in its sheath, the edge towards the ground. In his right hand, his worn and trusted staff was securely in his grasp, the wooden rod had seen much use, and today would be no exception.

" So, You must be my opponent? Its good to finally have someone show up to fight me!" he reached up with his left hand, the metallic appendage glinted in the sunlight as he pulled his hood back and freed his ponytail from his cloak. " Let us get the introductions out of the way first, then we can smash each other's faces in. I am Sovelis Liadon, and I'll be the man you will face today." his staff swapped hands, and he held out his fleshy hand towards the bard, a warm and friendly smile on his face. "Lets try to give these folks a good show, Shall we? I'm sure they'd be disappointed to not see a mage of my caliber never even cast a single spell."

OOC: Sigh. I was hoping you wouldn't show; I was looking forward to fighting Alpha, too... Oh, and, yeah... I was totally riding on the whole "arriving first" thing that I, y'know... mentioned pretty often in my post. Thanks for ignoring that, yeah.

IC: As his opponent finally decided to make an appearance, Victor lost a good part of his confidence. While he had shown obvious excitement at first, he had actually hoped his opponent would not show. As it was, his succession into the semifinals had mostly depended on luck. And, despite the three years of adventuring and experience he had under his belt, he knew that some of his fellow adventurers had risen to levels of combat far beyond his own in, what it seemed to him, a quicker and far easier manner. The Bard didn't know how they'd done it, of course, but he couldn't help but feel saddened by his own, somewhat inadequate, fighting skills. Ah, but, perhaps he was overreacting; after all, he had had adventures and experiences he could truly be proud of.

Victor allowed his mind to wander back to his earliest days of adventuring... where had all the time gone? For that matter, where had all the people gone? Try as he might, he couldn't help but notice that some of the familiar faces he had known in the past hadn't been around lately. The very faces that more-or-less taught him to be a competent adventurer and citizen of Hyrule had all but disappeared. Of course, he had friends - good ones, at that - but they were not mentors. Ah, memories.

Oh, crap! The fight! His mind snapped back to reality. His opponent was offering a hand. Something about spells. Victor shook, smiled weakly.

"Uh... yeah, sure. Good luck?"

As he shook, the Bard looked over his enemy... and his confidence dropped even further. He could tell that his chances had suddenly, but surely, become very slim. He sighed softly.

"Well, let's get it started, then."

Victor released the Mage, backed away ever so slightly. In his hand, suddenly, was a glowing orb. It rose to eye-level, flashing almost in the face of its target. Again with the magic, it would seem - it had served him well last round, and it was perhaps his only chance this time. Another sigh, for good measure, and then the Bard whispered,

"Elemental Burst- Light"

OOC:
Victor:STR = 2 DEF = 15 AGI = 3 INT = 6 SPI = 1 SPL = 18 HP = 61
Sovelis:STR = 3 DEF = 15 AGI = 1 INT = 3 SPI = 3 SPL = 57 HP = 33

IC: The burst slams into Sovelis head-on [3+5], dealing 16 DMG to the Tempest. "Looks like Victor's going to challenge the mage at his own game!" Tarlen shouts, and the crowd responds to the Bard's vigor appreciatively. "With a start like that, he just might give Sovelis a run for his money!"

Victor: 61 HP, 12 SPL
Sovelis: 17 HP, 57 SPL

Right as the spell slammed into his face was when Sovelis figured out that it had been a bad idea to walk right up to the Bard and offer a handshake... makes one very open for attack. Everything in his vision was washed away in the blinding light of Victor's Elemental Burst, leaving the tempest to stumble backwards in a futile effort to shield his eyes from everything. I try to be nice, and it always seems to backfire on me!

Sovelis brough his hand up over his head carefully, holding his staff high as the bright spots slowly faded from his sight. "T-that was a good shot you got in on me.. I guess maybe I should have greeted you from across the Arena." he remarked thoughtfully, a dark grin on his face as he started to gather a small amount of energy in his weapon, using it as a focus to help him bypass the need for an incantation of any kind. "If its fireworks your looking for, then I'll give you one hell of a show!" He swung the staff at the bard and jumped back at the same time, releasing the built up power that had collected in the wooden weapon, a wave of fire bursting from the tip and rushing forward. [Fire spell]

Resistance is futile (OOC: BORG!) for Victor as the flames rush all over him, licking at his skin and dealing 23 DMG. "Well, looks like Sovelis handed back what Victor gave him, and more!" The crowd was definitely getting into it--several times so far they've seen the competitors swap magical blows, but it was no less exciting to watch than it had been--most of them could only dream of being able to do it themselves, after all.

Victor: 38 HP, 12 SPL
Sovelis: 17 HP, 52 SPL

"Agh!"

Fire bad.

"OH MY GODDESSES, I'M ON FIRE!"

Victor had just begun to feel good about himself after his wildly successful first attack, just begun, but no. Now he had to be on fire. The Hylian took a moment to ponder the possible implications of Karma and the will of the Goddesses in relation to his current state as he cooked, but only a moment, and then he was flailing his arms and running in circles around his opponent. Uh, not because he was skilled though. Because he was on fire.

'SOMEONE PUT ME OUT! SOMEONE PUT ME OUT!"

No one put him out.

"AAAAARGH!"

The Bard quickly made the decision to stop trying to rely on other people for help and instead dove head-first into the arena floor, and began rolling. Rolling should work, right? With magical fire? I think so.

A few seconds later he was out. Still smoldering, but, out. At least he had that flame-retardant (OOC:Bat-) cloak. A quick check on his harp. It was... no different. Phew. No real damage done... besides the damage that was done, anyways. He was just a bit... crispier, now. He brushed some ash off and tried desperately to fix his hair back into its normal messy state. Oh, good, it was all still there. Lucky him.

Oh right, the fight. Victor glared at his opponent for a moment, but as there was no real harm done, he decided to let it go and fire another Elemental Burst at him instead. A lifted hand, and,

"ELEMENTAL BURST- LIGHT!"

The crowd is silent, completely still and shocked at the sight before them. This tournament had been to celebrate the courageous heroes of Hyrule, and...well, Victor wasn't exactly showing a lot of bravery right now. Tarlen was speechless as well, and he even stopped flapping for a second, nearly falling on top of the flaming Bard before catching himself and rising into the air again. His beak opened and shut repeatedly, and nothing came out. Then, finally not burning, Victor shot off his next attack, which had the same results as the last one [3+9], the bright explosion hitting Sovelis head-on for another 16 DMG. "Well, folks. Erm...he attacked." Tarlen said simply, still a bit awed at what he had witnessed.

Victor: 38 HP, 6 SPL
Sovelis: 1 HP, 52 SPL

"Oh, let go of me," Alpha says with a huff as he yanks his arm away from the clerics trying to heal him up for the next match. He's already fine; they're just obsessed with their job, it seems. "I'm going to go watch the match - and thanks to you people, I've already missed the beginning." He adds an angry snarl to his tone, enough to get them to shy off long enough for him to escape through a side exit and rush out to where the arena sits.

The sight he beholds is not exactly what he'd been expecting.

'Honestly, though, I can't say I'm terribly surprised, knowing Victor,' he grins in humor as he watches the Bard flailing all about the place, trying to put out the fire that he's somehow been lit with - presumably by one of Sovelis' spells. 'But would it be just a Fire spell or a Fire Elemental Burst? . . . first costs less, so likely that one.' He sighs; he had hoped to escape those fools inside sooner, so that he could see this fight from start to finish; after all, whichever of these men wins will be facing him in the final round, and it is always a boon in a fight to have seen your opponent battling before. He assumes that they had both been watching his fight with Orpheous, so he has no reason to give them an advantage.

He hoists himself up and over into the front row of seats, the row reserved for tournament participants and plops himself down in one just in time to see Sovelis get nailed by Victor's Elemental Burst. He leans forward, surprised that Victor has managed to do this much damage to the Tempest, and awaits Sovelis' response to the damage.

This was better than lighting cuccos on fire.

Sovelis doubled over and roared with fierce laughter at Victor's attempts to get the blaze out, the sight of the bard engulfed in flames was indeed a sight to behold for him, and he was clutching his side, his laughing making it hurt. That would explain why he didn't bring his defenses when his foe sudenly shot up and blasted him with another light-based spell. "GAH!!!" His body was thrown back by he spell, rolling across the arena ground several feet before he managed to flip to his feet, still holding his side, this time in pain form the spell.

"That hurt like hell... But it was so worth it!" the Tempest used his staff again as a magical focus, knowing he needed to heal himself and fast. "But your getting closer to the end of your rope. I can feel it." A green glow wrapped around Sovelis as he cast the Life spell on himself, doing his best to heal his beaten body[Life Lvl1]

"this fight's getting fun..."

The crowd takes a few deep breaths as Sovelis heals himself for 16 HP, almost a little grateful for the short break in the action. "Folks, get your eyes fixed now, I don't think it'll be very long before things get bright and flashy again!" Tarlen advises, and the crowd nods almost in unison.

Victor: 38 HP, 6 SPL
Sovelis: 17 HP, 44 SPL

Victor groaned, loudly. He hated healing spells. The sudden interruption and unnatural extension of the fight annoyed him beyond belief. Of course, he was a hypocrite: he would use his Favor of the Goddesses power if he ever needed it in a fight. But, damn it, he was too upset to recognize hypocrisy right now.

The Bard knew he had one chance, and one chance only to win this fight. Well... not really a "chance", so much as a method. He only had one trick up his sleeve this time around, but it was the one thing he needed to win.

He extracted his boomerang from the satchel at his side.

The weapon itself had been more of a... spur-of-the-moment purchase, if anything. He used it, but rarely, considering its general weakness compared to spells or even arrows. But the boomerang was the key to his success this time around, because of the special effect it had. An effect Victor hadn't used before, but hey, there's a first time for everything.

He planned to stun his opponent.

His arm reared backward. It was only a matter of hitting Sovelis just right... he would have to concentrate. It was tricky, mostly a matter of luck, but a little willpower could go a long way. And, of course, the Bard remembered to say a quick prayer before swinging forward and releasing the curved projectile, focusing on hitting his opponent (WILL- 2 pts. towards hit check) - just right. (Will - 7 pts. towards stun check)

Yes, the fight was getting fun indeed.

"Folks, here goes nothing! I was not expecting this, but the Bard just may turn things around yet!" Tarlen screeches, the crowd hushed as the projectile turns through the air, arcing towards the Tempest...and nicking him on the back of his neck. [3+11+2(AGI+Roll+Will) vs. 16] On top of the 6 DMG, the blow from the boomerang also managed to hit a pressure point on Sovelis' body [6+7+7(INT+Roll+Will)], and as the weapon returns faithfully to its owner, it becomes obvious to everyone that the Mage has been stunned.

Victor: 38 HP, 6 SPL
Sovelis: 11 HP, 44 SPL (STUNNED)

"YES!"

Victor hopped up and down in joy for a few seconds. His boomerang had hit, done its thing, and returned faithfully - just as he had planned it. For once he had actually created a strategy, put it into motion, and received the results he wanted. Heh, most of the time he just acted on a whim. Had turned out well enough for him in the past, but this fight would require a little more dedication.

Which reminded him: this was serious. He stopped jumping as he realized that the round wasn't quite done yet. With Sovelis stunned he had his chance (an actual chance, this time), and he had to use it wisely. He readied another burst - his last, certainly, but hopefully his best as well. Another quick prayer, as it had probably helped before, and he lifted a hand in the Mage's direction.

It was all about luck now. No amount of concentration could help this (hopefully) final attack. It was in the Goddesses' hands. He aimed, carefully, but because he knew it probably wouldn't help, the Bard closed his eyes tightly... before releasing, and whispering, again,

"Elemental Burst - Light."