"Uof!" the mage hit the ground, but regained his balance quickly, being am elf and all. "Screw Pride!" the mage laughed, and dashed for the pole! "Where is the DARNED MAGIC?" he screamed.

_________________
Halarond

Edwin stood back to the right of Ghyreian and as one of the polar bears went for her, Edwin jumped forth and swinged his staff right between the eyes of the bear. It seemed confused and hurt yet as it was running it ripped the staff from his hands sending it rolling to the floor. Edwin had to run at the point as another rushed for him, he made a quick wrist move and his dagger was in his hand.

He cursed as he realised that he couldn`t escape, thus he turned around to face the bear hoping to fool it somehow.

_________________

Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!

Meneldor drew his dagger and threw it at the nearest bear, sticking the thing in the shoulder. he then started to climb.

_________________
Halarond

Two bears went for Meneldor, while the other three stayed and faced down Ghyreian and Edwin. Besides the one cornering Edwin, the polar bears seemed lazy... playing with their dinner...

Ghyreian brandished her dagger at the nearest bear - the one who'd been bashed between the eyes. It suddenly barreled into her, knocking her over. On the ground with the wind knocked out of her, she looked up to see the bear five feet away.

_________________

Edwin took swift steps back as the bear attacked blindly towards him as it`s attempt to rush Edwin down and then claw him to death, Edwin`s concentration was in the bear so he missed what was going on elsewhere as Meneldor ran for the pole and Ghyreian battled the two other bears. As the bear got close enough Edwin side stepped and made a sudden jump almost towards the bear. He slashed the bear in the ribs making it roar in rage, it turned and swinged it`s claw hitting Edwin whom was just getting up.

Edwin fell to the floor with red lines in his shoulder and with a ripped robe from the shoulder, he still held his dagger as the bear came closer and Edwin layed still waiting for it to come close enough. As the bears head was close enough he thrusted the dagger into the jaw of the animal, it tried to harm the prey yet it`s struggle ended after a while. How unfortunate for Edwin that the bear collapse right on his leg, he could swear that he had heard a bone crack or something like that. He managed to push the bear slightly out of the way and pull his leg from underneath it. He grinned as he got up and then looked at his surroundings. Ghyreian was down with the bears ready to strike, Edwin cursed and began moving towards her fast as he could. Meneldor could flee, if he wanted, but Edwin wasn`t going to leave Ghyreian fight two bears by herself.

Yet it seemed hardly possible for him to help her much, his leg and shoulder burned in pain, his brains told him to rest yet most of all his survival instinct told him to run for the bloody pole to save himself.

_________________

Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!

Ghyreian rolled out of the way when the second bear charged into her. She slashed out blindly with her dagger. The blade cut into the bear's back leg. It roared in rage. At the same time, the first bear made a swipe. She twisted and brought her arm up just as its claws raked into her forearm. She plunged her dagger down into the bear's shoulder.

The bear stalked away to nurse its wound, giving Ghyreian a few short seconds to stagger to her feet and catch her breath. She caught sight of Edwin limping over with a bloody shoulder. Without thinking, she ran to him. "Are you all right?"

_________________

Edwin couldn`t help smirk at the question, but that smirk disappeared quickly and he quickly looked at Ghyreian to answer before he would concentrate on the bears.

"I suppose, 4 bears left thus it means we can hope that Meneldor holds off the two by climbing and keeping their attention as we kill these two..."

_________________

Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!

Ghyreian breathlessly shook her head. They weren't going to make it. And the platform atop the pole had room only for one person.

The two bears charged at the same time, the one with the wounded shoulder coming for her. She sidestepped, but the bear moved with speed belying its bulk. Roaring, it pinned her to the ground. She heard a sickening crunch as her ribs cracked under its weight. Its claws raked into her other arm. She dropped her dagger.

Just then, all the polar bears disappeared. They simply vanished, as if they had never been. Ghyreian felt the weight of the polar bear on top of her lift away. Still on the ground, she gasped. Blood trickled from her mouth.

A disembodied voice - the unmistakable mellifluous voice of a sea elf - drifted down to them: "You are granted ten minutes to bind your wounds the best way you can. Afterwards, you will be escorted to the next trial."

_________________

As the bear charged Edwin tried to dodge to the right, but unfortunately his robe got in the way and he stumbled to the ground, cursing he knew that he was already god as dead until the sudden disappearance of the bears. He looked around and then sat down in relief, he began to sreach trough his items for bandages hoping that he had any left.

He looked at Ghyreian quietly and then looked quickly at Meneldor pondering, if the next trial was to be so cruel and would they make it after this?

_________________

Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!

Simply drawing breath sent a stabbing pain through her chest. She managed to sit herself up. Steadying her fingers, she rummaged in her pouches and extracted two herbs. One she slowly chewed. The other she proferred to Edwin.

The coward Meneldor could go to the abyss for all she cared.

_________________

Edwin thankfully took the herb and chewed it right away, he then tookout the last of his bandages and wrapped some of them around his shoulder not to mention tried to somehow fix his leg. Finally he retrieved his staff and dagger, he felt much better as the staff was there to aid him in walking and smirked.

"That wasn`t so bad, I`d like to see what else these elves have up their sleeves than bears..."

_________________

Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!

The pain in her chest lessened somewhat. She tore a piece from her cloak and bandaged her arm. She staggered over to retrieve her dagger just as another sea elf materialized before them. "It is time for the next trial."

The entire thirty feet of the arena shimmered like a mirage. Hazy shapes piqued the ground. Half a minute later, the arena within the air bubble was completely transformed. Ghyreian, Edwin, and Meneldor stood on a network of stone walkways each about three feet wide. Water, punctuated by frequently by icebergs, flowed beneath the walkways. Something else was new as well. Like a warm, cascading waterfall, Ghyreian felt her magic return. Already she felt stronger.

"I would not touch the water or fall off the walkways if I were you," the sea elf said blandly. "The water is very cold. The temperature is well suited for it." He placed a dire emphasis on the last word. Speaking a teleport spell, he vanished.

Hardly had the sea elf disappeared than the surface of the water rippled. With a titanic roar, a behemoth of glistening white exploded from the water. It was fully the size of a three-story house, with a canine muzzle and muscular arms that ended in talons. And it was made utterly of ice. Standing upright and waist-deep in the water, the ice demon stared down at them. Its taloned hand reached for an iceberg. With another earsplitting roar, it hurled it straight at the mages.

_________________

Edwin stared at the demon with a mixed impression of shock and readiness, as the demon lunged itself at them, Edwin ran out of the way and had to jump to make it out of the way. He stumbled up and back down he had his dagger at hand yet knew that it would be hopeless without their spells. He cursed and concentrated into spellcasting hoping that it would work on the demon.

After a moment a volley of fireballs flew from the hand of Edwin hitting the back of the demon getting it`s attention, then Edwin pushed aside the horrific assumption that the demon was lunging at him to crush him. He concentrated and hoped that the spell would work, not to metion even if it worked he hoped that it would be enough to fool the demon.

_________________

Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!

(sorry, not been able to come online!)


Meneldor lookied at this looming, forboding figure, he had heard of these. The stories wrere NOT pleasant. He started to chant the spidery laguage of magic, summoning forth a blast of electricity towards the Behemoth.

_________________
Halarond

[it's all right]

Ghyreian harnessed five indendiary jets and sent them hurtling at the ice demon's chest. The firebolts and Meneldor's lightning smote the demon full. It rocked back for a brief moment. Then, it returned with threefold its former vengeance. It displayed no sign of injury, not even a scorch mark.

Ghyreian stumbled backwards as a new barrage of ice assaulted the walkway.

_________________

Meneldor summoned more magical essence to throw a death ray at the creature. 'This'll hurt the bardstard' he sneered.

_________________
Halarond