Amber looked at the man reassuringly. "Well, it wouldn't hurt to take a quick look, would it?" she asked.

"No, I was in Luxor yesterday, and then in Delios!" He protested. "I saw a soldier there when I was looking for you, he can testify to my innocence! And the shopkeep in Luxor! Look at my stats for gods' sake, I've only used three attacks out of my weapons, surely not enough to kill a man." He struggled against the guards who picked him up and dragged him away. If they showed no sign of stopping and listening to him, he would have to take action.

Under these circumstances he would cast Broil onto their arms or armour in the hopes that the heat would make them release him. Then he would cast Torch in their faces to blind them, then try run away. If, gods forbid, he were to be trapped in the city he would at least try to find a place to stash the medicine bag before they caught him.

COJISTO

"Your name, please?" Cojisto gave the man his name, and he scanned a paper in front of him. "New here, I see." Cojisto nodded. "In that case, your first fight is free. Head on in."

OOC: Since you've been SO patiently waiting [/sarcasm], I'll do your fight for you now, rather than wait for a reply. Also, I'm going to say you ate at the restaraunt first, so you don't go into this battle with less than half HP. -25G

Cojisto did so, and was shown to a waiting chamber by a buxom brunette. Inside, a series of weapons lined the walls.

"To ensure an equal fight," the lady told him, "All participants are given weapons owned by the Arena. Take your pick." She left as Cojisto strapped on a pair of Knuckles. He sat down and waited for about 15 minutes before the doors in front of him opened to a sizable crowd. He stepped out into the bright sunlight and tightened his gloves.

Quote:

Cojisto vs. Archer METAL WATER Arena Knuckles (+) (ATK3 --/--) Arena Bow (-) (ATK3 --/--) 16/16 HP MP 13/13 3 STR DEF 3 6 MAG RES 5 3 SKL SPD 3 17/17 HP MP 8/8 4 STR DEF 3 2 MAG RES 3 4 SKL SPD 5 Inventory: ---k Loot: --- Cojisto's opponent quickly notches an arrow and fires it into Cojisto's shoulder. 4 DMG! (12/16) Cojisto sprints towards the archer and swipes at him, but the archer dodges. MISS! (17/17) The archer puts an arrow into Cojisto's back. 4 DMG! (8/16) Cojisto whirls around, slashing the archer across the stomach. 3 DMG! (14/17) The archer steps backwards and tries to notch another arrow, but Cojisto knocks his bow out of his hand! MISS! (8/16) As his opponent scrambles to grab his weapon, Cojisto swipes at his back. 3 DMG! (11/17) Cojisto's foe reaches his bow, but as he turns, Cojisto jumps on top of him, pinning him to the ground. MISS! (8/16) Cojisto punches the archer in his face. 3 DMG! (8/17) The archer struggles and manages to throw the Pugilist off of him. Cojisto hits the ground hard. 4 DMG! (4/16) Cojisto rolls over and plunges his knuckles into his opponent's arm. 3 DMG! (5/17) The archer, writhing in pain, pulls an arrow from his quiver and flails at Cojisto with it, but the pugilist avoids the blow and staggers to his feet. MISS! (4/16) Breathing hard, Cojisto runs over and kicks the prone archer in the ribs. 3 DMG! (2/17) Oh snap, it comes down to this next blow! The archer rolls over a few times, but somehow manages to notch his arrow in the process. He raises his bow and fires... into Cojisto's chest! 4 DMG! KO!! +10 EXP

LEVEL UP!

+1 HP
+2 MP
+1 MAG
+1 STR
+1 DEF
+1 SPD
+Proficiency: Household Objects

Cojisto staggered out of the arena, out of breath and aching, and no richer than he had been when he entered, though he did feel somehow stronger.

AMBER

"Glad to hear you say that, ma'am," the man grinned. "Me name's Horace. If you're ready, we can head out now."

OOC: Again, to make up for my two-day absence, I'll just skip your reply so as to get you started.

Horace led Amber to the gaping entrance of the Graw Mines. A pitiful wooden sign hung on a chain across the opening. "DANGER: No Entrance" was scrawled on it in red paint. Horace lifted the sign up and beckoned for Amber to go in, which she did after a moment's hesitation.

The inside of the mines was dark. Amber squinted as her eyes adjusted to the light, or lack thereof. It would be difficult to see where they were going in the depths. There was a flash of light behind her, and she turned to see Horace holding a blazing torch.

"Helps to see where you're goin' down here," he said grimly. "Follow me, I'll show you to me worksite. It's down about three levels." He set off into the darkness.

OOC: Care to ask a question or anything? If not, you'll continue your quest on my next update.

MAL

OOC: Torch doesn't work like that, it merely illuminates a dark area like... well, a torch. So I'll disregard that. However, you shall cast Broil and attempt to escape.

Mal kicked and struggled, but the guards held him fast. That is, until the bracers they wore on their arms suddenly started sizzling. Both guards holding Mal dropped him instantly as they struggled to pull the red-hot metal off of their forearms. Sensing his opportunity, Mal made a break for it. He dashed off towards the relative safety of the buildings. Houses in Dankron were built close together, making the alleyways between them a veritable maze, and the perfect hiding spot. He made it to the closest building, not looking behind him until he was obscured by its walls. He had no way of knowing how many guards were after him, though he assumed the two whose armor he'd cast the spell on were still incapacitated.

Mal tried to steady his breathing, but just as he'd begun to calm down, there was a noise to his left. He peered around one of the buildings to see a lone guard, sword drawn, heading his way.

OOC: Fight or flight?