This day we fight! II

[Evan Rush Rynth]

Soulfire raging, twirling in a mass of chaos, the Undead Elfairy stepped from the weave, entering the abandoned Arena from his pleasant stay at New Haven Manor. Secure in his bone grasp, his scythe continued to conjure the disturbance from behind, the portal, leaving the twisted souls at his command and for Evan’s exit.

Flesh, written in scars, rotting as he furthered his motions to tack the missive to the cork board, was his own. It read:

“Aya Hayashibara, Overlord of the dueling sport, and well recognized skill. You took our last duel with a sudden death come back after several rounds of intensive displays of skill. I, Evan Rush Rynth, challenge this skill again. My rite to challenge is supported by the Lord of Death himself, and I expect this challenge to indeed involve a testing of my skills before my scythe will touch your blade. The Great Lord shall be there to challenge this test against me. Let the stronger skill win.”

Turning, Evan stepped back into the weave, the gloom of the Arena fading to give way to light.

[Deathlord]

A minion crawls its way into the Arena. Punished for some infraction, its legs trail behind it uselessly. A faint trail of ooze is left in its path as it pulls itself along.

Struggling up to the corkboard, the minion tacks a note under the warlord's challenge.

The Baron of New Haven, recognizing the skill of Overlord Aya from past interaction, sponsors this challenge. We look forward to a worthy performance.

[DUEL Corlanthis]

This Challenge is slightly...frightening and more than a little obsessive. But it's valid and may proceed!

[Aya Hayashibara]

"Sensei, The challenge has been officially posted. Your acceptance will be required before too long."

Kneeling and meditating, Aya said nothing. She was concentrating on her inner peace and unconcerned with the upcoming challenge's need for an answer.

"Sensei? Shall I post an acceptance for you? It seems to be allowed there, since those undead thingies seemed to do it for that Baron Deadguy."

An annoyed release of breath. "Keiko. The shrillness of your voice leads me to believe that you do not think I am aware of the situation."

No, sensei, I mean..."

"Be assured that I have been practicing the Arena Politics long enough to know what is required of me. If you are so desperate for an answer to be placed, then give them this one."

Without opening her eyes, she reached into her gi and withdrew a sealed envelope, holding it out to the young student. "Place that on the cork for all to read, if you are so inclined."

Keiko took the envelope, and since there was no seal on it, she opened it and read it.

"If I may be so bold to ask, when did you pen this, why did you not post it sooner, sensei?"

"Sometimes I find your curiousity to be mildly infuriating, K-chan. I wrote that the night his challenge to the Baron was withdrawn. I did not place it for all to see, because I am in no rush. That is reason enough."

She waited.

Nothing.

Aya opened her eyes and looked to the stunned girl. "GO!"

Keiko nodded and quickly left the dojo, running to the Arena to place the note upon the cork to answer the challenge of the Warlord, Evan. "I don't know if he's gonna like this" she whispered, and then quickly ran back to the training facility.

The note reads as follows...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Warlord,

Challenges are always welcome by warriors such as myself. Without the challenge, one can neither find flaws in their skill, nor remain vigilant and will become complacent. Conventional Warriors are generally respected by Conventional Warriors such as I strive to be. Should you have brought this challenge to me in a style much like your previous, I would have welcomed it unconditionally. In this situation, I find myself disappointed.

You may ask what I am disappointed about. I shall tell you. I am disappointed that one such as yourself would sell their life for the simple case of a challenge. That you would trade your soul for something as paltry as permission to bring challenge to me.

I am disappointed that you felt so desperately the need to bring challenge, again, to my title that you would make such a trade so easily. I cannot fathom your reasons for doing so, nor do I care to. I can only state my disappointment. I care not for your reasons for wanting to challenge my title, so have no need to hear of them. I care not for the reasons of your trade of life. I do not even care if there is a name for your weapon.

I shall inform you what it is I do have a care for. In the ring where the fight shall commence for the title I currently am the careholder of. That shall be where it is settled.

You are already aware of my stance in regards to challenges. Thus, I expect you to have a champion to defend you. In the grand scheme of karma, it matters not. Our karma has, at present, been set for us both. It shall not be long before we find out what ours is in regards to this challenge.

I shall contact you regarding the particulars.

H.A.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Aya Hayashibara]

Some time after the message was posted, the Overlord sent for Chiyo, another of her prized students. Chiyo waited patiently in a kneeling position by the entrance of Aya's room while the older woman finished writing her note by candlelight.

When finished, she folded the letter and placed it into a plain envelope, sealing it with a wax mark of her school. The Overlord then turned to the young girl and held it out to her. Chiyo reached with two hands to gently take it.

"Deliver this for me, would you. Chiyo-chan? I do not generally enjoy making deals but I find this one makes for a dramatic turn of events." Aya said, expressionless.

Chiyo looked at the envelope, then to her mentor, seeking how she should take that response.

"Sensei. You have always said that a warrior should be able to defend themselves in every battle. Is what you are doing contrary to what we have learned?"

Aya very slightly smiled and reached to pet the girls hair aside. "Chiyo-chan. Once you have proven you are able to defeat a person, it is not dishonorable, nor disrespectful to force that person to earn the right to face you in battle once more. I have already defeated this Warlord once. He must prove he is worthy of facing my title once again. Most especially after showing how easily he would trade his life for simply the right to do so. You will learn these things in your training."

Chiyo nodded slowly, thinking about what her mentor said. "I believe you."

"That is good. Now, please deliver my proposal. Arigatou."

Seeing she was dismissed, Chiyo bowed to Aya, receiving a slight incline in return before heading out to deliver this new letter.

[Aya Hayashibara]

With little pomp and circumstance, a note was placed upon the board, informing the dueling community of the time and date of the upcoming Overlord challenge.

~~~~~~~~

For all who have a desire to witness it,

The Challenge for the Overlord Title has been set for Saturday the 30th, at 10:30 PM RST (est) The always stellar official, Wyheree Ravenlock, has agreed to officiate this battle.

While this does fall within the two week time period before the Warlord Tournament, this was the first available time in which both combatants were able to meet. It has been approved by the Swords Coordinator.

Thank you for your attention to this matter, and I encourage all to come witness what should prove to be a truly interesting and engaging spectacle.

H.A.
~~~~~~~~

[Evan Rush Rynth]

Death of soul, the last living within a body that feels no more, cast into diamond, and beyond, was the misery. Years of lusting flesh, and all those abound to it, those title moments that drifted beyond life and death, vanished when the spell and rite was cast upon Evan. Those to witness such events would have said otherwise but Evan still wished it.

In the end, Evan fought, with every ounce of his soul until his soul was no more. Controlled by Death Lord, the one of death, he felt his power rise into something that it had not been before. And that IS how the story goes. Go give all life is the end all too, all but death. To rest but never know a grave is the fashion that Evan was granted. Be it a challenge, or be it the afterlife, Evan was happy with his new form, station, and way of the day. In this, he knew, everything that had happened before was no longer his own but chaos working its wings, folds, and tears in space as the undead Elfairy moved to cork.

After all, the pain in which he had endured ranged the body, mind, and spirit. The rite passed onto him by the Lord of Death, granted Evan the seekings in the all. Vanish what he was not and endure all that is, the Weave and soulfire, that night, ate him as if a full course meal and it was, Evan Rush Rynth that vanished all he was.

Penned:

I expect someone to fight in your place. All hail Deathlord, for he shall fight in mine. When he wins, so shall I. Flip a coin and put two pennies over your eyes, for I hope that is the cost of your ferry.

[DUEL Wyh]

This match did indeed take place on the night of April 30th. In an unusual turn of events, the Overlady elected to have a Champion this night - the Baroness of Old Market, Ellisa Morgan, who was to Test the newly-undead Warlord, Evan Rush Rynth. His Sponsor, the Baron of New Haven, the one known as Deathlord, stepped in to do battle with the Baroness, but was defeated in 8 rounds, by a score of 5-3. Ellisa Morgan then did battle with Evan Rush Rynth, and in a long, tightly-held contest, the Baroness defeated the Warlord in 14 rounds, by a score of 5-3.5 - thus securing the continuation of the reign of Hayashibara Aya.

As witnessed by Wyheree g'Ark'Hiradan